Hey you guys! Long time, no see! So here's the next chapter. I know I haven't updated Promises yet but I promise I'm getting the chapter done really soon. It's actually mostly done but my friend hasn't beta-ed it and it needs typing and polishing. So enjoy this for now.
Chapter 1
Maia Persephone Maclaurin was known as being the third kindest professor, the first and second being Pomona Sprout and Albus Dumbledore respectively, and the most agreeable Hogwarts professor. The day of July 20th, she was anything but kind and agreeable when it came to one certain professor, or rather one particular headmaster. Maia had been visiting Minerva McGonagall while she had been signing the student letters when a certain letter for a certain special boy had caught her eye. She had quickly grabbed it and read the address, then promptly reread the address.
"Cupboard under the stairs," she muttered as she made her way towards the Headmaster's office to hopefully have a civil discussion with the insane old coot. "Fizwizzles," she practically yelled at the stone gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office.
As Maia rode the stairs to the wooden door of the office, she tried to compose herself so she would not blow up at Albus. After a terse knock and a cheerful "enter", Maia stepped into the room to see the Headmaster was not alone.
"Ah, hello my girl," Albus greeted the new comer. "Please sit down, Severus and I were just finishing up."
Maia slowly shook her head. "I would rather stand, Headmaster, thank you," she said quietly.
Severus looked up at her with a slightly raised eyebrow being his only give away of his curiosity. It was only once in a blue moon that his co-teacher ever was angry, and it was never with Albus. He turned to look at the wizard in question but of course the old man was giving nothing away.
"Ah Maia, what I have done to earn your ire?" Albus asked her amusedly.
"You were completely wrong about those muggles. Harry is sleeping in the cupboard under the stairs. It's unacceptable," Maia vented to her superior while Severus turned back to the Headmaster with his own disbelief growing. The look on the old man's face would have been priceless if it wasn't caused by such a sore topic.
"I'm sure there is a mistake," Albus began but the enraged witch just cut him off.
"Oh no, the Hogwarts Quill does not make mistakes. It specifically addressed Harry's letter to 'The Cupboard Under the Stairs'. You have to do something," Maia pled. "And if you don't, I will," she added quietly.
Severus again raised his eyebrow. Was what she had said about Potter true? Most likely. Was Maia's veiled threat genuine? Again, most likely. She was not one to joke about students, especially possibly abused ones.
Albus nodded to Maia. "I'm sure you would, my girl. Alright, I will have Hagrid go see Harry and talk to the Dursleys," he tried to placate her but was interrupted again.
"I don't think the Dursleys would be particularly happy if Rubeus were to come speak to them," Maia cut in. "After how Minerva described them, I don't think they would like talking to anyone who didn't at least look normal to them." She sent a glance to Severus, silently asking for his agreement but not expecting it.
To her surprise, he did agree. "Headmaster, I knew Petunia when we were children, as you already know. Even then she did not care for magic and treated her sister with disdain. Maia has the correct idea on this."
Albus sighed. "Alright, you two have convinced me. Both of you will talk to Harry and his relatives," he told them with a twinkle in his eyes. Immediately the room was filled by protests from both of the present teachers until Albus cast a silencing charm on both of them. "Maia, you will go because this is your idea," he explained. "Severus, you will also be going because you knew Petunia and Harry will likely want to know more about the magical side of his mother."
Maia looked at Severus wondering if he would agree to see Harry. From what she could tell when the boy was a toddler, he looked a hell of a lot like James. But maybe Severus could look past that.
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"We should go today," Maia told Severus after they left the Headmaster's office fifteen minutes later. It had taken a lot of convincing from Albus to get Severus to go with Maia. She could still see from the younger wizard's posture that he was not happy with this turn of events.
"While I am sure that is a wonderful idea, it will have to wait until after lunch," Severus told the woman that had gotten him into this predicament. "I have potions brewing that cannot be left in a stasis for the time required to take Potter to Diagon Alley. Perhaps you could see to Potter and then I can meet both of you in Diagon Alley?"
Maia was already shaking her head before he finished his suggestion. "You know Petunia, and while I know she doesn't like magic, it would be best for you to be there," she told the potions master.
Severus grumbled darkly the rest of the way to the dungeons until they parted ways at his quarters. Maia continued to her quarters and flooed her aunt.
"Maia," Rose Dawson greeted her with a warm smile. "Are you going to come through or are you just gonna kneel next to the fire all day?"
Maia quickly came through the fireplace and hugged her aunt. "Hi Aunty," Maia giggled as she saw the soot she had gotten on her aunt. With a quick wave of her wand, the soot was gone from both of them. "Where are Uncle Walter and Leslie?"
"Walt thought he'd spend the day with her since Sirius and Tem are going to be gone most of the day. Are you picking them up early?" Rose asked her niece.
Maia shook her head. "No, but there will be a change of plans. One of the students this year has no way of getting his school supplies, so I need to escort him to Diagon Alley," she explained to the older woman. "I want to take Tem and Sirius still though. He and Tem will be in the same year, so this would be a good way for him to see the wizarding world and make friends."
Rose nodded in agreement. "It's a good idea. Why don't you tell the two of them now instead of later though?"
Maia smiled. "I was planning on it." She left the family room to find her brother and sister both eavesdropping outside the door. "Well if isn't the two little birdies themselves," she laughed as they stumbled back from the door. Immediately Tem had her arms around Maia in a surprisingly tight hug for an eleven year old.
"We were wondering if you'd be here early today. Can we go now, please?" the young witch begged her sister. Behind her, their brother rolled his eyes and smirked.
"She been bouncing around the house all morning," he explained to his older sister.
Maia smiled at them both. "While it would be nice to leave early, we can't. I still have to talk to Harry's relatives but then Severus and I will be over to pick both of you up too."
Sirius blanched at his older sister's words. "Professor Snape is coming with?" he hesitantly asked.
Maia nearly giggled at her brother's face. The thirteen year old hadn't even had Severus as his Potions professor yet and he was already scared of him. Most likely from the stories that some of the older Ravenclaws had told.
"Yes, Severus will be coming with us. He knew Harry's mother, so the Headmaster thought it would be a good idea if he went too," she explained to her brother. "And he can't give you detention until school starts anyway, so you have nothing to worry about."
Sirius gave her an embarrassed grin as his face lit up in a dark shade of pink. Tem laughed at her brother's trademark "oops, I messed that up" face.
"So are you both okay with having two more along today?" Maia asked the two students.
Sirius nodded, still pink in the face, while Tem answered, "Sure, the more the merrier, as Uncle Walt likes to say."
"Alright, well I should be getting back to the castle. Severus is probably finished with his potions by now," Maia said to her family as she hugged each of them, even though Sirius turned a light shade of pink. "I'll see you both in an hour or two most likely." With the goodbyes said and the hugs given, Maia stepped back through the floo and into her quarters.
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So? Please tell me what you think about it in a review, especially questions about Sirius and Tem. I love talking about those two.
And thanks so much to alicefiresage for favoriting and following the story and FonzFan for also following it.
Update: Edited and reworked some things and hinted towards an important character for later. I actually did this a while back and didn't realize I hadn't put the corrections up yet.