Ainsley scanned the pages of her Defense against the Dark Arts book with wary interest, then leaned over to Lucias and said in a very slow whisper, "Is is just me, or does this...Riddle...seem familiar?"

"In a way," replied Lucias, with a faint tone of disinterest. "Interesting character, that."

"I rather like him," Ainsley replied, and turned back to her book with a sly look at Bellatrix. By the expression on Bella's face, Ainsley could tell that the were thinking the same, and she shot a look at Bellatrix that clearly conveyed her interest. Bellatrix returned it with a spry smile. This teacher needed a bit more looking into.

After the twent minutes was up, Riddle spoke again- in the sinister hiss of a voice that sent a strange feeling down Ainsley's spine. "You have been given your allotted time to read. Pair up with the person next to you, and practice the spells on page five until time is up. I will be looking around to...observe our methods."

"Joy," said Ainsley sarcastically to Malfoy as they stood up and took a spot, near to Bellatrix and a boy named Mulciber, whom Ainsley knew fairly well, as they were potions partners and longtime first-year hexers.

"What precisely are we doing?" hissed Bellatrix.

"Patronuses," Ainsley whispered back. "The simple dung that we already know. I suggest you act like you are quite new to the idea, lest our new teacher catch on to some bits of your past." She straightened up and looked at the ceiling, then thought of something happy. Body-bind curses, owls and parchment, a world with no Muggles to get in the way of magic...

"Expecto patronum!"

A large, silver mask owl eruped from the tip of her wand. It swooped smoothly across the room, and disappeared in front of the window.

"Oh, very inconspicuous," Bellatrix snickered.

"You ought to show off a bit less," Lucias hissed, with a joking tone. Then, he raised his wand and did the same, and a Patronus came flying from his wand, as did from Bellatrix's.

But, at that moment, Riddle came strolling quickly over to Ainsley, Lucias and Bellatrix and looked down with a touch of disdain at them. Ainsley saw, for a moment in his eyes, a flash of red that made her blink quickly, but it disappeared almost instantly. "Very good," he hissed, "but you would do better to keep your ability to yourself. I want to see you three after class."

((I have an idea. What if Riddle took the teaching job so that he could recruit students as Death Eaters?))

((All right, here we go)) Sara sat down at the Ravenclaw table next to Cara, Misty, and Noel. "Hey," said Sara, "the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher isn't up at the Head table." "Yeah," said Cara, "I noticed that before you came down." "Maybe there isn't going to be DADA class this year." Sara suggested . "Maybe he's late." Noel said. "Yeah, he's probably just late," Sara said, checking her schedule, "I have DADA this afternoon."

That afternoon Sara made her way to the third floor for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Where she saw a man standing at the front of the class. ((how many horcruxes do you guys think Prof. Voldy would have?)) "Sit down," said the man, "I am Tom Riddle," he continued after everybody was seated, "more commonly known as Voldemort. The headmaster would like you call me Riddle, but I would prefer you call me by my better name. Now, I would like turn to page ten in your books and practice the incantations on a partner."

"Wow," said Sara. She and her friends were in the Ravenclaw common room for break. "Professor Riddle is an excellent teacher." Cara, Misty and Noel all hadn't had DADA class yet. ((you don't mind do you Emily, Ima and Chloe?)) "But he seems to be Darker than the last DADA teacher. And he doesn't look completely human," Sara gasped, "I forgot! Professor Riddle is Lord Voldemort!"

((Yes, Dumbledore said that Voldemort shed his father's name as soon as he found out his father wasn't a wizard and killed him...so that would have been his fourth or fifth year, if I'm correct. So marauders are in fifth year? Okay.))

Kira shouldered her bag, double checked she had all her textbooks, and set out for first period Herbology. She moved mechanically through the corridors and down staircases, her thoughts on the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. She hoped it was somebody decent this time...

"Hey! Hey, McCoy!" Kira turned to see James Potter jogging towards her, trailed by Sirius Black, and she suppressed a groan. She had played Quidditch with James for years, and her opinion of him had steadily declined every season.

"It's McCall. For the third time this year," she snapped. "And this had better be quick, I have to get to Herbology."

"Sure, sure," he said, waving away her comment. "Say, when are you holding Quidditch tryouts?"

"I have no idea, but I suppose I'll have to let you know when I decide," said Kira. "Now, if you'll excuse me, goodbye."

"That's okay, I'm going to Herbology too," he said, falling in to step beside her as Sirius looked irratibably ((sorry for the spelling)) at his watch. "But you should probably hold tryouts soon, because we'll need to start practicing immediately, and - "

"James! If you haven't noticed, I captained the team last year, too, and we won the cup! So I think I can make a decision like the date of tryouts without any help." Sighing, she sped up to walk with her friend Lily _____ ((what's Lily's maiden name again? Sorry, I totally forgot)), leaving James and Sirius behind.

((I don't mind, but we're... about to have it. And as for the 'doesn't look completely human' thing, he wasn't completely Voldemort yet. Voldemort was merely a name he'd made up for himself a few years ago, since he hates the name Tom. Right now, he's just an evil man with a few Horcruxes (although that's still horrible) who's eyes flash red occasionally. Noel hadn't even heard of him before she found out that he was teacher.))

"Um, who's that?" asked Noel.

"Oh, that's just his other name. What he goes by outside of school,"

"I don't like him," declared Noel, and she truly didn't. In fact she had hated him on sight. He just had such an evil look about him, and his eyes were just scary. She definitely wasn't looking forward to Defense Against The Dark Arts.

((he still wouldn't look completely human))

It was evening when Fern finally reached the common room.She threw her bag full of text and spell books on a table and extracted 100roots and shrubs and other interesting plants. Homework on the first day, she could hardly believe it. Herbolagy (Spelling?) was oneof her worst subjects, which is why she started it first. If she kept it to theend she would end on a bad note, and according to her parents it was one of theworst things for homework studies. A small white cat purred and wound aroundFern’s legs. Scratching it on the head she began writing her paper ongillyweed. Two Gryffindors entered the room and went to sit by the fire. Fernwas just finishing her paper when she felt someone standing behind her. 

Volunteers who is standing behind her? 

((...I seem to have forgotten all about Adela. Oh, well, I'll write her in now.))

Adela had always been abysmal at Potions. She managed to turn the simplest of concoctions into a smelly, charred mess. Several times she had even turned the cauldron into a smelly, charred mess. That he professor was a corpulent, deep-voiced buffoon who liked to play favourites didn't help matters much. The simmering potions made the dungeon classroom rather humid, as well, which in turn caused her hair to frizz and curl dreadfully. A bad job all around, so far as Adela was concerned.

Unfortunately her day had begun with double Potions. Admittedly she had Defense afterwards, which was something to look forward to, but even so.

"So how was your summer?" Adela queried of her best friend and potions partner as they began to chop roots of some kind.

Andromeda glanced up, grinning. "Excellent. Ted- you know Ted? He's a sixth year..."

Adela nodded. "Blond hair, big ears? Freckles?"

"That's the one. Anyway, I think we're dating now."

"You think?" Adela raised her eyebrows.

"Well, I'm not entirely certain. I mean, we went on a date. And of course it's very hush-hush... Mum would have a fit if she knew. He's Muggle-born." Andromeda scowled. "Bad enough that I'm a Griffindor. If she knew I was a blood-traitor as well..." 

"You could always stay with us," Adela pointed out. "If she disowned you, I mean. Mum's a Muggle, after all. And I won't tell anyone. For what it's worth."

"Thanks," Andromeda said. "I dunno how Sirius does it. Being so open about how much he hates them. I'd probably have a nervous breakdown if I were him..."

"Well, he's an absolute nutter, that's how he does it," Adela grinned. The grin slid off her face as she glanced down at her open textbook. "Uh..."

"Stir," Andromeda ordered. "Clockwise. I'll tell you when to stop." She smirked a little, accentuating her resemblance to her older sister.

"So, Ted." Adela began to stir. "Date. Details?"

"But of course," Andromeda said. "Though it was pretty normal. We went to a Muggle restaurant, which was kind of nice. Very fancy, really good food. Bit slower than I'm used to, of course, since they can't cook with magic... But it was worth the wait."

"Oh, Muggle food generally is. Well, expensive Muggle food anyway. And then?"

Andromeda tipped a pile of chopped roots into the cauldron. The potion bubbled and turned a brilliant yellow. "We went to this park and walked around for a while, just talking, y'know?"

"Mm-hm," Adela said, concentrating on the suddenly thick potion.

"You can stop stirring now," Andromeda said, eyeing the cauldron. "It's got to simmer for a while. Anyway, that was it. I got home about ten. But he said he'd write."

"And did he?" Adela prompted.

"Of course," Andromeda said. "Otherwise I'd be ranting about how horrible he was."

"Right," Adela said with a grin.

Their conversation was interrupted when Slughorn swept by. "Less talk, girls, more work."

"Yes, sir," Andromeda said with a solemn glance downwards.

"Sorry, professor," Adela added with as much sincerity as she could muster.

The potion made a gurgling sound.

((So, yes, this would put 'Dromeda in fifth year, I suppose. And yay, Adela isn't a stereotypical Slytherin! Be proud of me!)) 

((Yay for TNO! And Lily Evans? How could I forget? Duh, Allison! *head bang*

"He's not that well known," Sara continued, "but he has killed quite a few people." "I've heard of him," said Misty, "He killed some guy called Bob...well, I forget his last name, but he was a friend of my dad." "I've got Herbology in ten minutes," said Sara suddenly, "see you guys later."

Sara ran down to the greenhouses, arriving a few minutes late. "This year is your O.W.L. year." said the Herbology professor. "I forgot it was O.W.L. year." Sara groaned. She wasn't the only one who did. The professor talked about O.W.L.s for about twenty minutes before starting the lesson.