No one in the hall, well at least none of the students (except Hermione), was actually listening to the speech Dolores Umbridge was giving. They were all a bit shocked that she had dared to interrupt Dumbledore's start of term speech though. Suddenly a new voice rang out clearly over the top of Umbridge's droning.
"Well I do declare! That pox-ridden daughter of a banshee must have hit me with her 'tempus vehere' spell after all!"
Every occupant of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry turned to see who had spoken. Standing framed in the doorway was a young woman of about twenty years. Her long brunette curls fell loosely to her knees and her cornflower blue eyes surveyed the scene haughtily. She wore a medieval style lavender kirtle and sky-blue gown. Around her waist she had three brown leather belts. One belt held an ornate golden sword, the second held an intricate silver dagger and the third belt held the girl's wand. Across her back was slung a quiver full of arrows and she held a long bow in her right hand. Her arms were decorated with an assortment of gold and silver bangles and armlets. Her fingers held an assortment of rings, also made from silver and gold; these were studded with rare and precious gemstones in various colours.
"What year is this?"" the girl enquired of Dumbledore, who stared at her in shock for a moment before he was able to find his voice.
"It is nineteen ninety-five. The day is September 1st."
"Indeed. So it would seem I have been sent a thousand years into the future. I expect a lot will have changed from my time. Oh well. Merlin can always explain it to me."
"What do you mean by that? Merlin must surely have been dead for centuries!" exclaimed McGonagall. To everyone's astonishment the girl simply burst out laughing.
"We celebrated Merlin's two hundredth birthday last week. Well, for me it was last week anyway. So I rather doubt he's dead. The man is immortal after all," she informed McGonagall after she had calmed down. Jaws across the hall dropped at this news.
It was at this point that one Dolores Jane Umbridge, fed up of not being the centre of attention, decided to interrupt with a rather fake cough: 'hem hem'. The young woman turned to look at the diminutive defence against the dark arts teacher and blinked in astonishment. Umbridge coughed again.
"Do you want something for that cough?" the girl asked Umbridge. Dolores Jane Umbridge smiled sweetly.
"Oh, no thank you dear. I just wanted to ask. Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"Oh, so sorry. I am Lady Elspeth, niece of Lord Slytherin and teacher of defence and duelling here at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At least I was when it opened, which for me was four years ago. "
The students of Gryffindor suddenly found they disliked this woman when they discovered her relation to Salazar Slytherin. A few 'boos' were heard around the hall. The girl's eyes narrowed.
"You dislike my uncle?"
"He hated muggleborns and I bet you do too!" yelled a random Gryffindor student. No one was quite sure who.
"Muggleborns? What's a muggleborns?"
"Someone whose parents don't have magic." The girl started laughing again after hearing the explanation. Everyone stared at her like she'd gone mad.
"I'm sorry. I have no idea where you got the idea that Uncle Slytherin hated those whose parents aren't magic. Why his parents were not magical and neither were mine. We were the only two with magic in the entire family. Why should my uncle hate those who are like him?" The Slytherin table now looked rather shocked.
"But what about the Basilisk?" another random student wanted to know.
"She's here to protect the school. She wouldn't hurt the students" Lady Elspeth replied.
Dolores Jane Umbridge gave another fake cough.
"How do we know you can be trusted?" she asked.
"How do I know I can trust you?" Elspeth retorted.
"I am the senior undersecretary to the Minister of Magic!" exclaimed Umbridge indignantly.
"You're a politician?"
"Of course I am. I'm also the Defence against the Dark Arts professor."
"Get out!" the young lady exclaimed. "Politicians aren't allowed here. This is Slytherin sovereign land and no ministry can interfere with the running of this school. Hogwarts and Hogsmede Village are under Slytherin law. It's in the school charter that no politicians are allowed on Slytherin land. We don't trust politicians! And what's this about 'dark arts'? "
Dumbledore had thought of something.
"You say this land belongs to Slytherin?"
"Indeed."
"That does present rather a problem. There is a man who claims to be the heir of Slytherin who is responsible for the murder and torture of thousands."
"Well. There is a way to find out who has the strongest claim to the castle. I can do that later. Now you," she turned to Umbridge, "are you going to leave my Uncle's land or will I have to escort you out?"
Umbridge was turning red in anger.
"I will not leave. I am going to teach these children defensive theory for their exams."
Lady Elspeth rolled her eyes. Lifting her hand she cast a silent wandless spell which lifted Umbridge into the air and made her float all the way back to the ministry building in London.
"Well it looks like you'll need a new defence teacher. I guess I'll be staying in your time for a while." With that Salazar Slytherin's niece sat down in the chair that was now empty.
Harry smiled. The year was beginning to look up.