Thank you once again for your reviews. Notes to you all at the end of this chapter.
My thanks to JessiokaFroka for betareading and catching my spelling mistakes.
Not much of Snape in this next chapter, but hopefully you will enjoy it anyway. I promise to update again very soon - with more Snape next time.
Chapter Three
STAFF MEETING
"What's this fallacy that first-year students are frightened and homesick? Bollocks! Just heard that two of the little shits have apparently learned a spell to lift the girls' skirts over their heads. Been causing all sorts of ructions on the train."
A rather short, stout woman, dressed in dark grey robes that looked to be made out of snake-skins, had entered the Staff Room and made straight for the tea trolly without an acknowledgement to anyone. She plonked two sugar cubes into her tea and stirred thoroughly as she finally looked around the room.
"Give you one guess which house they'll be sorted into, eh, Severus?"
"Hufflepuff, no doubt."
"Tch. You know full well they'll be joining your own little bastards."
"Thankfully, they are not my little bastards."
"At least, not as far as you know, eh? Are the bloody sweepstakes open yet?"
"No," said the teacher who'd been introduced to Andi as Minerva McGonagall. "But the swear-box is. I think you owe it twenty sickles, Sylvia." She shook a wooden box at the other, who sighed and dropped a handful of coins in.
"Sylvia virtually funds the Staff Christmas party through the swear-box," said the tiny wizard sitting in the chair next to Andi and whom she now knew to be Filius Flitwick.
"Well, I can't begrudge it," said the woman. "I probably drink and eat more of it than anyone else. Sylvia Sprout," she smiled, holding pudgey, brown-stained hand out to Andi. "Have they told you which house you'll be dealing with?"
"Andrea Carver. Yes - I'm a Hufflepuff."
"Ah, my own house. Commiserations. We never win a sodding thing. Come on," she said, turning to the room. "Get the bloody sweepstakes open or Dumbledore'll be here and begin the meeting before we've had a chance. Now, twenty galleons says Gryffindor'll get the most sortings."
Everyone dived to their pockets.
During this activity, Andi got up and went to the tea trolly to pour herself a fresh cup. She found herself standing next to a rather young-looking Asian man. He was quite petite - not much taller than Andi. Not much broader, come to think of it. He wore a silver grey frock-coat, matching trousers and a pale pink, high necked shirt with a silver clasp over the throat. He turned chocolate eyes to her as he introduced himself.
"Hello. Vincent Bellchambers. Do you have any idea what this is all about?" he said, indicating the frenzied activity going on in the middle of the room.
"Andrea Carver. No, I don't - I'm new here," she said, noting soft skin and a light handshake. "I'm finding it all very strange, actually."
"Well, yes, I expect you would." He looked embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, that was terribly rude. It's just that I detect a strong sense of Muggle about you."
"That's OK. I'm getting hardened to the reaction," she smiled. "I'm wondering when we're going to eat. I'm starving and I really shouldn't be eating these biscuits."
"Ah, friends! Welcome back!"
Everyone turned as Dumbledore entered the room wearing light blue robes and matching pointed hat. Everyone immediately calmed down and began finding their chairs. Andi pulled up a chair next to Vincent and saw him sit down very precisely, cross one leg tightly over the other and clasp his hands to the side.
She looked across the room at Snape, who was busy placing his cup and saucer on the floor beside his chair.
"I trust you have all returned fresh and revitalised for the coming year?" Dumbledore beamed around the room as he took his chair.
There were half-hearted mutters of agreement from the gathered staff.
"Good. Good. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Dickie?"
"She was overseeing a new consignment of Quidditch brooms when Peeves dropped a flour-bomb on her head," said Professor Flitwick. "She went to shower."
"Shower? It'll turn to glue! Couldn't she have used a spell?" said Professor McGonagall.
"Apparently Argus tried to help by rubbing her head with one of his own towels." explained Flitwick. "This seemed to horrify her even further-"
The door opened just then and in walked a rather uptight woman with red-veined cheeks and damp hair.
"Dickie! Are you quite recovered?"
"I'm not sure I shall ever recover, Albus," said the woman, stiffly. "There isn't enough water in the world to rid me of Filch's dirt." The woman shuddered and took the empty chair on the other side of Andi, giving her a small smile as she sat.
"Well, now that we are all here, I think it apt to get the sad part of the meeting over with. You may be aware that Eloisa Lancaster begins at Hogwarts this term?"
There was a general melancholy nod from the rest of the staff.
"She was discharged from St. Mungo's last Thursday and I have assured her father that she will be safe at Hogwarts. This will obviously be a very difficult time for her as she comes to terms with the loss of her mother in such terrible circumstances. Beginning a new school is not easy at the best of times and I am therefore relying on each and every one of you to be watching out for her. Obviously I do not expect her to receive special treatment, but I must insist that she has a degree of pastoral care from her Head of House - whichever house she is sorted into." Dumbledore looked at the room in general, but Andi noticed Snape shift in his seat.
"On to happier things...I would like to introduce our two new members of staff. Vincent Bellchambers, who is our new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor..." Dumbledore paused as a smatter of applause went around the room. "Vincent comes to us after spending two years in Eastern Russia where he has been studying the Pogrebin. He will be joining Ravenclaw. Our new Hufflepuff representative is Andrea Carver, who will be teaching music alongside Elmedius. Andrea is very new to the wizarding world, and therefore I hope I can rely on you all to make her feel as welcome as possible."
Another smattering of applause.
"I have been asked to make an announcement at this meeting, as the parties concerned are most anxious to forestall any inaccurate gossip - or indeed, gossip of any kind."
Andi's heart was drumming and she was suddenly feeling very self-concious. She stared down at someone's shoe wondering what Severus' expression was right now.
"Andrea's official quarters will be just along from Sylvia's, close to the Hufflepuff dormitories. Andrea will be in residence there during the school week, and that should always be your first port of call should you need her outside school hours. Otherwise, she is to be contacted at Severus' quarters in the dungeons."
Andi heard the birds whistling outside as an almost tangible silence filled the room.
"I cannot emphasise enough the need for discretion. Both Severus and Andrea have received a Privacy charm to keep the students unaware of these arrangements. In return for their honesty with their colleagues, I hope you will all respect their privacy in this matter.
"Now, turning to the new time-tables - Minerva, I believe there was a slight problem with the third-year Gryffindor classes. Minerva?"
Professor McGonagall jumped, seemingly out of a daze. "I beg your pardon, Albus. Discretion, yes of course, I..."
"Time-tables, Minerva. Time-tables."
---
Yakkaman, Imelda was sorted into Ravenclaw, leaving Gryffindor with the most new students and Professors Sprout, Sinistra and Madam Pomfrey the triple winners of the sweepstakes.
A/N 1) My thanks to FemmeLoki for supplying me with Flitwick's first name. Also, I gave Sprout the name of Sylvia before I discovered what her canon name was, so forgive me for that.
2) In the UK, 'Asian' is used for people from India. I mention this because I believe the word 'Asian' means from the Far East in the US. I wanted you to know that Vincent is Indian.
3) I have read that the actress Miriam Margolyes, who plays Professor Sprout, is apparently a compulsive swearer, so I thought it would be fun to make Sprout the same.
4) I'm glad some of you liked the shoe fettish. I promise it's not just an idle whim on my part. It does have a role to play in the story.
Helena Oe - I'm glad you like Liz. I was worried she wouldn't be popular because of her views on Snape when she first saw him. She's going to be a good friend to Andi.
Ariesl -Yes, I'm desparately saving for a pair of Jimmy Choos too!
FemmeLoki - You know, I think Snape - in this story at least - would be very interested in your boots!
Intelligent Witch - I've been caught out! Normally I get my spells from HP books or I invent them with the help of my Latin dictionary, but I confess - I borrowed 'Reducto' (to reduce things) from another ff - and it's wrong? I apologise. It just sounded right. That will teach me! Thanx for telling me about Lexicon - it will be a great help.
May-Luna - I couldn't find your email address on ffnet to reply to you. I'm afraid I don't know anyone. Sorry. I really appreciate the long reviews you send. Thank you.
JessiokaFroka - Yes, he would shun a regular Muggle, but perhaps having fallen for Andi before he knew she had wizard blood has made him slightly (oh, ever so slightly) more tolerant?
Thousandl - I'm glad to have made you smile
Kairi the Ice Rose - I promise to update as quickly as decently possible.