If this had been a normal social gathering, Shreya probably would have been fashionably late. But this was no ordinary event. This was her first opening feast as a Hogwarts professor, and she wanted to make a good impression. So, the former Ravenclaw had allotted plenty of time for primping beforehand. She had even chosen her outfit the night before—an exceedingly rare occurrence for the fashionable potions professor.
Dressed in shimmering black robes and sparkling jewelry, Shreya made her way into the Great Hall, stopping for a moment in the entryway to soak it all in. Had it really been over 20 years since she last dined in this room? In some ways, Hogwarts had changed, but in so many others, it was exactly the same.
"Good evening, everyone," Shreya said with a nod to her coworkers. Beaming, she took her seat toward the end of the staff table with a flourish. "Finneas, wonderful to see you," she said to her former housemate, who was seated to her right. Her eyes glanced down curiously at the odd contraption wrapped around the professor's fingers. Always a bit of an odd duck, that Finneas. |