Last updated on January 14, 2003
Except for Mariannah who is obviously my own creation, all the other characters here belong to J.K. Rowling.
It's my first time to write a fan-fic, so I do hope you all like this first chapter.
This chapter was revised! :-) Please check out the news on "Author's Notes & News updated every now and then" (which is usually the last chapter of this story).
I'd like to thank the Harry Potter Lexicon () for all the invaluable resource, which helped me make this fan-fic. I'd also like to thank John Williams for creating such an excellent score for the Harry Potter movies. They were fuel for my imagination as well. Finally, thanks to all the other song artists and fan-fic authors. Without them, this story wouldn't materialize at all.
Convincing People
Albus Dumbledore gazed out the window of his office. As he surveyed the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizadry, he thought about how he was to inform his Potions Master about the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. More importantly, how Severus Snape would take the news.
Severus dearly wanted the Defense position. Somehow, Professor Dumbledore always chose someone else. It wasn't that he didn't like being the Potions Master. Still, he felt he knew more about the Dark Arts than any other teacher that was chosen for the position.
Professor Dumbledore looked up to the sky. The weather was clear and sunny yet a strange rumbling like thunder was heard in the distance. He nodded and smiled. She will be here any moment now.
The door of the Headmaster's office creaked open. Professor Dumbledore turned around in time to see Severus entering. "You called for me, headmaster?" asked Severus. "Yes," the old wizard answered. "Please Severus, have a seat. Lemondrop?" Severus shook his head as he sat down.
"Very well." Professor Dumbledore sat down behind his desk. He leaned forward and folded his hands upon the desk. "I know I usually asked your opinion on the prospective teachers for the Defense of the Dark Arts," began the Headmaster. Severus looked at him and noticed the twinkle in the Headmaster's eyes. Oh no, thought Severus. This is not going to be good.
"But I believe that you will get to... like... this particular teacher." Professor Dumbledore leaned back on his chair in a relaxed manner. "You will have to agree that she is very competent for the position despite her young age," he continued, a smile forming on his lips.
Severus had a pained expression on his face. It was enough that he was by-passed for the position again. But...
"She?"
"Yes," said Professor Dumbledore. "She." The Headmaster stood up and headed for the window again. "You know her very well, Severus. It took me some time to find her and a little bit more to get her to accept the position. In my opinion though, it was all worth the one hundred owls."
"Who is she?" asked Severus. Professor Dumbledore smiled as he gazed towards the source of another boom of thunder. Then he looked back at Severus, the twinkle in his eyes more prominent than ever.
"I have convinced Mariannah to teach in Hogwarts as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
Mariannah had just settled in her favorite chair for some reading when she heard someone knocking on her door. Now who could be visiting at this time of the night? she thought as she got up to answer the door. A strange old man with a long beard and very familiar wizard clothes met her. "Albus!" she said in surprise. "Hello, Mariannah! How are you, dearest?" Mariannah hugged her old headmaster before ushering him inside her house.
After seating him down, Mariannah offered him some tea. "Ah! Wonderful brew!" Professor Dumbledore said as he took his first sip. "Isn't this the concoction you brewed for your extra Potions marks?" Mariannah nodded as she poured herself a cup as well and sat down in her chair. The old Headmaster smiled even more. "Ah yes, you always were excellent in Potions, my dear."
"It's been a long time, Albus," she began. "I was quite surprised when I first received your owl." She stopped to sip her tea. "You got all of them, of course?" queried Professor Dumbledore. "Yes, sir," she said with a smile. "All one hundred of them. In fact, Jonathan was so intrigued by the owls coming and going that the moment he finds out that I received another, he would rush over here to take a look at the owl before I sent it off again with my replies. Every bit the nature guy as I've always known him to be."
"Ah, Jonathan!" Professor Dumbledore smiled at Mariannah. "He is a muggle, is he not?"
"He is. He's such a wonderful man. When he proposed and I told him I was a witch, he was like a kid in Honeydukes!" Mariannah lightly laughed at the memory. "He's proposed?" asked Professor Dumbledore. Mariannah nodded. "About five weeks ago, just before you sent the first owl. I was every bit surprised when he announced it to his whole family! I thought his parents would throw me out the moment they heard that their son had proposed to a witch. Instead they were very supportive. Wanted to hear my life story. After they heard everything, they all agreed to keep my special gift a secret."
"I see," nodded Professor Dumbledore. "I thoroughly understand why you would not want to go back. You've adapted quite well to life as a muggle. If the situation were any different, I would have asked you to come to Hogwarts as our Muggle Studies teacher instead... what with your vast experience now in the field."
"But," said Professor Dumbledore, putting down his cup on the table. His face changed to show the seriousness of what he would say next. "I wish that were the case. I've come personally this time to ask you to reconsider and come back to Hogwarts."
Mariannah's expression had also turned serious. "I can see that, Albus. I was quite shocked at your first owl... when you told me Voldemort has come back. I never thought he'd find a way to get Harry out of Hogwarts. How is the boy?"
"He is fine, Mariannah. He will be starting his fifth year in Hogwarts this coming term. Mariannah," continued Professor Dumbledore. He now sat nearer to the girl and held her hands in his. He looked deeply into her eyes as if searching for some way to convince her. "You must come back to Hogwarts. Now more than ever do we need the Guardian back. Voldemort will try to kill the boy, whatever it takes. You're the only one of your kind left. With you in Hogwarts, I am assured that the school's protection is in good hands. Enough for me to be able to formulate a plan with the Order on how to finally defeat Voldemort."
"All I ask," the headmaster said, squeezing Mariannah's hand for emphasis. "Is that you protect Hogwarts from Voldemort. You only have to fight him if he tries to get into the grounds. You won't be in the frontlines unless he does bring the fight to Hogwarts. I'll need you to help my Potions Master to secure the enchantments of the school as well as add new protective charms and spells. Severus will need all the help he could ge..."
"Severus?" Mariannah cut the Headmaster's sentence short. She had straightened up and her eyes showed that she was extremely surprised by the news. "Severus Snape?"
"Mariannah?" Severus was incredulous. "I thought she was dead?"
"Oh no!" said Professor Dumbledore. "On the contrary, she's very much alive and living in the muggle village of Waltham Abbey. She's been there for about fourteen years."
Severus stared at Professor Dumbledore for a moment before dropping his gaze to the floor. The Headmaster could clearly see that his Potions Master was in shock. Who wouldn't be? he thought. "Severus." Professor Dumbledore walked towards the young man. The Headmaster put his hand on Severus' shoulder as he continued. "I need you to help Mariannah. Bring her up to speed on what's been happening in the wizard world. Not that she doesn't know the developments here. The both of you will be able to learn a lot with regards to new spells and potions. I believe she has made quite a lot of new and effective spells as well during her self-exile."
"I also need both of you to upgrade the enchantments and protective spells around the school." Professor Dumbledore had returned to the window now and looked outside again. "Severus, I know how hard it is for you to see her again." Professor Dumbledore heard the rumble of thunder again. "Would you like to know what finally made her decide to come back to Hogwarts?"
"What?" asked Severus. Professor Dumbledore turned to Severus to find the young man staring at him, waiting for an answer. It was one Severus wasn't expecting. The simplicity of the reply made him feel like he was hit by the Cruciatus Curse... only worse.
"You."
To be continued...