Chapter 4:

The New Assistant

The rest of the night passed in a swarm of images - Uncle Harry and Ron coming back with a disheveled woman with matted black hair and blood on her face, the woman lunging in Teddy's direction and saying "I know you," the arrival of the Minister of Magic himself (kept very quiet) to decide exactly what to do with her, the swirl of cloaks as they took her to Azkaban, Granny cleaning the blood out of Bludger's fur, digging a hole beside his littermates Quaffle and Snitch for him to rest in, Al starting to cry when they started shoveling dirt back in. Teddy wasn't sure when everyone left, but they were gone by the time he went to bed. He'd moved Checkmate's litter tray into his bedroom and closed her in with him, locking the window, just in case. She mewed plaintively, slipping her paw under the door, looking for Bludger, until Teddy scooped her up and rubbed her belly until she went to sleep.

She became an indoor cat after that, taken out only when Teddy left the house for the day to stay at Uncle Harry's or Shell Cottage or the Romp. In those cases, she was brought with him, and she stuck close to him. She stopped looking for Bludger after a week, but attached herself to Teddy in his place, rarely letting him out of her sight for more than an hour. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with her in school, where she couldn't very well go to classes with him. If Victoire was in Gryffindor, maybe she could bring Bushy, Checkmate's littermate (whose full name, Beau Chaton, hadn't been used since the day she'd got him), up to his room during the day so they could keep each other company.

They weren't able to get anything directly out of the werewolf they'd caught, including her name (though Father Alderman identified her as someone called Janice). Uncle Harry speculated that at some point, the pack had managed to gather a skilled witch or wizard, who was using the same concealment spells he had used to hide from the Ministry for a year. They weren't able to keep her in Azkaban for killing Bludger, though Teddy thought that ought to be a life sentence, but Hermione was able to convince the Wizengamot that it had been a death threat to Teddy and Granny, which did carry a term in prison. A few voices said she ought to be kept indefinitely, since she was a werewolf, which put Hermione in the position of arguing that she shouldn't be, as she ought to have the same rights as anyone else. Dad's name was duly invoked. Teddy wondered what he would say about it.

After what seemed a never ending August, boxed into the small world of high security, September first seemed to quite suddenly jump out of nowhere. Teddy had done no packing, despite being trapped inside, and he ended up staying up until one-thirty tossing everything he needed into his trunk. He slept in the car on the way to King's Cross, with Checkmate enchanted into her own long nap in her basket on his lap. He was still woozy when they got there, and at first, didn't notice that half of the Auror Department was there, patrolling near Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

Of course, he couldn't see them very well. The platform was madly busy, much more so than it had been the last two years. He blinked owlishly. "What's all this?"

"Hogwarts," Granny said, looking confused.

Two younger children ran by with trolleys, their families behind them. There was a knot near the barrier. The Aurors must have actually put up some magical concealments, because the Muggles on platforms nine and ten seemed utterly oblivious to the crowd. Peering through it, Teddy spotted a shiny, bald head rising above the sea of children, in the midst of a group of Aurors.

"Is that Minister Shacklebolt?" he asked.

Granny nodded. "His son's eleven. It was in the Daily Prophet. I don't imagine Kingsley's thrilled to be letting go in the midst of a prisoner escape."

A blond woman with perfect curls was moving around the edge of the group of Aurors, as Kingsley Shacklebolt (and, presumably, his son) waited for their turn to go through. Teddy recognized her, of course - Rita Skeeter. She had an acid green quill hovering beside her.

"Minister! Minister! As a former Auror, how do you respond to the widespread allegations that the Department is not pursuing Fenrir Greyback with all due diligence?"

The Minister's slow, deep voice rose over the noise of the crowd. "Miss Skeeter, the allegations I have heard are spread precisely as widely as you can make your voice heard. I have no response to such spurious accusations."

Rita gave up, and ran to the end of the line of Aurors. "Harry Potter! Has your sympathy for werewolves influenced your decision not to pursue Fenrir Greyback?"

Uncle Harry rolled his eyes and turned away. He spotted Teddy and grinned, which was a mistake, as Rita immediately followed where he was looking. She scurried toward Teddy and Granny.

"Healer Tonks, your home was breached - "

"I have no comment, Rita," Granny said.

Rita looked at Teddy avariciously. "And Teddy Lupin... my goodness, what a chance to talk to someone who's been deeply touched by lycanthropy. Do you have anything to say?"

Before Granny could stop him, Teddy gave Rita a quote that he was reasonably sure she wouldn't be able to print in a family newspaper.

Uncle Harry was trying not to laugh when Teddy reached him. "Teddy, you may regret that," he said, "but I think it was worth it."

"Harry!" Granny interjected.

He grinned. "I can't go in with you this year, Teddy. We're making sure no one gets through who oughtn't. But you may see me sooner than you think, and if you recall, I promised to teach you something this year."

"What? Oh! The Patronus Charm!"

"It may even come in useful. You can use it to call for help if you need it."

Teddy didn't care whether or not it was useful, only that Uncle Harry was going to keep his promise to teach it. For the first time since he'd left Trollsbane Tarn, he felt purely happy.

The Minister passed through the barrier, and a moment later, Uncle Harry gave Teddy leave to go. On the other side, he found Bill Weasley's family, all gathered around Victoire, who looked like she was about to start shooting fireworks from her ears in her excitement.

"TEDDY! TEDDY!" She waved frantically just as Ruthless Scrimgeour, in the company of a boy with frizzy red hair exactly like her own, passed behind her. Ruthless clapped her hands over her heart and batted her eyelashes, then was dragged off by the crowd. Victoire saw none of this. She ran over to Teddy. "Oh, it's time. Do I look all right? May I sit with you?"

Teddy nodded. "Sure. Have you seen Frankie? We usually sit in his compartment."

"I saw him, but he's a prefect," she said. "Didn't he tell you? I thought he would have."

Teddy shook his head miserably. "He must have got the note after... after. I haven't talked to him much."

"Oh. I saw Donzo, though. He already went onto the train, so he wouldn't have to talk to Rita Skeeter."

Three more first years bundled through, knocking Teddy to one side. "What is this?" he asked again.

"Ah, Bill!" Teddy looked up. The Minister of Magic, looking quite relieved, was on his way over. He held out his hand to shake Bill's. "It's been a while since I've been here."

Bill smiled, in the stiff way he had through his scars. "Me, too. Is that Alastor hiding behind you?"

A small boy leaned out from behind the Minister. Teddy had only met him a few times during various Christmases at Uncle Harry's. He had large dark eyes behind horn-rimmed glasses, and a large puff of black hair. He looked terrified. His mother didn't seem to be present, but, as Teddy understood it, she did a lot of international work, and was probably off somewhere being diplomatic.

Victoire smiled. "Hi, Story. You can sit with me. If it's all right with Teddy, as I'm sitting with his friends."

"Er..." Teddy started, not sure how many people would be in the compartment at this point.

"Of course it's all right," Granny said, giving him a warning smile.

"Sure," Teddy said, wondering if an Auror was going to be guarding Story the whole way. A moment later, someone barreled into him. It was Ruthless again, and Maurice Burke was now in her wake along with the redheaded boy, who turned out to be her brother Kirk ("The first of four," she groaned, "so I won't get a moment's peace ever again!"). She led them to the compartment Donzo, Zachary, Bernice, Tinny, and Corky had staked out. They all welcomed Teddy hugely, and chastised him for not returning their letters, then noticed three first years tagging along.

By the time they'd all been introduced, the train was pulling out of the station. Victoire went to the window to wave goodbye to her sisters, but Kirk was no more interested in farewells than Ruthless had ever been, and Story figured his father would be staying well out of the crowd, probably back with the Aurors outside. "I think he still wants to be an Auror," he told Teddy. "He's been reading all the files and talking to Harry Potter in the parlor twice a week since Fenrir Greyback got out, and it sounded more like helping in the investigation than taking a report. Although I wasn't listening, of course." He smiled.

Tinny proposed a Muggles and Minions game, but Story and Kirk didn't have characters, and no one felt like going back to the beginning, or trying to move around without Frankie's characters, so instead, Donzo taught them the group songs until they were well out of the city, and the countryside was rolling by beyond the window. Teddy pulled Checkmate - who was still sleeping - out of her basket, and popped her in with Bushy, in Victoire's luggage. They mewed groggily, then curled up around each other. Here, with his friends, even with the new first years taking up more space than seemed normal, Teddy thought that Fenrir Greyback seemed far away.

There was a sharp rap at the door, and then it opened.

Maurice groaned and tossed a Chocolate Frog box at the girl standing in the door. "Oh, I thought we had the rest of the way to Scotland!"

She sighed, affecting an expression of martyrdom. Her long dark hair had been brought up into a tight bun, and she was carrying a scroll and a gray quill.

Corky stood up and went to the door. "Did you need something, Higgs?"

"I wanted to talk to Teddy about the Greyback case."

"You're off the Charmer!" Ruthless said. "And you can't think Teddy's thick enough to talk to you. He knows you'll just send it back to Skeeter."

Honoria Higgs gathered herself up importantly. "Professor Slughorn told me I could go back to the paper if I proved I was serious reporter. I'm not going to report gossip, like Miss Skeeter. I'm going to get a hard news story. It's the most important thing happening, and Teddy's a witness." She craned her neck eagerly. "Is that Alastor Shacklebolt?"

Ruthless reached back and put her hand over Story's mouth. "No idea," she said. "Curious, isn't it? A boy without a name."

"I'm not going to gossip!" Honoria insisted. "Slughorn won't let me back on if I do."

Corky looked at her shrewdly. "Try a different story, Honoria. Leave Teddy alone."

"It's all right," Teddy said, though it wasn't. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't know anything."

Looking disappointed, Honoria closed the door and walked away.

"Do you think she's really given up gossip?" Corky asked.

"Sure," Ruthless said. "Like Bernice's cousin Dung keeps giving up smoking." She burrowed into her trunk and came up with a deck of cards. "Anyone for Exploding Snap?"

The rest of the ride went perfectly well. Frankie Apcarne finished his business with the prefects and came back to the compartment as the train entered the moors in York, and filled everyone in on the news from school. "It looks like they're back up to regular sized classes after the last two years," he said. "The Head Boy - Damien Firth, from Ravenclaw - was making it sound like the apocalypse, I don't know why. I think he's letting the power go to his head, though. He wants us to organize outside the train and practically be an army to get them into line." He grinned. "Mind, they might just have heard that Weasley's coming, and don't want to take any chances."

Victoire fished in her handbag for a prank, but ended up just showing the corner of a label before Frankie raised his hands in fake surrender.

"Who's Head Girl?" Zachary asked, with more interest than Teddy thought the question deserved.

"Christa Milne," Frankie said, puffing up. He looked at the first years. "Hufflepuff, naturally."

"My girlfriend," Zachary said. "Naturally." He smiled and leaned back. "It pays to go out with older women."

"Since when?" Bernice Fletcher demanded. "Why didn't we know this?"

"Since after Donzo's concert." Zachary tipped an invisible hat at Donzo. "She was quite impressed with my backstage pass."

Donzo snorted. "Watch out for groupies. She may not be entirely sincere."

"You know, that was the first thing I thought about when I saw her. The depth of her sincerity."

Ruthless, across a hand of Snap from Teddy, rolled her eyes hugely.

"Brilliant," Frankie said. "I'm sure you'll be happy having nothing to do with her all day." He pulled a trunk around to sit in front of the window. "So, Tinny - no new players?"

"Well, no one really wanted to start just now."

Story shrugged. "I'd like to learn, if I could. Just not today. Nerves. I'd forget it all."

"We should have a game on Saturday," Frankie told him. "We'll get you set up. We have people in all of the Houses who could help you put a character together." He looked at Kirk Scrimgeour.

Kirk said, "I wasn't planning to start at all. That's Ruth's business."

Ruthless folded her hands around her cards and said, "Thank you, God, and if you could arrange for him to be in Ravenclaw or Slytherin next, I'd be very appreciative." The cards didn't appreciate being bent, and exploded with a pop, leaving her fingers and face dusted with black powder.

"You don't want your brothers in your House?" Victoire asked.

"Do you want your sisters there?"

"Well... yes. I like my sisters. Besides, it'll be much easier to leave flobberworms in their shampoo if I don't have to go all the way across the school for it."

Kirk looked at her with admiration, then dawning fear. He folded his own hands and said, "Ravenclaw or Slytherin, Amen."

As the train passed Edinburgh, Christa Milne appeared at the door. She smiled sweetly at Zachary, and Teddy thought she looked perfectly sincere, which was good, as Zach was a decent sort of bloke, then told Frankie that he was expected with the prefects. Frankie left with the air of a martyr being taken to his death.

By the time they got to Hogsmeade Station, Teddy had all but forgotten that there was a mad werewolf on the loose. He was just looking forward to the Sorting Feast, and to settling into his room on the fifth floor of Gryffindor Tower. But when the train pulled in, they were all reminded of it. There was an adult posted at every exit from the train, at least half of them Aurors. Teddy could see Uncle Harry again, now near the engine, keeping watch on the surrounding hills. There was no question of waving.

"Firs' years!" Hagrid called cheerfully, weaving among the students and guardians. "Firs' years, over here."

Victoire turned, smiling broadly. "Wish me luck," she said.

"I'll see you in the Common Room," he said.

Story looked nervously around, and Teddy gave him a punch to the arm, rather enjoying being one of the older children again. "It's fine. I reckon your mum and dad will like anywhere you end up."

He smiled. "Thanks. I want Ravenclaw, though. Shacklebolts have always been Ravenclaws."

"Then think blue and bronze thoughts."

"I'll do that."

"Donzo!" Teddy called across the group. "Story wants your House, wish him luck."

"Good luck!" Donzo called.

Kirk gave Ruthless a challenging look.

"Oh, all right," she said. "Good luck. You know you'll end up in Gryffindor, anyway."

He smiled and followed the others down the slope to the boats.

Teddy led the way to the carriages, wondering if he'd be able to see the thestrals, since he'd seen Bludger die, but apparently, a cat didn't work for the magical rules. He climbed into a carriage with Ruthless, Tinny, Corky, Maurice, and Donzo; Zachary and Bernice caught the next one. They traveled up the bumpy road to the castle gates, guarded by their gargoyles, and wound around to the front doors. Quite a lot of boats seemed to be coming across the lake, but there was no time to count them. They all straightened one another's robes, and Ruthless jabbed a clip at her hair (to no effect that Teddy noticed), then chugged her Clear-Eye Concoction and took off her glasses. They split up to go to their own House tables. Aaron Howe, a second year Gryffindor who was on decent terms with Teddy, waved him over, and Ruthless followed. (The second year class had also been culled by Voldemort's war, and only had twenty-two students, most with birthdays in the latter part of the year. They'd formed a tight-knit group last year, mostly centered around the Ravenclaw cadre, which put the two small years in different social orbits, though they got on perfectly well when pressed.) The prefects reappeared looking stunned about something.

There was much shuffling around to leave the right amount of space at the end of the tables, as the Sorting Hat gave a memorial of smoke figures. Teddy tried to sit near the end of the Gryffindors, in hope of seeing a clearer view of Dad, Sirius Black, and James Potter, who - thanks to their map - he thought of as old friends who he could only see at school. He'd managed last year to be nearly on top of the spot where Sirius rose, and he waved, though the smoke figure didn't have any particular consciousness.

The doors opened, but instead of the first years, four Aurors fanned in, two to each side of the door. A small, hooded figure came next, and darted up to the high table to sit beside Hagrid, who'd appeared from his trip across the lake. Then Professor Longbottom appeared, back first, holding his hands up. "Form two lines!" he said, then turned around and led the way in. The first years entered.

And entered.

And entered.

They were in two even lines, and the first ones were well into the room before the last ones came through the door.

"There's got to be sixty of them!" Aaron whispered.

Teddy thought he might be underestimating, but he hadn't bothered to start counting the rows.

Victoire, toward the end, passed with a nervous smile and a subtle wave, then they were crowded around the Sorting Hat, impossible to count.

"Think the country was celebrating something?" Andrew Stephens - a seventh year prefect who'd led Teddy back to Gryffindor two years ago, when he'd first got his badge - said, grinning.

The Sorting Hat - invisible in the crowd, began to sing.

"Once in long gone ages past, With Hogwarts newly built..."

Teddy tuned out. "Is this the normal size? Really?"

Andrew shook his head. "No. This, Teddy, is a baby boom. My mum was wondering if we'd get one. Turns out we did. I guess the Headmistress told Damien that there was quite a crowd, but she didn't say how big a crowd."

Teddy was still trying to comprehend the size of the group when the lights dimmed and the memorial to the war dead began. Dozens of candles went out over the Gryffindor table as the Hat sang about the sacrifices of the House. Smoke spun near Teddy, and he forgot the problem of the first years for a moment when he recognized Dad floating beside him, smiling serenely. He smiled back, and for a moment, he was sure they actually looked at one another. Then the figure drifted up toward the enchanted ceiling, and disappeared into the stars.

Professor Longbottom came forward with the list as soon as the last strains of the song died away. "Adams, Maeve."

A small girl with dishwater blond hair climbed onto the stool and took the hat, which took its time before announcing that she was a "SLYTHERIN!"

"Allen, Edward."

As Professor Longbottom worked his way down the list, Teddy looked up at the staff table, where the teachers seemed a bit dazed as well. Headmistress Sprout was conferring with Uncle Harry, who had slipped in through a door beyond the table - Teddy guessed the subject was Greyback - while Robards was talking softly to Hagrid and the small, hooded figure who'd come in with the Aurors. This seemed a casual catching up, exactly the sort of thing students were meant to refrain from during the solemnity of the Sorting.

"Moran, Wilhelmina."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Nesbitt, Leon."

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Niven, Clara."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Uncle Harry finished his conversation with the Headmistress and went to sit with Hagrid and Robards. He smiled warmly at the new person. Professor Trelawney and Professor Firenze, who split the Divination classes, were arguing intensely about something. Professor Flitwick was talking to Professor Slughorn and Professor Campbell, the gangly young man who taught Muggle Studies and was the Head of House for Hufflepuff.

"Ryan, Abigail."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Salinger, Peter."

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Scrimgeour, Kirk."

Teddy glanced at Ruthless, and was surprised to see her chewing her lip as her brother went forward and put the Hat on over his puff of unruly red hair. The crowd had thinned enough that Teddy could now see the Hat turning this way and that as he spoke. Teddy remembered the strange sense of moving flames that tickled through the cloth.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Ruthless stood up on the bench and gave a cheer, while Kirk pounded the air with his fist. Professor Longbottom gave them a long-suffering sigh. Kirk came to the table; Ruthless hugged him, then punched his arm and said, "Stay out of my business."

"Selig, Isadora."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Senders, Charles."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Shacklebolt, Alastor."

There was a great deal of whispering as tiny Story Shacklebolt took his place on the stool and put the Hat on. A moment later, he smiled broadly as it indeed declared him a "RAVENCLAW!"

Teddy had to lean out now to see around the new people at the Gryffindor table and get a glimpse of Victoire Weasley, who was standing nervously between two boys who were looking at her with great admiration. As he watched, she reached out and straightened a bow tie that one of them was wearing, which peeked up above his robes. The boy seemed grateful, which couldn't be said for a girl whose hair ribbon Victoire attempted to right.

"Timmons, Ellen."

The girl with the crooked ribbon went up and was named a "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Valance, Russell."

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Washington, William."

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Weasley, Victoire."

Professor Longbottom smiled fondly at Victoire as he handed her the Hat, and she sat down on the stool. She glanced around the room, chewing nervously at her cheek. She caught Donzo's eye, and he gave her a thumbs-up, then she looked at Teddy. Teddy gave her an encouraging nod. She put the Hat on.

It didn't pause before calling out "GRYFFINDOR!"

She smiled brightly. Ruthless winced, but, on a warning glance from Teddy, arranged her face into a smile.

Victoire bounded over and sat down beside him as the Sorting finished up.

As soon as the last first year - "Zuckerman, Dwight" - was placed in "SLYTHERIN!", Headmistress Sprout stood up and raised her arms.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," she said. "I'm glad to see so very many new faces, though it will take time to get to know you all!" There was fond laughter from the other teachers. "I have some very serious announcements to make, the sort of announcements I hoped we would not hear again at Hogwarts. As I'm sure you are all aware, the werewolf Fenrir Greyback escaped from Azkaban. He has a particular fondness for children, and is likely to have an interest in Hogwarts. For that reason, throughout the year, until Greyback is recaptured, the school will be guarded by Aurors. You are not to interfere with them, however curious you may be, and you are to obey them immediately if they give you instructions. Mr. Potter, would you care to comment?"

Uncle Harry came forward. "We'll patrol the corridors in official uniform, so you know that we belong here. We will also carry identification, and if you have any doubt that it's an Auror you're speaking to, ask to see it. The badge can't be duplicated. If you see adults here who don't belong here, find an Auror immediately." He stepped back.

"In addition," the Headmistress went on, "during Hogsmeade weekends, no one is to move about alone. Stay in groups of three or more. And, due to circumstances over the summer" - she gave Teddy a tragic look - "all pets, owls excepted, of course, are to remain inside the castle. This is for their safety."

This was met with silence.

The Headmistress took a deep breath. "That ends the security announcements. I would also like to introduce a new member of our staff, the Assistant Groundskeeper. She will be helping Professor Hagrid with his duties, so he can spend more time with his classes. You are expected to treat her with the respect due an adult at all times." She raised her hand, and the hooded figure came forward. Now that she was standing, Teddy could see that she was a woman. Long brown hair appeared at the base of the hood. "It's all right," Headmistress Sprout said to her. "They need to see you so they know you belong here."

Pale hands pushed the hood down, and there was a gasp throughout the hall when the mangled scars and mismatched eyes caught the candlelight.

It was Vivian Waters.