Chapter Three
A Past Revealed
Three days later, Delilah was in her classroom, which was on the third floor on the east side of the castle. When she first was shown her room, she thought it was the best one she'd seen in a long time. There was a high ceiling, and lots of space for her to teach her classes. There were even two beautiful stained glassed windows, which were currently open to let in the afternoon summer air.
At the moment she was decorating the walls. Scattered in various places were movie posters, news articles, book titles and more. Delilah figured if she was going to teach her students about the Muggle world, and things in it, she thought they'd benefit by seeing what they needed to see. It would be difficult to explain a thing like a car or stoplight to someone who had never seen one before. That'd be like trying to describe the color red to a blind person.
Another thing she wanted to share with her pupils was the music. She'd been able to get Professor Dumbledore to place a charm around her rooms so her Muggle items would work in the wizarding world. With all the magic that was flying through the air, the circuitry would have gone haywire if they'd tried to use it without the charm. With a tape deck, radio, and CD player, her students could hear the sounds of her world and Delilah wouldn't miss things from home.
One thing Dumbledore did emphasize, after he'd charmed the room, is that none of the other students be disturbed during classes. To solve this problem, Professor Flitwick also placed a charm over the room to make it soundproof. It would be so airtight that Delilah could have the door propped open, and no one would hear a sound from the room.
"Finally," she stated loudly. "I'm done. It's about time."
Stepping back and gazing around, she brushed off a stray dust bunny while admiring the scene. Chuckling to herself she murmured quietly, "And just in time too. The students are arriving in three hours."
About this time Aaron wandered in looking a bit gloomy. Upon seeing him, Delilah strolled over, placed her arm around his shoulders and asked, "You're not still brooding, are you?"
"Why can't I share your rooms with you? I'm sure that Dee wouldn't mind," Aaron inquired in a pleading type of voice.
"I know Dee wouldn't mind. He wants families to stay together," she told him, squeezing him gently in hopes of reassuring him. "It's just that it's a tradition that students be sorted into one of the houses. Besides, you'll have a better time if you live there than with me."
"But the kids will hate me," he protested.
"No they won't, and you just remember one thing," she told him as she turned him to face her. Once she was looking at him in the eye, she went on, "The only person who's hurt by the hating is the person doing the hate."
"I know, I know," he muttered as if she'd told him this numerous times.
"That's my boy," she smiled at him. "Besides, you can come see me whenever you need to."
"Alright," Aaron reluctantly said, although it seemed like he was looking a bit happier. It was hard to tell at times
Looking at her watch Delilah saw the time was growing short before the students would be arriving. She and Aaron had better hurry. "Come on. Time to get dressed."
Agreeing, Aaron followed her out of the room and walked down the hallway. A few minutes later, they arrived at the common room, the door covered with a painting of two women in puffy pink dresses: one older, and one younger. When they saw Delilah, the younger one inquired, "Password?" Before Delilah could give the answer, Aaron told her, "I like what you did to the classroom. I just hope everyone else does."
"We'll just have to find out tomorrow," Delilah answered with a grin. Saying the word 'Titanic' the painting swung open, and in the two went. Once they were inside, the painting silently shut behind them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While Delilah was getting dressed, thoughts of the last few days popped into her head, especially her arrival at the castle. Even though she didn't really want to think about it images wouldn't leave her mind.
***FLASHBACK***
Arriving at the castle, Delilah and Aaron were met by only Professor McGonagall. She smiled at them as they stepped out of their carriage, "Welcome back to Hogwarts," she said to them, hugging them in turn.
"Thanks for meeting us Minerva," Delilah greeted her happily.
"Thanks for meeting us, Professor McGonagall," Aaron repeated, giving her one of his special smiles.
"You can call me Minerva," she told him, leaning towards him as if telling him a secret. "Just make sure to call me Professor in front of the other students. Don't want to make them think you're special."
"But I am special," Aaron stated firmly.
"That you are," Professor McGonagall agreed as she ruffled his hair. "That you are."
Looking around the grounds, Delilah stated as she walked around a bit, "This place hasn't changed one bit. I don't think I've been here since before I married Derrick."
"Why didn't you come?" Professor McGonagall asked her curiously. "You know you were always welcome, even Derrick was."
Delilah noticed that Professor McGonagall said that last bit of her sentence as if it were an afterthought. Before Delilah said another word, she told Aaron, "Why don't you go play down at the lake for a bit before we go in?"
"Alright mom." Aaron agreed and went tearing down the lawn.
"And be sure to watch out for the giant squid that lives in the lake," called Professor McGonagall, just as Aaron got out of sight.
Once Aaron was out of earshot, Delilah explained, "I would have come, but Derrick didn't want us to. It's not like I could disobey him. His profession didn't allow me to."
"You never did tell us what he did," Professor McGonagall wondered. "What kind of job could he have that could possibly keep you away from your family?"
"He was a part of the New Jersey mob," she told her. When Delilah saw the look of confusion on Professor McGonagall's face, Delilah explained further, "His job was similar to what the Death Eaters did."
Shivering at the mention of Voldemort's followers, Professor McGonagall asked, "If you knew this was what Derrick did, then why did you marry him?"
"I didn't know that until after I married him, and then I didn't find out for three years. He appeared to be everything a girl could want in a man: sweet, kind, generous, and good-looking. It just didn't seem like he'd be the type of person who was into a mysterious lifestyle.
"It was on Aaron's third birthday. We were going to have a party, presents, balloons, the whole thing. Aaron seemed to know what was going on, and he kept asking us, 'When's the party? When's the party?' He was a very smart child, even at that age. Finally, it was almost time for the party, and I'd gone up to Derrick's office to get him.but he wasn't there. It looked like he'd left in a rush since there were papers scattered all across the floor. I started to collect them, and occasionally I read bits of them.
"What I found on them sent chills through my spine. There were records of dealings that Derrick had observed, and even participated in. These dealings were enough to make me want to grab Aaron and run. It was all I could do to stay composed."
"When did you decide to leave him?" Professor McGonagall inquired quietly.
"It was about two weeks later," Delilah responded, swallowing quietly as she remembered what happened. Walking a couple of steps away, she continued on, although it seemed her mind wasn't fully there. "Derrick came home drunk. I had just put Aaron down for the night, and was watching television in the living room."
"We headed for bed. Just as we were about to get to sleep, Aaron woke up. Derrick didn't want me to go, he told me to just leave Aaron alone. When I refused, Derrick started to get violent and yelling things about how I never listened to him. He even started bellowing about things at work. It was then that I knew what I'd read on those papers were correct.
"The next morning, I left the house with Aaron and filed for divorce. What's weird is that the divorce went easier than I thought it would. Derrick gave no fight whatsoever. After everything was said and done, Derrick disappeared and Aaron stayed with me. I haven't seen Derrick since."
"I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, but maybe it was for the best," Professor McGonagall said quietly. "That he left." "Yeah, maybe," Delilah agreed distantly. Sighing heavily, she looked towards Professor McGonagall and smiled, saying, "Well that was a long time ago. Best to be forgotten. Let's go inside."
Glad to see she was smiling, Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's. It's almost time for dinner. Oh, by the way, we've put you in your old rooms, right on the third floor."
"Great," Delilah smiled. "At least I won't get lost since I know where my room is."
Calling out to Aaron, they all went into the castle as the night started to descend around them.
***BACK TO THE PRESENT***
Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Delilah met Hagrid. "Good evening, Professor James. Ah've come teh escort young Aaron down to teh boats. We've got to meet the new arrivals."
"Alright, I'll get him," she told him, and left to go find Aaron. A few minutes later she returned with him, all dressed in his uniform. He looked very handsome. Delilah felt a slight tear well up in her eye because she knew her baby boy was growing up.
Before he left, Delilah reminded him, "Now you behave yourself, and be sure to listen to Hagrid."
"Alright, mother," Aaron sighed heavily before he walked out of the door. "I will."
Closing the door behind them, Delilah returned to her room to finish dressing. Fifteen minutes later, she puffed her hair one more time. Grabbing her black robe from her bed, she wrapped it around he and left for the Great Hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Twenty minutes later she was in a part of the castle she'd never been in before, even in her years there as a child. She kept walking down the hallway, hoping to see something that was even remotely familiar. Nothing came even close.
Delilah felt like all hope was lost when she started smelling something really bad. "Ugh, what's that smell?" she mumbled to no one in particular as she covered her nose.
"Ah, is the little teachy lost?" she heard a voice, but saw nothing that it belonged to. Then, right before her, something misty appeared and finally it turned into a blue substance that Delilah could only associate with a ghost.
"Yes, I am," she told it while she clasped her hands tightly together. "Can you tell me how to get to the banquet hall?"
Delilah thought she heard it chuckle before it told her, "Go down the hallway, and knock on the knight's arm three times. It'll open, and the passage way will take you to the Great Hall."
"Thanks," she told it as she walked down the hallway. A minute or so later, she found the knight, knocked on its arm three times like she was told, and it opened before her like a door.
Behind the knight, a passageway appeared that was lit with bowls of light that were placed along the path. Biting her lip she looked back down the hallway, in hopes of seeing someone who could give her a better alternative route, but there was no one.
Seeing she had no choice, she took a deep breath, and started down the path. A few feet into the tunnel, the knight closed behind her. Seeing this, she now had no choice but to keep going.
It seemed like she'd never get out when her path came to a complete stop. There was no door, nothing. "Oh, terrific," she spouted, blowing a stray piece of hair away from her eyes. "Now what?"
Feeling frustrated, she kicked the wall and before she knew it, the wall started to open. In awe, she watched it open into a semi-dark classroom. Carefully, she stepped out into the room.
Once she was in the room, the door quietly closed behind her. She didn't hear any of this because she was to busy looking around the room. Not quite sure why, she thought the room looked vaguely familiar. She just couldn't place it.
The shadowy walls were lines with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of unknown things, which Delilah was not about to investigate. The fireplace was dark, empty, and looked as if the fire had gone out long ago. Delilah shivered slightly when she realized how chilly it was. "Now is not the time for sight seeing," she decided as she continued to look around. Quickly, she walked around the desk and made her way for the doors.
Reaching the doors, she grasped the handle and twisted. Nothing happened. "No, don't be locked," she moaned as she grabbed the handle with her other hand still trying to get it to open. During her struggle, she didn't hear the soft footfall, nor the quiet swishing of a cape.
Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her right shoulder. Jumping, she squeaked loudly and turned around, ready to hit the person if needed. The hand belonged to Severus Snape.
"Professor Snape, what are you doing here?" She asked as lowered her fists, still breathing heavily.
"What am I doing here?" He repeated. "This is my office. Question is what are you doing?"
"I got in here through the passage behind your desk," she explained, pointing the wall behind his desk, which held shelves of books.
"What passage would this be?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes at her. "There's no way in here except through these doors."
"But I tell you there is one," she protested as she walked back behind his desk. Feeling the wall, she mumbled, "Where did it go? It was right here."
"Maybe it was there, but now it is gone," he ground out. "Forget about the passage for now. I understand how you got in here. But why did you get in there in the first place?"
This time she blushed slightly before she mumbled something about, "I had gotten lost."
"You got lost," he replicated slowly, a tad bit disbelieving. "I thought you knew this castle."
"I thought so too," she grumbled. "Yeah, I normally would have, but I turned the wrong corner, getting lost. Then this blue little.thing told me the way how to get to the banquet hall."
"Peeves," he shot out "I guess you aren't at fault this time, but next time, try not to trust him. Poltergeists love to cause problems."
"Yes, I'll try and remember that," she agreed
Then there was a silence between them, an edgy silence. Finally she asked him, "Here's the million dollar question, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hall by now?"
'Million dollar question? What's a dollar?' he though as he watched Delilah 'Oh, it's a form of Muggle currency.'
"I was just leaving. There was some last minute inventory work that needed to be done," he reluctantly told her. "We should be going. I'll show you the way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few minutes later, they were ascending the last flight of stairs, and they could already hear the talking and laughter of students filing into the Entrance Hall. Professor Dumbledore was just about to enter a smaller door just off the Great Hall when he saw Delilah and Snape appear.
"Ah, Delilah! Severus! You've arrived," he announced as they walked towards him, a slight smile appearing from under his beard. "I thought we were going to have to send Sir Nicholas after you."
"You know Sir Nicholas won't come near my office," Snape mentioned as they opened the door Professor Dumbledore was about to enter, which lead into small room where the walls were lined with moving paintings of witches and wizards. In the middle of the room, there was a medium-sized table with a few teachers sitting around it. Minerva McGonagall was one of them, and she looked up to see them walking in.
"Good, you've arrived. We should be taking our seats now," Professor McGonagall suggested.
"Yes, we'd better. The first years will be arriving soon," Professor Dumbledore stated as he unwrapped a partially eaten Hershey Almond bar. Breaking off a huge chunk of it, he smiled at Delilah, sighing, "Ah an almond chocolate bar, something every wizard should have. I wish I would have had these when the Dementias were around."
"Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall chastised him. "Not before dinner, you're going to ruin your appetite."
"My dear Minerva, I have the feeling I'm going to need it this year," he explained to her as he broke off another piece. "Voldemort was defeated with his sanity barely in tack. I need to keep a hold a mine."
"Well, if we hadn't let Potter, Weasley, and Granger subject him to all those children shows, maybe he would have been defeated with all of his sanity," Snape pointed out to him.
"What children shows?" Delilah asked since she had no idea what they were talking about. Her grandfather had told her about Voldemort's defeat, but never how it happened.
"They forced him to watch Barney, Tellytubbies, and, worst of all, Pokemon," Snape responded quickly, a look of deep disgust on his face.
"I definitely know how you feel," she agreed, smiling. "Aaron went through a phase where Pokemon was all he wanted to watch. Thankfully it was a short- lived phase, and he never got into Barney and Tellytubbies. I think I would have gone crazy."
"That's pretty much how Voldemort turned out in the end," Dumbledore confirmed as he wrapped up the last of his chocolate and placed it under his robes. "He was crazy enough to lose all of his magical powers, but still had the capability of having a normal life."
"Do you mean he's a Muggle now?" Delilah asked, not sure she quite understood him. This idea was just too hard to believe.
"Yup," he replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. "He sells T-shirts at Disney World. I just saw him a month ago. He's doing quite nicely, and is happy. Strange, isn't it?"
"Yes, quite strange," everyone agreed.
"We should be heading into the hall now. I believe the students are about to arrive," Dumbledore suggested quietly. Nodding to him, everyone, except for Professor McGonagall, followed him towards another door, which Delilah found led into the Great Hall.
When Delilah entered the room, she was stunned. Even after seeing the Great Hall the many times as a little girl, the beauty still had the power to make her speechless. Sitting before her was the table where the teachers sat. There were already a few teachers sitting there, a few that she even recognized, who she waved at. Above the table was a banner that held all the house colors.
The ceiling was lit up with thousands and thousands of brightly lit candles, which were floating in midair over four really long tables. This was where the students would be sitting. The tables were littered with glistening plates and goblets of solid gold, which were sitting on tablecloths of that house's colors.
In front of the teacher's table, there was a three-legged stool. Sitting on top of it was a wizard's hat that was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty. If this had been found in Muggle society it would have been pitched long ago. Here in the wizarding world it held value only among itself. It sorted the first years into their houses.
"You'll be sitting here, my dear," Dumbledore told her, causing Delilah to jump slightly. She'd been off in lala land for so long, she'd forgotten where she was for a moment. Nodding to him, Delilah pulled out the seat he'd indicated, and sat down. Pulling out the chair on her right, he sat down himself.
Not long after everyone had been seated, the double doors on the other side of the Great Hall swung open, and Professor McGonagall strolled through it, leading a line of first years that were looking around the room in awe. Pretty much like Delilah did the first time she every saw it.
For some reason that she couldn't explain, she started singing,
Following the leader, the leader, the leader
Following the leader, wherever we may go
Out of the corner of her eye, Professor Flitwick looked at her with a weird expression on his face. She just turned to him, and smiled innocently.
By this time, all of the students had arrived in front of the teacher's table, all curious about what was going to happen next. Professor McGonagall was standing next to the footstool by now, and was holding a yellowed paper scroll. There was complete silence before it looked like the hat twitched, and then started to sing out.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong to Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!" "Now, when I call your name, you need to come up here, put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall announced as she picked up the hat. Unfurling the scroll, she read off the first name. For each name that was called, a student walked up to the stool, put on the hat like they were supposed to and sat down.some more timidly than others. With each placement the hat called out what house the student was supposed to go to.
Finally, Delilah heard Aaron's name called. Holding her breath, she watched her little boy anxiously climb up onto the stool with the hat on. She wished she could hear what the cap was telling him, but this was something she wasn't privy to. If her son wanted to tell her, he would. No sooner had he sat down than she heard the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Applause came from that particular table, and Aaron happily tore off the hat, jumped off the stool, and ran to his home team.
Five minutes later, the last student was sorted into their house, and the ceremony was complete. Professor McGonagall quietly rolled up the scroll, grabbed the stool and carried them away. Delilah gazed over at Dumbledore as he stood up and started talking. "Ah, crap," she thought. "He's not going to make his speech now. I thought he usually waited until after the feast was over."
"Welcome to another school year. I'll trust you all had an enjoyable holiday," he assumed as he glanced slowly around the room. "Now, before we begin the banquet, I just have one word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Even before the last syllable was out of his mouth, the food started to appear on the tables. There was even more food than Delilah could examine. The sight of all the food reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, and her stomach was reminding her. A low growl emitted from her, and she grimaced, hoping no one had heard it.
"I told you to come eat at lunchtime," Dumbledore spoke to her in a low tone as he started to spoon a large pile of buttery mashed potatoes onto his plate.
"I forgot," Delilah blushed as she straightened in her seat. "Anyway, I wanted to finish setting up my classroom. It wasn't until I started unpacking that I realized how much stuff I had brought with me."
"It does get that way," Dumbledore agreed, looking at her wistfully. "I remember when I was setting up my first classroom. I still can't figure out where those things came from. It's almost as if it appeared out of thin air."
Delilah chuckled as she continued eating her supper. She loved talking with her godfather because he had never made her feel like she was a child, even when she was young. It made her feel like a grown up.
Food kept on appearing as everyone ate their fill, and it continued on into dessert. Finally, after everyone was full and happy, all the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood up. Now it was time for him to talk.
"Now that everyone eaten to their delight, it's time for a few announcements," he informed them. "First years will note that the forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. If you need any explanations about it, talk to your House Prefect."
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind everyone that no magic is allowed in the corridors between the hours of 6AM and 10PM."
"Quidditch tryouts will be announced later in the week. Keep an eye on your House's bulletin board for the times. Please speak with Madame Hooch if you would like further details."
"Now, we have a few changes to faculty this year. These three people have kindly agreed to join our ranks this year," he continued. "You may have noticed that Professor Remus Lupin is back with us. He will be taking his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher once again. Also, he will have an assistant, Sirius Black. Even though he's the assistant, I want all of you to give him all the respect and thoughtfulness that you would give any professor here."
Once it was confirmed that Sirius Black did not commit the murders of the eleven Muggles, he was acquitted of all wrong doing and set free. It had taken a few years for people to start trusting him again, and Professor Dumbledore was the first to give him complete trust by offering him a job at Hogwarts. Dumbledore felt that Sirius would make a valuable contribution to the school, but since he didn't have teaching experience, Sirius couldn't be a full-fledged professor. So while Sirius was getting his credentials, he would be Lupin's assistant.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you that Professor Dipstick has retired because he won the Wizarding Lottery, and felt it was now time to spend time with his family. To take his place is Professor Delilah James. She has some new ideas for the Muggle Studies class, and I hope everyone will enjoy it."
Everyone clapped as he paused, but then stopped when he held up his hand to quiet them. "Because this class will different than from what it was in the past, I will make it a requirement that all those who've taken the class before take it at least for one term. If after the term is up, you don't want to take it, you don't have to.and if you decide you wish to continue, you can do that as well."
"And now, before we head for bed, let's sing the school song, and start this year off with a bang!" cried Dumbledore and he swished his wand through the air and little puffs of silver smoke emitted into the air. Rising into the air, the smoke formed into words, forming the song.
"Sing it as you want, and off we go," Dumbledore continued.
The school sang in mixed chorus:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of stuff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot." People finished on their own timing, and just sat there waiting for the last person to finish. It wasn't easy to wait, but they had to. No one could really leave until the last note had been sung.
Once the last note was vocalized, Dumbledore sighed, saying, "Ah, singing is magic beyond magic. In song, anything is possible. Now off to bed, and dream of happy things."
With this, everyone stood up, and walked towards the double doors on the other side of the hall. Delilah sat in her seat listening to the students talking. She heard the prefects call out to the new ones, and he saw Aaron scamper after the group following a young girl with fire-red hair.
Once the room almost void of students, Delilah stood up from her seat, and walked into the room they were in before. No one was in there except for Dumbledore, who seemed to be waiting for her.
"Hard to believe he's growing up, isn't it?" He asked her.
"Yes, it is," Delilah agreed, then covered her mouth as she stifled a soft yawn. "I think I'll say good night now. It's been a long day, and I have the feeling it's going to be a long one tomorrow."
"Yes, it will be. Good night, and I'll see you at breakfast," he told her as he followed her out the door. "And be sure not to let Peeves help you to get someplace. We don't need you getting lost again."
"I'll be sure to make a mental note of that, Dee," she told him as she leaned over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and strolled out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Five minutes later she arrived at her room, gave the password to the ladies in pink, and climb through the portrait. Delilah quickly got ready for bed, and finally flopped down onto the mattress of her four-poster bed. Not to long after getting under the covers, she was out like a light, and was already anticipating what her first day of classes would be like.
A Past Revealed
Three days later, Delilah was in her classroom, which was on the third floor on the east side of the castle. When she first was shown her room, she thought it was the best one she'd seen in a long time. There was a high ceiling, and lots of space for her to teach her classes. There were even two beautiful stained glassed windows, which were currently open to let in the afternoon summer air.
At the moment she was decorating the walls. Scattered in various places were movie posters, news articles, book titles and more. Delilah figured if she was going to teach her students about the Muggle world, and things in it, she thought they'd benefit by seeing what they needed to see. It would be difficult to explain a thing like a car or stoplight to someone who had never seen one before. That'd be like trying to describe the color red to a blind person.
Another thing she wanted to share with her pupils was the music. She'd been able to get Professor Dumbledore to place a charm around her rooms so her Muggle items would work in the wizarding world. With all the magic that was flying through the air, the circuitry would have gone haywire if they'd tried to use it without the charm. With a tape deck, radio, and CD player, her students could hear the sounds of her world and Delilah wouldn't miss things from home.
One thing Dumbledore did emphasize, after he'd charmed the room, is that none of the other students be disturbed during classes. To solve this problem, Professor Flitwick also placed a charm over the room to make it soundproof. It would be so airtight that Delilah could have the door propped open, and no one would hear a sound from the room.
"Finally," she stated loudly. "I'm done. It's about time."
Stepping back and gazing around, she brushed off a stray dust bunny while admiring the scene. Chuckling to herself she murmured quietly, "And just in time too. The students are arriving in three hours."
About this time Aaron wandered in looking a bit gloomy. Upon seeing him, Delilah strolled over, placed her arm around his shoulders and asked, "You're not still brooding, are you?"
"Why can't I share your rooms with you? I'm sure that Dee wouldn't mind," Aaron inquired in a pleading type of voice.
"I know Dee wouldn't mind. He wants families to stay together," she told him, squeezing him gently in hopes of reassuring him. "It's just that it's a tradition that students be sorted into one of the houses. Besides, you'll have a better time if you live there than with me."
"But the kids will hate me," he protested.
"No they won't, and you just remember one thing," she told him as she turned him to face her. Once she was looking at him in the eye, she went on, "The only person who's hurt by the hating is the person doing the hate."
"I know, I know," he muttered as if she'd told him this numerous times.
"That's my boy," she smiled at him. "Besides, you can come see me whenever you need to."
"Alright," Aaron reluctantly said, although it seemed like he was looking a bit happier. It was hard to tell at times
Looking at her watch Delilah saw the time was growing short before the students would be arriving. She and Aaron had better hurry. "Come on. Time to get dressed."
Agreeing, Aaron followed her out of the room and walked down the hallway. A few minutes later, they arrived at the common room, the door covered with a painting of two women in puffy pink dresses: one older, and one younger. When they saw Delilah, the younger one inquired, "Password?" Before Delilah could give the answer, Aaron told her, "I like what you did to the classroom. I just hope everyone else does."
"We'll just have to find out tomorrow," Delilah answered with a grin. Saying the word 'Titanic' the painting swung open, and in the two went. Once they were inside, the painting silently shut behind them.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
While Delilah was getting dressed, thoughts of the last few days popped into her head, especially her arrival at the castle. Even though she didn't really want to think about it images wouldn't leave her mind.
***FLASHBACK***
Arriving at the castle, Delilah and Aaron were met by only Professor McGonagall. She smiled at them as they stepped out of their carriage, "Welcome back to Hogwarts," she said to them, hugging them in turn.
"Thanks for meeting us Minerva," Delilah greeted her happily.
"Thanks for meeting us, Professor McGonagall," Aaron repeated, giving her one of his special smiles.
"You can call me Minerva," she told him, leaning towards him as if telling him a secret. "Just make sure to call me Professor in front of the other students. Don't want to make them think you're special."
"But I am special," Aaron stated firmly.
"That you are," Professor McGonagall agreed as she ruffled his hair. "That you are."
Looking around the grounds, Delilah stated as she walked around a bit, "This place hasn't changed one bit. I don't think I've been here since before I married Derrick."
"Why didn't you come?" Professor McGonagall asked her curiously. "You know you were always welcome, even Derrick was."
Delilah noticed that Professor McGonagall said that last bit of her sentence as if it were an afterthought. Before Delilah said another word, she told Aaron, "Why don't you go play down at the lake for a bit before we go in?"
"Alright mom." Aaron agreed and went tearing down the lawn.
"And be sure to watch out for the giant squid that lives in the lake," called Professor McGonagall, just as Aaron got out of sight.
Once Aaron was out of earshot, Delilah explained, "I would have come, but Derrick didn't want us to. It's not like I could disobey him. His profession didn't allow me to."
"You never did tell us what he did," Professor McGonagall wondered. "What kind of job could he have that could possibly keep you away from your family?"
"He was a part of the New Jersey mob," she told her. When Delilah saw the look of confusion on Professor McGonagall's face, Delilah explained further, "His job was similar to what the Death Eaters did."
Shivering at the mention of Voldemort's followers, Professor McGonagall asked, "If you knew this was what Derrick did, then why did you marry him?"
"I didn't know that until after I married him, and then I didn't find out for three years. He appeared to be everything a girl could want in a man: sweet, kind, generous, and good-looking. It just didn't seem like he'd be the type of person who was into a mysterious lifestyle.
"It was on Aaron's third birthday. We were going to have a party, presents, balloons, the whole thing. Aaron seemed to know what was going on, and he kept asking us, 'When's the party? When's the party?' He was a very smart child, even at that age. Finally, it was almost time for the party, and I'd gone up to Derrick's office to get him.but he wasn't there. It looked like he'd left in a rush since there were papers scattered all across the floor. I started to collect them, and occasionally I read bits of them.
"What I found on them sent chills through my spine. There were records of dealings that Derrick had observed, and even participated in. These dealings were enough to make me want to grab Aaron and run. It was all I could do to stay composed."
"When did you decide to leave him?" Professor McGonagall inquired quietly.
"It was about two weeks later," Delilah responded, swallowing quietly as she remembered what happened. Walking a couple of steps away, she continued on, although it seemed her mind wasn't fully there. "Derrick came home drunk. I had just put Aaron down for the night, and was watching television in the living room."
"We headed for bed. Just as we were about to get to sleep, Aaron woke up. Derrick didn't want me to go, he told me to just leave Aaron alone. When I refused, Derrick started to get violent and yelling things about how I never listened to him. He even started bellowing about things at work. It was then that I knew what I'd read on those papers were correct.
"The next morning, I left the house with Aaron and filed for divorce. What's weird is that the divorce went easier than I thought it would. Derrick gave no fight whatsoever. After everything was said and done, Derrick disappeared and Aaron stayed with me. I haven't seen Derrick since."
"I hope this doesn't come out the wrong way, but maybe it was for the best," Professor McGonagall said quietly. "That he left." "Yeah, maybe," Delilah agreed distantly. Sighing heavily, she looked towards Professor McGonagall and smiled, saying, "Well that was a long time ago. Best to be forgotten. Let's go inside."
Glad to see she was smiling, Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's. It's almost time for dinner. Oh, by the way, we've put you in your old rooms, right on the third floor."
"Great," Delilah smiled. "At least I won't get lost since I know where my room is."
Calling out to Aaron, they all went into the castle as the night started to descend around them.
***BACK TO THE PRESENT***
Half an hour later, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, Delilah met Hagrid. "Good evening, Professor James. Ah've come teh escort young Aaron down to teh boats. We've got to meet the new arrivals."
"Alright, I'll get him," she told him, and left to go find Aaron. A few minutes later she returned with him, all dressed in his uniform. He looked very handsome. Delilah felt a slight tear well up in her eye because she knew her baby boy was growing up.
Before he left, Delilah reminded him, "Now you behave yourself, and be sure to listen to Hagrid."
"Alright, mother," Aaron sighed heavily before he walked out of the door. "I will."
Closing the door behind them, Delilah returned to her room to finish dressing. Fifteen minutes later, she puffed her hair one more time. Grabbing her black robe from her bed, she wrapped it around he and left for the Great Hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Twenty minutes later she was in a part of the castle she'd never been in before, even in her years there as a child. She kept walking down the hallway, hoping to see something that was even remotely familiar. Nothing came even close.
Delilah felt like all hope was lost when she started smelling something really bad. "Ugh, what's that smell?" she mumbled to no one in particular as she covered her nose.
"Ah, is the little teachy lost?" she heard a voice, but saw nothing that it belonged to. Then, right before her, something misty appeared and finally it turned into a blue substance that Delilah could only associate with a ghost.
"Yes, I am," she told it while she clasped her hands tightly together. "Can you tell me how to get to the banquet hall?"
Delilah thought she heard it chuckle before it told her, "Go down the hallway, and knock on the knight's arm three times. It'll open, and the passage way will take you to the Great Hall."
"Thanks," she told it as she walked down the hallway. A minute or so later, she found the knight, knocked on its arm three times like she was told, and it opened before her like a door.
Behind the knight, a passageway appeared that was lit with bowls of light that were placed along the path. Biting her lip she looked back down the hallway, in hopes of seeing someone who could give her a better alternative route, but there was no one.
Seeing she had no choice, she took a deep breath, and started down the path. A few feet into the tunnel, the knight closed behind her. Seeing this, she now had no choice but to keep going.
It seemed like she'd never get out when her path came to a complete stop. There was no door, nothing. "Oh, terrific," she spouted, blowing a stray piece of hair away from her eyes. "Now what?"
Feeling frustrated, she kicked the wall and before she knew it, the wall started to open. In awe, she watched it open into a semi-dark classroom. Carefully, she stepped out into the room.
Once she was in the room, the door quietly closed behind her. She didn't hear any of this because she was to busy looking around the room. Not quite sure why, she thought the room looked vaguely familiar. She just couldn't place it.
The shadowy walls were lines with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of unknown things, which Delilah was not about to investigate. The fireplace was dark, empty, and looked as if the fire had gone out long ago. Delilah shivered slightly when she realized how chilly it was. "Now is not the time for sight seeing," she decided as she continued to look around. Quickly, she walked around the desk and made her way for the doors.
Reaching the doors, she grasped the handle and twisted. Nothing happened. "No, don't be locked," she moaned as she grabbed the handle with her other hand still trying to get it to open. During her struggle, she didn't hear the soft footfall, nor the quiet swishing of a cape.
Before she knew it, a hand grabbed her right shoulder. Jumping, she squeaked loudly and turned around, ready to hit the person if needed. The hand belonged to Severus Snape.
"Professor Snape, what are you doing here?" She asked as lowered her fists, still breathing heavily.
"What am I doing here?" He repeated. "This is my office. Question is what are you doing?"
"I got in here through the passage behind your desk," she explained, pointing the wall behind his desk, which held shelves of books.
"What passage would this be?" he asked her, narrowing his eyes at her. "There's no way in here except through these doors."
"But I tell you there is one," she protested as she walked back behind his desk. Feeling the wall, she mumbled, "Where did it go? It was right here."
"Maybe it was there, but now it is gone," he ground out. "Forget about the passage for now. I understand how you got in here. But why did you get in there in the first place?"
This time she blushed slightly before she mumbled something about, "I had gotten lost."
"You got lost," he replicated slowly, a tad bit disbelieving. "I thought you knew this castle."
"I thought so too," she grumbled. "Yeah, I normally would have, but I turned the wrong corner, getting lost. Then this blue little.thing told me the way how to get to the banquet hall."
"Peeves," he shot out "I guess you aren't at fault this time, but next time, try not to trust him. Poltergeists love to cause problems."
"Yes, I'll try and remember that," she agreed
Then there was a silence between them, an edgy silence. Finally she asked him, "Here's the million dollar question, what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the hall by now?"
'Million dollar question? What's a dollar?' he though as he watched Delilah 'Oh, it's a form of Muggle currency.'
"I was just leaving. There was some last minute inventory work that needed to be done," he reluctantly told her. "We should be going. I'll show you the way."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few minutes later, they were ascending the last flight of stairs, and they could already hear the talking and laughter of students filing into the Entrance Hall. Professor Dumbledore was just about to enter a smaller door just off the Great Hall when he saw Delilah and Snape appear.
"Ah, Delilah! Severus! You've arrived," he announced as they walked towards him, a slight smile appearing from under his beard. "I thought we were going to have to send Sir Nicholas after you."
"You know Sir Nicholas won't come near my office," Snape mentioned as they opened the door Professor Dumbledore was about to enter, which lead into small room where the walls were lined with moving paintings of witches and wizards. In the middle of the room, there was a medium-sized table with a few teachers sitting around it. Minerva McGonagall was one of them, and she looked up to see them walking in.
"Good, you've arrived. We should be taking our seats now," Professor McGonagall suggested.
"Yes, we'd better. The first years will be arriving soon," Professor Dumbledore stated as he unwrapped a partially eaten Hershey Almond bar. Breaking off a huge chunk of it, he smiled at Delilah, sighing, "Ah an almond chocolate bar, something every wizard should have. I wish I would have had these when the Dementias were around."
"Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall chastised him. "Not before dinner, you're going to ruin your appetite."
"My dear Minerva, I have the feeling I'm going to need it this year," he explained to her as he broke off another piece. "Voldemort was defeated with his sanity barely in tack. I need to keep a hold a mine."
"Well, if we hadn't let Potter, Weasley, and Granger subject him to all those children shows, maybe he would have been defeated with all of his sanity," Snape pointed out to him.
"What children shows?" Delilah asked since she had no idea what they were talking about. Her grandfather had told her about Voldemort's defeat, but never how it happened.
"They forced him to watch Barney, Tellytubbies, and, worst of all, Pokemon," Snape responded quickly, a look of deep disgust on his face.
"I definitely know how you feel," she agreed, smiling. "Aaron went through a phase where Pokemon was all he wanted to watch. Thankfully it was a short- lived phase, and he never got into Barney and Tellytubbies. I think I would have gone crazy."
"That's pretty much how Voldemort turned out in the end," Dumbledore confirmed as he wrapped up the last of his chocolate and placed it under his robes. "He was crazy enough to lose all of his magical powers, but still had the capability of having a normal life."
"Do you mean he's a Muggle now?" Delilah asked, not sure she quite understood him. This idea was just too hard to believe.
"Yup," he replied, a small smirk appearing on his face. "He sells T-shirts at Disney World. I just saw him a month ago. He's doing quite nicely, and is happy. Strange, isn't it?"
"Yes, quite strange," everyone agreed.
"We should be heading into the hall now. I believe the students are about to arrive," Dumbledore suggested quietly. Nodding to him, everyone, except for Professor McGonagall, followed him towards another door, which Delilah found led into the Great Hall.
When Delilah entered the room, she was stunned. Even after seeing the Great Hall the many times as a little girl, the beauty still had the power to make her speechless. Sitting before her was the table where the teachers sat. There were already a few teachers sitting there, a few that she even recognized, who she waved at. Above the table was a banner that held all the house colors.
The ceiling was lit up with thousands and thousands of brightly lit candles, which were floating in midair over four really long tables. This was where the students would be sitting. The tables were littered with glistening plates and goblets of solid gold, which were sitting on tablecloths of that house's colors.
In front of the teacher's table, there was a three-legged stool. Sitting on top of it was a wizard's hat that was patched, frayed, and extremely dirty. If this had been found in Muggle society it would have been pitched long ago. Here in the wizarding world it held value only among itself. It sorted the first years into their houses.
"You'll be sitting here, my dear," Dumbledore told her, causing Delilah to jump slightly. She'd been off in lala land for so long, she'd forgotten where she was for a moment. Nodding to him, Delilah pulled out the seat he'd indicated, and sat down. Pulling out the chair on her right, he sat down himself.
Not long after everyone had been seated, the double doors on the other side of the Great Hall swung open, and Professor McGonagall strolled through it, leading a line of first years that were looking around the room in awe. Pretty much like Delilah did the first time she every saw it.
For some reason that she couldn't explain, she started singing,
Following the leader, the leader, the leader
Following the leader, wherever we may go
Out of the corner of her eye, Professor Flitwick looked at her with a weird expression on his face. She just turned to him, and smiled innocently.
By this time, all of the students had arrived in front of the teacher's table, all curious about what was going to happen next. Professor McGonagall was standing next to the footstool by now, and was holding a yellowed paper scroll. There was complete silence before it looked like the hat twitched, and then started to sing out.
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,
But don't judge on what you see,
I'll eat myself if you can find
A smarter hat than me.
You can keep your bowlers black,
Your top hats sleek and tall,
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat
And I can cap them all.
There's nothing hidden in your head
The Sorting Hat can't see,
So try me on and I will tell you
Where you ought to be.
You might belong to Gryffindor,
Where dwell the brave at heart,
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry
Set Gryffindors apart;
You might belong in Hufflepuff,
Where they are just and loyal,
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true
And unafraid of toil;
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,
If you've a ready mind,
Where those of wit and learning,
Will always find their kind;
Or perhaps in Slytherin
You'll make your real friends,
Those cunning folk use any means
To achieve their ends.
So put me on! Don't be afraid!
And don't get a flap!
You're in safe hands (though I have none)
For I'm a Thinking Cap!" "Now, when I call your name, you need to come up here, put on the hat and sit on the stool," Professor McGonagall announced as she picked up the hat. Unfurling the scroll, she read off the first name. For each name that was called, a student walked up to the stool, put on the hat like they were supposed to and sat down.some more timidly than others. With each placement the hat called out what house the student was supposed to go to.
Finally, Delilah heard Aaron's name called. Holding her breath, she watched her little boy anxiously climb up onto the stool with the hat on. She wished she could hear what the cap was telling him, but this was something she wasn't privy to. If her son wanted to tell her, he would. No sooner had he sat down than she heard the hat shouted out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Applause came from that particular table, and Aaron happily tore off the hat, jumped off the stool, and ran to his home team.
Five minutes later, the last student was sorted into their house, and the ceremony was complete. Professor McGonagall quietly rolled up the scroll, grabbed the stool and carried them away. Delilah gazed over at Dumbledore as he stood up and started talking. "Ah, crap," she thought. "He's not going to make his speech now. I thought he usually waited until after the feast was over."
"Welcome to another school year. I'll trust you all had an enjoyable holiday," he assumed as he glanced slowly around the room. "Now, before we begin the banquet, I just have one word: Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."
Even before the last syllable was out of his mouth, the food started to appear on the tables. There was even more food than Delilah could examine. The sight of all the food reminded her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast that morning, and her stomach was reminding her. A low growl emitted from her, and she grimaced, hoping no one had heard it.
"I told you to come eat at lunchtime," Dumbledore spoke to her in a low tone as he started to spoon a large pile of buttery mashed potatoes onto his plate.
"I forgot," Delilah blushed as she straightened in her seat. "Anyway, I wanted to finish setting up my classroom. It wasn't until I started unpacking that I realized how much stuff I had brought with me."
"It does get that way," Dumbledore agreed, looking at her wistfully. "I remember when I was setting up my first classroom. I still can't figure out where those things came from. It's almost as if it appeared out of thin air."
Delilah chuckled as she continued eating her supper. She loved talking with her godfather because he had never made her feel like she was a child, even when she was young. It made her feel like a grown up.
Food kept on appearing as everyone ate their fill, and it continued on into dessert. Finally, after everyone was full and happy, all the food disappeared and Dumbledore stood up. Now it was time for him to talk.
"Now that everyone eaten to their delight, it's time for a few announcements," he informed them. "First years will note that the forest on the edge of the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. If you need any explanations about it, talk to your House Prefect."
"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind everyone that no magic is allowed in the corridors between the hours of 6AM and 10PM."
"Quidditch tryouts will be announced later in the week. Keep an eye on your House's bulletin board for the times. Please speak with Madame Hooch if you would like further details."
"Now, we have a few changes to faculty this year. These three people have kindly agreed to join our ranks this year," he continued. "You may have noticed that Professor Remus Lupin is back with us. He will be taking his post as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher once again. Also, he will have an assistant, Sirius Black. Even though he's the assistant, I want all of you to give him all the respect and thoughtfulness that you would give any professor here."
Once it was confirmed that Sirius Black did not commit the murders of the eleven Muggles, he was acquitted of all wrong doing and set free. It had taken a few years for people to start trusting him again, and Professor Dumbledore was the first to give him complete trust by offering him a job at Hogwarts. Dumbledore felt that Sirius would make a valuable contribution to the school, but since he didn't have teaching experience, Sirius couldn't be a full-fledged professor. So while Sirius was getting his credentials, he would be Lupin's assistant.
"I'm sorry to have to tell you that Professor Dipstick has retired because he won the Wizarding Lottery, and felt it was now time to spend time with his family. To take his place is Professor Delilah James. She has some new ideas for the Muggle Studies class, and I hope everyone will enjoy it."
Everyone clapped as he paused, but then stopped when he held up his hand to quiet them. "Because this class will different than from what it was in the past, I will make it a requirement that all those who've taken the class before take it at least for one term. If after the term is up, you don't want to take it, you don't have to.and if you decide you wish to continue, you can do that as well."
"And now, before we head for bed, let's sing the school song, and start this year off with a bang!" cried Dumbledore and he swished his wand through the air and little puffs of silver smoke emitted into the air. Rising into the air, the smoke formed into words, forming the song.
"Sing it as you want, and off we go," Dumbledore continued.
The school sang in mixed chorus:
"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,
Teach us something please,
Whether we be old and bald
Or young with scabby knees,
Our heads could do with filling
With some interesting stuff,
For now they're bare and full of air,
Dead flies and bits of stuff,
So teach us things worth knowing,
Bring back what we've forgot,
Just do your best, we'll do the rest,
And learn until our brains all rot." People finished on their own timing, and just sat there waiting for the last person to finish. It wasn't easy to wait, but they had to. No one could really leave until the last note had been sung.
Once the last note was vocalized, Dumbledore sighed, saying, "Ah, singing is magic beyond magic. In song, anything is possible. Now off to bed, and dream of happy things."
With this, everyone stood up, and walked towards the double doors on the other side of the hall. Delilah sat in her seat listening to the students talking. She heard the prefects call out to the new ones, and he saw Aaron scamper after the group following a young girl with fire-red hair.
Once the room almost void of students, Delilah stood up from her seat, and walked into the room they were in before. No one was in there except for Dumbledore, who seemed to be waiting for her.
"Hard to believe he's growing up, isn't it?" He asked her.
"Yes, it is," Delilah agreed, then covered her mouth as she stifled a soft yawn. "I think I'll say good night now. It's been a long day, and I have the feeling it's going to be a long one tomorrow."
"Yes, it will be. Good night, and I'll see you at breakfast," he told her as he followed her out the door. "And be sure not to let Peeves help you to get someplace. We don't need you getting lost again."
"I'll be sure to make a mental note of that, Dee," she told him as she leaned over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and strolled out of the room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Five minutes later she arrived at her room, gave the password to the ladies in pink, and climb through the portrait. Delilah quickly got ready for bed, and finally flopped down onto the mattress of her four-poster bed. Not to long after getting under the covers, she was out like a light, and was already anticipating what her first day of classes would be like.