Well, here is it... Chapter Two.. please read and have fun... ggg

Chapter Two

Departure for Hogwarts

Stella, as well as Hermione, woke up an hour earlier than they had to get up. Stella was lying on her belly, her head in her hands and listened with interest to what Hermione said. She gave her more facts about Hogwarts.

"Well, we have four houses. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin. My guess is, that you also get to wear the talking head, who will sort you to your house." "What do you think," Stella asked her, "Where will he put me?"

"Hmm…" Hermione looked at her thoughtful. "You never know! Probably one of you will end up in Gryffindor and one in Slytherin, because they now have free space. I do hope you are coming to my house - Gryffindor. Because than, you can spend your time with Harry and Ron."

"Slytherin is awful!" Hermione shuddered, when she thought about the fact that she had to continue her journey with Malfoy.

"Snape is house teacher there. Well, and look at Malfoy. As slimy as him are most Slytherins!"

Stella twisted her face. "Than my only hope is that the hat will be so nice and send me to your friends!"

Now it was Stella's turn to talk about "Feenhain". "Our school isn't as big as yours. We only have a boy's and a girl's house. Though, elder students from six grade onwards have a few advantages. They needn't to sleep in the dormitory they sleep in two-bed-rooms."

I think you can stay with my friend Michaela. She is really a treasure! Please, tell her "hello" from me again, will you?"

Hermione nodded. "Please, would you tell Harry and Ron that I miss them so much, already?!" "Of course!" replied Stella

A knock at the door and Fleur Delacour came in. "Better you pack your bagage for your journée! See you leter," fluted Fleur and disappeared.

Half an hour later they went downstairs into the dining hall. Only Kopernikus was sitting at their table and Stella sat down beside him. Now, no names glowing on the plates, they could choose where they wanted to sit. "Good morning!" said Kopernikus. "How was your sleep?" "Not too bad but I'm a little nervous," said Stella.

Stella was spreading butter on her croissant, when an express-owl crashed right into the jam.

Stella and Kopernikus looked astonished at each other. "Who is sending me an owl?" Kopernikus asked Stella and Hermione. They did not know either and just shrug their shoulders.

Kopernikus reached for the parchment, which was tied to one of the owl's legs. He opened it up and began to read." "I'm terribly sorry Stella, but I think you are the only exchange student who will go to Hogwarts!" "W-what?! Why?!" asked Stella. "You know, my grandma is seriously ill and her condition dramatically worsened. I have to go and see her! I will go back with Mrs Liebknecht."

"Oh no!" whispered Stella "I'm so sorry Kopernikus!"

Meanwhile Madame Maxime had entered the room and she had heard what Kopernikus had said.

"I'm very sorry, young man!" She said, "Buut, wat are we doing now?" She looked down at Stella, who made a very sad face. "You 'ave to dravel wis Professeur Snep!"

"Great", Stella sighed.

"Believe me", she heard a deep voice – which could have sounded nice, if it would not have been so cold, "I also could think of something better than travelling alone with you" – it was Snape.

She was paralysed for a moment. "Wonderful, I have to travel alone with this bloke!" Stella thought and put her croissant back on the plate. She was not hungry any more.

"Unfortunately, I 'ave more bad news for you!" Said Madame Maxime "What", Stella thought," could be worse than travelling alone with this bloke?"

"As you know, se flea network is – unfortunately – broken. Usually you could dravel by the Euro-Expresse, buut sere is a – how do you say – strike! So you must 'ave dravel wis se car!"

Stella and Snape starred at her completely horrified. A strike?!

"And who", Snape asked with a dangerously low voice, "Will drive the car? I cannot!"

Stella recognized how uncomfortable he felt to admit that he couldn't drive a car.

"Well, mon chère Stella, what about you?" Madame Maxime had rested one of her giant Hands upon Stella's shoulder and looked at her askingly.

"Ehm, well, I'm eighteen and just passed my driving license test this summer, while I was at my parents house." Madame Maxime clapped her hands enthusiastically, "Sis is wonderful. The 'petite automobile' is waiting for you outside se front door!"

As it was late, and all of them had a long way to travel, they had to leave soon so they would reach their destinations before darkness. It was hard for Stella to say good-bye to them all. She was very sad that Kopernikus couldn't come along. Maybe he would be able to come later, when his grandma felt better. She hugged Hermione and Kopernikus, gave her divination teacher a handshake and Malfoy a short nod. Stella found him horrible, just like Hermione, and she did not envy her to travel with him. Then she looked at her "travel mate" and she had to admit to herself that she did not envy herself either.

They stood outside the castle doors and had a look at the old rickety Fiat.

"This", thought Stella "isn't a car, this is a state of Art!" She carefully looked at Snape, Who sceptically looked at the driving device. She felt queasy. "This is gonna be so much fun! No doubt!" She thought grimly and opened the driver's door.

"Well, at least it has a cassette player!" This would hopefully shorten the way a great deal.

"Madame Maxime" Snape – who were standing next to her – hissed, "do you really think we reach England with this THING?" Severus was seething with rage.

He did not trust this thing and he definitely was not pleased to be in the mercy of an eighteen-year-old witch.

"Sureli, my dear Professeur Snep! 'Ere I 'ave the "carte de route" Pour vous, bon voyage!"

Meanwhile, Stella had put her suitcases in the car, because this 'bloke' did not even think about helping her. She fetched her walkman out of her backpack and took the cassette out. If he was so mean to her he would have, in exchange, to listen to her music!

She usually was not the kind of person who enjoyed being mean to someone, but this man brought her worst sides out!

Stella sat down and put the cassette in the player, Severus had opened the door and tried to get inside the car. He stuck with "trying" for the moment.

He tried to get in the car head first. But this did not work, because as he put one of his feet inside, he almost landed with this head in Stella's lap. She looked down and only saw black hair. Snape put one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the handbrake to

Support himself. And to get back his balance.

Stella pressed her hand against her mouth, so he would not see that she found all this very funny. But than she could not held back her giggling any longer.

"What?" snapped Snape and bumped his head on the car's roof.

Stella couldn't talk. It was too funny to see this man struggling.

Severus managed himself out of the car and tried to get back in again, left leg first this time. Unfortunately the seat was too close to the dashboard and as he finally sat in his seat, he looked like a sardine in a tin. His legs were folded like a pocket knife, his knees squeezed to the glove compartment and his head was propped against the roof.

Stella could not help but ask him with a grin on her face "Are you comfortable Professor?" Slowly, he turned his head in her direction, as far as it was possible, and looked at her venomenous. "You think this funny, do you?" He asked coolly. At this point she could not hold herself back any longer. She laughed till tears ran down her face. This sight was so hilarious – so unique.

She decided to rescue him from his unfortunate situation. She put her right hand between his left leg and the seat to find the handle that would slide the seat backwards.

"What are you doing there?!!" He yelled at her.

"I'm trying", she answered in her best matter-of-fact voice she could manage between her giggling", to help you getting out of this bad situation and if you would be so kind to sit still for one moment, I would succeed!"

For one moment he really sat still and Stella finally could pull the handle. Faster than she thought the seat ran backwards. So fast that Stella was not able to pull out her arm. Now she was trapped between Snape's leg and the seat. She was pulled backwards together with the seat and Snape, so that her left cheek was pressed to his knee.

"Get off my knee, right now!" He said, looking at her in disgust. He actually could only see brown, lightly curled long hair between which he heard someone mumbling "If you would release your leg a bit, I could do that!" She tried to say as clearly as you could talk with your cheek against a knee. Despite this strange odd situation she recognized the slight tangy sent on him and she thought, only for a fracture of a second that he smelled good.

Severus straightened his leg and Stella could sit back in her seat. Now his legs had enough room, but his head was still propped against the roof.

"You have never been in a car? Haven't you?" Stella snapped at him and rubbed her harmed Arm.

"No! I haven't been forced yet to squeeze myself in such a sardine-tin!" He hissed back.

"You can tell!" She answered sarcastically.

Severus tried to get a more comfortable position in his seat, somehow. As, again, the voice of this annoying exchange student could be heard. "Maybe", she twittered with her "sweet" voice, "you should turn the little wheel on the right side of your seat, than the back-rest moves back!"

Severus had no choice but to follow her advice. He turned the little wheel, which he found on the right side of his seat, and to his surprise the distance between his head and the roof grew.

He took a deep breath.

"Can we leave then?" Stella asked objectively.

Snape looked silently straight ahead. He was angry about himself that he made a complete Idiot of himself. And to make it worse – in front of a student!

Stella starred at him. "Hmmm… as you say nothing, I take this for a "yes", nevertheless I would appreciate it, if you would close the door - now!"

Severus looked at her as if he wanted to strangle her the next second and closed the door.

"Well then, here we go!" said Stella.

More cheerfully than she actually felt.

She knew, this man hated her profoundly and she would have to suffer for this in the upcoming school year – for sure.

Stella turned the key and started the engine. Slowly they drove down the stony street and their journey to Hogwarts began.