Unlikely Mentor
Chapter 21

Disclaimer: This work of fan-fiction is not intended for personal profit. All characters utilized herein which are not creations of myself belong to J. K. Rowling.

As the train of carriages wended its way up to Hogwarts, Harry, seated by the right-hand window, peered through the gathering darkness, trying in vain to perhaps make out Hagrid doing a last-minute patrol of the pathway, or perhaps circumnavigating the lake. As they passed the the tall stone pillars topped with winged boars on either side of the gates marking the entrance, Harry tried once more to spot Hagrid's form, perhaps as a distant blob against the Forbidden Forest.

He groaned, slumping back against his seat, giving it up as bad job. Ginny, on his left, tapped his arm. "Hagrid?"

Ron, seated on Ginny's left, leaned over. "Any luck, mate? I couldn't spot him by the Quidditch Pitch."

Harry shook his head. "No go. It's like he's vanished."

Luna, seated in between Hermione and Neville, piped up, saying, "We in Ravenclaw rather liked Professor Grubbly-Plank when she substituted for him last year. Hagrid is considered a bit of a joke in our House."

The temperature in the carriage seemed to plunge five degrees as Ron glared at her. He growled, "You lot have a pretty lousy sense of humour then, considering he's our friend, all right? Harry, tell her, mate."

Harry, remembering fondly his first-ever meeting with Hagrid, said, "Yeah. He helped me when I found out I was a wizard."

At that, they all fell silent, with only the squeaking of the wheels accompanying the final stages of their journey. Luna showed no outward sign of perturbation at her faux pas, unconcernedly casting glances out the windows on either side as they moved along.

/\/\/\/\

Harry blinked owlishly in the light, thrown by the numerous torches and candelabras above, as he entered Hogwarts proper through the Entrance Hall, joining the milling crowds of students slowly plodding through the large doors into the Great Hall. Later, Harry knew, the first-years would be gathered at those same doors, the journey over the Lake being slower than by the – what had Luna called them? Harry frowned for a moment, then remembered that the carriages were drawn by "thestrals", whatever they actually were.

It was not lost on Harry that more than a few students looked askance at him as he budged through the crowds, then travelled along the Gryffindor table to find an empty spot near the High Table. As he sat down, he looked around, and caught a couple of students at another table putting their heads together to talk, casting nervous glances at him.

Well, he thought, that's what happens when the Prophet wants to call you a lying attention-seeking nutter. He had actually been surprised that his "law-breaking" had gotten comparatively little notice. It seemed that Fudge had hoped to unveil Harry's trial and conviction after the courtroom gathering, and when that fell through, the Minister had decided to drop the whole thing completely.

Any hopes that Harry had for a last-minute Hagrid appearance were dashed as he looked over the High Table. The usual professors were there, but Hagrid, larger than life and just as noticeable, was decidedly not there. Slughorn was in Hagrid's spot, chatting amiably with Sprout to his left. Harry realised that several of the teachers probably had been teaching at Hogwarts since long before he was born, and so probably knew the man well. Only Grubbly-Plank and McGonagall were still missing, and even that was down to the Deputy Headmistress as soon as the former arrived through a side door, heralding the imminent entrance of the new first-year students.

The routine by now familiar to Harry, he waited for the Sorting, noticing Ron and Hermione sitting opposite him and Ginny. Fred and George, a couple of seats down, were holding an intense (at least, from the looks on their faces, they seemed deadly earnest about something) conversation with Lee Jordan.

Dumbledore rose and called for quiet before resuming his seat. Shortly after that, the first-years trooped in, some looking quite awed at the way the ceiling of the Great Hall mirrored the sky above, by this time an inky black with only a few white pinpoints shining down for light; there was no moon.

The Sorting Hat, now placed on its stool by McGonagall, opened its mouth and began singing. Harry's eyebrows rose as it seemed almost to ramble in places, but then his ears pricked up as it moved into the second half, warning of discord and danger, and the need to unite within Hogwarts. He looked across at Ron, noticing the latter's eyebrows were raised as well.

Nearly Headless Nick, floating alongside the Gryffindor table, said over the rising muttering within the Hall, "The Hat seems to feel honour-bound to give a warning this time, it seems."

"So it's done that before?" wondered Hermione.

Nick nodded quickly at her, then fell silent as McGonagall let out a loud harrumph and sternly eyed anyone still talking. In the now weighty silence, she called, "Abercrombie, Euan!"

And so the Sorting began, each House clapping in applause as they obtained a new member.

Ron shifted, and Harry grinned slightly, knowing his friend was growing impatient to get on with the really important part of the evening feast. Luckily, the Sorting finished in due time, and Dumbledore thereupon rose, beaming over the student body as he did so. "Welcome, everyone, old and new, to Hogwarts! As I am sure you all are quite famished, I shall reserve my speeches for after our repast. Tuck in!"

Laughter and applause broke out as the food and drink materialized on the table, and Harry set to eating with gusto, having had only breakfast that morning and the odd snack off the trolley on the train.

Hermione buttonholed Nearly Headless Nick again, who said loud enough for Harry to hear, "Yes, the Hat has given warnings like that in the past – usually when there is danger to the school itself or sometimes, to the broader wizarding world. For example, when Grindelwald rose to power years ago."

Ron took a quick drink of pumpkin juice, then blurted, "But it's a Hat – how can it know about things like that?"

"Well, it is a very old Hat," pointed out Nick, "And it's usually in Dumbledore's office, where I am sure it hears of many things."

Harry snorted, "Well, as far as the Houses being friends – fat bloody chance when that poncy git Malfoy's a Prefect, thanks probably to Snape."

"Well, I beg to differ, as I do happen to have fairly cordial relations with the Bloody Baron – we've never picked a fight, you know," said Nick, seeming a bit affronted.

Ron replied, "S'only cos he looks like a scary bloke and you're not about to fight him, right?"

"Well, if you're going to poke fun at me and claim I've never shown any courage whatsoever—" Nick floated off in a huff.

"Oh, well done, Ron!" Hermione sniped with a roll of her eyes.

Ron just set to working on his food, pointedly evading her reprimand, leaving Hermione agape before closing her jaw with a snap. Ginny grinned at the two of them. "Shall I get you two a room to work out your differences?"

As one, both Ron and Hermione cried, "NO!" across the table, garnering startled glances from those around them. Harry couldn't quite stop the snort that escaped him as he watched his friends react exactly identically to Ginny's cheeky remark. They both had the exact same frowns and defensive looks before they grudgingly got on with their meals.

Shortly after Harry finished up his treacle tart and had a last swallow of some tea for his dessert, Dumbledore rose again, waving his hands for silence, which slowly descended over the Hall as the students turned to look at him.

"I trust you all have had an excellent meal, and with that I would like to give my start of term announcements. First of all, to the first-year students and as a reminder to any older students, the Forbidden Forest is just that – Forbidden. Please do not attempt to enter it without being escorted by a professor or member of staff. Additionally, as Mr Filch has reminded me again, there is to be no magic done in the corridors and there is a list of other things not permitted in the hallways, posted on his door; a rather extensive list it is, by the way.

"I am sure many of you have noticed the absence of Professor Hagrid, who has taken some personal leave. In his place for the moment is Professor Grubbly-Plank, who some of you may know from your previous Care of Magical Creatures classes last year. As well, I wish to inform you of changes to your Potions classes."

At that, a murmur rose from the students; Snape had never been popular except among the Slytherins, so to hear of an announcement regarding him was a potentially disturbing factor.

"I wish to introduce an old friend of mine, Horace Slughorn, who rejoins us after retiring in 1980, who will teach the first through fifth year Potions classes at Hogwarts, freeing Professor Snape to concentrate on the NEWT-based sixth and seventh year Potions classes."

At that, strained cheers rose, especially from the younger students who had otherwise been imagining yet another year with the dour Potions master. Snape, at the High Table, grimaced ever so slightly while Slughorn beamed and gave the students a short wave.

Dumbledore tapped his glass with his spoon, the ringing quieting the students once more.

"As a final announcement, for those of you taking Defence Against the Dark Arts, as I have not yet found a suitable professor I notified the Ministry I would be temporarily taking those classes myself until further notice."

Dumbledore, teaching? Harry looked at his friends, who wore the same perplexed expression he was sure he had on his face. His mind flashed to Educational Decree Twenty-Two, and he wondered if this was a last-ditch attempt by the Headmaster to keep the Minister's flunky from coming into Hogwarts to bugger things up.

Many of the other students also seemed to be wondering what was going on, as murmurs and babbling rose in volume again, forcing Dumbledore to cut that off with a sharp spell that made a loud booming noise across the Great Hall.

"Rest assured," called Dumbledore with slight asperity, "I am qualified to teach the subject, as I am sure anyone who has examined my Chocolate Frog card will realise. I appreciate that the changes coming this year are in some cases sudden, but they are only being done to ensure you get the education that you should be getting."

He grew genial once again, and said, "With that, ladies and gentlemen, I bid you all a very good night, and ask that Prefects please escort the first-year students to their respective House Common Rooms. The rest of you may remain here for a snack or, as I suggest owing to the lateness of the hour, toddle off to get a good night's rest."

And with that, Harry's fifth year at Hogwarts began.

Author Notes: And now the first significant break with canon begins. :) Thanks go to my friend Ayala for looking this over. :)