Previously on FGF:

It began floating and he pointed his wand at the teacher's table. The package fell into the Headmaster's lap, several students and teachers hung back to observe. The man looked generally confused and pulled off the ribbon, looking into the opening.

The expression on his face was priceless, a mixture of many levels of shock.

In his right hand, was a pair of wool socks.

His twinkling blue eyes met a pair of bright green, that remained by the doorway then disappeared in the hallway.

His two best friends waited for him, Ron was staring at his left hand, "What's that?" He looked down and saw the necklace in his hand, he had not left it out of his sight since he got it but never put it on.

Hermione walked up to him and said with a smirk, "It's beautiful." The bushy haired girl went behind him and slung it on his neck, clasping the ends together so that it dangled between his chest.

She asked softly, "Is it yours?"

Harry fingered the emerald and smiled.


Chapter 18: Of Teachers and Creatures

Another nightmare had taken hold of the Boy-Who-Lived. For the first evening he wore his new necklace, a dream had taken him in his sleep and when he awoke, tears had dried on his face.

Harry went the hospital wing straight after and Madam Pomfrey found him in good health, all day, he thought about his dream.

There was whirling shadows surrounding him, the shaking of the ground roared in his ears. Harry glanced around in the early morning scene, the sun was rising in the horizon, coloring the sky a soft blue. Voices were calling from the distance, he turned his head to the sidewalk and saw from a few feet away, the ruins of a house.

Over the wreckage, shining high above in the sky, was the glowing green shape of the Dark Mark. Climbing over the remains were people dressed in dark blue robes, the sign of the Aurors.

Harry followed them, tripping over wood beams and broken porcelain figurines. Something caught his attention, he dug under some jagged glass pieces and yanked out a dirty old teddy bear, with glassy black eyes and worn brown fur. It came to him-

His Mum smiling broadly, waving Mr. Bear over his crib, Mr. Bear was so nice and soft-

Dismayed, Harry dropped his childhood toy onto the muddy ground and looked up, Hagrid was nearby, talking to an Auror quickly. They couldn't see him standing there.

In his beefy arms, was a bundle of blankets; Harry stared at his one-year-old self wretchedly.

When he took a step forward, his foot hit something hard. The boy looked down and at first thought it was some wood. To his horror, laying unmoving on her back, was his dead Mother.

She was in a pink blouse and jeans, her beautiful red hair fanning around her head like a pool of blood, her emerald green eyes opened wide with frozen terror. If he could faint, Harry would have done so. He crouched down beside her body, hardly believing his eyes at what he was seeing. Her eyes reminded him of Ginny's.

As his heart clenched tightly, Harry made a move to close the eyelids but something was sparkling on her neck, blinding his eyes.

Harry Potter's eyes found the necklace…her necklace…his necklace…clasped on her throat unevenly. To have such a exquisite thing on the corpse of a once exquisite creature made him sick.

He reached out and touched the emerald, a jolt of electricity swept through him and he was spinning again…

"So that's what happened?"

Harry nodded, Ron blinked in his thoughtful manner, "That's bloody mad, are you sure Pomfrey said it had nothing to do with you?"

Hermione commented, "Ron, it doesn't have to be linked with future events. Probably because it was the thing Harry's Mother wore for so long and that night transferred some of her magic to him through images. It's most likely temporary."

Harry pointed at her, "What she said."

Spring was in the air. The trio was heading back from the Apparating test, talking against themselves on the Hogwarts Express. The seventh years had taken a field trip out of Hogwarts to a remote location where they were tested.

Harry and Hermione passed with flying colors and got their licenses immediately, Ron needed some practice when he found himself in the next town, twenty miles from the place he was suppose to be. They joked about it when they entered Hogwarts, to the familiar halls. As they were passing the Great Hall, they heard two woman talking loudly. Harry went closest to the door and listened to the conversation.

Professor Trelawney fluttered around the Deputy Headmistress like a hyper butterfly, "Surely I can be of some help dearie, you have your hands full with this position. I can use my Inner Eye-"

MgGonagall said grumpy, "I can handle this school, the Headmaster has put me in charge."

"I know, but I can be of some assistance with my powers."

The Head of the Gryffindor clenched her teeth, "I don't need your help Sibyll, especially with your 'powers'." Trelawney suddenly looked a little cross, "Are you implying that my magic energy that has been passed over hundreds of years are make-believe?"

The stern witch made a sarcastic smile at her, "It wouldn't surprise me." Professor Trelawney said mysteriously, "I sense your distress Minerva, your jealousy towards me and such, you never were the leader type."

MgGonagall's eyes narrowed greatly, "Hold your tongue Trelawney, you have got on my last nerve with you and your….mystical nonsense!"

Suddenly, they were screaming nonsense at each other and Ron's eyes went wide with shock as they walked away, "Whoa, I didn't know Professor hated fortune-telling so much…or Trelawney." Hermione shook her head at him, "Sometimes Ronald, I wonder." She touched his shoulder lovingly as he kissed the top of her head. A screech rang out, "Potter!"

Harry groaned, "MgGonagall. Argh, she keeps coming after me every day." Ron commented as the Deputy Headmistress came over, "She's bugging you this year more then ever."

"I heard that Mr. Weasley," MgGonagall barked.

She looked sternly at Harry, "Come along, we have some business to attend to before classes start up."

She led the way and Harry gave them a helpless look before leaving them.

- - -

Classes started up a few weeks later. Defense Against the Dark Arts was second for most of the Gryffindor seventh years. Many were silently praying that Snape had only returned as the Potions Master and not the DADA teacher.

There was no sign of Remus Lupin anywhere so there might not be hope.

Since House's classes were switched up, the seventh year Slytherins and Gryffindors filed into the room, keeping a far distance away from each other. Ron and Hermione stayed in their tight ring of friends as the morning sun streamed through the untouched room. It was bare with desks and a teacher chair facing the class.

The chamber door opened boomingly and in stepped Harry, dressed in his Hogwarts robes and wand in his right hand. He stopped in front of them, projecting his voice, "Good morning everyone."

The Gryffindors looked at Slytherins who were just as befuddled, Draco Malfoy sneered, "Potter, where's the teacher?"

Harry smiled confidently and corrected him, "That's Professor Potter, Malfoy. I will be your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher in till Professor Lupin comes back from holiday." The blonde drawled, "You must be joking."

The raven haired boy smiled wider, "Nope. Welcome back from the holidays everyone, it was fantastic but we have to settle back in reality." He gestured to them, "Come on, collective sigh."

They all made an exasperated sighs along with him; some of the girls giggled. Harry switched back to teacher mode, "Let me take roll and we'll get started." He pulled out the parchment and checked off names as everyone said theirs alphabetically. Harry placed roll call away and his eyes found Draco and his goons jinxing some the Gryffindor girls behind their backs.

"Mr. Malfoy."

Everyone looked up to the seventeen-year-old who had an adult pose, arms crossed and as straight as a soldier.Harryfrowned slightly, "I will not tolerate such acts in my classroom. Stop them now."

The blonde rolled his cold eyes, "Potter, you can't tell me what to do." The Gryffindors gasped and Harry walked forward, right over to his desk and leaned forward, "I won't tolerate insubordination either. Apologize to your victims and cease your pranks."

"When did you learn big words Potty? What if I don't listen to you, what are you going to do about it?"

The student-teacher had a trace of a smirk on his face, "10 points off Slytherin and I will see you after class." There was collective gasps and hoots, Ron shouted, "Got what was coming to you Malfoy!"

Harry turned to Ron, raising an eyebrow, "Mr. Weasley, I ask you to keep quiet or I'll be seeing you after class as well."

Ron was slightly a taken back and Hermione was grinning broadly at him. The class went smoothly after this and the members of the secret DA passed the assignment with ease, for they've done it already. Malfoy had been the only one successful with the Advanced Protective Shield and was looking quite proud of himself, everyone stopped what they were doing to watch their new professor go up to him.

Harry stared at him a moment before stating, "Good job, keep it up." He clapped the blonde on the shoulder for a moment before turning away.

No one was more amazed then Malfoy himself.

When everyone's classes ended, Hermione went to find Harry who was hanging out in his classroom, putting up Gryffindor tapestries. He spotted her and smiled, "Hey Hermione."

She shook her head beaming, "Well, well, well. Harry, you have grown-up in front of my eyes. I am very proud of you, you showed more of a mature attitude then I have seen in anyone here. You were fair, strict, and encouraging. I was speechless."

The boy got down off the chair and said amiably, "Thanks. So I really did good for my first time?"

Hermione nodded, "Brilliant, but how does this cut into your classes?" Leave it to Hermione to be concerned about his education.

Harry shrugged, "I'm done."

"What?"

He persisted, "Remember when MgGonagall took me in the hallway? She offered me to be student-teacher since Lupin had recommended it and I was getting high marks. I jumped at the chance Hermione. So, I trained for the N.E.W.T's, using the pre-recommended notes you gave me, and the teachers gave me the tests and I passed. I'm going to graduation with everyone too, I'm just using this time to teach."

She looked genuinely excited, "That's wonderful Harry! I always knew you'd make a wonderful DADA teacher." He interjected, "I still want to be an Auror though, that's my first priority."

He went to set his wand down and Hermione whispered sadly, "It's so scary." Harry whirled around, her eyes were a bit teary, "We're all growing up so fast. It only seemed like yesterday we were fighting Fluffy in the third floor corridor…"

He swooped down to give her a hug and she stopped him, giving him a brave smile, "I should be going, Ron will be wondering where I am."

"Is he ok with me being a teacher?"

Hermione said before leaving, "I think he respects you more now."

Several hours passed and Harry was coming back from a victory party. Gryffindor had won the Quiddich Cup against Slytherin, Malfoy had been banned from Quiddich because he had been discovered for using one of the Unforgivable Curses and still has a sentenced court date. Both boys were severely punished for having that battle.

He had enjoyed the Gryffindor party and got a chance to lose himself in the atmosphere, trying a little of brown-sacked Firewhiskey and flirting with some fifth years. Now, his aching body wanted some rest.

Harry traveled warily down past the entrance of the dungeons and heard someone coming from the dark steps.

He hide behind a drapery and heard two cool voices, "MgGonagall must be mad to let Potter teach the class! Can't you take over Severus?" Harry peeked out to see Snape and Malfoy walked out of shadowy dungeon and down the corridor, "I'll do my best," answered the Potions Master.

The other boy clenched the curtain tightly and observed them disappearing around the corner.

'Bloody bastards.'

Harry stepped from behind the tapestry when a sudden sense of cold strike his system. He clutched at his chest as his breath came out in frost. Two floating dementors came from the opposite hallway, going around the corner.

"Shit," Harry muttered as he dug out his wand and went sprinting after them. They were after the Slytherins, they finally noticed and Malfoy let out a terrified girly shriek. Snape did the same, they cowered before the dementors like frightened children.

Luckily, Harry could reach them before they got kissed and had the energy to do the spell.

As the creatures retreated, Harry panted for a moment before roaring, "What the hell! You don't know the damn spell? Snape, you want to be a DADA teacher and you don't know a simple Patronus spell? I know fifth years you can do it! You call yourself a teacher? Good Lord…"

He shoved his pocket in his wand and snorted, "You'd better learn it in case Voldemort owns a bunch of these buggers." Harry stumbled away and called out to no one particular, "By the way, your welcome!"

- - -

A/N: Salutations(what a weird word)! I hope you enjoyed this chapter's, it's a bit off but I've been like this for a while. The damn ACT's got to me. Reviewing is good for your karma.

LMDGlUVR4EVA: Sorry. ;) I'm not gonna make 25, I was going to make it long but I can't stretch it out like I was planning. But don't worry, I have a fun sequel to match this and it will be DEFINITELY bigger then 25 chapters. Then I'll have an in between story to match this too. Oh my God, your compliments really made me feel good. -grins- You are too kind Miss BL. Thank you so much for the review, enjoy the chapters! BTW: I heard you need a beta. I need one too. LoL.

LiLy MaLfOy 13: I like your name, makes me think if Lucius and Lily got married? -snicker- That's a funny thought. Thanks for reviewing Lily. You're a new reader, aren't you? -shakes hand- I'm Val. Wanna cookie?