Dumbledore looked up from where he was sitting, a smile lit his face "Alas! Here is our new Defence against the dark arts teacher, Professor Pravus", the students swivelled round to look at the hooded figure approaching the staff table and sitting down before taking off the cloak. A gasp ran around the hall, as the figure was revealed. Draco Malfoy sneered, "I don't believe this, they hire a woman to teach defence against the dark arts, pathetic, wait till my father hears of this." Yes it was so, Hera Pravus was a woman and her looks were not unfortunate, her hazel brown eyes looked good with her ebony hair, which was loosely placed around her shoulders. She wore an ankle length red dress with a black robe. She smiled at her 'audience' and her eyes travelled quickly over every student's face. "She's pretty scary for a professor", said Ron as her eyes travelled towards him, "You think she could be a vampire?" Hermione rolled her eyes, "Don't be daft, Dumbledore wouldn't let a vampire teach here, if he did she'd probably suck dry all the students that come to her class, Dumbledore wouldn't take that chance." "Well remember Lupin was a werewolf and he taught at the school" "Yes, but Snape made Lupin a potion to control the transformation" "Well maybe Snape has made her a potion too" "You are so stubborn" "We Weaslys are, you should know that by now" Harry laughed as his two friends argued but a chill down his spine silenced him, he looked around him and caught the new professor's eye but she quickly looked away, he frowned. "Harry is there something wrong?" Hermione looked intently at Harry "No it's nothing", He forced a smile not wanting to worry them on the first day of their sixth year.

#~#~#~#

Hera turned away when she caught Harry Potter looking in her direction, No need to get him suspicious of me now, while we still have a whole year, She felt Severus Snape's eyes boring into her and she winced, Better beware of this one too, after I heard what he found out with Quirrell, Hera glared at the table, Quirrell was weak but he is the better servant of the Dark Lord, she left him awhile ago but her evil spirit still burned deep inside. She took a deep breath before turning to speak to Professor McGonagall.

#~#~#~#

At the end of the feast the students filed up to go to their common rooms. The new prefect of Gryffindor, Deacon Appelkrat spoke the password to the fat lady portrait "Caradhas" and led everyone in; he gave the usual speech to the first years and ignored the rest. Harry, Ron and Hermione sat around the fireplace. Hermione looked extremely excited "So, what do you think of Professor Pravus?" "She's pretty for a Defense against the dark arts teacher but can she teach?" Ron asked "Of course she can teach, she wouldn't be here is she couldn't" Ron lifted up his hands in a surrendering pose, "Just checking" Hermione looked at Harry "You've been awfully quite this past hour, what's bothering you?" "Eh? Nothing really, I'm just tired" Hermione raised an eyebrow then just shrugged "Well then I advise you go to bed because we do have potions first thing in the morning" Ron groaned "I'd even have Hagrid in the morning instead of Snape" "When do we have Defense against the dark arts?" Harry looked lazily at the charts resting on the other end of the small table by the fireplace. Hermione sighed and reached for one "We have it after potions, that should be interesting."

#~#~#~# As soon as Dumbledore left her office, Hera put aside the notes for the various classes she would teach the following day. She unraveled a silk cloth and pulled out a strangely carved dagger, the patterns on the handle were dark. She ran her finger down the tip of the dagger lightly then threw it. The dagger landed in the center of a five-pointed star.

#~#~#~#

"I cannot believe, only our first lesson and already Snape has taken off fifty points from Gryffindor" Ron groaned as he seated himself next to Harry in their Defense against the dark arts classroom. Harry nodded and glared at the wall "Well at least we never got detention, that's the last thing I feel like doing, polishing trophies" "I do not permit talking in my class unless I direct a question to you," The stern voice interrupted the small conversation Harry and Ron were having. They looked up into the dark eyes of their professor and grinned guiltily. She shook her head and slowly walked towards the desk at the front of the class. "This year Dumbledore has asked me to teach you all about the Banshee, now can anyone tell me what this creature is?" As usual Hermione's hand shot up into the air. Professor Pravus's eyes swept over her and she nodded almost acceptingly, though Harry could almost be sure that he saw a hint of annoyance. "A banshee is a spirit in the form of a woman who." "Thank you miss Granger" She smiled as she looked upon the disappointed face of Hermione Granger. "The banshee wails by the windows of a house in which the inmates are about to die" Since Gryffindor had potions and defense against the dark arts with Slytherin, Draco Malfoy spoke "According to my father when banshees wailed the people near them would turn into a banshee", he grinned looking too proud of himself. Professor Pravus looked terrifying as she glared at Draco "Mister Malfoy did I not say at the beginning of the lesson that you were to speak if I so happened as to ask a question?" Draco stared at her speechless for a moment "Yes bu." She interrupted "Then I advice you keep the trap in your face closed before I introduce you to my wand" The class suddenly sat up straight their faces looking over at the professor with new respect, more fearful than usual. She smirked "The banshee's wail sends a coldness over the victim which causes the organs to disfunction and the victim to die."... At the end of the lesson most of the girls were pale and shivering while most of the boys including Draco were unusually quiet. Professor Pravus watched them walk away with satisfaction before calling after them "Don't forget a four page essay on the banshee's wail"

(And still more coming.)