A/N: I'm spoiling you, aren't I?

I just wanted to say thank you so much for all your reviews, favourites, follows, etc. I've been overwhelmed these last few days because of it. It means so much to me that you love this story just as much as I do. We're barely scratching the surface too. There should be some time skips starting after the next chapter.

Chapter 12: The Stag and The Otter

Harry stared at the thin, silver wisps of smoke that wrapped around his and Peter's hand as Hermione completed the Unbreakable Vow. She was the witness for them, the one casting the vow for Harry and each of the Marauders. As promised, they swore that they wouldn't tell anyone outside of the six of them what had been discussed that night, and any other night they discuss it.

Not McGonagall.

Not Dumbledore.

Not Marlene.

Certainly not Lily.

Nobody else was to know the secret. Fleamont and Euphemia were to receive their own vow, this one different than the one the Marauders swore to, due to them hopefully helping Harry and Hermione with their mission while they were still stuck at Hogwarts.

For now, until they graduate in July, the Marauders are to only know what happened and help the plotting process.

They wouldn't know everything. Just the important details.

Hermione had been wary at first, not knowing if Peter was involved with the Death Eaters yet, but had been convinced when Harry reminded her that he would already be showing signs of his disloyalty by now.

"Imagine if this is the reason why This Peter takes that path. He hasn't shown me any reason to not include him, yet. As soon as he does, I'm all for Obliviating him if he's not already taken down by the breaking of his vow. Until then, he could be a valuable ally." Harry had said to her in the kitchenette as she cleaned up the teacups to be collected by the house-elves.

"You know, I can't wait to see what you've got lined up for your first proper lesson." James said to Harry as he waited for Sirius, Remus, and Peter to finish whatever they were doing and go back to the common room before curfew.

Harry slowly turned his head and stared at James. He frowned lightly, scrutinising James' features. They truly were nearly identical, all except his eyes and possibly the shape of his nose. Their hair was the same dark shade, it fell in the same way, and there was even a slight curl to their luscious locks. Everything else about James, the way he held himself and his personality, was nothing like Harry.

It wasn't even like the James that Harry grew up hearing stories about.

What had happened to This James that didn't happen to Harry's James? There must have been a difference in upbringing, something minute that caused this change. Harry wasn't even sure he'd be able to place it, even if he did know what it was.

James slowly began to grow unnerved as Harry continued to stare unblinkingly at him.

"What?"

"You're not how I'd imagined you." Harry said to him bluntly after a moment's paused. He wasn't sure if he was willing to tell James what he had been thinking, but it was too late now.

"And how did you imagine me?" James asked, suddenly self-conscious. He tugged the hem of his school jumper down, a nervous habit that Harry hadn't seen in him before.

"I dunno." Harry shrugged, looking James over again. "You seem more arrogant than I remember being told. There's this air about you that makes me want to turn in the other direction even though you're my … well. I suppose I should have expected some personality differences between you and my dad, but I don't think I imagined it to be this different. It's like you're a completely different person."

James frowned at him, not sure If he liked the comparison. Harry seemed to be upset that he was this arrogant version of his dad, and he found that he didn't like it.

"I'm probably just being silly," Harry admitted, running a hand through his hair nervously. "Sorry. I didn't know him, I just grew up on stories from Sirius and Remus, so I sort of had my own expectations. But you're only seventeen, of course you're going to be a bit arrogant. I'm sorry I put that on you."

"Nah, don't worry about it." James forced a smile, even though that horrible nauseous feeling was still in his stomach. "Sometimes a bloke's got to be told he's too arrogant, right?"

"Right." Harry gave him a tight smile, not entirely convinced that James was okay with the apology.

"All done. Remember, don't tell anyone about the whiskey." Hermione said to them as she stood beside Harry at the portrait hole, ready to wish the Marauders a good night. If she heard the conversation between James and her boyfriend, she didn't let it show. Neither did Sirius, Remus, and Peter. "Everything else goes unsaid, seeing as you've just vowed to speak to nobody else about it."

"How often did you want to meet to talk about it?" Remus asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Not very often to begin with, I don't think." Hermione said thoughtfully. "Maybe once every few weeks? It's more something to do once you graduate, if you understand. It's not like we can do anything anyway, what with teaching classes and all that jazz."

"Right. Let us know, though?" Remus gave her a tight smile, then looked down at her bandaged leg. "Is that still bleeding?"

Hermione sighed heavily, looking down at her leg. She'd tried to do research on cursed werewolf wounds given outside of the full moon and came up blank. She was appalled with the lack of knowledge of werewolves in this world and couldn't wait to be reunited with her beaded bag so she could look at the books she had stowed away in there. Surely, there was something she found that could permanently heal her leg.

She was sick of taking three different potions every day and rebandaging them twice a day.

"No, not for lack of trying though. Poppy does her best, but I suppose this is just one of those things I have to deal with."

"Next time you see her," Remus whispered, moving closer to her so that she could hear. The other boys were speculating with Harry what their first lesson would be about, but Harry wasn't giving them any answers. "Ask to try some muggle methods. Stitches, blood thinners, that sort of thing. You might only need stitches, but it wouldn't hurt to try. I've not had wounds that bad before, but if it's because it's cursed… I dunno, maybe something mundane will help."

"Thank you, Remus. I'll be sure to ask her in the morning." Hermione gave him a sweet smile, patting him on the arm gently. "Now, off with you. Curfew ends soon and I know it'll take at least fifteen minutes to get up those stairs at this time of night."

oOoOoOo

Harry and Hermione hadn't had time to speak to the Marauders since.

Something had changed in the foursome since that night, and Hermione wasn't sure if it was for the better or not. James particularly didn't seem like himself. He was more observant, mindful of how he interacted with anyone non-Marauder, and kept his head down for the most part. He still looked out for the other students, as Head Boy, but didn't antagonise anyone like he normally would. Hermione assumed it had something to do with the conversation he had with Harry before they left, but didn't want to ask just in case she was wrong.

As promised, Hermione met with Madame Pomfrey the next morning and talked about muggle methods of healing her scratch wounds. It took the better part of an hour, a lot of numbing solution and blood replenishing potions, but Hermione's wound was stitched up and stopped bleeding. For the moment. She still saw Madame Pomfrey a few times during the day for her next dose of potions, and each time she had looked over Hermione's leg just in case the stitches stopped working.

So far, so good.

Hermione even braved wearing a pair of tights with her yellow sundress for class on Friday, pleased that she was finally able to cover her legs. She'd have to get Remus some chocolate when she went to Hogsmeade to thank him.

She watched from her desk as the Seventh years noisily filed into the classroom. They'd agreed to begin with a practical lesson, something that they hoped would lift the student's spirits and also get them thinking seriously about their class.

Harry was stood in between the two teaching desks. His feet were shoulder width apart, his hands buried deep within the dark grey material of his trousers. He forwent the suit jacket, leaving it in their office, but still wore the matching waistcoat to his trousers. The sleeves of his royal blue shirt were rolled to his elbows.

Hermione swooned when she saw him that morning. Three-piece suits should be illegal, at least for Harry Potter.

He looked too fucking good in them.

His eyes were calculating as he watched the students sit in their seats, still talking amongst themselves. He clenched his teeth, flexing his jaw as he noticed some Slytherins glaring towards the Marauders. To their credit, they acted like they hadn't noticed, which seemed to anger the Slytherins more.

It was a good job Harry wasn't going to teach them duelling until after Christmas.

Hopefully by that point, they all stopped acting like children.

Harry pulled the pocket watch from the pocket of his waistcoat and opened it. He stared at the hand ticking around the watch face before he snapped it shut again and put it away.

The sound of the watch closing made all the students stop talking and look at him.

They were all just as eager as him to start their practical lesson, not that they knew what they were doing.

"The Patronus Charm," Harry began loudly, his voice echoing around the quiet classroom, "Is one of the most difficult pieces of magic anyone can create. There are several things that one needs to ensure the success of such a charm, and even so it is extremely hard to cast one perfectly. To cast a corporeal Patronus is near impossible, but it can be done, if you're willing to put in the time and energy to learn it."

Harry started to walk slowly up the aisle between the students, locking eyes with each student as he passed. He gave Lily a slight smile when he passed her, and nodded his head ever so slightly at James.

The class were listening intently, enthralled by him.

"I'm not expecting you to cast a corporeal Patronus. Nor am I asking you to cast an incorporeal Patronus. If you manage it, very well done. It is more common to produce incorporeal, and doing so is not shameful." Harry paused at the back of the classroom, turning on his heel so he could face the front. He caught Hermione's eye and winked at her, causing her to roll her eyes with a soft smile. "For your NEWTs, you should be able to cast this charm. There are no bonus points for corporeal, so please don't work yourself too hard to create one. For some, it's impossible."

Harry made his way back to the front of the classroom and stood between the tables again. He waved his wand towards the chalkboard on his side of the room and waited for the enchanted piece of chalk to begin writing his words onto the board.

"The most important thing you need with a Patronus charm is a happy memory." He told the class. "Not just any happy memory. Thinking about your favourite sweet back in stock in Honeydukes isn't enough to keep Dementors away if they're after you. You need something that is going to fill you up from the inside. Something that makes your heart burst when you think about it." He paused, looking at them again.

"You need something that fills you with so much joy, you don't think you could ever be happier."

A hand slowly rose from the back of the classroom. Harry gave them a smile,

"Yes, Miss McKinnon?"

"Can you make a corporeal Patronus, sir?"

"Yes, I can." Harry looked back at Hermione and gave her a smirk. "So can Hermione, but I was able to do it first, then I taught her and some of our friends. Not all of them could do it, and it took them even longer to make a corporeal one, but as long as you learn the basics, you will be fine."

"Can you show us?" Marlene asked eagerly, her legs bouncing in excitement.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Harry gave her a wide smile, as if he wasn't planning on showing the class anyway. It was a practical lesson, after all. "I'll even get Hermione to show you all hers too, it's a cute little thing."

"Oi, leave my Little Lottie alone." Hermione pouted, sticking her tongue out playfully at Harry. She stood up from her chair and walked around the table to stand beside Harry. "I'm sure you're going to learn more about the theory behind them from me next week, but it does make sense to show you all first. It is rather self-explanatory once you know what you're doing."

"A Corporeal Patronus takes the shape of whichever animal you feel more inclined to, personality wise. Think of them as your spirit animals, ready to defend you as soon as you summon them. While an Incorporeal Patronus doesn't take a shape, you can still feel that intense protective energy from it. That's why it's not a bad thing to not make it corporeal, as long as you can still make a strong Patronus." Harry said to them. He pulled his wand from the pocket of his trousers and held it loosely between his fingers.

"You need control, both emotional and physical, but don't hold your wand too tight. If you're holding it too tight, you're thinking too hard and you begin to over-complicate the charm. Once you do that, it won't be as strong." Harry took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, holding his wand out in front of him. From the corner of his eye, he saw Hermione do the same. He wondered what her happy memory was going to be. He slowly let out his breath. "The incantation is this; Expecto Patronum. You need to say it clearly and forcefully. You need to mean it for it to work."

He felt, rather than saw, Hermione take a deep breath of her own as she focused on conjuring her Patronus charm. Harry was suddenly very aware that neither of them had cast the Patronus since before the war. Would they even be able to make it?

Would it be the same animal as before?

"Expecto Patronum!"

The classroom was suddenly filled with a bright light as Harry and Hermione cast the Patronus charm at the same time. The students flinched, shielding their eyes until they were unable to look. They all gasped at one at the sight before them.

A magnificent silver stag had erupted from Harry's wand. It stood beside him, tall and proud, as it stared down at the students. It held itself with so much confidence, they could believe that it was the spirit animal of Harry. The Patronus Stag lost its concentration, its tail swishing lightly as its attention was drawn to another silver animal that was swimming in the air.

From Hermione's wand, her otter Patronus swam in the air. It had a cheeky smile on its face as it moved around the stag's head several times before finally coming to rest on his head, leaning against the giant antlers. It looked at the students with a mischievous smile, making Hermione roll her eyes.

"Oh honestly, Lottie! You're just showing off." Hermione huffed, but the smile on her face betrayed her true emotions. Secretly, she was thrilled that she and Harry could both cast their Patronus. She was worried that they either couldn't, or that their animals would change. She knew that it was a possibility at a time of great emotional upheaval, and hoped that something like jumping between Universes and finally snogging her best friend didn't take her otter way. She would miss it.

"Is that an otter?" Sirius asked from the back, laughing.

"Oi, I'll have you know that otters are majestic, intelligent creatures." Hermione defended her Patronus charm. She knew that Sirius didn't mean to offend, which was why she delivered her next line with a smug smirk on her face. "Better than a mangy, flea-ridden mutt, I imagine."

Sirius began to splutter indignantly at the accusation.

James, Remus, and Peter laughed.

"I'd like you to give it a go," Harry said to the class. He bowed his head at the stag, waiting for a bowed head in return, before cancelling the charm. Hermione did the same after giving her otter an affectionate scratch behind the ear. "If you have to, keep practicing in your spare time too. The stronger you can make the incorporeal Patronus, the better. Also, you'll more likely get a Corporeal one too, eventually."

"Your homework is going to be something fun," Hermione said with a smile as she took a seat behind her desk again. She waited for the groans from the students to subside before she continued. "We want a foot on what you think your Corporeal Patronus is and why. The bigger the better, honestly, because it'll help us to understand yourselves too."

"Right, on your feet!" Harry instructed, clapping his hands together. Once they were all stood up, he waved his wand and watched the tables and chairs move to the side of the classroom. "Much better. You can't produce magic like this while sat behind a desk. Now, remember the incantation and the wand movement. And please, don't forget your happy memory. The happier, the better."

"We'll be doing this until the end of class." Hermione said to the students as they eagerly took their wands from their robe pockets. "If you need any assistance, don't hesitate to ask Harry or I."

Hermione watched with a smile on her face as Harry walked around the students, assisting them with their grip or pronunciation if they caught them struggling. He was clearly in his element. She remembered how much he enjoyed teaching the DA back in Fifth year, and hoped he would enjoy it just as much as an actual teacher.

She knew these students, the future of the Wizarding World, were in safe hands.

How could you not be when you had the Chosen One on your side?