September 1 (Continued)
The image of Mickey smiling and waving warmed Harriette's heart, not to mention other parts of her. It could also have been the bright green flames as she swirled into the vortex of the floo network, but reminiscing on their encounter only moments ago made her legs feel like they were made of jelly. Perhaps her brain was as well. A romp in the sheets with a complete stranger was definitely out of her character. How could she be so reckless? Furthermore, how could she like it so much, and want to do it again? That barkeeper's devilish charm brought out a new side to her that she wasn't even aware of, that's for sure.
She stepped out of the dirty fireplace and onto the sticky wooden floors of the Three Broomsticks. The stale smell of firewhiskey and butterbeer filled the room as the quiet groups here and there sipped their beverages and kept to themselves. Madame Rosmerta managed a quick "hello" as she hustled by to serve a floating platter of bar food that trailed after her. Harriette continued into the bar but on her way to the door, a forgotten copy of the Daily Prophet caught her eye.
There on the cover stood Arthur Weasley next to an impressive statue of Kingsley Shacklebolt. The ginger man smiled and waved at the cameras as they flashed all around him. The heartwrenching headline made her jaw nearly hit the floor.
"Minister of Magic Commemorates Honorable Wizard with Statue"
It was unfathomable that in just over ten years Mr. Weasley went from a lowly worker in the Muggle department to Minister of Magic! Someone must have put an end to all the corruption and scandals behind the Wizengamot and other scheming piles of hippogriff dung at the ministry.
The statue of Kingsley was remarkable, though. Mr. Weasely had it standing in the middle of the Ministry of Magic lobby. News of his demise brought tears to her eyes. The image of Bellatrix killing him in her dream seemed all too real now. Could it possibly be true? Not wanting to dawdle on questions that couldn't be answered right then, she dropped the newspaper back onto the table where she found it and continued on her way out of the dingy pub. As she pushed the door open, the light from outside illuminated a hooded figure in the dark corner that she didn't notice before. Smoke from the individual's ornate pipe billowed around them, dancing in the stream of sunlight shining through the door. A shiver down her spine caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand and she brushed it off as pushed through the heavy door.
Harriette stepped out of Rosmerta's and into the warmth of Hogsmeade. She had spent a good portion of her morning distracted by a certain charming barkeeper and she needed to make the most of her remaining time before the feast at Hogwarts, especially after seeing the creepy person in the Three Broomsticks. Looking around she noticed all of her favorite shops still up and running. The potions shop, bookstore, and the small branch of Gringotts Wizarding Bank there in the village were calling to her. She had to complete various errands before she could go to Hogwarts, including setting up an account with Gringotts under her new name. She couldn't go to the main office of the bank in Diagon Alley because of the Thief's Downfall; a waterfall that would wash away any spells or enchantments that were placed on her. She couldn't risk anyone knowing her true identity.
The dirt road crunched beneath Harriette's feet as she made her way to the Thestral stables. She had finished running her errands ages ago and had a little time to spare to browse several different village shops and she had spent most of it at the local bookstore. She came to a stop before a small rickety carriage that she once believed to be enchanted to drive. Since flying the invisible creatures that actually pulled the wagons, she knew better. A winged horse like something from a Lovecraft novel stood before her with his wings tucked back. To many, it seemed rather creepy, perhaps hideous, but Harriette loved all creatures and found the beast to be beautiful.
She clamored into the carriage and set her new books in the unoccupied seat as the Thestral began to pull her to the castle. She was happy to find two rather large tomes on ancient magical medicine and another book that had made her blush when the cashier scrutinized it at the checkout counter. Now that she had discovered herself as a woman, she wanted to explore her sexuality a little more so she picked up a romance novel titled Wicked Deeds by a witch named Kressa Colson.
The wheels on the wagon squeaked as she was carried down the road towards Hogwarts. The thestral turned the corner and to Harriette's surprise, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes stood where Zonko's joke shop used to. Perhaps the twins purchased Zonko's to build revenue closer to the school. She imagined that the students were how they made most of their money. There weren't too many adult wizards or witches interested in tricks and treats. She shrugged off the thought and turned back to the road in front of her, but as they passed the outskirts of town, out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a black figure dash behind the Shrieking Shack. How peculiar. She craned her neck to see better but there was nothing there. She spent the rest of the ride watching the abandoned house until it disappeared into the distance.
Harriette stood at the entryway to the infirmary in silence while soaking in the familiar view of the medical wing. Not a single thing in all her time away had changed. Her feet carried her absentmindedly into the room where she stopped just at the foot of one of the white beds. The metal of the footboard felt cool to the touch when she slowly wiped her hand along the bar of the bed. The cots lined the large rooms's brick walls with only small partitions and bedside tables to separate them and a chandelier hung from the high-peaked ceiling in the middle of the room. It swayed gently above her head like it had done so many times while she lay in a cot.
The number of times she and her best friends had been there were countless but she could admittedly laugh about two different reasons she had been there. On one occasion she had her teeth size adjusted. It was the silver lining to Draco Malfoy hexing her. Another instance could still make her feel a hairball in her throat if she thought about it too long. Her time at Hogwarts as a student was definity intense and Madame Pomfrey probably kept a few beds open for the Golden Trio; they practically lived in the infirmary.
At the back of the room was a single oak door. She had never been on the other side of it before but now it would be her office and bed chambers. Unless there were outbreaks of some weird illness or another, she would no doubt spend a lot of time there reading this and that. It was her favorite pastime after all. She would take advantage of her new books later but now it was time to unpack her belongings and make herself at home.
Excitement was an understatement. Not to mention the severe anxiety building in the pit of her stomach coupled with a hint of fear. Harriette was a ball of nerves sitting at the high table as students she had never seen before shuffled into the Great Hall. She was overjoyed to be seeing Naos soon but worried about which house he would be sorted into. Would he be a Gryffindor like his father, and herself? While she wasn't his biological mother, she had raised him from infancy. His upbringing having a Gryffindor mom should surely count for something. On the other hand, he had Slytherin blood in his veins. If he were to be in Slytherin, how would he cope? Harriette's worry and thoughts kept her from realizing that the High Table had also been filling with the Hogwarts staff. A gentle whisper next to her ear snapped her away from her concerns.
"Hello, you must be the new Matron of the castle." The familiar silky voice sent a whirlwind of emotions through her. She turned to see a golden haired, blue eye beauty sitting next to her. "I am-"
"Luna Lovegood." Harriette finished.
"Well," the girl chuckled. "Luna Longbottom for ages now." That was news she never expected. Luna and Neville? She couldn't think of a more perfect couple.
"I am Harriette Dahl. Pleased to meet you." She remembered the girl, well woman now, always being in a seemingly dream-like state. She could tell by the soft smile across her face that she still was.
"I had a dream over the summer that you were coming. I just know we will be good friends." Luna drawled.
"A dream?"
"I guess you could say it was a premonition." Divination wasn't something she ever believed in. She thought it was complete rubbish and a waste of time, but with the dreams of her own that she had been having, Harriette wasn't so sure anymore.
"Do you dabble in Divination, Luna?"
"You could say that. I am the Divination Professor."
"Oh, well that seems lovely." She truly meant it. Luna was probably a better seer than Professor Trelawney was. She could see Luna being great at Divination. She certainly was when they were younger. "Who are the rest of the staff?"
"Let's see, there is my husband, Neville, is the Herbology professor, Cho Chang is the Charms professor, then there is Hannah Abbott." The quirky woman pointed to each of the staff members at the table as she called them out. Harriette was surprised to see so many familiar faces taking over the education at Hogwarts. Most of them she grew up with. She was happy to see Hagrid still holding his position as Care of Magical Creatures professor not to mention the return of Horace Slughorn and Remus Lupin.
The students and staff quieted before Luna could tell her who sat in the empty seat next to her as the Headmistress stood before the podium to address the students. The scottish woman welcomed everyone and reminded them of the rules and regulations. The speech was pretty much the same as it had always been, the only difference being Minerva McGonagall instead of Albus Dumbledore. After she introduced Harriette as the new Matron of Hogwarts, the Headmistress finished her speech and the large double doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing Professor Slughorn and several tiny first year students trailing behind him. They walked to the stage where the High Table sat in two lines on either side of the Great Hall, stopping just short of the podium.
Slughorn struggled up the steps, obviously winded, and perhaps the tiniest bit tipsy, Harriette gathered. The large man stood by a wooden stool that had the Sorting Hat perched on top. He reached into his robes and pulled out a long scroll and began calling the names of the first years. She sat forward, listening intently, waiting for her son to be called. This was it, this is the moment they have been waiting for.
"Trent Boot!" A timid boy who had been holding the hand of a scared girl walked to the stool. The sorting hat didn't even rest on the boy's head for a second before shouting Hufflepuff. The girl who's hand he held was next. "Sally Boot!" His twin sister was placed in Ravenclaw. There was Mildred Crabbe in Slytherin and Mirabel Corner, another Ravenclaw. Finally, it was her son's turn.
"Naos Dahl!" She noticed all the students staring just as intently as she was. She was sure they were eager to see the new student from America. She remembered how her peers were when the Bulgarians and the French students from other schools came to Hogwarts during their fourth year. She admitted it was fascinating.
Naos walked onto the stage and gave a little wave in her direction. She beamed at him and he climbed onto the stool very confidently. He held his head high as Professor slughorn placed the hat on his head. She couldn't hear what the hat was saying, but it was evidently talking to her son. After a few very long minutes the hat finally shouted Gryffindor! The Gryffindor table erupted into applause and whistles. The triumph of having the American in their house surely boosted their egos.
Slughorn proceeded to call the other first years after Naos joined his new house. She was glad the hat had chosen Gryffindor but she had a feeling he wanted to place the boy in Slytherin. She would ask him later why it took so long to be sorted. For now she brought her attention back to the other students.
The next one to be called was Naos' new friend Andrew Goldstein. He was unfortunately placed in Ravenclaw, so they wouldn't be as close as she had hoped, but maybe they would remain friends. Next was Stella Longbottom in Hufflepuff. The house seemed perfect for the Longbottom's child. Edward Lupin was called after Stella. At this, Harriette perked up. It had been eleven years since she laid eyes on the boy. He was only a baby then, barely a month younger than Naos. The little man strolled up to the stool with bright blue hair. He apparently took after his mother with his eccentrics. The hat called out Hufflepuff and Teddy joined his table. She sighed, Maybe they will find each other and be friends. She could only hope. Lotus Malfoy was placed in Slytherin of course, and James Potter was placed in Gryffindor along with Violet Weasley. Lastly Imogen Zabini was called and the sorting hat placed her in Slytherin as well.
After Slughorn made his way to the High Table, McGonagall stood from her seat and with a wave of her hand, the feast appeared on the tables throughout the Great Hall. She watched Naos smiling and laughing while chatting with her old mate's children. The scene before her nearly made her tear up. She had never imagined this. Not in a million years, but there it was. She was almost too preoccupied to notice the scuffing of the empty chair next to her but it sounded loud enough to draw her attention. When she looked at the person now occupying the space next to her, all color drained from her face and she nearly fainted. There in all his glory was Sirius Black.