When Iris Finch is invited back to Hogwarts to take part in the new apprenticeship program, she never anticipated being paired with The Dungeon Bat.
A young and naive Hufflepuff, she is at the mercy of Severus Snape's temper, and eventually his des...
After we had spent the evening getting reacquainted, Professor Dumbledore told us to be back in the Great Hall at 7 am tomorrow for breakfast. After that we would meet in the room we were first brought to so we could be paired with our professors and go over some common goals, rules, and a tour of the areas we were allowed to access now that we were no longer students. That room was to be our official meeting place from here on out. The large space and numerous tables made it perfect for all of us to gather.
I was not looking forward to spending alone time with the Dungeon Bat. I'm sure the feeling was mutual because he still had yet to speak to me. His glares said enough. "Gentlemen, if you go with Professor Lupin, he will show you to your rooms. Ms.Finch, Prof McGonagall will show you to yours." He gave a friendly nod before wishing us good night and the other professors follow suit. I hung back as the boys filed out with Lupin leading them up the staircases. I was about to begin walking when McGonagall stopped me. "We will wait for the boys to get a little farther before I show you to your quarters. As the only lady among the apprentices I wanted to let you know that you can come to me with any needs you might have that are more..." she stiffened her posture as she searched for the right words "feminine in nature. Things you might not be comfortable seeking help from Prof Snape for." I nodded and gave her a small smile.
"Thank you, Professor, that means a lot to me." "Now the gentlemen all have to share rooms, but, you get a private room and bath." My face lit up. Being the only girl had some perks! She laughed at my response as we started up the staircase, going up several floors to a level I hadn't known about. The hallways were emptier than any other I had been in. Isolated and lonely, it felt odd not being in a part of the castle that was uninhabited. "Headmaster and I decided it might be best to give you a room farther from all the gentlemen." Though her sentence was short, I understood all that she was implying. "Ahhh. I understand." I responded awkwardly, my hands beginning to wring my skirts. We were no longer children, but young adults, and there was much more the professors had to consider now.
"Though there are few who enter this floor of the castle I assure you will not feel unsafe. All the paintings have been notified to report directly and quickly to any staff members if you need us, and your door has a spell cast to open only to your key." She held up a bronze key and placed it firmly In my palm. "The lock will not open for any spell or charm, only this key and only if you turn it in the lock. No one else can use it to get in." Though she seemed more comfortable than when I spent time here as a student, the stiff and stern tone she used made me realize how seriously they were taking my interaction with the other boys.
I'm not sure how the staff viewed me but I could assure everyone that none of those boys had ever been or will ever be attracted to me. Even if I got one up to my room I wouldn't know what to do with them. Cedric's grey eyes popped into my mind, an image I quickly shooed away. My face was the deepest shade of red it had ever been. "Thank you so much, Professor. All of your preparations and accommodations are not taken lightly." I wanted to make sure she knew she didn't have to worry. Though I was timid, I wanted to secure her belief in me. I squared my shoulders and lifted my chin. "You are most welcome Ms.Finch. Now before I let you go to bed, I wanted to discuss the sorting hats choice with you." I noticed her back stiffen even more as if bringing up the awkward memory displeased her. "Yes?" I attempted to keep the quiver out of my voice. "I know it was quite unexpected. But the sorting hat knew what it was doing when it placed you in Potions. You have a large task in front of you, but I assure you that you will be just fine." She patted my shoulder before walking away, her green robes swelling behind her. I held those words close. Prof McGonagall did not say things she did not mean. I turned back to my door, excited to see what my room looked like. I stuck the key in the lock and slowly opened the wooden door. The room was simple, with a small bed, vanity, nightstand, desk, and bookshelf furnishing the space. A beautiful and large window was covered by thick velvet curtains. When I pulled them back I could see a lovely view of the Black Lake.
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My luggage and cage containing Starlight were in the corner, waiting for me to unpack. Starlight seemed content to sleep in her cage so I left her there for now as I waved my wand to begin sorting my dresses. They effortlessly hung themselves up in my closet, and I admired all of the lovely patterns and colors. I picked out a nice deep blue one with lace trim on the collar and sleeves. It was simple but elegant, and it flattered my figure well. I stepped back out of the room and unlocked the door adjacent to mine. It was fashioned with the same lock as my room, letting me know that this was probably my private laboratory. That too was simple and yet spacious, a nice bathing pool and vanity area filled the majority of the room.
After finishing unpacking I crawled into bed. Today had been an emotional rollercoaster and I was ready to clear my mind with some much-needed sleep. I didn't want to think about my fears of the future. It would do me no good. So I slipped into a dreamless sleep, excited to get the next day over with.
