Chapter 6

Just One Man

August was coming to an end. Harry stared up at the ceiling of the Hotel in London in which they were staying that night. He was about to lose Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. He had hoped to be slightly further a long in their attempt to find and destroy the Horcruxes. Ron was at the desk, writing in a notebook of some kind which he frequently kept with him ever since the beginning of the summer. Ginny was sitting next to Harry watching the Muggle news, and Hermione was reading one of Dumbledore's books on the sofa.

"What about My house?" Hermione looked up from her book "Ancient Magics of the Chinese."

"What?" Harry asked.

"My house, we could head there, for the last few days of August. School starts in Two days, Harry, I'll need some things, I can't just go to school with what I have here." She said.

"Yeah," Ron said. "That's true.

"How would we explain this to them?" Ginny looked down at Harry, smiled and began to run her fingers through his messy black hair.

"Do they know who Voldemort is?" Harry asked.

"Not entirely…" Hermione said.

"What do you mean 'not entirely'?" Ron asked. "You've never told them, what about protection?"

"Before we left, I used every spell I knew to keep our house safe!" Hermione said. "If they knew, I wouldn't be here…"

"So we can't go back to your house…" Harry said. "You all will just have to pop back to your houses, get what you need, and then go to king's cross."

"I suppose. I just hate being in these places," Hermione said. "Hotel Beds are just…icky."

"Icky?" Ron said, amused at her use of the word.

"Clearly we've got no choice." Harry said. "It's not safe at the Burrow, it's clearly unsafe at #12 Grimmauld place if there's Horcruxes and imperiused people there. And we certainly can't go to the Dursley's.

"I need to get my own place," Harry said. "An Apartment, settle down. A Place to go during these times."

"I think that's a good idea," Ginny said, smiling. There was a long pause as Hermione went back to reading, and Ron to his writing. "Listen, I'm sorry,"

"You can't leave school. You have to go." Harry said, dismissively.

"I know, but I feel guilty, leaving you here alone. We've been eating up your money very fast, and you can't continue to live in hotels and…"

"It's fine Ginny." He sat up. "Listen, I need to talk to McGonnagal about something, So I'm going to take the train with you on Monday. Then I'll go, spend a night in Hogsmeade or something, and then try to find an apartment. And I can use my spare time, trying to figure out where the hell the others ones are."

"We'll be there Harry. Every Weekend. I'll be able to get my apparition license soon, and me, and Hermione, and Ron we'll be there to help with whatever you need, every chance we get."

"I know."

September arrived in a wave of wind and rain. The Scarlet Hogwarts Express chugged it's way out of Kings Cross station and Through the Countryside. It was not the usual journey, people came in and out of the cabin frequently telling stories of the meeting that Mrs. Weasley had offered to take them to before they had been detained. How it had been Hagrid who made the winning argument that Hogwarts should stay open. People mostly left them alone after a short conversation, never sitting down. Even Neville and Luna who seemed to have gotten together over the summer. Mostly people seemed to be afraid to talk to him. After Dumbledore's death and it had become common knowledge that Harry did not intend to finish his schooling.

As he walked down the train to find a cabin, he noticed that several slytherins had been pulled out of the school, no doubt on the order of Voldemort. Malfoy, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, Zabini, and Parkinson had all vanished.

Day turned into night, and night into evening as the uneventful trip came to and end. Harry saw the castle in the distance. But was not happy. He was not excited like usual. The Castle looked out of place. A blemish on the rolling hills. Hogwarts was not his home anymore. The thought struck him suddenly. This was not where he was most happy, as it had been for six years. This was now a place of sorrow. A large obtrusive building full of boredom and despair.

Hermione caught his eye looking at Hogwarts in a way that he never had before. They stared at each other for a moment, then looked away. He knew that she was feeling the same way. Hogwarts without Dumbledore. Hogwarts was not his home. Nor, did it seem to him, that it ever had been.

The train came to a screeching halt in the Hogsmeade station. Without a word the four of them made their way up to the Carriages pulled by thestrals, and up to the castle.

The rain poured down hard on their heads, as they dismounted and made their way into the castle. Into the great hall.

Everything felt wrong. He had not known what to expect, the castle should be different. But floating candles still shed light, the normality was overwhelming.

"Potter!" He made his way into the great hall and heard a sharp voice behind him.

"Professor," He said. Turning to see McGonnagal standing there.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had a matter to discuss with you." Harry said to her.

"That's good, I've been trying to reach you. Come up here." She gestured to follow her up the rows of seats. With almost everyone staring at them. They made their way behind the staff table. And she motioned for him to sit down. He did.

This felt odd, but made him smile. There he was, facing the students, the Pupils, all of them eager to soak up knowledge. With other worries then defeating the ultimate evil…That seemed to be the most obvious of their traits.

The New students were sorted by new Deputy Headmaster Professor Flitwick. And as he took the stool, and sorting hat away from the crowd, Professor McGonnagal stood up.

"I know that this may be a hard transition," McGonnagal said. "I am very different from Dumbledore. I will lead this school in a different manner. But for those of you that knew him, those of you who have been here the longest, I leave the words that Albus first spoke to you. Nitwit, Blubber, Oddment, and Tweak. That was his idea of welcoming new students. Welcoming you all into a grand magical world. And quite possibly playing with your minds about what's about to come," She said the last part with a grin. "So as Albus said, 'Tuck in!'"

There was a clattering of silverware as the food magically appeared on the plates, the result of hours of labor from the house elves in the kitchen. The staff table was covered also in the finest of delicacies, some of which Harry would not touch, some of which he found soothing to his nervous psyche; like the taste of pumpkin Juice, something he only ever had at Hogwarts. Something that made him feel warm. As though he was happy.

"Now listen," Professor McGonnagal turned to him. "We cannot talk openly here, But I received another parcel in the mail. One from, I believe the same person as last time." Harry took that to mean, from MacNair…another photograph.

"What was…" He began.

"I'll show you afterward. But it was…about headquarters." She said quietly.

"You know about Tonks, Don't you?" Harry asked.

"Yes, We've vacated permanently. We've been having trouble finding a new location. And That's another thing I wanted to ask you."

"Ask me? What?" He asked surprised.

"I can't stop you." She said. "I know that."

There was a long pause in which Harry listened to the bustling, and catching up of old friends.

"But I won't let you do this without the Order backing you up." McGonnagal said.

"Thank you. I appreciate it." Harry said. "I mean it. You're quite right, you can't stop me."

"I thought as much. Until we've got a new headquarters, Order meetings are being held in my office, upstairs. I'd really like you to attend." McGonnagal said.

"Yes, Of course," Harry said surprised.

"Your Friend Miss Weasley told me you are looking for an apartment." McGonnagal said, taking a bite of pheasant.

"Yes, I was thinking either…oh honestly I have no idea." He said, diminished.

"I'd like to offer you a place to live." McGonnagal said.

Harry looked over at her with a puzzled look on his face.

"Temporarily. Just until you find a new place." She said.

"Where?" He asked

"Here," She responded. "I have been busy and unable to find teachers to take up the posts of Transfiguration and Defense against the Dark Arts. Professor Grubbly-Plank has returned to take the class until I can find a full-time teacher, but I'm still vacant a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher…"

Harry spit pumpkin juice all over his meal. "Oh, God. I'm sorry!" He said, Wiping it up with a napkin. "You're…You're not…"

"I am. I am asking you to take over Defense against the Dark Arts until I can find a permanent teacher…Well…as permanent as it gets here. And in exchange you get free housing, and a steady paycheck." She looked at him. "Can I count on you?"

"Of Course!" Harry wasn't thinking at all. But he was terrified at the prospect of finding an apartment in London.

"It should only be a few weeks. Until I can find a good candidate" She said to him warningly. "You'll have to fill out some paperwork later, and I can give you a copy of the Defense against the Dark Arts Written NEWT, so you can begin to prepare the students.

Harry nodded frequently to show he was listening. He got the Job that Voldemort wanted without trying. It didn't occur to him at that moment exactly what that could mean, she was right, Defense teachers didn't exactly have long Life spans at Hogwarts.

The Rest of the feast passed in a blur. McGonnagal made a speech at the end, announcing that Defense Lessons would not begin until the following week as to give their new teacher time to prepare. She did not, he noticed, tell them who it was.

After the feast the new Prefects and Head Boy and Girl, which were Hermione and Ernie Macmillan, took their respective houses to their common rooms. And the staff slowly dispersed.

"I believe you know where the Defense Against the Dark arts office is?" She said.

"Yes," he responded, standing up.

"If you tap the door from the Inside with your wand, you'll get into your sleeping area. And of course the office and classroom are yours for the time being. I expect you to use this week to prepare. You've got a school budget for things like books and the like, and I'll be informing you of that tomorrow morning, when I'll get you all the paper work." She got up and left leaving him there.

Harry stood up and made his way through the empty hallways up to the defense against the dark arts room. He opened the door and saw the peculiarly empty classroom. The staircase at the end which lead to his office looked inviting as he climbed up and pried open the door. It was empty. There was a desk in the center with bookshelves on the walls. There were a few old copies of books laying on the shelves but nothing much.

He waved his wand and nonverbally brought about the door that they had been storing their traveling bags in. All of his possessions were inside here. And a lot of Dumbledore's as well. He knew there was more of Dumbledore's Possessions in the school that McGonnagal had agreed to give Harry in order to research Voldemort, and ways to kill him. Harry Began to unpack.

This was his office.

It was his. He could do what he wanted. He was teacher. Not a permanent teacher but a teacher still. He understood why McGonnagal offered him the job. At first he thought of the DA but that had nothing to do with it. It was that she wanted him to keep close. She wanted to keep an eye on him. He tapped the door with his wand and a black room with black curtains and the windows covered by black paper. This must be how Snape Left it. He pulled off the black paper. But then got an idea. He pulled down the rest of it, and ran back into the classroom. He covered the windows on either side of the door, Harry had work to do, and this was going to be a big surprise for the students of Hogwarts School.

The Next week Harry spent not thinking about Voldemort for the first time in several months. He was thinking about Defense against the dark arts. How to arm his new students against the Dark Arts until McGonnagal found a new teacher. He spent a good amount of time doing research in Diagon Ally at Flourish and Blott's. He bought several books about The Dark Arts and Defense, and even made a trip to Knockturn ally.

Today was the day, it had been a week, and Harry had learned more about Defense in this week then most of his teachers had ever taught him. Arguments could be made that Both Lupin, and the imposter Moody had taught him a great amount, but the spells he had encountered this week were absolutely amazing.

Harry cracked the door and watched as his first class filed in, eagerly looking around to find out who their mysterious unannounced new Defense teacher was. He was ecstatic when he received his schedule, to find that his first lesson was the seventh year NEWT class. The class in which he would spring the surprise on Ron, Hermione and all the others in his year. Under normal circumstances he would have liked to have seen Malfoy in this position, but he was, of course, absent after the events of last June.

He watched Ron and Hermione walk in chatting to Neville. The two slytherin's Zabini, and one who's name was something like Nott sat next to each other. Ron and Hermione chose a seat near the front. Seamus and Dean sat near them as well. Two Ravenclaw boys walked in, he recognized one as being Terry Boot from the DA. He saw Susan Bones who sat with Hanna Abbot, as the familiar faces of Ernie and Justin took their places. Neville Sat with a Ravenclaw Girl who's name was Mc-something, he couldn't remember what.

The bell rang and Harry watched the class looking around nervously waiting for their new Defense Teacher. He pushed the door from his office open and looked down at the class.

"Good Morning."

Their jaws dropped and they stared up at him in wonder.

"Harry, What the hell are you doing here?" Ron asked, eyes wide.

"I'm about to explain." Harry said. Hermione was speechless and the entire class looked dumbstruck. "As most of you know, I attended the opening feast, but I no longer attend school here."

"Why?" Seamus asked raising his hand.

"Personal Reasons," He said unflinchingly.

"It's got to do with Him, doesn't it?" Neville said quietly.

"You could say that." Harry said. Pacing up and down the front of the class. "As I was saying, that night, Professor McGonnagal and I had a long conversation. The events of last June left us devoid of a great amount of staff. No Headmaster, No Defense Teacher, No Transfiguration Teacher. As I'm sure you know, Professor Grubbly-Plank has taken up Transfiguration, but that still left an opening. Defense. So Until Professor McGonnagal and Find a suitable full time teacher, or as full time as a defense teacher can be, I will be sitting in."

There was silence.

"Right, so lets begin shall we…"

There was still silence.

"Who can tell me what Inferi are?" He asked them. Naturally, Hermione and a few others raised their hands. "Hermione."

"Inferi are corpses, re-animated by a spell to do whatever the witch or wizard requires." she recited.

"Excellent, Five points to Gryffendor." He said, smirking and turning his back for a moment, relishing the opportunity to do this. "And who can tell me how to fight Inferi?…No one? Inferi are possibly the most frightening creatures that a particular Dark Wizard will be using to his advantage, and should he survive until you are out of school, you will want to be well armed against them…Yes Hermione.

"But Harry, I mean, surely dementors are…."

"But we know how to fight dementors, don't we?" Harry said. "Even if you can't conjure one, everyone knows what a patronus is. But how do you fight something that's already dead?

"The NEWTs are being re-examined and re-written. They are adding and subtracting questions every day right now, particularly in the defense category. It is a time when your defense is Crucial. The Death Eaters are out there, even more frightening then the Dark Lord himself. The death eaters are people. Wizards who can conceal themselves just by taking off a mask. How often does Voldemort make appearances? It is the Death Eaters you should be afraid of. Without them, he is just one wizard. Without them…" Harry paused, thinking not of the death eaters anymore. "…he is just one man"

Next: The Madness of Hermione Granger