Author's Note: Original story not mine except for scenarios and student names. No suing allowed!
Chapter 1: Appointment
It was another day at Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry; and of Harry Potter's fifth year teaching there. Although he had wanted to be an Auror, he felt as if his contributions could be of use to the school ever since Dumbledore died his sixth year. And now, five years after the defeat of Voldemort, Harry had been teaching Defense Against The Dark Arts. However, to his great disappointment and anger, not only had the Headmistress hired him, but had hired a certain individual with platinum blond hair and strikingly silver eyes. Draco Malfoy had sought a job as the Potions master since his inheritance had been taken when his father had been convicted of being a deatheater. But since the ministry couldn't pin Malfoy of being a part of his father's schemes, they reluctantly let him off. And so it was that Malfoy needed a way to restart his life. Although McGonnagal was skeptical of him, she had thought it over and decided everyone needed a second chance.
'She's grown way too soft into hiring him,' Harry thought, as he always did, ever since Malfoy became a professor.
It was Harry's off hour today, however, from his students, so he sat at his black wood desk in his study and pulled at his blood red neck tie absently. Looking out the window, Harry watched a group of second years walk over to the beech tree him, Hermione, and Ron used to sit at during their years at the school. A whisper of a smile. Gone. A haunted glow in his eyes. Memories flashed before them. The young professor then turned an emerald gaze to the door of his study as the brass handle turned. A young witch with red hair and overly large brown eyes shyly sidled up to the oak chair that was settled at the front of his desk after she quietly closed the door. The girl gave an awkward smile but didn't sit down. Tiny hands shook.
"P-Professor Potter, sir?" The girl squeaked.
"Yes, Arlington?" Salina Arlington. A third year Hufflepuff.
"I was wondering i-if y-you'd maybe give me another chance at the-the in-class assignment from last week on Thursday, sir."
"You mean, another chance at the Bogart?"
"Y-yes." She looked down at her shoes, blushing embarrassingly.
"Well, of course, Arlington. There's no reason why I should deny you another chance. You have courage, Miss Arlington," he looked into her eyes, "to come and ask to prove yourself against a creature that takes your deepest fears into form. I believe you can do this."
She blushed more. "Thank you, P-Professor, sir."
"Please, call me Professor Potter. There's no reason for formalities such as 'sir' with me." A warm smile.
"Okay, Professor Potter! I won't l-let you d-down!" She said with growing confidence.
"How does next Tuesday sound? In the classroom, of course?"
"That's g-good!"
"Okay. Be off with you. I'm sure you have more important things to do than stay."
She bounded out of the room in a flurry, wrenched the old door open, and silently shut it behind her. Harry let out a sigh. His gaze fell to the far lower left-hand corner. The black-haired youth suppressed a shudder, becoming nauseated. It was only eight years ago that a certain ex-Auror's trunk was there. What was inside it... He gasped, fighting not to be sick. He didn't want to remember the horrific sight of the real Mad-Eye Moody's body laying in there, naked and half-starved, almost hairless like a newborn rat.
Author's Note: Please R&R! Tell me what you think! There's more to come along... This is just the story that I'm working on at the moment while I try to get rid of my writer's block on my other story, "Like The Unlikely".