Chapter 2 : May the other part also be heard

His summer hadn't been as bad as it could've been. The warning that the members of the Order had given to the Dursleys worked. They were too afraid to molest OR ignore Harry, so the summer went had gone by rather strangely at Number Four, Privet Drive. Harry had gotten three full meals each and every day, together with desserts and snacks, so he really couldn't complain about that. His aunt Petunia greeted him every morning with the same words: "Good morning, Harry. I hope you had a good night. How are you? Would you like some breakfast?" Answers weren't really asked for, because just after saying her lines, she turned and continued to put breakfast on the table.

Uncle Vernon would only mumble something that sounded remotely like "good morning" without lifting his head up from the newspapers. And Dudley. The only really drastic change that Harry's Aunt and Uncle had made that summer was restricting Dudley from talking with Harry. At all. Dudley was to get his breakfast in his bedroom, and only come out when Harry wasn't around. Neither he nor his parents were happy about it, but they thought it would be too dangerous to order Harry to stay in his room instead of Dudley.

And so the day would go on. They wouldn't talk to him, but if he asked for something he would get it. He was rather glad he didn't have to deal with them. They even bought him a TV for his room, so he wouldn't have to come to the living room to watch the news.

Yet not one single improvement, if one could call them so, in his stay with the Dursleys meant anything to him. Everything seemed pointless. He walked around like a shadow, not caring for anything. He even turned down the offer to stay with the Weasleys for the summer, because he didn't want to deal with someone caring for him. The person that really had cared for him was dead, so Harry didn't want to feel like everybody else was a substitute. Ron and Hermione sent him letters often, asking how he was, but he always answered them with just one word. Fine. And he was nowhere near fine.

***

The journey from King's Cross to Hogwarts was uneventful. Harry sat in a corner, looking in front of him, and answering occasional questions from Ron and Hermione. They eventually stopped trying and started talking between themselves about their summers.

Harry didn't mind. He didn't think his friends should be as miserable as he was. After all, it was HIS godfather that had gotten killed, not theirs.

'And they are sad too. They just don't want to spend all their time thinking about it. They need to move on,' a voice in his head said.

'Yeah, but would it kill them to be a bit more respectful? Is talking about what a blast they had this summer really the way to go? They're your friends. They should share your sorrow,' the much more bitter voice in his mind said. That voice seemed to be there more often than not, ever since Sirius had died.

Harry tried to concentrate on something else. Luckily for him, they had just arrived to Hogsmeade. Everybody scrambled to get their luggage and pets assembled, wanting to get to the castle as soon as possible. The Thestrals didn't bother him anymore. He just ignored them and tried not to look at them.

It didn't take long for everything to get set, and in no time the carriages stopped near the stone steps leading up to the front doors.

The Entrance Hall was lit with torches and grand chandeliers. The sound of footsteps bounced off the stone floor and wandered the halls as the students went through the double doors to the right, leading to the Great Hall.

As always, the four long house tables in the Great Hall were filling up under the ceiling, which was like a sky full of stars, each sparkling in its own way.

After finding seats together at the beginning of the table, the first thing Harry, Ron and Hermione did was to check the staff table. Hagrid winked at them, but it was more of an attempt to do so. The loss of Sirius has affected him too, because he knew how important Sirius was to Harry. Snape looked as pallid and mean as ever. Everybody looked almost the same as the last time Harry and the others had seen them. One chair was empty, as if they were waiting for someone else, and there was an addition to the table. A petite young woman with long blonde hair and an unreadable expression on her face.

"I bet that is the new DADA teacher. I hope she isn't like the last two. Then again, anything is better than that mad woman Umbridge." Ron whispered to Harry and Hermione.

Then the Sorting Ceremony began. The Sorting Hat sang its song, even weirder than the last time. After the last student, 'Zadravy, Nevenella', was sorted into Ravenclaw, Professor Dumbledore stood up.

"Welcome, all of you! I will make my speech later, but first we shall eat. Bon appetit!"

Everybody in the hall laughed and applauded, but soon turned their attention to the dishes that were filling up with marvellous meals.

"Hmmmph, fuis goetz bwetter eury tham!" said Ron with his mouth full of roast beef, seizing the nearest plate of tomato salad.

"Harry, what do you think our new DADA professor is like?" asked Hermoine.

He just kept pushing his food around the plate with his fork.

"Harry?"

"Hm? Oh, what?" He looked as if Hermoine just pulled him out of deep thoughts. Then he remembered he should probably answer her question. "Her? I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait and see."

Hermione wasn't really satisfied with that answer, but she let it go, and she turned to talk with a fellow Gyffindor on her other side.

Eventually, the sound of students talking became louder, as their plates got emptier. Dumbledore took that as a sign for him to deliver his speech.

"I hope you're all well sated. I beg for your attention, just for a few minutes, and then you'll be free to go to your common rooms. There are some usual notices that need to be repeated, just like every year. First-years AND several other students," he looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "should remember that the Forbidden Forest is forbidden. The name says so, and we should respect it." A few laughs came from the tables.

"Magic is prohibited in the corridors between classes. Quidditch trials will be held soon. Madam Hooch will give you all the information needed. A list of other notices, as well prohibitions and rules, is posted in every common room. Please read it.

"As you may have noticed, there is an addition to our teaching staff. Two, actually, but only one of them is currently present at the table. That is Miss Summers. She will be teaching a new class, called Defence, in which you will be taught how to defend yourselves without wands, but you will also find out a lot about Dark creatures that live not only in the wizarding world. Only sixth and seventh years will be attending that class."

A collective gasp of wonder could be heard, and students looked confusedly at each other, wondering what was that all about.

"You will find out more about everything related to it in your first Defence class. I ask you to show Professor Summers due respect, as I assure you that she has many qualifications for the job." Dumbledore turned to Buffy and smiled at her. "Welcome."

She stood up, nodded at him and the students, and simply said, "thank you." Then she sat down. There was a round of polite applause, because nobody knew what to think of her yet.

Dumbledore spoke again. "Now you must be wondering who your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor is. Everybody except first and second years should already know him, because he taught here at Hogwarts almost three years ago."

'No.It couldn't be.' Harry thought. If Dumbledore meant what Harry thought he did.

"Please welcome back Professor Lupin." Dumbledore met Harry's eyes, smiling.

Lupin entered the Great Hall, came to the staff table and took the empty chair.

Now the applause was enthusiastic, because most students had liked Lupin when he had taught DADA, and had been sorry to see him leave. The exceptions were a few Slytherins, as always. Draco could already be heard talking to his friends, ".my dad won't let him stay, he still has connections, he'll talk to the Minister, I'm sure they can't let a werewolf stay as a teacher."

Dumbledore quieted the Hall once more.

"That will be all for now. You may go to your rooms. Have a good night. Classes begin tomorrow."

***

They got their timetables the next morning.

"Look, mate, we have that new Professor today, Summers. And it's a double class! I wonder how she is," Ron told Harry as they went down the stairs to their first class, Herbology. Hermione had already gone to the Library, saying, "I just need to check one thing."

"Yeah, but before that we have double Potions." said Harry absently.

"We always do, you'd think we'd already be used to it. I don't get why they have to torture us that way. Well, at least it isn't with the Slytherins this time. It's Ravenclaws. They're okay." Ron was in a good mood.

Hearing Ron mention Ravenclaws, Harry remembered Cho. He couldn't deal with that, not now. Not while the memory of his godfather's death was still fresh.

"So, what do you think.." Ron continued, while Harry half-heartedly listened as they went through the Entrance Hall on their way to the greenhouses.

***

"Welcome to your first Defence class. I am Buffy Summers, and before you all laugh, I think that my mother was high when she named me too." That caused even more laughter, and Buffy looked around the class with a smile.

"First of all, I am not officially a teacher. I haven't studied to be one. Yet, here I am. And you will respect me. I won't be constantly on your necks, nor will I be very strict. It hasn't been that long since my high school days and I still remember very vividly what it's like. But." Seeing the disappointed faces of the students when they heard the "but", Buffy laughed. "Oh come on, you knew there had to be a but coming!"

Everybody laughed even more. By now, the sixth year Gryffindors were relaxed and taking a liking to Buffy. She was surely nothing like any other teacher they'd ever had.

When the class quieted down again, Buffy continued, this time in a more serious tone.

"When I do ask something of you, I want to have it done. There are a few things I will be serious about, and I expect you follow my rules. If you don't. Let's just say you'd better follow the rules," she said with a grin.

"I will teach you how to defend yourselves when you have nothing to rely on but you. That means you won't be needing a wand in my class. Also, I am a Muggle, as you say, and I'm still learning about your world, so please forgive me when I make mistakes about it. If somebody is interested in doing an essay for me, explaining the basics of your life and customs, and how things work around here, I would very much appreciate it."

A single hand shot in the air.

"Yes, Miss.I'm afraid I don't know your names yet" Buffy said with an apologetic look on her face, "I'll try and learn them as soon as possible."

"It's Granger, Professor. Hermione Granger. And I can do the essay. I am Muggle-born, so I know the differences between the two worlds," said Hermione.

Buffy looked at her, smiling. "Thank you, Hermione. That would be very nice of you."

Then she turned to the rest of the class.

"Any more questions? You can come to me during class hours, if you have any more doubts or inquiries." She looked at her watch. "The class is almost over. I hope we will have a good time together this year."

And then the bell rang, ending the class.

***