CHAPTER 8

The first day as a professor, Harry Potter started it with second year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. The night before, while unpacking his trunk, he had discovered a Boggart in one of the closet's drawers. Remembering his first lesson with Remus Lupin, he decided it would be perfect for his young students.

"Good morning, my name is James Vans. Before accepting this job, I worked fifteen years as an Auror, so I hope I'm able to pass my knowledge on Defence to you." he presented himself and saw a red haired kid raising his hand, waiting for his turn to talk. "Yes? Weasley, right?"

"Yes, sir. I was wondering what the point of this class is now that Voldemort is dead." the name of the darkest wizard of the era made many students gasp. Harry couldn't believe that after so many years that ridiculous pseudonym still continued to get that kind of reaction and the fear of people, of children who hadn't even lived his reign.

"Guys, Voldemort has been dead for such a long time now, none of you have even been born yet, it's okay to say his name, you shouldn't be afraid of it. The fear of the name increases fear of the thing itself. From now on, I want you to start saying it, it'll be part of your final mark of this class, I want you all to be capable of speaking Voldemort's name." he spoke firmly, gaining his student's amazement and respect. "Okay, let's go back to today's lesson, who knows how to answer Mr Weasley's question? Why do we study Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"Because the Dark Arts exist and at any moment a dark witch or wizard could make an appearance, wanting power and domination, or someone who want to do something bad to you or your family, and then, you should be able to defend yourself and those you care about. Besides, dark creatures do exist, Dementors, for example." answered Thomas Nott, bizarrely making him remember about his old friend Hermione and her way of knowing everything.

"Good answer, Mr Nott! Ten point to Ravenclaw" Thomas didn't care about it, but his fellow Ravenclaws celebrated the new points they've gotten. "Today, you'll be facing against one of those creatures, a Boggart. Who can explain what a Boggart is?"

"It's a shape-shifting non-being that takes the form of its observer's worst fear. Because of that ability, no one knows what a Boggart really looks like when it's alone, as it changes shape instantly upon encountering someone. It likes dark and closed places." again it was Thomas who responded the question with a definition taken as if from a book. Harry was impressed with that kid's intelligence.

"Exactly! Another ten points, Nott." congratulated Harry before grabbing a small trunk and showing it to his students. "Inside here I have a Boggart and when I let it free it will instantly, as Mr Nott said, take shape of what one of you fears the most. The spell use to defeat it is pretty simple but requires great mental force. What wins against a Boggart is laughter. What you have to do is make him adopt a shape you think would be funny. Let's practice the spell without a wand. Repeat after me: 'Riddikulus!'"

"Riddikulus!" they yelled all at the same time.

"Good, very good. Come and gathered in a semicircle facing the trunk. You, Weasley, Patrick, right?" the boy nodded his head visibly nervous. "You'll be the first one, so come a little bit nearer, what's your greatest fear?"

"Sp-spiders" answered the red-head visibly gulping, Harry had to suppress a smile, this was likely to Ron's son.

"Well, surely the Boggart will turn into a spider when it gets out, so I want you to think something funny to do the spell." He gave him some seconds until Patrick nodded feeling more secure. "Okay, Patrick will go first, once he success, I'll call the next student, pay attention and be prepared to face your fears. Are you ready?"

At everyone's nod, Harry opened the trunk with a wave of his wand and the creature, shape as a spider, got out. Patrick had his eyes wide opened but, with a sidelong look at his professor, he took courage and casted the spell. The spider's fangs turned into two large rabbit like teeth. Patrick an his classmates laughed hard out loud.

"Excellent! Davenport, your turn!" called Harry over the laughter.

A young wizard with black hair quickly went in front of the Boggart, it took a snake shape. Davenport bravely faced the animal, which turned way too hairy and bright pink, it did no longer resemble a snake. Harry called the next student, and then some more, each one of them succeeding on their task.

"Nott!" he was the last one to participate.

Thomas went up front with a sense of dreading, he was way more scare than any of his classmates. Harry noted that he was shaking slightly, even before the Boggart had finished transforming. When it did, Harry couldn't hide his shock. There, in the middle of the classroom was no other than an adult Theodore Nott, his ex Slytherin classmate. His face was contorted into a terrifying grimace. His eyes were fulminating Thomas, his nostrils enlarged of fury and a ghoulish smile spread over his mouth.

The young Ravenclaw was paralyzed by fear on the spot. The Boggart was approaching him more and more but Thomas couldn't make spell leave his mouth. Realising his student's problem, Harry put himself between the dark creature and the kid, and the Boggart changed into a Dementor. Already use to this kind of creature, he had no difficulty destroying it.

"Good job everyone. You are free to go" Harry let his students leave the classroom but stopped Thomas by grabbing his arm. "I have to talk with you for a minute"

Harry waited until the rest of the class had left the place before speaking to the child.

"That was your father, right? I recognized him." Thomas nodded without taking his eyes from the floor, he was too embarrass face his teacher. "Does he… treat you badly?" That time he didn't even gave a sign of having listened him. "Don't be afraid of telling me, Thomas. I know how it is like, I grew up in a house were nobody wanted me, I have received more beatings from my uncle than I can even remember. I want to help you."

"He doesn't… I mean… not so much… not me at least" he answered with a thread of voice, almost as if would cost him his life to say it and tears started falling down his face. "My sister Emma suffers him much more, and Haley too. Though, my mom is always the one who is hurt the most. She is always trying to defend us and it always ends badly. And some other times, my father just unloads his bad mood on her, even if we hadn't done anything."

Harry felt tightness on his chest and his throat got closed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, what Ginny and her children had been through. He was going to take revenge. He was going to kill that Nott bastard. How dared he beat his own children? How dared he attack the woman Harry had loved so much? A fury that he hadn't felt in so many years quickly took hold of him, trying to suppress it in front of the kid, Harry spoke again.

"Don't worry anymore. You're safe here. I promise I won't let anything happen to you and your family."

"He's going to come and look for us, I know it. He doesn't stand losing. He likes being in control, that's why my mom couldn't have a wand at home. I'm sure he is going to take revenge on her for abandoning him. I'm scare, I'm worry that when he finds her he'll do something much worse than he had ever done, I think… I think t-that he is capable of ki-ki-killing her." Once he started talking, Thomas wasn't able to hold back. Tears continued running through his face but he didn't care anymore, he needed his teacher's help. Harry put both of his hands on the boy's shoulder and made him look into his eyes.

"Thomas, I promise you I'll protect you, your mother and your sisters. If your father ever appears he will have to go against me. If you ever hear something from or about him you come and find me. I won't let anything happen to any of you. Trust me on this, Theodore Nott won't win this one."

Thomas relaxed a little bit thanks to Harry's words. The young wizard seemed to have a big burden on his shoulders; being the man of the family he must have felt responsible for his sisters and mother. It didn't matter that he was just a twelve year old, he had to keep them safe.

By the time they had finished their talk it was already time for his next class, fifth years Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors, in other words, Teddy Lupin and Emma Nott would be there.

Harry observed Emma during the entire class, now that he had heard everything, he was worried about her. The witch was really good with her wand, she had great power, her expelliarmus had thrown his godson many meters behind. At first, Harry could see no trace of a child that had been abused by her father, but little by little, some stuff became evident.

First of all was her shyness. She tended to keep to herself, trying not to stand out. Then, Harry noticed a scar on her right eyebrow, possibly from some beating. But what called most his attention, was how she seemed to follow, through the corners of her eyes, every little movement Harry made. It was such a sneaky movement that it took him a long time to notice. Harry was going to have to treat her with the utmost care.