Safest Place in the Wizarding World

Chapter 1

Alexandra Priestley was the interim alchemy professor this year at Hogwarts. Alchemy wasn't often taught, usually only as it was demanded by graduating sixth and seventh years. This year there were expected to be seven alchemy students: 3 sixth years and 4 sevenths. Alexandra wasn't much older than most of the students taking her class. At twenty-five, she was worried her students might not take her seriously, but she hoped that the closeness in age might dull the awkwardness bound to linger through her first year of teaching. Teaching wasn't her first career choice but given the circumstances, it was the best option she had. After all, Hogwarts was possibly the safest place in the wizarding world.

Alexandra entered a small, stonewalled room with a large fireplace and full-sized bed that took up a good portion of the room. There was a small desk and bookshelf in the corner with boxes and books piled high; some things she had already mailed. Along with her bags, it appeared everything had made it in one piece. The journey from America to the U.K. had been a long one since she traveled by boat, then train. She was offered to fly but she hadn't even stepped near a broom in 10 years, let alone an airplane, she wasn't about to change that. She dropped her bags off her weary shoulders and onto the dark wood floor. Alexandra plopped down on the pink linen bedsheets. Why pink? She thought. This won't do, I'll have to replace these. Alexandra preferred black but any color would be better than atrocious pale bubble gum pink.

"Professor Priestley, I'm terribly sorry to disturb you."

Alexandra stood up fast and smoothed her skirt. "Oh, it's no trouble, please come in Professor Mcgonagall."

"I assume you received my owl, that your classroom has been fully prepared for you," Professor Mcgonagall made her way to the small armchair in front of the fireplace. "I'm terribly sorry to say that somehow, a mistake was made and I'm afraid we have double booked your classroom with the Defense Against the Dark Arts class." Alexandra rushed to her tea table and readied a kettle of water and offered the professor a cup of tea and a seat.

"Will you be able to find me a new classroom before the term starts?" She asked as she poured two cups of hot earl grey.

"I'm afraid not. You might have to share a classroom with Professor Lupin for the time being until we can accommodate you with a new one. Luckily there are no direct class conflicts but, well the office is a bit small for one professor let alone two."

Alexandra was a bit disheartened to learn she would have to share her classroom and office but was curious to meet the other newest professor at Hogwarts. "Well, I can of course make do for the time being but I'll have to ask my students to help me move equipment after each class. I'm assuming my class time is still the same?"

Professor McGonagall set down her teacup in her lap. "Yes, 2:30 every Tuesday and Thursday. Again, my deepest apologies but it's not often we have alchemy on the schedule."

"Oh no professor, I can make do. I'm sure professor...professor...?"

"Lupin," Mcgonagall interjected.

"Yes- I'm sure professor Lupin and I can work something out that can accommodate us both. Thank you again, Professor."

McGonagall smiled and responded, "It's Minerva, my dear. I'm not your professor anymore." Alexandra was awkwardly stunned. At times she forgot she wasn't a student and didn't have to refer to others as such. She wasn't sure if she was comfortable with the idea of calling her head-of-house by her first name. Alexandra took Professor Mcgonagall's tea and returned it to the tea table to be washed later and as the professor took her leave, she laid a small note on Alexandra's desk.

That evening, Alexandra attended the Hogwarts sorting ceremony and annual commencement. She was immediately taken back to her years as a student, reminiscing over the joys and adventures of her childhood. The castle, in all its grandeur, was just as comforting as she remembered it to be. She loved to watch the students during the banquet laugh and play with each other just as she had not too long ago. Her years after Hogwarts had not been kind to her. The real world was a lot scarier than she had anticipated and there were a lot of things she had to do on her own.