The Mask of Anarchy

Chapter Two: Alethea Praesepe Pollux

Alethea had woken that morning to terrible butterflies in her stomach. "Fire-breathing butterflies," she muttered to herself
as she pulled herself out of bed and threw on her robe.

This was supposed to be the day that she would be getting to know the other professors. She had been warned when she had
arrived by Floo the previous night that some of the professors would not take kindly to her wanting to take the Defense
Against the Dark Arts position.

Alethea had encountered the "some professors" at breakfast in the Great Hall. She had finally gotten up the nerve to go
down to breakfast, but soon wished she had not when Professor Snape came storming in the room, cloak billowing, quickly
taking the place between Professor Dumbledore and herself.

Snape's black robes accented his pale skin, and his greasy black mane framed his somewhat large nose. Alethea found him at
once frightening and fascinating. However, it became apparent from his glaring stare that he did not want her taking the
job. Alethea could read that plainly on his face. She was saved from his scathing scowl when Professor McGonagall took the
seat next to her, and struck up conversation.

Their conversation took up most of breakfast with only a small break when Alethea was introduced to Harry Potter and Hermione
Granger. It was rumored around the wizarding college that Miss Granger was offered a full scholarship and an opportunity to
skip the rest of her education at Hogwarts in favor of a more challenging one in college. She had refused this by saying that
she still learned something new every day at Hogwarts.

The morning's events ran smoothly, and soon Alethea was summoned to the Headmaster's office for the first of her interviews.
Things went well, and she was able to answer every question he threw at her. He informed her upon ending the interview of the
faculty vote. In order for Hogwarts to avoid the animosity between Professors that it had harbored in past years, Professor
Dumbledore had decided to let the teachers vote, the majority deciding whether or not to hire the new teacher.

Alethea was curious to see who would vote against her. She was certain that Professor Snape would, but she knew knew from the
beginning that he hated the idea of anyone having the Defense Against the Dark Arts job other than himself. She suspected he
would vote a resounding "no."

"But will there be anyone else?" she questioned herself.

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It was a long day, no matter how smoothly it had gone. After interviews with the Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, there
were school governors to impress and ministry officials to persuade. After the business with that Umbridge woman, no one
wanted to take any chances. "Who knew getting a teaching job would be so taxing?" Alethea thought to herself as she slowly
prodded up the marble staircase that led to her guest chambers at Hogwarts.

Alethea had spent the last eight years studying Defense Against the Dark Arts at a rather private wizarding college. After
receiving her leaving certificates and teaching permits, she applied for teaching positions in wizarding schools all over
Europe. Hogwarts was the only one with an open position in her field of study. Alethea reached her chambers without even
realizing she was there until Sir Cadogan, a small knight with a large personality, greeted her courteously.

"My good gentle lady, might I inquire the password?" he asked with a quick but sincere bow.

"Fizzing Whizzbees," replied Alethea in an exhausted voice. The painting in which Sir Cadogan stood swung forward soundlessly
on old, rusty hinges showing a short tunnel ending in a pleasantly lit sitting room. Everything in the room conveyed the
Hogwarts crest, causing the occupant of the room to never forget where they were staying. The large red and gold crest
adorned the gilded mirror above the stone fireplace, and it was even embroidered into the backs of the five over-stuffed
armchairs that dominated much of the sitting room itself. Alethea continued in past the comfortable-looking sitting room and
went straight to her bed chamber, wanting nothing more than to fall into the large four-poster bed.

Albus Dumbledore had informed her shortly after her arrival in his office the previous night that there were five bedrooms
with separate doors attached to the the single sitting room in the guest quarters. Each room represented one of the four
Houses of Hogwarts or another room much like the sitting room for those guests that did not attend Hogwarts previously. Upon
further inquiry, she had learned that the rooms could change by reading the person entering. The threshold of the bedroom
worked like the Sorting Hat, and gave the room the proper decorations. The separate rooms also allowed several guests to use
the chambers at one time, given that they weren't all from the same Houses.

"Doesn't always work though..." recalled Dumbledore.

Indeed it did not, for Alethea had been a Gryffindor in her Hogwarts days. She thought on this as she stepped onto the
cushiony green carpet and walked to the wardrobe with its serpent-shaped handles. The whole room reflected Slytherin House,
both in color and decoration, from the carpet to the bedspread to the furniture itself. Alethea grabbed her nightgown and
stepped into the adjoining bathroom.

The walls were silvery-grey marble with deep veins of blue. They reminded her of the mermaids she had studied in school. A
large mirror stood in one corner, but the room was consumed mostly by the enormous green porceline tub. Instead of clawed
feet, the feet were formed into the heads of snakes with stones of amber and garnet for eyes that glittered in the blue
flames from the wall sconces.

Alethea took relish in her bath, but she could not help noticing the mirror. More often than not, she avoided gazing at
herself in the mirror. The person in the mirror disappointed her. Her skin was a pasty white that only showed the slightest
hint of life in her reddish freckles that faintly scattered themselves across her arms and knees. She was not small or dainty
in any way and felt she could do to lose a few pounds... everywhere. There were only two aspects of herself that she found
remotely worthwhile, her grey eyes and her red hair.

After a ten minute session of self-criticism, Alethea retired to her bed with a copy of her favorite book, Quidditch Through
the Ages. She soon fell asleep with dreams of broomsticks and Snidgets.