Chapter Text
You were sitting at your kitchen table reading the day’s papers. The last rays of sunlight were illuminating the otherwise dark room. You had left the window open, letting the cool air that dusk brings with it waft inside, accompanied by smell of the last few days of Summer. You turned the page, causing a clump of pompous ministry wizards on the front page tumble to the side.
“More bad news, huh, Abraxas?”
The large, sooty owl hooted lazily in reply. Setting the Daily Prophet aside to head to bed, a loud tapping noise at the window interrupted your path. Abraxas merely clicked his beak to convey his annoyance at the late intruder. As you let the owl which was by now frantically rapping on the glass inside, it fluttered atop the table and obediently stuck out its leg in your direction. You unwrapped the paper scroll curiously. For a split second, you felt like a 13 year old again. For the rolled parchment bore a crest you had grown to both know and love over the past years. It bore the Hogwarts Crest.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND
WIZARDRY
Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore
(Order of Merlin, First Class. Grand Sorc.,
Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International
Confed. of Wizards)
My Dear Penelope,
I would have liked to say that I am penning these words down to you solely in a congratulatory attempt to raise my praise on your truly enlightening contribution to the new best-seller “Healing 1,2,3- Medical Magic for Mere Beginners” (which was, I must say, an interesting read indeed). Alas, the reasons for my letter have arisen due to a secondary occurrence as well.
As magic advances and our dear Madame Pomfrey has her hands full of students to heal, patch up and shoo out of the hospital ward, it just so happens that there is a position available as- how should I say, Assistant Madame of sorts. On her behalf and the suggestion of our dear Professor McGonagall (who I am certain you remember), I have furthermore humbly taken the liberty (as headmaster of this magnificent school) to create the post of Healing and Remedial Magic, or for short H.A.R.M. (Please forgive the unconventional wordplay, it was nothing but a mere coincidence, I can assure you).
As it so happens, for a post, and such an important one, I find myself in need of not only a skilled healer, but also of a witch or wizard willing to teach classes at Hogwarts individually as well as occasionally alongside other colleagues in the relevant subjects, including Transfiguration, Potions, Charms, Herbology and Defence against the Dark Arts. And, as you might have guessed, helping our minimally overwhelmed Madame Pomfrey is an additional task.
Hereby I take my chance to have an offer to make to you, as well as to voice a plea coming from an old, old wizard: Would you perhaps be interested in taking the position? It is certainly known to me that it is a rather challenging position to fulfill, but I wrote to you remembering how you yourself enjoyed Hogwarts and how found a home in the castle’s magnificent walls.
Won’t you, Penelope? I am aware that memories might come to return, however, I like to believe we live in the present and I am certain you shall make good memories here anew, should you graciously accept the offer.
Therefore, with so much left to say, yet impatiently awaiting your reply, I close hereby.
Graciously yours,
Albus Dumbledore
After a few minutes of silence, you realized your mouth was open and you shut it quickly. You then continued to sit down in the chair you had just gotten up from, deep in thought. After another few minutes, the messenger owl started to fidget, interrupting your trance.
“What do you think, Braxy? Hogwarts?” you asked, finally.
Before you had received the confirming hoot, you had already sat down and addressed a reply.
Dear Profess Albus…