"Have you seen her yet?" Hermione asked at dinner.
Harry shook his head. Dumbledore had told him earlier that Marian was at Hogwarts, but he hadn't caught so much as a glimpse of her yet. Some of the other students were talking about a strange woman walking the halls with professor McGonnagall, but that was all.
"Don't worry Harry," Ron said comfortingly. "She'll show up."
Harry tried to smile, but he couldn't really manage it. He was worried about her, ever since he'd seen her in the hospital wing. "I know, it's just..."
He trailed off, and both his friends turned to look at the professor's table. Professor Calafas had just entered, with a woman in tow. It took them a moment to realize that it was Marian.
"See Harry, told you not to worry," Ron said. "She looks a lot better than last time."
That was an understatement. She didn't just look better, she looked different. It wasn't just the fact that she was dressed like a wizard, there was something else about her that he couldn't place.
"Earth to Harry. Are you all right?"
Harry turned to Hermione. "Fine," he muttered, and began eating again.

Marian bid goodnight to Professor Flitwick and closed her door with a sigh of relief. Dinner hadn't been nearly as bad as she thought it would be. She'd been introduced to the rest of the staff, each of which greeted her politely. Professor Dumbledore had acted as a kind of buffer, asking her opinion on subjects, explaining different concepts to her. Even though she usually got lost about five words into a conversation, the subjects were fascinating. Politics, ethics, spells, all were passed smoothly one person to another with the ease of long practice. After dinner, Flitwick had volunteered to escort her back to her room. It was a great tactic for getting to know a lot of people in a little time. It allowed her to really meet each of the professors without being overwhelmed by all of them at once.
"Hey large-body," she called. Missy was laying in front of the fire with a distinct bulge in her middle. "I see you got fed too." Marian paused. "You didn't eat one of those house elves, did you?"
The python lifted her head. "Ttthhey're too sssskiny ffffor my tassstesss."
"Good to know. So what was the unfortunate animal?"
"HHHagrid dropped a hhhealthy rat by afffter you lefffft."
Good old Hagrid. "Nice guy. Most people just run from you screaming."
"Hhhe'ssss too big to eat."
She raised one eyebrow. "And me?"
"Too sssalty."
Marian didn't know whether to be pleased or offended, so she chose the former. "Thanks, I guess," she reached down to run a hand over the snakes head, and sighed. "If only you had fur."
Marian turned, so she didn't catch Missy's expression of disgust. All in all, she didn't know if she could deal with that on top of everything else. It would take a little more getting used to before she could just hold a conversation with her pet without getting goose bumps.
"So, Missy. How have I been for an owner?"
Slowly, the python uncurled herself and slithered across the floor. "You've been better than mosssst would hhhhave. Not many hhhumansss would hhhave taken in a sssnake from the sssstreet."
"So you didn't mind the mice and rats?"
"Not at all."
"Good. I've always been afraid you wanted something else to eat."
She could have sworn the snake smiled. "Thhhhat'ssss not to sssay I wont eat hhhuman fffoood ifff and when it'ssss offfered."
By this time Marian was already in her tee shirt and boxers. "I'll keep that in mind. So, I'm supposed to sit in on potions and transfigurations tomorrow," she grabbed three books off the bookshelf and jumped on the bed. "Care to help me study?"
Missy curled up in a corner of the bed. "No thhanksss."

Professor Snape didn't look up when the door to his classroom opened. Most students only came in seconds before the class was due to start to avoid being around him longer than absolutely necessary, and with over ten minutes left before class started, it must have been a lost student.
"I thought class started soon?"
Snape looked up. Marian Elvbow was standing in the doorway, bag in hand. "Most of my students dislike my class, so they stay away as long as humanly possible."
She looked...shocked. "Why? I read through the book last night and I think it's fascinating."
It was Snape's turn to be shocked. Most people didn't have the patience or understanding to handle potions, not to mention the fact that most of his students were too busy looking at each other than at what they were doing. "Really?"
For a moment he saw her bristle at the sarcasm in his voice, but she didn't comment. "I never would have guessed more than half the stuff in here," she took a seat directly across from his desk and pulled out a copy of Magical Drafts and Potions. "I mean, who really thinks up all this stuff?"
"Men and women who had an intimate understanding of plants and their relationship with each other."
"Or people who were just really bored."
Snape glanced up sharply, but Marian was laughing. "Just kidding," she said. "You really take this stuff seriously, don't you?"
Snape snorted. "Of course I take it seriously. I am the Potions Master at this institution, a position that is coveted by many. Potions are my life."
"What, no girlfriend?"
Severus could feel himself going red with a combination of embarrassment and anger. " That is none of your concern," he replied in is iciest tone.
"Geez, just asking."
Time for a quick change of subject. "You said you read through the book?"
"Yeah."
"All of it?"
She rolled her eyes. "I was under the impression that 'read through' meant I'd read the entire book."
"And you understood it?" He didn't try and keep the disbelief out of his voice. There were first years who couldn't get passed the first chapter, and they had lived around the subject their entire lives.
"Test me."
The thought of ridding her voice of that annoying arrogance was pleasing, but before he could ask his question the first year class began filing in, each wearing the sullen face that all his students had. He didn't mind though. He was a professor, his students weren't supposed to like him. He was there to instruct them, and he would deal with their antipathy as long as they showed him the respect he deserved. Marian picked up her bag and moved to the back of the class and silently began setting up her cauldron. Snape shook his head and watched as his students took their seats. All of them looked nervous, which meant that they'd done something other than study for the day's class.
Over the next two hours he watched his students stumble through a simple coloring potion. Most of the ingredients were powdered, so there was no need to worry about uniform chopping, or even skinning. For anyone with an inclination for potion brewing the class would have been dull in the extreme. The potion only contained ten ingredients, but still, half the class managed to make mistakes. He hadn't thought it possible, but it seemed a female version of Neville Longbottom had found her way into the class. Barely two minutes into the brewing and black smoke was spewing from her cauldron. Another student had managed to spill the concoction all over his robes, turning them (and most of the worktable and floor) a bright pink.
Finally, it was time for testing and clean up. Those few students who had managed to avoid any major disasters over the course of the class got to try coloring various items. Most failed miserably.
"I see that none of you took the time to study chapters twelve and thirteen as you were instructed on Friday. Since you seem to think you can breeze through this course without study, I will begin giving quizzes when it suits me. I also want summaries of each chapter we go through on my desk at the beginning of class."
There was a collective groan, which he ignored. As far as he was concerned, they brought it on themselves. "For Wednesday read chapters fourteen and fifteen on the basics of preparing potion ingredients for more complex spells. I also want a parchment on my desk, along with your summaries, on the dangers of using ill-prepared ingredients, complete with examples of the calamities that can befall an unprepared brewer. Dismissed."
The class filed out silently, but Marian remained. There was at least a fifteen-minute break in between classes, so he'd have to deal with her, or get her to leave. "I trust the lesson wasn't too strenuous."
She looked up from the vial she was studying. "Oh, not at all. I was just wondering what they found so difficult about it," she poured a small amount of amber powder into the bubbling cauldron, cocked her head, and added a few more pinches.
He'd often wondered that himself when he first started teaching, but he learned soon enough. "The same reason they fail in all their classes. Half the class refuses to pay attention, and of that half that does, only about a third actually understands."
"The trick is to make the subject interesting," she put on her gloves and moved the potion onto a cooling stand. "I don't know if you noticed, but half the class was falling asleep while you were giving directions."
Severus couldn't believe it. This woman was giving him advice on teaching. "The subject is supposed to be interesting enough on its own. I refuse to cater to the delights of children who want nothing more than to wave a wand around and chant a few words."
She shrugged, and continued stirring the liquid. "Just trying to help," she stopped stirring and looked up at him. "So, how does this look?"
Snape looked in the cauldron. The liquid inside was an opaque white with swirls of pearl. It was cooling, but remained thin. "Hold out your hand." She did so, and he spooned a small amount of the liquid and poured it on her hand. "Periwinkle blue," he said commandingly.
She looked at her hand, and smiled. Her hand was slowly turning the color he'd demanded, down to the fingernails. "Cool," she added some more. "Burgundy."
Snape looked from her changing hand to her face. She was completely engrossed in what was happening, smiling like a child. Very few of his students had ever had that kind of reaction to a properly prepared potion. Most simply expressed relief at being safe from his tongue, others were smug, especially if the potion was difficult. But awe...wonder... those were things missing from his students.
"Does it work on anything?"
"Yes. A very useful tool, especially when decorating."
That caught her off guard. "Decorating?"
"Yes. Decorating."
Whatever she was going to reply was lost, because his fifth years took that moment to walk in. He glanced at the clock. No, they weren't early. "Are you planning on staying for this class as well?"
She pulled out a piece of parchment. "Yeah, then it's transfigurations. Then lunch. Then...care of magical creatures."
Snape thought. If Minerva kept to her usual schedule, she would be doing little more than watching the students write down notes. "Good luck." With that, he headed to the front of the class and began writing the directions for the fifth years on the board.

Marian fingered her bottle of coloration potion as she watched the last student file out of the class. Neville Longbottom. The poor boy looked like he was about to burst into tears. Only five people in the class had successfully completed the potion, and four of those five looked like they just ran a ten mile relay. "I was just thinking I know why your classes screwed up today."
"Really?"
She nodded. "It helps when you're not petrified of asking your professor for help. I don't think I've ever heard a grown man hurl that many insults at a class of sixteen year olds in my life," she pretended to think for a moment. "No, as a matter of fact, I haven't."
Snape narrowed his eyes. "If your critique of my teaching style is finished-"
"Actually, it's not. You beat your students down no matter what they do, and when you're not doing that, you sneer at them and their attempts. Maybe if you tried to be just a little more understanding, you might get better results, not to mention less accidents."
Severus took a deep breath. She knew what he was thinking: How he taught his students wasn't any of her affairs. "I have had this position for over ten years, Ms. Elvbow," he said, making sure each word was as clear as possible. "You may find my teaching style harsh, but I find it effective."
"Effective in making your students afraid of you," she could feel her temper rising. In fact, she'd wanted to slap him ever since he commented on how Neville seemed to be adding another potion to his 'already embarrassingly long' list of failures.
"That fear serves me very well. When students like," he practically spat the word, "their professors, they start to believe that they can do or say anything."
"Actually the kind of relationship I was thinking of involves mutual respect for all parties."
Snape laughed. "Respect? Most of those children couldn't find their arses if they were using both hands and a map."
"Well, now that we've established that, I'll think I'll head to transfigurations. Hopefully Professor McGonnagall isn't as aggravating as you," Marian grabbed her bag and headed away from the dungeons. She pulled out the parchment and examined it. She appeared as a little red dot in a maze of lines and boxes. Dumbledore had given it to her at breakfast. The class she needed to be at glowed green.
"Where are you headed?"
Marian jumped. Leaning against a wall was a blond boy from potions. "Um, yeah. Transfigurations. Professor Dumbledore gave me a map, but I'm still clueless."
The blond smiled. "I'm headed that way, I'll show you."
Marian smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem. I'm Draco Malfoy."
"Marian Elvbow."
They walked up a long flight of stairs. "So you're the new student?"
She laughed. "I don't know if I'd call myself a student. More like observer."
"Fair enough. So, how do you like Hogwarts?"
She cocked her head. "I don't know yet. I'm still trying to get used to all this. But, from what I've seen, I think I like it."
Malfoy nodded. "I've heard that you're from the Muggle world. Is that true?"
"Muggle? Oh, normal people. Yeah. I was raised with Muggles. In America, as a matter of fact."
"So, you're parents are Muggles."
My parents could have been Dumbo and Puff the Magic Dragon for all I know. "Don't know. I'm an orphan."
A looked passed his face, but it was gone before she could see it clearly. "Oh, I'm sorry."
Marian forced a smile. "Don't' worry, I'm not."
"Have you been sorted yet?"
Sorted? "Um, I don't think so? What is sorting?"
Draco looked surprised. "Every student here gets sorted into four houses. Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. I thought they'd done it by now."
I think you're a bit old for the sorting hat. "Oh, that. Dumbledore said I was too old."
Draco shrugged. "You should ask. Well, here we are."
Marian looked up. She'd been so engrossed in their conversation that she hadn't noticed they'd stopped walking.

"Mr. Malfoy, you are almost five minutes late for class. Five points will be taken from Slytherin-"
"Please, Professor McGonnagall, it was my fault," Marian jumped in. Hagrid had explained the point system to her when they went shopping. "Draco found me wandering around and escorted me here. His being late is entirely my fault."
McGonnagall looked between the two of them. "Fine. This time you will not be docked. This time."
Draco nodded and made his way to a seat near the front of the class while she settled into an unused desk. The class was copying an odd looking diagram off the board. Marian pulled out her book and started flipping through the pages. She'd seen something vaguely like it last night. Finally, near the end of the book she found it. It outlined the changes an animal went through during a transfiguration. The diagram on the board was much more intensive, and linked to several other diagrams spread across three more blackboards that she didn't recognize.
"You're not expected to understand this, Ms. Elvbow," Professor McGonnagall said from above her. "This transfiguration is very advanced, and this class is only to show you what can be achieved."
"Don't worry, I wasn't planning on trying anything today," Marian answered. "I was just comparing the two diagrams. That one," she pointed to the board, "Is a whole lot different than the one I've seen."
McGonnagall nodded and walked back to the front of the class. "Today we will be transfiguring ordinary objects into animals. Each of you have your items. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that this is much more difficult than turning a parrot into a wineglass, as these items will create completely blank slates. You will be graded on how well you can create the animal and what characteristics you give it."
Marian watched the students as they picked up their items. Some had glasses, cups, plates, and several other items that she couldn't identify. Neville Longbottom held up a glass and gold ball, stared at it wistfully, then placed it in front of him. She hoped it didn't get damaged.
McGonnagall demonstrated, and after saying a few words the candlestick on her desk turned into a raven, but one that was frozen. She kept murmuring over the bird, and after a few moments it began to shake its head and puff its feathers lazily. It took a long look at the class before taking flight and wheeling around the room. Whoa.

What the class managed as a whole to accomplish was significantly less than what McGonnagall managed to pull off with the exception of a few students. The brown haired girl, Hermione, created a miniature unicorn out of a small teapot, which stood prancing and rearing on her desk. The boy Dean made a griffin, which sat dejectedly on his desk no matter his attempts to animate it. Draco had created a snake out of a scarf, which was currently slithering, albeit stiffly, across the large table and staring at everyone with it's ruby eyes. Harry's creation was owl, snowy white and glistening. It hooted on occasion, but didn't move so much as a feather. Neville, poor, poor Neville, had managed to create a toad that remained stiff as a board. They were the lucky ones though. Some hadn't even managed to get their objects to do anything other than flop around their desks before settling back down.

McGonnagall walked around to each student, and even though she looked disappointed in some of them, she didn't yell, or point it out to the class. She simply gave instructions and advice on how to do better.

"Class dismissed," she said after assigning three chapters of homework.

Thanks so much for reading this!!!!! Special candy coated thanks goes out to Cthulhu, Fate's Child, and Missy42 for their great reviews and suggestions!!!

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