Chapter 3 Insult to injury
Harry got an early start in the morning. He put on one of his new robes and went down to eat an early breakfast before the students walked in to eat. He planned to avoid the girls who have been fawning over him and listen to what his students have to say when they are among their friends. Harry had hoped by observing them, he could help guide them when they start to practice Occulmency. Harry remembered it was easy to help Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Susan with their lessons since he knew them so well and could just find memories that weren't too personal or painful for them.
Harry finished his breakfast as several students he didn't know came in to start eating. Remus sat down next to Harry and began to eat his own breakfast. "How was your first class last night?" Remus asked.
Harry thought back to his first impressions of the whole class. While no one stood out no one pushed away from the socializing in his class either. "It wasn't that bad. I have seen them all able to get along and was pleased by it. I guess house rivalry isn't what it used to be."
Remus smiled and shook his head. "I think you just got lucky and got the pacifying bunch." Harry smiled and finished his pumpkin juice. He said a good bye to Remus and waved to Susan and Fluer as they came into the hall.
"Where are you going young man?" asked Fluer playfully.
Harry stopped for a second then waved for them to both come closer. "I am going to go spy on my students." He whispered.
Susan looked up at him looking to see if he was serious. He was. "Why?" she half laughed half groaned.
"Well, if you must know, I need to set them up for Occulmency and need to understand how they think. A file paper report can only do so much. Don't worry I'll be discreet." He said trying to be cheerful despite the fact he was going to invade his students privacy.
Fluer didn't know if she should be understanding or angry, so she decided to me neutral when she said curtly, "So thiz is only for helping them with their classes?"
Harry heard the warning tone in her voice and then replied. "I'll tell them what I did when I am done getting all the information I need. Happy?" Harry tried to lighten the atmosphere with the compromise
Fluer was about to respond with a 'no' when Susan interrupted her. "We'll accept what your doing since Albus has obviously decided you get free reign in your teaching methods. Which is why I couldn't even enter the corridor where your class was last night right?" Susan looked hurt. She wanted to take a look at Harry while he was teaching, but she promptly forgot about the incident when he came to visit her after his class.
Harry flinched. "Sorry about that. I was supposed to let all the teachers know where it was and allow you all to know the location so you can get me in an emergency." Harry conjured ink and parchment and wrote out. 'Advanced Magic's class room is located at the end of the hall on the third floor.' Harry gave the parchment to Susan and said, "Let every teacher read this and hang on to it until you can give it back to me. I'll set an age limit to the shields around the hall." He waved a quick good bye before Fluer said something else. He left the hall as the students began to come down in droves. Harry cast a invisibility spell on himself, a silence spell on his body and a 'don't come near me charm' for added effect. He then started his long task of observing his students.
His first seven students were none eventful. Each of them loved to gossip about nothing important. Harry instilled the moment in his memory so he would be able to only bring up that memory when he started to legimens the students. One group of girls one of his students was in was talking about him as Professor Dursley. He almost laughed at the way one of the girls said how dreamy he was. Harry decided it was time for him to retreat from that one and looked for another student to observe. He ran across Alice's friend Owen and followed him around. He didn't have a class with Alice at the time and Harry listened to how Owen was lucky to get into the special class. Harry had to smile as Owen talked about the class without giving anything away to break the contract. The kid certainly was able to bend every rule as much as he could while discussing things with his friends. Harry noticed that Owen was usually a sullen young man. But when someone talked to him, he would light up.
Harry moved from one student, then another. He skipped lunch as one of the Ravenclaws he was observing was in the library reading. He read over Miss Kee's shoulder and was happy to see that she was reading something about meditation with magic. She had already written notes. And to Harry's surprise she deduced that the point of the meditation was to be able to sort their own thoughts. And that was what she was researching. Another Hermione Granger right here. He thought happily.
He left her and started to walk toward the dinning hall to eat a late lunch when he felt a layer of magic that shouldn't be there. Harry followed the trace of magic to a door. As soon as he broke the spell he heard, "Come on and tell it you stupid witch! What's going on in the advanced class that I am not able to handle." Harry saw some one on the floor with three Hufflepuff students who must be at least sixth years. Harry's blood froze when he saw Alice on the floor slowly trying to get back up but refusing to say anything. The look she showed the three boys was calm and determined.
"Stupid girl. You obviously don't know who it is your insulting. If you were so smart why didn't you notice us grabbing you. Quite the proper pure blood aren't you." Alice stone face glares at her attacker. "Quit looking at me like that."
The prefect raised his fist to punch Alice again but it stopped in mid-arc. The Hufflepuff turned back in time to see Professor Dursley become visible. The three thugs tried to run out the door but ran into an physical shield spell. Harry looked over to Alice who was looking down to the floor and was not saying anything. Harry saw a hint of a smile when she saw him stop the three from running.
"I would expect three upper classmen to set an example for the rest of school." Harry drawled. The walls that blocked the exit surrounded the three Hufflepuffs and closed around them pushing them next to each other. "This action coming from a prefect is inexcusable." Harry just saw the badge when he stopped the boys fist a moment before. "If you believe that you should have been able to participate with my class, you should have come to me personally. As it is, I can see why you are not in my class with this kind of childish behavior." The Hufflepuffs spat and glared at Harry. "Are you alright there miss Niete?" She limped over to him and nodded.
"Well since we are late to lunch now, how about we skip the trip to the hospital wing." Harry raised his hand over Alice's head. The remains of Harry smiled evaporated when he saw how severely injured Alice was. Harry concentrated a moment before the palm of his hand glowed. Alice immediately felt all the bruises fade away. The pain in her side left her as well. She gasped from the sudden healing as other places that were numb came back with feeling. She then looked up at him. Her eyes were wide rhombuses. Harry realized that she didn't expect him to heal her completely. Which was understandable as there weren't many wizards or witches who can simply heal, and few less who understood the human body to completely erase a beating like the one she took.
Harry turned back to the three Hufflepuffs. One of them glowered at his wandless hand and said bitterly, "You can't be that great of a teacher if you don't even have a wand. You must have been some kind of a convict and gotten the job out of Dumbledore's pity." He knew that there was no way for himself to get anything other than expulsion.
Alice half scowled and half cringed when Harry's normal smile was replaced with a hard edged grin. "Would you like to see how pathetic I am with out a wand?" The three were transfigured into three small dogs. The leader was a Chihuahua, the mouthing Hufflepuff was a pug, and third who was holding Alice changed into a dachshund.
"Well I am glad that I made my point." Harry conjured a leash for each dog. Harry turned back to Alice. She was giggling. Harry was relieved that she was alright, some of the damage was hard for him to heal. "Although I am sure you would like to kick the dogs. I can't have a student retaliate on another in my presence. Maybe I'll let one loose you can chase after it." Alice tried not to laugh. She was feeling really good now that she was saved. "I think I should make an announcement to the school, would you care to join me Miss Niete?" Harry's smile returned. Alice blushed then nodded unable to say anything than the close giggle she would not allow out.
When they walked the three dogs Harry started up a conversation. "Are you used to that kind of punishment?" Harry thought back to her stance when she was being beaten. She was silent for a second too long. Harry gave a side glance when he asked. "Does that happen to you often?"
Alice sighed she wasn't expecting the question. "Not as often as I would expect, but not infrequently enough not to be considered a common occurrence. Stupid pureblood crap." She couldn't hide the edge in her voice.
Harry raised an eye brow at that. "You have a problem with the lineage stuff?"
"No, but my family seems to have a problem with me because I don't. I get harassed for not being a proper pureblood. I just want it all to go away." She took a deep breathe and continued as they started down the last flight of stairs. "Sometimes I just wish I could just make the pureblood families disappear. It seems that a lot of the problems come from them, not muggle born families." He looked at her while they were walking. He understood what Albus was talking about. He could see the underlining bitterness. It was there. The resentment was deeply rooted with her magic. Harry decided to take advantage of the conversation.
Harry nodded in understanding when she finished. "Must be hard to put up with it all. If it makes you feel better, I hated living with the muggles I grew up with as well. They thought of me as a freak and did everything they could to push the magic out of me when I was young." Alice looked up at him then. Her face was unreadable, so Harry kept talking. "I think its neither muggle or pureblood that causes those problems. Its just a philosophy people carry. Both sides have people who have a severe superiority complex. Have you ever met a Weasley before?" Alice shook her head. "They are one of the best pureblooded families I know. Ron was my first friend at Hogwarts. He never got along with many of the pureblooded families simply because he didn't have the same attitude. His father was a good man and taught them that blood lines are pretty much meaningless. I think, if more pureblooded parents who hated the bloodline problems would raise their own children thinking that bloodlines were not important, we would all be better off." Harry looked at her significantly. The two stopped just outside the gates to the great hall. Alice looked thoughtful about the conversation turned lecture. "Well lets go make a good show, but as its just the same to you," Harry looked over to the three dogs who cringed. "I think our conversation should stay between us." Harry raised his hand and erased the three Hufflepuffs memories of the walk.
Alice looked at what he did and said aloud to herself, "Its scary what you can do." Alice said as a fact.
Harry smiled then, saying, "Wait till we really get going in class." Harry straitened his smile and nodded to her to look serious as well. When she looked plenty displeased the two marched into the main hall with three dogs in tow. The whole school was in the hall finishing their lunch when everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at a very angry looking Professor Dursley.
"I would like to have everyone's attention for one moment." He said in a strong voice. Everyone did not move and just looked at him. "It seems that a few students had deemed it necessary to harass one of my students over the issue of the class I teach." He snapped his fingers and the dogs transformed back into the students. If Professor Dursley hadn't looked so angry there would have been a lot of laughter. "I will not allow any of my students to suffer needlessly over what goes on in my class. What goes on there stays there. I will not allow students to try what I will teach there when they are not ready to handle the capacity that I am about to test on the students of my class. The students who were chosen for my class have the ability to succeed in what I am teaching there. I will not allow any harm come to my students, from my curriculum and certainly not from the rest of the student body. I take it very seriously when three sixth years beat a second year out of petty jealousy. Miss Niete was very fortunate that I was skilled in healing." There was a few gawking sounds that came from the students and a few murmuring sounds from the Staff Table. "If I hear of another instance where one of my students is harassed over the issue of my class, that person will receive detentions with me for a month. And I guarantee you that those detentions will make spending a half a year with the bloody baron look pleasant in comparison." With that he turned around sharply, making a snap sound come from his robes. The three Hufflepuffs in question followed him when he gestured for them to come.
Everyone gapped at just what happened. Alice was very embarrassed. She made her way to the Grifindor Table. She was stopped by Miss Bones who said, "Are you alright?"
Alice nodded then said, "Professor Dursley healed me before we came down here."
Miss Bones smiled at that and said, "While I trust him with everything he does, would you mind if you follow me to the infirmary to make sure he didn't leave anything out? You can have lunch their and get to your next class a bit late." Alice nodded and waved bye to her friends and walked with the medi-witch.
When they got to the infirmary, Miss Bones called. "Ogg,"
A portly house elf popped in front of Susan, "What can Ogg do for Miss Bones?"
"A meal for Alice would be lovely." The house elf popped out again and a tray piled high with food appeared in front of Alice.
While she began to eat, Susan scanned Alice with her wand. Susan smiled at the job of healing was well done. "Alice, can you tell me how long ago you were healed? And how long you were being attacked?"
Alice looked up from her plate. She was busy thinking about what Professor Dursley said and suddenly felt rude for not paying attention to the person who is trying to help her. "Well, I was healed about ten minutes ago, and those jerks were beating me up for over twenty minutes before."
Susan gasped at that. "Well how are you now? Professor Dursley did a good job healing you but I am more concerned with how you feel."
"I think I am fine." She started out slowly. "Professor Dursley and I had a good talk on the way to the great hall. He helped put some stuff in perspective."
Susan snorted at that. "Only he could put a girl being beat up in perspective."
Alice looked up at that. Did all the teachers know who the professor really was? She was about to ask when she felt a soothing sensation come from her hand. She looked down and saw the charm Professor Potter gave all the girls. Alice kept her mouth shut, but realized that all the teachers must know who he was. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't allow someone to keep his identity a secret to the whole staff as well as the school. "Well, it was more of how those jerks acted than anything else." Alice added lamely.
Susan flushed in embarrassment. And said, "Well that's good then." Alice looked at Miss Bones then, and realized that at least this nurse must know with the way she was acting. Alice finished her lunch and looked at the clock. "I'll be able to make it to potions now. Am I good enough to leave?"
Susan nodded and said, "Yes, just be more careful where you go by yourself."
Alice promised and ran out the door. She had a lot on her mind with what Professor Dursley and Miss Bones had said.
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Harry escorted the three Hufflepuffs to Albus's office. When all three students looked at the professor they made fun off, they regretted ever saying a word to him. He looked down at the three of the disdainfully. "lacking lemons." Harry growled. The Gargoyles moved aside and Harry and the three students went into Albus's office.
"Albus we have a little problem. " Albus looked at the three of them and wondered briefly why they wore collars and leashes. Harry relayed the events of what happened to the headmaster. The three cringed when Albus's usual smiling face was in hard lines. "If it were just for this, I would take their detentions myself." Harry's voice grew harder and the three students had the presence of mind to cringe. "But after how injured Miss Niete was I know you would want to assign punishment for the two Hufflepuffs, but I believe the prefect deserves more than just detention." Harry glared at the middle student who did not look as high and mighty as he did twenty minutes ago.
"How bad was she James?" Albus was concerned for the girl if she was laid up in the infirmary.
Harry glared at the boys. "Fractured wrist, broken ankle, several broken lower ribs, severely bruised upper ribs a few bruised internal organs and a slight concussion. Don't worry, I healed her immediately." The three students looked up with that none of them expected her to be that bad.
"Liar." Said the prefect.
Harry looked over to Albus who nodded. Harry turned to the three students and moved his hand to his side. For the three Hufflepuffs benefit, Harry said aloud, "Priori Incantitem" Light shot out of his hand forming a casing of a human body. But the body was the same size as Alice. "This spell allows me to see the effect of the last spell I cast that was wandless." The three boys looked at the light, there were red hues where Harry described an injury. All three boys looked down in shame when they saw exactly what they done and were caught completely.
Albus looked at the three boys sadly after he saw the extent of the damage they inflicted. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. But I believe that this is the second time such an event has happened with these three particular students, although the first was not to this extent." Albus summoned the prefect badge from the Hufflepuff. "Fawkes if you would be so kind?" Albus wrote three quick notes. "Please deliver these." The phoenix burned before disappearing. "Now that your parents have been informed of this latest infraction, I believe that all three of these students are to be expelled. I'll leave this in your hands James. Their head of house will not be able to leave his class at the moment."
Harry nodded. Harry escorted the three students to their dorms where they packed their things. Harry was grateful that no students were there to see the three students in tears being dragged out of school. When all three students were done packing he levitated the three suitcases. "Is there anything else any of you should bring?" They all shook their heads. One of them muttered something under their breath but Harry ignored it, he was still too mad at these three for attacking one of his students, but Harry was more mad at himself for not seeing something like this would happen.
The three students followed the new professor to the gates outside Hogwarts. A carriage was there waiting for them. All four of them entered and were carried to Hogsmeade. When they exited, Fawkes flew over to Harry and left him a message. Albus gave him the addresses to each students house. Harry smiled grimly and asked all three of them to touch his arm. They all did so with out asking what he was going to do. The group aparated with a pop to the first house. One of the students was scared to be home already. Harry knocked on the door, and a house elf allowed him to enter with the student who lived here in tow. The mansion was certainly old. The mansion was built on old mortar and stone. Trees lined around the house and around to the back. Harry saw the interior was richly furnished.
A tall woman came from the other room, "I had just received the letter from the headmaster. I am sorry that my son was involved in such an act." The mother said sincerely.
Harry nodded, and said, "Thank you for your apology. If you will excuse me I have two other students I need to attend to."
Harry left the house after trading a few more pleasantries with the husband. When Harry was next to the two remaining Hufflepuffs, he reached out his arm again, and the two students grabbed his arm. With another pop the three apparated to the next house. It was not as richly designed as the previous one, but the house was on the side of a cliff as if it was an old fort. Harry knocked on the door, and a burly man answered it. He looked down at his son. His disappointment was plain on his face. He simply dragged him inside and bade the professor a good bye.
Harry turned away from the home and grabbed the last student by his robes and apparated to the last house.
When the two landed, there was already something going on. Harry looked around and saw that there was going to be a celebration soon. House guests were coming in to the large mansion. The former prefect looked anxiously around. Harry didn't pity him. Harry dragged the boy across the front yard and sharply rapt on the door. A butler answered. "I wish to speak to Mr. and Mrs. Deedman about his son." The boy looked up at that. He was expecting to be dropped off like the others. The butler bade them to enter. Harry and the former prefect were led to a lounge where they waited a few moments. The father came in and looked at his son. "Hello I am Professor Dursley. I am the Advanced Magics Professor at Hogwarts." The father shook Harry's hand politely.
"Hello, my name is Jordan Deedman, I take it from my sons presence that the school has already expelled him."
"Yes, Albus felt that after the second time there was no other choice. I was severely upset when I found them. It was premeditated." The father looked stricken. Harry continued. "They silenced the room where they were beating the second year girl." Just then the mother came barged in with the letter from the headmaster in hand.
"How dare they expel my son from the school! What is that useless old fool thinking!" The husband immediately went to his wife to soother her. The mother reminded Harry of Mrs. Weasley's temper. He didn't like the comparison and began to give himself some space before he did something that might set this woman off.
"I am relieved that I was able to receive an audience with both of you. If we could all have a seat I will be able to explain why I am here and not simply dropping off your son." Both parents looked like they wanted to say something to the professor who was the guest of the household and not the parents but obediently took their seats. The son followed suit and sat next to his father. "I have come here because I was requested to remove our son, and his two friends, Mr. Nelson and Mr. Johns from the ground of Hogwarts. I have not received the details of the previous infraction, but am willing to discuss the reasons for your sons expulsion." This gave the mother time to recover.
"I would like to start with some information that started this incident. I am Professor Dursley. Albus had decided that there were enough talented students in Hogwarts to merit opening a course for an advanced placement of magical education. The class was by invitation only as it was constructed for specific students who were above the talents of the rest of the school. Apparently your sons' pride was slighted when he did not receive an invitation to the class." Harry's gaze moved to the boy who sat next to his father. "One of the students in the class is one of the most brightest students that Hogwarts has ever seen. She accepted the invitation and received a charm to remind her of the conditions of the class." Harry looked down then disappointed with himself, "I suppose that is how they found her. Only students in my class have such a charm on their hands and are easily identifiable as participants in my class. The charm is to remind the students of conditions of the class. I had the all the students sign a contract of nondisclosure. It was best judged that no students should try and perform the skills that would be taught in the class without supervision and my students would not be able to share what would occur in my class unless directly to another professor. And I personally felt that any one jealous enough to want to see what happened in my class would not be able to do so. I never would have guess that there would be some students who attended Hogwarts who would lower them selves to the level, where they would beat a fellow student out of the information." Harry took a deep breath to steady himself.
"I am sorry, would you like some tea. I should have offered before." Harry nodded grateful for the small break.
After Harry received his cup and took a drink he continued. "As you can imagine, I felt upset at the unintended situation I placed my students in." The parents were silent but stirred at this. Neither of them wanted to look at their son who was squirming in his seat unable to speak about the situation. "I was going through the halls looking for Alice. That is the girl whom they had chosen to attack. I found her after I came across a ward around a small class room far away from the populated side of the castle. The ward was a silence ward that would not allow sound to enter or exit the room. I passed through the ward where I found three Hufflepuff students hovering over Alice. I walked in as your son kicked her while she was still on the floor." The mother began to cry. The father looked beyond angry. "He was interrogating Alice of what happened in my class. I promptly stopped them and performed several healing spells on the girl. She was severely injured from the beating. After I addressed the student body over the incident I took your son to the head master who agreed that expulsion was the best option. However I believe that your son's predicament only starts there."
"Why is that?" Asked Mr. Deedman.
Harry looked at them surprised. Obviously the richest heiress wasn't as famous as he thought she would be. "The girl whom they attack is Miss Alice Niete, heiress of the Neite-Catton estate."
The boys eyes widen at that. He obviously had no idea who he had attacked. "As such it is most likely that your son may be charged with assault crimes. The injuries she received were extensive. Alice had a fractured wrist, broken ankle, several broken lower ribs, severely bruised upper ribs bruised internal organs and a slight concussion. Had I not healed her when I stopped the fight I doubt she would have lasted much longer to their beating."
The father and mother were shaken. They looked at each other and to their son a complete loss for words. "I wanted to inform you of the situation. I will personally discuss the situation with Alice and her family. I believe they would not press charges for the fact that she was taken care of in such a timely matter." Harry didn't believe a word he said. He read the profile about Alice and her Aunt Nan Niete dealt swift and damaging blows to those who anger her.
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After the lengthy discussion with the Deedman's over their son, Harry returned to Hogwarts in time for the last class to end. The students rushed through the halls some waved to the new professor. Several girls batted their eyes to him. Harry cringed at the dancing lashes and quickly entered a nearby empty class room. He casted his illusionment spell and proceeded to find Miss Johnson and Miss Brundage the last two remaining students he needed to observe before his class would start. He had little time left since the class started promptly after dinner. He entered the Library and found both of his missing students working together over a large book.
When Harry looked over the book then wish he hadn't. The book was apparently a book of modern wizards. Harry saw a picture that was taken four years ago of himself half scowling and half smiling at the two girls. "But he is so seriously cute. I mean the green eyes the messy hair. He has that, 'I want to protect you thing going.' Oh god!" Miss Brundage started fanning herself.
Miss Johnson laughed and said, "But Professor Dursley is still cuter. His brown hair is just so.. I just want to play with it all day long." Both girls giggled quietly in fear of Madame Pince's wrath for disturbing the quiet library. "Well it doesn't matter either way," said Miss Johnson, "I heard that he is dating Professor Delacour. Isn't that tough luck?"
Miss Brundage gasped, "I heard he was dating Miss Bones! He can't be dating both of them can he?" Her voice rose a few decibels and caught herself and blushed.
"Well if he was dating me and some other girl I wouldn't mind, I mean just to go out with him." Miss Johnson sighed. "Its not like he is that older than us, what, he has only got to be twenty-three at the most. Ohh its not fair!"
Harry just stood there for a few moments before promptly turning away from then and trying to forget what the hormone driven teenagers were discussing. He would have a time when looking at them during classes. Harry then vowed that this would be the last time he would spy on his students. Harry began to leave until he saw Mathew Andrews, the young boy was sitting at a table by himself with a blank scroll sitting in front of him. He was looking over to the two girls when he heard the name Harry Potter and Harry suddenly felt guilty for not speaking to the boy. Harry saw him with friend earlier but something was bothering the quiet boy. Harry noticed that the shelf where the girls found the book with Harry in it was right behind Andrew. Harry saw a copy of the book the girls were reading still on the shelf. He spelled the book to open to his name and pulled it slightly and it tipped over and landed loudly on the floor. Mathew jerked up and saw the book. When Madame Pince did not come around he walked over and picked it up. His eyes went wide when he saw the name Harry Potter on the page the book opened to. He quickly took it to his seat at a table and started reading.
Harry cursed himself when he realized he didn't know what anyone wrote about him. He was never too keen on what other people said and never opened a book that talked about him. Harry decided to rectify the situation and walked over to Mr. Andrews and read over his shoulder.
Synopsis
Harry Potter is one the most recognized wizard of the twentieth century. Harry Potter is to be the only known survivor of the killing curse and has a highly recognizable scar on his forehead. Harry survived the killing curse after his parents were killed when he was one year old. Not only had he survived the killing curse but also defeated the Dark Wizard Voldemort (He-who-must-not-be-named). It is still unknown how this occurred and many believe that even Harry Potter doesn't know how this happened as well.
When the young wizard was eleven he became the youngest seeker playing in Hogwarts in over one hundred and six years. In his fourth year Harry also became the youngest triwizard champion and was the subsequent winner of this tournament although tragedy struck at the very end as was later revealed that fellow triwizard champion was murdered by You-know-who after he had revived using Harry as a victim in a dark ritual. The boy-who-lived started his first mission at the end of his fifth year where he fought You-know-who inside the Ministry until Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, appeared to give the young hero aid. In Harry Potters Sixth year, he again faced his enemy in the druid ruins of Dundoon where he lost his wand and suffered his first defeat. It was after the defeat that Harry Potter vowed never to rely on a wand again. For almost a year during his final year at Hogwarts, Harry mastered magic with out the aid of a wand. He is the first wizard to do so. And he is considered to be the only master of wandless magic.
Harry swore at himself when he read that bit. He had forgotten that not many people could do any kind of magic with out a wand. And he had been going wandless the entire time he dealt with the Hufflepuff students. He decided he needed to talk to Albus about it sometime. Harry read the last of it quickly.
It is also said that he created a special form of a protronus that he used to aid in defeating the dark wizard on the July 13, 2000. Harry is the only unregistered Metamorphmagus, a wizard who can change his appearance at will. The Ministry Office does not plan to pursue him to force him to register.
Harry noticed that the summery didn't add anything extra and actually came close to some things he thought no one except for him and Dumbledore knew about. Thankfully there were no blatant lies as he would expect from a newspaper. Harry smiled when they compared his magic to a protronus. The description was close in the way the final result looks like it might be a protronus, but that was it. He was happy to know that the book did not mention how he had left. It must be a sore spot for a lot of journalists.
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Class that evening went well. Harry was pleased that several students went to talk to Alice and a few promised that they would start looking out for all the lower classmen just incase Professor Potter's speech to the school would be ignored. Harry thanked them all and started class with a discussion on their opinions of meditations. Harry explained techniques on how to breathe and how to focus and relax their minds. He conjured a variety of chairs and couches where the students would be able to sit and relax while they try to meditate.
"Alright we will stop here. Your homework is to simply meditate a half hour a day. Fifth and Seventh years will realize soon enough that this will do wonders with you handling stress. If you are unable to find a spot where you can mediate here in the class room. It is always open. Just please no snogging, Professor Dumbledore will kill me." The class gave a chuckle. "Also there is no class tomorrow."
There were some cheering. "Hey! Am I that bad?" Several of the guys laughed. Some students yawned as they filed out of the class room. Others waved to him as they left. Harry was glad they all got over their shyness about him. Although he did not appreciate some of the looks a few girls were giving him.
Harry saw Alice stay until the rest of the class left again. Owen was the last to leave. Alice waved for him to go ahead of her. She moved to the front of the classroom where Harry sat.
"How can I help you?" Harry didn't want to address her yet. He had wanted to give her the option to make this formal conversation of a private one.
"I just wanted to thank you for today, for both saving me and healing me. I never got a chance to say it before." She fidgeted a little and looked up at him.
Harry smiled when she wanted to say more but didn't. He briefly wondered if she had a crush on him too. "I am glad that you are fine. Truthfully I was surprised at how injured you were. I never would have thought anyone in the school would go that far out of jealousy. But that brings another point that I wanted to discuss with you Alice if you were able."
Alice nodded and Harry gestured to both take a seat. Alice sat on a couch and Harry grabbed a chair from one of the tables. "I am wondering if you plan on telling your family about this incident. I was speaking to Mr. Deedmans' father and explained that your family might press charges then remembered that you said that your family doesn't necessarily get along."
Alice nodded at that. She hadn't been expecting the conversation to go this way but felt she should explain her family to the teacher. "Of my family, there is only my aunt who I live with when I go back home for summer, and then there is a score of third and fourth cousins." she started. "I more or less rejected the preaching crap when I noticed that all that noble stuff didn't do anything but get me into trouble." Harry almost laughed at that. "I out right refused to play along on one of her tirades when I was seven. She was livid." Alice gave Harry a grin. "Nan simply scowled at me and said I was a foolish little girl who did not know any better. So I thought, alright, if I don't know any better I should learn. So that's what I did. I studied history, magical theory, muggle history, politics, everything I could get my little hands on."
Harry grinned. "The sorting hat must have had fun with you then. I would have been hard pressed to not imagine you in anything other than Ravenclaw."
"That's what he said, I was surprised about that, I never heard of anyone getting an option to choose a house before."
Harry laughed out loud, "I think he does it more often than people think. He said I could be in either Griffindor or Slytherin." Harry leaned forward to confide in her, "I choose Griffindor because I met a slimy git named Draco who was as much as a snob as your Aunt."
The girl looked shocked but then giggled, "Then you can understand my frustration when she hovered over me to see what I was doing." Alice yawned then and Harry was about to say they should retire for the day when she continued. "Well when my aunt saw I was studying the blood lines she was pleased and said 'I had come to my senses.' Boy was she upset when I didn't. She hit me a few times before I went to Hogwarts, saying that she didn't want the world to know that her niece was a muggle lover. I don't care either way. But she wants to keep a reputation of a proper witch. I am sure that Nan would have tried to bare another heir. Just so I would not be the heir to the family fortune but she is too old now." She then laughed and said, "And she doesn't want my distant relatives to have a single knut. They have been waiting for my aunt to disown me and for her to croak so they can have the money. Not a good time in my house so I am used to the crap that went on today. Although I had to admit I didn't think I was hurting that bad until I had no more pain. Kinda makes what I did stupid. I could have fought back at least. But I was being stubborn."
Harry smiled then thought, "Must be a family trait. Your Nan certainly sounds that stubborn. Do you still get hit when you visit your aunt?"
Alice shook her head. "She basically pretends that I don't exist and prays I hurry up and have children whom she can teach to be proper." She winked at her professor. Harry smiled glad that his earlier conversation with her didn't seem too preachy.
"So your not too keen on getting your family involved with anything in your life then?" Alice nodded. "Well that is fine I suppose." Harry thought back to the Deedmans' he told them they would receive an owl about the matter if the Nietes wanted to press charges. Looks like they got lucky.
"Thank you for the chat Miss Niete, now you should get to the tower before it gets to late its almost ten now." She eeped and ran out to door waving happily to him as she left. "Well, it's a start." Harry replayed the conversation over in his head again. There was still something that was nagging at him. "What she told me doesn't explain all of the bitterness I sense from her." While the chat with Alice was nice, Harry felt he needed to unwind more and decided to visit his favorite medi-witch.
TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL
Alice ran up to the Griffindor tower still slightly disappointed with herself. "How can I be such a gibbering idiot around him." She huffed. "I just wanted to know if he always wanders around the halls invisible like he did today. Its not like I couldn't understand when every girl here is slobbering over him. As if I am not doing it. Get a hold of yourself Alice." She ran to the portrait and inside the common room before anyone noticed that she was ten minutes pass curfew.
TLTLTLTLTLTLTLTL
Harry made his way to the infirmary and was pleased to see that Susan was walking around the beds and checking her supplies. "Still up?" Asked Harry cheerfully.
"Ah-ha! My favorite patient has made an appearance." She smiled and waved him to come in. "Care for some tea James?"
"Tea would be wonderful Susan." They walked into her office where she poured them both a cup. "I would have come to visit sooner, but I had a busy day today."
"I was surprised at lunch. The poor girl. I am glad that you were able to heal her although I felt a little redundant when I checked on her."
Harry smiled, "Sorry. If she wasn't so badly injured, I would have sent her here. But she was really bad off when I found them." Harrys voice was hard when he described the injuries. Susan paled then she looked incensed.
"Those rotten little trolls! When I get my hands on them-"
"Easy there Susan, all three have been expelled. Which is why I was late for dinner. After class I had a very nice chat with Miss Niete."
"Again?" she teased. "I do believe I am getting jealous James." She batted her eyes much like the girls in his class.
Harry laughed then saying, "That won't work on my now Susan, I have been jaded by every single girl who has given my that look in the last two days."
Susan laughed at that. "Is it that bad?"
"It is." Susan smiled but said nothing. "O.k. You want an example? I over heard two girls who wouldn't mind sharing me with any other girl in the school."
"Ouch, that is bad. Well it should calm down in a few weeks."
Harry snorted before saying. "Tell that to Remus."
Susan chocked on her tea. "He gets that to?"
"He told me that we will probably get it until we get gray hair. Or get married." At that there was a sudden dead pause between them. "Sorry."
"Don't be." She said. They remembered their relationship before Harry left. Both knew that Harry proposing would have been the next step in their relationship.
Harry grasped at ideas before he said, "Are you free tomorrow?"
Susan looked up from her cup. "Y-Yes. Why?"
Harry leaned forward coming closer to her. "I plan on meeting Ron then, and I don't think Hermione is a suitable shield." Susan looked disappointed before Harry added. "Besides I would like to see you in that dress again." Susan smiled at that. Harry and Susan leaned a little closer to each other. Both were drawn to a moment of what they had four years ago. The moment was long enough for them to steal a kiss.
They both pulled away simultaneously. Both just looked at each other in the silence. Finally, Harry said cheerfully, "Well isn't this awkward?"
Susan hit him again. "Idiot." She kissed his cheek and pulled him to his feet. "Get out. I need my beauty sleep if I am to look amazing tomorrow." She smiled happily.
"I'll come by here at eleven. Assuming Hermione owls me her address, she hasn't yet."
Susan nodded, "Oh before I forget, I sent the note around to the staff. Albus thought it was funny that you would place a secret keeper over the classroom."
Harry took the letter. "I am sure he isn't laughing now after what happened to day." He said sullenly. He immediately incinerated the paper in his palm then banished the ashes. "Well I look forward to tomorrow Susan, Good night." On impulse he kissed her cheek before he left the office.
Susan saw him leave, the door clicked behind him. "Yes!" she shouted with a jump. "Oh God, I wonder is Fluer is awake!"
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A/N thank you for the review GRYFINDORbravery, I am trying with the time I have.
I am also looking for a beta. Nothing big just some one to read over and put bracket side notes to spelling, sentence structure, telling me if something doesn't make sense. Things like that, if your interested look at my profile for my e-mail adress. I'll get in touch immediately.
