Chapter 2
Lucifer hadn't returned to his room that night. This place was fascinating, and he had never backed down from adventure before. He didn't think he ever would.
None of the castle's inhabitants had seen him simply because he did not wish to be seen. Celestials all had their own party trick, but all could wield their divinity and bend it to their will. It was much like magic in that regard.
It was now nearing noon, and Lucifer dropped his shield to make himself present again. Soon, there was a staff meeting, and he doubted he could get through it without something in his bloodstream. He had managed to resummon the elf by calling out the name he had heard from Albus.
The elf, aptly named Helly, had brought him breakfast but did not acquiesce to his request for alcohol. Regardless, Lucifer fully intended to stock up on the famed Firewhiskey to get him through his time at the school.
Eventually, Lucifer made his way to the staff's meeting room and grabbed a seat next to Filius. He looked around to familiarise himself with his colleagues. There were still a few empty seats, and Albus was notably absent.
There wasn't long to wait since moments later, the wizard entered, no doubt sucking on a lemon drop if the slight purse of his lips were to be believed.
"Welcome back to another year. I do hope we are ready for the difficulties we will face,"
Filius spoke, "Albus, are we entertaining the Ministry's foolish endeavors?"
There was a rumble of agreement from the others and Albus raised a hand in a silencing motion, "We do not have a choice, so we shall make Madam Umbridge comfortable here."
"And what of the O.W.L's? And the N.E.W.T's?" This came from a tall, stern-looking witch whose black hair was drawn into a tight bun, "I've seen her results, and she barely scraped an Acceptable herself,"
"A valid concern, Minerva, but I have taken the liberty to mitigate the damage," Albus pointed in Lucifer's direction. He continued, "Meet Lucifer Morningstar, who will be teaching Hogwarts' new class, Practical Application of Defence."
Heads swivelled, and Lucifer rose from his seat, giving a slight bow.
"You have an interesting name," the words were almost snarled by a thin man with a large, hooked nose.
Lucifer didn't appear bothered at all, "God-given, I'm afraid. And who might you be?"
The greasy-haired wizard did not seem very pleased but announced himself, "Severus Snape, Potions Master, and Professor,"
One by one, the others did the same. Lucifer acknowledged them all before directing his gaze toward Albus, "Where is the illustrious Madam Umbridge?"
"Minister Fudge assumed her duties start at the Feast. I did not correct him," Albus answered with a sheepish look before he continued, "Are there any new matters to deal with?"
And so Lucifer leaned back in his chair and listened to the cacophony that rose. He made notes of the tidbits that sounded promising. First on his list were the Weasley Twins, whose pranks had resulted in at least eight new school rules to date and, if the staff got their way, another 2 to be added soon. Next, there was the matter of the Potter boy and his friends who were to be warned away from Umbridge. Lucifer was the patron saint of the rebellious and it appeared that these youngsters had earned their audience with the Devil.
The meeting concluded, and Albus left, but the other teachers milled about, catching up and preparing for the start of the school year. Lucifer did the same. He never had trouble in a social setting, and this was no different. He kept his charm reigned in, unwilling to deal with their reactions to the sliver of divinity he usually projected.
The afternoon passed quickly, and Lucifer was soon rushing toward the Great Hall. He had lost track of time, and the staircases sometimes had a mind of their own. He hadn't seen the Great Hall before, so once he was seated alongside the other teachers, he took the time to drink in the surroundings. Thousands of candles were floating in mid-air, glittering golden plates and goblets lay in front of each student, and the ceiling was a velvety black, dotted with stars. It took his breath away for a second.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of pink, but he had no time to dwell on it further as the ceremony of this feast was starting.
It was to his credit that he did not react when a patched and frayed hat was placed upon a stool and a tear along the brim opened like a mouth and began to sing:
In times of old when I was new
And Hogwarts barely started
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted:
Lucifer agreed. The four had been closer than any other group he'd met.
United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning,
To make the world's best magic school
And pass along their learning.
He missed a little of the song as he twirled the coin in his pocket, wondering what had become of them in the end.
So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there and so can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.
It appeared the Hat was to answer his question, so Lucifer leaned forward and focused on the Hat as it continued.
But then discord crept among us
Feeding on our faults and fears.
By this point, Lucifer had begun to see where it all might have gone wrong but it raised more questions. Namely, why hadn't he come across their souls in Hell?
The Houses that, like pillars four,
Had once held up our school,
Now turned upon each other and,
Divided, sought to rule.
He noticed the division persisted. Perhaps, he could mend a few bridges in his time here. He looked over the student body and began to plot and plan. Deep in his thoughts, it wasn't until the song was concluding that he tuned back in.
Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
The warning history shows,
For our Hogwarts is in danger
From external, deadly foes
And we must unite inside her
Or we'll crumble from within.
I have told you, I have warned you...
Let the Sorting now begin.
And so it did. Lucifer was not bothered with who went where and instead busied himself with his magic experiments. He needed to mimic the magic they used if he was to teach them anything. Albus had said Practical Defence, so Lucifer could throw in hand-to-hand combat and perhaps sword fighting if war were on the horizon. He had trained his demons quite well, if he did say so himself.
"...Lucifer Morningstar who shall be taking Practical Application of Defence,"
Lucifer jerked out of his thoughts when he heard his name and stood briefly, surveying the students. He sunk into his seat again, content to let his mind wander again but his musings were interrupted by a rather annoying "Hem Hem."
Lucifer's gaze soon fell on the interruption, clad head to toe in the most nauseatingly pink outfit. It appeared that Umbridge had inserted herself into Albus' speech. From the reactions around the Hall, such an occurrence was unheard of.
The high-pitched voice grated on his nerves and Lucifer decided he had heard enough and chose to focus on food instead.
The Hall cleared out quickly enough once they were dismissed, and Lucifer headed in the direction of the Forest. A quick fly would be a welcome break and if he happened to procure some strong liquor, it would be a bonus.