AN: This is just something I can up with randomly one day and finally decided to try writing it out and see what the result was. I think it turned out fairly well and I probably will continue it if I am not distracted by all the other fics I have in progress.

The change in the normally dull magical castle was incredibly drastic and very unusual. The floors and walls seemed to glimmer with unusual cleanliness. The windows were sparkling and looked almost brand new. The staff noticed other things that seemed to happen. The tapestries and paintings had not a speck of dust on them and hung with an almost militaristic straightness. The suits of armor lining the hallways seemed to stand a little taller and the statues somehow managed to look a little prouder. The entire area was buzzing with an almost excited energy that was making all of the teaching staff light headed. The whole castle had been like this for two weeks, ever since the arrival of the two new teachers. It was as though something had awoken within the castle and was incredibly happy. Both of the new teachers were currently walking the halls so they could make their way to the arrival and sorting of new students.

One of the men was swaying slightly as he walked down the hall in an almost dreamlike state, hands clasped in front of him, humming slightly. It seemed almost as though he were listening to music or some other sounds unheard by any other. The other man was following his friend looking slightly worried and ignoring the almost happy magical humming in the back of his mind. He was doing his best to ignore the tingling of magic over his skin as he looked at his friend in concern.

"You do realize you are really worrying me with your spacing out." Nikola said as his friend Luc was staring dreamily out into the distance with a soft smile on his face as they walked.

"Hmm?" Luc snapped out of his daze and looked at Nikola who was giving him weird looks. "Oh sorry. Just haven't been around this much magic in a while. It seems to be making me a bit giddy and lightheaded. Plus I think the castle missed me."

"You are so weird."

"But you love me anyway."

"Since when?"

"Bitch."

"Jerk." Nikola grinned at Luc who smiled back at him as they walked to the Great Hall.

"Oh Nicky you wound me." Luc said in a mocking tone. "Why not just give me a paper cut and pour lemon juice on it while you're at it?"

"Don't forget the salt." Nikola quipped.

"You do know that I am not a tequila shot?" Luc said in amusement.

"Vampire. And it wouldn't be the first time I've done that."

"Ew. That was just weird and gross. I don't care that you're a vampire, that is just creepy."

"Actually it's not so bad if you mix the blood with the tequila."

"Again…Ew. How do you…never mind. I do not want to know when you learned that. You are so never drinking tequila around me…ever."

"You started it." Nikola said in amusement before looking around in confusion. "I think we're lost. I don't think I have seen this part of the castle before. Or maybe it's just been a while."

"Like a hundred fifty years?"

"Yes actually. What about you?"

"Um...don't remember actually."

"That long huh? Guess we really are lost then."

"Don't be silly. All we have to do is go down one more flight of stairs, take the right corridor, make the second left, first right, go through the hidden door by the fourth window then go to the third left, tickle the statue of the griffin under the beak and then straight ahead about thirty feet, a quick right and we'll be right there. Honestly, it isn't that difficult." Luc said in a matter of fact tone as Nikola looked at him in disbelief at his quick instructions.

"Are you sure you haven't been here for a while?" Nikola asked suspiciously.

"Some things you just don't forget." Luc said cheerfully as he started down the steps with his friend close behind.

"Like the password to the box containing your wand in your vault in Gringotts to which you forgot your key?"

"Shut up. And I couldn't help it…it's been way to long since I've used magic."

"The password I could understand, but the key?"

"I have too many keys because I have too much stuff ok? Don't judge me."

"But you make it so easy." Nikola said in an innocent tone.

"Don't think for one second I won't steal your wand and hide it from you then leave you to wander aimlessly until you find your way."

"You wouldn't do that. You like my company too much."

"Sure about that are you?" Luc said with a mischievous grin and ducked down a corridor with Nikola following slowly. Nikola checked his pockets and growled in annoyance and rushed after his friend.

"I am going to kill you Lucifer Raziel Blackwood! Give me back my wand now!" Nikola yelled as he chased Luc down the halls.

"You have to catch me first vampire." Luc said over his shoulder as he ran. "Let's see you try to catch up with me."

By the time they reached the Great Hall Nikola had managed to catch up fairly well. He tackled his Naga friend just as they passed through the doors and started rifling through his pockets. Luc pushed Nikola off him and started to get up but Nikola grabbed his ankle causing him to fall flat on his face as Nikola again tried to get his wand. While they wrestled on the ground, the other professors were just looking at them in surprise and shock at the sight of the two new professors acting like a pair of delinquent children. Finally Nikola managed to get the wand and get away from his friend. He straightened his clothes and tucked his wand away before reluctantly offering Luc a hand up. Luc accepted and pulled himself upright and proceeded to fix his clothes as well before they both headed over to the table as though nothing had happened.

"So…" Luc sat down with his wand tucked behind his ear as he clasped his hands behind head and dropped his feet on the table. "What's for dinner?"

Nikola just put his face in his palm and slouched down in his chair while muttering to himself. "Why me?"

Luc sat up swiftly and peeked into his pocket all of a sudden before sighing with relief. Nikola looked at him oddly.

"What was that for?"

"Chi Chi is still in one piece in my pocket. Gotta love those bigger on the inside pockets. Do you want to come out sweetie?" He asked as he looked into his pocket. Nikola just shook his head as a black mamba slid out of his pocket and up his arm to wrap loosely around his neck a couple of times. Everyone gasped at the dangerous creature that the man was cooing over as though it was a fluffy kitten.

"You named your magical black mamba Chi Chi?" Nikola asked slowly at the man who was somehow managing to cuddle with the serpent.

"Yup. Isn't she just the cutest?" Luc gushed as he shoved the snake in Nikola's face. Nikola tried to back up slightly as the snake hissed in his face. Thankfully Luc pulled the snake away and cuddled with it again. The snake itself seemed quite happy to curl up around the man and seemed to hiss in contentment.

"Cute isn't exactly the word I would use. And really of all names in the world you used Chi Chi? That is the kind of name you give an annoying little Chihuahua or some other irritating little pocketbook dog."

"Don't say that. You'll hurt her feelings." Luc said with a frown.

"God I need a drink." Nikola muttered as everyone else still watched them in silence, not knowing how to react to the odd pair.

"By the way Nikola…I think you grabbed my wand instead of yours." Luc said absently before putting the snake away in his pocket again. Nikola pulled out the wand and indeed it was Luc's. It was slim and a pure bony white color, about 11 inches long with dark greenish black scales on the handle. Nikola slid it over to Luc and Professor McGonagall couldn't help but ask about the unusual wand.

"If I might ask, what is your wand made of?"

"Basilisk Fang base with Nundu blood core and Basilisk scales on the handle." Luc said as he slid Nikola's wand to him. Nikola's was an unusual one as well being 10 inches long, slim and a pale yellowish white color with a glossy woven black hair on the handle.

"And what about yours Nikola? I never did ask about that." Luc said.

"Electrum, primarily Gold and Silver with traces of Platinum and Copper as a base with a Lightning Bird feather core and woven Thestral Hair on the handle."

Luc was silent for a moment before looking at his friend.

"That is so totally you."

"Yours as well."

"Very powerful wands." Dumbledore said genially.

"Powerful maybe, useful…not so much for me." Luc said with a pout. "My wand has a mind of its own. It only seems to work when it wants to work. Unless I speak in Parseltounge, then it works perfectly." Luc muttered the last sentence low enough that only Nikola could hear.

"You know you never did explain why you bought a snake when you have a perfectly good pet in your vault." Nikola said in amusement.

"I didn't think it would be a good idea to bring a Hellhound to the school. Besides…that crossroads demon, I can never remember his name, and I played cards a while back and he would probably try to convince me to give the hound back. That reminds me, I owe him a bottle of scotch." Luc said absently causing everyone to stare at him again.

"Luc…"

"Hmm?"

"I think you should shut up now before you break them even more." Nikola said with a small laugh at the shocked faces. "Don't worry, you get used to hearing about the odd things he's done."

"I doubt it." One of the staff said thankful that the students were arriving so the conversation could wait until later.

The students entered the Great Hall for another year at Hogwarts. The elder students sat at their respective house tables to chat amongst themselves before the House Sorting. Among these happened to be a particular trio of Gryffindor fifth year students. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasely were currently discussing who their new defense teacher would be this year.

"Which one do you think it is?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno. Why are there two of them anyway?" Ron whispered to his friends.

"I don't know but Snape does not look happy to see them." Harry said.

"Does he ever?" Ron said and they laughed quietly as they glanced at the Head table to see all their usual professors and two they didn't recognize.

One was a tall, slim man with short spiky brunette hair that looked a lot like he had been electrocuted, steely blue grey eyes and slightly pale skin. He looked not unlike a large cat with the way he currently slouched gracefully (though how anyone could slouch and make it look graceful is a mystery, but then again they obviously do not know that the man in question could make brooding, slouching, lurking and sprawling into an art form) in a well-tailored navy blue three-piece suit while playing with a goblet.

The other was also tall with wavy blond hair, a set of the most soul piercing emerald green eyes you have ever seen, skin slightly tanned and he was slightly more muscular then the other man. He had a mysterious smile on his face as though he knew something important and wasn't going to share. He was dressed in a similar suit as well, though his was black as opposed to blue. He wasn't slouching but somehow managed to portray an air of boredom about him as well as an odd trace of amusement.

They saw the blond swat the brunette's hand away from the goblet and place it away from him. The other man glared and rolled his eyes at whatever the blond said before the first year students being led into the hall for their sorting diverted his attention away for the moment. Once the sorting was finished and the feast concluded Dumbledore stood up for his evening announcements.

"Welcome back to another year at Hogwarts. I know you are all tired from your long journey today so I shall keep my announcements short this evening. First of all I would like you all to welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Mr. Nikola Tesla." Everyone clapped politely and the blond nudged the brunette (obviously Tesla) to get his attention so he could stand for a moment so everyone would know whom he was. Nikola sat down quickly and went back to fiddling with his cutlery before a smack on his hands stopped him.

"And I am sorry to say that our own Professor Binns has decided to move on, so his replacement for the year is Mr. Lucifer Blackwood." Everyone went wild at the news that Binns was finally gone and it took several minutes for the ruckus to die down. Luc just waved hello to everyone once it went quiet again and Dumbledore continued.

"He will also be assisting Madame Pomfrey in the infirmary. He is a fully qualified Healer and has offered to fill in for Madame Pomfrey as she will be unavailable at times this year because both of her sisters are expected to give birth within the next few months."

"Now as usual the Forbidden Forest is as always forbidden. And Mr. Filch would like me to remind you that his list of banned objects is now at five hundred and eighty two, a list of which can be found in Mr. Filch's office should anyone wish to take a look. Now those are all the announcements I have to make so I bid you all goodnight and pleasant dreams." And with that everyone left the hall to go to his or her dormitories.

The Gryffindor trio went to their common room and claimed their favorite chairs by the fire.

"So…how long until the new defense teacher tries to kill Harry?" Ron asked, trying to hide a grin.

"Two months." Fred said as he joined the conversation.

"The real question though is what is this one?" George said as he sat down next to his twin.

"Death Eater?"

"Werewolf?"

"Polyjuiced Maniac?" The twins stopped the little back and forth banter and grinned turning to the rest of the room.

"Ok everyone." Fred said as he turned to the rest of the Gryffindor's.

"Who wants to place a bet on what the new defense teacher happens to be and when he will try to kill Harry?" George said and the room erupted into movement with almost everyone placing bets.

Harry just shook his head and his friends tried not to giggle at him.

"I'm so glad they're making money at my expense." He said dryly.

"Well you have to admit that you do have bad luck when it comes to defense teachers." Hermione said cautiously.

"She's right you know. Everyone of our teachers for the past few years have tried to kill you." Ron said.

"Moony didn't." Harry said quickly.

"Technically he went wolf on us. So I think that counts even if he didn't mean to." Ron said. Harry just rolled his eyes and stared at the fire for a moment.

"Ok fine. I am the most unlucky person ever."

"At least you're finally admitting it." Ron said with a straight face. Harry just swatted him with a cushion as they all laughed.

"Relax Harry. I'm sure everything will be fine. So, did you finish your homework this summer?" Hermione said and they dropped the matter of evil teachers for the moment.