Ch. 34 Tardies and Surprises

As soon as Severus left the Great Hall, Tabatha looked down at her place setting in sadness. Coming back was a mistake how could she had let Dumbledore talk her into it. Severus would never understand her, he would never forgive her. Things would never be the same, and really maybe things were better this way. Looking up again Tabatha's eyes got distant as she stared off into nothingness, a glimmer of gold flashed though her irises as the echo of gunshot resounded in her mind.

"Mis…. Er.. I mean Professor Rewolf it's so good to see you again!" The bright voice brought Tabatha's mind back to the present, and back to the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Looking down she saw three very happy children, one boy with trademark red hair, a young lady with a bright smile, and finally the source of voice, a messy dark haired boy with glasses.

"Hello Harry, Hermione, Ron, how are you? How was your summer?" Tabatha smiled warmly down to the children as they went on about their summer, and some odd adventure the boys had a with a car and whopping willow, which Tabatha found out was the cause of the "howler" that was heard though out the Great Hall earlier.

"Oh I thought Snape was gonna burst when he found out we ain't got nothing but detention and letters home, you know that old bat wanted us expelled" Ron said with a hushed chuckle, but Tabatha eyes dulled a bit at Severus name, she was glad when the subject changed and again Harry was speaking to her.

"Oh Professor, guess what?" he quipped "Where all going to be in your Advanced Muggles course"

Tabatha's eyes lit up. "Oh that's wonderful!, now I haven't taught in sometime but I think I still have what it take to keep a classroom happy and learning!"

"You taught before?" Hermione piped in with her brow curiously furrowed.

"Seems that things have changed and I have a few surprises up my sleeve" Tabatha winked at the trio as she stood up. "Well then I will see you all in class this afternoon." And with that Tabatha walked towards the Great Halls main doors.

"I thought she didn't remember anything from before she came to Hogwarts." Hermione inquired as the three watched her leave.

''Yeah I know Hermione," Harry replied as he nodded in agreement "I guess things are different now."

"Yes things where certainly different now" Tabatha sighed to herself as she exited the hall pausing only to look into a darkened corner. "Come on Keir "She cooed as from the shadow trotted out the pup now almost full grown. "Let's us get to our classroom shall we'', and with that the pup and his mistress walked down the corridor.

A few hours later Tabatha had put the final touches on the classroom. She had thought it over the last few days and what she had come to decide was that an Advanced Muggles Study class had to be a fully immersed experience. With a few flicks of her wrist Tabatha had transformed the old stone classroom into a Muggles classroom. Walls were painted a light yellow on which pictures hung of famous Muggles such as Albert Einstein, Gandhi, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, and Jane Austin. Instead of quills and parchment, notebooks, pens and pencils sat on top of wooden desks. A White board sat at the front of the classroom with a larger desk to the side. The seat Tabatha would retain as she taught these wizarding children about the ways of the world beyond Hogwarts, beyond magic.

Tabatha was still not entirely sure why the Headmaster found this class to be needed, but when he purposed this class to her she could tell he felt this was a very important additive to Hogwarts. However whatever the reason might be she was silently glad she had a tangible reason to return.

Looking at the clock on the wall in a few moments the room would be full of students. Tabatha hopped up on her desk and looked towards the door waiting for first ones to arrive, the only sound was the slight snoring of Keir who found a comfortable spot under her desk. As the door moved she sighed and plastered a smile on her face. The mask she would wear for the next hour and a half.

In filed her class of mixed years. Within that group there were equal distribution of red, yellow, and blue, however green seemed to be short. Which was not much of a surprise for anyone there, even Tabatha who still didn't believe in the separation of houses knew that for the most part Slytherins seemed to avoid everything muggle.

The students themselves were quite taken back with the room, even the muggle borns like Hermione and Harry who went to muggle schools for some time smiled broadly, like an odd homecoming. After letting the students explore for a moment Tabatha hopped down off the desk.

"Welcome to Advanced Muggles Studies everyone" she smiled broadly. "Now if you will take find a chairs and stand next to them please we can begin." The students quickly accomplished this task, and Tabatha continued.

"Before we begin, this class is and immersion class. Does anyone know what that means?" Tabatha pointed to the hand that quickly raised and was flagging her down from the front row. " Yes Hermione" Tabatha couldn't help but giggle, the girl was the biggest know it all in the school.

Clearing her throat Hermione spoke load and very clear. "Immersion means to engage wholly or deeply in something."

"Yes very good Hermione" Tabatha smiled "in an immersion classroom you completely take part in whatever you're studying. So if this was a Spanish class we would only speak Spanish, but because this is a Muggle class we will only act…" Tabatha paused waiting to hear a response.

"Muggle?" a few unsure voices weakly cried out.

"Yes! Exactly!" Tabatha beamed. "For this time in this room, you are for an intents and purposes Muggles! You will learn as muggles do, behave as muggles do, dress as muggles do, and for no reason will magic be used."

Tabatha heard a few nervous whispers and groans, not any less then she was expecting. It was the distant whisper and soft laughter coming from the small group of Slytherins that caught her ear. Glancing over she caught their eyes which caused them to look down and away though still giggling softly. Tabatha took note but continued on.

"Now the only magic that will be performed in this room is the spell that will transfigure your robes into muggle street clothing and back again. Ok everyone hold up your wands please and repeat after me, 'Mutareio'."

Tabatha's cloak changed before their eyes into a pair of jeans, pull over sweater and tennis shoes. The room quickly followed suit.

"Mutareio" They beckoned as a group and suddenly robes and uniforms transfigured into a sea of jeans, sneakers, sweatshirts and tea shirts.

"Perfectly done!" Tabatha praised the group. "Ok last order of business, please bring up your wands they will be stored every session and returned to you at the end of class."

The students quietly walked up, each handing over their wand silently. Tabatha was well aware of how close a witch or wizard felt to their wand, and this was not going to be an easy parting. Tabatha glanced over to the group of Slytherins who had not moved from their spots. As the others filed back to their seats Tabatha quietly walked over to the group and with a large overly pleasant smile put her hand out.

"Your wands please"

One of the older looking Slytherins smiled over to the others and stood up, "No".

Tabatha's smile cocked to one side, "No?"

The boy looked back at his friend then crossed his arms and puffed out his chest. "You heard me, I said no. No way is me or any other Slytherin going to hand over our wands to some Mud blood professor who was a student herself last year!" The boy gave a cackle of laugher as the others slowly but steadily joined in. "Anyway the only reason I'm even in this stupid class is because I failed too many classes last term" the laughter grew.

Tabatha halfcocked smile stayed in place as she put her hands on the desk and lowered her self so that she was now inches from the older boy. Her eyes steadfast staring at him as a flick of gold shimmered across her iris. The boy blinked in confusion and felt the hair on the back of his neck raise.

Softly but extremely direct and determined Tabatha spoke "Sit down". The boy looked around nervously and sat down. "I don't care what reason you're here Ian."
The boys eyes widen "H...How did you know my…"

"But YOU are here, and this is MY classroom. And you and your friends WILL hand over your wands NOW" Tabatha cut the boy off, her voice steady, silky and dark. "And that will be the last time you disrespect me or anyone else in this room do YOU understand ME." Another flash of gold crossed her eye.

"Y…Yes Professor Rewolf" Ian stammered as he quickly handed over his wand followed by the other three.

Tabatha closed her hand wands in place. The gold light faded from her eye as she stood up. "Thank you very much Ian" she stated again in her pleasant voice and turned around to walk back to her desk. "Oh also twenty five points from Slytherin" a grown was heard from the group. Tabatha paused "ok make it fifty" The group fell silent. Tabatha then finished walking back to her desk and faced the room, as the Harry and Ron looked on in amazement.

"Eye you know who's she taken her teaching pointers from" Ron whispered to Harry. "The old potions bat himself."

Harry looked over and silently nodded to Ron.

Once in front of the class Tabatha continued. "Ok for our first lesson we are going to look at beginnings of Algebraic math. Math is not only extremely useful to muggles, but a good understanding will also help you when measuring out ingredients for potions, which some of us know can be rather tricky and sometimes disastrous if we get wrong." Tabatha winked to a certain Gryffindor in the back row. "Ok if you open your desk you will find your pre-algebra text book, and we are going to start on page 45." Tabatha turned around and started to write on the white board as the class rummaged through their desk, however beyond that was the sound of a classroom door being opened ever so slowly.

"Rhain, nice of you to join us." Tabatha didn't turn around however the rest of the classroom did. Standing there was the punkie looking girl new Ravenclaw girl from earlier. An expression of utter surprise on her face she froze in place.
"Come in now don't be shy." Tabatha kept writing problems on the board. "Wand on my desk, then find a seat. I'll bring you up to speed after class once you enlighten me on why you are late."

Rhian's face turned slightly pink then back to pasty white as she walked to the front of the class placed her wand down and found a seat in the back.

"I don't know Ron, I think she might have a few more tricks up her sleeve then Snape does" Harry smiled as he leaned over to Ron.

"Yeah mate I think your right, not for nothing but Professor Rewolf is a bit spooky" Ron looked back up with a slightly terrified look on his face.

Harry couldn't help but snicker as he started copying the problems down in his note book.

An hour and half later a string of re-wanded and re-robed children wandered out of the classroom back into the familiar stone work hallway, all but one that was. Standing in front of Tabatha's desk was visibly annoyed Ravenclaw with her hand on her hip.

"I got lost it's no big deal… castle is like huge…huge, and well, dude… the stairwells, they move…THEY MOVE!" Rhian spat out as she emphasized the last words with hand movements.

Tabatha listened intently as she silently enjoyed the theatrics until she was given a moment to squeeze in a response. "Fine Rhian, your new here I'll give you that. However I'm going to assume that from now own you know your way around and can be in class on time?"

"Did you hear me… THEY MOVE!" Rhian again emphasized with gestures.

"If you're having trouble I can find you a map or perhaps I can just find a house elf to escort you here every day since you're so easily confused" Tabatha spoke giving Rhian a mischievous smile.

Rhian rolled her eyes up and blew a lock of purple hair out of her eyes. "No, I think I'll manage." She then gave a cocky smile back.

"Wonderful no more tardies then," Tabatha beamed as she stood up and started to walk Rhian to the door. "Till tomorrow'' Tabatha pushed the door open. Just before crossing the thresh hold Rhian paused and looked back.

"Hey Professor Rewolf? How did you know it was me that came in?"

"There are twenty on the roster, only nineteen showed up. You don't think id recognize you after a transatlantic trip together?" Tabatha quipped as she continued to move Rhian out of the classroom.

"Hey your pretty sneaky"….Rhian eyes gave a playful twist as the door slowly closed.

Finally Tabatha was alone. She slide down the wooden door and sat on the floor cupping her head I her hands as Keir stalked over and lay beside her his head on her lap.

"Yeah I know, we have to down there sometime." Tabatha spoke to her companion as she rubbed behind his right ear.

Tabatha closed her eyes. Oh it's been a long day, summer… life. Slowly she let her breath slow as her mind took her to a plane of nothingness as she tried to calm her restless mind. After a long period of time her eyes opened. The light in the room had an orange glow as the sun set, it was well past dinner but she didn't mind she wasn't hungry. She had other things on her mind. Stand up Tabatha opened the classroom door and her and Keir made their way down to the dungeon.

Pausing at the familiar potions master's door Tabatha paused. Closing her eyes she mustard every ounce of courage. Slowly she raised her hand and knocked on the door.

"Come" resounded the dark silky yet distracted voice Tabatha had often heard in her dreams both sleeping and awake this past summer.

Taking a deep swallow Tabatha pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Across the room the tall Byronic potions master looked up. His black eyes caught hers as his mouth opened a bit in surprise as a ripple of emotion crossed his face. In a moment however it was gone and with a whoosh of black hair Severus was once again looking down at his work at hand.

Tabatha stood for a moment, just enough to let her take in what had happened. Then looking away she quickly went to her own room pushed open the door and closed it in hast. The room was just as she left it. Everything in its place as the morning she fled Hogwarts in search of her soul. Sitting on the bed her mind thought of his face. "It's better this way" she resolved, and buried her head in her pillows and quietly wept.

On the other side of the door, a pair of black eyes burned after her. "She didn't say a word."

A/N: Thank you everyone for your reviews! I love hearing feedback! Yes Rhian is important, but how so will have to be seen . As for Tabatha and Severus making up, well I think both are going through a lot of feelings, so we will have to see how that works out now won't we ;). Please Review! your enjoyment keeps me going :D