I own nothing. If I was JK or Uncle Rick I would have used the profits by now to make a doomsday weapon. Uhh, pretend I didn't say anything.

Harry woke up with a mop of red hair in his face. He shot up and knocked into Ron's head. Ron stumbled away, clutching his forehead.

"What was that for?" He asked.

"Wha' d'ya mean?" Harry replied groggily. "I wake up to find you staring in my face. Who wouldn't be surprised?"

"You didn't have to crack my skull though! I'm hungry and I want breakfast."

Harry rolled his eyes and rolled over. Except he misjudged how far away he was from the side of the bed and fell onto the hard floor. He groaned. What a way to start the morning.

After a lot of shouting, shaking and a great deal of cold water, Ron and Harry were finally walking down the stairs of the boys' dormitory, looking very dishevelled. Hermione was waiting in the common room, impatiently tapping a foot.

"There you are, I've been waiting ages," she complained. "Now lets go down to breakfast. I'm hungry and I am certain that Ron is. He's always hungry."

Ron looked hurt. "That's not a bad thing. In fact, I think it's a bonus."

Hermione shrugged. "Everyone to their own taste."

She turned and walked out through the portrait hole with Ron and Harry trailing behind, desperately trying to straighten out their robes and make themselves presentable. They did not want a detention or points deducted from Snape on the first day.

They walked into the Great Hall, Ron pulling ahead and running to sit at the bench. He started eating before he had even sat down properly. The other two sat on either side of him, taking their own food.

On the teacher's table Professor McGonagall was laughing at something Professor Jackson had said. Professor Jackson was wearing a bemused expression like he didn't quite know what he said that was so funny.

Suddenly a swarm of owls descended onto the hall, carrying parcels and letters from family and friends. Except, today the owls weren't going towards to object of their deliveries, but rather the new professor.

Professor Jackson gulped. Oh no. Now he had to deal not only with Professor McGonagall's owl, but all the owls in Hogwarts.

The owls circled above the table for a few seconds then all at once fell onto Professor Jackson, pecking and clawing him. Feathers flew everywhere and parcels and letters lay discarded at the edge of the scuffle.

Professor Jackson tried batting the birds away but more kept coming. By now the entire hall was in uproar, either in laughter, concern or outrage, nobody knew. Ron was just looking at it with a piece of toast halfway to his mouth, in complete silence. Harry was having an internal battle of whether to laugh or help while Hermione was yelling at people to stop laughing.

Over on the Slytherin table, Harry saw Malfoy rolling on the floor with hysterics. Luna and Neville were in a similar predicament.

To Harry's ultimate surprise, stern Professor McGonagall was laughing as well. What was going on? He saw her wipe away a tear and say something to the owls. As far as bird expressions go, they looked sheepish. (Birds looked sheepish, who knew?)

Percy sighed in relief and muttered under his breath. "Phew. Gods dam why do wizards have to deliver their post by owl? Can't they use a Poseidon-friendly method? Stupid rivalry with Athena..." His head shot up and looked at Professor McGonagall. "No offence."

Harry looked around to see everyone had gone back to eating except Luna, Neville and Malfoy but they were shut up with a glare from the professor. His glares were scary. Harry did not ever want to be on the receiving end. He heard snatches of Professor Jacksons mutterings, "-wizards...owl...friendly...rivalry...Athena..."

"I think that's suspicious," said Hermione. "Don't you Ron, Harry. Surely you heard part of that. All I heard was about wizards and Athena. Whatever that means."

"Whazzat?" Asked Ron.

"Were you even listening Ronald? Heaven knows how I put up with you."

"Webb I fink 'e's a deaf ea'er," Ron choked in response between mouthfuls of waffles. He swallowed with difficulty. "I think he's a Death Eater. He's got marks on his arm and Malfoy also had them. We all know that Neville and Luna would never be a Death Eaters. Besides- wait. Look! He's burning his food! Again! And his pancakes are blue."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's probably just a religion Ron. And we can't prove he's a Death Eater yet. I think he's something other than a Death Eater. There must be a logical explanation. He's from America. Maybe there's an American agency or something. We need to read up on this. Let's grab our timetables and head to the library ASAP. Come on Ron."

"But 'Mione," Ron whined. "I want to finish."

"No you don't," said Hermione shortly and grabbed him by the ear, dragging him to the front to collect their timetable. Harry got up and followed behind. You do not want to be on the bad side of Hermione when she's in the mood.

Hermione grabbed her timetable as well as one for Ron who was...incapable of getting one himself in his current predicament. You could hear him complaining loudly for miles. Harry took one himself and trailed after Hermione.

"We have a free lesson so let's go and do some research," said Hermione, looking at her timetable. "After that we have double Transfiguration with the Ravenclaws and then double Care of Magical Creatures with the Slytherins."

Ron groaned. "I can't believe you agreed for us to take Care of Magical Creatures again. Hagrid is probably going to make us look after Blast Ended Skrewts 2.0, the ones that have poison breath and super intelligence."

Hermione huffed indignantly. "After all Hagrid did for us and you don't want to go to his lesson. Besides, I asked and he wasn't going to do anything too dangerous."

"So comforting."

"Besides, we have a free lesson and double transfiguration before then."

"Where you'll drag us to the library and then we'll be run into the dirt by those super smart Ravenclaws. I'm looking forward to it."

"Just stop complaining and follow me. I'll never know why I'm your girlfriend."

"Obviously because you love me."

"Ugh."

Harry chuckled. In the time it had taken for them to have this argument they had arrived outside the library. Ron's eyes widened in realisation.

"You've been arguing to get me to get here quicker, haven't you?"

Hermione smirked while Harry laughed.

~ Page Break ~

Half an hour of fruitless searching later, it was time for Transfiguration. Professor McGonagall told them that they were turning spaghetti into snakes and back again. Neville paled. He didn't have a good experience with snakes. Actually, neither had Harry.

"Professor McGonagall is such a good teacher," whispered Hermione. "She's continuing to teach even though she has her Headmistress duties as well."

"It's kinda our job to like her," said Ron. "She is head of Gryffindor. Hang on, I thought the Headmistress wasn't supposed to be a head of house."

"Well... Most of the other teachers either didn't go to Hogwarts or were in other houses," replied Hermione. "Professor Jackson can't be head of Gryffindor because he never went here. Plus he's new."

With a burst of red sparks her spaghetti transformed into a huge boa constrictor. She waved her wand and quickly turned it back.

"Speaking of," said Harry. "What d'ya think his lesson will be like?"

"I think he'll teach us some weird American voodoo," speculated Ron.

"Ummm, I don't think that voodoo is really his style," said Harry. "Besides I didn't think that it even exists."

As one, both of the boys turned their heads towards Hermione. She huffed and muttered something about studying and basic knowledge.

"Voodoo was a type of magic practiced in America for a while," started Hermione, going into dictionary mode. "It was viewed as evil by muggles and often was. These american magicians often lived in areas that were practically inhospitable. An example would be the bayous in Louisiana."

Harry and Ron cocked their heads in unison. Hermione sighed at their ignorance.

"Louisiana is in southern America and was sold by the French to the US as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803."

"Wow. You really are a talking dictionary," commented Ron. Hermione blushed.

"That's what happens when you read the dictionary for fun."

Ron snorted. "You actually read dictionaries? Guess you'll take over from them when they go out of business."

"Yeah? Well-"

"Guys! Would you stop bickering," interrupted Harry. "You're like an old married couple."

They both blushed and looked away. Then they turned back and continued with their argument.

Harry rolled his eyes. They just would not stop. In fact, they were at it again now. Something about Ron's snake not being a snake but a piece of spaghetti with a snakes head while Ron was protesting that it was better to have the food stay normal and snakes weren't in fashion anyway. Harry groaned. He couldn't wait until the end of the lesson.

~ Page Break ~

Once Transfiguration was over, the Golden Trio headed out to the grounds where they would be taking Care of Magical Creatures, Ron complaining loudly all the way.

They arrived just outside the Forbidden Forest where a few Gryffindors and a pair of Slytherins were waiting. To the Golden Trio's surprise, Professor was standing next to three winged horses. Two were white and milling around in the background while the last one was black and nudging the professor who seemed to be having an argument with it.

"-no Blackjack. Thats my final word," they caught the professor saying. The horse whinnied pleadingly. "I don't care if you like them, they're bad for your teeth. No. I don't see Guido or Porkpie begging for them. Besides they make you hyper. You still haven't cooled off from when Tyson looked after you for a week and gave you as many as you wanted while I went to find some new recruits. I came back to find you lying on your back, covered in sugar with fifty boxes around you. It took weeks to work off all your fat."

The horse shook his head as if to say, So what? It wasn't that bad.

Hermione seemed to be drooling. "Oh my goodness!" She gushed. "Pegasi. Singular, Pegasus. They are so incredibly rare in Britain that most people thought they died out. I thought the only known colonies were in Greece and America though..."

Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged. Harry walked up to the professor who looked like a mum scolding a child.

"What are you talking about?" Asked Harry. "What does he want?"

Professor Jackson rolled his eyes. "Donuts. It's always donuts with him. Still haven't figured out his addiction to them. Once we were flying and he tried to take me to a mor- muggle drive-thru."

Harry looked at the professor strangely. Luckily the professor didn't see as he was too busy trying to block the black pegasus's puppy eyes.

Hagrid suddenly came striding out the forest, Fang by his side.

"Ahh, here you all are then," he said. "We'll be learning abou' pegasi today with the help of Professor Jackson who is a equestrian and marine expert."

Hermione frowned but said nothing. Malfoy was looking at Professor Jackson expectantly.

"Pegasi. Singular, pegasus," started the professor.

"Gor' Hermione," whispered Ron. "'e's starting the same way you did."

"They are winged animals that look a lot like horses, but actually are not very much like them at all," he continued. "Pegasi tend to be more intelligent than regular horses, lighter, hollow bones so that they are able to fly and they come in more or less one size. Despite this pegasi are incredibly strong and able to carry many people at once. Most pegasi are the standard white but some, like Blackjack here, are coloured. Coloured pegasi are very rare though and most people are lucky to see a pegasus outside of Greece or the US, let alone a coloured one."

Hermione's hand shot up and waved about with a question. The professor nodded and she lowered her hand.

"Professor," she started. "Why do only Greece and the US have pegasi? I mean, we've got thestrals but they're not exactly the same are they?"

"Actually, a thestral and a pegasus are very similar," replied the professor. "No-one really knows why thestrals look like they do but the it's most likely that a pegasus was hit by a deadly jinx or curse, maybe the killing curse, and that's why they look like they do and can only be seen by people who have seen death. Their bone structures are very similar too. But your question is a good one. The fact that Greece is the birth place of the pegasus is very ironic. If anyone is familiar with Greek myths then you'll know that pegasus was born after Poseidon knocked up a beautiful woman called Medusa in Athena's temple." Was it just Harry or did the professor grimace?

"But Professor," said Hermione. "Wasn't Medusa a horrible monster?"

"I'm getting to that. Athena was angry at the disrespect and cursed the woman to be so ugly that whenever she looked at someone they got turned to stone. Eventually a hero called Perseus cut off her head and out sprang two beings. One was Chrysaor, the golden one, and the other was Pegasus, the first winged horse."

"Then how did pegasi get to America?"

"They were brought a few centuries ago when...wizards started to increase in population. Of course, many wizards were killed by the Salem Witch Trials, that's why there is so little wizarding activity in America. The pegasi continued to live with the surviving wizards though."

"Then where did you go to school?"

Gods this girl is persistent, thought Percy wearily. Glad Hecate gave me a backstory too. I suppose I'm not really lying but I'm not telling the complete truth either.

"Well," he continued. "In America wizards would have died out if they didn't marry muggles. Because of this many people don't realise they are magic until they are twelve or thirteen. In some rare cases people go their whole lives without knowing of their wizarding blood. Anyway I went to a school that was really more like camp called Camp Half-Blood - we take pride of our muggle heritage in America - where people would be sent out to find wizards and witches."

"But-"

"Jeez Hermione, this lesson has turned into a history lesson. Feel free to pet the pegasi. The black one is Blackjack, he likes donuts and you probably shouldn't ride him because he'll throw anyone who isn't me. He's kinda adopted me as his human, pus he's had bad experiences with people who have used him. Once my friend Rachel took him and he's never trusted redheads ever since."

A few people chuckled and stepped forward nervously.

"What are the other two called?" Asked Seamus, patting Blackjack.

"The show-off is Guido, he's adopted my friend Reyna as his human and he loves to do aerial tricks and manoeuvres. He's rather vain." At this Guido stomped his hoof and snorted. Professor Jackson rolled his eyes as if the horse had said something that just proved his point.

"What about the other one?" Asked Seamus again.

"The other one is Porkpie. He's a good pegasus for beginners. Now, who wants a ride?"

~ Page Break ~

By the end of the lesson, everyone had at least sat on one of the pegasus' back, even if they didn't fly. Harry was a natural, of course his broomstick skills were a great asset. To everyone's surprise Neville had been so good that he looked like he had had lessons. Professor Jackson smiled proudly while Neville blushed up to his ears.

Hagrid hadn't really been involved that lesson but instead opted to stand by the side lines and watch, occasionally throwing out a few facts about the monsters that were most likely to eat a pegasus.

Harry and Ron found Hermione scribbling away in a notebook as they walked back to the castle to have lunch.

"What 'cha writing Mione?" Asked Ron, peering over her shoulder.

"Well, I want to figure out the new professor so I have made a list of things that aren't quite normal if you ask me. While he stayed at the Burrow I was able to ask him a few questions, plus the story he just told us and us eavesdropping means I have quite the bit of information."

Harry took Hermione's notebook and looked at it.

Things that are suspicious about the new professor:

- He's American

- Has a black mark where the Death Eaters' tattoos are

- Full name Perseus

- Knows Luna, Neville, Draco, assumedly Professors Snape and McGonagall too

- Owls hate him

- Can see the thestrals

- Talks about a weird legion thing

- An important parent who is very rich

- An expert in horses and fish

Harry looked up at his two friends and they all three spontaneously burst out laughing at the last item on the list. They walked up to the castle arm-in-arm to have lunch.

I'm changing the story to the fact Nico was not at Hogwarts, m'kay?  It would've had a plot mess up...