Chapter One: Fortnight
"I was supposed to be sent away
But they forgot to come and get me
I was a functioning alcoholic
Til nobody noticed my new aesthetic
All of this to say
I hope you're okay
But you're the reason
And no one here's to blame
But what about your quiet treason?"
"What if you find someone better than me?"
I couldn't help the chuckle that came out almost as a scoff. Of all the questions my student and protegee, Elowyn Beaumont, had procured this was by far the most ridiculous thing she could've asked. I rolled my eyes toward her in disbelief. Her soft features almost didn't look right for her stoney expression and usual monotone that she spoke with.
Her forehead sat on the window of the carriage and kept her gaze on the outside where twilight was cast over the sky. Her long jet-black braided hair laid over her shoulder, while her bangs had cast a shadow over her eyes enhancing her emotionless appearance. I often wondered what truly went on in her mind when she kept herself so composed.
Her facial expressions contrasted with the outfit she sported, always in some variation of purple. Today it was an amethyst-colored hoodie and a pair of washed-out denim shorts. It reminded me very much of how I would dress when I was young, claiming one or two colors as if I had invented myself to style my wardrobe around, and of course, the black boots that were ever present in her wardrobe for nearly every outfit just like myself at that age.
"That could never happen, my Star." I reassured her. As dark as her eyes were they always had that twinkle of curiosity in everything she encountered. I admired her for her ambition to seek out any knowledge of whatever caught her attention. Her mind truly amazed me with her perspective. She shined her brightest whenever she explored life with a creative approach. I couldn't help but give her the nickname after finding out her middle name translated into 'star', and she didn't seem to mind the affectionate gesture.
"Besides," Aurora Ramsey broke as she leaned over to force eye contact with Elowyn, pulling the girl's gaze away from the window as she spoke with her in a firm, but comforting tone. "None of those students will be leaving with us after this is done. Except for you, right?" A warm smile spread across Aurora's face in encouragement.
Elowyn gave a sheepish smile as she looked down from Aurora's point. "Yeah… they couldn't take my place even if they wanted to."
"That's the spirit." I added as we all laughed at Elowyn's words. I found that I was rather fortunate to have found these two along my search for anyone else like me. Not just for the fact that it was a bit less lonely in the world, but for who they were I felt lucky to know. A lot of times I only found young magical children that would soon cease any ability of wandless magic once they received their wands, and truth be told I was ready to give up before I met Aurora. My mistake was that I only counted young ones to exhibit the ability, and as luck would have it, Aurora Ramsey and I stumbled upon each other after my ignorance about some poisonous muggle berries I had encountered that looked rather tempting to eat.
Aurora was a specialist in all things medicinal and had a knack for taking people in and caring for them within the small town she lived in. It was a quiet little place in the Americas that I wouldn't have ever known existed had I not stumbled upon it. Thanks to the goodness of strangers (something I normally wouldn't think) I was rushed to Aurora's home to be checked out. As best as I could I described what I ate, and she knew well of the berries I spoke of. Her antidote was on hand as it was rather common for those who didn't grow up locally there to try the berries that naturally grew around the area. That's when we started getting to know each other, and after telling her of my work and abilities it must've been the fates who encouraged our meeting. She was seven years older than me and had no idea what to do with her wandless magical ability, so this meeting reignited my drive to continue my search and teachings.
Aurora took a chance as I asked her to travel with me, and together we journeyed to many places in search of knowledge about our abilities. Many discoveries were made along the way, even honing our abilities to work better for us through training. It wasn't long afterward when we discovered Elowyn at an orphanage who exhibited strong wandless magic at such a young age.
It was a muggle orphanage, and this little girl easily didn't belong there. It wasn't like Muggles or Wizard-born kids looked or even acted differently, but I could tell that there was something about Elowyn that didn't match the other kids. Maybe it was the way she looked at Aurora and me as we passed the orphanage, spotting her standing and staring at us while the others played. Maybe it was the way she smiled up at us like she just found a part of herself that happened to cross that side of the street.
What caught our attention was the purple energy that she emitted to defend herself against one of the other rowdy kids. Fate once again was crafting a meeting that we were destined to be a part of.
Through our sneakiest of efforts, we were able to set up a meeting with the keeper of the orphanage to express that we were looking for a child to adopt. The woman didn't seem to mind that two women were coming to adopt, her priorities were more focused on pushing more than one child on us. It seemed we were favored with nearly any child we desired, so of course that allowed us to pursue Elowyn.
She took to us rather quickly, though I wasn't sure if Elowyn even liked us; her stoic nature was present even for someone so young. It was the way she kept bringing her unplugged headphones to us to put on, and started drawing a picture of all three of us together that sealed the deal. It was clear from her files that Elowyn didn't have any family at five years old and had no visitors the entire time she was there.
While it possibly wasn't the most ethical decision in how we carried out our unofficial adoption, I took it as a sign that everything once again was in our favor when we were successful at picking her up. A few obliviating charms here and there, confiscating any files that had her name attached, and asking repeatedly if this is what little Elowyn wanted, and all three of us were off. Some would call this kidnapping, however I called this:
"Of course, we didn't have the funds to adopt a child, and her magic abilities were showing more and more by the day. We're doing a service for the North American Ministry of Magic by ensuring no accidents, or exposure of the magical world, took place."
Give or take a few words.
During our travels together we learned that it might be a bit easier to teach teens rather than children who were just learning to use wands and having a better grip on the concept of magic. Our hypothesis seemed to agree with us as we were introduced to the Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in North America, who let us carry out the experiments with those as young as fourteen, and as old as seventeen just before graduation. While they weren't as advanced as the three of us (Elowyn showing a surprising advantage on even Aurora and I) they still showed energetic magic capabilities.
We then traveled to Castelobruxo in South America since it was the closest with just as much success there. Our research and success had been reported to England's Ministry of Magic who kept a close eye on our activity. Each ministry within each different region would be informed of our arrival and departure. How we conducted ourselves created this model of what the ministries needed to see to trust us, but taking it a step further to introduce a potentially new advantage of magic for the next generation to take hold of? What a legacy we could leave.
After fourteen years away, a rather strenuous legal process as well as gaining support for our endeavors, Aurora and I were recognized and appointed by the Ministry of Magic to teach our wandless abilities to age-appropriate wizards and witches around the world. Our next stop would be where I attended school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"Are we overdressed for a place like this?" Aurora spoke while looking down at her ensemble. This was common for her to start overthinking her appearance closer to being introduced to anyone new. First impressions were important to her that I at first found to be foolish for her to worry over. She was a natural beauty, a model slender figure that reminded me of the muggle women from America where she came from. It wasn't until a few years into knowing her that I understood that she didn't want people to look down on her for her background; a small-town girl who had never traveled far from home.
Her choice of clothing wouldn't lead you to believe that her current attire consisted of a forest green form-fitting dress, it was sleeveless and had a sweetheart neckline. She paired it with a tawny-colored robe that clipped together at her neck, providing quarter-length sleeves. As one of her favorite robes, I favored when she would button the waist of it as it gave a unique stylish look that kept the chest area open but hugged the rest of her body in the complimentary tawny color to her cocoa skin tone.
Her hair was kept straight and shinned like glass in any light, a lovely dark brunette shade that couldn't hold a curl to save its life. A single twisted peekaboo loc hung over her left shoulder that was adorned with flower charms. There truly wasn't anything about her appearance that she should've worried about.
"If you're overdressed then I'm dressed for a ball." I teased while motioning to my outfit. Red and black were the colors I always carried on hand, maybe accenting with browns or greys, A crimson dress with an open skirt front, and a corset-styled top that connected up to a collar around my neck. It was sleeveless with gloves reaching up to my forearms that were black and fingerless, coupled with black leggings and knee-high boots with a thick heel. I styled my hair in a half-up, half-down fashion that I adorned with a ruby red jewel piece to hold together. My makeup was simple, a bit of eyeliner, mascara, and a dark red lip.
"I'm underdressed compared to both of you," Elowyn spoke again, this time sitting up and craning her neck to try and get a better look outside. "I think we're almost there."
At this time the carriage must've gone over some rough terrain as the bumps became a bit more aggressive before calming down and slowing down just a bit.
"I was assured you'd get your robes before the Welcoming Feast, don't worry." I spoke off-handedly as I turned to look through her window. The shape of the castle was more prominent, the light coming through many windows and the tall points of the castle stood out against the darkening sky.
"Looks like we've made it to our stop." Aurora announced while trying to look out from the same window. I hadn't bothered to even take a look until now. Being in Hogsmeade for the last few days had already brought so many memories, and feelings. Knowing I'd be back at my home away from home for most of my youth was enough to make my stomach somersault at the thought of returning. Don't get me wrong I was happy to be returning, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little nervous to make the best impression as an alumnus teaching an entirely new subject to the school, but I must admit I had a not-so-small ulterior motive for working at Hogwarts. It was also due to the opportunity to finally meet my Godson.
Even with my traveling, teaching, and researching going well, there was always this regret about not being able to be there for Harry Potter. I remember the day Lily named me his Godmother with such joy and pride, and how I was nervous about taking on such a prominent role. Even if it meant involving Sirius Black being a direct link, once again, in my life. We were able to remain civil, if not friendly for the sake of the Potters. Our relationship in our teen years may have been short, but the ending of it could still be a sore spot for us at the time. Something only time could mend.
However, life had proven to take a horrible turn. Life proved just how unfair it could be.
"What if I just wore my regular clothes? Just for tonight?" Elowyn questioned as she gave us both her pouty look while putting her Walkman back in her jacket. She always carried her headphones wherever she went, and always got into a mood whenever she wasn't able to listen to her music and zone out. Whether she wanted to admit it or not, I knew she wanted to ask her last minute nervous questions. Her stoic expressions couldn't fool me.
I looked to Aurora who gave me the same skeptical look I had, the action making her nervously answer. "Well… Maybe the Headmaster wouldn't mind. We can surely ask."
Aurora would bend and break for this girl, and I couldn't deny that I was almost as bad. If Aurora was the Good Auror then I had be the Bad Auror. "Just don't be too discouraged if he prefers for you to wear the uniform, okay?" I added. The result was a dissatisfied nod.
"Uniforms are just so stupid." She answered just as the carriage came to a stop. We shared our understanding before gathering our immediate items; Elowyn's purple Puffskein purse, Aurora's crocheted purse while double checking her wand was still secure in the bag, and my red robe along with my wand in hand. Without another word I opened our door and maneuvered to use the carriage steps to arrive on solid ground, taking a few more steps forward to look up at the extravagant castle and throw my robe over my shoulders. It made it hang like a cape more than anything. I could see the tower that housed the Gryffindor common room and smiled nostalgically. So many nights spent there hiding away from the rest of the school with Lily rushed through my mind.
"I've never seen anything like this… an actual castle." Elowyn chimed in.
"You'll have plenty of time to explore everything for the next few years. Maybe Maeve can show you a few interesting things about this place." Aurora spoke as she looked up at the sight before us. "Each school we've been to had something special about it, but this looks just like a fairy tale castle…"
She turned and headed toward the back of the carriage to start unloading our bags, Elowyn and I joining her to help. Once everything had been removed the carriage trunk closed automatically, and the carriage started up again to roll away. My whole life I thought that it was enchanted to pull itself, but after arriving here Aurora pointed out the Thestrals pulling them. I'd only heard about them from Aurora before, how she explained the heartbreaking reason for how certain people can see them. I didn't pry Aurora on how she was able to see them, however. It felt too inappropriate at the time.
As kind and nurturing as Aurora was, we shared the idea of privacy and secrecy when it came to the things that haunted us. Little hints about certain subjects during our 14 years together were about as close as we dared to know.
Aurora held up her hand for a moment, a look of contemplation before her shoulders dropped, and pulled her wand out of her purse. She swished her wand in a swift moment causing the suitcases to levitate and float one by one toward their respected owners. I caught the look of disappointment on her face.
Aurora's abilities were sparser compared to mine or even Elowyn's. She couldn't always consistently hold onto the energy concentration if it was over exerting herself. I could always tell this was a great frustration of hers that she rarely liked bringing up. I was almost sure she felt like we coddled her when we just wanted to help by using our own energy but found it was best to not offer any help until she willingly brought it up herself.
"I'm sure I can remember a few of the secrets the castle has once we're inside." I lingered on the luggage levitating before turning back around and noticing a figure walking toward us. Their pointed hat was the first thing I had noticed, followed by the usual dark green witch robes I had seen growing up.
"Miss Thorne! I'm glad to see you've all arrived on time." The familiar Professor McGonagall came walking up to us with a pleasant smile as she beckoned for us to come closer with her hand. Walking over with the others I smiled back. "Although, I suppose I should be calling you Professor Thorne, instead."
"Even after teaching for many years, you'd think I'd be used to it myself." Granted I traveled a lot for my work, and yet even with the teens I have worked with it always felt foreign to hear my professional title. It was almost too casual compared to the title "Ice Maiden Maeve" I acquired over the years. I must admit I liked the ring to it better than "The Wandless Witch" which was less favorable than the other one; it was too on the nose for my taste.
I've been told my teachings were tough, and at times pushed the boundaries of my students, but regardless of the rumors and negative outlooks I received, I always produced the best results for my student's ability range. I didn't mind if they disliked me, hated me even, but they would respect me and eventually thank me later on. Professor Thorne was a proud title for all the work I had accomplished, even if it was plain.
"The time will come when it'll be normal to hear that more often than your first name." Professor McGonagall assured before turning her attention to the other two behind me. "This must be Professor Ramsey and Miss Beaumont."
Aurora shook the outstretched hand from McGonagall with a small smile and nod before Elowyn gave a much softer shake of her own, avoiding eye contact as she spoke up.
"What subject will you be teaching me, Professor?"
'Straight to the point.' I thought with amusement, a smile spreading on my face to reflect just that.
"I teach transfiguration, dear. Your caretakers here have informed me that you have quite the aptitude for the subject, as well."
Elowyn looked up and nodded, the ghost of a smile already forming on her lips. "Transfiguration, Potions, and Defense Against the Dark Arts are my favorite subjects."
McGonagall still had that same stiff, perfect posture that I remembered from my youth. Her well-put-together appearance hadn't changed much, she even sported the same horned-rimmed glasses. The Transfiguration professor kept her pleasant smile as she spoke. "I'm sure you'll have plenty of opportunities to show me and your professors just how much you enjoy those subjects, but that will have to come later. Right now we're on a bit of a schedule and need to hurry to the headmaster's office in order to get you sorted before the Welcoming Feast starts."
I could tell that Elowyn already liked her new Transfiguration teacher simply from the way she was already looking up toward her now, not minding staring as we all made our way toward the castle by crossing the ever so long bridge. Luggage floating in tow with our strides Professor McGonagall made small talk with us, explaining a few things along the way about this new term.
"As you already know, we're hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year."
How could I possibly forget the near madness of arranging our stay here along with two other schools for this magical competition? Working with the Ministry to assure them that a new subject is introduced to the students wouldn't disrupt the famous little competition they wanted. It took convincing from me and Aurora that the extra load of students wouldn't be overwhelming, even if it could potentially prove to be stressful for us at times. Neither of us wanted to miss a chance to give Elowyn a permanent school for the rest of her education, and I wasn't about to miss meeting Harry, either.
"You all won't be the only new arrivals at Hogwarts, and I'm hoping for you the extra students won't be a problem for you." She said looking over to me with her eyebrows raised, implying with a questioning tone.
"Oh, no. The system me and Maeve use will eliminate the students who aren't showing advancement at the age they typically would be from our research." Aurora popped in and answered for me from behind us. Professor McGonagall looked behind, nodding and looking more reassured.
"I believe Professor Dumbledore did mention something about only teaching fourth years and up, is that correct?" McGonagall pressed for answers she must've had since finding out about our arrival.
"Yes, at that point we believe teens are well established in the control of their magic abilities and can expand on the ability to conjure energy," I answered just as we came to the large wooden doors of the castle. I was hoping that by speaking casually to fill the air of silence my nervous feelings would dissipate. Normally I wouldn't be walking into a new teaching situation this anxious, but with so much that was on my mind it felt almost too easy to feel a little edgy.
Once one of the large doors had been opened by McGonagall, I took a moment to look around the hallway as we passed through the entryway. The moving paintings were there, statues of various creatures and important wizarding folk. The warmth I felt from inside the castle, along with my chest, brought a small smile to my face. Professor McGonagall stated we could leave our luggage here and the house elves would bring our belongings to our quarters, once Elowyn was sorted, they would be put in their respective house dormitory. Aurora was able to dispel the levitation charm with a quick flick of her wand but kept one of the bags close by. It held the plain black robe that Elowyn would be able to change into after her sorting.
Elowyn looked at Professor McGonagall with a tilted head and a displeased look. I remembered how her stance with the house elves was going to be a potential problem for her to get used to, but she didn't make a fuss nor spoke her opinions after a moment.
"You'll have to excuse her; when it comes to house elves our Elowyn doesn't exactly favor the roles they play in most magical households or places of employment." I looked at Professor McGonagall with a resigned expression. The Transfiguration Professor assured Elowyn that they were not some sort of slavery mill and were very well taken care of even. I knew this wouldn't be enough for Elowyn so I gave her a look that encouraged her to take the explanation in stride. Reluctantly she nodded, gave a slight roll of her eyes, and continued to look about her surroundings. I couldn't help but feel relief and look to Aurora for shared sentiment.
Professor McGonagall ushered us toward the headmaster's office, and while at first, the school seemed surprisingly empty upon stepping in, I found more children running around in their normal outfits rather than their school uniforms. 'They must've just gotten here with us…' I thought to myself.
The maze of moving stairways, floors, and halls it wasn't too long till we were all standing in front of the familiar, ugly gargoyle that led straight to the office that Albus Dumbledore would be.
"Lemon Tarte." Professor McGonagall spoke to the gargoyle and at once the statue started to move in a spiral upward. McGonagall took a step forward onto the ascending stairs, and we all followed similarly. The stairs finally stopped at the top and Professor McGonagall stepped off, us following, toward the door that was in front of our group. A quick knock on the door before the sound of, presumably, Professor Dumbledore beckoned for us to enter.
Walking through the threshold and into the office it felt like nothing had changed at all. The many photos of previous headmasters and mistresses of Hogwarts were right where I remembered, the grand circular office holding more oddities and trinkets that Dumbledore must've collected over the years after I graduated. The pop of red coming from the Phoenix sat upon his perch near Dumbledore's desk, something I was sure that Aurora and Elowyn would both be intrigued by.
I had already been reacquainted with the headmaster a couple of days before when we arrived at Hogsmeade for our short stay. The meeting was a little unexpected as I assumed we'd be able to formally gather as we did this evening. However, it seemed that Dumbledore needed to catch me up on a few things that required my attention. Meeting at the Hogs Head Inn proved to be a rather riveting meet-up, to say the least, that left me with a headache lasting several hours.
"Ah, Professor McGonagall, I see you've brought our newest additions just in time." The calming voice of Professor Dumbledore stated as he rounded from behind his desk to walk toward us. The phoenix that was behind him turned his attention toward us newcomers with what seemed like interest. Dumbledore was adorned in silver and purple robes, his familiar snowy white long beard and hair, his half-moon spectacles, and his matching silvery hat were all a part of the classic look I've remembered him by.
"It's good to see you again, Professor." I replied with a courteous smile, nodding and stepping out of the way to motion toward the two he hadn't met yet. "This is Aurora Ramsey, she'll be my teaching assistant while I'm here, and this is the student we act as guardians for that I was telling you about, Elowyn Beaumont."
Aurora shook the hand of Dumbledore, her demeanor showing excitement from the famous wizard she'd heard so much about. She held out her hand as he shook it warmly. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Headmaster."
Elowyn had to pull herself away from everything that the office held to give a proper greeting to Dumbledore, and like McGonagall, kept her gaze down at first. She nodded, gave a small smile, and shook his hand before catching another item from the corner of her eye to marvel at.
"I take it you must be ready to see which house you'll be sorted into for your stay here, Miss Beaumont?" Dumbledore asked Elowyn, who even though was severely distracted by the setup of the office, came back to nod once again and give another small smile to the headmaster. Her eyes were flicking up and down, almost not sure what to think of him.
"I'm just hoping to get into the best one, sir."
I gave Aurora a knowing smile who returned it with a small laugh, along with Dumbledore who nodded. "It should trouble you no more to know that each house brings the finest attributes to the students who are sorted. Now, Professor McGonagall, I understand it's almost time for the Welcoming Feast to start." Dumbledore looked to his colleague.
"Yes, I'll see you all down there. It was good to see you again, Miss Thorne, and to meet you two. " McGonagall replied while nodding and bidding her farewell to us before turning around and heading toward the door. I watched her leave and turned to notice Elowyn watching her with intent.
"I liked the way she talked," Elowyn stated openly. That was a quirky feature about Elowyn; she'd simply state the small details about a person that she favored, whether it made sense to anyone else around her or not. I could tell she would possibly favor McGonagall over most teachers with how quickly she was warming to her presence.
"You may feel differently if you don't do your transfiguration homework properly." I joked with her, although the expression on her face made her seem like she was contemplating the importance of Transfiguration and the teaching rather than catching the joke itself.
"If you may, Miss Beaumont." Dumbledore spoke up as he gestured to the stool in the middle of the office. Though I was sure that it wasn't there before, it mattered not how or when it got there. I was excited to see this pivotal moment that Elowyn was about to experience. Most if not all parents would not be able to have an opportunity to watch their children be sorted on their first day at school, so for me and Aurora to watch our ward get placed in her Hogwarts house I felt a way of superiority for us.
Without further delay Elowyn took a few steps and took her seat, shifting for comfort. She put her hands in her lap, sat straight up, and nodded to show her readiness. Professor Dumbledore retrieved the infamous Sorting Hat off of the mantle from one of his shelves and held it in front of us. The hat seemed to come alive once the shift of movement alerted it.
Classically the Sorting Hat seemed prepared for its yearly song, something I didn't prep Elowyn before we got here.
"A thousand years or more ago
when I was newly sewn,
there lived four wizards of renown,
whose names are still well known:
bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,
fair Ravenclaw, from glen,
sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,
shrewd Slytherin, from fen.
They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,
they hatched a daring plan
to educate young sorcerers
thus Hogwarts School began.
Now each of these four founders
formed their own house, for each
did value different virtues
in the ones they had to teach.
By Gryffindor, the bravest were
Prized far beyond the rest;
For Ravenclaw, the cleverest
would always be the best;
For Hufflepuff, hard workers were
Most worthy of admission;
And power-hungry Slytherin
loved those of great ambition.
While still alive they did divide
Their favorites from the throng,
Yet how to pick the worthy ones
When they were dead and gone?
'Twas Gryffindor who found the way,
He whipped me off his head
The founders put some brains in me
So I could choose instead!
Now slip me snug about your ears,
I've never yet been wrong,
I'll have a look inside your mind
And tell where you belong!"
Dumbledore looked delighted in the Sorting Hats song, Aurora looked a little confused but Elowyn's wide eyes at the talking hat were the most amusing.
"It… sings?"
"A lovely and different song every year, Miss Beaumont. It helps to give an idea of each house and what they represent. Now, hold still." Dumbledore explained in his usual pleasant and informative fashion. Elowyn looked hesitantly toward me Aurora as I was doing my best to not laugh at her freaked-out expression. I gave an encouraging nod as the hat was gently placed on top of the inky-haired teen. The flaps of the Sorting Hat wiggled as it sat upon her head, startling her a bit as it spoke once more.
"Ahhh, an impressive mind, yes… very difficult… Clever and cunning as they come, but so much value on intellect and creativity… Hmmm, you only want the best house, eh?" Elowyn twitched her nose looking upward from under it, almost perplexed at the ability of it being able to read her mind.
"The greatest you can be? Ah, then so be it… Slytherin!" The flaps of that hat flexed at his exclamation, and I couldn't contain my prideful smile for Elowyn. In many ways I saw a younger version of myself in her, so to be placed in the same house I came from was heartwarming. I smiled brightly at her and clapped my hands together, Aurora joining me in a small round of applause and beaming all the same. Since Aurora attended the North American magic school, Ilvermorny, I'm sure she didn't have any preferences either way.
I didn't either so long as Elowyn felt pleased with her results, but I couldn't help to feel smug with the sorting.
"A wonderful addition to a house that has produced great witches and wizards!" Dumbledore complimented her as he lifted the hat off of her head, exposing from the shadow her small smile as she looked at him and then at me.
I caught that he left out the part about our house producing most of the dark wizards, however. It was probably for the best, a conversation I would have with Elowyn before she settled in with any friendships she may get into. As solitary as Elowyn has been over the years at different schools, with us being more permanent for her education she was bound to take up with a few students. With both her guardians here, it would be easier to guide her to more suitable friendships and alliances.
"Wasn't that you're house, Maeve?" Her face was lit up with hopefulness, excitement showing her eyes.
"It was my house. I think you'll enjoy the common room the most since it's within the dungeons. It's right under the Black Lake, so you'll see quite a bit of activity from all the creatures there." I replied as she walked over to me, giving her a quick hug before she moved to Aurora to do the same.
This caught Aurora's interest the most as someone who took a great personal interest in creatures, magical or not. She looked to Elowyn with an all-eager smile as she pulled away from their hug. "You'll have to let me come down just to see them, El."
"Normally," Professor Dumbledore spoke while placing the sorting hat back upon its spot on the shelf. "I wouldn't see an issue with allowing a fellow teacher within the common room, however, you may find it useful to ask permission from Slytherin's Head of House." Dumbledore informed us as he walked to stand in front of us once more, hands held behind his back.
"Oh, who would that be? I adore studying all creatures so I must find a way to sweet-talk them!" Aurora questioned as Elowyn moved to pick up the bag that held her robes. She opened them to find that they were adorned already with the Slytherin patch, the emerald green accents were already there. I noticed her smile as she held them up. Even the uniform that once was bare of any house patch, her black tie was now respectfully the chosen house colors emerald and silver.
Dumbledore gave another kind smile to Aurora. "Ah, that would be our Potions Master, Severus Snape." The headmaster turned to me with what I could only describe as an all-knowing smile as he continued. "I believe you two were in the same year, and house, is that correct Miss Thorne?"
A name I hadn't heard about for years but kept in the back of my mind no matter how many times I had to bury him back there, sent my whole body ridged, an electric shock within my stomach flared, heat to my cheeks. My mouth remained open as if to answer him but couldn't immediately figure out what to say. The coolness of perspiration had hit the back of my neck and my palms.
"Maeve?" Aurora took a step forward while putting a hand on my shoulder, the touch bringing me back to Dumbledores' office. I blinked before clearing my throat, waving lightly to Aurora. "I'm fine, sorry… But, Severus… Snape. He teachers here?" I did my best to keep my question as casual as I could to not alert anyone to anything off-putting that my body language probably already had.
I have done my best to perfect keeping my cool, if not remain completely emotionless in the presence of most things jarring. A defense mechanism, and now a teaching ability for onry children and teens, but with the sudden announcement of his name and understanding that we would be within the same building we once were, yet again nearly two decades later, it almost cracked those defenses in a matter of seconds. I felt Aurora remove her hand slowly but felt her gaze studying me, almost as meticulously as Elowyn was doing now.
"Oh, yes, he's been with us for quite some time now." He answered, not mentioning anything of my reaction as he looked to Elowyn. "You may use my personal chambers to change into your uniform, Miss Beaumont." She pried her eyes away from me to look and nod slowly at Dumbledore before putting her new robes back and carrying the bag with her to head in the direction of where Dumbledore pointed.
This time he looked back at me, potentially catching my demeanor or my lack of enthusiasm for his news. Whatever gave it away Dumbledore took a further step closer to me and gave a reassuring smile.
"I understand you've been gone from the country for some time, but I can assure you Miss Thorne that your concerns with Severus are relinquished."
There were several concerns I had with Severus Snape, and a big one did have to deal with the rumors that I had caught hold of right before I left the country. His meddling in the Dark Arts and allegiance with The Dark Lord had hammered the nails in the coffin of the Severus I knew. I couldn't dwell on it, or chose not to, but is this what he meant? Surely, he didn't have a clue about our more private and personable issues…
"You mean… He's no longer a Death Eater?" I narrowed my eyes, slightly hesitant in my question. Aurora looked between Dumbledore and me but remained silent. I was sure to hear more of this subject later in private.
"Severus turned spy for our side Miss Thorne. At great personal risk, he chose to do what was right and did his best to make up for what he did. May I speak plainly, Maeve?" Hearing Dumbledore use my preferred name was nearly as shocking as the news I was hearing before me. It seemed like I had missed so much in the last fourteen years away from this country. I shouldn't be so shocked that people can change, that secrets are revealed, and that nothing is as it seems. However, the familiar headache of additional information overload was creeping up once again.
The headmaster took a step forward and put a gentle hand on my shoulder, leveling with me as he made eye contact. "It might be within your best interest to reacquaint yourself with Severus; he could certainly do well with someone he knew from his youth. A friend, better yet." Dumbledore's words were echoing in my mind. I stared at him, unable to speak as I furrowed my eyebrows. He didn't realize how much he was asking of me, nor maybe even of Severus himself. Did Severus even know I was here? Surely he'd have some clue… Unless, of course, Dumbledore didn't feel the need to inform him who the newest Hogwarts professor was.
"I…" I started, still trying to find the words. "I suppose… it wouldn't hurt to try and get to know this… new Severus." That was all I was able to get out. Whether Dumbledore truly believed me or not, I wasn't able to tell. Honestly, I didn't know if I believed myself. He simply smiled kindly as he normally did before the sound of the door to our right opened and Elowyn stepped out. It seemed that her concerns about wearing her clothing had faded now that she adorned her Slytherin pride on her new robes.
"As studious as one can be, Miss Beaumont!" Dumbledore dropped his hand and stepped back to admire her Hogwarts attire. It was a thankful distraction as I turned to her, putting on my face to brush away my swirling thoughts.
Aurora must've sensed my stunned nature as she stepped up and complimented Elowyn's robes, trying her best to keep the focus just between her and the younger girl. She genuinely looked so happy in her new robes that she must've thought it was her first accomplishment. 'Just focus on her, this will be a big moment for her.' I thought to myself, blinking and concentrating on only Elowyn.
"It's reminiscent of my days, my Star." I forced a pleasant smile that quickly felt genuine with the help of her smile.
Dumbledore beckoned for our attention before speaking again. "Now, we must be on our to catch the Sorting Ceremony for the first years–Oh, it seems the Sorting Hat has made its way down there." The older wizard had looked behind him to the shelf to check on the hat, but it had vanished presumably down to its awaited ceremony. He turned back to us and started moving toward the office door, talking as he opened the door. All three of us followed as he continued. "After the Welcoming Feast is done and you've been sent to your dormitory, Miss Beaumont, you will find the rest of your luggage waiting for you."
With our descent down from Dumbledore's office he informed Aurora and me of our quarters being stationed on the Second Floor where our personal belongings should already be. He had spoken about certain paintings, pointing out where which hallway went while we walked. I did my best to pay attention to what he was saying, but my thoughts about seeing Severus had returned.
It had been eighteen years since I had anything to do with Severus Snape. After our falling out in school I didn't speak to him again, only catching glances his way whenever I could in the hallway, and sometimes thinking I caught him glancing back. I could excuse it as making sure he looked like he was eating and getting plenty of sleep, to continue to watch him in case anyone else decided to target him. Even after blowing up on him the way I did, it felt like an instinct to watch out for him. Eventually, I had to stop myself from paying attention the way I was since I was consumed with his well-being more so than my own.
After graduating I attempted to reach out to him, although in secret. Lily had cut off their friendship after a rather nasty incident with James and Sirius mortifyingly tormenting him. I wasn't there to witness it, but from my understanding, he was so heated from the situation he used a slur against her. The slur for muggleborns. I wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't Lily herself who told me. I had never known Severus to use that kind of language, speak so vile of our friend who was an exception witch, nor go so low as to bring in her blood status. As if it mattered, anyway.
She was incredibly hurt that I knew any attempt from him at the time to amend anything with her, or even myself, would leave me disgusted.
Yet as the years passed, you grew from that sixteen-year-old mindset. You see the error in your ways, or you look through a different perspective on things. Whatever the case is, you realize that you're no longer a child, and not everything is as black and white as you can make it out to be. At least that's how I've come to see things.
After Hogwarts, it was like he disappeared. I was still young, not sure what I was thinking other than trying to hear from Severus, to see if something in him had changed the way it did with me. Even when I would go to his home no one else seemed to be there. If he moved away, I was unaware of it, but I was told that he was supposed to still be living in his childhood home as usual.
I had to give up once again, accepting my fate that there wasn't anything else there to salvage, or seek some sort of comfort in believing he at least was healthy, safe, and doing well for himself. Maybe it was some type of denial from the worry that sat in the back of my mind, and the pit in my stomach, that he wasn't doing well at all.
Hearing the news of his association with the Dark Lord settled that debate for me. I couldn't believe what I had heard, nor could I believe he would sink so lowly and for what? What could Severus possibly achieve or gain from that horrid cult?
This news in itself was heartbreaking, adding to the grief and loss of Lily and James, the fury of Sirius betraying our friends. I wasn't able to handle what life was throwing at me at the young age of 21. My heart couldn't handle any more pain at the loss of so much innocence.
I had been so consumed with thoughts that I barely noticed when Aurora came close to my side to whisper, nearly startling me. I felt my scowl and forehead all relax from the concentration I had.
"You didn't seem so happy to hear about that professor, are you okay?" Her gentle confrontation could be helpful at times, this however wasn't something that would be beneficial.
"It's nothing… Just didn't expect him to be here." I brushed off her concerns in a hushed tone, careful to not let either the eldest or youngest hear us. "Never mind it, please."
Aurora didn't say anything else but put some space between us, her unconvinced look held for a moment. Understanding there was no use prying any information from me at this time only meant she'd probably try to bring it up a different way later. Or at least, open the subject up unsuspectingly. She respected my privacy the way I did with her, but there were times between the two of us when a gentle push went a long way toward some understanding of whatever went on in our heads at the time.
Besides, this wasn't the time to be talking about my misery in my earlier life.
As we made our way down the stairs to the closed doors of the Great Hall the sounds of talking could be heard through them. Nerves were starting up once again as I did my best to focus on pushing them to the side. Instead, I focused on Elowyn's introduction to Hogwarts like all students experience their first day here.
"Elowyn," Dumbledore turned to speak directly to the young girl who managed to slip on her headphones to hang around her neck, preparing for the loud and social environment she was about to be thrown into. It didn't surprise me that she would still carry them with her even here.
"The Slytherins sit on the far left side of the hall, their colors are green and silver, as you may have noticed, so it shouldn't be hard to miss. Good luck." He smiled at her, the noticeable twinkle in his patient eyes and she returned it in her classic soft smiling way. He turned to Aurora and myself next to speak.
"The two of you will head to the staff table in the back of the Great Hall; we have some arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, as I'm sure you've been made aware of. In the meantime, I, and some ministry staff, will be setting up its presentation. Please feel free to get to know your colleagues. Good luck to you all, as well."
We thanked him as he headed toward the massive doors and slipped through before they closed behind him. I was grateful for this breather of a moment before we set off on our separate ways.
"Remember, far left side," Aurora spoke first, her nurturing side coming out in full force. "If you have any problems from any of the students, please come to us right away… I don't exactly trust anyone else just yet, but I'm sure if you need them they should… follow through." I gave a small laugh at Aurora's rambling and was met with a look and shrug from her that said "You never know"
"I'm not too worried about them, honestly. I can handle them." Elowyn said, showing no amount of anxiety about entering in there. I however counted her fidgeting of her headphones to be a sign of trying to play it cool and talk herself up.
"We know you can," I started and this time she looked up at me as I spoke. "We just don't want them to find out the hard way, is all." I winked at her, this time receiving a more full smile from her. She nodded before sighing and straightening herself up. "Let's get this over with then."
"That's our starry girl." Aurora beamed before hugging her quickly and turning to me. "Are you ready?"
"Like she said, let's do it." I patted Elowyn on her shoulder before walking forward toward the door.
I reached for the door and pushed with a bit of effort, but nothing overdone as it was surprisingly easier to open than expected. The sound of chatter erupted in my ears; the soft lighting of the huge hall didn't bother me like I remembered it did. It was just like how I remembered otherwise; the candles floating, the ceiling reflecting the night sky, and the long tables filled with lively children and teens catching up from their summer break. My sudden entrance caught the attention of those closest at first as I walked through first, followed by Aurora and Elowyn.
My presence, to those who would recognize me, was always intimidated upon first meeting. I held myself very properly, exuding a no-nonsense demeanor about myself wherever I went. I liked it that way, and that idea didn't change when it came to anyone under my guidance. It was a rather nice shock for the students to see my softer side; a balance to teaching I had found worked wonders for most of my students. Shoulders back, standing tall and face controlled in an unreadable fashion, I walked down the side of the Great Hall where I knew the Slytherin side should be seated as a way of my last guidance for Elowyn before she broke off.
I heard the murmurs of those around me notice my presence. Though I stared straight ahead I caught several glances of those from both the Slytherin side and Gryffindor side. It didn't take long for the students to realize new faces were here at Hogwarts, and recognizable to most.
"Is that Ice Maiden Maeve?" Came from my left.
"I think that's Aurora Ramsey, she's supposed to work with the Ice Maiden!" Came from my right
"Who's that girl with them?" Came a couple of times from each side.
Notoriety wasn't a problem for me, I didn't mind if people recognized me as some sort of cold witch. They would never truly know who I am if they didn't stop listening to the gossip, or interact with me directly. It was quite entertaining though. It helped to take my mind off, only slightly, of however closer I was walking toward an area I almost didn't want to anymore.
I stopped and turned around to look at Elowyn directly as did Aurora, my expression still holding the same unreadable feature for a moment before softening up. She had already put on her headphones as I looked at her. I simply gestured to the table that was facing me right now. She sighed and nodded in understanding before turning to search for a spot she could squeeze in. Sitting down I watched as she put her hand on her chin and and started looking around at the whispering peers who almost didn't know what to think of Elowyn's presence.
'That's all I can do for now.' I thought to myself as I looked at Aurora who gave me an understanding soft smile.
Nodding to my companion I turned in the direction I was headed before to make my way toward the staffing table. I was positive I hadn't seen this figure before I had turned back, or I knew he would've registered in my brain. I had turned to make eye contact with a tall, brooding figure dressed in all-black robes. His usually limp hair was nearly a signature look for him, but what wasn't common was the slight expression of shock that registered for a moment before his jaw clenched into a concealed look of indifference that I also had portrayed.
It was as if everything slowed down when I realized who stood before me. My heart was practically beating out of my chest, and the palms of my hands were starting to feel damp as I stepped on the platform. I couldn't help myself from staring, he hadn't broken eye contact either. I noticed his eyes seemed to be flickering at my person in an attempt to take in my appearance as much as I did with him. His face showed signs of near-permanent scowling, eyes seemed darker than how I remembered, but his height was the biggest change. If he somehow didn't tower over me when we were younger, he surely did now.
"Oh, there you are Professor Thorne, Professor Ramsey!" Professor McGonagall had come from behind Severus to speak to us directly, completely pulling me from my trance as she called my name. She had walked up to both me and Aurora while gesturing toward the space that occupied the tall man in black. "I'd like to you meet everyone you can before we start," she walked (of course) directly to him first. "This is Severus Snape, our Potions Master. Severus, this is Maeve Thorne and Aurora Ramsey, our newest additions."
Aurora stepped before me and held out her hand to Severus who took her hand and gave a rather stiff shake before releasing her grasp quickly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Professor Snape." I could hear Aurora's force politeness in her voice that most wouldn't catch at all unless you knew her well. Already she was getting defensive in my honor, and she didn't even have the full story, yet. I admired Aurora's fierce loyalty, and this display of it was amusing, as well as comforting, to me. Severus looked down with his eyes and nodded.
"Likewise, Professor Ramsey." My stomach turned over at the sound of his adult voice. The way his voice had deepened considerably made my head feel lighter. Though it was polite in words, his tone held impassiveness. Even with his colder demeanor, he held an energy about him that commanded respect, I found it hard to take in such a changed Severus. He certainly didn't act like the boy that I knew.
'How much more of him has changed?' I thought to myself.
Still silent I felt the need to speak up to not draw any suspicions around my behavior. Not on my first day here as first impressions, unfortunately in positions of working with others, could prove beneficial if made right. If maybe my civil attitude would create a less hostile work environment, I didn't mind doing so.
"It's good to see you again, Severus." I looked up directly into his eyes as I spoke to him, voice-controlled casually. I made sure my face remained passive to not give away the mess within my body and mind. He didn't speak but the way he stared at me felt like he could see through my whole facade and was able to read my anxieties. Jet-black eyes penetrated through my mask, and I hated every bit of it. They once were softer to look at, yet now they were empty when they looked at me.
"Oh, that's right, I do remember the two of you being here in the same year." McGonagall mused looking between the both of us. "It should be nice for you to have a familiar face, Severus." She looked at him when she spoke before turning back to Aurora and me. "Now, let me introduce you to Filius."
Aurora walked before me to follow McGonagall and I followed behind as we moved around Severus. I looked down as we started to pass him. His lack of response made me self-conscious and made heat rise to my cheeks, yet I couldn't help myself to sneak a final look up his way. It didn't seem like he had looked away at all, trailing me with those same empty eyes as I walked past. It was silent between us, but I could feel that there was more that wanted to be said, and not just from myself. When we made eye contact, I looked immediately forward to join McGonagall and Aurora who were speaking with Professor Filius Flitwick.
Autopilot had been turned on, following through with what was expected out of a first meeting with any of the rest of my new colleagues. However, my mind was far away reliving the few moments I had of seeing Severus. Over analyzing his demeanor, and lack of words exchanged. I knew it was foolish of me to be thinking like this, but my mind still repeated the image of how his eyes looked at me. Was it a facade like me, or was there truly nothing behind his expression when he saw me?
Flitwick was pleasant, chatty even. Aurora was warming up to Professor Sinistra who also shared her first name. My companion didn't seem to want to pull herself away from the Astronomy teacher; a twinkle in her eye and a true smile as she spoke with Sinistra. Sinistra was, in fact, Aurora's type so it wasn't surprising to me that she took to making the best impression right off the bat.
Grubbly-Plank wasn't up for much talking, but polite otherwise. Professor Sprout was interested to hear of our teachings and took an interest in our subject. Sybil Trelawney was rather odd in my opinion, almost skittish when we spoke to her. However, upon answering her questions about our birthdays she seemed to take to our zodiac signs more comfortably. Divination was always a fun subject for me in school, and I did rather well with the assignments, but I wasn't the fanatic that Trelawney was hoping for.
The last to speak to us was Professor Babbling of Ancient Runes, who greeted us before going back to his book that had (not surprisingly) strange runes printed that he seemed to read with ease.
We had met all of the staff that we'd end up interacting with through the next few years. I was told by McGonagall that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Alastor Moody, had yet to join us but should hopefully be arriving soon. Moody's reputation as an ex-Auror who turned to teaching was hard to not be amused by. It was going to be interesting to see how Elowyn would take to him, or by my guess, not.
Aurora and I took our seats closer to the end of the table, Aurora sitting next to Sinistra on her right and I next to an empty seat. However, the seat remained empty no more as someone came to swiftly sit down. I looked to see the same inky, limp hair of Severus who sat next to me.
He didn't look at me but instead kept his gaze out toward the full Great Hall where some sort of golden, bejeweled plated tower was being wheeled in by Dumbledore and, not to my surprise, Barty Crouch senior. I had had many meetings with Mr. Crouch who acted like a surveillance during my research and constantly harped on me to make sure what I was doing was within safety standards.
Severus sat so close next to me in a rather cramped setting and chose to take a seat here of all places. Did the other seats all get taken, or was he pushing his luck to see what would happen?
"I didn't expect you to sit here with me." My tone was light, casual, and the same as before. I didn't look at him and kept my gaze set at the same area in the sea of children, looking towards Elowyn's seat where she had turned around away from the rest of the Slytherins, looking out at all of the school children with her headphones still firmly on her head. I didn't catch the small glance he had made toward me, a moment of silence before he spoke.
"I wouldn't flatter yourself; the other seats are occupied." His retort was off-putting considering it had more of a bite than I expected after just reacquainting ourselves after nearly two decades apart. An involuntary reaction of clenching my jaw and narrowing my eyes as I continued to not look directly at him. I felt foolish that I hadn't even noticed how right he was; it seemed like it was his last resort to sit with me.
"Oh, poor Severus," I threw back with fake sympathy that you could surely hear in my voice. "How positively dreadful you'll have to endure your evening dinner within my presence. I can only hope you'll make it through dessert." This time I looked at him with an exaggerated lip pout before a soured expression washed over me.
This time he slowly turned his head to look at me during my sarcastic comment, a twitch of annoyance flashed in his eyes but otherwise remained stoic.
"Professor Snape," Aurora leaned over to interrupt our little spat, clearly not noticing our agitated expressions. "I heard that the Slytherin common room was located in the dungeons and had an interesting display to see into the Black Lake." She spoke a little fast when addressing him, clearly her excitement couldn't be contained.
"Yes…" Severus looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his drawn out reply conveying curiosity.
"Well, our ward, Elowyn Beaumont was just sorted into Slytherin. I was told I'd need to ask your permission to view the commons; I take a great personal interest in creatures and would be grateful to see the merpeople I've been told about." Aurora finished with a sheepish smile, looking hopeful to charm him enough to get what she wanted.
"I don't find it necessary for another staff member to enter my common room if they don't explicitly need to. I'm afraid the likes of the merpeople will have to remain a mystery, professor. Unless of course, you happen to be an excellent swimmer."
Aurora's smile faltered when he spoke, both his tone and words must've had an effect for her to drop her pleasantry with him. "Understood, then." she replied her tone was tight as she glanced at me. I could read her look well; 'what an absolute ass.'
'So much for a civil first meeting…' I thought.
The fates had interrupted us all before anything more could be exchanged. Dumbledore had begun with the sorting ceremony, which eventually would lead to his explanation of this year's events. I acted as if Severus wasn't even there next to me, whispering only with Aurora and keeping my body turned away from him the rest of the time there. I didn't want to make my first evening back at Hogwarts a bad experience, and seeing how surly Severus was, and how he brought out the bite in me, I knew anything further would only lead to something worse.
This let me pay more attention to Elowyn, and even catch a glimpse of a familiar pair of eyes from the Gryffindor table. My body twitched forward, I needed to remember that I couldn't just run up to the fourteen-year-old boy in the middle of the headmaster explaining what awaited during this year at Hogwarts. My Godson wouldn't even have an idea about me in the first place; I'd look like a loon just waltzing up to him in such a manner.
I watched him as he interacted with people around him, it must've been the friends I had heard about from Dumbledore.
He had James's messy, black hair. He probably had his stature too, almost resembling a mini James. The only difference, the clear difference on him was Lily's eyes he took after. Harry inherited the feature that his mother had that held such power over anyone. Her kindness could influence anyone; was Harry kind like Lily? Or arrogant like James? Perhaps he was someone completely different from either of his parents.
I must've been staring too long at the boy, I realized he was looking at me questioningly. I simply gave a small smile before quickly looking away, watching Dumbledore as he welcomed the first of the two schools that would be joining Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament. I returned to autopilot mode while thinking of Lily, and wondering what life would be like had she been here.
A/N: There's a good possibility I will come back to this chapter and edit it a bit more, but for now I like how this has turned out for an intro for adult Maeve. Her abilities are explained a bit, her comrades she's picked up along the way, and her connections with the Maurader's era folk and how it's affected her at the present. I didn't want to overload it with her connections with Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, and Sirius Black. Things like that will come later for the sake of the story's flow.
For now, we get a taste of Severus's reaction to seeing Maeve after all these years, the beginning of a potential parental relationship with Harry, and an idea of what Aurora and Elowyn are like. The next chapter is going to focus on what it's like to have a Mini Maeve face off with adult Severus. Just as a hint, it's not good!
Thank you to those who followed this story, and the review I received. I'm glad to have intrigued you enough to speak up; it means so much to me the feedback I get!
With love and thanks,
TJ