The next day Harry was released by Poppy in the afternoon, just in time for dinner. He was accompanied by Hermione, Neville and Joyce.
As they stepped through the doorway, the great hall fell silent.
Everyone was looking at Harry. The expressions were mainly of awe, but there was some fear and disbelief. Many of the Slytherins appeared uncomfortable, they shifted nervously.
Professor Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat, breaking the tension and drawing everyone to look at him. "As you are all aware, Mr. Potter has recently been in an encounter with Lord Voldemort. Clearly has managed to come out on top. Please refrain from pestering him with questions unnecessarily." He requested firmly.
"One moment, Headmaster." Xander interrupted as he made his way from the staff table to Harry.
The hall broke out into whispers. Most were about Harry, but a good few were about the fact that Professor Harris had openly contradicted the Headmaster. No one had ever done that as far as anyone remembered.
Harry and Xander were having an intense conversation. Xander appeared to be trying to convince Harry of something and Harry was vehemently disagreeing.
Joyce eventually leant down and whispered in Harry's ear. Whatever it was, it caused him to sigh and sag in defeat as he finally nodded.
Xander gave him a pat on the back and led the way to the staff table with Joyce shepherding the three kids behind him.
"Ok, Harry has agreed to tell you what he remembers. Afterwards, we will both answer any questions you have. Hopefully Hagrid can help?" He asked turning to the half giant sitting at the staff table.
Hagrid gave a nod, then deciding Harry could probably use a few more people around him, he got up and walked around the table to stand behind Harry.
"Just tell 'em what ya remember." Hagrid encouraged.
Dumbledore frowned at this and stood up. "Professor Harris, I do not believe it is wise to subject Mr. Potter to this level of exposure. It could prove detrimental to his… him." He had wanted to say ego, but that would have been an accusation too far for Professor Harris and the other students.
"Well, fortunately for you, older and smarter people are here to prove you wrong and guide Harry properly." Xander frowned back.
"Older?" Dumbledore asked in amusement.
"A thousand years, Albus." Joyce responded without turning towards him. "Now, Harry. Tell us what happened. Why don't you start with what happened when you woke up after Quirrell knocked you out?"
"I… He knew I was awake." Harry said nervously as he twisted his fingers in front of himself. "He was… talking a lot. Talking about my parents, how he killed them. He… he said he was the greatest wizard… I told him Xander was. He wanted to know how Xander taught me to fly and teleport. I said no. He cast a spell at me. It was very painful. He said 'Crucio'." There were gasps of outrage from the staff table and older students. The younger ones looked confused. Several Slytherins were smirking openly. "Then Xander appeared and cut his head off. I don't remember anything else."
"For those of you who don't know. The Cruciatus curse is known as an Unforgiveable. It will cost you a mandatory life sentence in Azkaban." Joyce informed them.
"Right, that is the last piece of the story that you were missing. I've already told you what happened from my perspective." Xander said. "Now, do you have any questions, put your hand up if you do?"
A good number of hands went up.
Deciding to make things a little easier on Harry, Joyce decided to let one of his Gryffindor friends ask the first question.
"Dean, what's your question?"
"Can we see the sword you used to cut off his head?" He asked timidly.
Harry visibly relaxed as the first question was not for him. Xander chuckled, he knew that young boys liked their violence and weapons. Minerva rolled her eyes along with many of the females in the room.
Xander reached behind his back and pulled out his sword. A simple Japanese Katana. He had been watching the Slayers fight a battle against a lot of vamps one evening. He wasn't worried about the girls as the vamps were mainly newbies. Xander was simply standing ready to pull out the injured and watch their backs.
His mind was taken back to the battle of Sunnydale. Why did they send the girls to fight in close quarter combat with only a very short stick for a weapon. If they had swords, they wouldn't have to get too close and wind up grappling with something that wanted to take a bite out of you.
As a result of discussions with the rest of the Scoobies, all Slayers had been issued with a Katana as standard weaponry load out. Several months later, Willow came up with the idea for the pocket dimension linked to all the watchers and slayers so they could carry multiple weapons. The katana sliced through vamps with ease. But the battleaxe was needed for the armour-plated demons.
Xander held the sword across his palms and saw the kids staring at it.
The tables were still clear as they hadn't started to eat yet. He placed the sword over the Gryffindor table and let go. It floated about six inches above the table.
"Look, but do not touch." Xander warned as he nudged it gently causing it to float slowly down the table. He turned to the rest of the school. "I'll do the same with the rest of the tables." He assured them.
"Ok, next question." Joyce called out. "Penelope?"
"What happened with the unicorn?"
It was a question that got the attention of most of the girls. There were a few quivery lips. Xander and Hagrid had told their side of the story already. Harry was also curious. The unicorn was pretty much the start of the whole adventure for him.
"And how's Norbert?" Harry added. This got the attention of most of the boys.
Hagrid took these questions. "Ah, well… Norbert is missing you some'ing fierce. I think he knows where you are an' keeps trying ta fly. 'Course 'is wings ain't that strong yet.
"The unicorn is doing fine so far. The centaurs intend to take him back to the herd soon."
"Excellent." Joyce said happily. "Next? Ernie?"
"Were you scared, Harry?"
Harry's eyes widened in surprise. As far as he was concerned the answer was obvious. "Yes… very."
There were a few snorts of derision. It was only natural that a bunch of teenagers would take the first opportunity they could to deride another.
Neville and Hermione were very angry.
"Yeah, like you lot would do any better." George Weasley called out angrily.
"Most of you piss your pants when you see Norbert or Fluffy!" Fred added.
"Easy boys, there just frightened right now. They are currently in the presence of three wizards who faced and defeated a once powerful and evil wizard." Joyce said loftily.
"This is a lesson I try to teach my students: A man with no fear is a fool. A man who can work past his fears is brave and courageous. That man is a hero." Xander said with a soft authority.
There was a few minutes of silence as the students absorbed that. Dumbledore was behind them and they didn't see the look of surprise on his face. He didn't think these children would understand such concepts, but they seemed to be listening and learning.
"Ok, next question. Draco?" Joyce offered.
Malfoy stood up with a confident smirk. Everyone in the room knew that whatever he was about say would likely result in his pain and humiliation.
"What was it like Potter? To stand in the presence of a truly great wizard?"
There were several rolled eyes, groans and clenched fists. Somehow… there was even a pair of flying briefs. It made a perfect arc and landed straight on Malfoy's head. There was a pregnant silence… and the hall erupted in laughter and Malfoy began to boil with rage.
"Silence!" Dumbledore commanded. There were a few sniggers, but things got relatively quiet.
Dumbledore opened his mouth to begin to berate the school but Joyce beat him too it.
"Next time you want to spout off stupidity, do it at home. None of us wants to see your dirty laundry." Joyce declared snidely.
At this point Draco came to the realization that the underwear on his head was his and he was feeling decidedly… unsupported.
The underwear was suddenly vanished and Joyce turned to see Dumbledore with his wand out. "Mrs. Summers, Mr. Malfoy did nothing wrong and that stunt with the underwear was uncalled for."
"That's 'Professor Summers' or 'Lady Hogwarts' to you Professor Dumbledore." Joyce said with a glare. "And it was entirely necessary. Draco Malfoy needs to change his attitude or he is going to be in a whole heap of trouble next year. I will not be standing for anymore of his bigotry."
Dumbledore looked like he was about to argue, then he remembered what happened the last time he did that and his suspension. So he changed his mind, shut his mouth and sat down.
Draco had already done the last two, despite still seething with rage and embarrassment.
"Now, are there any sensible questions?" Joyce asked.
Deciding to offer the Slytherin house a chance to redeem themselves, she called upon Daphne Greengrass to ask a question.
"Will he be back?"
The question was asked confidently. But it was clear to the adults that the young girl was afraid. The question had placed all the attention of the Great Hall on Joyce and Xander.
"Based on what happened when we defeated him… yes." There were a few whimpers and gasps of fear. "But lets be honest. This is the second time he has been defeated by Harry Potter. If he can't take out a one year old baby or an eleven year old boy… what chance do you think he's going to have against Harry once he gets older?"
Dumbledore was staring with a gaping jaw at what Xander had said. He had just singled Harry Potter out, this was far worse than stroking the boys ego.
"And until Harry is ready to face him on his own terms, I'll be there to keep him safe and Voldemort in check. Once he is ready, I'll still be there to watch his back." Xander assured them.
"Anymore questions?" Joyce asked. "Alicia Spinnet?"
"Will he ever be gone for good?" She asked hopefully.
"Yes. One day he will be permanently defeated or incarcerated." Joyce said with absolute certainty and conviction.
"Professor Summers, perhaps we should end it there." Professor McGonagall suggested. "I believe the most pertinent questions have been answered. And the children have yet to eat."
Joyce blushed. "Oh dear, I had forgotten! Please, begin your meal." She said as food appeared. Xander walked over to the Slytherin table to retrieve his sword.
Harry, Hermione and Neville went back to their table. Harry sat in the middle as the other two provided a buffer between him and the students. He was very grateful. Hermione managed to keep them engaged in simple conversations. All of which revolved around her studies.
The rest of the final week was fairly hectic for Harry. He had several check-ups with Poppy and Dumbledore kept wanting to speak to him, but Xander, Joyce and Minerva seemed to be blocking him. Whenever he approached and Xander or Minerva where not around, Joyce would suddenly appear. Eventually the adults… and Xander cornered him in his office.
"You are coming very close to crossing the line that will get you fired." Xander said with a severe frown.
"I must speak with the boy to determine exactly what the Dark Lord said to him. It could be key to his next move." Dumbledore explained.
"We have already spoken with him." Joyce said indicating herself, Minerva and Xander. "We are the only ones other than Madam Bones who need to talk to him."
"That's another thing. I really don't think this needs to be reported to the ministry. They simply can't handle this sort of thing."
"Well it's about time they learnt how to handle this sort of thing!" Xander retorted.
"I would have thought you of all people, Xander, would understand the need for secrecy." Dumbledore said as he tried to appeal to the former demon hunter and slayer wrangler.
"That was because my world didn't know about those sorts of things and wouldn't be able to handle those sorts of things." Xander answered, he was pretty miffed at the insinuation that the two of them had anything in common. "This world already knows about Voldemort, stop that Minerva!" He admonished as the Professor shuddered. "More importantly, if he does return in force, then he will likely head for the ministry first… whether covertly or openly doesn't matter, they still need to be prepared."
"And that doesn't even begin to address the fact that the parents deserve to know the dangers their children were in." Minerva added.
Dumbledore sighed. He knew he wasn't going to win this argument. He would work on damage control afterwards. "Was it really necessary to make Harry out to be a celebrity? He could become very dangerous if his ego becomes out of control."
At this point Xander had to be physically restrained by Joyce. Minerva however was free and clear to slap Albus around the face. This seemed to satisfy Xander so Joyce relaxed her hold.
"You better watch your mouth old man." Xander snarled. "We don't appreciate anyone talking about our son like that." Xander then stormed out of the office as Fawkes cooed sadly.
"Stay away from Harry, Albus." Minerva warned as she followed after Xander.
"You approach Harry again about this and you're done Dumbledore." Joyce added as she walked out, not even looking at him.
Dumbledore sighed. "They simply do not understand that I only have the best interests at heart and that I am the most experienced and logical person to lead them." He said sadly to Fawkes.
Fawkes just snorted and flew out the window.
Albus watched, mildly perturbed. "Must be hungry."
Rather than have Harry explain again what happened to Madam Bones, they extracted a memory from Harry and Xander.
It didn't take long for her to come back out, slightly pale but very shaken.
It took her a good few minutes before she was able to talk.
Harry just sat there patiently. It was something he was very good at.
"Mr. Potter… May I call you Harry?"
Harry just looked to Xander, who gave him a small smile and slight nod. He turned back to Madam Bones.
"Yes Ma'am." He said respectfully, causing her to smile.
"Excellent. Call me Amelia, at least in private." She said warmly. "You were very brave. I could see you were scared, but you held your ground very well. Unfortunately we can't question Professor Quirrell due to…"
"His lack of a head?" Xander offered.
"Indeed." She said with narrowed eyes but a slight smirk. "But we will be investigating just how he came to be possessed by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Who?" Xander asked.
"The Dark Lord."
"Can't you just call him Voldemort? Or Voldie?" Xander asked in exasperation.
Amelia shuddered. "It is a hard thing for us to do My Lord. He caused a lot of fear during the first war and his name was part of that."
"I suggest you try. You can't exactly inspire your citizens if they think you can't handle a threat." Xander retorted.
"You are of course, right." Amelia sighed. "I may not be the right person to instigate such a change. You, on the other hand, are brand new to this world, as is Harry, to an extent. People may follow your lead, especially after your defeat of… Voldemort."
She gave Xander the evil eye as he gave her a thumbs up. Harry just sniggered.
"I will keep you informed of the investigation." Amelia assured them. "Would it be possible to have the head of Professor Quirrell for disposal… it wasn't with the rest of the remains."
"No." Xander said simply. "Goblin tradition. I am required as the warrior leader to keep a trophy of my kills. If you want to see it, then I suggest you be outside Gringotts at midday on Saturday."
"I… I'm not going to ask." She said as she packed up her papers.
"Smart move." Joyce said with a smirk as she appeared with Minerva.
"Lady Hogwarts, Professor McGonagall." Amelia greeted.
"Madam Bones, and please, it's just Joyce and Minerva. Unless you're Dumbledore." Joyce said with a slight growl.
"Amelia, then. I do apologise again for being unable to prevent the miscarriage of justice regarding Severus Snape." She said apologetically.
"We understand, and it's obviously not your fault." Minerva assured her.
"Thank you. May I ask, how is Susan fitting in?" The aunt and parent in her making an appearance.
"The red head in… Hufflepuff?" Xander asked.
Amelia nodded.
"She's doing well. Made a few friends. Sticks close to a girl named Hannah." Xander told her.
"Oh, good. It is fairly lonely as a child, growing up before Hogwarts. More so for ones like Susan and Harry who lost their parents."
"Harry and Neville seemed to be friends with the oldest Weasley and the Tonks girl before Voldemort was dealt with." Xander pointed out. "They would babysit him. Why isn't there a day-care or pre-school system in the wizarding world?"
"It's due to the fact that the wizarding world hasn't evolved culturally beyond the Victorian Age." Joyce explained. "They still rely on the magical equivalent of nannies and tutors. They are home schooled and only interact with other children at social functions. And even then, barely."
"I would be more than happy to offer my support as a member of the Wizengamot to any suitable endeavours you wish to put forward." Amelia offered. "In the meantime, could I impose on you to pass a message on to my niece that I will meet her myself at the station?"
"No problemo." Xander grinned.
"Thank you. It was very nice to meet you all. And a definite honour to meet you Harry. If you get the chance, I would appreciate it if you could visit me at some point during my office hours. I have some items to discuss in private." She asked Xander.
"Sure, I don't have much planned for the holidays." Xander shrugged.
Dumbledore behaved himself for the rest of the week, but Fawkes was still "out hunting". No one bothered to remind the Headmaster that a Phoenix didn't eat meat.
For the first time in years, Slytherin was at the bottom for the Quidditch and House Cups. Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup and Hufflepuff won the House Cup.
The ride home was uneventful, Malfoy had decided to avoid Potter and his groupies. He took to terrorizing the other first years. Xander made his usual rounds leaving Harry, Hermione and Neville to entertain themselves.
Once at the station they said goodbye to Neville. Xander watched and kept an eye on the kids as they greeted parents and family that some hadn't seen in nine months. That done Harry teleported them all to the Granger's where they were all engulfed in hugs and more reunions.
That Saturday, Xander took Harry and the Grangers to Gringotts. There he was handed a canvas bag by one of the goblins. They then made their way out side with a full goblin guard, consisting of six goblins in battle armour with spears and shields.
Xander conjured a platform and podium and then climbed up.
"Hear me citizens of Great Britain." He said in a clear and loud voice. The denizens and patrons of the shopping district turned and looked towards the disturbance.
"I am Lord Alexander Harris of Hogwarts, King of the Goblins. This is my son, Harry Potter." He said as he gestured a nervous Harry to join him. "I stand here before you, to give you a message. Any who would attack and harm my friends and family as did Professor Quirrell and Voldemort" The crowd gasped and some even fainted "will suffer the same fate as them."
At this, Xander reached into the bag and pulled out Quirrell's severed head.
A few more people fainted.
Xander passed the head to one of the goblins who proceeded to hang it on the white wall to the left of the huge doors. A sign appeared over the head:
Quirrenous Quirrell/Lord Voldemort
Executed for attacking the son of the King of the Goblins.
"The next person who decides to attack my friends and family, will find their heads joining that one." Xander snarled.
Xander then gestured Harry to precede him and the two went into the bank leaving a speechless crowd behind.
Amelia Bones, having been warned by Xander that something would happen but not what would happen was one of the speechless ones. She had a feeling it would be big, but this was huge! She suddenly heard familiar voices.
"Who called the Aurors?" The voice said gruffly.
"Dawlish, it's a false alarm." Amelia called out.
By this point Dawlish had seen the hanging head. "I hardly think that qualifies as a false alarm, Madam Bones."
"It's a little drastic and… graphic, I'll grant you. But we have no jurisdiction, it was a goblin event held on goblin grounds." She explained.
"So we just ignore it?" Dawlish asked incredulously.
"Merlin no! We report it as a disturbance, but we can't charge anyone." She explained. "We also pray that no one else gets it in their minds to follow their footsteps." She muttered half to herself.
