centerHarry Pottercenter/
Harry Potter nervously shuffled papers around on his desk. He had five minutes until the students would be arriving. Five looooooong minutes. He paced between the door to his office and his desk. He was too nervous to stay still.
He went into his office. He looked down at his office desk, which held several pictures of his friends and family. There was his family photo, taken several years ago, showing him standing next to his wife, Ginny Weasley. Ginny was holding their now five year old daughter, Lily, who was named after Harry's mother.
He glanced at the picture next to it. It was of his best friends (and in-laws), Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. He had been friends with them since their very first year at Hogwarts, when they were all eleven. Ron and Hermione were married now, and the picture showed them with their children: Ellyn, 10, William, 7, and Gwenna, 5. They lived in Hogsmede, in a house very near to the Hogwarts grounds.
Gwenna was best friends with Lily, and since neither were attending classes at Hogwarts, as they were too young, but since both lived at (or near) Hogwarts, the possibilities were endless. They could usually be seen at the Hogwarts library, under the close watch of Cho Chang, the Hogwarts librarian Quidditch historian. If they weren't in the library, they were most likely using floo powder to get over to "Brooms and Balls", Gwenna's father's Quidditch supply shop, where he let them play around in the warehouse in back. Yes, Harry thought, Lily and Gwenna didn't know how good they had it.
Harry's eyes slid to the next picture. It was of the Puddlemere United Quidditch team, for which he had been seeker, up until the end of last season. Harry was right in the middle of the picture, decked out in navy blue Quidditch robes. He sighed. He remembered his early Quidditch years well. He traveled around with the team, playing here, apparating there. Then he married Ginny, and sort of semi settled down. After a game he would apparate back home, put Lily to bed, and fill Ginny in on the events of the game. But that was then, and he was far too old now. So this year he was teaching at Hogwarts, filling the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts.
His eyes slid to the next picture. It was the beginning-of-the-year picture of the Hogwarts staff. There was Professor McGonagall, the headmistress, looking very stern, as usual. Next to her stood Hermione, who was the Transfiguration teacher. The photograph didn't show it, but she was an Animagus. A very distinguished raven, actually, with one white tail feather. Harry was next in line, and after that was Oliver Wood, also a retired Quidditch player for Puddlemere United. Oliver was the Flying teacher at Hogwarts. Then there were some teachers that Harry didn't know so well: Professor Seer, of Divination, Professor Vector, of Arithmancy, Professor Llythwar of Care of Magical Creatures, and some others. After them were Professor Snape, still Potions teacher, and Mr. Malfoy, the Gamekeeper. Sandwiched in between them was Professor Ginny Weasley, the Muggle Studies teacher (and his wife), looking very nervous.
Harry thought back to the events that had left Draco penniless and friendless. When Voldemort had fallen, the Death Eaters with him, including Lucius Malfoy, had been thrown into Azkaban, to be guarded faithfully by giants, werewolves, and other creatures that replaced the traitor Dementors. Draco Malfoy, of course, was crushed. As he was no longer rich, all of his friends deserted him. No one trusted him enough to give him a job. Because of this, when he was offered a job as the Hogwarts Gamekeeper, he swallowed what was left of his pride, and took it.
The last person in the picture was Mr. Creevy, the caretaker. He still looked like an overgrown chipmunk, and he still worshipped Harry. Harry remembered the day he had first arrived at Hogwarts to teach. Colin had, catching sight of him, dropped the broom he was carrying, and cried, "Harry! I mean sir! I mean… you're teaching here! Sir!"
"Call me Harry, Colin," said Harry. Colin gave a little yelp, and almost fainted. Harry, in the days that followed, tried not to be too annoyed at the Caretaker. He had forgotten just how enthusiastic Colin could be.
Harry was started out of his memories by the sound of the door opening and closing, and many feet shuffling across the room. He took a moment to collect himself, and then went out to face the class. It was first year Griffyndor. The students looked a little nervous, but excited. After all, their teacher was the great Harry Potter, who defeated the Dark Lord before he was two, who was instrumental in his final downfall, who was winner of three World Cups, and who, in his whole life, was only beaten once at Quidditch, when Dementors sabotaged the match.
"Well," said Harry, looking down on the bright, expectant faces, "How nice to see you all here. In this class, you will be learning how to defend yourself from harmful creatures and spells. This year you will learn about more common dangerous creatures and part- humans. Now, please tell me your names."
"Jerik Noams, sir."
"Ben Taft."
"Nan Roaldson."
"Lucy Miller."
"Prudence Weasley." The speaker was the tall, pretty, red-headed daughter of the Minister of Magic, Mr. Percy Weasley, and his wife, Penelope Clearwater. Mr. Weasley, a close acquaintance of Harry's, was the youngest Minister of Magic that England had ever had. He had been promoted only that year.
"Marc Chat."
"Wynd Fletcher."
"Peter Dace."
"Leah West."
"Poppy Deepvale."
Harry listened while each child said their name. Most of the time, he could tell a lot about their personality, just from how they spoke. Jerik and Ben sounded awed to see their hero at last. Nan and Lucy sounded excited, nothing more. Prudence sounded VERY bossy. Marc spoke with a definite French accent. Wynd was soft-spoken, and there was a hint of distance in his voice. Peter and Leah were more down to earth, but still sounded shy. Poppy's voice made him wince. It was too much like Rita Skeeter's for his comfort. Nevertheless, they seemed like nice kids. Maybe his first day wouldn't be so bad after all.