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Sirius Black or a Jane Eyre rewrite

Chapter 2: Bloomers ablaze

Summary:

Sirius meets some of the inhabitants of Prince Hall! His new home and employment

Chapter Text

It was a bright cold day when Sirius found himself sitting in the hotels foyer awaiting his ride up to the Hall, Sirius knew he would be lying to himself if he said that he wasn’t not only scared of taking up the new appointment as Governor to the two magical children living at the hall, but he was also worried that he did not have the skills or knowledge to be or become a good tutor. Teaching at Hogwarts as a professor was very different then becoming the main source of knowledge to two charges that he would have control over.

After all teaching a number of children of differing levels of academic prowess and intelligence did allow leeway in the results that were expected from the Professors of the school. Also the school itself although improving it academic reputation and results was still behind the other magical schools in Britain and the rest of the world.

Soon the taxi driver from the night before arrived and Sirius found himself being driven up to the driveway of Prince Hall, the doors were flung open and a tall athletic women bounded down the steps to greet Sirius. Sirius wondered who on earth this woman was, as the woman who had interviewed him and offered him the position had been a older stout woman who had very sparse with ide chatter. When Sirius asked where his interviewer was the woman turned around smiled and said “OH that was my husbands aunt Marge, her bark is definitely worse than her bite. In fact she is a big softie and the only one who can keep my adopted brother Severus in check”

The woman who finally introduced herself as Petunia Dursley and organised Sirius meagre possessions to be put into his room.

Mrs Dursley then turned to Sirius and addressed him “Mr Black! finally welcome to the hall, we’ll get you settled and then you can meet the children when they return from the local senior school this afternoon” Sirius must have looked Mrs Dursley questioningly as she continued “OH! Mr Black or can I call you Sirius and you must call me Petunia in return. We after all do try to be like a big family at the hall” Sirius found himself nodding his assent to be calling his first name and Petunia continued “The three horrors go to the muggle senior school during the day, you are just required to teach the two twins magical subjects so that they can take their OWLS and maybe NEWTS! And then try to keep them under control at other times, especially when Severus their guardian and Godfather is in residence”

Mrs Dursley or Petunia finally stopped nattering to him and called for one of the Halls house elves, a elf appeared wearing a uniform with a two chevrons on the top of his uniform sleeve “Ah Blinky, here is the children’s new Governor Mr Sirius Black, can you please show him to the school room and introduce him to the children elf Kreacher, please” Sirius was amazed, at the politeness and respect that Petunia showed the house elf. He thought that it was a good omen that the house elves at the hall were shown consideration and respect, most elves including the house elves at Hogwarts were seem as being unpaid slaves that were never shown the respect that every living thing should be shown as their right.

The Blinky bowed and snapped his fingers and Sirius found his outer clothes including his weather worn cloak being placed on a coat stand inside the hall, with a half bow towards Sirius the elf quickly showed him first to his suite of room and then the children’s quarters. There was already in attendance the children’s elf Kreacher, who bowed to Sirius and started to show him the children’s rooms and school room.

Sirius after a few minutes and to break the oppressive silence that had fallen on the pair asked “So what happened to the other Governor or Governess Kreacher”

The elf looked at him and sighed as much as a house elf could, as he replied “They were not suitable to be the three children main carer!”

Sirius blinked at the response, and then tried to find out what their unsuitability was for the position, Kreacher looked at Sirius and finally answered “Well there were different reasons for the previous Governors and Governess to hastily depart from their position, but the last one left (a sniff was accompanied to this statement) after a harmless prank was played on them by the children!”

“Ahem! How many previous people have been employed to looked after the children” expecting the answer to be one or two or at a push three, but Kreacher flawed him when he answered “We stopped counting after number thirty flounced out of here with her bloomers ablaze”

“That’s a joke right, more than thirty and bloomers ablaze Kreacher?” Kreacher definitely sniffed this time when he answered “No in the last ten years we have more than forty governors or governess and the why the stupid woman took offense at a small prank going a astray is beyond me…….hopefully Lady Marge the children’s Great Aunt may have at last found a permanent person for the position” Sirius found himself suddenly realising that he had not got the bloody position because of his qualifications, or as the agency put he his unique talents but because he was the only idiot they had that was desperately enough to apply for the position! Were the house elves and towns people putting bets on how long he would last in this position!