Episode Forty Four
Part One
The lawn was dark as the clouds had just rolled over the moon. The wind had a cold chill to it, an icy thrust from the north. The weather was turning to freezing rain and muddy Quidditch fields.
One tiny light sparkled out of the window of the girl's dormitory, a single candle held by a girl staring out on the grounds. She had her legs close to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, one hand holding the light blue candle steady.
The other girls lay in their bunks, sleeping soundly as they were wont to do. But this one girl could not sleep. And when she could not sleep she often gazed out of windows, looking down below her for no particular reason. She wasn't really looking for anything; she was simply looking at the beauty of nature.
In a distant dream where she had lived an entire lifetime separate from this one she once saw faeries as she gazed out of a window on a sleepless night. She had been no older than seven years and they had terrified her. They were dark and small with white hooded cloaks, carrying candles and walked double file down the street where she never really lived.
That had been her first encounter with the unsellie court, except that she didn't know that's what they were. It was November 11, Hollantide, the day that the fey move from one mound into another. She had witnessed a mound moving at only seven years old, something most people never see in their entire lifetime and though it had only been part of a dream she really had seen it.
She sighed deeply, pulling the night air into her lungs. She had seen a cloak swishing in the darkness below and knew that someone was stealing away from the castle. Who it was she could not be certain, nor did she understand that this person would have a hand in her future.
She looked to her bed, blew out her candle and crawled under the covers.
Part Two
Gwen stretched languidly as she woke in the early morning. She yawned loudly and one of the other girls in the dorm snorted with laughter. "Great way to start the day Gwen."
"Thanks Kiersten." She sighed.
"You were up pretty late last night, huh?"
"I didn't keep you up, did I?" She asked the taller girl.
Kiersten smiled as she threw her long black hair off her shoulder. "No, I'm actually pretty used to your odd sleeping habits. Something on your mind keeping you up? Or is it someone?"
"A little of both."
"It wouldn't happen to be the smashing Harry Potter, would it?"
Gwen blushed and lowered her head, trying to hide the huge smile spreading on her face. She hadn't really told anyone outright about her involvement with the Gryffindor seeker, but everyone seemed to know anyway. It was becoming a habit of the dorm to follow the development of their relationship. There was even a betting pool as to how long it would last before one or both of them found a way to get themselves killed.
Gwen didn't really think it was that funny, but she played along because she was just that type of person. She tolerated something until it became so noticeable it was about to blow up in your face. And even then sometimes she wouldn't deal with it.
Kiersten patted her on the shoulder. "You don't have to tell me anything. I just think it's great that you finally found someone like you."
Part Three
The cloaked figure crossing the grounds was never far from Gwen's mind as she went about her daily tasks. Classes were almost too easy and she was beginning to get bored. Magic was something that came so naturally to her and she hardly needed to study. She had already read all of the assigned seventh year books.
Hermione was quite disgusted with Gwen's natural ability, but she had to chalk it up to her; the girl was talented. McGonagall in particular had noticed that glazed look coming back into Gwen's eyes on a regular basis again, but she couldn't complain because the girl was still receiving full marks. She had the concern of a guardian however and decided to speak to her about it.
"Guenivere, may I see you in my office?"
Gwen's heart leapt in her chest. McGonagall only ever called her to her office if she'd done something wrong or if her mother was on the premises. She had done nothing wrong to her knowledge so that left only her mother. "Sure." She said quietly and followed her godmother with her eyes held firmly on the ground.
When the door clicked behind her she quickly surveyed the room. No mother in sight. Maybe she had done something wrong. She thought hard on the past couple of days. Unless staying up late in your own dorm was a punishable offense she'd done nothing at all to gain her godmother's contempt.
But there was no contempt, only concern. "Guenivere, I've noticed that you're very bored in my classes."
"Not just your classes." Gwen said, creasing her brows in thought. What was this all about?
"Excuse me?"
"Well, I've learned all the seventh year magic and it's just coming really easily to me now. It hardly seems worth it to sit through class." She was shocked at her own honesty.
"That's a bit egotistical don't you think, Guenivere?"
"Yeah, but it's the truth."
Minerva regarded her coolly. While the girl was speaking the truth of which she had no doubt she still felt it was a rude way of saying so. Sometimes Gwen reminded her sharply of a Slytherin student who would later become the girl's mother.
"What is it?" Gwen asked at the less than pleased look on McGonagall's face.
"You reminded me very much of your mother just then. You don't do it often, but when you do it's terrifyingly accurate."
Gwen huffed just a bit, but realized exactly what her godmother meant. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just that I'm so ready to…" But she didn't know what she was ready for. Was it that she wanted to move on or was it more that she wanted something to challenge her?
McGonagall looked ruffled to say the least but she relaxed enough to force a smile. "Would you like to study some more advanced magic after hours?"
"Actually." Gwen thought wildly for a moment. Maybe she could tell her of the teaching idea. She took a deep breath. "I want to study more Defense Against the Dark Arts. I have a feeling the position may be vacated soon and I'd like to teach it someday. Here, at Hogwarts."
Minerva looked at her astonished. There was no doubt in her mind that Gwen would be destined for great things. But she had never ever thought that Gwen would pursue a career in teaching the magical arts. "Of course." She said. "There's only so much I can teach you, but perhaps Professor Dumbledore could help you."
Part Four
Gwen was not really pleased at the prospect of working so closely with Professor Dumbledore. She was to meet with him every day after classes and work until supper time on her defense skills. She thought Dumbledore was a little weird and he made her really nervous.
But, she thought, this is just the challenge you were looking for. And Harry respects him greatly. That has to stand for something. He is the greatest wizard ever.
Gwen had the potential to become the greatest witch and under Dumbledore's watchful eye there was no doubt that she would go on to do great things.
Her first meeting with him was to be in his office and she waited by the statue McGonagall had told her of until Dumbledore joined her. He nodded and whispered "Canary Cream." The statue leapt to the side and Dumbledore ushered her onto a rotating staircase. She looked around in amazement at the smooth gliding motion of the stairs in their upward spiral.
They stepped off when they had reached the top and Dumbledore ushered her into a chair. "Minerva tells me that you have an interest in Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
"Yes sir. I'd like to teach it here someday if I might."
"As you know the position is not the most long term."
"I think I might be able to change that." Gwen said with a bright grin.
Dumbledore nodded. Minerva was right. This girl was a delightful handful.
A silence followed that made Gwen very uncomfortable, yet Dumbledore seemed much more at ease in the quiet. She waited for him to say something and though it took a long time she was glad she did.
"Well, if you want the job we must begin your training post haste."
Gwen sat up again that night, gazing out of her dormitory window at the grounds thinking about all of the things Dumbledore had taught her that day. They had not moved into the practical application yet, nor would they she was aware for quite some time. There was a lot of theory behind the skills needed to defend oneself and to teach it one needed a full understanding of the field. Dumbledore wanted to train his soon to be Defense Against the Dark Arts professor well.
A movement caught her eye and she followed it down with her head. Something was crossing the grounds but it was too dark to tell what it was. If only the wind would push the clouds away from the moon, Gwen thought. As if the wind had heard her thoughts the clouds swiftly moved out of the way.
The cloaked figure was back, but this time it was sneaking into the castle.
