CHAPTER 5:

MEETING COLLEAGUES

August 31st had arrived, and tomorrow, Harry, the Weasley children (barring Ginny), Aerith and Jenova would be embarking on the Hogwarts Express. Technically, with Aerith and Jenova being new staff, they wouldn't need to take the Hogwarts Express, but they wanted to stick close to Harry. Cait Sith was coming to Hogwarts as well, with his presence being explained away as Aerith's magical toy and familiar.

Jenova was currently poring over her textbooks. Between these and what memories she got from Voldemort's horcruxes, she was more than ready to assist teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. And Snape was willing, albeit grudgingly, to advise her. He had wanted the position for years, but had confided in Jenova that there was supposedly a curse on the position, reputedly laid by none other than Voldemort himself. Supposedly, for the past few decades, and despite the best efforts of cursebreakers, DADA teachers only lasted a year before leaving the post. Some merely resigned, or, in one good case, got promoted. Others got fired for a number of offences, with at least one having had dalliances with older students. And more than a few either got badly injured, or even killed.

After some negotiations, this was the position she would hold at Hogwarts: assistant DADA teacher, and assistant Transfiguration teacher. She had been told of a little trick that the Transfiguration teacher, Minerva McGonagall, had for her first year students, and wanted to enhance that.

She thought about the current incumbent in the Defence Against the Dark Arts teaching position, a man by the name of Quirinus Quirrell. She hadn't met the man yet, but apparently he was a former Muggle Studies teacher who had an interest in Defence Against the Dark Arts. He had gone on a sabbatical for the past year to get some practical experience, and had returned only relatively recently. Dumbledore had shared his suspicions with Jenova and Aerith that he may be the agent of Voldemort. Harry would only be notified about this if necessary, as if Quirrell was actually possessed by Voldemort, he may share Legilimency abilities, and while Harry shared Jenova's immunity, his body language might give him away. Aerith was trusted, though Dumbledore resolved to work on Occlumency with her when she reached Hogwarts.

Jenova and Aerith did need to attend a staff meeting later today, for which they would go by Floo. They'd only be needed for an hour, and then they'd be back.

To be perfectly honest, Jenova was actually looking forward to the staff meeting, and so was Aerith. They wanted to meet their colleagues and comrades. They'd met Dumbledore, Snape, and Hagrid already.

Aerith smiled as she and Jenova were led by Dumbledore into the staff common room. She gazed around at the wizards and witches gathered there. She recognised Snape, who was standing by himself, scowling as he so often did, though he acknowledged Aerith and Jenova's entrance with an almost imperceptible nod. She had brought the medicinal items selection with her today for him. And Hagrid was hard to miss, of course.

"Ah, so we're all here, are we? Good, good," Dumbledore said. "I would like to introduce you all to the latest additions to the Hogwarts staff. Miss Aerith Gainsborough will be helping Madam Pomfrey in the hospital wing, and is a skilled healer. Miss Jen Calamitas will be a teaching assistant, primarily with Defence Against the Dark Arts, though she will be helping with Transfiguration as well."

"It's good to meet you," Aerith said with a smile.

"Likewise," Jenova purred.

The first to be introduced, Professor Minerva McGonagall, turned out to be a rather stern-faced but vaguely maternal older woman. She seemed vaguely disapproving of Jenova, and Aerith knew why: McGonagall was one of the few people trusted with the secret of where Harry ended up, and knew something of Jenova's past. And Jenova seemed to be wary: after all, McGonagall had a first name identical to the name of Gaia's guardian deity. McGonagall was the Transfiguration teacher, Head of Gryffindor, and Deputy Headmistress.

Professor Filius Flitwick, by contrast, was short, a dwarf, though he may have had goblin blood in him. Despite being the Head of Ravenclaw, the diminutive, dark-haired man exuded an energy that belied both his stature and intellect.

Professor Pomona Sprout reminded Aerith of her mother, and of herself in attitude. The dumpy witch with the warm heart was the Head of Hufflepuff.

Professor Quirrell turned out to be a pale, nervous-looking young man wearing a turban, claimed to be a gift from an African prince he had defeated a zombie for. If he was acting, then he was doing a fairly good job, Aerith thought.

Professor Cuthbert Binns was a wrinkled old man, and a ghost, of all things. Apparently there were a lot of ghosts in Hogwarts, although Binns was the only teacher (of History) who was a ghost.

Professor Sybil Trelawny reminded Aerith of at least one person she had met in Cosmo Canyon, with thick glasses and a spaced-out demeanour that also reminded her of Luna Lovegood. She was the Divination teacher.

Other names and faces went by. There was the fairly young, dark-skinned Astronomy teacher, Aurora Sinistra. There was the pointed-faced Septima Vector, Arithmancy teacher. There was the blonde-haired and gentle-faced Charity Burbage, now the Muggle Studies teacher (having taken over from Quirrell last year while he was on sabbatical for his DADA preparation). There was the flying instructor, Rolanda Hooch, with golden, hawk-like eyes. There was the grizzled Sylvanus Kettleburn, teacher of Care of Magical Creatures, who had at least one artificial limb. There was the sour-faced Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts (and a Squib, apparently).

Once introductions were over, the meeting began in earnest. Aerith noticed that the ones who usually made interjections were Snape and Filch. She had gotten used to Snape's snide attitude, though she did notice that his barbs had a slightly less acidic tone than when she first met him. Filch was another matter, seeming to be bitter towards students. Then again, given that he was a Squib in a magic school, that might not be surprising. He may envy the students for the magic they had, but he didn't, despite being born of magical parents.

Once the meeting was over, Aerith went over to Snape, and presented him with the box of medicinal items. "Dumbledore may have told you about these already, but these are medicinal potions from our world."

"He did tell me," Snape said, taking the box. He didn't smile, but he gave a nod of acknowledgement. And, sincerely, he said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Aerith said with a smile.

Before they left, Professor McGonagall took them aside, bringing them to another adjacent room. Erecting some privacy spells, she then turned to Jenova and Aerith. "I have to say, I am grateful to both of you for looking after Harry. I knew leaving him with those Muggles was a mistake. I thought that they were the worst kind of Muggles, but I didn't realise they'd go that far."

"It's a shame you didn't try and visit, but I guess Dumbledore had something to do with that," Aerith said.

McGonagall nodded, her face rather forlorn. "To my shame," she said quietly. "Lily and James were dear to me. And they would be proud of their boy, if what Dumbledore has told me is true."

"It is," Aerith said. "And they are." Upon noticing McGonagall's confused look, Aerith explained how Minerva, the goddess, could resurrect the spirits of the dead in certain parts of the Planet.

"So, is it true? Did he help you stop this…Sephiroth person?" McGonagall asked.

"He had a key role to play," Aerith said. "As did we all. Not that someone his age should have had to fight Sephiroth, but he did so admirably. And more than Sephiroth. He fought against the Weapons, vast beasts created by the Planet, and against Scarlet, a rather nasty woman who was an executive of the corrupt Shinra Corporation. You'll get to meet at least another who fought alongside us. I didn't bring him today, but his name is Cait Sith. He's…do you know what a robot is?"

McGonagall smiled thinly. "Many wizards and witches are ignorant of Muggle terms and what they mean, Miss Gainsborough, but I can assure you, I know what a robot is. It is like a mechanical golem, animated by machinery, am I not correct?"

"Yes. That's not a bad definition," Aerith said. "He's like a toy cat, and he has his own intelligence, though his creator can control him and speak through him."

"That's an interesting coincidence," McGonagall mused. "A 'Cait Sith' is a kind of cat fairy on this world(1). I wonder what it is on your world."

"I think it's the same," Jenova said. "Anyway, Cait Sith is going to be Aerith's familiar here. And before you ask, yes, we tested him in Diagon Alley. He was designed to be shielded from the energy in Mako Reactors, which would have higher background energy than here at Hogwarts."

"And what of you, Miss Calamitas? Or should I say, Jenova? Oh yes, Albus told me," McGonagall said. "Are you a danger to the students here?"

"No more than any other teacher. After all, you have Professor Snape, a former follower of Voldemort, working here," Jenova said, taking some perverse pleasure in the flinch that McGonagall had when she said Voldemort's name. "Let's just say that we're the same, although I don't believe I will share his bias against anyone who isn't Slytherin. The students are all equally worthless." She chuckled. "Speaking of which, Dumbledore told me that you like to play a prank on students, of sorts. You are, like Sirius Black, an Animagus, aren't you?"

McGonagall nodded. "Indeed. I'm still finding it a bit hard to digest that Sirius is innocent, but that story…I suspected that they may be Animagi, the Marauders, I mean, but never could confirm it. Anyway, I am, indeed, a cat Animagus." To demonstrate, she shrunk to a cat, who had markings on her face resembling the spectacles McGonagall wore.

Aerith nodded, impressed. "We have a friend called Vincent. He's not exactly an Animagus, but thanks to experiments performed on him, he can transform into a number of beasts. And Jenova and those with her cells can transform."

Jenova nodded, before changing her skin blue and her hair silver. Her eyes became green, with slit pupils. "This is the standard colouration for my…human form." Armoured plates suddenly formed around her, and her arms became bladed appendages, her head becoming a smooth, featureless helmet. Bruise-coloured wings of flesh protruded from her back. "And this is my main battleform," Jenova said, her voice warped and distorted. "Not something you want to see, for it means someone is going to die if I use this form in earnest." The armoured plates around her head retracted, and her arms changed from blades to merely armoured. The wings became raven-like, black-feathered and glossy. "This is my ultimate battleform. Let's just say that if I ever fought Voldemort, it'd be like this."

"I think, Jenova, that you should stick to merely transforming your hair and skin colour," McGonagall said archly. "I presume that's what you want to do in my class."

"Of course. I'll just say that I'm a…what did Sirius call it? A Metamorphagus. My point is, while you're a cat, I want to be feeling blue. Call it a double prank."

McGonagall considered it, before nodding, the faintest ghost of an impish smile twitching at her features. "Why not? But remember, Jenova, I expect professionalism. Transfiguration is a dangerous art, the students need to learn that."

"Oh, I think I can do that very well. I can show them what happened to a certain Professor Hojo(2). I wasn't there when he first transformed, but Harry's memories and what I absorbed from Hojo himself…" Jenova chuckled evilly.

Aerith looked at McGonagall pleadingly, images of Hojo's first, nightmarish transformation filling her head. "Please don't take her up on that offer. Shock tactics are all very well, but that would give them nightmares."

"Frankly, Miss Gainsborough, Transfigurations gone wrong will give them even worse ones. I will vet it, don't worry about that."

Later that night, Harry found it hard to get to sleep. He was filled with excitement and worry at the same time. Then again, it had to be better than his fight against Shinra and Sephiroth. It was a magical school. Hopefully, the worst he'd have to deal with were some bullies and a few magical accidents. After his adventures some months ago, it'd make a nice change.

He had finally hit upon a name for his owl. It took a while, but he found the name Hedwig in The History of Magic, and the owl seemed to like it. He would have to find some way to thank Hagrid for going to all that trouble. He wondered when the gigantic man's birthday was.

He also wondered what House he would get Sorted into. Sirius was supportive, saying that he didn't care which House. Harry had to confess to being wary of Slytherin. Not that he thought little of cunning and ambition: his ambitions were nothing to sneeze at, for he intended to surpass the myth that had grown up around him. He wanted to become the Boy Who Strived, instead of the Boy Who Lived. But with Slytherin a bastion of the blood-purists, and the former House of Voldemort, he dismissed the thought. He'd probably be seen as going dark if he was Sorted there, anyway, and Sirius had stated that you did, if you were a difficult case, have a choice of where to be Sorted. Sirius did: it was how he got into Gryffindor.

Of course, he wasn't sure which of the other three Houses he would go into. He had proven his bravery time and again during the battle against Shinra and Sephiroth, so Gryffindor was a distinct possibility. But he was also loyal to his friends and adopted family, and determined to work hard, which were Hufflepuff qualities. And he did have some desire to learn new things, so Ravenclaw was a possibility, albeit a distant one.

Gryffindor or Hufflepuff. Sirius hadn't actually told him how they were Sorted, only that their qualities would be judged by an impartial judge. Fred Weasley hinted that they'd have to undergo a painful trial, including wrestling a troll. Harry reckoned he was joking, though Ron needed some assurance, despite knowing his older brothers' propensity for pranks.

He studied the Potions text once more. He had tried his best to learn what he could for Professor Snape. He hoped that he could, if not impress the man, then at least convince him that he was neither his father's son nor his mother's, but his own person, a boy who wanted to learn.

That's what he wanted to be. Not the Boy Who Lived, but the Boy Who Strived.

CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:

Well, Episode 1 is finally over. It took longer to write this than it did to write most of Harry Potter and the Cetra Heritage. I had other things on my mind. Sorry. Other fanfics (like Hooked on a Feeling, You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, and In Spite of Obstinate Men), my non-fanfic writing, playing various games on Steam (the Steam Summer Sale was a major hiccup for my writing)…you get the drill. As you might have noticed, this episode is a quieter one, more about the preparations for Hogwarts and the characters, albeit with Luna's revelation, Lucrezia, and the horcruxes put in. Things will heat up later, once the Sorting and the first classes are over and done with.

Oh, and McGonagall, Aerith, and Jenova finally meet.

1. This is indeed the case. McGonagall would know, as a cait sith is from Scottish mythology, and she is Scottish. Maybe she was inspired to adopt a cat form by the cait sith.

2. Namely, his Heretic (or Helletic) Hojo form. Jenova wasn't there when Hojo was in his Heretic form, but she has his memories, and access to Harry's, so she can shape part of herself into a simulacrum of Heretic Hojo.

CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:

McGonagall's Theme: Freya's Theme, from Final Fantasy IX, composed by Nobuo Uematsu.