First Day of School

Except for the size, it looked like a normal Pensieve, if such a thing existed. It was a stone basin with runes carved around its sides, filled with a shimmering, silvery liquid--rather beautiful if she were to be honest with herself. However, it was huge--more than large enough to submerge her entire body.

Minerva McGonagall, the new Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, sighed and read the parchment again. When she had taken up her new duties as Headmistress, the Board of Governors had handed her their Manual with their rules and regulations. She had returned to her new office, which she still thought of as Albus Dumbledore's, where Armando Dippet, Albus's predecessor, had told her of the real Head's Manual. This was a thick volume, bound in cracked red leather, with yellowing pages. It was filled with many details she had never known about the castle and included several rituals the Headmaster or Headmistress of the school was to perform.

This was a ritual that was to be performed on the new Headmistress's first opening day of autumn term. It was recommended that it be performed every year, but for the first year it was required. The first part of the ritual wasn't at all difficult; in fact, she would have taken a thorough bath before the students arrived anyway. Then, before she dressed, she was to sit in the Pensieve as if it was a bathtub and submerge her head. Feeling a bit nervous, she did so.

She was standing in the Great Hall. A tall black-haired woman was sternly instructing a house-elf in its duties for the upcoming year. It was an activity that Minerva herself had performed many times; new arrivals needed to be instructed in their duties. She was much more interested in the other witch's clothing, trying to decide when these events were taking place. She didn't have much luck; all she could determine that it was sometime in the past, at least a century earlier. She didn't have much time; once the witch finished giving the house-elf its instructions, the scene dissolved away.

She was now down at the gates to the castle, watching a blond wizard harnessing thestrals to four wagons. Although there was no obvious resemblance, Minerva couldn't help thinking of Albus. After watching him for several minutes, she realized what the resemblance was: both men had twinkling blue eyes. Once the thestrals were harnessed, the scene dissolved again.

She was now standing in the Hospital Wing, watching a rosy-cheeked witch tuck her hair under a cap while she checked a supply cabinet. Minerva smiled; she felt as if she were watching a combination of Poppy and Pomona; the other witch's affection and care were obvious. After a few minutes of this, the scene once again dissolved.

She was now standing in the Library. It was much smaller in the Pensieve than currently, but it was still in the same place. A tall, dark-haired wizard with a monkey-like face was walking through the bookshelves, running his hand across the shelves and looking proudly at the books and scrolls neatly arranged. He stroked his beard, turned to examine the entire room and nodded to himself in satisfaction as the scene dissolved.

They were back in the Great Hall. There were two tables set up, instead of the five there were now. The Head Table stood in the same place and a second, about the same size, stood a little below. The four people Minerva had observed earlier were standing at the Head Table; there was no one else there. As she watched, a group of youngsters walked into the room. There were about a dozen of them and they were all looking around with varying degrees of interest and awe. They slowly walked to their table and stood at their places; the table had a setting for each student. Once they were in place, the teachers sat, followed by the students. The rosy-cheeked witch stood again and said, "Welcome. Welcome all of you, present and future, to our new school. When we've eaten, each of us will be explaining the rules and your duties and responsibilities. First, however, let us feast to celebrate the opening of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Helga Hufflepuff sat down with the other three founders as platters appeared on both tables and the scene dissolved.

Minerva found herself sitting once more in the Pensieve, smiling. She decided that this was the perfect ritual for a Headmistress's first day and every first day of school afterwards. She'd known that Albus had had something he always did before going down to the Great Hall to greet the students; she now thought she knew what it was.

Less than an hour later, Minerva sat at the Head's place at the Head Table. She was wearing her finest robes--not as bright and gaudy as Albus's would have been, but still very fine. Before her sat the students who would be attending Hogwarts this year. It was the smallest group she had ever seen, and the empty spots ate at her heart. Still, there were more than there had been that first day; they would rebuild. And it would be here that the fight to stop the evil at the heart of their world was centred and here that, once that evil was stopped, the rebuilding of their world would begin. And these youngsters would be at the head of that work. It was time to begin.

Standing, Headmistress Minerva McGonagall looked out at the sea of youngsters, who were currently more interested in food than anything she could say. So, following in the footsteps of Helga Hufflepuff, the first Headmistress, and Albus Dumbledore, the most current former Headmaster, she raised her hands, smiled at her students, and said firmly, "Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. There is a time for speeches, but that time is not now. Now is a time for feasting. Tuck in."