First, I had a complaint so I had to change the category. I considered it more a HP story than a BtVS crossover, but it is a crossover of sorts. It's better this way I suppose.
Second, thanks toNachocheez0for your review. And hope it doesn't disappoint you, but Harry will not be going dark in this story.
This is the necessary chapter to introduce the DADA professor and the great feast. Coming next chapter - Harry finds out what Dawn really is. Finally.
Disclaimer: HP characters owned by JK Rowling. The DADA professor and Dawn are owned by Joss Whedon.
Harry entered the Great Hall just as the food was appearing. Apparently he had missed the sorting, but he wasn't upset at that. He'd seen it enough times and nobody he knew was starting Hogwarts this year. He started for the Gryffindor table and was happy to see Ron and Hermione had saved him a place. A quick glance at the staff table revealed no new faces, there was an empty chair at the end of the table, but apparently no new Defense teacher as of yet. At least none of the teachers were missing. As soon as he took his seat he instantly had to wave off a field of questions.
"Guys, we'll talk about it later," Harry said, although he wasn't sure how much he wanted to tell them. He hadn't figured it out himself yet and wasn't up to trying to give the two of them answers. Dawn reached over and poked his shoulder.
"Where'd you go," she asked, with an accusatory tone. "Ron and Hermione said you bailed on them."
"I don't want to talk about it right now," he said. "Later okay?" She nodded hesitantly and he hastened to add "Thanks, but I'm all right. Later, okay?" That didn't settle her down much, but bought him some time. Harry reached for the garlic fried potatoes and started filling his plate before diving in hungrily.
He was halfway through the meal when Hermione grabbed his attention and pointed to the staff table. Someone had taken the empty chair at the end of the dais, a dark haired wizard wearing robes of pure white. Harry took a minute to take in the man's appearance. His skin was smooth and pale, not the unhealthy pasty color of a man who doesn't get into the sun, but fair, with a light rose hue. He was young, it might be his first year teaching, Harry thought, and well built, although not grotesquely large. The eyes were dark and matched his hair, which was a dark brownish black. Something about the way he sat seemed to draw attention and it took a minute for Harry to notice what it was. The pale skin and the white robes reflected and enhanced the candlelight so they almost seemed to glow. After his first impression Harry felt that he might be able to like this man and he turned back to his meal. He just needed to wait and see what kind of teacher he was before making any judgments.
"Harry Potter." Harry quickly turned around at the sound of his name and suddenly wished he hadn't. What did Professor Snape want? They weren't even one hour into the first day, he couldn't be in trouble already, could he? He tried to show his manners by standing to face the teacher, it was rude to remain seated, but the benches at the communal tables weren't easy to extricate oneself from with any sort of grace. Snape watched as Harry struggled out of his seat and offered no move to help, and didn't tell Harry to remain seated, though it would have been polite. He simply watched, barely concealing his amusement as the boy caught his foot between the bench and the table and nearly fell. It wasn't until Harry was fully standing that the Potions Master delivered his message. "The headmaster asked me to inform you that he would like to you to meet with him at the end of the feast. You are to remain behind when the rest of the students exit. That is all." Snape ended his message abruptly and strode back to the staff table, leaving Harry standing behind.
Harry sat down again, massaging his bruised rib and wondering what it was the headmaster would want. Ron was the first to ask the inevitable question. "What was that about?"
"The headmaster wants to see me after the meal," Harry replied. "No idea what for."
"Maybe he wants you to start Occlumency again," Hermione suggested. Harry scoffed at that. It wasn't that he thought it was a bad idea to learn Occlumency, but he couldn't help the word's association to those disastrous lessons with Snape. On top of that the pain in his rib was really starting to bother him, and he didn't want to get into a long involved discussion about it. Harry hoped his rib would stop hurting and he wouldn't have to visit the hospital wing for it. He'd had a long day and just wanted to finish his dinner and get some sleep.
"What's wrong with your rib, Harry?" He should have known Dawn would notice. He consciously moved his hand away from the bruise and onto the table.
"Nothing," he answered, knowing she wouldn't be satisfied.
"Come on, Harry. Something's obviously wrong." She was pleading and she knew it, but it was hard enough to get Harry to talk and she would use every trick in her arsenal to get him to open up.
"Later," he said and was surprised that she decided to let it go for now, but he knew she was already planning ways to get it out of him later in Gryffindor Tower.
Harry was one of the last to finish eating and had barely finished his pie when Dumbledore stood and the Great Hall became suddenly quiet. "Welcome, staff and students, to another year at Hogwarts. Now that you have filled your stomachs we have a year to fill your minds. I have a few start of term notices to give out. First years should note that the Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds, and of course it would do well for the older students to be reminded of this as well. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you that there is to be no magic in the corridors and that the list of forbidden items has been expanded to include Fainting Fancies, Puking Pastilles, Extendable Ears, and a host of other products, many of them developed by Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. The full list is posted outside of his office." At the mention of the name Weasley Ron's ears started to turn red and Harry watched as he stared down a third year Hufflepuff boy that had turned to steal a glance. Harry turned his attention back to Dumbledore to catch the rest of his speech.
"Once again, we have a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to introduce. He has asked that you call him by his given name, so please welcome Professor Ben to the staff." There was a round of polite applause, although it wasn't much more than that. The students were used to having a new DADA professor introduced at the start of year feast and this was routine. Following Professor Ben's introduction the students were dismissed, though Harry remained behind to speak with the Headmaster.
Harry said a quick goodbye to Hermione and Ron, who left to take care of their prefect duties, and waited for the room to clear out before walking up to the staff table. He stood to wait just below the step of the dais straight in front of Dumbledore who was in conversation with Professor Snape and Professor Ben. It was Snape who was speaking when he arrived, though Harry hadn't caught the beginning of the conversation.
"… in these times more than ever. Hogwart's students have already had a substandard education in the Dark Arts. You are sending them to fight a war unprepared."
"I am not sending these students to fight a war, Severus," Dumbledore replied.
"War will find them. You may be able to protect them while they are in this castle, Albus, but you can not protect them when they leave the school. They must learn to defend themselves and a recent graduate with no experience in teaching and a questionable background is hardly the best candidate for the position." Harry knew what they were talking about. Apparently the potions master had been overlooked for the DADA job again and was letting off his anger at Dumbledore. Harry knew Snape could be vindictive, but was surprised to see him openly question the new professor's qualifications while the man was present, especially in front of a student. Harry checked Professor Ben's reaction and was impressed that he didn't appear upset at all. Instead there was a look of determination on the man's face when he spoke.
"I assure you I am quite capable, Professor Snape, and I will make every effort to give these students whatever it is they may need to succeed." Harry was impressed by the response and found himself warming to him again, but told himself that it was one thing to say you could teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and another thing to actually do it. He only hoped the man would prove to be as good a teacher as he hoped.
Dumbledore gave no outward reaction to the man's words and held the palm of his hand in a stop position as he spoke. "The decision has been made, Severus. Ben will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts and it is too late to change that. I expect to hear nothing further on the matter." Dumbledore then addressed Harry as if he had just arrived and hadn't been waiting awkwardly through the heated exchange. "Ah, Harry! How good to see you. Allow me to introduce to you Professor Ben, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, though you will get to know him soon enough in your classes, I imagine."
Harry stepped up onto the raised platform, shook the new professor's hand and exchanged pleasantries, but he doubted very much that that was what Dumbledore had wanted him for. He was proved right when Dumbledore resumed speaking.
"Of course, I didn't ask to meet with you just to introduce the new professor, although I am quite happy for the chance to do so. How has it been going with your Occlumency training? Did you find time to work on it over the summer?"
Harry wasn't sure how to respond. He had tried, but it had been a half-hearted effort and he hadn't made much progress. The dreams had stopped, but that may not have been his doing. With Voldemort remaining quiet Harry wasn't expecting there to be as many as before.
"Er… I tried… some, sir." Snape snorted in disbelief and again Dumbledore held up his hand to stop him. "But I didn't make much progress, I'm afraid." He paused before adding, "It's just that I'm not sure how to know it's working."
Dumbledore nodded, apparently contemplating something, and then his head snapped up, he seemed to understand something. "I'd like you to continue your Occlumency training this term. Professor Snape and I will work together with you. With sufficient progress we may be able to be finished by the Winter Holiday." Snape looked absolutely livid at the suggestion of his involvement and was giving Dumbledore a maniacal glare, but he stayed silent.
Harry wasn't too keen on it himself, especially seeing Snape's reaction, and decided to make it known to the Headmaster. "Do I have to, sir?" Harry had to try, but he wasn't expecting that he would be let out of it easily. He was not mistaken.
Dumbledore seemed to be choosing his response carefully and took on a somber look as he replied. "I can't force you, Harry. Ultimately the choice lies with you, but I still believe it to be of the utmost importance that you learn to close your mind to the possibility of outside influence."
"Including yours," Harry asked with a sly grin. A year ago he would never had dared to say something like that to the Headmaster, even under the guise of a joke, but his lingering resentment about the prior year loosened his tongue.
To Harry's surprise Dumbledore laughed loudly. "Yes, even mine. Always make up your own mind, Harry, even if you have no reason to distrust someone. It gives you the proper perspective and with whatever it is you do you'll do so willingly and put that much more effort into it."
"Okay, then, sir," Harry replied. "When should we meet?"
"I think we should wait a week or two and allow you to settle into a routine with your classes first. I think you'll find sixth year to be more challenging than your fifth, though a bit less hectic perhaps. Severus or I will set something up with you then. For now I suggest you head up to your dormitory. Professor Ben will be happy to escort you, I'm sure." With this he motioned to Professor Ben and the man snapped to attention and took his place by Harry's side. They took their leave of Professors Dumbledore and Snape and walked side by side toward Gryffindor tower.
"I really don't need an escort," Harry said as they exited the Great Hall. "I know the way."
"I'm sure you do," Ben replied. "But I suspect Dumbledore suggested this more for my benefit. I'm not too familiar with the castle yet. Dumbledore knows my habit of getting lost in this place. Plus this way Mr. Filch won't get after you for wandering the halls on your first day back."
As if she knew who they were speaking of Mrs. Norris chose to make herself known at that moment, stepping out from behind a suit of armor and directly into Harry's way. Harry slowed his pace to avoid treading on the bothersome feline, but fell back in place as he realized what Ben had said.
"Oh, you didn't attend Hogwarts as a student, then?"
Ben seemed to stiffen slightly before answering. "No, I didn't. I've been abroad most of my life. Mostly North America, but Hogwart's is known by reputation even there. I was quite happy to be accepted here for my first appointment."
"So you've never taught before?" Harry asked as they passed a large tapestry depicting one of the goblin wars. Harry normally would have taken the passageway that was hidden behind it, but he didn't want to confuse Professor Ben's sense of direction, plus he was grateful for this opportunity to question the DADA professor on a somewhat personal level and was happy for the extra time.
"I've done my student teaching, and lead a few night school classes, but I haven't yet had a chance to teach classes of my own. I am, of course, certified to teach Defense if that's what you're worried about." Harry detected a note of anger in the Professor's voice and was quick to pick up on the implications.
"It's not that I… I didn't mean to… I know you're qualified…," he stammered before getting straight to the crux of the matter. "I'm not Snape."
Ben chuckled lightly. "Heard some of that did you? I admit it is difficult for me, hearing his doubts, but he has only the student's welfare in mind. And by the way, it's Professor Snape."
"Yes, sir," Harry replied bowing his head to acknowledge the new Professor's authority, but it was a only a perfunctory showing of proper manners. Harry did not like Snape enough to worry about titles and names. "It may not be his concern for the students, though. You've heard he's applied for the Defense position in the past?"
"Yes, I had heard, but the man has an extraordinary talent for potions. You are very lucky to have him. Hogwarts is known worldwide for producing exceptional students in the field of potions, and I have little doubt that Professor Snape is the cause of it. Now which way do we turn?"
Harry started them in the proper direction and they walked the last few hallways in silence. Harry stopped in front of the painting of the Fat Lady and gave Professor Ben quick directions on how to return to the Defense wing. He watched as the new professor disappeared around the corner before turning to the Fat Lady to give her the password, then realized he didn't know it. He had been the last student to leave the Great Hall and had forgotten to ask Ron or Hermione before they left. With a sigh Harry sat on the floor of the cold stone hallway hoping that it wouldn't be long before someone would chance through to let him in.