(A/N all text in Italic represents the Characters thoughts. See Chapter one
for thankyou's)
The Welcoming-4
The train trip passed without a hint of problems; no one had played any pranks for the best part of it, and nothing had tried to hijack the train. Hermione had stopped reading her book, partly from having finished it, and from Ron and Harry pulling it out of her hands stating that she had read enough for now, and shouldn't overdo it.
Glancing over at her two friends as they played another game of exploding snap, she wondered what this year would brig for the three of them.
Hermione noticed that Hogsmeade station was getting closer. Leaning over to her bag, she opened it up and took out her school uniform and robe.
"You two better finish up and get changed. We'll be arriving pretty soon." With that said, Hermione made her way out of the cabin and headed for the girls' bathrooms so she could change, meeting up with Ginny and a few other Gryffindor girls along the way.
"Ummm, excuse me, miss," a male voice spoke, making Star jump slightly. She'd been in the middle of meditating her headache away, and hadn't noticed the porter enter the teachers' cabin.
Opening her eyes with a flutter, Star smiled. "Let me guess. We are close to Hogsmeade station?"
"Ahh, yes, we'll be arriving in about 5 minutes"
Thanking the porter as he left the cabin, Star uncrossed her legs and placed her feet on the floor. Her headache was just a minor twitch and not a thumper like they would sometimes end up. Star stood up and gathered her things. She was glad no other teachers were in the cabin, as she hated to meditate in front of others.
Rummaging around in her bag she pulled out three of her reduced sized robes and laid them out on the seat in front of her.
"Hmm, which should I wear? Black is always a good choice; slimming and makes it easy to blend in." She looked over the black one, then moved to the next. "Blue and silver stars; now that's a little too cheerful. Might save that one for formal occasions." She picked up the blue one and put it back in her bag.
"Dark green, always a favourite, but I'm guessing Minerva will be wearing green so might not be a good idea to clash with her." She placed the green robe back in the bag.
"Looks like black is the winner." Star removed her wand from the front pocket of her bag. Tapping the small robe with a flick of her wrist and a mumble of words, her robe grew back to its original size.
Draping the robe over her shoulders, Star settled it properly, making sure it was straight and looking right; she clipped the small silver hooks together, then glancing over at the mirror that was sitting on the wall of the cabin, she looked at her reflection.
"Wow, old girl, you do look like a teacher. She smiled at her reflection swishing from side to side, giving herself a little twirl around.
"Hmm, hair up or down? That is the question." She looked at her hair. It was half up in a plait that went down her back with a small amount of hair hanging free.
"This looks ok as it is, but I'm sure I've forgotten something." She looked at herself then tapped her nose. Spinning around, she then rummaged through the bag and pulled out a little felt box, opening it to reveal a silver brooch of a star.
Smiling, she turned back to the mirror and pinned the star onto her robe.
"Much better."
"First years," a rough voice yelled.
Rebeus Hagrid waved over the small group of first years, smiling at a few of the students, who called hello to him.
"Hello, Harry, Ron, Hermione," the half-giant called to the three as they waved hello.
"Come along, first years," Hagrid called again "This way, don't be shy."
Huddling all the first years together, Hagrid looked around the crowd of passing students making sure nothing was amiss. His gaze stopped as a large black clad figure stepped out of the teachers' carriage and looked around.
"Ahh, there she is." He smiled then looked over in the direction of Professor McGonagall. When she saw his gaze, he nodded his head in the direction of the new comer. McGonagall nodded back. Her lips relaxed their normal tightness then rounded up another group of older students to be taken to Hogwarts via the horseless carriages.
Looking over at a group of lingering Ravenclaws, Professor McGonagall called sternly, "Hurry up, now, no dawdling." Her thick Scottish brogue accented the urgency of her statement.
Having seen the last group of students safely into the carriages, Minerva made her way quickly over to the woman standing on the platform.
"Good to see you've made it." She smiled, her head turning around quickly looking at nothing in particular.
"Oh, yes, it was a great trip. It reminded me so much of my own time at Hogwarts, I'd forgotten what it was like." Star watched the older witch scan the area quickly; she noticed a slight discomfort in the woman's face.
"Is everything ok?" Looking around, Star noticed how quickly the students had been removed from the station. "Yes, yes, everything is fine. We are just a little more careful with the arrival of the students after the last few years, and things haven't been that safe, sadly." Star looked closely at the older witch. Her expressions was very guarded and troubled; not at all like she was the last time Star had been in her presence.
Softly Star tried to probe deeper to find out what the matter was, but the sound of the last carriage door opening stopped her. Minerva ushered Star into the carriage and closed the door behind her. Giving the station one last look, she turned and relaxed slightly. "Don't worry yourself, Star. I'm sure Albus will fill you in on the whole sordid story when we get to the school."
I"Hmm, I'm sure he will, and I have a few things I'd like to relay myself,"/i Star thought to herself.
The trip up to the school brought back many memories for Star. It had been sixteen years since she'd made this journey and, in all that time, the sight of the giant castle hadn't seemed to lose it's sense of wonder. The old castle brought back so many good memories, which made her hope that, this time around, the memories would also be as sweet as the old.
Wrapping her cloak around her, Hermione moved quietly up to the front entrance of the school. She looked around her and noticed that both Harry and Ron had lingered behind talking to a few members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She wasn't surprised about this; they had been talking about it in the carriage up from the station. Stepping aside as some third year Hufflepuffs could get in past her, Hermione spied her head of house talking to the strange women they had seen earlier in the day at Kings Cross station. Looking over the appearance of the new arrival, she noticed that the women was dressed just like Professor Snape would dress; totally black from head to toe. One thing she did notice that was different was the witch's hair was not jet black but light brown. Also, she wasn't as pale as the potions master, a slight tan covering her face.
She was also tall like Snape, with a very striking walk that reeked of confidence. The way she held her body wasn't as stiff as Snape; the witch seemed to flow. But, other then that, Hermione could have sworn this was a female version of the professor walking up the path with Professor McGonagall.
"What you looking at Hermione?" Ron stopped as he met up with the girl at the front door. Both he and Harry looked in the direction their friend was looking, and also saw the black clad figure walking up with the head of house.
"Whoa, she's a bit of a looker." Rom sighed as he watched the fluidic way the witch walked.
"Close your mouth, Ron, you look like a gold fish." Hermione nudged him in the ribs, which made Ron quickly close his mouth.
"Stop lurking around the front door you three." A sneer caught the three off guard. Filch stood behind them, and he was holding Mrs Norris in his arms, stroking her tenderly.
Turning quickly, the three of them hurried off in the direction of the Great Hall.
"What are we waiting for, Headmaster?" Madam Hooch tapped her foot absently against the side of the chair she was sitting on. Most of the teachers where waiting around the teachers' sitting room that was just off the side of the Great Hall.
"Well, for our newest teacher, Heather." Albus Dumbledore looked at Madam Hooch, his eyes twinkling in their normal way. "Minerva is travelling up from the station with her, you needn't worry, and they should be here any minute. He took a sip from the tea cup he was holding, and then returned it to the saucer.
"Oh, it's a she? what's she like?, Headmaster." Pomona Sprout, the motherly head of Hufflepuff looked up from her own cup of tea. "Is she anything like Sibyll?"
At that comment a deep male voice laughed. Severus Snape was seated in his usual high backed chair by the fireplace. "Knowing the subject she will be teaching, I wouldn't be surprised if she was A LOT like Sibyl, Pomona." Turning his chair around he looked at the rest of the teachers in the room.
Albus laughed. He didn't know how he would ever explain to his staff that this new teacher was nothing like the witch she is standing in for. "Everyone, you'll just have to wait and see, but I can say this. You'll be very surprised!" Albus and the rest of the staff looked up as the door opened and Minerva walked in, followed by a young witch dressed in black.
"Ahh, and here she is. Welcome my dear." Albus stood up and greeted the new arrival. The young witch smiled warmly.
Snape looked over the new arrival with a small amount of shock; she looked nothing like Sibyl Trelawney. If she resembled anyone he could have sworn she was a female version of him.
And to second the idea he heard Pomona Sprout whisper the same comment to Hooch, who nodded in agreement.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our new Divinations teacher, Raven Star." The young witch smiled as all the staff walked over to greet her.
Severus decided to stay seated; he didn't want to make nice with the woman.
Star was overwhelmed with the welcome she was getting from the older teachers, she'd been reassured by Minerva that they would welcome her. Shaking the hands of the Quidditch teacher, and then the Herbology teacher, Star started to pick up on some of the thoughts that where passing around the room. As soon as she entered the room, their feelings of surprise hit her in the face. They had, for some reason, not expected to see a young witch.
"Oh, sorry I'm late," a male voice puffed, as he rushed into the room, his robes flying around him. Star turned around and nearly gasped out loud. She swayed slightly, but the reassuring hand of the headmaster steadied her.
"I see I haven't missed the introductions." Remus Lupin grinned, his expression a little tired but also very boyishly cute.
Offering his hand to the new teacher, he smiled as she took it and shook his hand. "Remus Lupin, Defence against the Dark Arts teacher." Star tried her hardest not to throw herself at the man for a long missed hug, but the look in Albus's eyes stopped her and she quietly but firmly replied, "Nice to meet you Remus. My name is Raven Star, the new Divination teacher."
Star's mind was screaming. She couldn't believe it; Remus was here.
i"Star . you ok, dear?" /I Turning around to look at Albus she smiled.i"I'll be ok, it was just a shock." /I
Seeing her smile back, he took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. He wasn't surprised; there would be a few shocks in store for this lovely witch.
Looking around at the rest of the teachers in the room, Star's eyes landed finally on those of a man (deleted comma after "man") who was seated near the open fire place. She'd noticed he hadn't come over to greet her, and could have sworn he was avoiding her. Thinking to herself, she walked over to the wizard. "Severus Snape, I presume." She thought about holding out her hand but, from the look in his eye and the strange mental image of him biting her hand off, she decided not to.
"You presume correct, Madam." Snape looked up at her, his eyes staring straight at her. His voice was low and with just a hint of sarcasm.
Severus looked at the women standing in front of him. She didn't give him an outwards reason to dislike her, but something at the back of his mind was screaming at him to be careful, she was dangerous.
"Ahh, now that we have all met, I think it's time we get this welcoming feast underway." Albus looked at the scene in front of him with a glint of pleasure, then offered Star a hand which she gratefully took, and he led her out the door and in to the Great hall and to the teachers table.
Hermione watched as all the teachers walked out of their waiting room. She had noticed that the Headmaster was leading the new teacher into the room; she was smiling at Dumbledore, and looking around in wide eyed pleasure, the same expression that most first years have on their faces.
"Ron, Harry, look it's the woman we saw at the station. Seems she could be a teacher." Hermione looked back at the head table; both boys looked up as well. Harry blinked a bit. He closed his eyes then, opening them again, looked back at the new teacher. Something about her seemed familiar but he wasn't sure what it was. "Harry, stop staring," Ginny whispered from the other side of the table. Blushing slightly, Harry turned his gaze from the front of the room and the head table to in front of him and his own table. i "He was looking at me; I could feel his eyes staring right at me."/I Star tried her hardest not to stare back at the boy. She could feel him, and he was so close, it was painful to even think about it.
Sitting quietly next to Professor Sprout, Star watched as all the students settled themselves. The hushed whispers of greetings and talk wasn't soothing to her head; the onslaught of childish voices was bound to give her a headache.
"Ahh, here come the first years," Sprout whispered to Star.
The Sorting ceremony was about to begin.
After what seemed like an eternity, Professor McGonagall read the last name out on the list; "Tormey, Aden." The little boy quickly climbed the stairs of the platform and sat down on the stool looking nervous as to where the Sorting Hat would place him.
After a few short minutes the hat yelled out "RAVENCLAW" . The whole room clapped for the newest member of that house as the little boy ran over to join his new friends.
"Seems like there were fewer first years this year," Hooch commented to Sprout as they clapped. "Yes, you're right, the numbers did seem a bit lower, which is sad really."
The talk of the two witches echoed in Star's mind. She was really starting to get a thumper of a headache, and all the inward and outward talking was making her dizzy.
i"I wish this would hurry up, it seems to get longer each year."/I A male voice interrupted Star's thoughts; she wasn't sure who it was speaking, as the inner voice of a person was slightly different to the normal outer voice.
i"I do hope they don't expect me to stay around for the drinks afterwards, I have better things to do then be social."/I This voice was soft and silky and a little tired.
i"I wonder if there will be any promising flyers this year,"/I a deep female voice intruded into Star's thoughts. She guessed that was Madam Hooch, the Quidditch Professor.
i"I must ask Hagrid for some more bug repellent. Those things are getting out of control," /Ithe voice of Sprout jumped over Hooch's.
i"This is getting ridiculous,"/I Star thought to herself, as she started to rub the bridge of her nose. i"These people think too damn much."/I She could see that a talk with Albus was in order. She had to let these people know all these mindless thoughts where going to kill her.
Gritting her teeth sharply, Star braced herself. Her headache was starting to make her sight blur, and she really didn't want to black out just yet.
Dumbledore stood up as McGonagall tapped her fork against her glass, which silenced the hall. "I have a few announcements before we start the feast. Firstly, the Forbidden Forest is still out of bounds, to all those who do not wish to end their time at Hogwarts early." A few stifled giggles were heard after that comment.
"Mr. Filch asked me to remind students that if he finds any unauthorized objects on the student body he will be forced to remove them and give the body it was found on detention."
And finally, to some good news. This year we have two new teachers joining us at Hogwarts. Most of you will remember Professor Lupin; he has graciously accepted a return invitation as Defence teacher." The hall echoed with applause for the good news. Many of the older students remembered Professor Lupin and were happy to see him back again.
"And Professor Trelawney has decided to take a well earned holiday this year so I'm pleased to introduce her replacement, Professor Raven Star." Albus looked over at Star; she was hunched over with a pained look on her face. She smiled weakly, her face changing to cover the pain. Standing up, she bowed her head slightly at the students. "I look forward to teaching those who take my class this year." Her voice sounded strong as it projected around the hall.
Sitting down quickly as she felt her self sway, she picked up on a thought that was aimed right at her.
i"I was right. She is like Sybil; flaky and I'm sure a fraud." /I That comment made Star look sharply in the direction of owner.
Severus watched as the newest teacher stood up after Dumbledore had introduced her. He could see her swaying slightly as she tried to remain in control. He thought it was too good to be true that she would be different from Sybil.
i"I was right, she is like Sybil; flaky and I'm sure a fraud."/i What started Severus was, at the exact moment he thought that comment, the women in question looked straight at him, her eyes staring daggers. It was like she could tell what he was thinking and knew he was thinking about her.
i"She couldn't could she?"/I He thought to himself that was the last thing he needed; a mind reader for a colleague. Pondering that idea, he decided to test it out a little. If she could really read his mind, she would react to his next thought.
i"I know you can hear me, I will find out what your game is."/I He waited for her head to turn around and look at him, but nothing happened. No movement at all.
Little did Severus know, but Star could hear all his thoughts; even the ones he thought he was hiding from her. She knew his little plan and was laughing to herself, wondering if she should play along. It had been a long time since she'd been a subject to the "can you hear me?" test.
Star pushed softly thought his mind and dropped off a reply to his little taunt.
i"That's what you think." /I Severus's body bolted straight up as the smooth sounding female voice echoed inside his head. The only thing he could think of as a reply to that was, i"oh, shit."/I
Albus looked over at Star and noticed she had a little smirk on her face. He wondered what she had just done. He noticed that Severus looked somewhat spooked he guessed that the man must have thought something that Star reacted too and, seeing the reaction, tried to bait her. And from the looks of it, the witch must have given him a good scare.
"Now, the final thing I have to say is let's eat." Dumbledore clapped his hands together and the feast appeared in front of everyone. He watched happily as they all tucked in.
As he sipped his pumpkin juice, Albus mused about what he had seen. If Star had felt the need to let it slip to Severus that she was telepathic, it wouldn't be long before the Potions Master would be storming into his office to complain about her.
i"Well, I'll just have to handle that when the time comes,."/i he thought as he leant over to retrieve another warm bread roll.
The train trip passed without a hint of problems; no one had played any pranks for the best part of it, and nothing had tried to hijack the train. Hermione had stopped reading her book, partly from having finished it, and from Ron and Harry pulling it out of her hands stating that she had read enough for now, and shouldn't overdo it.
Glancing over at her two friends as they played another game of exploding snap, she wondered what this year would brig for the three of them.
Hermione noticed that Hogsmeade station was getting closer. Leaning over to her bag, she opened it up and took out her school uniform and robe.
"You two better finish up and get changed. We'll be arriving pretty soon." With that said, Hermione made her way out of the cabin and headed for the girls' bathrooms so she could change, meeting up with Ginny and a few other Gryffindor girls along the way.
"Ummm, excuse me, miss," a male voice spoke, making Star jump slightly. She'd been in the middle of meditating her headache away, and hadn't noticed the porter enter the teachers' cabin.
Opening her eyes with a flutter, Star smiled. "Let me guess. We are close to Hogsmeade station?"
"Ahh, yes, we'll be arriving in about 5 minutes"
Thanking the porter as he left the cabin, Star uncrossed her legs and placed her feet on the floor. Her headache was just a minor twitch and not a thumper like they would sometimes end up. Star stood up and gathered her things. She was glad no other teachers were in the cabin, as she hated to meditate in front of others.
Rummaging around in her bag she pulled out three of her reduced sized robes and laid them out on the seat in front of her.
"Hmm, which should I wear? Black is always a good choice; slimming and makes it easy to blend in." She looked over the black one, then moved to the next. "Blue and silver stars; now that's a little too cheerful. Might save that one for formal occasions." She picked up the blue one and put it back in her bag.
"Dark green, always a favourite, but I'm guessing Minerva will be wearing green so might not be a good idea to clash with her." She placed the green robe back in the bag.
"Looks like black is the winner." Star removed her wand from the front pocket of her bag. Tapping the small robe with a flick of her wrist and a mumble of words, her robe grew back to its original size.
Draping the robe over her shoulders, Star settled it properly, making sure it was straight and looking right; she clipped the small silver hooks together, then glancing over at the mirror that was sitting on the wall of the cabin, she looked at her reflection.
"Wow, old girl, you do look like a teacher. She smiled at her reflection swishing from side to side, giving herself a little twirl around.
"Hmm, hair up or down? That is the question." She looked at her hair. It was half up in a plait that went down her back with a small amount of hair hanging free.
"This looks ok as it is, but I'm sure I've forgotten something." She looked at herself then tapped her nose. Spinning around, she then rummaged through the bag and pulled out a little felt box, opening it to reveal a silver brooch of a star.
Smiling, she turned back to the mirror and pinned the star onto her robe.
"Much better."
"First years," a rough voice yelled.
Rebeus Hagrid waved over the small group of first years, smiling at a few of the students, who called hello to him.
"Hello, Harry, Ron, Hermione," the half-giant called to the three as they waved hello.
"Come along, first years," Hagrid called again "This way, don't be shy."
Huddling all the first years together, Hagrid looked around the crowd of passing students making sure nothing was amiss. His gaze stopped as a large black clad figure stepped out of the teachers' carriage and looked around.
"Ahh, there she is." He smiled then looked over in the direction of Professor McGonagall. When she saw his gaze, he nodded his head in the direction of the new comer. McGonagall nodded back. Her lips relaxed their normal tightness then rounded up another group of older students to be taken to Hogwarts via the horseless carriages.
Looking over at a group of lingering Ravenclaws, Professor McGonagall called sternly, "Hurry up, now, no dawdling." Her thick Scottish brogue accented the urgency of her statement.
Having seen the last group of students safely into the carriages, Minerva made her way quickly over to the woman standing on the platform.
"Good to see you've made it." She smiled, her head turning around quickly looking at nothing in particular.
"Oh, yes, it was a great trip. It reminded me so much of my own time at Hogwarts, I'd forgotten what it was like." Star watched the older witch scan the area quickly; she noticed a slight discomfort in the woman's face.
"Is everything ok?" Looking around, Star noticed how quickly the students had been removed from the station. "Yes, yes, everything is fine. We are just a little more careful with the arrival of the students after the last few years, and things haven't been that safe, sadly." Star looked closely at the older witch. Her expressions was very guarded and troubled; not at all like she was the last time Star had been in her presence.
Softly Star tried to probe deeper to find out what the matter was, but the sound of the last carriage door opening stopped her. Minerva ushered Star into the carriage and closed the door behind her. Giving the station one last look, she turned and relaxed slightly. "Don't worry yourself, Star. I'm sure Albus will fill you in on the whole sordid story when we get to the school."
I"Hmm, I'm sure he will, and I have a few things I'd like to relay myself,"/i Star thought to herself.
The trip up to the school brought back many memories for Star. It had been sixteen years since she'd made this journey and, in all that time, the sight of the giant castle hadn't seemed to lose it's sense of wonder. The old castle brought back so many good memories, which made her hope that, this time around, the memories would also be as sweet as the old.
Wrapping her cloak around her, Hermione moved quietly up to the front entrance of the school. She looked around her and noticed that both Harry and Ron had lingered behind talking to a few members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. She wasn't surprised about this; they had been talking about it in the carriage up from the station. Stepping aside as some third year Hufflepuffs could get in past her, Hermione spied her head of house talking to the strange women they had seen earlier in the day at Kings Cross station. Looking over the appearance of the new arrival, she noticed that the women was dressed just like Professor Snape would dress; totally black from head to toe. One thing she did notice that was different was the witch's hair was not jet black but light brown. Also, she wasn't as pale as the potions master, a slight tan covering her face.
She was also tall like Snape, with a very striking walk that reeked of confidence. The way she held her body wasn't as stiff as Snape; the witch seemed to flow. But, other then that, Hermione could have sworn this was a female version of the professor walking up the path with Professor McGonagall.
"What you looking at Hermione?" Ron stopped as he met up with the girl at the front door. Both he and Harry looked in the direction their friend was looking, and also saw the black clad figure walking up with the head of house.
"Whoa, she's a bit of a looker." Rom sighed as he watched the fluidic way the witch walked.
"Close your mouth, Ron, you look like a gold fish." Hermione nudged him in the ribs, which made Ron quickly close his mouth.
"Stop lurking around the front door you three." A sneer caught the three off guard. Filch stood behind them, and he was holding Mrs Norris in his arms, stroking her tenderly.
Turning quickly, the three of them hurried off in the direction of the Great Hall.
"What are we waiting for, Headmaster?" Madam Hooch tapped her foot absently against the side of the chair she was sitting on. Most of the teachers where waiting around the teachers' sitting room that was just off the side of the Great Hall.
"Well, for our newest teacher, Heather." Albus Dumbledore looked at Madam Hooch, his eyes twinkling in their normal way. "Minerva is travelling up from the station with her, you needn't worry, and they should be here any minute. He took a sip from the tea cup he was holding, and then returned it to the saucer.
"Oh, it's a she? what's she like?, Headmaster." Pomona Sprout, the motherly head of Hufflepuff looked up from her own cup of tea. "Is she anything like Sibyll?"
At that comment a deep male voice laughed. Severus Snape was seated in his usual high backed chair by the fireplace. "Knowing the subject she will be teaching, I wouldn't be surprised if she was A LOT like Sibyl, Pomona." Turning his chair around he looked at the rest of the teachers in the room.
Albus laughed. He didn't know how he would ever explain to his staff that this new teacher was nothing like the witch she is standing in for. "Everyone, you'll just have to wait and see, but I can say this. You'll be very surprised!" Albus and the rest of the staff looked up as the door opened and Minerva walked in, followed by a young witch dressed in black.
"Ahh, and here she is. Welcome my dear." Albus stood up and greeted the new arrival. The young witch smiled warmly.
Snape looked over the new arrival with a small amount of shock; she looked nothing like Sibyl Trelawney. If she resembled anyone he could have sworn she was a female version of him.
And to second the idea he heard Pomona Sprout whisper the same comment to Hooch, who nodded in agreement.
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to our new Divinations teacher, Raven Star." The young witch smiled as all the staff walked over to greet her.
Severus decided to stay seated; he didn't want to make nice with the woman.
Star was overwhelmed with the welcome she was getting from the older teachers, she'd been reassured by Minerva that they would welcome her. Shaking the hands of the Quidditch teacher, and then the Herbology teacher, Star started to pick up on some of the thoughts that where passing around the room. As soon as she entered the room, their feelings of surprise hit her in the face. They had, for some reason, not expected to see a young witch.
"Oh, sorry I'm late," a male voice puffed, as he rushed into the room, his robes flying around him. Star turned around and nearly gasped out loud. She swayed slightly, but the reassuring hand of the headmaster steadied her.
"I see I haven't missed the introductions." Remus Lupin grinned, his expression a little tired but also very boyishly cute.
Offering his hand to the new teacher, he smiled as she took it and shook his hand. "Remus Lupin, Defence against the Dark Arts teacher." Star tried her hardest not to throw herself at the man for a long missed hug, but the look in Albus's eyes stopped her and she quietly but firmly replied, "Nice to meet you Remus. My name is Raven Star, the new Divination teacher."
Star's mind was screaming. She couldn't believe it; Remus was here.
i"Star . you ok, dear?" /I Turning around to look at Albus she smiled.i"I'll be ok, it was just a shock." /I
Seeing her smile back, he took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently. He wasn't surprised; there would be a few shocks in store for this lovely witch.
Looking around at the rest of the teachers in the room, Star's eyes landed finally on those of a man (deleted comma after "man") who was seated near the open fire place. She'd noticed he hadn't come over to greet her, and could have sworn he was avoiding her. Thinking to herself, she walked over to the wizard. "Severus Snape, I presume." She thought about holding out her hand but, from the look in his eye and the strange mental image of him biting her hand off, she decided not to.
"You presume correct, Madam." Snape looked up at her, his eyes staring straight at her. His voice was low and with just a hint of sarcasm.
Severus looked at the women standing in front of him. She didn't give him an outwards reason to dislike her, but something at the back of his mind was screaming at him to be careful, she was dangerous.
"Ahh, now that we have all met, I think it's time we get this welcoming feast underway." Albus looked at the scene in front of him with a glint of pleasure, then offered Star a hand which she gratefully took, and he led her out the door and in to the Great hall and to the teachers table.
Hermione watched as all the teachers walked out of their waiting room. She had noticed that the Headmaster was leading the new teacher into the room; she was smiling at Dumbledore, and looking around in wide eyed pleasure, the same expression that most first years have on their faces.
"Ron, Harry, look it's the woman we saw at the station. Seems she could be a teacher." Hermione looked back at the head table; both boys looked up as well. Harry blinked a bit. He closed his eyes then, opening them again, looked back at the new teacher. Something about her seemed familiar but he wasn't sure what it was. "Harry, stop staring," Ginny whispered from the other side of the table. Blushing slightly, Harry turned his gaze from the front of the room and the head table to in front of him and his own table. i "He was looking at me; I could feel his eyes staring right at me."/I Star tried her hardest not to stare back at the boy. She could feel him, and he was so close, it was painful to even think about it.
Sitting quietly next to Professor Sprout, Star watched as all the students settled themselves. The hushed whispers of greetings and talk wasn't soothing to her head; the onslaught of childish voices was bound to give her a headache.
"Ahh, here come the first years," Sprout whispered to Star.
The Sorting ceremony was about to begin.
After what seemed like an eternity, Professor McGonagall read the last name out on the list; "Tormey, Aden." The little boy quickly climbed the stairs of the platform and sat down on the stool looking nervous as to where the Sorting Hat would place him.
After a few short minutes the hat yelled out "RAVENCLAW" . The whole room clapped for the newest member of that house as the little boy ran over to join his new friends.
"Seems like there were fewer first years this year," Hooch commented to Sprout as they clapped. "Yes, you're right, the numbers did seem a bit lower, which is sad really."
The talk of the two witches echoed in Star's mind. She was really starting to get a thumper of a headache, and all the inward and outward talking was making her dizzy.
i"I wish this would hurry up, it seems to get longer each year."/I A male voice interrupted Star's thoughts; she wasn't sure who it was speaking, as the inner voice of a person was slightly different to the normal outer voice.
i"I do hope they don't expect me to stay around for the drinks afterwards, I have better things to do then be social."/I This voice was soft and silky and a little tired.
i"I wonder if there will be any promising flyers this year,"/I a deep female voice intruded into Star's thoughts. She guessed that was Madam Hooch, the Quidditch Professor.
i"I must ask Hagrid for some more bug repellent. Those things are getting out of control," /Ithe voice of Sprout jumped over Hooch's.
i"This is getting ridiculous,"/I Star thought to herself, as she started to rub the bridge of her nose. i"These people think too damn much."/I She could see that a talk with Albus was in order. She had to let these people know all these mindless thoughts where going to kill her.
Gritting her teeth sharply, Star braced herself. Her headache was starting to make her sight blur, and she really didn't want to black out just yet.
Dumbledore stood up as McGonagall tapped her fork against her glass, which silenced the hall. "I have a few announcements before we start the feast. Firstly, the Forbidden Forest is still out of bounds, to all those who do not wish to end their time at Hogwarts early." A few stifled giggles were heard after that comment.
"Mr. Filch asked me to remind students that if he finds any unauthorized objects on the student body he will be forced to remove them and give the body it was found on detention."
And finally, to some good news. This year we have two new teachers joining us at Hogwarts. Most of you will remember Professor Lupin; he has graciously accepted a return invitation as Defence teacher." The hall echoed with applause for the good news. Many of the older students remembered Professor Lupin and were happy to see him back again.
"And Professor Trelawney has decided to take a well earned holiday this year so I'm pleased to introduce her replacement, Professor Raven Star." Albus looked over at Star; she was hunched over with a pained look on her face. She smiled weakly, her face changing to cover the pain. Standing up, she bowed her head slightly at the students. "I look forward to teaching those who take my class this year." Her voice sounded strong as it projected around the hall.
Sitting down quickly as she felt her self sway, she picked up on a thought that was aimed right at her.
i"I was right. She is like Sybil; flaky and I'm sure a fraud." /I That comment made Star look sharply in the direction of owner.
Severus watched as the newest teacher stood up after Dumbledore had introduced her. He could see her swaying slightly as she tried to remain in control. He thought it was too good to be true that she would be different from Sybil.
i"I was right, she is like Sybil; flaky and I'm sure a fraud."/i What started Severus was, at the exact moment he thought that comment, the women in question looked straight at him, her eyes staring daggers. It was like she could tell what he was thinking and knew he was thinking about her.
i"She couldn't could she?"/I He thought to himself that was the last thing he needed; a mind reader for a colleague. Pondering that idea, he decided to test it out a little. If she could really read his mind, she would react to his next thought.
i"I know you can hear me, I will find out what your game is."/I He waited for her head to turn around and look at him, but nothing happened. No movement at all.
Little did Severus know, but Star could hear all his thoughts; even the ones he thought he was hiding from her. She knew his little plan and was laughing to herself, wondering if she should play along. It had been a long time since she'd been a subject to the "can you hear me?" test.
Star pushed softly thought his mind and dropped off a reply to his little taunt.
i"That's what you think." /I Severus's body bolted straight up as the smooth sounding female voice echoed inside his head. The only thing he could think of as a reply to that was, i"oh, shit."/I
Albus looked over at Star and noticed she had a little smirk on her face. He wondered what she had just done. He noticed that Severus looked somewhat spooked he guessed that the man must have thought something that Star reacted too and, seeing the reaction, tried to bait her. And from the looks of it, the witch must have given him a good scare.
"Now, the final thing I have to say is let's eat." Dumbledore clapped his hands together and the feast appeared in front of everyone. He watched happily as they all tucked in.
As he sipped his pumpkin juice, Albus mused about what he had seen. If Star had felt the need to let it slip to Severus that she was telepathic, it wouldn't be long before the Potions Master would be storming into his office to complain about her.
i"Well, I'll just have to handle that when the time comes,."/i he thought as he leant over to retrieve another warm bread roll.