Disclaimers, etc see part one.

Many thanks to ChaosGirl, whose comments on the first half helped me write the second. I have a beta now, it's really cool.

Added to the Challenge: Giles trusts Trelawny's ability. She develops a crush on him, but is also able to accurately predict some things, in a minor way.

… … …

Harry had served his detention with Professor McGonagall just after dinner, but the Weasley twins were required at Giles's office at eight o'clock. They glanced at each other nervously before Fred knocked brusquely.

"Come," a voice said.

They shared another glance and opened the door. Giles was sitting behind his desk writing what seemed to be lesson plans.

"Sit," he said.

Fred and George took seats on the far of Giles's desk and waited. This was the strangest detention they had had, and they had many to compare it to.

"Do you know why you're here?" Giles asked.

"For fighting, or almost fighting," Fred said, unable to resist the chance to make his point.

"It is no more than my predecessor would have done," Giles said. "And I have heard a great many things about the two of you."

He let the comment hang there, while Fred and George squirmed slightly and wondered whohe had been talking to. They also knew better by now not to speak unless they had to.

"You can both lie effectively?" Giles asked.

He still seemed more interested in his lesson plans than in the twins, but there was an intensity behind his question that almost froze Fred and George in their seats. But they were not easily perturbed.

"Yes," Fred said.

"You're the quiet one, then, George?" Giles asked.

"Yes, sir. How can you tell us apart?" he asked. Most teachers got around it by calling them Mister Weasley.

"There's a charm on the Sorting Hat," Giles said. "All teachers know all the students' names. It doesn't work on Binns because he's dead…"

The twins shared a grin.

"Lying is all very well. But can you keep a secret? I mean let no one, and I mean no one, know that there is anything to know?"

"Harry Potter gave us his Triwizard Tournament winnings to start a joke shop. We're organising premises in Diagon Alley, our mother has no idea," George said.

He received a shocked glare from his brother and an amused smile from Giles. He nodded towards the Professor.

"Let's make a deal," Giles said.

"Professor?" Fred said cautiously.

"Giles," Giles insisted. "At least when it's just us. Hear me out before you object. Minister Fudge, as well as being my cousin, is a complete drongo. My friends cannot spend time with me, but I feel that I could give you both detention at least once a week."

He watched Fred and George weigh the options silently.

"In return for making sure that Harry and my friends are okay, for passing on messages for me, and for pretending that I'm evil and, more importantly, a Ministry toerag, you will have access to the second dungeon classroom and my personal supply of potions ingredients."

Fred and George stared at him with identical expressions of shock and awe. Giles saw them mentally putting two and two together, working out how it all made sense. He picked up a quill, and with deliberate movements took a piece of parchment and smoothed it across the desk.

Fred and George had a silent conversation while Giles bent to write. In the end George shrugged as if to say 'he's not the maddest person we've ever done business with.'

Fred said, "We agree."

Giles looked up from his paper with a faint smile.

"Thank you," he said, and held out his hand.

Fred and George each shook hands with him in turn.

There was a moment's pause while the twins wondered what they were supposed to do know and Giles realised that he couldn't let them go yet.

"How's your mother?" he asked.

"She was a bit stressed last we saw her," Fred said, having decided that Giles was sincere and trustworthy.

"She's not at all keen on us doing the jokes," George said.

Giles smiled sympathetically. "I can imagine that," he said. "My own mother was sceptical about my chances of succeeding."

They spent the next hour and a half trading prank stories and ideas before Giles decided that Fred and George could leave. He promised to let them have the second dungeon for their next detention. They shook hands solemnly as they parted.

Fred and George had given Harry dire warnings against getting a detention from Professor Giles. Apart from how angry Angelina would be, Professor Giles was apparently awful.

"Worse than Umbridge?" Harry asked sceptically.

Fred nodded, seriously. "He's mad," he said.

George gave a slight and emphatic nod.

With their warning and the success of the D.A Harry was prepared to face Defence on Thursday. He also had Hermione and Dawn on each side of him murmuring calming things to him as they read, although he wasn't really listening.

But Professor Giles seemed to be out to get him. He opened the class to discussion for the last twenty minutes as usual and Neville raised his hand.

"Mr Longbottom."

"What about trying to fight a group?" he asked.

It was the question Harry would have asked if Hermione had let him say anything. He had spent the lesson trying to fit the 'defensive strategies' chapter with his own experiences in the graveyard before summer.

"Evil centres itself in one person, Mr Longbottom," Giles said. "That's what this chapter is to prepare you against. Groups of people tend to resist."

"But You-Know-Who has many supporters," Neville insisted quietly.

"'Had' Mr Longbottom. Five points from Gryffindor for forgetting such basic history," Giles said casually. "And I can assure you that as fifth years, you are not going to find yourselves surrounded by supporters of the Dark Lord."

"Like Lucius Malfoy?" Harry demanded. "Because he and a whole lot of other Death Eaters tried to kill me in June."

"Mr Potter," Giles said, with obvious restraint. "I would remind you that Lucius Malfoy is a respected member of our community, and is held in high regard by the Ministry. Once Sirius Black is recaptured all Death Eaters will be behind bars."

"He's already behind bars, because of people like you!" Harry shouted, all of the frustration he felt on Sirius's behalf spilling out. "He's innocent, the Ministry stuffed up, just like they did with Buckbeak. Mr Malfoy is a Death Eater, and Voldemort came back!"

There was a ringing silence in the wake of Harry's use of Voldemort's name and he discovered that he was standing up.

"Detention, Mr Potter," Giles said.

He saw the determined, recalcitrant set of Harry's jaw and added, "with Professor Snape. I'm sure he can think of something for you to do."

Harry fell dumbly back into his chair. He knew he'd have to pay for the outburst, but even despite Fred and George's warnings he hadn't minded the thought of setting his wits against the new Professor's. After all, what better way to get to know him? But Snape would be worse than usual because he could claim that Harry was wasting his time.

"He's clever," Hermione said, as they left at the end of class.

"Yeah," Dawn said, sadly.

"But that's a good thing, isn't it?" Ron asked. "I thought you thought he was better teacher than Umbridge."

"He is," Hermione said. "That's the problem. He's able to control the discussion, so people think that they're really learning properly when they're not."

Harry was still dreading Snape, and filled his plate for dinner on autopilot.

Snape was equally put out when the new Defence Professor informed him of Potter's latest punishment.

"You are unable to go through with your own threats?" Snape asked, with a sneer.

"I can't stand the boy," Giles said. "But I feel the Headmaster would be unhappy if any permanent damage were to befall him."

Snape almost smiled at the thought. He was still having difficultyworking Rupert Giles out.

"I think that is a reasonable arrangement," Dumbledore said, quietly, from the other side of Snape. "I'm sure Professor Gilesneeds to makes sure his lesson plans meet Ministry approval."

Snape nodded, pleased with the comment and the chance to torture Potter a little bit. Giles nodded, too, as would anyone who had heard only Dumbledore's words and not his tone. Dumbledore was pleased that they were both able to play their parts.

Snape swept down to the Gryffindor table after dinner and stood over Harry.

"Detention, eight o'clock, my office, tonight, and tomorrow."

He swept away again and Harry looked up at Ron and Hermione. Ron looked weak on his behalf.

"At least I don't miss Quidditch training," he said, trying to grin.

"Training's not going to help anything, Potter," Draco's voice came from behind him. "Weasley's still our king."

Ron leapt to his feet, half a beat behind Hermione. Harry stared at Ron, silently begging him to sit down, lest he also receive a detention. Dawn had her hands clenched around her cutlery. Ron sat down and reached across the table to pry the fork from her fist.

Hermione and Draco were still glaring daggers at each other.

"You don't deserve a king like Ron," Hermione hissed. "You're the prince aren't you? Isn't that good enough? Although, you've never beaten Harry to a snitch, have you?"

Draco drew his wand. Dawn flinched, even though she couldn't see it. Hermione stood up straighter and drew her wand as well.

"Hey, what's going on here," a jovial voice asked.

All six of them turned to Xander, who was smiling warmly at them.

"Are we going to have a demonstration? I can transfigure mice into mittens now. It's kind of handy, given how cold it's getting. Do you want a pair of mittens, Dawn? The only time I've been this cold was the year it snowed in Sunnydale. And that night on the road to Oxnard."

Dawn chuckled. Draco was staring at Xander with disbelief and contempt. But he decided not to risk a confrontation and swept away. His robes didn't create quite the same effect as Snape's, but you could see that it was only an issue of practice.

"Are you okay, Dawn?" Harry asked.

Dawn nodded. "I'm just not used to not being able to fight. It's kind of unpleasant."

"One day, I'm just going to hex Malfoy so bad he's going to be in the hospital wing for a month," Hermione said, still staring at the Slytherin's retreating back. "Can we do some hexes in the DA, Harry?"

Harry's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't know what he could say when faced with the fervour in Hermione's expression.

"We could try a glamour," Dawn suggested. "Are you and Ginny stopping by tonight?"

Hermione shook herself free of her vindictive thoughts and smiled.

"Sounds good," she said. "My Arithmancy essay isn't due until next Monday, so I could take some time off tonight."

Ron rolled his eyes, and Harry grinned. Neither of them would have started thinking about an essay due after two more weekends.

"Are you going to join us after dinner, Dawnie?" Xander asked. "It's what I came over for, we haven't had a proper Scooby meeting for a while."

Dawn grinned. "I'll be there," she said.

Harry relaxed as Dawn did, and he smiled in reply to Xander's wave farewell. The confrontation with Malfoy had also served to break through his anger with Snape and Giles, and he was able to eat his dinner. Things seemed to be setting into an okay rhythm for the term.