Chapter twelve

Harry and Severus were standing on the steps leading to the castle. Harry kept running his hands over Severus' chest with Severus smirked knowing Harry was turned on but they had a few hours before they could get to their rooms.

'You're just making yourself worse Harry, you know that right?'

'Yeah, but I love the feel of your body, I just wish you were naked.'

'Now how would that look with all the students passing by in a few minutes. I'm sure seeing one of their professors naked might shock most of them, they might even pass out.'

'You could get ogled, even felt up, so staying dressed is better. Oh but the gates just opened, they're on their way,' Harry nodded towards the gates of Hogwarts, so he took his hands from Severus' chest and slipped one around his waist as Severus put his arm around Harry's waist and that's how they stood as the carriages drew closer.

'Good evening,' Severus said pleasantly making some students gasp which naturally made Harry laugh, but Harry wasn't sure if these students thought Harry was laughing because Severus was being nice or that they had their arms around each other.

'Hello professor Snape, professor Potter,' Neville said smiling up at both men.

'Hello Mr. Longbottom, welcome back,' Severus said again he was pleasant.

'Hello everyone,' Harry smiled but noticed Ron and Ginny seemed to be glaring at them but Harry just kept his smile as he greeted the students.

'You and professor Snape look very nice together professor Potter,' Luna said.

'Thank you Miss Lovegood, I happen to agree with you,' Severus said.

Harry and Severus greeted every student apart from the two Weasley's who was being ignored by everyone, but they also noticed that some of the students kept throwing looks at Ron and Ginny, angry looks, but they also heard some snide or cruel comments which the two teachers ignored. Once all the students had stepped inside, Harry and Severus, still with their arms around each other walked into the great hall and up to the staff table. Severus sat next to Minerva, Harry beside him, Hermione already in her seat beside Harry, Draco on her other side. Hermione and Draco were talking quietly, waiting like everyone else for the first years to arrive.

Once Filius Flitwick brought the first years, he placed the hat on their heads and one by one the first years were sorted into their houses, then the food appeared.

'Did you see that Severus?' Minerva whispered.

'No, what did I miss?'

'Every time either Weasley went to get food, someone else took the plate. If you have a look you will see no food within their reach. But I never saw anything,' Minerva smiled then went back to her dinner but she did hear Severus relay what she saw to Harry, Hermione and Draco making the three of them laugh as they glanced over at the Gryffindor table.

'It's going to be interesting Sev,' Harry whispered.

'Imagine what will happen up in Gryffindor tower tonight?'

'I'm more interesting in what happens tomorrow in their first classes with you.'

'Why in my class and not yours?' Severus asked.

'They know me, or think they know me, you, they will be a little unsure, they will be cautious but I believe it's you they blame more than me. If we didn't get together then you wouldn't have been helping me with everything. I'm nervous though Sev.'

'I know you are, but I'll be fine, we all will. Now let's just finish eating, then hear Minerva's welcome back speech so we can go get naked.'

Harry laughed, 'You're using how turned on I am to take my mind of worrying?'

'Of course I am, but I also know that tonight is going to be interesting,' Severus kissed Harry's cheek then started eating again.

'Oh I know it will Sev, very interesting.'

Harry smiled then went back to eating his desert. Once everyone was finished and the students were starting to get a little noisy Minerva tapped her glass. She did her normal welcome back speech, explained the rules to the first years, then she introduced Harry as the new transfiguration teacher and explained how professor Potter was now head of Gryffindor. She introduced Hermione as the new muggle studies teacher and Draco as the new ancient runes teacher. She had already explained to the staff that she was not going to inform the students regarding the new rules for detentions, but she had a feeling word will spread by the head boy and girl, that didn't mean the two Weasley's would hear it, not until they ended up in detention, which everyone knew they would.

Harry and Severus walked arm in arm between the tables, but stopped near the Gryffindor table.

'When you have your team Mr. Finnegan let me know so I can order you're uniforms.'

'I will professor Potter, and thank you for giving me the captains job, I won't let you down sir.'

'I know you won't, just have fun at the same time. Why don't you all head to Gryffindor tower, it's late, time for a good night sleep.'

'Exactly what we're going to do,' Severus said, 'Goodnight everyone, Harry love.'

'Right with you Sev,' Harry smiled at his friends then headed out of the great hall then to their rooms.

Harry's second class the following morning he sat against his desk as the Seventh year students stepped into the room.

'Morning, open your books to page fifty four, we're going to be transfiguring cooked duck into cooked chicken,' Harry waved his hand towards the table full of cooked duck, 'Then increasing the size. Can anyone tell me why you should know how to change one type of food into another?' Harry smiled as Neville put his hand up, 'Yes, Mr. Longbottom.'

'Some people do not like duck but sometimes that's all they can find.'

'Exactly, I myself do not like duck, but I do like chicken. Some animals that we do like to eat cannot be found, so learning how to on the ones that we do not like will get you used to the spell needed. Now as all of you have already had your first defence against the dark arts class you will know that all spells and charms are to be performed non verbally. So you will all move into pairs, one will transfigure the duck, the other will increase the portion, then it will be reversed so each of you will do both spells. So divide up get a duck and take it back to your desks, if you have any problems, let me know,' Harry caught a look from Neville and his other friends who all teamed up leaving Ron and Ginny together. Harry knew Ron couldn't do non-verbal spells and Hermione had told him that Ginny also had trouble doing non verbals spells, so this was going to be interesting. By the end of the lesson all teams apart from Ron and Ginny had been able to perform the spells.

'Ten points each from Mr. Weasley and Miss Weasley, both of you should have these spells perfect by now. The rest of you good job and you will receive ten points each. Tonight for your homework a twelve inch essay on the use of transfiguring some foods into others, off you go.'

Harry waited with his arms cross, relaxed posture to see if Ron or Ginny was going to try anything, but it seemed the rest of the class was going to make sure they couldn't, they stopped and waited until the two red heads left before smiling at Harry then leaving the classroom

Harry quickly tidied his room then waved a bunch of nervous first years inside, 'Take any seat you want, I don't assign seats,' Harry waited until everyone sat down, 'Who can tell me what transfiguration is?' Harry smiled at the class even though no one put up their hand, he knew it wasn't because they didn't know the question, he knew they were a little intimidated by him, 'Transfiguration is where you change one item into another. There are many reasons why you would do that. Imagine you were having dinner with your family, four seats around the table, then you get two unexpected guests but have no more seats, what would you do?' a nervous hand went into the air, 'Yes.'

'You could change something else into two seats.'

'Exactly, you could change a three seater sofa into two separate chairs, or two arm chairs into two dining chairs. With transfiguration you can only change one item into another when they are of equal size or almost equal size. So you couldn't change a broom into a table, the table is too big. Today we will be changing a match into a needle. I will show you the wand movements, you can practice before you try the spell on your match. Now I will say this, don't be discouraged if you can't change your match by the end of the lesson. It usually takes three or four lessons before you will see a change,' Harry saw a hand up, 'Yes.'

'How long did it take you professor?'

Harry smiled, 'I didn't get it right until my fifth lesson, so you see, anyone can take longer than others. There was only one student who managed a small change in her match by the end of my first lesson. Her match stayed a match but it did become silver and that person was professor Granger. So how about we get started?' Harry could see the excitement on all the kids faces, exactly how he looked when he first started at Hogwarts and now he was a teacher, something he still found hard to believe.