Chapter 28 - Job Vacancies
The tears subsided eventually and I was able to explain everything to him. He didn't seem as appalled as I was when I came to what Dad had said about him, he only seemed mildly surprised really. He was angry at the fact Dad wanted to keep me away from my friends. He thought it would feel like if someone had tried to make him stay away from his Marauder friends while in Hogwarts. I asked Uncle Moony to stay at his over the summer, it was quite late by this time and I was exhausted so I quickly sent owls to Harry, Ron and Hermione telling them the abridged version of what happened and that I was now staying at my Uncle Remus' and to send Owl's here. I sent another to my mum congratulating her again on the baby and telling mum how Uncle Moony had congratulated her as well and went on to tell her I would be staying here for the foreseeable future. The final letter I sent was a note to Professor Dumbledore telling him I was staying with Remus Lupin and if he could send an Owl here with my equipment list instead of my house. I slept like a baby that night, completely knackered.
The first morning, waking up outside of Hogwarts is always weird especially waking up in a house that's not Lupin had a relatively small 3 bedroomed bungalow. A lounge with the large fireplace and a kitchen/dining room were at the front of the house while at the back was the master bedroom and bathroom, the attic had been split in half and made into two bedrooms, one was completely mine since last year and the other was a spare room that was mainly empty and had a steel bolted door with no windows and was where Moony changed during his time of the month. There was a large garden outback where Moony grew vegetables. His house was a definite bachelor pad and I would definitely change that. That particular morning I was woken with two, loudly hooting, owls. One was Starryce, meaning a reply from my Mum and the other, and deep black owl that looked very similar to Harry's owl Hedwig that I didn't recognise. I picked up mum's letter first, I unrolled the parchment and the spare vault key fell out.
Aurora,
I know you're angry but your father and I only want to protect you, I understand how this might upset you and as to what your father said about Remus, I was as upset about that as you was, he slept on the sofa last night. Thank him for me also. Use the vault key to buy the stuff you need for school when you receive your list and no flying a car to Hogwarts, use the express like everyone else. Come home when you can, baby girl, and be good for your Uncle Remus. I love you.
Mum.
The letter made me smile, I picked the key up and placed it on the bedside cabinet. I pulled the second letter away from the stranger owl. I smiled brightly when I realised you it was from and to say I was shocked was an understatement.
Miss Aurora-Shaw Hyde,
I hope you are receiving this well, my dear, I am writing to ask if you would visit me at my shop today. Last year, I remember you enquired about a job and this summer, my usual shop hand has decided to open his own wand shop in Ireland. So, there is an opening for you.
I hope to see you soon.
Mr. G. Olivander.
I squealed in happiness before throwing on my dressing gown and climbing down the stairs to see Uncle Moony cooking eggs, sunny side up, in the kitchen.
"You're up early. It's Saturday." He commented when he saw me.
"I've got a job, Moony." I grinned at him.
"You're 12 years old, how can you have a job Ash?" He asked me.
"I'm 13 next Sunday and Ollivander's offered me a shop hand job, I think. He's asked me to go to his shop today. I'm gonna go after breakfast, if that's alright." I replied.
"It's fine with me, Nine Lives. We've got Professor Dumbledore around this evening, I received a letter this morning." Moony told me.
"Do you know why?" I asked him curious.
"Not a clue." He grinned at me.
"Do you need anything from Diagon Alley?" I grinned back while Uncle Moony put a plate of egg's and toast in front of me. "Thanks."
"I'll send an owl to Tom at the Leaky Cauldron and tell him I want a bottle of sherry and you're picking it up. Dumbledore likes his Sherry." He explained. I nodded with my mouth full and made my way through breakfast. I finished and went upstairs to get dressed before I left for Diagon Alley, arriving at the Leaky Cauldron where I got the sherry first before going to Ollivanders. The bell rung when I opened the door and I walked to the desk.
"Mr. Olivander?" I called out. I heard the ladder connected to the many shelves on the wall slide towards me with Olivander on it.
"Aurora!" He smiled at me. "That was quick."
"I'm an eager beaver, Mr. Olivander." I replied grinning.
"Oh, that won't do at all. You can call me Olivander or even Vander if you wish. Now, down to business. Do you still want the job?" He asked me.
"Yes." I replied immediately.
"Can you start Monday?" He asked me.
"Yes." I repeated.
"It's six Galleons a day. We open at 10 and close at 5, Monday to Friday. Is this okay?" He continued.
"Yes." I repeated once again.
"I might also teach you some wand lore." He added in.
"Really? That's be awesome." I grinned at him. He chuckled.
"Thank you." He smiled as the bell rung behind announcing customers. "I'll see you Monday."
"See you Monday, Vander." I smiled leaving the shop. I strolled up the street smiling to myself, popping into Eeylops Owl Emporium for some treats for my owl. I left the shop to hear a loud cheer. I turned to look down the street, as did many others, to see Arthur Weasley cheering outside the Ministry of Magic. I walked towards him as he ran. "Arthur?" I asked.
"Ash!" He shouted grinning. "I WON!"
"What have you won, Arthur?" I asked him, he joy infectious.
"I've won 700 Galleons!" He cried.
"That's brilliant, Arthur!" I grinned at him.
"Join me for a celebratory drink, Ash. Butterbeer for you, a pint of mead for me." He offered.
"I will do. Thanks, Arthur." I smiled at him.
"Come along." He ordered and dragged me into the Leaky Cauldron and sat me in a booth while he got our drinks and returned minutes later.
"So what are you gonna do with all that money?" I asked him.
"I don't know. It's probably up to Molly anyway." He replied grinning. "What are you doing around here?"
"I've got a summer job at Ollivanders starting Monday." I told him grinning.
"That's great." He smiled. "How are your folks?"
"My mum's pregnant again and my dad's a jackass." I sighed.
"Well, congratulate her for me when you see her." He smiled while I finished my butterbeer.
"I will do. I'm living with my uncle at the moment. My dad tried to force me to not be friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione because I keep ending up in the Hospital Wing. Like it's their fault." I explained. Arthur looked appalled. "We have Professor Dumbledore over this evening, I'm not sure why. But we've bought the sherry for him."
"Ah yes, he does enjoy his tipple of sherry." Arthur replied smiling.
"Congrats again. Let me know what you're doing with it. I'm all interested." I grinned at him while standing up.
"Have a good day, Ash." He said.
"G'bye Arthur." I replied and walked to the fireplace, going home.
-.-
The day passed quickly, me and Uncle Moony cleaning the house even though Professor Dumbledore probably wouldn't be here long but that house needed a good clean. Me and Remus also baked some cakes, just for fun. Neither of us were very good at baking buns. Or anything for that matter but I was sure Dumbledore wouldn't say anything about them, he'd probably tried one of Hagrid's rock cakes and ours had to be as good as them. Dumbledore arrived at 8pm sharp in a long pale purple robe and his long white beard looking as long as ever.
"Good evening Remus, Ash. How are you?" He said smiling when Moony opened the door.
"Good evening, Professor." I replied.
"Good evening, Albus. Come in, come in." Uncle Moony said opening the door wider inviting him in.
"Well, isn't this a nice spread." Dumbledore commented looking at the buns we had placed on the coffee table.
"We decided to get creative." I grinned.
"It's not often that I get visitors." Uncle Moony added wryly.
"Stop making him uncomfortable, Uncle Remus." I chastised him. "Sherry, Professor?"
"Yes, please." He replied so I poured him a glass. "Thank you. Now. Down to business. As I am sure you know, from what Ash has told you, is we are in need of another teacher. A Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Remus." Uncle Moony just about choked on his cup of tea. "It seems that since a certain amount of 4 students came to Hogwarts, the teachers of that subject seem to last no more than a year..."
"One died because Voldemort was on the back of his head and the other was a fake who lost him memory while trying to rid me of my memories." I muttered under my breath making Dumbledore chuckle.
"Yes, well, I'm sure if this year, I hire someone who is a relative to one of the four that likes to rid me of my teachers, then they would move onto another subject." Dumbledore continued.
"Potions, maybe." I grinned.
"Albus?" Moony said with a look of complete shock on his face.
"Remus, you have a qualification in teaching..." Dumbledore restarted but was interrupted.
"That you made me do." Uncle Moony interrupted. I hit him with the newspaper from the coffee table.
"Thank you, Ash. You were the best at Defence Against the Dark Arts of you year so I would officially like to offer you the post of Professor of Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts." He finished quite dramatically.
"But I am a werewolf." Moony stated desperately.
"Yes. And that is why we had the whomping willow put where it is for your transformations and I assure you I could give you one or two days during the month..." Dumbledore replied before I interrupted.
"And I'll be there during those months to help you." I stated grinning. I was loving the idea of having him at Hogwarts all year round. He would be saying yes as far as I was concerned and I bet he knew it already. Uncle Moony then hit me with the newspaper I had hit him with.
"Thank you, Remus however I agree with Ash. I could give her the one day off a month also so it won't impose on her school work. And instead of you having to make the potion yourself, we could provide you with one from our own Professor Snape." Dumbledore continued.
"I'm not sure Severus would agree to help me, Albus." Uncle Moony replied wryly.
"Nonsense. He does as he is told on matters like these." Dumbledore chuckled in reply making me laugh. Snape was Dumbledore's bitch. I knew it. "Now, of course you don't have to decide now. I'll let you sleep on it and owl me with your decision by the end of the week." He smiled brightly at us while picking up one of the buns we had made.
"Yes, of course, Albus." Moony replied.
"I'm afraid I must dash but thank you for the pleasant evening. I look forward to seeing you both in September." Dumbledore smiled with a twinkle in his eye. He knew I would make Moony take the position too. "Enjoy the summer, Ash. Good bye."
"Good bye, Albus." Uncle Moony said while walking over to the door with Dumbledore to let Dumbledore leave.
"Good bye, Professor." I called from my seat. He smiled brightly at me before apparating off. Moony came back in and plopped himself on the sofa next to me. I leaned forward and grabbed us a bun each before passing one to him while he sighed. "You're taking the job, you do realise that." I grinned at him.
"I'm going to take a long think, write up a list of pros and cons and I'll make an informed decision." Uncle Moony replied. I burst out laughing, spraying bits of bun everywhere. "Ash! That's gross! I only cleaned up today."
"We cleaned up today" I corrected him.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He grinned at me so I hit him with the newspaper. He then hit me with a pillow which then started a pillow fight. "Goodness, look at the time! Come on, Aurora. Off to bed with you. I need a fairly early night, I've got the change tomorrow."
"But Moony..." I whined.
"No buts. Bed missy." He grinned at me while I pouted. He laughed at me before hugging me and sending me up to bed.