Chapter Eight: Putting the 'Tea' in 'Teacher'
"Nice one Shanks!"
"Yeah, that were wicked Shanks!"
"Can I have a go on that broom?"
"Shove off - that's a Firebolt!"
I grinned at the younger years clamouring in front of me as I made my way to the Broomstick Cupboard.
"Come one Shanks - just one go?"
"Aiden Finn Shanks," I looked up at the voice, "the most talented Seeker of his age." The speaker was a woman in a set of silk, extravagant robes, not to mention inches of cosmetics etched onto her face like a mask. I suppose one could have called her attractive, just like one could equally call her ugly.
"You look a bit too old for a student." I said cautiously, earning a laugh from her.
"My name is Susie Boote - I'm a writer for the Daily Prophet.
"Really?" I asked, reluctant to believe her writing was better than her make-up application. However, she took my disbelief as a compliment...wrongly so.
"Indeed. I just have a few questions for you Mr. Shanks..."
"Sorry, Shanks is occupied." Rinée tugged on my arm, leading my away from Boote. "Paparazzi." She muttered darkly.
"Rinée, it's fine; I've grown up with it."
"If you said one word to her, she'd start printing that... that you're acting out because of your dad-" She stopped, realising what she had just said again. "I'm sorry..."
"Stop alright?" I said, frustrated by her pitying look. "I'm fine, and I do not need anyone's sympathy." I informed her, putting my Firebolt in the cupboard and walking away from her, back to the castle.
After I had changed into some casual jeans and a jacket, I left the common room and went to walk around before the victory party - there was more of a guarantee I wouldn't bump into anyone - they'd all be in the common rooms celebrating. Well, apart from Slytherin - they'd probably just be moping.
"Aiden?" I looked around to see Professor Potter clasping the ring of his door, eyeing me curiously. "What are you doing? It's unusual to see you without a crowd of people." I shrugged.
"Probably at the victory party."
"Ah yes..." Potter nodded. He debated something in his head for a moment. "Why don't you come in for a cup of tea?" I began to think up an excuse to get back to the Common Room, but then I stopped - why would I need to think up an excuse? He wasn't a teacher - like a teacher teacher. He was an Auror.
"Sure." I nodded, walking into his office - it was a circular, cosy office, with his trunk packed up against the side of the wall. To his right was a strange creature in a tank. I wasn't sure, but I thought it was a Grindylow - a horned impish little creature with a half-body of tentacles and a set of needles for teeth.
"You played well today Aiden." I looked around to see Potter walking towards me. "Been quite a while since I saw a game like that." I grinned awkwardly.
"Thanks sir..." I didn't really know what to say. "You played for Gryffindor as well right?"
"Seeker." He nodded. "Actually became Captain in my sixth year as well." I nodded. Snap. "So, what are you doing here Aiden? I would've thought you'd be in the Common Room?" I just shook my head in exasperation. "Oh, right..." He looked around for his kettle. "So, cup of tea then?" I nodded. He eventually found it, then tapped it with his wand and a steady jet of steam surged out of the pot for a second, then hovered in the air, pouring a stream of boiled water into two cups. "So, anything worrying you Aiden?"
"No." I said a little too quickly. His eyes twinkled, and I knew he knew I was lying. "Well, yes." I said eventually. Potter raised his eyebrows as he drank his tea, then placed it down on his desk. "The other day, when we... when you showed us the boggart?" He nodded. "You didn't want me in the class did you?"
"Well, actually, I didn't think it'd be fair to have you see your fear after an encounter with a Dementor."
"Yeah... I kind of thought I could handle it." I muttered. Potter chuckled. "What?"
"It's just... well, not all wizards can engage a Dementor." He said thoughtfully. "Moreover, your Boggart was a Dementor. I was told once by my teacher that that would imply the thing you fear is... well, fear." I paused.
"Wait... your teacher?" He nodded. "So... you were scared of them too?"
"Of course - I still am."
"Really?" He narrowed his eyes as he drank more tea.
"Why is this so surprising Aiden?"
"Well... you killed Voldemort." I informed him. "I mean... how can you be scared of..."
"You think I wasn't scared of Voldemort?" Potter laughed. "Why wouldn't I have been?" I shrugged. "Listen Aiden, courage isn't the absence of fear - it's to act in spite of fear." I dwelled on his words for a while.
"Professor, that day in the forest... there were three Dementors-"
"Yes, I talked to the Headmaster about that. I have no idea why they are here. I think since Voldemort died-"
"No, no sir, I was going to ask..." I tried to think about how to word it. "You made them... go away?" He opened his mouth, realising where I was going with this.
"Yes I did Aiden."
"And... I've heard the stories about Dumbledore's Army - you trained students younger than me to fight them..."
"It was a different time back then."
"But there's still Dementors." I said. "I mean... you still fought them." He sighed.
"I will... have to think about it." I sighed, heaving myself out of the chair. "Aiden?" I looked back to him. "For the record, I'm not saying no."
