Requiem

Requiem

Part One

Chapter One

The hail beat up against the window harshly as the wind carried a deadly silence following the storm. The grass melted into a kneeling position to the glaring eyes of the moon and the great waters outside of Hogwarts School became restless in the night's presence. The grand doors to the entrance to the palace-like school beaconed a safe hideout for the teachers inside of it; the moon would not allow peace and serenity as long as the night pushed on. Yet some in the Forbidden Forest found refuge in its soft light, such as the werewolves and vampires that were cursed to stay within the forest boundaries. In the night, those restrictions were different.

Inside of the fortress structure over looking the mermaids realm in the rippled water, was a company of warlocks whom had acquired a taste for teaching at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Some had come to stay and some had come to fill in a missing position at the school, which mostly stayed that way. The Professors lived their lives inside of the school knowing that each year would come and go with no warning or nod of its head. As they were discussing, the term was about to begin and just yesterday, they had basked in the loneliness of the summer's melody. Time went by quickly at the school and the teachers were searching and sorting their papers for the next year which was just around the corner. They had already tried leaving their desks to talk in the Great Hall but much had to be done and they left all the joys of vacation without the students, behind. The Professors had sent their acceptance letters, pulled back their hair, and tallied up the number of ghosts in the school.

It was finished and ready.

***

The owl Iris was a proud bird as it perched up on its master's windowsill. It didn't look as if she would open the window for her owl anytime soon. Iris had already tried pounding on the hard glass with its golden beak, hoping she would turn around and hear her bird pecking for recognition over the lard hail stones falling about them. The noise was drowning out the owl so it flew down to the front door of the manor, then hoping her master's guardians of the butler would notice her. She knew the letter she carried from Hogwarts was important to her master and she tried, as a noble, loyal owl hard to deliver it to her in the cold, desolate rain. It was futile. Iris's beautiful, brown feathered body was drenched from the hail and raindrops.

But the door opened and the butler sighed as he pulled out a handkerchief from his dark mahogany robes to wipe off the owl. Soon afterward, the dry owl pecked the butler's face appreciantly and headed towards the third floor: towards her master's room. The owl was a quite tired bird by now and to her advantage, her master's bedroom door was open. She peered inside with her shining gold eyes and flew onto her master's shoulder.

The girl winced as she turned around to see her loving bird looking past her eyes and staring at the window where her talons had left large scratches where she had tried to get in. The girl didn't notice it and took the letter out of the owl's tight mouth. As soon as Iris knew what her master wanted, she let go of the letter and it fell into the girl's open hands. Iris was glad to be back.

"Hmm, silly bird. You took so long...."

As her master opened the wax-sealed envelope, Iris perched up on the wrought-iron bed post behind the girl's desk. She couldn't see the surprised expression on her master's face when she began to read the letter:

Dear Miss Alexandra Drake,

I know this would be surprisingly informal for an acceptance letter to Hogwarts, but I thought since I knew you personally, it wouldn't matter if I greeted you myself in a way of congratulations. Of course you already knew that you would get accepted considering how you went to Durmstrang Academy early last year and finished before Hogwarts started. I am very pleased with your growing progress in Dark Arts. It was also quite pleasing to see your certificate of acceptance from your Advanced Dark Arts Professor at Durmstrang. I will be glad to have you in my Transfiguration class during your long years at Hogwarts.

Also, I consulted with the other teachers and we thought it would be best for the upcoming students, including you, to participate in all of the classes, instead of signing up for the ones you would like. Here is a list of your classes and materials:

-Transfiguration

-Defense Against the Dark Arts

-Charms

-Herbology

-Astronomy

-Divination

-Potions

-Flying (do not buy brooms for first years)

-The List of Books for First Years (your parents will know what I mean)

-1 2ft. deep, pewter cauldron

-2 sets of black robes (work and play)

-1 pair of Dragon-hide gloves (I'm sure leather will do fine)

-2 quills

-1 black pointed hat

-A pet (optional)

I'm positive that your parents will provide for your needs yet in the meantime, start brushing up on the Dark Arts from Durmstrang. That would probably come in handy for Hogwarts. I look forward, once again, to having you at Hogwarts, Alexandra, and from what I've heard, so do the other teachers.

Tell your father I send him my regards that I didn't appear at the Ministry's meeting last week. I hope he is not upset. Oh, and tell you mother that I would love for her to come over for a cup of tea sometime soon. I hear Minerva has a new recipe...

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. Give that owl of yours a well-deserved Chocolate Frog!

Alexandra Drake smiled with a hint of a smirk, and set the letter down softly on the table beside of the wax-sealed envelope.

Iris cooed.