Just like 1812
"Hey!" his mother called excitedly from across the hall. It was still empty except from, what he assumed was, some other teachers. His mother came striding straight up to him quickly and gave him a large hug when she was close enough, pulling him back she looked straight at him, examining him "You look better?" she asked curiously.
"Just a good chat, that's all" Harry said shrugging. He slammed himself for shrugging yet again and made a mental note to try and stop in future "How's things been?"
"Busy!" she said happily taking his arm and leading him up the hall, past the large tables that hadn't been their previously, Harry assumed they were somehow magical "There's so many memories here, it's like every few steps is a happy thought!" he could tell she was incredible happy, like she was for birthdays. He smiled as he thought of what a birthday freak she was. She positively loved them, lived for them. Not just her own and Harry's, but Remus, Kate and Mike all benefited from them, she even made time for the Dursleys during Birthdays. She brought him to a stop and smiled expectantly before saying "This is your seat"
"What?" Harry said confused.
"This is where the 7th year Gryffindors sit, I asked for you" she said smiling expectantly still.
"Why do you think I'm in Gryffindor?" he said surprised, but then decided to have some fun and try and trick her "To tell the truth the sorting hat put me in Slytherin"
Harry had to use all his self control to stop himself from laughing as his mothers face dropped for a second, he had rarely been able to trick her. She was one very hard person to trick or prank, but then again so many years with the Marauders tended to do that to people. Either that or they had a breakdown.
"No way!" she said mouth agape, and she stayed that way for a few moments till she started to laugh, and Harry couldn't stop himself from laughing either "you actually had me going there! Imagine you not being in Gryffindor!"
As he was laughing and watching his mother he couldn't help but feel happy to see her so ecstatic, and he quickly brought her into a hug. He could feel her pushing back as hard as possible, almost like she was trying to break his back. He loved his mother and could have kept this hug going for hours, and it still wouldn't be enough to let her know how much he cared. After a few moments they broke apart as the doors to the hall were flung open and the students came pouring into the hall, each as drenched as the next. He looked back at his mother as she raised her eyebrows in excitement and smiled.
"I love you, mum" he told her sincerely, looking her straight in the eyes.
"I love you too" she said smiling, and just before she went to the teachers table she added "my little Gryffindor!"
Harry laughed at the joke. She had always called him `my little Marauder' and she said this in the exact same way. He knew she was calling him a Marauder, but under keeping their secret. Harry sat down on the bench, and as he watched the people come crowding into the hall he felt the first nervousness he had felt the whole time. He was amazed he had lasted this long without this feeling nervous, Kate had drowned it all so far. As the tables were filling up and as eyes shot constantly at him all he could do sigh.
"What you doing?" came a confused shock. As Harry looked up at the speaker he saw stood in front of him a tall, skinny boy with a head of flaming red hair, attached with a very confused look.
"New student" was all that Harry could think to say, but the red head carried on staring at him in bewilderment for several, torturous, moments. Just before Harry was about to repeat himself in case he wasn't heard another guy saved him from this.
"Don't mind him, that's just his usual expression" the guy said, offering Harry a hand which he shook. The guy was a bit shorter than Harry, with brown hair and a good natured face "I'm Dean" he added.
"Oh, I'm Harry" he said. He instantly realized he should add his surname, seeing as everyone would find out anyway but he didn't want to be gawped at yet, made to lift his hair so they could see his scar.
"Good to meet you, Harry" he said taking the seat next to him, and the other guy sat next to him.
"Harry?" the red haired finally said, obviously over his shock "I'm Ron, it's good to meet you" and as Harry was shaking his hand as well he added rather pointedly "Do you play Quidditch?"
"Kinda…well, not really" Harry admitted, he had enjoyed it when Remus had taught him to fly but Poole High, surprisingly, never had a team so practice had always been a problem.
"Oh" Ron said a little disappointed "we could really do with some new blood!"
"Ron's captain of the team" Dean explained "we haven't won the trophy for more than a decade, he's become a little obsessed" he said laughing as they watched him shout at some others about Quidditch.
"Hey Dean" a girl said throwing herself onto the seat opposite them, stopping stock still as she caught sight of Harry "who are you?" she said blushing slightly. She was a pretty girl, blonde hair tied into a bun at the back of her head although Harry guessed that was because of how wet it was more than the style. He would pin her for a long blonde hair swishing freely kind of girl.
"I'm Harry" he said smiling at her as she was joined by a friend. Harry was dreading the idea of saying hello to everyone who sat down.
"Harry this Lavender…" he said signalling the blonde pretty girl "and this is Parvati" signalling her friend "and this here is Harry, a new student"
"I've never heard of any students joining halfway through before?" Parvati said eyeing him a little suspiciously, and unnecessarily Harry thought.
"It happened in 1812, when the child of the Headmaster Travette's child was expelled from Durmstrung…" a new voice said, Harry stretched to see who it belonged to but was interrupted by Ron's voice.
"And this is our very own Little Miss Hogwarts: A History" he said jokingly, making the whole table laugh.
Harry didn't get the joke but laughed along anyway, only stopping as he saw the girl. She was a plain girl, no one could say anything else about her. She was the epitome of plain. Pretty enough, but very plain. Big brown Bushy hair, dark eyes from what he could see. And to tell the truth if it wasn't for her hair, and you only looked at her briefly, it wouldn't be shocking if you thought she was a guy, her over sized cloak barely even passed as uni-sex. But it was how she was blushing that stopped him laughing, she seemed genuinely a little hurt at the comment Ron had made. Harry was all for a joke, even gossiping about people from time to time, but hurtful jokes just wasn't right.
"Hi, I'm Harry Potter" he said, he didn't know why he had said his whole name like this, maybe he wanted to stop the laughter to make her feel better, maybe he wanted to make her feel better by making her the first he told. Or maybe it was just plain and simple a slip up, he had done it too quickly and without thought to ever be sure, and if he was honest it was probably just a mistake. As he knew would happen every person who had heard suddenly went deathly silent, all the laughter at her had stopped, the people passing had instantly heard the name Potter. It felt like someone had suddenly stopped time and the silence seemed to slide in around him suffocating him. He didn't know how much more of this he could bare.
"Hi" the girl said brightly back flashing him an honest smile "My name's Hermione Granger" Harry smiled back, the noise wasn't quite back, and even more of the hall was quieting down, like the silence that came from this area was really shouting out "EVERYONE, HARRY POTTER IS HERE!"
"And this is Hogwarts very own brand of awkward silence" Dean said with a wry smile pointing around at everyone like he was signalling Silence itself. Fortunately this seemed to break it, and like a cloud breaking with a thunder storm the noise was back, even greater than before.
"So that's how come you were allowed to join at the end? That's cool!" Ron said amazed, like Harry had somehow done something amazing.
"Didn't you hear Hermione, he's hardly the first" Dean said laughing before turning his attention to Harry "you'll have to do something better to impress me!"
Harry laughed out loud at this, and was incredible grateful to Dean. He knew Dean was purposely ribbing him, to bring him properly in the group, and after this the conversation became more usual. First class, what the teachers are like, all the usual things you get at school, be it Poole High or Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. In the end they were all the same, kids at school.
"So anyway my mother and Remus got me through my Owls" Harry explained, trying to tell the story quickly
about how he got to be in this unique situation, but was interrupted.
"Remus Lupin?" Hermione asked. Harry was slightly shocked, this was the first thing she had said since he gave her name away. He could tell how she kept to herself that she wasn't the most popular person and, he guessed, who end up being a bit geeky. So he was surprised to realize she had been listening and that she spoke up at this point in particular. As his eyes moved quickly over the others they were obviously surprised she had spoken up as well.
"Yeah" Harry said a little lamely, not knowing what more he could say. Luckily Ron saved him the effort.
"You're friends with Lupin? He was cool!" Ron said looking off like he was remembering him.
"Only lasted a year like the rest of them though!" Lavender said like it was a conspiracy "What was his story?"
"He hadn't been well that year, and the job wasn't helping" Harry shrugged. This was true, but he did leave out that he was also a werewolf and that he became to worried about what could happen to the children if he stayed on too long. Harry decided to change the subject though, Moony didn't want people knowing about it. "What do you mean like the rest of them?" he asked Lavender who literally squealed at being asked this question, obviously under the joy of being asked to gossip. Ron however was the one to answer.
"No DADA… Defence against the dark arts… teacher has ever lasted more than one year" Ron explained "We had Quirrel first year…"
"Now that was one Garlic Smelling weirdo" Dean said so seriously that Harry suspected he had been underestimating it.
"He had an accident and died right at the end, that was weird" Ron said a little confused before returning to normal "Lockhart was second"
"He was Gorgeous!" Lavender sighed.
"Drop dead!" Parvati giggled.
"A fake" Dean added "he left to make more money from his writing"
"Third year was Lupin" Ron carried.
"Not so cute!" Lavender said sharing a giggle with Parvati, Harry shot them an angry glance that he suspected they missed.
"Fourth was Mad-Eye Moody!" Ron said with a strange look on his face "Now he was amazing!"
"Totally and utterly insane, but the best ever Auror the Ministry has had, he did a year as a favour to Dumbledore" Dean explained.
"And fifth was Umbridge" Ron said with a sour look on his face, like just by saying her name he was going to be sick "She was one sick and twisted cow! She even tried to ban Quidditch! Cow she was!"
"Anyway' Dean said slowly and mockingly making the table laugh "we're all not too sure who we have this year, but it can hardly get any worse than her"
"I know who it is" Harry said as he watched all the faces around him snap onto his instantly. For some reason the girl named Hermione seemed to stand out as her eyes narrowed at him in deep thought.
"Didn't they teach the great importance of sharing in your last school?" Dean said grinning after a few silent moments.
"It's my mother" Harry said groaning slightly in his head. He had no idea how every would take this bit of news, but he was hardly expecting miracles.
"Lily Potter?" Ron said, his mouth agape in amazement.
"Professor Potter" Hermione corrected.
"The woman who brought down you-know-who" Ron said ignoring what Hermione had said.
"I don't know about that" Harry said nervously laughing.
"She was there when you-know-who was finally defeated" Ron added, his mouth still wide open as if this was its natural position.
"Leave it, Ron" Dean said looking at Ron despairingly for which Harry was very grateful. He had taken an instant shine to Dean, who seemed to remind him a lot of Mike. Both shared a quick wit, and both had a very visible honest streak in them.
"You do seem to get through them, don't you?" Harry said trying to change the subject once again. He knew things like this happened, and couldn't help remember one year when he had actually had 4 different maths teachers at one point or another
"One of the many charms of Hogwarts" Dean spoke up "we don't like a teacher, and they magically disappear"
"Incredibly helpful" Lavender grinned.
"Every school should have a way to get rid of teachers" Ron said laughing "or just not have any in the first place would be ideal!"
"Their here for us, Ron" Hermione said tutting, making everyone in close proximity turn to face her, mouths agape in shock. After a few moments Hermione rolled her eyes, got out a book, flipped to a page and started to read, completely uncaring of all the eyes still looking at her as if she was crazy.
Slowly peeling his eyes away from Hermione, the oldest sixteen year old he had ever met, he looked up at the staff table to see how his mother was doing. He smiled as he saw her talking animatedly to a short guy and occasionally throwing her red hair back as she laughed. To the side of her he saw Albus who seemed to be looking out over the room as if somewhat proud of what he saw.
And then, as Harry looked to who was sat on the right hand side of Albus, he stopped.
"Who's that" Harry said urgently pointing up at a man dressed completely in black robes, asking the question even though he already knew the answer.
"Snape!" Ron said with an even worse face and voice than he had used for Umbridge. Harry however barely noticed thanks to the shock of hearing this.
"Severus Snape?" he said in anger, all of them looked at him in disbelief, he looked around them to try and get an answer but all looked in puzzlement except Hermione, whos brow was knitted, Harry could tell she was working something out.
"How do you know…" Ron started but was cut off by two louder than possible claps from the teachers table. Harry turned his head to look and saw Albus at the front of the table, ready to address the hall.
Harry barely heard as he explained the sorting, and hardly noticed as it took place. In what felt like mere moments the first years were sorted and the meal had started, chatter was abound him, but all his mind could think of that Severus Snape was his teacher. The enemy of his father, as well as all the Marauders, was going to be his teacher for a whole year. He couldn't believe his luck on this one, he would rather have put Kate in power over him than that slimeball. He could nearly hear his father laughing at this new development, and as he looked up at the teachers table he saw the man with his dark greasy hair, greasier than he had even imagined, and his hook nose. Harry knew that they would be having run ins, and Harry knew he would have to win them, not just for his sake but for his father. Here was the man who had told Voldemort of the prophecy.
"Harry, you ok mate?" Dean asked snapping Harry out of his trance, he could barely nod as an answer, so was the amount of energy it took to not go and attack that man. He watched closely, and saw Lily shoot him one too many glances to be natural. He knew how hard this must be for her, the only person more responsible for that night was Voldemort. Maybe Sirius Black was worse. But no matter what, Severus Snape was in the top three. And he would regret being there if it was the last thing Harry did.
"Hey!" came a new voice at the table, and looking up he saw a very pretty girl smiling at him, even in this new found anger she was pretty enough to grab some of his attention. Her flaming red hair swirled about her shoulders as she sat don next to Lavender "I'm Ginny"
"Hi" Harry said looking closer at her, she sure was pretty.
"You're Harry, aren't you?" she asked keenly.
"Amazing that you guessed that one" Dean teased earning him a fiery look from her before she turned her attention back onto Harry.
"I…" but what she was going to say was cut off by Albus who started his real speech. Thankfully Harry wasn't mentioned, he didn't want another run off the staring. Instead he tried to calm himself down, if he stayed this angry he would go overboard. He would end up accusing his mother of all sorts, he had always had a temper and always regretted the way it came out. Thinking about it he realized how tough this must be for his mother. She obviously knew about this, Moony must have told her seeing as he was here a few years ago, but she had still accepted for both of them. He thought he had known how much this job meant to her but he had obviously under estimated things, for her to do this, to work with Severus Snape of all people, showed just how much it meant. He loved hi mother, and couldn't bear to upset her. He promised there and then that he wouldn't mention it to her, it must be sore enough as it was, that all he could possibly bring was pain and tears with any words he spoke of it. He knew he must control himself and not go looking for trouble. But if trouble came his way? He was still the son of James and Lily Potter, what could she expect.
The sound of the end of the evening came with thunder, everyone breaking into speech and laughter, the scraping of benches against the stone floor and the heavy hitting of feet on as they stood up nearly made him jump out of his skin, as was the perfect precision that they showed, all moving at the same time. Harry however stayed seated.
"Follow us" Dean said signalling the exits "We'll show you the shortcut to the dorm"'
"Actually I live in Hogsmeade" Harry said shrugging. This time he nearly smashed his face against the table at yet another shrug, he couldn't understand why the hell he had started such a weak and rubbish tick. He looked and realized several people were all staring straight at him, mouths slightly open.
"I'm sure that one's never happened before!" Ron said in awe, before adding "Is that right, Hermione?"
`Never' she added brightly as she carried on walking past towards the exit by herself. As she reached the door she turned on her heel back to face Harry and added "hope you enjoy your time here"
Harry watched her leave as he waited for people to regain control of themselves.
"This is soooo cool!" Ron said in awe again making Harry's heart give a twinge. Somehow the way he had said that had reminded him of Kate, he wondered if these little things would still feel like his insides were being pulled out in six months. He wondered if he wanted them to.
He watched as Ginny eyed him like he was some possession she wanted. Harry was use to this look and knew exactly what it meant, and was surprised that he was flattered by her eyes on him.
"Well, Harry, I guess you did do better than just joining late" Dean said giving a little laugh "Well, I'll see you tomorrow when we get our timetables, night"
And with that they left him sat, quickly all of them were gone, only Ginny looked back to give Harry one last look. He smiled when he saw her do that.
Harry had to admit all in all things had gone well. Albus seemed a great man. Dean was looking like being a good friend as well as Ron. Who knew, he might even try out for the Quidditch. Ginny was cute, Lavender and Parvati were stereotypical girls, and they always tended to brighten some gloomy days for Harry at Poole High. Harry was a huge fan of giggling, it was a lot better than being too serious after all. Hermione seemed too serious, but then again not everyone can be friends. She seemed pleasant, he just doubted that he'd talk to her again, some people just weren't destined to be friends.
"Hey handsome" at these words his heart skipped a beat. It had started of as one of the many things his mother would say to him, not regularly but sometimes, and from the moment Kate had heard it she had wanted it. Eventually she took it and the word `handsome' would always be Kates in Harry's heart. As he waited a moment for his heart to get back to normal pace he turned with the best smile he could muster.
"Hey mum, pretty neat all this, aint it?" he said giving, surprisingly, a genuine smile.
"Pretty neat?" she said laughing sitting down next to him "I see you met some people"
"Yeah, they seemed alright" he said simply, his heart was still a little sore after the whole handsome thing, and getting too happy wasn't possible yet. But he tried his best for his mother.
"You'll be fine, I know you will" she said taking his hand in hers and smiling at him "Just do me one favour?"
"Anything" Harry said honestly.
"Don't get in too much trouble, I am you're professor so I can't favour you…too much" she added with a wink.
"When you say too much trouble does that mean I'm allowed some?" Harry said mischievously making his mother break out in laughter for a few seconds.
"Well…" she said standing up with him and looping her arm around his "Your name is Potter after all"
*
So that's chapter 5, hope it was ok. Obviously, as you should be able to tell, the story is up and running now. Harry starts class and the year and gets to know his new friends. Hope you like where it's going…
Till next time…
Jms Granger…
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