Chapter 3

Professor Dumbledore stood up to greet them as soon as he noticed them entering the Hall and he guided them to their places. Lierin couldn't help but smile at him. When she had met him a few days ago she had felt relieved to learn he was still the same eccentric Dumbledore with his several feet of long silver hair and beard, half-moon spectacles and an extremely crooked nose. He was wearing a festive set of wizard robes in a bright purple color for the occasion. First he led Remus to his place, next to Madame Hooch and Professor Sprout. Both Professors greeted her with fervor as Professor Dumbledore led her past them. He guided her down the staff table and - Oh, dear! - He was guiding her closer and closer to Professor Snape. She hesitated in her tracks, but Dumbledore gently prodded her in the back to urge her on.

Dumbledore, what are you doing? Her thoughts tumbled to a sudden halt as Professor Snape turned his head, looking her straight in the eyes with his unholy dark stare. Her blood chilled in her veins but she forced herself to walk on, refusing to let him get the better of her. She put up her chin and glared back defiantly. Of course, Dumbledore had to place her next to him.

"Good evening...to you," said Lierin, as she had no idea what to call him. Professor Snape reminded her too much of her old days in school and Severus sounded just too...intimate. Snape didn't help her either, as he couldn't even get a polite greeting past his lips. No, instead he pursed his already thin lips into a cruel thin line and turned his attention away from her. Partly relieved and partly insulted by his disregard, she turned her attention to the doors as the students started to enter the Great Hall. It was a sea of pointed black hats. Each of the long house tables quickly lined up with students, their faces glimmering by the light of thousands of candles, which were floating over the tables in midair. Professor Flitwick, a tiny little wizard with a shock of white hair, carried an ancient looking hat and a three-legged stool into the Hall. The Sorting Ceremony was about to begin.

New students at Hogwarts were sorted into houses by trying on the Sorting Hat, which shouted out the house they were best suited to. Lierin herself had been a Gryffindor and so had Remus. Gryffindor had the stern looking witch McGonagall as Head of the House, very strict but also fair. Further, there was Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin with Snape being the Head of Slytherin, of course.

After the Sorting Ceremony, usually performed by Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick carried away the Sorting Hat and the three-legged stool, and Lierin noticed McGonagall entering the Hall followed by Potter and the girl. Potter and the girl sat off towards the Gryffindor table, as quietly as possible. People looked around at them as they passed along the back of the Hall and a few of them pointed at Potter. Poor kid, the news of Potter fainting in front of the Dementor had travelled fast and Lierin could understand why the kid felt awkward every time people pointed at him. It was as if other people knew things of him he didn't know himself, and Lierin could understand he found that disturbing. She smiled to herself as she saw Potter and the girl take their seats on either side of Weasley and she searched her memory for Weasley's first name. She was sure Charlie had told her once. There was Bill, who had been Head Boy in his days at Hogwarts, she was sure that Charlie had mentioned a set of twins as well, and some other kid who was just a few years younger than Charlie, and....

"Welcome!" said Dumbledore, the candlelight shimmering on his beard and stopping Lierin in her train of thought.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all and as one of them is very serious, I think it is best to get it out of the way before you become befuddled by our excellent feast...."

With those words Lierin realised she was starving and she grunted as she remembered Dumbledore had always been fond of long speeches.

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance..."

Lierin had to repress a yawn and she gave a funny snort out of boredom. She quickly turned her head sideways before she drew too much attention to herself. Immediately she wished she hadn't done so for she found herself gazing into the pitch black eyes of Snape, who was taking her in with an odd expression on his face. Was that a smile on his face? Lierin quickly glanced down, but if there had been the smallest hint of a smile on his lips at all, it was gone now. Of course, Snape caught her gazing at his lips and this time there was most definitely a smile on his face but not a smile she liked. She looked back up into those black tunnels and was tempted to wipe that superior look off his face.

"On a happier note I am pleased to welcome three new teachers to our ranks this year."

Lierin straightened her back and pulled her gaze away from Snape.


"Firstly, Professor Lupin, who has kindly consented to fill the post of Defense against the Dark Arts teacher."

Lierin couldn't resist herself. Snape had been after that job ever since she had been at Hogwarts so she smiled at him maliciously, enjoying the very fact that again he hadn't gotten the job. There was some scattered, rather unenthusiastic, applause but Lierin gladly noted that Potter, Weasley, the girl and a few others clapped very hard. Lierin knew Remus looked very shabby next to the rest of the teachers in their best robes. She quickly glanced at Snape, taking in his trademark black robes. Yes, Remus looked shabby next to most of the rest of the teachers, she thought smugly and she noticed with glee that Snape was staring along the staff table at Remus with an awkward expression twisting his thin face.

It was well beyond anger, it was loathing, and Lierin was only too familiar with that look.

She had always thought he had invented that look especially for her because he used that expression every time he had set eyes on her. But this year she had an ally, this year she had Remus.

"As to our second new appointment... Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn, our Care of Magical Creatures teacher, retired at the end of last year in order to enjoy more time with his remaining limbs. However, I am delighted to say that his place will be filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who had agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

A tumultuous applause broke loose at the Gryffindor table in particular but Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also applauded generously. Only the Slytherin table was awfully quiet. Lierin turned her head and bit her lip as she saw the great and violent looking Hagrid turning all shy. (Well, "violent" would be a good word if you didn't know him.) He had turned ruby red in the face and stared down at his enormous hands, his wide grin hidden in the tangle of his black beard.

Then Dumbledore said, "As to our final new appointment..." This time it was Lierin's turn to develop a shiny red colour in her face and she noticed Remus smiling proudly at her at the other end of the table.

"Because of the exciting books she has written during her travels all over the world, many of the wizarding schools have added the new subject of Ancient Magical Artifacts to their curricula. And we beat Beauxbatons by a hair in having the writer of those splendid books as a teacher at Hogwarts. Please welcome Professor Heartilly, your new teacher of Ancient Magical Artifacts. This will be a compulsory subject for the first and second years. Third years and older may decide for themselves whether they want to take this subject or not. You can sign up with Professor Heartilly and in return she will provide you with the necessary books."

Another lukewarm applause and this time Potter, Weasley and the girl clapped harder than everyone else as well. She grinned at Weasley who developed a shiny red colour in his face from his ears to his hair roots.

"Well, I think that's everything of importance. Let the feast begin!" said Dumbledore.

The golden plates and goblets on the tables filled suddenly with food and drink. Lierin helped herself with a large portion of fried potatoes with apple sauce and a large piece of roast beef.

It was a delicious feast; the Hall echoed with talk, laughter and the clatter of knives and forks. Still Lierin felt uneasy in her seat and while eating she tried to pay as little attention as possible to the imposing figure sitting next to her. At some point during dinner she could no longer ignore the loud clattering of knife and fork to the right of her so she turned her head sideways and shuddered at the view of Snape viciously attacking his meat. She was so glad that whatever it was on his plate, it was already dead. He hadn't taken a single bite from his meat; he had just mutilated it beyond recognition by cutting it into tiny itty-bitty pieces. Fascinated, Lierin stopped eating and watched Snape further abusing his meal, still without eating it. Her lips curled in a delighted vicious smile as she decided Snape still wasn't able to repress his emotions and keep them from others. But what she found so attractive about this situation was that she could really rub it in without Snape being able to deduct house points. After all, she was his colleague now and not his student who he could bully around and get away with it. The die was cast and Lierin softly tapped his shoulder to draw his attention. Snape dropped his knife and fork and slowly turned his head to face her with his trademark cold glare. Somehow it had seemed more intimidating in the time he was still her teacher, now it only made her smile more vindictively.

"You don't have to kill that poor beast twice you know. It's already dead."

"Do my eating habits disturb you?" asked Snape silkily.

"Well, no...but, I...well, I thought that...you know...perhaps..." Lierin found herself lost with words, feeling stupid she hadn't thought past that one remark.

"Stop mumbling like a bloody fool and say what's on your mind, or better yet, leave me be!"

Lierin went very red and concentrated on her own meal again. She should have known she wasn't a match for him. How very foolish of her to think she could sting him with a tart remark. She really should have known better. Feeling even more uncomfortable than before, Lierin looked for an excuse to leave her seat and talk to someone else, if only for a minute. Professor Sinistra on her left hand was talking animatedly with Professor Vectra so she wasn't an option. Luckily, she found a good opportunity when desert was presented.

"Chocolate meringues with sweet pistachio cream and stewed pears!" Lierin cried out, delighted as she dipped her finger in the smooth cream and enjoyed the sweet taste it left on her tongue, paying no attention to the odd look Snape and Sinistra shot at her. Lierin smiled with delight and her eyes grew soft again, for they had looked like a stormy sky after Snape's crude remark. Hmm, there was only one teacher alive who knew about her cravings for this specific desert, thought Lierin dreamily. So she got ready to get up from her seat but not before muttering an excuse to Snape and Sinistra.

"I hope your excuse wasn't addressed to me," said Snape in his usual silky voice, "For I really see no point in that."

"Don't worry, Severus, I was merely being polite." There, she'd said it. She'd said his name and she would have to keep in mind he was her colleague now so she wouldn't let him intimidate her again.

She got up too fast and staggered sideways, barely able to keep herself from falling. She quickly recovered herself again though and massaged the upper part of her left leg, which was hurting like hell. The long seat had made her left leg numb and useless and when she started to walk down the staff table she did so with a small limp.

"By the way, how is your leg?" whispered a cold voice in her ear, dripping with sarcasm.

He was standing right behind her.

"That is low, Severus, even for you!" muttered Lierin under her breath so no one could hear her but him. She walked past Hagrid and congratulated him with his newly appointed job. Finally she reached her goal, but the joy she had felt before was gone and her emotions were running high as she reached Madam Hooch.

"I can't believe you remembered! Thank you."

Madam Hooch smiled broadly. "You beat me fair and square that day and how can anyone forget the moment a student surpasses her teacher? Think of it as a welcoming gift, I'm sure you'll make a fine teacher."

Lierin smiled faintly and excused herself with the other professors. Dumbledore watched her walk by and furrowed his eyebrows. Suddenly he noticed Snape, too, had left the staff table.

"Ah, Severus, I trust you will accompany Professor Heartilly to her chambers? Normally, I'd do so myself but the feast isn't over yet and as you can see this has been an exhausting day for her."

Snape rolled his eyes but he nodded his head and quickly marched over to Lierin who had already reached the doors of the Great Hall. Snape ignored the curious glances the students shot at him as he to disappeared through the doors.