"It's good to meet you all as well."
I thought this meeting was just that, a meeting but instead it was more like an interview for the position. I was asked about what I would teach and how I would use the items specified for my class, as well as some of the magic I would teach to the students and so on. We talked for a few hours on just those topics before they asked me to demonstrate an example class.
After some house elves set up the room as needed I proceeded to teach the basics of how to use some common plants you can find to make a healing salve or potion and the first spell I believed every druid must learn Druidcraft. Explaining Druidcraft was a bit hard without a wand since spells are cast differently using a staff, luckily one of the professors was willing to lend me a wand so I could properly demonstrate how a wizard would cast said spell. You might think it would have been hard to change from using my staff to a wand and be able to teach a wizard but you would be wrong as it turns out these types of wizards are already in tune with nature, which makes sense when you realize that they have animals around them all the time and they study plants all while bound to a piece of living nature/animal they use their entire life.
The first one to pickup the spell was surprisingly Professor Sprout, most likely because she is more in tune with nature than most. Snape was the second to successfully cast it followed by Albus, Moody, Minerva and so on.
Sprout was ecstatic about it and was already wondering how it would help in her herbology class. Snape seemed to not be that impressed, while Moody asked to see an example of a 4th year class. After having Moody ask Albus also expressed interest in what I would teach the 4th years, most likely wondering what I might teach Harry if he attends my classes.
After making sure they understood that I don't have everything ready yet, I explained I would at least show the spell I would be teaching to them.
Once Sprout had let me borrow her wand again I cast Healing Spirit summoning a tiny Pixie that fluttered around me giving off an aura of pure lifeforce. After having the little Pixie fly around for a bit and heal everyone once, I let it disperse. Giving the wand back to Sprout I assisted them in learning the spell. Sadly unlike druidcraft only Albus and Sprout were capable of learning this one in the 4 hours they spent trying, even then Albus was only capable of healing small cuts while Sprout could heal small gashes.
"It's been quite some time since anyone has taught this old man a new trick, it was quite the experience Professor Hale. I do say some of us were worried your age might affect your teaching ability however it would seem our worries are unfounded as you possess a unusual aptitude for teaching. If no one objects then I welcome you to Hogwarts officially as of now." Albus gave me a small smile as he finished his speech and a nod as congratulations which was followed by all but Snape and Moody who just gave a hmph and grunt respectively.
"Thank you Professors, Headmaster, I will do my best to teach the students of Hogwarts while I am here." I replied.
The next hour was spent talking about some of the rules of the school, how students were to be disciplined, how house points worked, whether I had acquired appropriate clothing for a professor, and where I would be staying. Having worked all of it out I was given a classroom with a living quarter attached to it as a place to stay. Albus alleviated my worries of being away from my grove by having a portkey commissioned by the Goblins to my grove in the form of two wristbands, one allowing me travel directly to my grove and the other allowing me to travel to Hogsmeade just outside of Hogwarts since portkeying inside of Hogwarts is not possible with the wards up.
As we finished up with this meeting that has been going on for almost 8 hours, the various professors went off to finish various things they were doing before I had arrived, most likely preparing for the students arrival in the coming months.
Albus decided to talk with me further about some of my specialties in magic while leading me out of Hogwarts. Having told him some of my capabilities he told me the purpose of bringing me out here.
"Mr. Hale there is someone I would like you to meet that I believe you would get along with fairly well." After saying that Albus knocked on a large door to a small cottage right in front of us. Knowing I was going to meet Hagrid I was fairly excited, Hagrid has always been one of my favorite characters in the series due to not only his love for animals but also that he is just a big lovable oaf.
"Ah jus' one momen' be right ter!"
Swinging the door open a tall big man stepped into the doorway looking us over before his eyes widened. I have to admit even though I was prepared to meet him seeing him towering over me was a bit intimidating, had I not known who he was I would've been quite shaken by his sheer size alone.
"Oh Headmaster Dumbledore what an' I do for you? Would ya like ter come in fer some tea?" Hagrid said a bit excitedly.
"No thanks Hagrid I just had some, I came here to introduce you to a new Professor who will be teaching a newly formed class on Nature. Would you mind giving him a Tour of the school grounds?" Albus replied.
"O' Course Headmaster I can take em aroun' an show em a thing er two." Said Hagrid as he stepped out of the cottage before looking at me. "Names Rubeus Hagrid it's good ter meet ya!"
Reaching his hand out I took it shaking it as I replied. "Eric Hale and the pleasure is mine. I hear you teach the students about various animals and how to care for them, an admirable job if I say so myself."
Hagrid seemed to get flustered a bit before saying. "Ahem. .Right... well uh. . let's move on over to the shriekin' shack and I'll show ya the Whomping Willow."
Starting off toward the side of the castle I smiled before following him.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Later >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I was in the classroom that I would be teaching in from now on, after having been given a tour of the school grounds by Hagrid, which was amazing, and then the school interior by Argus Filch which was not very pleasant at all.
Now you might have wondered why I bought a lot of the items I did from Diagon Alley and the answer is a three-parter, one being said item fills a use I need, two being I wanted to see how it works so I can make something better, and three being that I wanted some as souvenirs.
The Firebolt broom fit number one as although I can wild shape I am not capable of flight in any of the animal forms I have yet and even though my Air Elemental form allows flight it only lasts for 20 minutes if I were to use it back to back. Having the Self-Stirring Copper Cauldron fits number two as I want to see if it improves my potions. The herbs and tea plants uses are obvious but the Expanded Trunk is the item I truly wanted as it fits into all three categories. Once I have studied the trunk I will be able to make haversacks as I wish and possibly upgrade Klatch to be capable of holding living things.
Now while helping Klatch is a big part of it another is to make one of the greatest weapons to exist in Dungeons and Dragons, the Arrow of Total Destruction, which is an arrowhead that will insert a Hammerspace inside of another Hammerspace on contact causing a rift to the astral plane to open and everything within 10 feet of the rift to be pulled in within less than a second before the rift closes. This is how I will deal with things that are impossible to defeat for me since the only thing that can come and go from the astral plane freely is the Sorcerer Supreme, at least that I know of in the MCU.
Once I was done familiarizing myself with my classroom I decided to head over to Ollivander's Wand Shop and get my wand made since it would probably take a week to be made.
Once I had made my way to Diagon Alley via the floo network I made my way over to Ollivanders and walked in.
*Chime*
Walking up to the desk I barely reached out for the bell before Ollivander showed up.
"Hmm I don't believe I have sold you a wand before, are you perhaps here to pick one up or have one repaired?" He asked.
"I am here to have one made, I'm Eric Hale, I believe the Goblins at Gringotts might have contacted you about me?"
"Ah yes Mr. Hale I was told you would want a custom wand job done as soon as possible. Follow me Mr. Hale and we will get right to it." Walking over to the part of the counter that lifted up I was led into the back and downstairs where we tested what materials would be best for me.
We ended up finding what fit me for a wand was an Elder Wood with Thestral Hair and Unicorn Hair as dual cores being Very Flexible and 12" long.
Having gotten the information needed Ollivander told me that I was an interesting customer before shooing me off so he could work.
Knowing it would take a few days for my wand to be done and already having told the house elves what I needed done, I went back to Hogwarts to learn a few certain spells starting with Notice-Me-Not.
<<<<<<<<<<<< 1 Month later >>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I was frustrated, annoyed, and depressed! I have been messing with the various charms I had learned of and while the professors had picked up on my spells fairly easily the same can not be said about me and their charms. It has been a whole month since I first arrived at Hogwarts, I had received my wand of which was an amazing experience and I had gotten my I.D. and passport with documents providing a background up to sixteen generations back. Despite all of this I had only learned three charms and none of them was the Notice-Me-Not charm I had initially tried to learn.
I have had luck in turning my spells in to learnable charms but reverse learning charms is much more difficult it would seem.
Oh I also obtained my portkeys and am currently back in my grove as I study these spells. Of course reverse maginering these charms wasn't the only thing I had been doing. I had also been studying Herbalism and Alchemy as well as planning out some situations that might happen at Hogwarts.
Speaking of which I found that it seems that Devil must have messed with the characters of Hogwarts since apparently students start attending at the age of 14 instead of the usual 11yrs old. Not to mention the fact that Minerva looks much younger, in fact noticing all the differences I think perhaps because MCU is the main world I am in with various other fictions attached the looks and style of people have changed to fit the 'everyone is pretty' aesthetic that MCU has.
Either way I need to be careful since there could be people I would know of and not recognize them. Although I don't think Voldywarts will change all that much from a snake or Rattigrew from being ratlike.
Enough about the London side of things, let's talk about the grove. So far it has changed quite a bit with more magical animals awakened and more treants walking around, turns out that Ella is capable of creating three treants a day.
Speaking of Ella, it turns out they have been expanding the grove by about 15 feet every day and while that's only a mile a year I have been informed that the expansion will never cease. You might think that would mean eventually the grove would cover the earth but it turns out no matter how much bigger the grove gets it will never increase in size from the outside.
Once I was told that I spent almost an hour wrapping my head around it and trying to figure how the hell that was even supposed to work but I gave up after I started to develop a headache.
I had also been conversing with Gaea when I had the opportunity to. She had told me that within my grove my power was amplified, at first I had thought it to only be for my Druid abilities but she explained that this grove was attached to me in a spiritual, physical, and magical way and that as my abilities grew so would my grove. After having explained that she showed me evidence by letting me temporarily feel the newborn ley lines of magic forming under my grove due to my choice of wizard as my second class.
Knowing that my grove would grow with me was an amazing feeling and I couldn't wait to see how it changes as I change with it.
I wasn't the only one amazed by the changes happening to the grove either, both Raven and Ororo had been visiting about once a week and they have noticed the changes as well although neither one of them had commented on it.
Raven has been bringing Marrow each time and Ororo brought Jean along, I had thought she might bring Rogue but I guess they are trying to keep her away from the Brotherhood of Mutants for now.
Despite both of them visiting neither have talked with me much, and Marrow still seems to not be that happy about getting dragged here even if she has found a kindred spirit in Ma'Kala due to most Dire beasts having bone growths coming from their bodies much like her own.
Jean has actually been the most chatty out of them and has taken to staying around me almost the entire time she is in the grove. Wanting to know why, I asked and the answer shocked me.
"Jean is there a particular reason you are following me around like a little birdie? You haven't imprinted on me have you?" I said jokingly.
Blushing a bit she responded. "I just like the quietness and like not having to hear all of the thoughts shouting aloud, whenever I am near you all the voices just seem to quiet down and disappear. I- I just feel comfortable around you but if i am bothering you I can leave." She said the last line in a low tone while looking at me with a wounded puppy look.
I tried not to show it but I was stunned and needed to know why this was happening so I closed my eyes and prayed to Gaea asking how I was blocking her mind.
Gaea replied. "Your grove is your domain and your will influences it, since you hold valuable knowledge and do not wish for others to be able to pry into your thoughts your grove has responded and while you and those you allow remain inside of it your thoughts and theirs will be protected. While your grove can protect the thoughts of those inside it Jean has a fraction of a powerful supernatural being sealed within her and it is only calm when near you as it feels a similar origin of power within yourself."
Having gotten my answer I opened my eyes to see Jean still looking sad and about to turn away. "Well if it helps you keep calm and makes you comfortable then I don't mind you coming by and staying as long as you wish but I will let you know I am leaving in February and will be gone for quite a while so enjoy the calm while it lasts little birdie."
The moment I finished talking a teary redhead was squeezing the life out of me.
"Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!Thankyou!" She cried out while burying her head into my chest muffling the sound.
'I hope I don't regret this.'
Sorry about no chapter on friday, whole day was taken up planning out and setting up a Star Wars 5th Edition Tabletop Game.
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The MCU beginning is slowly approaching!