Part Five
After a few days Willow settled into the routine at Hogwarts. Sometimes all of the teachers were there, sometimes they weren't. Dumbledore, Snape and Mcgonagall were three who were out and about the most. This left Willow with the prospect of spending time all on her lonesome, or with one of the many teachers who were still at Hogwarts. Her first choice was Tara; they had been best friends since their first year and .close from elsewhere. But Tara was often out and about as well. Willow was still on the mend from coming from wherever she had been. She was still weakened; Dumbledore said it was likely an aftereffect of her death and rebirth here. Tara had had to wait a month until she had recovered from the gunshot wound that had killed her in the other world. It was so strange to think of that other place. She had lived an entire life from beginning to end there and then ended up here.
It was purely impossible, an anomaly in the system. And yet not so, because Tara was here and there too. But her memories of that other place were fading. When she had first woken up both sides of her had been so strong but now the half of her that was in this.world dimension, whatever was the stronger. True the half that had resided in Sunnydale and America was still there. But unlike before when it had argues every detail it was now usually silent. Dimming. It was more comfortable this way. She didn't have to think about the way that her memories constructed, never actually taking place. But that's not true! Her mind was yelling out at her. On her neck she still had the faint scar from where Harmony had attacked her the beginning of her freshman year of college, and then on her left arm she had burn marks from when she burnt her arm on the stove at her Uncle's house. It should have been impossible for both to be there, but it wasn't! If nothing else it was proof. She sighed and thought of giving up trying to bend her mind about living in a place void of the magic she had seen since she could see. She pushed back the thoughts and as she did so ran into Tara.
"Willow, I was looking for you." "What for?"
"Well I'm going up to Diagon Alley today, I wanted to know if you'd like to come along." Willow's eyes widened in relief, She had been waiting a week for some else to have the need to go up there. She had needed to go desperately, she needed a new wand, robes and some other things. And Dumbledore had said she had to ready herself for this autumn. She hadn't liked the way he had said that. For the last few years there had been no permanent D.A.D.A. Teacher and Dumbledore had barely been able to get Moody to come. Prospects were not looking good. And. crap! Oh he was not going to dump this on her. She was an Auror, one of the best at the ministry. She was not a babysitter for children and she sure as hell wasn't a teacher. Okay so she had scored best on her Dark Arts O.W.L. and on her D.A.D.A. N.E.W.T. she had been given almost the highest possible score. But that was no excuse; Dumbledore was not going to make her a teacher. She didn't do well under pressure.okay that was a lie. She did well under pressure or she never would have become an Auror. But stage Fright, oh yes she did have that. Willow could have faced down Voldemort himself and his dark armies and not flinched but put her in front of a group of people where she had to think coherently or speak. Well that was another story.
She sighed; she'd need to look over books up at Diagon Alley. Once Dumbledore had made his mind up there was nothing that could change it. Great, just great. When she realised she still hadn't responded to Tara she smiled and answered. "Yeah, Diagon Alley sounds great." "Oh, well I was gonna go up later today, I think the headmaster wanted to see you first."
"To Dumbledore it is then. I'll meet you back here in say, .an hour?" "A hour works." Willow turned and trudged towards the headmaster's office. "Peppermint pastries" The stone gargoyle leaped aside and Willow mounted the stairs. She knocked, once politely and then entered quietly. Dumbledore had been looking at something but looked up at the door when she entered. "Ah Willow, Tara found you then?"
"Yes she did." "Well then, do sit down. I presume you know why you're here?"
"I have an idea." "Well then, do you accept?"
"I still can't believe you want me to teach. I mean I do well in front of people. The only reason I didn't fail my O.W.L.S or N.E.W.T.S was because we had curtained rooms." "We need you Willow." At the sincerity in his voice Willow's eyes shocked to him.
"Why is that?" "Have you not wondered why it is that I asked Alastor Moody to teach here last year? Do you not remember which student comes to this school Willow?"
"Harry Potter." The boy that lived, yadda yadda yadda. That was the reason that Dumbledore wanted her to teach? To protect him? It made sense of course, and why she hadn't thought of it earlier was not at all present. "Then you do want me to teach here sir?" "Yes I do. As it is, the ministry of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned. We must do whatever we can to make sure that the dark lord does not rise again. Part of that is to keep Harry safe until he finds out."
"Then the order of the Phoenix has been resurrected sir?" "Yes, I had hoped it would not be needed but alas."
"And you said 'when he finds out'.Do you mean to tell me that you haven't told him yet, about how it all will end." "No, I haven't there hasn't truly been a time for it yet." Though inside Willow was in turmoil there was no outward expression. She simply nodded.
"Well, I should go.Tara and I are going up to Diagon Alley." As she exited Dumbledore's study quietly she was all too aware of his sardonic self-depreciating smile.
There are people in the world that are chosen. They may never know it, but they are. For a purpose. Some are chosen to be warriors of truth and good and light. But there are others that are chosen as well. Chosen for a different purpose. They are chosen to be something more. They rarely ever know of the purpose that they are chosen for. There are other people in life. Those never ordained for anything greater than the world that they face each day. But they deserve more. They the ones who are dealt a sour hand in life and are never truly able to rise above it. Those chosen for a different purpose than protecting the world they live in often have a deeper strength. Nothing that could ever be gauged, but something that is too valuable to ever be wasted. They are the healers of the world. They are able to love even the darkest souls, to find truth where others would despair. Their capacity for love is their strength. For them life is an opportunity waiting to be fulfilled.
"They have arrived?"
"Yes, it will soon begin." "Let us hope that this way everything will not herald the darkness as it once did."
After a few days Willow settled into the routine at Hogwarts. Sometimes all of the teachers were there, sometimes they weren't. Dumbledore, Snape and Mcgonagall were three who were out and about the most. This left Willow with the prospect of spending time all on her lonesome, or with one of the many teachers who were still at Hogwarts. Her first choice was Tara; they had been best friends since their first year and .close from elsewhere. But Tara was often out and about as well. Willow was still on the mend from coming from wherever she had been. She was still weakened; Dumbledore said it was likely an aftereffect of her death and rebirth here. Tara had had to wait a month until she had recovered from the gunshot wound that had killed her in the other world. It was so strange to think of that other place. She had lived an entire life from beginning to end there and then ended up here.
It was purely impossible, an anomaly in the system. And yet not so, because Tara was here and there too. But her memories of that other place were fading. When she had first woken up both sides of her had been so strong but now the half of her that was in this.world dimension, whatever was the stronger. True the half that had resided in Sunnydale and America was still there. But unlike before when it had argues every detail it was now usually silent. Dimming. It was more comfortable this way. She didn't have to think about the way that her memories constructed, never actually taking place. But that's not true! Her mind was yelling out at her. On her neck she still had the faint scar from where Harmony had attacked her the beginning of her freshman year of college, and then on her left arm she had burn marks from when she burnt her arm on the stove at her Uncle's house. It should have been impossible for both to be there, but it wasn't! If nothing else it was proof. She sighed and thought of giving up trying to bend her mind about living in a place void of the magic she had seen since she could see. She pushed back the thoughts and as she did so ran into Tara.
"Willow, I was looking for you." "What for?"
"Well I'm going up to Diagon Alley today, I wanted to know if you'd like to come along." Willow's eyes widened in relief, She had been waiting a week for some else to have the need to go up there. She had needed to go desperately, she needed a new wand, robes and some other things. And Dumbledore had said she had to ready herself for this autumn. She hadn't liked the way he had said that. For the last few years there had been no permanent D.A.D.A. Teacher and Dumbledore had barely been able to get Moody to come. Prospects were not looking good. And. crap! Oh he was not going to dump this on her. She was an Auror, one of the best at the ministry. She was not a babysitter for children and she sure as hell wasn't a teacher. Okay so she had scored best on her Dark Arts O.W.L. and on her D.A.D.A. N.E.W.T. she had been given almost the highest possible score. But that was no excuse; Dumbledore was not going to make her a teacher. She didn't do well under pressure.okay that was a lie. She did well under pressure or she never would have become an Auror. But stage Fright, oh yes she did have that. Willow could have faced down Voldemort himself and his dark armies and not flinched but put her in front of a group of people where she had to think coherently or speak. Well that was another story.
She sighed; she'd need to look over books up at Diagon Alley. Once Dumbledore had made his mind up there was nothing that could change it. Great, just great. When she realised she still hadn't responded to Tara she smiled and answered. "Yeah, Diagon Alley sounds great." "Oh, well I was gonna go up later today, I think the headmaster wanted to see you first."
"To Dumbledore it is then. I'll meet you back here in say, .an hour?" "A hour works." Willow turned and trudged towards the headmaster's office. "Peppermint pastries" The stone gargoyle leaped aside and Willow mounted the stairs. She knocked, once politely and then entered quietly. Dumbledore had been looking at something but looked up at the door when she entered. "Ah Willow, Tara found you then?"
"Yes she did." "Well then, do sit down. I presume you know why you're here?"
"I have an idea." "Well then, do you accept?"
"I still can't believe you want me to teach. I mean I do well in front of people. The only reason I didn't fail my O.W.L.S or N.E.W.T.S was because we had curtained rooms." "We need you Willow." At the sincerity in his voice Willow's eyes shocked to him.
"Why is that?" "Have you not wondered why it is that I asked Alastor Moody to teach here last year? Do you not remember which student comes to this school Willow?"
"Harry Potter." The boy that lived, yadda yadda yadda. That was the reason that Dumbledore wanted her to teach? To protect him? It made sense of course, and why she hadn't thought of it earlier was not at all present. "Then you do want me to teach here sir?" "Yes I do. As it is, the ministry of Magic refuses to believe that Voldemort has returned. We must do whatever we can to make sure that the dark lord does not rise again. Part of that is to keep Harry safe until he finds out."
"Then the order of the Phoenix has been resurrected sir?" "Yes, I had hoped it would not be needed but alas."
"And you said 'when he finds out'.Do you mean to tell me that you haven't told him yet, about how it all will end." "No, I haven't there hasn't truly been a time for it yet." Though inside Willow was in turmoil there was no outward expression. She simply nodded.
"Well, I should go.Tara and I are going up to Diagon Alley." As she exited Dumbledore's study quietly she was all too aware of his sardonic self-depreciating smile.
There are people in the world that are chosen. They may never know it, but they are. For a purpose. Some are chosen to be warriors of truth and good and light. But there are others that are chosen as well. Chosen for a different purpose. They are chosen to be something more. They rarely ever know of the purpose that they are chosen for. There are other people in life. Those never ordained for anything greater than the world that they face each day. But they deserve more. They the ones who are dealt a sour hand in life and are never truly able to rise above it. Those chosen for a different purpose than protecting the world they live in often have a deeper strength. Nothing that could ever be gauged, but something that is too valuable to ever be wasted. They are the healers of the world. They are able to love even the darkest souls, to find truth where others would despair. Their capacity for love is their strength. For them life is an opportunity waiting to be fulfilled.
"They have arrived?"
"Yes, it will soon begin." "Let us hope that this way everything will not herald the darkness as it once did."