The Grants Artefacts

08 The Teacher

The Teacher.

Sleep was hard won; she hadn't found her bedchambers yet, so she slept on the sofa in her travel chest. Conversations with Snape and the fear of meeting her new students and attempting to teach them tomorrow kept her in a never-ending state of overbearing panic. She considered a sleeping draft, but by the time she decided to use one, it was pointlessly late. When she did finally find comfort in the arms of oblivion her teeth snapped out of her mouth, exposing bloody stumps that stabbed her with pain, and she drove metal spikes through her eyes. She woke up with a stiff neck, feeling worse than she had the night before.

Six thirty was once time to go to bed, now it was a time to get up, she pulled faces in the mirror, looked over her notes for her classes, practised how she would greet the class, reviewed the names of the students. Studied her teeth. Tied her hair up, then pulled it out to have it lose. She changed her outfit three times. Put makeup on, then took it off, then put it on again. She cursed Snape for making her feel so awful, and then herself for being so churlish. She checked a picture frame to the left of the mirror that showed a painting of the room in which the trunk stood, she could see that nobody was around, so she took the stairs up and climbed out.

The staffroom moved around, and at seven twenty she managed to find it by following Mrs Norris who, like her owner, seemed to have taken a liking to her. When she was at school the staff room was on the seventh floor, now it had moved itself next to the Great Hall on the ground floor. She was one of the last teachers to arrive, and she crowded around a kettle to get her morning cup of tea. McGonagall was speaking to Dumbledore next to the fireplace, Snape was studying a piece of paper on a table with a teacher she recognised as the Arithmancy teacher professor Vector, and another that she assumed was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She saw Flitwick and Sprout laughing and watched how Professor Trelawney muttered to herself as she sat looking at the bottom of her cup. Professor Bins slept in his ghostly form opposite and the muggle studies professor Charity Burbage seemed to be having an animated conversation with Professor Babbling and Professor Sinastra.

She sipped her tea and smiled politely at a number of people, but she couldn't help but gather information and felt very alone amongst it all. Dumbledore broke away from McGonagall and cleared his throat. As he did the other teachers settled to give him their attention. As they did Arundel noticed how Snape's neck looked red like he had rope burn and a flash of fear racked her body. What had he done to himself?

"Good morning," Dumbledore called, holding his teacup in both his hands, he took a sip. "Delightful, there is nothing better than a cup of tea to start the day. This morning we are welcoming a new member to our staff team. Some of you will have taught her, some will have other dealings with her and some will have no idea who she is. Today she becomes our new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, so welcome Miss Granville."

The staff gave her a polite but unenthusiastic 'welcome.' Her reputation proceeded her, it seemed.

"Today I need to remind you that the dungeons remain uninhabitable, and further to moving the Slytherins out, Potions and our dear Professor Snape will also move today. This means all Potions classes have been cancelled. Heads of House, make it known that the time should be used wisely."

"Do we know what it is causing the trouble down there Headmaster?" Babbling asked.

"We have a number of theories, It's a grave matter indeed but we shall prevail."

"Is the school in danger of closing?"

"I have spoken at length to the minister and we have decided it is best if the school remains open for the moment, but we must be vigilant about the movements of the students, particularly after dark, and so I have asked Mr Filch to patrol down there. This means that we will need to step up our own patrol of the upper floors." the headmaster nodded good day and the staff started to go back to their own conversations. To Arundel's annoyance, Snape didn't even look at her. As much as she was too proud to admit it, she expected a 'good luck' at least.