Chapter 27

Harry watched as the members of the Hogwarts staff walked into the room and took their places at the long table in the centre. This staff meeting was different from the other ones he'd attended before because it was the last staff meeting of the school year. Whereas the weekly meetings focused on ongoing school activities and issues, the final meeting of the year consisted of the staff bringing up what had happened in the year and would propose ideas to solve them. Another reason this meeting was different is that Harry would now be taking an active role in the meeting.

"Hey Harry," Neville greeted as he took the seat next to him. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Just a little nervous," Harry replied. "This will be the first time that I'll be participating in the meeting rather than just sitting quietly while taking notes."

Neville nodded and gave Harry a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Just relax and you'll do great. And if it makes you feel any better, I don't think Minerva will ask you to participate that much since it's your first official meeting."

Once everyone arrived, Minerva took her place at the head of the table, Aurora took the seat opposite hers as she was the deputy headmistress, the other heads of houses took the seats next to hers, and the rest of the staff filled the empty spaces. Minerva called things to order, and once a summary of the previous meeting was given, the headmistress called for new business.

"As we all know, today is Aurora's last day as a teacher here at Hogwarts," Minerva reminded everyone while nodding to the deputy headmistress. "I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will greatly miss you."

Aurora smiled and nodded at the headmistress before standing. "Thank you Minerva. Being a teacher here at Hogwarts has come with plenty of trials and tribulations, but it has also been the most rewarding and fulfilling experience of my life. And while it is a little sad that this chapter of my life is ending, I can rest easy knowing that the students are in good hands."

"Thank you for those kind words Aurora. Now, replacing Aurora as deputy headmaster will be Horace, replacing her as the head of Gryffindor will be Neville, and replacing her as Astronomy teacher will be Miranda. And replacing Miranda as Transfiguration teacher will be Harry."

Harry gave a small smile and a polite nod to everyone at the table before Minerva asked for the issues the staff faced in the year. The next few minutes consisted of teachers naming some students that are failing their subjects, Poppy listing the amount of students and injuries she had to treat them for throughout the year, Horace reporting on what ingredients the school was running low on, Irma recommended some book to be added to the library, and even Filch chimed in with the items and rooms that had been damaged by students or Peeves.

"Thank you all. Before we move on, I'd like to hear if Harry has anything to say," Minerva said, surprising Harry. "I know this is your first meeting as a teacher, but you've been sitting in on the previous ones since the end of the winter holidays."

Harry was suddenly very aware of all the eyes staring at him, causing him to panic. But as he was about to say that he had nothing to contribute, he remembered all those meetings he attended, the work and research he had done to get this job, and the unending support of his friends, Teddy and Joseph. He could do this.

"Even though I haven't started teaching, there is one issue that I would like to bring up," Harry said. "I want us to find a solution fixing the rift between Slytherin and the rest of the houses."

At this, any idle noise stopped. Some of the other staff members looked sad, some looked tired, and the rest were a mixture of the two.

"Harry, I understand where you're coming from, but we've been trying very hard to solve this issue since the end of the war," Minerva said. "And I'm not talking about the most recent one. This has been an issue since Voldemort first rose to power."

Harry nodded. "I'm aware, headmistress. But the fact is that things have gotten worse since I was here. I've heard other teachers talk about how Slytherin students are being targeted by the other houses' prefects, them being cursed and hexed out of nowhere, and their quidditch locker room was even vandalised.

"When Neville and I were students, there were some Slytherins that were huge arseholes, but the rest of them are some of the most talented, confident and intelligent wizards and witches I know. Now students, and some of the alumni, act as though being sorted into Slytherin is a stain on their name."

"Do you have any suggestions on how to fix this issue?" Horace asked.

"As a short term solution, I would suggest hiring some counsellors for the students to talk to," Harry replied.

"Isn't that already one of the duties of the heads of houses?" Septima asked.

"Yes, but the heads have duties as teachers, not to mention they are in charge of disciplining their students and managing their house's prefects," Harry responded. "Even if they were able to do all those things, each house has about forty to fifty students. And if I may speak from personal experience, I was very reluctant to approach Professor McGonagall about my problems when I was a student."

"Why was that, Harry?" Minerva asked.

"Other than my problems being unordinary the majority of the time, I felt like talking to you about anything other than academics would've been a waste of your time," Harry said. "And talking about your personal problems is kind of hard to do when the one you're told to talk to is in charge of your grade in a specific subject and discipline."

Neville raised his hand. "I also had the same reservations about talking to you when I was a student, professor. I think Harry's idea of employing counsellors is terrific. It will allow the students to discuss their issues in a safe space with someone who will have no preconceived notion about them and will not judge them."

The rest of the staff discussed the idea, and all of them agreed that it sounded like a good plan.

"Very well, I will go over the financials of the school after this. If I find that there's money to hire counsellors, then I will schedule a meeting with the board of governors," Minerva stated, making Harry feel immensely proud. "Harry, you said that that was your short term plan. May I ask what your long term plan is?"

"It's more radical than my previous plan," Harry said nervously, but was asked to continue. "I think it would help if we didn't immediately sort students when they arrive on their first year."

"It's been this way since the school was created," Filius said.

"And it's a system that's worked for centuries, but the environment is different now," Harry stated. "Where sorting once promoted friendly and healthy rivalries, it now tells the students with whom they should and should not be friends with."

Rolanda agreed, stating that Hufflepuff, which has always had good relations with the other three, have distanced themselves from Slytherin. "How would delaying the sorting help solve the problem?"

"Even before now, sorting immediately put a wall between a student and the other people who weren't in their houses. By delaying the sorting, we're giving the first years more time to get to know each other," Harry explained. "And once they're sorted into their respective houses, all it'll do is create that friendly and healthy rivalry again, and any animosity that may be there will be from the students' relationships with each other."

"When do you suggest we sort the students?" Rolanda asked.

"At the start of their fifth year," Harry answered.

"Isn't that a bit too late?" Neville asked. "And what would happen with the quidditch and house tournaments?"

"The quidditch and house tournaments would still be present, but for those who haven't been sorted, rather contributing house points, they can earn points for themselves. And they could have a quidditch tournament amongst themselves," Harry answered. "And I think sorting students in their fifth year is best because in those first four years, these kids are still trying to figure themselves out. They'll also be stressed about academics, relationships and being away from home for the majority of the year. Sorting them in their first year may just result in them embodying their house's supposed traits just to get rid of one thing they need to worry about.

"I'm not saying that they'll know who they are by the end of their fourth year, but they'll have a better idea than they did when they were in their first year, and at least they'll know what jobs they'll want once they graduate. At that point, I think it's safe to sort them because their house won't become their identity."

"Thank you for your thoughts, Harry," Minerva said. "We're running out of time, but I'm certain that we will be discussing this at length another time."

Harry nodded, leaning back on his chair, less nervous and more confident than when the meeting started.

After discussing the state of the Forbidden Forest and the Black Lake, the meeting ended. Harry was immediately approached by everyone, complimenting him on his ideas.

"You were great Harry. Your mum and dad would be so proud," Hagrid said with a huge smile.

"Thanks Hagrid," Harry said. "Since I'm a teacher and we're colleagues now, should I call you by your first name?"

"Either is fine, I really don't mind," Hagrid replied. "It's going to be a lot more fun having you around."

Harry thanked him before approaching Neville and Aurora. "Neville, Professor Sinistra."

"I don't think I'm allowed to have the title of professor anymore," Aurora said with a chuckle. "But that was splendid work earlier Mr. Potter. One thing I might regret about retiring now is that I won't be able to work with you."

"Thank you, and I regret not being able to work with you," Harry returned. "Do you have any parting words of wisdom, though?"

"I'd like to give you two pieces of advice that's helped me, not just in teaching, but in life as well," Aurora replied. "The first is that you should trust your instincts. Whether you're dealing with your lessons or a student, your instincts will lead down the right path most of the time. The second piece of advice is that when you're unsure about something, don't hesitate to ask for help. You have your friends, family, and a group of coworkers who are always willing and ready to help."

"Thank you professor," Harry said.

"You're very welcome. I hope to see you and Mr. Duskgem at my retirement party this Sunday," Aurora said before turning to Neville. "Congratulations again Neville."

Aurora then left to talk to the other staff members.

"She's right Harry. Your ideas are really great," Neville said. "You did a hundred times better than I did on my first meeting as a teacher."

Harry smiled and thanked his friend. "Thanks Nev, but can we talk about you first? You're the head of Gryffindor. That's amazing."

"Thanks mate. Honestly, I'm a bit nervous about it, but excited too. Whether or not we're able to hire counsellors, I want to help our students with both their academic and personal problems."

"Glad to hear it, and if you need any help, you can call on me."

"Given the fact that you've always ended up in a whole lot of trouble while in Hogwarts, I think I'll ask the other teachers first."

The two friends laughed, reminiscing on the past for a couple of minutes before Harry mingled with the others. He was talking to Rolanda about the students' flying abilities when Minerva approached them and asked to talk to Harry.

"How was your first meeting, Professor Potter?" Minerva asked with a smile.

"It was a brilliant professor," Harry replied with a smile of his own. "And thank you for hearing out my ideas. Please don't worry if you aren't able to implement them."

"Harry, your ideas are brilliant, and are the best solution we've had to the divide between the houses in years. I'm letting you know that I will be fighting to implement them until I retire."

"Really?"

"Yes Harry. Even Professor Dumbledore thought we sorted students too soon. We haven't been able to do anything about it because things weren't right, and only now do we have a fully realised and proper plan to back it up. You've done well, Harry. I look forward to working alongside you."

"Thank you professor. I look forward to working with you as well. Now I should probably be heading home."

"Of course, say hello to Joseph for me. And please attend Aurora's retirement party on Sunday."

Harry agreed before saying goodbye to everyone else and flooing home. After storing his coat, he headed into the lounge to find Teddy watching one of his favourite shows on the telly.

"Hey Ted," Harry greeted as he sat next to his godson on his couch. "Where's Joseph?"

"He said he had to meet someone in the city today and left after lunch," Teddy answered. "How was the meeting?"

"Really good. Nev's the new head of Gryffindor."

"Really? Uncle Neville?"

"Yeah. What's wrong with Neville?"

"Well, Gryffindor's about bravery, and I've heard you tell stories about all the times Uncle Neville's fainted. Uncle Seamus even started a betting pool around it."

"Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's still doing things in spite of that fear. While Hermione, Ron and I were looking for the horcruxes, Neville went back to Hogwarts, which was already dangerous for him since his family had fought against Voldemort the first time. He could've stayed home or hid, but he didn't. Instead, he went back, endured a lot of pain, and even brought back the DA to fight against the Death Eaters in Hogwarts. In many ways, he's a lot braver than me."

Teddy nodded and the two continued to watch the telly for another hour when they heard the floo. Joseph walked in with some containers, saying they were from Fortescue's, and the three males moved to the kitchen.

"Chocolate mint for Teddy, coffee for Harry, and vanilla for me," Joseph said as he opened the containers and they sat at the dining table.

"Who did you have to meet in London?" Harry asked.

"Lady Narcissa introduced me to someone who's been working at her charity for years," Joseph replied. "Helena Richardson, she's had a ton of experience, is great with kids, and she's agreed to be the director of the orphanage."

Harry smiled and hugged Joseph. "That's amazing love. I'm so glad you found someone."

"I am too. How was your first meeting?" Joseph asked.

"It was really great. I was really nervous at first, but then Professor McGonagall asked for my thoughts," Harry began before telling Joseph everything he had said at the meeting. "Best of all is that she said she's going to really work to implement the ideas."

"Harry, that's amazing, I'm so proud of you. And I know that the Slytherins have never been your biggest supporters, but it means a lot to me that you're fighting for them."

"The kids in Slytherin don't deserve any of the hate they're getting from the other houses or the public. And the love of my life was a Slytherin. He's not evil, deceitful or any of the other things people are saying about his house."

"I'm sure Draco will appreciate you saying that."

"Prat. So, until McGonagall schedules the next meeting and after this Sunday, I won't have anything planned for a while."

"What's happening this Sunday?"

"Professor Sinistra's retirement party, and we're going."

"Alright, but we're avoiding Professor Trelawney. The last thing I need is her predicting your death again."

"At least she got creative after the tenth time she did it in class, but after that we'll have nothing scheduled. And since you hired Helena, you'll have less things to worry about."

"Are you suggesting it's time to take that trip to Japan?"

"I think it will be good for us since once the new school year starts and the orphanage finishes construction, we won't have as much free time to do things as a family."

"Alright, I'll take care of our travel arrangements. You and Teddy should learn how to use chopsticks."

"What about you?"

"I learned while living in Paris. Jess, Louis and I ate a lot of Chinese and Japanese takeaway our first year in the flat."

Harry chuckled and went to tell Teddy about their trip while the taller male went to make some calls. The young metamorphmagus immediately got excited since the farthest he's ever traveled has been to the various quidditch stadiums Harry's brought him to.

"I see someone's excited for our trip," Joseph said when he joined Harry and Teddy in the lounge. "I ordered some takeaway for dinner so you and Teddy can start practicing. I also firecalled mother, and she says she knows someone in the Japanese ministry who can help in arranging our plans."

"Does your mother have connections in every magical government in the world?" Harry asked.

"Most likely."

Harry chuckled and the three of them settled on the couch to watch a show on the telly until dinner. When the food arrived, they moved to the dining room. Joseph then taught Harry and Teddy how to use chopsticks while answering some of the young wizard's questions about their upcoming trip. As the night continued, Harry felt happy and content. This is what he'd always wanted when he thought about a family. If he was being honest, everything in his life was perfect. But being an ambitious Slytherin himself, Joseph had plans that would make their family's life even better.