(A/N: I apologize for all the short chapters that I do. It is really hard to make long ones. I do try though! I'm just not that successful at making long chapters. There is a lot of scene changing in this chapter so please bare with me. Michael is in this chapter and he is a seventh year and a prefect.)

Ron and Harry were heading for divination when Harry asked, "Ron do you know what's wrong with 'Mione? She's been kind of distant lately?"

"I don't know what's wrong either," shrugged Ron as he climbed up the ladder to the Divination tower, "I thought you might have known."

Hermione made her way to her Ancient Runes class, she was absorbed in thought mentally reviewing over the information for a quiz, when she ran into some one.

"I'm so sorry," apologized Hermione not seeing who it was that she ran into.

"Hey, didn't expect to run into you so soon," smiled Michael, "No pun intended."

"Oh Michael! What are you doing over here?"

"Heading for Charms, needed to stay late in Runes to ask a question. I'm guessing that you take Ancient Runes as well?"

"Yeah I do."

"I'm already late for Charms and I don't want to make you late for your class so I'll let you go and hopefully we can run into each other and more than just a few minutes to talk," remarked Michael as he headed down the hall.

That night after class was the Halloween feast. As everyone gathered in the Great Hall eager to start the celebration Dumbeldore stood up to make an announcement. This was quite unlike him to do such at the Halloween feast so ever one paid special attention.

"I am well aware that this is not a normal occurrence for me to stand and speak at such an event but I have what will be good news to many here tonight. We have finally selected a new Defense Against the Dark Art teacher. She is well qualified in the position and I hope that you will give her the respect that she deservers, for her bite is much worse than her bark. I would like to introduce Professor Serena Snuffles."

A rather large woman stood up and waved to the students before sitting back down as Snape gave the woman a rather distasteful look.

"So on with the feasting then!" called out Dumbeldore after a small round of applause for Professor Snuffles.

"I wonder what this Professor will be like?" remarked Hermione as she loaded up his plate.

"My question is will she last past a year?" asked Harry.

"If she does last past the year it will be a miracle," added Ron.

"I wonder if Professor Dumbeldore was serious about her bite being worse than her bark," gulped Neville who was sitting next to the trio.

"Fred and George have her tomorrow, they'll find out sure enough," shrugged Ron as he took another bite.

"I can't believe it!" cried Fred as he and George entered the Gryffindor Common Room the next day.

"It was bloody terrible!" added George in frustration.

"What?" asked Hermione looking up from her reading on the history of House Elves.

"Professor Snuffles, she's a nightmare, that's what!" answered Fred.

"What happened?" asked Harry.

"Fred and I thought we'd have a bit of fun and test one of our latest inventions," answered George, "She confiscates it before we even use it!"

"Then she gives us detention over the next Hogsmead weekend!" added Fred, "We didn't do anything!"

"That's not all, she then assigns a three scroll paper and tell us just us to make it a four scroll one," finished George."

"I'd like to know how she knew what we were going to do well before we even did it!" remarked Fred as he and George went up to their dorm room.

"Now we know what she is going to be like," half frowned Ron as he watched his brothers ascend the flight of stairs to the boy's dormitory.

The week flew by fairly quickly and it was yet again Friday. Hermione sat alone in the library working on a paper for potions while Ron and Harry were out practicing for their next Quidditch match.

"Mind if I join you?" asked Michael as he sat down across from Hermione, "I thought you could use a little company."

"I think I'd like the company," smiled Hermione looking up from her work.

"I believe this will the first time that we can actually have a conversation that lasts more than a few minutes."

Hermione looked down at her watch and saw that curfew wasn't for another good hour and a half, "Your, right."

"I'm guessing that you're working on potions?" asked Michael.

"I am, you?"

"Same thing," grimaced Michael, "Word to the wise, unless you are serious about a career that requires potions don't take the NEWT courses."

Hermione laughed a little, "That bad?"

"Worse," answered Michael.

"Which paper is it that Snape has you working on?"

"Truth Serum," answered Hermione.

"I remember that one!" laughed Michael, "That's the one that my room mate Tim stole from me, he couldn't stand the fact that I was doing better than he was. I ended up spending all of breakfast and lunch rewriting the stupid thing. Turned out for the best though, it was on the final exam, and I knew it better than any one else in the class. You should have seen the look on Tim's face when I told him it was because of him I got the best grade on the final."

"What topic does Professor Snape have you working on?"

"The components of Verastrium."

"Michael, there's something I think you might want to check up on in the hallway," mentioned a Ravenclaw girl.

"Prefect duty," smirked Michael, "You know the run through."

"Tell me about it," agreed Hermione thinking of the still troublesome first years who had attacked her at the beginning of the year.

"It was fantastic talking to you, would you mind joining me again this Hogsmead weekend?"

"Sure," agreed Hermione before Michael went rushing out to take care of what was going on in the hall.