CHAPTER NINE

BOGGARTS AND POLTERGEISTS

Harry's initial day of teaching finally arrived. It was a glorious morning full of promise, leaving him expecting to feel that unexplainable high he felt when he used to teach the DA. Harry readied himself as he erased the blackboard and cleaned the room, ready for the students that were about to arrive.

First period came and he was to teach Ravenclaw and Slytherin's third year students. They arrived and sat down on their seats, all looking at Harry, trying to size him up as a professor. Their staring faces were following Harry's movement around the classroom as if they were looking at him like a goldfish in a fishbowl.

"Good morning, class" started Harry shakily. "I am Professor Potter and I will be teaching you Defense Against the Dark Arts."

No one spoke among the pupils. They all looked at Harry, listening to his every word.

"Well," Harry continued, now speaking more confidently, banishing his nerves away. "Today, we will learn about boggarts." Harry pointed at a large grey trunk by his wooden desk. "My third year professor taught me about boggarts and so, I will be teaching this lesson to you the way I was taught. First, can anyone enlighten everyone on what a boggart is?... No one? Not to worry."

Harry paced around the room as the trunk upon the desk began to shake violently. Apparently, the boggart in it was getting impatient. "A boggart is a creature that changes to resemble what one fears the most. That is what makes them so frightening to most when they really are quite harmless. They usually reside in dark, crammed spaces like broom cupboards, which is where I got this particular boggart" said Harry as he pointed towards the shaking trunk.

The students looked fearful as they eyed the trembling trunk. They whispered simultaneously with both worry and excitement. Harry, sensing their anxiety, continued. "A simple spell can counter a boggart, which I will be teaching you now."

Harry taught the third years almost exactly like how he was taught when he was in third year and surprisingly for him, the pupils favored this method. Within the day, word spread rapidly on how brilliant a teacher he is among the students, much like how popular Lupin was to the pupils of his own time. At the end of the day, Harry felt the familiar intense rush of being able to impart something to others again. He smiled, completely at peace, totally ignoring how exhausted he was.

Everything was going well as the days of cold December progressed. Dumbledore was getting better at St. Mungo's, Harry enjoyed the other professor's company, and the students preferred him very much as compared to the other professors, particularly Draco. Sensing this, Harry knew something was bound to come up to break the tranquility he felt. That weekend, something did.

Sunday came, giving Harry a chance to rest after a hectic school week. He woke up and walked out of his room to get ready for breakfast. As he was on the way to the great hall, Peeves flew along and threw snitches at him. He closely avoided them and sped along towards the hall.

As Harry continued to walk, it finally hit him. He forgot about Peeves' sister Magda and Sirius' mirror. This mirror could be the key to solving the mystery of the veil and may just be what he needed to rescue Sirius.

Harry immediately disapparated, skipping breakfast, and appeared in the Ministry premises. It was empty for it was a Sunday, giving him the freedom to walk around. The closed curtains permitted only thin rays of the winter sun to penetrate inside, creating patches of light on the floor. He was currently in the main hall with the statues of Magical Brethren although this time, all the fireplaces weren't lit. He started to pace around, calling Magda at the top of his voice.

When he reached the fifth floor, still summoning Magda, she finally swooped in, causing Harry to jump slightly.

"Yes?" said Magda dreamily, apparently glad Harry was there.

"Err.. Hi Magda. You remember when you told me how you saw Edgar stepping out of the veil?" asked Harry with a vague excitement.

"Yes"

"I need to ask you more questions then."

"Okay" she replied. "I has been bored with no one to talkings to."

"Excellent." said Harry. "What exactly happened, Magda, when Edgar Grindle stepped out of the veil?"

"Magda is remembers him comings out thin and skeleton-y, with a wand and the square mirror. He saw me and then I don't remember. I don't remembers like long moments at a time. Next things Magda knows is seeing a big cauldron and drops of blood on the floor."

Realization dawned on Harry. Somehow, the presence of the cauldron and blood droplets made perfect sense. Harry has seen this before, during his fourth year at Hogwarts. Crouch must've performed the Imperious Curse on Magda, explaining the big lapses in her memory, to help him complete the ritual procedure. It was a ritual to strengthen and give a capable and functional body to a person who barely has one. It was exactly what Voldemort used to return to power ten years ago.

Flesh, Blood, and Bone.

END OF CHAPTER NINE