Harry Potter walked into the compartment of the Hogwarts Express, a rare expression of puzzlement on his face. Harry Potter, entering his fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had battled dark wizards, flown circles around a dragon, found a secret chamber underneath the school, and, in summation, had had an extraordinary time at Hogwarts. But nothing had prepared him for this.
Sitting in the compartment, alone, with a tired, pensive look on his face, was a young Transylvanian man who looked to be about Harry's age. Two things about him had glued that funny, puzzled look onto Harry's features:
A long, healthy shock of flowing, purple hair, reaching almost to the ground; and an old, beat-up scabbard at his feet proclaiming its owner to be one Auror Bram Oscuros, with Auror scratched in messily.
Harry's two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, came in and saw Harry standing there. "Harry! What's wrong?" Hermione exclaimed.
"I think we have a new record for youngest Defense against the Dark Arts teacher." Harry said, stepping aside to let them see.
Hermione, who remembered the train ride with Professor Lupin, suggested, "How 'bout we stay here in case Malfoy shows up?"
"Nah, he pr'bably went off with his dear old dad." said Ron. Lucius Malfoy, Draco Malfoy's father, was a Death Eater, a dark wizard. He had vanished since Voldemort's return.
"Y'know, he could just be a transferring student," said Hermione. But they knew that wasn't it. Auror or teacher, the person sitting across from them was anything but an ordinary student.