Another year at Hogwarts. Jane's heart beat faster as she took a look around the Great Hall, lavishly decorated for the return of the students, the tables creaking under their load of delicious food. And what a year it promised to be! Her final year, which meant a ton of hard work as she prepared for her N.E.W.T.s., but hopefully lots of laughter and good times, too. As Head Girl, she would have to set a good example for all the other students, but she wasn't going to let that fact spoil her fun.

"We're going to have such a great time this year!" Ruth's words echoed her thoughts so exactly that Jane couldn't help but grab her hand and squeeze it excitedly.

Her best friend had claimed the place right next to her, at the head of the Ravenclaw table. They were the oldest students in their house now – and, gosh, had the First Years always been this tiny? It was hard to imagine they'd ever been such babies themselves, scared and confused and worried they might not fit in. Because how could two little girls from a London Muggle orphanage ever hope to compete with all the children from the top wizarding families?

"Look at them." Once again, it was obvious that Ruth had been thinking along the same lines. Her lips were set in a contemptuous snarl as she pointed out a bunch of giggling girls at the Slytherin table: Rose and her posse of sycophantic admirers. "They think they're ever so irresistible."

Jane rolled her eyes. Sure, Rose was pretty enough, and so was Kitty. But Marie was plain as a doormat, and they were all trying far too hard to impress the boys, hitching up their skirts as far as they dared and slathering on as much make-up as they could hope to get away with. Maybe that kind of thing worked on Derek and his Slytherin friends, but not on the other guys, Jane was sure about it. She managed a tiny, surreptitious wave at Kip, over at the Hufflepuff table, feeling her heart give an odd little jump when he waved back and smiled at her.

Just then, the Heads of the various houses called for order and quiet for the Headmistress's speech. Professor Butler's Hufflepuffs settled immediately, and it only took one strict glance from Professor MacMillan for the Ravenclaw table to calm down. But the Gryffindors were a rowdy bunch, and Professor Collins was still far too young and inexperienced to make them behave properly, in Jane's opinion. And the Slytherins were chattering excitedly, eager to find out who their new Head of House was going to be, now that Professor Flint had retired.

Well, you're in for a big surprise. Jane had a hard time hiding her grin. It was nice to have inside information for once.

Next to her, Ruth was straining her neck, trying to catch a glimpse of the teachers' table. "There she is, Jane. Oh my, you must be so excited."

Jane opened her mouth to answer, but right then, the Headmistress stepped forward to the podium and raised her voice. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, everyone." A few First Years started giggling when they first set sight on Professor Stanley, short and buxom, dressed in old-fashioned brocade robes that made her look a bit like an antique settee. But they were quickly silenced with nothing but a pointed look. The Headmistress was a formidable old lady, there could be no doubt about it.

"I am sure you will all be curious about the changes in the staff room this year." The professor put on her most benevolent smile. "As you all know, our dear colleague, Professor Flint, has ended his tenure here at Hogwarts and intends to spend his remaining years trout-fishing in Scotland. And we all wish him a very pleasant retirement." She waited until the polite applause had died down, then cleared her throat. "His Care of Magical Creatures classes will be taken over by Professor Yates."

This time, the applause was genuine and well-meaning. Professor Yates, formerly known as Cec the groundskeeper, was immensely popular with the students. Jane had no doubt he was going to do a fine job, even if right now, he was doing his best to hide in the corner of the teachers' table, clearly embarrassed by the students' enthusiasm.

"I am also very pleased to announce that we have finally succeeded in finding a new Charms teacher." Professor Stanley sounded genuinely relieved – during the past school year she had taught the subject herself, and it had to have been stressful for her to juggle her duties as headmistress and teaching at the same time. "Let me introduce my niece, Professor Fisher, who is also going to be Head of Slytherin House."

And there she was, Jane thought. Phryne Fisher, her very own beloved godmother, smiling brightly at everyone as she rose to her feet and nodded at the students. The Slytherin table immediately erupted into another round of excited chatter, refusing to calm down until the Headmistress threatened them with a silencing spell. There were quite a number of sulky and hostile glares among the students, and Jane caught a low murmur of "Her niece, eh? Can't we have someone qualified for once?"

Clearly, the new professor was going to have her work cut out for her. But Jane didn't doubt for a moment that Phryne Fisher would succeed.

After all, she always did.

With a heartfelt and most unladylike curse, Phryne shrugged off the heavy, suffocating teachers' robe and tossed it into a corner. "Finally. Honestly, I'm really not sure this was a good idea."

"Oh, come on." Mac raised an amused eyebrow at her. "The students are going to adore you. And I'm sure you can handle your fellow professors."

"Yes. No. Maybe." Phryne dropped into a comfy armchair, breathing a deep sigh of relief. At least she had made sure her flat would be completely refurbished before she'd agreed to take on the position. Old man Flint really had had the ghastliest taste in furniture. "I still don't know. I mean, I've never envisaged myself teaching, of all things."

"Well, it ought to make for a nice change." Mac's grin widened. "Seeing as how you've tried out pretty much everything else, short of becoming a career criminal."

"Not quite everything." Phryne put on her best pout, even though Mac did have a point. She'd certainly pushed the limits of what were considered respectable professions for young ladies from good wizarding families. Maybe it was time to settle down for a bit. At least for a while. "Anyway, Aunt P was quite insistent she needed me to help her out."

"She is going to love having you here." Mac wandered over to the side table and poured a generous tumbler of firewhisky for each of them. "And I can use a little more stimulating company as well."

Phryne accepted the glass with a grateful sigh. "Tell me more about our colleagues. Are they really as boring as they seem at first glance?"

Mac settled back into her own chair, nonchalantly dangling her trouser-clad leg over the armrest. "Well, there's the usual assortment of old fogeys. Ford's a prime example. Teaches Ancient Runes and is convinced that mere females can't grasp the intricacies of his subject." She snorted contemptuously. "Some of the others aren't too bad, though. I'm sure you remember Butler from your school days. He's still an old dear. Oh, and Collins is all right, too. In over his head with Defense Against the Dark Arts, but he has a good heart."

"I'm sure he does." Phryne stifled a yawn. "Well, maybe you're right and I'll have nothing worse to fear than boredom. And at least I can keep an eye on Jane."

Mac nodded. "She's been doing so well. Bright as a button, that one, and brim-full of magical talent. Her friend, too. You should be proud of them."

"I am." Phryne smiled to herself. It hadn't been easy to persuade her aunt to accept Jane and Ruth as students at Hogwarts, what with their lack of a proper background. But Phryne had seen the girls' potential right from the moment she'd first set eyes on them, in that horrid Muggle place with its bare walls and icy atmosphere. "You know, I do look forward to meeting my students."

"Yeah, well. Enjoy the feeling while it lasts." Mac's tone was bone dry. "I guess we should call it a night." She drained her glass and got to her feet. "Get some rest, Phryne. You're going to need it."

"Night, Mac." Phryne embraced her friend tightly.

As the door fell shut behind Mac, she leaned back against it with a small sigh. Get some rest, Mac had said. Sound advice, in all probability. After all, this job definitely was a new experience for her. Though really, how hard can it be?

"Come on, Jane! We're going to be late for Transfiguration!" Ruth sounded worried, but then, she always did. "You know Professor Turner hates interruptions."

"Just a second." Jane craned her neck to catch another glance at the Hufflepuff table. She'd hoped for a quick chat with Kip before school started, but he was deep in conversation with Professor Butler who was smiling benignly at him. Ah, well. It couldn't be helped, and she'd see him later anyway – apart from Transfiguration, the Ravenclaw Seven-Years had most of their lessons on Mondays together with Hufflepuff house.

"Jane!" Ruth sounded almost panicky. "Please."

"On my way." She mentally rolled her eyes at her friends' eagerness. True, Professor Turner didn't appreciate tardiness, but they really had nothing worse to fear than a pointed remark. The Transfiguration professor was tough but fair, and besides, it was the first day of school. Surely the teachers were going to give them some time to settle back in.

Jane soon found out how wrong she'd been. "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen." Professor Turner's tone was crisp and business-like as she surveyed the room with her cool blue eyes. "I'm sure you're all aware that we have a lot of work ahead of us if you want to be well prepared for your N.E.W.T. exams next summer. Let's not waste any time, shall we?" She raised a beautifully plucked blonde eyebrow at Jane and Ruth who had snuck into the classroom at the last moment.

"See? I told you to hurry." Ruth seemed close to tears, and Jane relented. Professor Turner was one of their favourite teachers, and she really didn't want to leave a bad impression either.

"I'm sorry, Professor." She did her best to sound contrite. "It was my fault. It won't happen again."

"Duly noted." The briskness of Professor Turner's reply was tempered by a quick, smile in their direction. "Now, please open your books at page 15."

The rest of the lesson passed quickly. Professor Turner's lessons usually did. She was a good teacher, clear and precise, and she always made sure to include lots of practical wandwork to give them a break from the complicated theory. And it definitely was challenging stuff they had to handle this year! Even Derek and his Slytherin gang were fully focussed on their schoolwork for once, which made for a nice change from their usual bullying and catcalling.

The class groaned in unison when the professor announced their homework – a massive theoretical essay, due the next day.

"But Professor!" Rose was batting her long lashes fast enough that Jane was beginning to worry they'd come off. "That sounds terribly complicated and I'm not sure-"

"Feel free to come and see me in my office if you have any questions, Miss Weston." The professor finished writing with an elaborate flourish. "That goes for all of you, of course."

Another quick smile, and she was gone.

"Oooh, private lessons. Wouldn't mind some myself. I've always had a thing for blondes." Derek leaned back in his chair, smirking at his devoted followers who responded with embarrassed chuckles.

"Ugh." Jane made a face and quickly reached for her bag. She really didn't need to hear more. Derek had been a pain before holidays, and the time he'd spent at his uncle's mansion (which he kept bragging about), obviously hadn't changed him for the better.

But she had little time to think about misbehaving Slytherins. The next lesson was Charms, and Jane couldn't wait to see Phryne – Professor Fisher, she reminded herself – in action.

"Hey Jane. Ruth." Kip was already there, and he'd saved seats for them in the second row. "Can't wait to meet the new teacher. Isn't it exciting? I hear she's-"

"Good morning, everyone." Phryne Fisher's bright, musical voice cut him off before he could say anything he'd regret later. "As you all know, I'm your new Charms teacher, and I'm glad to say that I'm quite excited to meet you as well. Now, let's have a look at your—"

"Professor Fisher?" Lila, one of the Hufflepuff girls, raised a hand. "Can I ask you a question?"

Phryne visibly flinched. "Miss Fisher will do, thank you very much. And your name is…?"

"Lila. Lila Waddington." She smiled nervously. "Is it true you used to be a dragon keeper?"

"I spent a year in Romania working with dragons, yes." Phryne smiled indulgently. "But that was a long time ago, and I wouldn't presume to call myself a dragon keeper, Miss Waddington. That's a highly skilled and dangerous profession, you know."

"Miss Fisher?" Another hand went up. "Is it also true that you once broke into a Gringotts vault?"

"Now, that's complete nonsense, of course." Phryne's expression remained perfectly serene. Jane, who knew perfectly well that there was more than a little truth to that particular rumour couldn't help but admire her poker face. "Everybody knows you can't break into a Gringotts vault. Besides, if it was true, I wouldn't tell you, would I?"

"Miss? Is it true that you're a Legilimens?" Kip's best friend Ned was normally very quiet, but it was clear that he, too, was intrigued by their new teacher.

Miss Fisher's smile turned even more cat-like than usual. "Trust me, in most cases I don't need any special talents to read my students' thoughts."

There were a few nervous giggles, but no one dared ask further.

"But, Miss?" Yet another excited voice, and there were at least three more hands up.

But this time Miss Fisher cut the question off by raising her hand. "Enough! We have work to do. Now, did you cover the basics of nonverbal spells last year?"

Miss Fisher proceeded to quiz them thoroughly about their curriculum so far. When she was finally satisfied, she took a step back to perch on the edge of her desk, arranging her long legs gracefully. "It seems you're all well versed in Charms and up to date with your schoolwork. Professor Stanley did a very good job last year, I have to say, and you are obviously a bright bunch."

Jane glanced around. Everyone looked happy at the unexpected praise, and her own cheeks nearly hurt from smiling.

"Now, I know we still have a lot of ground to cover." Miss Fisher ran a hand through her glossy black hair. "But one of the things I like best about my subject is that it allows for a certain amount of… let's call it creativity. Which is why, starting next lesson, I'm going to set aside the final ten minutes of each lesson for spells that are a bit more frivolous."

"What do you mean, Miss Fisher?" Ruth sounded slightly nervous.

"Oh, nothing too wild, obviously." Miss Fisher's expression was one of wide-eyed innocence. "Just a few beauty charms, ways to keep secrets…" Some of the boys pretended to yawn, and her smile widened. "Enlargement charms, maybe." That got their attention. Jane had to stifle a giggle.

"Just a few things to cheer you up." Miss Fisher got to her feet again with a happy little bounce. "Well, see you all on Wednesday." And she was gone before anyone could reply.

"Oh man!" Ned was the first to speak, and he voiced what they were all thinking. "That was awesome! Why does she have to be Head of Slytherin? They don't deserve her."

Jane was inclined to agree, but Kip shook his head. "I like Professor Butler."

"Well, MacMillan isn't bad either," Ruth chimed in. "Just a bit strict. But you're right, Miss Fisher would be awesome." She sighed wistfully.

"Can't be done." Jane gave her a brief hug. She knew her friend was a bit jealous because Ruth rarely got to spend her holidays at Phryne Fisher's elegant townhouse, like Jane did. Ruth's grandmother was still alive, and Phryne insisted that she spend as much time as possible with her. "Miss Fisher was in Slytherin herself, so she can't be head of any other house."

"But why Slytherin! She doesn't seem evil to me." Lila shook her head.

"You don't have to be evil to be sorted into Slytherin," Kip explained patiently. "Just ambitious. Our Slytherins aren't all evil either, aren't they?"

"Could have fooled me." Lila muttered under her breath, and Jane remembered that Derek had been particularly mean to her last year.

"Anyway, Miss Fisher definitely isn't evil," she said aloud. A bit ruthless, maybe. Like that one time, when- But this wasn't the time to gossip about her godmother. "Come on! It's almost time for lunch!"

They set off for the Great Hall together. Jane felt a happy tingle along her spine as she followed Kip and Ned through the corridors. So far, the new school year was off to a promising start!

Huggles to my lovely daughter for plotting this with me and helping me to come up with ideas, and a huge thank you to my wonderful beta suilven.