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Author: buzzzz Story: The Gryffin Councilor Rating: Teens Setting: Pre-HBP Status: WIP Reviews: 10 Words: 56,992
AN: This chapter is now post-beta. I want to thank both Arnel and Katie for the wonderful way that my story has finally turned out. ………………… The mood in the Great Hall on this first day of September was a mixture of excitement and nerves. A crowd unlike any Hogwarts had seen in several years hung about the silvery tables that lined the walls at one end of the room. Distinguished guests from all walks of life had been invited and the feast was ready to begin. The professors sitting at the head table were exquisitely dressed in Hogwarts robes. A witch, with an expressionless face, sat at the center and the chair next to her was empty. As she rose and cleared her throat a silence settled over the room. Those few who remained speaking quickly fell silent as they turned to look at the head table. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall stood surveying the scene, her face impassive and emotionless. There was, though, an unusual twitch on her face and her eyes betrayed the intensity of her inner turmoil. There were few in that room that she did not recognize from their days at Hogwarts. At this moment she was looking at two little red heads that sat at a table at one corner of the large rectangular stage that was set up at the centre of the hall for this night. She had always known that Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger would get married some day, and she only hoped their two little redhead twin children were not a copy of their famous uncles. Fred and George, Ron’s brothers, had been second to none in their mischief making during their years at Hogwarts. With that thought, she looked up at the now silent crowd, and drew a long breath. It was time to begin her little speech. …………………………………………… While the Great Hall was getting quieter, a howling wind grew in intensity outside the castle, drowning out every sound. Crackling thunder and pouring rain made the night look dark and eerie. The castle’s open doors creaked as the wind grew and a hanging chain struck the door with loud bangs that could be heard even over the din of the raging storm. Three figures, dressed in black robes, their heads covered in black hoods stood at the door. While the tallest one stood to the right and stared at the dance of leaves swirling in the air close to his feet, the other two looked out towards the entrance of the grounds, their eyes searching, waiting for someone, or something to emerge. Professor Severus Snape, the Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts and the Potions Master, pursed his lips and tried his best to ignore the two ignorant fools that stood by his side. He did not expect anyone to come up to the castle in this raging storm. He would rather be sitting in the hall enjoying the feast. He had been telling the others that it was futile to follow a thousand year old myth, that it would be better if they let him find a regular teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class -- maybe let him teach the class himself -- and to just create a new room for the Headmaster. It had, of course, been a total waste of time. He was sure all these over-noble morality-seeking old fools must have been Gryffindors in their time. That was actually another reason he hated standing here next to them on this most hopeless of nights. “Ah, Severus, you look like you ate my old goat!” chuckled the old, thin man who stood in the middle and looked several hundred years old. His long silvery beard gave a tinge of shine on the edge as lightning lit up the sky and thunder drowned out his next words. “I am sure you will love the wonderful Thunder Storm Beatle Pie that I suggested the elves cook for dessert tonight, especially after a lovely hour or two observing this wonderful miracle of nature.” And a few hairs seemed to move below his nose suggesting he may have tried to smile. “I do not understand how you can be so cheerful Councilor. If the scrolls are correct, our man should be here by now” said the third man. The silver bearded man, obviously the Councilor, turned to his left, his beard still twitching in the hint of a smile, “Come now Kabbel, do not tell me you do not enjoy the music of the wind, the panting of the storm, and that you can not see beyond the night at what approaches us.” At this both Kabbel and Severus turned around to look into the night, as another hooded figure, wearing black robes, approached the gates to the grounds. Their eyes suddenly lost the boredom and took on a glint of curiosity. As the figure approached the gates, a golden glow began to appear at the foundation of the gates and started to grow towards the castle. This made the approaching figure pause for a moment, before starting again. The three waiting men had strangely different reactions. While on the Councilor’s face a clear smile could be seen, Kabbel’s eyes had gone wide with amazement. Professor Snape’s eyes, however, seemed to register some kind of a recognition, before his face went into a scowl worse than any he had held in several years. As the approaching figure stepped on the threshold, the gates to the castle opened as if by magic, and the golden glow now seemed to originate from him and continue to envelope the castle. With a glint of familiarity, the man seemed to smile, though strangely not a muscle had moved on his face. With a hint of amusement he approached the three men at the Front Gate of the Hogwarts Castle. It had been 9 years since he had looked at the castle last, its glittering turrets and ghostly shadows amazed him once again, like they had when he had looked at it first, from a boat on the lake that he thought must be somewhere to his right. And then Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, straightened and walked up to the castle that had been his first real home with a bounce in his step. ………………………………… “With those words of welcome, let us begin with the sorting ceremony while we await a very special guest tonight. I would suggest that those who are hungry…” said Minerva McGonagall and turned her gaze to a red head in Auror robes, who looked to be in his late twenties, and gave a clearly amused smile before she continued, “… settle for a glass of the lovely Beaver Dropping Soup we have specially prepared for our guests while they await for dinner to begin. Professor Weasley, please escort the first years.” As the Headmistress took her seat, yet another red head with long shiny ginger hair, stood up from the staff table and walked towards a gate to the side of the hall. Professor Ginerva Weasley was starting her fourth year as Professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts, having replaced Minerva McGonagall after the previous Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had suddenly died at 164 years -- no one was quite sure how or why -- and Minerva had taken up the role of Headmistress. The castle, the governors, and those chosen, were now looking for another to replace him and restart the Magic of Hogwarts. Walking to the door, Ginny smiled to herself; she had thought she wouldn’t last long with the memories she carried. It had been, however, a strangely healing experience to come back and see what it was they had fought and lost so much for. As she opened the door, she gave a careless glance at the hooded figures at the castle door, missing the approaching fourth, and once again wondered if any one would come. It had been a long three years since the Magic of the Castle, which gave it protection, had stopped. And the fun too, she thought with a sigh as she passed the staircases that used to move around when she was here as a student. She hoped that they find a Headmaster soon, and that he would be able to live up to the greatest Headmaster Hogwarts had seen, and lost. “Hullo Professor, horrible weather that. The Slime Poisoned Beetles `ve been getting restless. Sorry ‘am late, the lake’s been restless too, two boats flipped over,” a deep voice interrupted Ginny’s thought. Ginny turned and smiled at the huge face of Rubeus Hagrid, her old friend and Professor of Care and Breeding of New Magical Creatures. “How are you Hagrid? Dry yourself and go on in, I’ll take it from here. Find any bad ones this year?” asked Ginny. “None like ye'r brothers,” replied Hagrid. With a wink and a hearty laugh Ginny walked up to the scared first years as Hagrid walked on to the hall. He was followed not far behind by a hooded figure with a fading golden glow and three others whose black hoods were hanging behind, their faces showing complimentary emotions, their walk purposeful and straight. ……………………….. As Harry walked up to the gate, drenched but smiling, the old man whom Kabbel called Councilor, took a few steps ahead with his arms wide open, clearly happy at seeing the young man approach. Harry’s smile turned into a grin as he hugged his teacher and mentor. A white light seemed to pass between them, though anyone looking would not have noticed. They both then turned and Harry greeted the other two with restrained emotions. As Severus Snape shook the hands of the wizard whom he had once held only contempt for, he could not hide his respect even though the scowl on his face did not change. Harry merely smiled at his former professor wondering if he would ever see what he knew to be a very different person on Snape’s face. “Hello Professor, good to see you after so long,” said Harry in a cheerful voice. “Save it Potter, I didn’t know the old fools were bringing you, another one of your stunts I suppose?” Snape’s scowl had gotten worse. Harry stopped himself from snapping and gracefully turned to meet the third man. “Good evening Mr. Kabbel, it is a pleasure to finally meet you, I am Harry Potter.”. “Harry Potter!” exclaimed Kabbel. His eyes grew wider than they had been before “But I thought you were dead!” “And I thought nothing escapes the Governors of Hogwarts” cried out the Councilor, clearly amused, and hurried the three into the castle. Snape closed the door, while the others continued to chat, and take off their hoods. Before he could begin to lock it, the doors bolts began to turn on their own, for the first time in over three years. For a moment Snape looked surprised but as he turned the scene he saw forced the scowl back on his face. “Still infatuated Potter? I would expect a Professor at Hogwarts not to look at another man’s woman in that manner.” Harry did not turn his gaze away. Instead he put his hood back on, and calmed himself. It would not do to look like a hopeless teenager his first day of school. But his eyes refused to leave Ginny Weasley. If only, he thought and turned his gaze towards the smile and wink that Ginny had just given. What he saw made him smile, and he realized he had been holding his breath. Rubeus Hagrid was one of only three people at the castle who knew he would be here today. In fact he was one of the people who had convinced Harry to come back. With another smile, he realized, it was indeed good to be back. And he hid his face, concentrating on controlling his emotions, and walked quietly towards the Hall. The golden glow around him began to fade. …………………………………… Secretary of Education Mrs. Hermione Weasley sat at the corner table with her twin children Albus and Angel, both three years old, and listened to her husband tell them something about Uncle Harry and laughing. She could, however, not see the humor in the situation. She had known this would happen if she came back, but the selection of a new Headmaster was serious business and it was her responsibility at the Ministry to make sure the Board of Governors and those old fools, The Council of the Wise, did not do something that the Ministry of Magic did not approve of. And then Ron had wanted to come, and their children, so here she was, sitting at the Great Hall after nine years, thinking of how that fateful year, she had lost her best friend. It should have been her who figured it out. She was the smart one. And she had, only not in time. She knew she was not at fault any more than the others, but she could not help but blame herself. If only.. Her thoughts stopped, as the Great Hall's doors opened, but instead of the first years, she saw Snape, Kabbel and the Councilor walk in. Behind them strode a hooded, robed wizard. Harry, she thought for a moment, but dismissed the thought as stupid. Harry was either dead, or had totally disappeared. No one knew what had happened to Harry Potter when, three years ago, his six year long career as the top Auror had ended with an Order of Merlin, First Class and he had simply disappeared. The Ministry did not know if he was alive or dead. He had resigned just before his last mission. For six years Harry and Hermione had worked in the same ministry building and not met even once. The Great Hall door opened again as the first years entered, once again taking Hermione out of her thoughts. But as the Sorting Hat began to shout out houses, Hermione tuned out yet again. Something was very curious about this whole thing. Three years ago Dumbledore had died leaving no signs of how to choose a successor. The board and the Ministry had tried several great wizards but the castle didn't seem to accept any of them. The Headmaster’s office remained locked, the castle’s magical protections ceased functioning, and several magical things had stopped happening. It seemed no one had the power to control the castle. “Harry” whispered Hermione surprising herself, and from the look on his face, also her husband. “Try to let it go Hermione, it’s been too long,” Ron spoke trying to calm his wife. “I know Ron. I was just thinking of the last battle. It was like Harry was controlling the castle,” said Hermione. And she looked at the hooded figure who was obviously the candidate. The Ministry had finally turned to the Council of Wise, which was, as per some old myth, given the task of choosing the next headmaster if none could be found a thousand years ago. And within a week they had come up with a candidate whose identity they kept secret. Hermione thought they were only having fun, but Minister Bones and Kabbel had gone to them. Hermione turned her gaze to the new figure as he sat down at the staff desk; McGonagall was clearly surprised at whoever it was, for she let out a gasp, and then a grin. Hermione felt her heart beat faster. “It’s not Harry, ‘Mione” said Ron as he took her hand, and smiled at her, and then his expression changed to that of surprise. Hermione heard a short gasp go across the Hall and saw everyone was looking up. The enchanted ceiling showed clouds moving, and a storm coming in. Wait a minute, she thought, the ceiling hasn't been working since Dumbledore died. And along with everyone else in the Great Hall, her head turned towards the hooded figure as he stood looking at “Ziman, Zermin” being sorted into Hufflepuff. As the sorting ceremony finished, Professor McGonagall got up and her audience grew silent. “Before we go further,” she began “let me introduce to you our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher …” The hooded figure got up and took off his hood. It was not Harry. “ … Professor Evans” said Professor McGonagall as she finished to a mild applause. Hermione thought she had seen this thin haunted face before. ……………………… AN: Guys, review if you read the story. Leave some good words if you liked it, and critique it and point out if you didn’t. It would be great to know what you are thinking.
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