Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, except the one I created myself. All others belong to J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. I have only borrowed them for my amusement and hopefully yours as well.
Chapter 13
What a meeting! Jolicia felt overwhelmed. That last little piece of information that Dumbledore had thrown at her as she was leaving was a kicker. If Snape was displeased with her now, imagine how he was going to feel when she succeeded where he had failed.
"I don't think I'm going to be on his dance card at the Christmas Ball," she thought.
This situation would call for tact and discretion. She would have to remember not to run and tell Severus about Harry's progress - that would be tantamount to rubbing his rather prominent nose in it. That information would be best kept between the lad and herself. She was just going to have to be particularly nice to the good Potions Master.
Jolicia decided to familiarize herself with her new work area. The classroom was bright and airy. There was lots of room for the students to practice in, as well. She especially liked the fact that her second floor office was directly connected to the first floor classroom by stairs. It would be very handy indeed. She sat on top of her desk at the front of the room, looking back over all of the desks. In three short days, this will be full of inquiring young minds. She closed her eyes and envisioned what it would be like. She could hardly wait.
Jo returned to her rooms to fetch her books and other items that belonged in her office. Finally, everything was arranged as she liked it. She was even more pleased with this set up, now that it had her personal touch.
Jolicia next went on a self-guided walking tour of Hogwarts. She went up and up the stairs as far as she could go and then pulled out her trusty map and began her exploration.
Soon Jo was feeling more confident about her presence in the school. She was now able to navigate about quite well. She had even run into Argus Filch, the school's caretaker. He had startled her in one of the corridors by suddenly appearing out of nowhere. He gruffly inquired who she was and wanted to know what she was doing lurking about. She explained who she was and then completely won him over by praising Mrs. Norris, Filch's cat. They parted ways, he with a smile on his face, and she feeling relieved not to have made another enemy.
Hogwarts castle was huge, but Jo felt she had taken in all that was necessary for the moment. She knew there was a lot more she hadn't seen, but it would wait until later. She even managed a stroll around the grounds. The lake and the giant squid were unusual, to say the least. She brushed along the edge of the Forbidden Forest, wondering what dangers lay within. If it was off limits to the students, there had to be good reasons. The Quidditch pitch brought back memories of her own school days. Jo had been seeker for her team, Les Carcajous (The Wolverines). They had been the winning team of, not only her school, but of the North American Inter-School Quidditch Championship. It had been a long time since she had played, however.
The only staff member left to meet was Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures teacher and Hogwarts' groundskeeper. Jo had gone to his little house on her way back to the school to introduce herself, but she found no one home. From what she had gathered, Hagrid was quite an unusual person, not only physically, but in demeanor as well.
Professor Sprout had told her, "If you run into someone who is huge, hairy, and happy, it has to be Hagrid."
Jolicia was quite anxious to meet this gentle giant who loved strange and wonderful creatures. She, herself, had always had an interest in magical beasts, but had rarely had the opportunity to deal with them hands on. Hogwarts could turn out to be a learning experience for her as well as the students.