Again, this story doesn't exactly follow canon. Voldemort is dead and the Potters are alive.
Just for context, mom and sister abandoned them when Aurelia was around 14-15 so her sister Flora was in her 4-5th year of Hogwarts.
The castle was slowly filling with more and more staff members arriving for the term. Some of them were faces Aurelia had heard of from her sister's stories, while others were strangers. As the days went on, she found herself growing more familiar with the labyrinthine corridors, the shifting staircases, and the occasional talking portrait. She had begun to settle into her routine, keeping busy with preparing her Muggle Studies curriculum and making sense of the influx of supplies that kept arriving. But even after weeks, she still couldn't quite believe she was here, standing in the very halls her sister had once roamed.
Today, like most days, she found herself walking to the staff room for lunch, having skipped breakfast in favor of working through the morning. She had grown accustomed to this quiet solitude, but as she pushed open the heavy doors to the staff room, she was taken aback by the curious eyes that landed on her.
Right. There were more staff now, and they had yet to meet her. The sudden attention made her stomach twist uneasily. She had gotten used to being an outsider of sorts in this world—now that she was here, in the heart of Hogwarts, it was still hard to shake that feeling.
Thankfully, her usual spot by the window was vacant. She moved over quickly, putting her things down and trying to ignore the eyes that followed her. The chatter around her was a mix of lively greetings and laughter, but Aurelia focused on getting a sandwich from the buffet table, trying to stay in her little bubble.
As she returned to her seat, unwrapping her sandwich and preparing to dive into some work, a voice interrupted her concentration.
"Hello."
Aurelia looked up to see a man with a kind face, slightly scarred, a mustache curling up at the ends, and soft green eyes flecked with brown. His shabby robes, though well-worn, gave him an air of comfortable familiarity. She hadn't seen him before, so she assumed he must be new.
"May I sit here?" he asked with a warm, friendly smile.
Aurelia hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Sure."
With a quiet chuckle, he settled down across from her. His smile was genuine, and there was a certain easy confidence to him that immediately put her at ease.
"I'm new. Professor Remus Lupin," he introduced himself, extending his hand. "I'll be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Aurelia looked at his outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it. It was firm but gentle. "Aurelia. Aurelia Lights," she replied. "Muggle Studies."
"Ah, Muggle Studies," he said with a slight nod of approval. "Fascinating subject. Were you a student at Hogwarts?"
Aurelia's lips pressed into a thin line, a reflexive sadness flickering in her chest. She shook her head. "No. I'm a squib."
He nodded, not in judgment, but with understanding. "Ah, I see." He seemed to pause for a moment, clearly curious. "So, you lived among Muggles, then?"
"That's right." She took a bite of her sandwich and returned to her paperwork, trying to focus on something else. She wasn't used to talking about being a squib—especially not with people who were still so new to her.
"I have a Muggle-born friend," Remus continued, his voice steady, "and she's told me a bit about life in the Muggle world. The films, books... I've even visited Muggle London a few times."
Aurelia looked up, surprised. "Really? What did you think?"
"I find it quite... charming. Different, but in an intriguing way."
Before Aurelia could respond, a group of women entered the staff room, their conversation filled with an amused familiarity. The middle woman, a stern figure with sharp features and green robes, was someone Aurelia recognized from her sister's stories.
"I see Remus has already gotten acquainted with the new girl before any of us," she said with a mischievous grin, her eyes twinkling behind round spectacles.
The woman to her right, a shorter woman with a round face, chimed in. "The new professors," she said in a voice that was both curious and warm.
"Allow me to introduce myself," the woman in green robes continued her voice authoritative but kind. "I am Professor McGonagall, Transfiguration. This is Professor Hooch," she gestured to the woman on her left, who had a no-nonsense air and an easy smile, "and Professor Sprout, Herbology." The two professors offered their greetings.
Aurelia nodded politely, feeling a bit overwhelmed by their warm reception.
"Well, Miss Lights," Professor McGonagall continued, her gaze shifting from Remus to Aurelia. "A word of advice, just a little warning for your sake. The Slytherins will give you a hard time."
Aurelia's eyes flicked over to Professor Snape's seat at the far end of the room, his dark figure almost blending into the shadows. The bitterness in his eyes was unmistakable even from a distance. She felt a pang of unease but quickly masked it with a steady expression. "I'm not surprised," she said, her voice flat. Thank you for the heads-up."
Professor McGonagall gave her a knowing smile and then turned to the others. "Well, we'll leave you to your lunch, Miss Lights. Good luck with everything."
Aurelia watched them leave, still processing the advice. Her eyes flicked back to Snape, who hadn't even looked up from his food. He was so quiet, so... disinterested in the world around him. But she knew better than to judge him based on appearances.
As the room began to settle into quieter conversation, Aurelia quickly finished her meal and gathered her things. She was always the last to enter the staff room and the first to leave. There were always things to do, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was falling behind, no matter how much she accomplished.
She left without another word, the door closing quietly behind her, her footsteps echoing in the hall. Hogwarts was huge, full of wonders and secrets—but the closer she got to becoming part of it, the more she realized how much she had to learn about the castle itself and the people in it.
And some of them, she was beginning to realize, were far more complicated than they appeared.
Short chapter I know. Leave a comment and let me know what you think