Chapter One – I've Got a Feeling

Six years, five howlers, four champions, three broomsticks, two owls, and one wand later it was finally my last year at Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I was excited that it was my final year but at the same time I didn't want to leave either. I had a feeling that this year was going to be my favorite yet. It was to be one I was never going to forget.

When the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the platform in Hogsmeade, my younger brother, Rob, looked up at me with excited green eyes. It was his first year at Hogwarts just as it had been my first year when it had been my older brother, Jude's, last year. I gave my brother a hug before being called out by Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor and Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts, to all the first years to follow him. My brother hopped down onto the platform and followed the other first years onto the boats that led to the school.

The older students, myself included, filed out of the train and to where the horseless carriages awaited us. The carriages weren't really horseless, but were pulled by Thestrals. I couldn't see the Thestrals, though, because I had never witnessed anyone's death. I stood in line waiting for a carriage with my two friends, Ashlyn and Soleil, and Ashlyn's cousin, Deana, who was a third year Ravenclaw. Once on the carriage, Ashlyn started her normal "Rita Skeeter" update. Ashlyn was known for being a gossip queen at school. "Lucy, did you hear there's a new flying professor? I heard Madam Hooch was asked to become an official Quidditch referee but people keep saying she's coming back next year. She loves the school just as much as she loves Quidditch; she can't bear to leave it."

I turned to Soleil and we both started laughing. Considering it was only the first day back, I assumed that was all the gossip she could dig up. She puffed and crossed her arms across her chest. Soleil and I stopped laughing. To make her feel better, I acted as if I was interested. "Do you know who the new professor is?"

She leaned forward and brushed back her black hair. "No, but I did hear that it was a guy, a former student. He apparently was McGonagall's first choice for the job."

"Do you know what year he left school?" Soleil asked slightly more interested now.

Ashlyn shook her head no. "But you figure he's got to be relatively young if McGonagall remembers him. And you know what that means?" Soleil and I stared back at her not exactly sure what she was getting at. "If he's young, he's got to be cute and Luce, your brother's a first year. You'll have more of an excuse to talk to him than us."

"And if he's not cute?" I teased.

"Then forget I said anything," she laughed.

Five minutes later we arrived at school. We piled out of the carriages and into the school. Ashlyn, Soleil and I headed to our dorm room that we shared with two other seventh year Gryffindor girls, to set up a few things before heading to the Sorting Ceremony and Start-of-Year feast. Soleil hung photographs of the three of us next to her bed along with pictures of her family. Ashlyn hung up pictures of her muggle boyfriend she had met over summer vacation with her family; she hadn't told him she was a witch. I put up a picture of Viktor Krum next to my bed. I wasn't so much attracted to him as I was to his talent. Although, I had to admit he was better looking in person. I checked on Rigby, my gray Maltese cat, before heading to the Great Hall.

The three of us sat in our usual spot about halfway down the table where Jude used to sit with his friends during my first year. The front of the table, closest to the teachers, was empty waiting for the seats to be filled with incoming first years. The Great Hall buzzed with everyone's conversations as we all waited for Hagrid to arrive with the first years.

As we waited, Soleil pointed out the new professor. "Look, that's him, sitting next to Trelawney. He looks quite frightened," she laughed.

"Oh, he is cute, but he's got to be at least seven years older than us because I would never forget a guy who looked like that," Ashlyn said.

I sat next to Soleil staring at him. He was very good looking: short brown hair, muscular body and the faint shadow of hair on his chin. He looked about Jude's age of 23, but that would have made his last year our first.

Ashlyn waved her hand in front of my face a minute later, "Hello? Earth to Lucy?"

Right before I started to speak again, the new professor's eyes met mine. I gave him a small smile and said to the girls, "He looks familiar. I've seen him before."

"Where? In your dreams?" Ashlyn laughed.

Soleil and I turned to Ashlyn but before we could say anything, the large wooden doors opened and in walked Hagrid and the first years. Rob waved to me as he made his way to the front of the hall. I smiled to myself as I remembered I had done the same thing to Jude.

McGonagall made her opening remarks, welcoming the first years and welcoming back the rest of us, and the Sorting Ceremony started. Every table sat quietly as we waited for the newest members of our house to join us. Name after name, house after house, until finally my brother's name was called. I watched as he made his way to the front of the decreasing crowd. McGonagall plopped the tattered old hat on top my brother's head. I watched as the hat slightly moved on his spiky brown haired head. What was taking so long? My brother was Gryffindor; my whole family had been. About thirty seconds later, the Sorting Hat yelled out, "Slytherin!" My jaw dropped.

"Dad's going to kill him. He'll be getting a howler tomorrow," I said still not believing what had just happened. Ashlyn did the right thing by not saying anything after. I'm sure I would have hit her if she had said anything.

The Sorting Ceremony continued until every last first year was sorted into the right house. I occasionally glanced over at the Slytherin table to see my brother socializing with the cretins. But a majority of the time I kept my eyes on the flying professor. I was still curious to find out who he was and I was sure I was going to kick myself for not recognizing him.

McGonagall stood at the head of the table where our old headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, used to stand. She tapped the side of her goblet to get everyone's attention. "I would like to make one other announcement. As most of you have probably heard, Madam Hooch has accepted a temporary position as an official Quidditch referee. This year we are pleased to welcome a former Hogwarts student to the staff as the new flying instructor, Mr. Oliver Wood."

My eyes widened and I was pretty sure that my jaw had dropped to the floor again. "Ollie, Ollie oxen free," I chuckled to myself. I was right about the kicking myself thing. "He and Jude were best friends while they were here. He used to come over during the summer if he wasn't working on Quidditch plays. I wonder if Jude knows he's here. Last we heard of him, he was playing for Puddlemore United."

Ashlyn and Soleil stared at me as I basically talked to myself. Soleil bumped my elbow out from underneath my chin. I turned back to the girls as my chin almost hit the table. I looked back up at the teacher's table and noticed Oliver was staring right at me. I could feel my cheeks get hot. Boy did I have feeling that this was going to be one crazy year.