A fifth year transferee student. From Beauxbatons. Kingsley's got to be kidding. Fifth years were the most insufferable gits to ever walk on this castle. High enough to step on someone, but not high enough to mature and have some respect for others despite their positions. Make her a Beauxbaton transferee was just plain overkill. She was stuck with them for Lord knows how long. She began her death march towards the first class.

Just last night she told her two boys she was going to be assigned to somewhere very far. The island of Tahiti to be exact. Remus was not very happy with the prospect of a lot of beach boys. But overaall she thought they took it pretty well. She saw Teddy this morning in the great hall eating the sandwich they made last night. Remus was not on the staff seat. Since Tonks told him he was far too old to sulk, he was just probably walking in the woods.

She was walking towards her new class when she noticed a girl fidgeting at the door. The girl was on the point of holding the door handle to swing it forward. Only to change her mind on the last minute. Her hands withdrew limply to her side just inches before she could touch the knob.

Other people went past her to enter the door so she went inconspicuously to the side of the wall.

She was alone again.

She sighed.

Tonks went forward, but before she could approach the girl, another girl with short raven hair went to her.

"Peggy."

"Yes Alice, "

"Get inside, you'll be late."

"Yes Alice."

She scanned the expanse of the room, and decided to settle to an inconspicuous seat near the back.

.oOo.

Peggy Price was a student who had few friends. Only these selected friends had the high privilege of talking to her: Serenity Gertrude Blythe and Alice Forster. The others were not quite so lucky. Her extremely curly hair was not helping either. It was so curly and bushy that back in muggle school, people have been teasing and calling her a witch. And it hurt. Now at least in this new society, there was an improvement. It didn't matter when people called her witch anymore. Because it was apparently true.

So it was that she went to her classes just like any ordinary day, that is, with a dreadful knot in her stomach as she approached the room.

Alice had already taken her usual place in one corner of the room which must have already been branded with her name. Her desk being in the corner, she would levitate it closer to the wall corner still, and there she would do Merlin knows what things. If she was in that mode, people would do good to best stay clear of her because there would be an unknown verbatim of "do not disturb this corner" if you so much as get near the de facto radius. It must be because of the aura, or maybe just the icing charm she placed on the whole surroundings near her corner if you got near.

In front of them, some students was marching up and down with their loud voices whatever they wanted to say. Some were singing opera (Peggy caught some of the lyrics, something along the lines of, "like fire, hell fire..."). Chalk scrapping run in the background as students found it hard to resist the temptation of doodling on the boards despite teacher's orders to do so otherwise.

Today though, there was something different. There was a transfer student. From Beauxbatons too! Everyone always gets interested with a transfer student from Beauxbatons. They were the prim and proper. They wore corsets even in their sleep. Gentle and quiet spirits that dance ballets when they walk ... Just like Serenity Gertrude Blythe.

But When Peggy finally settled in her seat, she was surprised that the new girl was sitting beside her.

"Wotcher!"

Peggy was quite taken aback by her warm greeting.

"Are you the new transfer student?"

"Violet Sharp," she held out her hand.

Peggy stared at it.

"What's wrong?" said Violet.

"I I don't know," said Peggy.

"What Peggy probably want to say is, perhaps it is normal for a normal person to greet another normal person like that. But seeing that she is not one of those normal people, what you did was an unexpected behavior, " said a raven-haired girl on her right, who was busy typing in a thin box on her desk.

"What did I exactly do?" asked Violet.

"You greeted her," said the girl.

Violet raised her eyebrow. "But I just greeted you. It wasn't that particularly nice. It's what a normal chap would do."

"Exactly."

"Don't mind if you don't understand half of what Alice says so much. I don't even half-understand them myself," said Peggy to her left.

"Hello," Serenity Gertrude Blythe made a slight bow to greet them properly. She was wearing a neat and pressed jumper, and her hair was combed properly, it fell on her shoulders lank. "I'm Serenity Gertrude Blythe. Welcome to Hogwarts."

Tonks took her sight up and down. Peggy also looked. It made her aware of a loose thread on her jumper and one or two strand of hair loose in her own head. She was, Peggy would tell later, "Laces and laces and petticoats with not a thread or a strand of hair out of place." which in turn would make her wipe her hands (which she noticed was dirty all of a sudden) on her jumper and attempt to make her hair go flat.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Violet Sharp," said Violet.

"I heard you were from Beauxbatons. My pa wanted me to go there too, so I could be properly educated, but ma didn't want me far from home. Did they still have keep those fire roses in their garden? I got to visit there once on a trip, and my cousins were really sorry I couldn't stay there for good."

"Oh. I haven't really noticed, sorry. The garden was so huge, I could barely have time to tour it round."

"How," said Serenity confused, "could you not have time to view a garden?"

Violet shrugged. "Duty calls, time-budget cuts."

"Well, I'm sure you can find time to visit in the future. Surely, it can be negotiable." Serenity frowned a little bit, "Peggy's right, you know, you would be able to listen and learn properly if you were closer to the front," said Serenity.

"I'd just stay here thanks, " said Violet.

Serenity did not seem very pleased with the idea but she did not say anything. She smiled amiably again then went away, just like a politician.

Peggy watched Violet as she looked around. From the room full of the usual tableau for students, lounging about, talking nonsensical it would be hard to believe it would be the next generation of leaders, instead of just a bunch of midgets waiting for their next class.

"What are you looking at?" said Peggy, following her gaze. She was looking at Alice. Or rather, the boy that was on his knees and apparently begging her for something.

"Mr. Willis, you had the audacity to send this ridiculous letter that you had to hand it down to Peggy in order to give it to me. Get out of my way, or I will be forced to override school rules and use force," said Alice, her short raven hair falling limply on her shoulders.

"Please, please, please, give me a chance," said the boy. Ice had gone to form on her desk.

"Dearest Alice." the boy's eyes widened in mortification as Alice recited his letter dryly. "Ever since I saw you, I was already in love. If you only knew, I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep just by thinking of you. Every time you pass by the common room, I am always happy to see your raven black hair, If you could just come down from your dormitory on a Saturday night, maybe we could meet."

Alice's eyes flashed irritation and a tinge of amusement. She covered her mouth to keep a straight face, but a slight smirk had already escaped from it.

"This is by far the most irritating, idiotic letter I have ever set my eyes on. If I only knew what? About your feelings of not being able to eat and sleep? You don't need to see me. You need to see Madam Pomfrey."

"But it's because of love." The walls was now also been covered with ice. Underneath the chair, icicles were drip-dripping slowly to the floor.

"Look, love is all good and well. Even if it's just oxytocin production you could feel when meeting any random nice person who can commend themselves to your liking, but if you are really intent upon this useless endeavor, I must ask you to submit a Curriculum Vishay, a report on your assets and liabilities on the things that you deem to not be confidential, and an essay report on your emotional and psychological state of strengths and weaknesses. See if we could work it out. You can also add your copy of grades so I can get a look on the subjects that you've already taken and how many units you have already earned. So I could see what sort of topics we can discuss over. See if at least you are fit for me to spend at least five minutes of my precious idle time on having a conversation with you."

The boy tilted his head. He did not even understand half of the things she was saying….

"Otherwise, you just have to admit that our correlation coefficient is not enough to even consider a 30 second allotment in the processing in our brains.."

"Why do I have a feeling that you are trying to scrutinize him for hiring?" said Violet.

Alice chuckled. "No. That would be ridiculous. He would not even be permitted inside my building's premises, let alone hire him."

Alice finally went passed him. When Alice turned her back, Peggy edged near the boy. "Here's your jumper. I know she can be cold sometimes. Just don't take it to heart. She's a person who can't tolerate stupidity. I know, I'm staying away myself."

"Y...you're kidding.. right?" said the boy shivering.

"Peggy," Alice snapped her finger.

"Yes, boss!" Peggy went over to her side as quick as a PA would if her boss snapped her finger. "Hold out your hand," said Alice as a morning greeting. She obeyed, and Alice clamped a bracelet to her.

"What is this?" asked Peggy.

"It's a bracelet that has a watch underneath. It's very convenient and it will save the buyer money, so instead of buying a bracelet and a watch, she can just have both."

"Oh, amazing," said Peggy, shaking the bracelet rings on her finger.

Alice tried to stay her hand. Not quickly enough. "Don't shake it, it's-"

Her instruction came too late. They already disappeared and appeared on different parts of the room.

Alice shot her an annoyed look, and said sharply, "It's a portkey that transports you a few paces from where you are. For people who are always running late. Now you just charged 50 knuts on my transportation bills!"

"Don't shake it. Got that," said Peggy, panting from the ride.

But when a prim woman went inside, the room's noise and all-out shenanigans immediately stopped as if in a turned off radio. Her hair was knotted tightly in a bun behind her back and she wore a cardigan and smart slacks with matching spike heels.

"My name is Emma Williams and I will be teaching you muggle studies. Mr. Stevens, please refrain from playing with the handle of that muggle contraption. It took us a lot of permits just to get that here," she smiled kindly.

"But it's so ridiculous professor! They have this thing to make ice when all you have to do is cast a freezing charm."

Mrs. Williams nodded. "Muggles are helpless creatures. Almost everyone had to depend on big contraptions in substitute for their sustenance to supplement their lack of magic."

Peggy knew that Alice would be far from agreeing to the muggle studies Professor because of her face. She was frowning but I think she thought it impractical to interrupt and enforce her opinions for no gain. And so the teacher went on about how muggles was able to produce more food by making more complicated plow. Though the muggle's new toys were impressive, as it is, it remains simply as toys to the superior civilization of the wizarding world. And so the teacher went on about how muggles.

She could see Alice tapping her feet which she did when she was usually impatient. "This is a ridiculous class," said Alice. "This kind of indoctrination is going to make them vulnerable and open to attacks, the moment that the statue of secrecy gets leaked."

"Aren't you a witch too?"

"Darling, I'm a muggle-born who happens to be a witch. I am not a witch who happens to be a muggle-born," said Alice.

"Then I am too!" said Peggy. "But the wizards are strong and mighty. Nothing stands in their way."

"Yeah. But I always sometimes feel that a small battering would tear this world apart until it has gone to the dogs, before it could come out again to learn from its mistakes." said Alice. "They are growing in such a small pace. They are stuck because there was no need to learn makeshift things. They were not pressured by scarcity and survival for their knowledge to grow."

"They have magic," said Peggy.

"Let's see if it saves them then," answered Alice smugly. She did not know how true her simple words could become in the near future. Because like her classmates, she was only also thinking and looking forward to their next class which will not be irritating. Because it was the DADA subject that everyone loved.

They were waiting for their next class when Tonks saw Alice fumbling and musing with her wand. "If the wand responds by using Latin words, why on earth didn't Hogwarts just have a subject to teach students the Latin language, instead of having us memorize a mountain of spells?"

Tonks looked questioningly at her other seatmate across them.

"Muggleborn," Peggy shrugged as an explanation.

"I believe we have not properly been introduced. My name is Alice. Alice Forster" said Alice, holding out her hand. "Pleasure to meet you.

"Nice to meet you. And I'm-" said Violet.

"Miss Violet Sharp of the Gryffindor Department. the new transfer student from Beauxbatons." said Alice. Tonks was surprised. And impressed. One glance at this young girl with glasses and straight raven hair that reached only up to her shoulders told her Ravenclaw.

"It was nice to make your acquaintance, but we have to go." Alice tugged Peggy's robes and motioned towards the door and disappeared . When Peggy looked back, she saw Violet also going out of the room.

Violet saw them stop short on a hallway corner, apparently hiding. Alice carried with her a notebook and she took down notes while Peggy hid behind her and tried to look over her shoulders, apparently hiding. Alice carried with her a notebook and she took down notes while Peggy hid behind her and tried to look over her shoulders.

Tonks looked over Alice's notes.

Expose: The life and times of the tightly-laced Professor R. J. Lupin.

War hero Remus John Lupin along with the Order of the Phoenix had made a name for himself after the defeat of You-Know-Who. He holds a vote in the Wizengamot and had published a handful of research on his own condition of Lycanthropy. Apart from that, he is now the staunch supporter of Werewolf rights. It had been his advocacy for as long as the public can remember. With the advent of Wolfsbane now released from patent, it had become more accessible to large number of the population. Werewolves have since used their skill in the military just as You-Know-Who had originally propositioned. Their resistance to magic and increased strength had made them the right people used for guard for security and law enforcement jobs. And as werewolf vaccine had also been invented (why they did not just borrow that idea from the muggle world long time ago, I have no idea), shielding people from becoming werewolves even if they are bitten, people had become more tolerant to hiring them as guards. Indeed, as of now that the wolf properties can be controlled, being a werewolf has gone so far as to be regarded as an asset in some few cases.

While such a man held power, he chose to stay as a professor in Hogwarts because of his passion in teaching. But what people doesn't know is that Professor Remus John Lupin…

Theory # 1: He sneaks into a hidden lair full of chocolates and he's too ashamed to tell anyone of his unhealthy addiction.

Theory # 2: He's secretly gay and he's allegedly cheating on his wife over Sirius Black.

Violet looked to see what they were gazing at. "Hey, What are you doing?" Peggy abruptly put a stop to her thoughts when Violet's voice spoke suspiciously. From their position across the terrace beyond the window, Professor Lupin was sipping his morning tea and was hiding behind the newspaper.

"Nothing." Alice closed her noted abruptly.

"I'm getting suspicious here. You're all stalkers. Wait. Is that a tabloid article you're writing?" Violet snapped at them.

"No we are not," said Peggy indignantly, "and no, it's not."

"Yes it is! You're hiding behind the corridor and you're following a certain professor. You're more vicious for juicy information than Rita Skeeter on her day off."

"Girls? Is something the matter?" said a deep husky voice on their left.

And Tonks knew perfectly well who it belonged to.