Ayumi watched as things between Yvette and Dylan finally snapped, and sighed. Glancing casually at her watch, she suddenly felt a tug at her pant leg. "Nani...?" she muttered, looking below the table. There, Shinjiku, her fox, sat on his haunches, grinning. "And what, may I ask is so funny?" she smirked, glad to see him after the torture of Transformation and History.

"Follow me, an' I'll show you!" He happily skipped off from underneath, and Ayumi gingerly rose and followed, wondering just what was up with him *this* time. Shinjiku headed into a small hall perpendicular to the main one, and rounded a bend with Ayumi jogging behind to keep up. At last he stopped in a secluded hall, with no student or faculty hustling about, and whirled around.

"So? What's going on?" Ayumi questioned. "Oh....wait. Does this have anything to do with that package you received this morning??"

"You bet it does!" Shinjiku was smiling more than ever.

"What exactly was inside, then?" She crossed her arms, expectantly.

"A manual on Advanced Physical Transfiguration. I had ordered it through the Kitsune Net." Ayumi sighed, remembering how foxes where *she* came from had their own little magical sub-culture, which revolved around their immense transfiguration capabilities. Shinjiku just laughed airily. "Watch this, Ayumi! Mite masu!"

All went silent for a second. Shinjiku stood with his eyes wide and fixed in the air, concentrating. Almost suddenly, his fur started to boil out and his form became disfigured and grotesque for a second. His whole body seemed to swell up like a balloon, growing larger in relatively little time. But before Ayumi could flinch, he was through.

She stood there for a second, speechless. But with a double take, Ayumi realised what she was looking at. "A..A-A...A Snake!?" She gulped noticeably, snakes were her among LEAST favourite thing. The head of the creature twisted, and Shinjiku's grinning face came out.

"Nope. I've mastered a BOGGART! How fabulous, ne?!"

"A Boggart...." Ayumi's hear skipped a beat. "Yeah, ....eh, *great* Shinjiku!" But to herself, Ayumi sighed. 'Snakes, hm? I guess I didn't realise my worst fear is snakes......'

Turning to say something to Shinjiku, she gasped. He had disappeared! She whirled around, and just caught the tail of a snake slithering away around a corner.

Ayumi yelled after him. "NoOo! Shinjiku! Don't go wandering about like that!!!" She tried to follow him around a corner, but he might as well have apparated. Ayumi sighed with despair. "My head will BOIL for this....." she grumbled, and headed back for the main hall.

Randal looked down the table and saw his sister still eating lunch. Having finished his he got up. "I'll see you in Arithmancy then, Niki." He said, as he was sat near her during the meal.

He wandered out into the corridor, only to meet - he wasn't quite sure what - coming towards him. Whatever it was saw him, and he felt a slight tingly feeling, as if he should know what it was. As it turned to face him he saw that it was his sister!

He quivered, as the Arcadia in front of him barked like a dog. Then realising in a flash what it was he pulled out his wand, pointed it at her and shouted "Riddiculus!" The 'boggart' in front of him started growing a shabby coat and warts started appearing on Arcadia's face...

Elia, who had come down the hall a ways behind Randal, stops as if there was a wall in front of her. The boggart turns to her, and suddenly becomes a tall, attractive woman with lots of dark hair and olive skin. She smiles bewitchingly at Elia, and pulls a wand out of her robes.

"Hello, dear," she says, her voice heavy with an unidentifiable accent. "I've been waiting for you. I shall do my Dark Lord's bidding... You look like your father, you know. Perhaps you will be able to tell him I said so." With this, the woman/boggart moves ominously closer to Elia. Elia screams, a high, piercing scream, and seems rooted to the spot on which she stands.

Hearing the scream, Joe gets up from his seat in the great hall and rushes out, cat in tow. Coming onto the scene Joe cries "Expellaramus!" at the figure advancing on Elia. The spell, however, seems to have no effect. "Ok, then, just what the heck is this thing!?"

As Arcadia walks to her Arithmancy lesson she almost walks into the witch that Elia is screaming next to...

Instantly the witch changes and standing before Arcadia is..... Arcadia! Only more beautiful, and better dressed!

"I'm SO much better that YOU! Don't even BOTHER to try and cast a spell at me little girl!" Arcadia Screams and runs form the room Pantalaimon runs after her, whimpering.

Niki, who is also on her way to Arithmancy, is almost doubled up with laughter at Arcadia's boggart. When Arcadia leaves, the boggart's attention is turned on Niki. Immediately, it becomes a Dementor.

Niki shudders, claps one hand over her ear, and with the other she waves her wand and cries "Expecto Patronum!" A silvery mass leaves her wand, and the Dementor shrinks, and begins to stumble. "Riddikulus!" Niki cries, and dashes down the hall towards her next class.

Randal watched Elia scream and then Arcadia run.... "Wait. It's only a boggart. Arcadia!"

He looked at Elia, "Maybe we ought to find someone to get rid of it. I never was that good at them. If it does that to you again, think of it in a way that would make you laugh, point your wand and say 'Ridikulus'. Watch."

It was turning on him anyway, so as the new Arcadia appeared he pointed his wand. "Ridiculus" and it started growing fur and warts again...

************

As he chewed unenthusiastically on his lunch, Anders drifted off into something of a daydream, staring into the middle distance in a dreamy, strange way. His long, artist's hands toyed idly with a strange pendant that he wore on a gold chain around his neck. Closer observation would reveal that this pendant seemed to be little more than a small, but perfect globe of pure, clear crystal.

Having decided he'd eaten enough, he got to his feet and walked down the length of the Great Hall, past the table of students who had been staring at him and whispering. As he walked by, he slowed a little, and thought he'd try making an effort.

"Hello," he said in his soft lilt. "I'm the new DADA Professor - Anders Grimalkin. Look forward to seeing you in my lessons." With a shy smile and a nod of his head, he continued walking past, his dark blue robes fluttering around him like a swarm of excited butterflies.

Once out of the Great Hall, he pondered over what he should do next. Maybe go and find out where he would be sleeping. Anything had to be better than his tiny, one-man cell in...That Place. He shuddered, as always, as he stood and remembered Azkaban. The horrors, the abject fear that had gnawed at him day and night...

Shaking himself, he snapped out of that particular trance and decided to go mix his cough potion. But before he could do that, he had to find Professor Snape in order to obtain one or two more herbs that he'd been unable to buy in Hogsmeade due to lack of cash. He hoped that the Potions Master would be at least...a little understanding.

Automatic memory from his own time at Hogwarts kicked in as he headed towards Snape's dungeon.

Anders had heard the commotion from the corridor and had turned back, hastening his step towards the noise. He cottoned on remarkably quickly to what was happening here and he stared from Randal to the Boggart.

With an almost imperceptible shake of his wrist, his slim, willow wand with a griffin's feather slid into his grip. "It's OK," he said, softly. "May as well put the so-called skills of this DADA job to use, huh?"

He winked. The Boggart turned and glowered at him balefully before there was an audible... ...POP!......of air as the thing turned into the tiniest thing imaginable. A small object, roughly the size of the pendant that Anders wore around his neck hung in the air before him. The critical difference was that where his own pendant was clear quartz, this was jet-black onyx.

The young Professor paled visibly, but a slow smile spread across his face as he pointed his wand at the tiny object. "Riddikulus."

Ayumi had just run up behind Prof. Anders, attracted by the screams. She was just in time to witness the transformation of the creature, applied by the new DADA teacher.

"Ack! Dameee!" she wailed, stumbling up to the small, somewhat smouldering mass. "Shiiinjikuuu-chan....." Ayumi kneeled over it, shuddering. "I..I..I told you not to..." she sniffed. "You stupid fox....."

Slowly getting up, Ayumi was met by some very puzzled looks....

Niki sticks her head back out the doorway. "Is it... is it gone?" she pants. She's obviously been running very fast. "Professor Grimalkin?" she says, looking at him. "Is it gone? It's just... It really scared me."

Anders smiled at Niki. "It's OK, it's dealt with." Indeed, the Boggart had finally dissipated into nothingness. "You're alright to come out. Come on. Come out by 'ere."

He slid his wand back into the sleeve of his robe. He had been surprised that his 'Ridikkulus' charm had worked at all - the wand hadn't been used in so long. As always when he thought of that fact, he mourned the loss of his broom licence. Since the Incident, he'd been banned from going near a broom of any kind - just another one of the conditions of his release from...That Place.

He winked at Niki and turned on his heel, heading for Snape's dungeon.

Randal looked a little embarrassed that he had not been able to deal with the boggart himself. But he obviously wasn't the least capable student here, he had realised what it was, and tried to deal with it.

He was the perfect image of sulleness again. He went over to Niki. "Are you ok? We better go its Arithmancy next for me...

He remembered Elia, and turned to her. "How about you? You ok too. Little scary the first time isn't it? Are you doing Arithmancy?"

"Did I miss something?" Morticia comes hurrying along the corridor and is surprised at what the others tell her. "A boggart? A real one? Damn it, I always wanted to see one of them! I wonder what I would have seen...Too bad Snape held me up. Are you alright, Niki?"

Niki smiles with relief. "I'm okay," she says. "It's just... it was a Dementor, for me. I have Arithmancy next." She glances at Elia, who finally seems to be coming back to life. "Are you coming?"

Elia turns and glares at Niki for a moment before walking quickly away down the hallway towards her next class.

"Well, excuse me!" Niki mutters. She turns to Randal. "Might as well keep going. Professor Grimalkin seems to have disappeared. Morticia, are you coming to Arithmancy?"

Peesemould has been staring at the wallpaper (again) and snaps into action. As he sees Arcadia run off, he runs to find her. He then tries to calm her down "Are you alright?" He asks soothingly "What did you see?"

Arcadia is dabbing her eyes with a small light blue lacy handkerchief and smiles as she sees Peesemould. "Oh yes <sniff> I'm fine."

She takes from inside her robe a small compact and inside is some pink dust and a very tiny wand. She waves the wand over her face and smiles "There. All sorted. You going to Arithmancy?"

Miss Vector, the Arithmancy smiles broadly as the Class begin to take their seats, which is never a good sign…

She waits until they have all sat down. "Now Class. Today I have a very special treat for you." As she talks a house elf is placing a piece of paper on your desks.

"You're going to be doing some really simple numerology! In front of you is a sheet of paper with a numerology chart. In a minute I want you to get into pairs and work out each other's names. These are the meanings you will need to write them down:

1: Well an interesting number. Can mean a great leader, but sometimes it can be very self centred. Someone who wants control, who only looks after themselves…." She pauses for a minute. "He who must not be named… he was a one of these!

2: Someone who works closes with another, but also who needs another to be close to.

3: a magical number. More `empathic' type. But a lonely person if not with others.

4. Strong, steadfast. Someone to rely on, or someone who will not budge from their own ideals.

5. Another Magical number. But with all types of magic. Sometimes who may have to make sacrifices for the greater good.

6. A good team player. A leader at times, But sometimes a little distracted and even simple.

7. A lucky number. But also someone who cannot avoid their fate.

8. The strongest number. But not necessarily magically strong.

9. The most magical number of all. But can be someone who may not be able to effect the real world.

"Now. I'll need a volunteer…."

Arcadia was busy patting Pan at this pint, paying no attention at all. "Ah.. Arcadia. What a nice name… Let's try you." Arcadia slowly, with a sulk walks to the front of class, Pan still at her side.

"Now… lets see…A…R..C..A..D..I..A… That's….. 1+9+3+1+4+9 which equals 28. And you add then together… 2+8 comes too.. oh dear…."

Miss Vector pauses for a second and looks at Arcadia. Who looks innocently back. "Well. That's good Arcadia. You must be a good leader. I'm sure. Well done.. Now you can go back to your seat and work on someone else's name."

"Now class I'm sure you won't have any problems with this. But just raise your hand if you do."

With that she sits and waits.

Morticia seems to be delighted. "This is cool!" she whispers to Niki. "Something else than Divination, just facts and calculation, no visions or dreams! Let's see... Morticia.. 4+6+9+2+9+3+9+1---that's 43, 4+3 that's 7..." She checks her notes. "7. A lucky number. But also someone who cannot avoid their fate." She sighs. "Well, okay, so I'm weird, I knew that before..."

Randal was sitting near by and overheard. "You want to hear what it say's about mine then..."

"I get 9+1+5+4+1+3, that gives me 23, so 5... 'Another Magical number. But with all types of magic. Sometimes who may have to make sacrifices for the greater good.' I mean, what can that mean anyway?"

Dylan slunk into the back of class as the lecture was beginning, and pulled a stub of a pencil out of his pocket to take notes. He hated quills, hated the mess. So a little pencil did the trick nicely. Listening intently, he began to scratch out the numbers on the sheet, working alone despite instructions. Maths was never his strong point, but he did better at it when he could think on his own two feet. "4+7+3+1+5...that's...."

Dylan stopped to tick numbers off on his fingers quick, then scribbled, "20....so m' number's 2." He scanned the options. "Works close wi' another? An' needs another t' be close to?" He snorted derisively. "Garbage."

"Well," Niki whispers back, "I'm either a 7 or a 9... . A lucky number, but also someone who cannot avoid their fate... or the most magical number of all, but can be someone who may not be able to effect the real world. It depends whether you do Niki or Nicola... This is interesting but," she glances at Professor Vector, "can you say flake or what?"

"How about second names? I mean... to do it right, wouldn't you have to use ALL your names?" Tish sighs. "Well... I guess this is so basic beginner stuff that it doesn't matter at all."

"I thought this would be more, you know, mathematics... Oh, well, she did say this is *very* basic. Morticia... You've never seen a boggart before?"

"No, never! I'm so curious what it'd be to me, you know?" She sighs. "Well, maybe one day..."

As the students get on with their work, anyone who looks up to Miss Vector sees she is looking very closely at a book she has resting on her desk.

However, if anyone looks closer they would notice she has not turned the page for quiet a while, and if fact… her eyes are closed. The sound of quiet snoring is heard.

Madison, noticing this, gave up on her work. "I don't get this anyway..." She laid her head on her arm and started working on her other homework, when the door opened and Lee entered.

"Sorry, I'm late. I just got back..." Seeing the sleeping professor, Lee stopped and quietly took a seat next to Madison. "Maddi, what's been going on?"

Madison, who perked up considerably, grinned. "Not much. A bunch of new students though. So, what took you so long? What happened?" Lee shrugged. "Uncle Rick was in the hospital....He's better now. Hey, he took me to one of those Muggle movie theatres...the movie made me think of you. You would have loved it."

"Really? What movie? Wait, tell me in the Common Room later. Right now, I need help on this numbers thing..."

Lee smiled. "Man, if I had known I'd have to tutor you, I would have just skipped the class..."

Madison slapped him playfully on the arm. "Just get to it..."

Niki, seeing Professor Vector slip into the arms of Morpheus (Greek God of sleep/dreams), emulates Madison. "Is Professor Binns always that boring?" she asks Morticia, beginning work on her History of Magic essay.

Madison grinned. "Yep. It just gives us more time to goof off...or, in my case, actually catch up with all of this stuff. I just never get it...how's yours coming along?"

Ayumi quietly slipped into the Arithmancy room, nearly a half-hour late. Biting her lip, she scanned the room for an empty seat, and sighed. Ayumi had just spent a good 25 minuets in Professor McGonagall's office, trying to explain how she had been linked to the sudden appearance of the Boggart earlier. After the new DADA teacher had put an end to it's rampage, Ayumi and the remaining mass of the monster had been quickly swooped upon by the authorities, and dragged off for questioning.

She spotted an opening next to Dylan, and lazily slumped down in the seat with a huff. Ayumi tried to smile cheerfully to hide her inner despair, and coughed out a "Aft'noon.." before firmly planting her head in her hands. Even though math and divination had always been her favourite subjects, Ayumi just stared blankly down at her paper........

"Are you all right?" Niki asks, feigning concern. "You don't look so well, Ayumi. Miss Vector's asleep... What do you say we just leave?" She grins. "This is nowhere near as good as I was hoping for." She sighs. "Class is almost over anyway. Where do we go when classes are over?

Madison looked up from her work, and watched as Ayumi slumped into her seat. Reaching forward, she tapped her on the back. "Hey...are you okay? Oh, this is Lee, by the way." Lee smiled and gave a little wave. "Now," Madison continued. "What's wrong?"

Ayumi sat up straight, a bit surprised at the tapping on her back. She turned around to find Madison, smiling ever so kindly. "Aaah...yeah.." she stuttered. "Daijoubu.... I just got a bit shook up...." Hearing Niki's voice on her other side, Ayumi turns to her. "I don't think I'll be seeing much of my pet, Shinjiku anymore..." she got a few puzzled looks, and continued.

"Y'see, he's really big on transformation... During lunch, he was keen on showing me the new creature he had mastered in manipulation." Ayumi stopped and looked at her desk again. "It...it...it turns out he could become a Boggart....and I'm sure you guys have seen the consequences of that." Ayumi shook her head, sadly. "I told him not to!"

Niki frowns, then shakes her head sympathetically. "Oh, Ayumi, I'm so sorry!" She sighs. "I really don't know what to say, except that I hope you feel better, and I'm very sorry."

Ayumi shrugged. "Its' not that bad, really. I mean, Shinjiku isn't *dead*, just out of service for a while...." She smiled at her friends, trying to avoid their overwhelming pity. "Really! You guys, it's no big deal...."

Noticing Lee, she stood up suddenly and introduced herself. "Aah-ah! Gomne nasai! I'm Ayumi Yuki. I haven't seen you around before....Although that could be contributed to the fact that I'm fairly new.." Ayumi smiled kindly, feeling somewhat better with the realisation that she had kind friends all around....

Lee smiled back. "It's okay. Nice to meet you...This is only my first year here, too." Noticing Dylan, Lee turned to him. "Hey, man. How you doing?" Surprised, Madison turned to him. "Lee...you know Dylan?" Lee nodded. "Yeah, we met in the Common Room awhile ago..."

Dylan looked up from his paper, the end of his stubby little pencil quite gnawed on. "Hate maths. I shoulda ne'er signed up for this rubbish." He looked from Madison to Lee, his face quite impassive now as compared to his encounters earlier. "Any way we can cut or sommat?"

Niki glances at the clock. "It's over in ten minutes. If she wakes up, I'll just say I misread the clock. I'm leaving. Anyone else want to come?" She smiles hopefully.

Ayumi nodded. "I'm with you." Rising to leave, she continued. "I say we make a trip to the Owlery....." After a slight pause, Ayumi sighed listlessly to herself. "It might be a good idea for me to send an Owl to my parents concerning the recovery rate of foxes......"

But she quickly changed her demeanour. "So! Anyone else comin'?" Ayumi looked down at Dylan. "Had enough o' this stuff? I know I sure have!" She smirked playfully.

"Yeah," he concurred, shoving his pencil back in his pocket. "If'n you want t' make a trip to th' owlery, I'll go wi' you. Might as well. I like it there." There was something almost gentle to his voice, there only for a minute, then gone completely.

"Hmm yeah," Peesey says to himself " 7+5+5+1+5+4+6+3+3+4=43, which is 7! Same as Tish!"

Miss Vector Closes her book and stands. It's as if she had never been asleep at all. "Well done class. Now, for your homework I want you to read up on Numerology and write an essay on how it can be used within everyday life. And don't forget to use the formula for birthdays, times and locations. Class Dismissed. As she says the word 'dismissed' the bell rings. If Miss Vector isn't good at anything else... She does have perfect Timing.