A happy holiday weekend to all my readers in Canada and the United States who are celebrating, and wishes for an amazing World Cup final, which is what it is shaping up to be.

I hope you like our second new professor; and the mystery he is going to bring us.

Cheers!

Merick

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Professor Daniel Alonso was a sight to behold. About six feet tall by my reckoning from where I was sitting, dark brown hair, tousled like he had ridden in on a broom at a good clip, shoulder length, and wavy. His skin tone was dark, certainly in comparison to Professor LaSeigne, and looked as though he had spent a great deal of time outdoors just by the seeming roughness of it. His lips were thin, not oddly so, but as I had spent a great deal of time recently considering Draco's I felt qualified to comment on their differences; and Draco, having become more gaunt over the break, had a much fuller mouth. Professor Alonso had a narrow face, well, more like sculpted than forced, as Draco's was. It certainly wasn't round, and his features were well proportioned in it. His eyes were dark as well; brown, I thought, not being as distinct as the green of Professor LaSeigne it was harder to tell, and the lids shadowed over them somewhat, making them seem more deep set and smoky than they were up close. There was something in those eyes, something that reminded me a lot of the haunted look in Draco's sometimes, and even though I didn't know him at all at that point I could just tell that he had a story of some kind. The fact that his left hand was hidden away in a black glove where his right was not made me think immediately of Dumbledore after he had tried on Marvolo's ring, the curse of which would have ultimately killed him. The full truth of that would be revealed to me around a table at Christmas time, and I promise we'll get to that part too. He walked with purpose, you might notice that I take to care to watch how people move; it's something Firenze taught me, watch how a person carries themselves and you will gain insight into their nature. It's true, those with something to hide often walk with closeness about them, eyes cast down, and we have all seen how happiness gives one a 'spring in their step'. Alonso walked to accomplish something, with a very different kind of grace to his steps. He met the floor on its own ground. Okay, I know it sounds stupid, but think about it and it will make more sense.

Over all though, the point of the last paragraph was to emphasize that Professor Daniel Alonso was a very striking man. Did I mention he was wearing a midnight blue cloak? I should have, because he was, and it gave his whole figure a very compelling air; at least if the sighs from the female cohort in the room were any indication. All concern with the Veela was temporarily forgotten as the girls watched him take his seat with a thoughtful smile and nod to Minerva and the student body.

He was to be our new DADA professor, and I just got the feeling that he was going to be able to give us a great deal of insight into the Dark Arts. I also got another feeling, which I'm not proud to admit here, but it was jealousy, and it was because Draco's eyes followed him even longer than my own. Of note, Ginny's eyes were doing the same, and she wasn't even trying to be subtle about it. I could see her and the other girls giggling about something down at their end of the table, but I was quite certain that I didn't want to know what it was. At least it had nothing to with me, and that was good.

The common room was all abuzz with talk of the new Professors, almost to the point where the speculation was making me queasy. Ron kept going on about how he was sure he had seen the man somewhere before, but he just couldn't put his finger on where, and no amount of pleading to Hermione to help him remember was doing any good. I seemed to be the only one there who wasn't instantly obsessed with one or the other of them; or both, which was odd. I mean I appreciated that they were both very attractive, and that Alonso, (okay I'm going to call him that or Daniel from now on to save myself writing out Professor a few more dozen times) had something very intriguing about him. But the girls who were already twittering about how 'gore-gee-ous' he was, were simply ridiculous. And Ron deserved the smack he got from Hermione for going on about LaSeigne, when he had finally given up on sorting out Alonso. I had to get out of there for awhile, and as it was still too early to just go to bed I decided to go for a walk.

I still had the key to the Astronomy Tower, and since wandering by the Slytherin corridor on the off chance that Draco would be out there seemed rather pathetic, I chose the tower. It was getting easier and easier to do the steps without pause, so I guess that meant that I was getting in better shape, which could only help me on the Quidditch pitch. I rounded the classroom level, and then up the last short set of stairs, put my key in the lock, turned it, and pushed it open. Professor Sinistra turned slowly to greet me.

"Good Evening Mr. Potter, I had not expected to see you up here tonight. I found your assignment on my desk last night; and Mr. Malfoy's."

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you Professor, I can go if you like."

"Of course not, something brought you up here, who am I to say the reason is not as valid as my own?"

"I just needed to get out of the Gryffindor common room. Everyone was going on and on about the new professors. I needed to clear my head."

"I see." There was just something about the way she spoke that made you want to unburden yourself to her, and perhaps it was that part of her nature that had prompted Narcissa to confide in her. I sat down on the center bench and just started talking.

"Everyone is so intrigued by them, they're speculating about all manor of silly things. I don't want to be like that."

"You aren't curious?"

"I am, of course, but I'd prefer to hear the truth, from them, instead of giving in to idle gossip."

"You are an extraordinary young man Harry." I think I probably blushed when she said that, fortunately the tower wasn't well lit.

"I can certainly appreciate that they are both very attractive, but it spawns so much nonsense." I looked over to her where she was leaned against one of the windows. "Not that you aren't attractive too Professor." I added quickly, she laughed at me. Was I even allowed to say that? I hoped I wasn't breaking a whole host of rules right then.

"It's all right to speak the truth here as well Harry. I know I'm not in my twenties or thirties any longer, and that is just fine with me."

"But doesn't the Headmistress see what kind of problems could come of this? Hiring a Veela? How can she hope for the boys here to concentrate?"

"I'm certain the Headmistress has her reasons, and does it really seem so odd to have a half-Veela Professor here at Hogwarts? After all, we have a centaur, a half-giant, and a ghost teaching courses for goodness sake."

I hadn't actually thought of it that way before, and it did make some sense. We even had the son of a Death Eater in attendance, and though he tried to hide it, his arm still bore the hated Dark Mark.

"I understand from the Headmistress that we were quite lucky to get Miss LaSeigne here. She has been working privately for many years in her own shops, selling all manor of potions in Paris, and shipping them out to numerous other countries."

"Really?"

"Yes indeed."

"So why couldn't she be here for the start of term? And for that matter, why couldn't Alonso be here then as well? Were they coming together?" One of the rumors swirling had been that they must be a couple; which had set many frowns on the faces of both sexes.

"I imagine they took the same train in, but as for travelling together I don't believe so. Ever since the war the Ministry has tightened the granting of work permits for International applicants. It seems that it took this long to get both of our new instructors cleared to work here."

"I didn't realize that had been an issue."

"You'll learn it all when you start your Auror training Harry. I imagine your first few weeks there will be filled with scrolls of laws and regulations."

"If I make it that far."

"Oh Harry, that is something you needn't worry about at all. The Ministry would be fools not to admit you, and besides, I have some inside knowledge." She smiled and gestured upwards to the stars.

"I may not know Divination per se, but I know how to read what comes above me."

"Do you know anything else about my future Professor?"

"It becomes clearer every day."

"And Draco?"

She sighed, "His is a little more muddled."

"Am I in there somewhere?" Perhaps I shouldn't have asked the question, but I did anyways. Perhaps it revealed just a little more of the truth than I should have.

"Most certainly Harry. He will need your shoulders and your strength for a great while to come."

Hearing that made me feel a bit better; certainly better than I would have felt if she had come out and announced that the stars had told her we were going to become lovers.

"Professor?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think it would be all right if Draco and I went out to Hogsmeade the weekend after next?"

"We did promise you both such an outing. Why that weekend?"

"Well, Ron has Quidditch practice booked for us next weekend, before the matches start and I can't miss that. And the next weekend is the Ravensclaw Hufflepuff match, so neither of us needs to be there, and with everyone else occupied I thought it might create less of a fuss." It was mostly the truth.

"That would be fine with me, and I shall let Minerva know. I don't imagine she'll have any issue with it. I hope you gentlemen will have a good time."

"Thank you Professor."

Now all I had to do was tell Draco and hope that the new Professors hadn't turned his head away from me. I was so caught up in that idea that I completely forgot to ask if Professor Sinistra had seen anything else about my future, or why she was up in the tower so late. She had made me forget about all of that. Or maybe I didn't really want to know?