Chapter 550 - Staff Dinner

After a long nap, Georgine let out a yawn and stretched. At least her bed was perfect which was the least Hogwarts could do since she was now, a professor. Climbing to her feet, she went to the bathroom to freshen up. After splashing cold water on her face, she sat down at her vanity dresser and rubbed in moisturizing cream. Touching up her hair and light make-up, she nodded in satisfaction.

Climbing to her feet, Georgine put on her robes and gave her quarters a glance. She had ensured that Dawn had transported all her belongings, and then had proceeded to instruct the Hogwarts house elves on how to unpack her things. The house elves had done a proper job and her room looked properly civilized and comfortable.

Walking out of her bedroom, Georgine peeked into the living room area. There were two large bookcases on either side of the fireplace filled with her books. There was an oak desk with a comfortable chair to grade from. Lush, elegant carpets covering the stone floors, and two couches placed before the fire where to lounge in. Notwithstanding an assortment of small tables with decorations and other useful items such as a small drinking cabinet, which she was certain she would be needing sooner rather than later.

Georgine tentatively pulled the heavy curtains back and peeked out. It was late in the afternoon and the shadows were growing long. And she still was required to present her teaching plans to the Headmaster before dinner that evening. Sniffing, she allows the curtains to drop to cover the view. She did not mind the sun, but she rather liked her lightning to a bit tad darker. But not too dark, she would have protested adamantly at having been placed in the dungeons with Slughorn.

With a shudder, Georgine pats her hair down one last time, before grabbing a delicate looking valise. With her teaching plans found snugly inside, she made her way out of her quarters towards the Headmaster's quarters. With a sniff she halted in front of an ugly gargoyle and said with distaste, "Licorice snap." She had always hated the vile taste of licorice especially a sweet that attempted to bite the eater.

With a soft rumble the wall opened to reveal a spiral moving staircase. Georgine with her robes fluttering behind her strides up the stairs that carried her higher and higher. At last, the stairs come to a halt in front of a gleaming oak door with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin.

Georgine snorts and mumbles under her breath, "Gryffindors." Not bothering to even knock, she simply slams the door open.

The headmaster, Professor Albus Dumbledore is sitting behind an enormous, claw-footed desk. Seeing her impatient expression, blue eyes twinkle with hidden laughter from half-moon spectacles. His long silver hair and beard are neatly tucked into his belt, while Fawkes chirps from a corner of the office.

Ignoring the various objects in the Headmaster's office including the glances of the portraits, Georgine flounces forward and takes a seat before the Headmaster. "Professor Dumbledore, my teaching plans," Georgine arrogantly said as she placed her valise onto his desk.

"Right on time, Professor Prince," Dumbledore said with a knowing grin. "Let me have a look."

Georgine sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest, before leaning back into her seat to wait. Eyeing the Headmaster's office with a hint of curiosity and nostalgia from her own student years, she quickly spots the photograph of one of the headmaster's in her time, Headmaster Phineas Nigellus Black. The clever looking wizard in the portrait sneers at her with her sneering right back. The two enact a childish glaring contest until Dumbledore loudly clears this throat.

Staring down her nose, Georgine loftily says, "Are my teaching plans to your satisfaction, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore's child blue eyes sparkle as if tickled pink at Georgine's huffy nature which he seemed to find strangely endearing. "I must say, I am most pleased with all the student years lesson plans. They are quite detailed and choose to combine both practical and theoretical knowledge, Professor Prince."

"Naturally," Georgine confidently said, before glancing away at the red, golden phoenix, Fawkes, who had just landed on the Headmaster's desk and began to croon to her. Apparently, the bloody large, oversized turkey liked her! Why ever so when she was a Slytherin?

Noticing Georgine's perplexed gaze, Dumbledore's cheerfully says, "Fawkes rather likes you, Professor Prince."

"As if I'd want a bloody large oversized magical turkey to like me," Georgine growled earning an indignant squawk from Fawkes. "I'm a Slytherin not a Gryffidnor!"

A raggedy hat sitting in the corner of the offices twitches as it opens at the fringes to reveal a mouth-like slit to speak with. The sorting hat coughs, "Georgine Irene Prince, you were nearly a Ravenclaw if not for your being so cunning and plain ruthless."

"My point exactly," Georgine huffed as she ominously glowered at the old, dusty pointed hat.

The sorting hat wisely remained silent and did not comment again. It was clearly recalling the volatile nature of Georgine Prince in her youth. Clearly that had not changed with the passing of time.

Dumbledore chuckles and says, "Well, Ravenclaw's loss, no doubt was Slytherin's gain."

"Mm," Georgine narrowed her eyes and sneered. "Yes, I cannot help but wonder about all those lovely ambitions of yours, Professor Dumbledore, if you too were not almost a Slytherin."

Dumbledore does not reply and merely keeps smiling causing Georgine to purse her lips in dissatisfaction at failing to gain his ire. Dumbledore instead cheerfully adds, "Well, now that we are all nice and done, Professor Prince, let us head down for dinner. The staff has eagerly been wanting to meet you all week long."

Georgine bared her teeth in an unhappy smile as Dumbledore chuckled as they both rose to their feet. Dumbledore offered her the crook of his arm and never one to be rude to an employer, Georgine stiffly accepted to take his arm. The two of them descended the stairs while Dumbledore made small talk about the present castle on goings. Apparently, the house elves would be serving some rather extravagant food and decadent deserts tonight in order to give them strength for the return of the students and their first day of classes.

The entire staff was already sitting down and waiting when the two of them stepped into the Great Hall. Georgine sniffed at seeing the same sight from her childhood only instead of sitting at the Slytherin table, she would be now sitting at the Staff table. Removing her hand from Dumbledore's arm, she bowed politely to them and said, "I am Georgine Prince, it is a pleasure to meet all of you."

The staff table let out a chorus of replies, "Welcome Professor Prince, it is an equal honor."

Niceties having been said, Georgine takes her seat between a petite witch in dark blue robes and another witch with Scarlett robes. The moment Dumbledore sits down at the head of the table, the entire table fills with delicious looking food. The petite witch with dark blue robes introduces herself. "Welcome Professor Prince. I'm Professor Bathsheda Babbling, Professor of Ancient Runes, and the new Head of Gryffindor."

"Yes, my great-niece is in your class," Georgine politely replied as she began to serve herself food."

"Indeed, Rowan Prince is one of my prized pupils," Professor Babbling admitted with a cheeky grin.

"As it should be," Georgine said in approval earning a good-natured chuckle from Professor Babbling.

The witch in scarlet robes nods her head and interjects, "Yes, Rowan Prince is indeed one of my most brilliant pupils. She's in my Advanced Arithmancy class."

Noticing Georgine's stare, the witch flashes a sheepish grin and says, "I'm Professor Septima Vector at your services."

"I'm afraid my brother and I never had much interest in the subject," Georgine confessed. "But my sister-in-law did."

Georgine abruptly falls silent as the two female professors' wisely leave her to her meal. All the professors were vastly aware of the tragedies that had befallen the Prince family. And they would not prod what was apparently a still painful sore spot.