(a/n) Thank you to Kat for reviewing! It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And a big thank you to those who alerted and favorited this story! It makes me want to write even more now. :)

Disclaimer: See first chapter. Original Characters belong to me.

Chapter 6

Dreams were something that Lumina rarely ever experienced but when she had fallen into that deep slumber, her mind was filled with images of swirling silver mist and the ghostly forms of people around her. Whispers surrounded her, the hushed voices leaning close at the ghosts drifted closer to her.

Who is she? A ghost of a woman asked as she glided around Lumina, looking her over from head to toe.

Is she dead? A ghost of a man whispered from behind her and Lumina whirled around in fright.

She is neither alive nor dead…but she is still my daughter… A voice spoke from her right and the silvery form of a woman emerged from the mist, her long hair floating about her face. It was Lumina's mother, Ceverina Peacecraft, gliding toward her daughter with her arms held out as if to embrace her. Lumina knew that none of it was real the moment that her mother stopped across from her and dropped her arms.

I will do all in my power to make my daughter whole again… Her mother whispered as a strange two sided mirror appeared between them. Her mother looked terribly sad as she reached out to touch the mirror and Lumina cried out as the mirror exploded with a bang and glass shattered down to the floor, a million pieces of broken light…

--

Lumina had awoken with a jerk, the sound of actual glass shattering to the floor outside of her compartment reaching her through her mental fog. She had slid down in her seat, her face scrunched up against the steamy window of the compartment. It was even darker outside and the rain that splattered against the glass blurred the passing scenery into shades of dark grey and black. The train was already making its journey up north and she had been asleep the entire trip. Her heart was hammering as she heard raucous laughter out in the hall as well as footsteps that stomped away. A sudden burst of temper welled up tight in her chest. They were a bit lively? A bit more like a bunch of unruly animals…

She was a bit disoriented as she staggered to her feet and slid the door open with surprising force. She stepped out into the hall just in time to see the shattered glass of the compartment door across from hers repair itself in the window. She cast a dark glance up the hallway to find the retreating forms of three laughing students already in their school robes.

"What is going on here?!" Her voice cut through the noise like a sharpened blade and silence fell as the three students turned around in surprise. Other students that lingered in the hall had focused their attention on the sudden sight of an adult standing in their midst with a look of intense anger on her face. Lumina's eerie green eyes focused on the three students who stared at her with stunned looks on their faces. Apparently, they were not aware that there would be other passengers aboard the Hogwarts Express that weren't students.

Her gaze focused on the one in the middle, who looked to be no more than in his early teens with blond hair that was slicked back from a pointed face. "What are you doing out here that there needs to be so much of a racket?!"

By this time, the other doors to the compartments had slid open and curious students poked their heads out to find what the source of the loud voice was. The door across from Lumina had slid open as well and several students looked at Lumina with surprised faces before glancing over the other three students that she was currently glowering at. Of course, the three students did not answer her question and continued to stare at her as if she were a ghost. She took in a breath as two red patches appeared on her tanned cheeks. "I'm sure you three gentlemen have seats somewhere on this train. Do me a favor and find them now."

Lumina continued to glare at them as they mumbled under their breaths and left the hall. She tried to stem the sudden rise of her temper as she turned her smoldering gaze to the students across from her and then disappeared back into her compartment, the door sliding closed behind her. While she plopped herself back down on the seat, she huffed and tried to roll the crick out of the left side of her neck. She wandered again why she was doing this. If this was what she would be looking forward to dealing with on a day to day basis, it would most likely mean the end of her sanity…

--

"Who was that?" Ron asked as he stared at Harry and Hermione with wide eyes.

"I don't know, a new professor?" said Harry, staring thoughtfully at the repaired window of the door. It wasn't often that adults rode on the train aside from the conductor and the trolley witch. There had only been one incident exactly a year before of another adult riding on the train and it had been their DADA teacher, Remus Lupin. Seeing as he had resigned from the post at the end of the last school year, it wouldn't be surprising if that woman turned out to be the new DADA teacher.

"She did seem a bit out of place," said Hermione, and she sat back down in her seat and resumed reading her copy of Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron, and he plopped down on his seat beside Harry and Neville Longbottom.

"Didn't you notice her clothes?" asked Hermione, and she set her book back down on her lap. "She was wearing Muggle clothes; jeans, a t-shirt and black boots." She shrugged and focused on her book again. "But it was her trench coat that threw me off. I've never seen anything like it. It was completely covered with dragon scales."

"I thought she was scary…" said Neville, who had been reminded of a particular Potions Master from the scowl that had adorned the woman's face. He looked at Harry and his eyes grew wide. "Did you see her eyes when she looked at us? They were so eerie; I could have sworn they looked like they were glowing…" He suppressed a shudder and turned his attention back to the miniature model of Viktor Krum that belonged to Ron.

"Well, whoever she was, she really got one over on Malfoy, huh?" said Ron, who looked positively delighted over the fact that the blond student from Slytherin had been yelled at. He had been in a gloomy mood since Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had left the compartment. After the little scene that had transpired between the Slytherin students and the unknown woman, he looked more cheerful and he started to engage Neville in recap of what had happened at the Quiddtich World Cup over a week before.

Harry had remained somewhat quiet for the rest of the journey to Hogwarts. He listened to Ron as his friend talked on and on about the World Cup and Viktor Krum, Neville listening with rapt attention. As they changed into their school robes, Harry found his thoughts drifting back to the strange woman. Neville had been right; the woman's eyes had appeared to have a very faint glow to them. Harry had gotten a good look at those eyes when the woman had stared at them. It had not been the subtle glow of them that had thrown him off, it was the fact they were so green and the pupils were, not black, but haunting silver. He hoped it had been a trick of the lanterns in the hall.

The Hogwarts Express had finally slowed to a stop in the pitch black darkness of Hogsmeade station. As Harry and the others gathered themselves up against the torrential downpour that awaited them, the compartment door across from them opened. They all looked up to find the woman emerging from her compartment with her luggage in hand. She paused in surprise at the sight of them, studying each of them in turn, before she moved off to follow the rest of the students off of the train.

"I told you Harry, that woman is scary…" said Neville, who stood behind Harry trying his best not to shudder. Harry said nothing in reply and moved with his friends off of the train and into the storm. He looked around and spotted the woman among the crowd of students heading toward the carriages that waited to take them to school. She was easy enough to find with that blindingly white stripe of hair that was in direct contrast with the rest of her dark hair. He wondered who exactly this strange woman was…

--

Lumina had the pleasure of being completely soaked through from the rain as she followed the students toward the carriages that lined the street. She was about to head to one of the carriages in the middle of the row when the animals that were pulling the carriages caught her eye. She stopped in surprise, having a few of the students behind her throw her rather annoyed and curious glances.

The reason for her sudden stop was because staring back at her was a creature like none she had ever seen. It could have been described as a horse but it resembled a very undead horse. One of the creatures eyed her with blank, white, shining orbs as she walked closer to it. It's face was best described as sort of dragonish with a long, black mane that fell over its neck. Its great leathery wings were folded tightly along the sides of its skeletal body. Lumina moved even closer to study the creature with open facination and it moved its head to sniff her hair. Whatever it had smelled, Lumina had no clue, but it liked the scent and it bumped its forehead against hers. She giggled softly and reached a hand out to touch its muzzle. "You're a lot like me, aren't you?"

It huffed in reply, its white eyes watching her before a voice called out to her. "Ma'am? Are you going to board the carriage?" Lumina looked to find a student staring at her rather curiously, not even passing a glance to the horse beside her. She wondered if the student could see it…

Rubbing the horse's muzzle, she gathered her luggage and moved to climb into the carriage.

--

"So you're the one the Headmaster hired, are you?"

A wheezy voice greeted her as she made her way into the entrance hall of the castle, dragging the mud and wet with her. Students filed passed her, some of them whispering behind their hands and pointing her way. She eyed them wearily while she set her luggage down and grabbed fistfuls of her hair to give it a good squeeze. Water splattered down to the already slick floor and she caught the look of pure annoyance on the man's face who stood waiting for her. She flicked her wet hands for good measure and studied the man across from her. She had to say that if first impressions were anything to say, this man was nothing to rant about. He was slighty hunchbacked with thin grey hair and pale eyes. He wore a long brown coat and curling just behind his legs was a rather thin looking cat with dust colored fur and lamp-like eyes. Lumina eyed the cat curiously before putting her attention back to the man. He had his hands behind his back and his frown looked like it had been permantantly carved on his face.

"Well, are you?" He asked rather impatiently. Argus Filch had to admit, this young woman standing in the entrance hall dressed in Muggle clothing and her dripping, dark hair with the skunk stripe along the front, was not what he had been expecting. Dumbledore had said that he had hired extra hands in order to help lighten the work load that Filch had been receiving. Of course, Dumbledore had been vague on the details, he had only said that she was "a delightful woman who is not afraid of hard work."

"Yes, I'm the one the Headmaster hired. You are Mr. Filch?" said the woman, her green eyes were studying him, there seemed to be something that didn't quite settle about those eyes. Filch's frown deepened and gave a stiff nod, she had a strange accent, where did Dumbledore find this one?

"I'm Argus Filch, the caretaker. Headmaster Dumbledore gave strict instructions that you were to leave your things here and follow me to the Great Hall. Dinner will be beginning shortly so you'll be having the honor of joining with the rest of the staff." Filch noticed that the woman did not even bother to look up at him as she busied herself of placing her luggage aganst the wall.

"Will my things be here for me after dinner or will they be moved?" She looked up at him as she straightened.

"They'll be moved to your room while you're at dinner. Don't worry about anyone going through your things," said Filch, and he beckoned to the woman to follow him away from the entrance hall. Lumina glanced back at her luggage, heaved a sigh, and went to follow the older man that was shuffling his way toward the doors of the Great Hall. He stopped at the doors, glanced back to make sure she was following, and walked through.

Lumina followed Filch into the Great Hall and was greeted by the sight of the most incredible wizarding architecture she had ever seen. The Great Hall was lined with four long, wooden tables that were currently occupied by almost every student in the school. Hundreds of candles were levitating above these tables and shedding light along with the candelabras that adorned the walls. The most wonderful thing to see however, was the ceiling that had been betwitched to look like the sky outside, which was currently darkly clouded while an occasional streak of lightning pierced through the clouds.

Filch walked along the far end of the wall, followed by Lumina, toward a table that was facing the doors and occupied by the staff. Lumina noted that Dumbledore was sitting in the middle of this table; he was adorned in deep green robes embroidered with many moons and stars. The tips of his long, thin fingers were together and he was staring at the betwitched ceiling as if deep in thought. There were other professors, witches and wizards, that eyed her with open curiosity and fascination.

"C'mon then…" Filch wheezed as he walked along the staff table toward where Dumbledore sat. The teachers that sat at the table watched Lumina as she followed the caretaker. A tiny wizard who sat on a large pile of cushions at the far end of the table caught her eye and he gave a smile and a wave in welcome. She blinked in surprise then hesitantly waved back. The witches beside the tiny wizard, who had been in deep conversation, stopped to give her puzzled looks then turned to one another to continue their conversation.

Beside the two witches, a wizard in pure black robes sat with what looked like a permanent scowl on his sallow skinned face. He had shoulder length, greasy dark hair that fell about his hook nosed face, giving him the look of a predatory bird waiting to make its kill. As Lumina passed this teacher, he glanced up at her with eyes that were as dark as onyx. She looked away at once and suppressed the shudder that threantened to break through. There was something disturbing about that man…

"Ah Lumina!" Dumbledore greeted her warmly as she stopped in front of him. Filch glared at her before he left to take his seat on the opposite end of the table. Lumina watched the old caretaker shuffle off before she leaned over the table and smiled at the Headmaster. "I don't think he likes me very much Albus."

Dumbledore laughed gently as he shook his head and leaned in close to her. "Do not take it personally, he isn't very fond of anyone."

"You don't say," replied Lumina dryly, and she smiled when Dumbledore laughed even more.

"How was the Hogwarts Express? The trip does take awhile but I'm sure it wasn't all bad," said Dumbledore, clasping his hands and setting them on the table. His blue eyes were focused on hers, taking in the sight of her silver irises with that pang of sympathy that always welled up when he saw her.

"To be honest, I don't know. I was asleep almost the entire way," said Lumina, her smile was coming easier now that she was talking with someone that she knew well and, she couldn't believe, trusted. "I was woken up rather abruptly by some of the students playing around outside my compartment but aside from that it was the most quiet journey I ever experienced."

Dumbledore chuckled some more, his blue eyes twinkling. "Well then, I am glad you were able to enjoy it." He focused his gaze beyond the woman in front of him and smiled. "I hope you aren't going to regret coming here Lumina. I will warn you, this place does get a bit… lively at times."

Where had she heard that one before? The voice of the witch from the train came tumbling back through her memory. "Lively as in 'these are rabid animals running loose and they will tear you limb from limb if you are not careful?'" Her smile deepened as Dumbledore's face grew suddenly serious and he gave a grave nod.

"Precisely."

Her laughter rang out above the buzz of conversation that filled the Great Hall, the sound of it so surprising that the people nearest to the high table looked curiously to find the source. She wiped a tear from her eye as her laughter subsided; Dumbledore was chuckling as well. "I should go sit down before I bring uneeded attention to your table." Her green eyes were sparkling. "Thank you so much for the laugh Albus, I needed it."

"Anytime you are in need Lumina," replied Dumbledore, his blue eyes bearing that constant twinkle behind his half moon spectacles.

Lumina smiled a little more and threw a glance at the empty seat beside the headmaster. She wondered who was supposed to be sitting there? Her eyes moved further down to catch the hook nosed professor studying her with a look on his face that was hard to read. His black eyes remained fixed on hers until she finally looked away and moved to to her seat on the opposite end of the table. This time she did shudder. She didn't know what it was about that wizard but it was enough to make her hair stand on end.

She took her seat just in time as another professor marched into the Great Hall, a parade of small children following behind the witch. Lumina watched them with interest and settled herself in for what was going to be a very long evening…