His first Monday DADA class was full of curious first years. He discussed the event with each class and had them brainstorm about what could have happened. The questions didn't abate and Friday he faced his seventh year class.
"So what really happened on Saturday?" Blaise asked.
"Ron, Hermione, Ginny and I went down early to meet with the Aurors. Two men showed up and didn't have the security code." Harry said, "When two more showed up we stunned the first two. The second two were Aurors and had the code."
"Not nearly as exciting as I heard." Seamus said.
"Gryffindors are prone to exaggeration." Hannah Abbot said.
"Except Harry." Hermione said, "He usually tries to minimize everything."
"Yes," Neville said, "I asked him how his summer was and he said it was 'fine'. Beating Voldemort and ending the war was the beginning of his just 'fine' summer. And of course after fighting in the battle when asked how he was feeling he was 'fine' just a little tired. He then slept for two days, after getting his broken ribs healed along with all the other injuries he had."
"How very Slytherin of you." Draco commented.
"The hat did consider Slytherin for me." Harry said.
"Then it ran across your propensity to find trouble and save others. It decided you were too brash and needed to go to Gryffindor." Luna chirped.
Harry laughed, "I do believe you're right Luna. I'm far too brash to be Slytherin."
"I bet it considered Hufflepuff too." Hannah said, "You're very loyal, but too brave to be a puff."
"It may have," Harry said, "But I'm sure it didn't even consider me for Ravenclaw. There is a reason I want essays that are less than a foot." The group laughed and he continued, "So on to class what do you think would have happened…"
Classes continued and Harry was working hard. He loved having an office he could hide away in, although it was best when Ginny was hiding with him.
Saturday morning dawned finding Ron waking Harry, "Quidditch practice."
"Not playing," Harry mumbled back and rolled over.
"Captain said to get your lazy backside out of the bed." Ron said, "And if I was you, I'd comply since she is your girlfriend and all."
Harry sighed and pulled himself up. He got showered and dressed in regular clothes and followed Ron down to breakfast. The room was empty except for Ginny, so they sat down and started eating. As they ate the rest of the room slowly started to fill, although when Ron, Ginny and Harry left the room was still mostly empty. The trio headed out to the quidditch pitch and stood in the middle of the field and talked while they waited.
"Our new seeker needs your help, Harry." Ginny frowned, "He can spot the snitch and can catch it, if it's close to his position. The problem is he has trouble controlling his broom, getting it to go where he wants it. He was actually better during tryouts than he is now."
The team came out and the new seeker stopped looking at Harry with a horrified expression, "They brought you back on the team didn't they? I know I'm terrible."
"No," Harry felt bad; he decided the boy's problem was probably nerves, "I'm actually an assistant, I too busy teaching to play so I'm here to help you."
"Really?" the boy tried not to sound too excited.
"Really," Harry thought the boy must be in first or second year, "First, what's your name? I know you from class but I can't think of your name right now, too early in the morning."
"Foster."
"Right, ok Foster, you're a second year right?"
"Yes sir."
"I've not seen you fly so let's start with the basics. Broom on the ground and call it up."
Foster followed his direction. Harry thought he might throw a fit starting like a first year but he did as asked. He watched as the broom bobbled its way to Foster's hand and Harry said, "Ok, put it back on the ground and tell it to jump up, don't ask it, you are the boss let the broom know it." After a few repeats Harry said, "Ok, mount up but don't push off. Good now push off and just hover. Good now I'm going to back up and put a few feet between us. I'll hold up my hand and I want you to move forward as close as you can get without touching the handle to my hand."
Harry had him do a series of maneuvers on the broom. Anything he couldn't do Harry coached him through. After two hours Harry stopped and told him, "Good job. You're probably beat go get some rest."
"I'm ok," Foster said, "What's next?"
"Sorry but we have to get off the pitch."
"Actually Harry," Ginny was grinning, "I have the pitch for another two hours. Special permission to train our new seeker. But do you think you can include the rest of us on this lesson?"
Harry continued on until he reached a maneuver none of them could do. Foster said, "I still think it's impossible. Maybe if I saw it done I could do it."
"I don't have my broom…" before Harry could finish the sentence he had seven brooms nearly shoved up his nose. "Alright, I'll do it." Harry grabbed Ginny's broom and took off. He was most familiar with hers as she had a Firebolt too. He had given it to her on her birthday, to make up for the missed birthday and Christmas. He took his time warming up a bit and then stopped over the group.
"What's the name of the move?" Ron asked.
"Don't know," he replied, "I've used it a couple times but, you all really won't even need this. Foster might but that would be it."
"Just show us already."
"Fine, I'll start at the other end of the field and I'll turn near these goals so stay on the edge so you can see it." Harry took off; at the far end he turned and started back gaining speed. Right as he reached the group he pulled the broom into the turnaround he wanted. In a matter of seconds he was heading the other way still at a high rate of speed. He slowed down and went back and landed by the group.
"I don't think any of us can do that." Ginny said.
Harry was explaining how he was able to do the move when Minerva and Madam Hooch walked up to the group.
"Harry can I see that move again?" Hooch asked.
"Sure I guess." Harry hopped onto the broom and repeated the moved.
"Do it again only slower."
Harry tried several times a varying speeds but it never worked quite right. He went back to his normal speed and it worked perfectly. When he landed Hooch approached him, "Sorry, I think part of the move is the speed."
"If you want to be a professional quidditch player I think you can make it. I can get some scouts here if you want to showcase your talents."
"No thanks," Harry replied, "I don't want to play professionally, I want a quiet life not one of even more notoriety. You can still call the scouts, I think the others are noteworthy."
"Indeed they are," Hooch replied, "But I didn't invite any seeker scouts to the first Gryffindor game."
"I'm not playing for Gryffindor." Harry stated, "I'm just a student assistant for the captain."
"That's too bad. I think you need to show that move to some scouts though… I've been thinking of a charity event for people who suffered because of the war. Would you field a team for a charity tournament?"
"Who would I be allowed to get?"
"Anyone you want."
"Like Ginny, Ron, Angelina and George?"
"As long as you're the seeker you can have anyone else." Hooch was excited, if she could get Harry everyone else would just be dying to play.
"What about back up players, if I'm injured can I have a back up seeker? And what about Professionals?"
"Sure, I'll limit each team to fourteen players total with no more than two professionals per team. The only stipulation is they had to go to school at Hogwarts. We're calling it an Alumni Tournament."
"Excellent," Harry was excited, "When?"
"Spring, after the house cup is done, but before testing begins.
"Perfect. How many teams?"
"So far, including yours, one. But as soon as people know Harry Potter's fielding a team they will clamor to join. I'll be charging an entrance fee for teams and a gate price for spectators. All funds will go to that new Post-war Assistance fund the Ministry has approved. They won't give the name yet because the group wants to do some big unveil, maybe they'll use the tournament for that."
Harry was thinking hard as they group dispersed. Ron tried to start up a conversation with him several times before he gave up, "Looks like we lost him for a time. I'm going to go find Hermione. Tell him I'm not mad, I know that look, he's up to something and I'm not sure I want to know."
Ginny chuckled and continued to walk with Harry. She didn't think he had a purpose in mind; even he seemed shocked when he realized they were outside the Headmistress' office.
"Why are we here?"
"This is where you led us." Ginny was wondering what he was thinking so hard about.
"I wonder if Madam Hooch is still talking with her."
"One way to find out." Ginny turned to the gargoyle, "Is she in and can we see her?"
The gargoyle stepped aside and the two went up the steps. Upon entering the office Harry found that Madam Hooch and Minerva were there along with Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"Just who we were going to go look for." Kingsley said, while Minerva and Rolanda looked confused.
"Quick question before we start, how many new charities have been started this year?" Ginny asked.
"Just the one." Kingsley replied.
"Excellent, then the new charity is called the Peace Foundation." Harry said, "I'd like to unveil the charity when we announce the event."
"Excellent." Rolanda was nearly jumping, "Who's your charity administrator?"
"Mum has agreed to be in charge, Fleur and Andromeda have both volunteered to help." Ginny smiled.
"They are working on an application process." Harry gave the details, "We only want to help people who need help. Mundungus won't be getting anything."
"When… How did you start this?" Minerva asked.
"Over the summer, we applied for a license." Harry explained, "I set aside some money and asked Molly to head it. Anything else that happens, she and the council she picked decide. I have promised to make myself available for fund raisers and announcements. My only request was that they help the orphans and injured first, which they have already started."
"Are they going to set up an orphanage?" Minerva asked.
"I have asked them not to." Harry said, "Tom was raised in an orphanage, I don't want to start another dark wizard. We are hoping for placement in magical families or muggle families who already know about magic. Any child that had a muggle parent may not be comfortable in an all magical household. We also hope to educate the magic world about the muggle world."
"That last bit may be hard to accomplish." Kingsley stated.
"True, old ideas die hard." Harry said, "But we have an idea of how to start for now anyway. I was going to visit with you this morning Minerva about that situation that came up in my first class. Muggleborns who don't know what happens in the magical world and vice versa. I have several suggestions here from a mix of students that all wish they knew more about the other world.
Ron has suggested that older students lead an introductory class to educate all first years about the differences in magical and muggle upbringing. This would promote knowledge about each other and cover some topics that muggleborns would know nothing about like a little war that was fought recently. Hannah Abbott suggested that we have a short time, before the sorting, to have a prefect from each house say good things about their house to the first years. She hopes that children will see that they don't have to follow the rest of their family into the same old house which promotes the same old prejudice.
I have a dozen or so other suggestions, but to me those two are the best and easiest. They don't really require any effort by the professors and can be easily supervised. Prefects are already used to leading so this should be no big deal to them. We could even do this late this year and see how the younger ones like it."
"If you wouldn't mind, can I see all the suggestions?" Minerva asked.
"Sure," Harry handed her a small box he pulled out of his bag, "Hermione did the expansion spell on that."
Minerva emptied the box and ended up with seventeen rolls of parchment, "I'm going to read through these. I want you to come to the prefects meeting Monday evening, at seven in the Great Hall. I want you to introduce this to them and we'll talk about the suggestions."
"Ok."
"If we start using one or more of these I want you to introduce it to the school."
"Ok." Harry didn't like that part quite as much.
"Thanks for being on time everyone. First thing on the agenda for tonight's meeting is being brought by Headmistress McGonagall. Professor." Hermione started the prefects meeting.
"Thank you." Minerva stood and addressed the group, "It has been brought to my attention that Hogwarts is neglecting a portion of our student's education. Not through meanness, but through ignorance. This was displayed in our first DADA class this year. The students involved were noted as saying they wished they had known before they opened their mouths. To explain further I have asked Professor Potter here to tell you the situation and the suggestions he has received from various students."
Harry stood and addressed the group, "In my first class I asked the students to use Tom's name just like I did in all the others. One girl who was a pure blood was laughed at by a muggle born when she couldn't say Voldemort. He didn't understand the deal. After it was explained to him he apologized and said he wished he had known. I talked to Ron and Hermione about it after class and Hermione stated how she had wished she had known about several things. Then Ron made my first suggestion and Hermione said I need a variety of suggestions to bring to the Headmistress. I'll read the suggestions and then you can use them, change them or even trash them and design a new one."
"I will have final approval on any suggestions before they are implemented." Minerva stated after Harry had read through all the suggestions, "I agree that we need to do something but I had no idea what until now. So let's hear what you have to say about these."
"I agree that it should be the job of the prefects." Astoria Greengrass said, "Right now when we walk into a room everyone avoids the prefect, they don't want to get into trouble. I think it's about time we actually helped more than showing a first year where to find class."
"Me too." Megan Abby said, "I would love to know the differences between magical and muggle house holds so I can decide how I want to live. I don't necessarily want to continue like everything has always been. A revolution was started when that battle happened and I for one don't want the lessons to be lost. I'm a pureblood and my family, while not dark, certainly believes purebloods are better than muggleborns."
"For most purebloods that is the norm." Harry said, "Its how Voldemort went unchecked until he started attacking innocent purebloods. The average adult wanted him stopped, not his ideas."
"Exactly," Megan said, "I don't want to continue that line of thought it will just bring another bigot into power."
"I think we should combine Ron's idea with mine." Hannah said. "At least this year and then next year do both. We can have a professor and four prefects talk to the first years in the antechamber before their sorting. Keep each talk to just a few minutes."
"I agree." Came from several people around the room.
"Any opposed?" Hermione asked.
One hand was raised, surprisingly it was Ron, "I think we should do as Hannah suggests for this year. See how it's received and then decide what to do next, continue as she says or try different approaches until we find a fit. Each year the returning prefects need to get together at the end of the year and decide what to do for the next year."
"Excellent suggestion Ron." Hermione smiled, "All in favor?... All opposed? Motion carries, now time and place?"
"One more thought," Harry interrupted, "What if older kids want to join in the sessions this year?"
"I'm thinking we could do that but keep them separate." A boy that Harry couldn't see suggested, "We need to know if it helps the younger ones without having the older ones there throwing out comments, good or bad."
"Ok, Professor any suggestions?" Hermione asked
"Wednesday evening after dinner for the first years, Thursday for second years and so on. Harry can you postpone question and answer time for the next week?"
"I'll hold it in my class room. Whoever is attending the session will be able to come last." Harry didn't see any reason to completely cancel the sessions when only one group would be after their normal time.
"Ok, I'll have Harry make the announcements tomorrow at each meal." Minerva stood up and motioned to Harry to stand too, "We'll just leave you to the rest of your meeting."
