FicWad

They Apparated near to the gates of Hogwarts, and Molly drew her wand to send a shining silver blur up through the gates. Zelda had time to begin taking in the ancient immensity that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. A few minutes later, Minerva McGonagall herself walked down the road from the castle and unlocked the gates.

"Welcome to Hogwarts, Zelda," she said, holding her hand out with an ironic smile. "You've taken quite well to dressing as a witch. You might have raided my grandparents' wardrobe from what I can see. Those robes look familiar, and I do think the hat may have belonged to my grandfather."

"All second hand," Zelda said with a gratified smirk, as they walked to the castle. She was overwhelmed by the place. The countryside around it was wild; there was a lake, and an ancient looking forest, and the stones of the castle radiated age and power.

"As you see more of witches and wizards, you'll realize that many of us may appear to dress rather... eccentrically, compared with Muggles," Minerva said, pleased with Zelda's clever adaptability to this new situation.

"I prefer to think of it as creative, rather than eccentric." Zelda grinned. "You witches don't do polyester, do you? This old rag I'm wearing is the most exquisite silk, and I won't give it up for anything."

They ascended a flight of wide stone steps to the immense wooden doors of the castle. Zelda's eyes were wide with awe as the doors opened into the entry hall, and they passed through the vast emptiness, glancing into the Great Hall, and climbed the stairs to the Headmistress's office. The gargoyle leaped to the side, the wall opened, and Zelda remained silent as they ascended the moving staircase.

"Well?" Minerva asked curiously. "What do you think?"

"I'm speechless," Zelda said weakly, staring around the beautiful office that was filled with strange objects.

Ron snickered, enjoying her shocked expression immensely.

"Shut up, Ron," Zelda said stoutly. "Behave yourself, or I won't let you learn how to drive Muggle cars."

Molly moaned faintly at the prospect of her adventurous son embracing Muggle culture, but Minerva smiled, glad to see that Zelda had not become completely catatonic as she began to grasp the extent of the magical world and it's power.

"Please sit down, everyone," Minerva said. "I thought it would be more pleasant to dine quietly here. Zelda, you will meet the few staff members who are still here tomorrow, but I feel that simply dealing with the castle itself will be enough for now."

A movement off to her right caught Zelda's eye, causing her to turn quickly.

"That portrait just moved," she said, fascinated, rising to her feet and going to examine it. The subject was a wizard with a pointed beard, and she was startled to see that he was looking back at her, one eyebrow raised cynically. "Phineas Nigellus Black," she read from the small plaque on the frame. "Hey, Phineas, how's it hangin'? You can obviously hear me, so stop staring and spit it out, whatever it is."

Minerva snorted in apparent disapproval, but it soon became apparent that she was restraining herself from laughter. Ron chuckled too, having heard about Phineas Nigellus from Harry.

"Headmistress, am I correct in hearing that you invited a Muggle into Hogwarts?" the wizard Painting enquired, in an annoying drawl. "Is the Ministry aware of this madness? Perhaps they ought to be informed."

Minerva glared and said, "You'll do no such thing, Phineas. Every last one of you heard what Severus Snape said last week, so you know who she is. She is here at my request and you shall all behave respectfully toward her while she is here."

Zelda began laughing, as she watched Phineas grudgingly agree to behave respectfully. The look he gave her was extremely distasteful. "Phineas, are you by chance written up in /Nature's Nobility/? I find your attitude familiar," she said cynically.

The wizard was startled into responding to her. "Of course I am," he spat haughtily, "My family is descended for centuries from the greatest wizards in history." His eyes narrowed and he stalked out of the frame.

"Please excuse Phineas, he has never spoken to a Muggle before," Minerva said.

"Fascinating," Zelda said, turning back to the table, where a splendid dinner had appeared. She sat down to join them in a delicious meal. When they had finished, Minerva waved her wand, and the dishes vanished.

Minerva looked at Molly, who had been rather quiet during all of this, and asked, "Are you aware of who Zelda is, and why she is here?"

"They told me, Zelda and Ron - but I don't understand. If Severus Snape is really on our side, why did he kill Albus Dumbledore? Why doesn't anyone in the Order know?" Molly asked, relieved to have a chance to air her doubts.

"No one was to know, Molly. It is very likely that there are spies among the Order, so I do not wish it to be known to everyone. I trust you, Molly, to keep this a secret. It is good news, since we have an advantage that we did not expect, but I do not believe everyone should know."

"What about Arthur?" Molly asked. "I can try to keep it from him, but... "

"Of course I trust Arthur." Minerva said firmly. "But do not tell anybody else, even your other children, please."

"Very well," murmured Molly, relieved that she could share this momentous news with her husband.

"Mum, Zelda's not an ordinary Muggle, you know. She started teaching us, Hermione and Harry and me, Occlumency and Legilimency," Ron said, wanting his mother to like and respect Zelda.

"Really?" Molly replied, shaking her head confusedly. "But Muggles can't.... I can't even do it."

Zelda looked at Minerva, smirking slightly. "Is there anyone in your world who can accept it without saying those words?"

"This is one reason why I appreciate you coming here," Minerva said. "We all have our entrenched ideas, and I believe that we must think creatively and learn to open our minds to many possible solutions to our problems."

"So much for Muggle Studies," Zelda muttered ironically.

"No, no!" Minerva said earnestly. "Our current teacher has left and the curriculum has not changed in two decades. I have several applicants for the post, but none, I believe, are capable of making the course relevant to our modern world. I hope you will look it over, Zelda, with the view of increasing understanding and respect for the Muggle communities around us."

A snort from the wall told them that Phineas had returned and was not appreciative of Minerva's goal. "Headmistress, in my day we had none of that 'Muggle Studies' nonsense," he said snidely.

Zelda turned around, pointed her finger like a gun and said, "Phineas, you're a pain in the ass. I hope you're useful to the Headmistress, or maybe you'd prefer the view in the boys' bathroom."

The portraits around them erupted in laughter, and Minerva smirked slightly before saying, "Zelda, do not bother arguing with Phineas, he is a magical portrait."

"That's why he's perfect to vent my spleen on. All the rest of you have wands and can transfigure me into fungus if you want to, but he's a portrait, and he can't do a thing to me," she replied, sticking her tongue out at Phineas, who glared hatefully back at her, struck dumb by her pert disrespect.

The whole room, portraits and humans alike, roared with laughter.

Zelda walked over and met the portrait's gaze. "I don't know what you are, Phineas. I assume you're dead, and I can't imagine that your actual soul's in this portrait. I apologize for my rudeness. If you're bored I'll come around later and we'll trade insults. Undoubtedly I'll get the best of you, but it's your choice."

She returned to the table and sat down again, smiling pleasantly at them. Minerva chuckled, and Ron beamed as proudly as if he'd created this mad woman.

"It's been a long day, Minerva, and I'd love to see your Muggle Studies curriculum, but perhaps tomorrow?" Zelda said, yawning. All at once she felt very weary, and wondered if this place would overwhelm her.

"Of course. You room will be directly across the hall from mine, if you need anything." Minerva replied. "Mr. Weasley will be leaving us again, but Molly will be back tomorrow after breakfast. Please ask for any assistance, since I know this is strange to you, Zelda."

They all rose, and left the office, and the walk through dimly lit corridors and stairways left Zelda quite bewildered. They parted with the Weasleys in the entry hall, and Zelda found herself drawn into the Great Hall, where the twilight sky shone above her head. She stared, enchanted at the beauty of the sky over the splendid room.

"Is it always like this?" she asked Minerva, awestruck. "It's so wonderful."

Minerva enjoyed seeing the appreciation on Zelda's face. She replied, "It shows whatever the sky is like. Thunderstorms are spectacular, and I always feel chilled during snowstorms."

A door opened nearby, and hooves could be heard on the flagstone floor. "Good evening, Headmistress," a man's voice said.

"Ah, good evening, Firenze," replied Minerva graciously.

Zelda watched a remarkable creature step into view. A centaur! A handsome blond man's torso was joined to the body of a horse. In Muggle movies the special effects made centaurs look clumsy and fake, but the real, living centaur before her was perfect. She stared into his ageless blue eyes, speechless.

"Zelda, this is Firenze. He is one of our Divination teachers." Minerva said. "Firenze, this is Zelda, she will be staying with us for a bit, and helping to rework our Muggle Studies courses."

Zelda shook hands with Firenze wonderingly, saying, "I'm very happy to meet you, Firenze. I've never met a centaur before."

Firenze smiled gently. "I have never spoken with a Muggle before, Zelda. I hope that we will find time to speak together while you are with us."

"I hope so too, Firenze," she replied, smiling. "Have a good evening."

Minerva led her through more corridors and stairways, until they reached a polished oak door with a coat of arms on it. "This is your room, Zelda. Mine is directly across from you and the bathroom is the next door to your right." She pointed, then opened the door and lit several candles on a table with her wand.

The room was spacious, and on the far side were several huge, curtained windows. The bed was enormous, with heavy curtains around it that reminded Zelda of Dickens. There was an immense wardrobe, a couple of tables with chairs, and a nightstand with candelabra on it.

"If you require anything, ring this bell, and a House Elf will attend you." Minerva said, her eyes bright with amusement as she watched Zelda's wonder. "We will have breakfast in the Great Hall at eight o'clock, so I will meet you here shortly before that time. Sleep well, Zelda."

She turned to leave, but halted when Zelda asked, "Is there a ghost in this room? Will I wake up with company and have a heart attack?"

"No. Not in this room." Minerva replied, lips twitching. "Good night, Zelda."

"Good night, Minerva." Zelda answered politely.

The door closed, and then she was alone, in her guest room at Hogwarts. A picture of Severus flashed through her mind, and she wished he were here with her, to show her everything. Over the past days she'd thought of him constantly, but she was afraid that here, in the magical world, the slightest thought might endanger him. She had determined to keep him out of her thoughts and behave as though she were simply a consultant, doing a job, but alone now, and looking at that humongous bed, she missed him desperately.

She busied herself with practical matters, unpacking her knapsack. She had brought some Muggle clothes with her, a warm robe against the chill of the stone building, slippers and a few books. When everything was unpacked and stowed neatly away, she stepped cautiously into the hall to investigate the bathroom. There were several wall sconces burning in it and the plumbing was ancient looking, but immaculate. The windows were small and high up, but she saw a few stars in the darkening sky.

When she returned to her room, she took out her Complete Jane Austen and curled up in bed to read. Not /Northanger Abbey/, she thought, smiling to herself. She had only read a few pages when her eyelids grew heavy, so she blew out her candles and went to sleep.

Morning light filtered through the edges of the curtains, waking her very early. Zelda got up and pulled the curtains open, and gasped, completely astounded at the magnificence of it. To the left was an immense forest, and below her spread a sparkling lake. The sun illuminated the whole landscape and the beauty of it dazzled her. She threw open one of the windows, and the fresh cool air made her laugh with sheer happiness.

A table and two chairs were centered in front of a window, and after she had dressed, she sat staring, enchanted, until a knock on the door startled her into action. She opened it to find Minerva McGonagall, and said, "Minerva... oh... this place is so beautiful. I want to see all of it. I want to know what's in the Forest... I want to remember forever that there's still a place this perfect on the face of the earth."

"Good morning, Zelda," Minerva said, laughing. "Have I lost my consultant to a love affair with Hogwarts Castle already?"

"I met a centaur last night. Magic is real and, now, seeing this amazing place is the most exciting thing I can imagine," Zelda said. "Should I pretend this is nothing new? I can, sometimes... for a while, but not with you."

"Not with me," Minerva replied. "Seeing it all fresh as you see it is delightful, and it makes me appreciate the wonder of Hogwarts more than ever. We have much to lose if the Order is defeated, so we must prevail."

"Is it time to go to breakfast already? How do you plan to introduce me to your staff? Will you tell them all that I'm a Muggle?" Zelda asked, realizing that there was much she needed to know. "Firenze knows."

"Firenze keeps to himself, most of the time, and he knows a great deal, but rarely shares it," she said. "I wish more of my staff were as professional and discreet." Minerva looked thoughtful and continued, "I think we will tell them at some point that you are a Muggle, but not that you are a Legilimens. It is not very likely, but if there is a spy here, perhaps you will see more if you are thought to be a harmless Muggle."

"I am a harmless Muggle, Minerva. I hope your magical buddies don't decide to play 'Torment the Muggle' with me."

"I cannot say that it has never been done, but at Hogwarts such things are not tolerated." Minerva said grimly.

"You, er... relieve my worries a bit." Zelda said, eyeing her skeptically. "However, I'm starving, so let's do this thing."

Minerva led the way, and Zelda was on the way to her first meal in the Great Hall.