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Waltzing

"Where were you this morning.?" Ron wondered as Hermione arrived at Defense Against The Dark Arts that afternoon. "Its not like you to miss a class, and on our first day back even."
"I didn't feel well." It was the truth after all. Upon taking off the necklace that held the experimental charm she had been barely able to stand. But the waves of dizziness came and went and she hoped to get through DADA without falling from her chair.
"Are you all right now? You look really pale."
"I'm fine Ron." She forced herself to reply as the new Defense teacher waltzed through the door. Yes, waltzed.
She seemed to be gliding into the room, dancing with an imaginary partner to imaginary music. Her dark waist length hair flowed around her tiny body as she swirled about the room. "I am here to teach you to defend yourself against the Dark Arts. " Her voice sent shivers down the spines of all her heard it. " This is your first lesson" She continued." Nothing is as it seems." As she spoke, her hair began to shorten, her body lengthened and with a sudden puff of smoke, standing in front of them was a young man in dark blue robes. He had dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Hermione heard Lavender and Parvati start to giggle from off to her right. If she hadn't felt so sick, she might have thought he was cute too. The Gryfindors, Huflepuffs, and Ravenclaws assembled (There were no Slytherins in N.E.W.T. level DADA. They seemed more inclined to practicing the Dark Arts then defending themselves against them) stared at the new professor as he placed his wand on the desk and began to speak.
"Knowledge is the key to surviving an attack by Dark Wizards..." He began. As his wand put his words on the board, the students got out parchment and quills and began to take notes.

At dinner that night, all the talk was of the new teacher and his entrances. He seemed to take a different form when entering each different class, but always his message was the same, nothing is as it seems. Hermione tried to eat at dinner, but she just couldn't keep anything down. A couple spoonfuls of stew and she had to run from the Great Hall to the nearest bathroom. Ron had given up on trying to follow her after her abrupt departures.
"I just wish she'd tell me what's wrong." He complained to Harry as she flew from the room.
Harry nodded. "I'm worried about her too. She missed Transfiguration this morning, and looked awfully pale during Defense Against the Dark Arts. She barely took any notes."
"To bad there isn't some way we can make her tell us."
Harry just stared at Ron. "How could you even suggest something like that? She'd hate you forever for the invasion of her privacy."
"It would be for her own good." Ron insisted, but he knew he'd never do anything like that to Hermione. He'd just have to wait for her to tell him.

Hermione's exit from the Great Hall did not go unnoticed. Professors McGonagal and Dumbledore exchanged a sad look. McGonagal nodded and rose from the head table. As she walked past Hagrid, she stood on tiptoe to whisper something to him. He nodded, but continued his conversation.
Nearby, Draco looked up from his stew just in time to see Hermione wiz past him. He really didn't pay much attention though. That quezzy feeling in his stomach had returned.
Snape saw Hermione leave, and had to try hard not to run after her to make sure she was alright. But the Malfoy boy was here to keep an eye on him, and if he did anything suspicious, such as checking up on Hermione, well, he might as well just resign from the Order for all the help he'd be.
The new Professor watched Hermione's departure with interest, but hid it well as he discussed various Dark creatures with Hagrid.

Hermione was back in her bed by the time McGonagal caught up with her.
"May I see the letter?" She asked quietly as she sat down on the side of Hermione's bed.
Hermione gestured toward the bed stand on which the letter lay. She sobbed quietly into her pillow as McGonagal read.
"Is there really nothing more that can be done?"
Hermione nodded. She began to sit up, but then lay back down as a sudden wave of dizziness hit.
"The problem is that everything treats the symptoms. Five years and they still don't know what's making me sick."
"I'll have Madame Pomfrey make some tea for the nausea. And I'll have Severus make some of that nice potion that helped with the dizziness last year. Is there anything else I can do?"
Hermione shook her head. "You've done more than enough already. I'll be fine."
McGonagal smiled "I'm sure you will."