Author's Note:
Thanks, Hakkai – Gojyo – Goku – Sanzo, for the fiftieth review!! And thanks a lot to all of the other reviewers!
Chapter 8
An Offer
Harry stared at the letter – or rather, the note – unbelievingly. Luna had written to him, using his real name. She knew. But how could she know? And how long had she known? If she had known that he was alive all the time, why hadn't she contacted him earlier?
She must have known for a while at least, and now she was angry with Harry, hence the short note only, without any words of greeting whatsoever. He looked at the note again, then realised what it said – the snowy owl who had brought it was Hedwig! Harry looked at her properly for the first time, then stroked her back, filled with deep joy at the sight of her. He had never realised how much he missed Hedwig, not until now that he had her back.
Harry spent the night writing a reply to Luna. There was some parchment in the room, and Harry used a large amount of it before he came up with a letter he was happy with. It only said,
"Dear Luna,
How did you know?
Harry"
He had written several longer letters, but they had all seemed unnatural, and in the end, he settled for this one. He then tried to make Hedwig take the letter to Luna, but she refused blankly to leave his side. After a while he gave up trying to persuade her and decided he would go to the Hogsmeade Post Office on the way to Hogwarts instead.
Lily and Harry had breakfast together, and then Harry talked to Madam Rosmerta, who agreed to take care of Lily during the day so Harry could talk to John on his own. That way Lily wouldn't get upset about all that had happened again. Hedwig let him go only reluctantly, after he had asked her solemnly to watch Lily for him.
Harry was just in time for his meeting with Hagrid at ten o'clock, having sent the note to Luna and then strolled through Hogsmeade at his ease, savouring every sign of magic. How had he managed without this for so long, Harry wondered? It was fifteen years now, almost to the day, and during that time, he had seen nothing of the Wizarding World. Right there, walking to Hogwarts, Harry was suddenly overwhelmed by a desire never to leave the Magical World again.
He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, however; now, he had to talk to Hagrid, and very soon he would have to deal with poor John, who had hopefully calmed down a bit since yesterday. 'Norbert,' he said again, then knocked at the door to the Headmaster's office.
'Come in!' Hagrid said, and Harry entered, glad at hearing Hagrid's voice. At least there was someone left here whom he knew and liked ... When Harry came in, Hagrid was sitting at the desk, which was far too small for him, reading a letter.
'Shouldn't you get a bigger desk, Hagrid?' Harry asked as he came in, then gave a start – he had given himself away! No stranger would ever talk like that to Hagrid; he was bound to notice that something wasn't as it should be ... But Hagrid sat there, lost in thought, and miraculously didn't seem to notice.
'Er .... Excuse me, Headmaster,' Harry said, being cautious this time, 'what's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?'
'Er ... no, no, this is nothin' yeh could help me with ... The Divination teacher has left, she's marryin' Lockhart ... yeh wouldn' know him, he's a famous writer in the Wizarding World, they're going on a promotional tour in the United States now ...'
Harry tried to hide a smile. He'd heard all of this yesterday, but he hadn't taken it in properly. What a strange combination, Lockhart and Trelawney. This had to mean that Lockhart had been cured.
'... So now I haven' only lost her – there's the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to find too, I haven' been able to find anyone, there's a rumour that the job is jinxed ... There hasn' been a teacher who's lasted more than a year for thirty years now ...' Hagrid was rearranging his papers distractedly, muttering confused comments about the Defence Against the Dark Arts post.
Harry didn't say anything. Defence Against the Dark Arts ... that had been his favourite subject. He could teach that – he had taught that, during his own days at Hogwarts, when he had been the leader of the DA ...
'Ah, it hasn' been easy, yeh know, I didn' want this job in the firs' place ... I only took it as a last favour to Dumbledore ... he used to be the Headmaster here, he's dead now though, died in the Final Battle ... great man, Dumbledore ... Ah, they nearly all died. There's only me left from the Order, almost.' He looked up, startled, as if he had only just realised that Harry was there. 'Sorry, yeh wouldn' know about any o' that, I s'pose. Yeh see, there was this wizard who went bad – really bad. He had followers who called themselves Death Eaters, an' there were deaths ... a lot of deaths, both wizards an' muggles. But he was defeated fifteen years ago, by someone called Harry Potter. He's dead now, too ... Almost all of them are.' Hagrid looked down at his too small desk, sadly. 'Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Hermione Granger ... the Weasleys – Arthur, Bill, Ron and Percy ... Mundungus Fletcher, Amelia Bones ... I could go on for ages, there were so many victims, especially in that last battle ...' A single tear trickled down Hagrid's bearded face. He paused. He looked confused, as if he didn't quite know why he was confiding in a total stranger, whom he thought was a muggle.
Harry, however, was feeling guilty. How could he have been so selfish, pretending that he was dead all these years when there were people who needed him? How could he? Harry had questioned his decision to leave the Wizarding World occasionally, but he had never doubted that it had been justified. He had lost so much, and his burden during the war had been so great that he had never even paused to consider what losses other people might have suffered.
'And now Bagman thinks I'm doin' a bad job, not havin' a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, he wants to give the job to someone from the Ministry ...'
'Bagman?' Harry exclaimed.
'The Minister for Magic, yeh wouldn' know him.'
'What? Bagman's Minister for Magic?'
Hagrid looked up. 'D'yeh know him? But what am I thinkin' of,' he said briskly, 'yeh must be worried abou' John ... Let me see what I can do ... I'll go and get him, shall I?'
Harry said nothing, but stood there just looking at Hagrid. He ought to go back home with Lily, pretending to be a muggle again, and live an ordinary muggle life ... But – why, really? Would Lily suffer if they became part of the Magical World? It didn't seem all that probable, seeing as she hadn't wanted to leave Diagon Alley when they were there. She had been enthralled by Hogsmeade, too ... But her schooling, how would he be able to arrange that?
'I could be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher,' Harry blurted out, then stopped, almost as surprised as Hagrid at hearing these words.
'What?' Hagrid stared at him, taking in his appearance properly for the first time. 'But ... yeh're a muggle. D'yeh even know what Defence Against the Dark Arts is?'
'Er – well, Headmaster ... I'm not a muggle. I mean it, I could help you. I could do the job, I'm rather skilled at it.' He looked at Hagrid imploringly. He had suddenly come to realise how much he had missed the magical world all these years. In a way, it had been easy to pretend he was a muggle, but it had also been hard to let go of the Wizarding World. And now that he had come in contact with it again, he didn't know if he was willing to go back and pretend any longer. He didn't want to be a bus driver, he wanted to be in the Magical World. He wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job.
Yeh're not a muggle?' Hagrid said suspiciously. 'But then yeh must have been at Hogwarts?'
'Er – yes, I was. Yes.'
'Yeh were? I don' remember anyone called Evans ... only a girl, far older than yerself, Lily Evans her name was ... And then there was Mark Evans, but I met him only a few days ago, and yeh're not him ... What house were yeh in?'
'Um ... Ravenclaw.'
Hagrid shook his head. 'Ravenclaw?' he muttered. 'Evans – Ravenclaw?' He didn't believe Harry, that was obvious. What should he do? He had gone too far for concealment already. It was time for him to do what he should have done long ago.
'Hagrid ... It's me, Harry.' Harry trembled as he said it, scanning Hagrid's face for a reaction. ' Harry Potter.' How he had wanted to say those words. How he had wanted to tell Hagrid ever since he first saw him in the Headmaster's Office.
Hagrid's mouth fell open, but Harry could see that he knew he was telling the truth.
Thanks, Hakkai – Gojyo – Goku – Sanzo, for the fiftieth review!! And thanks a lot to all of the other reviewers!
Chapter 8
An Offer
Harry stared at the letter – or rather, the note – unbelievingly. Luna had written to him, using his real name. She knew. But how could she know? And how long had she known? If she had known that he was alive all the time, why hadn't she contacted him earlier?
She must have known for a while at least, and now she was angry with Harry, hence the short note only, without any words of greeting whatsoever. He looked at the note again, then realised what it said – the snowy owl who had brought it was Hedwig! Harry looked at her properly for the first time, then stroked her back, filled with deep joy at the sight of her. He had never realised how much he missed Hedwig, not until now that he had her back.
Harry spent the night writing a reply to Luna. There was some parchment in the room, and Harry used a large amount of it before he came up with a letter he was happy with. It only said,
"Dear Luna,
How did you know?
Harry"
He had written several longer letters, but they had all seemed unnatural, and in the end, he settled for this one. He then tried to make Hedwig take the letter to Luna, but she refused blankly to leave his side. After a while he gave up trying to persuade her and decided he would go to the Hogsmeade Post Office on the way to Hogwarts instead.
Lily and Harry had breakfast together, and then Harry talked to Madam Rosmerta, who agreed to take care of Lily during the day so Harry could talk to John on his own. That way Lily wouldn't get upset about all that had happened again. Hedwig let him go only reluctantly, after he had asked her solemnly to watch Lily for him.
Harry was just in time for his meeting with Hagrid at ten o'clock, having sent the note to Luna and then strolled through Hogsmeade at his ease, savouring every sign of magic. How had he managed without this for so long, Harry wondered? It was fifteen years now, almost to the day, and during that time, he had seen nothing of the Wizarding World. Right there, walking to Hogwarts, Harry was suddenly overwhelmed by a desire never to leave the Magical World again.
He pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind, however; now, he had to talk to Hagrid, and very soon he would have to deal with poor John, who had hopefully calmed down a bit since yesterday. 'Norbert,' he said again, then knocked at the door to the Headmaster's office.
'Come in!' Hagrid said, and Harry entered, glad at hearing Hagrid's voice. At least there was someone left here whom he knew and liked ... When Harry came in, Hagrid was sitting at the desk, which was far too small for him, reading a letter.
'Shouldn't you get a bigger desk, Hagrid?' Harry asked as he came in, then gave a start – he had given himself away! No stranger would ever talk like that to Hagrid; he was bound to notice that something wasn't as it should be ... But Hagrid sat there, lost in thought, and miraculously didn't seem to notice.
'Er .... Excuse me, Headmaster,' Harry said, being cautious this time, 'what's wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?'
'Er ... no, no, this is nothin' yeh could help me with ... The Divination teacher has left, she's marryin' Lockhart ... yeh wouldn' know him, he's a famous writer in the Wizarding World, they're going on a promotional tour in the United States now ...'
Harry tried to hide a smile. He'd heard all of this yesterday, but he hadn't taken it in properly. What a strange combination, Lockhart and Trelawney. This had to mean that Lockhart had been cured.
'... So now I haven' only lost her – there's the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher to find too, I haven' been able to find anyone, there's a rumour that the job is jinxed ... There hasn' been a teacher who's lasted more than a year for thirty years now ...' Hagrid was rearranging his papers distractedly, muttering confused comments about the Defence Against the Dark Arts post.
Harry didn't say anything. Defence Against the Dark Arts ... that had been his favourite subject. He could teach that – he had taught that, during his own days at Hogwarts, when he had been the leader of the DA ...
'Ah, it hasn' been easy, yeh know, I didn' want this job in the firs' place ... I only took it as a last favour to Dumbledore ... he used to be the Headmaster here, he's dead now though, died in the Final Battle ... great man, Dumbledore ... Ah, they nearly all died. There's only me left from the Order, almost.' He looked up, startled, as if he had only just realised that Harry was there. 'Sorry, yeh wouldn' know about any o' that, I s'pose. Yeh see, there was this wizard who went bad – really bad. He had followers who called themselves Death Eaters, an' there were deaths ... a lot of deaths, both wizards an' muggles. But he was defeated fifteen years ago, by someone called Harry Potter. He's dead now, too ... Almost all of them are.' Hagrid looked down at his too small desk, sadly. 'Remus Lupin, Mad-Eye Moody, Hermione Granger ... the Weasleys – Arthur, Bill, Ron and Percy ... Mundungus Fletcher, Amelia Bones ... I could go on for ages, there were so many victims, especially in that last battle ...' A single tear trickled down Hagrid's bearded face. He paused. He looked confused, as if he didn't quite know why he was confiding in a total stranger, whom he thought was a muggle.
Harry, however, was feeling guilty. How could he have been so selfish, pretending that he was dead all these years when there were people who needed him? How could he? Harry had questioned his decision to leave the Wizarding World occasionally, but he had never doubted that it had been justified. He had lost so much, and his burden during the war had been so great that he had never even paused to consider what losses other people might have suffered.
'And now Bagman thinks I'm doin' a bad job, not havin' a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, he wants to give the job to someone from the Ministry ...'
'Bagman?' Harry exclaimed.
'The Minister for Magic, yeh wouldn' know him.'
'What? Bagman's Minister for Magic?'
Hagrid looked up. 'D'yeh know him? But what am I thinkin' of,' he said briskly, 'yeh must be worried abou' John ... Let me see what I can do ... I'll go and get him, shall I?'
Harry said nothing, but stood there just looking at Hagrid. He ought to go back home with Lily, pretending to be a muggle again, and live an ordinary muggle life ... But – why, really? Would Lily suffer if they became part of the Magical World? It didn't seem all that probable, seeing as she hadn't wanted to leave Diagon Alley when they were there. She had been enthralled by Hogsmeade, too ... But her schooling, how would he be able to arrange that?
'I could be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher,' Harry blurted out, then stopped, almost as surprised as Hagrid at hearing these words.
'What?' Hagrid stared at him, taking in his appearance properly for the first time. 'But ... yeh're a muggle. D'yeh even know what Defence Against the Dark Arts is?'
'Er – well, Headmaster ... I'm not a muggle. I mean it, I could help you. I could do the job, I'm rather skilled at it.' He looked at Hagrid imploringly. He had suddenly come to realise how much he had missed the magical world all these years. In a way, it had been easy to pretend he was a muggle, but it had also been hard to let go of the Wizarding World. And now that he had come in contact with it again, he didn't know if he was willing to go back and pretend any longer. He didn't want to be a bus driver, he wanted to be in the Magical World. He wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job.
Yeh're not a muggle?' Hagrid said suspiciously. 'But then yeh must have been at Hogwarts?'
'Er – yes, I was. Yes.'
'Yeh were? I don' remember anyone called Evans ... only a girl, far older than yerself, Lily Evans her name was ... And then there was Mark Evans, but I met him only a few days ago, and yeh're not him ... What house were yeh in?'
'Um ... Ravenclaw.'
Hagrid shook his head. 'Ravenclaw?' he muttered. 'Evans – Ravenclaw?' He didn't believe Harry, that was obvious. What should he do? He had gone too far for concealment already. It was time for him to do what he should have done long ago.
'Hagrid ... It's me, Harry.' Harry trembled as he said it, scanning Hagrid's face for a reaction. ' Harry Potter.' How he had wanted to say those words. How he had wanted to tell Hagrid ever since he first saw him in the Headmaster's Office.
Hagrid's mouth fell open, but Harry could see that he knew he was telling the truth.
