My Office

Finally getting to her office Kiara went over to the objects the controled the protective wards around and in the school.

Their magic was extremly low.

"No wonder the wards are so weak"

A thrill from behind her, it was Saturn warning her to be careful.

"I have no choice Saturn, the wards around hogwarts need to be recharged, never in history of Hogwarts have the wards been so weak. I can let hogwarts become defenceless"

"You could die...." Saturn spoke to her in her mind.

"I will be fine"

Taking out her wand she placed in front of the protection ward controller.

She took a deep breath and said,

"I headmistress of hogwarts, over ride safety control and recharge protection wards around hogwarts"

Kiara barely saw the wards reach full power before her world faded into darkness.

Eglantine ignored the stares she received from various students as she passed them in the hall. She had three things that needed to be done before the duel and the first one was making sure Kiara was ready for a duel.

She passed by the gargoyle, which had not given her any trouble since the first day, and entered the office.
Her eyes widened as she saw Kiara lying unconscious on the floor and she hurried over to her, kneeling down to feel for a pulse and a heart beat.

"You did not try to charge the wards on your own." she admonished, despite the fact that the other woman could not hear her. Levitating Kiara onto a chair, that she transfigured into a couch, Eglantine sighed. Part of her wanted to let her sleep, but the other part knew Kiara would want to be woken up.

"Headmistress." she whispered, patting her arm gently. "Wake up."

Kiara was in deep sleep and many images from her past faded in and out of her mind. The horrors of her first year flashed through first, the time she had been struch with the sectumsempra, Her finding out Voldemort was really her causin. Severus Snape teaching her how to survive in the school with people who didn't care if she lived or died. The first times she ever cast a unforgivable, she had barely been 12 years old.

She remembered the massive fights she had with her mother over her returning to the wizarding world. How her father abandand her with fear in his eyes and the look in his eyes she had seen the night he died. I was fear of her.

She remembered the painful nights she went through after her inncident with the werewolf.

She had refused to be a huge burden to anyone, she could take care of things her self.

She couldn't fail those who believed in her....... she couldn't.

Then she woke up.

The moment she opened her eyes she could feel her head pound with pain.

"Errr my head....."

"Your head is bound to hurt." Eglantine stated softly. Her voice held a gentle lilt and she sounded greatly concerned. "You could have killed yourself."

Kiara didn't comment on the could have killed herself part. and tried to foucus on Eglantines currently blurry form.

"I needed to do it Eglantine, not only because of the risk of Voldemort but from the intruders from the forest as well, i couldn't let Hogwarts remain defenceless."

"I understand." Eglantine assured her, placing a shaking hand on the other woman's forehead. "And you did well. I have never known anyone as brave as you are. You truly care about the students." She conjured a soft damp cloth as she spoke and laid it on Kiara's forehead.

Kiara closed her eyes enjoying the feeling of the cool cloth on her forehead.

"hmm, Yes....They are kids I won't have them fighting for their lives while here at school. They are only kids for such a short while, and fighting for ones life tends to make a child grow up even quicker"

A flash of her self killing a death eater apperered in front of her eyes.

quickly she opened her eyes.

"That is a bad way to grow up"

"Indeed." she agreed.

Eglantine whispered instructions to a house-elf who had popped into the room when she had called for him and then watched as he disappeared again. Within moments the house-elf was back with a laden tray, which he set on the desk.
"Me be hoping you feel good soon, Headmistress." he said cheerfully before disappearing again. Eglantine chuckled as she took a bowl of warm soup from from the tray.
"Those creatures are adorably odd." she quipped dipping a spoon into the liquid and placing it in front of Kiara's mouth.

Kiara looked unsure as Eglatine put the spoon to her mouth.

Was she feeding her? When is became obvious that was in fact what she was doing Kiara felt increacingly awkward and embaressed.

Finally she decided she might hurt Eglantines feeling if she declined the helpful gesture, so she took the mouthful of soup. Though she wasn't at all conformforable with it.

"err I take it you never met a house elf before working here at hogwarts? You seem so amused by them"

"Yes, the first time I ever saw one was when I came here. Beauxbatons did not have them and neither did the muggle university I worked at." She dipped the spoon into the bowl again and offered it to Kiara. This was how she had always taken care of ill or injured students.
"Do you not find them humorous?"

Kiara forced her self not to flinch when Eglantine brought the spoon back up to her mouth and she took a bite.

"Humouous, yes they quite adorable arn't they. I believe the first word out of my mouth when I first saw one was "They are so cute". My mother was hardly immressed. she screemed like there was no tomorrow when she saw one in diagone ally. The poor house elf was very confused.

.Kiara sat up dispite her protesting body, she hoped that if Eglantine saw her sit she would let her feed herself.

Eglantine set the bowl back on the tray, dropping the spoon in the process due to her hands. She levitated the tray over to them and set it on Kiara's lap. There was a small plate of soft fruit and cheese, a tall goblet of pumpkin juice and three bread rolls.

Picking the spoon up from the group, she scurgifyed it and set it on the tray.

Kiara looked at the tray and then back at Eglantine.

"Thanks....... umm did I say something wrong?"

"I beg your pardon?" Eglantine lifted an eyebrow. "Of course you said nothing wrong!"

"Oh, you went quiet all of a sudden, are you sure..?"

she took the spoon and continued to feed her self.

"There was nothing to say..." Eglantine cleared her throat and sighed. "Well, actually I am certain that you are not well enough to duel Professor Viper."

"I'll be fine, the duel isn't supposed to take place until later this afternoon. I'll be alright"

She said with a sigh

"Of course." She did not sound totally convinced, but did not say anything else about it. "You asked me about Beauxbatons. I suppose I was rude to not answer you." she sighed and folded her hands on her lap.
"The Headmistress punished the staff with several different cutting spells and crucio. The Herbology professor almost died."

Kiara stopped and moved the tray from her lap. She looked at Eglantine in shook.

"Who the bloody hell was this women, an ecaped convict form azkaban? You weren't hurt to badly were you?"

"It was many years ago. She was killed before she could be arrested." Eglantine's eyes dropped from Kiara, guilt flashing across her face before she hid it behind an indifferent mask. "I was injured badly, but some good did come from it. During my time of recovery, I met my husband."

Kiara noted she avoided telling her who the women was but otherwise let is go.

"How did you meet?" she asked gentaly.

((Have you already planned a back story for this evil headmistress or shall kiara find out for her self?))

((Other than the fact that the staff actually killed her, I have no back story))

Eglantine smiled. "I was released from the hospital and did not really wish to return to the school right away. So I rented an apartment in muggle Nice for a few months. It was a lovely morning, there was a pleasant breeze and I went for a walk in a park not far from my apartment. I was admiring the scenery with such pleasure that I lost track of the time. I had never been to the park before, and it was rather large. I suppose I could have found my way out, but I didn't want to.

There was a lake, with an open house sitting right on it. I sat there for hours watching the fish and ducks. I did not even notice him come in and sit behind me. He asked me if I always took walks without a hat or umbrella and then he laughed when I asked when he had come in.

He was very bright and amusing. We spoke for several hours about our experience teaching and then he invited me to join him for supper. I accepted."

She had a dreamy look on her face and tears had formed in the corners of her eyes.

((You know this evil headmistress sounds an awful lot like Unbridge))

Smiling Kiara said,

"He sounded like a wonderful man, he must have been for you to think so highly so of him"

((really? Sorry, did not mean to do that...))

"He was wonderful." Eglantine agreed. "Aren't you going to finish your meal?" she said suddenly gesturing at the tray.

(( Didn't mean to do what? I was only thinking that is who this person could be))

Kiara looked over at the tray and picked up bowl of soup and took another bit afraid if she didn't, Eglantine would start feeding her again.

"Yes, so um who was this crazy "headmistress" anyway? what was her name?"