Godric's Hidden Hollow
Episode One:
"Of Letters and Trunks"

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters, environments, objects, etc. belong to J.K.Rowling. The plot, new characters, and newer ideas, although stem from Rowling's world, belong to moi. I don't mind sharing of course. Just ask. Criticism, as always, allowed, but don't be too brutal. ENJOY!

Hogwarts School
Of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall

Dear Mr.Tonks,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on September 1st. We await your owl no later than July 31st.
Yours sincerely,
Filius Flitwick
Deputy Headmaster

The golden bars of sunlight sifted in through the Venetian blinds and splashed on Andromeda Tonk’s untidy dining room table. She sat back with a heavy sigh into her chair and pushed the package of parchment to the center of the table. With a heavy heart, she mentally prepared herself for the task at hand; sending Teddy away to Hogwarts.

“PHWEEE!” The tea kettle on the stove stop whistled and swayed Andromeda from the table. She pulled down her apron upon standing and brought her wand out of the front pocket and turned the burner off.

“Was that the tea kettle?” A small voice called from a room away. Footsteps soon followed.

“Alibis,” Andromeda whispered anxiously, sending the package of parchment hiding into a tall, cherry cabinet.

“Yes, love!” She called back, pulling a tray full of meaty pasties from the oven. “Dinner’s done.”

“I’m starving!” A mop of dirty blonde, curly hair poked around the corner, followed by a heart shaped face boy with a pointed nose. He held his tummy and gazed up with dark, twinkling eyes to his grandmother. His mood transformed quickly from excitement to worry. “Are you alright?”

Dromeda smiled faintly. The wrinkles around her bright lips extended. She nodded and turned away. Two porcelain plates and two small mugs whipped out of a cupboard as the table prepared itself for dinner. The kitchen had turned warm throughout the afternoon from the oven’s heat and the summer sun had small beads of perspiration rolling from her temples. She dabbed them away and brought the kettle to the joining dining room and placed it within the bars of evening light on the table.

Teddy followed her in a light hearted skip, swinging a small pouch about at his side. He sang, “the Holyhead Harpies are bright in the air! Brooms in the skylight, Magpies beware! Champions! Champions!” He fell into a dining room chair and dropped the leather pouch on the table.

“Gran?” He called to her, eyes watching her every move.

“Hmm?” She pulled out the chair beside him for a seat and brushed down his unruly hair.

Teddy asked, “Do you think I’ll be on a Quidditch team when I become a 2nd year? I heard Harry got onto his team his first year! It’s unbelievable, ain’t it?”

“Isn’t it,” she corrected him patiently. The tea pot floated from one mug to the other, pouring it’s contents and leaving a curl of steam in it’s wake. “Of course you will. Remember, you're good at anything you want to do.”

Teddy grinned, pleased with the answer and took a bite into his pasty. Dromeda glanced over the rim of her mug as she took a sip to the leather pouch next to Teddy’s plate and nearly choked. She sat the cup on the table and traced the sewn patch on the face of the pouch with her finger tips.

“Where did you find this Teddy?” she surveyed curiously, examining the condition of the black and yellow ‘Hufflepuff’ patch.

Teddy spoke through a mouthful of food with excitement, “found it in the attic, Gran. ‘Found lots of great stuff in the attic. ‘Reckon it used to be mum’s, yeah?”

“Reckon you’d be right,” she replied, amused. Then asked in a grave tone, nearly forgetting the dangerous condition of the house’s old attic, “what were you doing in the attic?”

Before she got a reply, a brown speckled barn owl swooped in low through the open kitchen window, dropped a letter in Teddy’s lap and perched itself on the high back of an empty dining room chair. Teddy eagerly ripped the piece of parchment open and read quietly to himself.

“Gran!” He shouted, halfway through the letter. “GRAN!” He got up and began pacing energetically around the table with the letter in his hands. “I KNEW it! I KNEW I heard another owl come in earlier. Gran, where’s my Hogwarts letter?”

Andromeda's eyes widened and her fork dropped to the plate with a loud “CLANG!”

Teddy went on, “Fred got his letter today! That MUST mean I’ve got mine. PLEASE, where’d you hide it? Fred told me you must’ve hid it because he was sure I’d send him an owl before he’d send me one.”

There was a deep, anguished breath, and the parchment package flew from the tall cabinet corner and floated before Teddy in the air. He hopped up and caught it, reading it proudly out loud to his audience.

When he finished, he slouched with satisfaction into his chair. The barn owl squawked irritably.

“Oh,” Teddy acknowledged the owl and tossed it a piece of his bread. “Off you go now.” The bird fluffed its feathers appreciatively and with two heavy flaps of wings, ascended into the air and back out the window.

“You better eat your dinner before it turns cold,” Andromeda warned. “If you don’t finish it, we won’t be going to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning for your things.”

And with that being said, Teddy shoveled several hearty mouthfuls until his plate was empty.



***

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was surprisingly busy for a late July afternoon. All sorts of trunks on wheels were being carted to and fro throughout the halls as Professors began unpacking for the next term’s stay. Filch, the caretaker, stood at Hogwart’s grand entrance with a broom, sweeping feverishly after each Professor entered.

Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick, who had moved in the week previously, watched approvingly as the staff staggered off carriages that had carried them from the Hogwarts Express to the castle. Rubeus Hagrid was on stand by to help the staff carry in the heaviest of trunks and such.

“Oh, Professor Longbottom!” Minverva smiled congenially as a broad shouldered, tall young man fought the current from the inside of the castle to stand beside her.

“Are you already unpacked?” she asked nodding to Professor Slughorn in passing.

“Half of my house s’already here,” Longbottom laughed, crossing his arms.

Filius Flitwick looked up and questioned, “spending a lot of time in the green house this summer, eh, Longbottom?”

Neville nodded yes and replied, “got some new plants in at the end of June. Golifigus Toris – Biddy Spawners. They’re big babies really.” He gingerly tended to a bandaged wound on his thumb.

“Anyways,” he smiled nervously, “when d’you want me to get started on the Gryffindor tower?

Minerva pondered on this before answering, “I know you’re anxious, but it’d probably be best to wait until next week after we get a reply from our new first years.”

“Oi! Watch it there, Miss Cheshire!” The hoarse shouts of Hagrid interrupted their conversation. Minerva squinted through the sunlight and observed as a pile of trunks spilled out of carriage’s compartment door and onto the gravel path, Hagrid helpless to stop it. Following the cascade of trunks was a young witch with a disheveled head of curly, yellow hair, an old netted hat hung lopsided over her left ear.

“Lemme give you a hand!” Hagrid insisted, reaching for the girl. She hiked up her long skirts with one hand and took Hagrid's support with the other. But it was no good. The pile gave way beneath her and both stumbled to regain order.

"Oh, lookie there," Miss Cheshire smiled broadly while on the ground, perching herself up on her elbows. In the distance, a second, smaller carriage was rolling up the path towards them. "The rest of my things 'ave arrived."

Hagrid rose a brow, shocked and called desperately over his shoulder, “Longbottom! Come put yer young muscles ter work over here. We’re gonna need an extra hand.”

Filius clicked his tongue in shame and chuckled, “Minerva, I think you’re in over your head with this new Muggle Studies teacher. Look at all those trunks!”

She rolled her eyes disapprovingly and watched as Neville hustled down the steps to help. “I hope she’s got plenty of helpful teaching tools within those trunks. I have very high expectations of her. Anyways, she doesn’t need to be great at charms, Professor Flitwick.”

She reminded Filius of the new professor’s past Hogwarts experience. They both watched as the new professor summoned the rest of her carry on packages by magic from the carriage. She was a wide-hipped, short young woman with rosy cheeks and a long nose. She laughed loudly when a small package knocked Neville on the head and placed her hand on his shoulder, “I’m SO sorry!”

Minerva continued, keeping an eye on the interaction before her, “Pomona wouldn’t recommend anyone else anyhow.”

“Of course Pomona Sprout wouldn’t recommend anyone else. That’s her niece.” Flitwick answered earnestly.

“These trunks should go first,” the girl instructed wiping her forehead and pointing to the three largest of trunks. “ – oh! Oh! But be careful!” One of the trunks had popped its mouth open and bit Neville’s bandaged thumb. Hagrid hopped back in shock.

“Filius,” Minerva looked down with a frown, “have the two of you gotten into an argument?”

Filius turned a dark shade of scarlet and shoved his small hands into his pockets. “I’m just saying. You should’ve given her a trial year before you right made her into head of Hufflepuff.”

“And who would we put in the position in the meantime?”

Filius shrugged with defeat. “I suppose you’re right.”

“Where’ we takin’ these trunks?” Asked Hagrid, heaving the second heaviest over his shoulder with a grunt.

“Those two go to my class room on the ground floor. Door’s the last one before the courtyard.” She answered wistfully, piling a small trunk atop a larger, bright yellow one with wheels.

“Now that one,” she faced Neville with round brown eyes, her nostrils flared, “ – no, no. It’ll snap you again. It’s very protective, you see. You’ll have to hoist in on your shoulder like Hagrid. Yes. Yep. You’ve got it. Quite heavy. Sorry, love. Anyhow, that one goes in my quarters on the third floor. Oi! Sorry. It’s bitten you again. Shame on you, Dora!”

“She reminds me of Ponoma,” Minerva reminisced as Hagrid passed by with a heavy brow.

“I hope Muggle Studies isn’t the only thing she’s teaching with all those trunks,” thought Flitwick aloud, clearing his throat as Neville heaved up the steps before them with the temperamental trunk shuddering atop his shoulder. Flitwick gave him a pitiful grimace.

“She’ll be taking over transfigurations,” Minerva answered almost inaudibly.

Flitwick gasped. “Transfigurations? …”

“Yes, Filius. Transfigurations. I think it’s about time I focus on being Headmistress. Teaching at the same time has been quite problematic.”

“I don't disagree with you there.”

"Hullo there!" Dotty Cheshire had pulled her wheeled trunk up the stone steps and was now level with Minerva and Flitwick. Exasperated, she wiped her bangs off her forehead that had plastered to her skin with sweat. "Hot day for a move, eh? How are you Professor Flitwick? - Professor McGonagall?"

Minerva's small lips curled into a jovial grin, "Doing well, Miss Cheshire. Glad to see you and all of your things made the trip safely."

After a final deep breath, Dotty replied, "Oh yes. I've got big plans for my classes.I've collected so many interesting muggle artifacts over the last few months; electric stereos, toasters, a curious box called a microwave and Arthur Weasley pointed me into the direction of an old television. Though I don't think I'll be able to get any of them to work without electricity. Have we got electricity anywhere? Maybe I can create some."

She paused, weighing the thought before continuing, " anyhow, thank goodness you've got me in able hands!" She laughed again over exuberantly, referring to Hagrid and Neville who were separating to two different sections of the castle. "Well, I best be off then. Enjoy your evening, Professors!"

As Dotty Cheshire continued on into the castle in a sort of 'clip-cloppy' trot to catch up with Neville, her wheeled trunk squealing behind her, Filius stood back as if a whirl wind had pushed into his stomach.

He said, "quite a lot of passion, that one, Minerva. She'll definitely add color to the staff."

-End.

Ep.2
"Trip to the Burrow & Owls Overhead"


Teddy, clasping onto the handle of his wheeled trunk with both hands, followed Andromeda into the green flames of the cozy living room fire place and reappeared into the messy kitchen hearth of the Burrow many, many miles away from home. Right away he was welcomed with a hearty clap on the back by George Weasley and a kiss on the cheek from Angelina, George's wife.

"Heyyy Teddy!" George exclaimed, ruffling Teddy's messy hair about. "Fred's just gone out with his Gran to the garden. He'll be right along."

Teddy smiled happily. There was something warm and perfect about being at the Burrow that made it feel like home. He followed Andromeda into the living room where an odd assortment of furniture pieces had been pushed into a circle in the center. Four figures stood up almost immediately as Dromeda entered the room.

"Mrs.Tonks!" Arthur Weasley grinned congenially. "It's so wonderful to see you and Teddy!"

"The pleasure's all ours!" Her lips spread nearly to each ear. "Teddy couldn't stop about coming here, of course."

Teddy looked up for approval to Andromeda with a raised brow. Once she nodded yes, Teddy left her side and rushed across the room to embrace Mr. Weasley.

Arthur knelt down and wrapped an arm around Teddy's shoulder. "We're going to have fun this month, aren't we?"

Teddy replied energetically, "Fred told me you've got loads of new muggle stuff in the shop! He knows I've got an eye for that sort of thing and said I could help. I can help, can't I?"

" 'Course you can!"

Andromeda addressed the other three people that were in the room, "Harry. It's a pleasure as always. And of course Mrs.Potter. Congratulations, by the way. I heard you were expecting."

"I am." Ginny grazed her protruding tummy affectionately with the tips of her fingers. "Thank you."

Teddy had never met the fourth person before. But he supposed he was a Weasley for he was tall, lanky and had long scarlet hair that was tied back fashionably into a pony tail.

"Harry!" Teddy shouted suddenly, forgetting that his God father was also in the room. "Gran let me buy a birthday gift for you while we were in Diagon Alley getting my school things. I know your birthday isn't until tomorrow but Fred told me you would be gone tomorrow so I ought to give it to you today while we're all here."

Harry laughed with amusement, "well alright. You didn't have to get me anything, you know. I'm just happy to see you!"

Seconds later, Molly Weasley, along with her grandson Fred and a charismatic young woman with long silvery, blonde hair entered the room. Fred mirrored his father with freckles and orange, tidy hair. But his eyes were bright and wide like his mother's. He was much taller than Teddy and had a wild smile on his face.

Immediately Teddy and Fred met outside the circle of couches and chairs while Molly hugged Andromeda and greeted her. Teddy could hear his Gran say, "Thank you so much for letting Teddy stay until the school year begins in a month. And I will of course be here the night before to help send them on their way."

"Teddy," Fred swayed his attention and they both headed up the crooked stair case with Teddy's things. "You have no idea how boring it's been around here. I don't know why dad insists we stay here half the summer!"

Teddy shrugged as they passed the first bedroom and continued up the stairs. "I like it. You think it's boring here? My Gran doesn't let me do anything."

"Anyways, my Grandpop got loads of cool stuff for you to see and he's promised to take us to a Quidditch match!" Fred responded casually.

"Really!? Don't tell my Gran. She thinks they're unsafe!" Teddy replied in an anxious whisper as they climbed the third set of stairs. "Are we going to see the Holyhead Harpies?"

"Of course we are. That's Aunt Ginny's old team. She's got free passes."

"Oh!"

The room on the third floor was where the boys would be staying. It was the biggest of the bedrooms because, according to Fred, had been his father's and his uncle's room together. "Cool, huh? Imagine all the crazy stuff they made in here! I've seen some of it!"


***

Hundreds of Owls swarmed the morning sky, flying low towards Hogwarts with rolls of parchment tied to their feet. Dotty'd never gotten to see the pre-school term events and after being tipped off by Slughorn, had camped out early in the morning out in the fields to watch.

To her surprise, one of the owls separated from the swarm and dove down towards her. Lying out on a large flannel blanket on her stomach with her feet crossed, she propped herself up on her elbows and squinted through the sunlight as the bird came in low on the wind. The paper back romance novel, "Helga Hufflepuff's Secret Love Affair," she'd been reading flipped open on the ground from the breeze and shed its old pages to the sky before slapping shut.

"Awh, I've lost my page," she exhaled irritably, sending her bangs flying off her forehead.

Coming closer into view, Dotty recognized the large eagle own almost immediately and sprang to her feet.

"I was wondering when Andromeda would send you with a reply!" she exclaimed to Andromeda's large, fluffy old owl, Darwin. However, Darwin didn't stay long. He merely dropped his parcel and continued to the owlery with the rest of the group.

Dot scowled after Darwin and carefully unrolled the parchment. The letter read;

Dorothy,("Ugh. I wish she wouldn't call me that!")
I apologize for the delay in my reply. Yes, I ended up folding in and giving Teddy his letter to Hogwarts immediately. He sent the reply letter himself directly after dinner.

Yes, in response to your question about Hufflepuff. He is so very much like his mother. However, he does have several qualities that are distinct among those sorted into Gryffindor, which he is most keen to joining like his father.

I know I've been over protective of him with home schooling him over the years. I'm a bit worried how he'll do around the other children. Please keep your eye on him - no, I'm not asking you to spoil him with attention, Dorothy. Just guide him, please.

Yours,

Andromeda

"Well, good." Dotty said to herself, folding the piece of parchment and placing it into her novel. "I don't plan on babying any of my students no matter who they might be."

She tucked stray strands of hair behind her round ears and sat back down comfortably on the blanket. Immediately, however, her attention was stolen by the curious sight of a figure nearly stumbling over the hill by the black lake. She shielded her eyes with her hands and gazed, frozen. The figure tripped at the top of the hill, spilling an armful of oddities into the grass. It cursed loudly.

Dotty grinned, "Professor Longbottom!?"

It looked up abashedly then smiled.

"Oi! What're you doin; out and about so early?" she called, getting to her feet. "Lemme come help you!"

She kicked off her heeled boots and climbed the dew-frosted hill with bare feet.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb your owl watching." Nevile apologized once Dotty met him at the top.

"You knew I was up here?" she inquired, reaching down for a large glass jar which was opened and spilling its contents onto the soil.

Neville scooped what looked like small, pearly beans into his hands and, with Dotty's help, cautiously poured it back into the jar.

He answered, "Yeah. 'Passed 'ya earlier this morning while you were reading."

"I would have helped." she handed him the jar and paused to make serious eye contact. He winced in response as if he was in trouble, then bore a little half smile. Caught off guard, Dotty looked away and stooped down for the nearest fallen jar.

They collected quietly beneath the sparse flocks of owls and headed down the hill together.

"These plants," Neville piped up. "They're very peculiar."

Dotty glanced away. She had caught him staring curiously at her bare toes.

Neville continued, "they look like tiny seeds, but, right as the sun reaches over the lake, they pop open and spread pollens into the soil which are ... are very useful for curing bites from certain ... er... plants."

Dotty laughed quietly, remembering his bandaged thumb. They stopped beside her book, blanket and boots.

"It'll be alright," Dot said peering over the pyramid of jars down at her belongings. "No one I know would steal Helga Hufflepuff's Secret Love Affair." She chuckled. A hesitant, weak laugh from Neville followed.

They carried on across the field towards the edge of the castle to the green house. The glass walls reflected the watermelon sunshine that was filtering through lower-horizon, puffy cloud cover.

"Professor Sprout told me about you," Dotty mentioned casually. Neville might have tripped over his own feet at this remark, but Dotty was in the middle of a thought.

She continued, "I'm her niece, you know? Although I hardly know a thing about Herbology, so don't ask. But I suspect I can leave all that up to you. She says that you're a genius."

"Oh... not really - " he tried to protest, but Dotty intervened.

" - she said you might be able to give me a tour. - of the staff rooms anyways. I went to school here so I know the non-restricted areas very well."

"I could - "

" - and she said that you could tell me all sorts of things about the new green house plants you guys planted together incase I ever need to use them." Silence once she finished.

She could tell that Neville was waiting to answer to make sure she didn't interrupt again. This happened frequently to her. He strolled beside her, readjusting the jars of plants every now and again.

Neville began, "Well, what do - "

" - so how long have you been teaching here?" Dotty surveyed.

He replied hesitantly, "I helped ... - "

He waited for her to say something. When he looked over in her direction, she was smiling widely and nodded for him to continue with a little, "Uh-huh."

He went on, "I helped Professor Sprout run the green houses for the last four years, teaching more classes each year. This year, now that she's retired, I'm running it on my own."

"I can't believe she's retired." Dotty shook her head in disbelief. "Slughorn's nearly twice her age and he's still here!"

She followed Neville around the side of the greenhouse to where a nearly hidden back door was cracked open for easy access. The door, which was just tall enough for the average person, was half-concealed by the low hanging, budded branches of a near by short and fat tree. It reminded her of her aunt.

Neville ducked beneath the leaves and kicked the door open. "That's a Wolfe Tree." He explained upon catching Dot's expression.

"Why's it called a 'wolf tree?'" she inquired before they ducked into the building.

In the middle of stepping over a fallen tree trunk, he balanced his jars in one arm and rose his index finger to his lips. "Shh..."

SHe tilted her head with her ear to the wind and waited. She didn't hear, however, what Neville was hearing until she closed her eyes. A very soft symphony of howls were cooing from the tiny buds on the branches. She sighed in silent euphoria and climbed into the greenhouse after Neville. He had been explaining to her the purpose of the Wolfe Tree but she only cauht the second half of the lecture.

" - 'keeps most of them away anyhow. - ... This is where I keep the most sensitive and ill plants."

This section of the green house was humid and the roof was low. There were tiny pixie-type creatures hopping from plant to plant tending to withering leaves or sloppy looking petals. They had great big, bug like eyes which were the only visible feature of their extremely small bodies. They glowed bright orange and their wings were long and silvery. One of them flew directly into a jar that Dotty was carrying and showered itself with the dust.

"Must've gotten bitten," Neville stated in a normal tone of voice. Dotty noted that, now that they were in the greenhouse, Neville's tense body language had subsided and his smiles were not as uncommon.

"What are those?" Dotty wondered aloud, mimicking Neville as he set the jars down on a soil-covered table near the door.

"Those are Lilly Lovers. That's their common name anyways. They're technical name is lidivus dalanis. They mimic the appearance of common bees and things so that the plants willingly allow them to care for them." He abandoned the table and headed deep into a vine-roofed aisle of the strangest plants Dotty'd ever seen. She quickly followed behind as to not get lost.

Her bare feet crunched old leaves and pieces of soil. Some of the vines, purple and green in color, reached out their arms to her stroked her cheeks. She squealed.

Neville laughed, "those vines in particular are very affectionate. They love to be touched and talked to. When it was really ill, I spent an entire evening reading it to sleep."

He steered off the main aisle and with a flick of his wand, several windows along the back wall popped open and let in a whoosh of fresh air. Some of the plants sighed heavenly with relief. They stood silently together side by side; Neville gazing pridefully as if it was an artist's masterpiece, and Dotty gaping about with a wondering brow.

"Anyhow, thanks for the help." Neville said suddenly, as one of the affectionate vines wrapped an arm around his hand, tickling the bandage on his thumb.

"No problem," she assured him, staring about with an open mouth. Another arm of the vine was discovering the soft texture of her hair.

Before either of them could blink, an owl flew into one of the opened windows, dropped a brightly colored piece of parchment and went on its way. The parchment unrolled itself once presented to Neville and a bunch of confetti and balloons came popping out. A voice from the parchment cried, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY! LOVE GRAN!"

The vine had backed away in fright and Neville's ears turned bright pink. The birthday package then commenced playing a birthday march song very loudly throughout the greenhouse. Quickly, he rolled it up and stuffed it into a drawer of nearby desk.

"Happy birthday, eh?" Dotty looked over at him with half of her lips curling into a smirk

"Yep. It's my birthday." He nodded as if it was an every day sort of deal.

Right away Dotty knew what she wanted to do tonight, "You're not doing anything tonight, are you?"

"What makes you think that?" He responded, taken aback.

"But you aren't, right?"

" ..." he squinted with a growing wonderment.

"Come on, now. Who here at Hogwarts are you spending your birthday with? Professor Trelawny?" She nudges him playfully with her elbow. "I am taking you to Hogsmeade tonight."

-End

Last Updated: 10/8/2011