Disclaimer: Harry Potter was not my idea.

---------------------------------------------------Chapter 3: Defense Against the Dark Arts

Harry Potter settled in a seat for his first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson of the year. Ron and Hermoine sat on either side of him. While some of the sixth year looked a bit nervous about NEWT Defense, he was cool and calm. He new he could handle the class and a little voice inside his head told him that he may very well know more than the teacher.

A few seats behind him sat Ginny and Colin. Harry spared a glance at Ginny. She was a bit different this year. She had grown a bit and was very pleasant to the eye. She had also grown quite a tongue and a sense of humor that rivaled Fred and George. Harry looked away before anyone noticed what he was looking at. Ron would absolutely kill him if he knew he had certain feelings towards his little sister.

--------------------------------------------------

The classroom door burst open and a man strode forwards with his dark robes billowing after him.

"It couldn't be…" whispered Hermoine.

----------------------------------------------

It was.

"You!" spat Harry.

"Yes, Potter, me. Ten point from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn," sneered the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He then turned to the class. "If you don't know who I am, I would suggest going and smacking your head against the wall."

"But, you can't be the new professor!" sputtered Ron.

"I assure you I can. Ten more points from Gryffindor, Weasley."

Draco smirked from his seat. This was going to be a good year.

------------------------------------

Ginny gawked. Snape the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher? Of all the horrible things that could happen, this was one of the worst. Of course, all the Slytherins were delighted, but there was a definite grimness in the Gryffindors.

"We will start with a little review, seeing that you have never had a competent teacher in this class," said Snape bitingly. Ginny knew he said it for three reasons: one, that it was mostly true; two, he was getting in a jab at Professor Lupin (who was their only competent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher); three, he knew it would provoke Harry, Ron and Hermoine (luckily they remained quiet).

"First, we will be reviewing Boggarts, so line up in front of the cabinet by the back corner."

Ginny was a bit nervous; she had never faced a Boggart before. She knew her worst fear though. Just thinking about it made her shudder.

---------------------------------

By the time it was Ginny's turn her heart was pounding. There had been very many different Boggarts. For example, Harry's was a dementor, Ron's a giant spider, Malfoy's was something happening to his mother, Neville's was Professor Snape, and Colin's was a clown.

"Next."

Ginny stepped forward nervously. What could make him less scary? Finally, she decided to take a leaf out of Neville's book.

The clown Boggart stepped towards her changing into a young man with neat black hair and piercing blue eyes. Ginny was petrified. Tom. He stepped forwards and started whispering things to her. Her heart was racing. She was not aware of the panicked look in Harry's eyes, nor the confused look in everyone else's.

Riddikulus!

Ginny said it with as much force as she could find as she blacked out.

-------------------------------

"It is ready My Lord."

"Excellent. Good work Luicus."

"Thank you My Lord."

"I should also thank Potter, that fool."

"Yes My Lord."

"I am ready."

---------------------------

Ginny woke with a painful throbbing through her head. She couldn't tell where she was; everything was blurry. She heard voices around her, but could not make out what they were saying. As her vision got better, a hooked nose bent over her.

"She is coming around."

"What happened," Ginny said, wincing because of the pain in her head.

"How you got into NEWT level Defense Against the Dark Arts is at loss of me. I have never heard of a sixth year that couldn't handle a Boggart."

Ginny glared up at Snape, but she couldn't hold her glare for very long because of a wave of nausea.

"Mr. Malfoy, please escort Miss Weasley to the Hospital Wing, before she contaminates the floor."

"Yes, Sir."

"And everyone else, back to the lesson!"

-----------------------

"What was that Weasley?" said Malfoy as soon as they left.

"Just shut up Malfoy," grumbled Ginny.

'Yes, what was that Ginny?" asked a voice inside her head. "Still afraid of me, I see." Ginny stiffened. She recognized that voice. The throbbing in her head became worse; it felt like her head was about to split open.

"Oh, crap." And she ran. She didn't know why she was running or where. She was vaguely aware of Malfoy yelling after her. She ran faster and fast down the corridor, so fast that she didn't see the staircase until it was too late.

------------------------

A/N: And there is chapter three. Thanks for reading.

--Perplexity