Journey Home by Jardyn39
Chapter Four: The New Boy
"Harry Potter!" shouted a high pitched voice, "Miss Hermione left specific instructions that I was to throw a bucket of very cold water over Harry Potter if he was still asleep at seven o'clock."
Harry moaned, but extended a bare foot to the carpeted floor.
"There, Winky, see?"
"Harry Potter still has not opened his eyes. I think he is still asleep."
Harry opened his eyes to see the outline of the small elf holding a bucket.
"Winky, you're really enjoying this, aren't you?"
"Harry Potter will get up before the clock chimes or he will get wet."
Harry stood, fumbling for his glasses.
"Good enough?"
"Yes, unless Harry Potter is tempted to go to sleep again."
"I bet that water's really cold. I could get a chill and have to stay in bed all day!"
Winky dipped her fingers in they water and shook her hand, sprayed him with icy cold water.
"Hey!" Harry shouted, laughing and making a dash for the bathroom.
He closed the door and muttered, "Thanks, Hermione."
*
Harry emerged from the bathroom after first making sure that Winky and her bucket had gone.
He crossed the room and noticed a small envelope on the couch. He opened it and found it was a "Good Luck" card from Hermione.
He smiled and placed it in pride of place on one of the empty bookshelves before making his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.
*
"May I please have your attention?" said Professor McGonagall in a clear loud voice as she stood in front of the staff table during breakfast.
The Great Hall immediately quietened to listen and Harry was pleased to see that everyone was paying keen attention.
"I regret to announce that Professor Agnellina has left us," she advised to stifled hoorays, and continued quickly to add, "however it gives me great pleasure to welcome back Mr Potter who will be joining us as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher while he is on secondment from his Auror duties. In addition Mr Potter has agreed to become acting Head of Gryffindor House."
Harry smiled but looked down, no longer hearing Professor McGonagall's words. He wasn't quite ready to see the expressions on the sea of faces in front of him.
He knew he wouldn't have a problem with those that knew him personally, but most of the students he would be teaching only knew him from newspaper stories and rumours. It was now nowhere near as bad as it was, but Harry knew he was still feared by many.
Harry came to he senses as he realised Professor McGonagall was turning towards him and clapping. Suddenly he heard the clapping of everyone in the hall.
He half stood and nodded his thanks before being congratulated by the rest of the staff.
When Harry returned to his breakfast, Professor McGonagall said with a small smile, "No speech, Harry? I'm disappointed."
Harry snorted, remembering her reaction when Umbridge stood up and made her little speech all those years ago.
"Well, I was afraid Winky would come along with her bucket of water!"
*
"Professor Potter?"
"I'm sorry, your name is?"
"Susan Ward, Sir."
"Well, Susan, I'm not a Professor. Just call me Mr Potter or Sir. What's your question?"
"Sir, how do you become a Professor?"
"I would need to teach for a number of years as well as prepare a thesis on an area of study. So, what was your original question?" Harry asked with a smile.
"Are you really an Auror?"
"Yes, I am. I qualified about a year ago, but I was given dispensation to cut the training period which is usually three years. They seemed to think I had enough experience to take my final examinations early."
In fact, Harry had passed the final Auror examinations before he even began his Auror training. Fresh from hospital after the final battle, Harry was entered immediately at the insistence of both Alastor Moody and Professor McGonagall.
Harry had resisted forcefully, having had quite enough of Dark Wizard fighting, but had eventually agreed. It soon became apparent why they had been so persistent. Harry recorded the highest scores in modern times in the practical tests, but his final examination had been his stumbling block.
The psychological test he faced had been designed to provoke him. It did, although perhaps not quite in the way his examiners expected. Harry broke down completely.
It was as if Moody and Professor McGonagall knew this would happen. Details of the final test were kept secret and even the examiners agreed to have their memories modified. No one would know the full details except the remnants of the Order, whose sole duty now was to see Harry was protected while he was so vulnerable.
Eventually, after a short stay back in hospital, Harry found himself sent to Arthur Weasley's department along with all the other damaged individuals. There, he was almost the first to arrive and was the last to leave.
"Did you really fight You-Know-Who?"
"No, but I did fight someone who liked to call himself Lord Voldemort. His real name was Tom Riddle."
"Did you kill him?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't like to talk about that."
"Did you fight the Giant Squid?"
"No," said Harry with a small laugh, "I've always liked the Giant Squid. I did once visit the bottom of the lake, though."
Harry was rather glad that his first ever lesson was with a class of First Years. He had decided to let them ask anything they wanted before beginning, but their line of questions continued for some time.
"Did you win the Quidditch Cup?"
"Yes, I was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and we won the cup twice."
"Are you engaged to marry Hermione Granger?"
Harry blushed slightly and said, "Yes, we are engaged. On that point, I think it's time we began doing some proper work."
He smiled hearing the tuts of her fellow classmates. At least they had stopped looking at him so fearfully.
*
"So how was your first morning?" asked Professor McGonagall smiling. She had been waiting for him as he exited the classroom so they could go to lunch together, something he later learned she did with all new teachers on their first day.
"Well, I suppose it wasn't too bad. My first two classes were only lower years, so they were easily pleased."
"Hopefully, you'll have more of a challenge this afternoon," she said with a small grin.
"You're telling me," Harry replied with a laugh. He had the Third Year Gryffindors after lunch, and Carmen was bound to come up with something to mark his first day. He just hoped Hermione hadn't given Carmen any ideas.
Harry closed the door and sealed it magically. If Carmen was going to prepare a trap for him, she would have to work for it.
At lunch in the Great Hall, Carmen and her new friends were noticeably absent.
*
"It will take me a little while to get to know all your names, so I apologise if I keep having to ask you your names. We'll start with the register. Could you please raise your hand and say here."
Harry began to take the register and got to the third name when Carmen came skidding into the classroom, shot a very nervous look at Harry and then dashed to a spare desk. She was blushing furiously and Harry made no mention of her late arrival.
He finished taking the register of names and looked up, saying, "Thanks. Now as you're now Third Years, the amount of work you will be expected to do will increase significantly from what you've been used to. This is in order to prepare you for OWL exams and above.
"Unfortunately, the work you've been set to date is not up to the standard required. This is no fault of yours, but we are going to have to increase the amount of work in order to make sure we cover everything.
"To make things worse, the textbooks you were set for this year aren't really appropriate for your standard. In fact, I'd really fear for you if all you had to defend yourself with was what you could learn from this book," he said holding up his copy of Slinkhard's Defence book.
"The only use this will be is target practice," he said throwing the book high over the heads of the students. He quickly drew out his wand and fired a reductor curse at it. The book exploded upwards into individual pages. Quickly Harry swept his wand from side to side, placing temporary levitation charms on the pages which flew lazily high above their heads.
Harry waited for the laughing to subside.
"So, let's see what you can do. Wands out. Firing only upwards, I want you to clear these pages from the air."
Harry pointed his wand at a few individual pages and charmed them to dodge the various spells that were being fired upwards.
It took the class quite a bit longer than Harry would have liked for the class to destroy all but the charmed pages.
While they laughed at their own and each other's attempts, Harry quietly assessed each student's abilities. A few were good, most were average and a few were poor. Carmen hadn't tried at all, having just laughed along with the rest. Harry knew this was hardly a challenge for her; they had performed similar practice sessions in the past. She could probably clear the entire room if she wanted to.
"Okay, stop for a moment," said Harry loudly. He waited for quiet.
"I'd like to see some people try individually," he said smiling. "Your name's Tara, is that right?"
She nodded nervously.
"Have a go on your own."
She pointed up and fired a weak, wayward shower of sparks to various sniggers.
"Actually," said Harry, "burning the paper using sparks isn't a bad idea, but you need to concentrate the sparks in order to get ignition. When the target is moving like these are, sparks can be difficult to control and are a little too slow. See?" He aimed and fired a strong burst of sparks, managing to scorch one page slightly, but nothing more.
"I liked your effort though," he said smiling. "Five points for a good idea. You'll get more when you improve that aim."
He looked around for his next demonstrator.
"Peter, is it?"
The nervous boy nodded and stood.
"I'd like to see you try a Reductor curse on the paper."
Peter aimed high, his wand following the dancing pages. Eventually he fired two weak reductor spells quickly followed by a stronger one. Half the page was reduced to powder but the remaining half burned for a moment before falling to the floor.
"Not bad," said Harry. "You took careful aim, and I especially liked the quick firing between spells. I would have liked you to fire sooner, but that was a good first effort. Five Points."
Harry continued picking out students until he had exhausted his list of poorer performing students.
There were now only two pages fluttering high up at the ceiling level.
He pointed his wand up and said, "Accio."
One of the pages zoomed towards him. Harry caught it and tore it in quarters.
"Sometimes, one does not need to blast everything to get the job done. You'll get points in this classroom for thinking, not just performing spells properly. Now, Carmen? I'd like you to get the last one."
As she stood, a wide grin on her face, Harry pointed his wand at the remaining sheet. It screwed up and folded itself up into an origami bird as small and as quick as a snitch.
Suddenly, the paper snitch took on a burst of speed. It darted around the classroom like a bird in flight.
Carmen grin was replaced by a look of total concentration as her classmates cheered her on.
Carmen picked her spot, anticipating the snitch's flight. She fired and missed, just.
She aimed again. Again, she was very close.
Carmen aimed again but was put off by the paper snitch diving straight at her as if to attack.
Looking annoyed she followed the paper snitch, blasting it with a quick succession of reductor curses.
Harry could see what was about to happen. Carmen was concentrating so hard on hitting the fluttering paper snitch, she wasn't looking where she was aiming. Gradually her arm fell to she was no longer aiming upwards.
Harry was ready to deflect the curses, but even he was slightly taken aback as Carmen finally got the paper snitch, only inches from his head.
Carmen looked utterly horrified at what she had done.
"I'm so sorry!" she said shakily as the bell sounded.
Harry addressed the class.
"Defence Against the Dark Arts can sometimes be dangerous. The spells we will practice can hurt people, so we must all try and be responsible. Otherwise, accidents will occur. Homework, please give me three feet on the spells and curses we've seen today. Carmen, I'd like a quick word please."
Harry packed up his things as the others left the room. He looked up to see Carmen waiting for him.
He smiled at her and waited for everyone to leave.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean it."
"I know you didn't. Carmen, you are now capable of much more powerful spells than anyone else here. I know that I'm partly responsible for encouraging you, but please try and be a little more careful. Besides, what would Hermione say if she found out you'd blasted off all my hair?"
Carmen returned his smile and said, "She'd probably think it was an improvement, actually."
"So, when are you free for a detention?"
"I said I was sorry!" shouted Carmen, suddenly angry. "It was an accident!"
"I'm not giving you detention for that."
"What did I do then?"
"You came in late."
"But one of the First Years fell and I took them to the Hospital Wing! You can ask Madam Pomfrey!"
"I know you did. One of your friends explained."
"But why then?"
"Well, it wasn't that you were late. You just didn't apologise for being late. That's all."
"Oh, no I didn't, did I? I'm sorry," she said quietly.
*
"She hates me, doesn't she?"
"Of course she doesn't, Harry," said Hermione, not looking up from looking through the wallpaper pattern books she was surrounded by.
"So why did you spend the entire morning walking around the lake, then?"
"What?" she said looking up with a confused expression. "Oh, that. No, we hardly talked about you at all, actually."
"Really? Why not?"
"Harry, a moment ago you were worried we were talking about you, and now you're complaining we didn't talk about you! Please, make your mind up!" Hermione cried, grinning at him.
"Ha, ha," he replied flatly before getting up and kissing her.
"So what did she want to talk about?"
"That's between us. If she wants to tell you, she will."
"Nothing I should know about then, as her concerned Head of House?"
"Nothing I would ever dream of telling her Acting Head of House."
"Ah! So you were plotting against me!" Harry cried in mock madness.
"Harry, do you get paid for all the paranoia or is this something you do to get extra enjoyment from your job?"
Harry snorted and sat down next to her. They looked through the books together for a while.
"Um, Harry? Would you be terribly upset if I sold your house in London?"
"It's our house, Hermione. Sell or give?"
"Sell, actually. I hate staying there now you spend all of your time here. It's so lonely. I'd rather commute if it means we could spend more time together."
"Sure. I was hoping to spend more time there, but being Head of House has kind of put paid to that."
"I was talking to Dobby, yesterday. I think we should ask him to handle everything, for a commission, of course."
"That would be fine. Just make sure we don't sell to anyone that Ginny and Neville won't like."
"It'll be a shame to move away from them. To be honest, I've spent more time round theirs than at home lately."
"Well, makes up for all the time they spent with us, doesn't it? Dobby doesn't know any decent interior decorators, does he?"
"Well, he designed most of the SPEW premises himself. Maybe we could ask him to do it?"
"Great idea!" said Harry, throwing the wallpaper sample book aside and scooting over to Hermione and kissing her neck until she gave up looking through her book and gave him the attention he felt he deserved.
*
"Dobby, it's really great to see you, and everything, but do you know it's five o'clock in the morning? A Sunday morning, at that!"
"Yes, Harry Potter! Dobby received Harry Potter's letter and wanted to help him at once!"
"Well, thanks Dobby, but it really wasn't that urgent."
"Would Harry Potter prefer Dobby went away?" asked the elf, his ears drooping slightly.
"No, Dobby," Harry said at once, "it's always nice to see you."
Dobby looked uncertainly at the closed bathroom door and said nervously, "Does Miss Hermione want Dobby to stay as well?"
"Of course she does, Dobby. Honestly, she wakes up screaming and runs straight to the bathroom all the time. Don't worry about it. You just see, she'll come out again in a few minutes, all smiles."
Dobby didn't look convinced.
"Maybe she was a little surprised to see you," Harry admitted.
"Does Miss Hermione often sleep with no clothes on your couch?" asked Dobby suspiciously.
"So, what are these things, Dobby?" asked Harry, hoping to distract his friend.
"They are sample boards, Harry Potter!" said the elf, suddenly sounding much brighter. "Dobby knew Harry Potter's rooms and prepared a board for every room."
"Well, these look really great. I'm sure they will look fantastic, but I do have one or two minor observations."
"Dobby will change anything no match Harry Potter's requirements!"
"Great. Now, I'm afraid the motif pattern has to go. I couldn't face waking up and seeing hundreds of copies of my face on the walls, floors and ceilings."
"But who will do the singing?"
"No singing wallpaper, carpets or anything, Dobby."