Harry Potter and the Singing Professor - Chapter 8
Harry and Ron made their way back towards the Great Hall. They quickly found Hermione and Ginny sitting with Neville at the Gryffindor table. Harry glanced at the head table and noted that there were still several seats empty. Dumbledore was seated in his usual chair, and nodded faintly as Harry caught his eye. Harry counted heads. Snape was missing, but Harry doubted that he was lucky enough for the Potions Master to have disappeared. Professor McGonagall was out dealing with the first years, and the chair usually reserved for the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was suspiciously empty.
Harry watched as students continued to flow into the hall and wondered how much longer it would be before the golden plates filled with food.
Ron nudged Harry with his elbow and nodded towards the head table. "Where do you suppose Snape has gotten off to?"
Harry shrugged, "No telling. Have you heard who's supposed to take over Dark Arts this year?"
Ron shook his head, "I wonder if they found anyone to fill the post this time. Seems like we're pretty hard on...." Ron's mouth dropped open and he pointed at the head table.
Harry turned his attention back that way. Two people had come through the door behind the table and were making their way to their seats. Professor Snape was dressed in his normal black robes and permanent scowl. Harry watched as Snape sat down, then his gaze turned to the other teacher moving behind the table. Harry looked, removed his glasses and wiped them on his robes and put them back on. That can't be....
Ron leaned over, "Harry, isn't that Tonks?" He turned to Hermione and Ginny to get confirmation from them.
Harry looked back towards his friends. Hermione looked as shocked as Ron, but Ginny was smiling broadly. "You knew?" he asked her.
Ginny just smiled back and turned her attention to the head table. Professor Dumbledore was motioning for attention.
"Welcome back, ladies and gentleman. I believe we are about ready to start." Dumbledore looked towards the doors, and they began to open.
Professor McGonagall marched in with the now all too familiar Sorting Hat and stool. She also carried a woolly green pillow that Harry remembered seeing in her office. She placed the stool in the center of the room, and set the hat down on it. She slipped the pillow underneath the stool. The munchkins that were clustered around Hagrid were now following McGonagall. Part of Harry longed to be in that line, to be just starting again, feeling the awe and wonder that he felt the first time he entered the Great Hall. Harry turned away from the line of first years and looked around at the people surrounding him. His friends were here, and he wouldn't trade them for a chance to start again. He wouldn't trade any of them to change what they had endured together.
Harry looked up from his reverie, shocked to find that he hadn't noticed that the Sorting Hat was singing. He looked around at his friends, their attention fixed on the hat. Harry began to listen, knowing that the song was winding down.
So to you I say,
Be careful of the games you play,
For once things start,
You would not believe,
How consequences follow,
Joy turns to grief.
Think hard on your actions,
Heed what I say,
For once things have started,
They don't go away.
Harry stared at the Sorting Hat in disbelief. There was now way that it could know what he was planning. He wasn't even sure what he was planning other than some general mischief at Snape's expense. Harry shook his head to clear his mind. It probably wasn't talking just to me. That was probably just a general warning to the school. Still, it was something to keep in mind. Being completely honest with himself, Harry could understand why Snape had hated his father so much. He himself had been subjected to some of the same kind of torture at the hands of Dudley.
Harry looked at Ron and smiled weakly. He turned his attention back to the high table and caught Dumbledore's eye. Dumbledore's half smile and raised eyebrow directed Harry's attention back to the Sorting. He applauded with the rest of the table when "Ballou, Katherine" was sorted into Gryffindor. Harry watched anxiously as the line dwindled and finally "Zabini, Lindsey" was sorted into Slytherin. Professor McGonagall picked up the woolly green pillow and the Sorting Hat. She carried them both to the far end of the table, set the pillow on the table and gently laid the Sorting Hat on it. A polite cough from the center of the table got everyone attention. All eyes turned to Dumbledore, and the room fell silent.
"Words of encouragement, a new teacher to announce, and the expanded list of prohibited items to follow. However, I can see you are all waiting for my two magic words. Let's eat," said Dumbledore.
Plates of food and tureens of gravy filled the tables. Harry had been waiting and expecting it, and his hand shot out and grabbed the first chicken leg off a plate in front of him. Ron's aim, his hand a moment behind Harry's, was not as true. Instead, he wound up with a fist full of mashed potatoes.
Hermione scowled at Ron, and pushed the potatoes that her spoon had been hovering over, away. "Really Ron, it's not like there wasn't enough for everyone."
Ron flushed slightly and wiped his hand on a napkin. "I didn't mean to...oh, forget it." He buried his spoon in the potatoes and scooped out a large portion for himself.
Harry gorged himself, as usual. Chicken, roast beef, potatoes, puddings, pies, and cake all disappeared from his plate. When he was finally stuffed and groaning, he pushed his plate away from him, and leaned back as far as he dared. "It's good to be back," he moaned.
Ron looked up and nodded, his mouth still full of a large bite of chocolate cake. "Mmmff - absolutely," he agreed as he swallowed.
Hermione shook her head and said, "I don't know why you eat that way, it's not like your mum doesn't feed you. I mean with Harry, I can understand." The Headmaster tapping on his glass interrupted her. She fell silent and turned toward the high table.
"As I said before, welcome back. I have several announcements. First, I would like for everyone to welcome our newest staff member, Professor Tonks. Professor?" Dumbledore turned to Tonks and offered her the floor.
Tonks stood up from the table, and waved once. Harry hoped she remembered what he had told her about Umbridge's speech last year, and would keep it short. Tonks spoke in a clear voice, loud enough to carry through the hall. "It's good to be back." She then looked to Dumbledore and sat back down to a round of applause.
Dumbledore smiled, "Well, that was...succinct. As I'm sure you've all guessed by now, Professor Tonks will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts this year."
A polite round of applause accompanied this announcement. Professor Dumbledore smiled and waited for the noise to die down again before continuing. "Professor Tonks is on loan to us from the Ministry of Magic's Auror's department. She has spent the last several years in the field, so we can be sure that there will be plenty of practical applications this year."
Dumbledore paused as an enormous round of applause rolled through the room. "Now continuing on," he said when the noise had once again died down, "The Forbidden Forest is still...forbidden." He turned to Professor McGonagall and said in a stage whisper, "Don't I say this every year? Ah, well, perhaps this year certain students will listen." Both professors smiled and looked pointedly at the Gryffindor table.
Harry and Ron looked at each other, then at Hermione. Each of them then turned and looked at Hagrid; Hermione pointing a finger and mouthing the words, "It's not my fault."
Dumbledore spoke up again. "Mr. Filch has expanded the list of prohibited items to include, and I quote, "Any of the nasty little things those wretched Weasley twins have come up with, especially the swamp." I personally would like to request that nobody cause Mr. Filch to have to row them to class this year. No magic in the halls between classes, and as I heard a wise man say just the other day, Buggerit all, millennium hand and shrimp, I told em, I told em. While I'm not sure exactly what he meant by that, I filed it away as generally useful information. Now, off to bed with you."
Harry stood up and looked toward the head table. The teachers were all getting up and leaving, and it looked as if he wouldn't get a chance to speak with Tonks. He stood there and watched, hoping that she would notice him and come over, but instead he drew a sharp look from Professor McGonagall. Harry shrugged and turned to Ron.
"Guess we had better go find out what McGonagall wants." He said to Ron. Harry turned to Ginny and Hermione and said, "Wait for us in the common room, and we'll let you in on it." With that they followed their fellow students out of the Great Hall.
***
Harry knocked on the doorframe of Professor McGonagall's office. She was seated at her desk writing something, and took a moment to look up. "Come in Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley."
Harry and Ron stepped into the room and sat down in the chairs across from McGonagall's desk. Ron looked around anxiously and finally said, "You wanted to see us, Professor?"
McGonagall looked up from her parchment again and sighed. "You have no patience, do you Mr. Weasley? Yes I did. I wanted to talk to both of you about this year's Quidditch team."
Harry glanced at Ron and saw that his friend looked relieved, now. Harry admitted to himself that he was relieved, as well. Quidditch was easy. Getting into trouble was hard. He looked back at Professor McGonagall as she continued.
"I have to choose a new captain again this year. Now normally this responsibility would fall to the senior player on the team. It may still. However, several considerations require that I think twice about making that appointment." McGonagall locked eyes with both boys for a moment.
"You two are the most likely candidates for the captain's position. I would be interested in hearing what both of you have to say about it." McGonagall leaned back in her chair a bit and watched the boys.
Ron spoke first, "I think you ought to make Harry captain. It's only fair, he's been on the team for the longest."
Harry quickly interjected, "But Ron would make a better...."
McGonagall interrupted Harry. "Let's try this a different way, shall we. You both have reasons for being captain. Let me hear you argue why YOU should be captain, not each other. Let's begin again. Mr., Weasley, you first."
Ron's jaw dropped open. Harry could tell from the look on his face that he wanted to be captain more than anything, but was ashamed to admit it. Ron stuttered, "I, I ,I...I don't think I can do this."
Professor McGonagall sighed and looked at Ron, "Nonsense, you know what your skills are, and what qualities make a good Quidditch captain. Tell me what those are."
Ron hesitated. "Well, I am pretty good at strategy, and I know lots of plays. I play Keeper, so I am able to see the whole field, and know what's going on." His face flushed, "but Harry is senior," he concluded.
Professor McGonagall turned to Harry next. "Now you, Potter."
Harry looked up. "Professor, the only thing that I really have is that I'm the senior member of the team. I'm also the Seeker, which means that I don't have a lot of time to see what else is happening on the field. Ron almost always beats me at chess, too." Harry was surprised; he really did want to see Ron as captain. The title didn't mean much to Harry; not having it left him free to look for the Snitch.
Harry looked back at Ron and saw his friend staring at him, wide-eyed. "It's true, you know. "
Professor McGonagall smiled and said, "Those thoughts had occurred to me, as well. There is one other consideration. Professor Dumbledore has asked if you would consider continuing your defense training classes. He has offered any support that he can give, to make it easier on you. And of course, this year you wouldn't have to sneak around to meet."
Harry replied, "I...I'll try." Looks like it's going to be another full year. He sighed and thought more about the DA. He did enjoy teaching and helping others last year. It had been a lot of trouble, but watching the others develop had been worthwhile. Seeing how much Neville had improved had been worth the effort.
Professor McGonagall stood up, "That was all that I had for you two." She turned away for a minute, then turned back. "Mr. Weasley. If I see that your grades are slipping because of this, I will make sure that you don't ride a broom the rest of the year. Goodnight."
Harry and Ron looked at each other as they left the office. Ron gulped and said, "It looks like I'm going to have to be really nice to Hermione this year. Otherwise, I'll never be able to keep up."
Harry thought about what Ron had confessed to him the day before. "Maybe you ought to be nice to her this year anyway. I hear that girls don't really fancy boys who aren't nice to them." Harry ducked as Ron realized what the comment implied and took a casual swing at him. Harry stopped at the corner to wait for Ron to catch up.
"Come on, Ron, " he called. Harry leaned up against a wall and looked up at the suit of armor standing there. He thought about the music box stashed in the bottom of his trunk, and hopped up on the platform the suit of armor was standing on. He leaned in close to the helmet and whispered, "I'm going to teach you to sing, mate. Oh, yes. You're going to sing." He hopped down just as Ron caught up.
"Were you just talking to the armor there, Harry?" Ron questioned.
Harry smiled and said, "Don't worry about it, I'll explain later." They continued on to the Gryffindor common room.
Hermione and Ginny met Ron and Harry when they entered the common room. Hermione looked at Ron and Harry and asked in an accusatory tone, "So what did Professor McGonagall want? Something to do with the incident on the train?"
Ron smirked and said, "No, for your information she wanted to talk to us about Quidditch."
Ginny piped up, "So what about Quidditch?"
Ron looked on smugly, "You happen to be looking at the new Gryffindor Quidditch Captain."
"She made you captain over Harry?" Ginny exclaimed.
Harry replied, "She just saw his natural genius for what it was. Either that or she didn't think his head was quite big enough, even after being made a prefect."
Ginny and Hermione snickered. "So when are tryouts, big brother? Do I really have to try out? You've been watching me fly circles around you for years."
Ron looked offended. "Yes, you have to tryout. There won't be any free rides on my team. Anyone who wants to play for me better be on the field next Monday afternoon. We'll have a lot of work to do, rebuilding the team this year."
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other and smiled. Ginny winked, and Hermione nodded. Then Hermione turned back to Ron and Harry. "Well, I am tired. I think that I will go up to bed. Ron, you will make sure that the first years all get up to bed soon, won't you?"
Ron nodded. "Yeah, I can do that." He raised his voice, "All munchkins, go to bed." Ron looked back at Hermione and smiled.
"Really, you're impossible, Ron. Goodnight everyone." Hermione and Ginny climbed the stairs to the girls' dorm.
Harry looked at Ron, "I'm going to go up too. It's been a long day. You coming?"
Ron shook his head and sat down at a table. "I'll be up in a bit, I want to write down a few ideas for plays that I had. 'Night."
Harry nodded, "G'night then." He climbed the stairs to his dorm room and fell into bed.
