Chapter 7 – Deceit, Relation and Defense

He woke the next morning with the same empty feeling but shook himself he had to teach today, that needed his attention. He went down to breakfast in his emerald green robes. When he got there he sat down and saw Ginny talking to Sean, she looked up at him and smiled. Harry felt his heart skip a beat, no he thought you can't be falling for Ginny, you can't she is your best friends sister and she's getting married. Harry smiled half-heartedly back and concentrated on his breakfast.

Anna and Lily walked into the great hall the next morning and sat down away from everyone else.

"How are we going to find out if Ally is cheating on Lupin? I mean I said she changed over the summer so it could be anyone."

"Good point I forgot. Umm… where does she live?"

"Kent just… outside… ah I see what you mean," Lily replied. Alison lived in a largely wizard inhabited part of Britain.

"Did she go anywhere for the summer?"

"Only to visit us."

"Well there you go it has to be a wizard around our age so there is a good chance they would go to Hogwarts." Anna replied triumphantly. They sat down and started eating breakfast. They were shortly joined by Jason, Remus, James, Sirius and Lupin. Professor McGonagall came down the table handing out timetables.

"Oh you have got to be kidding me," exclaimed Lupin. "We have Snape first thing on a Monday morning and last thing on a Friday!"

"Ha, ha that's why I don't take potions anymore," Lily said.

"Good thing is we have defense against the dark arts today. I wonder what kind of teacher Harry Potter is? I bet he will be good considering what he has done." Sirius said. Anna said nothing but looked up at her father who was staring at his food and kept glancing sideways at Ginny and Sean. Something was wrong with Harry she could sense it. She was looking forward to defense against the dark arts lesson and dreading it at the same time.

Anna entered the dungeon with the rest of the Gryffindors, she took a seat near the back, she had heard all about this teacher, Professor Snape. He hated Harry and his father which would mean that he hated Lupin, Remus, James and Sirius who were all named after there parents friends. Anna thought it must get very confusing at family gatherings. She wondered why they were all named liked that, it must be a sentimental thing. She sat down between Remus and James. Snape looked around the class his eyes lingered on Anna for a few seconds and something of confusion in his eyes. Then as quickly as it had come it went. He began the class and Anna soon found because she had been sitting between Remus and James Snape didn't like her.

"You are friends with us now he will be horrible to you," James explained as Snape passed.

"Oh well can't have everyone like you," Anna said glancing at Alison who was now giggling at something Lupin had just said. Anna looked around she noticed a Ravenclaw boy looking at Alison and then to Lupin.

"Hey, Remus, who's that?" Anna whispered to Remus as they were packing up ready to leave.

"That's Eric McManus, why?"

"No reason," Anna said.

As soon as Anna saw Lily at lunch that day she took her aside and told her what she saw.

"You think Eric might be him?" Lily asked as soon as Anna had explained what she had seen.

"It's just a thought for now but we can investigate a bit further. You realize we are taking this a tad too far?"

"Merlin no, you haven't had to be in the same house as her for the last 5 years I can't imagine how Nicky manages to share a room with her, it must be a nightmare. She thinks she is the bees knees, I don't say anything because I don't want to make any enemies but it would be great to bring her down a peg or two." Anna grinned.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, Anna for the first time in her life, felt accepted. She felt relaxed and let her guard down a bit. That was until the last lesson of the afternoon Defense against the dark arts. Anna took a seat at the back of the class Lupin sat next to her and Remus on her other side, both were sitting up looking eagerly at the desk at the front. The whole room was quiet Anna had never seen a more eager class room. She found it quite amusing.

Harry entered the room and looked around at the willing students. His first lesson had been with the first years who had hung on his every word. Harry had liked this class the least as it was elementary defense but nonetheless he liked teaching it to them it gave him a sense of pride to know he was helping these children to defend themselves against the world. He was nervous again now he saw his daughter sitting in the back trying not to grin. His daughter was sitting in between two adolescent males he didn't like that idea at all, not now he could keep an eye on her. He would have to monitor the situation carefully he couldn't have his baby daughter making friends with boys.

"Good afternoon," he began and then called the names out taking in everyone as they replied.

"Today we will begin with a review of what you have done for the last five years." So he did just that, Harry noticed that Anna seemed to be very far ahead of everyone else he didn't know why this surprised him but it did.

"That was brilliant!" Anna heard a few people exclaim as they left the classroom. She rolled her eyes, it was only a review, they didn't even learn anything new. Anna stayed back a bit.

"Anna are you coming?" Lupin asked her.

"I'll be right there, I'll meet you in the common room. I need to ask Professor Potter about what I need to catch up on," Anna said. When everyone had finally left which took a surprising amount of time, Anna approached the desk.

"Professor Potter, that was a very good class I think everyone liked it very much, very enlightening," Anna said as her father looked at her with raised eyebrows.

"Cheeky git," he mumbled under his breath. Then said a loud. "Thank you Ms. Fischer, I thought it went well. Come to my office at 9pm so I can go over what you need to catch up on." Anna nodded and left the classroom. Anna went to the common room and sought out Lily who was sitting next to Remus both were discussing the defense against the dark arts lesson, Lily had had Defense before lunch.

"It was good I think Professor Potter is going to be very good. Better than last year anyway," Remus was saying.

"What happened last year?" Anna asked sitting down next to them.

"The teacher was… lets put this nicely… a prat who had no clue what she was talking about." Anna laughed.

"Lily now is the perfect opportunity to go and talk to a certain Ravenclaw," Anna said looking pointedly at Lily.

"Yes your right lets go," she said getting up.

"Who are you talking to?" Remus asked. Anna looked at Lily who hesitated for a moment looking at Remus sizing him up and then said, "Come with us."

As they walked toward the library Lily and Anna filled Remus in on what they were doing.

"That's… I… I think I love you Anna," Remus said and they all laughed. "That girl annoys me so much along with that Mary girl. Can we get anything on her as well?"

"Lets just start with Alison shall we Remus?" Anna said still grinning.

"So why are we going to the library?" Remus asked.

"Because I know Eric is a prefect and he does all his homework before dinner or tries to anyway," Lily explained. They got to the library and sought out their target.

"You two stay here I will do this," Anna said to the others who nodded and went behind a bookcase. Anna walked over to where Eric was sitting, this was what she was best at she was going to lie. "Excuse me, can you help me?" Anna asked and Eric looked up he smiled and said,

"Sure what do you need?"

"I need help with my defense against the dark arts, I only came this year and I need to borrow someone's notes. I was told by a girl in my year you were the best person to ask."

"Really who told you that?"

"Umm… Alice… no… umm—"

"Alison?"

"Yes that's it she said you had good notes." At this Eric suddenly looked interested and was on the edge of his seat. "Did she say anything else?"

"No she just said you might not like her anymore but she didn't elaborate."

"Well I shouldn't but I can't help it I love her. No matter what she does to me." Anna sat down looking concerned. She knew Eric was a good person she could tell and she knew he liked Alison but she didn't know why. She felt bad for him feeling this way, she knew what it felt like to like someone but not have them like you back.

"You seem like a nice person so I don't want to ruin your first day, meet me here at 8 and I will have your notes for you," Eric said and Anna stood up and walked away.
Anna, Lily and Remus walked out of the library and Anna told them what Eric had said.

"Oh he is defiantly the one."

"So what do we do about it now?" Remus said as they stopped outside the common room.

"We convince him to do something for Alison in front of Lupin and get him to mention what they did." Anna said.

"Are you sure that will work?" Lily asked.

"Almost positive, but we will see. I'll talk to him tonight," Anna said.

At 8pm that evening Anna went to the library alone, she was planning on staying an hour at the library and then going to see her father. She found Eric waiting outside the library.

"Hi, here you go," he said handing her a large pile of notes.

"Thank you. There are a lot here."

"Well Ally told you to come to me I guess she wanted you to be through."

"Um… I was just wondering what happened between you and Alison because she was saying something about you this evening at dinner. She seemed to be upset about something, about the way she treated you or something."

"Well we kind of went out during the summer but she said it was just for the summer and nothing else."

"And you love her and want to be with her, right?" Eric nodded he looked on the verge of tears. "Well you have to tell her."

"I can't she is going out with perfect Lupin how can I compete with him," Eric said.

"By showing Alison you may not be perfect but that you love her more than Lupin," Anna explained.

"Your right I have to do something I can't feel like this forever," Eric said so determinedly Anna was shocked at the change in character. "Thank you Anna, thank you so much!" He exclaimed and ran off down the corridor. Anna felt horrible she had just help ruin about 3 people's lives and it was only her first day, if this was what it was like when she was aloud to relax a bit then she wouldn't do it. No she wouldn't hurt anymore people she would go back to Anna Fischer, the one who has no friends who stays in the shadows and is ignored by everyone… Just don't push her too far.

Anna walked without knowing where she was going but somehow she ended up outside her father's office. There were quite a few students milling around outside. Harry opened the door and stopped at all the people outside, there were about 10 of them.

"Are you all here to see me?" He asked and Anna almost laughed at the indigence on his face. Some people nodded while others drifted away. Harry ushered the first student into his office, less than a minute later the student emerged from his office and Harry was behind him looking annoyed.

"Anyone who actually wants to speak with me about the lessons can stay I am not giving out autographs and it's almost 9pm curfew so everyone back to the common rooms."
Harry said with a trace of impatience and amusement in his voice. Anna waited for the students to move away and stayed where she was. Harry motioned for her to go into his office.

"So how was your first day?" He asked when he had closed the door and sat down opposite her.

"Well… I may have scammed a Ravenclaw into believing Lupin's girlfriend liked him," Anna said looking at her shoes.

"What?"

"Yeah I know I'm a horrible person,"

"Your not horrible but how could you do that?"

"Well it all started out innocent but kind of got out of hand," Anna said. "Don't worry I'll sort it out."

"Ok good don't want you to get a bad reputation on your first day," Harry said remembering
his days when most people thought he was going to attack them.

"Don't worry I have already decided to go back to acting like I did in the other schools."

"What? Why? Don't do that just be careful in future. Don't you want friends?"

"Of course I do it's just…" Anna finished lamely in truth she didn't know what it was just. Course she did want friends she wasn't very good at making and keeping them. She still had to have a secret she couldn't tell anyone. She had to keep some of herself off limits to everyone.

"Anyway I wanted to talk to you, I think you need to learn to defend yourself," Harry said.

"What have I been doing for the last 5 summers?" Anna asked confused every summer since she had started school she had practiced defense with her father and mother when she was alive.

"Not that kind the physical kind, self defense," Harry said.

"You mean like fighting and stuff?" Harry nodded and Anna raised her eyebrows. "Why?" Anna asked even more confused.

"Because it's the only thing Voldemort doesn't know how to do. You could learn to do it and it will help." Anna thought about this for a few minutes she then looked up into the emerald eyes of her father.

"I think it would be a great idea," she said smiling. "When do we start?"

Harry grinned and looked into his daughters eyes which were so much like his own; her curly blond hair which was pulled back from her determined looking face reminded him of her mother.