What You See Is What You Get...

The last few days of summer holiday had quickly flown by. It was now ten till eleven on September first, and students and parents were rushing about on Platform nine and three-quarters. Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Luna were hauling their luggage onto the Hogwarts Express as Mister and Missus Weasley waved them off. Fred and George had slept in, in a way to tease all the others still in school.

Luna insisted Harry and her found a compartment to their selves, Ginny had been invited to sit with some of her friends, so Hermione and Ron ended up sitting with Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas, being as all the other compartments were full. They greeted each other and got as comfortable as they could in the seats of the train.

"So, have you two heard the news?" Dean asked everyone. They all shook their heads, and he continued. "Snape's finally gotten the position as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"

"That seems to be how it goes doesn't it?" Neville said.

"What do you mean, Neville?" Hermione asked him.

"I'm finally rid of him for Potions, now that we're in our last year. I could have managed a different Potions professor ages ago."

Everyone laughed.

"Has anyone heard who our new Transfiguration professor's going to be?" Ron asked. "You know, since Professor McGonagall, well, since the accident…"

What Ron was referring to was in fact no accident, but no one dared to say what really happened. Since the end of the war against Voldemort, there were still a few of his followers that were in hiding. Every once in a while one of them would show up, usually to do something terrible as a last effort to their cause.

One of these people, Araville Amador, had discovered that Minerva McGonagall had been one of the people who fought the hardest against Voldemort's efforts. She also discovered that McGonagall was staying at Hogwarts over the summer. An unregistered animagus, Araville snuck into the castle, found the professor diligently at work, and murdered her.

Dumbledore had caught Araville in the act, but was too late to save her. He had Araville bound, and called in the Minister of Magic. She was sent to Azkaban soon after.

"I haven't heard," Hermione replied.

Neville shook his head. "Neither have I."

The rest of the train ride was rather boring after that. Hermione had taken out a book, both Ron and Neville had fallen asleep, and Dean browsed through latest issue of The Daily Prophet, soon falling asleep himself. There were only about ten minutes left until the train pulled onto the grounds of Hogwarts, when there was a rap at the door. Hermione looked up from her book to see Ginny, tears rolling down her face.

Hermione shut her book quietly and went over to open the door. "What's wrong Ginny?" Hermione asked, leading her in.

Ginny sniffed and looked at all the sleeping boys. "Oh, nothing," she lied, badly. She started to sob a little and spoke again. "Oh Hermione! It was awful! I was sitting there with my friends, having a good time, and Dorian walked in and made this big scene about me not sitting with him and then Susan shouted at him for shouting at me then I started to cry and Dorian stormed off!!!" She let out a loud wail that stirred Ron and Dean out of their sleep.

"I followed him to go talk to him about it and then he said I was just too much to handle and that I wasn't worth all the effort and he might as well just find someone else to be with!!! I didn't know what to say and so I just starting bawling and he looked back at me like I was some sort of baby! Oh Hermione!! What am I going to do???"

Hermione looked to Ron and Dean apologetically, then back to Ginny. "Well, Ginny, dear, I think the best thing would be to just let him go."

"What? I can't do that! I love him too much!"

"Ginny, do you really? He broke it off during the summer, and again just now, only a short time after making up with you. He wasn't the best beau, you have to admit."

Ginny stared out of the window for a few moments. She sniffed again and wiped her face with her hand. "I suppose you're right Hermione. He wasn't very nice to me ever. Only when he wanted to &endash;" she suddenly realized Ron was awake. "Well, you know what I mean. Sorry to bother you guys."

Ginny, now pink in the face from crying and being embarrassed for making such a big scene, left to go change into her robes. Hermione suggested that they too get their robes on, and Ron nudged Neville awake. Soon the train had pulled up to the station, and everyone found a carriage to crawl into. Ron and Hermione said goodbye to Dean and Neville and searched for the carriage Harry and Luna were sitting in.

"I just couldn't believe it!" Harry exclaimed as Ron and Hermione sat down.

"What?" Ron asked him.

"Snape being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor!"

"You've heard too, then," Hermione said. "How'd you find out?"

"Didn't Malfoy and his body guards come knocking on your door to gloat about it? He couldn't have been more smug."

"No, we found out from Dean," Hermione told him.

"Has news got to you about the new professor for Transfiguration?" Luna asked solemnly.

Ron and Hermione both shook their heads. "Dean and Neville asked us that earlier," Ron said.

"No one seems to know," Harry said. "Loads of other students were discussing it as they passed our compartment the whole way downhere."

Luna sighed. "I suppose we'll find out soon enough."

Their carriage pulled up in front of the steps, and the four made their way up to the doors and found a place to sit in the Great Hall, next to Ginny, who still looked upset about what had happened on the train, as Luna went off to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

They engaged in small chit-chat and conversation while the rest of the students piled in and took their places at their house tables. Snape had decided to make rounds to all the tables and greet several students. He came toward Harry with a great grin across his face. "Hello Harry! Good to see you Ron! Hermione, did you have a good summer? Ginny, can't wait to see you in class!" They confoundedly gave a small smile back, and he continued to talk to random Gryffindors, making his way to the other houses as well.

"What's he playing at?" Ginny asked the others, just as confused as she was.

When everyone was sat down and ready to start one of the best feasts, the headmaster rose from his seat and held up his hands to quiet everyone.

"Welcome everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am pleased to announce that it is our second official Voldemort-free year!" There was a small roar of chortling from the students, and Dumbledore continued. "I am also delighted to announce that we have a few additions and changes to our staff this term. Taking on the Defense Against the Dark Arts class is our own Severus Snape, who is very excited to get the term underway. Happily joining our staff is Sarah Wilson, who will be teaching Muggle Studies."

He stopped and allowed time for a short applause to welcome Professor Wilson, cleared his throat and continued. "This summer, we lost a dear and talented professor and friend, Minerva McGonagall. While we will surely miss her, we are very lucky to find such a wonderful wizard to continue her legacy. Taking the position as Transfiguration professor and head of Gryffindor House is Mitchell Calloway."

There was another pause for applause, this time much heavier from the Gryffindor table, and Dumbledore spoke once more. "In years past, our caretaker Argus Filch has always reminded me to tell you that the forest is out of bounds to students. But I, along with a committee within the Ministry of Magic, have come to the conclusion that it is no longer a threat to anyone, so therefore it is not forbidden to enter. However, I advise students to find their way out before darkness falls, as it is very hard to navigate without daylight.

"One last announcement before we begin the food prepared for us by our wonderful House Elves," Dumbledore winked at Hermione, who grinned in return. "I'm very saddened to say that there will be no Quidditch this year." There were groans all throughout the Hall. "But there is a positive side to this horrible news. The field and stadium will be under construction so that we can have a state of the art arena to compete with!"

There were a few cheers at that, but Ron moaned again. "Aw, bloody hell Harry. We won't even be here to enjoy it!"

"Now," he smiled. "I believe it is time that we begin our marvelous and spectacular feast!" Instantly, the empty plates and pitchers on the tables were filled with scrumptious food and drink, and the students dug right in, filling their stomachs until they could hardly move. When it was time for the students to head back to their common rooms, Hermione nodded at Ron, and they both stood up.

"Gryffindor students, welcome! Most of you know who we are already, but for those of you who are new to our school, I am Hermione Granger, and this," she patted Ron on the back, "is Ron Weasley. We're your prefects for this year."

"And, our modest Hermione here is also our Head Girl!" Ron piped in, causing Hermione to blush, despite the fact that she, along with everyone else, had been planning on it for years.

"Thanks Ron," she smiled at him.

"No problem!" he smiled back.

"Right. Everyone follow me and Ron up to the common room --"

"Or she'll have you expelled before you can say Zonko's Joke Shop!"

"Ron!" Hermione elbowed him in the side and they began walking out of the Great Hall.

"You know Hermione," Ron said as they started up a staircase. "You should've said 'everyone follow Ron and me up to the common room,' not 'me and Ron!'"

"Oh shove off you great oaf!" she teased.

When they arrived at the portrait that hung outside the Gryffindor common room, the Fat Lady had a smile on her face and greeted them. "Hello students! Have a jolly good summer? I had a wonderful summer, if I do say so myself."

"Hello. Our summer was good as well," Ron answered her. "First years, this is the Fat Lady, who you will need to give the password to in order to go into the common room, which leads to the dormitories. The password for this term is, er… bugger, Hermione what is it again?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized Ron was asking her a question. She had been eyeing Snape as he intermingled with students on the stairs. "Oh, the password? I believe it is hmmmmmmmm," she answered.

"Hmmmmmmmm?" a third year girl repeated, as others looked at one another, wondering the same thing. "What sort of password is that?"

The Fat Lady chortled. "One that allows us to have just a bit more fun throughout the day. It was my friend Violet's idea actually."

"I think it's a good password," Neville said. "One I can actually remember."

As the students laughed with Neville's revelation, the portrait swung open and Hermione led the students in, Ron following right behind her. The two prefects gave a short explanation of the castle and grounds (Hermione quoting from Hogwarts, A History several times), then found one of the squishy chairs to relax in; Ron sitting with Hermione in his lap, dangling her feet over the arm.

"People are staring at us," Ron joked.

"Aw, let them stare," Hermione whispered back to him. "I want everyone to know that you're mine, and no one else's." She gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Ron put his hand on her cheek and pulled her in closer. "Don't tempt me, Miss Head Girl. We don't want you getting into any sort of trouble," he said, kissing her softly. "Besides, it's me that'll be doing the claiming around here. After all," he kissed her again. "It was me who stole your glasses."

"You mean, 'it was I who stole your glasses," she teased.

He laughed. "How do you figure?"

"Well, you wouldn't say, 'me stole your glasses,' now would you? You'd say, 'I stole your glasses.' So it'd be, 'it was I who stole your classes.'"

Ron rolled his eyes and let out an overly dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. It was I who stole your glasses. Are you completely satisfied?"

She leaned in very close to him and kissed him long and passionately. She pulled slightly away. "You tell me."