Harry Potter, new Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was nervous. He stood now in his staff robes in the room off the Great Hall that he'd been taken to when the Goblet of Fire spat out his name all those years ago. The other faculty members milled about, chatting and munching on appetizers. Even Professor Snape…Severus…stood casually talking with Charlie Weasley, holding a goblet of pumpkin juice spiked with fire whiskey. Snape had been civil enough to him. They'd settled their individual scores years before, when in the end Snape's loyalties were laid bare, though Harry suspected they had so little in common they would never quite be friends. No, what made Harry so nervous was that the students were arriving.
Telling the Weasleys had gone well. He'd managed it at the end of Ginny's going away party, once the children had gone up to bed and only the adults remained in the parlor and the kitchen. He'd been sitting on one end of the couch, crowded out by a lounging Ron and Hermione, when Ginny had come over and wedged herself between him and Ron.
"So," she had said quite loudly. "Have they given you another assignment yet, Harry? Do you know where you'll be working next?"
A dozen or more pairs of eyes turned toward him.
"Yeah," said Ron, suddenly looking a bit puzzled. "I was wondering about that. You've been lazing about for almost a month now… That's a bit long, even after a hardship assignment."
Harry cleared his throat.
"Well, you see," he started, giving Ginny the evil eye, "I've actually . . .er . . . well, I've actually taken a different job."
"A different job?" repeated Ginny, pretending to be amazed. "What kind of job?"
"Yeah, what kind of job?" repeated Fred. He and George were both looking at Ginny, not Harry.
"Ginny knows," said George with a wicked smile. "How long have you known, Ginny-kins?"
Ginny feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about!" she exclaimed. "This is the first I've heard of it. Harry?"
"Well, you see," said Harry. "I'm taking a teaching job. Temporarily anyway. Might not be permanent."
"A teaching job?" repeated Charlie. "A teaching job . . . . where?" He had already sorted through it, and the smile on his face made it easier for Harry to continue.
"At Hogwarts," he said. "There was an unexpected vacancy."
"Defense Against the Dark Arts?" asked Hermione, quite slowly.
Harry only nodded.
"And head of Gryffindor House," he added. He thought that was particularly important in this crowd.
"Yes!" said Ron exuberantly. Suddenly, to Harry's great surprise, Ron was hugging him. He let him go and gave Hermione a high five while Molly and the rest of the family had their turn with him. Finally, Hermione gave him a bear hug.
"After all these years, you're finally going home," she said into his ear. "It's about time."
But all that support from his family didn't make the butterflies in his stomach go away now. He was pulling on his shirt collar nervously when Minerva stuck her head in the door and said "The first years are in the atrium. Let's move!"
Harry pushed his bangs over his forehead, wanting desperately now to hide his telltale scar.
"Potter," said Snape, attempting his classic sneer. "No need to cover it up. They'll know your face if I'm not mistaken. I hear they're talking about putting it on the new galleons . . ."
Harry looked up at him in shock, which caused Snape to start chuckling, albeit in an evil, menacing way.
"You're such an easy mark, Potter," he said, wiping his eyes. "But I would suggest keeping your hood up until the sorting is over. Your presence will distract the students. Come on, let's go eat."
The faculty filed to their places. Harry sat two seats to the left of the Headmistress, between Remus Lupin and Charlie Weasley. The older students were already at their house tables. Since Professor Flynn's departure was not well-known, and Harry was the only new teacher this year, the students weren't paying too much attention to the faculty, using the time to reacquaint themselves with friends after a long summer. Harry kept his hood up as Snape had suggested, though he thought it must look quite odd. When the first years started to file into the hall, led by an especially jubilant and buoyant Abeforth Dumbledore carrying a stool and wearing the sorting hat, the students' eyes focused on the front. Fortunately, Harry was seated on the opposite side of the stool.
And so began the sorting. Even before they got to the Ws, Harry had noticed an inordinate number of Harrys being sorted into various houses. Harry Boot had made it into Ravenclaw, and Harry Jamison into Hufflepuff. He thought he'd even seen a girl Harry, but figured he had to have been mistaken.
When the first Harry Weasley was called, the four boys stood looking at each other, then at Professor Dumbledore.
"Oh, I am sorry indeed," said the old man with a laugh. He repeated, "Harry Percival Weasley."
H.P. came forward and plopped down on the stool, dropping the hat on his head with confidence. It had hardly touched his forehead when it shouted "GRYFFINDOR" and the house table cheered madly.
"Harry Lionel Weasley," was called next. "GRYFFINDOR" the hat shouted, and H.L. ran to join his cousin, smiling back at the last two Harrys, who still looked quite nervous.
The next two Harry Weasleys, to no one's surprise, also became Gryffindors, though the hat took longer with H.A., who appeared to be having an argument with it. But in the end, it shouted out Gryffindor, and the sorting came to an end.
Then came the feast. It was as least as good as he remembered—probably better. Harry ate with gusto, talking amiably with his coworkers and trying to ignore the chatter of the students.
Finally, the dishes and food disappeared and Minerva McGonagall stood to address the students.
"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," she began. Harry was sure her voice was much warmer than it had ever been when he was in school. "We look forward to another fine year, though I suspect that Gryffindor House will not be any more peaceful with four more Weasleys in it." There was a smattering of laughter, and the Gryffindor table cheered. "I have a few announcements. First of all, the Forbidden Forest remains Forbidden. Any student caught alive in the Forbidden Forest will be faced with dire punishment. Any student found dead in the Forbidden Forest will be fed to the giant Squid." She had been making a joke, but no one laughed. Sighing, she went on. "I would also like to announce that this year, we will re-institute the Hogwarts Alumni Quidditch League. Four teams made up of Hogwarts graduates, one team of graduates from each house, will challenge our four house teams in a special tournament in October. That means more Quidditch games to play and to watch." There were great cheers from the tables, and even Harry smiled, wondering if he would be disqualified from playing for the alum team.
"Finally, it is my sad duty to inform you that Professor Flynn will not be returning to us this year. As his resignation came rather late in the summer, we did not have time to update the faculty information in your school letters. Joining us this year to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts is Mr. Harry Potter. Professor Potter."
Harry had pushed his hood back during her introduction. Now, feeling a sudden burst of Gryffindor courage, he stood and bowed slightly to the students, then sat back down.
The clapping started slowly but soon grew to a clamor then a roar as the student body as a whole stood up, pushing back benches and chairs, craning to get a better look at their new instructor.
"That's enough, enough," said Minerva after a moment, though she had beamed at Harry already as if to tell him "I told you so." "Mr. Potter, as you know, attended Hogwarts in the '90s and went on to a successful Quidditch career with the Chudley Cannons. He then began his career as an Auror, and is currently 'on loan' to us from the Ministry of Magic. Professor Potter will be taking over Professor Flynn's duties as Head of Gryffindor House as well . ."
The roar from the Gryffindor table was enormous. Harry saw at least two of the Harrys, eyes wide, jumping up and down on the benches and clapping.
"And now, without further preamble, let us rise and sing the school song." She waved her wand and the lyrics, which Harry had never quite mastered despite having heard the song at least five times (why they sang it only during the Welcoming Feast he now understood). The students erupted in song, each singing his or her own tune. There was mad cheering when they were finished, then McGonagall dismissed the students. As the hall began to empty, the faculty stood.
"Come on Potter, best get it over with," said Snape as he passed behind Harry's chair.
"Get what over with?" asked Harry. As far as he knew, he was free until the morning.
"New tradition of McGonagall's," said Snape smoothly. He was clearly enjoying this. "Didn't she tell you?"
Harry narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he believed Snape. He shook his head.
"Heads of House address the students in their common rooms after the Welcoming Feast. I believe," he drawled, "that we're supposed to put the fear of God in them somehow. Never works with my house, of course." With a swirl of his cape, he was gone out the door and Harry looked around for McGonagall for confirmation.
"Come on, Harry," said Professor Sprout as she hurried past him.
Harry followed her, letting out a big sigh as he made his way through the familiar hallways.
