Hello. Just a short intro from me today. So today marks a nice week long holiday for me from work, so fingers crossed my writing, which has sadly taken a back seat from my life, should hopefully now come to the fore front. (Hopefully)
Chapter 7
"This is ridiculous." Sirius moaned. Maddie hit him for what felt like the 100th time that day. It had been roughly 2 weeks since the group had come back from their holidays, and while they were trying to catch up with paperwork, and lesson plans and anything else they had let slip, Albus had decided to call a staff meeting on a Friday afternoon, when the students would be back at school the end of the following week.
Maddie and Lily had spent the best part of 3 days with Madam Pomfrey sorting out the hospital wing, giving Severus a list of the potions they would require for the new school term, along with many other duties of being Healers. Frank, Tonks and Sirius had only been back at Hogwarts a day, before they were called out on an auror mission which had lasted a week and a half, and resulted in Tonks spraining her ankle. Severus had spent a long time brewing the potions Lily, Maddie and Poppy Pomfrey needed, along with stocking his own supplies, cleaning his classroom and potions equipment. James and Madam Hooch had also spent a long time making sure all the Quidditch equipment was where it was supposed to be, making sure all the school's brooms were safe for the students to used, and ordering more to cover those brooms which needed desperately to be 'retired'. Remus had unfortunately had a full moon only days after the group had arrived back at Hogwarts, and since Tonks, Frank and Sirius were away, Lily, Alice and Maddie were looking after the children, that left only Severus and James to accompany him during his transformation that month. The trio decided to spend the night in the shrieking shack instead of running around the Forbidden Forest. Alice unfortunately had the most work to do. Due the nature of some of her plants, and her lesson plans, she and Professor Sprout, had needed to plant up over 300 plants in the short time frame of only 2 days.
Albus meanwhile had seemed rather out of sorts when he and Minerva arrived back from their short trip away, the pair had then spent the rest of the week all a nervous jitter until finally they disappeared again on Friday of that week, returning later that afternoon full of smiles and the joys of spring. Both refused to tell their confused colleagues what it was that had got them so happy, only saying that all would be revealed in due time.
"Sirius, we are all annoyed at having a staff meeting on a Friday afternoon," Tonks said. "But can you please shut up, you are driving me crazy!" She was sitting in one of the chairs with her ankle propped up on a stool resting it. Remus sat beside her with little Teddy on his lap. Frank and Alice sat next to them with Neville perched on the floor in front of his mother playing a game with Harry. Lily and James sat on a sofa with Severus, who had Ava sitting on his lap, and Maddie and Sirius were next to them on chairs, with Sarah and Hannah on the floor in front of them playing their own little game and ignoring the boys. Little Draco Malfoy sat next to his mother and father, looking on at the others playing. Although there was a strained relationship between his parents and those they used to fight with, Draco was a very shy child and didn't socialise with other children much.
Sirius was just about to fight back with his cousin, when the door opened and in stepped Albus Dumbledore, with a very wide grin on his face. He was dressed as usual in his brightly coloured and garish robes, and had his long beard tied together at the front. Although he had requested every one of the staff to be in attendance, Minerva was nowhere to be seen.
"Good afternoon all, I do apologise for pulling you all from your work but I have a rather important announcement to make."
Meanwhile in Cornwall Jenny was all packed and ready and waiting for Minerva to come and pick her up. Rather than tell her family that she was going to be going to a magical school with a witch, she had told them that Minerva was in town and would be going with Jenny by train to London, and then they would arrive in Scotland late that Friday evening, and therefore she would call them Saturday morning to let them know she had arrived safely. Jenny wasn't entirely sure how Minerva was going to get them to Scotland, but she was hopeful that they would be able to carry her suitcases. She had a suitcase full of clothes and shoes that she would be needing for a year of teaching, she had updated her kindle with a large selection of books she would be using in her lessons, and a few chick-flicks for her to read when she wasn't working. Lola had all of her toys packed into a bag with a few of Jenny's pictures and knick-knacks to make her room more homely, along with her laptop. Jenny was sitting on her sofa reading a book when she heard a knock at her door. She opened it to reveal Minerva standing on her doorstep.
"Afternoon." Jenny said motioning for the elderly lady to come inside. Lola had moved from her spot on the sofa and came to stand by Minerva, she barked when she spotted the woman, Minerva simply patted the dog on the head. Jenny laughed.
"She can probably smell your cat sent." With that Minerva laughed.
"Do we have time for a cup of tea before we need to go?" Jenny asked.
"My dear, we have more than enough time." Minerva said as Jenny led the way to her kitchen. She spotted Jenny's suitcases as they walked.
"Will that be too much to take?" Jenny quizzed. Minerva shook her head, and took out her wand. She mumbled a spell that Jenny couldn't hear, and suddenly Jenny's suitcases shrunk to about a tenth of the size they were, which Minerva simply lifted and placed into her pocket.
"Is that all you want to take with you?" She asked. Jenny stared in disbelief.
"That is going to take a while for me to get used to." Minerva laughed.
After a cup of tea and a short explanation of how they were going to get to Hogwarts, Minerva took hold of Jenny's hand and the pair apperated to the grounds of Hogsmead. Once they arrived Minerva offered Jenny a vial of anti-nausea potion which she rejected. Jenny was simply having too much fun. The short trip from Hogsmead was spent with a quiet talk between the two as Hogwarts castle approached in the foreground.
"Wow" was all Jenny could say as the castle came into view. She had never seen anything so beautiful in her life.
"Does it bring back any memories?" Minerva asked. Jenny simply shook her head.
"Well then," Minerva said, taking hold of the young woman's hand. "It gets even better inside."
"Albus isn't there a better time to be calling a staff meeting than a Friday afternoon?" Sirius asked, the rest of the Marauders simply rolled their eyes.
"I do apologise for the timing, but I fear my announcement could wait no longer." Albus said with a cryptic smile. Lily looked confused.
"What is it Albus?" She asked.
"There will be a new member of staff joining our ranks today." He said with a smile and a glint in his eyes.
"That's your big announcement?!" James said in disbelief.
"That's why you called a staff meeting on a Friday afternoon?!" Sirius chorused at the same time.
"Will you quit it?" Frank said. "We all know it's a Friday afternoon, you don't need to keep telling us." The rest of the staff chuckled at Frank's comment. Alice placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.
"Which subject will our new teacher be teaching?" She asked.
"Muggle Studies, she will be joining Professor Burbage. Professor Matthews will be taking the third through fifth year O.W.L students, whilst Professor Burbage will concentrate on the N.E.W.T students." Professor Burbage simply nodded.
"Professor Matthews?" Maddie pondered. "I don't recognise the name, I take it she didn't come to Hogwarts?" She asked aloud. Albus looked a little sheepish.
"Well," he mumbled, "That's the interesting part, she didn't attend a magical school. Until 2 weeks ago when Minerva and I met her, she was a muggle."
"Is this really a good idea?" Jenny said suddenly stopping dead in her tracks. Minerva stopped in front of her, she turned to face Jenny, seeing the look of concern on the frightened young woman's face.
"I mean, you have no idea if this girl really is me. What if this is all a big coincidence, and I'm not Rachel?" Minerva took hold of the young woman's hand.
"Jenny, you wouldn't be here if you weren't willing to try. You wouldn't have come this far. And if you are anything like the woman I have met so far, then you won't give up so easily. You want to know who you are, just as much as we want to find Rachel."
"A Muggle?! Albus are you mad!" Filius Flitwick exclaimed. "Letting a muggle loose in Hogwarts could be dangerous. She won't have the ability to protect herself." Albus simply raised a hand.
"It isn't that simple. She is someone of great importance to us. Currently this school is the best place for her."
"Want do you think?" Minerva said as she and Jenny made their way through the main courtyard of Hogwarts and to the main doors. Jenny simply smiled and turned to face Minerva.
"You were right, this place only gets better." Minerva smiled at her eager young colleague.
"Come on, there's plenty more to see inside."
"What makes this girl so special then Albus?" Hagrid, the groundskeeper and Care Of Magical Creatures professor, asked. Albus smiled again.
"Let's say she's one of a kind." The room looked confused. There suddenly came a knock at the door.
"Ah, right on time. Come in Minerva."
Jenny and Minerva made their way through long corridors till they reached a set of stair cases. Jenny looked at them, and gasped as she saw them move.
"Ah yes, be careful with them, they do tend to move from time to time." She hurried after the transfiguration professor as she advance down the corridors till she reached a set of portraits.
"These are the staff quarters." She stopped in front of a portrait of a summer's beach landscape complete with lighthouse and boats, all of which were moving.
"This is your quarters. To enter you simply need to speak your password." A lighthouse keeper came out of the lighthouse and stared up at Jenny.
"Password?" Jenny looked at Minerva.
"It's up to you my dear, you choose." Jenny though for a minute.
"Home sweet home." She said with a smile.
The portrait swung open to reveal a wide and spacious room, with simple furniture and rooms leading off to the sides.
"This door leads to your bedroom." Minerva said with a gesture, "and this your bathroom." She pointed to the next door. She removed Jenny's suitcases from her pocket and with a simple wave of her wand, they were transformed back to their normal size.
"You can decorate any way you like. As for now we must be taking our leave. We are expected in the staff hall in a few minutes, and Albus doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Minerva and Jenny continued their walk down the corridors until they reached another door at which point Minerva stopped and smiled.
"Are you ready?" She asked. Jenny took a deep breath before nodding. Minerva knocked on the door.
"Wait here, I will call you when we are ready."
"Come in Minerva." Came a call from inside.
The door opened and Minerva slipped into the room. She smiled at the faces she had grown to love as an extended family, and now one more would be joining them.
"Did she enjoy her tour so far?" Albus asked his deputy.
"I do believe so, and she had chosen her password for her quarters and I have left her luggage for her to unpack. I thought it best to ask the house elves to leave her room for now, she is just getting to grips with magic as it is, this may spook her more."
"A wise idea, is she outside."
"Ready and waiting to come in." Minerva responded.
"Well then." Albus said turning to face his faculty. "It gives me great pleasure to introduce our newest member of staff, Miss Jennifer Matthews." Albus said opening the door.
The room gasped as Jenny came into view. Frank's mouth fell open, Alice simply gasped an 'Oh My'. Maddie's eyes nearly popped out of her head, as did Tonks, her hair changing an almost florescent shade of white as it normally did when she was surprised. James fell off his chair and landed with a bump on the floor next to his son. Remus was stopped dead in his tracks, and Sirius had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming. Severus simply increased his hold on Ava, as he was scared if he released his grip she would fall off his lap, he suddenly also felt his heart quicken and his arm released a flood of warmth. Lily simply uttered one word.
"Rachel?"
And voila. Two chapters in one day, all be it for different stories but oh well. Since it is rather late where I am, and considering I need to be up early tomorrow for an appointment, I will end my ramblings there and say goodnight to you all.
As always please read and review, I look forward to reading your comments.
Beth xx