CHAPTER FIFTEEN: SCHEDULED ASSISTANCE

On the first day of classes, Harry walked downstairs to the common room and found Hermione already waiting for him.

"Oh good," she said. "I was hoping you'd be down soon. I wanted to get to the Great Hall early so we can talk to McGonagall."

"Good morning to you, too," said Harry in mock affront and then grinned at his friend.

"Sorry," she said, coloring a bit. "I've just got all these ideas running around in my head and I wanted to run some of them by McGonagall, and you too, of course."

"Why am I not surprised," he said. "Come on; let's get downstairs before you burst with excitement. Ron can meet us later."

"Right," she said laughing and stopped as she looked more closely at him. "Harry, where's your badge?"

"It's right here," he said, moving his hand from the shoulder strap of his bag, and revealing the spot where he'd pinned it along the length of the strap."

"Harry, you're supposed to wear it on your robes," said Hermione.

"Says who? It's not like there's a manual or something," he said lightly.

"We'll see," she commented as they made their way to the Great Hall.

When they entered, the hall was relatively empty. There were a handful of first-years who, judging by their expressions, had been too nervous to sleep. McGonagall was already at the staff table, going over a stack of class schedules. She looked up as Harry and Hermione made their way to the Gryffindor table and inclined her head in silent greeting.

To their surprise, Ron joined them minutes later and plopped down beside Hermione, still looking a bit sleepy.

"We weren't expecting you to be down this soon," said Hermione.

"I couldn't let you two have all the fun without me," he said through a yawn as he reached for a coffee carafe and glanced up. "It looks like McGonagall is headed our way."

She had been stopped by a lone Hufflepuff and after satisfying his inquiry, she did indeed make her way over to them.

"Good morning, Headmistress," they said.

"Good morning. I'm glad to see you three up and about this early. I suspect we have some time before all the others start wandering in at the smell of breakfast, so if you have any questions, now's the time," she added as she took a seat next to Harry.

Harry knew Hermione wanted to talk about Head and Prefect duty, but there were other questions that needed to be answered.

"Professor," he said quietly, "can you tell us about Tonks and Jillian?"

McGonagall pulled her wand and cast "Muffliato," to ensure that no one walking nearby them would overhear anything.

"Professor Tonks," began McGonagall, with a slight twitch of her thin lips, "as you know, has a natural knack for Transfiguration. That, combined with her other skill sets made her a perfect fit for our current needs."

Harry, Ron and Hermione understood. Tonks could definitely teach Transfiguration, but more importantly, her appointment meant another Order member would be on premise.

"And may we ask why Jillian is going by Professor Grayson?" asked Hermione.

"Yes, well, we didn't want to draw any more attention to another Shacklebolt. It's not a very common sir name and their father is well known."

"We know, Jillian told us their story the night we met her," said Ron.

"Then you understand it would be better not to make that connection too obvious. Kingsley has been an Auror for years and the Death Eaters know he's part of the Order. However, very few people in Britain even know he has a sister, and certainly, even fewer know she is currently here."

"Because it would not only draw Voldemort's attention since he knew their father," interrupted Harry, "but it would also give them more information regarding what kind of added security is in the castle."

"Very good, Mr. Potter," said McGonagall. "Ministry Aurors were to be expected, and you will see a number of them in the corridors and on the grounds beginning today. Some of them are also Order members. While we've tried to diminish as many potential direct leaks, we obviously can't stop students from telling their friends and families about their new teachers and new security measures."

"Then they'll know Tonks is here, won't they?" asked Hermione.

"Eventually, yes," replied McGonagall. "But like Kingsley, they already know who she is and what she does. However, they are likely to underestimate Nymphadora; a lot of people have made that mistake. As for Jillian, it would be best if we could keep her presence secret. In an effort to do so, she is currently using her mother's maiden name."

"She's an Auror, also, isn't she?" asked Harry.

"Yes, she is a rather high ranking one as I understand it and a tremendously gifted witch as well," said McGonagall quickly.

"Can you tell us any more about the Death Eaters that were in Hogsmeade yesterday?" added Harry with a quick look at his watch. The others were starting to slowly trickle into the Great Hall.

"Not very much," answered McGonagall. "I haven't spoken to Alastor this morning. He'll be leaving sometime tomorrow, so you should expect to be called for a briefing before then. He can fill us all in on what transpired."

Harry nodded.

"As for your duties as Head Boy and Girl, and Prefect," she added with a nod to Ron, "I'm counting on you to help keep an eye on the school. You have been spotting trouble since your first year – or maybe it's been spotting you; in any case, keep your eyes open while you are prowling around with whatever else you are doing. Sound the alarm if you find anything suspicious. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Professor," they answered.

"Good. Now then, here are your class schedules," she said and handed one to each of them.

They had the same classes as last year, but Harry noticed the schedule looked different.

"Wow, we've got doubles of almost every class," he said.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron. "I see double Potions twice a week like always, but…"

"Your schedule is altered, Potter," said McGonagall from beside him. "It's been customized according to Dumbledore's instructions. You will share your usual classes with your peers, but you also have private lessons scheduled."

Hermione and Ron looked across the table and attempted to read Harry's schedule upside down. He turned it towards them and looked at McGonagall.

"No, he did not leave any indications as to why," she answered before Harry had even asked the question. "Since the first-year class is nearly half its usual size, the four houses will be taught together. That will allow staff to accommodate your schedule.

Other Gryffindors had taken seats at the far ends of the table, and McGonagall took that as a cue to end their little meeting. She undid the Muffliato spell and rose from the table.

"You three should eat and get ready for your first class," she said.

She turned to leave but stopped when she noticed Harry's bag. Her eyes had gone to his Head Boy badge, still pinned to the strap. Great, Hermione had been right, and McGonagall was going to make him pin it to his robes.

But instead she smiled, looked at him and said, "Like father, like son, Potter."

Harry's startled look told her he didn't know what she was talking about.

"I am sorry," she said. "When I saw your badge, I just assumed you knew. You see, James also kept his badge pinned anywhere except his robes; his favorites spots, if I remember correctly, were his book bag and his house scarf."

Harry smiled inwardly to himself.

"Cool," said Ron.

"Uncanny, certainly, Mr. Weasley. Good day to you all," she added as she left them and returned to the staff table.

Harry and Ron had begun to pile food on their plates, while Hermione kept looking over Harry's schedule.

"This is incredible," she finally said and returned his schedule to him. "Dumbledore has arranged for you to take double Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration. We've all got double Potions, but you have a separate lesson with Slughorn, as well."

"What's Independent Study?" asked Ron. "Is it library time or something?"

"I don't think so, Ron," said Hermione. We can go to the library during any free period. They wouldn't have labeled it."

"Well, I certainly have no idea what it could be, then," said Harry. "Anyway, it's Tuesday, so I guess I'll find out later today."

"Harry, what about your Potions book?" asked Ron. We're using the same one from last year. Isn't it still you-know-where?"

"Yeah, it is," answered Harry darkly. "I'd just as soon leave it there and order a new one, but Moody said something that made a lot of sense. He said it was important to know as much about your enemy as possible. The Ministry and Order are looking for Snape; but you know he is most likely in hiding somewhere with Voldemort, so I might as well find out as much as possible about him because our paths will cross again, sooner or later."

"Harry," said Hermione, "you promised Lupin you wouldn't go looking for Snape."

"I know, and I'm not going to go looking for him. I just know he is going to show his face again, and when he does, I plan to be ready," answered Harry flatly.

With that, Harry popped the last of his toast in his mouth and looked closely at his schedule again.

He had double Potions this morning, followed by a mid morning free period and then double Defense, with lunch at one o'clock and Independent Study at two o'clock. The same schedule was set for Thursdays.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, he had double Transfiguration, double Charms and finished with Herbology.

Fridays were an odd mix of Transfiguration, Defense, Herbology, an extra Potions session and a third Independent Study.

"Harry, put yours away. Everyone else is headed in for breakfast," said Hermione.

Harry folded his schedule and slipped it in his bag just as Neville, Seamus and Dean took seats alongside them. Lavender was seated nearer Ginny, who had sat with Colin Creevey and a few other sixth-years.

"We've got Divinations with Firenze, first," said Dean Thomas. "What about you guys?"

"Potions," said Ron. "Hey, Seamus, I never got to ask you last night, how'd you convince your mother to let you come back?"

"We argued about it all summer long," said Seamus. "She finally gave in though, with a little pressure from my grandmother. I have to send her a letter twice a week or she swears she'll come pull me out of here by me ears."

"Harry," called Luna from just over his shoulder. She had walked up behind him so quietly that she nearly startled him.

"Hi Luna, what's up."

"Did Neville ask you?" she inquired.

"Did Neville ask me what?" Harry said, looking between Luna and Neville.

"We wanted to ask you what you thought about starting up D.A. lessons again," said Neville quietly. "We didn't do it last year and well, with everything that happened, it seemed like a good idea to ask again. A lot of people are still interested."

Harry looked around and saw a number of students staring in their direction. Luna was apparently the designated messenger for the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students. Ron was nodding discreetly and Harry could see the wheels turning behind Hermione's eyes. They'd thought the school impenetrable last year and it hadn't been. Even with the current added security, it wouldn't hurt to make sure students were as prepared as possible, especially the older ones.

"I'll tell you what," he began. "Let's get through a couple of weeks of classes first and then we can try to carve out an hour or two each week. How's that sound?"

"Great," said Dean and Seamus for the group.

The morning bell rang and Luna ran off to grab her bag and to spread the word to the others who'd inquired. They had ten minutes to get to class and everyone else began scrambling up and out of the hall.

"I won't have time to retrieve that Potions book until later today," said Harry as they made their way down the marble staircase to the Potions room. "Can I share one of yours?"

"Sure," said Ron.

When they entered, they found the same three tables set up as last year. Ernie Macmillan from Hufflepuff was already seated at the table he'd previously shared with the trio. He greeted them excitedly when they approached.

"Hello, Gryffindors," he said. "I'm glad to see you three returning. And congratulation to you on being chosen Head Boy and Head Girl," he said to Harry and Hermione. "I can't deny I was kind of hoping for the honor myself, but I'm big enough to admit the better man won out. Wouldn't you agree, Ron?"

"Oh, definitely," said Ron with a look that conveyed he'd have run screaming from the castle had Macmillan somehow been selected as Head Boy.

The four Ravenclaws were huddled at their nearby table and nodded hello. At the farthest table sat the remaining three Slytherins, including Zabini. Blaise didn't scowl at the trio today; instead, he chose to act as if he hadn't noticed them enter the room.

As the final bell rang, Professor Slughorn walked slowly into the room. They hadn't paid much attention to him yesterday, but Harry couldn't help but stare at him now. Slughorn looked to have lost quite a bit of weight. He was still a portly man, but now resembled his younger self, at least in that regard. Whatever he'd lost in weight, he seemed to have gained in years. He looked tired and drawn and he was nervously wringing his hands.

Hermione, Ron and several other students were eying him curiously.

"Good morning class," he began. "Welcome to seventh-year Advanced Potions. I trust you all had enjoyable holidays."

Slughorn's voice was as cheerful as always, but he seemed to be reciting from memory and he looked to be a miles away in thought.

"You can leave your books and equipment packed away for today. I thought it'd be a good idea to review and see what you remembered from last year."

For the next hour and a half, Slughorn drilled them on every potion they'd ever concocted or read about last year. Harry was amazed to realize he'd remembered a great deal. Their final review was to compose from memory, a list of ingredients required to brew the Draught of Living Death. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ernie were the first group to finish and their list was the most accurate. They earned fifteen points for Gryffindor and five for Hufflepuff. Zabini finally swore under his breath.

The bell rang and Slughorn disappeared from the room before the students had even gathered their book bags.

"Do you get the feeling he's trying to avoid us?" asked Ron.

"He's definitely uneasy about something," said Hermione. "I'm off to Arithmancy. I'll see you in an hour."

"I guess now is as good a time as any to retrieve Snape's old Potions book. Coming?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, let's go," answered Ron.

By the time they made their way up to the seventh floor, it was empty of any other movement. Still, they walked quietly along the corridor until they came upon the tapestry of the dancing trolls. Ron waited while Harry paced this stretch of corridor three times. A door appeared in the stone wall and they entered.

It had materialized as the same large and overflowing storage room it had been on the day Harry hid the Potions books.

"What a mess," said Ron.

Harry kept walking with Ron following and eying the odd assortment of items. Harry immediately noticed that the Vanishing Cabinet was gone. He wasn't surprised. Destroying it was probably the first thing the Order did when he told them of its existence on the night of the attack. Every other discarded or forgotten object that he recalled seeing that night was still there.

Harry walked over to the tattered cupboard and looked at its top. The bust he'd used to mark his hiding spot was still perched atop the cupboard. He reached inside the cabinet, behind the caged skeleton and pulled out the copy of Advanced Potion-Making.

He opened it and flipped through the pages, his anger rising as he looked at the small, tight writing of a young Severus Snape. He snapped it shut and placed it in his book bag.

"Ron, where are you?" called Harry when he didn't see him.

"I'm over here," he answered. "There's some amazing stuff hidden in here."

Harry moved in the direction of Ron's voice and found him fascinated by a set of brightly colored Gobstones.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," said Harry. "If it's in here, then it was hidden for a reason and there's no telling what liquid is filling them."

"Good point," replied Ron. "Are you ready to go? It's still a bit early, but we can start the queue for Defense class."

"I'm all set," said Harry, glancing at his watch.

When Harry and Ron reached the first floor corridor outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom they found several students already waiting.

"Looks like Jillian already has a fan club," whispered Ron, as they got closer.

Seamus, Dean, Neville and to their surprise, Justin Finch-Fletchley, were already there.

"Hello, Harry. Hello, Ron," said Smith. "It looks like we've had a schedule change."

Gryffindors normally shared larger classes with the Slytherins. But if Justin was standing here, then this year's Defense class was being shared with the Hufflepuffs, instead.

"Hi, Justin. Yeah, so it seems," said Harry.

"Maybe this year won't be so bad after all," said Dean.

They all laughed.

The bell rang and a minute later, they saw Susan Bones and Ernie Macmillan round the corner and head towards them. Lavender showed up with another Hufflepuff, Megan Jones.

Lavender looked a bit lost without her best friend, Parvati. That meant she and Hermione were sharing a dormitory. Given the tension last year with the Ron, Lavender and Hermione triangle, Harry wondered how things were going between the two girls.

He'd been in a similar circumstance when Dean and Ginny broke up last year, and then Harry started dating her. But guys were different. It'd been a bit awkward when it first happened, but they seemed to have moved past it. It wouldn't be long before the others realized Ginny and Harry had split up; but Harry didn't think Dean would dance with glee, at least not openly. Girls, he suspected, were a different story.

"Hi, Harry. Hi, Ron," said Lavender with some effort.

Ron colored ever so slightly and waved in response before turning to start a conversation with Neville.

"Hi, Lavender," said Harry. "I was sorry to hear that Parvati wasn't coming back."

"Thanks. She's miserable. Her parents are considering moving and letting her and Padma finish school elsewhere."

Hermione walked into the corridor with Wayne Hopkins, another Hufflepuff who was apparently in her Arithmancy class, and joined the others.

"Hi," she said as she passed them and went to stand next to Lavender.

"How's your day going?" asked Hermione.

"Slowly," answered Lavender, looking crestfallen.

"It'll get better," said Hermione. "Would you like to sit together in class?"

"That'd be nice. Thanks," answered Lavender.

Ron turned and looked at Harry, bewilderment clearly written across his face. Harry was certain the same expression was on his own, as he would have never predicted this turn of events.

He caught Hermione's eye, and she just gave him a little smile and continued talking with Lavender as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

The door to the classroom opened inward, held by Professor Grayson.

"Hello, class. Please come in and take your seats," she said and stepped back to allow them to enter one by one.

The classroom had been rearranged. The double desks had been set up with spaces between them to form a large semicircle, with Professor Grayson's desk set center and furthest back. The arrangement was both intimate and functional. You could see each other clearly, and the arrangement left a large amount of floor space in the center of the room for practical demonstrations and lessons.

When everyone was seated, she walked between the space where Harry and Ron sat next to Neville and Justin and stood facing them all. She'd pulled her hair up and back from her face in a clip, revealing beautiful sapphire earrings. She wore light weight robes in shades of blue with silver stitching and high heeled shoes.

Harry looked around at the others, and coughed in his hand to conceal his smile. He and Ron were thankful to have already met her, or they'd probably be looking as goofy as the rest of the boys in the class. Seamus was staring slack jawed and Justin kept blinking and shaking his head intermittently, as if trying to clear a mirage. The girls were looking at Jillian admirably, like they thought she'd be the coolest big sister in the world. Hermione sat quietly, and like Harry and Ron, was trying not to grin.

Jillian pretended not to notice any of this and went right ahead with introductions.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. If any of you missed the opening feast, I am Professor Jillian Grayson and I am delighted to be here with you. As I am new to the school, the headmistress was kind enough to provide photos of each of you, so we can test out my memory today. Now then, I understand you have had six different instructors in six years, amidst some rather unusual circumstances. I was also given access to your O.W.L. and yearly exam results, and I must say, I was pleased to see how well you've done, despite the circumstances. So, who can tell me where you left off last year?" she asked.

Almost every hand shot up and Jillian called on Susan Bones.

"We spent most of last year learning nonverbal spells, Professor," said Susan.

"And how did that go?" asked Jillian.

There was a mixture of moans, groans and shrugs from most of the class.

"That well?" she asked in cheek. "I guess I'll have to find out for myself, then."

She pulled her wand and a large trunk appeared at her feet. She opened it and pulled a vase from it.

"You can all help me decorate the classroom," she said. "Mr. Finnigan, would you please join me?"

Seamus colored and his eyes went wide as he left his seat and went to stand beside Jillian.

"I think this vase might look lovely in the center window sill," she said. "Would you mind moving it for me, nonverbally, of course."

"Yes, Professor Grayson," replied Seamus.

Seamus screwed up his face and appeared to be concentrating, but he was unable to move the vase. A few others failed in this task, as well. Justin was so pleased that he was finally able to move it that he stopped concentrating and sent the vase crashing to the floor.

"Sorry, Professor," he said as he mumbled "Reparo," and placed the repaired vase back in her outstretched hand.

"That's quite all right. Ms. Granger, if you please," said Jillian.

Hermione joined Jillian in the center of the room, pulled and flicked her wand, and the vase soared to the designated window sill.

"Very good indeed," said Jillian as Hermione retreated back to her seat.

She retrieved a set of book ends from the trunk and called Ron forward, saying, "Mr. Weasley, would you mind placing these atop the shelf behind my desk?"

Ron took his place in the center of the room. Nothing happened on his first attempt, but on his second, the book ends moved easily to the book shelf and stood erect.

"Well done," said Jillian.

A few others managed to move some books to the shelf, as well. Then it was Harry's turn.

"Mr. Potter," began Jillian, "that vase looks a bit lonely. I think it could use a nice arrangement of roses. I saw some lovely ones growing outside the main entrance. And they'll need water, as well."

Harry hoped she was joking, but apparently not. She continued to look at him and added kindly, "You may do so from your seat, if you prefer."

Great. He wouldn't have to stand and fail miserably in front of the class. He could do so from the comfort of his own seat. How thoughtful. The charms weren't the problem. He could do those easily. He'd just never been great at nonverbal spells, especially in Snape's class. But Snape wasn't here anymore, so at least he wouldn't have to endure his scowl. Harry nodded, pulled his wand and focused on his desktop.

With the first silent wave of his wand, an empty pitcher appeared in front of him; with the second, his wand emitted a stream of water that half filled the pitcher.

Harry took a deep breath and continued, concentrating hard. He used silent combinations of banishing, hovering, animating and conjuring charms to send the pitcher to the window sill, empty its contents into the vase, and return the pitcher to his desk. He'd thought it was a funny bit of magic when Hermione had used something similar to douse Ron earlier in the summer; but this was hard work.

He looked up and Jillian nodded encouragingly. He closed his eyes, flicked his wand and thought "Accio" one last time as he concentrated on the rose bushes that lined the front walk. Moments later, a brilliantly mixed bouquet landed in front of him. With his eyes still closed, he sent the bouquet across the room and placed them gently in the vase.

Harry opened his eyes and saw the entire room staring at him. Hermione and Ron were grinning.

"Wow, Harry," said Neville. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I," said Harry earnestly.

"Excellent, Mr. Potter," said Jillian approvingly before she turned her attention back to the full class.

"I want you all to continue practicing nonverbal spells. I won't lie to you and say it's not a difficult skill to learn, but it can be mastered."

Several doubtful faces were turned towards her.

"Let's try a different approach. You know how you sometimes daydream about getting the nerve to ask out that somebody you secretly fancy and they say yes?" she asked.

Almost everyone was nodding.

"You can actually hear the conversation taking place inside your head, but you haven't said a word aloud, right?" she asked.

More nods answered her.

"That's the same principle behind nonverbal spells. You have to hear it in your own mind, and concentrate on what it is you are trying to do."

The bell rang and everyone began gathering his or her things.

"We'll pick it up again on Thursday. Have a good afternoon, everyone."

"Bye, Professor Grayson," chimed several voices.

"Mr. Potter, may I have a word with you, please?" she asked as the others moved from the room.

Hermione and Ron waved goodbye. They knew Harry had a second lesson scheduled.

When the last student had gone and she and Harry were alone, Jillian used her wand to close and lock the door.

"Hi, Harry," she said and turned a dimpled smile on him.

"Hi, Professor," he said hesitantly.

"Please, none of that. You may call me Jillian when we are alone, unless it makes you uncomfortable," she added.

"No, not at all. Thanks, Jillian," he said.

She moved to sit behind her own desk and conjured a single chair beside it, as well as a couple of chilled bottles of butterbeer. She used her hand to indicate that Harry should join her and handed him a bottle as he sat down with her.

"I imagine you are probably a bit thirsty after that little exercise," she said with her eyes twinkling.

"Umh, yes," said Harry tentatively.

"I'm sorry to have picked on you, but I needed to get a firm gauge on what you could do," she said.

"Why?" asked Harry.

"Because I promised Dumbledore that I would help you," she said simply.

Harry had been in mid swallow and nearly choked on his beverage. He wiped his mouth with his hand and looked at Jillian.

"Sorry, what?" he asked with alarm.

She met his gaze and held it, finally saying, " I suppose I should start at the beginning."

"Please," said Harry, still on edge.

"As you know, our father was a student here, and Dumbledore had been one of his favorite professors. He was one of the few wizards Dad stayed in contact with here when he moved away. When Kingsley came back here for school and we visited him, those trips always included a visit with Dumbledore, as well. Even after my visits lessened in frequency, he and Dad stayed in touch and he obviously had a direct link to us through Kingsley. So, he knew I'd gone into the family business, so to speak," she explained.

"All right," said Harry, a little more relaxed but still unsure where this conversation was leading.

"Dumbledore contacted me two years ago and asked me to consider taking this same teaching post. I declined politely, and he asked again last year, and got the same response."

"Had you heard about the jinx?" asked Harry.

"What jinx?" asked Jillian. "Oh, the one Voldemort supposedly cast that's been responsible for the yearly turn over rate for this position. That legend has been floating around for a long time; but no, I hadn't given it any thought. I had personal reasons for refusing, and let's leave it at that."

"Sure," said Harry. "But you are here now, so what changed your mind?"

"When I declined last year, Dumbledore showed up at my parents' home for a face-to-face meeting. He talked a lot about Voldemort and the second war. He trusted my father and brother, and extended that trust to me. Some of the additional Order and Ministry support has come from us."

"Yeah, Moody said your dad had sent in reinforcements," added Harry.

"Anyway, I kept waiting for Dumbledore to back me into a corner and try and change my mind about the teaching position. But he never did. He talked quite a bit about you, though. He spoke in very general terms, but he was obviously very fond of you."

"Then what happened?" asked Harry.

"Nothing, at least for almost a year—and then, you know better than anyone what happened. After the services, Kingsley came home for a short visit and handed me a letter from Dumbledore. It was to be delivered only in the event something happened to him. In it, he asked again that I accept this teaching post at Hogwarts. It also directed me to give you private lessons in Advanced Defenses. That, in short, is why I am here," she said.

There was something weird going on, but the puzzle pieces were too varied for Harry to get a handle on them. Just as he had on that morning he talked at the Burrow with Lupin, Harry was trying to figure out how Dumbledore could have know any of this would ever be necessary.

"You could have refused, again, you know," said Harry.

"No, I couldn't. There's no way I was going to turn down the wishes of someone who'd died as he had. Besides, Kingsley already knew what Dumbledore wanted me to do, and he wasn't going to take 'no' as answer from me again. He doesn't show a lot of emotion, but Kingsley was crushed when Dumbledore died. There was no way I could disappoint him."

"I don't know what to say," said Harry.

"There isn't anything to say, really. I know why I'm here and I know what I have to accomplish. We've got a lot of work to do, but if today's demonstration was any indication, then we're going to get on just fine, Harry."

"Thanks," he said.

"Don't thank me just yet. I can be a bit of a taskmaster. You might be trying to banish me before too long," she said and laughed.

Harry laughed with her and then the bell rang again.

"Get going," she said and stood up. "You've got a little over an hour before lunch ends. And Harry, I'm also with the Order now, so yell if you need anything."

"Right, thanks," he said and headed for the door, which unlocked and swung open as he crossed the length of the room.

Jillian watched him leave and then leaned heavily against the edge of the desk with her arms shaking beneath her robes.

Harry made it to the Great Hall and plopped down beside Ron.

"You just missed Hermione. She headed off to Ancient Runes," said Ron through a mouth full of cobbler. "How'd it go?"

"You won't believe me when I tell you," he said quietly, "but let's talk tonight so I can tell you and Hermione together."

After lunch, Ron said he was going to the library to do some independent studying of his own. He'd talked with Hermione and decided to table adding to the R.A.B. list for now; and instead, was going to start researching background on the names he'd already compiled. It sounded about as a good an idea as any they'd had, so he and Harry parted ways outside the Great Hall.

Hedwig had flown in while he was eating lunch and delivered a short note from McGonagall informing him that his two o'clock class would be held in a normally empty classroom on the first floor.

Harry walked into the small room and found it empty of all furniture. Instead, it was covered with mats and had swords and funny looking sticks mounted along the walls.

"Good afternoon, Harry," said a strange voice.

Harry turned and found himself looking at DeSousa.

"Sorry, I didn't intend to sneak up on you," he said as he closed and locked the classroom door. " I guess I should introduce myself properly. My full name is Andre Michael DeSousa. You may use any of them. It's a pleasure to finally meet you properly," he said, walking forward and holding out his hand.

"Hi, Andre," Harry said, trying out the name. It seemed to fit him. He was a tall man, with broad shoulders, chestnut brown hair and hooded blue eyes. "It's good to meet you, as well," he added as he shook hands. "Have you been here all day?"

"Yes, I'm stationed here for security, as well. I've been patrolling outdoors most of the day."

"Oh, are you my Independent Study instructor?" asked Harry.

"So, that's what they labeled it. Cute," he said.

"Labeled what?" asked Harry and he was getting more uncomfortable as he took in the rest of the room and DeSousa's clothing.

"Let's just call it Strength Training," he said and tossed Harry a set of clothes that looked very much like those worn during the Triwizard competitions. "You can change behind that screen over there," he added.

"Excuse me," said Harry.

"Go on. I've only got you until half past three and I need to know what I'm working with."

This was truly turning into the strangest day. Harry did as instructed and returned to find DeSousa standing in the middle of the room, balancing on one leg.

"Okay, let's get the formalities out of the way," began DeSousa, still balancing stock still on the same leg. "I joined the Order a little over two years ago. I attended Hogwarts and was in Ravenclaw, five years behind Sirius, Lupin and your father. My mother is a witch by birth and my father is a Muggle born wizard."

He paused to let Harry catch up with his rapid fire speech.

"My father's brother, Uncle Michael, is a decorated member of what is currently known as the United Kingdom Special Forces. He's in charge of hand-to-hand combat training and my female cousins can take care of themselves. Uncle Michael has no sons, so he doted on his only nephew and namesake, me. A wizard without a wand is just an unarmed man, and I'm here to make sure you can handle yourself in any circumstance, Potter, per Dumbledore's request, of course."

DeSousa finally stopped for air and Harry had a second to process what he'd heard.

"So, you're here to teach me how to fight?" asked Harry, feeling silly for asking the question.

"Well, I hope I'm here to help teach you how to survive," he answered and finally lowered his leg back down to the floor. "I've heard about your prowess on the Quidditch field and on a broomstick, so I guess it's safe to assume you're pretty quick."

"I do all right," he said.

"Yes, I heard you were modest, too. Well, let's see what you've got," he said, handing Harry a pair of sparring gloves and demonstrating how to put them on.

Harry hadn't quite finished putting on his second glove when something made him look up and he was just in time to register DeSousa's gloved hand coming at his midsection. He stepped back reflexively and pivoted on the spot.

"Not bad, Harry," said DeSousa. "Not bad at all, especially for a pop quiz."

Harry was eying DeSousa suspiciously and wondering how many fists to the head he might have taken at the hands of Uncle Michael. His fears were laid to rest as time passed. DeSousa was an excellent instructor. He obviously moved and talked at rapid speed; but when training, he was patient and extremely thorough.

They worked through various pugilism stances and proper form for an array of punches and jabs. Harry practiced each one slowly until he could execute it to Andre's satisfaction. His last exercise was a serious of punch and jab combinations that left his arms burning.

DeSousa finally called an end to their lesson, and unlocked and opened the door while Harry went to retrieve his belongings.

"Final classes have already started, so the hallways should be fairly clear, Harry," he said. "Head to the showers before you get too stiff. If anyone sees you and asks where you've been, just tell then you went for a run," he added. "I'll see you back here on Thursday."

"Okay, Andre. Thank you," said Harry as he slipped into the corridor and made his way upstairs to the Prefects' bathroom, hoping Moaning Myrtle wasn't in residence today.

He was in luck and after a long, hot soak felt loads better. Harry made his way to the seventh floor corridor, gave the new password, "Time-Turner," to the portrait of the Fat Lady and was admitted to the common room.

Ron and Hermione were waiting for him.

"Hi," he said. "Has everyone else already gone down for dinner?" asked Harry.

"Yes," answered Hermione. "I asked Ginny to save us seats. What happened with you today?"

Harry sat on the sofa, pulled his wand and sent his belongings upstairs, and then told them all about his private session with Jillian and Independent Study with DeSousa.

They were as shocked as he'd been.

"This gets more unbelievable by the day," said Ron.

"Yeah, and this is only the first day of classes. Who knows what will happen tomorrow," said Harry, pulling his tired form from the couch and following Ron and Hermione back through the portrait hole for dinner.