Pictures and letters
Harry was particularly excited for their first lesson with Dawlish on Tuesday. Ginny, who had already had him, had just said ''it was quite okay'' so that the seventh-years had no idea what to expect. For now, Harry was quite confident that this year's defense teacher would not turn out to be possessed by Voldemort, nor a sadistic ministry witch. After breakfast, he found himself with the others in the classroom where he had already experienced six other teachers: Quirrell, who had always smelled of garlic, Lockhart, who had let the pixies loose on them here, Remus, who often had a magical creature in the corner, Barty Crouch, disguised as Moody, who had been lurking behind the door, Umbridge, where they spent endless hours chewing through this useless Slinkhart book, and finally Snape, who gave the room his personal, gloomy touch. Dawlish had kept it simple: apart from a few anti-obscurants in the corner and a handful of images of basic wand movements, this was just a pretty large classroom.
Ron headed for vacant seats in the last row, but Hermione marched forward, leaving them with no choice but to follow her and sit to the left and right of her, right in front of Dawlish's desk. Dawlish himself came into the classroom with the bell and threw his bag on the desk before turning to them. The class was unusually quiet, as is was customary with a new teacher. Dawlish looked like always: short, grayed hair, smoothly shaved and sharp grey eyes.
''Good morning', he said succinctly. ''As most of you probably already know, my name is Professor John Dawlish. I was an Auror-''
- ''Not a particularly good one'', Pansy Parkinson loudly whispered to Nott, who grinned broadly. Dawlish didn't even shrug.
'' - and now I'm your new teacher of Defense Against the Dark Arts. We have a lot of work ahead of us, because you are the NEWT year, so the workload here will be enormous. Before we start, I want to make one thing clear: I know that many of you already have learned a lot of the things that I'm going to show you, given what's happened here in the last few years.''
His eyes swiped briefly over their faces and stayed with Harry for a fraction longer than with the others.
''But it's important to repeat the basics before we tackle more complicated things so I can get an idea of your level.'' Dawlish rattled off. ''Please get together in pairs and practice the stunning spell - if possible, non-verbal. I'm going to go around and get a picture of your abilities. Start.''
- ''Stunning spell?', Ron muttered skeptically as the general backing of the chairs began. ''Honestly?''
Harry shrugged. ''I think he wants to start small.''
He practiced with Ron, Hermione with Neville. Ron still had minor difficulties with non-verbal spells, but in the fourth attempt the red flash came, which Harry had been waiting impatiently for. Protego, he thought, and Ron's stunning spell bounced off his shield and hit a piece of chalk.
Next to them, Hermione just helped Neville, who had been taken off his feet by her stunning spell. Ron grinned broadly and Harry decided to take advantage of that. His spell hit Ron in the middle of his chest and he flew backwards onto the pillows that Dawlish had distributed on the floor.
''That really wasn't cool, Harry', Ron muttered as he woke him up.
''Constant vigilance', Harry said with a grin.
After the stunning spells, Dawlish had them demonstrate a few other basics and then finished the lesson.
''Mr. Potter, a word,' he said as Harry wanted to follow Ron and Hermione.
''Well', he said to the other two. ''Tell McGonagall, I'm coming.''
"'I need to talk to you about two things, Mr. Potter,"' Dawlish said. ''First of all, a good dozen Gryffindors have already contacted me because they want to be part of the Quidditch team.''
He gave him a list. ''The other issue is much more serious. I am, of course, aware that you are in possession of the so-called Elder wand.''
Harry didn't say a word, although all his alarm bells went off immediately.
''I would like to ask you, however, to use a different magic wand in class, if possible. You know, for the sake of fairness, so that I can judge your performance, which is difficult to do if you use an invincible wand.''
Harry nodded in relief. ''Don't worry, Professor, I'd rather use this one anyway.''
He pulled the phoenix stick out of his sleeve. Dawlish nodded narrowly. ''Very good. Then I don't want to stop you.''
''What did Dawlish want?', Ron hissed as he rushed to McGonagall's classroom for the last pusher.
''Quidditch selection'', Harry muttered, shoving the list to him.
Ron took a look at the list and snorted. ''Sloper really wants to try it again...''
- ''Yeah... not so important. After that-''
Professor McGonagall was in a state of dissent and Harry stopped talking.
''Well, I'm glad that so many of you have decided to return to Hogwarts. Before we start with the topics of your NEWT year, I would like to say a few words about... the circumstances.''
Professor McGonagall took a short break. ''Many of you have fought with me and I'm really proud of you.''
Harry slipped restlessly in his chair.
McGonagall rattled again. ''But now you are my students again, and I am your teacher. I want to make that clear.'' She sighed and moved her strappy scarf. "To Transfiguration. Some of you will be out of practice as you certainly had little opportunity to rework the basics on the run. So I've prepared a little test where you can check your level of knowledge.''
She swung her wand and the stack of parchment on her desk spread in the classroom.
''What are you waiting for?''
- ''A test?', Ron hissed angrily. ''In the first period? Is she serious?''
Next to them, Hermione was already scribbling wildly on it. Harry took a look at the test.
Describe the magic formula and wand movement needed to turn a teacup into a rat.
He sighed and began to write.
The theoretical part was followed by a practical one, so that the whole class was completely finished when Professor McGonagall finally finished the hour. Harry wanted to follow Ron and Hermione, but, of course…
''Potter, stay here.''
Harry sighed and headed to the podium, while the rest of the class headed out for lunch.
''Potter, because of the Elder wand-''
- ''I don't use it in class', Harry muttered tiredly. ''I've already told Dawlish that.''
"'Professor Dawlish, Potter'," McGonagall said sharply. ''Well, that would be clear, then. The second issue concerns your personal safety.''
Harry groaned.
''Yes, I know this isn't the first time we've had this conversation.''
- ''Professor, Voldemort was after me for seven years. I'm not worried about Selwyn and the others anymore-''
"I'm not talking about Selwyn, I'm talking about your classmates, Potter," McGonagall said sharply. ''Listen, many of them had relatives on the other side - take Mr. Nott, for example-''
- ''With all due respect, Professor, Nott is far too stupid- um, below average gifted, to…''
Professor McGonagall snorted like an old dragon.
''I just wanted to mention it, Potter. Stay vigilant. Keep Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger nearby.''
- ''Yes, Professor'', Harry sighed.
''And? What did she want?'" Hermione asked excitedly when Harry finally came to lunch.
''The same as Dawlish', he sighed as he drew the rice closer to himself. ''Talk about the Elder wand.''
Ron coughed and almost swallowed his whole chicken.
''Relashio'', said Hermione hastily and Ron gasped for air.
''Elder wand?! You didn't say-''
- ''Quiet, Ron'', Hermione hissed angrily and quickly looked around. ''So, Harry, what exactly did they want?''
"'That I don't use it in class', he whispered. ''For fairness and so on.''
- ''Good that you don't have it anymore', Hermione muttered.
Harry covered his face. Of course, he had not thought about how helpful the Elder wand might be in the NEWT exams when he had buried it, but now it was probably too late to decide differently.
''You told me it was all about Quidditch', Ron muttered.
''It was about Quidditch first,' Harry said.
''What about Quidditch?''
Ginny was there and sat down next to him. ''Flower cabbage? Eugh.''
''The people who want to try it,'' Harry said, giving her the list.
''Sloper?'' she laughed. ''Oh God. Well, we just need a new keeper anyway...''
Ron gave her an angry look.
''What do you think of Dawlish, Harry?', Hermione hurriedly asked, to choke off the impending controversy.
''Okay so far', Harry said thoughtfully. ''Boring, but, well...''
- ''He's a sleeping pill'', Ron buzzed. ''And stunning? Please...''
The rest of the school day went without further requests concerning the Elder wand, but nevertheless Harry sat thoughtfully alone in front of the window in the common room in the evening and wondered again if he had made the right decision. Yes, the elder wand was dangerous, but it also mattered how it was used – he thought of Dumbledore, who had used it to protect others. Dawlish and McGonagall's enquiries had reminded him that pretty much everyone knew he had the cursed thing, and he didn't want to imagine what would happen if someone was interested in the most dangerous of the Hallows, who had less friendly feelings towards him.
Outside, the centaur Firenze slowly walked over to the forest. As every time when he saw the forest, Harry involuntarily felt a shiver pouring down his back: there it had happened, there he had died-
''The herd has taken him back', said a soft voice behind him, and he started violently.
''Ginny', he groaned.
''Penny for your thoughts?', she asked, smiling, and sat down next to him.
Harry nodded silently.
''Where are Ron and Hermione?''
He shrugged his shoulders. ''Hermione wanted to go to the library and he went along.''
Ginny snorted. ''Library? Who believes that...''
"'The herd has taken Firenze back?'' Harry asked.
Ginny nodded. ''Yes, Hagrid told me yesterday.''
- ''You still have Care of Magical Creatures?', he asked somewhat surprised, because in his year no one had taken Hagrid's subject after the OWLs.
Ginny shrugged. ''Charlie said I should keep it going, and why not? I have no idea what I want to do after Hogwarts, so I should keep everything open. Dragon hunting sounds pretty cool.''
- ''What about Quidditch?''
"'That would be my dream'," she muttered. ''But getting in there won't be easy.''
Harry shook his head with a smile. ''You don't know how good you are.''
She kissed him on the cheek. ''Thank you, Captain. So what? Do you help me with this essay for Slughorn, Master of Magic Potions?''
Slughorn's essay turned out to be a rather insoluble task, so that in two hours they managed to reach only half the length required by Slughorn. Ginny looked up hopefully as Hermione and Ron climbed through the portrait hole.
''Hermione, can you help me with this?'' she asked.
''Forget that,'' Ron said, waving. ''There's something you've got to see.''
- ''In the library?', Ginny asked innocently.
''Library?'' asked Ron, confused. ''We weren't in the - um, no, what else.''
Hermione, Harry noted, had turned quite red.
''Gladly,' Ginny said, throwing her feather away.
Ron and Hermione didn't want to say what they wanted to show them, so Harry and Ginny decided to pester Ron all the way about their stay in the library, which was supposedly about research for Sprout which Hermione, as Harry knew very well, had already finished yesterday.
''What's the name of this book again?'' he asked with a grin.
''Wild plants of the Sahel', Ron said emphatically.
''By Abagastus Zuccini?', Ginny asked.
Ron nodded vigorously as Hermione went faster.
''Strange', Harry said. ''Didn't he just say the good man's name was Abagastus Broccoli?''
'We're here'," Hermione said hastily.
They were in the trophy room and Harry could see why at the first glance: between the certificates for special merits for the school - including his and Ron's and the list of Head Boys and Girls hung a framed wizard's photo, which he knew only too well. Colin Creevey had taken it during the last DA session before Christmas: it showed the entire original DA. Underneath was a sign with all the names on it. Harry felt a lump in his neck rising as he looked into the cheerful faces of Fred, Colin and the others who had died in May.
''Just too bad that they didn't cut Smith and this Marietta out,' said Ron, who must have noticed his facial expression.
Harry laughed weakly. ''Yes.''
"'You know, I think we're the first illegal student organization to make it to the cup room,'" Ginny said, wiping a tear from the corners of her eyes. She sighed loudly. ''Okay. Hermione, you still have to help me with this Potions essay...''
Over the course of the week, Harry wondered how easy it was for him to get back into school. The year on the run didn't seem to have had a major impact on it - apart from the fact that he had quite a bit of work to do in most subjects, just like Ron and Hermione, who learned like an obsessive.
''This nonsense makes me miss the reports for Proudfoot', Ron growled on Thursday night, as Harry and he once again devoted themselves to the smokescreen potion for Slughorn, which was still two pages of parchment too short for them. Despite her tiny writing, Hermione had once again written even more than was necessary, so that she now sat relaxed next to them and knitted on a house elf hat.
''I thought you'd given it up, Hermione,' said Ginny, who sat on the floor leaning on Harry's legs, which didn't exactly speed up his Potions homework.
''It's for Kreacher', she said. ''For Christmas.''
- ''Hermione, he turns mad if you give him clothes',' Ron snorted.
''Ron, I'm not his owner, so it's unlikely to hurt his feelings', Hermione said calmly, peering over at his essay. ''And don't you want to look at your last paragraph again?''
Ron sighed and skipped the whole paragraph. Curiously - and to Harry's horror - he wrote nothing off Hermione any more (for relationship reasons, Ginny suspected), which also meant that Harry had become too embarrassed to write off her when Ron did his homework on his own.
''This crap makes me mad', Ron groaned. ''And we haven't even started this bubble-bubble-magic garbage for McGonagall!''
Harry nodded silently and wished Snape's Potions book hadn't been burned in the room of requirement.
Harry survived Friday with some damage, apart from the fact that Neville mysteriously turned his bag into a pheasant in magic (''I'm really sorry, Harry'), which Professor Flitwick was fortunately able to repair. On Saturday morning he woke up in a good mood. His mood improved further when he caught Ron in the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror in his dress robes. Harry whistled through his teeth and Ron starred and turned as red as Ernie Macmillan.
''Hot, Ron', he said with a grin. ''What's the occasion?''
- ''Slughorn's Party'', Ron muttered somewhat ashamed.
Harry shrugged in surprise, because despite several reminders by the Potions master during their last lesson, he had completely forgotten that he had invited them this evening.
''You can save yourself the dress robes anyway,' he said graciously, although a small, nasty part of him - the part that had been profoundly influenced by Fred and George - screamed wildly at him not to educate Ron about the casual dress code. ''This is just going to be a dinner in his office, no reason to brush yourself out.''
''This dinner tonight doesn't suit me at all,' Hermione said at breakfast after putting away the Daily Prophet.
Ginny frowned. ''Weren't you the one who wanted us all to go?''
''Yes, but we haven't finished our essay for Professor McGonagall yet', Hermione said nervously. ''And since we're probably at Hagrid's all day-''
-'Stop it, Hermione', Harry said with a good cheer. ''Tomorrow is another day, and besides, you're missing only one page.''
It was a far too nice autumn day for him to worry about any homework, even though he didn't get an owl from Savage today again.
''Do you think Savage forgot about us?', he asked Ron as they walked across the lawn with Hermione to Hagrid's hut (Ginny had gone to the library with Luna to take care of her homework).
''I can't imagine,'' Ron said. ''But we're only here for one week, so there's probably nothing new yet.''
They found Hagrid behind his hut, where he took care of his pumpkins, watched by Grawp, who was sitting on a circus tent-sized blanket.
''I've been wondering when you're finally crossing here,'' Hagrid said with a grin. ''Come in.''
-'Does Grawp live with you now, Hagrid?', Hermione asked as they sat down inside at the table.
''course, Hagrid said, putting a plate of biscuits on the table, which they all strenuously ignored - Hagrid's baking skills they knew all too well. ''I want to build him a hut, you know',' he continued cheerfully. ''I think he's fed up with caves.''
- ''What does he want to cut down for the hut, the whole forest?', Ron hissed softly as Hagrid went to the oven to fetch the tea.
''Are you not getting any problems if he lives here, Hagrid?', Hermione asked cautiously.
''Problems?', Hagrid asked, surprised. ''What's the problem? Sure, he eats quite a lot - I've already thought about asking Professor McGonagall if the house elves can cook him something - but he doesn't hurt a fly!''
"We know that, Hagrid," Harry hastily said, before Hermione was able to respond to this apparent abuse of house elves. ''But what about the ministry? Are giants not, uh, forbidden?''
- ''Don't worry 'bout that'', Hagrid waved casually, almost decapitating Ron in the process. 'Sorry, Ron- no, I've settled it all with Kingsley - exception'', he added proudly, pointing to an official-looking document hanging over his bed. ''Everything is settled.''
They nodded in relief.
'Bout something else,' Hagrid said, dropping his tea hump. ''What do you think of Dawlish?''
- ''Boring'', Ron groaned.
''Actually quite okay, Hagrid', Hermione said.
''Wouldn'a thought that Professor McGonagall would ever hire him'', Hagrid hummed into his beard. ''After what he has done here.''
"'He's not getting close to you, Hagrid'," Ron said with a grin. ''He certainly didn't forget your left hook so quickly.''
"'I should think so," Hagrid said, while Harry and Hermione laughed.
As feared by Hermione, the visit to Hagrid took place most of the evening, so that they had to hurry up after their return to the castle, so as not to come too late to Slughorn.
''Is the food at least any good?', Ron asked as he walked down to the common room with Neville and Harry.
Harry shrugged. With the exception of the Christmas party, he had succeeded in avoiding Slughorn's evening parties, so he didn't know exactly what Slughorn would do. But he decided to mutter something in the direction of ''Yeah, quite good'' for the sake of peace and Ron nodded a little calmer. They went with Ginny, Hermione and Luna and, upon their arrival, found that, in addition to the usual candidates - including Zabini and Nott - there were several other DA members in the room, Ernie Macmillan and Terry Boot among them.
''Harry, m'boy'', Slughorn roared, barely that they were through the door, beaming at him so much that it was already disturbing. ''Come in, come in, sit down...''
Harry managed to get a seat at the other end of the table, as far away as possible from Slughorn. For a while, they managed to follow Luna's speech about the last sightings of the Crumple-Horned Snorkack, while Slughorn talked to Nott and Zabini about some people Harry had never heard of, but then-
''You know the minister personally, don't you, Harry?''
Harry swallowed his pumpkin juice and Ron hastily patted him in the neck to save him from an undignified death.
''Sorry, sir?', he asked Slughorn, blinking his tearful eyes over to the other end of the table, where Slughorn looked at him tensely, while Nott cut a grimace.
''Minister Shacklebolt?'' Slughorn quipped. ''You know each other, don't you?''
"'Oh, yeah,'" Harry said, nodding. ''For a long time.''
Slughorn waited anxiously, but if he was looking for any anecdotes about the minister of magic, Harry disappointed him.
''Did you get to know each other in the Order of the Phoenix?'' Slughorn asked.
Hermione, Harry noticed, gave him a sharp look, which he didn't even need.
''I'd rather not talk about that, Professor,'' Harry said with an apologetic smile. ''This is confidential, you understand...''
- ''We're among us here, Harry'', Slughorn winked, but Harry took a quick look over to Nott and Zabini and held his mouth shut.
''That was just the beginning, I guess', Ginny muttered into his ear as Slughorn turned to Zabini again to talk about his mother's last husband.
She was right: barely two minutes later, Slughorn emptied his glass with a satisfied sigh. ''Well, Harry...''
He leaned forward in his chair, so that his thick belly hit the edge of the table and caused Nott's glass to shake.
''What did you do in the last year? There were a lot of wild things about you in the press... that you have invaded the ministry - not to mention this burglary in Gringotts!''
Harry sat there as mute and expressionless as Ron and Hermione. Ron took another biscuit and ate it unusually slowly.
''And then their sudden return, Harry...''
Next to him, Ginny stuffed a candy into her mouth.
''And, of course, this duel, I have to say... the Elder wand, oho! I suppose you have it with you, Harry?''
"No, Sir," Harry said slowly. ''It's hidden safely.''
- ''Of course, of course, but wouldn't it be-''
Slughorn did not manage to finish his sentence, because suddenly a whole swarm of blood shot out of Ginny's nose. Harry, who had been expecting it, handed her his handkerchief, which she hastily pressed in front of her face.
''Sorry, Professor, my girlfriend isn't feeling well,' Harry said apologetically.
''Oh', Slughorn said disappointed. ''Of course, Miss Weasley, you should better get to the hospital wing.''
- ''Sorry, Professor'', Ginny muttered and walked out, followed by Harry. As he closed the door behind them, he caught a glimpse of Hermine's grinning face.
''How did you smuggle the nosebleed nougat in?', Harry asked with a grin as soon as they had the first corner between themselves and Slughorn's office.
''Pack of chocolate frogs', she muttered and stuffed the other half of the candy into her mouth, which immediately stopped the nosebleeding.
''What do I look like?''
- ''Tergeo!'', Harry said and the blood disappeared. ''It's going to be as charming as usual.''
- ''Oh, thank you very much.''
She sighed briefly. ''I thought he was going to try to pester you...''
"'Me too, I just didn't think he was trying it so obviously', Harry muttered.
He gave her a quick look. ''Thank you by the way', he said. ''For not perstering me.''
Ginny shrugged. ''If you could talk about it, you'd do it.''
Harry put his arm around her shoulders. ''It's like I said to Slughorn. The Elder wand is hidden. And that's a good thing.''
" ''I don't even know what the elder wand really is", she muttered.
Harry breathed in deeply. ''Very soon I'll tell you everything, Ginny,'' he said. ''But not today. Today was...''
- ''Exciting enough?''
He nodded weakly. Slughorn wasn't the only one who was curious, so much was clear. But what they had experienced last year wasn't anyone's business. Ginny, yes, he would tell her at some point, but all these other people really didn't need to know. Voldemort was dead and he was alive, that was all they needed to know. Horkruxes and Hallows, he thought. If they could even twist Dumbledore's mind, then the others should know nothing about them. Zabini's and Nott's curious grimaces came back to his mind. People like them weren't allowed to know about these things, he thought grimly.