Snape and Lily's daughter

Fourth year

When the students arrived at the castle, Grace and Luna separated from Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny, and went to sit with the students of their houses.

Grace sat between Blaise and Daphne, facing Melia and Ella.

"Who's that?" Grace asked curiously, pointing at a woman she has never seen before.

She was a small woman, who dressed all in pink.

"It's that Umbridge woman!" Daphne answered.

"Who?" Melia asked.

"The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Daphne said.

The last year teacher, Alastor Moody, was not actually Mad-Eye. He was Barty Crouch Jr., a Death Eater who had escaped from Azkaban.

Just then the new students arrived with Professor McGonagall. They stopped in front of the Sorting Hat, who sang another song. And then the sorting began:

"Euan Abercrombie."

"Gryffindor!"

"Rose Zeller."

"Hufflepuff!"

After all the first years had been selected for the Houses, Dumbledore stood up to speak.

"To our newcomers," Dumbledore spoke. "welcome! To our old hands — welcome back! There is a time for speech making, but this is not it. Tuck in!"

The food appeared out of nowhere. The students would eat and catch up.

"How was your summer, Grace?" Blaise asked her.

"It was better than I expected! I managed to convince my father to let me visit my friends, and furthermore, I managed to convince him to leave you and me alone here at Hogwarts!" she said excitedly.

"I don't know how you did it..." Blaise muttered.

"And your summer, how was it?" Grace asked him.

"It could have been better... But since I didn't see you all summer..."

Grace chuckled.

Draco, who was sitting opposite the two nearby, saw the scene, and with a grimace, turned around pretending not to have seen the two.

Some time later everyone finished dinner and Dumbledore got up again.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices," he said. "First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students — and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." when he added that, Grace felt it was a hint to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have had two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause.

"Tryouts for the House Quidditch teams will take place on the —"

He was interrupted by the new teacher. No other teacher had ever interrupted Dumbledore before. However, Dumbledore let her speak.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Professor Umbridge simpered. "for those kind words of welcome. Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she smiled. "And to see such happy little faces looking back at me!"

No one seemed very happy, according to Grace's quick analysis.

"I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all, and I'm sure we'll be very good friends!"

Some students glanced at each other, others held back laughter. Grace did both, staring at Melia and Ella, while holding in her laughter.

"The Ministry of Magic has always considered the education of young witches and wizards to be of vital importance. The rare gifts with which you were born may come to nothing if not nurtured and honed by careful instruction. The ancient skills unique to the Wizarding community must be passed down through the generations lest we lose them forever. The treasure trove of magical knowledge amassed by our ancestors must be guarded, replenished, and polished by those who have been called to the noble profession of teaching."

Professor Umbridge paused here and made a little bow to her fellow staff members, none of whom bowed back.

"Every headmaster and headmistress of Hogwarts has brought something new to the weighty task of governing this historic school, and that is as it should be, for without progress there will be stagnation and decay. There again, progress for progress's sake must be discouraged, for our tried and tested traditions often require no tinkering. A balance, then, between old and new, between permanence and change, between tradition and innovation..."

Grace noticed, that unlike when Dumbledore spoke, now many students were whispering or doing something else instead of paying attention to the new teacher's words.

"Thank you very much, Professor Umbridge, that was most illuminating," he said, bowing to her.

Shortly afterwards the students left the Great Hall and went to their dormitories.