'Denise, please will you refrain from having arguments with people,' Dumbledore said as the maid stepped out of the fire and into his office.

'Yes sir,' Denise replied 'but I didn't mean to,'

'I know, but still…I know you're angry at me, Denise, but for god sake, don't take it out on Harry,'

Dumbledore sat down behind his desk, and Denise in front of it.

'Yes sir,' Denise mumbled.

'However, I have news which might cheer you up,' Denise looked doubtful.

'I've found the cure,'

Denise raised her eyebrows.

'You've fixed the glitch?'

'I've fixed the glitch,'

Harry stared at the ceiling of his and Ron's room. Ron was siding with Harry, and also being moody with the maid. But the maid wasn't there to be moody with. The maid hadn't been there all week since the argument.

'I bet she's reporting back to who-know-who right now,' Ron said.

'Hum,'

'And he's laughing at her,'

'Hum,'

'Harry?'

'Hum,' apparently Harry was to caught up in his own thoughts to be bothered to listen.

'Harry, just forget what she said, she's just jealous because your dad chose a muggle-born over a pure-blood,'

No reply this time.

'But her name isn't Denise,' Harry mumbled.

'Probably not,'

'Then who is she?'

'Who cares?'

'She has to be someone; Dumbledore knew her,'

'How do you know?'

'She said to him that she wasn't some experiment of his,'

'So he's trying to get her to our side of the battle,'

'Hum,' Harry had reverted back to his old reply.

Flashback

It was pouring down with rain over London. The school year was to end within a week. The sky was gray, cloudy and everyone was gloomy.

The church bells chimed midnight. 1 strike…2 strikes…a hand pushed its way out of the soil above it. 3 strikes…in the grave beside it, all was still. 4 strikes…Another hand grasped air. 5 strikes…an arm reached over. 6 strikes…now the other arm. 7 strikes…the hands were bleeding at the knuckles. 8 strikes…a bearded man grasped the two hands, and pulled. 9 strikes…a head emerged, gasping for air. 20 strikes…now the upper body. 10 strikes…the figure was out of the ground. Spluttering, it stood up. 11 strikes…it looked at the man. 12 strikes. The figure looked down. Midnight. A piercing scream rang throughout the grave yard.

End flashback

Denise sat thinking about that time, when she first saw the light, smelt the air, in fifteen years. Dumbledore had helped her out, and explained everything. The words were harsh, and stung Denise's heart. She had cried many times over the next week, and stayed in Dumbledore's office until school ended. The day after everyone went home, Dumbledore proposed a plan. The next day, Denise had turned up at Privit drive, asking for the job as a house maid.

Ever since she had got over the shock over waking up in a box, she had been worrying. Something was bound to go wrong, and it already had. She had argued with him.

Harry lay wide awake, staring at the wall opposite their bed. It was gone Midnight, but he just couldn't sleep. He had been day-dreaming. About Sirius. About his parents. About Voldermort. About Denise. About his life. He had come to one simple conclusion; he didn't get it. He didn't get why Sirius had to die, or his parents. He didn't get why Voldermort was so cruel, he didn't get Denise and most of all, he didn't get his life.

Everything was so hard for him. Was there a single magical person in the U. K that didn't know about his life? Was there any one week where he hadn't got into trouble? Was there any one year of Hogwarts he hadn't met Voldermort. Two the first two questions, the answer was no. For the second, yes, third year. He just didn't get it.

Denise stared at the wall before her. She was sitting in her new office. She had a job. She was going to be a charms teacher; Flitwick had found too many people wanted to take charms after O.W.L's and on top of all his other classes, he couldn't take it. So he had wanted an assistant. Instead, Dumbledore had shared the classes equally between Flitwick and Denise. All the teachers recognized her when they saw her; the Denise they knew was a bitchy slut. However, this new Denise was quite the opposite, and many soon figured it out. Snape was the last to know, and was disgusted. Indeed, he would have preferred the real Denise to be teaching.

Denise sighed and turned her head to look out of the window and onto the quidditch field. She pictured the Gryffindor team, including James, up there, slaughtering Slytherin. She remembered the very last game of the year, it was so sweet. At the end of the game, James and transfigured the grass to turn into Lily's, and dedicated the game to her.

A tear fell down her cheek, and a knock came at the door. She wiped away quickly and signaled for the person to enter.

'You have a choice,' Dumbledore said 'so you can be anyone person. You can draw the image you want to take, it's that simple. Then, every time you want a new image, simply draw a new design, and dip it into the potion, then drink it.'

'How did you come up with it?'

'Well, there's a little magic in the pen-holder; you. I can't say any more,'

'It's illegal isn't it?'

A twinkle appeared in Dumbledore's eye.

'Fine, but you should know I really don't want to,'

Denise was not seen at all that summer. Dumbledore told the order she was sacked after yelling at Harry. Not many were happy about this, least of all Harry. Denise had been on his mind a lot, and he wanted to question her. He was now never going to get that chance.

And so the train rolled into – and out of – the station, leading the way into another year at Hogwarts. Apart from some silly kids trying to take over from Fred and George the journey was un-usually quiet. But Harry dismissed it as the absence of the real Fred and George, enjoying the peace.

At school, they were greeted once again by the sorting, and Dumbledore's words 'of wisdom'. It was here he introduced the new teacher.

'So, put your hands together and give a warm welcome to Mrs. Denise James,'

Harry recognized the name, but not the body. She looked in her thirties, long, brown hair, thin, blue eyes…very pretty.

'Denise' had chosen the last name 'James' in respect. She stuck with the name Denise because of the lack of names.

Harry thought she really was a death eater, and had used polyjuice potion.

The bitch Harry thought she took my fathers name! Why hasn't Dumbledore notice anything?

When Dumbledore introduced her, Denise blushed. She stood up to the light applause, only to find it got louder when people noticed how beautiful she was. She smiled warmly, then sat back down. Many people remembered Umbridge, but this new teacher seemed at least a little nice.

The feast passed with no great event, and soon the pupils were milling out of the hall, on their way up to bed. Denise watched Harry mutter to his two friends, and she was quite positive that he thought she had used a polyjuice potion. Ron and Hermione scanned over Denise, then turned back to Harry. Ron seemed to believe him, but Hermione didn't. Harry was sure the next morning she would be in the library checking something or other out.

Denise sighed, and met Snape's glare. She gave an even nastier look, and got up from her seat. She followed the crowd out, heading towards her office. Once there, she took out her timetable. Her stomach did a flip-flop. She had a class with Gryffindor in the morning; sixth year Gryffindor. She had a class with Harry.

Denise looked up as she heard footsteps. Her office door was open. That was odd; she could have sworn she had closed it…

'You,' Snape stepped out of the corner 'I don't care who you are; you may have Dumbledore fooled, but you don't fool me,'

'Get out Snape,' Denise said, standing up.

'No, I don't think I shall. You see, I remember that little scheme of Potter's…and I know you're back to finish it off. Somehow you fooled Dumbledore, but you don't fool me,'

'Leave her alone Snape,' Harry said, stepping into the office.

'Stay out of this, Potter,'

'No!'

'Why are sticking up for her, aye? I wouldn't want to be related to her…filthy little Mudblood,'

Harry had his wand at Snape within a second.

'You remember what I can do…no one deserves to be called a mudblood,'

'Harry, stay out of this,'

'Hum, Potter, detention,'

'But…'

'No buts!'

'Actually, he can't have a detention,' Denise said.

'And why not?'

'Because he didn't do anything wrong,'

'He put his wand to a teacher,'

'Oh, boo-hoo, Snivellus,' Denise started. Harry recognized the tone…

'As far as I'm aware, you got away with far worse things in the past; remember Remus?'

'That prank could have killed me!'

'And the drowning could have killed James!' Denise nearly yelled.

Snape growled.

'You're an adult. I forbid you to use the term snivellus ever again!'

'Whatever, Sniveluss,' Denise had a twinkle in her eyes, but suddenly turned stern.

'We're adults, and James is dead. Stay out of my life, and I'll do my best to stay out of yours,' Snape growled once more before leaving the office.

'Why didn't you defend yourself?' Harry asked.

'What?'

'He called you a mudblood!'

'Ah, I used to get it a lot.'

'I thought you said you were a pure-blood?'

Denise knew it was no use.

'Does Dumbledore know who you are?'

'Huh?'

'That you're the maid?'

'Oh, yeah, of course. Anyway, what are you doing out of bed so late?'

'Defending you,'

'Has it ever occurred to you that I am a fully grown woman, and a fully capable witch, that can defend myself?'

'I know. I just thought you needed help. What was that about anyway?' Harry asked, inspecting the room.

'Is it custom to interrogate your new teachers?' Denise asked, though she had a smile on her face. Harry shrugged. Denise sighed.

'He was talking about the past,' she explained 'it had a lot to do with the marauders…forget the bit about the Sirius nearly getting Snape killed,'

'I know Remus is a werewolf, and I know about the prank,'

'Oh,'

'Sirius- and Remus – told me,'

'How did you know my father?'

Denise sighed once more.

'Let's just say we were very good friends.

Harry pulled out the map.

'Where did you get that? That was James'…and the marauders,'

'I found it,'

Harry studied it. He spotted something, and looked up at Denise.

'I'm going to head back,' he said, in a shaky voice.

'Don't get caught,'

'That's what I have this for,' Harry said, holding up the map. He glanced down at it once more, the disturbing thing still there.

'What is it?' Denise asked. Realization dawned on her. The map showed everyone's names. Their real names. Harry backed out of the room.

'Night,' he muttered.

'Wait, Harry-…' but he had already gone. Denise banged her head against the palm of her hand.

'You are so stupid,' she muttered to herself as she closed her office door.

I'm not sure whether the breaks (. . . ) have worked or not, so that should be interesting. Does my story satisfy?