Chapter Four
"I am happy you contacted me my dear, I had lost track of what your mother had done with herself. I`m sad to admit I never knew you existed until you contacted me" Minerva McGonnagall said to her great niece.
"I`m sure no one knew I existed, I gathered that her choice of marrying my father made her father banish her from the family" Jen explained before sipping the tea her great Aunt had provided.
Minerva smiled a sad little smile "my brother was rather fond of banishing people; he tried doing it to me when father died. I gave him an earful and liberated myself, I wasn`t going to let any man decide whom I should or shouldn`t marry. I should have kept in touch, but I got too busy. But my dear girl, you surely didn`t come all the way to Scotland just to visit your great Aunt"
Jen hadn`t really expected such a stern and obviously smart old woman; she discarded all thoughts of trying to bluff. "I admit I had another agenda great Aunt." She managed before the other woman broke in "just call me Aunt, or Minerva. All this great Aunt business makes me feel old."
"Yes Aunt Minerva, as I was saying I had thought to ask your assistance, or more correctly your advice. I am planning to try to get work here in the country, and I thought you might know of any schools or businesses that could have use for a potions master. I have some experience in healing and defence too and I had thought to take a mastery in healing or defence, but I have to work up some cash first."
Minerva seemed flabbergasted for a minute before collapsing into helpless laughter; it took some time before she could make sense again. "One would think this was too much of a coincidence, but surely Albus would not look a gift horse in the mouth" said Minerva while moving to the fireplace, she cast a bit of floo powder in it called out "Headmasters office" and stuck her head in.
Jen felt a bit floored, Clara hadn`t told her how she was sure that Jen would be hired on the spot. Jen herself had some serious worries about that, she knew that Hogwarts employed one of the best Potions masters ever and surely she couldn`t compete with Severus Snape of all people.
After Minerva withdrew from the floo, the Headmaster himself appeared within a minute. Jen stood up to greet him feeling a bit unsure. This was the great Albus Dumbledore after all, rumour said even Voldemort was afraid of this man.
Twinkling benignly the Headmaster said merrily "It seems we have had some luck here all of us, we are in dire need of a replacement potions master and you are in need of a job as a potions master. It is very lucky indeed that you came; I had despaired of getting a replacement for the original professor in time for the new semester. The only other potions master that could have filled the job isn`t available until later this year.
"You mean that you are replacing the best potions master in this century with me?" Jen asked feeling breathless.
"I must tell Severus that you described him thus, it will surely cheer him somewhat. And whether you can replace him depends on your credentials, If I may see them?" answered the headmaster.
Jen took out the file with her credentials from her small purse, feeling glad that they were quite good. Of course she was no Severus Snape, but judging by what was happening now even Snape might no longer be such an extraordinary potions master. As the Headmaster scanned her credentials he smiled in a satisfied manner and said "this is indeed in order miss Reiks, welcome to Hogwarts. As there is a short time to the next year I hope you will agree to work with Professor Snape, so we can be sure that you will be ready for the school year. I must warn you that he is not a very pleasant man to work with at the time, but I will endeavour to keep him in check."
Forgetting her manners entirely Jen burst out "are you mad? Working with Severus Snape is the dream of all potioneers I have ever met. This is a privilege however unpleasant the man can be."
