Hogwarts: A New Beginning

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The Battle of Hogwarts claimed over fifty lives. It destroyed the castle and many students would never return, many professors would never return to teach. Voldemort vanquished by Harry Potter's hand, the Death eaters either captured or fled, life was starting to be rebuilt. The castle itself was remade, students who survived the battle returned and new ones attended. New professors have taken their places, the world starting anew. For nine years, things of this world have been repairing the damage Voldemort had done.


Nine years ago, Arno Rigby's parents died at the Death Eater's hands, his mother died at the hands of Lance Redhart. He saw it himself; he'd been a seventh year who volunteered to fight. His parents refused to let him fight alone, though they were proud of him. He knew it, he came from a very close family. Something that he knew that he was very lucky to have, especially in times like he'd grown up in. Watching his mother die that day was the worst thing that he'd ever experienced. It was now that he saw what pulled the carriages heading up to the school; grotesque horse like creatures called thestrals. He understood them, and death a little more after researching about them. He didn't know who had slain his father or what terrible end Fredrick Rigby met, but of this he did know about his father; he was a great man.

Arno often wondered whether or not that his parents would be proud to hear that he'd become a professor at Hogwarts. But whenever he wondered, he always knew that he was being foolish. His parents loved seeing him excel in his favourite subject; they would have been so proud to see him get the job he'd always dreamed of. The school year would start soon, the professors had arrived months before the first student would step onto the grounds. He'd been made the head of his house, lived in his own quarters and met the rest of the staff. The Potions Master still hadn't arrived yet, but he knew who she was. A fresh wave of hatred rose in his mind as he sorted out the papers on his desk. He knew that he shouldn't hate her, it wasn't her after all that had killed his parents. No, she was their daughter; the two had never gotten along. Ever since childhood as classmates, the two had hated each other. Now, he had so much more of a reason to. Even after nine years, his parent's deaths were fresh on his mind.

So, there he sat, writing down his first lesson for every class. There were a few students that he knew of that sympathized with him. Many students were orphaned by the Great Battle, others before. All professors were trained to talk to suffering students and other faculty. Nine years wasn't enough to heal deep wounds.​
 
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It was mysterious how Hogwarts came back as a school and parents allowed their children to come back to it. After the Great Battle, things have been quite the oddest around the school. Many lives were taken, but the threat of Voldemort was long over. Now the school for withcraft and wizadry was open once more in all the glory it was before. Witches and wizards alike grown excited to be part of the school that had so much history, especially after the history that Harry Potter placed into it after the battle. Now with a couple of months to prepare for the year, Dahlia Redhart was kept in her lonely potions classroom where her favorite professor used to reside in. Memories of good swam in her head, recalling every bit of time when Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy got into little spats in the classroom while she minded her own business with her work. When she remembered, she sat at the desk she sat at every year, and she was glad that the classroom was untouched by the rubble of the battle even if there was mass destruction to the school.

The only person who knew she was there was the headmaster, considering there was a certain professor that she was trying to avoid. Arno Rigby, the Ravenclaw student that she never had gotten along with during school. Their families were opposites, enemies at best. His mother happened to die by her father's hands, which made Dahlia feel complete sorrow that the unfortunate happened. However, she could not bring herself to apologize for the wrong doings of her parents. Many hated her family for being part of the battle, and many hated her because she carried the family name. Was it even wise to be back at Hogwarts? McGonagall thought so, just because Severus Snape deemed her one of the best in potions during his time as the Potions professor. May he rest in peace.

The students would be arriving soon, and then the Great Hall would be full once more. That is when she headed to the back of the classroom, heading into the office that wouls be hers for however how long they planned to keep her. This was going to be her new home once again. Sitting at her desk, she started up the plans for each of her classes to prepare herself. It felt bittersweet to be sitting where her professor used to sit, but she knew that the school was going through changes. Now she wondered where this year was going to take her, and she hoped that no student, or teacher, would talk behind her back because of her family name.
 
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Arno finished up the last of his plans. The first day he planned to have the students introduce themselves as learn more about one another; they would be spending a whole year with each other and some of them didn't know one another at all. At least the first years, that was his plan. The rest of them would be working with a boggart, testing out their skills. The seventh years would be working on their patronuses and they would get extra credit for coming in and helping the lower years with their spells. Many other professors told him that he was starting the class off with much too advanced subjects in the first of the year, but he did this every year since getting the job, and it always worked. Besides, the boggart and the patronus were only two days out of the week. He heard something rustling outside his door, setting his quill down he got to his feet. Opening the door, a grey and tan coloured cat came trudging through, hopping up onto the desk. This cat was older than time itself, at least to Arno. Krestel (Crest-el) had been his pet from a third year. Krestel had only been a kitten then, but now he was an unusually old cat. "Hey there Krestel, wondered where you went. I only shut the door because of the draft," Arno told the large cat, petting him behind the ear. The grey and tan cat gave him a strange expression before curling up on 'his chair'. Arno decided that he wanted some butter beer from Hogsmeade; he'd gotten most of his paperwork done. Krestel was snoring on his chair, the tell tale sign that the old cat was sound asleep.

Arno pulled his jacket and scarf, heading out. He wore this wool green overcoat, normally he kept it buttoned but since he was just walking through the hallways of Hogwarts, he just left it open. A few professors waved at him, greeting him kindly. It felt like ages since he'd returned here, though he'd been working here for little over four years now. He heard news that the potions Master had been seen in her office; his blood boiled. How could headmaster Mcgonagall let her into the school let alone teach here? There was no proof that she was or ever had been a Death Eater, or even sided with her parents, but Arno wasn't so sure himself. The Malfoy's were a Death Eater family, it was almost impossible to keep out of trouble when your parents encourage you to follow them. But most of him knew that he wasn't being fair; she deserved a chance, right? His mind whirled with questions and thoughts. He'd almost forgotten where he was, the only thing that brought him back to reality was running into a wall. He brushed himself off and continued on, his hands stuck into his pockets. He looked down to see that his jacket was unbuttoned, reaching up, he began to rebutton it before turning the corner. He headed out into the court yard and stopped; he'd lost his want for butter beer and promptly turned around. The children would be arriving in two hours; at least the seventh to second years. He headed back towards his office, passing the potions class door.​
 
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Thoughts whirled in Dahlia's mind as she went through with setting up the lesson plan. Negative thoughts of thinking that there was no welcome for her here. She had her doubts, and she wished that this feeling would go away at some point. Nothing was putting her at ease, not even the tea that she was drinking was calming her down. It made her want to pack up and leave, but she knew that she should not turn her back. Redharts were not quitters, her parents would always say to her. It wouldn't be like this if her parents never became Death Eaters, making her have her quick doubts.

A black cat strolled into the room, giving a loud meow as he entered to announce that he was there. When Dahlia did not say anything to the feline, he jumped up on her desk and sat directly in front of her which made her put down her quil. "What are you doing, Binx? I am working," she told the cat. The cat gave a long stare, seeming uninterested about her excuse. All he did was meow again, making himself comfortable on top of her papers and curled up to fall asleep. A long sigh came from her lips, making her get up from her seat to pull on her red coat, tying it closed, and then headed back into the classroom. She needed air out of the room, not wanting to make herself insane by the thoughts.

Once stepping out, she caught glimpse of a certain man that she was avoiding. All she did was duck her head down, step out of the room, and then headed in the opposite direction. The sound of her heels gave her away, but she continued to walk that way to save herself.
 
Arno turned his head and caught sight of her. Most of him wanted to snarl and spit at her, but he knew that was wrong. Not just as a fellow professor, but as a decent human being. His parents would be very disappointed with him if he sunk to such levels, yet he still could not bring himself to utter a word to her. He knew deep down that she had nothing to with with the death of his parents, but he had hated her from a young age. They were always fighting as children; he was always told that darker families always thought bad of others. While his family were pure bloods, his best friends were muggle borns and one was a squib. He remembered how her gang used to tease and harass them for some of them not being pure bloods.

He kept on going, keeping his back to her as he headed for his room. e knew that trying to be nice wasn't going to work out for him right now, so he figured that until he was ready, he wasn't going to worry about even talking to her. However, a thought reminded him of a previous meeting he'd been at with all the staff; Headmaster McGonagall had told everyone that they would have to treat Redhart with respect and treat her appropriately. If the students believed something to be wrong, then things could get ugly. Heaving a sigh, he turned to Redhart. "Glad to see you are here Professor Redhart. I hope your first day back is a good one. The kids will be here in an hour...have anything you are looking forward to the most?" There was no hint of hostility in his voice. He remembered the hostility between Lupin and Snape; it had made most of the students uncomfortable. At least, the students he hung out with. Snape had never been a pleasant person to be around. In fact, Arno really hated Snape.

Well, hate was an awfully strong word. He disliked Snape. Their personalities clashed; while Snape was grim and dark, Arno was happy, bright and outgoing. On Arno's second year he was able to produce a patronus out of the sheer joy he shared with his friends. It helped that he came from a stable home. It was only once though, and he and his friends were messing around in the courtyard (Fin shot off part of the building with a defensive spell and landed them into detention and for Fin he lost Hufflepuff thirteen points) when he decided to try a patronus. He remembered everything that he was supposed to do from listening to his parents talking about it, and on his third try (thinking of the time he first met his friends and stepped foot on Hogwarts), his patronus, a creature called a meerkat, was created. It had only appeared for about three seconds but he knew that the form fit him.
 
Just hearing his voice made Dahlia stop in her tracks. For some reason she felt nervous, unknowing how to react. During their years of being at school she was the one who would pick on him and his group of friends, being the scum Slytherin that everyone knew. God, she was no better than a Malfoy back then. It made her quite sad that she wanted to fit in like that. All because she yearned for acceptance from Draco, and she got that. For what? They were close, but then he pushed her away and stopped talking to her after her refusal to become a Death Eater. It was a bad idea, she always told him, but he never listened. He called her a traitor. The way he looked at her made her stomach turn in a bad way.

"Well, thank you for the welcome,"
she spoke, a little awkwardly as she turned to finally look at him. Her hand went to the back of her neck, rubbing it nervously. The two never shared a pleasant conversation, so this was strange. "Um, I am looking forward to mold Slytherin into something new. I want to see a new light in the Slytherin house, to see them get along with the other houses... Attempt to get the hatred out." That was what she wanted the most, to see the house being seen in a different light. She was not going to tolerate bullies in her house. History was not going to repeat itself.

"Are you looking forward to anything?" It was polite to return the question. She was also curious to know what he looked forward to. There were still a number of things that she could list, but it was personal for her. All she wanted was to find herself in the midst of teaching. Things were quite different now. Hogwarts was going to change, but in a good way.
 
Looking at her, he understood why she wanted to make a change with the Slytherins. They had a bad reputation for being these evil, mean people. But that was just a stereotype cast by other houses. It was true that many witches and wizards turned evil that came from Slytherin, but that certainly didn't mean that all of them were bad. His friend Todd was a Slytherin, he was a great guy. He too perished at the battle for Hogwarts. But he'd died at the hands of a giant. "Me? Um, I kind of want to see Ravenclaw win the house cup this year. But I imagine that you probably want the Slytherins to win it; most head of the houses want their house to win. I'll have to say that it's been a great nine years of not being overshadowed by Gryffondor," he replied, looking at his feet. He remembered when Harry had won Gryffondor the house cup every year he was there; it had really bummed everyone in Ravenclaw. They had worked so hard to get the cup yet every year Gryffondor won. Always made everyone in the school hate them. He didn't know what else to say to her without being a bit distant. He really did hope that she had a good year, but at the same time he still felt that she was a danger to the school. One thing for certain was that he was going to keep a very close eye on her.

"Hard to-," he stopped himself. He really shouldn't bring up the battle, at least not with her. It was a bad idea. It might trigger an argument with her, or with him. Probably him most of all; he really didn't want to listen to her justify herself. He knew that she wasn't going to turn death eater, but after her long history, he couldn't help but be weary of her. Heaving a sigh he turned. "I've got to get back to my papers, with just an hour, no, about fifteen...you know what, I don't think I have enough time. I'm going to head to the dining hall to get ready for the oncoming students...I'll see you there," he told her, turning back around and walking passed her. It was going to be a long dinner seeing as her seat was right next to his, unless McGonagall switched him seats with Hagrid because of their history. But that would be quite unnecessary.
 
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Odd. Everything about that exchange was odd. Dahlia watched as he walked off, feeling as if she some type of plague that he did not want to catch. A frown was at her lips when she started to feel secluded. Even if he was being nice, she knew that it was only an act. There was no doubt that the man disliked her for being a Redhart. Everyone did. All of this was starting to feel like a mistake. She should not even be teaching. Who knew what horrible things the parents have said about her? Oh, she has heard talk about her when she was in Hogsmeade before coming to the school.

"A Redhart teaching at Hogwarts? McGonagall has probably lost her mind."

"No good death eater, that is what she is. She may be beautiful, but she could be the devil."

All of those words had hurt. People say words were just words, but there was truth in what people speak. She was part of a family that had horrible history, and she was the last generation. What people did not know was that she ran. She was a coward, and Voldemort wanted to get rid of her. Her own parents wanted to get rid of her. That is why she ran. Running was better than death, especially when she had no one at her side.

A sigh fell from her lips as she walked to the Great Hall, listening to the whispers among the paintings. Even they spoke about her. She pushed the talking in the back of her mind, and she did not realize some of the older students already trickling in. "Hello Professor, are you doing alright?" A seventh year Slytherin asked, walking to her side when he saw that she was trembling.

Clearing her throat, she gave a nod and then gave a reassuring smile to the boy. "Thank you for the concern, but you should make your way to the Great Hall," she told him and ushered him along. "We need to welcome our first years."
 
He entered the Great Hall where many students had already arrived. The sixth and seventh years had arrived just recently. One of the Ravenclaws spotted him and came running up. He'd watched her go from being a fourth year to a seventh year, she'd lost her eldest brother to the battle. She came running up to Arno and smiled. "I think I finally got my patronus charm down, I just need some help with it," she looked up at him happily. "Perhaps in class, but for now I know we'll have new kiddos coming in for their cut of the Hogwarts experience," Arno replied. He was really excited about meeting all the new students. He'd been the first teacher to be able to break the 'curse' on the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. He'd grown attached to some of the students. It was hard to see the first years that he'd met when it was his own first year of working at Hogwarts become third years. They'd grown so much; it really was quite amazing.

He walked up to his seat and looked over; nope, McGonagall hadn't switched seats. He was actually happy about this; he could keep a closer eye on her. He sighed and sat down, watching as students began to pour in. The fifth to second years had arrived and were taking their seats. The Great Hall was loud with excitement, some of the students looked pretty happy while others were skeptical, mainly the Slytherins. Ever since the battle, they'd bee down cast on. They were redeeming themselves, though Arno would never treat a child any different than another. The children had nothing to do with the death eaters, though some were descended from. in truth, he didn't know whether or not Dahlia was actually in the battle. He'd been fighting off others and had never ran into her, but he did manage to see her parents.

It would be Teddy Lupin's first year here, he heard wind of it from the grape vine. His friend's daughter would be coming for the first year too. Fin's only child, she was a gem to him. Gamie was sure to be a Hufflepuff like her father; honest, true and compassionate, she held many traits seen in a Hufflepuff. His eyes searched for Dahlia, knowing full well that sooner or later, they would have to talk about what happened. It was almost unavoidable; he wondered if he should try to get the discussion over with before the school year completely started.
 
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Dahlia had to shake a feeling off as she walked towards the Great Hall with one of the Slytherin prefects. The lad held a high honor, knowing that his job was to take care of the younger ones of the Slytherin house. He was chosen for his good marks in school, as well as the fact that he followed all the rules without bullying anyone. Professor Redhart was glad for him, especially that she knew his family well. One of the Slytherin families who wanted nothing to do with the war. They held a great honor code among them, not needed to dwell in other business when they did not have to. A code that Dahlia wished her family had, but they were all no good Slytherins. How unfortunate that was.

"Thank you, Artemis, I think I know my way now," she spoke to the boy, giving him a polite smile and heading to where the professors would be sitting as they did every year. Her ears caught whispers of her name from the mouths of students, but she chose to ignore them this time around. For now she was just wondering what the first years would think when they saw her. Everyone had their mixed opinions about her. Either it was a good thing that she was there to redeem her family, or some thought it was complete bonkers that they allowed her to teach on the grounds. Usually it was the later. The opinions of the students should not matter, but she wished not to be feared by the other houses.

Glancing around, she saw Arno once more. Avoiding him would be impossible, and she chose that she should just face the fear of talking with him. There were things that needed to be said to attempt to clear the air between them. It was a terrifying topic, but it had to be discussed. Would he think of her a coward for running away, or would he see her in a more positive light to not follow in her parent's footsteps? Well, if she were to fight alongside of Voldemort she would not have been here. Azkaban is where all of his followers and supporters were, just for safety reasons. They needed to be watched for the reason of not starting another uprising. History did not have to repeat itself.

Sucking it up, she walked to Arno and cleared her throat, feeling slightly nervous. "May I have a word, Professor?" Her voice was not harsh, and she carried a sweet tone. A tone that was never used when they were learning together, usually her tone was full of hatred. Now things changed. The war changed her outlook and she became someone who she wanted to be without worrying about her image.
 
Arno looked up as Dahlia spoke, unsure of what to make of this. What was she up to? He didn't know but he was sure it was to call him out on something or another. Whatever, he was ready for it. He wasn't going to let her get the best of him. Getting to his feet, he greeted professor Trins, the new Muggle Studies teacher, as he passed by. He liked Trins; he was a soft spoken guy with a heart of gold. Nobody was quite sure where he had come from, but he'd not been in the country during Voldermort's rule of terror. He walked around the table and stood at Dahlia's side, watching as students whispered as they caught sight. It was odd; everyone knew of Arno's hatred of death eaters and their families. It was an unfair anger though; hating an entire family because of a select few being bad wasn't a fair outlook. But Arno couldn't get the image of his mother being slain so brutally by Lance out of his head.

A Ravenclaw student started to get up but Arno waved him down. He might not enjoy Dahlia's company but he was safe. Besides, he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher; he knew how to handle himself. Walking towards the back doorway where it led to a small room on the right, they'd be safe from other ears. He pulled out two chairs so that they could sit and talk; maybe now was the perfect time to confront her on the issues he had with her; this was a long time coming. He'd never done it as a child because he was either too afraid to or he just learned to let things go. How he wished that he could do that now. He was well aware that he was being unfair, but how she acted as a child up to the battle hadn't made her look like she was innocent of being on Voldermort's side.

He'd always seen her hanging around Draco Malfoy. The Malfoys were known death eaters, though they turned traitor to Voldemort and ran away to save their son from impending death. Sitting down, he took his wand out and cast a silent charm just in case they needed more privacy. He sat back and gazed up at Dahlia, the smile that had been on his face had diminished. "Alright, so what do we need to chat about?" he asked calmly. No hint of snark, no nothing just a simple question. He'd learned to curve his temper quite well as a teenager, and he held himself well.
 
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Calmly Dahlia laced her fingers, placing her hands on her lap. She was trying to figure out where to begin. Where did she even start from here? They were not kids anymore, they had to talk about issues like these to keep from hating each other. The both of them needed explanations, well, Arno needed the explanation. She was the one who always started something with him during school, all because she wanted to fit in. It was wrong of her and she never wanted to be like that anymore. This was a chance to change who she was and mold her future. She was only getting older.

"First I want to apologize," she started, and then she took a quick breather. It was a lot to take in at once, and the nerves was starting to get the best of her. She had to tell herself to calm down. "For everything that I have done to you in the past. I know I was a complete brat towards you, and I know that it was wrong. All I wanted was for Draco to like me, just so he did not turn on me at any point. When I think of it, it was really selfish of me to do all of that." Everything happened for a reason, but the reason was not good enough. She should have known that Draco was just like her parents, the Malfoys were just a family that was similar to the Redhart family. They were just smarter to run to save their son. She always wondered where Draco was.

"During the war I fled, wanting to get away and not be part of the destruction. Just knowing that Severus died in vain breaks my heart, and I have to stand where he did. I apologize for my father for murdering your mother," her voice started to become quiet, her eyes were cast down to her hands on her lap. There was so much weight on her shoulders, and it showed in this moment. Her family put that unwanted weight on them. All she wanted was to get rid of it.
 
Arno listened carefully to her, biting his tongue as he listened to her. He actually wasn't expecting this; he had expected to hear how she knew what he was up to, and why. He certainly didn't expect an apology to be made about the death of his mother. He looked down at his shoes for a moment before resting his elbows on his knees, pushing his face into his hands. "Why now? Why apologize now after sixteen years?" He counted in the school years. He knew why, he wasn't foolish. Fitting in was hard, but she went about it by being mean rather than trying to find a group that would accept her. But he wasn't in her position and never understood her; maybe it was time that he started. He'd come from a loving, caring and fun family, they had his back on everything he did and encouraged him. She might not have; death eater families were known for being harsh.

He looked back up at her and sighed. "Look, I'll admit to having hated you for a long time...the strongest after my parents died. I hated you for being a Redhart...and I know that wasn't fair of me and I'm sorry. It's going to take a while for the wounds of the past to be forgotten, but maybe we can make a future that looks brighter? To be honest, I don't want to be angry anymore. It's wasting my energy and peace of mind. I can't sit here with a straight face and tell you that I'm over my parent's deaths, but I can tell you that what we were as children aren't what we are now," he replied, though his voice seemed strange. He was telling the truth, there was no doubt, but he struggled with trying to not get angry. A simple apology wasn't going to bring back his family, but maybe the fact that she was willing to try, and that she was trying to make herself a better person, would be enough. It was; despite his dislike for her now, he admired her. She had to have an unimaginable amount of strength to talk to him about this and be the first one to make the move.

"So how about this; we start new. Perhaps in the future we could look at each other as friends and not just peace treaty signers," he got to his feet but avoided her eye contact. The first years would be here at any minute now; they were needed elsewhere. They'd have plenty of time to talk later, that much was true. He turned to her before walking out, giving her a smile. It was genuine, but bittersweet. "Tell you what, we can talk more tonight if you meet me in my office. I'l be finishing up my paperwork and it would be the perfect time to talk about this."
 
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Just apologizing like this made her feel like a child. It had to be done, or the weight would continue to be on her shoulders. Dahlia still felt it, but she felt better for doing what she did. At least he knew that she was sorry for all of the wrong doing. Her past molded her to be a better person even if she still had Redhart blood. Being a Slytherin did not mean anything, only where her family came from did. As a Redhart, she was going to change how witches and wizards saw them as a family. She was the one who ran, not stay. That was the only thing she was proud of from the past.

Standing to her feet, she gave him a kind smile before tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yes, we should talk more later," she spoke, agreeing to the idea of meeting with him tonight. Classes were going to start the next day, giving them less time to talk with one another. However, during their free time she had hoped to spend a little time with him to show that she was not the Slytherin that he once knew. That was good enough for her for now. The other professors would see it as well, one day at a time.

"Thank you for your time, Arno, I really appreciate it," she said to him before heading out of the room. Without another words, she made her way to the table where the other professors already sat. Hagrid was among them, and still one of the biggest fellows at the table. She never had any problems with the caregiver. It was a little known fact that she would actually go visit him from time to time to talk about her day, someone to vent to. He knew how troubled she was during the time Draco pushed her away when he started to become a death eater, and he knew that her facade was just an act. It was him and Severus who knew who she really was deep down, and they kept it to themselves.

Hagrid gave her a nod of the head, motioning her to take a seat and she did. "Good to see you, Dahlia, I didn't know you were going to actually come," he spoke, surprised that she came to Hogwarts. He gave her a smile, which she gave in return. At least he believed in her, he always did. Even if he preferred the company of the trio, he did not mind the company of Dahlia. She was actually a gentle soul. Well, he found that out when she came crying to him on day.
 
Arno had about a million thought rushing through his mind. Why had he wanted to talk to her more? Bcause he felt like it was time to move on. He had no reason to hold onto hatred anymore. Sitting down, he watched as the doors opened up and the first wave of first years came marching down the isle, lead by McGonagall. A smile was spread across her face as the young kids trailed behind her, chattering amongst themselves. Arno remembered his first year here, entering into the Great Hall. He and Fin had been bickering over which house that they would be in; Fin was sure that he would get Gryffondor while Arno was sure that Fin would get Ravenclaw. Fin had told Arno up straight that he though that he would be in Ravenclaw, there was no debate there. Arno always had an aptitude for learning, and was as clever as they come. Fin was hyper and arrogant, but caring and compassionate towards everyone. Arno knew that Fin would be put in Hufflepuff.

He watched as the small students stopped behind McGonagall, listening to every word she told them. A few of them looked nervous while others looked very determined. Those ones he bet would be in Gryffondor. He watched as kids were sorted into their houses, for every Ravenclaw he gave a happy smile to. Then it was Gamie's turn; he watched carefully as the Sorting Hat was placed on her head. It took a few moments before The Sorting Hat finally spoke, "Slytherin." It took Arno by surprise but he still smiled and clapped, happy for her. Gamie skipped right along, sitting down at the Slytherin table. She looked cheerful and quite out of place at the table she sat at; he'd have taken her for a Hufflepuff but life was full of surprises.

Arno gave Dahlia a slight smirk. "That one is going to keep you on your toes if she's anything like her father; twice I found her sneaking off to play outside with the garden gnomes when she was younger and many times after that into all kinds of adventures," he advised, knowing full well that he would have to keep an eye on her. He wondered if Dahlia remembered Fin; Arno was always with him. The two were best friends, it had been hard seeing Fin after the battle because he'd been bitten by Greyback. He turned into a werewolf but was hard at work trying to find a cure. His daughter unfortunately had the same affliction but Arno knew it was a blessing that she was in Slytherin; Redhart was the potions master and head of the house of Slytherin. She could help Gamie. He leaned over to Dahlia and whispered to her that his 'niece' (as he was adopted into the Lawson household as a brother to Fin) was a werewolf. It didn't matter to Arno; he loved Gamie for her bright young spirit.
 
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Werewolf. It made her remember Remus Lupin. That man was close to Harry Potter's father, but he passed away during the war. A lot of unfortunate events happened during the war and she heard about it after it happened from different people. It was a dark, but joyous time, once the battle was over. No one had to worry about Voldemort coming to power and everyone did not have to worry about the dark forces as everyone was put away in Azkaban.

"Nothing I can't handle, I am sure that I will be able to help her if need be," she spoke. Werewolves were delicate, but vicious. The only time they had to worry was during the full moon. Perhaps Dahlia would have to take her to the Room of Requirement, or to the Shrieking Shack, once the time came. That was something she would have to think about near the next full moon. Even if she was the potions master, she still found mystical beasts interesting. She remembered when Snape dramatically taught them about werewolves during their third year, quite unusual.

The new additions to Slytherin had looked to her, either admiring her or they were silently judging her. All the while, she just gave them smiles and a nod of the head. Most of them smiled back, relaxing at their spots at the table. Dahlia was proud of her house, no matter what rumors were spread among them. Now it was time to change how people saw the Slytherin house. The rest of the first years were sorted and sitting at their tables, and McGongall took a stand at the podium.

"This year we welcome Professor Redhart as our potions master, and the head of Slytherin house this year," she started, being quick with the introductions. The Slytherin house clapped, while the others were more hesitant. They were aware of the Redhart family, and their parents warned them about her even if they were wrong. "Do not be quick to judge her, and I expect everyone to treat her respect. Remember that detention is still capable. Any welcoming words, Professor Redhart?"

Dahlia took a breath, and then she stood up from her seat. Staying where she was, she said, "Welcome, new and old. Today we will leave what happened stay in the past and look to a positive future. We may be in different houses, but remember that we are all the same." With that said, she sat back down and let them think about what she said.
 
The Great Hall fell silent as Redhart was mentioned. Eyes bore onto her like she was on fire, though she might as well be from the looks she was getting from the Gryffondor house. Arno eyed the house very sternly, meeting the eyes of many students, who in turn nudged their neighbor to stop staring holes into Dahlia. He heaved a sigh and clapped when she finished, watching from the corner of his eye as she sat down. Glancing over, he made an effort to assure her. "First step complete Professor Redhart, just keep at it," he said in a whisper. It was really more of a charm that only she could hear. McGonagall began to speak again, repeating the words Albus Dumbledore had once spoken. It was weird not having him here at first, but as the years passed it got easier to cope with.

With a wave of her hand, McGonagall finished her speech and food appeared on the tables. Arno found that he wasn't all that hungry. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't kept track of his hunger levels. He looked at the roast pheasant that appeared in front of him and sighed. He really didn't want to eat right now but he'd have to set a good example for the kids. He pulled off a leg of the bird, putting it on his plate and helped himself to some potatoes, green beans and rice. He nibbled lightly on the potatoes, but kept glancing up at the kids. The very first meal he had here had been special to him; he hadn't thought that he would ever see this much food in one place.

Gamie was sitting with a couple boys, chatting away about how her father had expected her to be a Hufflepuff; wouldn't he be surprised that she'd been placed in Slytherin? Arno chuckled to himself as he tried t imagine the look on Fin's face when he got the news. He'd been so convinced that his daughter would be in Hufflepuff; kind of reminded him of that first argument that they had here. A twinge of sadness hit Arno as he remembered Todd. He'd been right there with them as they debated, Todd had been a fellow Ravenclaw. Brave man, Arno often thought that Todd belonged in Gryffondor. He remembered when he, Fin, Joel and Todd were young they used to talk about becoming professors at Hogwarts. Arno had been the only one to follow through; Joel had left the country in fear of his life after standing up in a diner against death eaters (nobody has seen the man since), Todd died in the battle and Fin went on to becoming an auror. Though there wasbold talk about Gamie wanting to becom Headmaster someday. He had no doubt in his mind that the girl could.
 
"We all need to learn acceptance," Dahlia replied to her fellow professor. Acceptance was a big thing that students, and professors, needed to learn. Once that happened then Hogwarts would be a unit. After visiting Beauxbatons, she learned that not having houses had been more accetable. The girls in the school shared common interests in becoming the greatest witches without the separation of houses. That is what she admired about the school. Madame Maxime actually requested her to teach at the school to empower the younger females, but Dahlia knew that her heart did not belong there.

She started to place roasted vegetables, potatoes, and fish on her plate. The woman never are meat, but usually ate fish for her own dietary reasons. Normally she would just eat the vegetables, not really fond of eating meat of any sort. "Still not a meat eater, I assume?" Hagrid questioned, seeing as she avoided any of the meat choices. "Always the one to avoid it when you can. That never changed about ya."

A smile went to her lips as she looked up at Hagrid. "You sure do remember the little things, don't you?" It was a light hearted commented, and it made a laugh come from her lips. That was the time she actually let herself be free, not caring what people thought of her. The students saw her from afar, seeing how joyous she looked just sitting there like she belonged. It was a step to show that a Redhart could actually be someone that wasn't cruel, but someone who actually had feelings.
 
As the dinner carried on, Arno couldn't try to eat anymore. He'd hardly even touched his food; at most he'd pecked at it. The pheasant leg was still intact, the green beans were cold and there was two bites from the potatoes. Professor Trin noticed his complete disinterest in his food and confronted him. "Hey, Arno you feeling alright?" Trin's English was hard to understand under his thick accent but Arno was always able to figure out what he was saying. Arno nodded and smiled over at him. "Yeah, just haven't been feeling very good the last few days. Maybe it's nerves or maybe something else, just can't seem to find the need to eat as much," Arno replied, sitting back as the plates were gathered. Hogwarts had a brand new system; house elves were paid and no longer just servants, they were faculty. Arno had always found it quite barbaric that the school used house elves. But things had gotten tremendously better not just here a the school but everywhere for house elves.

The dinner was over in a matter of hours, Arno got up and headed to the Ravenclaw table. "Greetings young first years of the Ravenclaw house. I'm Professor Arno Rigby, the Head of the House Ravenclaw and your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I'll be taking you to your dorm rooms, but the prefects will be telling you about them. I live in the Ravenclaw tower. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me but please ask the prefects first if it is not a pressing matter," Arno introduced, smiling brightly at the new students. He was really excited for this school year. The prefects led the way, he trailed behind the last Ravenclaw.

Arno glanced back at Dahlia, giving her a half smile. He found himself actually looking forward to talking with her later. He was still hesitant, but he knew that this would be good for both of them. She needed to show the school and probably those in her personal life that she was trustworthy and innocent of the accusation of being a death eater. After talking with her, he'd gotten the idea that perhaps she hadn't been fighting in the battle, but a thought occurred to him that she should have fought for the school if she didn't support Voldemort. But he couldn't judge her for that; after all, he'd told Fin to run. Fin wasn't the best at defensive spells; he didn't excel in the DATDA classes as much as Arno did. He obviously had gotten better since then but as a teen, he really sank at them.

he listened as the prefects talked to the students, directed them and bid them welcome before sending them off to bed. Older students were allowed up, but first years were always made to go to sleep early. With that, Arno retreated to his office in the classroom. He needed to get that first lesson down and he would need to wait for Dahlia to show up so that they could talk more. Once he reached the class, he sat and began to busy himself writing.
 
Time for the students to retire for the night. Dahlia had headed to the Slytherin students, welcoming them to another year. McGonagall already went through introducing her to the student body, so she refrained from repeating herself. The prefects stood, and she allowed them to take the Slytherins to their common room. Even if they were in the dungeons, the decor was still marvelous. Dahlia always loved the contrast of green and silvers, even before she went to Hogwarts. Her parents decorated their home in that color, so she grew up with it. They had Slytherin pride, just like how she did. Her parents were somewhat decent until Voldemort came back, and that is what changed their demeanor. A long story that she would have to share with Arno once they saw each other. Maybe then he would understand more about her and her family.

The professor allowed the students to mingle with one another, and she went to her classroom to grab her journal. Might as well figure out her lesson plan when she was speaking with her fellow professor. Kill two birds with one stone, as the expression went. As she entered the potions classroom, her cat meowed loudly as she went into her office. "Why are you even still in here? Go roam, Binx, like always. I left the door open for a reason." The cat meowed again, making her roll her eyes as she grabbed her quill and journal before heading out the classroom again.

She walked to his classroom, giving the door a light knock before she opened it. "I am here," she stated, walking in and soon closing the door behind her. "I hope I didn't disturb anything."
 
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