"Mr. Creary,

Thank you for responding to our request.

We greatly appreciate your choosing to returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft

and Wizardry. You will be the assistant to the faculty and help the students with

their subjects. Your arrival is greatly anticipated. A member of the faculty will show

your quarters when you arrive at the School.

Thank you again for applying to the job.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and

Wizardry."

I rolled my eyes at the letter. It was the Minister of Magic who decided I should return to Hogwarts to gain more knowledge of the wizarding world, not me. I think he did it because I was raised by Muggles. If it had been my choice, I would not be on the Hogwarts Express heading back to my old school. Instead, I'd probably be in Romania studying dragons or somewhere in Africa learning about a new species of magical bird.

A rancid scent invaded my personal space. I wrinkled my nose and shoved the letter into my beat up Muggle backpack that sat on the cushiony seat bedside me. My unfastened black cloak swirled around my legs when I stood up. I flung open the compartment door, nose burning, and stepped out. The smell was worse in the corridor; to my annoyance it was soaking into my blue jeans and dark red shirt.

Two compartments down, a pretty black-haired girl was hurrying away from a door. My nostrils flared when she passed me, but the scent was not coming from her. I rushed over and opened the door, instantly regretting it as the stench became unbearable to the extreme. Four teenagers, all younger than me, were in the compartment and all were covered in a sticky green substance. It looked as if a troll or giant had sneezed in the small space. Under the green gunk I recognized three of the teens as Gryffindors: the forget Neville Longbottom who was holding onto a stunted-looking cactus in a pot; the red-haired Ginny Weasley, looking more mature than the last time I saw her; and Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. The silvery-blonde haired girl sitting next to Ginny was a stranger to me, but from the colors on her tie she was a Ravenclaw.

"What the hell is that stench?" I growled, baring my long, inhuman canines.

Neville looked like he was about to wet himself as he held up his disturbing-looking plant.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. "You can't just poke the mimble, Neville." I withdrew my wand from its leather sheath strapped to my thigh and mumbled, "Scourgify."

All four let out sighs of relief to have the green syrup removed. To my own relief, my clothes were also free of the stench.

"How did you know it was a Mimbulus mimbletonia?" Ginny looked intrigued.

"I graduated two years ago," I answered, returning my wand to its case. "It was a question on the Herbology NEWT."

"You graduated?" Ginny's gentle brown eyes sparkled with interest. "Why have you come back?"

"He's returning to teach," said the Ravenclaw, misty blue eyes peering over her upside-down magazine. "Aren't you?"

I nodded. This Ravenclaw was living up to her House's reputation. "I'm returning as a teacher's assistant. Hopefully I'll get to help Snape a lot; he was one of my favorite teachers." An image of the greasy-haired dungeon bat flashed through my mind. "I think I was the only Gryffindor who's guts he didn't hate."

Neville shivered with fear. "He terrifies me."

I motioned to the seat Ginny and the Ravenclaw were perched on. Ginny grinned and scooted over so I could sit beside her. "Thank you," I said with a soft smile to which Ginny turned as red as her hair. I looked across at Neville; Harry seemed astonished that I was ignoring him. He may have saved many lives, but I'm not one to hero-worship. "Now, why does he scare you?"

When Neville hesitate, I chuckled low in my throat. "I'm not going to make fun of you, Neville."

His eyes widened a bit as if he wasn't used to having help willingly offered to him. "H-he always stands near me, says hurtful things and threatens to use the potions on my toad." A lumpy brown-green head poked out from under Neville's seat. "He never offers any advice."

"Snape can be a pain in the ass." I leaned forward and lowered my hand to the floor. "He doesn't really want to hurt your pet." The toad hopped out of hiding and onto my hand. "Snape won't really use potions on students because he doesn't want to cause too much damage. Permanently damaged, I mean." I sat up and stroked the toad's head with my forefinger; he made a happy chirping sound. "Besides, toads have a natural resisitance to most potions. Next time Snape wants to use your toad, let him. You are showing that you are not scared of losing your toad - because he won't be hurt - and it also shows Snape that you are willing to participate. You have a very adventurous toad," I added, handing the toad to Neville. "He may enjoy the potion-testing much more than being stuffed in a pocket."

Neville looked from me to his calmed toad. "Th-Thank you."

"Snape really doesn't want to hurt us?" asked Ginny, still blushing and looking as if she had been listening intently.

"I was one of his favorite students. You'll learn a thing or two by your sixth year." I absentmindedly tugged on the hem of my shirt. "But honestly, he's doesnt want to hurt you."

"He hates me the most," said Harry. His voice was quiet but something told me he could be loud when angered. "He only sees my father in me."

I looked into his emerald eyes with my acid orbs. "James Potter? Gods, I heard so much about him. He was worse than those twins, you brothers," I said with a glance at Ginny. "I guess he is too narrow-minded to see you as you."

"I think he is right." Two people entered the compartment: a girl with bushy brunette hair and carrying a very big, very fluffy orange cat, and Ginny's older brother Ron who was holding a cage that held a very tiny owl. It was Hermione who had spoken, a smile on her pretty face.

I stood and offered her my seat, which she took gratefully, cuddling the cat close to her. "So you two made prefect?" I noticed the badges pinned to the front of their robes.

Ron nodded and put his owl's cage in the baggage hold above our heads before turning and puffing out his chest proudly. "That's right. Were you a prefect?"

"Nah." I shook my head. "I didn't need a shiny badge to be a dick."

Ginny giggled loudly and Luna let out a small snort. Ron deflated a bit and took the seat between Neville adn Harry, who were amused with my vocabulary. Hermione did not seeem as impressed, but I could see that she was trying to hide a smile.

"Who are the other prefects?" I leaned against the closed door. "Anyone interesting?"

"Hannah Abbott and Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil of Ravenclaw."

"Padma? Interesting name."

Hermione's face fell into a scowl that did not fit her. "And that cow Pansy Parkinson and Draco Malfoy; they're Slytherin's prefects."

"They let that brat become a prefect?" I bared my long canines. "He'll abuse his power within an hour of being on the school's grounds." I've had my share of dealing wiht the Malfoys; almost all of them were power-hungry assholes. "He'd better watch where he steps."

Six pairs of eyes focused on my back as I left their compartment. I could feel my blood beginning to boil, scorching my veins. My rage was directed at toward the Malfoys, not the teens. Red sliced into my vision and swirled inward as I re-entered my compartment. I snatched up my bag and dumped the contents out onto the seat. A silver bottle full of dark liquid was among the litter. I grabbed it, pulled the stopper and swiftly drank two mouthfuls of the musky liquid. My rage was instantly dimmed by the cold concoction. I barely had time to re-cork the bottle before I collapsed on the opposite seat.

-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc-tc

The only thing I hated worse than having a detention when I was attending school was getting off on the platform at the beginning of the year. It was always chaotic. Students were everywhere: first years darting around like confused ants while the older students were yelling over each other. Cats screeching challenges, owls hooting dolefuly. My ears were on the verge of ripping away from my head and running away. I pushed my way to the edge of the crowd and headed to the coaches.

The thestral harnessed to the coach I hopped into turned its scaly head to look at me. I clicked my tongue in greeting. The thestrals were a facinating breed of reptilian horses, but it pains me to know that they have such a bad reputation.

Voices drifted toward me on the cold wind, and several second years and a third year approached my coach. They had been chatting like excited sparrows until they caught sight of me.

"Excuse me?" The third year, a girl with green eyes and brunette hair, looked shyly up at me. "May we join you?"

I nodded, allowing a soft smile to show. "Of course," I said. "We're going to the same place so I don't see why not."

The weary faces brightened significantly and the students climbed into the coach. They sat close together, even though now they knew I was at least a bit friendly.

"Are you a student?" asked one of the second year, his voice squeaky. I briefly wondered if my voice was that high-pitched at some point.

"I graduated two years ago," I replied. "I'm coming back as a teacher's assistant."

The two girls giggled; I seem to have a charming effect on the female students. The three boys exchanged glances then the 'leader' looked at me with slightly narrowed eyes.

"You're not going to be taking points away from us, are you?"

I shook my head. "It's up to the Headmaster whether I get that privilege or not. But you're not doing anything wrong so why would I want to take points away?"

That seemed to settle his nerves, and we were exchanging jokes by the time we reached the castle.

Hopefully it will be a good year.