The pure childish joy I feel at being at Hogwarts, regardless of it being the Headmasters office brings a smile to my face as I look around in awe.
Dumbledore lets out a good natured chuckle, "I've been reading up on your dossier, I am truly surprised my counterpart at Ilvermorny didn't try to recruit you with a scholarship. Given your rather outstanding record." Dumbledore hums and takes a seat behind his desk and Fawkes flies from my shoulder to his perch.
"I don't know if you've had much experience in America in the last forty years or so, but it's very money or profit centric slash driven, sure Ilvermorny has a scholarship program but unless you have money or come from a politically powerful background, the other students there will eat you alive, you're better off sticking with public schooling if you're poor and from an influential family like myself." I explain to Headmaster Dumbledore while I take a seat in one of the comfy looking chairs in front of his desk.
"Hmm, yes I remember how capitalistic your nation was during the confrontation with Gellert Grindelwald…and the steady integration of the magical and non-magical communities of your nation must also put a lot of restrictions on those from poorer families." Dumbledore hums softly, a look of disappointment flashing across his face.
"Yeah things back home are a bit of a toss up, but at least we don't have the blood purity nonsense that magical Britain and other magical communities have. And sure if you go to a public school your education will never equal the quality of that of a privately funded school, but there's also more freedom, we also have trade schools that give more real world applications, for say runes, potions, alchemy and the such, like take me for example I took automotive tech during my time at vocational school along with enchanting and runes, now in my parents garage back home there's a car that can basically anything that could possibly be thrown at it, and it doesn't pollute the environment, nor does it ever need to have its gas tank filled. You take a guy or girl from private school and yeah sure they could tell me stuff about magic and history, or literature that I don't know but they won't be able to duplicate what I did any time soon because they don't have any real world practical experience like I do."
"You make a good point, I see here that you were the dueling champion of your league for four years straight, and then during your military service you have gotten quite a few accolades and medals from intense combat operations and exemplary service…tell me why is it that you are accepting a position and Muggle Studies Professor rather than trying to pursue a career in say defense against the dark arts." Dumbledore inquires but there's something in his voice that has my danger sense going off.
Letting out a sigh I slump even further into my chair, "You know this might sound odd to you, even though I'm surprisingly a natural talent at magical combat, and muggle brawling…I don't like fighting all that much sure there's a rush during and when you come out victorious over an opponent, but it's a fleeting feeling, I enjoyed teaching the Patil twins when I was rotating off of active watch with other unit members…it was much more rewarding even if the two of them are little brats that love pushing my buttons." I can't keep the fondness out of my voice Parvati and Padma…or as I took to calling them pain in my butt one and two, after constantly being run ragged by the energetic twins who seemed to be able to use magic as easily as they breathed.
A memory of having to retrieve Padma after she Apparated miles away from our secure zone into a hot zone during a use of accidental magic, and nearly got snatched by a religiously fanatic middle eastern wizard. Before I activated the tracking beacon butterfly hair clip I gave her when I first got assigned to the family, I teleported to her side using remote viewing. When I arrived I put a bullet through his skull using my imbued sidearm, with imbued bullets, while shielding Padma so that she couldn't see the guy drop or the brain matter and blood splattering twenty feet behind him.
"Mr Town, Mason…" Dumbledore's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, while I blink away the memories and offer an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, Headmaster I…got lost in one of my memories…for a moment." Dumbledore waves me off with an understanding look sent my way.
"Please as a Professor here and an adult as long as it's not in front of students refer to me as Albus, Dumbledore or Albus Dumbledore."
"And as for the point you made earlier, I do understand what it is like to gain more from being an educator than a fighter…in my youth I rather enjoyed fighting, but as I grew older, after a deep and painful loss. I chose the path of an educator…in this I feel that we are kindred spirits, Welcome to Hogwarts Professor Mason Fitzgerald, I expect a lesson plan to be presented at next month's staff meeting…I will leave you to introduce yourself to the other professors and staff at your leisure, Fawkes will show you to your private quarters." At Dumbledore's finishing statement Fawkes flew from his perch onto my right shoulder and gently nipped at my ear with his beak.
Leaving the Headmaster's office under many highly opinionated portraits gives me shit about being a filthy yank or a treacherous colonist and it takes all of my willpower not to burn them to ash while Fawkes makes a gentle and reassuring sound of support for me.
Fawkes doesn't speak in words but seems to be able to convey directions to me through magical impressions.
Once Fawkes and I reach the classroom he continues to lead me to a doorway that leads into my private domicile, the place is spacious and like a high end apartment but with a large bedroom, kitchen area like wood heated oven, icebox, fireplace, sink, a spacious bathroom with a bathtub big enough for ten plus me…as for furniture there isn't any.
"Thank you Fawkes, you're free to go but you can hang out with me if you'd like." Fawkes nuzzles his head against my cheek, before disappearing in a flash of flame.
'And here I thought we were forming a special bond…' The playful thought crosses my mind and I roll my eyes at myself while mentally imprinting on this space, and dispatching my remote viewing eyeball to explore the castle, closing my eyes I reach for the mental imprint of my old bedroom back home, opening my eyes I find myself in my unchanged bedroom that doesn't have a speck of dust anywhere, my bedroom door slowly opens inwards in a way that should be creepy but seeing the little two year old girl in a powder pink onesie brings a smile to my face.
"HEEEE!" My little sister Cheyenne squeals and Apparates into my waiting arms.
"Hey pretty girl, did you miss your big brother?" I ask with a very light voice that almost approaches baby talk, and my little sister nuzzles her face against my chest before trying to eat my shirt.
Hearing a soft laugh from the doorway, I turn my head slightly to see my mother leaning against the doorframe, with a happy smile on her face with a hand on her hip.
"She's been coming and going from your room ever since I told her, her big brother would be coming home soon."
"Oh really, my little Sister Chy-Chy is a Troublemaker, isn't she?!" The playfulness in my voice makes Cheyenne giggle, and I start tickling her belly and sides while keeping her firmly aloft in the air with the power of my mind.
"Just like her big brother." Mom says, while rolling her eyes and letting out a soft laugh at my antics, Cheyenne getting tired of my tickling apparates to Mom's open and waiting arms.
"Will you be staying with us?" Mom asks me and I can hear the desire for me to stay, because it's thick in her voice, four months ago my father died in a car accident leaving Mom a single mother.
"I won't be, I took a job at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." My tone carries an apology, mother's eyes lose a bit of life as they look down at Cheyenne, before she pastes a much less honest smile on her face.
"That's wonderful Mason, Hogwarts is a school of quite renown, I'm sure you'll make a wonderful teacher, those two Indonesian girls constantly send letters whenever they have questions about anything at all." Mom's voice cracks and I can tell that she's close to crying, walking over to her I pull her and Cheyenne into a hug, Mom pushes her face against my right shoulder as she starts to cry, Cheyenne begins petting her head in comfort while I start rubbing her back.
"I may not be coming home right away Mom, but whenever I have a free minute I'll be here and I can make something so you and Cheyenne can come visit and stay with me at Hogwarts." I try to comfort the woman who truly has come to life during my enlistment.
It was like space from me restored her and Dad's personalities, neither one had noticed anything wrong with my time growing up with them when we would talk through the enchanted mirrors.
To them they had acted perfectly normal and full of life, even when I showed them my memories of them being little more than meat robots they said they were just tired a lot between their demanding jobs and a demanding child yet my memories painted me as highly independent.
But I know it is something else probably Morgana trying to influence me to be evil or something by giving me a second shitty childhood, but what she doesn't know is growing up between two single parents and having a set of Grandparents being more motherly and fatherly to you then your actual parents gives you a mighty high appreciation for a non broken home without parents who constantly put you in the middle of their fights as opposed to parents who only seem alive in the barest sense of the word alive.
But even given their robot-like lack of personalities, they always made sure that I was fed, that there is always food in the house, that you always have clothes, clothes that are clean, clothes that fit properly.
So what if they weren't there for you emotionally, having had enough physical and emotional abuse during my first childhood, as opposed to parents who only showed care for you when it was convenient for them or they wanted/needed to make themselves look better to other people.
Shaking away my errant thoughts as Mom pulls away from the hug Cheyenne staying nuzzled against the opposite shoulder mom pressed her face against.
"Thank you, it's been so hard since your father died…he'd be so proud of you Mason and the man that you've become." Mom murmurs softly making my eyes sting a bit, leaning in I give her a kiss on the cheek.
"You and Dad made me who I am today, Mom." I say to her with a smile that brings a fresh wave of tears to her eyes but they are accompanied by a happy and vibrant smile that reaches her eyes.
"Come on, I'll make us something nice for dinner, while you go over my lesson plans that I use for my sixth through twelfth grade students…it might give you some proper insight into how hard it is to nurture young minds when they don't idolize you and worship the very ground you walk on." Mom teases me about the Patil twins, being my fan girls.
"Padma and Parvati, don't idolize me…" I deflect and Mom just cocks up an eyebrow at me, in challenge, her eyes saying "really, is that what you're going with?"
"Uhuh, you're not the one who has to brush off their mother and father's attempt to sign a marriage contract at least twice a month…for both of them…to marry you." Mom continues to tease me, Cheyenne giggles at me making a groan slip from my lips.
"Those two can't seriously want to marry me, they only turned eleven like three months ago." My voice comes out a little too whiny for a man of twenty.
"There's only nine years difference between you and the twins…your father was eleven years older than me when we married and had you." Mom adds on in amusement making me roll my eyes while Cheyenne begins petting my head with a drool covered hand, while making squealing baby noises, like she's saying and I feel like she's laughing at me saying "haha big brother."
'I wonder if Cheyenne is a transmigrator. Her use of magic is so…insane like I had to work at it but she…it all just comes naturally to her, I mean yeah both our parents are magicals…from different bloodlines, but still.' I find myself staring at Cheyenne wiggling my index finger in her face and moving it just out of the way of her hands that try to grab my finger.
"Either way you're my little sister and I'll do anything I can to keep you safe ya little stinker." I murmur softly and tilt my head pressing a kiss against Cheyenne's forehead which makes her squeal and giggle in happiness.
Heading into the living room, mom has a stack of papers for me piled up in my spot, while she's beginning to prepare dinner, setting Cheyenne down in her play pen, I animate her stuffed animals and leave her to her mayhem and destruction.
Sitting down at the table, I start reading over her outline plans from the past few years for the younger years up to seniors.
After a nice dinner we say our goodbyes and I take my Mustang out of the garage, heading to a furniture store, after that I'll hit up a couple of book stores, and staples…for teaching supplies.
Getting everything to furnish my new living quarters at Hogwarts takes a lot longer than expected, 'Shoulda had Mom come with me for furniture shopping…' Is my thought as I exhaustedly slid behind the wheel of my mustang after stuffing my furniture into the trunk.
Heading to Barnes and Noble first I picked up both teacher and student copies of history, science and math books, along with some fiction and fictional books that the kids at Hogwarts might enjoy reading.
At the same shopping mall I hit up Staples and nearly buy out the store of supplies I've seen mom buy every year for her own classroom, hitting up the local magical district shops buying history and general magic spell books, potions supplies including self stirring cauldrons.
Swinging by the local grocery store I buy out my favorite foods and beverages and put them in the specially imbued storage containers that will keep everything as fresh as the day I bought them.
Flipping the switches for undetectability, I spread my energy throughout my mustang, and teleport back to Hogwarts, appearing inside of the living room of my new quarters.