DISCLAIMER: The characters of Harry Potter are the property of J. K. Rowling and are used here without their creators' knowledge or permission. All other characters property of the author.
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Harry Potter and the Potion Master's Haunting
by
Lady Demoonica Darkmoon
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"Harry? Harry mate, are you all right?" Ron asked, shaking Harry out of his thoughts.
Harry blinked. All around them the sounds of joy over Voldemort's death were nearly deafening. "Yeah, yeah Ron. I just had this odd thought, that's all. I was imagining all of us, pared off in the future with kids and everything!"
Ron blanched. "I don't even want to think about having kids! Getting married? Kids? There goes any chance at still having any fun right there! We got to live a little Harry!"
Harry couldn't help himself, he laughed. "Yeah, I guess you're right, it's way to soon to be thinking about all that."
It was now that all the cheering in the great hall filled Harry's ears again. He was still standing in the crowd of witches and wizards who were congratulating him on his defeat of Voldemort. The dark lord was finally dead. He was gone, for good this time, with no way to chance his sad fate. Harry was finally the true hero everyone had been making him out to be from the moment he 'lived'. He was free of his life with the Dursley's, free of his fate (to die by Voldemort's hands), free of his destiny (to bring about the end of Voldemort's evil), and deep down he was free to be the person he wanted to be. Him. No longer did he have to fight against Voldemort. He didn't have to find Hallows or Horcruxes. He didn't have to save the wizarding world. Harry knew he should be happy, and he was. He was very, very happy. Though he also felt something else. Harry Potter felt very, very empty. He. Felt. Empty. The final battle with Voldemort was, to Harry at least, an empty victory. Everything had changed, and yet nothing had.
Harry looked at Voldemort's lifeless body, he felt angry and sad and overjoyed all at the same time, but just as soon as any one emotion found a hold on Harry's mind it was ripped away by this deeply empty feeling. Voldemort was gone, but all was not right in the world.
[Two years later...
Harry stood on platform 9 3/4 looking at the Hogwarts Express. "Hey Harry!" Hagrid called as he came over to the nineteen-year-old. "Or should I be callin' you Prof. Potter now?"
Harry hugged the giant of a man."Only the students have to call me that, Hagrid. Besides I only took the position for a year, they don't take Arour trainees until they are twenty-one."
"Oh, well I suppose so. I'll be seeing you then, looks like the first years are making their way off the train now. G'bye 'arry." Hagrid walked down the platform. "First year students, gather around!"
"Potter!"
Harry knew that voice. "That's Prof. Potter, Malfoy." He turned to face the former Slytherin.
Draco Malfoy smirked back. "That's Prof. Malfoy."
The two faced each other for a few moments and the older students, those who had bee in Hogwarts when both Harry and Draco were still students, were waiting for the hexes and curses to start flying.
"You haven't changed, still a greasy git." The words seemed harsh, but the tone was a teasing sort of manner. "Are you going for the Snape look? You're using enough hair oil."
"At least I don't look like I just woke up." Draco countered.
"Is this always going to be the way we greet each other?" Harry said while rolling his eyes.
Draco had started to make another snide comment, then Harry's words sank in. "It's old habit and everyone expects us to be a lot less than civil."
"It's been nearly two years, they'll get use to not seeing us jinxing each other. C'mon, if we miss the coaches we'll end up walking to our new jobs."
Draco nodded and walked alongside harry. "I'm teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, do you think the curse is gone now that-" Draco wave his hand. "Well, you know."
"Now that the dark lord is gone? "Harry offered. "I don't know, truthfully I didn't ever make the connection. Who would have guessed that the reason we never could keep a DADA professor was because Death Eaters had cursed the job."
Draco nodded again and got up into the coach. Harry followed. "What are you teaching then?"
"Muggle Studies and a new class for Muggle born or raised students called Practical Knowledge of the Wizarding World."
"Practical what?"
Harry laughed. "It's a class for students who weren't raised in a magical environment, most of them know as little about this world as magical born kids know about the Muggle world."
"Isn't that covered in Magical Studies and the History classes?"
"Not very well and not hands on, I'm planing to cover everything that magic borns take for granted because they've always been around it, Floo Powder for example and I'm sure they wonder about magical candy." Harry patted a small trunk."I've got an almost endless supply of Weasley products, so if any of your students suddenly get sick right before a test..."
"I'll be sure to take points from Gryffindor, no matter what house the student is from." Draco smirked.
Harry laughed, and was glad the coach had only him, Draco, and second year students who didn't know he or Draco personally. Anyone else would have been shocked at seeing them getting along.
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TBC...
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LDD: And yet again I post a new story, does any one want some plot bunnies, because mine are breeding like mad. Thank you for reading, please leave a review.