By: Erica Evans
Chapter One: Welcome to Hogwarts
Author Notes: This is a post hogwarts fic, way post hogwarts, about twenty five years after Harry leaves hogwarts. It is not set in the "Secrets Universe," as my other fics are, and if your interested they can be found on my author page. The only characters that remain the same are the ones JK Rowling created, the "canon" characters.
This was an idea that sprung into my head, and I don't know how long it will be. I have many unfinished fics, and they will progress as I have ideas for them.
It was the best seven years of his life, he had told her.
Olivia rolled her eyes. Yeah right, Dad, and you fought a war during most of that too.
But it was his first home, she remembered. The first place he felt safe, and felt where he belonged.
Olivia sighed. She wanted to feel at home, and feel like she belonged. She had never had that before.
The train moved along smoothly, the fields and meadows a blur passing by. She sat alone in the compartment, her owl above her in the luggage rack sleeping with her beak tucked under we wing, and her other pet, a rare white Kneazle was asleep on the bench next to her. Olivia had given up on her book, and it lay abandoned on her lap. She wasn't in the mood for Muggle romance, and she didn't feel like working on her lessons either.
Laughing students ran past her door, but none stopped. No one had dared to bother her, and she particularly liked it that way. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone.
"I am definitely sounding a bit depressed, aren't I?" Olivia asked her sleeping pet, and stroked his back. "Well I have my reasons." The white animal stretched and purred, knowing what she meant.
Olivia looked back out the window, and relaxed. She was eager to see Hogwarts, the setting of her father's stories. She had heard all about them, since she was a little girl. Stories about trolls and three headed dogs, and giants, and invisible horses. Hogwarts had always been a fantasy world, a place that existed in her mind and in bedtime stories. It had been a dream of hers to go there, and see this magical place her father had told her about. The place that welcomed him into the magical world.
"Miss Evans," a woman said to her as she stepped into the entrance hall. "Welcome to Hogwarts!"
Olivia recognized her, it was her Aunt Hermione, one of the few people who knew she existed. She smiled and gave her aunt a hug.
"Thank you," Olivia said. "Its great to finally be here."
"I can imagine," Hermione replied. "After all that your father has told you. Oh, and I suppose its Professor Evans now?"
Olivia smiled. "Yes, and thank you very much for the opportunity."
"Its my pleasure!" she exclaimed. "I couldn't exactly say no, now could I? Not to you!"
Olivia smiled. "Probably not."
"We'll have a house elf bring your bags up," Hermione said.
"House elf?" Olivia asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I still don't like it, but at least they're paid now," Hermione said. "Now, we've got to get to the Great Hall, the feast is about to begin.
Olivia followed her aunt down a hall with high sweeping stone ceilings, and into a room that made her jaw drop.
"Unbelievable," Olivia whispered, looking up.
"Its not real the ceiling," Hermione said to her.
"I know," Olivia said. "Its bewitched to look like the night sky. Father told me."
Hermione smiled. "Let me introduce you to the staff." Olivia smiled and said hello as her aunt introduced her to hew new coworkers. She already knew the headmaster, Professor Lupin, but he was the only one she knew. Many of them were older than she was, but she recognized a few of their names. Professor Parkinson was Head of Slytherin and the Herbology professor, and Professor Abbott was the Potions professor. Professor Avana was the Astronomy professor and looked a bit closer to her age, but also looked a bit antisocial and had glasses that were too large for his face.
Hermione rattled off more names and professions, and Olivia was half listening, mostly because she knew she wasn't going to remember any of them the next time they met. She took her seat next to Hermione and noticed that the seat to her left was still empty. The students were beginning to file in now, and the room became louder.
"Hermione, is anyone missing?" Olivia asked.
Hermione glanced at the vacant chair. "Oh, its Professor Bradley, he's normally late, he brings the first years up from the docks."
"Ah," Olivia said, not knowing what she meant.
"The first year students, they travel to Hogwarts by boat. Professor Bradley greets them, explains the different houses and the sorting ceremony and then brings them into the hall."
"Oh all right," Olivia said. "I remember that part now."
"If anything else is confusing, just ask, dear," Hermione said. "You didn't attend school here, so there are some things that might not make sense."
Olivia nodded, and looked at the students. They were all matching in their school uniforms, and black hats, chattering away and anxious to get to the feast.
"Hermione," Olivia said. "Would you mind if I tried on the sorting hat? Not here, I mean, but some time?"
"Curious are you?" Hermione asked.
"A bit," Olivia replied. "Father kept me from a lot of things, and told me about even more, and I've always wondered what house I would have gone into."
"I'll arrange it with Professor Lupin," Hermione said patting her hand. "I don't think it should be a problem."
"What house were you in?" Olivia asked.
Hermione smiled. "I was in Gryffindor."
"With my father?"
"And your mother too," Hermione said. "You look like her, you know."
"Thats what Father says too," Olivia said. "But I only see him in me."
"In appearance yes. You have his hair and his eyes, but there is a lot of your mother there too. You can tell when you smile."
Olivia grinned and nodded. Within minutes, Professor Bradley lead the first year students. Olivia thought they looked young and in shock, but they reminded her of herself in a way. First time at Hogwarts, taking it all in at once.
"They're all yours, Professor," Professor Bradley said to Hermione and took his seat. He took a drink from his goblet and glanced at her.
"You must be Miss Evans," Professor Bradley said and extended his hand. "Adam Bradley, Defense Against the Dark Arts and herder of the first years."
Olivia laughed, thankful for a friendly face that was not covered in wrinkles. "Olivia Evans, Charms. I've never met a first year student."
"You will tomorrow," he replied. "I've heard you're amazing. You at least look the part. You come very highly recommended from Professor Weasley."
"Don't believe a thing she says," Olivia said. "And thank you, Professor Bradley."
"Call me Adam," he said. "No need for the Professor nonsense, I'm not your teacher are I?"
Olivia watched the sorting ceremony with interest, with Adam laughing at her reactions to each sorting.
"How does it know?" she asked him. "The hat I mean."
"It does," Adam replied. "There is a lot of powerful magic in that thing."
"It looked exactly like I imagined it," she said.
"Haven't you seen it before?" Adam asked. "You were sorted, weren't you?"
"Actually, no, I wasn't," she said. "I didn't attend Hogwarts, I ws home schooled."
"For your entire life?"
"Well, most of it yes," Olivia said. "I had an bit of overprotective parent."
"I'll say," Adam said.
"He had his reasons," Olivia said to him.
"Is that what he told you?" Adam asked. "What else did he keep you from?"
"I was taught at home, but I wasn't raised in a cave," she said. "I just wasn't allowed to go to Hogwarts."
"Until now."
"Yes," she said. "Until now."
"And what did your parent have to say about your choice of work?"
"Not much," she replied. "I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions."
"And how long have you been an adult?" he asked.
"I'm twenty three if you must know," she said. "And I'm fully qualified also."
"I wasn't doubting it," he said. "I was just noting that you looked old enough to be a student here."
"Well you do too," she said. "How much older than these students can you be?"
"Seven years," he said. "I'm twenty five, and I've been teaching here for five years. I also am fully qualified."
"I'll believe that when I see it," she said, smirking. "Ah, food!"
"You made quite an impression on Professor Bradley," Hermione said to her later that evening. Olivia opened the door to her owl's cage and tossed in a dead rat.
"I can only imagine," she replied. "He was convinced that I wasn't old enough to teach."
"He said that you seemed a bit odd," she continued. "That your accent seemed fake, that you had never been to Hogwarts, and that he was worried about your credibility."
Great," Olivia said. "My accent sounded fake? Too bad its not."
"He's the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," Hermione said.
"So that entitles him to be paranoid?"
"Just watch what you say to him," her aunt warned. "He's clever, and he could figure you out."
"He seems a bit cocky to me," Olivia said. "But I will be careful. Father would kill me if someone found out everything because I gave it up."
"Oh he wouldn't be so upset," Hermione said. "If they knew that he was alive all this time..."
"Everyone is going to find out eventually," Olivia said. "If what he told me was true."
"It is," Hermione said. "And it will be a day to remember."
"Adam questioned Father's reasoning for keeping me out of Hogwarts and training me at home," Olivia said. "I wanted to tell him exactly who my father was and his exact reasons. Its just unfair. He shouldn't judge my father like that."
"Professor Bradley was reacting the only way he knows how, to suspect someone is hiding something," Hermione said. "Normally people aren't, but in your case you are hiding something."
"When will I have to stop hiding?" Olivia asked.
Hermione smiled. "Ask your father about that one."
"It is too late, isn't it?" she asked. "For him to come back."
"Twenty three years he's thought to be dead, and for him to suddenly walk down the streets of Diagon Alley would throw our world out of orbit," Hermione replied. "Besides, I think he's enjoyed living out of the spotlight for a while."
"True," Olivia said.
"Just cool it around Professor Bradley. He can sense a cover up from a mile away, and can tell instantly if you're untreatable."
"Sort of like Mimi here?" Olivia asked, picking up her pet Kneazle.
"I am amazed that she is still alive," Hermione said.
"I remember when you gave her to me," Olivia said. "I was so excited that my Auntie Mimi gave me a friend, and so I named her after you."
"At least you learned how to pronounce my name correctly," Hermione laughed. "I was afraid I'd be 'Mimi' for the rest of my life. Get some sleep, Olivia. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."
"Who is worse?" Olivia asked. "Of the years, I mean."
"First years a eager, second years are bored. Third years are eager to get to their new subjects, fourth years are bored. Fifth years are worried about their O.W.L.s, sixth years are bored, and seventh years are eager to get out of school when they should be worried about their N.E.W.T.s," Hermione said. "But they all have their highs and lows. Each class if different."
"Will they like me?" Olivia asked.
"They won't dislike you," Hermione said. "Is that encouraging enough?"
Olivia laughed. "It will do. Good night."
"Good night, Olivia," her aunt said and left the room.
Olivia missed breakfast the next morning, not because she overslept, but because she got lost on the way to the Great Hall, and found her classroom first. As she taped the chalk with her wand, she made a mental note to write ot her father for his map of the school he had told her about.
She heard the door open and looked up to see Adam walking in.
"Good morning," she said to him.
"Morning," he replied. "You all right?"
"Of course," she said. "Why wouldn't I be?"
"I didn't see you at breakfast," he said.
"Oh, well, I wasn't hungry."
"You got lost didn't you?" he asked.
"If I was hungry enough I would have made sure I found my way there," Olivia said. "Therefor I wasn't hungry."
"Professor Weasley asked me to bring you this," he said and handed her a muffin.
"Thank you," she said and took the muffin from him.
"You shouldn't be so trusting," he said. "You don't know if I put anything in that."
"I was actually about to scan it for hazardous magic," she said.
"Oh."
"You shouldn't be so paranoid," she said. "I keep expecting you to yell 'Constant Vigilance!' at me."
"I'm thinking it," he replied. "Though I am surprised to hear you quote an Auror that was well before your time."
"My father knew him," she replied. "It was drilled into me at home."
"So your father was a paranoid also?" Adam asked.
"Not completely, and why the interest in my father?"
"No reason," he said. "It just seems like there is something there, something that isn't being said."
"There is," Olivia stated. "And you'd be better off not knowing, so please drop it."
"Hit a bit of a soft spot have I?" he asked.
"Are you always this demanding?" she asked. "Why must you pry into my life? I don't know you, so why do you think that I'm just going to spill my life story out to you just because you want to know?"
"I..." he started.
"You don't have a good reason," she supplied for him. "And you don't have the right. Professor Weasley and Professor Lupin trust me, so why can't you do the same?"
"I... will definitely try," he said. "You're right, I have no right, and I am sorry."
"Fine," she replied and a bell rang throughout the school.
"Thats my exit cue," he said. "Good luck with your first class."
"Thank you," she replied, feeling a bit bad about what she had said. He had no right to pry, but she had no right to snap at him.
He left the room and it soon filled with twenty first year students looking at her eagerly.
A/N: Please review!!
A/N: Added July 13, 2004
To my dearest fans,
I want to take a moment to apologize for not updating any of my fics in many many weeks. The answer is simple: I am in a rut. I have hit a huge brick wall of writer's block. I have about half a chapter of each fic still in progress, and no ideas/motivation to write.
And there is another obstacle. My husband comes home from Iraq in less that 48 hours, so my mind is a little preoccupied with that.
So here is the solution: I am not going to update for the remainder of July, and possibly into August, if need be. I think that if I don't think about forcing myself to write, then something will come to me. I do promise you this, I WILL finish each of the four stories I still have open. The Lessons in Life is the last of the three part series, Five Degrees of Love is going to be either one or two stories, most likely two. The Heirs will be a one fic story, along The Calm.
To keep you all interested, here are a few hints of things to come in the next chapters:
The Lessons in Life: As Trevor's relationship with Anne Marie blossoms, Reagan devotes herself more and more to Brent. Look for a pregnancy announcement, three new engagements, a kidnapping, and some suspicious behavior from an American Seeker, all before Valentine's Day..
Five Degrees of Love: After meeting someone he wasn't expecting at Jenny's house, Harry learns who Jenny's father is, Jenny learns about her father's fate, and about how Harry knows him. After many tears, some dramatic outbursts, and some lingering thoughts about a comment Ron made on the train home, everyone returns to Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
The Heirs: Anna and the other heirs move to Harry's, and prepare for an eventful, and uncertain new school year. The war is growing, Anna's uncertainty in her own abilites, as well as the power she and the other heirs are supposed to conjure sends shockwaves through their three some.
The Calm: Olivia Evans needs someone to confide in. Her instincts tell her that a fellow professor may be the key, but she has her doubts about trusting people, especially when they already don't trust her. But after a mysterious attack that hits Hogwarts close to home, she might need to just come clean.
So stay tuned, keep in touch. If you all go and join the Yahoo Group I created ) you will have the most up to date information, as well as each chapter a day before the public sites do. Also there are random notes, timelines, pics and polls on there to keep you occupied.
So thats all from me, see you in a couple weeks! Thank you all for being patient and understanding!
Love, Erica Evans