Here's chapter two :-) Hope you enjoy it.

Arriving in a strange World

Chapter two

He took his wand and made fire in the chimney. The dungeons warmed in few seconds, and Severus Snape sat at his desk, looking into the thick potions book in front of him. His black eyes concentrated on the parchment, the quill writing fast. A knock on the door took him away from his thoughts. It was late in the night, and he raised an eyebrow, surprised.

"Come in" Said with his deep cold voice. It was the less expected person.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, but I must tell you something.." Professor McGonagall entered the big room, closing the door behind her.

"What's wrong, Minerva? "His voice sounded sharp, but he pointed at a chair and she sat down. The woman sighed, wrapping herself with the robes. The room was still cold.

"Dumbledore didn't return yet.. he left to London, business, I guess.. another muggle who needs protection.."

"Come on.." Snape replied, in a cold voice. He took his quill and played with it, his long fingers moving across. "And what's wrong this time?" His smile showed up, like venom.

"She was witness of a crime.. the murderers were Death Eaters. She was saved on time by Hagrid and Lupin, and Lupin brought her to the Police Station.." McGonagall expected an understanding look from him, but she only saw indifference. "Well?" she asked, and he shrugged.

"Muggles are not of my business, and you know it.. I'm not interested on their lives, neither on their problems.. we already have enough with .."

"Don't call anybody mud blood, Severus" She interrupted, angrily. Hermione was her favourite student. Snape shook his head.

"It wasn't my intention" There was a dangerous tone in his voice. "So.. tell me what happens with this muggle then.." He leaned back in his chair, staring at her. She looked into the fire.

"She was on holidays when this happened.. and they saw her, they.. recognised her.."

"What do you mean?" His black eyes narrowed.

"It seems they were looking for her before.. but she doesn't know it.. we still don't know why, but they're interested on this muggle" She got an evil laugh in reply.

"Death Eaters interested on a muggle? Come on, Minerva"

"I knew you wouldn't take this seriously, it was a loss of time to come here" She stood up and walked towards the door, where she stopped once more and looked back. "Dumbledore will bring her here"

"What?" Snape stared at her, astonished. "No muggle can come to Hogwarts"

"Dumbledore took care of this. He already prepared the castle for her presence.. she will come in the morning, and she will be the new Muggle Studies professor. We will protect her until this mystery will be solved, and only professors will know who is she in reality. So please, be discrete. Students shouldn't suspect" She left the room closing the door with a bog noise. Snape looked into the fire again, and left the quill over the desk. He couldn't believe that a muggle was invited to Hogwarts, he couldn't understand why would someone take care of those kind of persons.. they were a world apart. He went to his bedroom trying to control his anger.

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After hearing the whole story, the first thing I thought was: they're kidding me. That was it.. but at the same time, I had seen things I thought weren't possible.. travelling through chimneys, making magic with wands.. the old man smiled kindly at me, taking my arm, and I gave a last look to the policeman.

"See you in two month, when I hope everything will be solved" He said, standing up from his chair.

"What if this never gets solved?" I asked, scared.

"You'll stay in Hogwarts forever" I looked at the old man quickly, but he was laughing. "No, girl, don't worry.. now come with me, we must arrive before breakfast, you'll prepare yourself and come to the Great Hall to have breakfast and be introduced to the students"

The journey happened so fast that I didn't have time to react. All I saw were lights passing, dizziness in my head and cold, cold wind. When everything stopped, it was dark outside, late at night. And in front of us, a huge castle, with its towers, it's magical shape under the moonlight. Never before in my whole life I had seen such a marvellous building. The stone gave it a strong look, and the windows, covered with iron and glass, transported me to the old times of kings and princesses. But that was far from reality.

"This is Hogwarts school" The man said with pride. "You'll see that things here are not.. common.. and you'll find out that most of situations will be.. magical.. but I ask you not to be scared. No harm will be done and my colleagues will take care of you.. all of them, remember this. All of them"

"What do you mean?" I Asked, as we walked towards the building. Dumbledore smiled.

"You'll see.. now, come in" Before we crossed the door, I looked up at the towers, and for a while I thought I had seen a black shape staring from a window. But when I checked again, it was gone.

The halls were so dark that I could barely see anything. Pictures hanging from walls, stone grounds and.. what was that? I jumped trying not to shout. People inside pictures were moving! Dumbledore noticed my surprise and just smiled.

"Get used" He said, without giving an explanation, as we reached the end of the hall with high ceilings. "This will be your bedroom. You will find your clothes inside, all what you need.. and.. by the way.." He gave me a thoughtful look. "We must change your name.. it doesn't sound.. well.."

"You don't like my name" It was more a statement than a question, and the old man nodded.

"You will be Professor Galerna, Anabella Galerna" He left with a smile, and I opened the door, taking a deep breath. The room was big, with a small fireplace, where sparkles were jumping and warming the stance. The bed was big and comfortable, placed under a big window with coloured glasses. Roof and walls were made of stone, and candles were hanging across them, by magic. I felt charmed.

I found a big wardrobe full of different clothes. Robes, sweaters, everything was different. The toilet was small, and its pipes were different, I wasn't able to open them. Obviously, you needed magic for everything there, and I wondered how would I manage to do that. I walked inside and saw a small parchment: "Furniture will obey your wishes." What did that mean?

"Open hot water" I said, almost laughing at myself. When I turned around , smiling, I stopped, shocked, hearing the sound of water coming and filling the bath tub. "Wow.." I whispered, amazed. Soon I realised that the same worked with the rest of things there. But still too shocked to adapt myself to that new world, I stepped inside my bed, thinking. Thinking about what was expecting for me in the morning.. only in two hours.

I covered myself with the blankets, and looked into the fire. It was hypnotizing. My eyes were closing, when something made me jump inside my bed. A face. I had seen a face in the fire! Or maybe it was my imagination? No, impossible. I sat down and waited, my heart beating fast. A few sparkles jumped, but not usual ones.. red sparkles.. what was causing them? I felt scared. I walked towards the door, and opened it, looking into the dark and silent halls. I felt lonely, so lonely. Closing the door again, I walked around my room, but everything seemed to be calmed. Sparkles were gone, and no faces were spying me from the fireplace. My bed was warmer and I fell asleep soon.

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Morning already. The sun light came through the window and I opened my eyes slowly. The two hours I had slept weren't enough for me. Slowly, I went to the toilet, asking pipes to fill the bath as soon as possible, smiling when they obeyed me. The wardrobe's doors opened by themselves, showing me the repertory of robes, and I chose a green one, without knowing why. Green called my attention. As soon as I picked it up, a sweater jumped, together with a skirt and a pair of boots, all of them matching the robes.

While I was taking the bath I thought about the next hours. I was afraid of meeting the rest of staff, students and new things waiting for me. I left the hot water and I dried at once, by magic too. Surprised, I put clothes on and the robe over them, feeling so different when I looked at myself in the mirror. As if we were on a Halloween party. I fixed my long hair over the green clothes and, putting some order in my room, realised that there was an envelope waiting for me over a small desk. I picked it up. It was a map of school, I was a green point on it, and it started to move, showing me the way to the Great Hall. Closing the door behind me, I started my walk, crossing the noisy halls, full of students. I realised not all of them wore the same colours.. some were green, some blue, yellow and I even found crimson ones. They gave me quizzical looks, surprised. Once in the Great Hall, I saw Dumbledore sitting at a long table, together with more Professors. Students sat in four long tables under their gazes. When I walked through the place I felt all eyes on me. There was a free sit between a serious woman and a strange man completely dressed in black. When I sat, he gave me such a cold gaze that I couldn't help feeling horribly bad. Dumbledore asked for silence, and silence came.

"Good morning, it's my pleasure to introduce you our new Muggle Studies Professor Anabella Galerna" He smiled at me, and all professors imitated him, except the one on my right. Students clapped and checked me while they started with breakfast, coming back to their conversations. After some minutes, and when I decided for a pair of toasts with butter and jam, I heard a voice speaking to me.

"I'm Minerva McGonagall" She was the woman on my left, and she was smiling kindly. "He's Flitwick, she's Trelawney, and those are Binn, Vector, Hagrid and.."

"Hagrid?" I said, recognising him as the man in London, the big one who had saved me together with the handsome one: "We already met" Minerva looked surprised, but didn't comment anything.

"And then, on your right.." We both looked at the man who was drinking a simple coffee. "He's Severus Snape" I smiled, but he didn't pay attention to me. When I saw his eyes, a deja vou feeling came to me. Those eyes.. where had I seen them before? They looked so familiar to me.. I gaped at him, but he just replied with a sharp nod. Minerva took a deep breath. "Ignore him.." She whispered, embarrassed when she saw me blushing. I didn't know why, but I had the feeling that the man hated me. Professors were chatting, except we both. "You will meet the rest of staff soon.. this year Dumbledore wants to bring a new Defence Against Dark Arts professor, a very young one, in fact" She smiled again. "He was a Gryffindor, of course, and after five years since he left Hogwarts, he's returning.. he's of your age, more or less.. five years older than Potter, yes.. and Potter is seventeen.. they played quidditch together" She drank her tea , daydreaming for a while. "A Gryffindor finally gets his place in Hogwarts" I didn't dare to interrupt her while she was thinking, so I looked in the opposite direction, to the mysterious Professor.

"So.. which matter is yours? As a Professor, I mean.." I tried to begin a conversation, and he slowly moved his head to look at me. I saw his black eyes again, they were cold and deep, and I couldn't stop staring at him.

"Did I ask you to ask me?" His reply left me completely shocked.

"Well.. I'm just trying.."

"I know what are you trying.. you're trying to spoil my breakfast, but I would be happier if you put your muggle nose in your own business" He left the cup of coffee over the table with rudeness.

"Severus!" I heard McGonagall shouting at him, as he stood up and left the table. I couldn't describe how I felt.. angry, indeed.. but at the same time, I was unable to defend myself.. his voice was so deep and strong, his appearance so intimidating.. all I could do in that moment was staring at the toasts, trying to find out the meaning of his words. I felt Minerva's hand on my arm. "Dear, I suppose Dumbledore already warned you about some of us.. Snape has a dark past, but Albus trusts him.. don't expect a nice behaviour to you from him.. he has a problem with.. muggle blood.."

"What do you mean? He hates people like me?" I asked, astonished.

"Well.. lets say he's very.. difficult to treat.. he's the head of the Slytherin House, and he only treats some students from there well.. he hates Gryffindors, my House.." I saw a sharp expression in her face." But please, don't let him make you feel bad. You have to be strong in those difficult times, and well, you'll only be here two months, right?" She smiled, trying to comfort me.

"Yes, I guess you're right.." I went on eating my breakfast in silence, when something caught my attention. Two boys and a girl were staring at me since the moment I had arrived in the Great Hall. One of them wore glasses, his friend was a red head and the girl had a nice smile on her face. Obviously they were from last year, they were older than some of the small children sitting at their table. When I looked back at them, they started to chat, as if nothing happened, when they were caught.

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger." Said McGonagall, reading my mind. "They belong to my house" She smiled proudly.

"Professor Galerna.. Professor Galerna!!" I wasn't used to my new name yet, so it took to me some time until I realised someone was talking to me. Dumbledore was holding a big envelope. "The schedule for your classes. You'll be in charge of the 7th year students only.. your first class with be with Gryffindor and Slytherin. Good luck"

"Thank you" I replied, feeling dizzy. My new two months life had started.