"Kreacher!" Harry called out.

With a loud crack, the house-elf apparated before his master. His big bulging eyes took in the surroundings and his face betrayed his disgust. They were currently in the loo of the restaurant, where Harry was invited to have lunch. He had excused himself from Slughorn so as to send a message to Ginny that he'd be late. Otherwise, in times such as these, she and the others would start fretting about his safety.

"I know," said Harry, watching his house-elf's expressions of disapproval regarding the cleanliness of the place. "Listen, Kreacher, I need you to pass a message to Ginny from me. Tell her that I am meeting someone. It's important. Also, tell her not to worry, I am alright and I will return home soon. Can you do that?"

Harry sighed; Kreacher was busy throwing distasteful looks around, obviously repulsed that he was summoned here in a loo. What was he supposed to do? He very well couldn't call him among Muggles? Before he could get a reply from the indignant house-elf, Harry watched in horror, as Kreacher snapped his fingers and set a Cleaning Charm around the area. Obviously the sanitary conditions did not meet Kreacher's high standards.

"Kreacher! Wha-What are you doing?" Harry was glad that he had atleast bolted the door from others entering. If not, it would have been a direct dent to the Statute of Secrecy.

Kreacher bobbed his small head, "Kreacher will deliver the message" and disapparated.

Of all the - Harry cursed. Out of the frying pan into the fire - really that should be the apt description of his life. Now he would be surely expelled for underage magic, when it wasn't even his fault. He frowned, massaging his forehead and contemplating on what to do next. He started pacing. He didn't really think that Kreacher wanted to get him in trouble. But in trouble he was, and this time he didn't know how to explain his innocence. The charm did its work and stopped. Harry vowed to order Kreacher clean Grimmauld Place from top to bottom, if he was being so concerned about cleanliness.

The letter warning him of performing underage magic should have come by now - after all the Ministry would detect the magic even if he hadn't cast it. He still carried the Trace. That's how he was blamed for the Hover Charm Dobby had used at Privet Drive. Wait. Or would it be cancelled by the fact that an adult wizard, Slughorn, was in the vicinity. But magic cast by adults couldn't be traced and this wasn't a registered magical address at the Ministry. This was a muggle public setting - meaning if Harry carried the Trace, the Charm's perpetrator would be assumed to be Harry, since he was the only underage wizard close by. But nothing happened - no owl swooped by to deliver his warning (or expulsion) from the Department of Improper Use of Magic.

He stood puzzling over this unexpected turn for some time. After an indeterminate period, a thought struck him - a crazy thought, but one easily investigated.

Here goes nothing, he thought. With a wave of his wand, he caused one of the knickknacks to hover in the air. He sent it zooming around for a bit, then carefully placed it back down where it had
been. Then he waited.

Nothing. No letter.

Harry smiled as he realised the implications - he and Ginny no longer carried the Trace. They could use magic like all the other adults. Perhaps it had something to do with their soul and mind being of age. Whatever the reason, he didn't think to investigate the matter any further - that was the job for the Unspeakables in the Department of Mysteries. It would be laughable if he was supposed to defeat the darkest wizard (again) under the fear of underage magic. It seemed Kreacher was still determined to undermine Harry as his master. No matter. He conjured his Patronus with a wave of his wand and sent it to Ginny - even if Kreacher didn't deliver his message, Prongs would.

He quickly refreshed himself and went out to join his host. Bumping into Slughorn was very fortunate indeed. Harry had an inkling of what he was doing wandering around the Muggle world. If he could recall correctly, Slughorn had broken his contact with the Wizarding world and gone into hiding. He had no idea if he believed in Voldemort's return, but he probably must've decided not to risk it, incase he came calling by. It was he, who had given advice to young Tom Riddle about the path to immortality. If only Harry could convince him to return to the post of Potions at Hogwarts, it would save everyone from Umbridge's reign. That would mean Snape teaching the DADA. Harry shrugged - well better him than the pink devil.

"Oh, there you are," Slughorn said. "You've been a very long time. Upset stomach?"

Harry sat down, shaking his head, "There was some cleaning going on."

"I hope you don't mind I ordered for you - the roast beef here is simply delicious. I have been coming here for years now. Not to mention, it is quite close to our Ministry. I do sometimes pop in there to visit some friends."

"Were you visiting someone today?" Harry asked.

"Oh no. I was just in the neighbourhood. Although I have been quite out of touch for a few months. Else, I would be in constant contact with my friends and former students."

"You taught Potions at Hogwarts before Professor Snape, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"I have heard that you had a sort of club consisting of them?" inquired Harry tactfully. "Hagrid gave me an album of my mum and dad's years at Hogwarts. That's how I recognised you - I saw mum in quite a few pictures."

"Oh yes! Lily Evans. One of the brightest I ever taught. Vivacious, you know. Charming girl. I used to tell her she ought to have been in my House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back too." He then added, "I was the Head of Slytherin. You'll be Gryffindor like your parents, I suppose?"

Harry nodded.

The food had arrived and the two commenced consuming their meal, with Harry complimenting Slughorn's taste. They continued chatting, mostly Slughorn doing the talking, about his famous ex-students. Curious as the retired professor was, he didn't question Harry about his trial until after they were halfway through their eating. Harry recited the story in a very sincere manner. He was certain that he had impressed him with his ability to cast a corporeal Patronus. He let the discourse find its own way. Soon enough, he was recounting about the Triwizard Tournament.

"Yes, it was all very suspicious. An underage student competing. But you did very well from what I heard. Of course it was marred by the - the death at the end," Slughorn commented. "Now, the word is -," he said suggestively.

And there it was.

"Voldemort has returned," Harry put it bluntly. Slughorn gave a shudder and a squawk of protest, which he ignored.

"It's true then?"

Harry regarded him straight in the eyes, "Yes. I fought him - well barely. He wanted my blood for his resurrection, that's how I got caught up in participating in the tournament. I escaped narrowly."

Slughorn gazed into space for a moment or two.

"Of course, the majority of the wizarding world thinks I am lying. A tall tale to enhance my significance," said Harry, dryly.

"Dumbledore supports your claim."

"I told him everything immediately after I got out of the maze. And he always believed that Voldemort would return. Now that he has -," Harry left it hanging.

"No one knows how You-Know-Who met his end on that Halloween years ago," said Slughorn, tredding carefully on that uncomfortable topic. "After years of peace and rebuilding, it is hard to accept that - that a thirteen-fourteen year old boy witnessed his return. And escaped alive too."

Harry had heard it all. "To be honest sir, that isn't a reason to bury heads in sand. That is exactly playing into Voldemort's hands. As for how he vanished on Halloween, it was my mother. My mum who stood bravely against him and conquered - not with some spell or ancient magic, but with love. Her love for me was greater than any other Dark Magic - which led to me surviving the Killing Curse."

Silence descended between them. Slughorn was distinctly feeling uneasy.

"What do you plan to do sir? - in your retirement, I mean." Harry decided to come directly to his main subject, and to keep the conversion going.

"Well, I don't know. It's been a lot of care-free years since I stepped down," replied Slughorn.

"You must miss it sir. Teaching. You were the favourite among students," said Harry.

Slughorn chuckled. "I certainly hope so. How about you? - your mother was a dab hand at Potions. Very gifted."

"Unfortunately. I don't share her skill. In fact, Professor Snape makes it known every time in his class. Though not many have been quite proficient in the subject as of late."

"Surely, that isn't a bad reflection of his teaching abilities."

Harry had quite the descriptive words for it. Instead, he decided to soften the blow. "He is quite vindictive, if I may be allowed to say so." This caused Slughorn to raise his eyebrows. "No offense to his potioneering. But he just doesn't have the patience and ability to teach a subject that is very much hands-on. It is also true, that Potions is not his dream job. He has always wanted to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Why doesn't he then?"

"Imbalance of teaching staff. There's always a vacuum for that post. Even now, Professor Dumbledore is struggling to find a suitable replacement for Defense. If Professor Snape were to switch to Defense, who would teach Potions?" Harry smiled inwardly. He could see the cogs turning in Slughorn's head.

Harry let it hover for a moment, and then he acted as if he had been struck by an idea, "How about you sir?"

"Me!?"

"Perhaps you could come out of retirement. It would be an honour to be taught by you. I am sure, all of the new generation of witches and wizards would learn a lot under your guidance." Harry wondered if he was laying it a bit thick. However one look at Slughorn told him that the old man was very flattered. Harry then added as an afterthought, "I would be one of them; I am an OWL student and I would really like to continue with the subject in NEWTs."

Slughorn looked interested. He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted. Harry didn't know whether the proposition to return to teaching had been presented to him already by Dumbledore. How had he convinced him last time - he was shown how much he stood to gain by coming out of his retirement.

Slughorn sighed. The waiter, unluckily, opted to come in with the bill. Slughorn didn't reply, but paid the bill with Muggle money. Harry was now feeling uncertain.

"Harry, my dear boy, you make this old professor very much pleased. But...these are confusing times. The prudent wizard keeps his head down in such times. Siding with Dumbledore, not to mention if he, if he really is back -," Slughorn trailed off. "Mainly, I am no Gryffindor like him and you."

Harry understood - he must've concluded how Voldemort had manipulated him into liking him. And how he had betrayed his trust by asking about favours and confiding with the Dark Arts like Horcruxes. The guilt, that he had probably had a hand in helping him achieve a terrible power, was eating him alive.

"Not everything has to be divided under the Houses. Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw - they don't influence our actions. It is our choices that are important and the choice to do what's right is always difficult." Harry didn't know when the discussion had taken a dive into philosophy. "But you could always focus only on your teaching and leave the politics out of it."

"If you worried about Tom Riddle (Slughorn expressed great surprise at hearing the real name) finding out, the staff are safer than most people while Dumbledore's headmaster; he's supposed to be the only one he ever feared, isn't he?" continued Harry, hoping to ease his concerns.

"Hogwarts would be glad to welcome you back," said Harry. The two had now stood up, making their way out of the restaurant. They were outside the entrance. Slughorn was muttering something under his breath that couldn't be made out.

"Thank you for the lunch sir. It was a pleasure meeting you," said Harry finally, putting his hand forth for a handshake.

All hope seemed lost when -

"Alright, alright. I must be mad. But yes, you make quite an interesting case. The professor in me has awaken and is raring to go back. I will see you on the first of September."

Harry couldn't contain his smile, "Professor Dumbledore will be waiting for the good news sir."

They parted, with Harry applauding himself for a job well done. Ginny would be so proud of his cunning mind.

He glanced to see the watch for the time, realising it was getting late. He quickly ducked into an alleyway; fixing his destination, with his wand in hand he disapparated.

Ginny was furious. Her husband was missing - well not missing in the total sense of the word; but there was no indication as to where he was and what the bloody hell he was doing. It was now close to one in the afternoon; almost two hours had passed since Dumbledore had returned from the Ministry. Perhaps her twenty-four years old husband's brain was now reduced to a fifteen years old teenager's. Immature and reckless.

As if Harry's message by Kreacher was not suspenseful and worrying enough, when Harry's Patronus had galloped into the room, announcing in his voice the same message - not to worry and that he will return soon. That was the last straw; not only using magic outside the safe house, but also the same magic charm that had gotten him into trouble with the Ministry in the first place.

Everyone was teetering on the edge of anxiety; especially after an owl delivered by her father had said that nothing suspicious had happened after he had left Harry to go to Fudge's office. Although Lucius bloody Malfoy was seen talking to Harry lastly. Her mother was continuously wringing her hands and looking at the clock. Her brothers were scattered across the room - the twins taking one side, while Bill and Charlie had been summoned from Gringotts and Ron and Hermione were naturally together in one corner.

Sirius and Remus were conversing with Dumbledore in low tones, with the latter showing significant signs of distress. They had waited long enough. It was planned to send a search party for Harry. Mad-eye and Tonks were currently on standby. Kingsley was keeping a low profile in asking and being on the lookout for Harry in the Ministry.

"Ok. We will initially take the route -," began Sirius.

There was the clear sound of the front door being opened and closed. Someone had entered and was whistling a tune. Wands were drawn in an instant and pointed at -

"Harry!"

"Erm... Hello everyone." He greeted as he slowly shut the kitchen door behind him. His brow was furrowed in confusion as he took in the faces of the occupants; finding himself at the ends of no less than seven wands.

"Where the bloody hell were you?" Ginny yelled.

"Uh -"

"Prove yourself," said Remus.

Harry appeared puzzled for a moment, as to why he was facing an inquisition. Then he remembered and answered, "My name is Harry Potter, physical age fifteen, mental twenty-four. Husband of Ginny Potter, who is pregnant with my child. We travelled back nine years in time."

Wands withdrew.

"Didn't you get my message? I sent two."

"We did! But you should know why we were worried. Merlin, Harry. What were you doing?" said Ginny. She then moved, wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his cheek. He kissed the top of her head, revelling in the warm feeling that settled in his stomach, and smiled before looking back up.

"Well?" Hermione demanded as she stood with her hands clasped together. "What happened? Where were you? Did you have any idea how -"

"Hermione," Harry cut across her with a grin. "Breathe." The bushy haired girl did indeed take in a deep breath before she opened her mouth to talk again. She didn't have a chance to make a noise however, as Harry's voice sounded out again. "Why don't we all go and sit down in the living room, and I'll tell you all about it."

A few moments of scuffling later and everyone was sat down comfortably and expectantly. Fred and George and Charlie sat on the floor in front of the once-elegant fireplace, while Hermione and Ron took up one sofa beside Bill and Remus. Molly and Sirius occupied the two armchairs and Ginny was sat against the side of the settee, with her legs draped across Harry's lap.

With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured a squishy armchair for himself. "Harry, now could you explain."

"Right. Firstly sorry everyone. Professor are you still in need of a DADA teacher?" When Dumbledore nodded, Harry continued, "Excellent! Because I just found you a Potions master."

When everyone shot him disconcerting looks, Harry explained, "The reason for being late, because as I was coming, I bumped into Slughorn, who invited me to lunch."

"Slughorn!?"

"Who's Slughorn?"

"Horace Slughorn was the Potions master at Hogwarts before Snape. How do I know him? In my sixth year, he took over the position. I met him near the Ministry. Since I met him earlier this time, I convinced him to -"

"Take over this year!" exclaimed Ginny, finishing his sentence. "Harry! That's wonderful!" As always, she was with him, similar in way of thinking.

"Any of you two could perhaps explain why this is such a good news?" asked Sirius, folding his arms. Everyone else nodded, whereas Dumbledore seemed deep in thought.

Harry stood up in excitement, "You see, there was going to be a woman as the DADA professor this year - Dolores Umbridge. I just deterred her from taking the position this time."

"Harry! Why would you do that?" asked Hermione.

"Hermione, she was - is basically Fudge's lackey. She was going to be stationed at Hogwarts in order to make all our lives difficult."

Before Hermione could ask another question, Harry spoke.

"I am not exaggerating when I say she's the devil incarnate. She's really evil, only a Dark Mark away from being Voldemort's servant. Atleast one look at Voldemort tells you he's the villain; but people like Umbridge, they hide their true nature under a mask put up only for show," growled Harry. "She hates Muggleborns, Magical Creatures and anyone who doesn't fit what we know as the ideal society of Voldemort - werewolves, giants, house-elves. She rose to power when Voldemort overthrew the Ministry and then formed a Commission to weed out the Muggleborns, accusing them of stealing magic and then falsely imprisoning them in Azkaban. Also, she's the one who sent the Dementors after me."

Gasps sounded as the occupants took in Harry's words, astonishment showing on their faces as they regarded the deep hatred on Harry and Ginny.

"She must've been a real pleasure at the trial, eh Harry?" asked Ginny.

"You have no idea. I was already imagining throwing her into Azkaban. It was really fortunate that I met Slughorn and convinced him to come out of his retirement."

Harry turned to Dumbledore who had yet to voice his opinions. "Sir, I hope that I haven't crossed any line. You are, after all, the Headmaster. But you should know that she essentially threw you out of Hogwarts and assumed your place. I saw a chance to change this and I took it."

Dumbledore replied, "I understand perfectly Harry. Cornelius has been getting rather adamant in helping find someone suitable for the post. I had been expecting someone to interfere at Hogwarts. Lucky for us, we are ten steps ahead."

"Slughorn will send you an owl sometime later today, I hope."

"It will be a delight to have him back on the staff," remarked Dumbledore.

"Wait," said Hermione, frowning, "Harry you said Slughorn teaches Potions, then what about DADA? It's still vacant."

Harry laughed as he took in the faces of the occupants; they had no idea where he was going with his plan. He glanced at Dumbledore, who had come to the right conclusion.

"Well, we don't have to worry about that. For the post of Defense, we already have an eager applicant standing by for years," Harry gave a knowing look.

Ron and the twins were the first to understand, realising who the person Harry was referring to was. "SNAPE! Harry you can't be serious!"

Harry chuckled at their gobsmacked expressions, "Believe me, he is lot better than the alternative."

"But would Fudge accept this?" Remus questioned. "Wouldn't he see this as a trick to pull something over his eyes?"

"Not at all," said Harry. "What is suspicious about hiring an old professor coming out of retirement? Also, it works to our advantage - Slughorn has a respectable reputation and not to mention, tons of contacts within the Ministry. No one will bat an eye."

"Where Snape is concerned, everyone knows his displeasure in teaching Potions. Additionally, he is chummy with the Death Eaters, especially the likes of Lucius Malfoy, in whose pockets Fudge and Umbridge are bidding their time," finished Harry.

"And one could easily assume that Malfoy on Fudge's insistence on being paranoid would tell Snape to spy on Dumbledore and the students and report everything back to him. However, there too we are holding all the cards, since Snape has been doing a good job at playing the role of double agent," Ginny chimed in.

"Goodness!" barked Sirius joyfully, "What a cunning pair of Slytherins we have among us!"

The couple smirked.

"If Fudge shows resistance, you can easily rally support from Madam Bones. She would do a good job reminding him not to poke his nose in school's affairs," remarked Harry to the Headmaster.

"That is another thing I wanted to discuss. It seems because of your foreknowledge of the trial, I was able to have a word with her beforehand," said Dumbledore.

"What does that mean?" Fred asked as he and George cocked their heads to the side. Everyone else looked from the Headmaster to the young time-traveller.

"It means that Madam Bones is furious." Harry answered. "Fudge really messed up this 'trial' by overlooking things that should have been brought to her notice. I think she figured that if he was withholding information like the fact that Dudley knew of magic and hasn't previously been Obliviated, then he could have been lying about other things."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement. "Amelia Bones stands for many things, one of them being the truth. She despises being lied to and believes very highly in justice."

"Well, she can't believe in it very much if I'm still thought of as a murderer." Sirius complained bitterly. Harry sent his godfather a concerned look; he wished hard that he could get Sirius cleared of all charges and, hopefully, if all went well, it would be done sooner rather than later.

"Amelia was not aware that you were sentenced without a trial, Sirius. And don't forget that she was fed those lies as well as everyone else. When you hear such stories, it's hard not to believe that they are the truth and you were tried as a proper criminal."

Dumbledore explained gently as he looked at the black-haired man with sympathy. Sirius snorted in disbelief and turned to face the wall. It was quiet for a moment as people exchanged weary glances.

"Also she told me how she thought this whole trial was a farce and a way of Fudge showing off his power, so to speak. She told me that she knew exactly how Fudge was going to act, and if she were the one trialling Harry, she would want to hear his side first before making any assumptions." He looked over the rims of his glasses at Harry; a look that caused a jolt to run through the teen - he had not seen that look in a long time. "It may have also helped that I hinted at what a trustworthy and honest person you were. Also, your address to the Wizengamot at the end was convincing." He winked at the boy.

"So, she wanted to know both sides of things before she passed a verdict?" Hermione asked. She did not look confused, instead she had a contemplative look on her face as she looked up at the ceiling.

"Precisely, Miss Granger." Dumbledore concluded.

"Wait, what about your Patronus - how could you send it without any consequences? asked Ginny curiously.

"Yes young man. You are not allowed to do magic outside of Hogwarts," admonished Molly.

Harry answered, "Oh, you and I don't have carry the Trace any more" and then explained what had happened with Kreacher. Sirius growled when he learned, but Harry waved him off saying 'no harm, no foul.' Ron grumbled in annoyance, as he and Hermione were the only ones still underage.

"Now, is there anything else you wish to talk about Harry?" Dumbledore inquired.

Sirius butted in, "That's what we were talking about earlier. Harry, you have to tell us the way forward if we need to kill Voldemort. You are going to need help."

"I know."

Harry had started thinking things over, going through almost every single diversions that may and could cause with their changing the timeline. He just aimed not to let any big surprises catch them unexpected. There was lot riding on. Now that the focus on the trivialities was done with, they could get started with the important things.

"Well?"

The occupants were all in anticipation, Ginny too.

"We are going to have to pay a visit to Little Hangleton."