A/N: Yay for commitment! Okay, so, I'm actually getting this chapter up fast. Amazing. Anyaway, this is the next chapter! Read, and plese review.

-

Disclaimer: I own Harry Potter like I own the Nile River. Exactly, I don't! Only Katherine and the romantic lot are mine.

-

The Hogwarts Express is already on its way, Katherine thought with a smile.

With a wave of her wand, her corset laced tight; pulling things out from her wardrobe, she dressed in smokey and dark shades of blue robes. She then examined herself in the mirror with and critical eye and nodded in her own approval; brushing a wavy, gold lock of hair over her shoulder, she watched the sun as it began to descend over the horizon, like a great orange ball rolling slowly away.

Knowing the students would be arriving before long, she made her way down the winding staircases to the Great Hall. Taking her seat at the front with the other professors, she looked up to the enchanted ceiling. It darkened quickly to reveal twinkling stars, and the candles flickered to life, providing more light than seemed possible by candle. Only magic, she though, grinning.

Within minutes, the students were filing in, all the Second years up to the Seventh years. The prefects stood over them, most of them looking rather haughty, especilly the new ones.

Katherine smirked. They think they're so special… they'll learn soon enough.

They were seated and began to wait for the first years who would shortly be coming from the lake.

Katherine felt slightly awkward from all the stares she recieved from students. She chuckled to herself, though, as she remembered things like this from her own schooldays. I'm a new professor, of course, of course... new face... The only other one getting any stares was Quirrel.

Ah, yes, thought she, Quirrel the squirrel. The way the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor stuttered, winced and twitched reminded her much of the rodent. Godric... the five year difference makes him no more the child than I... How foolish, though... he went into the Black Forest on his own... It's surprising, however, how he's the DADA professor, and he's now ruined himself for eternity after encountering a few vampires and a hag or two... Now you can't have a normal conversation without approaching him from whatever direction he's facing. Otherwise you'll scare him, he'll squeal like a little girl, and he'll have trouble speaking properly the rest of the time… not that he'd speak properly, anyway.

Moments later, a line of mostly nervous-looking was waiting behind Professor McGonagall at the entrance to the Great Hall. Aww, ickle-firsties, Katherine thought, but then immediately corrected herself, reminding herself that she was now a professor.

The next thing that reached her mind was Dumbledore's warning against favoring a certain student, and she immediately began scanning the crowd. She'd seen some at Diagon Alley, and others she didn't recognize. Well, there's Draco Malfoy, she thought, repulsed. It obviously wouldn't be him. Ah, possibly the Weasley boy... I can't remember his name, though... I don't know the bushy-haired girl standing next to him, but I do know Neville. I'm not sure... I don't think I know any others, though I've seen some of them around Diagon Alley…

Suddenly she did a double-take. James? Impossible! But then she noticed a small, jagged scar on his forhead. "Harry!" she whispered. "James's son... oh, heavens, do I understand now!" Tears filled her eyes at the sight of the child, a spitting-image of his father and a friend she'd lost.

She glanced down the table to where the Potions Master sat, and she couldn't help but give a small smirk when she saw him. He had a scowl on his face, which he quickly rid himself of, so he'd obviously seen the boy also.

As Professor Dumbledore rose, a hush fell over the room as the crowd of students and teachers respectfully acknowledged their headmaster. A stool was placed in the center of the room, directly in front of the professors' table. Placed on top of it was a ratty, old hat, which unless one knew, looked like a pile of rags.

To the surprise of some, it sprang to life, belting out its song-- always different from previous years. Once it finished, Professor McGonagall came forth with a scroll of parchment with the students' names on it, and the sorting began.

Katherine didn't take in much more of their sorting than that of those she knew. For example, Draco Malfoy was obviously put into Slytherin before the hat had barely brushed his head.

His father will be glad to hear that, she thought.

Then there was the Weasley boy, put into Gryffindor like the rest of his siblings. Another Gryffindor was Neville Longbottom. Though he seemed timid (and a bit clumsy), it was no surprise when she thought of his parents.

Finally came the moment that many had been waiting for. Harry slowly sat on the stool once his name was called, and the room was hushed other than a few curious murmurs. The murmurs slowly grew louder as the hat was placed on his head, sagging over his eyes. It seemed to take ages as the hat considered all possibilities. Katherine understood how complex it must have been. His parents had been extraordinary people, and where to place their son, also The Boy Who Lived, should be a challenging task.

Finally the boy shifted a little, and all went silent in the hall. That was when the hat bellowed its decision, to much of the cheering of that table: "GRYFFINDOR!"

The sortings, which no one paid much attention to any longer, ended quickly, and the headmaster rose again to begin the year. After the usual and unusual welcome and doings, the feast began.

Katherine had almost forgotten how incredible the food at Hogwarts was. She herself hadn't eaten one of the meals for as long as she'd been away, and now she realized how much she missed it. It was just another reason she was glad to be back.

She much enjoyed her time at the feast, eating and chatting with those around her, like Professors Flitwick and Sprout, whom she was seated between. As things quieted down as the students were full and getting and sleepy, they were taken by their head of house to their dormitories. Katherine simply sat for a while as people left. Eventually she decided it was time for her to be leaving, also, so she slipped out, one of the last to leave.

She plodded slowly up the stairs, gazing around herself as she remembered what it was like to walk up these same steps years before. Suddenly, almost instinctively, she paused.

That's odd... why did I do that? With a simple shrug, she took another step, which caught her foot and caused her to trip and fall. She attempted to rise, but seemed to be stuck.

Dammit. It's the trick stair. No matter how she tried, her foot wasn't going to be coming out any time soon. It seems like I'll be waiting for someone to come find me.

She twisted about some, until she could position herself comfortably and not look totally idiotic, considering her situation. She shifted and fidgeted, finally putting her chin in her hand. It seemed to take ages for anyone to come, and whenever she heard a sound, the footsteps wouldn't come past.

Finally footsteps echoed her way; Severus Snape came about the corner. He stopped at the bottom of the staircase, lip curling as he noticed her. "Well Katherine," he said with a smirk as he ascended, "it seems you're in a bit of a sticky situation." He swaggered to a stop merely a step below her, seemingly enjoying the agitation it was causing her.

She pursed her lips, ready to argue, but then simply sighed. "Spare me, Severus, and just get me out of here."

"Fine," he said, with one last, conceited smirk. He held out his hands, and moved one foot back to brace himself. Katherine firmly grasped his hands. He tugged, and not expecting such a hard pull, she flew forward, easily coming out of the step, and fell against him.

She reflexively grabbed his shoulders, and he grasped hers, keeping her from falling any farther. She was glad he'd braced himself, or else both of them would have tumbled down the stairs. She slowly regained herself, pulling away. Their cheeks brushed, and she felt herself blush red.

Not willing to meet his eyes, she stared at the floor. "Thank you..." she said, the thought trailing off. She glanced up quickly to see him give a curt nod, then he walked off, pursuing any business he had left for that night.

She stood for a moment, pondering things; snapping out of her reverie, she turned about, barely remembering to hop over the stair, and hastily made her way back to her room.

Sitting on the edge of her bed and replaying the scene in her mind, she shivered at the awkwardness of it and how embarrassing it was. It seemed impossible to pry her mind off of that man, though. And why she blushed she wasn't sure. Was it only embarrassment, or was there something more to the color in her cheeks?

-

A/N: 'Tis the End of this chapter. Give me reviews! I need motivation: P I have to totally redo the next chapter, so expect it to be a while, since school's starting, too. But please, do review.