Harry Potter and the new Defense Teacher
Chapter 10
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Daniel Jackson sat in his best friend's living room. His other best friends, Samantha "Sam" Carter and Teal'c, sat in the kitchen.
"I hope Jack is doing alright," Daniel sighed, letting his head rest against the couch headrest.
"I'm sure he's fine," Sam said. "It's very hard to get to the Colonel."
"Yeah."
Sam got up to clear the breakfast dishes from the table. Jack had expressed the invitation, numerous times, to his friends that they were welcome to stay at his house. Daniel had a spare key and so did the other two, so Jack trusted them to lock up after each visit.
Teal'c assisted Sam in washing the dishes, while Daniel decided to browse around the various books scattered tastefully on the two tables in the living room.
As he was reaching for one, his elbow accidentally knocked another off the edge of the coffee table.
'Oops,' he thought, picking the book up from the floor.
Holding it, Daniel studied it with some surprise. It was a light blue color and it had an imprint of a five pointed star on the cover. The book was slightly bigger than palm sized and Daniel had a feeling that it was a journal of some kind. Flipping it open, he saw that he was right.
He was about to put it back, but stopped when he realized that the writing inside was not that of his friend's.
Daniel sat back down and, against his better judgment, started reading:
"'Week one: September
September first
I am so glad to be back! The train is brimming with students, as it has been, and always will be, for the past centuries. I can't wait to step foot in the Great Hall for the first time in months! This is my fifth year which is also OWL year, a.k.a Ordinary Wizarding Level. That's alright, though. As long as I'm back, I'll put up with anything they care to throw at me. The skies look like they are about to open up, but I don't care. I'll even put up with that house if I have to. Stargazer is in the Baggage Compartment, poor chap, but when I wake up tomorrow, I'll write a dozen letters to different people so as to make it up to him. I hope Peeves stays clear from the Ravenclaws for the first two weeks, because they are still ticked off with him for flooding all the Common Rooms last year, remember? He put a charm of some kind on the water, so it wouldn't go away for almost a month. No one is still certain how he did it, but I heard some Prefects say that they would investigate Peeves to see if he would even think about something like that again this year. Merlin, I hope something happens this year. Here come some of my housemates, so I'll let you be for today.'"
"Daniel!"
He jumped a few feet into the air, his head snapping up to stare at a disapproving Sam.
"Huh?"
"That could be Colonel O'Neill's journal! What would posses you to read it? I thought you were his friend!"
"Sam, wait," Daniel cut her off. "I don't think it is Jack's journal. The handwriting should match his, but it's completely different. Besides, it wouldn't be a real journal. See? Look. It talks about ghosts and charms, so I think someone wrote a little story and was letting Jack read it. The journal must be a way to pull the reader into the story."
Reading what Daniel was gesturing to, Sam's eyebrows went up. He was right.
"Well," she said slowly, "I guess it's alright. It makes sense that the author makes it like a journal so the events seem more real."
"Indeed," Teal'c intoned. "This author is wise to use an effective technique in this way."
"Exactly," Daniel nodded. "Do you want to hear the rest?"
Sam looked at her watch. "Sure, but it has to be short. We're due at base in a half hour."
"Alright then," Daniel went to read it out loud as the other two settled down.
"'September 2
Last night was fun! Headmaster Dumbledore did an exceptional job, as always. I was a little surprised when the Ravenclaw ghost came next to me and refused to leave me alone until I was safely in my dorm. I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's nothing to worry about. It was bad enough that one of the other ghosts trailed me all week last year, but then, I'm probably worrying over nothing. In any case, it's Saturday and I think that I'm going to finish a History of Magic essay, then I'm going to play some Quidditch with some of my housemates along with my team. I'm on the House Team you know. I can't wait for the season to start up again. We are in desperate need of a Keeper and a Chaser.'"
"Wow," Sam said, getting up. "That's some story."
"Yeah, it is," Daniel commented, he and Teal'c following Sam. "I'd like to find out what happens next to this person. I'm honestly wondering if it's a boy or a girl. Hope Jack won't mind. Think he'll show up out of the blue?"
"I doubt it, but you can ask him when he calls. Let's get going."
Before they could move, however, Daniel's cell phone rang.
"Jackson."
"Hey, Danny boy! How's life treating you?" Jack's voice crackled because of static.
"Fine. Where are you?"
"I wish I could tell you. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that in the first place, it's classified and two, I don't even know. And, to be honest, I don't think I want to know. Now, where are you?"
"At your house. We just had breakfast, but we didn't know how to contact you."
"It's alright, Danny. You guys can go over to my house anytime you want. Don't worry, I trust you enough to not harm my house. Oh, before I forget, I'm afraid that you won't be able to contact me after this," Jack informed him.
"How will we be able to tell you things?" Daniel winced as the whine slipped out. He looked to Sam and Teal'c, who stood by him. They all didn't like that their friend was out of their reach, the country, and out of their view. Each of them had a bond with Jack and they had an unconscious habit of unintentionally telling him things that they wouldn't tell anyone else.
A habit that a handful of students would soon find themselves perfecting.
"Well, I'll have to clear it first, but I think I can arrange it so that General Hammond can forward it to me. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I can. Oh, sorry about this, but I have to let you get to work. There's an hour left before I'm needed, but I'm going to get organized and I need to get the rest of my orders before I head out."
"Alright, Jack. Make sure to take care of yourself and contact us as soon as you can and be careful."
"Don't worry, Daniel. I'll be sure to have copious mother hens in the months to come," Jack chuckled. "Oh, good luck with that mission and I hope you'll still talk to me after you figure it out."
"Figure what out? Jack?"
"Can't tell you now. You're an archealogist and an anthropologist to boot. You live for puzzles, you and the other two for that matter, so I'm sure you can figure it out before too long."
"What are you talking about? What puzzle? Jack? Jack! Hey!"
"Ahh, I've got to go. Bye, give my love to everyone!"
With Daniel still protesting, Jack hung up, shaking his head.
Heading out of the lavatories, he started back to his company just as it started to rain.
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As he entered the compartment, he noticed that the three had become four and that they were glancing between him and outside the window.
"And who might you be?" he asked the new boy who seemed to tense up at the question.
"N-Nev-ville L-Longbottom," he stuttered, coloring.
"Well, hello, there, Neville. It's nice to meet you. Now," Jack addressed the remaining three, "what has you lot so jumpy? ETA sixty minutes and counting. Almost there and you can get some sleep."
"Um, Jack," Hermione piped up. "Well, you see, it rained at the start of our third and fourth years…"
"Ah. Well, it is rain. Does that a lot here. I hardly think it's an omen of some kind. Even if it was, wouldn't your omen lists say something about it?"
Even Neville nodded in agreement.
Jack squeezed in between Harry and the window as the group started chattering about classes and the like. He smiled as they contemplated who their defense teacher was going to be and looked out at the falling rain.
As Jack watched, he couldn't help feeling wary about the whole situation. 'I don't know,' he thought. 'Maybe I shouldn't be so quick to dismiss the 'omen' prospect. Maybe the kids are right to think that this is a sign. But then, things that seem like omens actually aren't at all what we expect them to be…'
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AN: Sorry. Block kept me. Oh, if you forgive the near five pages, I thought I'd give myself a 17th birthday present. Sort of embarrassing to have a whole choir sing "Happy Birthday"…
Please drop me a line and I'll see you on the flip side. Oh, and I have a bit of a twist for you next. Hope you liked the journal bit. I have an idea about that. It might play a role in the future…
3-23-07 Reviews: 54