Chapter 5: Dumbledore's Worry

Sally giggled, her hands covering her mouth and her shoulders shaking with mirth. She straightened up and smiled. "I told you so," she said childishly, sticking out her tongue. "Now that that is over, we will take our leave," she said, hopping out of her chair and fixing her dress.

"I am not finished. I demand that this ghost leave my castle. I will not have her teaching the students information that is not on the curriculum," Albus said as he stood tall, now that the deity wasn't the perceived embodiment of Death, he didn't feel the need to cower. That would be his mistake.

Sally waved her tiny little hand and the old man fell into his chair unable to move. "You would do well not to underestimate me, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore," she snapped, using his full name for emphasis. "Just because I like this body does not mean I am not more powerful than you. Heed my words, old man, I will be here for the near future and if you step out of line, you will feel my wrath," her face turned skeletal, which looked like someone having a conniption fit, where their face split open and a flaming skull appeared.

It did cause the man behind the desk to sweat and Fawkes to trill in agitation.

In an instant she was back to normal, and she looked at Isobel and giggled, "Shall we?" she asked, going to the door.

Rapid thoughts were flowing through the headmaster's mind as he watched them leave. What could she possibly mean she was going to be around? Did that mean people were about to die? Who would she be taking? Was the war going to start sooner than I had predicted? Was Tom going to win his quest for the Philosopher's Stone? Harry was not ready to fight yet. He did not know what he needed to do to win. There was no way a child his age would give up his life. What am I to do?

Sally looked at the man and snickered as she read his thoughts. She wasn't going to dissuade him of his thinking.

"Shouldn't you release the headmaster?" Professor Watts asked as she moved to follow.

"Oh, he'll be alright in a few minutes," the little girl said as she skipped down the stairs, her pigtails bobbing with each bounce. She was now unseen by anyone she didn't want to see her, so only Isobel and Harry.

"What are you going to be doing?" the apparition asked, looking for all the world like she was talking to herself. It was a good thing the kids were at dinner.

"I'll be doing what I always do as of late, taking care of Harry," Sally said as she made her way to the Great Hall.

She and Isobel floated through the walls as if they were not there and entered the Hall from the side. Sally made a beeline for her boy and tapped him on the shoulder and gave him an impish wink.

Harry quickly looked at his best friend and smiled, and then turned back to his living friends, waiting for dinner to appear. He looked at the Head Table and didn't see the headmaster. He really hoped that Professor Watts and Sally weren't too hard on the man.

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Isobel took her place at the Head Table, and sat in Binns' old chair, which was settled between the Transfiguration Professor and the Charms Professor. They both looked at her with great confusion.

"Who are you?" Professor McGonagall asked when Isobel sat beside her, never having seen a ghost in attendance at the Head Table. Binns certainly never sat in his chair. Not even at the feasts. No one was sure why the chair remained after the man's death, but Dumbledore was adamant that it stayed.

"I am the new History Professor, Isobel Watts," was the answer. She would have shaken hands, but since that was out, she gave a small bob of her head and patted her bun.

It was at that moment that the headmaster came into the Great Hall, he didn't say anything just waved his hand for the food to appear. He then took his throne like chair and glared at the young ghost. He looked warily around the room but didn't see Sally standing behind Harry. He relaxed and started serving himself dinner.

The Transfiguration Professor scoffed. "As if Albus would ever get rid of Cuthbert," she said as dinner appeared, and she dished up some pork chops and potatoes. She glanced at the man and saw that he did seem miffed. She withheld a giggle at the look on Albus' face. He really did appear to be upset. She could only think that it was because of the new ghost.

"Oh," Isobel said airily, with a negligent wave of her hand, "he didn't, but I will let him explain it to the staff," she finished vaguely. She wondered what the headmaster would say at the next staff meeting. She glanced quickly in his direction, knowing he heard what was being said.

He shot her a glare, then look furtively around to see if Death was there and turned back to his meal when he didn't see her. He didn't feel that imposing magic, so assumed Death had better things to do besides torment him. He was thankful for that at least.

Isobel looked up and down the table and noted everyone was looking at her. She just gave them what she hoped was a winning smile. Then she glanced at the succulent food and sighed. It had been years since she had tasted anything. She perked up when some ghostly food was put on the golden plate in front of her. Spectral silverware was provided as well.

It was roasted chicken, cheesy broccoli and mashed potatoes with gravy, her favorite. She tentatively took a bite and was shocked she could taste it. She looked at Sally, who gave her an endearing wink and thumbs up, and then she turned back to Harry.

For the first time since her death, Isobel ate dinner.

The House ghosts were happy to see food for them at the tables, and they all dug into whatever looked appetizing. They knew who had done it and were happy that she was there. Well, the Bloody Baron did not express happiness, but he did eat. The Grey Lady was also more subdued than the Fat Friar and Sir Nicholas. Those two were making plenty of happy noises to make up for their more somber friends.

It did cause the kids to start whispering, but it really wasn't that impressive to them.

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Meanwhile, Sally was listening to the first years tell the upper years about the new professor.

"… was amazing," Hermione was gushing, waving her hands around and almost braining poor Neville. "She told us all about Grindelwald and the Headmaster. It was ever so informative. I hope she gives the same lesson to the upper years. There are things she said about the headmaster that I'm going to have to research. I'm not sure I believe he tried to rule the world. He doesn't seem the type. Still, she is a teacher," she worried her lip. "Then she gave us homework. However, she only gave us a short assignment. Only a foot, I don't know how I'm going to keep it that length. There is just too much information," she complained, worrying her lip again. "Maybe she'll give me extra credit if I make it longer." She nodded her head as if that was the solution.

"What's extra credit?" questioned Neville.

"It is a better grade for going above and beyond," Hermione tried to explain.

"Oh," the confused boy said, wondering if he could get some of this extra credit by making his homework longer too.

"I don't know, Hermione, she seemed very insistent that it was only a foot long. Remember, she said we had to learn to keep it short," Harry warned as he put some roast beef on his plate, and then added some mixed vegetables when Sally cleared her throat. "What I want to know is how is she going to grade it? I mean, she can't touch anything, so what is she going to do?" he asked, rubbing the back of his head. He glanced at Sally, who only shrugged.

"Oh, I don't think so; most teachers want you to do more. It shows you're learning," the bushy-haired girl waved his warning away. "Perhaps, she'll get someone to read them to her, or make it part of detention," Hermione said thoughtfully, once more biting her lip, wondering if she should volunteer to help.

"I think that Binns had the house elves read them to him," one of the upper years stated.

"What's a house elf?" Hermione asked, peering at the boy who talked.

"Well, they're servants, I guess is the best way to explain them. They clean the castle and make the food," the teen answered, rubbing his chin. "We hardly ever see them, but they are happy little buggers."

"Oh, okay," Hermione said, thinking they must be like all servants and getting paid and such. She then pulled out a book she had gotten from the library, propped it up on the juice pitcher and started to read.

"It's a shame that she didn't get around to Vold… I mean, You-Know-Who," Harry said, slicing up his meat.

"What do you want to learn about him for?" Ron said as he shoved a fork full of food in his mouth.

"I would like to know why he killed my parents," was the reply. He knew of course, but he thought that it would make for an interesting class.

"Oh, sorry, mate," the redhead said as he continued to stuff his face.

Harry just shook his head and went back to his dinner. The conversation moved on without him, but he listened to the upper years speculate as to whether they would receive the same lesson, and some even asked the first years for their notes. To which, Hermione was happy to comply, as long as they made copies.

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As soon as curfew was enforced, Albus sent off a Patronus and called a meeting with the Heads of House. It took them ten minutes to reach his office. During that time his imagination was going wild as he thought of scenario after scenario where Death was involved. None of them had pleasant endings. When the Heads got to the office and took their seat, he sat in his chair and started the meeting.

"We have a new professor on staff, brought here by a being who says she is Death. I met her, or him, depending on what form the manifestation takes, and I cannot tell if she is lying," Albus said, running his hand down his beard in agitation. "She said that she will be about the castle. However, she did not tell me why. Only that she was protecting her charge."

"Who is her charge?" McGonagall wanted to know, not sure if the headmaster had finally lost it.

"I do not know," the old man confessed, "However, I want you to be on the lookout for a little girl, around six years of age and dressed in Muggle clothing," he stated, looking at each teacher in turn, hoping they would heed his words. "Or the myth like Death in a billowing black cloak and skeletal body. It would be best if you watch for both," he added with a small shiver that went unnoticed by the staff.

"We met the new teacher, and she seems to be a very bright person. Definitely better than Binns," Professor Sprout said, with a soft grin. She really liked the young-looking ghost. Her view on history was very refreshing. "I have not seen a little girl, or the other form," she added as an afterthought, not sure what to make of the warning.

"Neither have I. However, I agree with Pomona, Isobel was very forthcoming to us at dinner," Flitwick stated as he smiled at the Herbology Professor. He too had a very informative talk with the young lady, and he concluded that she was very bright. He vaguely remembered her as a student, but it had been his first year of teaching, so she was hard to recall. If he remembered correctly, she had always been complaining about Binns and vowed to take his place one day. It looks like she got her wish, albeit after her death.

"She taught the first year Ravenclaw/Gryffindor things that I do not believe they should know until they are older," Albus said with a wave of his hands. "If it had been the upper years, I would not complain, but the first years have very impressionable minds and do not need to know about war." He was lying of course; he didn't want his history told to anyone. It would diminish him in their eyes.

"Yes," Snape said, in his silky voice, "we heard the students speaking about it during dinner." He wasn't sure what the headmaster was complaining about. It was knowledge anyone could find if they looked hard enough. He, himself, looked up this information in his first year. He wanted to know everything about the man who was guiding the children of this school. He hadn't been impressed then; he certainly wasn't now. He might follow the man who prevented him from going to Azkaban, but he knew Dumbledore had his faults.

"I am concerned that this new professor will continue with her plot to discredit me," the headmaster warned, leaning back in his chair, and rubbing his beard again. "I do not want the students to believe that I am someone who is trying to control them," he added firmly. "With her lecture today, I have received many looks that I do not like."

"Really, Albus, I do not believe that is what Professor Watts is trying to do," McGonagall huffed. She knew that her friend was a bit vain, not in his looks, but in his knowledge and power. He felt that he was without equal, which she often tried to dissuade him of that notion. It was a futile task.

"Nevertheless, do try and keep the students from believing that I am a persona of evil," he said gravely, since they didn't seem to be taking him seriously.

Many of the staff huffed, there was no talking to the man when he was like this. He was like a dog with a bone. They didn't know what he expected them to do. Tell the kids that their new professor was lying? That would not happen.

"I would like you to keep a lookout for the little girl," Dumbledore reiterated, changing the subject back to his initial warning, "which I believe is her preferred form. Since she says she is Death, I have no recourse but to believe that she is here to cause trouble," he added in an overly worried tone, his eyes reflecting his emotions.

"And just what are we supposed to do to stop the embodiment of Death?" Snape sneered, not really believing such a… deity was roaming about the castle.

"I am hoping you can make sure that the students do not start dropping dead. I am very worried about this," the old man stated firmly. If there was anyone in the castle that knew a way to control Death it would be Severus, for surely only the Dark Arts could.

"I suppose we can only do our best. However, I am still not sure what we can do against a deity," McGonagall stated, running through any spell she had ever heard of that would protect the students from Death and coming up short.

"Now then, I have given my warning. It is late, I will see you all at breakfast," the headmaster said in a dismissive tone. And the teachers shared a look as they got up and left the confusing meeting.