Chapter Eight

Anton woke feeling better than he had, the memories of death and loss had been forced back into the depths of his mind and he felt grateful that Sirius had gone to the measures that he had. Cooking smells had wafted into Anton's room and hunger became the most pressing concern, he got out of bed and finding himself still in the clothes he had worn the day before he decided it would better to wash first.

He found the bathroom empty so he locked the door and pulled off his sweaty clothes, the wound on his side was almost completely healed, it was fully pink now, all of the purple infection had gone. However it still looked like a formidable gash, Anton stepped into the shower and washed quickly timing himself to make he didn't remain in the shower any longer than was healthy. Dressed once again in jeans and a t-shirt he left his room.

When he got downstairs the smell was coming from the kitchen, he opened the door and entered it to find only Sirius and Lupin at table with the remnants of breakfast scattered around them. They both looked up as if regarding a primed bomb, Sirius looked contrite as Anton's eyes settled on him.

'I suppose I owe you an apology, he said pulling a face.

Anton regarded him critically for a few moments before smiling 'I should thank you really, he said 'I wasn't about to sleep and you drugging me certainly fixed that.

'Molly's kept you some breakfast,' Lupin said jumping in 'she said it only needs warming.

'Where is everyone?' Anton asked grabbing the plate Lupin had indicated.

'Molly and Arthur went to Diagon Alley with the kids,' Sirius replied 'I think Tonks might have gone as well.

Anton heated the plate with a flame in his hand, setting it on the table he was just about to start eating when a house-elf popped into the room. It was definitely not Kreacher but a younger elf entirely, she was younger and was wearing the relics of a curtain.

'Danky is bringing a message,' she said 'Danky is telling Mr Anton that Mr Dumbledore is wanting a word.'

'Thank you Danky,' Anton replied putting his fork back down 'where is this word going to take place?'

'Mr Dumbledore is hoping you will travel through the flames to visit him,' the house-elf said 'sooner rather than later.'

'I'll go now.' Anton said standing back up 'will he be in his office?'

'Yes, he is telling Danky that is where he is.'

Anton went over to the kitchen's fireplace and taking some floo powder he dropped it into the flames.

'See you later then,' he called to the two men.

Heading into the fire he called the address and vanished in the green flames, he stepped out into the old comfort of Dumbledore's office. The headmaster was sitting behind his desk his white beard gleaming from the light filtering through the windows.

'Anton,' he beamed 'please come and have a seat.'

Anton walked out of the fire and went over to the chair in front of the desk, he sat down hesitantly unsure of what to expect.

'Relax,' twinkled Dumbledore 'nothing bad is about to happen I assure you.'

'Why did you want to speak to me?' he asked.

'I was wondering Anton what you could tell me about yourself, Sirius has already been kind enough to tell me you are trained in fighting against the Dark Arts as well as having a fair knowledge on them yourself.'

Anton shrugged as he thought. What exactly could he say certainly not the whole truth in any case 'Sirius is right I do have a good understanding of the Dark Arts,' Anton admitted 'I have also been taught to be a adequate Occulmens, though Legulimacy was something I never got the hang of.'

'Not everyone can,' Dumbledore agreed 'though it is hard enough to learn Occulmancy, what about sport?'

'I played seeker at school,' Harry smiled at the memory 'I was pretty good, and when I'm not infected with poison I usually run and I'm a black belt in both Karate and Judo.'

'So you can hold your own in fights then?'

'I have done and probably will do again,' Anton said confused 'but what exactly is this for?'

'All will be revealed Anton,' Dumbledore said not giving anything away 'I did notice you playing chess with Ron Weasley, so I'm assuming you don't mind teenagers?'

'No,' Anton said growing ever more perplexed 'Professor?'

'I have a proposition for you,' Dumbledore said seriously 'would you consider taking the job of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?'

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

'You want me to be your new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher' Anton said in disbelief 'are you serious?'

'Definitely,' Dumbledore said 'I need a teacher for at least a year and you are obviously capable for the job.'

'But I'm only twenty one,' Anton said 'I'd be a rubbish teacher.'

'I strongly doubt you'd be rubbish and you'd be twenty two by September,' Dumbledore said twinkling faintly 'but I need a teacher and if I don't get one, I can trust then the Ministry will see fit to place their own teacher in Hogwarts.'

'A spy,' Anton said rubbing his head.

'A spy,' agreed Dumbledore 'everyone else who I have approached has been to scared to take up the position, the job hasn't exactly had the greatest survival record.'

'And if I take the job?' Anton asked curiously.

Dumbledore smiled as he realised Anton was beginning to consider the offer 'if you take the job, you will teach all years from first to seventh and you get weekends off.'

'I can still take part in active missions?' Anton said expectantly 'being a teacher won't impair me from stopping Voldemort's new Lieutenant?'

'No it won't,' Dumbledore replied 'I have a couple of teachers who actively work for the Order during term time.'

'I'd like that,' Anton said 'so what's the pay like?'

'For the position you'll be taking its 30,000 galleons per year, 25,000 after tax.'

'What are my sleeping arrangements going to be like? Because I'm not actually that keen on sharing.'

'You get your own quarters, which include a bedroom, living space and bathroom. Your office will be attached to your classroom' Dumbledore informed him carefully 'you have to set homework at least once a week and mix theory lessons with practical.'

'And you're seriously offering me this job?' Anton asked still mystified as to why Dumbledore would give him a job.

'We need people who will help train the children to defend themselves against the coming battle,' Dumbledore replied 'and with your experience you can help with that, after all it's our duty to make sure they're prepared.'

'And I can choose what I teach?' Anton asked his mind whirring of all the possibilities he could instruct on.

'Roughly,' Dumbledore replied 'you would have to make sure that the students learnt all the things on the syllabus but you would be able to teach it how you like.'

'Professor Anton Lukyen,' Anton said with a laugh 'that sounds strange.'

'So you're considering the position?' Dumbledore said watching Anton closely.

Anton thought of his own fifth year and the delightful reign of Dolores Umbridge, was that really what he wanted to inflict on Hogwarts.

'When do is start?'

Dumbledore smiled his eyes beaming 'September 1st, though you may like to arrive earlier to settle in.'

'September 1st' Anton said standing up 'I'll be there.'

'And Anton, congratulations on retrieving your sword, the Minister was incredibly put out when he discovered it missing.'

-=-=-=-=-=-

When Anton got back to the house breakfast had long since passed and Mrs Weasley was back and manning the stove once more.

'Was Diagon Alley very busy?' he asked her as he tucked ravenously into a plate of her food.

'Not really dear,' she said 'why are you thinking of going there?'

'I need some supplies,' Anton replied as the five teenagers came looking for food all looking incredibly dusty 'and I want to get out for a while.'

'You're better going early then,' she instructed 'it'll get busier as it gets later.'

'Mum do we have to keep cleaning?' Ron groaned 'There must be a hundred rooms to this place!'

'It's keeping you out of trouble,' Mrs Weasley replied setting down plates 'you should thank me for giving you something to do.'

'Yes Mum,' Fred said 'Thank you very much.'

'Wouldn't know what we would have done if you hadn't given us such a fun job,' George finished.

Anton wolfed down the last of his food before Ginny and Hermione had even begun to start eating.

'I'm going then,' he said 'see you later.'

'Make sure you're back by the meeting,' warned Molly 'it's at eight.'

-=-=-=-=-=--=

Anton went to Flourish and Blotts as his first port of call, when he entered the shop he noticed a few familiar faces in amongst the witches and wizards shopping there. Neville was being berated by his formidable grandmother about something, it took everything within Anton not to go over to her and tell her just how amazing a wizard Neville was going to be.

Turning to the manager that had appeared by his side he asked

'Have you got any suitable texts on Defence Against the Dark Arts?'

'We have just had a new stock delivered' he replied leading Anton over to a section of the shop he had never bothered with before 'it's becoming a very popular choice of reading, is there any style you wanted in particular?'

'I was hoping I could get a few on different learning levels,' Anton said already thinking of lessons 'I'm personally quite good in Defence, I was just trying to familiarise myself with what younger underage wizards might need to learn.'

'Right then how many would you be interested in buying?'

'About ten, maybe more but I definitely need at least one that would suit each school year group.' Anton answered peering at some of the shelves.

'Teacher then?' the manager asked interested.

'Brand new this year at Hogwarts,' Anton said with a small smile 'not sure exactly what to expect.'

'Well if you're the teacher you might want to let us know your finalised book list,' the manager said thoughtfully 'so we can stock up.'

'When would you need it by?' Anton said picking up a book entitled 'When Defence is the Only Option.'

'Next ten days realistically,' the manager said 'letters are usually sent out on the August 1st and as it's already July 15th.'

'Ten days,' Anton nodded 'now about these books?'

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

He exited half an hour later with ten different books to choose from for teaching and five volumes for himself. The next place he needed to go was Madam Malkins, he had to get robes that were suitable to teach in. Anton was thinking hard as he headed there, he was holding his shrunken books in a bag.

He needed a style, it had to be practical and teacherish, jeans were out of the question. He pushed the door opened and greeted the seamstress.

'I was wondering if I could have some new robes, closed and open.'

'Of course' she replied gesturing 'step on up.'

Anton stood on the stool and she began measuring him,

'How many were you hoping for?' she asked.

'Twenty,' Anton said thinking about the two he already had 'twenty at least, they've got to last me all year.'

'Any colours?'

'Black with red,' he replied 'but appropriate for a school environment.'

'If that is what you want,' she said nodding 'do you want to choose them all individually or do you trust my judgement.'

'I trust your judgement not mine,' Anton admitted 'when will they be ready?'

'Give it a couple of days,' Madam Malkin replied 'it's a big order.'

'Can I add to it and ask that they're all fire proof?'

'It will cost you more,' she answered.

'Not an issue,' Anton smiled.

-=-=-=-=-

Anton walked along the warm street, his feet drew to a stop outside of Ollivander's wand shop. Anton pulled his black wand out of his pocket and looked at it, it wasn't his original wand and he felt no connection with it, it wasn't his. The only option was to get another one, Anton felt a slight thrill of excitement so he went into the shop and his eyes fell on Mr Ollivander.

'Excuse me,' he said politely 'I was wondering if you could supply me with a wand.'

'What is wrong with your own wand?' Ollivander asked pointing to the black wand Anton was holding.

'This wand didn't choose me,' Anton said wryly 'and my original wand was destroyed by another party.'

'It's a terrible sin to destroy a wand,' Ollivander said taking the wand and inspecting it 'Thirteen inches, black wood containing one harpy hair and one giant fingernail.'

'That's…interesting,' Anton said unsure of what to say the pronouncement of the contents.

'No it's foolish,' Ollivander said irritably 'that combination would lead a powerful but extremely volatile wand. The results of which could mean the wand would let you down at a crucial moment, maybe refuse to work or even stop working permanently. No good wandmaker would have made this wand unless they hoped it would fail the owner.'

Anton thought of all the points the wand could have failed him and grimaced at the thought, its only redeeming feature was the fact it had been the brother to Wormtail's wand.

'So I would be better getting a new one then?'

'Almost certainly,' Ollivander said fixing Anton with a piercing look 'and disposing of this wand would be best. What's your name?'

'Anton Lukyen' he said.

'I don't remember you,' Ollivander said surveying Anton closely 'and I remember everyone, so this would mean you didn't get your original wand from me.'

Anton shook his head.

'Though the name Lukyen, I do remember that family living in Russia about a hundred years ago.'

'I'm a distant relative,' Anton lied again as Ollivander pulled out a long tape measure will silver markings on it out of his pocket.

'Hold out your wand arm,' he measured Anton from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and around his had.

He went over to his shelves and started to pull wands out.

'Birch wood, fourteen inches containing one unicorn hair,'

Anton flicked the wand and a glass pane shattered, Mr Ollivander snatched the wand off him and handed him another.

'Twelve inches, willow containing dragon heartstring.'

This time Anton blew a stack of papers off a chair.

'Nearly' the wandmaker muttered.

'I wonder…try this, thirteen inches, mahogany containing phoenix feather and a new idea of mine is the addition of one salamander scale.'

Anton took the dark brown wand and immediately felt the warmth spreading up his arm a streaming burst of red and gold sparks shot out.

'Excellent,' Ollivander said 'that was my newest wand, eight galleons if you wouldn't mind.'

Anton left the shop with his new wand feeling a lot more comfortable, still with a lot more shopping to do. The display in Quality Quidditch Supplies had him pausing, the Firebolt. He didn't have a broom and he couldn't imagine having anything below the standard he could freely afford.

Ten minutes later he walked out with a Firebolt on order, it had cost him three hundred galleons and he was under the opinion it had been worth every knut.

An hour and half later he had bought a trunk, general supplies and narrowly avoided running into the Malfoy's who were coming out of Knockturn Alley with Lucius looking particularly murderous.

-=-=-=-=-=-=

It took until the next day when Anton got round to looking at the books, the meeting the previous night had been fairly uneventful except for the fact Anton was now allowed to go out on active missions.

So far he'd chosen:

First Years- The Dark Forces: A guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Second Years- Dark Arts: How to combat them by Asher Kabinnsky

Third Years- Practical Defence and Theory by Maggie Arcane

Fourth Years- The Dark Forces: A Further guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

Fifth Years- Advanced Defence and Magical Combat by Barb Kenmare

Sixth Years- Defence: The Dark Arts, the Spells and Curses by Billius Blake

Seventh Years- Extreme Defence Against Dark Arts by Kilvern Maytere

A book Anton particularly liked was 'Ancient Curses and Combat: the Methods and Effects' while it showed how to do complex spells that were useful in Defence it also displayed the effects of the curses.

After sending the list to both Dumbledore and the Manager of Flourish and Blotts he wandered into the kitchen to get something to eat, there was no one around so he was free to get whatever he wanted. Searching through the fridge he eventually picked a plate of leftover casserole, heating in his usual way he tucked into it with a fork while still reading the book. Halfway through an exceptionally gruesome section Hermione and Ron came wondering into the room.

'What you looking at?' Ron asked curiously leaning over the book, he took on look at the diagram and quickly backed away 'that is gross!'

'The Eucalants Curse,' Hermione read 'turns the victim…inside out.'

'Did you see the picture?' Ron said looking sick 'it was still moving!'

'It is an excessive curse,' Anton agreed 'but don't worry Ron you need both the knowledge and a certain potion and incantation to make it work, it's long been abandoned due to the amount of effort it needs. Only sadistic torturers would even dream of using it.'

'Can you stop it?' Hermione asked keenly.

'With a certain spell,' Anton nodded 'if you remember only Avada Kedavra is unblockable.'

'Then why are you looking at it?' Ron said confused 'if people don't bother using it?'

'That is the assumption you can never take,' Anton said seriously 'better wizards have died because they disregarded curse they thought was out dated.'

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

His broom arrived two days later by a contingent of three owls that flew in during breakfast. Anton had only got back from watching Harry ten minutes earlier and was absolutely delighted at the delivery, the note with it read.

The Firebolt

Delivery Date: 30th June

Delivery Time: 8:00 am

Delivery to: Anton Lukyen

Cost Paid: On Order

We wish you all the satisfaction this product can provide

Quality Quidditch Supplies

'Well if I had known you were loaded I would have asked for rent,' Sirius laughed inspecting the broom closely.

Anton felt slightly embarrassed but he was nevertheless grateful that he had bought the broom 'my parents' he said putting the note down 'were nice enough to leave me quite a comfortable inheritance when they died, I think my dad would be happy I spent it on the broomstick.'

'Now that's the kind of man I can understand,' Sirius smiled 'why have it collecting dust in a bank when you could buy a Firebolt instead, I think I would have liked your dad.'

'I think he would have liked you as well,' Anton said seriously, his Godfather didn't know how close to the truth he actually was.

They were interrupted by Ron and Hermione thumping angrily in.

'Problem?' Sirius asked amused.

'Birthday cards,' Ron said annoyed 'what kind of friend do I come across as when I write something as vague as hope you're enjoying your Birthday we'll all be thinking of you!'

'You should read mine' Hermione returned equally furious 'I expect we'll be seeing you soon, Harry'll be feeling so out of it and we can't say anything about anything interesting!'

'I'm having the same problem,' Sirius agreed his good mood rapidly vanishing but it'll be worth it if our mail gets intercepted and all they find out is he's getting some chocolate for his birthday.'

'It's tomorrow then?' Anton asked though he knew the answer.

'Yes the 31st July,' Sirius said glumly, and then as if he had suddenly realised something 'wasn't your birthday this month?'

'Urm it was,' Anton cast around for a date, having the same birthday as his past self wasn't clever, so he had quite a few dates to choose from 'it was the twenty…fifth.'

'But that was days ago!' Mrs Weasley said turning to face him 'why didn't you say anything?'

'It was only my birthday,' Anton shrugged 'nothing special.'

'Nothing special!' this time Sirius joined in 'does that mean you spent the whole of your birthday standing in…complete boredom?' Sirius said catching himself just in time.

Lupin frowned at Sirius as he realised he'd been about to say the corridor outside the Department of Mysteries.

'It wasn't that bad,' Anton shrugged 'better than some years.'

Before anyone could protest any further another owl came soaring through the window, it dropped a stiff letter in front of Anton with a certain pride before flying back out.

Anton picked the letter up, the wax seal was marked with the Ministry of Magic emblem. He opened it cautiously and read the following.

Dear Mr Lukyen,

You are summoned to attend a meeting with the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge. You are required today at three O Clock to discuss the events, and events leading up to June 10th and the subsequent death of Peter Pettigrew, former Death Eater.

If you fail to appear you will be escorted by Ministry Officials to supply your account of what happened.

If you arrive in the atrium at quarter to three there will be someone to meet you

With Best Wishes

Yours Sincerely

Percy Weasley

The Ministers Private Office

Ministry of Magic

Anton flicked his eyes over the letter once more before passing it to Sirius

'I suppose I should have expected that' he said thinking of how he was going to answer the questions without revealing he was lying.

'I suppose,' agreed Sirius.

Another owl flew in and deposited a letter, Anton pulled it open and read.

Anton,

It would be best for the time being if our arrangement was not discussed with the Minister- that being if he actually knows anything of it

Yours Sincerely

Albus Dumbledore

'Brilliant,' Anton thought to himself 'just brilliant.'