Everyone was seated in the Great Hall waiting for Dumbledore to make the speech that opened each year in Hogwarts. In the teachers table, Harry and his friends quickly noticed three things: the first one was that Hagrid was sitting there, that the man who was sleeping in their compartment and who later helped them in the Dementors attack was there too and finally that the table had one more chair than the other years before. But nobody said nothing about it or paid any special attention. The students were chatting happily with each other trying to catch up with each other and explaining their summer adventures under the annoyed stare of Snape and the impassive face of the head of the Griffindor house. Flitwick was chating with the Herbology teacher Professor Sprout. Next to her there was the ever empty chair of the divinations teacher, Professor Trelawney. The headmaster stood up and everyone fell silent.

-Welcome to another year at Hogwarts! I have a few things to say to you all, and one of them is very serious - said Dumbledore – as you all will be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the Dementors of Azkaban, who are here on the Ministry of Magic business-

He proceeded to warn them against leaving the school without permission because the Dementors would be guarding every entrance to the grounds. After these words he paused as looking around the Hall making sure the message had sunk in and indeed it did. All the students seemed to have a frightened face even the always rule-breakers Weaselys twins. The Great Hall had a gloomy atmosphere after these words.

-On a happier note – he continued – I'm pleased to welcome Remus Lupin who will be taking the post of the DADA teacher – there was a small polite applause – and Hagrid who has taken on the job of teaching Care of Magical Creatures-

This announcement was followed with a roar from the Griffindor table. All the Griffindors had stood up and were clapping soundly. When the excitement calmed down all the eyes turned to Dumbledore who had stopped talking and seemed like he wouldn't start any time soon until the thing he was looking for appeared. He was looking around the Hall and he specially looked to the teachers' entrance door but no one saw nothing or noticed something that had changed. After a few minutes of this strange waiting, because nobody knew what they were waiting for, in which Professor McGonagal had spent muttering things that sounded like 'never in time… such a disrespect…I don't understand why Albus… we could have…' suddenly the main door that lead to the Great Hall opened wide open. Everyone's eyes turned to look to the small figure that had appeared. As the person came closer they could see that it was in fact a woman.

-Phew I'm sorry for the delay I had some things that needed urgently to be taken care of – spoke the woman with a melodic voice that seemed she was singing more than talking.

Minerva seemed to say – when not- but nobody knew for sure.

– Wow it's too hot here – with that phrase the stranger let her cloak fall into the ground. Everyone could see now her figure. She wore a black sleeveless dress which complemented her figure very nicely. She wasn't fat or skinny; she just had the enough amount of fat in her body so she didn't look as a living skeleton. She had a long curly black hair that had been tied up in a messy bun seeing as more than half of her hair fell down her back freely. One thing in her attire that didn't match at all and was really strange is that she was wearing a part of medieval armor that covered her knees, legs and feet. Everyone could see it seeing she didn't hide it but nobody would have guessed she was wearing it because she almost didn't make a sound when she walked. When the eyes had already taken up her body they started looking at her face. She had elegant features that made her look like she was from royalty. She had a full dark red lips which seemed to have a permanent smile. She had a striking feature that really stood out in her beautiful face; it was her emerald green eyes which seemed to shine with their own light. If you looked into them you could see a mischievous light shining there. She kept walking without paying any mind that everyone's eyes were focused on her.

- Wow what a nice school, you have added a great touch in it- she said looking around the Hall- how long has been since I last put my feet on this grounds?. I'm glad to be here even in this dire situation- said the newcomer like she and the headmaster were drinking tea alone.

Everyone was looking the woman trying to guess who was and what was she doing there. She had an air of elegance and power that would have made her stand out even if the was wearing rags. She was really imposing even she had a smile fixed in her lips. She moved like she was she was gliding through the air. She walked until she was beside the headmaster.

-Students of Hogwarts I'd like to present a new addition, who will help us to keep the accidents with the Dementors to zero, let me present you Lara Rider, the directress of the prison of Azkaban who will be the new teaching assistant who will aid any teacher who requires any help in their lessons. -

Everybody was frozen in their seats. Many of the students had heard stories of this woman although not all of them were bad, almost all of them described her as a really powerful witch who knew what she wanted and when. The only noise heard in the Hall was a sound of one person clapping hands who was the same person recently introduced, clapping merrily as if everyone was clapping their hands along with and she wasn't the only one doing it.

-Hi everyone I just wanna say that I don't know what you've heard about me or what you might think but I hope you don't keep any preconcivated ideas. I'm sure I'm not so bad as the worst stories tell or so good as the best do. Oh, and of course be aware of the Dementors, I mean they aren't so bad or anything. Don't worry because they don't bite either but don't leave the grounds or make them angry because even I'm here and I can stop them, they are resentful creatures who won't forget what you did. Be also aware because they can suck out of you all your happy thoughts memories whatever if you aren't careful and leave you like an empty shell

When she finished she walked up to the teachers' table and sat down in the empty chair between Snape and Dumbledore. – Shall the feast begin – shouted Dumbledore. As soon as the words were said the students started to eat the delicious treats that had been laid in front of them.

She poured herself a cup of pumpkin juice and put some meat in her plate. Her eyes roamed around the Great Hall as if making a quick evaluation of the students, with which she would have trouble with and which she would get along just fine. Lara turned her head to the man with a prominent nose beside her.

-Hi, what's your name? –asked with a cheerful tone

Snape turned his head to her and raised one eyebrow.

– Shouldn't one present oneself before asking someone?

He answered with his baritone voice that characterized him maintaining his stoic expression. He looked at her as if he was measuring her up. Snape thought that all the stories he had heard about this woman were true or at least they had been magnified. It couldn't be the same woman who ruled the Dementors without an ounce of fear the same airhead who was sitting beside him and looking at him with the smile she seemed to be always wearing.

-Well that's true, pardon my manners – she said wearing an infuriating smirk- but I thought you were a man who doesn't like to waste his time and seeing as I have just been introduced before. Well are you going to answer me?

This answer seemed to catch Snape's attention because after he had answered her first question he had turned his head to watch carefully the Golden Trio and specially the famous Harry Potter, the son of the man he had hated and still hated wondering what would happen with Sirius Black coming after him and the best friend of the later teaching here. He would have to keep a close watch on Lupin he thought.

- Severus Snape- he answered curtly. After a short pause he continued- I was under the impression that the logic thing to do when you take up this job is to learn at least how your colleagues are called.

-Pleased to meet you Professor Snape and yeah you might be right- at this Snape raised one eyebrow and Lara continued looking at the door but seeing nothing and kept talking- but I thought and think that if I asked anyone about you guys I would have had more information than just your names and I don't like being prejudiced about someone I have never met.

She said with an insight that seemed uncharacteristic of her. Snape looked surprised at her reason and unwillingly his respect and consideration of her grew a little bit. Lowly she turned her head and smiled sweetly at him which made him even more surprised. There had been a long time since someone smiled to him in such way. As soon as the smile had appeared it disappeared. She turned her head to the other person beside her. Without beating around the bush she asked which one was the famous Harry Potter.

-That one over there – answered Dumbledore- the one beside the ginger boy and the bushy girl.

Snape tried to make it look like he wasn't paying any attention to the conversation beside him but he was really curios about what did the newcomer think about the Boy Who Lived but she said nothing, she only looked thoughtful as she turned to look the Great Hall. When she finished her fill she rose up.

– I think I will retire for the night – after a small pause she asked- where will my chambers be?.

- Oh well I totally forgot about that seeing that each teaching post has a classroom and a chamber adjudicated, Severus - Snape who had diverted his attention of the conversation between the headmaster and Lara raised his head when he heard his name being said- would you show Professor Rider the chamber beside yours? Seeing it is the only one available at the moment. –Seeing the look of horror that had taken the potions' master face he hastily added - for the moment until another one is ready.

That seemed to calm Snape as he quickly stood up and began walking towards the teachers' door. When he had his hand in the doorknob he had recovered his monotone face which gave nothing away and turned around wearing his eternal frown to look to Professor Rider who seemed to be frozen in the spot.

-What are you waiting for didn't you want to rest? Follow me. - with these words he walked through the door with his black robes billowing after him. She sat still for a few seconds with a very surprised face and turned around to look at her companion

-Is he always like that?- she asked softly to Albus

-More or less – said Dumbledore wearing a half smile.

She ran as fast as she could with her short legs and seeing as Snape wasn't a short man at all. She went through the door and went through the only passageway until she reached a point where the passage divided in two. One went straight and turned left and the other one turned tight as after giving it some thought she decided to go through the last one but as she was making her first step towards the right path Snape appeared in the corner of the other passage.

-Where are you going? Do you wanna spend all night wandering around the castle? Cause I wouldn't care either.

She went red in embarrassment and answered sharply – If you don't care how's that you turned back in your footsteps?

-Maybe because if you got lost Dumbledore would have made me look for you all night.

Lara frowned at this but quickly retorted – Well at least I wouldn't have been hurt by the Dementors, given a thought, maybe they would have leaded me to my chambers.

After saying this she skipped happily past Snape and turned to him

-Are you coming?

- Do you even know where to go?