Chapter Five

Dark Arts and Disappearances

A/N: Don't worry; the stuff that happens in this chapter isn't nearly as dire as the title makes it sound.

"Potter, I would like to speak to you alone a moment."

Harry obediently followed Professor McGonagall out to the hall, rather curious. She shut the door and surveyed him rather sternly. After a moment of silence, she spoke. "I have a proposition to make you."

Harry's brow furrowed in surprise, but he said nothing, nodding to show that he understood.

"As you well know, this summer has been a mess of debates over the closure of Hogwarts. I'm going to tell you something that has been decided within the last ten hours and has not yet been disclosed to the public. The Board of Governors has reached a decision. The school will remain open."

Harry smiled wanly. He wasn't planning on returning, but he still remained convinced that Hogwarts was the safest place for anyone.

She hesitated a moment, as though choosing her words very carefully. "I have watched you, Harry, closer than you ever realized. I was particularly impressed by your performance in your fifth year, when you had" –here her lips narrowed and her voice filled with suppressed anger- "an incompetent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. You took it upon yourself to study them on your own, and you did a marvelous job of teaching all the others who wanted to learn."

Harry didn't know what to make of this; compliments from Professor McGonagall were extremely rare. He failed to see where this conversation was headed.

"Now, as headmistress of the school, it is my duty to find occupants to fill vacant posts. As of last month, I once again find myself in need of a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

It took a while for what she was hinting at to process. When it did, his mouth dropped open. "Me?" he managed to croak.

She smiled slightly. "Yes, you, Potter. I've wracked my brains for hours and I can't think of anyone available I could trust to do a more efficient job."

"You want me to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Yes."

"At Hogwarts."

"Yes, Potter, at Hogwarts."

"Professor," he stammered, unsure of what to say, "I can't- I don't…"

"I believe that you would find yourself more than competent."

"Professor, I-"

"In return," she said, cutting across his stutters, "I promise to cease hounding you about Dumbledore's work before his death, and I will help you in anyway I can to continue it. And I'll trust your judgment."

Harry managed to smile. He had received a minimum of six letters asking him to reveal his knowledge of what Dumbledore had been doing before he died, and he was only a month into the summer. It was worth taking the job just for that.

He hesitated only a moment before making his decision. "I'll do it," he said.

Her eyes widened; she obviously hadn't expected him to accept. After she got over her shock, she straightened her glasses and said, "Thank you, Harry." And she was sincerely grateful. "I'll inform you of the details sometime before school starts, after I get them figured out myself."

Five minutes later, up in the room which Harry and Ron had occupied two summers ago, Harry told them about their conversation. Ron's mouth dropped open and Hermione squealed.

"Oh, Harry, that's wonderful! You'll be able to teach young wizards to defend themselves! You'll do a marvelous job!"

And she kissed him on the cheek.

Ron looked rather disgruntled, but then she sat on the bed beside him, and his expression cleared. "We're coming with you, mate. We can finish out our last year and help you besides."

Hermione positively beamed; Harry knew that it had been a tough decision to leave school without getting her N.E.W.T.'s. Now she wouldn't have to give it up.

There came a soft tapping on the window. Harry glanced around; on the sill sat two brown owls, each with an identical letter tied to its leg. Ron opened the window, and they fluttered inside. One perched on Ron's shoulder and the other on Harry's knee.

Harry pulled the envelope off of its leg, and it took off again, alighting on top of the wardrobe. His name was written on the outside of the letter in very official looking writing, and the seal was one he recognized.

"It's from the Ministry," he said, turning it over, intrigued. "Wonder what I did this time…."

Dear Mr. Harry James Potter,

We are aware that you have recently come of age and have not yet taken your Apparition test. We ask that you appear at the Ministry of Magic at five o' clock p.m. on the fourth of August to be examined and, if circumstances permit, issued a license. If you do not intend to be licensed in Apparition, you cannot appear on the above-mentioned date, or there is some error, please contact us by return of owl.

Sincerely,

Anna Paulson

Anna Paulson

Department of Post-School Education

Ron's letter was almost identical, the only difference being that it pointed out that he originally failed his Apparition test (which made him scowl). They looked at each other.

"I guess we'll go in, then?" Harry said.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess."

There was a moment of blank silence, and then Hermione burst out laughing.

The two of them stood there, utterly nonplussed. "What?" they asked in unison.

"You two are so thick!"

They looked at each other again. Ron shook his head, muttering, "Going back to school must have gotten to her."

"Definitely. It's really not funny."

She was giggling madly now. Ron patted her awkwardly on the back. "Gimme a break, Hermione. You can't be that excited."

She grinned. "Yes I can."

Harry shook his head, pulling Ron towards the door. "I think she needs an hour or two by herself. C'mon, mate, let's go find some food. I'm starving."

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Four days later, Harry and Ron found themselves waiting at the Burrow's fireplace, dressed in their best robes to go to the Ministry of Magic. Harry's nerves were mounting with every passing moment; he would be lucky if he didn't have a nervous breakdown before he actually managed to Apparate.

Mr. Weasley came out of the kitchen, the remains of a piece of buttered bread in his hand. Mrs. Weasley bustled in after him. She gave Harry and Ron each a hug. "Do well, boys. Good luck."

Mr. Weasley finished his toast, threw on his cloak, kissed his wife, and picked up the pot of Floo powder. The sun was on its way out of the sky; it was ten minutes to five o' clock. He offered the pot to Harry.

Harry took a pinch and threw it into the flames, which immediately turned emerald green. He stepped into the fireplace, enjoying the warm, tickling sensation, and said loudly and clearly (he didn't want to end up somewhere like Knockturn Alley again), "The Ministry of Magic!"

He remembered just in time to tuck his elbows in. He whirled past thousands of fireplaces, each with a different landscape beyond, and finally slowed and stopped at the biggest one he could ever remember passing. He stepped out into the well-lit, enormous room and was immediately hit by a blazing rush of memories.

The fountain that had depicted a wizard, a witch, a goblin, a centaur, and a house elf had been repaired, but the wizard, instead of looking weak and foolish, now looked determined and slightly sad. The witch no longer gazed at him with a soppy expression on her face, but looked out proudly at the room surrounding her. The centaur and the goblin both looked repulsed at having to be so near humans, but the house elf's countenance looked the same as ever. It was as though, when they had come alive more than a year ago, the real personalities of their races had taken over and refused to change.

Mr. Weasley led them to the security desk, where they were checked (for what, Harry had no idea) and their wands were determined safe (whatever that meant). The wizard at the desk was young and smiled a lot.

"Here for your Apparition tests?" he asked, smiling understandingly. They nodded.

"Down on the third floor and to your right," he said, returning Ron's wand.

(A/N- sorry to interrupt here, but I'm not going to describe the places that previous books have already been because I think it's a waste of everyone's time. I'm just going to assume you know everything that I make references to but don't explain fully. If you can't remember and really want to know, go reread the real books .)

Mr. Weasley led them to the lifts, out of which memos were zooming nonstop. Ron was gazing around with his mouth open; the only time he had been here, the place had been utterly deserted, and he hadn't seen the flurries of activities.

Five minutes later, they found themselves in front of a big door that said "Department of Apparition." Mr. Weasley knocked softly.

The door was opened by an old, skinny wizard with a beard to rival Dumbledore's. He nodded and ushered them inside. "Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley?" he asked in a wheezy voice.

"Yessir," Harry said.

"This way, then."

He led them through the first room- a bunch of desks with busy wizards working at them- and through a door in the far right corner. They followed him obediently inside.

It was a huge, empty room with white walls and soft carpet. The wizard said, "Someone will be with you in a moment."

They waited only two minutes before someone else appeared. He was a stocky young wizard with twinkling eyes and a kind smile.

"I'm Aidan Hirata. So you're both taking your Apparition tests today?"

They nodded.

"Alright then, shall we get started? Great. Who's older?"

Ron tentatively raised his hand.

"Ronald Weasley? You look like your dad," he said, nodding to Mr. Weasley. "Well, then, let's start. Can I have you Apparate to the far side of the room, please?"

Ron closed his eyes tightly and concentrated, then, with a loud crack, he disappeared, reappearing almost instantly across the huge room.

"Alright," Aidan called, making a note on a clipboard he carried, "Now come back over here.

When Ron had returned, Aidan said, "Alright then, Harry, your turn. Same thing, please."

Harry did as he was told. He felt for a moment as though black bands were squeezing his body mercilessly, then he landed with a thud and almost lost his balance, but managed to stay upright.

When he had returned, Aidan clapped his hands. "Okay, now we're going to try long-distance Apparition. I'm going to Apparate to Lima, Peru, on the corner of Calle de Santa Cruz and San Benjamin. Thirty seconds after I Disapparate, I want Ronald to Apparate to the same place. Thirty seconds after he goes, Harry, you come. Got it?"

They nodded.

With a loud crack, Aidan Disapparated. They counted for thirty seconds, and then Ron did the same. Harry counted, the seconds ticking away incredibly slowly. Then, when the time came, he concentrated hard, and Disapparated.

It was dark, and the intersection of the two streets was deserted. Aidan and Ron stood beside him.

"Now we have to Apparate back. Same drill. If you make this one, then you pass."

They repeated the pattern, and soon Harry found himself walking back through the huge office, newly certified for Apparition. Ron had passed as well, and he wore a smug little grin on his face all the way back to the Burrow.