Diagon Alley, the place for all things magical. Taran had to restrain from a bit of a snort at that thought, eyes skimming the place. This would likely prove an interesting endeavor in that now would provide first time meetings with students. The books students received via post would hardly suffice for its purpose.

Already Taran carried several books underarm, many of them acquired in Knockturn Alley and of questionable nature. It was but a start. Now, however, it was time for some measure of leisure, spent outside a prank shop, making mental notes of younger faces or slipped names as people came out of it. These, no doubt, would be an incurable source of trouble once the school year began.

Not that Taran was entirely worthy of judging, having purchased a fair quantity of Skiving Snackboxes. The poor fool that tried to use one in Defense Against Dark Arts was almost to be pitied, for if the cure half worked a detention would surely follow. It was enough to make any teacher grin, at least any teacher with some measure of sadism.

Taran pushed from the wall it had been leaning against, wondering what people must be thinking. It shrugged off the thought however, pulling hood forward a bit more before sidling into the crowd in the street. There were still other books to buy for the classes, and it probably had enough names and faces to start with.

Chances were it didn't need any really, just having lingered there a while, catching one student would be enough to spread word all around school. The students who had seen Taran would remember. It was not exactly the sort of person that blended into a crowd.

Taran continued watching the faces in the crowd, bemusedly noting shifts in expressions as eyes came to rest on it. Fear could be noted, though not as much as if it ever decided to go for a stroll through a Muggle community. Mind you, the temptation for that was always there, but somehow it had the feeling the Ministry might shake a finger at that particular sort of behavior.

It took a moment for Taran's thoughts to scatter enough for it to note who it had just passed. Turning back it narrowed its eyes slightly, holding in them the figure of a teen in loose fitting Muggle clothing with unruly black hair that couldn't seem to pick a direction. Harry Potter, perhaps the most famous wizard in the world, other than perhaps the Dark Lord or Dumbledore.

Did he know, Taran wondered, that he was targeted, even in the relative safety of Diagon Alley. Of course, how could the boy know? None of those that whispered his name in hatred dared touch him now, not when their master had other plans. Other plans indeed, Taran shook its head, all it could do was be careful.

"Well, well," came a voice, pulling Taran instantly from thought, "that's an...interesting selection of books you have there Professor." The voice was thick with contempt and sarcasm.

Taran turned to meet the man, grin impish, though scarce seen, eyes glittering out icily from beneath the cowl. "I thought so," was the snarled reply, holding no real tone. "It's my belief the N.E.W.T. level students might benefit from some...supervised reading, just to get a glimpse what they might face."

"Or do?"

Taran's eyes narrowed to a glare beneath the cowl, "Professor Snape, whatever you might be implying, this seems hardly an ideal place. I can assure you my chief goal in these is to prepare the students to fight," it paused, stopping short of saying the dark lord's name in public where it would bring sudden and complete attention to the pair, "He-who-must-not be-named," it finally growled, rolling its eyes as it did so, "and his allies."

"Of course," snarled Snape, seeming to Taran, by no means through with this. However, for now he did abate and turning on his heel he stalked off, leaving only his back for Taran to glare at.

Now, Taran could hardly be surprised by this little confrontation, constantly hiding beneath a hood had a tendency to blemish ones reputation. However it had not expected one of this nature before even reaching the school. What it had been expecting was something making mention of a wolf. However, with the books it was carrying it guessed that opened the door for this sort of confrontation a bit more so than one involving wolves.

Taran could only shrug then, deciding that it wasn't worth dwelling on. It didn't need to turn back to know that Harry Potter was likely lost to the crowd, though it suspected Snape's voice may have brought the boy's attention to their little...conversation. It couldn't help but wonder if it would receive any trust from the students after that, or on opposite note-considering the avid dislike of Snape among the student body-perhaps that would boost Taran's reputation among them.

Books, Taran needed to buy books, it could focus on what the students thought later, either on the Hogwarts Express, if it chose to take it with them, or at the school.

o-o-0-o-o

Harry panted when he reached the Hogwarts Express, staring down at his trunk for a moment as both Ron and Hermione came through the platform barrier behind him, panting similarly. Crookshanks had seen fit to escape on the Muggle end of the platform and led them on a merry chase. Harry was glad Hermione had caught him, he didn't trust himself not to kill that cat if he got a hold of it right now.

He loaded his trunk onto the train, finding a compartment without anyone in it yet for the three of them, not doubting they'd be joined by Neville and likely others before the train started moving. He made a mental note to thank Hermione for insisting on coming early, after he throttled her cat that was.

"Your stupid cat is always causing trouble," muttered Ron as he dropped down into the seat to resume panting.

Hermione huffed, dropping down herself, right beside Ron. "Oh, and Pig is always so much more well behaved." She shook her head, about as into the argument as Ron, which at the moment, was not very much.

In fact, it stopped rather abruptly there, the only sound in the compartment slightly more heavy breathing until each of them had caught their breath.

"Harry, you said you saw the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher in Diagon Alley," began Hermione, breaking the silence, slightly more serious now, "what were they like?"

Harry shrugged slightly, "I didn't actually meet him, just heard Snape confront him."

Ron rolled his eyes, "Just like Snape, he's always had it in for people who snatch that job up from under him."

"I'm not entirely sure that's the case this time Ron, he seemed to be going to great lengths to conceal just about everything about himself, appearance, voice." Harry paused then, absently running a finger along his scar.

Ron's forehead furrowed slightly as he looked at Harry with slightly wider eyes, somewhere between stunned and suspicious. "Do you think they might work for you-know-" he was cut off.

"Come on Ron, surely you can just say Voldemort by now," snapped Hermione, rolling her eyes a bit before continuing. "Besides, after two separate instances of teachers working for the wrong side, surely Dumbledore would be more careful selecting, right?"

Harry just fell silent-caught up in a train of thoughts-somehow he wasn't so sure, and it was obvious neither of the others were either. He looked out the window, watching other students loading onto the train, eyes drifting through the crowd without.

"I wonder if we should have been more careful getting onto the train, " muttered Harry in hindsight, a dark cloud falling utterly over him as with half a mind he focused on Sirius. His eyes had ceased catching anything outside, now focusing somewhere beyond all sight. "I mean, what if Voldemort had stationed Death Eaters on the platform. We were so busy chasing Crookshanks that we could have run right into one and not known it."

"Crookshanks is intelligent enough that I don't think he would have done that if he thought there were any danger," she said softly, trying to reassure him. "And nothing did happen," she mused after the silence went unbroken for an extended and sluggish moment. She smiled in an attempt at reassurance, but it was a bit feeble. Whether she acknowledged it or not, the possibility had been there.

"Right," mumbled Ron, sounding slightly exasperated, "we're fine. Nothing happened and we got to have a little bit of fun," he paused for a moment to focus a glare on the cat, "And suddenly that's a crime? Lighten up a bit alright?"

Harry's fists were clenched as he continued looking out the window, forcing himself to breathe and calm down. He did not want to snap at Ron, not when he was right especially. He gave a forced bit of a nod before he managed to relax. "Yeah, your right, sorry," he mumbled, not exactly sounding it, but at least he wasn't snapping at his friend.

They fell into a heavy silence, grateful when others came in to break it, a glaring Ginny among them. They had accidentally lost the Weasleys somewhere in the train station during the chase and Ginny was incensed that she had spent all this time looking for them while they'd been sitting on the train.


Author's Notes: Well... chapter two... yeey...meh. I know dealing with 'it' seems to not be working as well, I think it was easier to deal with in the first chapter due to the wolf to person transition. I'm hoping eventualy it can be gotten used to though. Anyway that is all. ;)