The New Generation

Climbing up the staircase to the first floor, Richard observed various students wandering around the corridors, which reminded him of his own time at the school, when he proudly wore a red crest on his robe. He was really glad that Hogwarts had been reopened, as it has always been a special place for everyone in the wizarding world. However, that didn't mean that trouble had ended, as dark wizards were still lurking and certainly waiting for the right opportunity to strike.

Deciding to begin with Selene Vega, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, Richard made his way to her office and then stopped upon reaching it. He didn't know much about her, except for the fact that she was well-loved among her students.

Glancing at his notes one last time, he made sure he remembered what he wanted to ask the professor, and after checking that he had brought his quill and notebook, he confidently knocked on the door, ready for his first interview.

Burried beneath a pile of lesson plans, quizzes, homeworks and the sort, Selene worked hard on getting everything done. At the sound of a knock at her door, she looked up confused. Looking for her planner she found that Richard Blackwood had scheduled and appointment to interview her for the Daily Prophet.

Checking her face on the window, she walked over to the door to answer it. Sure enough, there was a man in front of her.
"Hello, sir. I suppose you're Mister Blackwood? Please, come in." she moved out of the doorway to let the man make himself comfortable and then took a seat at her desk, clearing away some of the paperwork.

As Mr. Blackwood spoke, Selene listened carefully. With her hands on her desk, she shook her head.
"No, I believe we can start." and waited for him to ask the first question.

"Yes, I started out with Care of Magical Creatures." Selene answered calmly. "History of Magic is only a temporary position."

"Hogwarts is great. It's the same as I remember it from when I was a child. The staff is friendlier though," she began, "Headmaster Gray is a wonderful man, and Mrs. Torres is equally wonderful. As a staff, we don't have much time to talk and catch up with personal matters, but most of us are willing to help each other if it's needed." She recalled the time Ashton helped her with Wayne, and she felt very thankful for him and the rest of the people who had supported her.

"The kids are great. Very, very talented." she said, softening her tone. "Aurora Finnigan, for example, is a true Ravenclaw, along with James Riddle of course. They are both wonderfully smart and curious with a thirst for learning. Lucy and Wade Malfoy both excellent flyers. From what I've heard, Lucy's a natural for transfiguration. And Wade is excellent in Quidditch. Ellie Fontayne, a seer. Shah Chelsea Hazel, an excellent person to have around when facing danger, and very good with handling the animals we've met in class." she praised some of her students.

"Most of the ambient around the school is very calm, even with sudden appearance from the Ministry, we've been in a very peaceful school."

"As you said, the safety of our children is the most important thing on our minds right now. Most of us patrol the hallways at night, for security reasons, and keep a close eye on all the students." she said, thinking back at the time she had caught Ella and Lucy in the Forest. Shaking the thought of what might have happened to them, she continued.

"Some of our best professors have indeed left, such as Ashton Clark, but sometimes it is better to protect children that way, by leaving. What we have now is a group of only a few of us that, together make a decent team. We have Ambrosius Umbranox, our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, who is very talented and well trained. Austin Baxt, our Potions Professor, who is an excellent potioner and better than any of the other professors who've held that position. And most recently, we've added Mrs. Addie Umbridge to our staff, who is a seer and a very good professor. Most of us would stand in front out students if they were facing danger, and I think that's a wonderful quality that we look for in the people we add to our family."

"As for the students, we cannot do much about their leaving and staying. If their family believes Hogwarts is too dangerous, they are free to retrieve them when they please. The only thing we try to regulate is making sure that they are taken out by an actual parent, and not just a random family member. Believe it or not, we also place a strong belief in security when the children are taken out of our care."

"I would say it doesn't affect our work to make it look better, but the truth is that it does. It's always sad to see some of your best students leave. It's hard to teach a set of 30 kids in one class and the next day only half of them show up because the rest have been taken out. It's not easy, but we deal with it in a professional manner that does not affect our teaching and the learning of the rest of the students."

"Yes, I was under the House of Slytherin. I like to believe it was for my determination to keep my magic with me, unlike my parents who were forced to repress it when they found out what they were." She explained, the image of her mother's disapproval clear in her mind.

"When I was a student here, things were obviously not good for me. Some students had the ignorant impression that if you were placed in Slytherin you would turn over to the dark side, and that caused a lot of friction between us at the time. To be honest with you, I used to get in trouble. I spent many times in the Headmaster's office because I didn't like the rules they gave me as I had always been spoiled as a young child. My hardest years were definitely my best, though. Now, I can say that I'm more adapted to following rules and disciplines, something that I'm very thankful for as it has gotten me where I am today. When Hogwarts closed down, it was painful for me to hear people say such things about the place that taught me what my parents didn't. It was as if they were closing down my home, and I'm sure every student here would feel the same way if it happened right now."

"As for whether or not it was justified, I don't have an actual opinion on it because in a way it helped better the security for the students and it's allowed more people to see and realize that we're as good as ever. "

"Twenty three." Selene corrected. "I was twenty one when I was hired, but time has passed and I've learned from past mistakes in lessons. I've learned what students like and the way they learn. So in a way, I'm glad Hogwarts was my first experience."

"I wouldn't say I was close to him, because most of the time I was anywhere near him was because I had gotten in trouble. Really, the only time he had an actual conversation with me was to tell me to apply myself. I'm thankful he did it though. No one had ever used such an attitude towards me."

At the mention of this, Selene's hand closed in front of her, forming a softer version of a fist. How could the Ministry not know about this?
"I have only heard the rumors about Dark Wizards forming new clans, but other than that, I'm clueless. The Minister did visit us, but it was a very long time. Really, it was during my first year teaching here at Hogwarts." she responded, a bit unsure on how the Daily Prophet wasn't aware of this, and why they would be questioning her.
"Is that all?" she asked after a few seconds.