Harry Potter & the Return to Honeychurch Institute of Magic
By Darkmoore
"Well, it's the least I can do for the man who saved our school from being closed."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Fifteen: The New Year Begins
"You saved the school Harry?" Tommy asked.
"Oh," Harry said dismissively, "I didn't really save anything; I just sort of smoothed over a little knot."
Tommy snorted as six year old boys do and said, "Yeah, right."
Harry smiled as he led the boy with the snake in his hair and Nanny Talmadge up the stairs to the staff tower to help them get settled into their new quarters. Down the corridor from Harry's quarters was a door with a newly created plaque on that said, 'Zinnia Talmadge.'
"These are your rooms Nanny," Tommy said reading the plaque.
Nanny Talmadge smiled indulgently and answered, "I think your right. Now I think I'll get settled in and leave you two to do the same." Then she opened her door and went in to her new sitting room leaving Harry and Tommy alone in the corridor.
Moments later, Harry and Tommy were standing in front of his door and Harry bent down and whispered to his ward, "Now our door has a password on it. It won't open unless you give the password, so you had better learn it." Harry finished with a smile. Then Harry stood back up and gave the password, "Dog Star."
Tommy frowned and said, "That's a funny password. Does it ever change?"
"Ever so often I change it, just to annoy Vesta," Harry said with a grin. Once inside Harry's sitting room, he saw that a new door had been added to it, just to the right of the portrait of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. Giving the portrait a wink, he brought Tommy to it and said, "Tommy, this is the portrait of my godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius this is my new ward, Tommy Riddle." Then Harry eyed the portrait worriedly.
"Nice to meet you sir," Tommy said to the painting.
Sirius looked at the boy, smirked and said, "Well, Harry's been gone for so long that I thought maybe you were his son."
Tommy giggled and said "I wish I were." Which caused both Harry's and Sirius' eyebrows shot straight up.
Sirius, however, recovered first. "So you want to be a Potter? Hmmm, they are a rowdy lot you know? Harry's father was my best friend in the whole world and he and I got into loads of trouble when we were in school together. Harry here did his fair share of trouble making also, so do you think that you're up to the task?"
"I think so," Tommy said with a grin.
"Sirius, please try to not put those ideas into his head. You'll warp his mind," Harry said laughing, trying to change the subject from being Tommy's parent.
Sirius laughed and continued, "That's an odd name you have there, I hope people have been nice to you about it. There was once another Tom Riddle who wasn't a very nice person."
"I heard," Tommy said in a small voice and tried to hide behind Harry's leg, which was usual when he felt afraid about something.
Sirius looked confused and Harry mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.' The animagus nodded knowingly and suggested that they check out Tommy's room as he couldn't. There were no paintings in the room for him to walk into.
"Well, Tommy, what do you think?" Harry asked.
"Wow, it's just like my room back home!" Tommy exclaimed as he saw all his things had been brought there by Dobby. In fact Dobby had recreated Tommy's room from Grimmauld Place as best he could to make the boy feel better about the move. "Look, there's a warming stone for Maize to curl up on and take a nap," Tommy added excitedly and took the snake out of his hair and placed it on the stone.
"So Tommy, do you think you'll like it here?" Harry asked with a smile.
"I guess I could live with it."
- - - - -
After Harry gets Tommy settled into his new room and had given Nanny the password to his quarters, he went down to the Headmistress' office to have a meeting with her about the incoming students from the Sirius Black Memorial Child Care Facility. He had told her that all of the eleven year olds from the school would be coming to Honeychurch last spring; however, Dumbledore had persuaded a few to actually come to Hogwarts.
'I can't believe that old codger telling them stories about me to lure them away,' Harry thought to himself as he made his way down the stairs. 'Still half of them are coming here and I should warn Edwina about it.'
Upon entering the office Harry said, "Edwina, I wanted to … have … a … word …with … you." Harry had drawn out the sentience when he found that Edwina was already in a meeting with Angus Evanston, the incredibly ancient deputy headmaster of the school and a young witch with long dark hair who happened to have the fullest reddest lips and the most stunning eyes that Harry had ever seen. Harry also noticed that the witch looked to be about the same age as he was. "Sorry, didn't know you were busy," Harry apologized and started to leave.
"No, no, Harry," Edwina said to him, "Come in, come in, we were almost finished. In fact we were just talking about you."
Harry looked at her suspiciously, "You were?"
"Yes, I was telling Tepthilda here that you were the youngest teacher at Honeychurch," Edwina explained as she offered Harry a seat.
"I didn't know we needed a new teacher," Harry said. "Did something happen to one of the others or are you finally coming to your senses and sacking me?"
Everyone in the room laughed at his joke. "No Harry, we wouldn't sack you," Edwina smiled at him, "We would just murder you in your sleep and bury the bones up in that hidden room you found last year."
"As long as I'm not fired," he replied with a genuine smile.
"Edwina?" wheezed the elderly Angus Evanston. "Perhaps introductions are in order? We do have a new member of staff who hasn't met any of the others as yet."
"Oh dear, where ever are my manners?" Edwina said as she realized she had been rude. "Harry Potter, I would like you to meet our new Arithmany teacher, Prof. Tepthilda Konkle. Tepthilda, this is Harry Potter, our resident teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts and flying instructor. Not to mention the Quiddtich coach and savior of the school."
Harry blushed at the last bit as Professor Evanston looked sternly at the Headmistress, who ignored the look entirely.
Tepthilda smiled at Harry as she shook his hand and said, "Yes, the Headmistress was just telling me all about how you came up every week the summer before last to repair the Quidditch pitch to get it back into shape again."
Harry stood there stunned for a moment her voice was so silky that it reminded him of Mauricio Guenzel, the Spanish vampire that had come last year to lecture to his third years. Mauricio always had a way that made Harry feel like he was standing naked in the middle of the pitch with everyone staring at him. This young witch didn't have that ability, but it still reminded Harry of it.
"Well, it wasn't much really. Just a little hard work and I had the spare time," Harry said with a smile. However, Harry just realized that Edwina said Tepthilda would be teaching Arithmancy, that was Professor Evanston's subject. "Angus, are you giving up teaching?"
The deputy headmaster sat there looking rather old; in fact he looked like he had aged quite a bit over the summer. "Alas, I think I shall retire at the end of this year, Potter. As much as I have enjoyed teaching here, I think it's time for me to move on and let someone young have the position now."
"What are we going to do for a deputy now? You were perfect for the job," Harry respectfully said the elder wizard.
"You see?" Edwina asked, "I told you that the other teachers respected you and would not want you to go."
"Perhaps, you'll stay on professor," Tepthilda said to him. "With me here as your assistant this year, you won't have to read so many essays or grade as much and you might feel like staying on a bit."
"My dear, you are young and need to have the position all for your self, not sharing it with a dodgy old man," Evanston said quietly. "Besides, you were first in your class in the subject when you graduated from the Dasherwood College of Higher Magical Principles last spring. You are more than capable of doing the job." With that said, he gave no more room for argument on the subject.
Harry took his cue from the elder wizard and said, "Yes, um, actually, I wanted to talk to you about the children who will be attending school from the Sirius Black Facility. Ginny owled me a list of students who were coming here and I thought you might want to talk about it."
Edwina rolled her eyes at the mention of the new year of students coming in tomorrow. "Actually, I do want to talk to you about that as well. In fact Celeste and Tepthilda should probably be in that conversation as it is their new sponsored class."
Harry turned to the young witch, "So you get to be a sponsor also, you're going to have a lot of fun."
"Actually, that would be your fault that they are sharing that responsibility," Edwina said as he looked at her confused.
"You mean because of my kids that are coming in?" he asked. Harry had always thought of them all of his kids, even though he didn't work at the facility. If any of them had ever needed something, he had made sure they had received it.
"Ah, no actually, that's not the reason actually," said Edwina in a stammer that got a small chuckle from Angus.
"What she's not telling you Potter, is that this year when we sent out acceptance letters, she added a list of the teachers to them. When the children of wizarding families saw your name on the list we had more replies than we usually did," explained the deputy Headmaster.
Harry smiled and shook his head, "That's not my fault then is it?"
"Perhaps, we should invite Celeste to come and join us in this conversation," Edwina added.
"I'll get her," Angus said, "I know where she is and then I have a few things to do before dinner tonight." With that the elderly man got up from his chair and started for the door.
"Thank you Angus."
- - - - -
About an hour after Professor Evanston left them, Professor Celeste Morgan came into the office looking a little harassed.
"Hello everyone," she said cheerily. "Sorry it took me so long, but Angus just now found me."
"That's quite alright Celeste," Edwina said with a smile to the astronomy teacher. "We were just here gossiping about the students behind their backs."
"Well, after the new incoming class gets here, we're going to have too many students to even keep track off, let alone gossip about them," Celeste said as she took a seat.
"How many incoming firsties are we having this year?" asked Harry.
"Twelve," Celeste replied coolly, "You know I was too nice to you last year when I traded classes with you. I think you should have to deal with twelve eleven years olds."
Edwina and Tepthilda tittered and giggled at Harry as he sat there with his mouth hanging open.
Realizing she was having him on, Harry responded, "Well, I would trade back with you, but I don't think it would be fair to my class. They would be heartbroken if I left them now."
Celeste smirked at him, "You've been here too long, you're starting to sound like Fitzy." Everyone laughed.
- - - - -
Later in the afternoon Harry found Tommy and Nanny Talmadge in his sitting room and decided to take them on a tour of the school, to help them become acquainted with it much easier.
"How did your meeting go?" Tommy asked Harry.
Harry smiled at them both, "Oh it was such fun," which caused Tommy to laugh. "Now I had an idea that maybe you two might like to have a tour of the castle so that you don't get lost."
Nanny Talmadge thought it was a fine idea. "That is an excellent an idea. Come along Tommy; let's get your shoes back on again."
After Tommy scrambled up and got into his shoes a few minutes later, they set out on a tour of the castle. Harry first showed them the staff tower and where all the teachers lived, though they couldn't enter their quarters as they all had password protected entrances.
Moving through the castle, they quickly found the unused classroom that Edwina had told them about. Harry opened the door to the classroom and said, "After my meeting was over, Edwina told me that this is the classroom that you're going to be using for your primary education."
Tommy made a face about having to go to school as most boys do at that age causing them to laugh.
"It'll be okay Tommy," Harry said with a chuckle. "You have to go to school; I will not be responsible of depriving you of a good education. That way when you're older I can teach you magic."
Tommy stopped from looking at the room and said, "You're going to teach me magic?"
"If you go to school here or if I'm still teaching that is," Harry said with a shrug leaving a smiling Tommy standing there as he moved into the next room.
"Now this is your office Zinnia. It would have been the instructor's office for this classroom, but this way you can have a private place to grade Tommy's work and send it off by owl post to the Hogsmeade School of Elementary Magic to be recorded for the official record." Harry looked at her and continued, "Sorry about the extra work for you, but I think you expected this."
Nanny Talmadge smiled him and nodded, "Yes, I did and I do not mind."
Harry smiled as Tommy frowned, "What's the matter, Tommy? You like reading, almost as much as Hermione does. Besides if you're a good lad and do well with your marks, you can come to my flying classes out on the pitch with the first years."
Tommy beamed up at him. "You mean it?" he boy asked as Harry nodded.
"Where will you be if we should need you sir?" Nanny asked.
"Harry, I've told you before call me Harry," he said before replying. "My classroom and office are below this one on the next level down. So if you need me during my classes, that where you can find me."
- - - - -
After leaving Tommy's classroom, Harry and the other found an old friend of his. Harry smiled at the sight of her and looking towards the floor he said, "Hello, how was your summer this year?"
"Hi Harry," said a little giggling voice. "It's been really boring here, with no one to play with. At least the children are coming back tomorrow." Then she looked at Tommy and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Tommy Riddle, I'm an award. Who are you?"
"Chloe Honeychurch and I'm dead."
"You win," Tommy said and they both giggled. Tommy had just made his first friend at Honeychurch.
- - - - -
That night as dinner approached, Harry and Vesta led Tommy and Nanny Talmadge down to the dining hall. Upon entering the hall they found most of the teachers already seated at the staff table waiting on them.
"Good evening everyone," Harry called out to them getting their attention. "I hope we haven't kept everyone waiting for too long."
"Oh no Harry, we're just sitting here waiting for you for hours and hours starving to death, but no it wasn't too long a wait at all," said Fitzy sarcastically with the corners of her mouth threatening to curl up into a smile.
"As long as it wasn't a long wait," he said and directed his guests to their seats.
Fitzy switched her attention to Tommy and said, "So you must be the Tommy that I've heard so much about this summer. You know Harry talked about you non stop when I saw him over a month ago."
That got Tommy's attention, "He did?" and then looked at Harry to see if she was telling the truth as he took a seat next to the gruff Professor Botolf Proctor, who gave the boy an approving look.
However, it was Vesta who answered for him, "Yes, he did. He wanted to bring you with us on our holiday, but he couldn't."
Just then Madame Klump and Professor Konkle came into the dining room and took their seats while most of the other teachers were surprised by the addition of a new teacher to the staff.
"Good evening," the Headmistress said happily. "I hope we didn't keep you."
Everyone turned to look at Fitzy, who was about to report her starvation when Harry stuck a dinner roll into her mouth laughing.
"Well, now that we are all here, I have a few announcements to make concerning the staffing of the school," Madame Klump began. "As you may have noticed we have a new addition with us tonight. I would like to introduce everyone to Tepthilda Konkle, our new Arithmancy teacher." Which caused everyone but Harry, Vesta, Celeste and Tepthilda all turned to look at Angus Evanston wondering why he wouldn't be teaching his classes in this year.
Angus looked at them and said, "I will be retiring at the end of the school year."
"Does this mean that Ms. Konkle will be the new Deputy Headmistress?" gruffly asked Professor Botolf Proctor.
"By no means does that mean that, she is far too young and inexperienced for that responsibility," Madame Klump replied to him easily. "She is only becoming our new Arithmancy teacher. Angus and I will be selecting a new Deputy Head by the end of the school year. We have more than one candidate in mind for the position."
"How will you be selecting Angus' replacement? Taking applications?" Professor Proctor asked.
"We'll be discussing that later, but first I wanted to also introduce the two new guests we have in our school for his year," Madame Klump announced to them. "Harry has taken a ward this summer named Tommy and this is his governess, Zinnia Talmadge. I've given them an unused classroom on the third floor for them to use for his schooling." Then she turned to them and said, "If have need of anything just be sure to ask."
Nanny Talmadge nodded understandingly while Tommy looked excited and asked, "Does that mean I can have a racing broom?"
Everyone chuckled as Fitzy said, "Yeah, your Harry's kid alright."
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author's Notes: To everyone who reviewed, thanks again...
I would like to thank the following for reviewing my last chapter, Albus Dumbledore, athenakitty, Fangalla, gaul1, jbfritz, Kensai2, kraeg001, Krysalys73, nikinoksnix, Papa Thom, Phire Phoenix, Phoenix Friend, Rhyllen, SmellyCat-190, Tanydwr, tramp3834, TuxedoMac and uten.
Uten wrote Another good chapter. I think you are absolutely incapable of turning out a bad chapter. Lots of setup in this chapter. I do wonder how the children will react - if they are anything like the ones I know, they won't have a problem with the fact that Tommy was Voldemort. A simple "he was cured and remembers nothing" explanation would work fine for them anyway. It's only us adults that are paranoid and cynical. I'm also glad you are going with running gags, like the boggling one - can't wait for Fitzy's reaction to that!!
Answer - Yes, I can write a bad chapter, how about in the next one?
Tanydwr wrote Great! Btw, I think I'm too young to join the yahoo group. Something about it being registered for people over age of 18. Oh well!
Answer - Sorry to hear it.
athenakitty wrote Will Fudgie get what he deserves, even after being booted out of office? Will Harry let Dobby get chased around Honeychurcbh Fiddy again? Tommy has fun at the gate? guest? Has Percy made up with his family yet?
Answer - Fudge isn't a part of this story, he's in the Veela story. As for Percy, well wait and see.
Papa Thom wrote I am very happy to see that Tommy is at Honeychurch instead of going away to school. This story reminds me of all the controversy about cloning... you may have a physical copy but it is the life experiences that make us who we are. Keep up the great work and get some more chapters out quickly... or I might have to BOGGLE you!
Answer - Feel free to Boggle my mind whenever you like. :)
Krsalys73 wrote Anyway, Ron is quite the stubborn one... but then, he IS a Weasley. I wonder if Edwina will be so forthcoming and welcoming when she finds out who Tommy really is. Then again, I have a feeling she might just be a little concerned... more about his welfare than anything. Who knows how many people will have no qualms about murdering a small child? Harry'd better keep on his toes. If there are any Death Eaters or D.E. supporters still on the loose, they might just want to kidnap their Dark Lord and ensure that he grows up to be as nasty as he was in his previous life.
Answer - Harry and Ron will make up in time, he just wants Harry to be free of Voldemort. In Ron's mind, Tommy is Voldemort.
Pheonix Friend wrote what i dont understand is that we know voldemort turned evil becasue he was unloved right? and that harry was the only one who could kill him. but the prophecy also said that neither could live whilst the other survived. which doesn't make sense as voldemort is still alive! or am i just missing a point? also does it mean that harry will stop tommy from becomming evil again? HELP IM CONFUSED!
Answer - You're not confused at all! You may be the first person to have realized something important about this story. HOwever, you have to wait for that to come about.
tramp3834 wrote I love the premis of your story. It is most entertaining. I find nothing wrong with the story line I hope you keep it up. You are developing it at a good pace. if I had any questions. I would shurly ask. See I am not critical I just tell you that I enjoy it.
Answer - I hope that means that you've read the first story, Harry Potter and the HOneychurch Institute of Magic.
By Darkmoore
"Well, it's the least I can do for the man who saved our school from being closed."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Chapter Fifteen: The New Year Begins
"You saved the school Harry?" Tommy asked.
"Oh," Harry said dismissively, "I didn't really save anything; I just sort of smoothed over a little knot."
Tommy snorted as six year old boys do and said, "Yeah, right."
Harry smiled as he led the boy with the snake in his hair and Nanny Talmadge up the stairs to the staff tower to help them get settled into their new quarters. Down the corridor from Harry's quarters was a door with a newly created plaque on that said, 'Zinnia Talmadge.'
"These are your rooms Nanny," Tommy said reading the plaque.
Nanny Talmadge smiled indulgently and answered, "I think your right. Now I think I'll get settled in and leave you two to do the same." Then she opened her door and went in to her new sitting room leaving Harry and Tommy alone in the corridor.
Moments later, Harry and Tommy were standing in front of his door and Harry bent down and whispered to his ward, "Now our door has a password on it. It won't open unless you give the password, so you had better learn it." Harry finished with a smile. Then Harry stood back up and gave the password, "Dog Star."
Tommy frowned and said, "That's a funny password. Does it ever change?"
"Ever so often I change it, just to annoy Vesta," Harry said with a grin. Once inside Harry's sitting room, he saw that a new door had been added to it, just to the right of the portrait of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather. Giving the portrait a wink, he brought Tommy to it and said, "Tommy, this is the portrait of my godfather, Sirius Black. Sirius this is my new ward, Tommy Riddle." Then Harry eyed the portrait worriedly.
"Nice to meet you sir," Tommy said to the painting.
Sirius looked at the boy, smirked and said, "Well, Harry's been gone for so long that I thought maybe you were his son."
Tommy giggled and said "I wish I were." Which caused both Harry's and Sirius' eyebrows shot straight up.
Sirius, however, recovered first. "So you want to be a Potter? Hmmm, they are a rowdy lot you know? Harry's father was my best friend in the whole world and he and I got into loads of trouble when we were in school together. Harry here did his fair share of trouble making also, so do you think that you're up to the task?"
"I think so," Tommy said with a grin.
"Sirius, please try to not put those ideas into his head. You'll warp his mind," Harry said laughing, trying to change the subject from being Tommy's parent.
Sirius laughed and continued, "That's an odd name you have there, I hope people have been nice to you about it. There was once another Tom Riddle who wasn't a very nice person."
"I heard," Tommy said in a small voice and tried to hide behind Harry's leg, which was usual when he felt afraid about something.
Sirius looked confused and Harry mouthed, 'I'll tell you later.' The animagus nodded knowingly and suggested that they check out Tommy's room as he couldn't. There were no paintings in the room for him to walk into.
"Well, Tommy, what do you think?" Harry asked.
"Wow, it's just like my room back home!" Tommy exclaimed as he saw all his things had been brought there by Dobby. In fact Dobby had recreated Tommy's room from Grimmauld Place as best he could to make the boy feel better about the move. "Look, there's a warming stone for Maize to curl up on and take a nap," Tommy added excitedly and took the snake out of his hair and placed it on the stone.
"So Tommy, do you think you'll like it here?" Harry asked with a smile.
"I guess I could live with it."
- - - - -
After Harry gets Tommy settled into his new room and had given Nanny the password to his quarters, he went down to the Headmistress' office to have a meeting with her about the incoming students from the Sirius Black Memorial Child Care Facility. He had told her that all of the eleven year olds from the school would be coming to Honeychurch last spring; however, Dumbledore had persuaded a few to actually come to Hogwarts.
'I can't believe that old codger telling them stories about me to lure them away,' Harry thought to himself as he made his way down the stairs. 'Still half of them are coming here and I should warn Edwina about it.'
Upon entering the office Harry said, "Edwina, I wanted to … have … a … word …with … you." Harry had drawn out the sentience when he found that Edwina was already in a meeting with Angus Evanston, the incredibly ancient deputy headmaster of the school and a young witch with long dark hair who happened to have the fullest reddest lips and the most stunning eyes that Harry had ever seen. Harry also noticed that the witch looked to be about the same age as he was. "Sorry, didn't know you were busy," Harry apologized and started to leave.
"No, no, Harry," Edwina said to him, "Come in, come in, we were almost finished. In fact we were just talking about you."
Harry looked at her suspiciously, "You were?"
"Yes, I was telling Tepthilda here that you were the youngest teacher at Honeychurch," Edwina explained as she offered Harry a seat.
"I didn't know we needed a new teacher," Harry said. "Did something happen to one of the others or are you finally coming to your senses and sacking me?"
Everyone in the room laughed at his joke. "No Harry, we wouldn't sack you," Edwina smiled at him, "We would just murder you in your sleep and bury the bones up in that hidden room you found last year."
"As long as I'm not fired," he replied with a genuine smile.
"Edwina?" wheezed the elderly Angus Evanston. "Perhaps introductions are in order? We do have a new member of staff who hasn't met any of the others as yet."
"Oh dear, where ever are my manners?" Edwina said as she realized she had been rude. "Harry Potter, I would like you to meet our new Arithmany teacher, Prof. Tepthilda Konkle. Tepthilda, this is Harry Potter, our resident teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts and flying instructor. Not to mention the Quiddtich coach and savior of the school."
Harry blushed at the last bit as Professor Evanston looked sternly at the Headmistress, who ignored the look entirely.
Tepthilda smiled at Harry as she shook his hand and said, "Yes, the Headmistress was just telling me all about how you came up every week the summer before last to repair the Quidditch pitch to get it back into shape again."
Harry stood there stunned for a moment her voice was so silky that it reminded him of Mauricio Guenzel, the Spanish vampire that had come last year to lecture to his third years. Mauricio always had a way that made Harry feel like he was standing naked in the middle of the pitch with everyone staring at him. This young witch didn't have that ability, but it still reminded Harry of it.
"Well, it wasn't much really. Just a little hard work and I had the spare time," Harry said with a smile. However, Harry just realized that Edwina said Tepthilda would be teaching Arithmancy, that was Professor Evanston's subject. "Angus, are you giving up teaching?"
The deputy headmaster sat there looking rather old; in fact he looked like he had aged quite a bit over the summer. "Alas, I think I shall retire at the end of this year, Potter. As much as I have enjoyed teaching here, I think it's time for me to move on and let someone young have the position now."
"What are we going to do for a deputy now? You were perfect for the job," Harry respectfully said the elder wizard.
"You see?" Edwina asked, "I told you that the other teachers respected you and would not want you to go."
"Perhaps, you'll stay on professor," Tepthilda said to him. "With me here as your assistant this year, you won't have to read so many essays or grade as much and you might feel like staying on a bit."
"My dear, you are young and need to have the position all for your self, not sharing it with a dodgy old man," Evanston said quietly. "Besides, you were first in your class in the subject when you graduated from the Dasherwood College of Higher Magical Principles last spring. You are more than capable of doing the job." With that said, he gave no more room for argument on the subject.
Harry took his cue from the elder wizard and said, "Yes, um, actually, I wanted to talk to you about the children who will be attending school from the Sirius Black Facility. Ginny owled me a list of students who were coming here and I thought you might want to talk about it."
Edwina rolled her eyes at the mention of the new year of students coming in tomorrow. "Actually, I do want to talk to you about that as well. In fact Celeste and Tepthilda should probably be in that conversation as it is their new sponsored class."
Harry turned to the young witch, "So you get to be a sponsor also, you're going to have a lot of fun."
"Actually, that would be your fault that they are sharing that responsibility," Edwina said as he looked at her confused.
"You mean because of my kids that are coming in?" he asked. Harry had always thought of them all of his kids, even though he didn't work at the facility. If any of them had ever needed something, he had made sure they had received it.
"Ah, no actually, that's not the reason actually," said Edwina in a stammer that got a small chuckle from Angus.
"What she's not telling you Potter, is that this year when we sent out acceptance letters, she added a list of the teachers to them. When the children of wizarding families saw your name on the list we had more replies than we usually did," explained the deputy Headmaster.
Harry smiled and shook his head, "That's not my fault then is it?"
"Perhaps, we should invite Celeste to come and join us in this conversation," Edwina added.
"I'll get her," Angus said, "I know where she is and then I have a few things to do before dinner tonight." With that the elderly man got up from his chair and started for the door.
"Thank you Angus."
- - - - -
About an hour after Professor Evanston left them, Professor Celeste Morgan came into the office looking a little harassed.
"Hello everyone," she said cheerily. "Sorry it took me so long, but Angus just now found me."
"That's quite alright Celeste," Edwina said with a smile to the astronomy teacher. "We were just here gossiping about the students behind their backs."
"Well, after the new incoming class gets here, we're going to have too many students to even keep track off, let alone gossip about them," Celeste said as she took a seat.
"How many incoming firsties are we having this year?" asked Harry.
"Twelve," Celeste replied coolly, "You know I was too nice to you last year when I traded classes with you. I think you should have to deal with twelve eleven years olds."
Edwina and Tepthilda tittered and giggled at Harry as he sat there with his mouth hanging open.
Realizing she was having him on, Harry responded, "Well, I would trade back with you, but I don't think it would be fair to my class. They would be heartbroken if I left them now."
Celeste smirked at him, "You've been here too long, you're starting to sound like Fitzy." Everyone laughed.
- - - - -
Later in the afternoon Harry found Tommy and Nanny Talmadge in his sitting room and decided to take them on a tour of the school, to help them become acquainted with it much easier.
"How did your meeting go?" Tommy asked Harry.
Harry smiled at them both, "Oh it was such fun," which caused Tommy to laugh. "Now I had an idea that maybe you two might like to have a tour of the castle so that you don't get lost."
Nanny Talmadge thought it was a fine idea. "That is an excellent an idea. Come along Tommy; let's get your shoes back on again."
After Tommy scrambled up and got into his shoes a few minutes later, they set out on a tour of the castle. Harry first showed them the staff tower and where all the teachers lived, though they couldn't enter their quarters as they all had password protected entrances.
Moving through the castle, they quickly found the unused classroom that Edwina had told them about. Harry opened the door to the classroom and said, "After my meeting was over, Edwina told me that this is the classroom that you're going to be using for your primary education."
Tommy made a face about having to go to school as most boys do at that age causing them to laugh.
"It'll be okay Tommy," Harry said with a chuckle. "You have to go to school; I will not be responsible of depriving you of a good education. That way when you're older I can teach you magic."
Tommy stopped from looking at the room and said, "You're going to teach me magic?"
"If you go to school here or if I'm still teaching that is," Harry said with a shrug leaving a smiling Tommy standing there as he moved into the next room.
"Now this is your office Zinnia. It would have been the instructor's office for this classroom, but this way you can have a private place to grade Tommy's work and send it off by owl post to the Hogsmeade School of Elementary Magic to be recorded for the official record." Harry looked at her and continued, "Sorry about the extra work for you, but I think you expected this."
Nanny Talmadge smiled him and nodded, "Yes, I did and I do not mind."
Harry smiled as Tommy frowned, "What's the matter, Tommy? You like reading, almost as much as Hermione does. Besides if you're a good lad and do well with your marks, you can come to my flying classes out on the pitch with the first years."
Tommy beamed up at him. "You mean it?" he boy asked as Harry nodded.
"Where will you be if we should need you sir?" Nanny asked.
"Harry, I've told you before call me Harry," he said before replying. "My classroom and office are below this one on the next level down. So if you need me during my classes, that where you can find me."
- - - - -
After leaving Tommy's classroom, Harry and the other found an old friend of his. Harry smiled at the sight of her and looking towards the floor he said, "Hello, how was your summer this year?"
"Hi Harry," said a little giggling voice. "It's been really boring here, with no one to play with. At least the children are coming back tomorrow." Then she looked at Tommy and asked, "Who are you?"
"I'm Tommy Riddle, I'm an award. Who are you?"
"Chloe Honeychurch and I'm dead."
"You win," Tommy said and they both giggled. Tommy had just made his first friend at Honeychurch.
- - - - -
That night as dinner approached, Harry and Vesta led Tommy and Nanny Talmadge down to the dining hall. Upon entering the hall they found most of the teachers already seated at the staff table waiting on them.
"Good evening everyone," Harry called out to them getting their attention. "I hope we haven't kept everyone waiting for too long."
"Oh no Harry, we're just sitting here waiting for you for hours and hours starving to death, but no it wasn't too long a wait at all," said Fitzy sarcastically with the corners of her mouth threatening to curl up into a smile.
"As long as it wasn't a long wait," he said and directed his guests to their seats.
Fitzy switched her attention to Tommy and said, "So you must be the Tommy that I've heard so much about this summer. You know Harry talked about you non stop when I saw him over a month ago."
That got Tommy's attention, "He did?" and then looked at Harry to see if she was telling the truth as he took a seat next to the gruff Professor Botolf Proctor, who gave the boy an approving look.
However, it was Vesta who answered for him, "Yes, he did. He wanted to bring you with us on our holiday, but he couldn't."
Just then Madame Klump and Professor Konkle came into the dining room and took their seats while most of the other teachers were surprised by the addition of a new teacher to the staff.
"Good evening," the Headmistress said happily. "I hope we didn't keep you."
Everyone turned to look at Fitzy, who was about to report her starvation when Harry stuck a dinner roll into her mouth laughing.
"Well, now that we are all here, I have a few announcements to make concerning the staffing of the school," Madame Klump began. "As you may have noticed we have a new addition with us tonight. I would like to introduce everyone to Tepthilda Konkle, our new Arithmancy teacher." Which caused everyone but Harry, Vesta, Celeste and Tepthilda all turned to look at Angus Evanston wondering why he wouldn't be teaching his classes in this year.
Angus looked at them and said, "I will be retiring at the end of the school year."
"Does this mean that Ms. Konkle will be the new Deputy Headmistress?" gruffly asked Professor Botolf Proctor.
"By no means does that mean that, she is far too young and inexperienced for that responsibility," Madame Klump replied to him easily. "She is only becoming our new Arithmancy teacher. Angus and I will be selecting a new Deputy Head by the end of the school year. We have more than one candidate in mind for the position."
"How will you be selecting Angus' replacement? Taking applications?" Professor Proctor asked.
"We'll be discussing that later, but first I wanted to also introduce the two new guests we have in our school for his year," Madame Klump announced to them. "Harry has taken a ward this summer named Tommy and this is his governess, Zinnia Talmadge. I've given them an unused classroom on the third floor for them to use for his schooling." Then she turned to them and said, "If have need of anything just be sure to ask."
Nanny Talmadge nodded understandingly while Tommy looked excited and asked, "Does that mean I can have a racing broom?"
Everyone chuckled as Fitzy said, "Yeah, your Harry's kid alright."
To Be Continued…
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Author's Notes: To everyone who reviewed, thanks again...
I would like to thank the following for reviewing my last chapter, Albus Dumbledore, athenakitty, Fangalla, gaul1, jbfritz, Kensai2, kraeg001, Krysalys73, nikinoksnix, Papa Thom, Phire Phoenix, Phoenix Friend, Rhyllen, SmellyCat-190, Tanydwr, tramp3834, TuxedoMac and uten.
Uten wrote Another good chapter. I think you are absolutely incapable of turning out a bad chapter. Lots of setup in this chapter. I do wonder how the children will react - if they are anything like the ones I know, they won't have a problem with the fact that Tommy was Voldemort. A simple "he was cured and remembers nothing" explanation would work fine for them anyway. It's only us adults that are paranoid and cynical. I'm also glad you are going with running gags, like the boggling one - can't wait for Fitzy's reaction to that!!
Answer - Yes, I can write a bad chapter, how about in the next one?
Tanydwr wrote Great! Btw, I think I'm too young to join the yahoo group. Something about it being registered for people over age of 18. Oh well!
Answer - Sorry to hear it.
athenakitty wrote Will Fudgie get what he deserves, even after being booted out of office? Will Harry let Dobby get chased around Honeychurcbh Fiddy again? Tommy has fun at the gate? guest? Has Percy made up with his family yet?
Answer - Fudge isn't a part of this story, he's in the Veela story. As for Percy, well wait and see.
Papa Thom wrote I am very happy to see that Tommy is at Honeychurch instead of going away to school. This story reminds me of all the controversy about cloning... you may have a physical copy but it is the life experiences that make us who we are. Keep up the great work and get some more chapters out quickly... or I might have to BOGGLE you!
Answer - Feel free to Boggle my mind whenever you like. :)
Krsalys73 wrote Anyway, Ron is quite the stubborn one... but then, he IS a Weasley. I wonder if Edwina will be so forthcoming and welcoming when she finds out who Tommy really is. Then again, I have a feeling she might just be a little concerned... more about his welfare than anything. Who knows how many people will have no qualms about murdering a small child? Harry'd better keep on his toes. If there are any Death Eaters or D.E. supporters still on the loose, they might just want to kidnap their Dark Lord and ensure that he grows up to be as nasty as he was in his previous life.
Answer - Harry and Ron will make up in time, he just wants Harry to be free of Voldemort. In Ron's mind, Tommy is Voldemort.
Pheonix Friend wrote what i dont understand is that we know voldemort turned evil becasue he was unloved right? and that harry was the only one who could kill him. but the prophecy also said that neither could live whilst the other survived. which doesn't make sense as voldemort is still alive! or am i just missing a point? also does it mean that harry will stop tommy from becomming evil again? HELP IM CONFUSED!
Answer - You're not confused at all! You may be the first person to have realized something important about this story. HOwever, you have to wait for that to come about.
tramp3834 wrote I love the premis of your story. It is most entertaining. I find nothing wrong with the story line I hope you keep it up. You are developing it at a good pace. if I had any questions. I would shurly ask. See I am not critical I just tell you that I enjoy it.
Answer - I hope that means that you've read the first story, Harry Potter and the HOneychurch Institute of Magic.