Making Preperations
Harry considered what he would do about textbooks. He knew that there was no one textbook for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Every wizard and witch approached it in their own way.
After considering it for a moment, Harry made his way to someone who could help him.
Griselda Marchbanks sat with her fellows in the Wizarding Examination Authority working on grading the OWL and NEWT exams that had just been completed at Hogwarts.
The group had completed the NEWTs first, as was their procedure, as those waiting for these grades needed them for job applications and other things much more urgently than students who were waiting for OWL results.
They had just begun grading OWL papers when a visitor knocked on the open door.
Professor Tofty, who was closest to the door, asked, "Can we help you young man?"
Their visitor nodded. "Hello. I am Garrick Septimus and I was recently hired by Albus Dumbledore regarding the Hogwarts' Defense post. I came here to ask a question or two if it isn't too inconvenient."
Tofty looked to the others, who looked interested. He looked back. "And what can we do to assist Hogwarts' newest Professor?"
"I was curious if there is a list of spells and subjects that each student is expected to be familiar with at the end of each of the seven years of Hogwarts as regards the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
Griselda gave their visitor a shocked but happy look. "In thirty years, not one professor has come to inquire about that very subject. Although most professors base their teachings on past years or on what they learned themselves, no one has just come to ask the question – at least not until it is far too late to do much to prepare the students. I believe we can help you with this."
Griselda Marchbanks stood and walked slowly over to a file cabinet. She retrieved the Department's list of subjects to test for homeschooled students.
Unlike Hogwarts, where each student was tested by the professor except for standardized testing for OWLs and NEWTs, homeschooled students could come to the Ministry and take an exam for each year.
The Department had a minimum passing list and a recommended list. Most students fell between these two.
Griselda thoughtfully lifted one more document. "This, young man, will require a contract for you to take. It is the WOMBAT examination. You are not allowed to show this to any who is underage. But part of Defense Against the Dark Arts includes basic laws and who to contact regarding different emergencies one may run into. I don't know if you have time to include the information, but we at the Examination Authority would like to see it included."
Septimus nodded. "Thank you. I will be happy to sign the agreement. I have only a few weeks and I must include a list of texts. Is there a standard list?"
Tofty retrieved another item. "This is not a list of texts organized for individual classes or years, but a list of texts that are recommended for the study of Defense as a whole."
Garrick thanked the Examiners. "Do you mind if I return about 12 July and ask you to review the texts I come up with for their appropriateness?"
"Not at all, young man," Griselda replied. "We will welcome it."
Garrick Septimus, better known as Marek Ilumian and even Harry Potter, made his way into Gringotts Bank.
The Goblins, like many other Magical creatures, recognized instantly the nature of their visitor. Thus, as soon as he walked through the door, nodding politely to the guards, a messenger was sent to the Bank Manager.
And so, as he stood waiting in line for a free teller, the Traveler was asked to follow the Goblin who came to retrieve him.
After being led through Gringotts, he was led to a door he recognized. "Thank you, Warrior," he said to his guide. "May the blood of your enemies brighten your blade."
The Warrior bowed and replied, "May you achieve your victories with Honor." It was difficult to properly farewell one such as this as the Goblins knew that such beings had concerns different than their own.
Harry entered the office. The Goblin, a younger version of a Goblin he had met before, stood up. "I am Ragnok, Bank Manager. How may Gringotts be of service?" he asked.
"Good afternoon. While the name I am best known by in most worlds is Marek Ilumian, I am have taken the name of Garrick Septimus here and I will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts this next year. I would like to initiate contact between you and … my normal bank."
"Oh?" Ragnok asked.
Harry grinned. "Yes. I have significant accounts which I use on occasion during my work. Would you mind if I set up a link here?"
"You certainly may, Mr. Septimus."
"Do you have a room nearby which could serve as a … well, a meeting room. One where you might monitor and control inter-dimensional travel and business?"
Ragnok stood and led his guest away from his office. After a bit of travel, the two (along with some others that Ragnok had gathered on the way) arrived at a large unused room cut out of bedrock. "This was originally slated for other purposes, but this use is perhaps more useful."
Harry nodded. "Okay. First – do you mind if I cast a few spells?"
The Bank Manager motioned his agreement. Thinking carefully, Harry transfigured a large arched opening in one wall. It looked like a door which exited into rock. At the top of the arch was a large display which used liquid crystals. He decided it was the easiest system type to control via magic rather than electricity.
He then put a panel with different crystals/gems on the wall next to the arch. And then added a locator spell.
"Okay. Wait here – I'll be back in a few minutes."
Concentrating, Harry disappeared in his customary show of light.
The waiting goblins were curious but none had any clue as to what would happen next.
But, after about fifteen minutes, they noticed one of the crystals next to the door light up and the screen above the door said, "1st InterDimensional Savings and Loan, Universe A1." It also gave the date and time for the connection and Ragnok noted it was roughly twenty years beyond their own time. A green light appeared in the doorway and their customer plus another Goblin came through.
"Well, we're going to set up an inter-dimensional connection. I will be having some items completed in that world and we will need to arrange payment for transport when it is ready," Harry said. "You can negotiate with A1 – you are A2 by the way – with either Gold or information – you choose. I'm sure you can come to an equitable arrangement with my account manager at A1."
Ragnok, who had finished greeting their guest, nodded. Their guest was correct: Sometimes information was more valuable than immediate gold. He was certain something could be arranged.
Harry got things back on track. "I will be in A1 for an unknown number of weeks while I get a set of textbooks made – which will be about one week on this side. I will be bringing back, after another week, about 800 books – of which 700 will be for sale. I will need a publishing house to distribute these texts through. You will be able to handle this?" he asked Ragnok.
"Contracts will be ready for review when you return."
Harry nodded. "Good. Good business and good health to you."
"Good business to you as well."
Ragnok was waiting for their client when the week was up. He would normally have an underling doing such things – but this new aspect of their bank was new and untested and he was the one who needed to be on hand.
Just as it had a week before, the crystals lit and the connecting universe was shown on the screen. The door lit a green color and very soon Marek Ilumian and his Accounts Manager at A1 had arrived.
"Very good. I will leave Slipknife here to negotiate the fees for my use of this portal and your services on my behalf. Is that acceptable?"
Ragnok nodded. "We will negotiate fairly."
He nodded. "I need to go visit the Ministry and then I will return to review the parchment-work on the publishing agent. Here are several copies of the three texts – although they are Wizarding text books, I am certain that you can find use of such books, for a library or to educate your human employees as needed."
Ragnok nodded and a guard took the box containing the books.
"I will return in a couple of hours."
The Goblins in charge remained behind to negotiate. Instead of receiving gold, Gringotts received a list of sure moneymakers for both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds for the period between 1975 and 1985. The local Gringotts had to agree not to use the information to harm significantly the economy of either world – possible inside information could be used quite nefariously and no one who was part of this agreement wanted too much damage to occur to Magical or non-Magical societies. It was also understood that there was no guarantee that their worlds were the same – so use of the information was limited already.
But the gamble appealed to Goblin nature.
Slipknife and the local Gringotts would work on basic agreements to prevent too much mineral loss in either world, minimize risk due to timeline contamination and many other factors. This agreement would form the basis of most agreements that 1st Interdimensional would make over the next millennia or two.
1st Interdimensional had been very grateful to receive a Dimensional Key once it had been stripped from the consciousness that had once been attached. Harry decided that he would need to check up on Dawn in the world where God had remade her into a real human, rather than the idiot Monks doing a piss-poor job of it.
Griselda and the team of examiners were just finishing the last letters with OWL scores. It had been a tiring week as it normally was, but they were glad this yearly exercise was finally completed and the results recorded.
There was a knock on the door. "Come in!" cried out Griselda Marchbanks.
The door opened and the examiners recognized the man who walked in. "Professor Septimus! What can we do for you today?"
"Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlewizards of the Wizarding Examination Authority. I have brought back copies of the texts that I plan on using and wish for you to review them. If that isn't too much of a problem?"
The Examiners looked at each other and back at their visitor. Professor Tofty said, "Actually, I have been looking forward to seeing the texts – it's always good to know what exactly is being taught."
Harry nodded. He withdrew a matchbox-sized box from his pocket and set it on the table. Tapping it with his wand, the box expanded. Each of the five examiners accepted three books from the man.
Griselda looked at the title page of each:
Basic Defense for the Modern Magical, by M.I. Bullard – A text for students beginning their education in Defense Against the Dark Arts as well as necessary additional information on personal defense and magical safety – Years 1-3
Normal Defense for the Modern Magical, by M.I. Bullard – A text for ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVELS for Defense Against the Dark Arts and required laws and regulations for Wizards' Ordinary Magic and Basic Aptitude Testing as well as necessary additional information on Formal Dueling – Years 4-5
Advanced Defense for the Modern Magical, by M.I. Bullard – A text for NASTILY EXHAUSTING WIZARDING TESTS for Defense Against the Dark Arts as well as necessary additional information on Magical Combat – Years 6-7
Madam Marchbanks' eyes widened on seeing the nature of the texts. She expected random texts, not books specifically compiled for the curriculum.
"Well, I believe we will need a few days to review these. How can we contact you when we are finished?"
Harry considered that. "Well, I will need at least a week to ensure that the publisher prints enough copies – they are waiting for your approval or any objections you might have. Call it a day or two for corrections. Once approved, I will ask for enough copies to be made. So perhaps I can return by 1 July? I will need to ensure that the bookstores have copies by 15 July. If I am needed urgently, I suppose you can write a letter through my Account Manager at Gringotts."
Madam Marchbanks nodded. "That is acceptable." She paused. "Did you write these books?"
Harry chuckled. "In a way. The Bullard name is a quill-name meaning Scribe. To be perfectly frank, I have been compiling instructions on defense for a while. Your list just allowed me to get them, with some assistance, put in an order that matches the requirements you gave me. Those whose work I have borrowed from will be suitable compensated and you will find that there is an extensive bibliography which includes which authors and books were used as reference. Thank Merlin we have magic or it would have taken far longer to put together."
Truthfully, it had taken him weeks to compile all the texts in the other dimension – and one minute of a Divine-level spell to compile it. Truthfully, the texts were spell and law heavy and only moderate in theory, but he had also included several articles and speeches by those knowledgeable in Defense.
Harry felt that teaching the mindset of proper defense was as important as teaching the required spells and procedures. He had visited a few dimensions and sat in on lectures by various wizards and witches, usually hidden fully, and had recorded the best information he could retrieve.
He had even used some of what the fake Moody had spouted in one dimension where he knew that he had repaired the world after – he had refrained from changing the timelines despite, at times, wishing to go full Vengeful Wrath from God on some of those he observed.
He had even included a lecture by Quirrell in a world where Voldemort had been somewhat repaired and made sane and was working with Harry Potter to take down Dumbledore. It was a bit sad to see the potential that had been wasted by so many versions of the man because it was perhaps the most brilliant first lecture he had ever seen for Defense in any world, ever. (See Lily's Changes by arekay, Chapter 11, STID 6992471)
Madam Marchbanks looked at the bibliography and nodded in appreciation. She recognized several names and several books which were reputable. She saw no books she considered useless, such as that drivel from that Slinkhard chap.
"Well, one week should be sufficient. I look forward to giving you our review."
Their visitor bowed and left. The examiners, having finished their immediate duties, opened the new books with curiosity.
For the next week, Harry moved through Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry without the occupants even being aware that he was doing so – beyond a house elf or two who would not speak of the movements of a God.
One of the first things that Harry did was go to each House area and check for and remove any curses he could find. He also found a ward or two that were not part of the larger Hogwarts wards. These were to hide illicit materials, from what he could gather.
Surprisingly, only one was in Slytherin. There were two in Ravenclaw and one in Gryffindor. The Dark Arts books that had been hidden in Ravenclaw he moved to the Room of Requirement – he had plans for such. And the cursed item in Slytherin he just destroyed.
The wizard porn hidden in Gryffindor he actually sent back to the student who left it – with an admonition by an anonymous Professor to leave it at home.
Harry wasn't the type to overly moralize some things. He, as a God, still took time for a dalliance or three when he wanted to have some fun. And he had much better control over his urges than any mortal might have. So, he took care not to punish the Gryffindor more than that.
He found the curse on the Defense position right where he suspected it to be: The Award for Special Services to the School for Tom Riddle. He had often wondered why Dumbledore never took it down and, after inspecting it, he realized why: There was a very selective confundus charm on it as well as a few spells which acted like a notice-me-not charm. Luckily, the curse was all it held and Riddle's death would see the curse die out. So as long as his counterparts defeated Riddle in their own worlds, the curse would eventually be gone.
That didn't mean he didn't take personal pleasure in destroying the curse here. He did set up a modified curse that would see any Professor who wasn't truly working to educate the students suffer a mishap which would prevent them from returning after one term.
The Professor could be lackadaisical about it, snarky, mean, or disagreeable. He was a God of Free Will and he would not seek to alter personalities by compulsion charms or such. They just had to be honestly there and not intending to harm Hogwarts or its students as a whole.
And finally, he had slipped into the Ward Room at Hogwarts, and copied down all of the various rune-sequences and wards which he could find. He would have the Goblins review it and see what they could make of it.
Honestly, he could do it. But he wanted to have the locals do as much as they were able to.
Finally, it was time to return to the Ministry and see if the Examiners were happy.