Chapter 15
After Dumbledore Drops Dead, Part 1
Still 1 September 1991, now 9.16pm
At Hogwarts
Minerva McGonagall was almost asleep in her bed when she felt the wards shift to her.
She hurriedly sat up, instantly awake. She threw on a dressing gown and rushed to Albus's office.
She was just beginning to speak the password when the gargoyle stepped aside for her.
In the Headmaster's Office, Minerva was damned annoyed to find Albus's Potter-spying doodads—which Minerva had given much thought to hiding in the Transfiguration classroom—now piled on the headmaster's desk.
The Spirit of Hogwarts, when Minerva called her, confirmed that eighteen minutes ago, Albus had Apparated away from Hogwarts; then a few minutes ago, had died away from Hogwarts. But the Spirit of Hogwarts had no other information for Minerva.
Ten minutes after the wards woke Minerva up, Amelia Bones Floo-called. Amelia officially notified Minerva of Albus's death.
Minerva told Amelia about the doodads, and asked if the DMLE needed them as evidence for anything. Amelia said no.
The two witches, between them, agreed to vanish the doodads on the headmaster's desk and to vanish the pointer-doodad in Albus's pocket that still pointed towards Harry Potter.
The next morning (Monday, 2 September 1991, 7am)
At the start of breakfast, in the Great Hall, Hogwarts
Again-Headmistress McGonagall stood to speak to the professors and students. She made no attempt to sugarcoat her news—
"Last night after the Welcoming Feast, Albus Dumbledore learnt, by a method that I won't tell you, where Harry Potter was. Albus Dumbledore Apparated to that location and stated, in the presence of witnesses, that he intended to bring Harry Potter to Hogwarts by force if Mr Potter wouldn't come willingly. This would've been the crime of kidnapping, had Albus Dumbledore been successful. Instead, Albus Dumbledore died shortly afterwards. DMLE Director Amelia Bones, who went to the scene and investigated, determined that no crime was committed, concerning his death, and no one was arrested. Exactly how Albus Dumbledore died, I consider unimportant."
Neville Longbottom had been an Hogwarts student for half a day. Whilst older Gryffindors bemoaned the "tragic misjudgements" that had led the great ex-Gryffindor headmaster to attempt to kidnap the Boy Who Lived, the same headmaster who would be "sorely missed," Neville was saying nothing of the sort. Neville thought, Harry and Hermione were smart, going to MMA so they'd avoid Dumbledore.
The headmistress then said, "Last night, Albus Dumbledore told you that if anyone went into Classroom 3R3, he or she would die a most painful death. No longer. Thanks to the Spirit of Hogwarts and the Hogwarts house-elves, the dangers in that classroom have been removed. Classroom 3R3 is an ordinary unused classroom again. For those who were hoping for challenge and excitement this school year"—she looked directly at the Weasley Twins—"my apologies for spoiling your fun, but student safety is once again the top priority at this school."
Neville overheard the Weasley Twins tell someone, "We got the locked door unlocked, but the wards were beyond us. Except maybe if we'd been willing to lose a lot more sleep."
Two hours later (9am), at Manchester Magical Academy
Harry and Hermione, and seven other "Elevens," were led by Deputy Headmaster Meadows to the "Elevens common room," which would serve as the nine students' common room till 1 September 1992. In the Elevens common room, these nine new students were given their MMA orientation.
The brand-new students were called Elevens because every one of them was eleven years old on this, the first day of school. In the next twelve months, each student would celebrate a birthday and would become twelve; but they all would be called Elevens, regardless of their actual age, until 1 September 1992. On 1 September 1992, these nine students would be Twelves and would socialise in the Twelves common room.
Gradations in a school subject's difficulty were not called years, they were called levels, because (unlike at the castle school) a student was not locked into waiting twelve months to advance to the next harder group of classes.
By the same logic, students just beginning MMA were not called first-years, because it was expected that they would not remain at beginner-level in every subject for twelve full months. Unlike at the castle school.
Whenever a student had completed 95 percent of assignments for a level in a school subject, the student could ask for the end-of-level test for that subject. Assuming he passed the end-of-level test with at least an Acceptable, the student was promoted to the next level for that subject, and immediately could begin Lesson One for that next level.
However, if a student had been in a given level for twelve months (not counting time off due to illness or hospitalisation) and had not requested the end-of-level test, he would be required to sit the test anyway. If he scored below Acceptable, he would be forced to repeat the level for that subject from the beginning.
Students at the castle school who wished to complete their magical education to the point of sitting their NEWTs, had to attend seven years. Students at the castle school seldom attended only five years, sat their OWLs, then left the school, but this theoretically was an option for students there. On the other hand, many MMA students completed seven levels in nonmagical subjects, but only five levels, plus OWLs, in magical subjects.
(Next to Harry, Hermione huffed. Then she murmured, "Are you kidding me? I'm going all the way on both sides!")
Of those MMA students who completed seven levels in both nonmagical and magical subjects, these students completed their MMA schooling at age sixteen on average, as opposed to seventeen or eighteen at the castle school.
The reason that ordinary (non-genius) kids could progress so quickly when they were basically attending magical school and nonmagical school at the same time, was that the trick with soundproofing wards and enchanted photographs of the classroom teacher meant that for every student, every lesson in every level in every subject was taught one-on-one.
So why were MMA students grouped by their age on the first day of the school year? Because MMA's system of teaching, scattered students. At age fourteen, an MMA student might look about in a classroom for some subject and see a fifteen-year-old learning a seventh-level lesson, an eighteen-year-old learning a seventh-level lesson and an eleven-year-old learning a first-level lesson. This hypothetical fourteen-year-old might realise that he had never seen any of these students before this year's class, and he would expect to see few of them after this year's class ended in June. This hypothetical fourteen-year-old student also might realise that none of the students with whom he had begun new-student orientation, three years ago, he had classes with, this year.
The result of such a system at MMA, if nothing were done to prevent it, would be that students' friendships with each other would be shallow and brief; MMA would create a school full of teenaged loners.
The only way the castle school was superior to MMA was that the school fostered socialisation. Quarters of the first-years at that school would live together and would eat together for the next seven years, and all the first-years would have classes together for the next seven years. At MMA, the system with the seven common rooms gave MMA students the opportunity for deep socialisation as well.
In addition to the required magical subjects that MMA students eventually would sit OWL exams for, every Eleven student was required to take "Introduction to Wizarding Britain," unless the student was a transferee from the castle school. Ophelia Burke, the Alchemy teacher and the only wizard-raised member of the MMA faculty, taught Intro.
(Later in the lunchroom, a Fifteen girl told the nine gathered Elevens that all the lessons in Introduction to Wizarding Britain could be summarised in one sentence: "The inbreds expect us to learn their silly rules of etiquette, but they see all of us first-gens as monkeys, whether we're 'well-mannered' or not.")
The first ten written assignments in every first-level subject would be done as pen-and-paper writing. After this, the student would have proceeded far enough in first-level Computer Literacy class that all written assignments at MMA henceforth could be written on a computer, and all written tests at MMA would be given by computer.
(Hermione bounced in her seat, hearing the announcement about doing homework on the computer. Her father's computer at home was apparently a mighty silicon beast.)
To advance to sixth-level in any subject, the student had to pass the end-of-fifth-level test for that subject, but also had to pass the GCSE test or OWL test for that subject. The MMA school office would organise this "official" test to be given to the student, with a fortnight's notice.
After the orientation, the nine Elevens were given their timetables (class schedules). Harry's timetable looked like it had been typeset. When Harry said as much, Hermione nodded. "A computer and laser printer made this."
After receiving their timetables, the first-level students went to morning classes, then had lunch in the one lunchroom for all the students.
At noon, in MMA's lunchroom
At lunch, none of the students in the lunchroom—thirty or forty in all—did more than glance at Harry and Hermione. Harry did not get the staring he had gotten whenever Sirius had brought him to Diagon Alley.
Hermione explained it: "I suspect they never heard of you, till the Prophet wrote stories about ''HARRY POTTER TO ATTEND MMA NOT HOGWARTS. And even now the MMA students are wondering, 'Who's Harry Potter?' "
The lunchroom had plastic chairs to sit in, and fluorescent lights overhead; the lunchroom was not at all like how Hogwarts: A History described the Great Hall of Hogwarts.
Hermione and Harry just had bought their food in the lunchroom, and were looking for a table to sit at. A few other Elevens were buying food, and the rest of the Elevens already were seated at tables. Were seated alone, because all seven other Elevens were strangers to each other and were strangers to Harry and Hermione.
Hermione had an epiphany then—
One day, Harry Potter would become Lord Potter. It was a certainty.
One day, Harry and Hermione would marry. Their marriage was a certainty, because of their soulmate bond.
Ergo, one day Hermione would become Lady Potter. It was a certainty. Hermione one day would be the Head of House Potter for all things social. It was a certainty. Hermione one day would be what Narcissa Malfoy had been.
Ergo, Hermione not only needed to learn about computers and about potions at MMA, Hermione at MMA needed to learn how to act like Narcissa Malfoy.
Speaking of Narcissa Malfoy, Hermione had noticed that when Narcissa spoke with Sirius, Narcissa was not bossy. Instead, Narcissa suggested things; and if Sirius did not take her suggestion, Narcissa let the matter drop.
Now Hermione, whilst holding a food tray, said to Harry, "May I suggest we take a table that's big enough for nine people?"
Harry replied, "You want all the Elevens to sit together at lunch? That's a great idea, Hermione."
Harry and Hermione put their trays down at an enormous round table. Harry took a seat, but Hermione remained standing. She moved to the other Elevens and invited them all to sit with Harry and her at the big round table—
"All nine of us are in a strange new world. Our years here will be so much nicer if we have friends. Come sit with Harry and me and let's find out about each other."
Nobody turned down the invitation. Every boy and girl whom Hermione invited, looked relieved.
Hermione was definitely out of her comfort zone now. Hermione at Seymour Primary School, back before Harry had joined her at that school, had read books during lunchtime. Even with the extra confidence that Hermione had felt, once Harry was attending Seymour with her, she had never acted like the hostess at a dinner party before.
Now, once Hermione was sitting in her seat at the big round table, with all the other Elevens either seated at the table or soon to arrive, Hermione realised that she had forgotten everyone's name. Hermione thought, Narcissa Malfoy would not make this mistake. Hermione apologised, and all of her apologies seemed to be accepted.
Five minutes after all nine Elevens were seated at the table, Hermione made a point of going around the table and telling each child his or her name, to show that Hermione had learnt her agemate's name. After Hermione did this successfully, everyone at the table smiled as though he or she had just been given a bowl of ice cream.
Each of the Elevens told his or her story. Each of the others had done accidental magic, with their parents not knowing what had been happening—those stories were either hilarious or dramatic. Each of the others had been visited by both Deputy Headmistress McGonagall of Hogwarts and Deputy Headmaster Meadows of MMA. In each case, Minerva McGonagall had seemed to the future Eleven to be aloof and uncomfortable amidst a nonmagical family.
Harry's entire self-introduction? "My name is Harry Potter, I've been orphaned twice, and no bloody way will I ever go to Hogwarts!"
Later, whilst Harry and Hermione were walking to the first of their respective afternoon classes, Harry murmured to Hermione, "That was brilliant. I didn't know you had it in you. How did you do all that social stuff?"
Hermione murmured back, "A big part of what I was doing was 'Fake it till you make it.' Some of it was 'What would Narcissa Malfoy do?' But the rest was, Hermione Jean Granger never has backed down from a challenge in her life, and won't start now."
At 2pm, in the Hogwarts Headmistress's Office
"Enter!" responded Minerva to the knock on the door.
Professor Quirinus Quirrell stepped in. "You wished to see me, Headmistress?" he asked. He looked confused.
His confusion was understandable. Professor Quirrell had taught only two classes in this brand-new school year, he had not argued with anyone at the High Table, and he had not issued any punishments (points or detentions) to any students yet. Why am I here? was a valid question, in the circumstances.
After he was seated, Minerva plunged ahead. "Professor Quirrell, this morning I found a memory vial of Albus Dumbledore's job interview with you. Since I couldn't imagine why he'd save the memory, much less want to view it months later, I viewed the memory."
Professor Quirrell looked worried.
Minerva now was looking down at a parchment, not at the professor. "During the interview, Albus Dumbledore asked you about Lord Voldemort, saying to you, 'During your "Dark Arts Grand Tour," did you go looking for him?' You replied, 'I did, I went looking for the wraith of Lord Voldemort. I tracked him down to Albania of all places, but I never found him.' "
Now Minerva looked Professor Quirrell in the eyes. "Albus Dumbledore hired a Death Eater to teach Potions and kept him on for years, when the man was clearly unsuited for teaching. Now here you are, who admits to being a strong admirer of You-Know-Who. Or do you deny this?"
Professor Quirrell replied, "In the Seventies, Lord Voldemort spoke out against Muggle-borns ruining our culture. Yes, I find this admirable, and him admirable for taking a stand, though I condemn his later actions."
"Admiring Lord Voldemort for criticising Muggle-borns is a strange attitude from a former Muggle Studies professor."
"Purebloods need to understand their enemy!"
Minerva's voice grew cold. "Blood-status is an annoyance here; it gets in the way of teaching. Our job is to pass knowledge to the ignorant and to be patient with the thick. Full stop. Whether a child's parents have magic, or how many generations back the parents had magic, doesn't matter when teaching the child. Or rather, it doesn't matter whilst I run this school.
"A year ago during a Muggle-born home visit, I met an eleven-year-old girl with a mind so brilliant, it was like conversing with Rowena Ravenclaw. Her being Sorted into Ravenclaw would have been perfect for her, and she perfect for that House. But she isn't in Ravenclaw today, and she isn't in Hogwarts today. Her brilliant mind investigated, and discovered that for a Muggle-born, seven years at Hogwarts is a waste of her time. Had she come here and sat in your DADA class, I shudder to think how you'd have treated her."
Now Minerva's voice was without emotion: "Quirinus Quirrell, I am dismissing you for Unsuitability. Please be out of the castle by 5pm. You will be paid for the next fortnight, through 16 September."
As soon as shocked ex-Professor Quirrell left, Minerva went to the Floo and Floo-called Remus Lupin and Sirius Black. She told them, "Quirrell is sacked. Please come through."
As soon as Mr Lupin was seated, he asked Minerva, "Are you sure you want to do this? To hire me as DADA Professor and Head of House for Gryffindor?"
She replied, "I should have doubts because you're a werewolf? You're also a former Gryffindor prefect, and you have a Mastery in Defence Against the Dark Arts. For me, this is an easy decision."
Mr Lupin shifted in his seat. "I being a werewolf is not your only problem if you hire me. Tell her, Sirius."
"Me? Why me?" Lord Black said, looking nervous.
"Because you're the thoughtless berk who almost got Severus killed and me put down!"
Minerva's eyebrows shot up.
Clearly ashamed, Lord Black told a tale of pulling a cruel prank on student Severus Snape at Hogwarts that quickly went off script. Student-Severus almost had been mauled by werewolf-Remus, except that student-James had rescued student-Severus.
Now Minerva glared at Lord Black whilst she sat silently. The silence stretched.
Eventually she said to Lord Black, "Mr James Potter, Pettigrew and you became Animagi whilst at Hogwarts. I did it because I wanted the Gryffindor Quidditch captain to notice me. Why did you three do it?"
Lord Black smiled. "Remus mentioned that an Animagus in animal form was in no danger from a werewolf—"
Remus interrupted: "Which I mentioned only as an interesting fact. I certainly was not hinting that you, James and Peter should become Animagi!"
Lord Black still was smiling at Minerva. "Anyway, by then we others had figured out that Remus was a werewolf. James, me and the traitor went through the process so that we could keep Moony—which is what we called the werewolf—company during full moons. We three pushed ourselves, and eventually we made three Animagus transformations happen. I've such good memories of the four of us, running together in the Forbidden Forest beneath the moonlight."
Minerva looked at Mr Lupin in confusion. "How did you get out of the werewolf cage in the Shrieking Shack? I was told that in your werewolf form, you cannot open the door."
Lord Black smiled fondly. "James or I would open the door—Peter never went near that door, ever—then the door-opener would back away and transform before Moony could maul James or me. After this, three of us ran straight for the Forbidden Forest, with rat-Peter clutching onto stag-James' back or onto my back in my Grim form. Good times."
Minerva was shocked silent. When she finally spoke, it was to ask, way too calmly, "Lord Black, what would you, Mr Potter and Pettigrew have done if uncaged Moony had run not towards the Forbidden Forest, but towards the castle? Untold numbers of innocent children would've died or been turned, and Mr Lupin would've been beheaded with a silver axe. I admire your amazing efforts to comfort a friend, but your irresponsibility astounds and horrifies me."
To both wizards' shock, Remus Lupin then was offered the position of teaching DADA and being Gryffindor Head of House; and Sirius Black was offered the position of substitute for Remus during the day after a full moon—
This was the good news.
The bad news: Minerva required a fierce magical oath from each of them.
Remus Lupin had to swear on his magic and his life that he would not leave his werewolf cage at any time during his werewolf transformation, and Sirius Black had to swear on his magic and his life that he would never open the door of the werewolf cage whilst Remus was transformed.
Before Remus Lupin spoke his oath, Minerva warned him, "Even with you drinking Wolfsbane before every full moon, I still insist on the oath about the werewolf cage."
After the two wizards had given their oaths and had signed the employment contracts, Professor Black looked at Professor Lupin and said, "No more Forbidden Forest for us, Moony."
Professor Lupin nodded. "Except during daytime. If then."
Professor Black sighed. "Which is nowhere near as much fun."
Meanwhile with Harry
After lunch at MMA, Harry, Hermione and the other seven first-levels went to MMA afternoon classes.
After Harry and Hermione sat their afternoon classes, Hermione dragged Harry to the MMA school library. Harry watched Hermione donate her copy of Hogwarts: A History to the librarian.
By five o'clock, thanks to individual, two-way Portkeys, Harry was back in Black Manor, and Hermione was back in the Granger house in Crawley.
That evening, Harry ate dinner in Black Manor with Sirius (but not Remus). Harry had been eating dinner with Sirius every night for almost a year and an half; but this night, the Marauder was acting as though Harry was doing something amazing.
If Harry's activities that day were amazing to Sirius—it was Harry's first day of classes in Britain's non-Hogwarts magical school—the reason for Remus's absence was just as amazing to Harry. Remus now was the Hogwarts DADA professor!
At dinner, Sirius mentioned to Harry that he had found the place in the Potter ledger that listed what James and Lily had prepaid in 1980 for Harry to attend Hogwarts for seven years: G28 147.
(Which was over £140 000, Harry estimated.)
Tomorrow Sirius would write to Headmistress McGonagall and would ask for this money back, now that it was clear that Harry was not attending Hogwarts.
Sirius remarked, "If Dumbledore were still headmaster, I would expect a flat-out refusal, accompanied by pretty excuses. Eventually we'd be paid something, but it wouldn't be G28 147, and we'd have to sue Dumbledore and Hogwarts to get it—which means paying law-wizards out of whatever coinage Dumbledore deigned to pay us. Hopefully Minnie is more honourable than Dumbledore was."
The next morning: Tuesday, 3 September 1991
At Black Manor
Sirius Black received a Gringotts bank draft and a note, both from Headmistress McGonagall. The bank draft was for G28 147—the full amount that Sirius had asked for.
The note from the headmistress said simply, "I'm sorrier than I can say that Albus Dumbledore drove Mr Potter away from Hogwarts. I wish Mr Potter and Miss Granger happiness and good learning at Manchester Magical Academy."
Sirius was gobsmacked. How did Minnie know that Harry and Hermione are a couple?
Meanwhile in the Great Hall, Hogwarts
Ron's and Percy's prediction of a day and an half ago, proved true. When the post-owls came, after breakfast, Percy saw that Errol was right there with the other owls; but Errol was carrying a smoking red envelope for Percy.
"PERCIVAL IGNATIUS WEASLEY, SHAME ON YOU FOR USING STINGING HEXES ON YOUR BROTHER RONALD IN THE GREAT HALL TO HURT AND TO PUBLICLY HUMILIATE HIM! IF YOU HAD A PROBLEM WITH HIS TABLE MANNERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE SPOKEN TO HIM PRIVATELY, AFTER THE WELCOMING FEAST! YOU ARE WEAK IN FAMILY LOYALTY, PERCIVAL, JUST LIKE YOUR OLDER BROTHERS, AND I'M SO DISAPPOINTED IN YOU."
Down the Gryffindor table, Ron said smugly, "Tol' y' y'd ge' an H'le' fr'm Mu'." Told you you'd get an Howler from Mum.
Percival stood up, walked down to the first-years section of the Gryffindor table and Stinging-Hexed Ron. Percy said, "Eat like an human, Ronald Bilius. I've got just under twenty-four hours before I again catch excrement from Mum for making you not eat like a pig."
Lavender Brown glared at Weasley the firstie and said, " 'Pig'—that's what I'll call you from now on, Ronald Weasley, because you eat like a pig unless your brother stops you."
The Gryffindor Patil twin said, "I agree."
Meanwhile, Percy's girlfriend, Penelope Clearwater, had stood up from the fifth-years section of the Ravenclaw table and had Sonorused herself. "HEADMISTRESS, I'M DEEPLY OFFENDED BY THE STINKING HYPOCRICY OF MOLLY WEASLEY REBUKING HER SON PERCY FOR SUPPOSEDLY PUBLICLY HUMILIATING HIS BROTHER RON, WHEN THE WAY SHE REBUKED PERCY MADE HER REBUKE HEARD BY EVERY PERSON IN THE GREAT HALL. I BEG YOU, PLAY WITH THE CASTLE WARDS SO THEY STOP HOWLERS! QUIETUS."
Penelope's suggestion got applause and cheers from second-years through seventh-years, at all four tables. Percy, who still had his wand pointed at Ron, thought, If Mum's Howlers are so hated, Dad needs to be told this.
Headmistress McGonagall stood up from where she was sitting at the High Table. "Miss Clearwater, you made an excellent suggestion, and I will add a stop-Howler ward as soon as I can. Twenty points to Ravenclaw."
Then the Headmistress looked over at the Weasleys at the Gryffindor table. "Besides adjusting the castle wards, Misters Weasley, I also will write a strongly-worded letter to both your mother and your father. I shall inform both of them that your mother's Howlers no longer will be tolerated."
This caused another round of applause in the Great Hall.
When Percy looked at Ron again, Percy saw that Ron's ears were red. Which meant that Ron was angry about something. Percy could not guess exactly what was angering Ron; and truthfully, Percy did not care.
That evening, Penelope dragged her boyfriend Percy into a broom cupboard—which was especially scandalous because they both were prefects.
In the broom cupboard, Penelope consoled Percy over being sent an Howler by his mother.
A bit over two months later
Saturday, 9 November 1991, 12.03pm
The Gryffindor/Slytherin Quidditch game starts in two hours
The Great Hall, Hogwarts
The students' point of view
Saturday lunch just had begun when Professor Black, who lived somewhere other than Hogwarts and who twice had taught DADA for a day when Professor Lupin had been ill, walked into the Great Hall. Nobody was surprised by Professor Black's visit, because he, like Professor Lupin, was a proud former Gryffindor. Clearly he was here to watch his former House play Quidditch in two hours.
Professor Black being here was no surprise for onlookers. The surprise was who was with him: a boy and a girl, who were young enough to be firsties. Each of the children was wearing blue jeans and trainers, and a white windcheater that said "MMA" in orange on the left breast.
At first, most of the students asked, "Who are the kids?"
Susan Bones, Hufflepuff firstie, and Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor firstie, answered this question. First-years in Slytherin and Ravenclaw overheard Susan's and Neville's answers.
The name Hermione Granger meant nothing to the students, but the news "Harry Potter has come to Hogwarts!" raced up all four tables. The gossip travelled from the first-years end of each table to the seventh-years end, almost instantly.
Professor Black led Harry Potter and the Granger girl up to the High Table, to where Headmistress McGonagall was seated. The Headmistress spoke with polite Harry Potter and with the clearly excited girl. Seventh-years at all four tables, who were the closest students to the High Table, noted the Headmistress's expression: regret.
By now, Professor Lupin had stood up and had walked around the High Table to stand in front of it. As soon as Harry Potter and the girl finished speaking with Headmistress McGonagall, the children rushed over to where smiling Professor Lupin was waiting. The professor and Harry Potter shook hands, then gave each other manly shoulder-slaps; but the Granger girl astounded the entire room, students and professors alike, when she hugged Professor Lupin. Both Professor Lupin and Professor Black, far from looking offended, looked happy.
Professors Black and Lupin, with the two children following, walked to the left, then stopped where Enyd Miller, Potions professor and MMA alumna, was eating. Professor Miller stood up. She was wearing a grey wool skirt-suit—an outfit quite Muggle but, according to Muggle-born students, quite dignified and professional. Professor Lupin introduced the children to Professor Miller, then introduced her to the children. Harry Potter and the Granger girl then bowed or curtseyed to the Potions professor and spoke the proper Pureblood words for first meeting. Professor Miller gave a smaller curtsey whilst she spoke the same Pureblood words for first meeting.
What struck those Hogwarts students who were close enough to this encounter to see it well, was that Harry Potter, the Granger girl and Professor Miller all were smirking.
Then the Granger girl said, "I've advanced to second level in all my nonmagical classes," and Professor Miller looked like she was about to drop into her chair in shock.
Professor Black then led the children to the first-years end of the Hufflepuff table, whilst Professor Miller and Professor Lupin retook their seats.
Harry's point of view
Harry, along with Sirius and Hermione, had just walked away from the wide table in the front, where the professors sat.
Now the trio was walking along the aisle between the Slytherin table and the Hufflepuff table, because Susan Bones was their next stop, and Susan was sitting on the Slytherin side of the Hufflepuff table.
As Harry and his first-generation soulmate Hermione, along with Sirius, approached the area between the first-year Hufflepuffs and the first-year Slytherins, Harry noticed Draco Malfoy. Draco was sitting amongst the first-year Slytherins.
Harry and Hermione both were wearing MMA windcheaters, so it was unsurprising that Draco was sneering at Harry, Hermione and Sirius, all three. Draco was making no effort to be subtle about it.
The students' point of view
As Professor Black, Harry Potter and the Granger girl approached Susan Bones, she stood up and stepped into the Hufflepuff-Slytherin aisle.
Susan Bones curtseyed to Professor Black, whom she addressed as "Lord Black." Professor Black bowed to Susan, whom he addressed as "Heiress Bones." She held out her hand, palm down, and he kissed her knuckles.
Then the MMA children and "Heiress Bones" greeted each other formally. (Hogwarts students gasped when Susan Bones addressed Harry Potter as "Heir Potter-Malfoy-Black.") Harry Potter bowed to Susan Bones whilst Susan Bones curtseyed back; and Susan Bones and the Granger girl exchanged curtseys. Harry Potter kissed Susan Bones's knuckles. It was all quite proper.
A minute later at the Gryffindor table, "Lord Black" and "Heir Longbottom" exchanged formal greetings and bows. But right afterwards, nobody was surprised anymore when the Granger girl hugged the stuffing out of Neville Longbottom.
Neville's point of view
Neville listened as Hermione, Harry and Professor Black, Harry's godfather, spoke a few words by the Gryffindor table, then Professor Black walked away to sit at the High Table next to Professor Lupin. Meanwhile, Gryffindor firsties had slid down the two Gryffindor benches, so that Harry and Hermione could sit amongst Gryffindors who were their agemates (but not schoolmates).
Before the visitors took seats, Neville introduced Harry to the Gryffindor firsties (not that Harry needed introducing), then Neville introduced Hermione to the Gryffindor firsties. Neville then raised his voice a bit, so that Ravenclaw firsties could overhear, whilst he said, "Hermione Granger is smarter than anyone I've ever met. If she'd come to Hogwarts, the Hat would've put her in Ravenclaw in a second."
Neville introduced the seven other Gryffindor firsties to Harry and Hermione. Neville was relieved that he remembered everyone's names.
Harry and Hermione then sat down with the Gryffindor firsties, and this began for Neville his most remarkable meal at Hogwarts since the Welcoming Feast, which had been a bit over two months ago.
Lavender and Parvati asked Hermione what students at MMA wore to school every day, since MMA students did not wear robes. Dean Thomas, a Muggle-born—which Hermione corrected to be first-generation wizard—had many questions about MMA's subjects and classes. Then there was—Neville sighed—Ron Weasley.
"Harry, mate," said Ron, "come sit next to me during the game." All the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw firsties noticed that Hermione was not included in Ron's invitation.
Harry's point of view
By now, Neville's letters had told Harry more than he ever wanted to know about Ron Weasley; but Harry kept annoyance out of his tone when he replied, "Can't do it. I'll be watching the game with Sirius and Remus"—Hermione elbowed him—"with Professor Black and Professor Lupin, also Neville. Susan Bones might or might not sit with us."
Ron said, "The Boy Who Lived, sitting with a Swot, a Squib and a Duffer, plus two stuffy professors? No. You're sitting with me, mate."
Neville snapped, "I proved myself not a Squib after Professor Black arm-twisted Gran to buy me a new wand. Remind me, 'Pig,' of you and me, who got their feather to float first last week?"
Parvati the Indian girl glanced at Ron, then looked at Harry and Hermione. Parvati said viciously, " 'Pig' was the last in our class to float his feather. Even Dean was faster, and Dean never heard of Wingardium Leviosa till last week."
Harry noticed that Weasley's ears were turning red. Weasley's ears turned even redder when Harry said coldly, "I don't know you, 'Pig,' and I have no wish to know anyone who still talks with their mouth full at eleven years old. You seem to think that the Boy Who Lived will sit with you at the game just because that's what you want. Dumbledore also thought that he owned the Boy Who Lived, and Dumbledore was a right berk. My last reason to tell you 'No bloody way in hell'? You didn't invite Hermione. I don't care whether your reason is she's a girl or she's a first-generation witch. Have Dean explain to you what the word loser means, because that word fits you perfectly."
Then Harry turned to Seamus Finnigan and asked him whether it was true what Neville had written Harry, that Seamus had made his feather catch fire in Charms class during the Levitation Charm lesson? Grinning Seamus nodded.
(Hermione murmured something that sounded like "Boys!")
Ron Weasley refused to be ignored. "What do I need to learn Wingardium LevioSA for? When I'm playing professional Quidditch, I won't be levitating things."
Hermione said archly, "It's LeviOsa, not LevioSA."
Hours later, by the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch
For the Gryffindors (and former Gryffindors) who had been watching the game, the score was Greek tragedy.
Slytherin had been ahead of Gryffindor, 60 to 20, when Terence Higgs had outflown Gryffindor Seeker Edgar Fawley to catch the Snitch. The final score: Slytherin 210, Gryffindor 20.
For the Gryffindor spectators, it was not dismaying enough that Edgar Fawley had not seen the Snitch before Terence Higgs had seen it. No, those in the stands who were close enough to overhear, discovered that MMA-attending spectator Harry Potter could point to the Snitch any moment the Snitch was in the air; Potter had spotted the Snitch before both Higgs and Fawley had spotted it.
Gryffindor played two more Quidditch games, in February 1992 and in May 1992. Harry, Hermione, Sirius, Remus and Neville sat together for each game. Harry and Hermione wore, depending on the temperature, their white/orange MMA windcheaters; or thick winter coats, orange/white neck scarves and orange/white MMA wool caps. In either case, Harry and Hermione also wore conjured red/gold armbands.
Hufflepuff merely defeated Gryffindor; the Gryffindor/Ravenclaw game was so lopsided that it went into the Quidditch-history books. And two times more, Harry Potter, whilst sitting in the spectator stands, spotted the Snitch before either the opposing team's Seeker or Edgar Fawley caught the Snitch.
During the summer: Thursday, 30 July 1992
At Longbottom Hall
The joint Neville/Harry "They're twelve!" birthday bash
Adult supervision for the party was done by Regent Augusta Longbottom, Lord Sirius Black and Professor Remus Lupin.
Harry inviting Hermione to the birthday bash was a no-brainer. Harry also invited the seven other MMA Elevens, with magical transportation provided by Harry's godfather Sirius Black. Neville, for his part, invited all forty other former firsties at Hogwarts. Sirius provided magical transportation for the Hogwarts Muggle-borns.
Two professors/teachers also were invited—
• Ophelia Burke (she completed Hogwarts, and was now teaching at MMA); and
• Enyd Miller (she completed MMA, and was now a professor at Hogwarts). Enyd Miller also was invited because she was dating Professor Lupin, despite whatever furry problems he might have.
The clothing that was worn to the birthday bash, varied quite a bit. Augusta Longbottom and Sirius Black wore formal robes. Remus Lupin, Ophelia Burke and the wizard-raised children—including Neville—wore casual robes. Augusta Longbottom had wanted her grandson to wear formal robes for his birthday party, but Sirius had talked Augusta out of it. All the nonmagical-raised partygoers, and this included Enyd Miller and Harry, wore denim jeans or denim skirts. Enyd Miller was wearing cork-wedgie shoes, which the magical-raised witches asked about.
Mandy Brocklehurst of Ravenclaw, and Pansy Parkinson and Tracey Davis of Slytherin, tried to do the twelve-year-old-girl version of flirting with Harry Potter. Those three got nowhere—as Susan Bones, Neville Longbottom and Pamela, Martina and Marybeth (the three girl Elevens other than Hermione) would have told the would-be flirts, had they asked. When Hermione was near Harry, then to Harry, every other girl on the planet was like a sister.
Contrast Harry's disinterest towards the three Hogwarts flirts with the fact that for 95 percent of the birthday bash, Harry and Hermione were holding hands or had their arms round each other's waists.
But whilst Harry was taken, Neville was not taken—and whilst Harry still could see a bit of Neville's 1990 shyness, Neville was much more confident now. Harry noticed that Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott and Daphne Greengrass were eating up Neville's confidence with a spoon.
(Harry overheard Sirius say to Remus, "Somebody needs to give Neville The Talk soon.")
Neville introduced Daphne Greengrass to Hermione as "the person in our year who scored the highest marks on average." Daphne tried to smile modestly, but did not quite succeed. Then Neville introduced Hermione to Daphne as "the witch who would've outscored you if she'd attended Hogwarts." Daphne's eyes narrowed—
—then the two smart witches got into a discussion of inanimate-to-animate transfiguration, which nobody except Su Li of Ravenclaw and Professor Lupin could follow. Harry certainly could not follow the witches' discussion.
The MMA students got to see kids their age play Quidditch. The Hogwarts students got to see footy (soccer) played, though with only three on a team. When Gryffindor Muggle-born Dean Thomas was asked to join one of the footy teams, he looked like he was about to do cartwheels, he was so happy.
Magical-raised children got to drink fizzy drinks for the first time. MMA kids got to drink pumpkin juice for the first time. Each group of kids decided they preferred the drink they had grown up with.
Dean Thomas and Justin Finch-Fletchley, two Hogwarts "Muggle-borns," spent much time talking with MMA "first-gens." Harry thought that those two Hogwarts wizards were trying to decide whether to transfer to MMA.
Enyd Miller asked Harry and Hermione how they were doing at MMA. Harry answered that he was already at second-level in all his classes, both magical and nonmagical. Hermione was third-level in all her nonmagical classes and in Transfiguration, and second-level in all her other magical classes. The smiling Potions professor praised Hermione.
Augusta Longbottom sent Ron Weasley home, an hour after the redhead had arrived. By the end of that hour, Weasley had insulted the Slytherins, the Hufflepuffs, the Ravenclaws and the four other MMA boys (for knowing nothing about Quidditch). But Ron's biggest crime in Neville's Gran's eyes was that he passed up socialising to eat. (And eat, and eat...)
For whatever reason, Draco Malfoy did not attend the birthday party.
For Harry, the birthday party was brilliant. Only Ron Weasley asked to see Harry's forehead scar, and nobody asked Harry whether he had killed Dumbledore.
Harry's good mood continued the next morning, as he skimmed that day's Daily Prophet. The Prophet mentioned the birthday bash in vague but complimentary terms.
Unbeknownst to Harry, Sirius, before the birthday bash, had talked Augusta into contracting for anti-animagus wards on Longbottom Hall.
The result of this was that when Rita Skeeter had tried to crash the party, she had wound up as a lightning-fried water beetle. (Had she tried to walk in or to Apparate in, in her human form, she would have been merely blocked from entry.)
The Daily Prophet printed no nasty words about the birthday bash because Rita Skeeter was not alive to write those nasty words.
A bit over a month later: Tuesday, 1 September 1992
At Hogwarts
Second year for Neville (and his agemates); first year for Luna
Remus Lupin, who by now was respected and well liked by students and professors alike, returned as DADA professor. Since he had been DADA professor for two days short of one year, and it looked highly unlikely that he would drop dead in the next two days, the students finally believed it: The "DADA Curse" is broken. The applause, when Headmistress McGonagall announced that Lupin was returning as DADA professor, went on forever, and the cheering was thunderous.
Even if the DADA Curse had been active, and had Gotcha'd Remus Lupin, the DADA professor for 1992-93 would not have been Gilderoy Lockhart. Lockhart still was serving his sentence in Azkaban.
Firstie Luna Lovegood was Sorted into Ravenclaw. Firstie Ginny Weasley was Sorted into Gryffindor. Ginny could hardly wait till Gryffindor played its first Quidditch game of the year, when Ginny would meet Harry Potter, the wizard she would marry one day.
About two months later: Saturday, 7 November 1992
The Gryffindor/Ravenclaw Quidditch game
Just like last year, Harry and Hermione in their MMA finery were watching an Hogwarts Quidditch game—but this time not with Sirius, Remus and Neville.
According to Neville, the first game of the year was supposed to be Gryffindor v. Slytherin. But then the schedule was changed, because of something that Draco Malfoy had done.
Gryffindor second-years Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil had shared the lurid details with Harry and with Hermione—
Draco had wanted to buy seventy thousand galleons' worth of new brooms for the Slytherin Quidditch team, as his way to buy his way into the Slytherin Starting Seeker position. But this plan would have required the approval of his mother Narcissa, the Regent Malfoy, and she had said, "No, we can't afford it."
So Draco had been forced to carry out boring Plan EE: to try out for the team like everyone else in Slytherin. Draco had been given the Reserve Seeker position, which was superb for a second-year.
Meanwhile, fourth-year Sam Flint, who had been the Slytherin Reserve Seeker last year, this year had been promoted to Starting Seeker.
Draco had not wanted to wait years to become Starting Seeker. He had cursed Sam Flint in the back, and the curse had been nasty enough to put Flint in Saint Mungo's for a month. Unfortunately for Draco, a sixth-year Hufflepuff prefect had witnessed Draco's foul deed.
Lord Marcus Flint had wanted Draco to be expelled, his wand snapped, his core bound, and Draco Obliviated of all knowledge of magic. To Narcissa, this would have been the same as giving Draco the Kiss.
But Headmistress McGonagall, Lord Flint and Regent Malfoy had worked out a deal. Slytherin's games were rescheduled so that they would be the last three games out of six games played in 1992-93. As for Draco, he had been demoted to first-year student, his racing broom had been given to Lord Flint and Draco had been banned from playing Quidditch for his entire time at Hogwarts.
The Gryffindor/Ravenclaw game originally had been scheduled for May 1993. Now it was to be played on 7 November 1992—two years, one month and sixteen days after Luna Lovegood had predicted to Harry and Hermione, "But Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, I shall see both of you again, two years from now when I'm an Hogwarts firstie, at the Ravenclaw-Gryffindor Quidditch game."
Before the game, Harry and Hermione had eaten lunch with Neville and the other Gryffindor second-years, whilst a ginger-haired Gryffindor firstie girl had listened silently. But for the actual game, Harry and Hermione sat in the Ravenclaw seats, with Luna between them. For this game, Harry and Hermione wore no armbands.
Harry and Hermione did not know what to think about Luna. At times she sounded loony, just like her insulting nickname. Luna talked about magical animals that Hermione never had read about! But at other times, the young couple was convinced that Luna was some sort of Seer—
Right after Ravenclaws were screaming because a Ravenclaw Chaser had put the Quaffle through a Gryffindor hoop, Luna said, "Hermione Granger, only two people ever will understand your mind; but your soulmate Harry Potter always will understand your heart. How lucky you are! Harry Potter, Wizarding Britain needs changing, and you are the only one to change it. Only you have the magical power and only you have the perspective. O Harry Potter, hear me: vanquish the last traces of the Dark Lord, with Hermione Potter by your side."