Hogwarts University

by Zarra Rous Terria & Miss Vesdemort

Disclaimerus: see Prelude.

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Chapter One – The Replacement Professor

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August 23 – dawn

            "Alendi Dragnon, Britholden House, Hogwarts University."

            Yawning, a young-looking woman rolled out of bed, running a hand through her long auburn hair, her hazel eyes bleary. Staring out the bay window across from her bed, she grumbled, "No one should have to get up this early, especially me." Picking up her wand from the floor, she gave it a quick swish, shutting the curtains, once again letting the room fall into darkness. "Oh well, at least the girls are getting back this afternoon. Hmmm… and I need to remember to tell that stupid sorting hat of Professor Dumbledore's not to try to put more than three girls in my house again. I swear that thing knows that only twelve girls are allowed into this house at any given time. That thing does it to annoy me."

            "Of course it does Alendi."

            "It does, it really does. I just know..." Stopping her rant, Alendi tapped her wand against her cheek, before turning. "How'd you get in here?"

            "Floo."

            Rolling her eyes Alendi sighed, "But you hate Floo."

            "I know." Severus Snape was not a happy wizard, by any means of the word. He had been woken very early this morning and told to report to the University at once, so that he could take over the Potions teaching position, since the former professor had somehow managed to get herself into a coma. "You're just lucky that I remembered where you lived."

            "What are you doing here? You never talk to your friends from school, let alone visit any of them."

            Severus frowned at Alendi. He didn't like the fact that she was right, but he wasn't going to feel bad about not keeping up with her. "It seems that Tamara Sabet, your Potions professor somehow managed to her herself blown up and I'm here to replace her until she gets out of St. Mungo's."

            "Really?" Alendi said sarcastically, hardly surprised by this revelation. She sighed, as she placed her wand down on her bed, and gathered up the pieces of her robes from the day before. "Well at least there is one thing… you haven't changed since we were all at Hogwarts," when he raised an eyebrow she continued, a mischievous smile gracing her features as she shrugged into her blood red robes, "Unlike how you saw Lily, you still don't see me as a woman."

            Severus looked at her in confusion, before blushing when he realized that she had been walking around naked the entire time he had been there. Turning around he stared blankly at a wizard picture of James, Lily, Alendi, and himself in Quidditch robes, his eyes starting to water as he held back tears. The picture had been taken during a time when they were all happy together at Hogwarts. In the picture Severus and Alendi looked upset, both scowling, and James and Lily were laughing. James was holding the Golden Snitch, arms around Alendi, and Lily hugging Severus. The picture had been taken at the last game between Slytherin and Gryffindor in their 6th year at Hogwarts. Long before they had ever imagined the circumstances that lead to he and Alendi becoming students at Hogwarts University and James and Lily marrying and producing Harry.

            Wrapping her arms around his chest, Alendi buried her face into his back. "I'm sorry Sev. I shouldn't have done that. I never meant to bring her up."

            Severus sighed and placed a hand over hers on his chest. "We would have brought them up at some point anyways."

            "I miss them so much sometimes Sev."

            "I know, so do I. Every one thinks that I hate them though."

            "But James was your best friend..."

            "...who married my girlfriend."

            Alendi pulled away from him. "Add the house thing in and... I can see why they'd take it that way. But we know the truth though."

            "Do you know how much it hurt the first time I saw Potter at Hogwarts? Everyone thinks I hate him, but I don't. I don't."

            Alendi's nose scrunched up as she thought about the-boy-who-lived. "I know the feeling. The first time I saw his picture... and when I visited Hogwarts last year..." She picked up a pillow and threw it against a wall knocking down a painting of Paris in spring. "Damn him. And damn her for hurting you." Alendi moved to her desk, where she gently picked up a delicate glass witch's hat cradling it in her hands as she allowed the tears to start flowing.

            Severus had turned and watched her as she started to cry softly. After a short internal debate, he awkwardly wrapped his arms around his old friend, comforting her as she had done many times before for him. "I can't hate Potter. He's too much like Lily." Feeling her start to calm, he kept talking softly. "The reason I treat him so badly is because it hurts to see her eyes in James' face and to know that he should have been mine."

            "Or mine."

            Severus smiled when he heard her soft words. "Or yours. I've tried to see him as yours instead of hers, because it makes the betrayal bearable. Problem is, he's too much like Lily for that to work for very long."

            "I try not to think about it at all."

            "That doesn't work either, does it?"

            "Unfortunately not." Alendi turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his chest, her head resting on his shoulder. "What ever happened to us Sev? We used to be so strong. We could do anything."

            Severus sighed and tightened his hold on his friend from school. "Life happened."

            "It does do that, don't it?"

            "Unfortunately for us, it does." Severus pulled away from her, "And you need to answer your Floo."

            "What?" Alendi stared at him blankly for a moment, startled at the sudden change of topic.

            "Professor Dragnon."

            Alendi looked at the fire in the fireplace. Floating among the flames was the image of a middle-aged witch's head, her mouth pinched into a tiny line. "Professor McGaver. Good morning."

            "Good morning. I see you have been plying your trade on our errant Potions professor."

            "I've found him if that's what you meant ma'am. Severus is an old friend of mine from school. We were just catching up on what we've missed since we spoke last."

            "Very well then. Once you are both ready bring him to the Great Hall. Some of the upper-classmen have already arrived and would like to meet the new professor."

            "We'll be there shortly."

            Professor McGaver's face vanished without warning.

            "That old harpy. I wish she'd just..."

            The sheer malice in Alendi's voice startled Severus, "Alendi!"

            Alendi looked at him guiltily, "I guess we need to get to the Great Hall then."

            Severus nodded, watching the fire as Alendi placed the figurine back on her desk before throwing off the wrinkled robes and put on a clean set. When she was ready she walked past him and whisked out the fire. Her robes were Gryffindor red and Ravenclaw blue, both it and the matching dress beneath shining in the low light.

            "Come on." She opened the door to her room and waited for him to move past her, before she turned and whispered a spell to lock her door. Alendi led Severus towards the stairs, pointing out where each of the girls' rooms were. "This is the upstairs common room. My door faces north. The two doors facing west are two of the girls' rooms. The far door leads to the fourth year's room, and the door in between ours is the third year's room." Leading him down the stairs she continued her commentary, at the bottom of the stairs pointing across the common room. "The second year's and the first year's rooms are the two doors closest to the stairs and the middle one, and the one farthest from the stairs is the prefect's room. We don't speak of that though." She waved to the room around them.  "And this is the common room."

            The room they were in had plush chairs and sofa, a large fireplace flanked by windows, small tables with lamps and knickknacks scattered around the room, a large conference table with seating for fourteen, paintings of the former Heads of House on the walls, as well as the Britholden House crest over the fireplace. Everything was done in shades of purple and silver, the tables in a dark mahogany, the chairs in purple velvet. The paintings were currently empty, save one, where all of the women were gathered, having morning tea and gossiping.

            "Colorful."

            Alendi smiled at the sarcasm evident in the word. "Very Slytherin, were it not for the color scheme and the fact that all of the Heads of House have been and currently are female."

            "Indeed."

            Alendi laughed softly. "Come on, let's get out of here and get some breakfast." Pushing Severus out the front doors, she turned and whispered the new password to the rabbit head doorknocker. Pointing to a willow tree about 30 meters away from the door she said, "We can apparate to the Great Hall from there."

            "How far away are we from the Great Hall?"

            Alendi pointed to a group of buildings behind the house. "About a half-kilo away."

            "So why don't we just walk there?"

            "Because this is easier and takes less time." She held out her hand to him. "Take my hand and I'll lead you there. Because as I'm sure you don't remember, only professors are allowed to apparate around campus and you aren't an official professor here yet, and won't be until Dean Palmerdore speaks with you."

            Scowling Severus grabbed the arm of her robe and glared at her.

            "Alright I'm sorry about that crack, but you must admit you deserved that," when she received no answer, she shrugged and apparated them to the Great Hall.

            The first person to notice their arrival was a certain blond haired professor, who neither of them particularly liked.

            "Good morning Professor Dragnon and hello again Professor Snape. I never thought I'd see your unpleasant face ever again, especially after the unlucky occurrences at Hogwarts."

            "Lockhart. I never thought I'd have to stomach your existence ever again. What on earth are you doing here? Why aren't you still at St. Mungo's?"

            "Oh they fixed the whole obliviation thing right up. So now I'm right as rain, and I am the Professor of Educational Studies here this term. I get to be the Head of Piagera House too. Such a glorious and prestigious position for someone such as myself, it will even farther my career and bring my teaching methods to a greater audience and I'll get even more fan girls." Lockhart sighed happily and drifted off into his own little fantasy world as Severus and Alendi walked away from him.

            "He is entirely too self-centered for his own good."

            "For the students good more likely. He got into more messes as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, than anyone before or since his short little stint there."

            "That bad, huh?"

            "He let a group of pixies out in a second year class and had to get a student to put them back for him."

            Alendi gaped at Severus, "You mean my girls weren't just making that up?"

            "No. Most of it's true I assure you."

            "What idiot decided to hire him here then, with that kind of record?"

            "This idiot Miss Dragnon."

            Alendi turned to see Assistant Dean Eleanor McGaver standing next to her with a scowl on her face. "Professor McGaver. I didn't see you there."

            "Obviously not." Professor McGaver was not what one would call pretty, her mouth held a pinched look and she eyes were in a perpetual glare. "Professor Snape, Dean Palmerdore would like to speak with you."

            Severus nodded, and pushed Alendi into movement. Leaning down he whispered in her ear, "What is with her?"

            "She's just always been like that. The kids call her 'McGaver the Cadaver' when she isn't around."

            "I can see why."

            Alendi led him to the head table. Stopping before a middle-aged wizard reminiscent of a young Dumbledore, she cleared her throat. "Professor Palmerdore, Professor Snape is here to talk to you."

            The Dean looked up from his morning copy of the Daily Prophet, his blue eyes smiling at them. He looked to be a very happy man, with messy light brown hair and a large smile. "Ah, good morning Severus. Albus told me he'd be sending you over this morning. We're very happy that you decided to come teach here at your alma mater. We love it when our students return to teach here. As a matter of fact nearly every professor here was a student within these walls at one time or another. It's good for the students to know that their professors when through the same things they do as a student. We won't be giving you a house to look over, they've already been assigned, but you can still help out our dear Alendi here with her group. Rambunctious ones those Britholden girls, but I suppose that is why they are the sister house of Slytherin after all. After breakfast we'll see about accommodations for you and getting you worked into the apparating wards as a professor here. Shouldn't take too long though, so why don't you both enjoy your breakfasts, and get to know a few of the girls who are already here. I'll make sure that you get a copy of the schedules and syllabi before noon. And I'm sure Alendi wants to talk to the Sorting Hat first though, but that can wait until this afternoon after Albus sends it over with Minerva."

            "Alright I'll wait Seren, but I still need to talk to that blasted hat."

            "Breakfast first Alendi."

            "Fine." Alendi walked around the table and sat at the end, Severus following and sitting next to her.

            "He reminds me of Albus."

            "Scary isn't it." Alendi sighed. "It's too damned weird sometimes." Alendi picked up her spoon. "Oh well, at least he's letting me get a chance at the hat though. That's something at least."

            Severus gave no reply as he was starting to eat and had tuned her out, as was his unconscious habit during meals.

            Looking to her left Alendi noticed with a scowl that Severus had already begun and was ignoring her. "Fine, tune me out, see if I care. Not like you've talked to me in the last ten years. No you're too busy being a Potions Master for something so trivial as keeping up with your friends from school. See if I let you stay with me."

            Looking up at Alendi, Severus arched an eyebrow. "Live with you?"

            "Well you'll need someplace to stay right, so I thought I'd let you stay with me, I mean the only alternative is one of the dungeons in the main castle complex, but no one uses those rooms, except for Potions and storage."

            "Sounds perfect."

            "What? Why?"

            "No neighbors or students to bother me."

            Alendi glared at him. "You are so repressed, you know that right?"

            Severus glared at her.

            Alendi rolled her eyes after he went back to eating and once again tuning her out. "Dumbass."

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