Chapter 5
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Harry stood at the front of the room and looked over the eager faces. He didn't much suppose he would have to introduce himself, but he did anyway.
"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Potter and I'll be teaching you how to recognise and defend yourself against dark magic and creatures, hopefully for the next three years until you leave. We'll be working from the textbook I see you all have, and we'll be doing lots of practical work, too. Now, are any of you confused about anything so far?"
A few hands went up and Harry began to wonder if they were really so badly taught in previous years.
He nodded at a blonde girl who had been sitting at the Slytherin table the previous evening.
"Yes, Ms…?"
"Molly Jenkins, sir. Professor, last night Professor Snape told us, well he told us it was none of our business, but we asked him if you two were really, like, married with a kid. Are you?"
Harry fought the urge to gape at the audacity of the girl.
"That is, rather as Professor Snape probably told you, not relevant to your education or well-being here at Hogwarts."
The class audibly groaned.
"Please tell us, professor?"
This came from a redheaded Hufflepuff boy who reminded him of Ron.
"Why do you want to know?"
They all suddenly looked pensive - did they have a valid reason for wanting to know?
"It's, uhm, interesting?"
The redhead nodded at the blonde's statement and added a little of his own.
"Plus, uhm, we want to know if your son, uhm, the little boy, was going to be around Hogwarts from now on."
Harry felt himself softening.
"What's your name?"
"John Thomas, Professor Potter, sir."
"Well, John, are you volunteering for babysitting services if I tell you?"
John flushed and looked down, but Molly and her friend beside her, also a Slytherin, spoke up.
"We will, sir!"
"He's soooo cute!"
"He's adorable, sir."
Harry felt himself smile and cave in.
"Fine, but don't think I won't take you up on your offer. His name is Tristan Potter-Snape and, yes; he is my son as well as Professor Snape's. He's almost five and only screams like last night during the feast when he's tired and over-excited. Yes, he will be around Hogwarts from now on, but only during the evenings, weekends and holidays. No, Professor Snape and I aren't married, because it's not legal."
"Would you marry him if it was?"
This came from Molly's friend.
"Your name?"
"Nikita James. Sir, would you?"
"Yes, I would."
There was a chorus of squealed 'aw!' from the girls and a series of retching noises and eye-rolls from the boys. He couldn't believe he'd been their age when he'd started to like his 'husband'.
He coughed rather pointedly.
"Right, any questions about the lessons?"
One girl stuck up her hand, obviously the Hermione of the bunch. Harry rather found it amusing when her name was Shakespearian as well - Regan.
"Sir, will we just be learning this year's OWL syllabus or will you be reviewing last years too? Cause, I mean, Professor Lockhart," Harry had forgotten he was replacing him on his second try at professor-dom, "he was nice enough and all, but he didn't really teach us a lot if you know what I mean?"
The class snickered and Harry smiled.
"I do indeed know - Professor Lockhart taught me my second year here. We learnt not to release Cornish pixies without knowing the proper spell to control them. We also learnt all about Professor Lockhart."
From the giggles he assumed that Lockhart hadn't changed much since he'd gotten his memories back. He put that aside as a way to break the ice with all classes second year and above and moved on to his syllabus for the year. Before he knew it the double period was over and it was break time.
Severus, he thought with a grin as he made his way to the staff room.
::TBC::
.
Harry stood at the front of the room and looked over the eager faces. He didn't much suppose he would have to introduce himself, but he did anyway.
"Good morning, class. I'm Professor Potter and I'll be teaching you how to recognise and defend yourself against dark magic and creatures, hopefully for the next three years until you leave. We'll be working from the textbook I see you all have, and we'll be doing lots of practical work, too. Now, are any of you confused about anything so far?"
A few hands went up and Harry began to wonder if they were really so badly taught in previous years.
He nodded at a blonde girl who had been sitting at the Slytherin table the previous evening.
"Yes, Ms…?"
"Molly Jenkins, sir. Professor, last night Professor Snape told us, well he told us it was none of our business, but we asked him if you two were really, like, married with a kid. Are you?"
Harry fought the urge to gape at the audacity of the girl.
"That is, rather as Professor Snape probably told you, not relevant to your education or well-being here at Hogwarts."
The class audibly groaned.
"Please tell us, professor?"
This came from a redheaded Hufflepuff boy who reminded him of Ron.
"Why do you want to know?"
They all suddenly looked pensive - did they have a valid reason for wanting to know?
"It's, uhm, interesting?"
The redhead nodded at the blonde's statement and added a little of his own.
"Plus, uhm, we want to know if your son, uhm, the little boy, was going to be around Hogwarts from now on."
Harry felt himself softening.
"What's your name?"
"John Thomas, Professor Potter, sir."
"Well, John, are you volunteering for babysitting services if I tell you?"
John flushed and looked down, but Molly and her friend beside her, also a Slytherin, spoke up.
"We will, sir!"
"He's soooo cute!"
"He's adorable, sir."
Harry felt himself smile and cave in.
"Fine, but don't think I won't take you up on your offer. His name is Tristan Potter-Snape and, yes; he is my son as well as Professor Snape's. He's almost five and only screams like last night during the feast when he's tired and over-excited. Yes, he will be around Hogwarts from now on, but only during the evenings, weekends and holidays. No, Professor Snape and I aren't married, because it's not legal."
"Would you marry him if it was?"
This came from Molly's friend.
"Your name?"
"Nikita James. Sir, would you?"
"Yes, I would."
There was a chorus of squealed 'aw!' from the girls and a series of retching noises and eye-rolls from the boys. He couldn't believe he'd been their age when he'd started to like his 'husband'.
He coughed rather pointedly.
"Right, any questions about the lessons?"
One girl stuck up her hand, obviously the Hermione of the bunch. Harry rather found it amusing when her name was Shakespearian as well - Regan.
"Sir, will we just be learning this year's OWL syllabus or will you be reviewing last years too? Cause, I mean, Professor Lockhart," Harry had forgotten he was replacing him on his second try at professor-dom, "he was nice enough and all, but he didn't really teach us a lot if you know what I mean?"
The class snickered and Harry smiled.
"I do indeed know - Professor Lockhart taught me my second year here. We learnt not to release Cornish pixies without knowing the proper spell to control them. We also learnt all about Professor Lockhart."
From the giggles he assumed that Lockhart hadn't changed much since he'd gotten his memories back. He put that aside as a way to break the ice with all classes second year and above and moved on to his syllabus for the year. Before he knew it the double period was over and it was break time.
Severus, he thought with a grin as he made his way to the staff room.
::TBC::