Info: Everyone had taken heavy losses during the war, the DADA position is known to be curse; what if Headmistress McGonagall had called in a favor?
"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts," he said brightly, "I'm going to be your teacher this year; I'm Harry Potter. No I'm not a Professor but I've passed both my OWL and NEWT with an O, so you can just call me Harry or Potter, whatever you're comfortable with."
A hand rose.
"Yes Miss—?" he questioned.
"Landsee, sir." She replied, "Lucy Landsee; if you're not a Professor then why are you teaching us?"
"Good question," he nodded, "The War recently fought killed a lot of people. Skilled, good people. Injured more than that. So we're kind of strapped for the workforce. Headmistress McGonagall asked me to cover first through third year DADA as a favor because she couldn't find an actual professor and the Ministry's a mess. She asked me, because not only have I gotten a better than perfect score on both Wizard tests in the subject but also have a lot of practical experience and ran an illegal group teaching DADA back in my fifth year. Plus, because of my Os, I am exempt from DADA for my year group, and have dropped History of Magic, Divination, Care of Magical Creatures, and Potions. So I have a lot of free time this year." He shrugged.
Then he smiled, "So, syllabus."
Waving his wand, he spread the pile of paper so that each student could have a copy, saying, "Now, I know how hard it is to keep track of paperwork so the class will always have a copy for you to check." Another wave and a poster appeared on the wall, "And we'll have an assignment tracker," another wave and a whiteboard list, blank, appeared, "If you ever miss a day and your partner isn't being helpful, you can check this list. I'll have it up to date, going back at least a month. Anything further and we'll talk."
"Now," he continued on, "as you can see, I will rarely assign essays; I don't like writing them so I'd probably not like grading them. If we get through everything in the class lesson, I won't even assign homework. When I do though, it'll be multiple choice or short answer worksheets or just chapter reading and summarizing. You may approach me outside of class as long as I'm not in class. For the non-Lions, just ask the Fat Lady to get me if I'm in Gryffindor Tower. She's on the seventh floor, wears a bunch of pink, can't carry a tune to save her life."
He paused, looking around, "Questions yet?"
A boy raised his hand, "Sir, it says we can use muggle things, like pens and paper."
Harry nodded, "Yeah, I know how hard it is to use quills and ink so you can use muggle things; in fact, as a present to each of my students I will be giving you each a pack of pencils, a rubber, folders, a sharpener and a couple composition books to get you started. That way you have time to owl your folks. For those without ties to the muggle world, if you can get your parents to pay, I can order it all for you."
Most of the class gave a cheer and Harry grinned, "Thought that'd go over well. Moving on, if you'd turn around," he moved to the back of the class room, hearing the students turn to follow; on the back wall were three long bookshelves, free floating, filled with textbooks, identical textbooks, "I will not require you to carry the DADA text to and from class; we've a class set. You will be assigned one, a numbered one, and you can use that in class."
"What's the blackboard for…Sir?" a voice called out, pointing out the large blackboard that hung, out of reach, over the books.
"I was wondering when someone would ask, two points to whatever house you're in; two points to Landsee's house too, and whoever asked about the muggle stuff."
A piece of chalk animated and made note, jotting down a four under the Slytherin crest and a two under the Hufflepuff crest. There were also the crests for the other two houses, though their columns remained blank.
He turned to his students, "Can anyone guess what the board is for now?"
"It's to…record the points you give out?" someone hazarded an answer.
"Very good, Miss?"
"Johnson," replied the Slytherin girl.
Harry blinked, "Related to Angelina Johnson?"
"My cousin, sir," she admitted, "I'm Michelle."
"Huh, go figure," he shook his head, "Anyway, yeah. You're right, another point to the Snakes," an eraser sprang into action, wiping away the four so the chalk could inscribe a five in its' place, "Anyone know why I have the board but the Professors don't?"
"You're not a Professor," Lucy spoke slowly, "so…you can't take or give away points for real?"
"Exactly," Harry nodded, "Point to the Badgers. Because I'm not a Prefect, the Head Boy, or a Professor I'm not allowed to handle points like they are. So, the Headmistress enchanted this board to keep tally. And it can't be tampered with and only responds to me. After classes are over with for the day, the Head Boy or Girl will come in, jot down the totals, and take 'em to the Headmistress. She'll go over them and if she finds them fair, she'll add or deduct points as needed."
He moved to a table in the back, under the shelving; it held what looked to be paper trays, four of them.
While they were all made of metal and each had eight slots, one was orange, another pink, a third purple, and the last was white.
"These hold worksheets, if you miss a day, check the tracker and come get what you missed. Pink is First Year work. The white one is for premade note sheets, like paper for Cornell note-taking. We'll be going over different systems so you can find one you like, but I don't care if you take notes or not as long as you pass. If you do miss a day and your partner hasn't got notes for you, I will have premade lecture notes that you can copy down."
"You keep mentioning partners sir, why?" a Hufflepuff asked.
"Ah yes, forgot about that." He went back up to his desk, reaching into one of the drawers to pull out a cup of ice-lolly sticks. The cup was the same pink as the First Year worksheet tray. It was labeled "Slytherin-Hufflepuff".
"Those of you who went to Muggle school might remember this," he shook the cup, "for those who didn't or who's teachers didn't use them; in this cup are a bunch of sticks, on each stick is a name of someone in this class. If, for example, we are having a lecture and I ask a question that nobody even tries to answer, I'll pick a stick at random. If that happens, whoever's picked has to give a go. Fair?"
There was some murmuring but they agreed.
"Right, so now to the partner thing. To make things easier for everyone, hopefully, I am going to have you pick sticks randomly; whoever you pick will be your partner until at least Halloween, unless something happens before then. You and your partner have to have each other's backs, if one misses a class, the other will be expected to take notes and get the assignments, if any, for them. You will work together on projects and work together when we practice spells. So, everyone, gather your things and move up to be by my desk up here." he pulled out a copy of the register and set a dictation quill to take down pairs, "We're going to go by last name, A to Zed."
"Sir, what if our partner isn't in our house?" a girl asked worriedly.
Harry smiled, "Then you work together anyway. Houses are your Hogwarts family; you're allowed to have friends outside your family. Think of it as building a network if you have to. We'll be designating 'House Channels' for the class, someone from your partner's House that you can pass notes and work through if need be."
"What if we don't like our partner?" asked another student.
"I expect you to give it a good go then if it doesn't work out we'll go from there." He clapped his hands together, squinting at the roster, "Right, Adam Adamson you're first. Step up, pick a stick, and call out the name on it," he paused, conjuring a second cup, "and put your pick in there. Then you and your partner can pick a table."
A Hufflepuff boy moved forward, grabbing a stick and calling out, "Rachel Doyle."
A Slytherin girl stepped up, she wore glasses and had her hair up in a messy bun, "Hi Adam, I'm Rachel."
Adam smiled, depositing the stick and replying, "Hey, you have any preferences where we sit?"
"No."
"Right," and with that they walked to a table very near the teacher's desk, claiming it as theirs.
And so it went; there were some partners who were from the same House, there were some that were mixed.
"Good," Harry grinned as the last pair sat down, "now that you've your partners, if everyone will follow me," he moved to a doorway behind his desk, unlocking it and turning on the lights as the students filed in after him.
The room was large; most of the floor was covered in blue gym mats, though at one end there was a small carpeted area with benches and cubbies.
"This's the sparring room," Harry explained, "every other class, we'll be in here practicing the spells we'll learn. By the end of this year I hope each of you will be able to cast the following spells: the Stunning spell, it's reversal spell, the general reversal spell, a water charm, the disarming charm, and a basic shield spell. On the days we work in here you are to wear the workout outfit I had you buy. You are to arrive here already dressed for the day; take off your shoes and place your things into a cubby."
He inhaled, "The mats are down for your own protection, though cushioning charms have been applied to everything. If I catch you using an unauthorized spell during lessons or deliberately trying to harm or sabotage someone there will be severe consequences."
He glared them all down, "You each are carrying a potentially lethal weapon on you at all times. You have to be responsible with it, or so help me I will have you in detention until your great-great-great-grandchildren are enrolled. Got it?"
The kids all nodded, gulping.
"Headmistress!" Harry spotted the woman entering the Sparring Room.
Weaving through his dueling students, his Second Year Gryffindor-Ravenclaw class who were practicing the Petrificus Totalis and Finite spells, he made to intercept her before she left the relative safety of the cubby area.
He threw up a shield and the Muffilatio spell, making sure to keep an eye on the kids.
"Mister Potter," Minerva said, glancing at the students and being surprised at the energy they seemed to have.
"This's about Natasha and Antony isn't it? They weren't in class today…" he preempted her worriedly, "They're alright, right?"
"Mister Potter, I regret to inform you that Miss Rogers and Mister Parker are quite ill. They have come down with a severe case of Wyrm Pox."
Harry said a very rude thing before, "They'll be fine right?"
"The expert from Saint Mungo's assured me so personally," She reassured him, "but we're going through the student body to make sure it doesn't spread or mutate. Miss Rogers and Mister Parker are also worried about their marks."
"They don't need to," Harry said shortly, "They've already managed Os; but I'll drop by some assignments they can do in bed. If they are having any problems, I can tutor them on Saturdays." He turned, "Lemme round up my kids and we'll head up to Hospital Wing. Do you think they'll be finished before the period ends?"
"Most probably not."
"Right, 'cuse me for a sec."
He dropped his spells and set off a sound spell that rung like a gong. Everyone slowed to a stop and looked at him.
"Pack up everybody," he said, "Line up at the door, two lines, by gender. Apparently, a couple of Hogwarts students have come down with a highly contagious illness. Headmistress McGonagall wants everyone to get checked out. So we're heading up to Hospital Wing."
The students did as told, quickly, calmly, and efficiently.
Minerva blinked. There was no pushing or shoving and while they chatted quietly, each waited patiently.
"I treat them with respect, Headmistress," Harry answered her unasked question quietly, the barest hint of bitterness in his voice, as he packed up his things, "I laid out the rules, the consequences, and I respect them as people. I am the one in charge, but they know they can come to me with any worry and I'll take them seriously. In turn, they respect me."
She winced at his subtle stab.
Without anything more, he moved to the head and said, "Alright people; stick together and let's get this over with. Forward march." And off they trooped as orderly as any well behaved class could ever be.
Minerva followed after them, watching as the students followed Harry's instructions.
With a quick flick of his wand, Harry opened the Wing's doors and they all entered, still calmly.
"Hello Mister Potter," Madam Pomfrey greeted.
"Afternoon, Madam Pomfrey," he grinned, "I'd like to go first, if you don't mind…I think some of my kids are a bit scared."
"Understandable," Pomfrey nodded, "Stand in front of me."
He did so, asking, "Alright?"
"Perfect," with a complicated wand movement, Pomfrey cast the spell.
Harry's skin turned slightly green and she nodded, "You're clear, the color will clear up in a few days."
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"Brilliant," he turned to his kids, "See, guys? Didn't feel a thing. Ravenclaws first, ladies first. Headmistress, would you mind getting us some seating?"
Minerva shook her head, drawing her wand and conjuring chairs for the students.
"Right, work quietly on homework or read," Harry instructed his kids, "Madam Pomfrey needs to concentrate."
"What if we don't have work or a book, Harry?" a Ravenclaw boy asked quietly, shocking both women with the informal form of address.
"Hmm," Harry hummed, thinking, "I guess you could sketch, Adrian, or something else quietly. As long as you don't bother anyone."
The students nodded, and for extra carefulness Harry laid down a silencing ward.
Then he moved over to the Headmistress, saying lowly, "Yes, Professor?"
"They use your first name? You use theirs?" she questioned.
"I'm not an actual teacher," he pointed out calmly, "I'm only a few years older and some of them are in my House. Again, I'm the one in charge, but we're equals in a lot of ways. Whatever they wanna call me, Harry, Potter, Mister Potter, they can. And if they want me to use their first name, last name, middle name, or some sort of nickname I do."
"And you remember all that?"
"I make the effort to remember," he growled out, "if I don't respect them, meet them partway, they won't respect me. If they don't respect me, I can't teach them; If they don't respect me, and something goes wrong it can go very, very wrong very quickly."