III. Questions and Butterbeer

Gryffindors are known for their courage. It was some unspoken expected characteristic that the Doctor had picked up on by just reviewing the names of the students in the house the next morning. He sat in the small room given to him by Dumbledore, feet up on the table and the scroll on his lap. He stirred his coffee idly as he scanned over the names of the house he would be first visiting. The Doctor had to silently thank Dumbledore for letting him visit a welcoming house first, unlike another he could think of.

There was a knock on the door. He placed the scroll and cup of coffee down onto the desk before striding to the door and opening it. He was greeted by a ghost, decorated in elaborate clothing and a ruffle tightly at his neck. The Doctor took a moment to regain his composure and offer a smile.

"I am Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington." The ghost introduced himself with a sweeping bow, his head wobbling slightly. He smiled as the Doctor forced his jaw to stay shut. "Professor McGonagall sends her apologies of not being able to retrieve you for the interview. I hope you will not mind my company."

"Oh no, not at all ….Sir Nicholas." The Doctor offered a smile in return, the logical side of his brain was unable to comprehend he was talking to a ghost. The ghost smiled in return, tightening the ruffle on his neck before turning and gliding down the hallway. The Doctor closed the door to his room and fell into step – if it could be called that – along side the ghost. Few of the staff members were out and about preparing the halls and rooms for the first day of school.

"A Scott, eh?" Nicholas called to attention; the Doctor snapped his head back to look at him. "You don't get to see many of those around here anymore, most are from the local area and such."

"Yeh…." The Doctor said absent mindedly. "I suppose you could say that I am from Scotland." His hands found their new home in his pant pockets, taking longer strides to keep up with the nearly-headless ghost. "I'm the Doctor, by the way, nice to meet you!"

Nicholas smiled. "I remember seeing you at the Sorting last night," the Doctor stared but nodded as he licked his bottom lip that had suddenly gone dry. "Good news though, the storm has blown over since last night, it's a wonderful – but wet – day. Do you know what your schedule is?"

"Schedule…" the Doctor tried to remember. "Nothing really this week, besides just checking up and meeting the Houses…most likely more of the staff."

"Dumbledore may request you sit in on the lessons of Mad-Eye Moody – I do mean Professor Moody, of course, he is the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher – as I am sure you know – his classes take place on the first floor, which is just three blow the floor we are on now. This floor also has the library and other things," The ghost looked back at the Doctor who nodded for him to continue. "You see, my good fellow, we have a new teacher for that class every year, although by far the students favorite teacher was from last year."

"And who was that?"

"Ah, Professor Remus Lupin." Nicholas smiled. "The first teacher of that class not to scare or make a student cry, truly remarkable." The Doctor kept the surprise of Remus Lupin's spot to himself. He had known Lupin a bit from the days of the Order, but nothing more beyond that. "But anyways, it is a truly dangerous class – especially with Moody teaching it – so it is very plausible that Dumbledore will have you sit in that class."

"Where is the Gryffindor Dormitory?" the Doctor asked as the ghost led him up a staircase concealed by a tapestry.

"Ah you see that is on the Seventh Floor, or at least the entrance is. The actual dorm and common room are in a tower." The ghost explained. "Up this stairway and past a painting is the fastest route to the entrance of the Dormitory. Each house has a secret doorway which is guarded by a painting, once you speak the password you can enter." They continued down the hall and past a painting of a bewildered wizard before going up another staircase. Soon the Doctor found himself in front of a painting of a fat lady in a silk pink dress. The painting smiled at him, and he nodded back.

"Do you know the password, dear?" she asked.

"Uhm…no, I'm afraid." The Doctor smiled innocently.

"Oh come now, Fat Lady, 'course he wouldn't! He's from the Ministry and all – didn't McGonagall tell you?" Nicholas sighed and shook his had (which of course wobbled). "Anyways," he whispered the password to the Doctor and was on his way down the stairs.

The Doctor turned to the painting. "Balderdash," he spoke and the painting swung forward. He climbed through the small hole and stood inside the Gryffindor common room, dusting off his large leather jacket and raking his hand through his hair as he waited for company. He didn't wait long for McGonagall came down the steps of a stairway.

"Good morning to you, Doctor. I hope you found your way here easy." She spoke and he shrugged. "The students should be down momentarily; the first years are having a bit of trouble. Most caught a cold from the night before." The Doctor nodded, looking around the room to find couches, chairs and tables – and a lovely fireplace.

McGonagall took her place beside him and clapped her hands loudly. Within moments girls and boys entered from opposite ends, some coughing and sneezing, others silent while their friends complained at how early they were woken up to meet 'some guy from the Ministry'. Not exactly the warm welcoming he was expecting, but he knew it would be better than a welcoming from Slytherin. The students took seats on the floor, couches, and chairs, some against the wall as they finished entering.

"Gryffindors," McGonagall called their attention. "You will not complain against the Headmaster's wishes, is this clear?" they all mumbled in agreement, most of the complaining coming from the red headed boys – Weasleys – if the Doctor recalled their names right. "We will begin with you all asking questions first. You are to stand if you have a question, and before asking the question you are to state your name and year. After the questions Doctor Sigma will be asking a few questions before breakfast is to begin and you will be off to your classes."

The first student stood was one of the red headed Weasleys. "I am George Weasley, and that's my twin Fred. We're both in our sixth years." They both waved and the Doctor nodded back. "You really work for the Ministry, Doctor Sigma?"

"Well umh, I did, long time ago." The Doctor said, and glanced at McGonagall who gave a silent answer to his question. He looked back at George. "They called me out of retirement to do this favor for Dumbledore."

"Where do you work?" Fred Weasley spoke up, having already been introduced. "I mean our brother Percy works there and we haven't heard anything about you."

"Stupid, he just came out of retirement." A younger Weasley spoke up. He was sitting beside Harry and the girl.

"Ronald Weasley you will not address your brothers in that tone." McGonagall scolded.

"Sorry ma'am."

The Doctor smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "Well, I don't really have an office now. I did work for the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement for a time, during the days of….well, you know." The students all looked at each other with a understanding and eerie atmosphere.

"I've seen pictures of you!" George spoke up. "You look completely different from back then!"

"Mr. Weasley both you and you brother have already asked questions."

The Doctor smiled. "It's a trick people like me have," suddenly the students sat up with an interest. "Kind of like, Metamorphmagus, except we can only change our full appearance thirteen times – counting the one we are born with. It's a way of cheating death, I suppose. The version of me you always see in pictures from the old days was the fourth me, and before anyone asks I am the tenth me." He smiled as most of the students slowly sank back down.

The boy that had been identified as Ronald Weasley stood up. "I'm Ronald Weasley, you can call me Ron – I'd prefer if you did – this is my fourth year at Hogwarts." The Doctor nodded, making a mental note. "And if you don't mind me asking, Doctor Sigma – but what in bloody hell is a name like 'Theta Sigma'? I mean I've never heard anyone with that kind of name before, and well…." Before he could answer, the girl beside Ron had spoken up.

"Honestly, Ron, don't you pay attention to anything in classes?" she said with a sigh and Ron gave her an odd look as he turned slightly. "Theta is the name of the eight letter of the Greek alphabet. Sigma is the eighteenth letter of the same alphabet."

"What kind of crazy parent's name their kid Theta Sigma?" Ron persisted.

"Parents that are well versed in languages is what I would say." She said defiantly.

The Doctor held his hand up to keep McGonagall from scolding the two. "Miss?" Ron and the girl's heads shot towards him. "What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger, fourth year." She spoke softly, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. A few of the other girls turned towards each other and whispered, smiling at the Doctor before giggling to themselves. The Doctor hopped that wasn't bad sign.

"You're very bright." The Doctor complimented, causing Hermione to blush more. "I'm surprised really that anyone would have known that off the top of their heads, well done. I hope I get to see more of that spark through the year." He gave his mad grin and looked at McGonagall who obviously disapproved of his actions. He frowned and shrugged, preparing himself for the next onslaught of questions.

Harry Potter stood next. The Doctor's eyes met his own instead of lingering on the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, which surprised the young teenager a bit. "I'm Harry Potter, as you probably know…fourth year." The Doctor nodded for him to continue. "Professor, have you ever…or did you, ever fight against the Dark Lord?"

The atmosphere shifted into a deadly silent one. Students that had giggled stopped and spun around to face Harry and the Doctor. Their eyes were in a gaze, testing each other to see who would be the first to look away.

The Doctor never broke his gaze. "No," he said. "I fought against his followers but never against him personally." Harry nodded and slowly went to take his seat. "However, I did know your parents if that counts up to anything." Harry's eyes shot up to meet his. "But I think that is a conversation better left for a private setting."

Soon it was his turn to ask the questions. It surprised the students, instead of prying into their lives like any other investigator; he was more interested about them. Their hobbies and what they loved to do, their plans beyond school, favorite type of music and dance, favorite holidays, anything. He found a way to connect with every student through their abilities and interests – although it seemed like one by one the girls ended up blushing and making a small sound of joy. Ron would move to one side or the other on the couch he sat on, bumping into Harry or Hermione. However McGonagall ended the interview and sent the students ahead for breakfast.

"It would seem as if you've made a good impression on them." She noted.

The Doctor smirked, nibbling on a candy a first year had given him. "Nawh, me? I'm just a charmer really. Although I must say it is rather interesting most of them want to become Auroras… ah well, breakfast awaits. Which classes will I be sitting in today?"

McGonagall shrugged, she had not been told. He frowned and swallowed the last of the candy before shoving his hands in his pockets and entering the Great Hall where he was met by many eyes. He waved. And McGonagall smiled.

"Seems as if you have made some rather good impressions on the girls, Doctor." She smiled and took her seat.

Rose read over the letter again as she sat up in the old bed. She had woken up in a cold sweat from a nightmare she couldn't remember to find her rescuer no where in sight. She had found the letter, horribly scribbled and hard to read, on the bed side table. It directed her on where she was and how she got there, who took care of her, and what account to charge things on if she needed something. Rose found it hard to believe a complete stranger had not only saved her, but was letting her use his account. The name 'Alastor Moody' was scribbled at the bottom of the paper. She flipped it over, finding another note left for her.

I will be teaching at Hogwarts the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It said.

Witchcraft and Wizardry? Rose jumped from the bed and wobbled her way to the door, but found clothing laying out for her on a chest. She picked them up, seeing that they were just her size. There was a blue top, scrunched and tucked in the center around the zipper that stopped near where the collar bone. Black pants with small buttons that were tight to the skin. And finally there was a bomber jacket to the side for warmth. She frowned and looked around; pulling out her mobile in attempt to dial the TARDIS, but it wouldn't turn on. The batteries were most likely dead.

She quickly changed into the new clothes and placed the jacket on, hobbling out of the room and down the stairs. She found a bar, empty with the chairs up as what looked like cleaning was taking place – except the brooms and mops were doing things on their own! She moved out of the way of a broom and stared in wonder.

"Well good to see you up and about, I was getting rather worried there."

Rose turned and looked at who was speaking to her. A woman stood there behind the counter, blond curly hair – and obviously a nice womanly figured. Rose looked around again before looking at her. "Hello,"

The woman smiled and motioned for Rose to come around the counter and stand beside her. "There you look much better than before, healthier as well. You were a mess when that Mad-Eye Moody dropped you hear under his name. But look at you now," she smiled and put her hand on Rose's arm before leading her further down the bar. "What's your age, hon?"

"I'm nineteen."

The woman gave a nod as she thought. "Nineteen, bout a year older than going to Hogwarts…so you're not a student. What do you do then?"

Rose tried to think of an answer, but the best one she could think of was: "A traveler, really…I have a companion," the woman's eyebrows lifted. "No we aren't like that, really, I swear. We go about and travel the world."

"My name is Rosmerta," she explained. "And this is my pub, The Three Broomsticks. No surprise really that Moody dropped you off here – seeing how Hogwarts is just a bit away from here, was probably on his way there." She offered Rose a seat who took it gladly. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name, miss?"

"Rose Tyler." Rose smiled and looked around the pub again as she remembered something she'd learned from the travels with the Doctor. Don't ask questions, fit in, and they'll be answered. "So, uhm…"

Rosmerta waved her hand. "Now now don't worry, I figured you didn't have a place of your own to stay, so." She smiled at Rose and handed her a cup. "If you would like, you can be a barmaid here. I'll pay you a good rate, you can live upstairs, and I'll teach you what to do."

"Does this come from…Moody rescuing me?" Rose asked, showing her the note that the mysterious man had left her. Rosmerta looked the note over and shook her head. Rose bit her bottom lip and looked behind her as the brooms and mops finished their cleaning and the chair sat themselves onto the floor. Rosmerta took note of her wonder.

"You're not a witch, are you?" she asked and Rose looked at her. She smiled. "Probably a Squib by the looks of it. That's alright though, sometimes manual labor is better than using magic." Rose nodded in agreement, figuring it was best to play along and understand what she was talking about rather than just sit there looking dumbfounded. "So where did you grow up?"

"London," Rose answered as she mused herself with the mug before her. "In a flat, Powell, London Before I met my companion I went to France once, and then to South Whales with my mum." She looked up as Rosmerta nodded, cleaning mugs with a rag.

"Lots of Squibs live in London, not surprising at all." She nodded. "Tell me about your companion a bit. What's he like?"

Rose wasn't sure on how to answer. She couldn't say he was an alien that flew around in a nineteen sixties police phone box – that was blue. "Well….he's a special kind of person…I mean in what he can do. He's really brilliant, smart, and fantastic even. He knows so much – and is rather old, but he doesn't look it….he looks like he is in his thirties, now, at least." Rosmerta paused and leaned against the counter with a smile. "What is it?"

"Well go on and describe him!" she said excitedly. Rose smiled, already feeling like Rosmerta was a good friend – the type where you could sit down and talk about boys for hours on end. "Hair color, eye color, height, what he wears, you know the basics!"

She stopped, and realized that over the last two weeks she hadn't really studied what her new Doctor looked like. She was too busy sulking and really being angry about it all. But then she paused again, realizing that she had called him her Doctor. Was he really? She considered the options, noting how similar he was and how different he was, weighing each pro with a con. However she then remembered she was in the middle of a conversation.

"Sorry," Rose said and offered a weak smile – but Rosmerta waved it off. "Well," she thought, and actually took the time to think about it. "He's tall, maybe about six feet I'd say, maybe taller. Bout his thirties like I said before, and has brown hair." She could tell that her employer wanted more information than just that. "It is short, except here at the top, where it kinda poofs out like this…and his eyes are brown too, kind of a chocolate color. He changes from a Scottish to an English accent sometimes, depending on his moods…normally wears a large black leather jacket and pants. Oh, and he likes to eat sweets."

"Well then he'd probably prefer my butterbeer." Rosmerta said with a hint of boasting. "You out to bring him down sometime, Rose, I mean…that is, do you know where he is?" Rose shook her head. "Well, we could look him up. What's his name?"

"He goes by the Doctor." Rose answered. Rosmerta's nose wrinkled up in confusion, but nodded and wrote it with a quill before stuffing it in her pocket. Rose took another look around the pub before looking back at her employer. "When do we open shop?"

"In 'bout an hour, you best change out of that jacket and get an apron on, it'll be a bit messy seeing how it's the first day at Hogwarts and all – you know what that is right?" Rose shook her head, and Rosmerta seemed surprised by that but nodded. "Hogwarts is the school a bit from Hogsmeade, where we are. Students come down sometimes during the year. Let's see…its September now, so they'll be here 'bout two months. If you have a good work ethnic then you'll be seeing them soon." She smiled and rolled up her sleeves. "Your Doctor seems like a very attractive man, you can tell me more while we prepare for customers this morning. Chop chop!"

Rose took off the jacket and hung it up behind the bar and grabbed an apron, tying it around her waist. She learned how to take orders and learned the basic drinks and also how to serve each type of customer. While Rosmerta worked in the kitchen and bar, Rose took the orders for the day and handed them to her. Rose was used to seeing aliens and had grown accustomed to them, but never expected to see goblins and elves – or at least house elves as Rosmerta informed her. They worked for the houses within the richer families, but most came from Hogwarts. By the end of the day Rose sat in an empty booth as she reflected on where she was: and where her Doctor might be.

As the shop girl from London reflected on her day, the Doctor was working on his reflections of the day at Hogwarts. He had already made enemies with the Potions Master, Snape, due to his friendship with Lupin from his fourth incarnation, but most the staff was on his side – including Hagrid the Care of Magical Creatures teacher. All in all the day was busy and filled with a few laughs – including the time that Moody had turned the Slytherin student Draco Malfoy into a ferret (the Doctor said it should have been a cockroach, officially gaining the respect and trust of Ron Weasley). However now he stood in front of the window in his room, swirling his coffee around wondering what fate the magical world had handed Rose Tyler.

Which brought up the next thought to him: he, being the Doctor and always helping others, was in a sticky situation. He had agreed to help the Ministry in watching over Hogwarts, sending them owls when needed, but he needed to find Rose and at least the TARDIS. Though he didn't know what good finding his ship would do him, it wouldn't function properly until the Ministry decided it was safe and didn't go against their silly rules about non-magical items. However the Ministry had sworn that they would be looking for his ship and would notify him when they found it.

Rose, on the other hand, was a different issue. Even though he had gone about pretending things were fine and doing as Dumbledore had asked, his mind was bouncing back and forth in possibly scenarios that could have happened to Rose – most of them were bad. Horrible even, ghastly. But there was some spark inside him that would calm his hearts just for a moment, telling him to trust Rose. Rose had been able to learn how to quickly adapt to world to world (under his guidance of course), and there was no doubt that she had found some way to safety but where she was, that was the question.

The Doctor fumbled around in his room, placing the empty coffee cup on the table as he checked his pockets. His Sonic Screwdriver was still with him, he made a mental note to check that in the morning to see if at least it had slipped past the silly rules. A thought struck him then, and he fumbled around in his pockets until he brought out the TARDIS key. It was just a tad warm. He wasn't sure why the thought had occurred to him before. The TARDIS key, looking like a normal house key, would easily slip past the rules and allow him to get a general direction of where Rose's key was. If it was even the slightest bit warm, which it was, meant that she was somewhere close by.

Somewhere.

The Doctor rushed over to the map of the grounds on the wall and looked over it, memorizing it. If Rose had been in the Forbidden Forest, they would have already found her, meaning she could be anywhere extending to the lake and beyond. He raked his hand through his hair, deciding to walk around the grounds to test out the range of warmth from the key the next day. He put the key into his jacket pocket and tossed it onto the back of the chair. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, looking down at himself. Going through the regeneration process, the malfunction of the TARDIS, and the plea from the Ministry he hadn't had the time to go about and find himself an outfit that fit who he was now. While his previous incarnation's clothing was comfortable it wasn't…him. It was just another thing to add to the list.

At least he could have the time to formulate a plan now. Time Lords required very little sleep, giving him loads of time to find loop holes in the agreement he made with the Ministry. He could be dark and demand that they give him the rights to use his ship or he wouldn't help them – but that didn't really seem to fit him. Then again, he really didn't know who he was, not now. He knew all his previous incarnations, but not him now. The only things he really knew where that he still had his since of morals, he wanted to help people, he still cared deeply for Rose, and he liked sweets. Maybe 'liked' was too tame, he always seemed to be eating sweets now.

Sweets were good.

The Doctor sat himself down in his chair, his legs up on the desk and looked at the wall across the room. The first part of his plan was simple: get a feel for where Rose would be. He already knew, thanks to the key, that she was near Hogwarts. It would then be plausible to say the TARDIS was nearby, though the thought occurred to him why Rose would be closer to where the TARIDS was than him – but he supposed that was due to the ship not being fully adjusted to the new him. His eyes went back to the map, looking it over. There was a small town near by, Hogsmeade. The students weren't supposed to leave for then until November, but the Doctor not being part of staff or the school could leave when he pleased. And he knew that Dumbledore knew he couldn't stop him, the Oncoming Storm.

He considered what he had agreed to do the next day. He had agreed to visit the Hufflepuff house tomorrow and then join the History of Magic class that Gryffindor was in during the morning. He'd leave for Hogsmeade (if the key was warm) following that class. It was about a few hours walk to the town judging from the distance on the map. And if he was lucky and brilliant, which he was, he could easily get a lift from a carriage from Dumbledore.

With this all sorted and planned he leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes, taking the time to rest his body (which was still settling into its new form) and reflect on what was new and different about him.