Author's notes: I don't own any of the familiar characters. Those belong to JK Rowling. This story may contain some minor OotP spoilers, but nothing major to do with the plot, just some new people. If haven't read it yet, you won't know the difference, if you are reading it, it won't matter than.

Please read and review.





Chapter One



The summer before Harry Potter's seventh year went as the previous sixteen summers had. Well, almost. For the past six years he had spent most of his summers with the Weasleys, his friend, Ron's, family. When they were not at the Burrow, they were at the Quidditch World Cup, or the Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix. Of course all of this was very normal for Harry, since he was a wizard and was attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But as of this moment in time, he was in his cramped bedroom in his Aunt and Uncle's house, at number four Privet Drive, waiting for his bundle-of-socks portkey to activate. Harry let out a small half smile at the thought of it. His Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had spent almost seventeen years of his life trying to squash the magic out of him. Now, his Aunt Petunia was giving him a reluctant O-K to use a portkey to get to Diagon Alley. ("Just this once! So your Uncle doesn't die from a heart attack seeing those freaky friends of yours!"). Harry gazed down at one of the several dials on his watch to see that the Weasleys were just now arriving in Diagon Alley with Hermione Granger, his and Ron's best friend. One of the other dials showed it was now Noon, and he had only 5 minutes until he would be gone until graduation. Harry stood, knocking his rickety old chair to the ground, and disregarded it completely. He changed into his sweeping black robes, which fell handsomely at his ankles, leaving just enough of his black pants out look very sharp. The clothing he wore previously, a pair of Dudley's old, fraying trousers and an over-sized blue T-shirt with sweat stains down the back and holes in the collar, were balled up in the corner of his now bare room. He had even gone so far as to strip the bed, so that his Aunt would not need to be bothered. Although he had never been treated as a party of this family, he felt indebted to his Aunt and that no matter how she had treated him, he had a new respect and realized that no matter what, he actually had a place in his heart for her. He never told her this of course, but instead had written her a lovely letter and had given it to her earlier that morning, before retiring to his room to pack. She read the letter and dismissed it in front of him, but she too, had not left her rooms all morning, and Harry was certain that when the stiff, dry breeze did ripple through the windows and it was quiet, he could hear her crying.

Harry took one last look out of his small window to wave to Mrs. Figg, who was standing on her lawn watching for him. He had grown to appreciate having Mrs. Figg around after his 5th year at Hogwarts. Before then he was sent there when the Dursley's went away on vacation as a method of punishment, forced to listen to her drone on about her cats. Now. However, he knew that she had been forced to act that way on Dumbledore's orders. She was a squib and had been keeping a lookout on Harry since he was placed on the doorstep at number four 17 years earlier. He observed how low the sun was hanging, and dreaded being in London dressed in the heavy, black fabric, but he gave his shoulders a light shudder and gazed down at his watch again.

12:04

"Damn!" He muttered under his breath and picked up the socks. Mr. Weasley had been there earlier to collect Harry's things so he would not have to worry about transporting them, and Harry had let Hedwig out the night before. All had been taken care of by the time Harry felt that familiar tugging behind his navel. He closed his eyes and saw the world spinning and speeding by from behind his eyelids.

"Harry?" An unfamiliar voice called to him and he reluctantly opened his eyes. His head spun about, making his eyes ache and his stomach knot up. The queasy feeling passed and Harry looked up into the large green eyes of a witch and was able to utter one word.

"Mom?"

"Come on, get up." His eyes brought into focus a small, tanned witch with long, black hair and green eyes. He looked around him and realized he was in The Leaky Cauldron.

"I – I'm looking for the Weasley's." He stuttered.

"They'll be along, sit down and pull yourself together, don't want you getting up to quickly now." She smiled at him, revealing a set of straight white teeth. For the first time Harry realized the witch was wearing a long white cotton shirt that hung loose around her curvy frame and long green skirts that made a lovely swooshing sound every time she moved. Her long black hair had several braids in it decorated with little silver objects and beads and was partially covered by a yellow scarf to keep it from her eyes.
"Here." She said, holding out her hand. "Have some chocolate. I made it myself." She smiled at him again and he accepted the chocolate and began to nibble on it. Harry looked over her shoulder to the door leading into the Alley, as Mrs. Weasley, a plump and pleasant witch bustled through in ill-fitting and old red robes. He stood up quickly and closed his eyes to concentrate on not falling over. The chocolate in his fist began to melt and coat his hand in a sweet and sticky goo.

"Oh! Sara you found him!" She smiled at Harry. "Rough ride was it? Let's go, time to run and get your school things." She offered a hand out to Harry who took it and stood up.

"Thank you." He nodded to the witch called Sara.

"Oh you're welcome." She said with a smirk and a shake of her head as Harry left close behind Mrs. Weasley.

"Who was that?" Harry asked Mrs. Weasley as the bricks slowly moved into the archway leading to Diagon Alley.

"That was --- Sara." She smiled at him "She's a very good friend of ours, your Godfather's as well, even though he and her brother didn't get on to well."

"Oh." Harry nodded.

"Well I have your gold, got it this morning." She said, handing him a small leather pouch. "You should have your book list. Standard Book of Spells Grade Seven; Advanced Arithmancy for the Beginning Student Book 2; N.E.W.T Potions; Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts and various others of course."

"There's a Defense Against the Dark Arts class this year?"

"Oh yes, it was awfully hard to find a teacher mind you, but Professor Dumbledore called an old friend. Why, were you worried?"

"Well, A little bit. I need this final class to begin training to become an Auror, and if we didn't have it this year, I wouldn't know what to do." Harry replied as they made their ways to Florean Fortescue's Ice cream parlor. Harry noticed a head full of short brown curls poking out from behind a wall and smiled widely.

"Harry!" Ron called. He was with Hermione who had cut her hair short. "How've the muggles been treating you?"

"Alright I guess. Hermione what happened to all your hair?"

"It was too thick and too heavy. It is much easier to take care of this way and it's less frizzy." She smiled, running her hands through the boyish-cut. "Do you like it?"

"It suits you." He said as Ron and Hermione stood up, ready to go get their supplies with him. Harry watched as Ron stood to his full height, no longer a gangly young boy, but a young man with thin muscles and a handsome face, and had finally grown into his feet and hands. His hair was long past his ears and curled slightly on the ends. It was still as red as ever and matched his faint sunburn across his nose. He had to stop himself from looking Hermione more than once over. She had grown into a nice looking young woman, tall and slender with a sweet smile and relaxed eyes that lay behind a cute pair of slim silver glasses. She also had been going with Ron for almost a year. She adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat.

"Shall we go?" She motioned to the Alley, which bustled with Witches and Wizards, and the handful of muggles brought here by their children. The buildings stood, old and worn, but warm with life and caring. Gringotts glowed with the sun reflecting off of its perfect white bricks and columns. The group of people walked with a slight spring in their step. Harry was more than ecstatic to be back in the wizarding world and even more so because Voldemort was finally gone. He could have a normal school year for the first time since he had started at Hogwarts 6 years before. They departed from the ice cream parlor and matriculated into the crowed streets of Diagon Alley, surrounded by bartering witches and wizards, carts of small home business owners and the more popular shops where anything that was needed could be found. They passed Knockturn alley and Harry looked up to see a faded purple sign that read, in new golden letters, "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" with a faded '93' below the name. They stopped in front as Fred walked out, dressed in simple, but fashionable moss green robes.

"Hallo Harry!" He waved franticly. "Come to pay us a visit? We've created some new sicknesses for our Skiving Snackboxes and we just put out 3 new deluxe fake wands. Only cost 11 sickles."

"Now don't you two even try to tempt Harry with these things." Mrs. Weasley shook her finger at Fred and George, who had just appeared in the doorway. As she playfully scolded them and checked up on them, Harry looked over Fred's right shoulder to see Sara, the mysterious 'friend' lurking about the store looking at different candies. She looked up and saw Harry, smiled and waved. The sun caught her face just right and a small gold hoop glowed in her left nostril. He found himself staring at her and gaining distance between himself and the rest of the Weasley clan.

"Hey Harry, you better get a move on, Mum won't notice she's without you until it's too late." George told him.

"Yeah, that's how it was when we were growing up." Fred agreed.

"Well, she knew when we were gone." George nodded.

"'Cause it got quiet." They finished in unison.

"Thanks guys! Good luck with the shop!" Harry called back to them.

"Luck? Didn't you notice our new robes?" Fred called to him and George did a pirouette in front of the store. Harry turned, laughing and stopped dead on Ron's heels. He was in front of Flourish & Blotts.

"Harry. Did you read your booklist carefully?" Ron asked as he turned around.

"No. Why?"

"I think we have a new Muggle Studies teacher. Look at the book we're assigned. 'Living with Muggles: A Better Understanding to a Mysterious Creature'."

"Yeah. So?" Harry asked.

"So...Look at the author!" Hermione piped up and pointed to the book. "Razi S.Snape, Harry! What kind of a Snape would write a book like this?" She asked them, expecting no answer. Harry just shrugged and picked up the book.

"What kind of Snape would admit their name is Razi?" Ron laughed as a cold shadow swept over them. Harry didn't need to turn around as Ron's laughter subsided as quickly as it had begun.

"Hello Professor Snape! Imagine seeing you here! We're just picking up the books for start of term tomorrow!" Molly Weasley came over quickly greeting the Professor like an old friend with a half hug that he quickly separated himself from.

"Molly." He nodded his head in a curt manner of respect and sneered at Ron's remark. He turned quickly and left, packages under arm.

"Always in a mood." She shook her head. "Come along now, we need to be gettin' some writing supplies and owl treats then we're done. And it's off to the Leaky Cauldron for dinner and a bit of rest until the big day tomorrow." Mrs. Weasley guided Ginny through the winding street, but Hermione, Ron and Harry deliberately stayed a bit behind, to discuss the surfacing of 'the new Snape' as Ron called him. The trio took their steps long and slow, so as not to fall to far behind.

"I hope this book isn't some published example of why pure blooded wizards are supposedly better." Hermione sniffed.

"What kind of Professor would the new guy be if he did assign a book like that?" Harry asked.

"The kind people like Malfoy support. You know the big fuss Draco made over the class last year, and this year he has to take two independent studies to make up for it. He can't be happy. With a new Professor like this, he won't need to take those extra two classes, and will receive the type of education his father wants for him." Hermione nodded.

"True, but that seems like a lot of trouble. And for as many pockets as Lucius Malfoy has his hands in, he still doesn't have any real say at Hogwarts. Dumbledore'd override whatever he requested." Harry and Hermione stared, open mouthed at Ron's seemingly well thought out reply.
"We'd... we'd better get up to the Leaky Cauldron, before Mum notices we're gone." He continued and walked between the awestruck pair towards the brick archway where Diagon Alley ended. Harry and Hermione walked quickly to catch up.

"I don't think we should continue this conversation until we are safely on the train. Away from certain ears and eyes." Hermione nodded to herself and held open the back door for Ron and Harry.

"What does it matter? Malfoy and the rest of the Slytherin's are on the train." Harry asked.

"Look. If a Snape wrote a book like that then their either a squib, married to a muggle or have been living with muggles. All three could cost Snape his position as a pure blood wizard and a still somewhat respectable wizard in certain circles. If the other pure blooded wizards know about him, this Razi, then they won't say anything. At the cost of upsetting a very powerful wizard." Hermione reasoned. As the three looked up at Molly and Arthur Weasley they all dropped the subject and sat down to have dinner with a silent agreement of continuing their speculation the next day.