The moon shone over Hogwarts like a celestial blanket, wrapping the
enormous castle in silver.
Looking up towards the sky she saw the turrets of the dormitories and
illustrious (and much gossiped about) astronomy tower standing tall and
proud, forsaking the illuminating shroud for dark elusiveness.
For a moment her mind crowded with the last time she had been here, the final day of her final year at Hogwarts. She had wandered the halls in a half melancholy, half buoyant stupor, hoping to run into someone in particular.
But of course, he had hidden himself away. Perhaps from her in particular and perhaps from the world, but all she knew was he hadn't so much as set foot in hallways she'd recently trod over since the day in late fall when she'd found him.
Shaking her head slightly she sighed, set her shoulders a little more squarely, and moved to pick up her bags to continue the uphill journey towards the front doors.
"If you'd owled that you were coming today, a carriage would have met you." Said a gravelly yet pleasant voice behind her.
"And ruin my grand and surprise entrance? Really Professor Dumbledore, don't you remember the way I am?"
The older gentleman clad in long flowing robes of navy blue moved forward and hugged her close with a smile. "I should have known. Welcome back Professor Chant. Welcome back Kalli." He paused and looked at her face, peering closely at her eyes. "He won't hate you. Not after this is all over with. You know that don't you?"
"He hated me before we saved him, he hated me while we were saving him, why would he stop hate me when we're done saving him?" Kalli said with disgust.
"He didn't and doesn't know the measures we've taken to ensure his safety. Surely you know that makes a difference."
"It doesn't. Not to him." She tossed her head and pursed her lips. "Besides, what on earth makes you think it would matter to me whether or not he hates me?"
Dumbledore turned his hands palm up and bowed his head slightly in apology.
"Nothing my dear. You're doing this for the Order, and not for any personal reasons. I understand."
He bent and took one of her bags and started walking back up the path so that Kalli wouldn't see the slight smirk that appeared on his face.
"You're quite right. It's much too nice a night for carriages. Come, we shall walk and reminisce about the bygone days of your youth, since mine is nothing but dust."
Kalli sighed and shook her head slowly before following the old Wizard. He's too damned smart, she thought to herself as she jogged to catch up, but if he wasn't we'd all be in a lot of trouble.
"Wait Professor!" She panted, catching up to him at the heavy wood doors. "I forget how spry you are for a man of your...substantial years."
Dumbledore smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "So polite. Why don't you just call me old and be done with it?"
"That wouldn't be nice at all would it?" She said, leaning against the door.
"Ah yes. You do things to be nice, I had already forgotten. It's my senile mind of course." He grinned as she rolled her eyes. "Shall we proceed? Or did you want to conduct everything from sleeping to classes on the front step?"
"Oh no. I think that would be terribly impractical!" Kalli said, pinching her face up like Professor McGonagall, as Dumbledore pushed the door open.
"Speaking of classes Professor, how did you explain to everyone that Defense Against the Dark Arts was starting late?"
Dumbledore propped the door back and picked up her bag again.
"I simply said that our new Professor had commitments that prevented her from being with us until the start of October."
"So what have the students been doing in that time slot?" Kalli asked, maneuvering her way across the wide slate floor while trying to look in all directions at once. Nothing had changed, she happily noted.
"They've had a library period to do independent research projects on the Defense Against The Dark Arts subject they most fancied. But I highly doubt that anyone except one Hermione Granger has done it. And I suspect you won't even bother with it, will you?
Kalli smiled. "You know they're going to think that you've gone quite mad when they meet me."
"I suspect they already think I'm quite a barmy old codger anyways. What matter, they will all enjoy a breath of fresh air."
She stopped at the base of the stairs and dropped her bag, leaning back against her hands to ease the muscles. "And am I right to believe I'm the fresh air?"
"Quite so." Dumbledore smiled, then looked over her shoulder. "That will be Hagrid. Yes, yes, Good evening Hagrid." He said as a towering bulk of man came up from behind Kalli.
"Evenin' Perfesser! Didjus need a hand wit anythin'?" Hagrid turned and saw Kalli. "Now then, who's this we got here?"
Kalli suddenly remembered the hood on her cape was up and she pushed it down with a smile at the half giant. "Hello Hagrid, it's good to see you again."
Hagrid grinned, his eyes twinkling as he swept Kalli up into a hug that put a bears to shame.
"Kalli Chant! Whut are you doin' here? Yer not the new Perfesser are yuh?"
"She certainly is Hagrid. I trust you approve?"
"Aw, Perfesser. Yuh know I always liked young Kalli here. She'd be doin' well comin' here. A right good example to th'students 'bout how tuh have fun an' still learn summat."
"Right you are Hagrid. Now, if you don't mind, it's not Professor Chant that needs to be carried up the stairs, it's her luggage." He nodded as Hagrid grimaced and set Kalli carefully down on the floor. " Would you see she gets settled in the vacant quarters? I have a few matters to attend to." He turned to walk away, then struck his hand lightly to his forehead.
"My folly, you'll need a schedule. " With a twist of the wrist a piece of parchment appeared in Dumbledore's hand. Kalli took it and looked at it as she straightened her robes. "All is in order, the students will be told at breakfast that they will proceed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom tomorrow rather then the library. The only thing you need worry over is that sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins have the class together, and they do like to get into rows over the silliest things." He tilted his head looking at her once more. "Although you will give them query. Your ways of doing things may have them all forgetting how they once were. Especially since you are a prime example of how some Slytherins are not evil in the slightest. Only cunning."
Kalli smiled and bid the Professor good night then turned to Hagrid.
"You'll have to lead. I've no clue where it is we're heading."
"Never got into trouble wit the Defense perfesser in yer day?" He asked, picked up both bags like feathers and starting up the stairs.
"Of course not!" Kalli said in horror. "You know I never did anything unless it was garunteed I would get away with it."
Hagrid half turned his head. "Or iffen yuh could talk me into coverin' up whut yuh did."
Kalli swatted his back as high as she could reach and made a face. "You're terrible."
He laughed and turned left the landing they had just reached, starting up a new flight of stairs. "So, uh, Kalli.have yuh seen 'im yet?"
Kalli ran a hand over the banister, pausing in her climb. "Have I seen who?"
"Yuh know who I mean, and I take that as a no."
He set down the luggage and placed an enormous hand on one of her shoulders. "He doesn't perticulerly like any of us. He just wasn't th' same when he got back. T'wasn't you. You gotta know that Kalli."
Kalli lifted his hand off her shoulder and turned to face him, bracing herself against the banister.
"Hagrid', she said slowly, 'You have to understand that I'm not upset about this. I never really was. He and I were only sort of friends for one year, my first year and his last. How much friendship can exist between people divided by so much?"
Kalli pushed herself back off the railing and started back up the stairs. No, she thought to herself, I'm not upset at all. But I'm angry as hell and he'll know it.
"Right then." Hagrid said, clearing his throat. "Make a left again there an' it's the third door on th'right."
Kalli paused at the door as a tapestry depicting a very astute looking dragon unrolled down from above it.
"Password?" It hissed, turning it's head coyly to the right.
"Hagrid? She turned just as He came level with the landing.
"It's not ben set yet. Jus' say yer name. Full name, mind, and that yer 'Prerfesser So and So.'"
Kalli smiled at the red dragon on the tapestry and it stopped cleaning it's teeth with a claw and straightened up. "Ready then?" It said.
"Yes, sorry for the wait. Uh, Professor Kalliopae Chant."
"Quite right." The dragon bestowed a fanged grin at her and settled back more relaxed. "What levels security would you like Professor?"
"Uh, whats to be had?" She looked curiously at Hagrid who had come to join her.
"Well there's light security, wards at your door that bounce people back like rubber bands, medium which bounces them back and leaves an imprint to let you know who was there, high would be the aforementioned and myself." It grinned and flashed it's talons.
"Er. I assume that high security is also quite messy?"
"It can be, of course, depending on my level of hunger and what the intruder intended."
"Well. Can I opt for just password protection?" She began, then saw the crestfallen look on the dragon's face, "Okay, how about password protection, and I enlist you to stay down in my absence and.' She looked to Hagrid who just shrugged. " and you can threaten them any way you wish? No physical harm though. I wouldn't want to make more work for Mister Filch. He's quite full of grumbles as it is." The dragon smiled again, but straightened a few fallen cobble stones in his tapestry in an attempt to appear deep in deliberation. "Yes I think that will do."
"Wonderful. So what about the password?"
"Would you like to make it? Or should I?" The dragon asked, looking hopeful.
"Go ahead." Kalli smiled and watched it hem and haw for a few moments before it looked up enlightened.
"Your new password is 'Lavender' as I believe it to be the scent you're wearing, and I quite like it."
Kalli laughed and touched the tapestry. "Do you have a name illustrious dragon?"
It wrinkled it's nose for a moment. "Smudge."
"Well Smudge, can I go in now? I'd like to get to bed. But I shall see you tomorrow of course."
Smudge nodded and the tapestry flipped back upwards and Kalli stepped over to open the door.
"Oh." She said as she stepped inside. "This is beautiful." She found herself in a large rectangular room hung with tapestries and paintings. On closer inspection she was happy to find both were not depicting former Defense Against The Dark Arts professors. Directly across from the doorway was a rough hewn stone fireplace, with several burgundy leather easy chairs, and a burgundy leather couch.
"Yer bedroom's to th'left an' bathroom's tuh th'right." Hagrid said from the doorway.
"Well come in!" Kalli said with a laugh as she walked across to open her bedroom door and squealed with delight at the mahogany toned bedroom suite.
"Din't want tuh impose." Hagrid said, coming in and setting her bags down. "Dumbledore though yuh'd like this. Knew yuh weren't th'type tuh insist on Slytherin colours jus' cause yuh were innit."
"Quite right!" Kalli called from the bath where she discovered pewter plated faucets and a bath tub that mirrored that of the prefects. She re-emerged and flung her arms wide. "This is perfect!"
Hagrid grinned. "Well, I'll be on muh way. Let you git settled a bit afore bed. But you gotta do something' for me. Two things actually."
"Whats that?"
"Yuh gotta gimmee a hug."
He picked her up once more and hugged her tight.
"Whats the second?" She asked, still up in his arms.
"Yuh gotta tell me iffen yuh need ter talk about.things. It's ben a long time, an' lots has changed, but some things haven't. Yer still the one who's saved him, an' continued ter save him all through the years. Even iffen he doesn't know it."
Kalli rolled her eyes and struggled so Hagrid would put her back down. Once he had and she had straightened her robes.
"If it makes you feel better, I promise I will Hagrid. But you have to understand that I'm not saving him, only protecting him." Hagrid opened his mouth to argue but she stopped him. "There IS a difference. And you're right. He doesn't know about it, and it's best that way. For all of us."
Hagrid took one look at her stern face and decided to leave well enough alone.
"G'nite Kalli. I'm glad yer back."
He closed the door quietly and nodded curtly to Smudge before trudging up the hallway and back down the stairs. "Severus Snape.' he mumbled to himself 'yuh don' know what yer missen.."
For a moment her mind crowded with the last time she had been here, the final day of her final year at Hogwarts. She had wandered the halls in a half melancholy, half buoyant stupor, hoping to run into someone in particular.
But of course, he had hidden himself away. Perhaps from her in particular and perhaps from the world, but all she knew was he hadn't so much as set foot in hallways she'd recently trod over since the day in late fall when she'd found him.
Shaking her head slightly she sighed, set her shoulders a little more squarely, and moved to pick up her bags to continue the uphill journey towards the front doors.
"If you'd owled that you were coming today, a carriage would have met you." Said a gravelly yet pleasant voice behind her.
"And ruin my grand and surprise entrance? Really Professor Dumbledore, don't you remember the way I am?"
The older gentleman clad in long flowing robes of navy blue moved forward and hugged her close with a smile. "I should have known. Welcome back Professor Chant. Welcome back Kalli." He paused and looked at her face, peering closely at her eyes. "He won't hate you. Not after this is all over with. You know that don't you?"
"He hated me before we saved him, he hated me while we were saving him, why would he stop hate me when we're done saving him?" Kalli said with disgust.
"He didn't and doesn't know the measures we've taken to ensure his safety. Surely you know that makes a difference."
"It doesn't. Not to him." She tossed her head and pursed her lips. "Besides, what on earth makes you think it would matter to me whether or not he hates me?"
Dumbledore turned his hands palm up and bowed his head slightly in apology.
"Nothing my dear. You're doing this for the Order, and not for any personal reasons. I understand."
He bent and took one of her bags and started walking back up the path so that Kalli wouldn't see the slight smirk that appeared on his face.
"You're quite right. It's much too nice a night for carriages. Come, we shall walk and reminisce about the bygone days of your youth, since mine is nothing but dust."
Kalli sighed and shook her head slowly before following the old Wizard. He's too damned smart, she thought to herself as she jogged to catch up, but if he wasn't we'd all be in a lot of trouble.
"Wait Professor!" She panted, catching up to him at the heavy wood doors. "I forget how spry you are for a man of your...substantial years."
Dumbledore smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "So polite. Why don't you just call me old and be done with it?"
"That wouldn't be nice at all would it?" She said, leaning against the door.
"Ah yes. You do things to be nice, I had already forgotten. It's my senile mind of course." He grinned as she rolled her eyes. "Shall we proceed? Or did you want to conduct everything from sleeping to classes on the front step?"
"Oh no. I think that would be terribly impractical!" Kalli said, pinching her face up like Professor McGonagall, as Dumbledore pushed the door open.
"Speaking of classes Professor, how did you explain to everyone that Defense Against the Dark Arts was starting late?"
Dumbledore propped the door back and picked up her bag again.
"I simply said that our new Professor had commitments that prevented her from being with us until the start of October."
"So what have the students been doing in that time slot?" Kalli asked, maneuvering her way across the wide slate floor while trying to look in all directions at once. Nothing had changed, she happily noted.
"They've had a library period to do independent research projects on the Defense Against The Dark Arts subject they most fancied. But I highly doubt that anyone except one Hermione Granger has done it. And I suspect you won't even bother with it, will you?
Kalli smiled. "You know they're going to think that you've gone quite mad when they meet me."
"I suspect they already think I'm quite a barmy old codger anyways. What matter, they will all enjoy a breath of fresh air."
She stopped at the base of the stairs and dropped her bag, leaning back against her hands to ease the muscles. "And am I right to believe I'm the fresh air?"
"Quite so." Dumbledore smiled, then looked over her shoulder. "That will be Hagrid. Yes, yes, Good evening Hagrid." He said as a towering bulk of man came up from behind Kalli.
"Evenin' Perfesser! Didjus need a hand wit anythin'?" Hagrid turned and saw Kalli. "Now then, who's this we got here?"
Kalli suddenly remembered the hood on her cape was up and she pushed it down with a smile at the half giant. "Hello Hagrid, it's good to see you again."
Hagrid grinned, his eyes twinkling as he swept Kalli up into a hug that put a bears to shame.
"Kalli Chant! Whut are you doin' here? Yer not the new Perfesser are yuh?"
"She certainly is Hagrid. I trust you approve?"
"Aw, Perfesser. Yuh know I always liked young Kalli here. She'd be doin' well comin' here. A right good example to th'students 'bout how tuh have fun an' still learn summat."
"Right you are Hagrid. Now, if you don't mind, it's not Professor Chant that needs to be carried up the stairs, it's her luggage." He nodded as Hagrid grimaced and set Kalli carefully down on the floor. " Would you see she gets settled in the vacant quarters? I have a few matters to attend to." He turned to walk away, then struck his hand lightly to his forehead.
"My folly, you'll need a schedule. " With a twist of the wrist a piece of parchment appeared in Dumbledore's hand. Kalli took it and looked at it as she straightened her robes. "All is in order, the students will be told at breakfast that they will proceed to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom tomorrow rather then the library. The only thing you need worry over is that sixth year Gryffindors and Slytherins have the class together, and they do like to get into rows over the silliest things." He tilted his head looking at her once more. "Although you will give them query. Your ways of doing things may have them all forgetting how they once were. Especially since you are a prime example of how some Slytherins are not evil in the slightest. Only cunning."
Kalli smiled and bid the Professor good night then turned to Hagrid.
"You'll have to lead. I've no clue where it is we're heading."
"Never got into trouble wit the Defense perfesser in yer day?" He asked, picked up both bags like feathers and starting up the stairs.
"Of course not!" Kalli said in horror. "You know I never did anything unless it was garunteed I would get away with it."
Hagrid half turned his head. "Or iffen yuh could talk me into coverin' up whut yuh did."
Kalli swatted his back as high as she could reach and made a face. "You're terrible."
He laughed and turned left the landing they had just reached, starting up a new flight of stairs. "So, uh, Kalli.have yuh seen 'im yet?"
Kalli ran a hand over the banister, pausing in her climb. "Have I seen who?"
"Yuh know who I mean, and I take that as a no."
He set down the luggage and placed an enormous hand on one of her shoulders. "He doesn't perticulerly like any of us. He just wasn't th' same when he got back. T'wasn't you. You gotta know that Kalli."
Kalli lifted his hand off her shoulder and turned to face him, bracing herself against the banister.
"Hagrid', she said slowly, 'You have to understand that I'm not upset about this. I never really was. He and I were only sort of friends for one year, my first year and his last. How much friendship can exist between people divided by so much?"
Kalli pushed herself back off the railing and started back up the stairs. No, she thought to herself, I'm not upset at all. But I'm angry as hell and he'll know it.
"Right then." Hagrid said, clearing his throat. "Make a left again there an' it's the third door on th'right."
Kalli paused at the door as a tapestry depicting a very astute looking dragon unrolled down from above it.
"Password?" It hissed, turning it's head coyly to the right.
"Hagrid? She turned just as He came level with the landing.
"It's not ben set yet. Jus' say yer name. Full name, mind, and that yer 'Prerfesser So and So.'"
Kalli smiled at the red dragon on the tapestry and it stopped cleaning it's teeth with a claw and straightened up. "Ready then?" It said.
"Yes, sorry for the wait. Uh, Professor Kalliopae Chant."
"Quite right." The dragon bestowed a fanged grin at her and settled back more relaxed. "What levels security would you like Professor?"
"Uh, whats to be had?" She looked curiously at Hagrid who had come to join her.
"Well there's light security, wards at your door that bounce people back like rubber bands, medium which bounces them back and leaves an imprint to let you know who was there, high would be the aforementioned and myself." It grinned and flashed it's talons.
"Er. I assume that high security is also quite messy?"
"It can be, of course, depending on my level of hunger and what the intruder intended."
"Well. Can I opt for just password protection?" She began, then saw the crestfallen look on the dragon's face, "Okay, how about password protection, and I enlist you to stay down in my absence and.' She looked to Hagrid who just shrugged. " and you can threaten them any way you wish? No physical harm though. I wouldn't want to make more work for Mister Filch. He's quite full of grumbles as it is." The dragon smiled again, but straightened a few fallen cobble stones in his tapestry in an attempt to appear deep in deliberation. "Yes I think that will do."
"Wonderful. So what about the password?"
"Would you like to make it? Or should I?" The dragon asked, looking hopeful.
"Go ahead." Kalli smiled and watched it hem and haw for a few moments before it looked up enlightened.
"Your new password is 'Lavender' as I believe it to be the scent you're wearing, and I quite like it."
Kalli laughed and touched the tapestry. "Do you have a name illustrious dragon?"
It wrinkled it's nose for a moment. "Smudge."
"Well Smudge, can I go in now? I'd like to get to bed. But I shall see you tomorrow of course."
Smudge nodded and the tapestry flipped back upwards and Kalli stepped over to open the door.
"Oh." She said as she stepped inside. "This is beautiful." She found herself in a large rectangular room hung with tapestries and paintings. On closer inspection she was happy to find both were not depicting former Defense Against The Dark Arts professors. Directly across from the doorway was a rough hewn stone fireplace, with several burgundy leather easy chairs, and a burgundy leather couch.
"Yer bedroom's to th'left an' bathroom's tuh th'right." Hagrid said from the doorway.
"Well come in!" Kalli said with a laugh as she walked across to open her bedroom door and squealed with delight at the mahogany toned bedroom suite.
"Din't want tuh impose." Hagrid said, coming in and setting her bags down. "Dumbledore though yuh'd like this. Knew yuh weren't th'type tuh insist on Slytherin colours jus' cause yuh were innit."
"Quite right!" Kalli called from the bath where she discovered pewter plated faucets and a bath tub that mirrored that of the prefects. She re-emerged and flung her arms wide. "This is perfect!"
Hagrid grinned. "Well, I'll be on muh way. Let you git settled a bit afore bed. But you gotta do something' for me. Two things actually."
"Whats that?"
"Yuh gotta gimmee a hug."
He picked her up once more and hugged her tight.
"Whats the second?" She asked, still up in his arms.
"Yuh gotta tell me iffen yuh need ter talk about.things. It's ben a long time, an' lots has changed, but some things haven't. Yer still the one who's saved him, an' continued ter save him all through the years. Even iffen he doesn't know it."
Kalli rolled her eyes and struggled so Hagrid would put her back down. Once he had and she had straightened her robes.
"If it makes you feel better, I promise I will Hagrid. But you have to understand that I'm not saving him, only protecting him." Hagrid opened his mouth to argue but she stopped him. "There IS a difference. And you're right. He doesn't know about it, and it's best that way. For all of us."
Hagrid took one look at her stern face and decided to leave well enough alone.
"G'nite Kalli. I'm glad yer back."
He closed the door quietly and nodded curtly to Smudge before trudging up the hallway and back down the stairs. "Severus Snape.' he mumbled to himself 'yuh don' know what yer missen.."