Her Frozen Heart

Chapter 1

The great hall was alive with laughter. The house tables were lighted by dozens of white candles and they flickered across the faces of the students. Excited voices echoed off the stonewalls as they waited for sorting to begin.

Professor McGonagall led the first years up to the front of the hall where the sorting hat awaited them. There was a mixture of fear, anticipation, and pure excitement in their eyes. As they walked up to the front of the hall they glanced quickly around at the other students. Many eyes landed on Harry who had the distinct impression that his scar was showing. He reached up and tried to smooth his unruly bangs.

One by one the students were sorted into their houses until all were seated. Professor McGonagall carried the stool and the sorting hat off to the side. Once she had taken her seat next to Professor Dumbledore the hall quieted down. She raised her golden fork and tapped three times on her wine goblet. "Your attention please."

Dumbledore stood and looked out over his students. It brought him so much joy to see them all there. His blue eyes twinkled and landed on Harry, Ron, and Hermione. He wondered what trouble they would get themselves into this year.

"I would like to welcome the first years to Hogwarts. I would also like to mention that the Forbidden Forrest is, of course, forbidden. I would like to point out that we have two new professors this year." He looked towards a young man sitting next to Professor Snape. His hair was long and a deep brown and draped over his shoulders. His features were very chiseled and he would be considered handsome in any culture. "Professor Montgomery will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts." Professor Montgomery nodded his head slightly at the students and gave them a dashing smile.

"Professor Riley will be teaching the History of Magic classes from now on." On the left of Hagrid sat Professor Riley. Her features were so extreme that they looked unnatural. A long black braid reached down her back to her hips. Her skin had the look of porcelain and was a ghostly white. Riley looked up from her plate and stared out into the faces of the students. A cold chill went down almost everyone's back; eyes that were the iciest blue imaginable stared out at them. They held no emotion and looked almost like glass. Thick red lips stood out against the paleness of her face. She gave no friendly smile, no tilt of the head. Riley sat straight as a stone column and looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I expect you to treat them both with the respect that you show your other professors." Dumbledore started to sit down, and then changed his mind. "Oh, and one more thing, daisy toadstools." With those last words the tables were filled with various foods.

Hagrid started piling things on his plate. He leaned over towards Professor Riley. "My name's Rubeus Hagrid. I teach Care of Magical Creatures." Hagrid grinned at her.

"Pleased to meet you, Professor Hagrid. I am Professor Riley."

"Most people just call me Hagrid." He smiled again at her his blackish eyes twinkling. Riley looked at him and tried unsuccessfully to force a smile back.

Further down the table sat Artemis Montgomery and to his left sat Professor Snape. Though they had not spoken a word to each other, as of yet, Snape already disliked him. The reason for this dislike was of course because he had once again been passed over for the DADA position.

Snape tried to look very interested in what was on his plate so that Montgomery would not try to engage him in conversation. It didn't work.

"I can't wait for my first class. Do you enjoy teaching here?" His voice was very eager sounding.

Snape's voice was low, almost a whisper, "no." This seemed to have surprised the young Montgomery.

"Oh, well I can't wait. I spent the summer coming up with different lesson plans. I have everything all figured out. Always be prepared that's my motto." This of course made Snape dislike him even more and he didn't speak another word to him through the rest of the feast.

Professor Riley looked at the time. Her first class started two minutes ago. After taking a deep breath and she pushed open the large wooden door to her history class. Two dozen heads followed her as she glided towards her dark mahogany desk. The room felt as though the temperature had just dropped ten degrees. Professor Riley turned and faced them.

She stood there looking out over them for what seemed like forever. Riley was sizing up each of them. The Slytherins sat off to one side of the room and the Gryffindors sat on the other. Malfoy turned and whispered something into Crabbe's ear. "Name?" Malfoy jumped slightly at the sound of her voice being directed at him.

"Draco Malfoy." He said this with pride puffing out his chest slightly.

"Congratulations Mr. Malfoy, you lost Slytherin ten points for talking out of turn." She smiled cruelly obviously enjoying the look of shock on his face very much.

"I am Professor Riley and this is History of Magic." Her voice was a soft, icy whisper yet somehow carried to the students in the back. "Put your books away, you will not need them yet." Over the shuffling she continued, "Today, you will be taking a test to see if you actually learned anything from your former professor." The classroom was filled with whispered complaints. It had to be against the rules to give a test the first day. "Any complaints and I will take away house points."

She reached into her desk and pulled out a very thick pile of papers. Riley walked up to the first table and started to hand out the exam. Ron could hardly believe his eyes. The exam was at least fifteen pages and seemed to be all essays. "You have until the end of class. I suggest that if you do not know the answer right away that you skip it and come back to it later."

Riley walked back to her desk and sat down. Feeling no remorse for the fear that was in their eyes she pulled out her tortoise-shelled glasses and slipped them on. Riley reached into her worn briefcase and pulled out a rather large book. She propped it open in front of her and Ron looked up to see what she was doing. The book was bound in leather and the title appeared to be written in blood. It read The Secrets of the Dark Arts by Gavin Tryzeke. Ron swallowed hard; he elbowed Harry and pointed in the direction of Riley. Harry's eyes grew wide when he read the title.

Without even glancing up from her book Riley said "Five points from Gryffindor. I would suggest the two of you get started on your exam." Harry and Ron shot each other a quick look and then hunched over their exams. Could the new professor read minds? It was possible; perhaps she had learned legilimency at the school she had attended. They knew that she was not a former Hogwarts student. Ron had the uneasy feeling the she had attended Durmstrang.

At the end of class she stood up and told them to place their quills on their desk. Goyle kept scribbling the last bit of a paragraph he had been writing. Riley sauntered over to his table and touched his exam with her wand; the exam that Goyle had only seconds before been writing was now a bit of charred ashes.

"When I say put your quill down; I mean you put it down that instant." Goyle looked as though he might cry. Riley turned toward the rest of the class. "I will not tolerate disobedience of any sorts. You will listen to what I say and you will do exactly what I say or you will be punished. Now get out of my classroom." Everyone sat there for a moment terrified of moving. "Are you deaf?" Her voice was as cold as the Artic Ocean. They grabbed their belongings and ran out of the room as if she were chasing them.

By the end of the first week it was decided that Professor Riley was possibly worse then Snape. Rumors were flying all over school about Riley. Some assumed that she was a vampire because of her appearance; others thought she was a death eater sent there to spy on them. Not one of the rumors was flattering.

Professor Riley strolled down the corridor parting the students like the Red Sea. They all feared her and had no problem admitting it. She could hear their whispers as she walked by them. She relished that deer in the headlights look they all gave her. Fear was how you controlled people and Riley loved to be in control.

Professor Riley turned the corner and came upon a very interesting spectacle. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had surrounded the naïve and clumsy Neville Longbottom. The three Slytherins had their wands pointing at the pudgy Longbottom who looked as though he might wet himself. She stood there in silence; waiting. Malfoy shouted "Petrificus Totalus!" Longbottom's body went very rigid and he fell face first onto the stone floor. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle started laughing hysterically.

"Draco Malfoy!" Her voice cut through him like a red-hot steel blade. Terrified, he didn't want to turn and face her. "I know you hear me boy." Malfoy took a deep breath and turned around.

Using his most innocent sounding voice not thinking for a moment that it would sway her he said, "Yes Professor?"

"Fifty points from Slytherin for cursing another student. The same for the two of you dunderheads for going along with it."

"You can't take that many points away from us. Professor Snape won't allow it" Malfoy turned and nodded at Crabbe and Goyle who did not look so sure.

"Really? Let him come and talk to me if he has a problem. Ten more points for back-talking." Riley walked past them brushing against Goyle who was just as rigid as Longbottom. She stopped partway down the corridor and mumbled something. Longbottom's body relaxed and he got up and ran away from Malfoy who was looking rather livid.

Professor Riley sat at her mahogany desk reading through the first years' essays. A white cat with large orange patches named Joanne sat on the corner of the desk watching the door. Red markings covered the papers, she was becoming disgusted with the work the students were handing in.

There was a sharp rap on her office door and then it was opened. Severus Snape stood in the doorway reeking of herbs. Riley assumed that he must have just gotten though making a potion. His eyes were hard and bitter. From the expression on his face she could tell that he had come to complain about her punishment of his precious Slytherins. Riley did not invite him in to sit, she let him stand there staring at her. Snape glanced around Riley's office. The walls were covered floor to ceiling with leather bound books. A large silver telescope stood in front of the only window in the office. The white and orange cat leaped off the desk and ambled over to Professor Snape. Joanne sat staring up at him as if she was daring him to do something.

"I need to speak to you Professor Riley." His voice was soft; the same one that he used when he gave lectures.

Professor Riley turned her head slightly and looked him full in the face. "I am busy, Professor Snape."

When Snape did not move from the doorway Riley put her quill down and looked up at him. "I assume you are here to complain about how I mistreated your precious little Slytherins."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I do not appreciate you thinking you can inflict such an extreme punishment on my students. I do not think what they did was that horrible."

Riley stood and walked closer to him. "Of course you don't think it was worthy of a punishment, they're Slytherins. Now if a Gryffindor coughed while you were talking you would think that was a good reason to take house points." She smiled at him. "I will teach and punish the students as I see fit Professor Snape. Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle had cursed another student. I personally believe that warrants a punishment."

"Listen, woman. I don't know who you think you are but I will not tolerate being spoken to like that."

"Woman? Did you just call me woman? How dare you come strutting into my office like you own the place. How dare you tell me how I should treat students. Get the hell out of my office before I make you regret being born."

"Are you threatening me?" Snape inched closer to Riley. "It would be wise of you not to make me your enemy." This was said in such a quiet whisper that Riley had to strain to hear him.

Snape jumped back suddenly and looked down at his leg. The cat had attached itself to him having thought Riley in danger. "Get off you bloody cat." Snape started swinging his leg trying to throw the cat off him. Joanne fell to the floor and Snape went to kick her away.

"Don't you dare kick that cat." A few students who were walking past glanced in to see what all the commotion was about. A 12 ¼ inch mahogany wand with unicorn hair was sticking into Snape's stomach. "I suggest you leave."

Snape turned and fled from the room his robes billowing out behind him. If he had stayed one more second one of them would have spent the next week in the hospital wing nd he was not one hundred percent sure which one that would be.