When Darkness Calls

Chapter 3- Professor Snape

As predicted I hadn’t slept for what little of the morning had remained. I had managed to half unpack, finish a book and tested out the rather imposing looking bath all before I started to hear the first students heading for breakfast. I had no idea where the Great Hall was and I was grateful I could just follow the crowd rather than seeking out a student for directions. The first year students had started at Hogwarts a couple of weeks prior so they didn’t even give me a second glance as I hurried by. But the older students immediately picked me out from the crowds as a new face and were not afraid to stare at me as I passed or elbow their friend next to them to point me out. Obviously this wasn’t the kind of school people just transferred to in the last year. I tried to keep my head up and pretend I couldn’t see all the eyes looking at me as I way my way down the corridors with all the other students. I was aware of attracting a different type of attention as I got older. Admiring glances from boys I had encountered at the centre and from my rare excursions out whether they be permitted or not. I had inherited the best of my parent’s features. A mixture of their hair colour which resulted in a dark auburn that was naturally curly and I wore to just past the bottom of my shoulder blades. I had my mum’s large hazel eyes and small nose. My mum would often joke that I had inherited my dad’s mouth when I was sulking. I wasn’t receiving any appraising looks today though just curious students wanting to know who the strange face was.

When I entered the Great Hall I tried not to gawk about the room but I did allow myself to steal quick glances around. There had been a whole chapter dedicated to the hall in the book Dumbledore had given me and I had looked up disappointed that this morning the ceiling wasn’t enchanted. It reminded me of a cathedral I had seen on a school trip when I was younger all the gothic arches and statues. In the middle of the room there were four long oak tables that stretched the entire length of the room with benches either side. I went to the top of the table to the furthest side of the wall away from the groups of students that had started to fill the vacant benches. There was an array of every type of food you could imagine on the table I took some bits of fruit and pastries and started to eat with my head down trying not to engage any of the staring eyes.

I was thinking about going back to my room when a hand was suddenly on my shoulder.

‘Ava how lovely to see you again, settling in okay?’ Professor Dumbledore, a familiar face in my new surroundings.

‘Getting there,’ I said it came out a bit more desperate than I had intended.

‘And I understand you’ve already met Professor Snape,’ said Dumbledore gesturing with his hand behind me.

I slowly turned on the bench to see the figure that had been stood behind me. Dressed very much the same as last night my eyes settled on the black eyes in his expressionless face.

‘Um yes we met last night while I was trying to get my bearings,’ I was looking back at the bench in front of me now not willing to meet either sets of eyes.

‘Yes wandering the corridors at two AM.’ Professor Snape’s voice was smooth with an edge of agitation.

‘Not to worry it’s my own fault I should have come to see you yesterday but alas I was waylaid,’ Dumbledore’s voice in contrast was light and cheerful, ‘I will see you in my office after breakfast, I’ve got some things I need to go over with you.’

I looked at him now and nodded and they took their place at the head table that ran adjacent to the one I was sitting at. After a few minutes of playing with some bits of strawberry I had on my plate I allowed myself a quick look to the top table only to be met with two dark eyes staring back at me. At that I got up and left the Great Hall with many sets of eyes following me as I went.