From Out of the Past Is the Future Born

Mae watched nervously from the staff table in the Great Hall. She could feel the nervous excitement of the first years emanating off them in a wave and washing over her, reminding her of her own Sorting.

She couldn't believe she was sitting at the staff table, equal to those who had taught her in her own school days. Sitting to her left was Remus' empty chair, and to her right was tiny Professor Flitwick.

She turned her gaze towards the crowd of first-years, searching through them for Gwen, whom she knew would undoubtedly be with Harry and Ron. It didn't take long for her to find Ron's bright red hair, and, from there, Harry and Gwen beside him.

Remus' voice interrupted her thoughts--and Gwen was first. Mae leaned forward slightly in her seat to have a better view, a small smile on her face. She watched her daughter hesitate for a split second, then walk up to the stool. With a quick smile at Remus, she climbed onto the stool and set the Hat on her head.

"Gryffindor!"

Mae nearly cried out loud when she heard the Hat, but instead she managed to restrain herself and clap politely.

She caught a smile from Remus just before the clapping died down, and the next student was called.

She was not surprised when Harry was sorted into Gryffindor as well, followed soon after by Ron. She was surprised, however at how many surnames she recognized; Longbottom, Malfoy, Goyle, Lovegood...

Soon, the Sorting was over, and Dumbledore stood to make his announcements.

Remus took his seat beside Mae and whispered, "How're you doing?"

"Great," she whispered back with a smile.

"Welcome back, students! It is always a joy to have this castle filled with young laughter. Before we begin what I'm sure will be a fantastic feast, I do have a few announcements.

"First of all, I would like to introduce Professor McPhay, who will be taking over the Potions lessons."

Mae felt her face flush lightly as the students and the rest of the staff clapped politely.

"...And a reminder to students, old and new, the Forbidden Forest is strictly off-limits.

"Now, I wish you all the best of luck with your studies. Enjoy the feast!"

"Since there are only four of us, I think we should use the bunks on those walls, and not the one over there."

Hermione was pointing to the bed Gwen was just about to sit down upon.

Slightly irritated with Hermione's tone, Gwen asked, "Why not this one?"

"Well, when the sun comes up, it's going to be shining directly in the eyes of whoever sleeps there," she replied confidently.

Gwen stared at her for a moment, rolled her eyes, and walked over to a bed on the opposite side of the room Hermione was heading towards. "I'll take this one, then."

Hermione nodded and turned towards the other two girls in the room. "You're Parvati Patil and you're Lavender Brown, right? I'm Hermione Granger, and that's Gwendolyn Black--"

"It's Gwen," she interrupted, irritated.

"Oh. Sorry, Gwen," Hermione replied with a smile. "Anyway, we should probably all get to bed now--"

"I'll be right back," Gwen muttered, rushing out the door.

"Wait!" she heard Hermione's voice calling from behind her.

Gwen ignored her and rushed down the stairwell, glanced around the common room for Harry and Ron, then ran up the stairwell towards the boys' dormitories. She found the one labeled 'First Year", and knocked loudly before opening it and stepping in.

"Harry?" she asked loudly.

She saw the five boys jump, then, when they realized it was a girl standing in their dorm, one of them said, "Hey! Who are you--"

"Gwen?" Harry asked, shocked. He glanced at Ron, and the two of them started walking towards her, but Gwen just strolled in and flopped onto the nearest bed. "What's up?"

"This is bollocks." She glared at the floor.

Harry and Ron glanced nervously at each other. "What is?" Ron asked.

"This whole thing! My mum is my Professor! That girl is annoying! And the other two are all giggly!"

Harry glanced at Ron with a smile. "This is just the first night, Gwen--"

"I just know this is going to--"

"You don't even know your roommates yet!" Ron said. "Maybe you'll like them."

"Your mum is a Professor?"

Gwen, Harry, and Ron turned to a boy sitting on the opposite bed.

Ron replied, "Yeah, Professor McPhay is her mum--"

"Who ran off when I was a baby and just now decided to return and ruin my life!" Gwen interrupted hotly.

The boy raised his eyebrows and glanced at the boy next to him. "Oh... erm, I'm Seamus, by the way. This is Dean and that's Neville."

"Hi," Gwen muttered. "Couldn't I just sleep in here? I'll sleep on the floor, I don't mind--"

"Er, actually, Gwen," Ron began, "I don't think girls are allowed in here... I remember Bill saying something..."

"Well who's gonna know?" Gwen demanded.

The boys exchanged glances. Just then, the door opened once again, and in walked Ron's brother, Percy.

"Alright, boys, you should be getting in bed--"

He stopped abruptly when he saw Gwen. "Gwen! What--what are you doing here? Girls aren't supposed to--"

"Aw, come on Percy!" Gwen cried, as he walked over and reached for her arm. "Please, I'm going to go bonkers being stuck with those girls--"

"No, you won't! You'll live, I promise."

And he marched Gwen out the door, down the stairwell, and to the bottom of the girls' stairwell.

"Goodnight, Gwen."

*****

"McPhay, Marielle."

James sniggered at the sound of her full name. She shot him a look of half-annoyance and half-nervousness as she walked up to the stool. She climbed onto it and felt the Sorting Hat plop onto her head, the brim falling just past her eyes.

"Hello, there, and welcome to Hogwarts, Mae..." the Hat whispered to her. "Let's see... feisty little thing, you are. But you'll grow out of it in time. You've got a long, hard road ahead of you, I see, but it will all be worth it in the end, of course. My, my, you're an interesting child...

"Excuse me, you need to be sorted! I see you're a little worried about the outcome of all of this. You're worried about your dear cousin, but you know you belong in Gryffindor. You mustn't worry about which House you and your cousin are sorted into, because that doesn't mean a thing. Never think one House is better than another, no matter how extravagant the rivalry becomes. Not all Ravenclaws are boring bookworms, not all Hufflepuffs are shy, quiet beings, not all Slytherins are evil, and not all Gryffindors are bold and rambunctious.

"I'm going to put you in GRYFFINDOR!"

As she reached up to pull the hat off, she heard one more whisper come from it.

"Everything will be alright."

Slightly confused, Mae wandered down to the Gryffindor table and sat beside Sirius. She smiled at the kids around her and turned her attention back to the Sorting.

A few minutes later, James was up on the stool, and just as the Hat touched his head it shouted "GRYFFINDOR!"

Mae shifted aside for James to sit next to her, and they watched eagerly for the next student to be sorted.

A couple of students later, Mae heard Severus' name called. She looked at him across the hall, watching him climb onto the stool. Mae held her breath as the hat sat on his head for what seemed to her like a very long time.

Suddenly, it barked, "SLYTHERIN!"

Mae felt a coldness creep through her. James glanced back at her nervously and Sirius stared at his plate. The Slytherin table erupted with applause as Severus walked over to it.

"Sorry, Mae," James said quietly. She shrugged and forced a smile.

"His dad would have been mad. And Sev has never been one to stand up to anybody by himself," she said simply. "And I wasn't there nagging at him this time."

James and Sirius looked across Mae to each other curiously, as she stared across the Hall at the Slytherin table...

*****

Mae smiled as she watched the first year Gryffindor and Slytherins wander into her classroom. Harry, Ron, and Gwen came in together, the boys giving her a smile while Gwen made a beeline for some desks in the back of the classroom.

Once the desks were full, Mae took a deep breath, smiled, and walked around the front of her desk. She had a plan for how to start off her classes, and it had to be placed into effect immediately.

"Good morning, all. As those of you who were paying attention at the Sorting Feast will know, I am Professor McPhay, and I will be instructing you in the art of Potion-making.

"Now, believe it or not, I was once sitting exactly where you are right now. In fact, I even remember the exact spot I was sitting during my first Potions lesson." She walked over to a desk occupied by a round-faced boy. "I was sitting right where--what's your name, dear?" she asked the boy.

"Neville Longbottom," he replied quietly.

Mae paused as she heard his surname. "Neville," she said quietly before continuing. "Right where Neville is sitting now."

She looked around the room, studying the faces. "Therefore, I know what it is like sitting in a dull, boring lesson, with a teacher who never does anything fun. Which is why I am going to do what I can to make these lessons enjoyable." She put her hands together and crossed over to the windows.

"But first of all, let me get a few things out of the way. Firstly, if you wish to pass this course, you will do what I ask and what I assign. If you have a problem with something, come talk to me about it. I promise I will be reasonable with you as long as you be reasonable with me," she said lightly, trying not to sound too strict, but still friendly.

"Lastly, I feel it important to say that I will not tolerate any House rivalry. I don't believe in it," she began, a little more strongly. "If a Gryffindor loses five points, Slytherin will as well. Once you walk in that doorway, you are all the same. You are all students trying to achieve the same goal, and that is to become fully functioning witches and wizards, and know the difference between right and wrong."

She paused and looked around the classroom. There was a mix of expressions on their faces, most of which appeared to be surprise.

She grinned. "Does anyone have any questions?"

Silence.

"Alright then. Let's move on! I would like to start by going around the room and introducing yourselves to everyone. When it's your turn, I would like you to stand up, face the rest of the class, tell us your name, and something about yourself - and I don't care which House you are in, so you do not need to mention that as your 'something about yourself'." She smiled.

"Since I've already introduced myself, let's start over here with Neville."

"So how was your first day?"

Mae looked up from her dinner and smiled at Remus. "Terrifying!" she replied with a smile.

"Well, I have good news to report. Apparently your first year Gryffindor and Slytherins come directly from you to me, and all I heard was excitement coming out of their mouths."

Mae laughed. "Really?" Remus laughed too and nodded. "Erm, what about Gwen?"

Remus' smiled faded slightly. "She was pretty quiet, but she seemed to be enjoying herself."

Mae smiled and glanced out to the Gryffindor table, picking out her daughter. She was chatting animatedly with Ron, Harry, Neville, Seamus, and Dean.

"She's making friends outside of Ron and Harry," she said proudly.

"She's always warmed up to new people fairly quickly," Remus replied, shoveling a chunk of potato into his mouth.

"When do you think she'll warm up to me?" she asked quietly.

Remus swallowed and looked at his friend. She gave him a small smile and patted his arm. "Don't worry," she said teasingly. "I'm alright. I know I've got to give her time."

Remus nodded. "Of course. She'll come around."

The first week passed by quickly and smoothly. Mae taught her lessons with ease and created a fun yet constructive learning environment. She didn't assign any homework other than reading for the first few days. Gwen avoided her as best she could, and rarely spoke up in class. Mae started calling on her, but was returned with reluctant, sometimes sarcastic replies.

That Friday after dinner, Mae was wandering the halls, trying to regain her sense of direction in the castle she'd known so well so long ago.

She was walking along a corridor by her office when Severus stepped around a corner. He slowed down slightly when he saw her, but then resumed regular pace. Mae, on the other hand, stopped and watched him.

He looked past her and kept walking. As he past her, Mae said, "Good evening, Severus."

He slowed down, stopped, and hesitated a moment before turning around. "Good evening," he replied curtly. "Did you need something?"

Mae sighed and took a few steps towards him. "Well, I'd like to talk to you sometime. Maybe we could have a drink in my office--"

"Well, you can't always get what you want, Mae. Have a good night," he interrupted smoothly. He turned around and strode off down the hall.

Mae sighed and rolled her eyes, resuming her trek down the corridor in the opposite direction.

She made her way to her office, unlocked the door and slipped inside. She lit the lights and sat down at her desk, pulling out her lesson plans for Monday.

A knock at her door tore her attention away from the parchment before her. "Come in," she called.

She looked up and saw a bushy-haired girl standing in her doorway. "Hermione," she said, smiling. "What are you doing roaming the halls this late?"

"I'm sorry, Professor," the girl said boldly. "I was working on your essay when I realized I couldn't remember how many inches you required it to be."

Mae chuckled. "No less than twelve, but that depends on your handwriting, of course."

"Oh, okay. Thank you," Hermione replied, smiling. "I also had a question about the theory of--"

"Mae--"

Hermione jumped as the door opened abruptly and Remus appeared. "Oh, sorry to interrupt," he said, seeing Hermione standing behind the door.

"Never mind, Remus," Mae replied. "What do you need?"

"Erm," he began with a glance at Hermione. "Well, Dumbledore needs to see you."

"Okay, I'll be on my way shortly."

Remus nodded. "Um, it's sort of urgent."

Mae nodded slowly and set her quill down. "Alright. Hermione, why don't you stop by and see me tomorrow morning, and we can discuss the essay a little more in depth. Put aside your essay for the rest of the night and spend some time with your friends, alright?" Mae smiled as the girl nodded reluctantly, said good night, and left.

Mae followed Remus out of her office and down the corridor to Dumbledore's office.

"What's going on, Remus?" Mae asked, slightly concerned.

"Nothing too worrisome, just important," he replied. "Dumbledore will explain."

Mae walked into the circular office to see Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, a small velvet box before him.

"Thank you for joining us, Mae," he said. "Have a seat."

Mae glanced around the office. Hagrid and Professors Sprout, Flitwick, and Snape were present as well.

"Now that we're all here," Dumbledore began, "I have a project for each of you. I have been placed guardian of a very valuable object, which must be kept safe and hidden." He paused. "I have found a hiding place for this object, but it will require some more safeguarding than what is already there."

"What is this object, Albus?" Flitwick squeaked.

Dumbledore studied his colleagues. "It is something that requires the utmost secrecy. My dear friend Nicholas Flamel has placed the Philosopher's Stone in my care."

Mae felt her jaw drop and heard Sprout gasp. She glanced at Remus, who was watching Dumbledore intently, and then at Severus, who was staring at the floor. She turned her attention back to Dumbledore.

"I need each of you to come up with a way of protecting this stone, using your expertise to create something. I have yet to decide exactly where in the castle we'll keep it, but once I've decided I'll be sure to let you know. For the time being, I am keeping it safe here in my office."

"I can't wait for flying lessons on Monday!" Harry exclaimed, tossing a Quaffle back and forth with Ron.

"Yeah. Fred said we get to fly on real brooms. As in brooms that will actually go as high as you want them to and as fast as you want them to!"

Gwen jumped up from her spot between the two boys and caught the Quaffle as Ron tossed it to Harry. "Let's do something," she said abruptly, hugging the Quaffle.

Ron asked, furrowing his brow, "Like what?"

Gwen shrugged. "Like explore the castle! This place is huge, and the most we've done here is go to and from our classes. We haven't even been on the fourth floor, or down past the Potions classroom in the dungeons!"

"But students aren't allowed out after hours," Harry said.

"Well," Ron said, sitting up straight, "we've still got another half hour before curfew." He looked expectantly between Gwen and Harry.

Harry hesitated only briefly before grinning. "Let's go."

The three wandered up to the fourth floor and were walking down the corridor when they heard a scuffle in the dimly lit hall.

"What was that?" Ron asked. They looked around the hall curiously.

Harry whispered, "Lumos," and watched as the tip of his wand lit up a tapestry hanging beside them on the wall.

"Show off," Ron muttered, trying to hide a smile.

Harry held his wand up to the tapestry. Gwen glanced at it and said, "Come on, let's keep moving. It's almost curfew--"

She stopped abruptly, and she and the boys whipped around to stare at the tapestry. There was a pounding sound coming from behind it.

"What the--" Ron started, backing away slowly.

"Is there a door behind it?" Gwen asked, standing next to Ron.

Suddenly the thudding stopped, and Harry walked timidly up to the tapestry, wand held high. He reached out and pulled on the edge of the tapestry--

BANG!

The tapestry whipped away from the wall as a door flew open from behind it. Harry stumbled back into Ron and Gwen, who fell into a suit of armour, knocking it to the floor with a loud clang. They watched curiously as a Hermione Granger, covered in dust and cobwebs, stumbled out from behind the door. She looked up and gasped as she saw Harry, Ron, and Gwen staring back at her.

"Oh, thank goodness I got out of there! I thought I was lost." She smiled at the others, looking at the suit of armour lying on the floor, dented. With a flick of her wand, she said, "Reparo!"

Harry, Ron, and Gwen watched as the suit of armour righted itself and popped the dents out of it.

"What were you doing?" Harry asked.

Hermione turned, shut the door, and straightened out the tapestry. "I was on my way back to the common room from Professor McPhay's office when I must've made a wrong turn and somehow ended up here," she said simply, attempting to brush the dust and cobwebs off of her robes.

Harry, Ron, and Gwen stared at her, unsure of what to say.

Hermione glanced up and down the corridor and said, "I was beginning to worry. It's almost curfew and I had no idea where I was! Well, I suppose I'm still not sure where I am, but surely you three do." She looked expectantly at them, still smiling.

Harry, Ron, and Gwen glanced at each other. Ron shifted uncomfortably. "Do we know where we are?" he muttered to Gwen. She glanced around nervously.

"Harry?" she asked timidly. Harry furrowed his brows and took a few steps in one direction of the corridor, raising his wand. Then he turned around and stepped in the opposite direction.

Gwen sighed, Ron groaned, and Hermione's smile disappeared.

"You don't even remember which direction you came from?" Hermione demanded.

Nobody replied.

Hermione looked at her watch and said, "It's after hours already! We're going to be in so much trouble if we get caught!"

"Well, what about you?" Ron asked her. "Do you remember how you got here?"

"I told you, Ron," she began impatiently. "I got lost in that hidden corridor!"

"Would you remember if we started going back through there?" Harry asked.

Hermione hesitated, then replied quietly, "I don't think so... there were so many corridors leading off from it."

Gwen scoffed. "Well, let's just go this way," she said pointing in one direction. "We're bound to find something familiar."

"But we're on the fourth floor--where we've never been before, as you pointed out when we left the common room," Ron said. "Nothing is familiar."

"We're on the fourth floor?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Ron replied, looking at her curiously.

Hermione sighed. "Oh, good. The staff lodgings are on this floor... somewhere."

"That's not good," Gwen said quickly. "If we get caught we'll get in trouble, right?"

They exchanged glances.

"We'll have to risk it," Harry said.

They started down the corridor, passing a few closed doors every so often.

After about ten minutes, they rounded a corner, and there was Professor Snape striding down the corridor in their direction. As his eyes locked on them, the children froze.

"Well, well," Snape began. "What have we here? Four little Gryffindors wandering around after hours? Surely, you're going to make up some pathetic excuse?"

"Professor," Hermione began, "We got lost--"

"Of course," he sneered in response. He studied them a moment in silence before saying, "I suppose ten points a piece from Gryffindor for not having a decent sense of direction--"

"But we were lost!" Hermione persisted.

"Do I look like I care?" Snape replied. Silence.

"Follow me." He turned around and strode off down the corridor.

Within ten minutes, Harry, Ron, Gwen, and Hermione were back in their common room.