A/N:

David Potter - Always leave'um laughing

Starbeam - I absolutely love the character of Luna Lovegood. She has so much potential to wreck Ron's life.

Isabella Grace - Thanks!

Sabrina - I will try to stay as close to canon as humanly possible and as such, this may turn out to be a very long story.

Sami Potter - Snogging is of the good! More snogging!

Mella deRanged - Yes it is a bit odd, but I still think it has the possibility to be canon in future books. Dumbledore has made weirder decisions in the past. And considering Harry has had teaching experience and the ability to lead a boat load of people ...

Twisted Anjel - Thanks! Yeah I think the Ron/jealousy thing has been played to death already. And I'm happy you can review now, TA!

And to all of you that I missed, Thanks for reviewing. Something funky is going on at FF.net with their Review alerts and I think I'm missing a few in the shuffle. So sorry if you weren't mentioned. You can always email me direct at (Heather@buffysboudoir.com) if you have a particular question or comment that you want responded to.

Chapter 10

Harry woke up the next morning to a knocking on his bedroom door. He stumbled out of bed and looked to the window. Darkness looked back. The sun wasn't even out yet.

He opened the dividing door between his bedroom and the study to find Hermione standing there. "What's wrong?" he yawned.

She frowned at him, "Nothing's wrong, except that you are still in bed. You have classes in two hours and you're the teacher, remember?"

That woke him up, "Oh yeah."

She grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down for a good morning kiss then pulled away just as fast, "You need to go brush your teeth if you want anymore."

She turned around and waved her hand at the table, "Your lesson plans are done through 7the next month for first through fifth year. I'll need to know what Professor Dumbledore has planned for the sixth and seventh years before I go any further."

She turned back to Harry smiling down at her, "What?"

"I'm so lucky to have you."

She looked down at her feet in embarrassment and back up again.

"Dobby came by with another package from Professor Dumbledore."

She handed it to him and watched as he unwrapped it.

Inside was what Harry thought was a prefect badge with a note attached.

Dear Harry,

I thought perhaps you might need a token of authority with your new title. Announcements will be made at breakfast this morning about your status. Please be prompt.

Dumbledore

He held up the shiny gold badge with large letters emblazoned on the front AP.

"I need to get dressed. Will you wait for me?"

She smiled sweetly, "I'm all ready waiting for you, Assistant Professor."

He smirked, "I think I'm gonna like this."

Later, a freshly brushed mouth met his girlfriend's with a proper good morning kiss.

"Much better," she commented. "Let's go. We need to review the lessons before breakfast. I have a feeling you won't have time afterward."

He nodded and they made their way to the Great Hall.

********************

Harry watched nervously as all of the Professors were at breakfast which was something out of the ordinary. Rumors were past around from table to table, and as the noise was coming to a head, Dumbledore silenced them by standing up.

He cleared his throat as the last of the whispering slowed to a close.

"Thank you for your attention. I'm sure some of you are wondering why announcements were not given last night in favor of this morning." He waited until various agreements and acknowledgements were said, "And I am equally sure you have been asking who our newest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is this year."

Murmurs passed around the Great Hall quickly.

"The truth of the matter is we have no Professor this year. Instead I have offered the position of Assistant Professor to a student who's leadership last year guaranteed the O.W.L.'s of many fifth year students and the N.E.W.T.'s of several seventh year students.

"I am, of course, speaking of the teacher of the newly formed D.A. club, Mr. Harry Potter."

The Great Hall exploded. Gryffindor table cheered, Slytherin screamed bloody murder, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw politely clapped and yelled just to be a part of the noise. Dumbledore smiled softly until the various houses calmed a bit.

"One further announcement," he called out to a rapidly decreasing amount of cat calls. "Quidditch tryouts ..."

Harry tuned him out and looked across the way to the Slytherin table and a fuming Draco Malfoy talking incessantly with his cronies Crabb and Goyle. He caught his eye and Draco sneered death at him. Harry only smiled in response.

*********************

Harry took a deep breath and tried to calm the ever increasing amount of butterflies doing back-flips in his stomach, "I shouldn't of had the pancakes."

The bell had rang for first class and he was about to face Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first-years. He held tightly to the notes that Hermione had carefully prepared for him and ran his fingers through his hair one last time before he pushed open the door to the classroom.

He entered and dropped his own eyes to the floor after he saw all fifty-two eyes of eager eleven-year-olds following him to the front of the class.

"Good morning everyone," he said as he set his papers down on the table at the head of the class.

He pulled a piece of paper from on top and dropped it off to the closest student.

"Don't be scared. It's just so I can learn your names."

The Ravenclaw girl held the paper and sighed.

"In case you weren't at breakfast or you've been dead for the last few years, I'm Harry Potter. Call me Sir, Teacher, Professor, Mr. Potter, Harry, whatever. Just relax and pay attention to what's going on because some of what I am going to teach you will most probably one day save your life."

A Ravenclaw boy raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister ..."

"Tonks, sir." Harry recognized the name of a member of the Order of the Phoenix. Probably a nephew or something.

"Yes, Mr. Tonks."

"Um ... sir, is this class theory or practical application."

Harry thought on it for a couple of seconds, "Mostly practical application. Theory is all good if you are studying Arithmancy or Divination, but it doesn't hold much water with the Dark Arts. In this class we will be studying three things. Dark Creatures, Hexes and Jinxes, and Lord Voldemort which usually falls under the Dark Creatures category."

A Hufflepuff in the back row screamed. Most of the front row flinched as if they were just hit and the rest gasped as if they were waiting for lightening to strike Harry down.

"This is your first lesson. Wands away and quills out, please."

A couple of people moaned.

"Yes those words will cause more fear over the next few years than saying Lord Voldemort."

The same Hufflepuff girl in the back row screamed again, and this time she fell off her chair.

"Okay, this is for points. If you can't complete this assignment then you will receive no marks for the day."

He had everyone's attention, "Write this in big bold letters on the top of the page. 'Lord ... Voldemort ... is ... a ... weenie."

Some of the class laughed like Harry wasn't serious.

"What?"

"A weenie, sir?"

"Trust me, your head won't explode if you write the words Voldemort and weenie in the same sentence."

They stared at him like he was crazy. "I see an explanation is needed."

A familiar Ravenclaw lifted his paper and showed it to Harry.

"Excellent, Mr. Tonks. Ten points to Ravenclaw."

That shook them out of their collective stupor and quills began scratching.

"Voldemort is just a name. It can hold no power over you unless you let it," he paused. "Can anyone tell me about Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Confused looks rose from their faces.

Harry nodded his head, "Okay, I'll give you a clue. He was a student at Hogwarts at one time."

Still nothing.

"He was a Slytherin."

Harry rolled his eyes. and then turned around. "Don't feel bad. It is a puzzle that I didn't figure out until he showed it to me. Almost cost me my life and that of a close friend."

With his wand he drew out sixteen spaces on the chalkboard, clearly defining four different words. "Who was the screamer in the back row."

A hand raised tentatively.

"Miss?"

"Hamilton, sir."

He waved her down. "Come down here. We're going to work through your fear of a name."

She rose from her seat and stepped down, clearly afraid of being in front of the class. When she finally arrived, Harry handed her some chalk and whispered in her ear, "It's my first time in front of this class too."

She looked back up at him and smiled sheepishly.

"Take the first name. Tom," He showed her where to put the T, the O, and the M."

By that time most of the Ravenclaw's had gotten the idea and began to work furiously on their own.

"Now the middle name. M here, A here, R here ..."

When she nearly finished with the last name it became more than clear the phrase spelled. I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.

"Say it," he directed the girl. "First, his real name."

"Tom Marvolo Riddle. I am Lord V-V-Voldemort."

Harry looked down at his watch and was surprised at the time. "Six inches on anything you can find out about Tom Riddle by Thursday."

When he finished the last word the bell rang signaling the end of class.

Miss Hamilton replaced the chalk, smiled back at Harry and ran up to collect her books. Before she made it to the door Harry called out to her, "Miss Hamilton."

She stopped and turned back, "Yes, sir."

"Fifteen points to Hufflepuff. Good job today, Miss Hamilton."

*******************

"How's your first day going?" Hermione asked over lunch and the loud noise in the Great Hall.

Harry rubbed his throat, "I think I'll have laryngitis by the end of the day."

She smiled, "You should stop by and see Madam Pomfrey. I'm sure she has something that will help."

He nodded and took a sip of pumpkin juice.

"Other than that?" she asked again.

"Good ... I mean ... good. It's just been first and second years. We haven't gotten to do much spell work ... well you know that."

She nodded since she had written the curriculum. "It's important to get over the fear of something first in order to concentrate on what's important. I mean look at Neville. He never got over his fear of Professor Snape and it cost him his Potions O.W.L.."

Harry nodded. "Think we can find a little alone time tonight?"

She smiled back at him. "Get through lessons today and we'll see if you are up for it tonight."

Harry snickered, "I'm always up for it."

Hermione slapped him on the arm, "Harry Potter. I swear, one month and you are already a dirty old man."

He shrugged and gave her a peck on the cheek.