Chapter 2

It was September the first, the last week or summer went by so quickly. Well, it seemed so to Vienna Waters. She was very busy getting classes ready, making sure the students will hopefully enjoy them. She hurried downstairs to the Great Hall. "The students should be arriving any minute." she thought. "I don't want to be late again." She walked into the empty Great Hall, it was so unusually quiet, every one of her footsteps echoed. -BANG!- A loud crash of thunder came from the enchanted ceiling. Vienna jumped, but managed to keep her balance. A little chuckle was heard from the corner or the Hall. Dumbledore had just emerged from a door near the teachers table. "Why so early?" he asked. "Ea..early? I thought I was late. I'm sorry, i'll just go back up to my office shall I?" she said. She turned to go but Dumbledore stopped her. "No, no, don't bother. Would you mind escorting the older students up to the castle? Hagrid will take care of the first years." "Oh. Yes sir, i'll go right away." she said. She drew up and umbrella, put it over her head, walked out into the entrance hall and got hit by a pebble. "Ouch!" "Peeves!" she said, obviously not loud enough to intimidate him. "Oh no, what's the new Professor going to do to me? Be nice and quiet? What a punishment!" he cackled. Vienna whipped out her wand, ready to strike, when a flash of red light flew past her and through Peeves. Remus Lupin was walking downstairs, his wand out. Peeves floated away muttering swear words. Lupin just walked into the Great Hall as if no one else was around and spoke to Dumbledore. Vienna turned around and walked out into the cold wet fall air.

The Hogwarts Express screeched loudly as it stopped at the station in Hogsmeade. Vienna had to step back so she wouldn't get splashed which was a stupid idea since she was already drenched through her robes. She watched the students file out of the train, some looking anxious and scared, others looking happy to be back. "There he is" she thought. "He looks just like his father, like everyone says. He really does have Lily's eyes." Harry Potter was emering from the train with a red haired boy and a bushy haired girl, both whom were wearing prefect badges pinned on their chests. They were walking to the carriages. Vienna quickly snapped out of her daze and walked them all up to the grounds. Harry, who was walking and talking at the same time was not watching where he was going. "He's going to walk right into that thestral if he doens't watch where he's going!" she thought. Vienna grabbed him by the shoulders and pulled him back. Harry, probably thinking someone was trying to attack him, pulled out his wand and turned around in a flash. "Oh" he said. "Sorry -er-..." he looked her up and down. "Professor Waters, Professor Vienna Waters," she said loudly. It was hard to hear in the pouring rain. "Sorry Professor Waters" he said. He turned to enter the carriage, but then spoke to her once more. "You can see them?" he asked curiously. "Yes...yes I can see them"she said. Harry suveyed her one more time before entering the carriage then said "Professor, you can come in here with us until we get back to the castle if you want.". Vienna climbed into the carriage, thanked him and looked out the window. "Are you the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" the red haired boy said cautiously. Vienna cleared her throat. "Yes, I am." she said gently. Her tone of voice seemed to calm the boy's nerves and he wasn't so scared to talk to her anymore. Vienna looked at him closley. "You aren't Arthur Weasley's son are you?" she asked him. "Yeah, i'm Ron. Ron Weasley." he said. "And you?" she asked the girl. "Hermione Granger" she said brightly. Harry looked at her, and her eyes met his scar. He noticed and covered it with his hair and quickly turned to look out the window. Vienna also turned away, she didn't want to upset him in anyway, and looking at his scar might be one of them. There was an awkward silence after that. "What is the lowest grade you'll be accepting into your NEWT class?" Hermione asked, trying to break the silence. "No lower than exceeds expectations." she said firmly. "I was only going to accept outstanding, but there weren't many students who reached that mark. Harry, of course, did exceptionnally well on his exam, Professor Dumbledore showed me." she said as she beamed at Harry. He looked back and for the first time she seen him do so, he smiled.

Vienna was having so much fun at dinner, that before she knew it, the students were already heading back to their dormitories. It was so nice to be back at Hogwarts. She never realized how much she missed it, until she came back. She was walking back up to her office before the other teachers, she needed to make sure everything was perfect for class tomorrow. After that thought, she thought no more that night.

She woke up on a compfortable chair in her office the next morning, wearing her cloak with scratches on her arms and legs. She could not remember where she got them...The papers she had ready for class on her desk were not longer in a neat pile, but were spread all over the room. What was she doing last night? Where had she been?