Always the Hero
The sorting ceremony goes as it always does, there are fourteen more students in the incoming class than there were in Ginny's and Harry thinks it has something to do with the war ending around the time they were conceived like the baby boom after world war two. Harry makes a face at the thought remembering his chat with Sirius and Nia, he's suddenly put off his breakfast. Not helping is Mayfoy and his gang mocking Harry for fainting on the train.
"What's up with you?" Ron asks, his mouth full of bacon. Hermione looks at him like he's disgusting.
"Did your parents give you the talk over Summer?" He asks and Ron chokes while Hermione smirks.
"Uh, not really. Having older brothers sort of comes in handy Fred and George covered the bases while Percy corrected them on the more technical aspects. Why did Evans talk to you this summer?"
"With Sirius. He was laughing the whole time and only piped up to teach me the spells and lament about his teen years. It's gonna be hard to think about Professor Lupin seriously when I now know he and Padfoot used to steal my dad's cloak to make out in the library after hours." Hermione's laughing at them for real now and Ron glares.
"Now there's a picture never leaving my brain." Ron shudders and Hermione rolls her eyes.
"It's not a terrible image, they're both quite handsome," she answers and Ron looks more Horrified then he did when she was crushing on Lockhart.
"I guess but they're my Uncles so I'd rather not. It's weird enough that Fred fancies Aunt Nia. I'd rather have no other friends crush on my Aunts and Uncles." Harry responds glad he's not the only one dealing with this new set of information.
"I'm not saying I do. Just saying it's a natural part of life and eventually won't seem so disgusting."
"I always forget you're older than us. So what is your wisdom on the matter Professor Granger?" Ron asks and Hermione blushes.
"No wisdom, just don't be so disgusted and read a book or two. Not that I don't trust Fred, George and Percy but your mother does have Seven children. Perhaps you're family could use a little more guidance on your sex education." She answers and hearing their name Fred and George sit on either side of Harry and Hermione.
"That sounded very much like Granger doubts our wisdom, George. I'll have you know we were taught by Bill who is the most successful ladies man of the family."
"So you were taught by your brother, because that's not a recipe for disaster." She rolls her eyes at them and the twins have one of those silent discussions.
"That could be true, what brought about this topic may I ask. I assumed the golden trio have more heroic things to discuss than what goes bump in the night." George says with a wink at Hermione and Ron looks like he sucked on a lemon.
"Harry's sex talk included stories of our new Defence teacher in school." Seamus Finnigan answers next to Ron when none of them responds. How long was he listening?
"Really? Must be something in the water then. We were just down at the quidditch pitch." Fred begins with a mischievous grin.
"To check the training roster." George is equally pleased with himself.
"And who do we find but our dear brother Percy locking lips with none other than Oliver Wood." Fred reveals and Hermione hits Georgs upside the head with her book while glaring at the other when he laughs.
"That's private. You shouldn't be telling people. It's up to Percy when he comes out, not you." Hermione isn't done lecturing but George steals her timetable and distracts her.
"Blimey Granger, is there a class you aren't taking? You know you could have asked to drop Muggle studies. As a muggle born it's hardly necessary and you're already the smartest person any of us know."
"You know Evans teaches the same things I would have learnt in muggle school so I can get into University. I was supposed to go to Cambridge before," She responds trying to get it back but the Weasley's are freakishly tall. Ron's the shortest at five nine and seems to grow three inches every summer.
"Why? That's not needed to be minister for Magic." Fred asks, grabbing the timetable from George and looking at it quizzically.
"Who said I wanted to be minister for Magic?" Hermione argues, getting increasingly irritated.
"No one. But there are about four inventions in the works that need some legislation changes to be legal to start work on," Fred starts handing her back the timetable before he gets hexed and gives her a charming smile.
"We're hoping you'll be our woman on the inside in about twelve years." George adds with a matching grin and a kiss on the hand.
"You expect me to be minister for Magic by twenty six?" She asks incredulously, rolling her eyes but regaining her composure. Maybe blushing slightly.
"Twenty five, it's not your birthday yet Granger." Fred corrects and sees Aunt Nia heading to her classroom. Sharing a look with his twin they both get up to follow and Harry calls out for them to wait and says goodbye to Ron, Hermione and Seamus who'd started talking to Hermione about Muggle university options.
The Twins are working on something for Nia, George has out a sketchbook like one of Harry's he got from Nia last Christmas. Except instead of drawings, theirs is filled with formulas and notes. Whatever they're working on it's a potion, and maybe a spell. It isn't easy to read their writing when sitting still, let alone walking behind them.
They get to Nia's classroom to see the door ajar and Professor Moony waiting for them.
"You're different than I remember." He says as Fred and George hide, pulling Harry with them. Harry tries not to eavesdrop on Nia but the door is open and she asked him to see her before classes so maybe she meant for him too.
"It's been fifteen years and I was a spiteful little cow back then." She responds with a tone hinting at a joke only Harry gets. He can picture the face that goes with it.
"Harry spoke to me on the train, called me Uncle Moony."
"He's heard a lot about you. I've tried to get him as comfortable as possible talking about his parents. Sirius has a lot of stories with you as the star though. He misses you."
"It's complicated."
"Trust me, I know. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try. With Sirius, with Harry. You don't know me, but with Lily's spell in my head I feel like I know you. Which means I know you think running away and isolating yourself is the best option but it isn't. You're already family Remus, there's a room set out and everything. All you have to do is take it. Harry, you can come in now." She calls and Harry walks past as the twins silently panic.
"Not alone, Things One and Two are also present, sorry." Harry says, pulling them along with protests from both.
"Oh joy, Well Fred and George Weasley meet Remus Lupin, Aka Moony the brains of the Marauders." Nia introduces and the twins shake his hands enthusiastically.
"I'm a big fan of your work." Fred says with a grin.
"The Map is a thing of beauty." George agrees and Remus looks uncomfortable at the praise.
"I wasn't expecting you boys, did you need something?" Nia asks, caught off guard and trying not to show it.
"We have the recipe you wanted." Fred says as George tears out the pages Harry was trying to read.
"Hermione helped inspire us with the final ingredient but it'll be hard to get from her and Snape still needs to danger test the potion it may explode." George finishes and Nia gives it a quick look over and bursts into a grin.
"The two of you are pure geniuses. You know this stays between us right?"
"We aren't dumb enough to test it." Fred promises and they run off with another shake of professor Moony's hand.
"What was that about?" Harry asks and Nia smiles that dangerous smile that means she's planning something dangerous.
"Our Christmas plans. I need to see an old friend. If you're in." She responds cagily before turning back to Moony.
"So, Harry has a strong reaction to dementors, as you saw. What do you say to teaching him the Patronus charm?"
"The what?" Harry asks at the same time as Moony says he doesn't know if it's wise.
"It's the only thing that works on dementors. In the original timeline Harry was able to perform a full bodied Patronus powerful enough to protect himself from dozens of dementors at once by the end of the school year. He Is more than capable." She answers both of them at once and Harry's all for it but Moony looks unconvinced.
"Harry's got a lot to handle and I need him to be as prepared as possible when Dumbledore drops the entire wizarding world on his back. And you are the first and last good defence teacher he's going to get so please Remus. Be Uncle Moony." Finally he nods and Nia grins victorious once more.
"One day you aren't going to be able to talk your way into getting what you want." Harry warns and Remus smiles at them, something sad in his eyes.
"But it's not this day. As for you kid. I need you to do what you do best and play the Hero in care of magical creatures today. Malfoy's going to offend a hippogriff and end up in the hospital wing. It's not bad but his father throws a fit and has Buckbeak executed. I'd prefer not to deal with Lucy this year. I'm still in trouble with Dumbledore for breaking his nose."
"You broke Lucius Malfoy's nose, and call him Lucy?" Moony asks, shocked more than anything.
"To his face." Harry responds for her and The Professor starts to laugh.
"You are definitely Lilly's sister. She slapped James fourth year for hexing Severus while his back was turned. She always did like using muggle solutions for wizard problems." The bell rings and Harry grabs his bag as the first years start filing in looking at Harry like he's got two heads and whispering amongst themselves. Harry hears his name at least four times as he leaves the room with a wave to his Aunt and Uncle.
Walking into divination is odd when your Mum is a fake psychic. Because yes she sees the future, but for her it's the past and a storybook. Professor Trelawney is less believable. Her predictions and readings sound like fortune cookie's or Nia trying to make him forget the question he's asking. Come to think of it, that may be the point.
Hermione isn't dealing at all. Harry's pretty sure by the time they walk out of there Hermione's come up with forty eight ways to call Professor Trelawny a fake, probably in multiple language
"Dhokha," he tells her as she sits silently fuming and she looks confused "Hindi for Fraud. In Tamil it's Mōcaṭi, to add to your list of insults." She tries not to smile but ends up giggling.
"I think she's just crazy," Ron surmises as they walk to transfiguration drumming his wand absent-mindedly on his knee as he walks. He's been off all morning, since breakfast at least like somethings bothering him.
"Snape said it's a requirement of the inner eye, like having too much knowledge forces you to lose grip with reality." Harry says offhand and Ron snorts.
"Why is that funny?" Hermione asks pointedly and Harry suddenly feels in between a battle about to go down with no idea why.
"Cause he was calling Evans mad and he's not wrong. She talks like Rumplestiltskin and can't stay on the same topic long enough to teach the coursework. Plus she regularly threatens Dumbledore and has hit two people in front of a bunch of kids. I'd say she's just as off her rocker as the Mad hatter up there.
"Evans Is nothing like that sideshow Oracle. She's using some improbable distant relation to Cassandra of Troy to try and fabricate some semblance of credibility. It's Pathetic and the fact that she's supposed to be teaching us something is ridiculous. Evans admittedly dances around the details but if we knew everything all at once it could make everything worse. She has the information and gives solid evidence when she does offer it." Hermione starts her rant strong only stopping once for air. "As for her teaching skills we're studying the same key courses my Muggle friends have in their entire school year. She switches topics by association to cover as much ground in as little time as possible. Trelawny has us cloud gazing into a teacup and analysing our dreams." Harry's attempt to calm Hermione is short lived and she storms ahead.
"What was that about?" Harry asks trying not to sound accusatory.
"How should I know. Bloody girls are crazy." Ron shrugs it off sulkily, perhaps the tone is necessary.
"Not that but you were weird about her too. I mean the attack on Nia. I thought you understood, you read the book, you know what it was like."
"I know but, you don't even know what she is. Because the map says she's not human and she can make up lies better than Fred and George trying to get out of trouble and is like Nineteen she shouldn't have this much sway in our lives. She shouldn't be lying to Dumbledore. And I don't like lying to Hermione." They get to class and Harry is distracted the whole time.
Harry skips history of magic. He tells Hermione he's out to the bathroom, which he is. Just not the one he's meant to be in.
"Hello Harry, have you come to see me?" Myrtle asks hopefully that constant whine in her voice is more than a little off-putting. Then again it can't be nice to be murdered mid cry.
"Sort of, I'm going into the Chamber library. Would you like to come? I can keep Lamia away."
"There's a library in there?" She asks nervously.
"Stuff to valuable or dangerous for children but needed to be kept safe. Lamia was only meant to guard it, it was Voldemort who made her hurt you." Harry tells her and calls for the Chamber to open.
She was surprisingly quiet as they walked through the caverns. Lamia knows Harry's here and is cool with it. Myrtle screamed When Lamia whispered back to confirm she was leaving for Harry. He didn't want to set Myrtle off by laughing but he did smile.
As they step into the Chamber itself Harry notes it's been fixed up and cleaned. It looks more like a ballroom than a dungeon and the black ink stains and Nia's red blood are long gone. Harry goes to the door and Myrtle doesn't wait for him to open it, instead phasing right through leaving Harry alone with his thoughts for just a second. Why do this? Just to prove to Ron that Nia's is good Ron isn't exactly in the best of moods so his outburst may not have even been because of Nia. Myrtle's head pops out again making Harry scream.
"Are you coming?"
He opens the door and notes the centre desk already stacked with volumes of dark magic and diaries almost identical to Tom's he picks one up unthinking and see's it belonged to Alcyone Gaunt. Voldemort's Aunt three or four generations back that according to the inside cover had a thing for one Albert Potter. Weird but not what he's looking for.
He takes to searching the stacks as Myrtle does as well, getting increasingly excited and asking him to take books out for her.
"What are you looking for?" Myrtle asks right behind Harry's ear and he doesn't scream at all. Shut up. "Sorry," the ghost giggles.
"Um, magical creatures. But really powerful ones that can look human. Tom Riddle called her an Angel of Fate but Angels aren't anything like her."
"Oh you're looking for the Faye Angels of Fate was just what Tom called them, i think he was a catholic when he started school. They aren't real by the way." She rolls her eyes, floating away Harry follows.
"Faye like Fairy?"
"Not really. Fairies and pixies are dumb childish trixters more interesting in shiny things than anything else. Faye are supposedly creatures of almost ethereal beauty and infinite knowledge because they can see fate as it's written." Harry stops dead. That's no way she's that powerful. She can't pronounce the word environment and still has to count on her fingers while teaching maths.
"Do you know where to find books about Faye?" He asks, trying to keep his voice level. She nods and floats back to the books she was just looking at and points it out on the shelf. A small old hardcover book titled The Fair Folk of Time.
"Thank you so much Myrtle, I have to get back but you really helped, would you like me to walk you out?" Harr's fairly sure if Myrtle had blood she'd be blushing and accept linking her arm through his. It's cold and uncomfortable but he doesn't mention it.
He's only a tiny bit late to Care of magical creatures but Hagrid doesn't care. Harry learns straight away that A Hippogriff is a bird-horse hybrid that looks like it would destroy whoever so much as looked at it funny. Malfoy may be a git but he doesn't deserve to be mauled by that.
Harry volunteers to go first, no one else was stepping forward and Hagrid wouldn't let him get hurt. Riding a Hippogriff across the school isn't on Harry's to do list but it's a welcome reprieve as it always is when Harry's in the air. It gives him time to think, the book in his bag still in the back of his mind, there is no way Nia is some Mystical legend. All her magic comes from a book and a necklace. Unless the book and Necklace came from Faye and took Nia along for the ride. That seems more likely, maybe. Except their conversation from this morning rings in his head.
"One One day you aren't going to be able to talk your way into getting what you want," It's always worked, she convinced him to run away with her, Dumbledore to do pretty much whatever she wants. Snape and the twins. Everyone just listens to her, and why wouldn't they? She's always got everything under control.
Too soon Buckbeak lands once more and Harry thanks Hagrid absent-mindedly before going to stand next to his friends. He almost misses Malfoy's snobby scoff of displeasure and muttered insult. Almost, Harry doesn't doesn't think before jumping between the Hippogriff and Slytherin. Though for a brief moment Harry sees Ron decide he's lost the plot. Draco is knocked face first into the mud while Harry takes three talons to his back, that's going to leave a scar.
Harry's pretty sure the screaming he hears as collapses to the ground is real this time, especially since he doesn't pass out. Though with the pain he wishes he could. Hagrid is right at his side after calming Buckbeak. Lifting Harry like a rag doll over his shoulder, which hurts even more. Hagrid orders Malfoy to follow and Hermione to get Nia. She's gonna be so mad, or proud. Hopefully she doesn't eviscerate anyone. The pain finally fades into sweet unconscious.