Chapter 5
A new teacher arrives

Harry and Ron quickly dried their hair with warm towels they all found laying on their beds. They changed into dry clothes and raced down the steps to Hermione's dormitory. Harry knocked on the door gently; one of Hermione's roommates opened it, Lavender Brown, who had a towel wrapped around her head like a turban. "Oh hello Harry, Ron have you come for Hermione?" she asked "Yes isn't she ready yet?" tutted Ron "She was ready ages ago and has already gone," retorted Lavender giving Ron a so there look "Lavender" asked Harry "Do you know where she was going we need to find her" Lavender softened "Sorry Harry I don't know. Hang on a minute I'll ask Patty" she glared at Ron before shutting the door "What did I say?" demanded Ron. Harry just looked at him and shook his head. A few minutes later the door open again it was Parvati Patil her hair in a towel like Lavender's "Hello you two you've just missed Hermione she got changed quickly and muttered something about the library" "That's a first even for Hermione," said Ron as Harry thanked Patty Patil. They both ran down the stairs, passed the portrait of the Fat Lady that guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room and towards the library. Madam Pince the Librarian was sitting at her usual desk as the boys entered the library "Excuse us Madam Pince" Harry asked politely. "But have you seen Hermione Granger in here" Madam Pince inclined her head towards the reading tables down the middle of the aisles of books sitting half way down was Hermione with books open all around her. "I have never known Students to be so eager before" Madam Pince muttered as they thanked her and ran down to Hermione. "I think this is a new record even for you Hermione," said Ron plonking him self down opposite her. Harry sat next to her "I think Ron's right this time, Hermione." Agreed Harry "What are you doing here?" Hermione gave the boy's one of her sometimes you are so dumb looks and shook her head. "Don't you two ever look at what's going on round you?" she said Ron and Harry shrugged their shoulder they didn't have a clue what Hermione was going on about. She let out a huge sigh "Didn't you see anything that went on, on the train?" The boy's shook their heads then Ron smirked "The way Alannia sent Malfoy flying down the carriage.Yea, wasn't it fab with just a flick of her wrist just like flicking a maggot away" "You don't flick away maggots Ron, its fly's you mean don't you" said Harry

"Nope it was a maggot today" smiled Ron picturing it again in his mind. Harry turned back to Hermione "What about it Hermione" he said "Didn't either of you notice she didn't have a wand" "So what?" asked Ron returning to the present "That's what I've been reading up on stupid." Hermione ignored Ron's wounded look and continued, "The spell she used is called a Displaciate Spell" she looked at Harry and Ron's blank stares "The Displaciate Spell isn't taught to students in the seventh year never mind to a fourth year and it is normally produced with a wand." Hermione waited for them to catch up "You mean to say Alannia performed the spell without a wand?" asked Harry who was the first to catch on "YES" shouted Hermione then lowered her voice again after seeing Madam Pince's frosty glare. "So Alannia's a good witch" butted in Ron trying to catch up "Alannia's a great witch and her mother must be very powerful to teach her that at her age." Finished Hermione Harry suddenly remembered the letter from Professor Lupin he had received that morning he told the others about it "Perhaps Professor Lupin knows something we don't. He seemed to know Alannia's aunt," Harry concluded. Madam Pince coughing to get their attention disturbed them. "The sorting ceremony will be starting shortly," she informed them.
After replacing the books Hermione had been studying, the three of them ran out of the library to wards the main staircase. As they were halfway down they were stopped in their tracks by a loud bang on the main entrance door. Filch the caretaker shuffled to the door and opened it. A figure dressed in a long black cloak entered perched on its shoulder was the largest black bird Harry had ever seen. As Filch closed the door behind the mysterious figure, the bird spread its enormous wings and took off, it circled the hall once before landing on the banister at the bottom of the stairs and glared around, its eyes came to rest on Harry and it stared unblinking at him. Meanwhile Filch was bowing low before the new arrival. The figure extended a hand from beneath the black cloak. The hand seemed delicate and white with long blood red nails. Unnoticed, until he's was almost behind the figure, came Professor Snape "Welcome back" he said in voice little more than a whisper but heard by the children on the stairs. They had learnt when Professor Snape spoke everyone listened. The figure turned and flung it's self in to Snape's arms "Severus, My hero. I'm so glad to see you again, I've missed you all terribly" came the sweet almost musical voice from beneath the cloak. Snape smiled weakly as if he wasn't use to doing it very often, which he wasn't. "Cassiopeia, it's been a long time you haven't changed one bit." The admiration in Snape's voice was unmissable. Harry let out a small groan a friend of Snape's someone else to make his life unbearable. Down in the hall Snape was helping his friend off with her cloak. As Snape handed the woman's cloak to Filch, Harry Ron and Hermione got their first proper look at the new arrival. Harry and Ron's mouths dropped open, she was beautiful, very beautiful, she wore a gown of crimson red tied at the waist with a gold sash. Her hair changed colour as she moved in the candle light, red, gold, copper and dozens of other colours seemed to dance through it as it hung loosely braided down her back to below her waist. Even from where they were standing, they could see the sky blue of her eyes shining with the light. The patter of tiny feet from behind, broke the moment, as tiny Professor Flintwick scurried by them "Cassiopeia, Cassiopeia" he called," The woman turned and smiled broadly "Uncle Flintwick" she glided, or so it seemed, towards him and scooped him in to her arms "Uncle Flintwick, I've missed you more than anyone, I do believe" She kissed him on the top of his balding head. The professor blushed almost as crimson as the woman's dress "You know flattery will get you any where with me it always has" stammered Flintwick "Come on now your father has been getting anxious." He took her by the hand and began to lead her to a side room. As Snape turned to follow, he saw the three of them standing on the stairs "Get a move on all of you, now," he growled menacingly the sound of his voice galvanised them in to action immediately and the hurried down the stairs. The stranger turned to see whom Snape was talking to and stopped in her tracks "Harry" she called out. Harry turned at the sound of her calling his name it sounded so familiar like a distant memory. She stared at him for what seemed like forever then as if looking at him was too painful for her, she turned and hurried away.
Harry followed the others through the large door in to great hall turning left they made their way to the Gryffindor table. At the high table that stretched along the front of the four house tables several chairs were empty most noticeably Dumbledore's as the last of the students took their seats a door to one of the side rooms opened Dumbledore lead the way followed by the stranger, professor Flintwick and finally Snape. Dumbledore led them to the table where Snape and Flintwick took their usual seats. Hagrid, seated at the far end of the table, burst in to a huge smile upon seeing the stranger take the seat next to Dumbledore. As she sat, the stranger lent forward and scanned the teachers seated, seeing Hagrid at the end she smiled and blew him a kiss. Harry looked in amazement as Hagrid's face turned bright red from the neck upwards. Ron sitting next to Harry had obviously also seen the incident and began to snigger. Hermione elbowed him in the ribs she to had seen and through it was nasty of Ron to laugh. Professor McGonagall lead the first years in to the hall Harry craned his neck to see there at the back standing a little taller than most of the first years was Alannia. Harry lowered himself down on to the bench at least she hadn't been expelled before she had even started. Ron nudged Harry and pointed over to the Slytherin table at the opposite side of the room. Malfoy Crabbe and Goyle sat staring at Alannia with utter disbelieve. Malfoy touched the large plaster that was stuck to his fore head and his eyes narrowed. After the Sorting Hat had sorted all the first years in to their new houses, Professor McGonagall read her scroll "Figg, Alannia," she called out Alannia walked towards the stool and sat down, Harry could see her close her eyes and move her lips slightly, as if praying. Professor McGonagall lowered the hat, Harry crossed his fingers and to closed his eyes ' please don't put her in Slytherin anything but Slytherin, Malfoy will make her life a misery, please please' as if in answer to his prayer the Hat shouted out, "Gryffindor." The whole table erupted with cheers and calls lead mainly by the students that had seen the incident on the train. Alannia blushed and lowering her eyes smiled and walked towards the Gryffindor table. Several of the male students offered her their seats as she made her way down the table, she smiled but declined their offers, sitting her self next to Ginny, she smiled across the table to Harry, who smiled back and nodded. Professor Dumbledore rose from his seat and the hall fell silent. "I'm glad to see you all back for another year." He said smiling "Just a few announcements before we tuck in. First years please take note the forest in the ground is forbidden to all students this is for your own safety. I say this ever year but still I have to, several times a year, rescue someone from there so could we please try to make this a rescue free year. Also I have the greatest honour of welcoming the New Defence against the Dark Arts teacher back to our school, her visits are few and far between to us," he turned and looked at the woman sitting next to him and smiled. "But always delightful May I introduce to you Cassiopeia Dumbledore my daughter." There was aloud gasp from the students "AH, I'm sure your asking yourselves how did a doddering old codger come to have such a beautiful daughter, that ladies and gentleman is Magic." The room exploded with roars of laughter, after a few moments Dumbledore clapped his hands and called "Let the feast begin" instantly the plates on the table filled with every kind of food imaginable and everyone began to tuck in. During the feast, Harry kept glancing toward Cassiopeia Dumbledore now he had time to look closely at her she some how looked familiar but he couldn't remember where or when he had seen her before.
After the feast, everyone made there way up to his or her respective houses. Harry and Ron said goodnight to the girls in the Gryffindor common room and made their way in to the tower where their dormitory was situated. Ron who couldn't stop yawning fell spread-eagled on to his four-poster bed "I could sleep for a week," he murmured "I suggest if you intend to sleep for a week you get undressed first," prompted Harry, Ron sat up and with his eyes closed stared to undress "You know something, I'm sure I've seen Professor Dumbledore's daughter somewhere before. What about you Ron?" Ron answered with a snore he was already in bed fast asleep.