Magical Hogwarts

It had been a long, busy week and Fabien was glad it was finally over. He'd spent a quiet evening in his apartment, busy with a block of wood and knife late into the evening, and had retired to bed satisfied with the result. He'd slept later than he intended on Saturday morning, showered, dressed and made the short trip to his favourite cafe for breakfast, which in Fabien's case meant several cups of freshly brewed coffee and a single croissant. Sitting in the cafe - which was a muggle one, but the really did brew the best coffee for six streets in any direction - he had relaxed for too long and thus when he finally noticed the time it was just a few minutes before 11am.

Moments later, he slipped unseen down a Parisian alleyway and pulled his wand from its carved slot in his walking stick. His original plan to take the Floo network abandoned, he turned on the spot, arriving seconds later in the residential arrondissement of Chatoeil. The wide, leafy residential roads were a refreshing change from the busy streets of the French capital and he took a moment to get his bearings before heading for the home of his old professor, Healer Bellantoni.

It seemed strange that Fabien of all people had kept in touch with a teacher. Certainly he hadn't been a good student; sullen and unco-operative, he hadn't even really tried until his 5th year, but the Italian had recognised his aptitude for her subject and encouraged his interest, with the result that he'd gained one of his best grades for medical studies.

When she'd said keep in touch he assumed it was one of those things a teacher said to all their students. Surely she didn't really mean it? But almost two years after graduating, he had needed a friend. Feeling ridiculous, he'd written to her, not saying much beyond asking if she remembered him and that he hoped she was well, expecting not to hear another thing. Within a few days she'd replied, saying how delighted she was to hear from him. And it sounded as if she'd meant it. Fabien had written again, this time admitting that he had argued with his family, but not wanting to share details. Again she'd replied, and the young man had felt comforted. That Christmas, he'd sent a card and a small box of chocolates.

Since then the unlikely pair had written...if not regularly, then certainly consistently. Fabien had found himself telling the old woman about his studies, his work...things that nobody outside his family knew. Indeed, during the period when he had had no contact with his family, his former professor had almost come to feel like a surrogate aunt or grandmother. Yet at no point had he visited her home, not until today, and now as he rang the bell he felt like a teenager again, waiting outside the woman's study to find out his latest essay grade. In the seconds before the door opened, he smoothed down his hair and brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his shirt.

http://www.magical-hogwarts.com/index.php?action=profile;u=25580' rel='nofollow noopener' target='_blank'>@Filomena Bellantoni

 

Mina's cottage, Chatoeil, France | July 2003

One of Mina’s greatest joys in teaching was seeing her students grow; helping them discover their strengths and overcome their weaknesses; watching them evolve from children into well-rounded adults; discovering where their path in life was taking them. She encouraged all of them – even those not interested in pursuing a career in medicine – to keep in touch, and to reach out if they ever needed anything. Every year there was always a spectrum of communication: some never reached out, some whose frequency had decreased over time but was still occasional, and some corresponded regularly (even years later). Aside from their letters, Christmas cards were Mina’s favorite thing to receive – especially if they included recent photographs of their pets and children and family adventures.

A rather unexpected consistent correspondent was Fabien Sanxay: an Ombrelune boy who had been quite discontented and unmotivated when he’d first entered her class, but had cleaned up his act nicely and proven to be quite the adept student by the second half of his fifth year. His younger sister, Estelle, had recently graduated and was now making her way through Healing school. Fabien had not chosen a career in Healing, despite his high marks, and had not reached out to reconnect until about two years ago (which was two years after he’d graduated). And over these past two years, she’d learned more about him than she had during the five years she had taught him. As she’d done with several of her more consistent correspondents, Mina had issued an open invitation to come by her home at any time (though with a few days’ notice at least so she could ensure she would be there) for tea, biscotti, and general catching-up – and today he was taking her up on that offer.

Upon hearing a knock at the door, Bouton’s head popped up from his bed and he simultaneously emitted a single soft ‘whuf!’, ears pricked towards the entryway. When he saw Mina moving towards the door he got up, stretched, and trotted after her with the tell-tale click-clacking of his forever-long(-no-matter-how-frequently-Mina-trimmed-them) terrier nails.

“Fabien!” she beamed as she opened the door, embracing him with a customary air-kiss on each cheek. “Come in, come in – ah, how you have grown!” (She couldn’t resist the cliché; the grandmère instinct was too strong.) Mina gently laid a hand under his chin, surveying his features: clearly recognizable as the student she’d once taught, now decidedly no longer a young boy.

Bouton took advantage of this to pad over to their guest, then, tail wagging happily as he snuffled at Fabien’s shoes and legs. Mina removed her hand, then, and used it to beckon Fabien towards her sitting room, where a tea tray and a plate of fresh biscotti was already waiting.

“It is so nice to see you, il mio fiore,” she told him, using her standard ‘pet name’ she’d used for her students for years. “Now, do tell this old woman what you have been up to since our last exchange, hm?”

@Carys sorry this is SO late - happy to continue or drop it, was just feeling musey for Mina!