Chapter 2 - The Unexpected Teacher

"beep beep beep"

Harry opened his eyes a quarter of an inch, and yawned widely. He checked his watch. "11.50pm" ten more minutes to go.

He opened his eyed a tad bit wider, and yawned yet again. Rubbing his eyes, he forced himself to sit up on his bed. His head was dizzy for a while, but it wasn't much. He yawned again. Harry began to feel irritated with so much yawning.

He tried very hard to fight fatigue, but every few seconds, he produced a yawn. He grabbed his glasses and put them on. At once, he became much more alert, but it did not stop the yawning.

Then just as his watch beeped again to indicate twelve midnight, there was a loud pecking on the window. Harry saw three owls outside, balancing a large parcel between them. Immediately, his fatigue disappeared, and he jumped out of bed, stopping the alarm at the same time. He opened the window to let them in, and prepared some food and water for them. The owls, namely Hedwig, pigwedgion and an unknown one that Harry suspected belonged to one of the order's members, dropped the parcel, and went to rest.

Harry opened the parcel carefully. "My birthday presents," he thought excitedly. Finally, a few gifts emerged. Harry started on one, which he thought was a cake.

It was a beautiful cake, chocolate with assorted fruits on the edges. It looked delicious. There was a photograph embedded in the middle, and he could see quite a number of people in it. However, without paying it much attention, he opened the card that came along with it.

"Dear Harry, Happy birthday! This cake is from all of us, and we expect that the most important part of the cake is the photograph. There are only two options. To eat the photograph, or to take it out. We have bewitched it such that it is edible in the cake, but will not be when taken out. It is of course only a replica of the original, but we find that it still serves the same purpose. We seriously think you would not want to eat it.

Once again, many happy returns. Best regards,

Remus Lupin

Albus Dumbledore

Tonks

Ron

Hermione

And everyone else.

Harry looked at the photograph again, finding it oddly familiar. It was then did he realise it was the photograph of the order's members many years ago. Instinctively, he searched for a familiar face, and found it. Sirius's face was smiling broadly at him, his parents were standing nearby, also smiling. All of them looked proud of him.

Tears welled up in Harry's eyes. It was too much. He reached out for the photograph, and took it out of the cake. It immediately changed texture and became solid and smooth. A tear dropped onto the photograph. It landed on his mother, who immediately dried it with her wand. The three of them looked at him comfortingly this time. Another tear escaped from Harry's eye.

"This is silly," he told himself and wiped the tears away with his sleeve. He proceeded to open the next present.

It was from Hermione. A neat-handwriting quill. Very important actually. Harry though of Hermione and her sensible ways.

He started opening all the presents. All in all, "practical defence" by Sharoon Shavinky from Tonks, a deluxe deflagration set and some skiving snackboxes from fred and george. A "Complete set of Defence against Dark arts - all you need to know" from Moony and Remus. A jumper from Mr and Mrs Weasley. And best of all, a cover for his firebolt from Ron. It was not an ordinary cover. It could shrink it to the any size that the owner desires. And it is dust free and waterproof.

Finally, harry returned to the cake. He put the photograph aside, and cut a slice of cake out for himself. However much he tried to enjoy it, pictures of Sirius kept appearing in his mind.

"This will be the saddest birthday in my life if I continue with this" he told himself, and tried considerably to improve his mood.

When he finished his cake, he cleared up, and slumped down on his bed. The photograph was on his bedside table, with everyone smiling broadly at him. Harry picked it up, and settled down in bed.

He looked at the photograph, and slowly extended a finger towards it. He touched his father's hand, but it was cold.

That night, Harry cried himself to sleep.

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He awoke the next day, memories of last night still in his head. But he had to prepare breakfast, and forced the events out of his mind. Slowly, he crept downstairs and began frying eggs.

Soon, the Dursleys came down, one by one.

First, it was uncle Vernon. He mumbled a "happy birthday" to harry, who was surprised, but he knew that uncle Vernon was just afraid of the wizards. Aunt Petunia did the same, only Dudley took no notice, but eyed harry fearfully.

That day, they went out to the zoo, and harry got an ice cream. It was, if not for the picture last night, the happiest birthday he ever had.

That night, he put the photograph aside before going to bed. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The rest of the holidays crept by. Soon, it was only two weeks before term would start, the day, which Dumbledore had promised to pick Harry up from the Dursleys. Harry woke up in the morning with a jumble of excitement, though the previous night was filled with nightmares again. He pondered about how Dumbledore would appear and decided that it would be best for him if he used the muggle way of traveling instead of using floo powder.

Harry half ran, half stumbled down the stairs, almost tripping over Dudley's new X-Box. He reached the kitchen and bent over the stove to cook breakfast for the Dursleys. As soon as he gripped the panhandle, he was engulfed by an all-too-familiar pulling sensation and soon enough, the Dursleys flower-patterned floor tiles vanished. They were replaced by a cold hard grey floor. Although he felt a bit dizzy, he managed to recognize where he was in a second. 12, Grimmauld Place, London. Almost immediately, Harry had a lurching feeling is his tummy. Looking around, memories of him, returned.

But his thoughts were interrupted upon hearing footsteps approaching.

"Hello, Harry dear! I missed you so much! Good lord! Let me see, hmmm. you've grown taller a bit and I think you need a good meal. Oh! How good it is to have you back!" Mrs Weasley hugged Harry lovingly.

"Mom! You're choking him!" Ron said sleepily, yawning.

"Oh! Sorry Harry dear. I'm so happy to see you. I must go and cook breakfast. Will cauldron cakes do? I'll be right back" Mrs Weasly released Harry and hurried to the kitchen.

"Wh..What's happening?" Harry asked, puzzled.

"Come to my room, I've got something to show you." Ron beckoned. Harry followed him up the creaky stairs. Each step he took, it felt to Harry as though a knife was stabbing him in the heart. Each step reminded Harry of him, his godfather. Each step brought back to him the painful memories of the past. Harry had never gotten over the fact that he had died, and he knew he never would. He had just learnt to live with it.

"He will always be alive, in my heart, forever." Harry vowed to himself. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, but that lump in his throat wouldn't go away.

"There!" Ron opened his room and in it, were Harry's belongings.

"How did you - " Harry opened his mouth to ask.

"Not me. Him." Ron pointed to a figure sitting on his bed. Dumbledore!

"Professor Dumbledore!" Harry exclaimed, bewildered. But everything suddenly started to make sense. It was Dumbledore who turned the pan into a portkey. And it was also him who had moved Harry's belongings there.

"But Professor Dumbledore, how did you know that I would be the first to touch the pan handle? What if one of the Dursleys touched it?" Harry said, thoughtfully.

"Ah! Good question Harry. I'm going to come to that. You see, I bewitched it in such a way that only a person who has magical powers would be able to be portkeyed here." Dumbledore smiled as he lowered his half- moon-rimmed spectacles and surveyed Harry.

"Oh I see. But how did you know what I would have liked to bring here?" Harry asked again.

"Well.that takes a bit of observation doesn't it? I merely apparated in to your room when you went to the kitchen and took all those belongings that you had inside there. After all, there isn't a lot is there? Then I did a simple summoning charm and all your Hogwarts stuff and others came flying to me, except one thing." Dumbledore explained.

"What is it?" Harry stared at Dumbledore.

"I believe it is your owl, Hedwig. She sort of knew where you went and came here by herself. That clever owl of yours." Dumbledore replied.

"Oh Merlin's beard! Look at the time! Good gracious me. We should have been down for breakfast at least five minutes ago! Let's go before Molly starts screaming her head off at us." Dumbledore gave Harry a small wink.

Harry followed Dumbledore and went to the kitchen. To his surprise, he saw Percy Weasley there, eating breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys, Hermione and Lupin. Upon seeing him, the whole lot of them crowded around him, asking him about all sorts of things. Everyone, except Percy.

When Harry had finally managed to settle down at one end of the table, Percy mumbled a soft "good morning" to him and resumed eating his breakfast. After Harry, Ron and Hermione had successfully gotten away from the dining table to prevent Mrs Weasley from forcing them to eat seven helpings of cauldron cake, they started talking about their holidays.

"Really wonder what Dumbledore's up to this time! Dad and the order have been acting so strange these days." Ron said.

"I think it's got something to do with Voldermort. If not, why would they have bothered to invite us here?" Hermione declared.

"Why wouldn't they bother to invite us over here?" Ron questioned her.

"Oh Ron! Can't you please think for a while? Everybody's here for a reason! Look, your family's here to watch over the house. Harry's here..I'm sorry Harry, but I've got to say this. Harry's here because Dumbledore suspects that Voldermort will try to attack him in his sleep. But why am I here? They wrote in the letter, inviting me here because they wanted to see the top OWL scorer for the year. That's such a lame reason! There must be something behind this and it's up to us to find out." Hermione took a deep breath after completing her speech.

Harry was quite angry with Hermione for thinking that he was still a kid, but her words really set him thinking.

"Ok, let's take it that he has risen to power again and is as strong as ever. Who would he attack?" Ron asked.

"Me." Harry whispered softly, looking at their fearful expressions when they turned to look at him. Though they had known it all along, hearing Harry admitting it, and hearing him say it, confirmed one of their worst fears.

They pushed everything out of their minds the next few weeks and concentrated on enjoying themselves thoroughly. Soon, it was three days before the start of term. They took the Hogwarts Express, which was specially arranged to pick them up. A familiar sensation of home came back when Harry stepped out of the train fully dressed.

He looked up at the towering building. He wondered if it was decorated for the sorting ceremony yet. "Three days more," he thought, "perhaps not."

The door opened inwards. Professor Dumbledore was standing there, smiling broadly.

"Welcome back, Ms Granger, Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter!" he said, clearly pleased. " he gestured to their guard. "Thank you. Perhaps you would like to stay for a while. Come on in, the guestrooms are free.could the three of you please follow me? You're about to meet your new defense against the dark arts teacher. I'm sure you'll like her."

"Sir, if you don't mind, can we put our stuff down?" asked Hermione, practical as usual.

The professor smiled warmly. " Why not?" he waved his wand, and their things were gone. " They're in your dormitories," he said.

The three of them now followed him up the stairs and to the statue, that harry knew so well.

"Oreo cheesecake" he said lazily.

Hermione's head lifted. "Oreo cheesecake? I've tried it, but its muggle food. How.."

Professor Dumbledore merely smiled. "You will find you new teacher inside."

They proceeded up the moving stairs and waited till they got to the top. There, they found Tonks, back facing them, apparently speaking to someone. Harry tried to see, but Tonks' new baggy robes blocked the view.

"Good evening," said professor Dumbledore in a quiet voice.

Tonks turned around quickly, clearly surprised. "Oh hi, professor Dumbledore" she said, flustered. "and good evening Harry, Ron and Hermione.

Immediately, a voice came from behind Tonks. "Arry?"

A girl emerged from behind Tonks. She was oddly familiar. Ron stared at her, mouth hanging open. Hermione merely stared.

"Fleur?" Harry asked. Yet it was. It was her. After two years. Her long golden hair still as smooth and silky as ever. Her eyes and facial structures as beautiful as ever. After all, she was a half Veela.

She walked over to them and hugged Harry. She said " I missed you sooooooooo mush!", and went over to Ron, quite flushed. She shook his hand and smiled brilliantly, and proceeded to Hermione. Ron was still staring at her, mouth hanging open. She merely nodded her head. Harry had a funny feeling it had something to do with the article Rita Skeeter wrote about them.

"im ere to azist Tonks." She said in a beautiful voice that charmed everyone. Hermione rolled her eyes. She iz an auror, but iz willing to fill up the post for one year until I am ready. I applied for de post, but I am ztill too young. Oh! an I've quitted my job at Gringotts." She smiled again looking at their puzzled faces.

"Come. Come," Professor Tonks gestured towards the table. We have lots to discuss. Dumbledore merely smiled and sat at his place and conjured soft comfy armchairs for the visitors. " Sit," it was an invitation, not an order.

"I believe you know by now that we have agreed to allow the defense against the dark arts lessons to continue. The practical ones that you conducted. They were a great success and the members did very well for their exams although I find the name given to it a bit...."

Fleur's eyes widened in admiration.

"I believe we can work out some details now as to the timings, order, and other details now," he continued. " other matters such as membership may be discussed when school reopens. So now, let us get down to work."

A/N: Thanks for all those reviews!!! I love u so much!!! Finally Chapter 2 is done!!! Phew. We've juz started a new term here and are very busy at the moment. So, sorry for the wait as we're really busy. Thanks for all those reviews!! Keep them coming!!! Love you all!!! And thanks for all those well rounded criticisms too!!! I've just found a BETA reader. Anyway, got to go. Bye!!! Nice day to all!!! LOVE, Amerus