Out of the Clear Blue Sky
Chapter Four - Training
A/N: Many thanks to Asfaloth, Isis Malfoy, Child-of-the-Dawn, feMHC, Filodea, and Rumblepurr for helping me out with ideas on this chapter.
The next morning, Tracey was one of the first to arrive in the Great Hall for breakfast. She wore sky blue robes trimmed with silver embroidery and had pulled her hair back into a braid to keep it out of her way. The aquamarine pendant she'd bought during her shopping trip in Hogsmeade glittered at her neck. She sat down without a word and began serving herself. The British dishes made her pause for a moment, but she gamely tried a few. A tapping sound distracted her and, when she looked up, her eyes widened briefly. Professor McGonagall had just entered, leaning on a walking stick. Tracey watched without comment as the Deputy Headmistress made her way to the table and sat down, leaning her walking stick against the table.
Tracey leaned across Albus' still-empty chair as Professor McGonagall began serving herself. "I thought you didn't need the walking stick anymore, Professor."
Minerva smiled slightly at Tracey. "Two days of shopping was a bit too much for me, Miss Cooper. I'll be fine."
Tracey looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to go to Diagon Alley with Father and I yesterday."
Minerva shook her head. "It's not your fault, Miss Cooper."
Tracey sighed and sat up straight as Albus entered the Great Hall. "Good morning, Tracey, Minerva."
"Good morning, Father." Tracey smiled up at him before returning her attention to the plate of food in front of her.
"Good morning, Professor." Professor McGonagall began eating as well.
Albus began serving himself. "I trust you both slept well?"
"Quite," Professor McGonagall replied succinctly.
"Not really," Tracey answered with a shrug. "I'm really looking forward to learning magic."
Albus smiled and patted her hand. "I'm glad to hear you say that."
Tracey nodded and played with her food for a moment. "What's the date?"
"Pardon?" Albus glanced down at his daughter.
"What's today's date?" Tracey repeated. "I just realized that I have no clue what it is."
Albus chuckled. "It is July 15th, Tracey."
"Oh." She poked at her food for a little longer before pushing her plate away with a sigh. "When do I start reviewing?"
"Today," Albus replied, pausing to fish something out of his pocket. "Here."
She took the parchment he held out to her and perused it thoughtfully. "Wow. You were right, Professor McGonagall, this _is_ going to be intense."
She was too busy studying her course schedule to notice the amused glances being exchanged all around the table. By mutual agreement, her need for training had been attributed to all the years she had spent in Muggle society and the muddling effect the Ageing Potion had had on her mind. She stuffed the parchment in her pocket and stood up. "Excuse me, I need to go get my books."
She sketched a salute and disappeared through the doors of the Great Hall.
* * *
Tracey entered the Transfiguration classroom and sat down in one of the desks. "I'm here, Professor. What's first?"
Minerva raised an eyebrow at her student. "Transfiguration is not an easy branch of magic to learn, Miss Cooper. It is highly complex and often difficult to perform. I expect you to work on the assignments you're given without complaint and with no messing about. Have I made myself clear?"
Some of the eagerness had left Tracey's face and she nodded solemnly. "Yes, Professor."
"Good." Minerva had decided to forgo demonstrating what Tracey would eventually be able to do and instead gave her notes to copy down.
When she finished, Tracey set her quill down and shook her hand out. "I forgot how much that hurts."
Minerva hid a smile as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a match. "Here, try to turn this into a needle."
Tracey took the needle with some trepidation on her face and gamely did her best. By the end of the lesson, it had turned silvery with a tiny point on the end. Tracey sighed and returned the needle to Minerva. "Well, at least I did as well as Hermione."
Minerva smiled. "Thank you, Miss Cooper. If this is an accurate measure of what you can do, you won't have much trouble mastering Transfiguration."
"Do you think I might eventually try the Animagus transformation?" Tracey asked as she stuffed her books and papers into her bag.
Minerva shrugged. "It's a little early to tell, so we'll just have to wait and see."
Tracey nodded and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "Yes, Professor."
Nodding to Minerva, she turned and left.
* * *
When Tracey arrived at the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick was looking through a rather large book on his desk. "Ah, Miss Cooper. Good morning. How did your Transfiguration lesson go?"
She shrugged as she took a seat at one of the desks. "Okay, I guess. I partly managed to do the transfiguration she set." She smiled sheepishly. "It's not very easy."
"Good magic rarely is," Professor Flitwick replied, gazing earnestly at his student. "Few witches and wizards can manage the most complex charms. Most rarely even bother trying once they finish here."
Tracey grinned. "Well, I'm ready to attempt whatever it is you have to teach me, Professor."
Professor Flitwick waved his wand and the large book he'd been reading when Tracey arrived floated from his desk to the one in front of Tracey. "This is a basic guide to Latin. I'm not sure how much you will remember from your own days at Hogwarts, but this should help refresh your memory."
"Thank you, Professor. How much do I need to read?" Tracey looked at him questioningly.
"The first two chapters should be sufficient," Professor Flitwick replied.
Tracey nodded, opened the book to the first page of the first chapter, and began to read. Some of it was familiar from the Spanish classes she'd taken in high school. She'd also done a bit of research on Latin for some of the fan fiction she'd written. As she pored over the book, Professor Flitwick wrote out lesson plans.
"Okay, Miss Cooper, let's see how well you remember the material." Professor Flitwick's voice made her jump forty-five minutes later.
After quizzing her on the material, the little Charms instructor sent her on her way with a merry wave of his hand.
* * *
Albus waited, with some anxiety, for Tracey to arrive in the Great Hall for lunch. He wanted to know how her morning had gone. Sitting to his right, Minerva was amused to note that Albus breathed a silent sigh of relief when Tracey finally appeared, looking thoughtful. The young woman walked over and plopped down into the seat on the other side of Albus' seat, announcing, "I'm hungry."
Albus chuckled and watched as she began piling food onto her plate. "I'm not surprised. You didn't eat much at breakfast."
Tracey slid a glare his way before beginning to eat. "How'd your classes go, Miss Cooper?"
Tracey swallowed and turned to Poppy. "They went fine. I'm hoping everything will come back to me as time passes."
"I don't see why it shouldn't," Xiomara volunteered from where she sat beside Poppy.
Tracey gave a non-committal shrug before turning back to her food. When she finished, Tracey followed Xiomara out of the Great Hall. It was time for her flying lesson. "She looks a little worried, Albus."
He turned to his Deputy. "She told me that she's afraid of heights, Minerva."
"Oh." Finished, Minerva pushed her plate away. Albus was there to pull her chair out for her and help her stand up. "Thank you, Albus."
"You're welcome, Minerva."
* * *
"How much flying have you done recently, Miss Cooper?" Madam Hooch asked Tracey as they walked to the broomshed.
"Not much," Tracey admitted, trying to hide her sudden attack of nerves at the thought of flying. "I, um, well, I--"
"What is it?" Madam Hooch prodded.
"I'm not too fond of heights," Tracey admitted, feeling her cheeks flush.
Madam Hooch smiled. "Nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Cooper. The trick is to face your fears head-on."
Tracey sighed. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."
Madam Hooch laughed as she unlocked the broomshed. "It's the truth, Miss Cooper. Now, let's see, which broom?"
Tracey shrugged. "I don't know much about brooms, except that the latest model is the Firebolt."
Madam Hooch threw her an odd look before choosing a broom. "Here we are. One of our newer brooms. You should be able to handle it."
"Thanks." Tracey took the broom and preceded Madam Hooch out of the broomshed.
By the end of the lesson, Tracey had managed to fly briefly, but the highest she'd flown had been ten feet. "Miss Cooper, you need to go higher, but we'll stop for the day."
"Thank you, Madam Hooch," Tracey dismounted the broom with a sigh of relief. "I'll work at it, but, frankly, I'm petrified of heights."
Madam Hooch nodded as they walked to the broomshed. "Don't worry, we'll have you flying like a pro in no time."
Tracey nodded and, once the broom had been locked in the broomshed, they headed up to the castle.
* * *
Tracey entered the dungeons with some trepidation. From what she'd read in the Harry Potter books, Snape wasn't a pleasant teacher. However, she acknowledged to herself that it was partly because Snape hadn't liked James and didn't like Harry. When she entered the classroom, she didn't see Snape, but she _did_ find a student cauldron waiting near the front of the room. She pulled out her potions kit and sat down. After a few minutes, Snape entered, his black cloak billowing behind him. Without acknowledging her presence, he walked to the front of the room.
A wave of his wand and the instructions for the potion she would be making appeared on the board. "It will take you the whole time period allotted for you to make this potion, Miss Cooper," he told her silkily. "I suggest you don't waste any time."
"Yes, Sir." Tracey sketched a salute and carefully read the instructions through before beginning.
"Do not expect me to be lenient because of whom your father is, Miss Cooper," Snape warned without raising his voice.
"Wouldn't dream of it," she answered saucily, measuring out ingredients. "I hated teachers who favored any student over another."
His eyes narrowed. "Indeed."
She carefully began to mix the ingredients together. "Or teachers who were unduly harsh on a student."
His black eyes were mere slits. "Who have you been talking to, Miss Cooper?"
She lifted innocent eyes to meet his. "No one, Professor."
His eyes bored into hers, but she didn't flinch. Finally, he snapped, "Carry on with your potion," and sat down at his desk to write lesson plans for the upcoming school year.
Tracey hid a smile and did just that, occasionally glancing up at the board to make sure she was following the instructions correctly. Once she had mixed all the ingredients together, a prod of her wand put out the fire and she put away her unused ingredients while she waited for the potion to cool down a bit. "Professor?"
Without a word, Snape stood and swept forward to examine her potion. After a few moments, he nodded to her. "You may go."
"Thanks, Professor!" she chirped before picking up her bag and leaving the room, almost skipping with glee.
* * *
When Tracey arrived for dinner that night, she looked a little exhausted, but cheerful. "How did your lessons go this afternoon, Tracey?"
"Fine, Father," Tracey replied with a smile, serving up heaping portions for herself. "I think I did the potion Professor Snape assigned me correctly. He didn't say anything."
"Then you did it correctly," Minerva inserted. "If you'd done something wrong, Severus would have pointed it out."
Tracey giggled and began to eat. Albus smiled at Minerva as well. A warm, tingly feeling appeared in the pit of her stomach at the sight of Albus' smile so she quickly turned her attention to her own dinner. When she finished eating, she pushed her chair back and stood up. Albus nodded to her as she left, but he was deep in conversation with Tracey and showed no inclination of leaving any time soon. Sighing, Minerva headed up to her rooms to read a book.
* * *
Tracey's training continued. She spent the mornings and early afternoons with one professor or another, doing her best to learn everything as quickly as she could. She was quite bright and picked up on things quickly. Late afternoons and early evenings were dedicated to doing any homework one of the professors had assigned and reading all the books she could get her hands on. She usually spent her weekends with her father in some form or another, even if it was just going for a walk around the grounds as they talked. Tracey told him about Sandra and he told her about the hundred or so years that had passed since she and her mother had disappeared. Minerva couldn't understand why, but she felt left out. Occasionally, they would ask her to join them, but she felt too much like a third wheel when she did to join them to do so often.
"Minerva? Min?" Minerva shook herself and focused on the other three women in the room.
"I'm sorry, Poppy, what were you saying?" Minerva asked.
"I asked if you wanted another cup of tea," the medi-witch replied.
"No, thank you." Minerva's smile was half-hearted and faded quickly.
The other three witches exchanged glances. "Are you feeling all right, Minerva?"
"Fine, Sylvia," Minerva answered with false cheerfulness. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been awfully quiet and moody," Xiomara pointed out. "You hardly ever leave your rooms except for meals and training sessions with Tracey--"
"And tea with you three," Minerva reminded them. "And meetings with Albus."
"That's true," Xiomara conceded, "but the fact remains that you've become a virtual hermit. What happened to your weekly chess games with the Headmaster?"
"He's been so distracted that I win more quickly and more often than usual," Minerva replied with a shrug.
"Distracted?" Poppy asked, puzzled. "With what?"
Minerva didn't reply, choosing to drain her cup of tea instead. "Excuse me, I have things to do."
As she left Sylvia's rooms, Poppy stood and followed her. "Minerva, wait."
Minerva sighed and turned. "Yes, Poppy?"
"There's something you're not telling us," Poppy replied, falling into step with the black-haired witch. "What is it?"
"There's a reason I'm not telling you, Poppy," Minerva answered stiffly.
"C'mon, Minerva, you know you can tell me," Poppy coaxed.
"Poppy, I'm not going to tell anyone," Minerva was finding it difficult to keep her temper.
"You should at least tell the headmaster," Poppy told her.
"No!" Albus was the last person she wanted to talk to about it. "I'm not talking to anyone at all about it!"
"Okay, okay." Poppy held up her hands in surrender. "Just don't let it eat you up inside, all right?"
Minerva nodded. "I'll be fine, Poppy, don't worry about me."
"Right." Poppy nodded skeptically and disappeared down a corridor.
Minerva blew out a frustrated sigh and continued to her rooms.
* * *
Tracey continued to improve, quickly rising to the O.W.L. level. Albus was justly proud of his daughter's accomplishments. She had quickly proven to be quite adept at Transfiguration and Potions. The former made Minerva proud and the latter galled Severus. He rarely found anything to criticize about her work.
One afternoon in August, a tall, stately woman with smooth, toffee-colored skin, clear gray eyes, and hair so dark a red it was almost brown arrived wearing a long dark green traveling cloak and carrying a black carpetbag. Minerva smiled when she saw the woman. "Sarai, good morning."
The woman smiled and hugged Minerva. "Hello, Aunt Min, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Minerva assured the younger woman, who couldn't have been much older than Severus. "Poppy insists I take things easy, though."
"I don't blame her," Sarai replied, picking up her carpetbag. "Four Stunners, right to the chest..." she trailed off and shook her head.
"Now don't you start," Minerva returned, taking the carpetbag from her niece. "I get enough worrying from Albus, Poppy, Xiomara, and Sylvia. And Tracey."
The gray eyes narrowed slightly as she removed her cloak to reveal deep burgundy robes. "Who's Tracey?"
Minerva held a finger to her lips. "Not here, Sarai. Come, I'll show you to your rooms."
The two women started up the stairs. "It's good to be back. I've missed Hogwarts."
"I'm surprised you didn't apply for a position before now."
A look of deep sadness crossed the younger witch's face. "Yes, well, I couldn't just leave Reuben alone."
Minerva stopped and pulled Sarai into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Sarai returned the embrace. "It's all right, Aunt Min. He's not in pain anymore."
Minerva nodded and held her niece at arm's length. "He wouldn't want you to continue grieving, Sarai. You still have Fiona and Sean to think of. Plus, your mother and I will always be available."
Sarai nodded and blew her nose with a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket. "I know, Aunt Min. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Sarai," Minerva squeezed Sarai's shoulders before stooping to pick up the carpetbag. "Come on."
Together, the two proceeded up to Sarai's rooms.
* * *
Tracey stared when Sarai entered the Great Hall for dinner that evening. She moved with the same catlike grace as Professor McGonagall did, but she made it appear stately and elegant. As the new witch surveyed the gathered professors, Tracey realized she was staring and dropped her gaze to her plate. Once everyone was seated, Albus cleared his throat and stood up. "I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor: Sarai McBride."
He proceeded to introduce her to the rest of the staff, some of whom she seemed to know already. She greeted Snape politely enough, but Tracey thought she detected a slight frostiness in her voice that hadn't been there before. Last of all, Albus introduced Professor McBride to Tracey. "My daughter, Tracey Cooper."
"Hello, Miss Cooper." Professor McBride shook Tracey's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm pleased to meet you, too, Professor," Tracey replied, gazing up at the new professor thoughtfully. "I hope you're better than the last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"Well, it won't be too hard, from what I've heard," Professor McBride answered with a wink and a wry smile.
"Sarai," Professor McGonagall scolded, though her lips twitched as if she was fighting a smile.
Professor McBride returned to her seat beside the Deputy Headmistress. "Most of the stories I heard about what happened came to me through Fiona and Sean." She glanced at the older witch, amused. "Every other sentence was full of praise for their great-aunt."
A pink tinge appeared in Professor McGonagall's thin cheeks and she quickly began eating. Albus chuckled at his Deputy's discomfort and she slid a glare his way. Tracey stifled a giggle and decided she'd better start eating, too.
Snape spoke up from where he sat beside Professor McBride. "You are referring to Fiona and Sean McBride, correct?"
She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Severus, I am. They are my children."
Snape glanced at Professor McGonagall. "Fascinating."
Tracey raised an auburn eyebrow and leaned back in her seat to address Snape. "Have you heard of a Muggle TV series called 'Star Trek', Professor Snape?" He did not deign to reply, choosing to begin eating instead. Tracey persisted. "Sometimes you remind me of Spock."
The Muggle Studies professor, Hector Matteson, hastily smothered his laughter in his napkin, but the rest of the staff exchanged puzzled glances. Madam Hooch leaned forward so she could look past Professor Sprout at Tracey. "What's that mean, Miss Cooper?"
Tracey smiled serenely. "He was a character who maintained rigid control over his emotions and his favorite remark was 'Fascinating.'" She smiled as signs of amusement appeared all around the staff table. Snape scowled down at his plate, but chose not to comment.
About halfway through the meal, an eagle owl swooped into the hall and dropped a parchment scroll onto the table in front of Albus. He stared at it for a moment before pulling out his wand and pointing it at the scroll. The seal broke and the scroll unrolled itself. Tracey and Minerva leaned forward to read the note written on the parchment over Albus' shoulders. A shiver of fear went down Tracey's spine at the message she read:
_51 years ago, you killed Grindelwald. You shall not live to see the 52nd._
Chapter Four - Training
A/N: Many thanks to Asfaloth, Isis Malfoy, Child-of-the-Dawn, feMHC, Filodea, and Rumblepurr for helping me out with ideas on this chapter.
The next morning, Tracey was one of the first to arrive in the Great Hall for breakfast. She wore sky blue robes trimmed with silver embroidery and had pulled her hair back into a braid to keep it out of her way. The aquamarine pendant she'd bought during her shopping trip in Hogsmeade glittered at her neck. She sat down without a word and began serving herself. The British dishes made her pause for a moment, but she gamely tried a few. A tapping sound distracted her and, when she looked up, her eyes widened briefly. Professor McGonagall had just entered, leaning on a walking stick. Tracey watched without comment as the Deputy Headmistress made her way to the table and sat down, leaning her walking stick against the table.
Tracey leaned across Albus' still-empty chair as Professor McGonagall began serving herself. "I thought you didn't need the walking stick anymore, Professor."
Minerva smiled slightly at Tracey. "Two days of shopping was a bit too much for me, Miss Cooper. I'll be fine."
Tracey looked sheepish. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked you to go to Diagon Alley with Father and I yesterday."
Minerva shook her head. "It's not your fault, Miss Cooper."
Tracey sighed and sat up straight as Albus entered the Great Hall. "Good morning, Tracey, Minerva."
"Good morning, Father." Tracey smiled up at him before returning her attention to the plate of food in front of her.
"Good morning, Professor." Professor McGonagall began eating as well.
Albus began serving himself. "I trust you both slept well?"
"Quite," Professor McGonagall replied succinctly.
"Not really," Tracey answered with a shrug. "I'm really looking forward to learning magic."
Albus smiled and patted her hand. "I'm glad to hear you say that."
Tracey nodded and played with her food for a moment. "What's the date?"
"Pardon?" Albus glanced down at his daughter.
"What's today's date?" Tracey repeated. "I just realized that I have no clue what it is."
Albus chuckled. "It is July 15th, Tracey."
"Oh." She poked at her food for a little longer before pushing her plate away with a sigh. "When do I start reviewing?"
"Today," Albus replied, pausing to fish something out of his pocket. "Here."
She took the parchment he held out to her and perused it thoughtfully. "Wow. You were right, Professor McGonagall, this _is_ going to be intense."
She was too busy studying her course schedule to notice the amused glances being exchanged all around the table. By mutual agreement, her need for training had been attributed to all the years she had spent in Muggle society and the muddling effect the Ageing Potion had had on her mind. She stuffed the parchment in her pocket and stood up. "Excuse me, I need to go get my books."
She sketched a salute and disappeared through the doors of the Great Hall.
* * *
Tracey entered the Transfiguration classroom and sat down in one of the desks. "I'm here, Professor. What's first?"
Minerva raised an eyebrow at her student. "Transfiguration is not an easy branch of magic to learn, Miss Cooper. It is highly complex and often difficult to perform. I expect you to work on the assignments you're given without complaint and with no messing about. Have I made myself clear?"
Some of the eagerness had left Tracey's face and she nodded solemnly. "Yes, Professor."
"Good." Minerva had decided to forgo demonstrating what Tracey would eventually be able to do and instead gave her notes to copy down.
When she finished, Tracey set her quill down and shook her hand out. "I forgot how much that hurts."
Minerva hid a smile as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a match. "Here, try to turn this into a needle."
Tracey took the needle with some trepidation on her face and gamely did her best. By the end of the lesson, it had turned silvery with a tiny point on the end. Tracey sighed and returned the needle to Minerva. "Well, at least I did as well as Hermione."
Minerva smiled. "Thank you, Miss Cooper. If this is an accurate measure of what you can do, you won't have much trouble mastering Transfiguration."
"Do you think I might eventually try the Animagus transformation?" Tracey asked as she stuffed her books and papers into her bag.
Minerva shrugged. "It's a little early to tell, so we'll just have to wait and see."
Tracey nodded and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "Yes, Professor."
Nodding to Minerva, she turned and left.
* * *
When Tracey arrived at the Charms classroom, Professor Flitwick was looking through a rather large book on his desk. "Ah, Miss Cooper. Good morning. How did your Transfiguration lesson go?"
She shrugged as she took a seat at one of the desks. "Okay, I guess. I partly managed to do the transfiguration she set." She smiled sheepishly. "It's not very easy."
"Good magic rarely is," Professor Flitwick replied, gazing earnestly at his student. "Few witches and wizards can manage the most complex charms. Most rarely even bother trying once they finish here."
Tracey grinned. "Well, I'm ready to attempt whatever it is you have to teach me, Professor."
Professor Flitwick waved his wand and the large book he'd been reading when Tracey arrived floated from his desk to the one in front of Tracey. "This is a basic guide to Latin. I'm not sure how much you will remember from your own days at Hogwarts, but this should help refresh your memory."
"Thank you, Professor. How much do I need to read?" Tracey looked at him questioningly.
"The first two chapters should be sufficient," Professor Flitwick replied.
Tracey nodded, opened the book to the first page of the first chapter, and began to read. Some of it was familiar from the Spanish classes she'd taken in high school. She'd also done a bit of research on Latin for some of the fan fiction she'd written. As she pored over the book, Professor Flitwick wrote out lesson plans.
"Okay, Miss Cooper, let's see how well you remember the material." Professor Flitwick's voice made her jump forty-five minutes later.
After quizzing her on the material, the little Charms instructor sent her on her way with a merry wave of his hand.
* * *
Albus waited, with some anxiety, for Tracey to arrive in the Great Hall for lunch. He wanted to know how her morning had gone. Sitting to his right, Minerva was amused to note that Albus breathed a silent sigh of relief when Tracey finally appeared, looking thoughtful. The young woman walked over and plopped down into the seat on the other side of Albus' seat, announcing, "I'm hungry."
Albus chuckled and watched as she began piling food onto her plate. "I'm not surprised. You didn't eat much at breakfast."
Tracey slid a glare his way before beginning to eat. "How'd your classes go, Miss Cooper?"
Tracey swallowed and turned to Poppy. "They went fine. I'm hoping everything will come back to me as time passes."
"I don't see why it shouldn't," Xiomara volunteered from where she sat beside Poppy.
Tracey gave a non-committal shrug before turning back to her food. When she finished, Tracey followed Xiomara out of the Great Hall. It was time for her flying lesson. "She looks a little worried, Albus."
He turned to his Deputy. "She told me that she's afraid of heights, Minerva."
"Oh." Finished, Minerva pushed her plate away. Albus was there to pull her chair out for her and help her stand up. "Thank you, Albus."
"You're welcome, Minerva."
* * *
"How much flying have you done recently, Miss Cooper?" Madam Hooch asked Tracey as they walked to the broomshed.
"Not much," Tracey admitted, trying to hide her sudden attack of nerves at the thought of flying. "I, um, well, I--"
"What is it?" Madam Hooch prodded.
"I'm not too fond of heights," Tracey admitted, feeling her cheeks flush.
Madam Hooch smiled. "Nothing to be ashamed of, Miss Cooper. The trick is to face your fears head-on."
Tracey sighed. "Somehow, I knew you were going to say that."
Madam Hooch laughed as she unlocked the broomshed. "It's the truth, Miss Cooper. Now, let's see, which broom?"
Tracey shrugged. "I don't know much about brooms, except that the latest model is the Firebolt."
Madam Hooch threw her an odd look before choosing a broom. "Here we are. One of our newer brooms. You should be able to handle it."
"Thanks." Tracey took the broom and preceded Madam Hooch out of the broomshed.
By the end of the lesson, Tracey had managed to fly briefly, but the highest she'd flown had been ten feet. "Miss Cooper, you need to go higher, but we'll stop for the day."
"Thank you, Madam Hooch," Tracey dismounted the broom with a sigh of relief. "I'll work at it, but, frankly, I'm petrified of heights."
Madam Hooch nodded as they walked to the broomshed. "Don't worry, we'll have you flying like a pro in no time."
Tracey nodded and, once the broom had been locked in the broomshed, they headed up to the castle.
* * *
Tracey entered the dungeons with some trepidation. From what she'd read in the Harry Potter books, Snape wasn't a pleasant teacher. However, she acknowledged to herself that it was partly because Snape hadn't liked James and didn't like Harry. When she entered the classroom, she didn't see Snape, but she _did_ find a student cauldron waiting near the front of the room. She pulled out her potions kit and sat down. After a few minutes, Snape entered, his black cloak billowing behind him. Without acknowledging her presence, he walked to the front of the room.
A wave of his wand and the instructions for the potion she would be making appeared on the board. "It will take you the whole time period allotted for you to make this potion, Miss Cooper," he told her silkily. "I suggest you don't waste any time."
"Yes, Sir." Tracey sketched a salute and carefully read the instructions through before beginning.
"Do not expect me to be lenient because of whom your father is, Miss Cooper," Snape warned without raising his voice.
"Wouldn't dream of it," she answered saucily, measuring out ingredients. "I hated teachers who favored any student over another."
His eyes narrowed. "Indeed."
She carefully began to mix the ingredients together. "Or teachers who were unduly harsh on a student."
His black eyes were mere slits. "Who have you been talking to, Miss Cooper?"
She lifted innocent eyes to meet his. "No one, Professor."
His eyes bored into hers, but she didn't flinch. Finally, he snapped, "Carry on with your potion," and sat down at his desk to write lesson plans for the upcoming school year.
Tracey hid a smile and did just that, occasionally glancing up at the board to make sure she was following the instructions correctly. Once she had mixed all the ingredients together, a prod of her wand put out the fire and she put away her unused ingredients while she waited for the potion to cool down a bit. "Professor?"
Without a word, Snape stood and swept forward to examine her potion. After a few moments, he nodded to her. "You may go."
"Thanks, Professor!" she chirped before picking up her bag and leaving the room, almost skipping with glee.
* * *
When Tracey arrived for dinner that night, she looked a little exhausted, but cheerful. "How did your lessons go this afternoon, Tracey?"
"Fine, Father," Tracey replied with a smile, serving up heaping portions for herself. "I think I did the potion Professor Snape assigned me correctly. He didn't say anything."
"Then you did it correctly," Minerva inserted. "If you'd done something wrong, Severus would have pointed it out."
Tracey giggled and began to eat. Albus smiled at Minerva as well. A warm, tingly feeling appeared in the pit of her stomach at the sight of Albus' smile so she quickly turned her attention to her own dinner. When she finished eating, she pushed her chair back and stood up. Albus nodded to her as she left, but he was deep in conversation with Tracey and showed no inclination of leaving any time soon. Sighing, Minerva headed up to her rooms to read a book.
* * *
Tracey's training continued. She spent the mornings and early afternoons with one professor or another, doing her best to learn everything as quickly as she could. She was quite bright and picked up on things quickly. Late afternoons and early evenings were dedicated to doing any homework one of the professors had assigned and reading all the books she could get her hands on. She usually spent her weekends with her father in some form or another, even if it was just going for a walk around the grounds as they talked. Tracey told him about Sandra and he told her about the hundred or so years that had passed since she and her mother had disappeared. Minerva couldn't understand why, but she felt left out. Occasionally, they would ask her to join them, but she felt too much like a third wheel when she did to join them to do so often.
"Minerva? Min?" Minerva shook herself and focused on the other three women in the room.
"I'm sorry, Poppy, what were you saying?" Minerva asked.
"I asked if you wanted another cup of tea," the medi-witch replied.
"No, thank you." Minerva's smile was half-hearted and faded quickly.
The other three witches exchanged glances. "Are you feeling all right, Minerva?"
"Fine, Sylvia," Minerva answered with false cheerfulness. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"You've been awfully quiet and moody," Xiomara pointed out. "You hardly ever leave your rooms except for meals and training sessions with Tracey--"
"And tea with you three," Minerva reminded them. "And meetings with Albus."
"That's true," Xiomara conceded, "but the fact remains that you've become a virtual hermit. What happened to your weekly chess games with the Headmaster?"
"He's been so distracted that I win more quickly and more often than usual," Minerva replied with a shrug.
"Distracted?" Poppy asked, puzzled. "With what?"
Minerva didn't reply, choosing to drain her cup of tea instead. "Excuse me, I have things to do."
As she left Sylvia's rooms, Poppy stood and followed her. "Minerva, wait."
Minerva sighed and turned. "Yes, Poppy?"
"There's something you're not telling us," Poppy replied, falling into step with the black-haired witch. "What is it?"
"There's a reason I'm not telling you, Poppy," Minerva answered stiffly.
"C'mon, Minerva, you know you can tell me," Poppy coaxed.
"Poppy, I'm not going to tell anyone," Minerva was finding it difficult to keep her temper.
"You should at least tell the headmaster," Poppy told her.
"No!" Albus was the last person she wanted to talk to about it. "I'm not talking to anyone at all about it!"
"Okay, okay." Poppy held up her hands in surrender. "Just don't let it eat you up inside, all right?"
Minerva nodded. "I'll be fine, Poppy, don't worry about me."
"Right." Poppy nodded skeptically and disappeared down a corridor.
Minerva blew out a frustrated sigh and continued to her rooms.
* * *
Tracey continued to improve, quickly rising to the O.W.L. level. Albus was justly proud of his daughter's accomplishments. She had quickly proven to be quite adept at Transfiguration and Potions. The former made Minerva proud and the latter galled Severus. He rarely found anything to criticize about her work.
One afternoon in August, a tall, stately woman with smooth, toffee-colored skin, clear gray eyes, and hair so dark a red it was almost brown arrived wearing a long dark green traveling cloak and carrying a black carpetbag. Minerva smiled when she saw the woman. "Sarai, good morning."
The woman smiled and hugged Minerva. "Hello, Aunt Min, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Minerva assured the younger woman, who couldn't have been much older than Severus. "Poppy insists I take things easy, though."
"I don't blame her," Sarai replied, picking up her carpetbag. "Four Stunners, right to the chest..." she trailed off and shook her head.
"Now don't you start," Minerva returned, taking the carpetbag from her niece. "I get enough worrying from Albus, Poppy, Xiomara, and Sylvia. And Tracey."
The gray eyes narrowed slightly as she removed her cloak to reveal deep burgundy robes. "Who's Tracey?"
Minerva held a finger to her lips. "Not here, Sarai. Come, I'll show you to your rooms."
The two women started up the stairs. "It's good to be back. I've missed Hogwarts."
"I'm surprised you didn't apply for a position before now."
A look of deep sadness crossed the younger witch's face. "Yes, well, I couldn't just leave Reuben alone."
Minerva stopped and pulled Sarai into a comforting hug. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
Sarai returned the embrace. "It's all right, Aunt Min. He's not in pain anymore."
Minerva nodded and held her niece at arm's length. "He wouldn't want you to continue grieving, Sarai. You still have Fiona and Sean to think of. Plus, your mother and I will always be available."
Sarai nodded and blew her nose with a handkerchief she pulled out of her pocket. "I know, Aunt Min. Thank you."
"You're welcome, Sarai," Minerva squeezed Sarai's shoulders before stooping to pick up the carpetbag. "Come on."
Together, the two proceeded up to Sarai's rooms.
* * *
Tracey stared when Sarai entered the Great Hall for dinner that evening. She moved with the same catlike grace as Professor McGonagall did, but she made it appear stately and elegant. As the new witch surveyed the gathered professors, Tracey realized she was staring and dropped her gaze to her plate. Once everyone was seated, Albus cleared his throat and stood up. "I would like to introduce the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor: Sarai McBride."
He proceeded to introduce her to the rest of the staff, some of whom she seemed to know already. She greeted Snape politely enough, but Tracey thought she detected a slight frostiness in her voice that hadn't been there before. Last of all, Albus introduced Professor McBride to Tracey. "My daughter, Tracey Cooper."
"Hello, Miss Cooper." Professor McBride shook Tracey's hand. "I'm pleased to meet you."
"I'm pleased to meet you, too, Professor," Tracey replied, gazing up at the new professor thoughtfully. "I hope you're better than the last Defense Against the Dark Arts professor."
"Well, it won't be too hard, from what I've heard," Professor McBride answered with a wink and a wry smile.
"Sarai," Professor McGonagall scolded, though her lips twitched as if she was fighting a smile.
Professor McBride returned to her seat beside the Deputy Headmistress. "Most of the stories I heard about what happened came to me through Fiona and Sean." She glanced at the older witch, amused. "Every other sentence was full of praise for their great-aunt."
A pink tinge appeared in Professor McGonagall's thin cheeks and she quickly began eating. Albus chuckled at his Deputy's discomfort and she slid a glare his way. Tracey stifled a giggle and decided she'd better start eating, too.
Snape spoke up from where he sat beside Professor McBride. "You are referring to Fiona and Sean McBride, correct?"
She swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Severus, I am. They are my children."
Snape glanced at Professor McGonagall. "Fascinating."
Tracey raised an auburn eyebrow and leaned back in her seat to address Snape. "Have you heard of a Muggle TV series called 'Star Trek', Professor Snape?" He did not deign to reply, choosing to begin eating instead. Tracey persisted. "Sometimes you remind me of Spock."
The Muggle Studies professor, Hector Matteson, hastily smothered his laughter in his napkin, but the rest of the staff exchanged puzzled glances. Madam Hooch leaned forward so she could look past Professor Sprout at Tracey. "What's that mean, Miss Cooper?"
Tracey smiled serenely. "He was a character who maintained rigid control over his emotions and his favorite remark was 'Fascinating.'" She smiled as signs of amusement appeared all around the staff table. Snape scowled down at his plate, but chose not to comment.
About halfway through the meal, an eagle owl swooped into the hall and dropped a parchment scroll onto the table in front of Albus. He stared at it for a moment before pulling out his wand and pointing it at the scroll. The seal broke and the scroll unrolled itself. Tracey and Minerva leaned forward to read the note written on the parchment over Albus' shoulders. A shiver of fear went down Tracey's spine at the message she read:
_51 years ago, you killed Grindelwald. You shall not live to see the 52nd._