The moment seemed to pass and the tension left the room like the deflation
of a large balloon. They all seemed to forget the moment and move on.
"Look," Leigh said quickly, "I don't see any reason to believe all of this trash, I mean, where are your magic wands and pointy hats?" She questioned trying to forget the feeling of vulnerability she suddenly had in front of the man.
Professor McGonagall, happy to have a reprieve from worrying about Snape pulled her wand from her robes and held it up. "We do not all wear pointy hats like in story books but the magic must be done with a wand." She explained
She then pointed the wand at a pen on the counter and, with a few quiet words; it was transformed into a plate. Leigh watched bemused at the sudden show of talent, the man stepped forward and touched his wand to the plate creating a wonderful meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn that smelled heavenly.
"I hope it's as good as mammy made back in the trailer park." He sneered with a mock Southern accent.
She smiled sweetly looking deep into his dark eyes, her mind as blank as she could make it and said, "Bite me." With the appropriate attitude that accompanies so pubescent a comeback.
His eyes widened although he was quite amused, thinking, 'she is a child, the stupid girl is trying to make me angry, I can't believe this.'
McGonagall silently looked on as the two of them stared at each other, Snape looking more and more irritated and sour and the girl looking ever calmer.
Leigh was humming to herself, at least in her head, so that all he got was a gentle hum when he tried to get in. She couldn't believe the feeling of vulnerability knowing that he could get inside her head. Suddenly she felt almost guilty for her years of listening in on people's most private thoughts. Just as quickly though she forgot those feelings as she was afraid he might feel them. She continued to hum as she turned back to her cooking and began ladling dumplings out of the broth.
"Miss Intinn, do you have any questions for us." Professor McGonagall finally said.
"Well, yes actually I do." She said slowly, "Why would you want a plain old Muggle teaching your kids, an American Muggle at that?" she said looking pointedly at Snape again, "I mean what have I got to teach a bunch of underage witches and wizards? And not only that but how am I supposed to teach them considering your school is completely hidden from me? At least that's what that book said." She said returning her gaze to the relative safety of McGonagall's stern face.
"Yes all valid questions. I am afraid that I do not know the answer to why other than that Professor Dumbledore thinks it will be a good idea." The woman said quickly, "He has however stretched some of the rules you speak of to allow you to teach, and I must warn you that there are many who do not agree with his decision. It is my opinion however that Dumbledore has never before been wrong and that he has his own reasons for inviting you to teach which I will not question." She said, and as she said it Leigh heard the veiled challenge towards Snape, she was stating her opinion for him not for Leigh.
"Hmm well I do hope he doesn't get into trouble on account of me. I guarantee I'm not worth it." Leigh said again stirring the dumplings and not looking up.
"You will not be the reason he gets into trouble, if ever he does." Came Snape's sneering whisper. Again a veiled threat this time towards McGonagall. 'Stupid woman, always following that man blindly, she should think for herself and realize the consequences if the Ministry were to find out about this, he will get himself into even more trouble than he knows,' he thought angrily. He was bitter but there was also worry in his thoughts, he worried about the man that he seemed to despise.
Leigh was aware of the tension that had now grown between the two strange people. McGonagall pursed her lips and seemed reading to spit poison as she thought, 'he is insufferable, how does Dumbledore continue to trust him, he should know that this man is not to be trusted, one cannot just take back what he did.'
Again Leigh raised an eyebrow at the dumplings, what could it be, what had Snape done that had been so terrible. She looked up from the dumplings at the two who both now looked extremely sour.
She smiled warmly at both of them and asked, "What would I be teaching?"
"Oh yes of course, I'm sorry I had forgotten you weren't told. You would be teaching Muggle studies, about the history of your world and also about the things that you are accustomed to but some of our students know nothing of." McGonagall said trying to bring herself back from her thoughts.
"What sort of normal things? Like the fact that we don't run around in robes and pointy hats and send owls to pick up the mail?" Leigh asked smiling sweetly.
"Well yes but some of the students know nothing of your forms of transportation and communication. They also do not know much of your entertainment or even of your education system or even your native country. I believe that the students stand to learn much from you in these areas." McGonagall said while thinking, 'at least they will learn more than they did under that old bat, thank goodness she left, imagine really completely covering a letter with stamps or a telephone as a weapon.'
Leigh choked back a laugh and asked innocently, "And what happened to the previous professor?"
"She decided to learn more about the Muggle world. It seems she was not as learned in the subject as was befitting a teacher." McGonagall said carefully.
"Ok so if I say yes, then what? Do I just follow ya'll home or take the train from the book? I don't know that I could get onto the platform, the book said Muggle's can't get through." Leigh asked. As she asked this she felt the woman's spirits rise at the thought that she might say yes but from the man she felt no sensations, as if he was veiling himself as she had done.
A little disconcerted by the idea that he could close himself off to her, or that he might know that she knew his thoughts she glared at him briefly before turning to the woman who was saying, "That will all be taken care of by the time you are ready to come, if you do agree. You will not be required to come until the end of July."
"Ok then, I guess whatever ya'll have to do then do it. I think I would like an adventure, I haven't had one in quite some time." Leigh said smiling at the two of them.
"Excellent," McGonagall said, "We will send you an owl about the further arrangements. I would like to be the first to welcome you to the staff of Hogwarts." She said stiffly with an equally stiff smile.
"Look," Leigh said quickly, "I don't see any reason to believe all of this trash, I mean, where are your magic wands and pointy hats?" She questioned trying to forget the feeling of vulnerability she suddenly had in front of the man.
Professor McGonagall, happy to have a reprieve from worrying about Snape pulled her wand from her robes and held it up. "We do not all wear pointy hats like in story books but the magic must be done with a wand." She explained
She then pointed the wand at a pen on the counter and, with a few quiet words; it was transformed into a plate. Leigh watched bemused at the sudden show of talent, the man stepped forward and touched his wand to the plate creating a wonderful meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and sweet corn that smelled heavenly.
"I hope it's as good as mammy made back in the trailer park." He sneered with a mock Southern accent.
She smiled sweetly looking deep into his dark eyes, her mind as blank as she could make it and said, "Bite me." With the appropriate attitude that accompanies so pubescent a comeback.
His eyes widened although he was quite amused, thinking, 'she is a child, the stupid girl is trying to make me angry, I can't believe this.'
McGonagall silently looked on as the two of them stared at each other, Snape looking more and more irritated and sour and the girl looking ever calmer.
Leigh was humming to herself, at least in her head, so that all he got was a gentle hum when he tried to get in. She couldn't believe the feeling of vulnerability knowing that he could get inside her head. Suddenly she felt almost guilty for her years of listening in on people's most private thoughts. Just as quickly though she forgot those feelings as she was afraid he might feel them. She continued to hum as she turned back to her cooking and began ladling dumplings out of the broth.
"Miss Intinn, do you have any questions for us." Professor McGonagall finally said.
"Well, yes actually I do." She said slowly, "Why would you want a plain old Muggle teaching your kids, an American Muggle at that?" she said looking pointedly at Snape again, "I mean what have I got to teach a bunch of underage witches and wizards? And not only that but how am I supposed to teach them considering your school is completely hidden from me? At least that's what that book said." She said returning her gaze to the relative safety of McGonagall's stern face.
"Yes all valid questions. I am afraid that I do not know the answer to why other than that Professor Dumbledore thinks it will be a good idea." The woman said quickly, "He has however stretched some of the rules you speak of to allow you to teach, and I must warn you that there are many who do not agree with his decision. It is my opinion however that Dumbledore has never before been wrong and that he has his own reasons for inviting you to teach which I will not question." She said, and as she said it Leigh heard the veiled challenge towards Snape, she was stating her opinion for him not for Leigh.
"Hmm well I do hope he doesn't get into trouble on account of me. I guarantee I'm not worth it." Leigh said again stirring the dumplings and not looking up.
"You will not be the reason he gets into trouble, if ever he does." Came Snape's sneering whisper. Again a veiled threat this time towards McGonagall. 'Stupid woman, always following that man blindly, she should think for herself and realize the consequences if the Ministry were to find out about this, he will get himself into even more trouble than he knows,' he thought angrily. He was bitter but there was also worry in his thoughts, he worried about the man that he seemed to despise.
Leigh was aware of the tension that had now grown between the two strange people. McGonagall pursed her lips and seemed reading to spit poison as she thought, 'he is insufferable, how does Dumbledore continue to trust him, he should know that this man is not to be trusted, one cannot just take back what he did.'
Again Leigh raised an eyebrow at the dumplings, what could it be, what had Snape done that had been so terrible. She looked up from the dumplings at the two who both now looked extremely sour.
She smiled warmly at both of them and asked, "What would I be teaching?"
"Oh yes of course, I'm sorry I had forgotten you weren't told. You would be teaching Muggle studies, about the history of your world and also about the things that you are accustomed to but some of our students know nothing of." McGonagall said trying to bring herself back from her thoughts.
"What sort of normal things? Like the fact that we don't run around in robes and pointy hats and send owls to pick up the mail?" Leigh asked smiling sweetly.
"Well yes but some of the students know nothing of your forms of transportation and communication. They also do not know much of your entertainment or even of your education system or even your native country. I believe that the students stand to learn much from you in these areas." McGonagall said while thinking, 'at least they will learn more than they did under that old bat, thank goodness she left, imagine really completely covering a letter with stamps or a telephone as a weapon.'
Leigh choked back a laugh and asked innocently, "And what happened to the previous professor?"
"She decided to learn more about the Muggle world. It seems she was not as learned in the subject as was befitting a teacher." McGonagall said carefully.
"Ok so if I say yes, then what? Do I just follow ya'll home or take the train from the book? I don't know that I could get onto the platform, the book said Muggle's can't get through." Leigh asked. As she asked this she felt the woman's spirits rise at the thought that she might say yes but from the man she felt no sensations, as if he was veiling himself as she had done.
A little disconcerted by the idea that he could close himself off to her, or that he might know that she knew his thoughts she glared at him briefly before turning to the woman who was saying, "That will all be taken care of by the time you are ready to come, if you do agree. You will not be required to come until the end of July."
"Ok then, I guess whatever ya'll have to do then do it. I think I would like an adventure, I haven't had one in quite some time." Leigh said smiling at the two of them.
"Excellent," McGonagall said, "We will send you an owl about the further arrangements. I would like to be the first to welcome you to the staff of Hogwarts." She said stiffly with an equally stiff smile.