Leila Potter

"I swear, those boys become more late for class every year," stressed Hermione as she and Ginny waited on their boyfriends in the Gryffindor common room.

"Relax, Hermione. They'll be here soon," soothed Ginny, hiding a grin. She was amazed at how easily her friend worried and stressed over the littlest of things. She soon spotted her brother and boyfriend walking down the boys staircase. "See, they're here." She strode over to the bottom of the staircase where she met Harry for a kiss.

"Merlin, Ginny! Do you have to do that in front of me? In public?" grimaced Ron as he walked over and greeted Hermione with a morning kiss. Without turning around Ginny flipped him off and called him a hypocrite. Harry laughed and caught Ginny's hand as he led them through the common room and into the halls.

"Come on, I'm starved...and I also think I've spent too much time around Ron," laughed Harry. It's nice to see Harry laugh and smile, thought Ginny happily. Especially since I'm the cause of most of it, she grinned. Ginny followed Harry, Ron and Hermione down to the Great Hall for the first breakfast of the year. Hermione was already chattering on about schedules and professors and homework, much to her boyfriend's chagrin. Ron shook his head and sat down at the table, pulling a plate of sausages towards him.

Over at the Staff table, Leila was enjoying a similar breakfast. She smiled when she saw her godson and nephew enter the Great Hall laughing and holding hands with his girlfriend. He looks so much like James, she thought with a bittersweet smile. Her thoughts were interrupted when the owls swooped down bearing mail. A beautiful tawny landed by Leila's plate with a letter emblazoned with the Ministry seal.

"Thanks, Socrates," she murmured as she untied the letter and opened up the parchment.

Dear Leila,

I've made enquiries into your secret and so far the answers have been positive. It seems indeed that your mysterious artifact may be hidden at Hogwarts after all. If it exists of course, I'm still working off myth and legend so far.

I'll update you as soon as I know more,

Good luck with your first day,

Mafalda.

Barely able to conceal her grin at the good news, Leila quickly folded up the note and put it away. She fed her owl a couple of treats and sent Socrates on his way. Finishing her meal quickly, she rose up and left the Great Hall with some preparations for her first class in mind. It was just her luck that she was to teach the 7th/8th years in Defence Against the Dark Arts first period. She hurried through the old corridors, attempting to block all the memories that surfaced. All the pranks that her cousin and his friends played, the gossip she, Lily and the other girls discussed and the Quidditch trash talk with the Slytherins before a match. She shook her head as if to clear away the cobwebs of the past and strode through her new classroom door. Glancing at her desk, she noticed another letter, this one from Remus.

Opening it, she read the congratulations with a smile.

Leila,

Congratulations again on the Defence position. I don't envy your position with the post-war students...okay, maybe I do...a little.

I know that you'll kick arse at your job, so no worries. But please, don't kill anyone.

Love,

Moony.

She threw back her head and laughed at her dearest friend's warning to behave herself. Like she'd do anything to annoy Minnie more than she has to.

She glanced at the clock and nearly jumped. Less than ten minutes until classes started! She hurriedly started preparing.

Harry felt apprehensive. He gripped his girlfriend's hand a little tighter and they made their way to their Defence classroom for the first lesson of the year. He didn't know what to expect from his new relation, who, he admitted, he didn't know a lot about. He was having a hard enough time adjusting to all the freedom of the future that was before him without having to complicate his life further with long lost relatives...ones he had dreamed about coming to his rescue back when he was living in the cupboard under the stairs. But he had seen the thinly veiled longing in his new aunt's eyes when she looked at him, so he was slowly starting to accept her new position in his life and so was, maybe, willing to get to know her. As he and Ginny reached the classroom door, he took a deep breath and walked in, noticing Ron and Hermione already seated with spots saved for them. Ginny had decided on a longer route to get to class, a much more pleasurable route in his opinion.

They had just seated themselves when their new teacher walked in from her office, grimacing. "Sorry," she said, rubbing her behind. "I kind of had a minor accident crossing my office earlier. Seems my carpet is out to get me," she laughed, prompting a few chuckles from students.

"So," she began. "My name is Professor Potter and McGonagall has asked me to fill in for the position of Defence professor as Remus Lupin is busy and everyone else was too scared. Don't worry, I think I'll get him to show up for a lesson or two, even if I have to bribe him with chocolate," she grinned. "For today's lesson I want to find out where you are in your lessons and skill levels, have students demonstrate their abilities, and yes, discuss the War. Everyone okay with that? Good."

Harry shifted uncomfortably at the mention of the War. He really didn't want to think about all those who died and the horrors he, and everyone else, saw.

"My first question is this: Who fought in the Battle? Regardless of whether or not they were told to," Leila asked softly, looking out at her saddened students. Over seventy five percent of students raised their hands. "That's a lot of young wizards and witches fighting," commented Leila. "Don't worry, I won't reprimand you because I did the very same thing as a teenager myself, with the Hogsmeade attack of 1978. I had a special privilege of duelling with Bellatrix Black, or Lestrange I suppose it is now," she observed. "Nevertheless, I'm glad that all of you are still here today, ready to learn. Despite the fact that your parents probably made you come back. Now-" Leila was interrupted by some music. It seemed to be coming from her office.

The students heard some of the lyrics sung by a gravelly voice:

'Cause you know,
you know, you know

That I love you
I have loved you all along
And I miss you
Been far away for far too long
I keep dreaming you'll be with me
and you'll never go
Stop breathing if
I don't see you anymore

"Sorry about that," she gasped, hurrying back down the stairs. "Seems my personal radio has been misbehaving."

"Miss," began Ginny. "Who was that? I don't recognize that song."

Leila pushed her hair away from her face and flattened her fringe. "My cousin James sang that song. I had written it during the war for those fighting and he willingly 'recorded' it, if you will." She had a faraway look in her eyes, as if remembering days gone by. She shook her head as Ginny exchanged glances with her boyfriend, both shocked. "Anyways," continued Leila. "Let's move on to some demonstrations. Mr. Weasley, could you please come up here and perform the stunning spell at this dummy?" She conjured up a dummy and placed it at the far wall at the front. Ron flushed, but performed an exceptional Stupefy. This continued on in the same manner for some time, until it was just Harry left who hadn't demonstrated anything.

"Mr. Potter," announced Leila. "If you would be so kind as to summon a Patronus for us. I heard from Professor Lupin that you are extremely talented with them," she smiled. Harry fought the heat rising in his cheeks as he made his way to the front of the room.

He thought of his happiest memory, Ginny, and took a deep breath. "Expecto Patronum!" he cried as a silver light shot out of his wand, forming a stag. Leila looked a little shocked as she stared at the ethereal creature. She looked back up at her nephew, "You truly are your father's son, Harry," she murmured. Harry grinned as he made his way back to his seat. It was one thing to hear strangers comment on his twin-like appearance with his father, but another to have a relative mention the similarities between him and his parents.

Maybe Leila isn't so bad, he thought. The bell rung suddenly, startling everyone in the class.

"Read chapters one and two in your textbook," Leila called out quickly as her students filed out of the room. She slumped in her chair, exhausted and still in shock over Harry's patronus.

"Looks just like James' animagus," she whispered as her first years entered the room timidly.

Finally, I have updated! I'll also be updating some of my previous chapters to work with a few small changes that you may have noticed, for instance, in Lily and Leila.

Keep reading and reviewing! Reviews are always much appreciated.

~poser16