Disclaimer: If I owned it I won't be writing this now would I?
I hope you enjoy this! I admit that this has been sitting, but is now going under some construction and major editing!
Mind Reading for Beginners
Chapter 1
It was their final year at Hogwarts, the big one, the doozy, the deciding factor in the lives of the Golden Trio. But the only thing that seemed to by on the minds of Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley was food. They had only been at the school for an hour. After saying the standard hellos to everyone, going through the sorting, and listening to Dumbledore's customary speech, they started shoveling food in their mouths, Hermione was surprised they weren't choking yet. Just then Ron started choking and sputtering loudly.
"Ron slow down! You have the rest of the school year to eat, the food is not going to disappear. That goes for you too Harry."
"Aww, Hermione look at it. It's beautiful. When was the last time you saw food like this?" Ron aimed for a new piece of chicken and grabbed it before Harry had a chance.
"I saw food like this yesterday Ron, at your house! Your mother is one of the best cooks around, you're not starving." Hermione gingerly reached for a piece of chicken, fearing for her fingers if she got too close to Ron.
Harry spoke up, "We haven't eaten since lunch on the train."
"Yes, and Ron almost threw up because he ate too many chocolate frogs. I don't care to relive the experience." Ron grimaced at this remark and set down his fork.
Harry quickly changed the subject, "So, I wonder what this year's going to be like."
"We won't be nearly killed this year. That's something to look forward to," Hermione observed.
"No more war."
"No more excitement," Ron added.
The trio looked at each other. It was true. The only thing that had kept the school year exciting before was the war with Voldemort. What was going to keep them occupied this year?
"There's quidditch."
"Oh yeah Ron that's very promising for me," Hermione said sarcastically.
"You can hole up in the library even more this year."
"We could…do something else?" Harry was unsure.
"We'll think of something when the time comes," Hermione added.
Ron glanced over at the Slytherin table, "There's always Malfoy. It's always fun tormenting Malfoy."
Draco Malfoy, usually the loud and boisterous leader of the Slytherins, was sulking quietly, ignoring the chat around him. He had changed a lot since the end of the war. In fact he was on the good side, even became a decorated hero, but no one would think that if they looked at him.
"Ron, Malfoy doesn't deserve that anymore. Especially not from you, he saved you more than once during the war, so don't even think about it."
"It was just a suggestion. Things will never be the same again."
Harry looked at the teacher's table, "I wouldn't say that Ron. Snape's still here, and he still hates us. And there's not Defense teacher up there which means there's a new one. Some things will always be the same."
"Something exciting will happen this year," Hermione said. "I can feel it."
Lauretta Viores hated rain.
"I hate rain. If I could kill anyone right now I would." Lauretta was muttering under her helmet. Cruising down the road in the English countryside on a motorcycle on a beautiful day was one thing. Riding a motorcycle in the rain was another. And it was another thing when you were terribly late for a very important meeting with a very important person.
"Sunny and warm my ass. 'Miss Viores are you taking the car today?' 'No, I think I'll take the bike today.' Stupid, stupid, stupid! Should have never listened to that stupid weatherman, they always get it wrong anyway."
Lauretta was still about fifteen minutes away from the school on a good day. What ever convinced her to take the position at Hogwarts was beyond her. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Since the war was over so was her job. At twenty-two and brilliant there were numerous offers, but she needed a change of pace. A job at Hogwarts seemed just the right pace, and nice job that would help her unwind after so many years on edge. Besides, corrupting the minds of the young was fun.
After a few miles, and more than enough muttering Lauretta drove up to the doors of the prestigious school. She stopped and parked near the entrance and ran up the steps. The doors opened as if by themselves and she was met by who she assumed was the 'janitor'.
"Ah, Miss Viores we've been expecting you," Filch said as he ogled her.
"I know." Lauretta took off her helmet and shook out her long jet black hair. She was soaking wet, but she didn't have time to do anything about it, she didn't even know where she had put her wand.
She pointed at the large doors at the end of the passage, "I would assume the behind those doors is the hall, correct?"
"Yes, Miss Viores."
"Thank you." Lauretta took off down the hall, squishing all the way. "I'll never be able to wear this again."
Helmet under her arm and wearing soaking wet motorcycle leathers, Lauretta looked like a force to be reckoned with, and she was. They didn't call her one of the most powerful witches of the century for nothing.
"Well, I was always one for grand entrances, and the hall is full of students. Let's see how much attention I can get." Lauretta opened the doors to the Great Hall.
"Ron, how many rolls have you eaten?" Hermione was disgusted by his eating habits.
"I don't know mayb…," Ron was staring over the heads of Hermione and Harry.
Hermione waved her hand in front of Ron's face, "Hello? Ron?" Ron just kept staring. Then he swallowed.
"Bloody hell."
Hermione and Harry turned to look at what had Ron so mesmerized. The result was the same with Harry, who became slack-jawed and oblivious to everything else around him.
"Who is that?" Hermione asked. That same question was circulating around the Great Hall, and no one seemed to know. A hush fell over the chattering students, and Dumbledore looked up from his meal.
"Ah, Miss Viores, I was wondering when you were going to arrive."
Lauretta took this as her cue to walk to the large table where the professors sat. She glanced at the students as she passed, they were enthralled. She spied a shock of red hair, Ah, this one is…Ronald Weasley. He's practically drooling. Let's give him a start. Lauretta made eye contact with the red-haired boy and winked at him sultrily. She knew exactly what he was thinking. The poor boy looked as though he had wet his pants in excitement. Lauretta walked until she was standing in front of the esteemed wizard.
"Professor Dumbledore, I'm sorry to have arrived so late."
"Perfectly understandable my dear, nasty weather and all." The Great Hall was humming with excitement. Dumbledore decided to break the suspense.
"Students, this is Miss Lauretta Viores. She is to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, she is to be treated with the upmost respect. We are lucky to have such a talented individual teaching here."
Lauretta took her seat at the table and started chatting with some fellow professors she had be previously aquatinted with. She was already starting to relax, this was nothing compared to her old job.
Later that night, the Gryffindor common room was buzzing with excitement. The entire house was discussing the new professor. Who she was, what she was teaching, and most importantly how good she looked in those wet motorcycle leathers.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seating in three armchairs on the far side of the room. Ron was, of course, still talking about his encounter.
"Did you see? She winked at me! At me!"
"We know Ron," Harry said.
"Yes, Ron we know. Another thing though, that name 'Viores', I've heard it before, I just can't remember where." Hermione had come across the name somewhere, and she knew it was important. She continued to think throughout their discussion.
"Better yet Hermione, where did she come from? Talented British witches just don't appear. She had to have come to this school, and she looked really young, she should have been in school the same time we were, but I don't remember seeing or hearing of her." Then Harry added, "I'll look through some records some time."
"I wonder what she did before she came to this school," Hermione pondered. "Dumbledore didn't make any mention of her previous job, only that she was to be respected. She must be really important. But if she were, wouldn't we have heard of her before?"
Harry got up, "Oh, well I'm for bed. We might find out tomorrow, Defense is our first class."
"Her eyes were lavender," Ron said quietly.
"What Ron?" Hermione asked.
"Lavender. Her eyes were lavender."
"They were probably blue Ron. You were most likely hallucinating you were so excited. Let's go to bed Ron." Harry turned and headed to the steps leading to the boys dormitories, Ron followed with a quick 'goodnight' to Hermione.
Hermione knew she should go to bed too. But she couldn't get the strange woman off her mind.
"Viores. I know I've heard that name before. It's something important," She muttered under her breath as she walked up the steps to the dormitories.
Well there it is! Let me know what you think so far!