"Tonks is the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?!" Hermione whispered, panicked. "She'll be knocking over flowerpots and tossing things out the window!"
"I seem to recall a certain professor setting a cage full of Cornish Pixies on the class," Ron muttered. Hermione blushed and quieted down.
"This is going to be great," Ron said.
"Why?" Harry said.
"Because Tonks is teaching! There'll be no homework, class will be easy…yes…it's smooth sailing from here, mates." Ron said, contentedly.
"I wouldn't be too sure, Ron," warned Hermione.
I'm sure Tonks takes Defense Against the Dark Arts very seriously. Especially now that You-Know-Who is back. I have a feeling that class isn't going to be as easy as Ron expects, Hermione thought.
"So is it true that Hogwarts gets a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year?" a voice asked.
The voice had come from Stella, the new girl. "Yes," replied Hermione, "everyone says the post is cursed, but I don't believe it." " I'm Hermione Granger."
"Ron Weasley," Ron said.
"Harry Potter," said Harry.
Here it goes, Hermione thought.
The expression on Stella's face made no change.
"Harry. Harry Potter? The Boy Who Lived? Ring a bell?" said Ron, amazed.
"Oh yes, you're the one who defeated Lord Vol-something…Voltaire…Volga…Lord Something or Other." Stella said, calmly. Ron just stared.
"Voldemort," Harry said.
"Oh, that's the one! Thanks!" Stella said, warmly.
"Sorry if I sound arrogant, but normally people make a big deal over me being 'the Boy Who Lived'," Harry said, glad to finally meet someone who didn't make a big deal over him being Harry Potter.
"Well he wasn't a very big deal over in America. Our government doesn't really concern itself with foreign affairs. The last major wizard we were really concerned about was Grindelwald. But that, of course, was dealt with by our headmaster." Stella said.
Wasn't that big of a deal?, Hermione thought. He murdered millions. The Ministry of Magic is always involved with the concerns of other countries and so are the other countries around the world. Why should America be any different? I don't like this girl at all.
"So why did you decide to come to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked Stella, coolly.
"Well, I've lived pretty much all over the world. My mother and father are frequently moving, as they are part of the IWC. When we came to England, my father thought it a great opportunity for me to be a part of the school of the great defeater of Grindelwald," Stella replied.
"The IWC?" Hermione asked.
"The International Wizards Confederation, of course." Stella said, in an all too familiar know-it-all voice. Hermione scowled.
"Well, welcome to Hogwarts." Hermione said, with clenched teeth.
She won't be so uppity tomorrow in classes. It's time someone put that brat in her place, Hermione thought.