"Potions, Charms, Transformation, AND Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins." Ron moaned, "It's going to be positively horrid. Potions is bad enough as it is. That leaves Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures without them, and History of Magic."

            "It's like they plotted it that way on purpose, let's give them as many horrible classes as we can, and see how they react to each other." Even Hermione couldn't hide her disappointment, "And you know Snape is going to just love treating us like scum while being the Slytherins' puppet."

            "I wonder what house that girl got put into. She didn't get sorted." Harry didn't mean to say it out loud, but it did raise a good point. He actually had thought she'd get put into Slytherin, which Ron confirmed.

            "If she's in Slytherin, well, that confirms basically everything I think." Ron said, "Take on look at her, and the way Malfoy was staring dreamily at her, you've got the Mistress of Dark wizardry in front of you." He scowled, "That's just what we need, an evil student spying for You-Know-Who."

            "I think you're over-reacting, I mean, I suppose it's possible but a student? By the way she was dressed, I think she's rather appearance-centered, she's probably not even that great of a wizard. Of course, Snape was looking rather nastily at her, it's probable that he wouldn't allow Dumbledore to put her in his house by the way he was glaring." Hermione continued, "It's not like she's going to openly curse Harry in front of Dumbledore."

            They walked in, ten seconds late. Harry prepared himself for losing some points for Gryffindor, along with a yelling-at. Shockingly enough, it seemed that as he sat down, Snape didn't even notice him. He was too busy yelling at the girl.

            "One day into session, Anna, ONE MEASELY little day and you've ALREADY disrupted my classroom. What do you have to say for yourself?"

            "I'm half under the impression this is some form of joke," She frowned, "But if putting my quill down too loud is not allowed, then I will be sure not to do it again."

            "See to it that you don't." He glared at her for a moment, then turned to the class and said, "Get out your notes, everyone. We're learning how to make Agamoreus potion today. Now who can tell me what this does?"

            Naturally, Hermione raised her hand, but Harry noticed that Anna slowly raised her hand too.

            "Hermione?" Harry was shocked. Snape had picked Hermione of all people above someone from his own house.

            "The Agamoreus potion is a rather complex transformer, and can turn any living thing into water. With aid of a Hypomoreus solvent, however, or at the person's own free will, they will transform back into their original shape."

            "Correct. Now, as you can imagine this is rather complex. There are no less than 47 ingredients that must be put in at a certain order." He continued to lecture as class droned on, and Harry scribbled all of his information down, but he couldn't help but half-think that it was feasible that he wasn't the thing that Snape hated most in the world. It was Anna.

            "Did you see how he looked at her? You don't even get that look, Harry." Ron shook his head, "There's something rather weird about that girl."
            "He didn't even call her, " 'Ms. Whatever her last name is.' He called her by her first name." Harry was also puzzled; "He screamed at her for setting her quill down, he didn't even NOTICE we were late. I bet Anna is some…"

            "Some what? I'd speak more silent when you were planning to say things like that, Potter." She rushed past him, clutching her books to her chest, face red. She disappeared into a corridor.

            "Say things like what, Harry?" Ron paused, and looked at him.

            "I was going to say that she was some…it doesn't matter. How did she know though…?"

            "You were speaking rather loud, it was probably just a lucky guess. I'd be more convinced that Professor Trelawney was psychic." Hermione laughed, "And we all know there's no possibility of that, so I'd just abandon the whole idea." They walked off to the library to research how to obtain 24 ingredients of the Agamoreus Potion."

            Walking out to the Quidditch field, Harry noticed how nice the day was. "All right team, it's going to be a long season, we've lost some good people. Of course, we've gained some excellent people too." The new Captain, Heather Barnes, had volunteered, as Harry didn't feel so much like the "Everyone get out of bed it's 7:30 AM we have lots of stuff to do come on get that bludger alright new play nice job team" kind-of captain that Wood had been.

            "I'd like to introduce you to our to Beaters." She pointed to a small, well-built girl. "This is Miriam Stoneweather. She's a fourth year. Standing right next to her is John Sadiron. He's a fifth year. Our three ____ are Christine Brown, a fifth year, Laura Johnson, and James Gibson. I'm the keeper, Harry of course is the seeker."

            For the next two hours they rehearsed new plays and did exercises on how to fly better, and how to work better together as a team. Whatever Heather was doing different seemed to work, everyone seemed really confident together. And when Gryffindor's first match against Ravenclaw was over, the score was 220-30, and everyone was really confident about the new season.

            By then, late October, Harry had noticed that the teachers treated Anna very differently than anyone else. Snape, of course, was no longer wasting energy loathing Harry, and has soon focused all of his attention on Anna, sometimes wasting fifteen minutes of 'precious' class time shrieking at her about 'horrible mistakes' she had made.

It was beyond Snape though, Harry could tell. In Transformation, Professor McGonagall was often short, and suspicious of Anna. In Charms, Professor Flitwick seemed scared at everything she did. Anytime Anna did a charm, Professor Flitwick would stand back, and protect his eyes. All in all, the only teacher that treated Anna normal, as far as Harry could see, was the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, of whom everyone was rather fond. She was nice, and intelligent, and she didn't waste any time.

All in all, it seemed like most of the teachers treated Anna very warily, almost like they were expecting her to Avada Kedavra the whole school sometime and explode. Harry could tell that she wasn't exactly a new person with magic, any spell or potion that the teachers taught she seemed to already know. Half the time she didn't even use her wand.

"She must be something like Lupin." Hermione said, "I mean, I bet the teachers treated him differently because he was a werewolf, what if she's something like that?"

"Yeah, but, look how Snape looked at Lupin, then compare that with the looks he gives Anna. They're much worse, judging by those, she's bound to be the spawn of one of the evil creatures." Ron frowned, "She does look rather normal though, actually, rather pretty."

"She reminds me of Fleur…" Harry trailed off, then explained, "The way she can just walk into a room and grab the attention of everyone in it, without even really meaning to. Even Malfoy drools around her."

Right on cue, Anna walked by carrying her books and rather obviously trying to ditch Malfoy. "Do you want help with those, Anna?" Malfoy was persistent, "They're rather heavy, I could carry some if you'd like."

"I think I'm capable of carrying my books, Draco." She raised her eyebrows and smiled at Harry with a twinkle in her eye. They walked into Charms.

"Take your seats now, come on, take your seats. As Anna and Ms. Granger are the only two who have successfully completed a Connefulius Charm, they will help me demonstrate so that we can get through this as fast as we can."

All of 6th year in Charms class they had been learning to infuse charms permanently or temporarily (depending on the spell) into an object. The whole class was having difficulty with this one, as it had to follow a synchronized pattern of rhythm. When done properly, Professor Flitwick explained, "The two people performing it would be bound to each other, through life or death. It would also allow them to communicate through thoughts, ideas, memories, or images." Flitwick brought out the amulets that they would be putting the charm into; the spell required it to be an item made of silver.        

"Anna, Miss Granger, show the class how to perform the charm." Harry was somewhat astonished that Professor Flitwick was allowing Anna to cast a spell that would affect Hermione, he was half-amazed at the idea, yet half-frightened for Hermione.'

Anna and Hermione did the spell in sync and exchanged amulets, which they put on silver chains that they hung about their necks.

"These two are now linked. If I were to illegally curse Anna with the Avada Kedavra curse and she died, Ms Granger would also die with her."

Ron raised his hand, "But you said that if one lived, so would the other. So since Hermione was still alive, shouldn't Anna live?"

"Excellent question. One of the reasons why uses for this charm are rare is because of the instability of the consequences. It has been known to stave off death if one is mortally wounded or sick, but if the magic doesn't have time to unfold it seems that the consequences are dire." She turned to Hermione and Anna, "Now, try to exchange images or thoughts, or memories." This was the bit Harry was afraid of, what if Anna sent Hermione something terrible?

Hermione closed her eyes, and after a few seconds opened them. She smiled a bit, and Anna looked towards the ground, then she looked up, and gave a small grin too, something else was there though. Anna's smile was too devious, or perhaps too honest? Harry in his paranoia thought he saw Hermione stop breathing, and shake her head, and go rigid. But, then, it seemed to be just an illusion. Hermione seemed to have a look of understanding on her face, along with a smile.

"Miss Granger, Anna, please help me teach the class." They split up, and by the end of class everyone has performed it successfully. Harry and Ron had good times amusing each other by sending back and forth images of Snape in a dress, Snape with make-up on, Snape falling down multiple sets of stairs…

As they walked out the door, Anna handed the amulet back to Hermione, "Here you go, she didn't say to give them back to her, so I'll give it to you." She walked off into towards the dining hall. 

"Hermione, what'd she send you?" Ron had his eyes wide.

"What do you mean? Send me?"

"I mean, when you were linked."

"Oh, that." She shrugged, "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does." Harry turned to her, "What'd she send you?"

"An image. It's no big deal. Why are you being so weird about it?"

"Because she's weird! And she's scary! And I'm worried about you!" Harry exclaimed, "What did she send you?!"

"Okay, not that it'll make a difference, but an image. She was in the forest, in a clearing, and it was dark, and there were lots of stars and a full moon. That's it. It was really pretty." She was puzzled, "Why do you care so much?"

"Well, eh…" Harry's shoulders sagged, "When I first saw her, my scar hurt. And usually that doesn't happen. I didn't want to tell you, because I thought you should have a free year without worrying about me."

"Well that happened with Snape, too, didn't it? And Dumbledore trusts him."

"Hermione, the point he's trying to make is that Snape is vile and nasty and not to be trusted. And I don't trust this Anna person either. The teachers treat her oddly, she acts weird, and I don't think we should be hanging around her!" Ron covered his mouth at the outburst, and after seeing Hermione's face change from upset to irritated and rather distressed, his eyes widened.

"I don't care what you two think, I think she's someone who is just a sad, quiet person." She clutched her books to her chest and stomped away.

"What's gotten into her?"Ron called after her, "Sorry you've become such good friends with her! Maybe you two can kill Harry together."

Harry shrugged, but he had a sick feeling in his stomach. Somehow he knew that Anna wasn't bad, but then again, he also knew Hermione was hiding more then she was letting on.