Mingling was something I was never good at. It could be because I was six foot two inches tall or that I had red hair that always got the boys attention or that my last name was Potter. Either way I was just not good at trying to mix with new people, and as I entered the Great Hall I wished I could become invisible without the help of my father's cloak.
Try as I might not to be noticed I knew I was getting some curious stares. I hastily made my way to the Gryffindor table while looking wistfully over at the Ravenclaw table. Taking a seat I glanced around and noticed three of the most famous people in the world enter the Great Hall.
There they were my parents and Uncle Ron. It was amazing to see how much different my mum and dad looked. I had never met my Uncle Ron but I heard amazing storied about him. They all said he was brave and strong and a funny man. Maybe now I would get to be able to experience that. I watched them approach the area where I was sitting and was completely startled to find them sitting only seats away from me.
Before I could hear what they were saying Headmistress McGonagall stood up. "We will like always begin with the sorting. Professor Flitwick please lead in the first years."
There had to be about ten first years that the loveable charms professor led into the room. It was such a low number that I wasn't the only one surprised with the lack of students. Aunt Luna had told me once that during her sixth and seventh years Hogwarts hit an all time low in attendance. But once everyone was sure that Voldemort was truly gone attendance had skyrocketed. I was amazed it had only taken one year after the ending of the war for people to become so trusting again.
The sorting hat did use the line he had said to me earlier that day which caused me to smile. It didn't take long for everyone to be sorted and as the last clappers died down Headmistress McGonagall stood up to address the students once more.
"We have a transfer student from France this year joining the house of Gryffindor. I trust you will all make her feel extremely welcomed. She has just going threw the terrible ordeal of losing her parents. Please stand Jillian Pomfrey."
I stood and took in the staff table. As my eyes set on Remus Lupin I lowered my head but I knew it was too late. Uncle Remus' face had lost all color upon seeing me. After all he was the one that kept telling me how much I resembled Grandma Lily. He would say, "If only your eyes were a touch greener you could be her twin."
"I would also like to announce the new additions to our staff," her words cut through my thoughts. I was focusing all my attention on the plate in front of me hoping that everyone's attention was back on Headmistress McGonagall. "Please join me in welcoming back Remus Lupin as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor and Nymphadora Tonks as the Transfiguration Professor. They will be sharing the house duties for Gryffindor House." At this she glanced at the two new additions and then back at the clapping students. "Eat up," and with these words food filled in the platters on the table.
I was just finishing my first helping of steak and kidney pie when a voice made me turn to my right. "I'm Neville Longbottom,"
"I know," I whispered into the air.
"You know me?" He asked with a tone of awe.
Oh great, I thought, my first mistake. "Yes," I cleared my throat. "My parents spoke highly of your parents. They said they were two of the finest people they knew and that you were to grow up being just as brave as they were…are."
I could tell my words touched part of Neville. "Thank you," he said before turning back to his own plate. "But I think I'm going to disappoint you."
"I don't think so," I said and then a thought occurred to me. "Do you know anything about the cultivation of different magical plants here at Hogwarts? I'm trying to figure out which subjects to take and while I was good at herbology at home I don't know what the atmosphere is like here." Uncle Neville owned one of the most sought after herbology stores in England.
"Oh Professor Sprout is an amazing Professor. She has six greenhouses with over three hundred magical species." His enthusiasm was catching and I couldn't but help mimic the smile he flashed as he spoke about this class.
Ten minutes later as he explained what they had covered last year I felt like I was now going to be an old pro at herbology. "What about arithmancy?"
"Oh for that you would have to ask Hermione Granger." My eyes widened at this. My first conversation with my mother as seventeen year old was going to be about school how typical. Thirty seconds later after I tried to protest him interrupting her conversation Neville and I had changed seat and I was sitting next to my mother.
"Neville tells me you are wondering about Arithmancy?" She stated the question as if it was a fact, but I was too stunned to answer. The Hermione Granger-Potter I knew looked so different. She stilled had the bushy hair that had always defined her, but she wasn't wearing glasses and her eyes now held a tiredness to them.
"Yes ma'am I am. I mean yes I am." Oh god, how was this ever going to work if I still thought of them as grown-ups. "I'm just wondering if you have started learning how to write spells, yet?"
"No we haven't, but we are doing that all this year." She said and then turned to glare at Ron who got what looked like mash potatoes all over me and her. I couldn't understand what he said but Hermione it seemed could. "No Ron I don't want to introduce you to Jillian. I don't want you corrupting her in your own special way."
"Oh come on Hermione," I looked at the person sitting next to Ron and my eyes locked with those of my fathers. "Ron's not that bad. I mean he only helped corrupting you. I did the majority of the work."
"That is what you think, Harry James Potter." She huffed at them and then turned to look at me again. "Oh excuse my manners. This is Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."
"Nice to meet the both of you," I said and then turned back to my food. It was so weird to see my mum flirting with someone besides my father. The end of the start of term feast couldn't come soon enough, I thought, as my mum went back to talking to Ron and my dad.
The minutes filtered past and I sat absorbing many conversations including a silent one Hermione, Harry, and Ron seemed to be having. They seemed to be dodging around the approaching fight with Voldemort, and just as I was about to mention something Neville spoke up. "Harry we should really restart the DA."
"We will Neville and I want you and Luna to be the first people to join. Jillian how is your defense spells?"
"Top notch," I replied through a mouth of chocolate ice cream. "My dad and my mum taught me everything they knew."
"Where are you from?" Ron asked and I thought about my conversation with Aunt Poppy this afternoon. I had already screwed up once tonight and I wasn't about to make another mistake.
"France."
"You don't sound French."
"That's because I'm not." I said and then turned back to my ice cream.
"Oh Jillian we are so stupid. And sorry. It must be hard losing your parents so soon and then we keep reminding you of them." Hermione kicked Ron under the table as she said this.
"You have no idea," seeing as they were the parents I had just lost it was all overwhelming but thankfully the feast was ending. McGonagall had just stood up to say some last minute words.
"There are some people who think it is safer for them and their children to be at home ignoring the on going war, and then there are you. You fine young adults and your families have the courage to go on living. That courage was once the pride and joy of a great man. Please join me in raising our glasses to Albus Dumbledore. The finest man, wizard, and headmaster this school has seen since the days of Godric Gryffindor."
As we all raised our glasses and had a moment of silence I felt that something was off. Someone was trying to push down my walls of defense I had set up and break into my head to read my mind. I did a quick glance of the room and my eyes locked with those of Remus Lupin's.
"Prefects please show the first years to their dorms and the rest of you off to bed too." With those words Uncle Remus broke his gaze from mine and I felt my robe being tugged by the person sitting next to me.
"Come I'll show you were we live."
Obediently I followed Hermione out of the room and through the castle to the portrait of the fat lady. The whole way she had been talking to me but my mind was too full of thoughts about what just happened. And it wasn't until she showed me the dorm we would be sharing with two other girls that I jumped out of those thoughts.
"Well I'm going to go and talk with my friends for a little bit and I assume you want to get settled in. So I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning. I'll wait for you and we go to breakfast together. Goodnight." And with that I was left in a dark dorm room with my troubled and confused thoughts. For the Remus Lupin I knew, the Remus Lupin whom I considered a second father, didn't know occlumency.
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