Chapter 2
Professor Reuben
On September 1st, it was the end of summer holidays, so Ron and Harry had to go back to Hogwarts for their second year. Harry was so excited to go back, he never felt so good as he got onto the Hogwarts Express. He, Ron and Hermione sat together in one compartment and couldn't stop discussing what subjects they'll do this year, how Hagrid and Fluffy are or what kind of ludicrous tests Professor Snape will set them. That is until another student by the name of Neville Longbottom, who was a short, tubby kid, came bursting in the door with an older man. He appeared about 30 years of age with a close cut shaved head and piercing grey eyes. He was apparently a teacher, because Neville was referring to him as 'sir' while pointing at Harry.
'Sir, sir, it's him! He did it! He killed Trevor!'
~~~~
'What?' Harry asked, 'Neville what are you talking about? I haven't seen you or Trevor all year.'
'Don't lie Harry! I saw you at the station! I saw you eyeing out Trevor in his cage! Then you took out your wand and "BOOM", he was dead!' Neville told him,
Harry was completely shocked, he didn't know what to say.
'Harry, I'm Professor Reuben. I don't honestly believe it was you who killed Neville's toad but ...'
'Harry Potter wouldn't do anything so ...' Ron yelled, but Professor Reuben interrupted.
'-Harry - Potter!' He smiled, Harry just stared at him. 'I do not believe it's you! Such a pleasure to meet you!' He said shaking Harry's hand firmly.
'What do you teach?' Hermione asked politely.
'I'm your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore's choice, but he didn't tell me I'd be teaching the Harry Potter!'
Harry wasn't surprised at his actions because roughly every person that found out who he is, acted in a similar way. Neville was beginning to get annoyed.
'Bu, but sir! He killed my Trevor!' He cried
Professor Reuben shook his head at him,
'No, no Neville! Harry would never kill your toad, would you Harry?' He turned to Harry who shook his head hard. Neville sat down next to Harry and inspected him.
'It was Harry, because he was wearing the same robes! And, and -'
' -But everyone has those robes Neville! Even you!' Reuben pointed at him, and Neville continued to examine him, when he spotted Harry's wand in his belt.
' - and he had that exact wand! Believe me!' Neville got back up.
'But anyone could have that wand too!' Ron cried,
Professor Reuben pulled Neville outside the door and into the hallway.
'Now, Neville, this is Harry Potter you're saying that killed your toad! You must be wrong! Now go back to your compartment. Maybe your Gran will buy you a new one.' He pushed Neville down the hall, and the sound of sobbing came after him. Professor Reuben turned back inside and sat directly next to Harry. For a few minutes there were tense, quick glances between the four of them. Ron ignored Reuben and Harry and stared out the window.
'So-' Reuben continued, ' -do you really have the scar?' Asking Harry, who nodded and swept the hair away from his forehead revealing his lightning bolt shaped scar.
Reuben just made a faint curious noise and nodded.
'Thanks for that,' Harry added, 'But that wasn't me who did that, I swear. I never even saw him until you both came a couple of minutes ago'
'I know, Harry. No one can blame you, besides, the kid didn't have any real evidence that it actually was you. Don't worry about it' Reuben leaned back into his seat,
'Now that I remember, Harry, you - or someone who we thought was you - told us that if they didn't see me and Ron at the station that they would do something drastic' Hermione told him,
'Yeah so?' Ron asked,
Hermione went silent.
'I don't know? I thought maybe that had something to do with this whole toad thing' She finally said,
~~~~
When they arrived at Hogwarts Castle Station, it was already dusk, and when Harry got off the train with Ron and Hermione, he noticed that Neville was still crying. Professor Reuben had remained with them to chat to them about Hogwarts and what they did last year, and got off with them. At the end of the station was Hagrid with a lamp, escorting all the first years off to the boats, so Harry waved to him but Hagrid didn't see. He ended up jaunting away before he could say hello. They said goodbye to Reuben who ran off somewhere immediately and headed towards the castle with the rest of the second years.
Later that night in the Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione were at their house tables watching the first years being sorted into their houses. Ron's little sister Ginny was at Hogwarts for the first time and was sorted into Gryffindor as well as the rest of her family. At Hogwarts Castle, there are four separate house groups, for different wizards and witches (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. There wasn't a witch or wizard that didn't go bad that wasn't in Slytherin). When they start their first year they get sorted into these houses by a speaking sorting hat, that is old and tattered.
When the sorting ceremony was done, the grand feast began. The empty gold plated plates and jugs in the middle of the tables, suddenly filled with all types of foods. Turkey, pudding, ham, dumplings, potatoes, gravy, vegetables you name it, it was all there.
As everybody was appreciating the feast, Harry looked over to the High Table where all the teachers sat. He saw Albus Dumbledore, Madam Hooch the Quidditch Referee, Professor Flitwick the Charms teacher along with the rest of Hogwarts teachers. One thing Harry did observe was Professor Reuben talking to his most hated teacher of all. Professor Snape. Snape was the Potions master, and he absolutely despised Harry, taking points away from Gryffindor whenever Harry made an error in class. Everybody in the school knew that Snape was always after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job, and consistently tried to scam it off the people who did get the job. In this case it was Professor Reuben. They both appeared as if they were having a deep conversation, and it seemed a bit suspicious to Harry that Snape kept gazing in his direction.
'Hey, does he keep looking at you?' asked Ron, who also saw them,
'Yeah,' Harry said softly, 'It seems strange though, cause we were talking to Reuben about everything that happened over the holidays, including the letters'
Hermione was listening and faintly gasped,
'Could Reuben have something to do with Neville's toad?' She replied.
Ron, Hermione and Harry all looked at Snape who had an wicked grin on his face.
On September 1st, it was the end of summer holidays, so Ron and Harry had to go back to Hogwarts for their second year. Harry was so excited to go back, he never felt so good as he got onto the Hogwarts Express. He, Ron and Hermione sat together in one compartment and couldn't stop discussing what subjects they'll do this year, how Hagrid and Fluffy are or what kind of ludicrous tests Professor Snape will set them. That is until another student by the name of Neville Longbottom, who was a short, tubby kid, came bursting in the door with an older man. He appeared about 30 years of age with a close cut shaved head and piercing grey eyes. He was apparently a teacher, because Neville was referring to him as 'sir' while pointing at Harry.
'Sir, sir, it's him! He did it! He killed Trevor!'
~~~~
'What?' Harry asked, 'Neville what are you talking about? I haven't seen you or Trevor all year.'
'Don't lie Harry! I saw you at the station! I saw you eyeing out Trevor in his cage! Then you took out your wand and "BOOM", he was dead!' Neville told him,
Harry was completely shocked, he didn't know what to say.
'Harry, I'm Professor Reuben. I don't honestly believe it was you who killed Neville's toad but ...'
'Harry Potter wouldn't do anything so ...' Ron yelled, but Professor Reuben interrupted.
'-Harry - Potter!' He smiled, Harry just stared at him. 'I do not believe it's you! Such a pleasure to meet you!' He said shaking Harry's hand firmly.
'What do you teach?' Hermione asked politely.
'I'm your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Dumbledore's choice, but he didn't tell me I'd be teaching the Harry Potter!'
Harry wasn't surprised at his actions because roughly every person that found out who he is, acted in a similar way. Neville was beginning to get annoyed.
'Bu, but sir! He killed my Trevor!' He cried
Professor Reuben shook his head at him,
'No, no Neville! Harry would never kill your toad, would you Harry?' He turned to Harry who shook his head hard. Neville sat down next to Harry and inspected him.
'It was Harry, because he was wearing the same robes! And, and -'
' -But everyone has those robes Neville! Even you!' Reuben pointed at him, and Neville continued to examine him, when he spotted Harry's wand in his belt.
' - and he had that exact wand! Believe me!' Neville got back up.
'But anyone could have that wand too!' Ron cried,
Professor Reuben pulled Neville outside the door and into the hallway.
'Now, Neville, this is Harry Potter you're saying that killed your toad! You must be wrong! Now go back to your compartment. Maybe your Gran will buy you a new one.' He pushed Neville down the hall, and the sound of sobbing came after him. Professor Reuben turned back inside and sat directly next to Harry. For a few minutes there were tense, quick glances between the four of them. Ron ignored Reuben and Harry and stared out the window.
'So-' Reuben continued, ' -do you really have the scar?' Asking Harry, who nodded and swept the hair away from his forehead revealing his lightning bolt shaped scar.
Reuben just made a faint curious noise and nodded.
'Thanks for that,' Harry added, 'But that wasn't me who did that, I swear. I never even saw him until you both came a couple of minutes ago'
'I know, Harry. No one can blame you, besides, the kid didn't have any real evidence that it actually was you. Don't worry about it' Reuben leaned back into his seat,
'Now that I remember, Harry, you - or someone who we thought was you - told us that if they didn't see me and Ron at the station that they would do something drastic' Hermione told him,
'Yeah so?' Ron asked,
Hermione went silent.
'I don't know? I thought maybe that had something to do with this whole toad thing' She finally said,
~~~~
When they arrived at Hogwarts Castle Station, it was already dusk, and when Harry got off the train with Ron and Hermione, he noticed that Neville was still crying. Professor Reuben had remained with them to chat to them about Hogwarts and what they did last year, and got off with them. At the end of the station was Hagrid with a lamp, escorting all the first years off to the boats, so Harry waved to him but Hagrid didn't see. He ended up jaunting away before he could say hello. They said goodbye to Reuben who ran off somewhere immediately and headed towards the castle with the rest of the second years.
Later that night in the Great Hall, Harry, Ron and Hermione were at their house tables watching the first years being sorted into their houses. Ron's little sister Ginny was at Hogwarts for the first time and was sorted into Gryffindor as well as the rest of her family. At Hogwarts Castle, there are four separate house groups, for different wizards and witches (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. There wasn't a witch or wizard that didn't go bad that wasn't in Slytherin). When they start their first year they get sorted into these houses by a speaking sorting hat, that is old and tattered.
When the sorting ceremony was done, the grand feast began. The empty gold plated plates and jugs in the middle of the tables, suddenly filled with all types of foods. Turkey, pudding, ham, dumplings, potatoes, gravy, vegetables you name it, it was all there.
As everybody was appreciating the feast, Harry looked over to the High Table where all the teachers sat. He saw Albus Dumbledore, Madam Hooch the Quidditch Referee, Professor Flitwick the Charms teacher along with the rest of Hogwarts teachers. One thing Harry did observe was Professor Reuben talking to his most hated teacher of all. Professor Snape. Snape was the Potions master, and he absolutely despised Harry, taking points away from Gryffindor whenever Harry made an error in class. Everybody in the school knew that Snape was always after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job, and consistently tried to scam it off the people who did get the job. In this case it was Professor Reuben. They both appeared as if they were having a deep conversation, and it seemed a bit suspicious to Harry that Snape kept gazing in his direction.
'Hey, does he keep looking at you?' asked Ron, who also saw them,
'Yeah,' Harry said softly, 'It seems strange though, cause we were talking to Reuben about everything that happened over the holidays, including the letters'
Hermione was listening and faintly gasped,
'Could Reuben have something to do with Neville's toad?' She replied.
Ron, Hermione and Harry all looked at Snape who had an wicked grin on his face.