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Chapter 1 – New Arrivals

Nine in the morning, first Thursday in August

"We will be welcoming two new teachers this year, as well as a familiar face," Dumbledore said addressing the rest of the staff. "Two will be arriving tomorrow, and the third next week. I would like one of you to meet them at Hogmeade's station."

He was met by the blank stares of the teachers. He looked calmly around the room, his blue eyes twinkling merrily as he waited. He looked at the door only moments before it swung open and admitted Severus Snape.

"I'm sorry that I took so long, Headmaster. I had a few last things to tidy up."

"Would you like to do it, Severus?"

"What?"

"Fetch the new teachers, of course."

"No," he said clearly.

"Very good. Everyone may go now that that has been settled."

"Headmaster, a moment of your time, please."

"What is it, Severus?"

"Sir, it is unnecessary to have someone greet them. I am sure that they can find there own way to the castle. "

"You wouldn't want the new teachers to think that Hogwarts has no manners. Would we, Severus?"

"Frankly, I don't care. Send Hagrad, anyone but me," he replied before storming back to his rooms.

One-thirty the next afternoon.

Severus Snape watched the Hogwarts' Express pull into the station with growing impatience. He was never going to do this again, Dumbledore would have to find someone else for next week.

The train came to a squealing halt in front of him expelling a great gust of warm air that made his cloak flutter wildly about him. The door in front of him slid open, and, there, facing him from inside the train was Remus Lupin.

"Lupin," he sneered.

"Severus," Remus replied calmly.

Snape had begun a staring match with Lupin, so he didn't see the dark-haired lady that had stepped out of the train behind Lupin. He only noticed her when she started to pass him on her way to the school.

"Excuse me. Who are you," Severus demanded of her.

"Professor Crosse. The teacher of the new Dream Interpretation Class. And you are," she replied, giving him a skeptical look that said she didn't think very much of him.

"I am Professor Severus Snape. You have no right to talk that way to me," he snapped.

"I do beg to differ, professor," she said all too calmly as she started towards the school again.

"Where are you going?"

"The school." Because she didn't stop, and that Remus had already started to follow her, Snape scowled as, he too, followed her towards the school.

When they had reached the school, Snape was an even fouler mood than he had been earlier that day. He had had to follow the new teachers back to the school, instead of leading them.

The doors opened to receive them, and Dumbledore was waiting in the entrance hall to greet them.

"Rellin, good to see you again. Remus, happy to have you join our staff again. Severus, thank you for bringing the new teachers safely here."

"Professor Dumbledore, I am so sorry to have not kept up with you."

"Not at all, Rellin. Remus, you can find your old room, I need to talk with Rellin. Severus, again, thank you. Right this way, Rellin. I believe you need to know why."

Severus stood in the hall only a little while longer after everyone else had gone. He cursed silently under his breath the entire way as he stalked to his office. This was going to be an even worse year than the other time Lupin had joined the teaching staff.

One week later, 3:03P.M.

Severus Snape again stood on the platform at the Hogsmeade train station. How had Dumbledore roped him into this again he didn't know. He was hoping that this new teacher would not be like Professor Crosse. In the one week that she had been there, his life had consisted of trying to avoid her. He didn't like her or the way that she could make him feel small and insignificant.

He only emerged from his wanderings of thought when the train screeched to a halt in front of him again. He was cringing inside as the image of some stern lady popped into his head, but he didn't move his expression one bit. He was even proud of himself for not shuddering as the door slid open. However, the sight that greeted him was not what he had expected.

She was tall. Her hair was cropped around her face and shorter in the back. It was all black with red streaks in the bangs. Her lips were painted blacker than night in her pale white face. Her shirt was such a dark blood red that it was almost black, with a scoop neck. It was covered in patches of just about every color, and the patches looked to be attached by a ton of safety pins. The sleeves of the shirt were unique; one reached down to her knuckles and the other was about three inches wide on her shoulder. Her fingernails were about an inch long; they were curved, looked to be sharpened to a point, and were colored the same shade of black as her lips. She wore black jeans that had quite a few pockets; it was also covered in thousands of safety pins and draped in several chains, each having a different sized links to it. The only thing of her shoes that he could see was glinting silver metal mounted on black, and that the shoes were raised about three inches. Not to mention that her face was covered in piercings.

Snape swallowed, and began to talk. "Welcome, Professor…"

"My name is Cestellia. I'm not a professor. I am a new student. You probably want to speak with Amanda. She's coming." She spoke with an American accent. She did not seen to be looking forward to anything that life decided to present to her, but she also presented a laid back attitude toward the day.

The next person to step into his sight seemed the exact opposite of Cestellia. With blue hair that was so strange: in the front it was so light that it was more white than blue, but as you went back it became darker until you reached the back where it was a black-blue. Her skin was fair, and she wore no make-up. Instead she had huge silver hoops hanging from her lobes, and there was a spiked ball that had purple and orange spikes in the arch of her left ear, and two spiked balls in the arch of her right ear that were blue and yellow and black and white. She wore a white shirt that had "DEATH LIVES" written across it in bold, black letters. There was also a black-green sweater that was tossed carelessly over her shoulders. She had on a long skirt that would make anyone dizzy looking at it; it was a deep maroon color patterned with swirls of all bright colors. Her shoes were just a pair of flimsy sandals.

"Hi." she gave him a big smile just before she bounded out of the way to reveal another tall girl, but he corrected himself swiftly, this was a lady. It was the highest compliment that he had ever given anyone, even if he was the only one to know this.

Her hair was a chestnut brown with faint red highlights that was bound very simply at the base of her neck with a ribbon. Her skin was fairer than the two girls. Her head was unadorned by anything. She wore a plain forest green shirt, blue jeans, and shoes. But it was her presence that startled him. It was commanding and, yet, it was also kind and understanding.

She smiled. Severus made himself frown; he had the feeling that she was silently laughing at him.

"You are the professor, I take it," he had to make himself snarl. She was like a calm breeze on a hot day.

"Yes. I am Amanda Willis, the onomancy professor, among other things. You have briefly met Cestellia and Paet Dennic. Sorry about how we're dressed, we've been in quite a rush for the last two weeks." She smiled again as she stepped out of the train with an unconscious grace. "Are we going to the school, Severus?"

He looked at her carefully, wondering how she knew his name. "Yes. This way," he said as he stalked by the two girls.

'How is it that, even though Professor Willis is the exact opposite of Professor Crosse, Professor Willis seems like more of a threat? She is probably hiding something under that friendly exterior'

When they reached the heavy doors, it was to find that Professor McGonagall and Professor Crosse were waiting for them.

Professor McGonagall eyed the two girls with pursed lips before she spoke. "Cestellia and Paet Dennic, please follow me."

The two followed her as she led them up towards the Headmaster's office.

Severus hung back slightly to see how the two new professors acted together.

"Rellin, how are you," Professor Willis said.

"Fine, and you, Amanda?"

"Great! I never thought that we would ever get a chance to come back here. It's just marvelous. Any idea how P.G. is doing?"

"Two dead, J.P. and S.B.; one works here; and the other switched sides. Give you one guess who."

"He didn't?!"

"Yes, he did." Professor Crosse looked over Professor Willis' shoulder straight at Snape. "Did you need something?"

"Who are you?"

Professor Willis turned around and looked at him squarely. "Severus, I am shocked that you don't remember us, but not in the least surprised. Perhaps a voice from the past will help you. Rellin, would you please."

Giving off a deadpan impression of Sirius Black she said, "Snivellus," in that low haunting, loud whisper.

"Do you remember now? No, I see not. Train ride home, seventh year."

Recognition dawned on Severus' face. "You're... you're."

"That's right. Rel and Mandy."

"You can't be." He growled.

"But we are. And now you know too."

A/N:

Onomancy is the divining of names, just to let you know.

How to say...

Rellin - Rell in

Cestellia - say the "c" with a "k" sound. "est". The "ell" just give it the letter "l" sound. The "i" has an "ee". And the "a" is actually a "u" sound.

Paet - Pay et

Dennic - Just like Dennis except it has an "ick" sound on the end.

Abbreviations...

P.G. - Potter Gang

J.P. - James Potter

S.B. - Sirius Black

Please, if you read the story, then at least tell me if you liked it or not. Sorry that the summary sucks. I'm new at this, somebody reassure me, please.