Chapter Three
Rinoa Heartilly
As it so happened, Harry and Ron crashed Ron's father's flying car into the Whomping Willow, a tree just outside of Hogwarts with a temper, it smashed the car to bits and left them trying to explain to Professor Snape, possibly the meanest teacher ever to dwell in Hogwarts (and one with a personal dislike for Harry Potter) why they had stolen a flying car, been seen by a dozen muggles, and crashed into the Whomping Willow tree outside the school. It was not going well. Somehow or another Nafia and Nadia, the twin first years had gotten out of trouble probably on a count of being first years, being girls, and looking very scared and upset.
"Do you two insolent menaces have any idea how idiotic your actions were? You not only broke about a dozen laws, you endangered the lives of two first years, you hurt an ancient tree which has been on these grounds for decade . . . This is a serious offence, not only will you be expelled but I'll take it upon myself to inform the Ministry of Magic and-"
At that moment the door to Snape's dark office swung open widely and a young woman with long black hair and a blue coat walked in.
"What are you doing interrupting-" Snape began without looking up, then he paused for a moment, as though not believing his eyes. "You-What are you doing here?" He asked darkly.
"Me?" The girl said inoccently. "I'm here to rescue these two boys." She winked cheerfully. Ron and Harry looked at each other, no one acted like this in front of Snape.
He scowled at her, "Really Miss Heartilly? Is that so?"
"Yes." She nodded, smiling, positively beaming, which was possibly the first time in Hogwarts History a person had ever smiled like that in the same room as Severus Snape, who was not a popular teacher by any stretch of the imagination except for among the Slytherins whom he favoured. And this girl did not strike Harry or Ron as Slytherin so they couldn't figure out why he hadn't yelled at her and ordered her to leave his office yet.
"I heard what a nightmare you can be," She continued, "Really, Severus." No students called their professors by the first names; Ron and Harry glanced at each other again confused and worried.
Professor Snape appeared as disconcerted and irritated as they would imagine but he was clenching one hand into a tight fist and glaring at her not giving her detention and they couldn't quite piece it together.
Finally he cleared his throat, "And what right, Rinoa," He said dryly, "Do you have to barge in here and 'rescue' them, as you put it?"
"The right I have given to her." An aged and wise voice said all heads turned again to the doorway where Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stood. Professor Dumbledore looked just as Harry remembered him, with a long silver beard and long white hair, a tall pointed wizard hat and a long crooked nose with half-moon spectacles, and friendly, twinkling eyes. "I have decided to make Mrs. Leonhart are new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Severus."
"Mrs. Leonhart . . . ? Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that . . ." Professor Snape sighed, then his expression hardened again and he returned his icy glare to Harry and Ron, "But that still doesn't give her the right to determine their punishment."
"Ah, you're right it does not, but that is the responsibility of Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House to decide, not you, Severus." Dumbledore said softly. Snape appeared quite angry at this but said nothing.
"Oh you aren't going to kick them out are you, Minerva?" Their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher asked.
Ron and Harry liked this teacher already. They gave McGonagall their most piteous and innocent looks and she sighed, "No, not today, my dears."
Professor Snape scowled, Professor Leonhart clapped, and Dumbledore smiled his wise smile as the two boys hurried off to the Great Hall to enjoy the feast.
After they had left, Snape turned his perpetual glare to the new teacher, "You are the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Rinoa?"
"Dumbledore said I was most qualified." She said, pretending to be shocked and then laughing (the strict potions master was not amused) "I guess your just going to have to learn to live with me, Severus! Ahahahaha!"
Rinoa Heartilly
As it so happened, Harry and Ron crashed Ron's father's flying car into the Whomping Willow, a tree just outside of Hogwarts with a temper, it smashed the car to bits and left them trying to explain to Professor Snape, possibly the meanest teacher ever to dwell in Hogwarts (and one with a personal dislike for Harry Potter) why they had stolen a flying car, been seen by a dozen muggles, and crashed into the Whomping Willow tree outside the school. It was not going well. Somehow or another Nafia and Nadia, the twin first years had gotten out of trouble probably on a count of being first years, being girls, and looking very scared and upset.
"Do you two insolent menaces have any idea how idiotic your actions were? You not only broke about a dozen laws, you endangered the lives of two first years, you hurt an ancient tree which has been on these grounds for decade . . . This is a serious offence, not only will you be expelled but I'll take it upon myself to inform the Ministry of Magic and-"
At that moment the door to Snape's dark office swung open widely and a young woman with long black hair and a blue coat walked in.
"What are you doing interrupting-" Snape began without looking up, then he paused for a moment, as though not believing his eyes. "You-What are you doing here?" He asked darkly.
"Me?" The girl said inoccently. "I'm here to rescue these two boys." She winked cheerfully. Ron and Harry looked at each other, no one acted like this in front of Snape.
He scowled at her, "Really Miss Heartilly? Is that so?"
"Yes." She nodded, smiling, positively beaming, which was possibly the first time in Hogwarts History a person had ever smiled like that in the same room as Severus Snape, who was not a popular teacher by any stretch of the imagination except for among the Slytherins whom he favoured. And this girl did not strike Harry or Ron as Slytherin so they couldn't figure out why he hadn't yelled at her and ordered her to leave his office yet.
"I heard what a nightmare you can be," She continued, "Really, Severus." No students called their professors by the first names; Ron and Harry glanced at each other again confused and worried.
Professor Snape appeared as disconcerted and irritated as they would imagine but he was clenching one hand into a tight fist and glaring at her not giving her detention and they couldn't quite piece it together.
Finally he cleared his throat, "And what right, Rinoa," He said dryly, "Do you have to barge in here and 'rescue' them, as you put it?"
"The right I have given to her." An aged and wise voice said all heads turned again to the doorway where Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall stood. Professor Dumbledore looked just as Harry remembered him, with a long silver beard and long white hair, a tall pointed wizard hat and a long crooked nose with half-moon spectacles, and friendly, twinkling eyes. "I have decided to make Mrs. Leonhart are new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Severus."
"Mrs. Leonhart . . . ? Ah yes, I'd forgotten about that . . ." Professor Snape sighed, then his expression hardened again and he returned his icy glare to Harry and Ron, "But that still doesn't give her the right to determine their punishment."
"Ah, you're right it does not, but that is the responsibility of Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House to decide, not you, Severus." Dumbledore said softly. Snape appeared quite angry at this but said nothing.
"Oh you aren't going to kick them out are you, Minerva?" Their new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher asked.
Ron and Harry liked this teacher already. They gave McGonagall their most piteous and innocent looks and she sighed, "No, not today, my dears."
Professor Snape scowled, Professor Leonhart clapped, and Dumbledore smiled his wise smile as the two boys hurried off to the Great Hall to enjoy the feast.
After they had left, Snape turned his perpetual glare to the new teacher, "You are the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Rinoa?"
"Dumbledore said I was most qualified." She said, pretending to be shocked and then laughing (the strict potions master was not amused) "I guess your just going to have to learn to live with me, Severus! Ahahahaha!"