Disclaimer: I own the plot and Aweina. Do not steal either. Or Ishall be forced to beat you with a mallet. Thank you.
This isn't actually very far past the last chapter. Basically, it's Aweina setting up, saying hi to her colleagues, and the Sorting and Dinner.
And I'm naming Professor Vector Aurelies, just because. I don't actually know her name, so she's Aurelies. Because…it's cool.
I'm very sorry if this appears Sueish, by the way. It's not supposed to be, I promise!
(But if it gets sporked or dumped on pottersues, I'd like the link so I'll know what I need to change! )
Aweina's thoughts
Muse responsible: Rrissa!
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Aweina levitated her trunk down the hall, going down the stairs, over a few passageways, and into the Defense classroom. She paused, looking over the empty desks, the bare walls, the blank chalkboard. Smiling, she set her trunk down in the bedroom adjoining her office. Taking one of the four keys in her pocket, she opened the third lock. Waving her wand at the open trunk, her robes and cloak flew out, her selection of scarves, her books, her other personal things. They settled in the wardrobe, on the cloakstand, on the bedside table, wherever they were supposed to be. Once the compartment was mostly empty, Aweina closed it…
And opened the next compartment. This contained her office supplies, mostly-books filled with suggestions for exercises, a grading guide, quills, ink, and so on. Aweina carried these into her office and plunked them on her desk.
"I'll do the other stuff later…" she muttered, waving her wand distractedly at the books, which sailed onto the shelf. The quills, ink, parchment, and such stayed on her desk. Picking up some of these supplies, Aweina went back into her classroom, dumping them onto her desk there and looking the desk arrangement over.
"Hmm."
Raising her wand, Aweina levitated several desks and moved them to the side, leaving just enough room to walk between the wall and the chairs. Continuing this, Aweina didn't stop directing the desks until they were lining the walls, leaving a large clear space in the center of the classroom.
Placing her wand back in the inside pocket, Aweina set out into the hall to say hello to her colleagues.
Her eyes swiveled behind the scarf, as was her habit. Pausing before a tapestry of a dragon, Aweina said, firmly, "Peeves, don't even think about it or I'll curse you into next Tuesday."
The poltergeist didn't reply, and Aweina ignored him as she continued on to the staff room.
Severus Snape was in the room, his nose in a book as he slouched in a chair in the corner. As soon as he heard Aweina open, then close the door behind her, he sat up straight and looked at her.
"Aweina." He nodded.
"Severus." Aweina inclined her head in his direction, but did not dare say more. As a member of the Order, she knew Severus was a spy, but she respected his accomplishments-and his privacy-and would not break his cover.
Besides, she didn't really like him all that well, for all he was valuable to the Order.
Aweina found a seat and took it, facing the hearth, relaxing back as one of her eyes stared into the fire and the other rolled slowly around, looking the room over, and when it saw nothing but Severus absorbed in his book, refocusing out of the room.
Aweina let her thoughts wander as minutes passed, turning into a half hour, then an hour, the only sound the crackle of the fire and Severus turning a page now and then.
The door opened again. Aweina jerked back to consciousness-had she fallen asleep?-and rolled one eye backward, refocusing on the newcomer.
"Hello, Aweina," said Minerva McGonagall as she entered the room and took a seat.
Aweina raised a hand and waved at her, not moving from her seat.
"You're early," continued Minerva, "The students won't be here for a few hours yet."
"I know," said Aweina indolently, turning in her chair to face Minerva, "But I wanted to set up my classroom first."
"Set things up to your liking?"
"It's mostly organized," said Aweina, not moving her head, but allowing her eyes to spin lazily around.
"I remember your Auror office," said Minerva, wryly, "'Organized' seemed to consist of me not being able to see you behind your papers."
Aweina's eyes whirled again to glare at Minerva-not that this had any effect, since the silk scarf hid her eyes. "It was not."
"It was," said Minerva, smiling amusedly. "I don't see how you managed to maneuver."
Aweina looked pointedly at her. Again, this had absolutely no effect, but Minerva apparently got the message anyway. "It's all on my desk," said Aweina at last, "And the tallest thing is my quill."
At the moment, her mind added, treacherously.
"Well, I'll have to see how long that lasts," said Minerva, settling in a chair.
Aweina gave up. "So, what have I missed here?" she asked, conversationally. "I mean, in the last few years. I know about the Defense teachers and the Triwizard Tournament, but that's about it."
Minerva thought for a moment, then began to talk. She ranged from topic to topic, from Dolores Umbridge to the Triwizard Tournament, rambling on to other things after those were expounded upon. Aweina listened intently, taking mental note after mental note.
Minerva finished, at length, and Aweina nodded. "Thank you. I'd forgotten how eventful Hogwarts was…anything else I should know?"
Minerva said, evenly, "I'm sure Albus brought you up to date."
Aweina, catching the meaning of this, nodded again.
Severus stood, closing his book. "The students will be arriving shortly," he said, nodding to both Minerva and Aweina before he stalked from the room. Aweina blinked behind her scarf. I must have slept far later than I thought, she pondered, I thought it was morning when I got up. Ah, well.
Standing, Aweina swiveled one of her eyes to the front of her head and walked towards the door. "Where do I sit?" she called back to Minerva.
"Four to the left of Dumbledore," answered Minerva, "Between Aurelies and Flitwick."
"Thank you," said Aweina, and walked into the door.
Slowly, she stepped back and refocused the eye facing forward. Minerva, in spite of herself, was laughing. "I was focused wrong," growled Aweina, wrenching the doorhandle open. "That really hurt."
She stalked down the hall, waiting until she could no longer hear Minerva before reaching up to tentatively inspect her nose, which had been mashed flat against the door.
Not broken, not bleeding…just hurts, she decided, after a brief inspection, and dropped her hand, taking a turn down the stairs.
Her right eye swiveled lazily as Aweina kept her left fixed on the path before her. Taking another turn, her ears picked up the noise of several hundred students chattering, echoing up an empty stairway through an open window. Aweina took a secret passage and cut through the walls and across several hallways, at last emerging in the Great Hall. The students were only just entering, and the foremost ones didn't even notice her. All to the good. Aweina hurried up to the staff table and took her seat between Flitwick and Aurelies, nodding to both of them. Neither of them bothered to stare at her scarf, or the way she took her seat without any fumbling.
The students streamed in, and both Aweina's eyes fixed on a single boy, who took a seat midway down the Gryffindor table. Harry Potter scanned the teacher's table idly, messy black hair half-covering his scar. As his gaze met Aweina's scarf, she inclined her head towards him, and smiled inwardly when he blinked and stared.
The students finished taking their seats, and Minerva led in the first-years, all looking rather terrified.
The Sorting Hat was placed on the stool, and it began to sing. Aweina didn't pay that much attention to the song, instead letting her eyes wander the Great Hall.
One of them landed on a blond-haired boy, sitting between two larger ones, his face seemingly affixed in a permanent sneer. That one's a Malfoy, if I'm any judge. Aweina made a note to watch him as the Sorting Hat chose the Houses of the first few students.
Applause followed duly after each student was directed to a House, more excitedly from the House in question. At last, it was finished, and Dumbledore stood.
"Welcome, and welcome back to Hogwarts for another year!" he called into the Hall. Aweina watched him, wondering if he was using a Sonorus charm or whether the tone of voice came with the post of Headmaster. "I would like to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Aweina Aquila!"
Aweina stood as applause filled the hall. Her trained ears picked up a few snatches of whispering, and she watched amusedly as several students pointed at her blindfold and murmured to each other.
"Mr. Filch would like me to inform you that all of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products have been added to the list of things not permitted in the hallways. The list is posted in his office for reference," Dumbledore added as Aweina sat. "Thank you, and dig in!"
The plates filled with food, to gasps from the first-years and grateful sighs from most of the other students. Aweina reached for a noodle dish a few feet to her left and began dishing it onto her plate, her right eye fixed on the task, her left watching some of the students nudge each other and stare at how the "blind" woman didn't grope at all for anything, but placed everything exactly where it was supposed to be.
Aweina finished filling her plate with other dishes, turning her eyes away from the accompanying stares, and began to eat. This is good… she thought to herself, At least compared to my cooking. I wonder if they can beat Mrs. Weasley's custard, though?…
Deciding to test this when dessert appeared, Aweina applied herself to her food.
Dessert duly appeared, and Aweina couldn't decide whether or not the house-elves food equaled Mrs. Weasley's custard. She allowed her mind and eyes to wander as Dumbledore gave his short after-dinner speech.
At last, they were dismissed, and Aweina went back to her rooms, too full of good food and far too sleepy to do anything but fall into bed.
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See the little purple-gray button down there? It wants to be pressed!
-Fireblade K'Chona