A/N: Well, here's the next chapter. I'm finally showing the cracks in Aromi's armor, and a huge one will be shown soon, don't you worry. Enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen
It's a complete secret, so naturally, everybody knows.
It seemed that finally relieving Umbridge of her Hogwarts duties was the key to truly bringing the school back to life. However, Headmaster Dumbledore had yet to return, and it was unsure as to why... perhaps to ensure that people remained safe and the Ministry didn't complain. In the mean time however, with Professor McGonnagal still unable to return at the current point in time, the man placed in charge – done with no attempt to hide his immense surprise – wasn't afraid to admit something. Which is saying something in and of itself, considering so many people under the same pressure refused to do the same.
"...I don't know what to do," He told his team quietly, head in his hands, as he was back in his original room. He just... felt so clueless and overwhelmed.
The elder trainer completely missed it, but his entire team shared a glance among each other. How often was it that the eighteen-year-old – usually so incredibly sure of himself that he had the guts to treat Arceus himself as an equal and as family rather than just be in awe – was clueless? Now, he wasn't crying about it, but he was just... unsure. And to be completely honest, he had no idea why in the nine hells Dumbledore had pushed these responsibilities onto him. Nozawa was at a loss of what to do. And the entire team knew it. Espeon gently connected them all for some private telepathic talking, and soon, one of them spoke.
"Aromi," Rikku said, catching the man's attention, the startingly clear distraught expression quite unsettling. "Don't forget, we're here to help."
"And you've got an entire Order as well," Sara reminded her trainer gently. "Can't they help you?"
Nozawa thought to himself for several moments. McGonnagal was out of the question; probably because of his constant berating of her and how she had probably given up on removing him, Umbridge had gone after Hagrid instead... and after the half-giant had failed to be felled by even six Aurors there with permission from the 'High Inquisitor', the Transfiguration teacher had been last seen by Astronomy students stalking out of the castle, raising one hell of storm. In response, she had been knocked cold by four Stunners to the chest, and after a couple of nights in the Hospital Wing, moved to St. Mungo's. The elder trainer thought that Umbridge probably would have waited had he not been there, but... either way, there were so many spots to fill, and he didn't know how.
"But... there are so many spots to fill..." Aromi said. The gears in his head just weren't clicking. "And the only here who's interested in Umbridge's spot is Snape, but he's the Potions... master..."
Out of absolutely nowhere, Aromi stopped talking, his eyes moving only slightly, as if in a trance. The team shared a smirk – this was the young man they knew so well. One could practically hear the gears in his mind started to whir once more, whining happily as they did so. Suddenly, the young man stood, and the team waited for his words, then listened to his plan and ideas.
It's a new day, but it all feels old,
It's a good life, that's what I'm told
But everything, it all just feels the same.
"Harry, why is Lucario waiting outside the Common Room asking for you?" Ginny asked as she came in, having returned from the showers to help herself relax from that stressful time up in Dumbledore's office from earlier.
Harry frowned slightly at this, sharing a confused look with Riolu, as Pidgey and Absol looked at each other. He shrugged to Ginny after a couple of moments of thought, before heading to the portrait hole to, indeed, see the Professor's Lucario waiting there. The Pokémon sighed.
"I thought I asked for both Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger," Lucario said, smirking as Ginny blushed at her mistake.
She had been so confused at the request to retrieve Harry that she forgot the second part, but all was forgiven as the bushy-haired girl came out as well, Cyndaquil coming and Absol catching up after a short discussion of which member of Harry's team would go. Soon enough, however, silence reigned as they travelled the distance to the professor's classroom. Confusion reigned supreme on their emotions at what was happening.
"Umm... Professor, why did you need to see us?" Hermione asked, confusion more than evident. Not that she tried to hide it.
"So glad you asked!" Nozawa said, smiling, as he leaned against one of the classroom's desks, inviting them to sit down, which they gladly did. "Alright, so I'm sure you recall the incident in the Headmaster's office."
Of course they did, and just as they had suspected, at this point, so did everybody else. What had happened in there was supposed to be a complete secret. As a result, the entire school knew. Of course, it was just the natural way of things.
"And that creates a big hole in the number of faculty present," Nozawa said with a heavy sigh. The students just gave a nod at this. "However, with the help of my team, we've figured out how to fix this."
The two looked at him questioningly.
"You two are going to be doing the teaching."
One can imagine the stunned looks from the students and the Pokémon. Sara, also in the room, wished she had a camera to take a picture of it... not that she would have been able to actually hold it, but still.
"B-B-But... s-students can't be teachers!" Hermione protested after a while.
"Alright, fine, teachers by proxy," Nozawa said, grinning as he rolled his eyes. "You're quite the brilliant witch, Hermione, and I know how well you do with Transfiguration."
Hermione blushed at the praise, while Cyndaquil looked proud of his trainer, because he completely agreed.
"And as everyone in the entire school knows," Aromi said, turning to Harry. "Harry is one of the best, if not the best, person to go to when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Harry rubbed his head sheepishly at the compliments, as Absol smiled.
"Therefore, you two will be helping me and my team do the teaching," Aromi said. "And yes, you may rope some of your friends into helping you come up with plans of what to do... actually, that's not all that accurate. Professor McGonnagal's Pokémon is still here, because she told her to help out with teaching when necessary."
"Her Pokémon?" Harry and Hermione asked at exactly the same time.
"She's a Delcatty," Nozawa answered. "And even though the students haven't seen her, Delcatty is still quite knowledgable of the subject. However, she does not have the same amount of skill as her trainer, nor is she capable of wielding a wand. You, Ms. Granger, are in charge of helping her master what to teach which class. Lucario will be in those classes the most often to make sure things are going well. You can do this on your own, but I'd recommend getting help."
Hermione nodded. This was a big burden to put on her.
"Mr. Potter," Nozawa said, catching the attention of the boy-who-lived. "You will be helping me teach the other remaining class."
"But what about this one?" Harry blurted out, then shut his mouth at the interruption. When everyone else in the room laughed, he scowled slightly.
"My team will be taking over the duty of teaching this class," Aromi said with a smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll probably be drawing off of what you've taught at the DA, but I came late. If you could write up something that could help me figure out what to teach which class, that would be most appreciative."
There was a silence, before Ms. Granger looked at him, feeling clueless.
"But Professor... where do I start?" Hermione asked, clueless. She frowned at a piece of parchment that the professor showed her. "What's this?"
"When Professor McGonnagal had to be hospitilized, but left Delcatty behind, the Pokémon showed this to the Headmaster almost immediantly," Nozawa explained. "This is the curriculum that was planned to be followed. The problem with the class is, remember, Delcatty can't use a wand, and despite being with McGonnagal all year, she only has a limited knowledge of the subject. Your job, be it with friends or not, is to help Delcatty understand what it is she's teaching and how to teach it to the students."
Hermione nodded, realization dawning upon her. She had been worried she would have to teach the classes herself; the burden suddenly seemed a lot lighter. All she had to really do was, with help if needed, show McGonnagal's Pokémon the wand movements if necessary, perhaps help making some sort of moving display on a chalkboard for the classes. Basically, what Harry would help Nozawa do with the remaining class.
"What about when you run out of stuff for Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Harry asked, the possibility coming to him at that moment. The list of stuff he'd taught the DA was short, and wouldn't last long enough to reach the end of the year.
"Good question, and that's where you come in again," Nozawa said. "You can help me come up with ideas when I've run out of them, and considering the fact that it should be a few weeks from now and then, you don't have to worry about it – especially since I'll try my best to come up with things to teach. I'll probably also be turning to Lupin for ideas on what to teach and how to, so don't worry too much, alright?"
The plan was becoming clearer by the minute to the two students and their Pokémon. The young professor told them that Delcatty had a Quick Quotes Quill – which, thanks to the still-active translation spell, it understood all of the Pokémon – and that he would give them a few to use and to share. That way they could work on their homework – which he made sure they understood came first – and possibly come up with ideas, and if they didn't have any, the quills they shared with their friends meant that they could do some planning as well. This way, the burden of coming up with teaching plans were spread out quite well and wouldn't be so difficult to bear. The students soon returned to their common room, and explained the situation to their friends.
And my high school, it felt more to me
Like a jail cell, a penitentiary
The time I spent there, it only made me see...
Classes seemed to be going along smoothly for many days. Even Potions class seemed better... well, considering the teacher and the classmates, this impression lasted all of five seconds. As it turned out, Professor Nozawa had been correct; Hermione had been the person to go to for Transfiguration help, and Harry for DADA assistance. The members of the latter were very grateful for the change in teachers. Unfortunately, with Trelawney out of the question considering that the Ministry had approved the removal of her from the job, that had left another hole in the faculty... which, most gratefully, Dumbledore had already solved. Firenze, one of the many centaurs of the forest, had agreed to take the job, thankfully. In the mean time, in between Nozawa's class – now taught by, in turns, his team – and the students' subsequent training, the DADA class was quickly becoming popular as well. Everyone, having mastered the crap Umbridge had been shoving down their throats, was able to quite quickly master most of the simplier spells on some target dummies that Nozawa had set up.
"What're you going to be teaching the class today?" Kyashii asked her trainer.
Every now and then, one member of his team would be there to watch. It had been a full two weeks since the plan had been set in motion, and it was working perfectly so far. Her trainer's responsive sudden smirk made Kyashii ever the more curious. Even so, he refused to share his surprise for the class, no matter how many verbal prods he got. When he arrived at the class for first years, he quickly made his way to the front as he usually did, and soon enough, made it through the day to third years and above. He typically taught different level spells – as recommended by both Harry and Lupin – to different level classes, but it was third-years and above he was excited to teach today.
"Alright, class, I have a surprise for you for today," Nozawa told them once they had all set down their packs. Sure, the desks had been out for the first and second years, but they needed the space for everyone else. "And you are to promise that you won't tell anyone else until everyone has been to this class. Am I clear?"
Not really wishing to face the young man's wrath, they agreed to it. They also agreed that, once they mastered the spell, they would help the first and second years of their houses learn the spell. The excitement from being taught it was quite strong, and when the fifth years finally came in, they soon learned why everyone exiting the room looked extremely happy, as Nozawa smirked upon seeing Mr. Potter in the classroom.
"Mr. Potter, please come forward," Nozawa said, calling the young man forth. The Pokémon in the class had been advised to step aside, so Riolu watched form the side as his trainer did as told, confusion evident. "Now, I heard from some of your friends you're capable of a spell not very many people your age are able to do."
Suddenly it became clear what it was Nozawa had been teaching the third years and above. He told them that since they had encountered Dementors, as school guards, two years ago, it was a good idea for them to learn to do it. So, in response to the question, Harry nodded understandingly.
"Professor?" A student asked, hand raised. She continued when he called upon her. "What spell are you talking about?"
"The Patronus charm," Nozawa said calmly. "As I'm sure you've all heard, Mr. Potter here is one of very few people in this school capable of casting it – today, since he's such a master at it, I think that he'll be able to help you all master it, because that's what we're learning."
Quickly, he made them swear to tell nobody else what was being taught here, before moving on to teaching them how to do it. Harry was told to remain up front to help, just in case. The boy-who-lived saw Malfoy's look of indignation, and smirked in response. Riolu, noticing said smirk, took a moment to figure out why – before he mirrored his trainer.
"Alright, first off," Nozawa began, before anything could happen. "Everyone close your eyes."
It took a few moments, but everyone did so, including Harry. Technically, he was still a student of the class, so he still had to do as the professor said.
"Now, the Patronus charm works through the use of a happy memory," The young professor explained, just as Mr. Potter had taught the DA once. "It acts as a shield between you and any Dementor that you may encounter, making it feed off of the Patronus instead of yourself. So I want you all to think of the most powerfully happy memory you can think of."
A pause as the students found said memory.
"Let it fill you up," Aromi instructed gently. "Just let it flow throughout you."
There was several moments of silence as everyone did so.
"Now, without wands, say the incantation with me. Expecto Patronum."
The entire class quietly said the words.
"Good, but not quite. Said it more confidently. Not louder, confidently."
The students said the incantation slightly louder, but definitely with a lot more confidence.
"Excellent," Nozawa said. "You may open your eyes now. Everyone spread out and take out your wands. Remember, there is no Dementor here, so it will be easy to cast the spell. If you ever run into one, it will not be so simple."
The class nodded in understanding. Harry was then requested to demonstrate how to do it, and the raven-haired man felt smug from the snarl on Malfoy's face. When the young raven-haired man successfully brought forth the stag once more, some of the students were in awe at the fact such a young wizard had mastered such a difficult spell. In fact, they were surprised to hear Harry had mastered it two years ago! Then again, such students were few and far between. Most of the class had already known... and Malfoy was the only one sneering slightly.
"Professor," Malfoy said, deceptively calm. "If you are teaching this, shouldn't you be able to cast the charm as well? Having a... student... demonstrate is all well and good, but shouldn't you be the one doing so?"
Nozawa was about to respond in his usually infuriating calm manner, before he paused to think. Then, surprisingly, he grinned.
"How right you are, Mr. Malfoy," He said, calmly preparing his wand. Once more, the memory of defeating Cynthia in an official battle at the Pokémon League leapt forth, almost on its own. "Expecto Patronum."
To say the class was shocked by his patronus would be an understatement. Even those that had seen it before were surprised, if only because they weren't quite used to it yet. Who would be considering what it was in the first place?
"Satisfied, Mr. Malfoy?" Aromi said, grin still there, as calm as ever. As he put his wand down, the dragon-shaped patronus that had settled vanished. "Alright, get to work, class. You have the period to practice."
The young man figured that practicing this charm could take a day or two, so it wouldn't hurt to have it as something to practice. The former DA members didn't even bother to fake their struggles. Ever since the group had been busted, it then became the biggest news of the school; everyone knew. So, they just continued to practice keeping their casting of the charm at its best, making sure they could still do a corpreal form. Harry assisted Aromi and Kyashii in helping the students. He even had the great fun of getting to help Malfoy, and at the same time, subtly taunting him the entire time, and enjoying it oh, so much. And from their connection, Riolu was struggling to not burst out laughing.
That I don't ever wanna be like you
I don't wanna do the things you do
Absol and Riolu and Pidgey and the female Nidoran looked at each other. It was happening again. Their trainer was tossing and turning, a nightmare heavily plaguing his mind. There was no knowing if Voldemort was causing it or what until Harry woke up, and each other Pokémon sincerely hoped that everything was alright with him...
Credits: Opening quote spoken by Albus Dumbledore. Song lyrics from "The Anthem" by Good Charlotte.
A/N: I'mma just ask you to review for now because of the cliffhanger ending... *runs to avoid reviewer angry mobs*