Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat down in an empty compartment near the back of the train. They chatted nervously until their compartment door slid open.
"Father says the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is a girl. Yuck!" came the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"What are you doing here, Draco?" Hermione asked crossly.
"Just came to see our three favorite people," he said sarcastically, "Potty, Weasel, and Mudblood."
"Yeah," Crabbe and Goyle said. Draco glanced at Ron's owl, which was sitting next to him.
"So your folks finally got you an owl, eh, Weasley? Must have cost them three months worth of food." Ron jumped to his feet, as did Harry and Hermione.
"Is there any trouble back here?" came a calm voice. Draco whirled around.
"Uh, no ma'am," he said, then motioned to Crabbe and Goyle to leave.
"Hello, kids. My, my, that's a nasty boy. I used to hate being teased by people like him. They teased me because my best friend was a muggle born, but I didn't really care. I suppose that must be Lucius Malfoy's son," the young woman said.
"Uh, yeah," Harry replied. If this was their new professr, he liked her already. It was kind of like the instant liking he had taken to Professor Lupin two years before.
"Thank you," Ron said, "I hate it when he does that."
"I'll inform Professor McGonagall," she said.
"Thank you, um........." Harry was at a loss for words.
"Professor Gumtree," she said.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione offered her hand to the professor.
"Always top in everything," Ron and Harry said.
"Nice to meet you, Hermione. Are you really top in everything? Remind me of my old friends........"
"Well, almost everything. Not Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"That's my subject," Harry said with a laugh.
"Of course it's your subject, Harry!" Hermione said.
"Harry? Are you by any chance Harry Potter?" Harry nodded.
"I should have known," she said, "why, how many times I saw those green eyes of Lily's, and that black hair of James'?"
"You knew my parents?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
"Did you know Remus Lupin, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew?" Harry asked without thinking.
"Yes. I was particularly close to Sirius. Never really was close to Peter. I always will hate him for all he's done..................." the professor said quietly.
"What did he do?"
"Oh, it's nothing. By the way, I never did get your name." She looked at Ron.
"I'm Ron Weasley."
"Nice to meet you, Ron." Harry was wondering what she meant about Pettigrew. Did she know?
*Finis*