If you don't the pairings in this segment and feel the need to flame me for it, by all means go ahead. I need some form of entertainment to fill my day.
Chapter Nine
The class was silent as they waited for their teacher to show up. Never before had Professor Binns been late. He always came in through the wall and droned on for hours on end, not really having a clue that the entire class was asleep. To the students, it was naptime. However, a few remembered there was a new teacher taking over for Professor Binns.
"Where is she?"
"Who?"
"She?"
"The new teacher dumbass."
"Oh, it's not professor Binns?"
"No, it's a woman, and she's supposed to be huge!"
The door slammed open and in walked a very tall and very pale woman that looked as frightening as an Amazon Warrior. She slammed her books down and started writing on the board quickly. When she turned around, she put her hands on her ample hips and grinned at the class, pushing her small glasses up her nose. "OKAY! Right now, I suppose you're tryin' ta remember who the hell I am, but this is my first class of the day so listen up! My name is Mrs. Astra Malfoy. Any questions?"
"Where are you from? You don't sound like you're from England," said one boy as he stood up.
She rolled her eyes. "Very well spotted, Mr….. Porter. I'm not from here, I'm from Texas, which is in the southern part of America. There we have a healthy tradition of both Quidditch and Quadpot." A vein seemed to suddenly throb in her head as she thought of Quadpot.
Another boy stood up with his hand raised. "What's Quadpot?"
"Quadpot is a stupid game that was invented by an idiot who thought exploding balls were fun to play around with. Basically, you ride on a broom and try to dunk the ball into a cauldron before it explodes in your face." The vein seemed to grow more prominent as she spoke of the game.
"You said you're a Malfoy, weren't the Malfoys acquitted of crimes against the Ministry and Hogwarts because of a legal dispute?" said one girl with long brown hair.
"Eh heh… Actually, I married DRACO Malfoy, not his father, who is the one you are talking about. However, I promised my husband that I wouldn't speak ill of his father, so I'm not dignifying that question with further comment. Anything else?"
"When is Professor Binns coming back?" said a tall Gryffindor boy with blonde hair.
"At the end of the year. He's on vacation," she said shortly. When she saw the class had quieted down enough, she turned to the board and started writing. "Now… I want ya'll to tell me where you are in this class, because appearently, Professor Binns doesn't leave tangible notes."
"We were on the founders ma'am," said one girl.
"The founders? You would have learned about that in first year, I'm surprised. Then, again, that may be just my school talking." She shrugged and put her wand to her lips in thought. "If that's the case, tell me what part of the story of the founders are you on? The Chamber of Secrets when everything started to fall apart?"
They nodded as one and she nodded. "I'm going to do something different, the way my History of Magic teacher did it. She would want me to continue this way of teaching," she mumbled.
She straightened and smiled, holding her wand up. "I want everyone to stay in their seats and not to move except to take notes. If you move outside of the white circle, you'll be stranded in a place you don't want to be stranded in and I would have to retrieve you." She grinned at them in an eerie fashion and coughed. "And if I have to retrieve you, severe punishments will be doled out; including anything my sick little mind can come up with."
The students seemed to straighten at that and she grinned. She closed her eyes and summoned a protective circle around the classroom desks. She furrowed her eyebrows in concentration as she let her mind remember the time casting that Miss White would do. She had been in her Time class only a year before going to Hogwarts and had only ever done lessons when she had the time, which was hardly ever.
The room seemed to grow hot and bright as the students looked at their teacher. Something was glowing on her chest, bright like freshly polished silver. It transfixed them as their surroundings changed. Astra smiled as she opened her eyes, breathing a sigh of relief.
They were in front of a castle that looked a lot like Hogwarts, but it was still being built. The scene changed and they were inside a chamber that looked a bit like Madam Snape's office. The Headmaster's office was similar, but furnished with newer things and somehow it looked bigger to accommodate the class.
There was a man with red hair writing on a piece of parchment. His voice could be clearly heard, almost resounding through the chamber. "I try hard, Rowena, very hard, to do what I must to help keep this school going, but Salazar keeps interfering with his own deluded ideas of what a school should be." He put the quill into the inkpot and looked to the other side of the room.
As though they just appeared there, a short but pretty blonde woman nodded at the red haired man. A dark haired, taller, woman fingered her staff as she thought. "We all have our own ideas of what should be in this school, Godric. You want only the brave and curagous, I want the intelligent lot, Helga… well… Helga likes everyone, so I don't think she really should count."
Helga shot Rowena Ravenclaw a sharp look. "I'll have you know… anyone who is willing to learn should be brought in. No exceptions. I don't think it's fair to just have one or the other. Everyone has their strengths and I think everyone should play to their strengths."
Rowena smiled blithely at Helga and Helga seemed further infuriated. Godric chuckled. "Point taken—the both of you. The problem isn't with us, it's with Salazar. He's been increasingly secretive and demanding. I had thought he picked his students out himself, but apparently one of them didn't tell him what was the truth just so she could be his student. Did you know he actually tortured one of his own students and kicked her out of his class just because her mother was a muggle. It's deplorable and I for one won't stand for such behavior. If you'll agree with me, I can make it so he can't do such a thing without us knowing about it."
"If he leaves, our school will be diminished to the power of three, not four, Godric. We have to stick together," said Rowena in that strangely calm tone she had.
Godric grunted and stood, taking off his hand and tossing it onto his desk. "I've had it. We are going to make it so he can't choose his students so horrendously."
He looked around and picked up his staff, tapping his hat with it. He spoke some strange spell that wasn't even in English and glared at Rowena and Helga. "We will put our hearts into this hat. When we are gone and this school is finished, this hat will make sure that students are put into each house fairly. My house, Rowena's house, Helga, Salazar's… it doesn't matter. Those that belong will belong despite what slimy old Salazar thinks of this school. It WILL NOT fail. This school will go down fighting before it will die."
Helga nodded, wiping a tear from her eye and smiling, putting her staff to the hat. The hat glowed brilliantly, turning yellow as something of a ghost came from her and went right into the hat. She stepped away, blinking at what had happened. "Oh my… what have I done?"
"You put your heart and soul into the hat. Don't worry," Godric chuckled, "Not literally, just…. A copy of yourself. We need your wonderful heart in this place. I fear without it, we would all be at each other's throats."
Rowena stood stiffly and walked over with her staff. "And what of me? I will not let this go on if it's for your own amusement."
"Rowena, please… do like Helga… I will go after you and then we will track down Salazar. We will have to pull him out of his beloved dungeon kicking and screaming, but we have to do it." Godric nodded to Rowena and she nodded, putting her staff to the hat. It glowed a bright blue and a blue version of herself was sucked into the hat. Then, just as her copy disappeared into the hat, it glowed bright red and Godric's smiling face disappeared into the hat, leaving Godric standing with the same smile. "Thank you, ladies. Now… Rowena, I'll need you to find Salazar. You seem to be the only one able to talk to him nowadays."
Rowena nodded and bobbed slightly before walking out down the stairs. Helga looked to Godric and frowned. "Godric, I don't like the way he's been acting either, but… Rowena is right about needing to stay together at all costs."
Godric stood and walked over to Helga. He brushed his knuckles against her pink cheek and smiled at her. "Don't you worry on it Helga. This hat will make certain that we stay together, even if WE do not." He leaned down and kissed her cheek, grinning stupidly when he stood back up.
The room seemed to dissolve and become a darkened chamber underground. A tall, thin man with long black hair pulled back at the nape of his neck gazed at his masterpiece. Snakes everywhere and one large one with glowing emerald eyes gazed at him. He heard a strange scuffling and charged from the room quickly with long sure strides. He appeared topside, opening the door to his bedroom with a grunt. The classroom seemed to follow him as though they were on a sort of ride. There, standing in front of the door with big black eyes looking up at Salazar was Rowena and he frowned at her, letting her in. "Have a seat, Rowena," he stated stiffly as he let her in.
She shook her head, looking back at him over her shoulder. She looked nervous. She always seemed to be that way around him, it almost irritated him. "What do you need, madam?" he said as he closed the door.
Astra looked to the students, grinning. They were captured by the entirety of the situation. It was playing like a best selling movie and she knew she had a hand in helping to further their understanding of how this school was brought about. She directed her gaze to Rowena and saw something of Minerva McGonagall and Hermione in that woman, and in Salazar, a more handsome Snape combined with what she had seen of the tragic and evil Lord Voldemort. He looked like he'd handled swords and used them, muscle showing through the robes he wore, but it was a wiry body he had, not a broad stocky body like Godric's that looked like he was a knight in shining armor before. Godric always reminded her of one of the Weasley's, giving her a good feeling through her body when she saw that broad handsome face in the portrait in the Great Hall. Helga never reminded her of anyone, however, except Helga Hufflepuff, a sweet and generous woman who would do anything to please people.
Salazar walked closer to Rowena and braced his hands on the arms of the chair she sat in. His blue eyes were startling in their cold intensity. They seemed to stand out incredibly from his pale complexion. "Rowena, dear," he said smoothly as he used a long finger to tip her face up towards his, "What troubles you so that you come to ME for help?"
"We need you in Godric's office, Salazar," she said in a small voice. As powerful a witch as she was, she seemed to become malleable in his presense.
"Why?" he said in that same insufferably smooth tone.
"Because he asked, that is why, Salazar." Her tone was tight, trying to keep him from invading her mind like he had a tendency to.
"My dear, the only way you will have me up there is if you tell me why. Now why is it you came, Rowena?" He drew closer to her and she shifted back, trembling.
The class made a collective gasp at her movement, as though readying themselves for an attack. Salazar pulled away and strode over to his fireplace, head bowed. Rowena Ravenclaw stood and stared at Salazar Slytherin's back. "Have I told you how much it means to me that you have not disagreed with me as Hufflepuff and Gryffindor have?"
"N-no," Rowena said, trying to collect herself again.
Salazar turned and looked to Rowena with a frown, his blue eyes looking guarded. "Thank… Thank you," he said, his voice becoming uneven suddenly.
Rowena's posture straightened. Salazar walked over to her and drew her into his arms, kissing her harshly, holding her head as she made small plaintive noises. When he pulled back, he was panting and smiling at her in a cold fashion. "Thank you."
"You… you're welcome, Salazar," Rowena said in a small voice. She took his hand and looked away. "Come, please come with me, Salazar."
Salazar sighed and followed her out of his house and into the halls of the castle itself, heading for Gryffindor's area. His entire posture was guarded and wary, ready to bolt if he had to. When they walked up the stairs, he looked around the area with disdain.
Helga and Godric were on either side of the door, grabbing one of his shoulders and hauling him over to the hat. Godric forced Salazar's staff onto the hat and it glowed a brilliant emerald green, his copy of himself going into the hat. After that, Godric and Helga let go of him and he stepped back, glaring at them all, even Rowena. "Betrayer!" he snarled at Rowena.
"Who is a betrayer, Salazar? You used to do this sort of thing willingly, now we have to force you to come and perform magic with us," said Godric with a scowl. Rowena seemed to tremble as she backed further into a corner. "If anyone is a betrayer, it is you, Salazar, causing grief where there should be none. You play the hearts of people to your own tune like some musical instrument and then discard them without a care as to how they feel. WELL I WON'T STAND FOR IT! You will obey the laws we set down for each other whether you want to or not."
"This isn't what we had originally planned out, Godric," said Salazar with a sneer.
"No, it isn't. Originally, we were all friends. Now, you slithered your way through, pushing this and prodding that so that it went to your standards. Where I wouldn't want to argue, you pushed it to an argument where I won't stand for it from you any longer. I have asked repeatedly why you have sequestered yourself in the dungeons, but you never answer. I want to know now what you have down there." Godric crossed his arms in front of his broad chest and scowled at Salazar. The class seemed to hold its breath waiting for the response.
Salazar glared at them, then looked over at Rowena. "I have often wondered about the strange sensation you spring in my heart, Rowena. Now, I guess we'll never know, will we." He smirked devilishly at Godric. "Fine…you want to know what is down there? Go down there and see for yourself. However, only my own true heir can open it, if not me. SEE YOU IN HELL, GODRIC GRYFFINDOR!"
There was a crack and Salazar Slytherin disappeared. The class yelped in surprise and watched as Godric Gryffindor sat down in his chair with a heavy sigh. "I shouldn't have been so hard."
"You did what you thought was right. Come on, Rowena, we should go see to the students." Helga Hufflepuff took Rowena Ravenclaw by the elbow and ushered the taller woman out of Godric's office.
The classroom came back into focus and Astra sat down on her desk with a sigh. She was tired from the exertion of performing the spell. The bell rang and she smiled faintly. "All right… I want a report on what you saw happen in your own words. I want details and what you think of what happened as well as what you think of my doing this for you. You're dismissed."
The class filtered out, chattering excitedly. It was hard to do the spell, harder than she thought, but whatever helped her boost the protection spell, it was worth it. She grinned broadly and chuckled, leaning back in her chair with her hands behind her head. "I think I could get used to this teacher thing," she said with a grin. Then, she stood up and stretched, heading out for lunch.