A New Potions Teacher
DAILY PROPHET READS:
SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 2012
POTTER QUITS THE MINISTRY
After years of faithful service, Harry Potter, 34, best known for defeating the Dark Wizard Lord Voldemort in 1997, has resigned from the Auror Office. This has been received with just as much shock as when Mr. Potter announced his divorce from the coach of the Holy Head Harpies, Ginny Weasley, 33, in 2005. While our readers might feel that the retirement of Auror Potter will lead to a less secure wizarding society, they can instead look forward to many competent dark-wizard catchers in the future, as Mr. Potter also announced his next employment as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, starting September 1st. Many speculate that this career change has been to spend more time with him and Miss—Weasley's only child, who will attend Hogwarts in three years.
The day started like any other for Harry, he got up, tried to comb his hair, and went to work. His work was mainly slacking off and avoiding Hermione from ragging on him for slacking off, but other than that, he was pretty calm, until he runs into the Head of Gryffindor himself Neville Longbottom.
"Oh, Hi Neville!" Harry exclaims from the corridor.
"Harry! Good to see you."
"Yeah! And I see you're here before the term starts as usual" He teased
"Yes well, you know I usually floo here once a week during the summer break to check in with greenhouses 5 and 7" Neville explained
Of course, Neville would do that, his main priority is those plants well and his tea which I guess are also plants Harry thought.
"Some of the plants can get cranky when they feel lonely," He continued, "But I have started preparing for the new term as well, you know, re-potting and planting new seeds and so on"
"But don't you get cranky when you're here all alone?" Harry interjected, he must, what with him and Luna's break up Neville really hasn't much else going on in his life. Neville liked it that was, just him and his plants, what more could one need? Not to mention his job as Head-house is enough to keep him on his toes for a lifetime, a girlfriend, especially one like Luna, would just stress him out more.
"No, but I haven't been alone," Neville said, a matter of factly, "Hermione arrived a couple of days before me"
"Ah"
"I think she's almost done with all her lesson plans"
"What, for like the whole semester?"
"No, the whole year!"
"Blimey! No wonder Ron fled spontaneously to Romania to visit Charlie" Or maybe he felt left out with all of his friends now at Hogwarts.
"Ha! Yeah" Neville chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm actually on my way to see her now. She invited me to tea. Do you think she's planning on scolding me for using last year's curriculum again?"
"Possibly, I wouldn't doubt it, at think the point I don't know which is worse getting in trouble with her, or McGonagall" They both shiver in unison.
"Well care to join me?" Harry hoped Neville's sweet face would ease Hermione's glares that he and Ron knew all too well.
"Oh, I'd love to! Wait are you just inviting me just to help ease Hermione's glares are you?" Shit! He should've known.
"No...Now come on best not to keep her waiting" Harry grabbed Neville's arm and dragged him along to meet Hermione. If he was going down Neville was going down with him, maybe he could use him as a shield if she decides to turn him into a Pygmy Puff ... again. Hermione was reading the paper with an old Crookshanks by her lap,
It was so peaceful that was until she was disrupted by a knock at her office door.
“Come in” Hermione saw the two boys shuffle into the room, “Oh Neville what a pleasant surprise”
“Hi, I’m sorry for intruding on the tea” Neville apologized.
“Oh not at all, I think this actually might be just as well” She assured Neville and moved over to accommodate the two on the couch, Crooksganks meowed in protest but couldn’t be bothered to actually move either because he was old or fat or both.
“It seems like you’re not off the hook either, mate” Harry whispered over to Neville.
“Not fair! I’ve at least started on my lesson-” Harry could almost kick Neville for the mere mention of lesson plans near Hermione. He shut him up quickly with a ‘shh’ and a worried glare.
“Harry! You haven’t started yet?” She looked at Harry as if he committed a crime worthy of Azkaban; all he could do was stutter through his words, looking for some sort of explanation. “Don’t you remember last year when you decided to ‘do a Lupin’ and half of the class almost ended up in the hospital wing?”
“What I remember is that a whole class got ‘Outstanding’s on their O.W.L.s at least on that particular part of the test” Harry crossed his arms thinking he really did something as Hermione rolled her eyes and glanced at Neville as if to say ‘is he serious’ and he just looked to the side while sipping his tea confirming he agreed with Hermione’s point. “At least it’s better than ‘doing a Lockhart’”
“Definitely” Neville finally chimed in. Hermione began to stumble and stutter trying to find a defense for her embarrassing second-year crush.
“All right it’s your class, your way” Hermione sighed.
“That’s right” Harry agreed.
“I just think-”
“Thank you for the tea, Hermione!” Harry began to sit up from his seat, he was not willing to sit through this lecture. To which Hemione grabbed his arm to stop him.
“Fine. Fine. I’ll let it go, for now,” She sighed again as Harry sat again. “However, there’s something I need to tell you, both of you,” She looked almost worried, and in return so did Neville and Harry. Neville set down his tea and scooted in closer.
“Does this…have anything to do with why Ron fled- uhm, traveled to Romania?” Harry asked quietly and started to reach his hand to Hermione’s. This landed him a confused look from his friend.
“What? No!” She pulled back her arm and darted her eyes at Harry for even bringing up something like that. “Charlie and an old college friend of his, Barnaby Lee, offered to help get supplies for George’s store!”
“Oh Okay,” Harry sighed in relief that his friend had a better marriage than his last.
“No- For heaven’s sake Potter!” Hermione scolded, Harry shrug like what else was he supposed to think? “Look. I wanted to talk to you two about something concerning work”
“Is something wrong?” Asked Neville.
“Not exactly…I’m sure you’ve all heard this as it was supposed to be kept a secret until the new term started-”
“Slughorn’s retirement! So it’s true” Neville exclaimed.
“What, has McGonagall filled the position?” Harry and Neville are both on the edge of their seats.
“Uh, yes. Uh, we’re getting a new potions professor today” Hermione sounded half excited half nervous, which is rare for Hermione to be this spooked sharing any knowledge concerning school.
“Ooh, must be quite the person to take on that job” Neville pointed out now catching the infectious excitement buried in her voice. “Big shoes to fill you know!”
“I’m guessing you know who it is,” Harry said now catching on to Hermione’s secretness.
“Umh, yes. We, well, we all know him” Hermione began to stutter. The boys gave her a look for her to continue the suspense nearly driving them off the couch.
“Him…?” Harry agged on.
“It-its, … Malfoy” She ripped it off like the worst band-aid the boys have ever had.
“Malfoy!?” Harry nearly shouted in shock, hoping it was so weird joke. “McGonagall hired Draco Malfoy! To teach potions?!”
“Well, she didn’t hire the other Malfoy” As if that made it any better.
“What does he even know about teaching potions?” Harry exclaimed.
“He would’ve gotten outstanding on his N.E.W.T.S. if it wasn’t for well, you know…” She defends the Slytherin much to the surprise of both Gryffindors.
“Well that’s not difficult when you’re Snape’s ‘pet student’” Harry crossed his arms in frustration and shock and whole other emotions he was too boggled to even begin to wrap his head around. “Right Neville?”
“I- I try to not think about those classes if I can…” He awkwardly laughs, he truly has no right to judge others' abilities in potions.
“Harry you know damn well Malfoy was gifted with potions, regardless of Snape’s obvious favoritism.” Hermione was right, as much as Harry hated to admit it, Draco did know his way around a cauldron.
“That’s not the same as being able to teach it!”
“Well, it’s not like the wizarding world has standardized teaching.” Once again Hermione was right. Everyone who has even been to Hogwarts knows that. “McGonagall gave us a chance, didn’t she?”
“That’s different” Harry continued to argue, “I had experience teaching with Dumbledore’s Army and, well you’re you, Hermione. Neville worked with Sprout for over a year before he took over!”
“Well, it’s more common with subjects like Herbology, because you actually need to get to know the plant before becoming a professor” Neville added, “And I was lucky enough that Sprout wanted to share her classes with me, at least I think she wanted to, and I hope I was able to help..” he then went a bit quiet.
“She was lucky to have you” Hermione reassured, “you’re outstanding at it, and teaching it!”
“Yeah, mate. I mean I talked to Teddy and he said that he thought you were..” Harry searched for the words trying not to sound as old as he was, “‘Totally punk rock’ as a teacher” he put in air quotes, which gained a chuckle from his friends. “I still cannot believe she hired Malfoy though”
“I can’t believe he said yes!” stated Neville.
“Hogwarts is one of the finest wizarding schools in the world” Hermione pointed out, “Besides I don’t think the jobs for him are exactly piling up, I mean considering all the things the Malfoy name has been through”
“Well doesn’t he have a job at the Ministry?” countered Harry.
“Why does he even work at all?” Neville brought up a fair point, as Malfoy so often bragged about his riches in their youth.
“Well their family was fined a lot after the war, maybe their fortune has started to dry up” Harry stated a little too proudly.
“Then why quit at the Ministry?”
“Psh, probably thought he was too good for it”
“Well I hope he still has his notes from our time here” Hermione interjects. “To think to start this late with no lesson plans!” Harry and Neville both avoid their gaze away from Hermione and clear their throats.
“S-soo… do you think that he would become Head of Slytherin as well,” Neville asked, desperate to change the subject away from Harry and his neglected lesson plans.
“No!” Harry nearly yelled. “Did McGonagall say?” He looked to Hermione for an answer.
“She didn’t mention it” Not the amount of reassurance Harry was looking for.
“I bet he’d love it” Harry fussed “Oh! He just might lose his mind when he sees that you are Head of Gryffindor!” He started to think it might be fun that Malfoy will be around, and see how it feels to not be Mr. All that.
“Don’t be so sure Harry” Hermione once again defended, “I mean Slughorn did his best but, Slytherin still has a pretty bad reputation from the war”
“Yeah, becoming Head of Slytherin? Yikes, that’s gonna be a lot of work” Neville agreed.
“Ha! Hope he’s up for it then!” Harry laughed.
“Knock it off, Harry!” Hermione scolded “You haven’t even spoken to Malfoy in years!” She defended once again “What if he’s changed?”
“I wouldn’t be any Galleons on that, Hermione” Harry chuckled “Once a git, always a git”