Chapter One
"Havoc at the World Quidditch Cup!" The wizarding magazine had been printing nothing else for headlines the past few days.
Cora flipped the Daily Prophet back on the serving tray beside a jostling cup in its matching porcelain saucer. The Hogwarts Express was a relatively smooth ride, but as evidenced by the constant quivering of everything not tacked down, it never quite let you forget you were on a train.
Cora leaned forward and looked up out of her bangs as the scenic Scottish countryside flashed outside the window next to her, seeing lots of grass. 'It is very pretty here, not forests and lakes pretty but…idyllic.' She thought to herself before settling back into her seat comfortably.
The Hogwarts Express ran several times a week during the summer, whether there was anyone aboard or not. It seemed this was mostly an 'or not' time. Cora had the compartment to herself and was fairly certain that she had the entire car to herself as well (as evidenced by the Trolley Cart Lady stopping multiple times already, as if having nothing better to do with any other customers- and not being one to seem rude and refuse her, Cora now sat nestled beside several boxes of unopened chocolate frogs, a package of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, mint frogs, fudge flies, a couple of bottles of orange pumpkin juice, strawberry licorice wands and a half-eaten pumpkin pastie).
It would take a day of travel to get to Hogwarts by way of train, but after settling in with her goodies and reading materials it almost felt like a little vacation.
'It probably would be a much different atmosphere if I were young and surrounded by excited friends…still though, at least I can get a little of the experience.' Cora had thought to herself when she had first boarded.
Before long she lost herself in her favorite Astronomical book, 'Astronomy, A Self-Teaching Guide. Eighth Edition' by Dinah Moche, and the outside world began to darken until only black sped by the window and the gentle jostle beneath her reminded her they were still moving. Lanterns had been lit, but Cora felt the strain to read by the light was not something she was willing to partake in and so eventually turned from her book to the horde of candy she had accumulated.
"Chocolate Frogs." She bemused, inspecting the elaborate purple box. She opened it cautiously, reflexes snapping as she dropped the lid and caught a brown blur leaping from the opening.
"Oh, for Heaven's sake…how am I supposed to eat this?" Cora frowned at the squirming chocolate frog in her fist, as life-like as any real one. Slowly, though, she felt it start to get stiff in her grip. She tossed it down on the tray and it crawled slowly over the Daily Prophet, freezing its crawl over the flashing picture of ripped and disheveled tents fluttering in a smoky breeze.
'Hmm…enchanted for at least one good hop, looks like it's already wearing off though.'
Cora decided to wait until the enchantment wore off completely and there was not a chance of the frog wiggling a limb in her mouth once she took a bite and instead focused on the Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans. She took a purple one, spotted with little black flecks, and popped it into her mouth…then, with flashing hands and desperation, picked up her empty teacup and promptly spit it out into the cup, "Ugh…burnt artichoke?" Perhaps that one had been a dud? She distrustfully plucked a yellow bean from the contents, flecked with red, and sucked on it slowly before biting into it with caution, "…Spaghetti, not a great candy flavor either."
After a few more hours, and another visit from the trolley cart (pepper imps and raspberry jollies were added to Cora's stash), a red vested bell-hop rapped on the compartment door's frosted glass to let her know they would soon be arriving.
Cora began stuffing her treats and various items back into her bag, magically charmed to hold more than it appeared. She felt a sense of rising excitement, but admittedly, it could have been a few fudge flies twitching in her stomach.
She sat expectantly, waiting with her bag on her lap until the train slowed and jerked to a stop with a high-pitched whine.
Hogsmeade Station.
She made her way down the car's corridor and exited the train at the wooden and stone platform outside; the night air had since cooled from the summer's day heat, and a pleasantly mild breeze flowed through Cora's hair as she brushed it aside and looked around.
"Ahem, Professor Thistlewood?" A little voice squeaked below.
Cora turned, looking down to see in the flickering lantern lights hanging around the station that a small, pale figure stood below knee height in front of her. The bulbous eyes and large, flopping ears bore the common, tell-tale signs that could be pinpointed even in poor lighting, like that of a house elf.
"Yes?" Cora answered, looking down at it with mild curiosity.
"Begging your pardon, Professor. I am Fizz, the House Elf, Ma'am. I come from the Hogwarts Kitchens, and am to see your luggage to the School, Ma'am." The House Elf, Fizz, bowed so low that Cora was almost certain in the poor light that it must have bumped the floor with its head.
"Perfect, you can get the luggage off the train, I'll carry my bag here." She hoisted her bag's strap on her shoulder a bit higher, "Is there by chance a boat available? I'm told first years typically take a boat across the Black Lake to enter Hogwarts their first time?"
Fizz, for all the light she could see, appeared genuinely uncomfortable with an instantly furrowed brow and wringing of long, thin fingers, "Fizz apologizes, Ma'am. Fizz did not know you would like to go by boat. A carriage was sent for you, Ma'am, just there."
Fizz pointed towards the direction of the road with a sheepish hunching of his shoulders, where a horseless carriage was indeed waiting.
"Of course, Fizz can find a boat, but it will take some time to bring it here, Ma'am." Fizz responded, almost remorsefully.
"No, that's alright. I appreciate the accommodating thought. The carriage will be fine." Cora responded civilly, though interiorly a little disappointed.
Fizz bowed deeply once again, and then, with a snap of his fingers and a Pop!, he was gone.
Cora made her way over to the carriage, inspecting it. It seemed to be hitched and pulled by something; the leather harnesses extended forwards…but there were no visible creatures they connected to, just darkness.
'There are invisible creatures…mostly all are considered either too intelligent or too full of dark magic to be domesticated. I'll have to ask if the harnesses are for show, enchanted, or really attached to something.' Cora thought, climbing into the carriage.
They began to move, ambling along at a jaunty trot, much like a horse-drawn carriage. Cora tried her best to be interested in the ride, but the moon was in a new phase and the stars above were hardly bright enough to shine through the clouds overhead. It smelt damp, like rain might come later in the night. She was mostly just being jostled around in damp darkness, and there wasn't much to focus on.
After a few minutes, the first of the castle's lanterns and lit windows could be seen gleaming through the darkness. As they approached, though Cora couldn't see the entirety of the castle in the dark, the windows alone stood testimony to how enormous Hogwarts must be. They passed a large iron gate larger than most houses, guarded on either side by bronze Hog statues bearing a set of wings that glinted from the blazing braziers behind them. Entering the courtyard now, Cora could hear the giant fountain before she saw it, and there was enough light gleaming from the castle's interior and from the outside torches and braziers to reveal that the shadowed courtyard was elaborately maintained with trimmed greenery that could rival any Royal European garden. The carriage came to an abrupt stop at the large, riveted, two-story double doors that served as the primary entrance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Cora dismounted and heard the carriage behind her trot off as she stood still, clutching her bag and looking up at the enormity of the stone castle before her with head tilted far back.
'Well, here we go.'
A large reason for Cora coming as quickly as she had to fill the temporary Magical Theory position once available was so that she could not only learn what Professor Septima Vector had laid out for her lesson plans, but to familiarize herself with the layout of the castle.
As Cora crossed the threshold of the large main doors, it quickly became clear that one summer, even if had been a full one, was not going to be enough time to learn the layout.
Immediately greeting her inside was a stone wall several stories high, covered in life-size, knight-like statues sitting in alcoves in the stone. A large wooden door lay opposite her at the other end of the room and as she stepped further away from the entrance she saw that there were also doors at the either sides of the room as well, both atop sets of stone staircases.
She debated on whether or not to try her luck with a side door, when suddenly the one she was looking at opened and a disgruntled, stringy-haired man came through it, making a beeline for her. Following closely at his uneven stride, Cora was surprised to see, was a cat.
"You'll be the American Professor, then?" He asked, a bit gruffly, as he stopped in front of her abruptly.
Cora considered him, "I am Ms. Cora Thistlewood, filling in for Professor Vector, Mr….?"
"Filch, Argus Filch." He stated, looking at Cora through squinted eyes as the cat sat on the floor next to his heels, staring at her as well. "I'm the Caretaker; nothing happens here that I don't know about, I can tell you that."
"That must be how you knew me, then." Cora smiled, politely. 'I imagine he's not well-liked if he's already trying to make himself sound important.'
"Right. Come on then, follow me. I'll take you to your quarters. It's right above the classroom, nice easy morning commute then." He chuckled to himself, promptly striding back towards the door he came in from. Cora hurried after him.
He began taking them through hallways, a huge great room with a fountain and mural of a sleeping dragon, outside through a columned courtyard, back into a huge ornate room filled with walls and floors made out of some sort of polished dark marble as violin music played, up about ten thousand stairs (or so it felt to Cora) and through a large hall filled with green tapestries until finally Argus Filch stopped at a wooden door, almost appearing embedded in the forest tapestry behind it.
"Professor Vector cleared out her things, living quarters in the back of the classroom." Filch gestured towards the door.
"Thank you, that was...quite the walk. How long did it take you before you didn't get lost anymore?" Cora asked, half joking as she panted, trying to catch her breath.
"Oh, I've been here for years, I couldn't get lost if I tried." He said, puffing up his chest, revealing several greasy stains on the front of his shirt.
"You were a student here, then?" Cora asked.
As big as the chest had puffed up, it instantly deflated like a popped balloon. Filch suddenly was looking around, as if immediately uncomfortable and searching for a way out, "Uh…n-no, not exactly…see…I'm…I never went…I'm a…a…Squib." He grimaced, looking away quickly as if someone had just ripped a particularly sticky Band-Aid off a bunch of hair.
Cora blinked, feeling a heat rising in her chest as she took in his uncomfortable position having revealed this aspect about himself.
'Why should he be embarrassed by that? That's nothing to be ashamed of!'
Before she knew it, she had blurted quickly, "In America, they block the magic of non-consenting muggle-borns and half-bloods from blood traitors. Did you know that?"
"I…didn't," Filch said, watching her with alarm from the sudden outburst.
"People go through the full first half of their life never realizing they even have magic, all because their parents and MACUSA didn't want them in the wizarding world." She continued to the perplexed-looking Filch. "And, well, that happened to me. It is…not easy being denied magic when it is all around you. That is something I can understand. That's what I'm trying to say...b-but you have been exposed to this world longer than I have, and I look forward to leaning on your expertise." She extended her hand, finishing quickly, her face serious and a bit flushed as she met and kept Filch's gaze.
Eyes wide, Filch took her hand slowly, shaking it as he mumbled out an astonished sounding, "Th-thank…you?"
She gave him a curt nod and then opened the door to the classroom, stepping quickly inside and letting the door close behind her with Filch shut outside it.
'Wow…I made that awkward. I need to not get so worked up…all he said was that he was a Squib…okay, well, no more of...whatever that was. At least it was only to the caretaker…' She sighed, rubbing her eyes, 'Maybe I'm just tired.'
She began to look around.
Desks lined the room's majority, there was a wooden talking podium up at the front and the walls were lined with various instruments and blackboards. One side of the room also had large two-story windows that, while black at the moment, must've let in a lot of light during the day. At the far end of the room was, no surprise, another staircase, and up it was a wooden door.
Cora headed for this and found the door unlocked. Behind it was a large circular room. It seemed to be divided into different areas: a desk and impressive bookshelf, a sitting area, a large fireplace that was currently lit and warmed the entire room, a four-poster bed, and finally, a series of large chalkboards, empty and ready for mathematical calculations and magical formulas.
'This will do perfectly, very quaint, very…academia.' Cora thought, walking over and setting her bag down on the bed's quilted blue surface. She saw her trunks from the train already piled neatly on the other side of the bed.
Pop.
"Begging your pardon, Miss." A little voice squeaked from the sitting area.
Cora turned her head to see the house elf from the platform. Fizz was standing with thin arms, struggling to hold a large silver tray piled high with various foods and a heavy-looking silver teapot.
"Where would Ma'am like Fizz to set Ma'am's supper?"
Cora took note of a side table beside a large, stuffed armchair and nodded to it, "There will be fine."
Fizz lifted the tray, arms quivering slightly, and set it gently on the side table, bowing after he had done so, "Is there anything else Ma'am requires?"
"I don't suppose you have a map I can borrow?" Cora walked over, inspecting the food tray (pea soup, toasted ham sandwiches, crackers, cheese, an apple, grapes, a tall glass of water and a large pot of tea).
Fizz started to wring his fingers again, becoming very interested in the floor, "Fizz is most sorry, but a map is most impossible. Hogwarts cannot be mapped, with all the concealment charms, Ma'am. But, if Ma'am would like, Fizz could accompany Ma'am when she wants?"
"That is good suggestion, Fizz. Alright, if you could meet me here tomorrow morning and help me get to where I need to be, that would be grand. I suppose the Great Hall for breakfast would be our first stop." Cora said, leaning on the back of the stuffed armchair as she took a bite of the apple, not eager to sit back down after the day-long train ride.
"Of course, Ma'am. Is there anything else Fizz can do for you?"
"Washrooms?"
Fizz hurried across the floor and pulled back a purple, starry tapestry, revealing a door and handle behind, "Just through here, Ma'am."
'Nice, I thought for sure in a castle this old I'd be sharing toilets and bathtubs in a Staff Bathroom, the plumbing must have been updated within the past few centuries then.' Cora came over, opening the door as Fizz bowed off to the side. Inside the washroom was a claw-footed tub, pull-string toilet, large wash basin, and towel rack. A large brass mirror also stood propped against a stone wall, large enough to fit several people in its reflection at once.
"Fizz can draw Ma'am a bath if Ma'am would like?" Fizz offered off to the side.
Cora shut the door, letting the tapestry fall back into place as she looked down at Fizz, "You're very attentive. No, thank you, I'll do that later. I'll meet you back here in the morning…I know you said you worked in the Kitchens, and you'll probably have to prepare breakfast for everyone so...what time works best for you to show me the way around?" Cora frowned, realizing the potential time conflict.
Fizz's eyes were suddenly (almost impossibly) even wider than before, "Oh! Ma'am need not trouble herself over that, it is no problem at all! Fizz can make time for Ma'am whenever Ma'am is ready!"
Cora took another bite of the apple, thinking, "Well, I suppose whenever the other Professors are eating is a good time for me to show up. What time would that be?"
"The Deputy Headmistress is usually at table first, drinking tea before the other professors are coming in, usually most arrive by about eight in the morning." Fizz said.
"Perfect, I'll meet you a little before then, if that works for you?" Cora asked.
The house elf bowed, "Yes, certainly, Fizz will be here."
Cora then gave him a little wave, and with yet another bow, the house elf popped away in a moment, leaving her alone with her tray of food.
Cora ate and afterward took a long bath filled with eucalyptus and mint soaps to refresh herself after the long ride, then sat in front of the fire for a time to dry her hair before, limbs sagging and tired from the effort, climbed into bed. She was asleep almost the moment her head hit the soft, silky blue pillow.
*Author's Note: I have been attempting to work with Grammarly, but Grammarly does not always work with me. While things are spelled correctly, they may not grammatically make much sense (especially in certain speech patterns of characters) and so I apologize if during the editing process I missed a few obvious errors. I hope they can be overlooked, and you get a sense of the story regardless.
To Clarify:
'...' = indicates Cora's thoughts
"..."= indicates Cora's speech