A/N: Thank you to the people who reviewed my previous chapters. However I haven't, as of the day I post this chapter, recieved any reviews for my 5th chapter. Please people, read and review! I guarrantee this is going to be good and if it isn' then write me and I'll change it. (maybe)


Chapter 6: The Professors of Potions and Defense


Harry woke up the next morning feeling refreshed and cheerful. Until he remembered what class he had that day.

"No, not Potions," he mumbled half-heartedly to himself. He then remembered that although he had Potions today, he also had Defense Against the Dark Arts. Potions might not be all bad either, especially if J.D. decided to hit Malfoy again.

Seeing that Ron was still asleep, Harry went over to his bed and shook him.

"Ron wake up! Everybody else is down at breakfast."

"Huh, what? Oh, it's you Harry. Okay I'm up," Ron said sleepily.

Harry and Ron quickly put on their Hogwarts robes and hurried down to breakfast. They seated themselves across from J.D. and Hermione.

"Good morning," Hermione said cheerfully.

"Good morning to you too. Hey, do you know who the new Defense professor is, Herm?"

"No, remember whoever it was wasn't at the Starting feast. I wonder, hmm," Hermione stared off into space.

"Uh, Herm? Hello?" Harry waved a hand in front of her face.

"Allow me, Harry," J.D. said. "MYA!" J.D. shouted right into Hermione's ear.

Hermione started. "What? Oh I'm sorry, I got distracted."

Ron frowned. "By what, Herm?"

"Well, this may sound odd, but I thought I saw Viktor Krum." Hermione said.

"Krum? Here? Where did you see him?" Harry asked her.

"He's over there, whoever he is. Oh, no I got a good look at that boy. It isn't Viktor."

Hermione was busy looking across the Hall, so she missed Ron's quiet sigh of relief.

"I wonder who it is though," Hermione continued, "He looks almost exactly like Viktor. And I don't think I've seen him here before. "

"Oh he's probably just another transfer student. He seems to be making friends with your sister though, J.D." Ron observed.

"Really. Hmm. Oh well. Hello Neville," she said as he sat down, "Are you feeling alright?"

Neville tuned a bit pink. "Oh I'm alright, I suppose. I'll be just fine after Potions."

"Come on Neville, it's a brand new year. Just do your best and try not to let him get to you." Harry suggested.
"Yeah, I guess. The biggest problem I have is that I can't concentrate when he yells at me."

"Is that your problem?" J.D. asked. "Well that's easy enough to fix. I have a spell that will block out all sound for you so that you can work in peace."

"Really? That's great, but what if I need to hear instructions?"

"I can put on and take off the spell at any time. Also you'll work with me and I'll use hand signals." J.D. assured him.

"Well," Neville hesitated, "I imagine that would work, if you're sure you can take it off."

"Of course I'm sure. It's a fairly simple charm and Charms is my best subject. Would you like to try it?" Neville nodded, "Okay, here goes. Tranquillus!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione and J.D. all looked expectantly at Neville. He waited a moment and then gave them the thumbs up sign. J.D. was very pleased that she could help out a friend. She waited another moment and said the counter charm.

"Noisex!" J.D. whispered.

Neville instantly heard all of the noise in the great hall come rushing back to him. The others started asking him questions and he nodded.

"This charm could save my life. Are you sure that I'll be able to hear instructions?"

"Of course. I can turn it off while the teacher is teaching and then turn it on while we get to work." J.D. replied.

"Can you also make sure that if I'm going to be in trouble or something, you know because he thinks I'm not listening, you can turn it off?" Neville asked.

"Sure. At the fist sign of trouble I'll turn it off."

"J.D. that sounds like a great plan, but there's just one small problem," Hermione interjected, "What if Snape catches you performing a spell on Neville?"

"I'll take all of the blame. Besides it doesn't sound like this Professor Snape likes you guys very much so maybe he'd be pleased if we put spells on each other."

"I think the only spell he'd be pleased about would be if you Stunned Neville," Harry replied.

* * *

They rushed into the Potions dungeon only a few minutes before class began. Hurriedly they grabbed seats in the back. J.D. settled in and took out her cauldron, books and papers. She looked up, curious to see who this dreaded Potions professor was. She gasped when she saw him. It was that teacher from the Staff Room.

"I hope you will be earlier next time, Potter," he said.

"Oh no!" J.D. said softly.

"What? What's wrong?" Neville asked her.

"Nothing, I just didn't know he was the teacher." J.D. was not that worried. Like other professors, she just had to learn how to handle this one. However, she knew already that this class was going to cause problems, and as if to prove it Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins were sitting across the room.

"I see we have a new student. Miss Miller I assume that you are adequately prepared. Today, students, we are going to prepare a Diaphanous Draught. You have until the end of the class to figure out how to create it. Begin."

J.D. smiled triumphantly. This was going to be simple! She looked around a the other Gryffindors expecting them to be ready to work. Instead they all looked as if they had been hit in the face with a hard object.

"Mya, what's the matter? Don't you know how to make an Invisibility potion?" J.D. asked.

"No! That's the problem. This is an all time low for Snape. He hasn't taught us how to make this one yet, he hasn't even given us a list of ingredients! If I knew the ingredients at least then I could make it."

"Miss Granger! Ten points from Gryffindor. Keep your voice down." said Snape.

"The Slytherins don't seem to be having that problem," J.D. whispered.

"Potter," Snape yelled, "Why aren't you working? Five points from Gryffindor."

"I'll bet you anything that Snape gave them the instructions before class." Hermione whispered back, "None of us know how to make this potion and we're running out of time!"

"I do," J.D. answered, "and I have an idea."

She zapped a sheet of paper onto her desk that was covered in writing.

"Here, this is the list of ingredients and instructions. Now watch."

Underneath her table while Snape was praising Malfoy's potion, J.D. tapped the paper and said "Copy and Send." Instantly one of those papers arrived at each Gryffindors' table.

"But this isn't exactly going to work with your plan, J.D.," Hermione said.

"But it's not going to get me popularity if it has your name on it."

The Gryffindors were confused for a moment by the sudden appearance of this paper, but when they saw what was on it they got to work. J.D. turned to her right and started to help Neville.

"Okay are you ready Neville?" He nodded, "Tranquillus!"

He gave her thumbs up and started to work. Each Gryffindor had been given specific instructions that if Snape came by their desk, they were to burn the paper. Neville was working well and periodically looked up to make sure that he was doing it properly. He looked up again and panicked. Tapping J.D. on the shoulder, he pointed to show her that Snape was coming. She just looked at him and gave a reassuring nod. She pointed to his paper and made a gesture that told him she was going to burn it.

"Incendio!" J.D. whispered and the paper became a plie of ashes which she quickly swept off the table.

"Longbottom," Snape said with a curl of his lip, "Let's see what disaster you have concocted this time."

Quickly, J.D. performed the counter curse.

"Noisex!" she muttered.

All of the sound in the room came back to Neville. Snape was standing over him glaring menacingly, but he had no idea what to do. He looked over at J.D. and saw that she was pantomiming drinking the potion. He spooned some of his up and drank it. Slowly as he looked at his hands he saw them disappear. It worked so well that if Neville couldn't have felt his hands, he would have thought that they had been cut off.

"Well, it looks as if you have done the potion correctly. Who was whispering instructions in your ear this time?" He said nastily.

Neville paled. Worried, he glanced at J.D. She smiled reassuringly and he felt some of the color return to his face.

"No, no one, sir. I did it by myself," Neville's voice was barely above a whisper.

"Or perhaps Miss Granger assisted you as ususal. Five points from Gryffindor!"

Instantly all of the Gryffindors started yelling at Snape.

"That's not fair!"

"You have no proof!"

"Neville did it by himself!"

Then J.D. added her voice to the rest.

"Excuse me, sir, but Neville created his potion all by himself. Hermione was not close enough to have assisted him, or I would have heard it." J.D. said in a loud clear voice.

Snape stopped. Dumbstruck he turned toward J.D. The other Gryffindors feared that J.D.'s comment meant more points from Gryffindor and were very surprised when Snape spoke again in a more rational voice.

"Be that as that may, Miss Miller, I do not see how Longbottom could have created his potion without a list of ingredients and instructions. Some one must have assisted him."

J.D. knew that she had won this argument, even if Snape did not. He was simply trying to intimidate her into confessing that she had helped Neville. If that was the way he wanted it then fine, but she had another idea.

"Professor Snape, I am new to this school and new to this class. I was not aware that helping a fellow student was against school rules. I will keep that in mind for the future. However, since my classmates were unaware of how to make this potion, while I was aware, I felt it only polite to aide them with the small bit of knowledge I had. If you find this unacceptable, sir, then I will not do it again."

The entire class ground to a halt. Even the Slytherins stopped their laughing to stare at J.D. and Snape. The Gryffindors, other than Harry, Ron, and Hermione, were staring at J.D. with a mixture of awe and horror.

"Alright Miss Miller. This time I will excuse it, but in the future I expect all of my students to work on their own without help. Is that clear?"

J.D. nodded. "Of course Professor. That is perfectly clear."

"Fine. Class will end for today."

The entire class was still sitting, staring at J.D. What they had just witnessed was impossible, and yet they had seen it with their own eyes. J.D. Miller, the strange girl from America, had just spoken back to Snape, and instead of becoming angry and deducting points, he had excused her. Gradually they all got up and made their way to Defense Against the Dark Arts. None of them said a word, but they were still staring at J.D. strangely.

They stepped inside the classroom, and Harry grabbed J.D.'s arm. He pulled her towards a seat in the back.

"What was that? I mean, how did you do that?" Harry asked.

"You mean, that whole thing with Snape? It was simple really. The problem the rest of you have is that you either let him intimidate you or you let him get you angry. I did neither, I simply phrased my statement in a way that was oozing politeness, so he couldn't take away points. I was so respectful it made my teeth hurt, but it worked. Harry, he obviously loathes you and Hermione, so it may not work for you. He doesn't know me yet, so the only thing about me that bothers him is that I'm a Gryffindor."

"But you stood up to Snape! No one has ever done that before without at least getting detention. This isn't exactly going to work with your plans. The other Gryffindors are going to be as shocked as we were."

"I'll deal with that when the time comes. To change the subject, who's the Defense Professor?"

"We don't know," Ron answered, "We have a new one every year. Our favorite was Professor Lupin, but he resigned because he's a werewolf. Last year we were taught by a Death Eater who was disguised as a famous Auror. He was actually our second Death Eater. Let's see, it was two Death Eaters, an idiot (that was Lockhart), and a werewolf. I wouldn't be surprised if this year it was a Kneazle."

"You guys were really taught by a werewolf? That sounds cool."

"Professor Lupin was the best, and he was one of my Dad's best friends." Harry said.

"Guys, look!" Hermione pointed to show that the professor had entered the room. It was a woman.

"Good morning class. I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. My name is Professor Zebré. I understand that you had an interesting teacher last year and I hope to be completely different. "

A few students laughed.

"Today I want to begin with a discussion. This means that everyone must participate. I want to discuss some of the creatures that the Ministry of Magic has declared as known wizard killers. Can anyone name one?"

To no one's surprise Hermione raised her hand. Then Harry, Ron, and Neville raised theirs.

"Well I am glad to see you know your dangerous beasts. Let's start with you Miss Granger." Professor Zebré said.

"The Lethifold, also know as Living Shroud. It resembles a black cloak which glides around at night. The Lethifold attacks it's victims and suffocates them, then digests them," said Hermione sounding like once again she swallowed the textbook.

"Very good Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor. Does anyone know how to defeat a Lethifold? No? That's alright. If you turn to page twenty-seven in your Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them books it says that the Living Shroud is only repelled by the Patronus charm. Now, Mr. Potter?"

"Um, there's the Basilisk. It's a giant serpent. I think it's something like a chicken egg hatched under a toad. It has poisonous fangs, but the greatest danger is it's eyes. If you look directly into them you'll die instantly and seeing them without looking directly at them will get you Petrified."

"Thank you Mr. Potter, five points to Gryffindor. On page three of your books, you will see that it states the Basilisk is only controllable by Parselmouths. It also says that the Basilisk has not been seen in Britain for four hundred years. We know that isn't true, but more on that later. Mr. Weasley?"

"Acromantula, a giant spider able to speak human. Um, it's carnivorous and the females are larger than the males. Let's see, they are absolutely untrainable and there is supposedly," he paused and grinned at Harry, "a colony of them in Scotland."

"Well done Mr. Weasley, another five points to Gryffindor. Mr. Longbottom?"

"The, uh, Nundu," most of the class gasped, "It is a giant leopard which can move silently despite it's size. It also takes at least a hundred wizards to subdue it."

"Correct Mr. Longbottom, five more points for Gryffindor. The Nundu is considered the most dangerous beast alive today. Now I want to ask the class a question and I want everyone to answer it. Out of the creatures in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them or any others you might have met, which one scares you the most?"

They spent the rest of the class discussing their fears. Professor Zebré told them that in their next class they would discuss ways to conquer those fears, because fear was something that the Dark Arts used to take control.

"That was a really good lesson," Hermione said as they were walking to lunch.

"Yeah I hope she stays for more than a year. She seems really good," Harry said.

"She does seem good. I like the whole part about conquering our fears. I think it's a good idea," Ron said.

"Yeah, I wonder what's for lunch." J.D. responded.

* * *
They seated themselves around the Gryffindor table and started to eat lunch. They were talking and being their normal selves. Harry was about to ask Ron a question about Quidditch when Hedwig flew in and dropped a letter on his plate.

"Why are you getting mail now Harry?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know. I thought mail only came at breakfast." He offered Hedwig some of his lunch. She hooted her thanks and flew off toward the Owlery.

"Well go on and open it." Ron said.

"Maybe I'd better wait. It could be from Snuffles." Harry glanced around to make sure no one was listening to them.

"Who's Snuffles?" J.D. asked, confused.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged a look. "I guess we'd better fill you in. Come back to the Tower with us." Harry said.

* * *

For the third time in three days J.D. was sitting in those squashy chairs in font of the fireplace. This time however the conversation was not about her.

"So who's this Snuffles person?" she asked.

"He's my godfather," Harry replied.

"Oh. So what's the big deal? Why can't you talk about him? He's not like an escaped convict of something, is he?" J.D. laughed.

"Well actually he is. My godfather is Sirius Black."

"He's an escaped convict? Wow." J.D. said.

"Wait, didn't you hear the name?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, Sirius Black. So?"

"Don't you know who Sirius Black is?" Ron asked her.

"Should I?" She replied.

"He's famous! Well, famous for something he didn't do." Ron answered.

"Wait, that name does ring a bell. Didn't he kill thirteen people at once?"

"Actually, no. But everyone thinks he did. It wasn't him," Harry said.

"Oh. Okay, well aren't you going to open your letter?"

Harry ripped open the envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper that indeed did seem to be from Sirius Black.

Harry scanned the letter. "He says that he's back in Hogsmeade. Oh, and he wants us to meet him in the Shrieking Shack when we have our next trip. That's Halloween."

"That sounds okay. You'd better write him back, Harry," Hermione said.

"Okay, we'll all go and see him on Halloween. J.D. you can't mention Sirius to anyone. At all, not even your sister."

"Why would I say anything to my sister? She and I aren't speaking right now."

"Why, did you have a fight?" Hermione inquired.

"I can't stand seeing Crystal with Malfoy. I tried to talk to her about it, but she just won't listen to me. I don't really wan to talk about it right now. What class do we have next?"

"Charms," Ron replied.

"Oh good. That's my best subject."

* * *

As they hiked back down to Charms Harry realized just how much exercise he had had in the pat few days. This led to other thoughts including some particularly disturbing ones about Voldemort. Harry was constantly wondering whether or not Voldemort was doing something right at that very moment. He was particularly worried because there had been no sign of him for months.

Pushing all thoughts of Voldemort from his mind he settled into his regular seat in Professor Flitwick's class. He looked up toward the front of the classroom and then pinched himself.

"Oww." he muttered.

It wasn't a dream. That girl in the front of the class really was Fleur Delacour.

"'Arry! It eez you!" she exclaimed and came forward.

"Fleur? What are you doing here?" Harry asked her, confused.

"Well it eez like zis, Professor Flitwizk needed an assistant and 'ere est moi!"

"You have a job here?" Harry asked.

"Oui, Charms eez my best sujet {subject}. 'Ow are you?" Fleur inquired.

"I'm fine. Oh, you remember my friends Ron and Hermione," Harry said.

Fleur looked searchingly at Ron as if she was trying to remember something about him.

"Oh oui! You are ze ozzer boy who rescued my sister from ze lake! 'Ow are you?" Before Ron could respond she had turned to Hermione, "Et you, you are Viktor's girlfriend, oui?

"Uh, non. We broke up a while ago." Hermione said, somewhat flustered.

"Oh well, c'est la vie. 'Arry, Cedric, how are 'is parents?"

"As well as can be expected. Um, hadn't you better be getting the class started," Harry asked.

"Oh, oui. Merci 'Arry,"

"Hey Harry," Dean Thomas whispered from another table, "She looks awfully familiar. Isn't she beautiful?"

"She should look familiar," Harry whispered back, "She was one of the Triwizard Champions. And she's part veela."

"She really is something, isn't she?" Ron said as Professor Flitwick began the class.

After Ron said that J.D. noticed a slight scowl on Hermione's face, but later she thought she must of imagined it.

Not to be outdone by anyone, Hermione had requested that they all learn the Tranquility Charm that J.D. had used on Neville. Professor Flitwick thought that that was an excellent idea. He even hinted that the charm might be on their upcoming O.W.L.s.

They left the class feeling distinctly more tranquil, although Hermione was the only one, other than J.D., who mastered it completely. They were moving towards the Great Hall when J.D. stopped in her tracks.

"I don't know if I can handle this right now," she said.

"What are you talking about? Come on it's time for dinner," Ron said

"I just don't think I can go through another meal, watching my sister sit with that disgusting jerk."

"J.D. you have to eat," Hermione declared.

"Not now I don't. Go on without me, I'll be up in the Common Room." With that she turned and went back up the corridor.

J.D. went up to her room and flung herself on her bed. Then she pulled out the bag Cynthia had bought her and opened it up. Inside was a vial of silvery-clear liquid and a note.

Dear Jay,

You know what this is. It should last you about 9 hours if I calculated it right. Don't take it all at once, because I don't think that's very good for you. Have fun!

– Cynthia


Now all she had to do was wait for the other girls to go to sleep. Then she could find out exactly what she needed to know.