Four Years Later
Part VI: Errands I; Employment

Harry woke up early the next morning, dressed and found Ginny putting on a night robe as he came back into the room.

"What are you doing?" she asked warily.

"Apparently," he said, holding some mail he'd picked up from an owl. "I had some back mail. I have to go to the Ministry to receive an Order of Merlin, and Prof. McGonagall sent me an owl during the night that said she wanted to see me..." He said something in a language she didn't understand. "That feels so weird... Like right after she caught me on my broom first-year." He smiled looking at her scantly clad form. Thoughts of what they'd done last night filled him with warmth and euphoria. "I love you," he said, his eyes staring straight into hers.

"I love you too," she sad, holding the robe closed. The forwardness from last night seemed to be replaced by modesty this morning.

"I also have on last thing to do," He said. "Before I can really be at peace."

Ginny's face paled. "Where are you going?" she demanded.

"Scotland," He answered, "But not even for an entire day. I'll be back here for dinner at the latest."

"You'd better be," she growled playfully.

Harry headed out of the house after eating a light breakfast prepared by Dobby. He apparated to Hogsmead again, and walked through the gates again. It felt so natural to go through those gates, as if he'd been waiting to do it ever since he'd last left them.

He waved to Hagrid and Grawp, who were playing a game of some sort. He walked up the steps to the entrance hall, still feeling so small there.

"Harry m' Boy!" called Sir Nicolas. "Good to see you again!"

"Good to see you too Sir Nicolas," Harry greeted his old house ghost. "How have the house standings been?" he asked.

"Well, there was an upset last year when Ravenclaw took the trophy, I was shocked, but when Those two Gryffindors lost so many house points for what they did to the Avery boy... well one can't be surprised."

"A pair of Gryffindors beat someone up?" asked Harry as Nick showed him to the head's office.

"Oh, Dear me no. They covered him in stink-sap," Nick chuckled. "Of course the suspision is that the boy had it coming. It can't be proven, but Avery had challenged one of his housemates to an impromptu Quidditch game, the second he threw the boy the Quaffle he vanished. Now of course now First year could create a portkey, but... Well circumstances spoke very loudly."

"Gryffindors revenged themselves upon a Slytherin, for another Slytherin?" clarified Potter.

"Well, This Slytherin was very ill liked among his house, Muggle-born you see, and these two were his friends."

"Oh, I think Hagrid told me about that boy," Harry said.

"Yes," said a chilling voice outside the Head's office. Harry looked to see the Bloody Baron. "His name is Cobalt, he's a top notch student... has some problems in potions, but tries his hardest."

"So he's a good kid?" asks Harry.

"Absolutely," the Baron spat in a haughty tone. "Hangs out with some riff-raff, but other than that an excellent specimen of Slytherin cunning."

"The Baron and I have been having the same argument since the term started over where the boy should really have been placed, the most amazing thing you see. Peeves haunted a suit of armor to menace the children. Cobalt however stepped up before Prof. Weasly could take care of him and cast a perfect levitation charm. Everyone involved was shocked, including Peeves, who, when the boy released the armor out of surprise, fell to the floor with it."

"Absolute cunning and drive," the Baron boasted.

"Sheer courage," countered Nick.

"True wit," Harry added. Both looked at him, rolled their eyes and floated away, still arguing.

"What's the password?" called Harry at the retreating ghosts.

"Diligence," came McGonagall's prim voice from behind Harry.

"P-Professor," Harry stammered as he turned.

She looked at him coldly and then turned smiling as she walked away. "You know Potter," she said as she walked up the stairs. "You are no longer my student, you may call me Minerva, Mr. Weasly takes great pleasure in it."

"I have the right to," Harry said, "But not the ability."

she shared his chuckle.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I"m sure you are aware of Hogwart's constant problem"

"Lack of a new Defense Against the Dark Arts Instructor as the new term approaches.

"Exactly right Mr. Potter, I was hoping you might fill in for as long as possible."

Harry thought on it a moment, "I'll want to teach them my own way," Harry said. "And I may introduce as young as second years to some very frightening concepts."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she said with a smile. "Just so long as they don't learn about Dark Arts the way you did... from experience."

"I heard you have a new Potter," Harry said, her statement reminding him. "Mr. Cobalt?"

McGonagall looked at the desk, suddenly very uncomfortable. "Zane Cobalt's... experiences are not as... gentle as you might think."

"What happened?" Potter asked, leaning forward.

"There have been many incidences where Mr. Cobalt came into a great deal of danger. A group of his fellow Slytherins attempted to knock him from his broom when he floated high enough," she started. "He found himself attacked by surprise Portkeys twice, once he was transported five stories into thing air (thank Merlin Hagrid was tending the Pumpkin patch beneath him at the time), and the second time he was transported into the Chamber of Secrets where he was placed under the Cruciatus curse no less than five times."

Potter again spoke in a tongue the person speaking to him didn't understand, but she did recognize it as Russian. "Who did that to a boy?"

"We have no idea," she said. "He claims a red bird appeared, chased the attacker away and then heard a voice telling him which way to crawl. At that point, the ceiling over him exploded as Bill Weasly finally broke open the entrance." she shook her head. "The poor boy snapped back quickly, but... to be placed under the cruciatus curse... five times."

"I know," Potter said darkly.

"So will you take this position, and perhaps keep an extra eye on this boy?" she asked.

"Deal," Potter said with a smile.