Disclaimer: All the characters from Harry Potter are property of J.K Rowling.

Thank you thank you thank you to all those people who reviewed! Yay! I love reviews. And there IS a reason that I keep describing Pasha as "feline-like" with "cat-like eyes." You'll find out later in the story.

Note: I think some of you guys are a bit confused at the moment. Sorry about that, I'll explain it to you. This book is set in Harry's seventh year of Hogwarts and lets just pretend that the HBP NEVER came out and that he had a normal sixth year. OK? I know, I know, kind of stupid. I should have set it in the sixth year but I cant be bothered changing it so... enjoy!

Chapter 4

Harry, Ron and Hermione made their way to their first class of the year; Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry's thoughts strayed back to the new girl, Pasha Mayes. He couldn't stop thinking about her. It wasn't that he liked her, how could it be? He had just met her the other day. No, that wasn't it. There was just something strange about her. Something about the way she moved with feline-like grace, the way her head sometimes perked up at noises Harry couldn't hear, the way she watched him with her golden eyes.

"Hey, did you hear? Bryce Jean was made Head Boy," Ron informed them.

"Who's that?" asked Harry. Not that he cared.

"I don't know, some guy in Ravenclaw."

"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is?" wondered Hermione.

"As long as it isn't another Lockheart, I'm happy," muttered Ron.

They reached the classroom to find the new teacher awaiting them behind her desk. She was a young-looking woman. Her light brown hair barely brushed her shoulders.

The three took their seats. Harry was glad that they weren't doing the class with the Slytherins. He looked around and his heart sank with disappointment when he didn't see Pasha. What am I doing? Why am I looking for her?

"Well, I think that's everyone," said the teacher standing. "I am Professor Middleweek and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for the year."

Harry, Ron and Hermione all jumped at the sound of her voice, recognizing it immediately. Hermione turned to Harry, Tonks? She mouthed. Harry nodded. It had to be. Professor Middleweek, or rather, Tonks, eyes twinkled when she saw their reaction.

The door to the classroom suddenly burst open and Pasha strode in.

"You're late," said Tonks.

"Sorry, I got a bit lost," she apologized as she sank down in the seat in front of Harry.

Tonks nodded, "make sure it doesn't happen again."

Harry could tell that she was having a hard time putting on the strict teacher act.

"Everyone get out your books and turn to page fifty-one. We will be studying Unforgivable Curses. Now I understand that this class is already a bit informed on the subject? Who can tell me what the three Curses are then?"

As expected, Hermione's hand was the first to shoot up.

"Yes Her-" Tonks stopped herself when she realized that she wasn't supposed to know Hermione's name. "What is your name?"

"Hermione Granger. The three Unforgivable Curses are the Imperius curse, Cruciatus, and the Avada Kedavra."

"Very good. And does anybody know what the penalty is for anyone who performs one of these curses?"

Harry saw Pasha stiffen slightly as Tonks said this.

Hermione's hand shot up again.

"Yes, Miss Granger?"

"A life sentence to Azkaban."

"And who knows what you need for these to work properly?" and before Hermione had a chance to raise her hand again Tonks interjected, "why don't we let someone else answer this time Miss Granger."

Hermione blushed. Tonks pointed at Ron.

"Um, a wand?"

The class laughed. "Yes, but I was looking for something a little more specific," said Tonks with a smile. She pointed to Pasha. "How about you. Tell me your name first."

"Pasha Mayes."

"And do you know, Miss Mayes, what the answer is?"

Pasha hesitated, then answered. "You need the will and determination to do it. You have to have a want to really hurt the person."

Tonks nodded. The rest of the lesson went on like this, discussing the three curses. Harry could see Neville becoming increasingly nervous. His parents had been tortured to madness by Voldemort's Death Eaters using the Cruciatus curse. This gave Harry all the more reason to hate them even more than he already did.

The three of them stayed behind after class to talk to Tonks. Harry watched Pasha's black curls bob out of the classroom. Ron saw what he was doing and raised his eyebrows, grinning. Harry ignored him.

"Tonks! What are you doing here?" exclaimed Hermione as soon as everyone was out of the classroom.

"That's Professor Middleweek to you," said Tonks smiling. "Dumbledore wanted more people from the Order at Hogwarts, so I volunteered."

"That's great! So will we be your favorites?" asked Ron hopefully.

Tonks laughed, "I have to act like a normal teacher. No one can no about this. Do you hear? No one."

"Don't worry, we wont tell," reassured Hermione.

"So how was I? Was I believable?"

"Strictest teacher I've ever met."

Tonks grinned, "You better get going, wouldn't want to make you late for your next lesson."

Harry was a little annoyed at Dumbledore for thinking that he couldn't protect himself as much to make a person of the Order his teacher. But then again, who's to say that it was for his protection? It could be for the school in general.

Coming out of the classroom, Harry thought he saw someone standing around the corner. When he tried to peer closer, however, he couldn't see anything but the shadow made from a large, stone statue.