Harry sent the letter first thing in the morning. Honor was quite happy with her first letter that she barely stayed still. When Harry went down after Ron, he patiently waited for Ginny in the common room. It was an old routine they had back when they first started going out. The deal was whoever finished dressing up for the day first would have to wait for the other. It was always Harry who waited. When the couple arrived at the Great Hall Professor McGonagall was handing out their timetables.
"You don't look well, Potter. Did you not sleep last night?" Professor McGonagall said in her terse yet with a hint of concern tone.
"I'll be fine, Professor." Harry said hoping he reassured the headmistress. He did get sleep last night but it wasn't enough. Ron shook him awake from a nightmare at dawn and he wasn't able to go back to sleep.
"Make sure that you are fine. Here, your timetable." And with swift turn the headmistress marched along the Gryffindor table handing out schedules.
"This is insane. Almost every class is a double period!" Ron exclaimed.
"Half of it is for practical exercise I think. All your subjects have practical tests in the N.E.W.T.s." Hermione explained. "If it makes you feel better I have to deal with four classes everyday. And having Transfiguration, Arithmancy and Potions in one day is a bit overwhelming."
"You'll be fine, Hermione. You always make it through," Ginny said patting the other girl's hand.
"Thanks."
They ate breakfast in silence and headed early for their first class – Transfiguration. Once they reached the classroom, they were surprised to see that most of their classmates were already seated, chatting animatedly.
"No wonder not all N.E.W.T. passers are here." Ron began to say. "It's like the whole Ravenclaw House is here!"
Indeed the room was filled with at most three quarters of Ravenclaws. Luna waved at them when they came in. Beside her was a girl whose straight honey blond hair was tied up in a high ponytail. She wore thick rectangular glasses over her dark eyes.
"That's Anastasia Robbs," Ginny pointed out to Harry.
They found their seats at the back of the room since there were only a few chairs left. It was where most of the Gryffindors were. Hermione wasn't happy with the arrangement. A few minutes passed and the school bell rang. Right on cue the teacher's office door opened and out came the green eyed goddess from last night's feast.
"Good morning, everyone," The goddess said in her musical voice. It had a hint of French accent.
The class replied in murmurs.
She started to walk around the classroom, eyeing each student inquisitively.
"My name is Marinella Cross. English, Belgian and Veela. Hogwarts, a Ravenclaw. I spent three years in Switzerland training to be a Healer but then discontinued to pursue a teaching post in Beauxbatons Academy of Magic." Professor Cross continued to pace around the classroom. It was quite refreshing for the class to have a teacher share something about her past. "I know you're all wondering but sorry to disappoint you, Professor Gadrev is not my twin. She is my cousin. Our mothers are twins."
"Oh." Half of the class responded unintentionally.
Professor Cross gave a girlish giggle that Harry actually felt the urge to laugh with her.
"Yes. A lot of people mistake us for that. And lastly, I am married so there's no need to propose to me, boys, I already said yes." She said the last bit in perfect humor that the class was caught off guard and started to laugh. It took sometime before they believed that she was indeed married. "But most importantly I am your Transfiguration instructor and this year my goal is to have all of my N.E.W.T. students excel in the exams so rest assured however lovely and considerate you think of me now, that will not last. But do know whatever I will do in this class is nothing but to broaden your potentials."
They started with the overview of the lesson plan. Professor Cross would stop once in a while to answer Anastasia Robbs and Hermione's questions. Both overachievers seemed to out-ask the other one out. The class appeared to notice the blatant battle of the brains. Most sat quietly in amusement, some were already betting on who would win the most asked questions. And all through this the part Veela didn't seem perturbed.
"Professor Cross, just one more question about the test proper?" Hermione asked for the umpteenth time.
"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger but I think all your questions from now until later will be something you know the answer to already. Same goes for you, Ms. Robbs'." Professor Cross said kindly. "And don't worry, class, I know everyone of you here by face and name no matter how irrelevant you think you are. So let's settle, shall we?" She looked at both Hermione and Anastasia with her beautiful smile. "I'll grant each House twenty points if you two don't ask anymore questions until the end of the period, whether you think it's important or not. If one asks I shall grant the opposing House thirty points. Comprendre?"
Both girls nodded, blushing from embarrassment.
"Good. Now let's recap your previous year's theories."
At the end of the period both Ravenclaw and Gryffindor hourglasses had twenty points worth of gems added into it.
"I like her. Her approach is very different from McGonagall but it works quite well." Hermione commented after Transfiguration.
"The woman has people skills," Ginny said.
"And she doesn't play favorites," Hermione added.
Hermione went off to Arithmancy giving Ron a peck on the cheek. Ginny did as well with Harry, insisting he didn't need to walk her to Muggle Studies.
"Well, it looks like it's just you and me again," Harry said to Ron.
"We have roughly an hour. What's it going to be? Chess, Exploding Snaps, have a go with Filch and his evil cat, Quidditch?" Ron said eagerly.
"Er – how about getting a head start with Cross's paper? Summarizing half of sixth year's theories is harsh."
"Whoa, pulling off a Hermione on me. Nice." Ron said grimly.
"We both know that's what she'd say to us. Besides, I think she'll appreciate it."
"Yeah, a grand gesture of doing something she wants us to do without her telling us off. But you're right. She's right, she's always right." Ron smirked.
The boys headed for the library. It was weird going there without Hermione.
"You didn't take your Sleeping Draught again, did you?" Ginny asked sternly at breakfast the next morning.
Harry didn't reply. Most of the seventh years were up all night already cramped with schoolwork. Everyone was bleary eyed this morning but in Ginny's eyes Harry looked the worst. There were dark circles under his eyes and he looked quite pale. They had been writing essays the whole night. Ron fell easily to slumber when he reached his bed. He hadn't even changed in his pajamas. On the other hand, Harry was wide awake reciting everyone he knew with his brand new watch, making sure they were at home where they were safe until the sun shone at the dorm's window.
"Harry…" Ginny started to say desperately but softened her tone. "You know, you have an awfully long free period after lunch. Maybe you could go and take a nap before heading for Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Yeah, maybe." Harry gave her a small smile then started to fill his plate.
"Hello, Ginny, Harry." Luna sat across the table from him, her hair tied in a messy knot. She was sporting her famous radish earrings again. "You don't look well." Her eyes were wide, staring back at Harry.
"Thanks, Luna." Harry said trying to sound amusing. "You look well-rested. Ten N.E.W.T.s not getting to you yet? I think Hermione wanted to cry last night."
"That poor girl's stressing way to much. And we didn't even bother to ask help from her." Ginny said.
"Surely you're exaggerating. It was still the first day of class." Luna said.
"I think your friend Anastasia's imposing a threat to our Hermione," Harry said quietly.
"Maybe she should ask help from her. Anastasia's not that bad, really. There she is now. Hey, Ana!" Luna called out. Moments after a rather short blond girl approached their table.
"Luna?"
"You know Harry and Ginny."
"Of course, who'd ever miss Hogwarts power couple," Anastasia said unobtrusively.
Harry almost choked on his pumpkin juice while Ginny giggled. The short girl sat down with them.
"So why did you call me here?" Anastasia asked.
"Oh nothing – " Harry started.
"Do you think of Hermione Granger as a threat to you?" Luna interrupted.
"A threat to what?"
"Well, she's first in Harry's year and you are first in ours." Ginny said
"So?"
"So who's going to be first in our year?"
"Did she ask you to ask me this?" The blond girl was smiling now.
"No. We just want to know if there's some sort of unspoken rivalry between the two of you." Ginny replied. "Remember Transfiguration?"
Anastasia gave a genuine laugh. "Oh, that was just something to throw her off. I know her type. She doesn't like it when she's second best. But I could not care less if she's better than me. I just like to learn as much as I can." She shrugged casually.
"Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." Luna said in a singsong voice.
"Exactly." And with that Anastasia left the Gryffindor table.
When they told Hermione this she seemed amused that they even had the conversation in the first place. She didn't talk about how she felt towards Anastasia but Harry had a feeling the two girls were going to be friends soon.
That afternoon Harry consented to Ginny's suggestion of the nap. There was no escaping it. He almost slept through Charms if Ron had not constantly pinched him to keep him awake. He was even too groggy to eat lunch before he went back to the Gryffindor Tower.
Harry felt someone clutching his shoulder and instinctively blasted a spell. He heard someone scream and another voice crying in pain. Harry breathes out a curse.
"What happened?" Hermione came running in the boy's dormitory, wand at ready and a stunned look on her face.
Harry and Ginny were helping out Ron who was thrown from Harry's bed to the wall. His head was bleeding and he looked quite disoriented. Harry was apologizing the entire time he was helping his friend.
Hermione took over and casted a healing spell. "He's still bleeding. Harry, get a towel. We're taking him to the Hospital Wing."
Harry was thankful that there were not a lot of people as they sped their way to the Hospital Wing. Everyone was probably in their classrooms. He wasn't sure, he didn't hear the bell ring.
Hermione was levitating Ron who seemed to be half-conscious, murmuring and still bleeding. When they reached the corridor of the hospital ward Hermione insisted Ginny and Harry to leave for class.
"Please, Harry, I can take it from here," Hermione said looking at her friend with concern.
Harry didn't meet her eyes and left for DADA.
"He'll be alright," Ginny said comfortingly.
They were outside the door when Ginny pulled out her wand and did some cleaning spell on his hands. It has some of Ron's dried blood on them.
"I'm glad you decided to join us, Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley." Professor Gadrev said in her French laden alto when the two found their seats at the back of the classroom. "That's ten points from Gryffindor."
"Professor, we can explain. My brother – "
"Is also not here and so is Ms. Granger. If you don't want your House to lose any more points, let's keep quiet about it, okay?"
Although they look nearly the same, Harry can already tell that Professor Cross and Professor Gadrev were completely different people.
She gave a brief overview of the lesson plan and proceeded to their review the class with their past year's lessons. She started pacing around the classroom, like her cousin, and then started to throw questions at random students. If the student answered wrongly or took more than ten seconds to answer, five points were taken away from their House. She didn't reward any points to those who answered accurately.
"What are the similarities and differences between the Diminuendo and Reducio spells, Mr. Longbottom?"
"They both cause objects to shrink but Reducio acts as a counter-charm for objects inflicted by the Engorgement Charm," Neville replied confidently.
"Mr. Malfoy, what is the incantation for the Tickling Charm?"
"Rictusempra." Malfoy replied.
Harry remembered when he casted the said spell at Malfoy in the Dueling Club. The memory gave Harry's guilty conscience a pause. He looked down on his table again, looking at his hands like they still had Ron's blood on it.
"Mr. Potter."
Harry looked up at those beautiful gray eyes.
"What is the incantation for the Patronus Charm?" She was smiling and for a moment Harry didn't think she was an unreasonably strict teacher.
"Expecto Patronum."
She gave him an approving nod.
The class went on note taking silently as Professor Gadrev started discussing new material. Harry was glad he had something to do with his hands rather than just stare at it. However, as time passed by Harry noticed that the teacher's line of sight was almost always on him. Whenever he looked up she was giving him a look like she was trying to read his mind.
"Something doesn't feel right about her." Harry said after class.
He and Ginny were in the Great Hall with Neville and Luna waiting for Hermione and probably Ron's return from the Hospital Wing
"Something's not always right if you're from Durmstrang," Neville said.
"She's from Durmstrang?" Ginny exclaimed.
"Yeah, she told us before you guys arrived. She said something about it's not her problem if we have difficulty adjusting to her teaching methods."
"And what exactly are her teaching methods? She's not as different as the rest of the teachers except she quite dismissive and irrational," Harry said annoyed.
"Not sure. But I don't think Professor McGonagall would hire her is she didn't fit the post. Yes, we all know Durmstrang's sketchy but if she's here she must be worth something." Luna said.
Hermione arrived with Ron in time for supper. Ron's head was bandaged with only the tops of his red hair seen. Harry started apologizing but Ron just wave him off.
"It's okay, mate. It's partially my fault for disturbing your beauty sleep," Ron said lightheartedly. Harry felt some of his guilt ebb away.
"So what happened in DADA? Was she angry?" Hermione asked.
They both filled them on what happened.
"At least she's pretty," Ron said. Hermione pinched him. "Ow!"
"Well, there's always that teacher we don't like," Hermione said sadly.
And why do they just have to end up with his best subject? Harry thought grimly.
AN: Hey, guys! Thank you for all the positive feedback :) I hope you enjoyed this one! Fact - the new professors are based on two of my teachers from way back. Although they weren't Harry Potter magical, they were still magical in their own way. Here's to hoping you have magical people around you too. Thanks! ~ E