1 Part 2: The Mysterious Professor Lovedell

They were outside the entrance when they heard a familiar voice calling them.

"ello Harry, Ron and Hermione!" Hagrid's voice boomed from 100m away where he was leading the first years up to the entrance to Hogwarts. Hagrid towered over the first years, which wasn't unusual as he towered over everyone at Hogwarts.

"Hello Hagrid!" The three of them shouted back.

"You know it's hard to believe I was that small when I came here." Ron commented as they made their way up the stairs.

"Offcourse you were, I think both Harry and I were taller than you in our first year!" Hermione said trying to suppress a grin knowing how much this would get to Ron.

"You were NEVER taller than me Hermione Granger!" Ron retorted in a frustrated voice. While Hermione and Ron were arguing Harry's keen Seeker's eyes saw something metallic shine up from the floor. He bent down and picked it up. It was a silver band, probably a ring Harry thought. There was an engraving along the inside of the ring, it read 'M&S Forever'. Harry slipped it into his pocket with the intention of handing it over to Dumbledore within the next few days. But by the time Harry had reached the portrait of the lady in the pink dress and said the password ("kippers and cream") Ron and Hermione had stopped arguing about height and Harry had completely forgotten the ring in his pocket.

After a quick trip to their rooms it was time for the feast.

As they made their way to the Gryffindor table, Ron spotted Draco Malfoy and immediately understood what had Neville in hysterics. Harry and Hermione looked confused as they watched their friend keel over laughing, unable to speak Ron merely pointed to Malfoy. They followed his finger and saw a rather self-conscious looking Malfoy with a large pimple on the end of his nose. Harry and Hermione then joined in with Ron's laughter. Once he had stopped laughing Ron told Harry and Hermione to follow him over to the Slytherin table where he walked up to Malfoy who was standing quite close to Snape. Malfoy stood up in defence "What do you want Weasley!" he snarled at Ron.

"Geez that's a disgusting thing you got stuck with there" Ron said peering closely at Malfoy's nose.

"Nick off Weasley!" Malfoy retorted menacingly.

"Oh I wasn't talking to you Malfoy" Ron replied. "I was talking to the pimple."

Laughing triumphantly Ron, Harry and Hermione made their way back to the Gryffindor table. "That was strange wasn't it." Hermione said.

"Yeah I showed him!" Ron giggled.

"No not that! It was Snape, he was standing quite close by and he didn't bother to tell us off!" Hermione explained.

"Maybe he has other things on his mind, like the new Defence against the Dark Arts professor." Harry suggested.

"Yeah I wonder who it is!" Ron said as they took their place at the table.

After the sorting hat had gone through all the first years and some new Gryffindor's were welcomed at the table, Professor Dumbledore got up to make a speech.

"As we all know Professor Moody has gone back into retirement after a rather eventful year as The Defence against the Dark Arts Professor last year. This year I have the honour of welcoming the new Professor of the subject Marion Lovedell!" Dumbledore said as he gestured to a lady with long dark red hair in her early forties, who was sitting to his right.

"Professor Lovedell was a student at Hogwarts but since then she has been teaching at the Aldinita School of Wizardry in Australia. I'm sure you will all make her feel at home here once more. And I have more good news for you students! As some of you will know every four years a special event takes place here at Hogwarts, but due to all the preparation needed for last years Triwizard Tournament it was postponed till this year. I am talking offcourse about the school's dramatic performance. And the play that has been selected this year is "The Journey of Nine Days" and I'm sure you will be very happy with this choice. Now on with the feast!" Dumbledore proclaimed with a smile as food appeared on plates all around them.

Dumbledore's announcements made quite a stir and there was loud chatter all throughout the Hall.

The next day all of the students were looking forward to meeting their new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.

"Second period we have it!" Ron said excitedly at the breakfast table

"I wonder what she'll be like." Harry pondered out loud.

" I wish we had it now! I don't want to wait!" Ron said with a grin.

"Either you haven't read the time table correctly or you haven't thought it through but don't go wishing it where second period already, because we have potions third..." Hermione said in an unimpressed voice.

"Aren't you even a bit curious Hermione?" Harry asked as they got up from the table.

"Offcourse I am, she seemed so distant yesterday when Dumbledore introduced her I can't help but wonder what she'll be like." Hermione said as they made their way to the Gryffindor tower to get their books.

First period was care of magical creatures and for some reason Hagrid had chosen the first lesson of a New Year to focus on theory. And although it was quite pleasant outside sitting on the grass with their books in front of them, the students could not seem to concentrate on the biological differences between giants and humans.

"Finally time for second period!" Ron exclaimed as they made their way to their next class. "I wonder if having a female Defence against the dark arts will make a difference?" Ron asked nobody in particular.

"Don't be stupid! She will be just as qualified as all the men who have taken this subject!" Hermione said taking offence.

"Well that isn't saying much now is it? Considering the other Professors who taken us!" Ron laughed. With that Hermione stormed off ahead of Ron and Harry. Ron looked distressed while Harry raised his eyebrows in confusion.

"Guess she's a bit on edge, I better catch up to her and apologise." Ron said sheepishly.

"That's a good idea." Harry said as he headed off with Ron until something caught his foot. He looked down and saw that he had stepped on his shoelace. He bent down and began to retie it when he heard a voice from behind him.

"So Potter you feel the need to block the corridor for everyone else do you?" Snape asked maliciously. Harry looked around and found the corridor practically deserted. Then looked up at Snape towering over him imposingly.

"I was just..." Harry tried to explain when Snape interrupted.

"Never mind what you were "just", make sure it doesn't happen again. Five points from Gryffindor!" Snape said, as he looked down his nose in disgust at Harry before walking off, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.

Harry stood up with a frustrated scowl on his face as he made his way to class.

He walked in and found the class without a teacher and all of the students talking. Harry sat down next to Ron who was seated behind Hermione.

"You'll never guess what Snape just did to me!" Harry started to tell Ron, when the door opened and Professor Lovedell walked in. The room immediately went silent.

"Sorry I'm late, I seem to have misplaced something." Professor Lovedell apologised in a clear voice. As the class went on it became clear that she was a strict teacher. And although the students weren't scared of her as they were to Snape, she definitely received respect from them probably due to the interesting stories she told throughout the lesson. She set the class some questions for them to work on quietly, and while they were working Harry couldn't help but look up and study her. She was reading something on her desk then stopped and looked out the window like she was day dreaming. Suddenly Harry noticed how sad she looked. Like she was about to cry. "I wonder why she looks like that?" Harry thought to himself, then put his head down and got back to the set questions.

Sitting in the Gryffindor common room Harry, Ron and Hermione began discussing the events of the day. Ron and Hermione's argument obviously forgotten.

"What a git Snape was today!" Ron exclaimed. "I have never seen such an act of stupidity in all my years at Hogwarts Mr Potter!" Ron imitated Snape in a low voice.

"All I did was knock over a jar! And earlier today he took 5 points from Gryffindor just because I did my shoelace up!" Harry said angry by the injustice.

"I think he probably would have taken 5 points of us if you didn't do it up and he saw it was undone." Hermione commented looking up from the textbook she was pouring over.

"You're probably right, I wonder what has put him in such a bad mood." Harry asked as he leaned back in his armchair.

"Maybe it's Professor Lovedell! Do you think they know each other?" Ron asked with enthusiasm.

"They look about the same age, they might have been in the same year at Hogwarts!" Harry said sitting up with renewed interest.

"Maybe they were in love!" Ron said in an airy voice as he clasped his hands under his chin and fluttered his eyelids. Uncontrollable giggles escaped from Harry and Ron as they tried to picture Snape with a girlfriend.

"Anything is possible I guess." Hermione said with a grin over her textbook, "But he is probably just angry that she got the job over him."

"Or maybe it's both." Ron said with an arched eyebrow and a sly grin.