The new teacher

It was during dinner that Severus came storming in through the floo. "Can you believe what Dumbledore did?" He seems genuinely very angry.

Mother calmly puts down her cutlery. "Severus, dear, you know that I have already invited you for dinner multiple times, but storming in like this is quite rude. Not that I am not glad to see you."

Severus looks a bit calmer now. "Of course," he answers, "My apologies."

"No matter," mother smiles warmly at Severus. "Have a seat. Eat dinner with us."

He looks as if he is going to reject the offer. "I might as well," he then admits. "Dumbledore thought it a reasonable idea to hire Remus Lupin as the new defence teacher." His voice was very clear on how unacceptable he thought the new teacher would be. "Of course, I told him my reservations, but Albus would not listen."

Father puts down his glass of water. "Well, I will not stand for it," Lucius drawls. "Let me talk to some members of the board. I'm sure they'll be very sensitive to your case."

Severus looks a bit warily.

Father however does not seem to notice. "Considering with whom he was friends at Hogwarts."

"Dear, I believe he was friends with Lily and James Potter, if my memory serves me correctly, how could that ever help your case," mother soothingly reacts.

Father looks a bit annoyed. "His other friend, dear."

Mother smiles. "Peter Pettigrew?"

Father scowls. "I am talking about Sirius Black. They were friends and as a caring parent it would be more than fair to have my reservations about him as the new teacher. Isn't it very convenient that he starts teaching, while the summer before his old chap escaped Azkaban? Besides, I am sure they'd all be horrified to hear about what Dumbledore chose as his new teacher."

"You'll do no such thing," mother smoothly intervenes.

Severus looks a bit sour. "As much as I'd like to agree with you, Lucius, the headmaster would not be pleased if Lupin's affliction came to daylight."

Father is looking intently at Severus. "I could still raise questions about Lupin's former friendship."

"Like Narcissa said, Lupin was also friends with the Potters," Snape sneers. He looks very tempted to let father run to the board to tell whatever dirt he had on Lupin. "Besides Dumbledore entirely trusts Lupin and he does care about his golden boy."

Father nods. "And you do not trust Lupin, but if you think that is best," father sighs, "Fine. I won't press charges. Take care off Draco. The headmaster might care for Potter, but he is not the only student at Hogwarts. I can at least trust you to ensure the safety of the students." Narcissa smiles softly at father, who notices her glance and softly squeezes her hand. "Severus, come over tomorrow. We should have dinner with just the four of us, as a family. Draco will almost go back to Hogwarts too, we should just have a quiet day together, with food and family."

Narcissa now is smiling broadly. "Lucius is right, you should come over tomorrow."

Severus nods sharply. "I should go back to Hogwarts. The headmaster did want to speak to me this evening."

Food and family

Severus came over around two. We mostly spend the day talking. It was nice. Lucius seemed calmer, like he'd realised something about what he found more important and it was very clear to me that mother and I were high on that list. It felt kind of like Christmas. Everyone seemed in a great mood, except for Severus who seemed to be still a bit muffled over the new teacher.

Father seemed a lot more relaxed. Normally he'd only get this way after a few drinks. He acted silly, singing along with mums favourite songs, making me and mother laugh and pulling mother away to dance and twirl her in circles.

I mostly felt really curious about the new Hogwarts professor, but trying to needle any information out of Severus is like trying to kill a dragon with flubberworms. It really was a waste of time. "So, why do you hate the new Hogwarts teacher so much?"

Severus looks very much like he wants to say something else. "I don't hate professor Lupin. I just had some reservations. I expect you to do well in his classes."

I snort, thinking back about our previous teachers. "Is he as horrendous as Lockhart and Quirrel? Are we going to learn anything?"

Severus snarls. "At the very least, I am pleased to say, he knows his subject." Cool. I might actually learn some defence this year.

Then I remember Severus trying to get hired as the new DADA teacher each year. "Sorry you did not get the position."

Severus looks surprised. "I do not like teaching. I don't care about the position."

Well, to be honest that makes a lot of sense. I hesitate. "Why do you teach?"

"Life unfolds in mysterious ways, Draco," Severus answers. "If you can tell me the intricate of the universe, maybe then you can explain, why I torture myself with the pleasure of teaching dunderheads."

Well, okay, maybe he did not want to answer that. I then smile cheekily at him. "You don't only teach dunderheads. You teach dunderheads and your brilliant godson." Severus looks slightly amused. "But seriously, why don't you just quit, if you hate the job so much."

Severus looks a bit annoyed with my question. "He offered me the job when no one else was willing to hire me. I had not made myself very popular."

"Well, I am sure father could help you get you any job you'd like," I say. "He considers you a dear friend."

Severus takes a sip of his drink. "I have no interest in a job in the ministry and do not be a fool to think that your father holds all the influence in the world. I do not want my way bought in, I'm sure that is something you can understand."

"Still," I insist, "You like potions. You are obviously extremely talented. Someone should be more than interested to have you working for them."

Severus smiles. "Look, I can deal with the dunderheads, Draco, no need for your concerns," he says, "I have my reasons to keep this job. Some of them are none of your concern. Some of them you can know. I'll tell you one. This job gives me the opportunity to spend a lot of time with you."

Then it is silent for quite some time. Mother and father then join us. Mother is smiling broadly. "I think you've spun me around one time too many, dear. I feel a bit lightheaded."

Father looks smugly. "Maybe we should dance more often. I do like how you smile when we dance."

"I'd like that," my mother softly answers. She then smiles warmly at me and Severus. "Draco dear, excited to go back to Hogwarts?"

Severus smoothly cuts in before I can answer. "Well Narcissa, I must admit I am less than pleased to go back to teaching dunderheads again. At least there is one point of light in it all in the form of my brilliant godson."

I snort. Mother looks amusedly from me to Severus. "It would be nice to see my friends again," I then admit. "And I will take my elections for the first time."

Father smiled hesitantly at me. "Yes, you'll take arithmancy and study of ancient runes," he says quickly, "That are quite some challenging subjects you picked out."

I smile back, hesitantly. "Well, I could not see myself taking something as humiliating as divination."

Father snorts. "I am glad you are not taking divination. Arithmancy and ancient runes are very useful subjects," he then adds softly, almost encouragingly.

"I guess," I answer.

Father then looks to his feet for a second. "And, did your friends take the same electives?"

Mother smirks proudly. "Please, not everyone is as smart en level-headed as Draco, dear."

Only Theodore took the same electives," I answer. "I think arithmancy will be just me, Theodore and a lot of Ravenclaws. Pansy signed up for ancient runes and divination. Pansy was actually quite excited for divination."

Mother shakes her head. "She really is quite smart. I do not understand why perfectly smart girls like her still are drawn to such dramatic nonsense."

"Well, as far as I can remember you had chosen divination too, dear," father snorts. "Talked about it for weeks, how exciting it would be to see the future.."

Mother lightly smacks father on his belly. "At least, I did not follow divination for the rest of my years at Hogwarts," she says dignified. "After my first class I immediately ran to Slughorn to ask him to change electives. Arithmancy was a lot more useful and taught actually valuable stuff."

"I remember that," father quips happily, "You were ever so snooty. You always knew best and did things exactly as you wished them to do."

Mother looks inquiring at Father. "How else would I learn exactly how rubbish divination was?"

"Of course dear," father answer, while rolling his eyes at me. I snort. "I do like that you got that level-headedness from your mother." He then says with a wink, "Just use it next time before you try to befriend a basilisk."

"Hey," I object, "I definitely did not befriend it. Believe me, it was far from friendly."

Mother looks a bit pale at the mention of the basilisk. "Well, at least he is not taking divination like you did," she then lightly joked.

"Well," father quipped, "I could not help it some wonderful, gorgeous girl was always talking about how wonderful it would be to tell the future. I thought it might help me woo her."

Mother looks slightly mortified. "You always told me how rubbish it was, even before you chose it as an elective," mother objects.

"Then after having survived a year of divination, of making up elaborate dreams and dramatic stories," Lucius continues, "This girl finally takes this class and when I want to corner her after her first lesson of divination and want to tell her I saw us marrying together in a glass orb in my first divination exam, she at once thinks divination is the most pathetic thing and laughs at me, straight in my face."

Mother snorts. "Oh, I'm sorry dear."

"I remember that," Snape then adds, "That was the day Narcissa here won my respect. Before she always was so snooty and girly, wanting to take divination of all things, then after she was still very snooty, but also level-headed and no nonsense."

"I am not snooty," Mother objects. "I have always been a very dignified lady."

"Of course," Severus answers curtly.

"I have been thinking," Lucius then interrupts, "I thought that it might be a good idea if we got Draco's school supplies today. I think it would set our minds at peace if you would be there with us, Severus."

Severus curtly nods. He looks at me. "I have no objections, though I do not think Black would be so idiotic to try something in Diagon Alley. But one can never be too careful."

Father looks darkly. "It's where Potter is. And next, Potter will go to Hogwarts. Neither are places Black can just appear without commotion. I appreciate it, Severus."

The rest of the days was filled with conversations, food and ice-cream. While getting my books, the poor book shop assistant seemed quite devastated when I told him I was a third year Hogwarts student, but after ensuring him I did not need books for care of magical creatures he seemed a lot more at peace. When I saw the feared books trapped in a cage, furiously trying to bite people walking by I at once was very happy not to have chosen this elective. Whoever thought that would be a funny book, would not be my best friend.

The rest of the day passed calmly. All in all it was a very nice day with just family. I even shortly got to speak Harry, more like say hi, who was eating an ice-cream at Florian Fortescue, who was telling him all kinds of things about history.

Hogwarts Express

Today I'd go to Hogwarts. Mother would floor me to the station, father said his good-byes at the manor. He hugged me. Looked a few seconds at me, carefully studying my face. "Be careful and try to do well. I'll miss you."

I quickly hug him. "I'll miss you too." Then mother apparates us to the platform. I spot Pansy, for a moment I want to tackle her in a hug, then I spot Daphne next to her. Maybe I'll see her later, I then decide.

Mother then hugs me too. "I know I don't have to tell you to do well in school, but try your best. I'm very proud of the grades you've gotten last year. You are a very smart boy. And don't forget to write. I want to know how you are doing. Tell me if something happens. And before running into trouble, remember to go to Severus."

"I will mum," I answer slightly muffled, due to still being in a tight hug.

She then quickly releases me, quickly composing herself. "Good. Have a nice school year dear. And tell Pansy her hair looks nice. She seems to have put some labour in it."

"Okay," I answer confused. "Bye mum." I wave, before I head to the train. I then find a compartment with Theodore and Ginny, which I join.

I swing the door open. "Hey guys." I quickly study Ginny, she seems to have even more freckles than before. "So how was Egypt?"

Ginny smiles broadly. "Great. I was just telling Theodore about the pyramid Bill showed us. It had all kind of traps and horrendous jinxes to keep invaders out and Bill kept telling all those stories of how important it was to keep on your guard and to be careful. There was some really horrible pyramid, where all this muggles tried to break in and there lay all this corpses that had grown extra heads and limbs. Mum definitely does not like Bill to have such a dangerous job and she continuously kept telling him to cut his hair short. But he just likes it long and he's got this fang in his ear, which mother thought was horrendous. He just told her no one at works gives damn about his looks as long as he brings plenty of treasure home. And he showed us quite some scars that he'd got during work and told great stories, one he got from battling mummies. And Bill was just really nice."

And the train ride as well was very nice. Ginny was enthusiastically telling us about her brother Bill and Egypt. Theo seemed more than interested to find out more about Egypt. To be truthful, we all were. I told them some stories about my vacation with Pansy. Theo mostly talked about arithmancy and asked a lot of questions about the sort of curses Ginny had encountered in Egypt. Vin and Greg joins us. Greg was more than excited to see his bow truckle again. Then the train stopped.

Theo grabs his wand. "Why would the train stop, we're clearly not yet there."

"Maybe someone should ask the conductor," I say. I then see how pale Ginny looks and put my arm around her. She seems to sense something really bad. Then the lights turn off and the windows seem to freeze. Strange, it had not seemed that cold outside. Then hordes of dark-cloaked creatures swarm around the Hogwarts express. A bony hand stuck in through the unclosed window. Ginny started shaking. She looked ash-white.

One of the dark-cloaked creatures enters our carriage. I felt like I'd never be happy again. Is this what a dementor looks like? It seemed drawn to Ginny, who feeling her shudder in my arms, seems very much affected by it. I try to stand between them and Vin seems to mirror my move.

The dementor then seems mostly focused on Vin, who is growing rapidly pale, but does not move aside. Then at once the dementors all retreat and the lights flash on again.

Everyone seems at least a bit shaken. Conversations after that feel hesitant and are mostly small talk.

Then a thin, baggy-clothed man barged in, on his face was a long thin scar, who presented himself as our new defence teacher. He gave us all chocolate and told us about dementors and asked if everyone was alright. Then he left. She Ginny seemed to relax again and to regain some of her colour after eating some chocolate, I excused myself, wanting to look for Pansy.

Pansy was sharing a compartment with Daphne, Astoria, Blaise and Millicent. It seemed she was just a bit shaken up by the arrival of the dementors, but a reaction like Ginny had to it, seemed quite much worse. I did not tell her about it and went back to the others.

When the train stops for the second time, not due to dementors, everyone leaves the compartment and I quickly snatch onto Vin's sleeve. We are the only ones that are still in the compartment. "So, how about Ginny?" I ask. "Going to ask her out any time soon?"

"I don't know, Draco," Vin looks a bit sullen. "I just think she needs a few really good friends. You saw how shaken up she was after the dementors." He looks contemplating. "No. No, I'm not asking her out. I just want to be there for her. I want to be her friend. She needs one."

I smile. That was really sweet. I clap his back. Then we quickly walk out of the train and get in line for the carriages.