A/N: Well, pollyjuice potion seems to be a popular vote. Thanks for letting me know what you think: mysticallove (it's one year per chapter, and don't worry about it), WhiteWolf 3, goddessa39, onlimain, Jay, and Just Me (happy to be of service).
xoxox
England, August 2011.
"Ahem."
The ruckus died down and the students expectantly turned to the headmaster's table.
"Welcome, students, to what promises to be another successful year at Hogwarts," the old man's eyes twinkled merrily at the new students as he gave his welcoming speech to start off the year.
"As a special announcement, it has been decided by the faculty that punishment by hanging students to the rafters by their toes is inhumane, and consequently it has been taken off the lists as possible reprimand," he paused to let the students have their sighs of relief before continuing. He was, much to his delight, forced to pause longer as the students took the opportunity to give a loud cheer which turned into a deafening roar that had Filch at the end of the head table glairing at them.
"And now the most important thing of all. Enjoy."
With that he sat down and food appeared on the tables. The volume picked up as the students eagerly caught up with their fellow classmates, sharing tales of the summer.
But at the head table there were reunions of a different sort going on.
A space had been made at the Headmaster's right, and in what was typically Professor McGonagall's seat was a young, perky blonde woman who smiled as she looked out on the students beginning their new year.
"So what's your bet this year Dumbledore?" she asked.
"My dear if I had to guess, I would have to say fifteen."
She snorted, "Are you joking? Please," she turned to the right and addressed the older woman sitting next to her, "What do you think, Minerva?"
"Hmm, a new year, the O'Connors have graduated, only a few of the first years look overly gullible…I'd have to say twelve."
"Oh, come on! Twelve? Is that it? Severus, you want in on this?"
The dark haired man on Dumbledore's left attempted to hide a grin under the pretense of wiping his mouth. It wouldn't do for the students to see him smiling the first day of term…or any day for that matter, "I try not to uselessly throw away good galleons, especially since you always seem to win."
"Aww, come on Severus, don't be such a spoil-sport. Let loose a little. And you never know, I might lose."
His only reply was a stern look that never reached his laughing eyes.
"Okay, okay. I'll win, but I have to have something to rub in your face by the end to the year," she cajoled. "How else am I gonna get my kicks?"
He sighed and conceded with a wave of his hand, "Eighteen."
"Yes! That's the spirit Severus!"
"And you, Buffy?" Dumbledore asked, "What is your wager for the term?"
She gave a sly smile, "Oh I'm bettin' twenty-two of those little rugrats make it my way before the year ends."
"So many?" the older woman questioned.
"Yep, more every year." Her face turned pensive, "You would think that the rumors would deter the kids, but they just seem to be drawn to the forbidden like moths to the flame."
Snape snorted from the other side of the Headmaster who was watching in amusement, "Therein lies the appeal." He paused in thought, "Which is one of the reasons we should never have taken that punishment off the lists."
"Oh give me a break!" She laughed and gave him a bemused look, "You're gonna sit there and tell me that you've actually let Filch hang students from the rafters by their toes?"
McGonagall chuckled under her breath at the question. It looked like her fellow professor was going to once again lose the battle to uphold his unapproachable demeanor to the blonde.
It had become a common occurrence.
Snape looked affronted and straightened his shoulders in righteous indignation, "That is completely beside the point. Now I have to think up new threats to keep them in place."
"Nah," Buffy inserted, "just do your billowy-cloud-of-death entrance and you'll have 'em right where you want 'em."
The professors within earshot laughed at her statement and turned to concentrate on the meal in front of them.
Buffy smiled, content in her decision to attend the beginning of the year feast. Dumbledore had been asking her to come for years, but something had always held her up, whether it was her own insecurities or demonic/magical trouble. However, this year was going to be different.
She sighed, the inactivity getting to her. She could only sit still at these shindigs for so long before she felt the need to move. She didn't even realize she was tapping her fork against her plate until McGonagall reached over to still her hand. Buffy looked down sheepishly and sat it down.
She nearly jumped out of her chair when she felt a small nudge against her leg. The place was really getting to her if she was shocked by something like that. She quickly glanced around at her companions to find the culprit but everyone was either talking with someone else or concentrating on their food.
As discretely as possible, she moved aside the heavy tablecloth to see what had bumped into her and blinked in surprise when she was faced with a small pink head with an elephant-like nose looking at her beseechingly.
"Hey Norbert," she whispered, trying not to draw the attention of the people on either side of her.
She smiled and covertly tossed a morsel of food to the tiny pink cross between a pig and elephant which she had playfully named several months ago.
He seemed to really like her.
He rested his chin on her knee with his trunk laying across her thigh and opened his black eyes wider, the begging expression one she couldn't ignore. "Aww, here you go." She held out the rest of her potato which he dexterously took from her hand with his trunk before buzzing at her in appreciation and ambling away.
"You know," a voice at her shoulder said, making her jump, "I think he likes you."
"Dumbledore," she hissed under her breath, "don't do that."
His eyes twinkled merrily, "You seemed quite engaged with our resident Flop'kilops."
"But he's so cute. How can anyone resist a face like that?"
Dumbledore pointed a narrow finger down the table where Professor Flitwick had squeaked and fallen out of his chair, cursing the animal under his breath.
She laughed at the display and watched as the extremely short professor climbed back into his chair after shooing the creature away.
She caught Dumbledore's eyes and saw that he too was trying not to laugh. "And Buffy… 'Norbert?'" he questioned.
"He looks like a Norbert to me," she defended.
"I do not think anyone has thought to name him. We have been remiss in our duties." He smiled, "Norbert it is."
He laughed again and was soon engaged in a discussion with Snape, leaving her to entertain herself.
Buffy concentrated on her plate but pushed her senses outward and let the noise rise around her, listening to the different conversations at the house tables.
"…ad wouldn't let me go."
"Too bad, we had a blast."
"Marks weren't high enough…"
"No way! That didn't happen, you're lying."
"I'm completely serious. Talk to Sam, she's a seventh year, Sean graduated last year."
"…haunted…"
"…kinda disappointed."
"Because the last castle/school that you went to was so much cooler?"
"Why are people glairing at us?"
"We're Slytherin. We are above them"
"Why?"
"We…"
I guess that's what nurture over nature looks like, she thought to herself.
"…commonly known fact."
"Anyone else freaked out by a hat telling us what to do?"
"No."
"…the poltergeist you need to watch out for."
It was the conversation of a seventh year red head trying to impress a girl that truly caught her attention. The brunette had mentioned how adorable two of the first years were and her companion had decided it was her duty to warn her away.
"They only look innocent. Don't let the wide eyes fool you. Behind those childlike expressions lay deviant minds hard at work on how to create the most chaos with the least amount of work, not that they mind putting forth the effort. Those little buggers have it down to an art."
"I don't believe you. None of your other brothers are 'deviant,' heck just look at Percy."
The boy mockingly hung his head in shame, "I know. There is…no excuse for Percy."
She giggled and scooted closer, "There's one in every family. But hey, how did your parents take you getting Head Boy."
"They were thrilled. So proud they got me these new robes."
He extended an arm to display the black robes and she took the opportunity to reach out and run her fingers up and down the length of his arm…just to feel them, "And they look so nice on you…"
Buffy rolled her eyes and stopped listening the last thing she needed was to hear corny pick-up lines from hormonally driven teenagers. And could they get any more obvious.
Her gaze wondered down to the other end of the Gryffindor table and she spotted the two he had to have been talking about. First year twins. And from the look of it, she would have to agree with the boy. Those two had the look in their eyes that was a loud and clear signal to teachers. Trouble makers on the premises. It was all in the eyes…and the overly innocent expressions. They needed to tone it down to be truly effective.
She'd be seeing them soon.
She leaned over to McGonagall and whispered, "Is it just me or does there seem to be an overabundance of red-heads at the Gryffindor table?"
"Oh no, those are the Weasleys. Not even all of them." She glanced over at her friend, "Why do you ask?"
"No reason, but three of them will make it to my place before the end of the year…the twins twice."
McGonagall snorted into her glass, "How are you so sure about these things?"
"What can I say?" She shrugged, "It's a gift."
The conversations continued around them, but no one ever connected the small blonde with the rumored evil in the cottage.
Tbc…
