Chapter 9

Home again

'Harry!' Hagrid exclaimed, then sat down heavily on the chair that had once belonged to Dumbledore. It creaked dangerously beneath him, as if it was about to break into pieces any second. 'Is it really you?'
Harry thought about all the measures he had taken in order not to be recognised, and realised that he would have to prove that he was who he said he was. 'Yes, Hagrid,' he said. 'Ask me anything you like – anything that only I would know – you'll see that it's really me.'
Hagrid thought for a moment. 'Who's Aragog?' he said after a while.
Harry smiled. 'An enormous spider that lives in the Forbidden Forest with his wife and thousands of children ... who tried to eat Ron and me once.' Harry looked at Hagrid, still smiling. 'Is he still there then?'
Hagrid stared at Harry, his mouth open. 'But ... it's impossible! Yeh ... yeh died, fightin' Lucius Malfoy!'
Harry sighed, feeling guilty. 'I didn't die, Hagrid – I only wanted you to believe I was dead ... no, not even that, really, it just happened that way; I couldn't face the Magical World, I had lost so many friends, so many persons dear to me ... I just wanted to stay away for a while, but then ... then it became permanent, and I stayed in the muggle world. It just happened that way. I changed my appearance so no one could recognise me, and I performed a concealment charm on myself to avoid detection.'
Hagrid wiped away some tears from his face with the back of his huge hand. 'Yeh've still got yer mother's eyes, though,' he said, and smiled for the first time since Harry had entered the room.
'Yes,' Harry said quietly. 'I'd never change that.'
Suddenly Hagrid rose from Dumbledore's chair, walked up to Harry and pulled him close into an enormous embrace. 'I can' believe it's you,' he said as he let go of him. 'I can' believe yeh're really back. But wait a minute ... this means yeh really can do the Defence Against the Dark Arts job!'
'Yes, of course.' Harry smiled again. 'If you'll have me ...'
'Ah, there's nobody I'd rather have – nobody better suited ter do the job!' Hagrid exclaimed. 'That'll be somethin' for the students – ter be able ter say that they've been taught Defence Against the Dark Arts by the One who defeated Voldemort.'
'Hagrid,' said Harry seriously. 'If I take this job I don't want anyone to find out who I really am. I haven't even told my own children. You'll have to keep it a secret.'
Hagrid looked disappointed, but quickly composed himself. 'Well ... if that's what yeh want ...'
'It is,' Harry said firmly. 'And when I say keep a secret I mean really keep it. Not the way you did with Fluffy – and the dragons ...'
Hagrid smiled apologetically. 'Sure, Harry, I really will keep it.'
'Well then,' Harry said briskly. 'I suppose you'll want me to start as soon as possible.'
Hagrid nodded, still looking somewhat overwhelmed, but pleased as well.
'I'll just need some time to get things in order,' Harry went on. 'I have to talk to John and Lily, and ... yes, I'll have to arrange something for Lily, she will have to be schooled somehow ...'
'Oh, that'll be no problem,' said Hagrid, happily. There's loads of families in Hogsmeade who teach their own children, yeh'll be able ter arrange somethin' with them. I'll help yeh if yeh like.'
'Thanks, Hagrid ...' Harry smiled. 'Now I'd like to see John, if there's nothing more we need to discuss right now.'
'Of course! I'll get him right away.' Hagrid hurried away, looking a lot happier than he had in the morning.
After a few minutes, John came into the room, looking slightly apprehensive.
'John – how are you feeling?' Harry said, eyeing him concernedly.
'I'm fine,' John muttered, looking down at his own feet. 'Listen, Dad ...' he gave Harry a quick glance, 'I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't really mean what I said about ... about Mum. Not all of it, anyway.'
Harry was relieved. He had feared that John would still be as angry as he had been the day before. 'Oh, John!' he said. 'I know it hasn't been easy for you. And I'm not saying your mother was right in leaving us the way she did, and never letting us hear from her, but it wasn't all her fault. She never would have left if I hadn't ... well, if I had been able to get over my first love. I'm as much to blame as she is.'
John looked doubtingly at him, just as Hagrid entered the room again.
'So, Harry,' he said cheerfully. 'Have yeh told John the good news yet?'
Harry cleared his throat nervously. 'I was just getting to that. John, it looks as though Lily and I will be staying on here at Hogwarts for a while.'
'Staying on?' John said suspiciously. 'But why? Don't stay for my sake – I don't need you here to baby-sit me, I can take care of myself. And I'm not that upset about Mum. I never expected to see her again anyway.'
'I know you can manage on your own,' Harry said reassuringly, 'and we're not staying for your sake. I'm doing this as a favour to Hagrid. I'm going to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.'
There was a pause as John took in this bit of information. 'Defence Against the Dark Arts?' he said after a little while, incredulously. 'But, Dad, that's supposed to be really difficult! Are you sure you can manage?'
'Don't worry about yer dad, John,' Hagrid said. 'He was the best in his year at Defence Against the Dark Arts. In fact, I think he was one o' the best we've ever had here at Hogwarts.'
John stared at his father as if he had never seen him before. He looked both surprised and impressed at the same time. ''Well, in that case ...' he said slowly. 'Oh, it'll be great having Lily here! I can't wait to show her everything, and introduce her to all my friends!'

That night, Harry was sitting in his room at the Three Broomsticks, looking at Lily who was fast asleep. She had been even more thrilled than John at the prospect of staying at Hogwarts. During the evening she hadn't been able to stop herself from talking excitedly about what it would be like to live in the Magical World. Now she had finally dozed off, and Harry was sitting by the window. What an enormous difference from the previous night! Last night had been filled with insecurity and hopelessness, but now Harry's life had taken a completely different course. He was back in the Magical World. He was back in the only place he had ever been able to call home. Who would have suspected this, even a few days ago?
As Harry was sitting by the window, he thought of the day's events. He remembered Hagrid as he used to be during his own school days. Everything was so different now, but Hagrid, in essence, was the same. He wondered what had happened to Hagrid's hut – was the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher living there now? And if so, did it look the same? He thought about the hut, remembering their frequent visits there, sitting in front of the fire, drinking tea, trying to avoid eating Hagrid's home-made rock cakes ... But then the room changed. Suddenly, there were cold, bare stone walls, and a single torch fastened to the wall. There was an eerie feel to this room, all the cosiness was gone ... this wasn't Hagrid's hut. Without any warning, Harry's scar seared with pain. He woke with a start. What had happened? How could his scar hurt again – it had disappeared when Voldemort died ... Harry rubbed his forehead, anxiously, as if trying to ascertain that there was no scar, and there wasn't. Yet there was still a prickling sensation where the scar had once been ...
At that moment, a large screech owl appeared outside the window, a letter tied to its leg. Harry opened the window excitedly. The address was in Luna's handwriting. He tore it open and read:

"Dear Harry,

I saw your return to the Magical World in the Orb. Congratulations on your new job. We shall see each other soon.

Yours, Luna"

Author's Note: I have seen in the Orb that there will be a lot of reviews for this chapter – but then, Divination is a very imprecise branch of magic, so I may be wrong ... please, please, prove me right!