Chapter 2: Disclosure

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Chapter 2: Disclosure

The entire staff was gathered in the teacher's lounge. Even though their side had been victorious, there was a hushed tone in the room. Pomona just stared blankly ahead, not acknowledging anyone. Flitwick tried to be chipper, but he would frown and look down often as he spoke with Madam Hooch. Everyone seemed to be absorbed in reflection. There was only a little quiet conversation going on when Minerva entered with Sybill. Everyone looked at the newcomer in the room, wondering who she was.

"Thank you for all meeting here. I have some interesting news. The first is that Severus Snape was found alive in the Shrieking Shack. He is recuperating in the hospital wing as we speak."

There were huge gasps and mumbled conversation around the room.

"We think that Fawkes saved him, as Poppy found traces of phoenix tears in his wound. It will take a few days for him to fully recover. He is not conscious now, but Poppy assures me that he will wake in a couple of days and make a full recovery."

She looked sternly at the teachers gathered in the room. "I am unsure if Severus will want to stay at Hogwarts. I am even less sure that he will want his position as Headmaster, now that the war is over. If he chooses to continue teaching here, I want nothing but the utmost respect shown toward him. He has been on our side secretly and is a hero. There will be no more sideways glances and muttering under our breath toward him."

Everyone in the room nodded.

"We will keep Hogwarts open for a month to anyone who wishes to stay. That should be enough time for the wounded to recover and the battle weary to get their lives in order and return home."

More nods greeted her.

"As many of you have probably noted, the castle is in the process of repairing itself. It will need our help to be completely renovated by the beginning of next term. Our first job is to assess the damage. I want all of you to survey the entire castle. We will find out exactly what needs to be done. Then we will set up work crews to help with the repairs. Any of the war refugees who would like to help may do so. Also, if you have friends or family who would like to come in and do repairs, please owl them that their assistance will be greatly appreciated. I believe that with all of us working together with the castle, we will be able to start school again right at the beginning of the year as planned."

"The last thing on our agenda is quite a surprising revelation. The woman sitting next to me is Sybill Trelawney."

Professor Sprout's jaw dropped open. Professor Flitwick started to sputter, Madam Hooch raised an eyebrow, and Hagrid started laughing. The reactions were all unique, but each showed immense surprise.

"Professor Trelawney? No, it can't be. She looks . . . nice."

"But she's got black hair!"

"She's actually wearing normal clothes!"

"Where's yer beads, Professor?"

"She doesn't look like an owl."

"I think she looks taller."

"Definitely thinner."

"Why did she choose to have a makeover today?"

Minerva held up her hand to quiet the group of babbling professors. "I shall let her explain what has happened," Minerva said with a wave of her hand toward Sybill.

The faculty sat in silence for the next fifteen minutes as Sybill explained why she looked like she did and how it had come about. When she was finished, the entire room erupted in noise. Questions were thrown out, condolences were expressed, and offers for help were given.

Sybill smiled at the faculty.

"I know that I have been hard to take. I hated every minute of what I had to do. I would like to apologize to anyone I may have offended in the past with anything that I might have said. I know many of you have just tolerated me for all of these years, and I can understand that. However, I hope that when you see who I really am, we can form better friendships."

"Are you planning on staying in your teaching position?" Pomona asked.

"I am. I would like to actually be able to make up for my horrible teaching in the past," Sybill said with a smile.

"Well, we're happy tha' yer stayin'," Hagrid cried. "I fer one would miss yeh if yeh left."

"Thank you Hagrid."

"Alright," Minerva said, breaking in. "If that's everything, this meeting is adjourned."

Everyone stood up and went over to Sybill. Hagrid started to shake her hand, but he pulled her in toward him and hugged her. Sybill disappeared in his arms and held her breath. Soon he had let go and she breathed again. She gave him a smile so he would know she wasn't hurt.

"I'll be lookin' forward to yeh comin' to tea, Professor," Hagrid told her.

Sybill smiled at him. "I'll be there, Hagrid, thank you."

Flitwick was next, shaking her hand and wishing her luck in her new life.

Sprout and Hooch both hugged her. Sybill felt quite grateful that they were showing her such affection. They usually ran the other way when they saw her coming. The other teachers shook her hand. Poppy was the last one in line.

"If you have trouble transitioning," she said to Sybill, "stop by and chat. I have some potions that will calm you too, if you feel nervous."

Sybill grasped Poppy's hand. "Thank you, Poppy. I will do that."

Suddenly the room was empty except for Minerva and Sybill.

"Well, that went better than I expected," Sybill muttered.

"Were you expecting a lynch mob?" Minerva asked.

"Something like that," Sybill said with a smile.

Minerva put her arm around Sybill. "We are all here for you, don't forget that."

Sybill nodded and gave Minerva a hug. "It's just that after being a pariah for so long, I expected everyone to just shrug me off. It felt odd to have everyone's support like that. Do you think they'll like me?"

"Sybill, from what I have seen of you, you are a wonderful woman. It's unfortunate that you had to hide behind such an unpleasant persona. You're sure to be a big hit once everyone gets used to the idea that you're for real."

Sybill nodded. "I'm sure it will take some time. It's a bit much for me to get used to myself!"

Minerva laughed. "I'm here if you need to chat, Sybill."

"Thanks, Minerva. I'd best be off. I want to redo my classroom."

"I'm sure we won't be having anymore classes for a while, Sybill."

"I know. I just don't want anymore signs of the old me."

Minerva patted her on the back. "Alright, have fun."

"I will," Sybill said, and then she was gone.

oooOOOoo

Sybill stood in her classroom and looked around. The place looked like a gypsy's lair. She wondered how she had gotten anything done in such a tawdry environment. No wonder her students thought she was eccentric. It looked like she had been a circus castaway. She was just waiting for a gaggle of clowns to come racing in on unicycles, juggling and honking their noses.

Frowning, she immediately vanished all of the shawls that were draped around the room. She looked over at the tables. White lacy tablecloths bedecked every one. Grimacing, she vanished those too. The tables were made of a beautiful dark wood. They would be fine without the lacy ugliness that had covered them before. The pillows were the next things to go. She transfigured the poofy chairs into more tables and chairs.

She stared at the kettle in the corner of the room. It was always boiling with the most offensively sweet incense. It gave her a headache. Why she had ever kept that thing around was a mystery to her. Yes, it forwarded her disguise, but it wasn't worth the daily headaches. She angrily took her wand and vanished the whole thing. She regretted it immediately. Maybe Severus could have used that cauldron. She shrugged. It was too late now.

The walls were gold. She loved gold, but not on walls. With a wave of her wand, a deep blue spread over all of the walls. She smiled at that. Raising an eyebrow, she waved her wand some more. Black paint outlined swirls over the blue walls. Not bad, she thought. She placed a few black stars and outlines of Saturn on the walls as well. Magical, yet not overly ostentatious, she thought again.

She looked at the shelves that lined almost the whole room. Glass balls were lined up on a few. Tea pots and cups lined several others. There were other odds and ends everywhere. It made the classroom look like a junk shop. She debated how to take care of the objects. They were all needed, but they were an eyesore, lying out in the open. She smiled to herself. With a wave of her wand she transfigured the shelves into cabinets and closets. They were made of the same dark wood that the tables were made of. Walking over to a tall closet-like cabinet, she swung it open. It was filled with crystal balls. A quick survey of the other cabinets showed that everything she needed for teaching was placed orderly in the cabinets. Stepping back, she admired the look of the cabinetry. It transformed the room. Now she had a classroom, not a fortune teller's hovel.

She wandered over to the door to her office. Long beads hung in the doorway. Oh how she hated beads. They had been everywhere in her life. In her doorway, around her neck, draped over her mirror, they had been everywhere. She was so tired of being some throwback hippie from the sixties. With an angry flourish of her wand, the beads disappeared. She entered her office and did much the same to it, changing the walls to the deep blue, this time without the space motif. She vanished the stupid gypsy things that were strewn around. The carpet was changed to a black color. Examining her work, she was pleased. That was much better. A vision suddenly came to her of her students, actually learning and not giving her caustic looks. She smiled at that vision. She felt that now her students could concentrate on the fine art of Divination, and not on the kooky woman who taught it, or the outlandish atmosphere in which they learned it.

A/N: Next up: Severus awakens.

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