AN; Alright, this chapter is a little short as well but all of the teachers make an appearance here. All of the characters are from Disney or DreamWorks so I don't own any of them. Try and guess who everyone is.
As they walked along the third floor hallway, they could see the glow of a lantern around the corner. Knowing that they would be in trouble if they were caught, not to mention it would give Ashley another excuse to blame Slytherins somehow. Gasping quietly, the two girls looked at each other with wide eyes then dived into an open classroom just off to the side. They slowly closed the door, not all the way so they didn't make any noise. Looking through the small crack, Merida watched as the sliver of hallway became brighter and brighter. She saw the small caretaker slowly amble by, pausing near the room they were hiding in. His bushy eyebrows furrowed as he looked around. The redhead held her breath as he remained still, trying to listen for a sound. After what felt like eternity, he heaved a sigh and continued on his way.
The girls waited for a few more moments as the hallway slowly became darker. Merida slowly opened the door and peered around as the last few gleams of light disappeared down a small hallway, almost invisible with how small it was. Waiting a few more moments in case he came back, the girls watched. Merida crept closer, trying to see where he had vanished when they heard hushed voices echoing off the stone walls. She moved slowly, tiptoeing closer to the door that stood at the end of the row of stone. Astrid remained close by, the two moving as one closer to the faint glow.
Inside the room stood most of the staff. The headmaster stood by the fireplace, one arm resting on the stone mantle. Professor Toothia also stood, never staying still for more than a moment. Professor Terr, Professor Towers and Professor Dreems all sat in tall backed wooden chairs, the former appearing to nod off before startling himself awake. Professor Bunnnymund stood on the other end of the mantle, his back resting on the cool grey while Professor Joy stood next to him, for once without her trademark grin.
There were several teachers Merida didn't recognize, having only seen them at the banquet. There was a blond man wearing a pale blue robe, his hair standing almost straight up from his head. Two more wizards were seated, one with white and brown hair in a light brown robe while the other had incredibly pale skin, straw colored hair and a dark green robe. Finally, a pale wizard in a white robe stood silently off to the side. The caretaker, a weak wizard called Weaslton, was apparently the last to arrive, the headmaster addressing those assembled.
"Thank everyone for meeting. We need to discuss the event predicted by the sorting hat." He began, his black belt visibly expanding as he took a deep breath. Almost everyone appeared downcast, with the exception of two wizards. The white wizard remained blank, a tilt of his head the only indication he heard. Professor Black also reacted differently from his place in the back corner, his robe blending perfectly into the shadows created by the flames. Merida could see his shoulders tense up underneath his robe.
"Have you seen anything, any signs about what may occur." The headmaster directed his questions to the two witches seated nearby. Professor Towers was the first to speak, her shrill voice making Merida and Astrid wince.
"Nothing. Not in the crystal, not in my dreams." her arms flew up in the air dramatically, emphasizing her point. Professor Terr nodded in agreement. While she taught astronomy, planets and stars and their position in the sky, she was also known for her ability to see the future based on the planets alignment. It was rumored that she learned from the centaurs.
"What do ya think it could mean? Who are these guardians?" Professor Bunnymund asked, never moving from his position. Headmaster heaved another sigh, running his thick fingers through his white beard.
"I don't know. I tried asking the previous headmasters but all I got out of them were more riddles. Most didn't know anything but the earlier headmasters looked surprised. Dumbledore was the only one to say anything but even then all he said was that Hogwarts would become one."
"We should try to figure out who the guardians are. There must be some way to tell." Professor Toothia said, Professor Joy nodding vigorously in agreement.
"There isn't much to go on. All we know right now is that there are four of them, one from each house, and that two are witches and two are wizards." The wizard with white and brown hair said.
"Don't forget, they are most likely first years. After all, this is the first year the sorting hat mentioned anything like this." The wizard with ridiculous hair stated excitedly, acting as though this was a puzzle for him to figure out.
"I will try to figure out a way to determine who these guardians are. In the meantime, I want all of you to keep an eye out for who they could be." Headmaster Claus said, looking around the room to each wizard and witch in turn. Merida sensed they were finishing their discus with a small gasp, motioning Astrid to back up from her position. The blond girl scrambled from off the redheads back where she had been leaning. Together they quietly scurried back down the hallway and hid in the same classroom as earlier as a bright glow came from behind them. Through the small crack, Merida watched the professors go in their own directions, wands lit. She held her breath when Professor Black stopped, turning in the general direction the two girls were hiding. He only moved when the wizard in white came ambling out, stopping to speak with the wizard in black.
"You should get some sleep. Sleep is required to function correctly." he said, almost robotically. Professor Black gave one last glance down the dark hallway, then gave a stiff nod and continued on his way. They waited a few more moments in case someone came back before letting out the breath neither knew they were holding.
With that, the girls headed back to their own common room. Merida hesitated to say the password at the entrance to the Gryffindor tower. All eyes were on the two girls as they entered, though no one stopped them. Ashley was off to one side, glaring at them but saying nothing. They hurried up the stairs, falling to sleep quickly.