Green Eyed Shadows

A New Year and New Teachers

Twenty year old James Potter glanced around the Leaky Cauldron. Dumbledore was late. James knew he shouldn't mind. After all, with Hogwarts and the Order, the man had a lot on his plate, but still, he had been waiting here for ten minutes!

"Hello James, I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."

James jumped and looked up into the warm blue eyes of his previous headmaster.

"You're late, Albus. I was getting worried."

Dumbledore sat down in the short wooden chair and peered over his half moon spectacles at James. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. I was just remembering your old school days and how you used to always arrive at least fifteen minutes late to each class. I was actually expecting to get here before you."

James laughed at his mentor's explanation. "Well you wanted a favor. I was anxious to see what it was. Does it have anything to do with," he glanced around and lowered his voice,"the Order?"

Secretly James hoped it did. Although he had Auror training he was usually stuck doing paperwork with the rest of the rookies. He felt utterly useless. So many innocent people were being tortured and killed and he was writing about missing cauldrons. As part of the Order he felt more useful than being part of the ministry. He and the other Marauders were working as informants. Keeping Dumbledore filled in on what was happening inside the ministry and such stuff. He had yet to go on a dangerous mission and was hoping that Dumbledore would present him with one.

"Actually, the Order is involved in this," Dumbledore said softly, a twinge of humor in his voice. "I am sending two members on a most important journey and need you…to teach at Hogwarts."

James was about to make his acceptance speech for the mission on which he would risk life and limb and do anything to complete it when the full impact of Dumbledore's words hit him. He stared at him for a few seconds as if waiting for him to shout "April fools!" but it didn't come.

"You want me to teach?" James asked incredulously. "I'm practically still a kid. No way they would listen to me. Plus, I was a Marauder. We did pranks, Professor. You should ask someone else like…Mooney! You should ask Remus. He'd be a great teacher."

"Mr. Lupin has already agreed to teach Defense against the Dark Arts. We need a Transfiguration teacher and I seem to remember you being at the top of your class. Yes, you will have to give up pranks, and you mustn't hex the students, but I'm sure this will be more interesting than the job you have now." Dumbledore looked into James's eyes. "It's completely up to you, Mr. Potter."

For the first time, James actually considered the man's offer. In truth, he was missing his old school, and what better way to go back than as a teacher. He could take as many points off of Slytherine as he wanted! It could be fun. Plus, he did have a few friends back there. And he couldn't leave Mooney on his own, what with his condition…

"I'll do it."

Dumbledore smiled warmly at him. "Term starts September 1, but teachers get there a day early to start planning lessons."

He left shortly after and James apparated to the Lupin Flat, and found Remus going through old school books obviously trying to put together a lesson plan. He was mumbling to himself about red caps when James interrupted him.

"Mooney, why didn't you tell me you were going to teach?"

Remus swung around in shock, his wand drawn, before realizing who was there.

"Merlin, Prongs. I could have killed you!" he gasped out.

"Well, I'm very grateful you didn't old friend," he said, smiling. "When did you learn to draw that fast?"

He shrugged modestly. "I've been practicing. I don't want to die cause I couldn't get my wand out of my pocket."

James nodded in agreement. "Anyway," he began again. "Why didn't you tell me you were teaching at Hogwarts?"

"Who told you?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Come now, Mooney. I'm a Marauder. We have our ways. I have a sixth-sense when one of us is keeping something from me." He said slyly.

Remus rolled his eyes. "I'm not that pathetic, Prongs. Really, who told you?"

"Dumbledore," James laughed. "And the funny thing is that I did that same bit on Wormtail and he was freaking out."

"You know better than to say that type of thing to him. He doesn't understand when you're joking or not," Remus scolded.

"Wow, Mooney, you've got this teacher bit down. Now just practice saying "Five points from Slytherine" and you'll be all set."

"What I don't understand," began Remus, "is why Albus would tell you that I was teaching?"

"Maybe cause I'm teaching too, big buddy," James said sitting down on the sofa. "Transfiguration. And in my opinion, this is too soon to start planning classes."

"Prongs, we'll be teaching seven different years and two classes per year. That's a lot of classes. And we have to be prepared." Remus watched his best friend lying on his couch without a care in the world. He felt a small stab of jealousy and immediately squashed it remembering who he was with.

"It'll be just like old times, Mooney," said James lazily. "But this time, we'll be aloud to walk around in the middle of the night. I wonder if there are any other new teachers."

"Not that I know of," Remus answered. "But I think old Gropes is still there."

James groaned into the cushion. "Noooo. Well, at least he can't take points away from us. And there'll be two of us to favor Gryffindor, so we'll definitely win the cup."

"We won't win the cup," Remus reminded him. "The students will."

"Yeah, whatever," James replied sleepily. "I wonder how our Quidditch team is this year."

Remus just rolled his eyes at his friend's one track mind.