A/N. Thank you to my Sister Honey for inspiring me on this chapter! And also my thanks to Uni (I miss you so much!), Sparrow, and Andrea...my lil beta network!


7. Sorting Out Cordillia

'The morning was silent and gray, a thin blue mist barely covered the naked shoulders of the earth. Along the eastern horizon, the pale fingers of dawn reached out to caress the silent landscape...'

"RIO! Hurry UP! If you don't get out now I won't be able to set up my classroom!"

Vivianne was in a rush. Where was her Floo powder? If Rio didn't hurry out and stop writing in her journal, she'd have no time left to prepare for her first class tomorrow. The students were arriving tonight and she'd have to get the new Ravenclaw commonroom password and make sure her dress robes were immaculate before she could settle down to the feast. With impatient strides, Vivianne crossed the hall to Rio's room.

Rio's trunk was obviously packed, but she couldn't see her sister anywhere. "Rio, where ARE you?" Vivianne sighed, already exasperated.

"Down here!" came a voice at the base of the stairs, down near the restaurant part of the Three Broomsticks.

"What are you doing down there? Have you seen my Floo powder?"

"What?" Rio called back. "Oh, the powder? Yeah, I've got it; you left in in my room last night. Hey Viv, you've got a delivery!"

"Now? Is it all that important?" Vivianne did not want to wait another minute now that she knew where her Floo powder was.

"It's a large box with holes in it from Mum and Robert. I think there's a critter inside, 'cause it keeps snuffling around in here."

This was puzzling indeed. Vivianne tromped down the stairs, meeting Rio halfway. "It's heavy, too," Rio complained, and Vivianne took the other side of the box.

"Was there a note?" Vivianne asked reasonably as they carted the box up the stairs. It gave a violent wiggle.

"Of course, that's how I knew who it was from." Rio delved in the pocket of her new Hogwarts robes and extracted a small note.

Vivianne took it and read, 'To Professor Vivianne Tessyiur, because you've always wanted one. We are very proud of you.' It was signed by their mother and Robert.

"Always wanted one what?" asked Rio, who had been leaning across the box to read the note.

Vivianne shrugged. "I hate to say this, but I'm not exactly sure. Help me set this kennel in my room, than float your trunk in so we'll be ready to go."

"Are we going to check out the critter?"

"Yes, when we're all ready to go."

The girls hauled the box into Vivianne's rented room, and Rio extracted her wand, flipping it in the direction of her room. "Accio trunk."

"You know, you really shouldn't do that, Rio," Vivianne informed her.

"Why not?"

"You're not allowed to do magic over the summer in England. I know," Vivianne cut Rio off before she could protest, "they let you practice magic in Burgandy as long as it was on your level of education, but not here."

Rio swore in French, causing Vivianne to give her a look of ice and sharp kitchenware. "Pardieu," Rio apologized reluctantly.

"Okay, then let's see what's in this kennel." At this the box began to shake and whine piteously. Vivianne took out her wand and aimed it at the lock on the plastic box. "Alohomora."

The box sprang open, and the creature inside sprang out. There was a flash of red and white as a short, dog-like animal ran around the room, panting with a long, pink tongue.

"Should I stupify it?" Rio queried, trying to follow the animal's eratic movements.

"No, I don't think so," Vivianne replied, squinting at the creature. "What IS it?"

In responce, Rio dived at the floor and managed to catch the wriggling dogoid. Suddenly Vivianne gave a cry of delight. "It's a Pembroke corgi!" she squealed, rushing up to cradle the dog.

Rio promptly let go of it, wiping her hands on her new robes. She stared hard at the corgi a moment, which was shedding madly in Vivianne's arms. "That's not just a corgi," she said slowly. "Look at its muzzle and tongue. That thing's part niffler."

Vivianne looked down at the creature, which licked her chin affectionately. "I don't think so Rio, all corgwyn have long snouts and tongues."

Rio looked unconvinced, but let the topic go anyway. Her eyes happened to wander to the clock on the mantle. It read, 'You're late.'

"Er, Viv...when exactly did you want to arrive at Hogwarts?"

Vivianne glanced down at her watch, made a stifled noise in her throat, and practically tossed the corgi back into its kennel. It gave a startled squeak, but did not jump out. Vivianne then pointed her wand at her and Rio's trunks, muttered "Levo," and hurried up to the fireplace. "Give me the Floo powder, Rio."

Rio dug in her pockets again and retrieved the small bag. She handed it to Vivianne, who began fiddling with the drawstrings. "Fire, please," she instructed her sister.

"Incindio!" Rio whipped her wand at the logs in the fireplace, causing them to errupt into flames.

Vivianne took no notice of the clumsy magic, but quickly flung a pinch of the travelling powder into the leaping fire, saying, "Professor Tessyiur's private chamber, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

The fire turned green, and Vivianne levitated the trunks into the fire. When they had disappeared, Vivianne and Rio each grabbed on side of the box with the corgi and moved toward the fire. "Wait!" Rio yelped, suddenly.

"Errr, what?" Vivianne growled.

Rio flicked her wand at her now vacant room. "Accio Nimbus!" The broomstick came whizzing through the air with the force of Rio's spell. She reached out her hand and caught it deftly. "Useful spell," she murmured as she, Vivianne, and the caged corgi advanced into the fireplace.

Vivianne hated travelling by Floo powder. Unfortunately though, it proved to be the most expedient way to get from Three Broomsticks to Hogwarts. Fireplace after fireplace flew by, a stray pot out of one fireplace nearly knocking Vivianne in the head. Beside her she heard Rio, as though far away, whoop with glee. Vivianne mentally rolled her eyes, since her real eyes were staring straight ahead for more rogue cooking items.

With an almighty pop and thunk, the girls and their canine burden landed unceremoniously on the floor of Vivianne's new bedchamber at Hogwarts. It was a small but pleasant room, with exotic, worn rugs covering the hardwood floor. The sparse decorations suggested a style in the Renaissance era. The corgi jumped out of the open box and weaved away from the fireplace. Vivianne couldn't blame it.

"Huh," Rio made a noise in her throat, "Cool."

"Yeah," Vivianne retorted, "let's make it even cooler by unpacking my trunk and setting up for my first lesson."

Rio stopped smiling. "What about the corgi, though?"

Vivianne sighed and looked in the direction she'd seen the corgi last. But it wasen't there. Her vision swept to the door. It was ajar. "Oh, no," Vivianne groaned.

"What?" Rio said in a tiny voice, anticipating the answer since she couldn't see the dog either.

"The corgi's loose in the castle. Quick Rio, go after it!"

"ME?!"

"Yes you, you'll run faster. Now scoot while I conjure a leash and collar; I'll be right behind you."

Knowing arguing was useless and the mischievous corgi was only getting further away, Rio leapt to her feet and dashed out the door. She immediately came to a fork in the hallway. "Oi! Now what?" Rio hissed. Her eyes swept the floor. Then she saw it: a trail of white hair. Rio dashed off again, following the hair the animal had left behind.

Since the corgi shed like crazy, it was not hard to follow its path. Rio followed it down many twists and bends, and down a couple staircases to the lower levels of Hogwarts. Rio shivered as the air became damper. She appeared to be in a dungeon of sorts. 'Creepy,' she thought, and trotted on, a stitch beginning to form in her side.

Finally she saw it. The dog stood sniffing at a threshold to a room off the hallway. "Hey!" Rio called to it, and immediately regretted it. The dog ran without a second thought into the room. Rio growled like an angry tigress and bounded in after it.

She appeared to be in some kind of classroom...one with cauldrons in it. 'Potions,' Rio noted, then remembered the potions master... "Arg, mon Dieu!" Rio interjected through her teeth, fingers curling into fists. Snape was the last person she wanted to cross today. She scanned the room desperately, panting from her long run.

A flash of red and white moved between cauldrons near the front of the room. Rio moved cautiously toward the edgy corgi, who was snuffling the base of a cauldron. Rio knelt near the animal, whispering soothingly to it. "Ma petite chienne, pourquoi caches-toi? M'approches, c'est bon..."

The dog eyed her suspitiously, sniffing the cauldron bottom more vigorously, as if to prove it was busy. "M'approches, c'est bon..." The corgi looked at Rio as thought she were speaking in tongues. She continued to whisper comforting words in French. Slowly, the dog moved toward Rio, who reached out her hand to pet it. At the prospect of being petted, the dog picked up its pace, all the way onto Rio's lap. She patted the corgi gently, scooping her up into her arms. "Bonne chienne," Rio praised it.

"And what, pray tell, is that Miss Tessyiur?" the cold, even voice of Professor Severus Snape questioned dryly.

Rio turned around slowly and faced the potions master. His fathomless eyes made her want to shink into a puddle and ooze away. But she held her ground. "First of all I want it known from the outset that this is Vivianne's dog," Rio began pointedly.

"Thank you for clarifying that point, now why is it in my classroom?" Snape's voice lowered, with lethal implacations barely in check.

Rio gulped. In her panic she forgot to censor her tongue. "Why don't you ask the corgi, it's the one that wanted to be here, not me."

Snape did not have to dignify that answer with a responce, because at that point Vivianne rushed into the potions room, winded. Vivianne scanned the scene before her and seemed to become omnicient in that moment. "Professor Snape," she began, a sweet smile gracing her mouth, "how kind of you to find my corgi for me."

'SNAPE?!' Rio thought, aghast, 'find your corgi, is it? That was too sleek, he'll be onto that.'

"So Miss Tessyiur was telling the truth; the animal is yours. The move to your chambers has gone smoothly, I trust?" he queried ironically.

"Like buttah," Rio grumbled angrily, still smarting over the loss of credit for finding the corgi.

Vivianne closed Rio out of the conversation by moving in front of her. "Yes, thank you Professor Snape. Everything is in order for tonight."

'It is?' Rio wondered, and bit her tongue.

"I'm glad to hear that," Snape answered, smiling acidly.

With an efficient, business-like smile, Vivianne turned to Rio. "Dear, come along, and please carry the corgi."

"Carry it?" Rio's eyes went wide. Then she caught Vivianne's constrained smile, bordering on a grimace. The leash must not have worked out. Rio sighed, looking down at the animal in her arms, which wiggled like hairy jello. "Pourquoi moi? Pourquoi aujourd'hui?"
Snape, who had been watching them closely, raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Rio turned toward the door, but his commanding voice stopped her. "Miss Tessyiur." She looked at him over her shoulder. "I would like to make it clear that you are not to speak French in my class. No one else knows what you are saying, and I would be forced to assume the worst. What was it you just said?"
Rio replied hesitantly, "'Pourquoi moi? Pourquoi aujourd'hui?' It means 'Why me? Why today?'"
The faintest trace of a smile appeared at the corner of Snape's mouth. But in the next instant it was gone. "All the same...I'm sure you will not abuse your superior linguistic skills, but I must ask you to speak only in English while you are at Hogwarts."
"Yes Professor. Professor Tessyiur already spoke with me about that."
"Good," was the extent of his reply as Snape turned and swept off toward his storage room.
'Vivianne, you may kiss my feet,' Rio thought at her sister as they moved toward the door.
~*~
"I look like an idiot--or a mime. What's with this all black regalia?" Rio whined for the fiftieth time, tugging at the tie of her Hogwarts robes.
"You do NOT look like a mime. And after you're Sorted, you won't be wearing all black. Your badge will be the colours of your house insignia," Vivianne whispered irritably. The sisters were making their way down the many corridors from Vivianne's newly decorated chambers to the Great Hall. Within the hour, the students would arrive and the first years would be Sorted.
"I still have dog hair on my robes," Rio groused further, unable to keep her mouth quiet if her nerves weren't equally at ease.
"You do not! I charmed all the hairs off, and you haven't touched Cordillia since you brought her back from Professor Snape's dungeon."
"Dungeon, is it? Great, when does he start stretching us?"
"Not funny--you know that kind of thing hasn't been allowed at Hogwarts for centuries."
Rio's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. Why did she have to be Sorted with eleven-year-olds? What house would the famous "Sorting Hat" put her in?
Vivianne couldn't remember the last time she was so stressed and nervous. Would Dumbledore ask her to say something to the assembled students? Who would she have to make conversation with at the staff table? How would her first class receive her tomorrow?
In a perilous state of mental stress, the Tessyiur girls arrived in the Great Hall, just behind the staff table. Nearly all the professors were already assembled. "Viv, where do I sit?" Rio asked timidly, scanning the empty house tables.
Vivianne didn't know, and didn't have a chance to answer, for Professor Sprout had come up to encourage them. "Don't you worry Vivianne, dear. The students will love you, and, more importantly, respect you. I'm certain you'll be fine. You are, after all, in your element teaching here at Hogwarts. Cathriona..." Professor Sprout peered around Vivianne's shoulder to make eye contact with the cowering Rio. "It'll be all right, love, no one will alienate you simply because you're French. Truthfully, I believe you will be swarmed with curious teenagers wanting to hear about you and France. And," the professor winked conspiratorially, "I know more than a few lads will be interested in getting to know you very well."
Rio's jaw dropped a little before she recovered herself. "Thank you, Professor," she said weakly. Beside her, Rio felt Vivianne shake with suppressed laughter.
Professor Sprout continued to smile good-naturedly at them as Headmaster Dumbledore strode over. He was even taller than Rio remembered him. The benign Professor seemed to cast a wave of comfort before him, making Rio feel instantly calmer. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't let anything embarrassing happen to her.
"I see our good Professor Sprout is already making you feel at home," he smiled at the Herbology professor, then at Vivianne and Rio. "Miss Cathriona, until the Sorting you will sit beside your sister at the staff table, since I do not believe Sybil Trelawney will be joining us tonight."
"Trelawney?" Rio questioned quietly, unable to keep her curiousity in check. 'What an interesting name,' she thought.
"She is our Divination professor," Dumbledore explained, "and rarely comes out of the North Tower."
Rio vaguely recalled Professor McGonagall announcing that Professor Trelawney would not be attending at the staff meeting a few days ago. "Oh yeah, something about an Inner Eye, right?"
Vivianne pinched her and shook with laughter again. Dumbledore looked as though he, too, were on the verge of laughing. "Yes indeed...something very much like that. Now, if you don't mind, I'll show you to your seats; the students will be arriving any minute."
Vivianne and Rio followed Dumbledore along the length of the staff table, and Rio watched over her shoulder as Professor Sprout moved down to the other end. This disappointed Rio, for she had secretly hoped the jovial head of Hufflepuff would sit on her other side.
As it was, Vivianne sat two seats down from Dumbledore, Rio on her right. Vivianne glanced at the empty chair. It must be for Minerva, she realized, who would be leading in the first years by now.
Rio looked on down the right hand side of the table. Two seats down from her, Professor Snape moved to his seat. Rio drew a sharp breath, rolling her head back to the left and crossing her eyes.
"What's wrong with you?" Vivianne asked as she sat down, and indicated for Rio to do the same.
"Evil Dungeon Master, three o' clock."
Vivianne's gaze shifted briefly to Snape, who was conversing with a professor Rio didn't remember very well. Vivianne scowled and rolled her eyes. "Honestly Rio, come off your silly notions. Severus will NOT bite you, all right?"
"Oh, Severus, is it?" Rio's hushed tones barely escaped clenched teeth, "since when we you two so snuggly? Why not Sevvie?"
"Shut-up!" Vivianne's teeth were now clenched as well. "What has gotten into you, Rio? He is my colleague, we are equals, therefore I call him by his first name, as he calls me by mine."
Rio sighed dramatically, and cast her own glance heavenward. "Fine, you win. But just for the record book, I've never heard him call you by your first name."
Vivianne was about to answer when a voice behind them inquired, "And what subject will you be teaching, Professor Cathriona Tessyiur?"
The girls looked behind them to see Professor Lupin and his amused smile. Vivianne's indignant open mouth transformed fluidly into a matching expression of good humour. "Remus, I didn't see you back there. Will you be seated close by?"
"Yes, as a matter of fact, I believe I am seated beside Miss Cathriona here," he explained, taking the empty seat on Rio's right. Rio smiled at Lupin and then turned half of that smile and raised eyebrows on Vivianne, cocking her head coquettishly.
Vivianne returned a murderous look, then peered past Rio to Lupin, who had his head in his hands, rubbing his temples.
"Are you all right, Remus?" Vivianne queried, certain she already knew exactly what was ailing the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Lupin raised his head abruptly, hands still poised in their former position. "Ah," he relaxed slightly, lowering his arms to the table, "last night was...exhausting. I didn't sleep much." His eyes flicked to Rio a fraction of a second, "Worrying about the new term, and all that," he added hastily.
"Oh of course, Vivianne's been nervous about start of term as well," Rio nodded sympathetically, then turned to her sister as if to send her a pitying glance. What she actually did was wiggle her eyebrows suggestively. It was too much for Vivianne.
"Mmmph!" Rio muffled her groan of pain as Vivianne's foot connected with her shin. She glanced around through eyes squinted with pain to see Lupin and Snape watching her curiously. "Mmm," was her attempted cover, "I wonder what's for dinner."
Snape raised an eyebrow, then turned slowly around, and Lupin was abruptly seized with the urge to cough into his napkin. Rio hoped the feeling of a flush on her cheeks was merely a figment of her imagination.
Fortunately Rio was distracted from her embarrassment by the sound of Professor McGonagall striding briskly into the room, a wooden stool and scruffy wizard's hat in her arms. Vivianne leaned close to Rio and whispered objectively, "The Sorting Hat."
Rio gulped.