Letters By Night

Chapter 2: Welcome to Completely Mad World, Population: Hogwarts

"Term starts tomorrow," Professor McGonagall said briskly, "so you've arrived just in time. Now, when you schedule out-of-class observation is up to you." She and Alanna walked toward the staircase leading to the Astronomy tower. "You have a lesson plan, I presume?"

"Yes," Alanna lied. Starting off on the wrong foot already. "I was actually quite interested in exploring the castle, if that's okay."

Professor McGonagall looked disgruntled, but said, "Ah...yes, perhaps you ought to do that. It's been awhile since you were here...wouldn't want you getting lost." She turned and walked off.

Alanna smiled and stared after her. Still the same. Professor McGonagall, though strict, had been her favourite teacher, probably only because Alanna was decently good at Transfiguration. She set off down the corridor, feeling vaguely nostalgic about everything, but not quite knowing where she was going. She wished the rooms wouldn't keep moving.

She walked to a landing, two staircases branching off from it. Just as she made for the staircase going up, it moved, and she had no choice but to walk down.

Goosebumps prickled on her skin; the air on this level was very chill. The walls looked damp, and the passage was dimly lit with torches in brackets every few feet. A door open at the far end of the corridor drew her eyes. She drew toward it, and, reaching the doorway, peered in.

The room was filled with long rows of empty desks, and the teacher she had run into on the stairs, Professor Snape, was at a desk in the front. Notes littered the surface of the desk, but he was looking at something on his left forearm with disgust, his sleeve rolled up. He glanced up rapidly and suddenly, and Alanna's luminous blue eyes met his. Scowling fiercely at her, in one swift movement he stood up and slammed the door in her face.

Her eyes wide in confusion, she backed away from the closed door, rubbing her nose, and decided it was best just to find her way back to her quarters and stay there.

The next morning Alanna sat down wordlessly next to Professor Snape at the table. He didn't look at her. Having no idea what she had walked in on, she began,

"Er...Professor?" He still didn't look at her. She tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned so abruptly that she jumped.

"I...I'm sorry, you know, about yesterday."

He stared at her from his empty, black eyes. "You shouldn't go sneaking around like that. You could at least knock, like a normal person."

She retreated from the conversation, stifling a giggle as she busied herself with her breakfast. Who was he to be telling her to act normal?

"And what, may I ask, is so funny?" snapped Snape.

"S - sorry, nothing."

He glared at her for a moment, then he too began eating.

That evening, the Hall was full to bursting with students. Alanna sat down in her usual spot, watching as Snape's eyes travelled from student to student, looking disgusted

that they had survived the summer.

After the Sorting was over, Professor Dumbledore stood up, spreading his hands. "Due to family reasons, unfortunately, Professor Sinistra is no longer with us. However, allow me to introduce out new Astronomy teacher, Professor Reid."

The students applauded politely as she stood up nervously. There were a few wolf whistles, and one of the Weasley twins yelled, "Hey, she's hot!"

Everyone laughed, and Alanna sat down, blushing. Snape rolled his eyes. Dumbledore added, "As a matter of fact, it is rather warm in here...er, nevermind. Eat."

She watched as the food appeared on the golden plates, Snape staring at her out of the corner of his eye.

"What?" she asked.

He made a derisive noise, and she shrugged and ate her dinner.

Leaving the Great Hall, someone walking near Alanna caught her eye.

"Andrew?"

The teacher turned around. "Alanna. It's great to see you."

She looked at him; he looked just how she remembered him the night she left: ash brown hair, falling in his face, hazel eyes. The way he looked at her, she knew immediately he still had feelings for her.

"Excuse me, Professor Veiker," said one of the students, squeezing past him.

She watched him as he glanced back at her and left. Why, oh why?

Her first lesson the next day was sixth years. Having had very little experience in front of a class, she taught straight out of the book, ignoring the bored, glassy-eyed students.

"The North Star -"

"Professor Reid?"

She lowered her reading glasses, and glanced at the student whose hand was raised.

"Yes?"

Professor Veiker interrupted. "Can I talk to you?" he said, looking in the room.

She sighed. "Just a minute," she said to the class, then stepped into the hall.

"What is it, Andrew?"

He opened his mouth, but didn't speak, and then he said, "Nevermind," and walked off looking embarrassed.

Alanna groaned and re-entered the classroom. "Just...answer the questions at the end of the chapter," she said, sitting down at her desk and forgetting the student.

It seemed that Andrew hadn't quite let her go. This is all I need. I sit next to (and I've pissed off) a teacher I used to have nightmares about, and my clingy ex-boyfriend teaches here. What a school.

It was November before she received the first letter.

She had been dozing at the desk in her quarters, her head propped up on her elbow, when a sound awakened her. She looked up to see that an envelope had been slipped under her door. The crisp paper crackling slightly, she opened it curiously. The writing was loopy and elaborate, but obviously had been done by someone with an unsteady hand.

Alanna,

I am afraid we have not become well acquainted, though I am struck by your beauty everyday as I watch you. You seem to have certain...oddities about you that draw me to you.

Please do not begrudge me the privilege of your reply.

Nox

Hmm...the Latin for night. He sounded a little like a stalker, but he seemed polite enough and she was quite flattered. Perhaps she ought to write him back.

Nox,

Thank you for

She crumpled it up. Too formal. She began again, feeling like a schoolgirl with a secret admirer.

Nox,

Perhaps I would be a better judge of you if I knew who you were.

Alanna

She didn't know what to do with it, and so decided that she'd leave the letter outside her door and hope that it was this...Night who read it. She opened her door and set down the letter, but movement down the passage made her look around in the darkness; she could hear muttering in a low, distinctive voice.

"...if those bloody Death Eaters think that for one minute I'll..."

She followed his voice, but perhaps she was following too closely; she ran right into him with a small gasp.

He whipped around in the dark, a piece of parchment in his hand, and looked at her.

"I'm sorry, Professor Snape, I -"

His breathing was angry. "You must learn to control that curiosity of yours, Professor," he said coldly, and she backed away. With a swishing noise, Snape continued down the hall.

Meanwhile, her classes were not going well. She seemed to have a knack for boring the living daylights out of her students, as there was very little to do in an Astronomy class during the daytime aside from read and review, since the stars don't really change from night to night. Her first-year classes were okay, because the students were just being introduced to everything, but her sixth and seventh-year classes were another story...

Alanna ducked as another paper airplane flew over her head. Honestly, you'd think they'd come up with something more original than that, she thought. She immediately regretted the thought as another student transfigured an inkwell into a bird, which flew out the window. Alanna didn't have the heart to admonish them; she remembered only too well what it felt like to be scolded. Still, she had to try something.

"Very funny. Okay, okay, settle down, everyone...I'm starting lesson twelve and it's going to be on the test, so pay attention." She began diagramming on the board to explain the Aurora Borealis, and hoped to God that they were paying attention. Why did I ever take this job?