Thanks for the reviews! will any other characters be in this fic or not? I'm going to be mean and say you'll have to wait and see.

Chapter Seven

Piper Vs Snape

Piper glanced up as the students took their seats. She glanced across at Severus Snape and actually shivered. They had only exchanged a few words, but already she hated the man! She sure as hell didn't trust him and she didn't know why Dumbledore did.

She smiled at Dawn Summers, noting that she seemed to have made some new friends already. Dawn was sitting between two boys - wow - one of them is Harry potter! thought Piper excitedly. She still hadn't seen the boy properly. He had been pointed out to her by

Buffy and she had been right. He just looked like a regular kid. She remembered something else that Buffy had said to her and her sisters.

"Yeah. A regular kid with the weight of the world on his shoulders. That's something we have in common!"

"Good afternoon," said Snape, silencing the room immediately, sounding as if the afternoon was anything but good. Piper went to stand by the door of the classroom as he spoke.

"You are going to work on your invisibility potion. By the end of this lesson, you should all be able to disappear and reappear with no mistakes. Is that understood? Now, turn to page 120 to see the ingredients list".

"Isn't this a bit advanced?" Piper spoke up, thinking of Dawn . "I mean, for those of us in the class who have just started? Dawn could have done things differently…."

"Mrs Halliwell. May I remind you who is teaching this class? And may I also remind you that you are my assistant and you're here to help the students only, not tell me how to do my job! And if things are to difficult for Miss Summers then perhaps she should have stayed at home and thought twice before coming here! Now, can we get on with the lesson?"

Piper looked away, annoyed.

The next hour was filled with the sound of students cutting and chopping and preparing the ingredients. Of course when the time came for testing, Hermione was invisible at once. Even Dawn got it right - and she was relieved because she'd heard certain stories about Snape.

"Excellent Malfoy," said Snape. "It's always good to know that you can count on Slytherin to get the work right! Unlike certain members of Gryffindor". He glanced at Neville.

Hermione looked at Dawn and rolled her eyes and Dawn giggled.

Snape whirled round to glare at her. "Something funny Summers?" he questioned her with an icy look.

"No sir," she stammered and lowered her gaze.

"Good," Snape said coldly. "Because if I thought you weren't concentrating on your work, I'd have to put you in detention. Not a good start for the first day of term is it?"

Snape came to stand in front of Harry and Ron. Piper folded her arms in front of her and narrowed her eyes. That hadn't been fair at all. Neither had that joke that had been aimed at Neville. She had to stop this!

Harry and Ron had messed up and they knew it. They had been so interested in Dawn that they hadn't paid any attention to the amounts of ingredients used.

"Well, well," said Snape cruelly. "Let's see what you two have achieved then. Nothing much! Look at that Potter, you're not even invisible at all. You may need this potion in coming days you should pay attention!"

Piper raised her eyebrows. Harry grimaced. Ron started to swallow his potion then, and he turned into a rabbit! "So you think this is a joke do you? A detention for you Mr Weasly".

This was too much for Piper. She came to stand behind Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dawn's table. "I told you this was too advanced - Professor," she said, although she could think of a few worse names she could call him. "And I don't think these kids deserve detention! And if they absolutely have to have one, I'll cover it. And if you're half as good a teacher as you claim to be, isn't it your task to encourage them and help them with their mistakes? Not pick on them just because their not in your house! Well, maybe you've never heard the word encouragement - you don't look like you have! I'm just making some suggestions as an assistant - sir".

Snape gave her a look of utter hatred and then stormed back to the blackboard.

"Homework will be to read up on your next assignment and write an essay on it. Class dismissed!" With that, the class made a hurried escape.

Piper looked once more at Snape. "Maybe Professor Dumbledore would like to know about your methods?" she questioned him.

"What makes you think he doesn't? I still teach here don't I? You can't just come in here and expect us to do things your way you know". Piper narrowed her eyes. "We'll see!" she told him, and then she joined the students.

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Before that evenings feast, Harry, Ron and Hermione decided to go down to visit hagrid. He lived in a tiny wooden hut at the back of the castle grounds near the Dark Forrest.

"Dawn's great isn't she?" said Ron as they made their way across the grounds. The sun was setting.

"Yeah," agreed Harry.

"Oh please, would you two give it a rest and talk about something else?" asked hermione sounding annoyed. "I've really had it you know. She's nobody all that special. I mean, it's not like she's The Girl Who Lived or anything right?"

"That's not funny," Harry snapped back, not sure where the bad mood had come from. "We're just saying it's like we've known her for ages that's all".

"Well, you've known me for ages too. I don't see you guys going on about me this much. Wait - I didn't mean - oh just forget it!" Harry and Ron looked at each other in surprise and they all silently agreed to stop talking.

Hagrid answered the door with his cheery hello as usual. "How you holding up Harry? Do you want some tea?"

Harry shook his head, knowing what Hagrid meant. Anger and sorrow welled up inside him. "I…I'm ok I guess. I'm trying not to think much about…Sirius".

Hagrid nodded. "So, how's the first day of term? Meet anyone interesting?" He grinned mischievously.

"Oh yes," said Hermione, her bad mood outside temporarily forgotten about. "We have the most amazing teachers this year. And the good news is they all seem to be sticking up for us. Not that we need anyone to - oh, you know what I mean".

Ron nodded in agreement. "Can't you tell us anything more about them hagrid?" he asked pleadingly.

Hagrid sighed. "I really can't Ron. I promise I would if I could. But I will tell you this. They're very special people. They've all been through a lot in their time and are well known and respected, if you know the right places to look for them. And their good people to have on your side, not ones to be messed with. So do as they say and you'll be fine. Now, haven't you got a feast to get to?"

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The Halliwells began to tuck into the great range of food spread out before them.

"So," said Paige to Piper. "How was your first day as a teacher?"

Piper grinned. "Well, it could have gone worse I guess. I could have ended up making Snape explode into a zillion pieces".

Phoebe laughed. "So, you guys got on that well?" Phoebe asked. She knew how Piper could get when she had a grudge against someone, from past experience.

Piper grimaced. "You have no idea. It's a shame you can't orb in and out of this place because of the magical barrier around it. I could get Leo to orb him to the Underworld!"

"Isn't that where the Source of all evil hangs out?" asked Paige and Piper grinned wickedly.

"Yep. Wonder what the consequences of that would be? huge I bet. I guess I'll forget that idea right?"

On the other side of the table the slayer and her friends were having a similar discussion. "So, you think you could be a full time teacher Buffy?" asked Cordelia. She had found herself sitting between the slayer and Angel, not a great place to be. Things had been known to get ugly.

Buffy sighed. "Yeah I guess. Not the rest of my life though. I got duties remember? Anyway, I just hope I don't have another weird and creepy dream like I had last week. I can handle most things except for dreams - coz you can't control them".

Cordelia and Angle shared a look. "What dream?" they both said at the same time.

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The underground cavern was immense. Creatures of all shapes and sizes filled it. Giants and Goblins and other creatures of darkness. Yuck, huge spiders! At the back of the cave was a raised area, almost like a stage. There were several men on this stage, dressed in black robes. Death Eaters, she thought, although she didn't know how she knew the name. A man sat in a thrown made of bones, he was also dressed in black. She knew his name. All she could see were his read eyes. His name was Lord Voldemort.

He stood and the cavern went silent. "You all know who I am," he stated and his voice sounded cold. Void of all emotion. It sent shiver of dread through her. "My plan is almost ready to put into motion. Once I am strong enough to carry it out, you will know. Changes will come about in that castle that will shock them. They will not know what has hit them and they will not see it until it is too late..."

Suddenly he stopped. Buffy felt a terror she had never known before as he turned to stare at exactly where she was standing. She thought she had been invisible in the shadows, but then the hundreds of creatures turned to stare as well………

Buffy awoke with a gasp. "Oh, great," she muttered.