Hey fellow Harry Potter lovers and friends, sorry about the wait it's just been hectic since the movies came out. Anyway this chapter takes place sometime after Voldemort returns and the Ministry's in an uproar over everything. Bit of a twist somewhere but it might be here or in the second half of the Ootp. Enjoy!

As Harry and his friends gathered into the Great Hall of Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall started the Sorting Ceremony and the new first years gathered up to the stand to be sorted into their houses. All of them looked really eager, but the one that didn't was a little brunette girl who was more calm than eager like the rest.

"Hermione check out that kid in the back."

"Which one?"

"The little brunette girl with a black bow in her hair; the one that looks relaxed and cool."

"What about her?"

"Something's bugging me about her, she looks familiar somehow." Hermione and Ron looked at the kid and nodded.

"You're right, she does look familiar." Neither of the three said a word as the girl waited patiently to be sorted, and ironically she was the last one called.

"Clarice Riverdale." The girl skipped up to the seat and the hat was placed on her head.

"Oh my…oh what a bright young mind this is. I know, SLYTHERIN!" the whole table cheered and she took the empty seat at the end of the table, where Pansy Parkinson sat next to Draco Malfoy. McGonagall took her seat back at the teacher's table and Professor Dumbledore stood up to his podium.

"Good evening children, now before we begin the feast we have three changes in staff this year; first of all we're pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank in Care of Magical Creatures while Professor Hagrid is on temporary leave, and we're also happy to welcome Dolores Umbridge as our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Madame Hooch will be taking over Professor Sardinia's classes while she's away at a family gathering for the remainder of the year. She should attend her duties sometime later unless she tells us otherwise. Now then…" before he could finish a small Ahem was heard and the woman dressed in pink from head to toe stood up and walked to where Dumbledore stood.

Slytherin Table:

Little Clarice was listening closely to Umbridge's speech where she heard Parkinson chatting with Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle.

"Doesn't she work with your father Draco?"

"Yeah, I think she's his undersecretary, his second in command or something like that. Too bad about Professor Sardinia, she would've taken a crack at this…"

"It's gonna be boring without her here."

"Who was Professor Sardinia?" Clarice asked and the four fifth years looked at her.

"Why do you ask first year?" Malfoy snapped a bit.

"Her name sounds familiar."

"Are you pureblood?"

"Yes…"

"Then you can ask all the questions you want. Professor Sardinia was a flight professor/substitute for other teachers." Parkinson's nice mode turned on. Malfoy gave her a look and she just patted his arm. "So who're your parents?"

"Clyde and Cornelia Riverdale, we moved here just last summer."

"Where're you from?"

"Eastern side of Britain, wasn't much to miss."

"What do your parents do?"

'Ask a lot of questions don't you?' "Dad works at the Ministry, Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. He likes messing with them though he's not fond of muggles. Mom works at a candy shop in Diagon Alley, just cuz she has a real sweet tooth."

"Wow, then you come from a real family of losers don't you?" all four laughed and Clarice rolled her eyes; when Pansy wasn't looking she slipped some spicy volcano sauce into her pumpkin juice, so when she took a sip her mouth would be on fire and she'd get sick. Pansy picked up her cup and after taking a few gulps she covered her mouth and screamed before falling back out of her seat making the whole table laugh.

"Pansy are you alright?" Malfoy and Crabbe tried to help but she kept screaming behind her hands, tears were rolling down her cheeks and the rest of her seemed to blush red. She was tossing and rolling until she puked all over the floor. Snape immediately ran over and helped her to her feet; he let her drape over Malfoy and Crabbe's shoulders as they helped her into the hospital wing. He picked up Pansy's drink and looked into it then over at Clarice.

"You just received three days detention young lady, be in my office after dinner."

"Yes sir." She turned and finished her food just as everyone else was leaving. 'Short dinner.' As she made her way to the Slytherin common room she noticed Parkinson coming behind the first years with a white cooling pad on her forehead. She picked up the pace and ran straight to Snape's office; seeing that Snape was already there, she took a seat in front of his desk.

"I would've expected better from a first year Ms. Riverdale. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"She called my parents losers sir. It was just a prank…"

"You made Ms. Parkinson really sick young lady, you should know she's allergic to hot sauce."

"Actually sir it was Volcano Sauce."

"That's worse, I'll have to deduct five points from Slytherin."

"Gee what a shame…" Snape's eyebrows rose to his forehead and he went around the desk to in front of Clarice.

"You want to try that again?" his glare seemed to scare her.

"No sir…"

"Good, report to my office after dinner for the next three days and leave your wise cracks in the common room."

"Yes Professor Snape." Clarice nodded and left the room running back to the common room where Parkinson was waiting by the fireplace with Malfoy and them.

"I know it was you." She growled.

"Prove it slug."

"You'll regret this soon Riverdale. Just wait…"

"Oh I'm shaking in my stockings…" she turned away and walked to the room changing clothes and climbing into one of the beds before noticing a pair of large green eyes looking at her from the ceiling. She motioned for them to move and took a quick swig of the drink she'd made earlier before falling asleep.

The next day:

Clarice made her way out of Transfiguration class and went straight to D.A.D.A.. She had enjoyed class with McGonagall, now she was up against the pink toad who called herself a witch. Her books felt a little heavy but they were nothing compared to what she was about to endure. She took her seat way in the back just before Umbridge walked in smiling a sickly sweet smile

"Good morning children, I am pleased to have such young minds in my class and hope your first year here will be a good one. Now then here are your new textbooks." With a wave of her wand two stacks of books laid out in front of all the students and Clarice raised her hand after flipping through a few pages. "Yes Ms. Riverdale?"

"Forgive me professor, but there's nothing in here about using defensive spells?" Umbridge giggled at her.

"I can't see why you'd need to use spells in my classroom."

"No magic?"

"You're going to learn about defensive spells in a safer way than anything you might've learned from another professor."

"What's wrong with using magic? It's not like we're going to be attacked by anything but it wouldn't help to have some practice."

"Due to recent events my dear with Dumbledore and Potter the Ministry has concluded that no magic is permitted during Defense against the Dark Arts teaching." Clarice knew the real reason, but she didn't want to start trouble on the first day; she nodded and Umbridge seemed to get the idea.

"Excellent, now if you'll turn to page five in your textbook we'll start reading the first chapter and copy the definitions bolded on every page. You have until the end of class…begin."

Lunch:

Harry had come to join his friends at lunch in the Great Hall, where he was soon met by the little brunette wearing a black bow in her hair.

"Hi Harry Potter; it's nice to meet you finally." She was smiling so big her face looked a bit stretched.

"Nice to meet you too…"

"Riverdale, Clarice Riverdale…" she held out her hand and he shook it.

"You're in Slytherin right?"

"Yep, not a very friendly house is it?" Harry and his friends laughed. Just then Parkinson and her group of girls came strolling over stopping in front Clarice.

"Professor Snape's looking for you Riverdale. He said meet him in his classroom."

"Really, then why do I get the feeling you're lying?" 'Idiot.'

"Because he said it had something to do with your meeting last night?"

"What meeting?"

"Oh come on I saw you going to meet him last night."

"That's cuz he gave me detention dummy."

"Well he wants to see you again."

"Fine have it your way." Clarice pulled out her bottle and took a drink walking ahead of Pansy and her hoard. Just as she went to turn around the corner she felt something hot and sticky fall over her head; the sound of booming laughter caught her ears and she yanked out her wand.

"CRABBE, GOYLE, PARKINSON, MALFOY!" Snape's angry voice came down the halls and all four fifth years stood up straight. He waved his wand and Clarice's head was cleaned; Parkinson snarled at her and got whacked on the head with a book. "That's twenty points from Slytherin, Ms. Riverdale be on your way; you four have a week's detention."

"Yes sir." Clarice walked off taking another drink and went straight to Umbridge's office. She knocked on the door.

"Come in." the poisoned honey-like voice answered and she walked inside seeing a pink, fluffy office with the walls covered in plates with pictures of little kittens meowing. "Good afternoon Ms. Riverdale, what can I do for you?"

"Yes Professor, I wanted to ask you about the homework you assigned us. What pages are we supposed to cite and elaborate?"

"Pages 12, 24, 36, and 42 dear; have you gotten started yet?"

"I was going to in the Great Hall but Parkinson, Crabbe, Goyle, and Malfoy tricked me and made my hair all messy."

"It looks fine to me dear."

"Professor Snape cleaned me up. Thank you professor, I like your office by the way and those are really cute kitties."

"Thank you dear, now be on your way it's getting close to the evening."

"Yes ma'am." Clarice left and went straight to her common room. She took a quick look around before slinking through a quick passageway that led to one of the castle's oldest, emptiest rooms.

"Well done Naomi." A voice appeared from the shadows and Clarice turned to see none other than Salena Slytherin with her arms crossed.

"Thanks mistress…just one thing though. This is torture!" Clarice shifted form into the large black anaconda Naomi and slithered over to Salena's welcoming hands.

"I know it's hard right now Naomi, but you're doing great already."

"I hate acting like this, first I get humiliated, then comes detention with Snape, then I get pranked again by Malfoy's gang, and worst of all I have to kiss up to that fat, pink, Ministry toad called Umbridge!"

"Why did Severus give you detention?"

"Oh…I sort of poured Volcano hot sauce in Parkinson's drink and she had a nasty reaction."

"Naomi you know she's allergic to hot sauce!"

"I forgot ok? How was I suppose to know she'd get sick?"

"That's enough, now what've you found out so far?"

"Well for one thing Umbridge won't let anyone use magic, second she's putting up all these stupid rules to keep the students miserable, and Dumbledore's not doing anything about it!"

"Can you blame him? With the Ministry on his back and him distancing himself from Harry to keep him safe there's hardly anything he can do!"

"Yes you're right mistress, but how much longer do I have to keep this up?"

"Only until Voldemort makes his move at the Department of Mysteries; that's when we'll corner the Death Eaters, and maybe after that we have to see what Albus says to see if it's the right time to reveal our true nature."

"That's gonna be until the end of the year!"

"Maybe so, but we don't have a choice. Now get back in shape and go on to the common room, I'm going to see Severus."

"But Albus said you couldn't be in the castle if only to check on me."

"Don't worry I already cleared it with him, besides I've been here all day. It's just so boring staying in that one cottage with nothing to do." Naomi shifted form again and left while Salena quickly went straight to Snape's private chambers. She found him sitting at his desk grading some papers, and smiled at how he concentrated.

"Severus." He turned around and got up from his chair. When he saw Salena he walked to her slowly and she met him halfway with a kiss. He held onto her and kissed every bit of flesh available to him. She giggled a bit but kissed him back nonetheless.

"Oh Salena I've missed you so much." He held her tight.

"I've missed you too Severus. A long summer without you and Naomi was worse than the Cruciatus Curse."

"What're you doing here? You weren't supposed to…"

"Calm down Severus I cleared it with Albus. I can stay for a while but not too long because I had to check on Naomi. Tell me was she any trouble?"

"I wouldn't know I haven't seen her." Salena was confused but then laughed. "What?"

"Clarice Riverdale."

"What?"

"Clarice Riverdale…one of the new first years in Slytherin?" Snape looked confused but then his eyes widened.

"That little bigmouth that made Parkinson puke everywhere?" Salena laughed and nodded. "You disguised Naomi as a human girl and registered her into Hogwarts?"

"Yes, a little trick of my own. Very effective don't you think?"

"Oh yes…yes indeed." He kissed her again and held her closer (if you could call it closer). "You've done your work well Salena. How much longer do you think it will be before Potter has to face the Dark Lord?"

"I can't say, I told you my visions change every now and again. But I do think that he's going to come face to face with Lucius and Bellatrix sometime after he takes care of Umbridge."

"When will that be?"

"Around the time of the O.W.L.'s ; that's when I saw Umbridge snap."

"She's awful Salena."

"I know, just looking at her makes my stomach churn. And that voice is just blech…" Salena made a face and Severus laughed. They kissed again and Severus led Salena to the bed, laid her on her back and began kissing her neck tenderly. Salena soon realized what was happening and put her hands on Severus's head.

"Severus stop…" he didn't listen. "Severus stop it…." When he still didn't listen she used force and pushed him off her. He fell on the floor and Salena turned away covering her exposed skin with her hooded cloak. Severus realized what he'd done and carefully put his hand on her back rubbing it slightly.

"Salena I'm sorry I shouldn't have pushed you. I couldn't stop myself." Salena relaxed in his touch and leaned back.

"It's ok, it just surprised me that's all."

"I really care about you Salena, sometimes I just wish I could've met you sooner."

"You mean after Lily left you?" Severus pulled away and looked shocked.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Nowhere, I saw it. It came to me in a vision after Albus told me you had a rough time here in school." Severus looked upset, and Salena just looked away.

"What else did you see?"

"Nothing, it was just that one memory when you found out Lily had been killed with James; and you were blaming Albus for not keeping her safe."

"I didn't blame him, I was just angry at myself. Why didn't you tell me about this?"

"I didn't want to hurt you; I had seen it just after I began living here." Severus was silent for a few seconds and then got up from his seat back to his chair grading papers. "Good night Severus."

"Good night Salena." She could hear the hurt in his voice, but she wouldn't do anything to fix it because when he got like this he wasn't the best person to be around. She left and sent a note to Naomi saying she'd check on her in a few weeks, and then apparated outside the grounds.

Two months later:

Umbridge had made so many school laws every inch of wall was covered outside the Great Hall, and now she was interrogating students on suspicious activity. Clarice (Naomi) had found out she was making Snape make Veritaserum to make sure no student could lie and she hid it in the drinks she offered them.

'High Inquisitor my scaly arse.' Clarice had been keepings eyes open on Harry and his friends knowing they had a secret organization called Dumbledore's Army and hid their combat practices in the Room of Requirement.

"Hey Riverdale!" she turned to see Malfoy and his gang from the Inquisitorial Squad coming her way.

"Yeah Malfoy?"

"Professor Umbridge wants you in her office immediately."

"Coming." She walked up to the classroom and up to Umbridge's door knocking on it.

"Come in." she walked in and Umbridge greeted her with a smile.

"Good evening Ms. Riverdale, please take a seat."

"Yes ma'am." She took a seat on a soft, pink, cushy chair and Umbridge let a china teacup float over to her.

"Would you like some tea?"

'You won't get anything out of me toad.' "Yes thank you." She took the cup and pretended to take a sip.

"Now have you seen anything suspicious lately?"

"Not really professor. Just everyone not liking all the rules you've put up."

"Oh really?" she smiled that poisoned smile and sipped her own tea. "Have you been keeping track of Potter and his friends?" she pretended to take a sip again.

"Yes ma'am, but I haven't seen anything suspicious lately." She took another sip. Umbridge looked disappointed but kept her smile small.

"Are you sure? Has anyone at all given you any suspicion?" Clarice took another pretend sip.

"Welll…that Chang girl was but I think it's cuz she's still upset about her dead boyfriend."

"Yes, the poor girl. Cedric Diggory's tragic death was quite a surprise with him being a top student. I think I'll have a chat with her later. You may go Ms. Riverdale." When Umbridge turned around to grab something Clarice dumped her drink into the plant beside her seat.

"Oh before I go Professor, I have something that me and a few other first years bought from Hogsmeade." She pulled a box of strawberry bonbons from her robe and placed them on Umbridge's desk.

"Why thank you Ms. Riverdale, that's ten points to Slytherin!" Clarice bowed and left the room. When she got out of the door she felt like she'd puke cuz that tea smelled awful. When she left to the common room she was stopped by Pansy Parkinson and her group of girls.

"What did Professor Umbridge want Riverdale?"

"Interrogation Parkinson what else?" she threw up her hands and walked away. 'Moronic girl.' When she reached the room she noticed a letter on her bed in an emerald green envelope. There was no address on it, just her name and the Slytherin seal.

'Mistress Salena.' She looked around to see the room clear of any students and opened the envelope to see a letter with no signature on it. It said:

Clarice,

Keep an eye out for Umbridge; she's close to finding out about the D.A. If word gets out you have to help Harry and his friends because if Dumbledore goes into hiding it's up to me and you to protect Harry when he goes for the you know what.

P.S. burn this letter and throw out the ashes so no one will find it. I estimate another month before this goes down so please be careful. Also don't worry about Snape, we just had a little misunderstanding.

Take care

Clarice used her wand to burn the letter and envelope and threw the ashes out the small hole in the window. She glanced at the clock noticing it was near dinner; after straightening her robes and taking a swig of her drink from her robe she headed into the Great Hall and took her seat at the end of the table. All she had to do now was wait for the right moment at the right time in the right place, and then she and Salena would make their move.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter cuz the next one's where Salena is seen by Voldemort but I haven't decided if I should bring her true self out yet or hold that until after Lucius and his friends are released from Azkaban, or I could just change that around. Who's got any ideas? Anyone? Anyone? Oh well see you next time.

Later!