Harry collapsed to the floor not out of pain but in complete disbelief and misery.
"What in the world was Dumbledore thinking?!" Harry cried aloud in despair. "He kept me alive only so that I could die at the right time, and now he's going to make me go through all this again! This time I won't even have any help at all!"
He stood up and reached for the nearest item to throw which happened to be his stack of books on the table. He growled in frustration as he flung the book against the wall. It fell to the floor with a thud.
Realizing that violence wouldn't help fix the situation he was in, he sank back to the ground.
He rolled the words of Ravenclaw over in his mind. So that their lives become the lives they deserve. The life he deserved, what life was that? Could it mean that he would have parents? The lives they deserve meant that Voldemort would also get the life he deserved, death. The thing he feared most was what he deserved. Or did he? Could it be possible that he wasn't completely evil? People weren't specifically good or bad. Everyone had some of both in them. It was your decisions that make you who you are, not your abilities Dumbledore had once told him. He sighed and got up, took a few deep breaths and decided to put his mind on something else.
Slowly he stood up and went over to the pensieve. He conjured the slivery liquid back in to the container and set it aside.
Realizing that his first lesson was tomorrow, he decided to sit down and decide what he was going to teach.
How on earth was he supposed to teach kids the same age as him and have them take him seriously? Especially the Marauders. A small smirk came to his lips at the thought of teaching the marauders. Seconds later it fell. What if they hated him? With a pang of grief he realized that James and Lily weren't his parents, at least not in this time they weren't. They were only teenagers.
He sank back into his chair with a heavy sigh. He would just have to wait it out and find out what the marauders and Lily and even Snape thought of him.
oOo
There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," Harry said with little enthusiasm.
Professor Dumbledore walked into the room. "Harry do you have a minute?"
"Of course Professor. What do you need?"
"Harry, we are co-workers, equals. Please call me Albus."
Harry nodded and Albus continued, "I was wondering how much you know about the unforgivable curses."
A dark look of grief, distress and possibly anger spread across Harry's face. With a deep sigh he said, "Sir, Albus, unfortunately I doubt you could find someone more experienced." He was avoiding Dumbledore's gaze. He was finding the empty desk he was sitting at very interesting.
By the look on his face Dumbledore could tell that he had been the victim of them, not the user.
"I see," Dumbledore said looking questioningly at Harry. When Harry made no effort to elaborate, Dumbledore continued, "Seeing as we are in a war, I feel it is necessary for the seventh years, who will soon be facing the world on their own, to be aware of these curses. The ministry has not agreed with my position on this for many years, but they have recently legalized the use of the unforgivables by aurors."
Harry looked up sharply in surprise but remained silent.
"I believe that if they think they're legal to use, then the students are entitled learn about them. I would like you to teach them, not how to use them, but what they are, do and how to avoid them." He paused for a moment. "Of course there is no avoiding avada kedrava."
Harry had to bite his lip so hard to keep form laughing. He didn't succeed very well and let out a small snort. Dumbledore apparently didn't notice, or if he did he chose not to show it. "Will you be able to do this?"
Harry replied a bit nervously, "Yes sir. Would you like me to demonstrate them?"
Dumbledore twinkled at him and said, "Ah, that my boy is completely up to you. You are, after all, the teacher." With that said Dumbledore turned and walked out of the room.
Well, Harry thought, at least I know what I'll be teaching in my first lesson.
oOo
The opening feast was this evening, but before that Harry needed to visit Diagon Alley.
He flooed into the Leaky Cauldron. It was so nice, he mused, to be able to walk into here without all the oohs and ahhs. He went straight to the potions shop to look for some insect or another to demonstrate on. He found a spider and smiled slightly as he bought it.
On his way back to the Leaky Cauldron, after he had bought several bags of sweets and other odds and ends, a small store tucked back almost completely hidden by the other massive buildings caught his attention.
He wondered over to it and went inside. A small bell rang when he entered, and a little old man hobbled out from the back of the store.
"Can I help you lad?" he said in a shaky gruff voice.
"No, no thank you I'm just looking around." He found himself in a small dingy room with animal cages everywhere. Some contained normal animals like owls or rates or cats, but others contained animals Harry had never even seen before. He noticed a small snake coiled in a cage towards the back. Leaning down to pick it up he coaxed, "Don't worry. I wont hurt you."
"How odd that one the human kind speaks my language. I have never met one who could before. A rare and special talent this must be. You are the one. The one I have been waiting for all this time. You are meant to be my master."
The snake bowed its head slightly to Harry. Harry figured he could use a new familiar seeing as he no longer had Hedwig.
Harry walked towards the back of the and said, "Um, excuse me. I'd like to purchase this."
The old man hobbled out and gasped when he saw the snake coiled on Harry's arm.
"Th-that's what you want to buy? Well good luck. Every other customer who's ever tried to take her has brought her back almost immediately. Tell you what, since I can't seem to get rid of her, I'll let you have her free of charge as long as you promise not to bring her back. Deal?"
"Thank you very much sir. I don't think I'll have any reason to bring her back though."
The storeowner shook his head as Harry left. "What a shame the poor boy seemed so interested. Too bad he didn't realize that snake was owned by Salazar Slytherin and still thinks he's coming back to take care of her."
oOo
A/N Sorry it took me so long to update but I've been so busy lately. I should have at least another chapter or two up this week. Thanks again to everyone who reviewed!
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