Chapter 7: Getting Defensive
The instant that Harry and Hermione returned to The Burrow via the fireplace, Ron was right there to greet them. He looked back and forth between both of his friends, trying to gauge how their meeting went. They both looked exhausted, as if their talk with Dumbledore had taken a lot out of them. And yet, they didn't look altogether unhappy.
"Well?" Ron demanded, deciding to get straight to the point. They'd made him a promise, after all.
"I know, I know," Harry said, understanding that Ron wanted answers. "We're going to do what we promised. Let's go up to your room, yeah?"
Ron nodded in agreement and headed straight for the stairs. Harry and Hermione followed close behind him, ignoring the curious looks of the other inhabitants of The Burrow. Perhaps they'd give the others at least partial answers some other time, but right now, they had a promise to keep.
The trio walked in silence, and as soon as Hermione stepped into Ron's room and closed the door behind her, Ron pounced on them.
"So, what was all this about? Why did you make sure Hermione came with you?"
"Like you said before, Ron, Harry and I were "up to something" over the summer," Hermione said. "Before the end of last term, Harry said some things that caught my attention, so we spent most of the summer communicating with each other."
"Communicating? How? You didn't see each other until Harry came here yesterday," Ron pointed out, confused.
"We did it through the muggle post," Harry answered. "We didn't want anyone from the wizarding world to know about it, and we figured that would be a pretty good way to do it."
"I guess," Ron said, "but why not use those fellytone things? Wouldn't that have been faster?"
"Yes, telephones would have been faster," Hermione agreed, "but there were reasons we decided against using them. For one, Harry's aunt and uncle put up enough of a stink about us sending letters back and forth. Convincing them to let us use their phone would've been rather difficult. And aside from that, we thought there would be a greater chance of someone from the Order figuring out what we were up to if we used the phone, which could easily be overheard."
Ron nodded; he didn't know much about muggle things, but Hermione's explanation seemed to make sense. But wait...
"The Order? You didn't want the Order to know what you were talking about? But the Order are the good guys! Why would you want to keep secrets from them?" Ron asked, shocked.
Harry and Hermione shared a look, knowing that it was time to fill their other best friend in. Seeing that Harry seemed a bit tongue-tied, Hermione went first.
"It all started when Harry came to visit me in the hospital wing," she began...
-NMM-
Untold minutes later, they'd finished the tale of their summer. Ron had asked the occasional question and raised the occasional objection, but had remained silent for the most part. As his two best friends went through all of their points one by one, Ron's world changed bit by bit. His whole life, he'd been told how great Albus Dumbledore was. He'd revered the man, just like practically everyone else in the wizarding world did. But, with every mistake or poor decision that Harry and Hermione brought up, Ron's reverence of the Headmaster was diminished. By the time they got to the prophecy, and how Dumbledore had hidden its contents from Harry for all those years, Ron's opinion of the vaunted wizard had changed drastically. He now saw him in much the same light as Harry and Hermione did: a very powerful and cunning wizard who was sometimes too clever for his own good, and put absolute faith in his own judgement without bothering to consult anyone else.
"Do you understand now, Ron?" Hermione asked, after all three members of the trio had been quiet for several moments. "Do you see why we did this in secret?"
"Yeah, I do," Ron said. "You had to work out your feelings about Dumbledore without him knowing, and once you did that, you had to figure out what you were going to do. But I wish you would've told me."
"I wish we could have," Harry said earnestly, "but it would've been hard. For one thing, talking with you over the summer without Dumbledore or anybody else knowing would've been tough to do, since we wouldn't have been able to rely on any muggle means of communication. And besides, we weren't sure how you'd react to all of this. I mean, it was easier for me and Hermione to accept this, because we've only been hearing about how great Dumbledore is for the last five years or so. You've been hearing it all your life. We just didn't know if you'd be able to listen to what we were saying."
Ron nodded, showing he understood. "I get it, Harry. You couldn't risk talking to me until you'd confronted Dumbledore. And you're right; this was a bloody big surprise. I mean, he's Dumbledore!He's supposed to have all the answers, yeah? But I'm with you guys. Dumbledore's a great wizard, but he's cocked a lot of things up lately." Hermione scolded Ron for his language, but Harry just chuckled.
"He sure has," Harry said, nodding, "which is why we had to do what we did."
"Speaking of which, how did that go?" Ron asked. "I'm guessing you didn't wind up actually dropping out of Hogwarts, because you would've mentioned that first thing. So Dumbledore agreed to make some changes, then?"
"Well...not at first, no," Harry began. "There was a little bit there where I thought we really would be leaving, right after he said he was gonna give Snape the Defence job."
"Wait—what? Snape's going to teach Defence?" Ron interrupted hotly. "Are you bloody joking?"
"Yes, it was a terrible idea, wasn't it?" Hermione murmured. "Fortunately, Dumbledore backed down once he realised there was no way Harry would return to Hogwarts if Snape was given the job."
"Good. I don't think I coulda handled that greaseball teaching Defence," Ron said, relieved. "So if Snape isn't gonna get the job, who is?"
"We don't know," Harry said, shrugging. "Dumbledore was all set on Snape, so he didn't really have anybody else in mind yet. Guess we'll find out soon, though."
"Well, whoever it is, they can't be any worse than Snape. Or Umbridge, even," Ron mused. "How'd the rest of it go? Is Dumbledore going to stop hiding things from you, Harry? Is he going to help you get ready to fight You-Know-Who?"
"He says he will," Harry said, "but we'll see. I'm not going to just forget all the things he's hidden from me over the years, or the mistakes he's made. I'm not going to trust his word just like that."
"That's probably a good idea," Ron agreed. "We'll need to pay attention, and make sure he's doing what he promised. Still, he did agree to tell you things, and help you train?" he repeated. At Harry's nod, he continued. "Well that's good, at least. With Dumbledore helping you, you'll be able to take You-Know-Who down no problem."
Ron noticed that Harry looked rather uncomfortable, and looked at him curiously. "Something wrong, Harry?"
"You didn't really react to the prophecy earlier," Harry said quietly.
"I was still trying to accept what you two were telling me about Dumbledore," Ron said, shrugging. "It's not like it was a big surprise, anyway. Who else would stop You-Know-Who? I mean, of course it's going to be you. It's always been up to you, even back in our first year with the Philosopher's Stone. I didn't need some prophecy to tell me that you would be the one to beat him."
Ron didn't understand why Harry felt uncomfortable about this, but it was obvious that his explanation hadn't made much of a difference. Harry looked down at Ron's bed, avoiding eye contact with both he and Hermione. Ron looked to Hermione for an explanation. She seemed to have a better idea about what was bothering Harry, but the look she gave Ron told him that he would not be getting any answers from her.
Fortunately, he wouldn't have to.
"This doesn't...change anything?" Harry asked, still keeping his eyes locked on the bedspread.
"What do you mean, Harry? Why would this change anything?" Ron asked, gawking at Harry like he'd sprouted a second head.
"Knowing what I'm going to have to do, knowing I'm either going to be murdered or become a murderer myself...it doesn't scare you off? It doesn't make you want to get the hell away from me?"
Ron stared at Harry, his mouth opening and closing like a fish. He glanced quickly at Hermione, but her glistening brown eyes were locked solely on Harry. She reached out and clasped his hand, offering whatever comfort she could. Realising he hadn't answered Harry, Ron shook his head rapidly, determined to work past his initial loss for words so he could reassure his best mate.
"Are you serious, Harry? You think I'm going to ditch you—over this? Look, mate, I wish you didn't have to do this. I wish You-Know-Who had never killed your parents. I wish you could've had a happy childhood, like I did. I wish you, me and Hermione could be normal teenagers, with no dark wizards to worry about. But we can't—and that's NOT your fault. I know you didn't ask for any of this, but I know you can do it. I know you can beat You-Know-Who. And me and Hermione will help you as much as we can. No matter what, we're gonna be there for you."
Harry still hadn't looked up, but Ron could see the small smile on his best mate's face. Ron smiled himself, happy he'd gotten his point across. Hermione smiled gratefully at him, and Ron smiled back, shrugging his shoulders to show it hadn't been a big deal. And it hadn't, not really. All he'd done was tell Harry the truth. Whatever danger awaited Harry, he would be right there with him. He'd stand with Harry to the end. And it went without saying that Hermione would do the same.
All three members of the trio were silent for quite some time after that, but it was a comfortable silence. All three of the teens were thinking about everything they'd been through together, and everything they'd yet to go through. No matter what lurked around the corner, they would face it together.
-NMM-
It had been an uneventful couple of days for Harry. Hermione had returned to her house not long after their meeting with Dumbledore, while he'd remained at The Burrow. The rest of the Weasleys had been very curious about the meeting, but Harry and Ron were selective with what they shared. They didn't go into great detail, but did mention that Harry and Hermione were able to convince Dumbledore that Snape would be a terrible choice for the DADA job. The rest of it, they kept to themselves, since they weren't sure how Ron's parents would react to such strong criticisms of the beloved Headmaster. Harry and Ron had spent the past two days at The Burrow, sans Hermione. Harry had enjoyed the company of Ron and some of his siblings, Ginny in particular, but he had to admit that he missed Hermione. He couldn't recall ever missing her as much as he had over the previous two days, which was strange. Perhaps he simply felt closer to her after all they'd shared over the summer. Whatever it was, he had been very aware of missing her presence over the past two days.
But that was about to change. Headmaster Dumbledore had informed them that he would be stopping by The Burrow, and asked that Hermione join them as well. They'd made arrangements for Dumbledore to stop by Hermione's house and temporarily connect it to the floo network, and the two of them would then floo to The Burrow shortly after lunchtime. And, as Harry restlessly noted to himself, that was right about now. The day had been going by excruciatingly slowly, but it was almost time. He would soon see Hermione again, and he couldn't wait.
As if on cue, his bushy-haired friend arrived via the Weasleys' fireplace, doing so far more gracefully than Harry had ever managed. The moment she spotted Harry sitting on the couch, her face broke into a wide smile. Harry smiled right back and stood to greet her, and barely had time to react before her body collided with his, wrapping him up in a tight hug. Harry wrapped his own arms around her body, returning her hug with just as much force. He had to say, he was becoming a lot more comfortable hugging Hermione. Maybe she'd just hugged him so often that he'd gotten used to it?
"Hello, Harry," Hermione said, finally breaking the hug, but remaining in very close proximity to her friend. For his part, Harry didn't mind that a bit.
"Hi, Hermione," he returned. "Good to see you. I missed you, even if it's only been a couple days."
"It's good to see you too, Harry. And I've missed you, also," Hermione said, a bashful smile on her face.
"Hello, Harry. I trust you've been well since we last spoke?"
Harry reluctantly tore his gaze away from Hermione to look at Dumbledore. He was still wary about trusting him, but figured he should at least be civil to the man (so long as he stayed true to his word.) "I have, Headmaster," he replied evenly. Dumbledore smiled in his usual grandfatherly fashion and walked forward, which allowed Harry to see that they'd also been joined by a third visitor: Remus Lupin.
"Remus? What're you doing here?" Harry asked in surprise.
"Headmaster Dumbledore asked that I come along with him today," Lupin replied. "As to why? I am just as clueless as you are, Harry." With that, Harry turned to Dumbledore for an explanation.
"Not that I'm not happy to see him, sir," Harry began once he had Dumbledore's attention, "but why did you ask Remus to come?"
"I'll get to that shortly, Harry," Dumbledore said, "but it appears we are one person short. Do you happen to know where our resident Quidditch expert, Ronald Weasley, is? I was hoping he'd join us."
"Mrs. Weasley called us in for lunch about an hour ago...so he's still eating, of course," Harry said with a smirk. Hermione snickered, and Dumbledore and Lupin both smiled in amusement. "I'll go get him," Harry finished, already heading for the kitchen.
Mere moments later, Harry returned, with Ron following close behind (and trying to covertly wipe his mouth with the back of his hand.)
"Ah, thank you for joining us, Mr. Weasley. Congratulations on being named Gryffindor's new quidditch captain, by the way," Dumbledore said kindly.
"Thank you, sir," Ron said, smiling proudly. "Guess I have Harry to thank for that, though."
"Perhaps that is true," Dumbledore began, "but let us not forget that Mr. Potter was not the only one who made a very selfless decision that day. Harry showed great maturity in declining the position for the reasons that he did. But you also showed great maturity in volunteering to relinquish your status as prefect so Professor McGonagall could give it to Harry, her original choice."
"Thanks, sir," Ron said. "Harry deserved it anyway. He'll be loads better at that prefect stuff than I was."
"Personally, I believe both of you will excel in your new positions, though I suppose only time will tell," Dumbledore opined. "Well, now that we are all here, I suppose we should get to the purpose of this visit."
"Good idea, Professor," Harry agreed, as he was eager to get whatever Dumbledore's business was out of the way so he could spend some time with Hermione. "Do we need to go somewhere with a bit more privacy?"
"That won't be necessary, Harry," Dumbledore said, waving his hand in dismissal. "We won't be discussing anything that is of a sensitive nature. I merely wished to discuss an important change at Hogwarts for the upcoming term. Let's all have a seat, shall we?"
Harry shrugged, and he and Hermione sat down next to each other on the couch. Ron claimed the chair beside the couch, and with a casual flick of his wand, Dumbledore conjured two more chairs for himself and Remus.
"So, you came to talk about Hogwarts? Did you find a new DADA teacher?" Harry asked, once everyone was seated.
"I believe I have," Dumbledore said, nodding his head. Harry leaned forward in his seat, much more attentive now, as Dumbledore continued. "I suppose I should clarify: I feel I have come up with a fine candidate for the position. However, there are certain complications that will make it difficult for him to accept the position. That is where you come in, Harry, should you agree to help me."
"So you're going to give it to that Slughorn bloke, now that Snape is going to keep teaching Potions? And you want me to go with you when you talk to him, like we were going to do before?" Harry reasoned. To his surprise, though, Dumbledore shook his head.
"No, Harry, I will not be offering the position to Horace. His expertise lies in the art of potions, hence why I had been planning to offer him that post originally. Convincing him to become the Defence instructor might have eased my concern about Horace's safety, but the quality of the course itself would have suffered. And, as you and Ms. Granger pointed out to me recently, an adequate Defence instructor is of the utmost importance, especially in these dark times. Thus, I thought long and hard on the matter, and I do believe you will be satisfied with my selection."
"Well, who is it? You make it sound like we know him," Harry pointed out. Dumbledore smiled and nodded.
"You do indeed know him, Harry," Dumbledore said, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "His name is Remus Lupin."
That caught everyone else in the room by complete surprise, Lupin included. "Y-you must be joking, Albus," Lupin said uncertainly.
"Joking? Certainly not, Remus! Both Harry and Hermione recently commented on how much they learned during your previous stint as our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. And if I remember correctly, that was a sentiment that was almost universal among your students—well, those outside of Slytherin House, at least. You did an excellent job last time, and I see no reason why you wouldn't be able to do so once again."
Remus opened his mouth to respond, but Hermione beat him to the punch. "E-excuse me, Headmaster, but what about the supposed "curse" on the DADA post? I still say it's rubbish, of course, but..."
"And I say we find out if you're right," Dumbledore interrupted, smiling at her cheerfully. "We should not let Voldemort dictate the quality of education offered at Hogwarts. I believe Remus Lupin is the best man—or wolf, I suppose—for the job, so I will do whatever possible to ensure he gets it. Let us put this "hex" of Tom's to the test. If Remus is willing to accept, that is."
With that having been settled, Harry, Ron and Hermione looked back and forth between the two adults, as well as at each other. All three were in agreement here: they fervently hoped that Lupin would accept. They had all respected Lupin during his time as their professor, and the idea of him returning to that position was a pleasant one indeed.
Lupin, on the other hand, still was not convinced. He looked at Dumbledore as if he were overlooking something very obvious, and very important. "I would be willing to accept, Albus," Lupin began quietly, "but surely you realise that it's just not possible? I had to leave two years ago because word had spread about my...condition. The outrage from parents would be every bit as strong now as it was then. It might be stronger, even, thanks to the war. While I would like nothing more than to return to Hogwarts and start teaching again, there's no way the wizarding world at large will allow that to happen."
That soured Harry's mood a great deal, and he could tell Ron and Hermione were also very disappointed. Lupin had been an excellent teacher; Harry would have loved to see him return to Hogwarts. 'So much for that', he thought to himself. After seeing the glum expressions on his friends' faces, Harry glanced at Dumbledore, expecting to see the respected Headmaster look either chagrined at his failure to see a rather obvious flaw in his plan, or disappointed that he'd have to come up with yet another candidate for the job. To his surprise, though, Dumbledore looked as cheery as before. His eyes were twinkling merrily, and he had a pleased smile on his face. Harry continued to stare at the man, and wondered if he'd simply gone senile.
"You're right, Remus; convincing parents to allow their children to be taught by a werewolf would not be an easy task in most circumstances. In most cases, it would likely be an impossible one. Fortunately for us, though, we have something on our side that I believe will prove invaluable to us in this instance: public approval."
"Public approval? What do you mean?" Hermione asked. "The public doesn't approve of werewolves at all; they fear them."
"Quite correct, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore agreed, "but that was not the manner of public approval I was referring to. I was actually referring to the enormous surge in popularity and support that both Harry and I are currently receiving."
This was news to Harry. "What're you talking about? Everybody's been calling me a nutter for the last year," he pointed out.
"I take it you haven't been reading The Daily Prophet recently?" Dumbledore asked. Harry shook his head no; of course he didn't read that rubbish. "I didn't think so. I don't blame you, either, given all the things they wrote about you in the aftermath of Voldemort's return. I don't care for it much myself, but I believe we will be able to use the Prophet, and its current attitude towards us, to our benefit on this matter. Ms. Granger, you subscribe to the Prophet, do you not?"
"Yes, Headmaster, I do," Hermione confirmed. "I disagree with many of the things that they write, but I feel it is important to keep up with what they're saying. After all, most British wizards depend on the Prophet as their primary news source."
"I think that is a very wise idea, Ms. Granger," Dumbledore said. "Now, have you been reading the Prophet since returning from Hogwarts at the end of last term? Have you read all of their comments about Harry and myself since Minister Fudge finally acknowledged that Voldemort has returned?"
"Yes, I have. They've been very kind towards you both. They talk about how courageous you two were to stand firm and continue to tell the truth, despite all of the criticism you received for doing so."
"That's a laugh," Harry said with a snort. "They were the ones who did most of the criticising. But now, after months of calling me a liar, all of a sudden I'm some kind of hero again? What rubbish."
"I understand your frustration, Harry, but I truly do believe that this fickle attitude displayed by both the Prophet and the Ministry itself will work in our favour," Dumbledore insisted. "It will help us return dear Remus to the post he never should have lost two years ago."
"How so?" Harry inquired. "Just because they like you and me again—for the moment, anyway—doesn't mean they'll be any more accepting of a werewolf as a teacher."
"They might not like the idea, that is true," Dumbledore conceded, "but they will like the people championing the idea. Your popularity, and mine, are both as high as they've been since Voldemort was defeated for the first time. Not only do people now see that we were telling the truth all along, they also feel profoundly guilty for their poor treatment of us over the past year. If the revered Headmaster and arguable leader of the war effort against Voldemort, Albus Dumbledore, and the Boy-Who-Lived and rumoured 'Chosen One', Harry Potter, both put their full public support behind him, how could anyone object to Professor Lupin's appointment?"
"You really think that would work?" Harry asked, sceptical. It was hard for him to believe that his opinion could now hold that much sway publicly, after that same public had spent over a year running his name through the mud.
"I think he's right, Harry," Hermione chimed in. "Now that everyone knows the truth about Voldemort, you and Professor Dumbledore are more popular and more respected than ever. I think the two of you working together would be able to silence any fears or complaints parents might have about Professor Lupin. You won't be able to convince them to accept werewolves in general, nor should you attempt to. All you need to do is get them to believe that this particular werewolf, Remus Lupin, is trustworthy. As long as they believe that their children will not be in any danger with Professor Lupin in the castle, they won't fight his appointment too hard. And if both you and the Headmaster declare your trust in him publicly, they'll be forced to give Professor Lupin a chance."
"What about the Slytherin parents, though?" Harry countered. "Most of those lot have hated me from the beginning, and they don't like Dumbledore all that much either. And they also seem to hold a lot of the important positions of power in our government, from what I can see. Wouldn't they fight it? Not to mention Fudge."
"Last year at this time, you would have been correct, Harry," Dumbldore said. "But at the moment, I believe those who would ordinarily have opposed us bitterly will be very wary of doing so. They realise how high our popularity is at the moment, and know that standing in direct opposition of us would be a very risky move at present. Given our respective roles in the war against Voldemort, any stand against us, however small, could make others suspicious of whomever was raising the complaint. And as for Minister Fudge—his time as Minister could very well be drawing to a close. Many people have been calling for his head, figuratively speaking, since the truth about Voldemort came out. With all the pressure currently on him, opposing us would be a suicidal political move."
Harry had to admit it: Dumbledore was making a convincing argument. If the public's perception of the two of them was really as favourable as Dumbledore and Hermione both insisted it was, they might very well be able to get Remus his job back. "So what do we need to do to make this happen?" he asked.
Dumbledore sat up straighter in his chair, eager to explain the particulars of his plan to Harry. "I was thinking we could contact the Prophet and ask them to put a story in the paper for us. I'm sure they will leap at the opportunity, as quotes directly from us would be a huge seller at the moment, regardless of the topic. In this article, we will declare my desire to bring Remus Lupin back to Hogwarts as the DADA professor. We will assure them that he will have an ample supply of wolfsbane potion on hand at all times, and also that we will take measures to ensure that he will be separated from all students during the full moon." Dumbledore paused briefly to make sure everyone present was following along before getting into arguably the most important part of his plan.
"Once those assurances are out of the way, we will go into great detail about all of the positive traits that make him such a fine teacher. I will speak glowingly of his time as a student at Hogwarts, including his close friendship with none other than James Potter. I will also mention how big a help he was to our side during the first war against Voldemort, and that I would put my life in his hands if necessary. Then, you could voice your own support of the idea, and give your reasons for wanting to see Lupin return. You could repeat what you told me in our recent chat at Hogwarts, about him being the best DADA professor you've had. If you were willing, you could also mention how he taught you the patronus charm, and how vital it proved later in the year when dealing with the Dementors.
"In addition to whatever you wanted to say, we could also include comments from some of his other former students, including Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger here, among others. Professor Lupin was quite popular among most non-Slytherin students, so I wouldn't imagine it would be very difficult to get positive statements from a variety of diverse sources. If we put all of this together and get the Prophet to publish it, I sincerely believe that we will be able to bring Professor Lupin back this term, with very little trouble."
"That's bloody brilliant," Ron exclaimed. "Harry, your fame will finally help you for a change, instead of just giving you problems!"
"That is one way of looking at it, yes, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore acknowledged. "The question is, are you willing to do this, Harry? I know how much you dislike the attention you receive, and I will completely understand if you wish to stay out of this. I will get the Prophet to publish the article with my name attached regardless. My name alone may be enough these days, but I believe that both of our names combined would make success almost certain."
Harry mulled over what Dumbledore had said. Dumbledore had been correct in saying that Harry disliked all the attention he'd gotten since entering the wizarding world nearly six years earlier. Frankly, he loathed it. But the way he saw it, the attention would be there regardless of what he did. So, if it was going to be there anyway, why not use it to ensure they actually had a quality DADA professor?
"As long as Remus really does want the job back, I'll do it, Headmaster," Harry said. "I'm OK with using my fame if it means we can actually have a decent teacher again." Harry, along with everyone else in the room, looked to see how Remus was taking all of this. To Harry's eyes, the old werewolf looked overwhelmed.
"Thank you, Harry. And you as well, Albus. It means a lot that you would go out of your way to help me like that," Remus said, sincere gratitude in his voice as he smiled at Harry.
"It's not just for you, Remus," Harry said. "You being our teacher again will help all of us out, too. And, besides...I'd like to be able to take you up on your offer."
"Offer? What offer?" Remus asked, cocking his head at the son of one of his best friends.
"Your offer to come and talk about...Sirius. Sirius, and other things. It'd be nice to know you're there to talk to, or to ask for help or advice if I need it."
Lupin gave Harry a heartfelt smile. "Ah, yes. I would like that very much, Harry," he said, a slight catch in his voice. "I hope that you two aren't opposed to my returning to the castle?" he asked of Ron and Hermione. They both shook their heads adamantly, causing him to smile before returning his attention to Dumbledore. "Very well, Albus. If you can manage it, I would be happy to return to Hogwarts this term."
Dumbledore smiled and clapped his hands. "That is most excellent, Remus. Now that that is settled, I suggest we get started on our correspondence for the Prophet. Start of term is rapidly approaching, and I have a few other changes I hope to implement between now and then, so time is of the essence. Let us begin with..."
Harry shared a quick smile with Hermione as Dumbledore began putting his plans into motion. He'd clearly taken their complaints seriously, and now had worked out a way to provide a quality DADA professor once again. It appeared that their confrontation with the Headmaster was already changing things for the better at Hogwarts.
-NMM-
Severus Snape threw the morning edition of The Daily Prophet into the fire, snarling as he watched it burn. It had been years since the Potions Master had been this angry—and that was saying something indeed.
How dare Dumbledore give the Defence job to that filthy werewolf, Lupin, again? And after the old man had looked him right in the eyes and promised him that this year, finally, he was going to get the job himself! He'd coveted that job for years. Far better to drill a healthy respect for the danger (and power) of the Dark Arts into the students' heads, as opposed to wasting his time teaching Potions to a bunch of clueless dunderheads who didn't possess the slightest aptitude for the art. Finally, he'd be doing something worthwhile!
But all that had changed just hours earlier, when Dumbledore walked into his office, all smiles and cheerfulness, and told him that "plans had changed." He said that, after "careful deliberation", he'd decided to offer the job to Lupin instead. When Snape forcefully reminded the Headmaster about the public outcry that would surely result if he tried to bring back someone with Lupin's...condition, the old bastard had just looked at him with those damn twinkling eyes and said that that little issue would be "taken care of."
And now, Snape had seen why Dumbledore was so confident that he would be successful, despite the public being aware that Lupin was a werewolf. It had been a very sneaky move, capitalizing on his renewed popularity in the wake of the public learning and accepting the truth about the Dark Lord's return. Snape had no doubt that the easily-manipulated public would go along with whatever their beloved Headmaster wished at the moment. Especially since Potter's name had been attached to the article as well.
That infuriated Snape more than any other aspect of this betrayal. He was positive that, despite what Dumbledore had said about the move being made "for the greater good of Hogwarts", it had been Potter's doing. Dumbledore must've told that arrogant brat about his plan to make him the DADA teacher. And Potter, being the self-absorbed, attention-craving wretch that he was, used his status as the 'Chosen One' to manipulate Dumbldore into giving the job to his father's beast of a friend. Together, the two of them had then hatched their little plot to appeal to the weak-minded public, and the deed was done.
After all the years he'd spent doing Dumbledore's bidding, to be denied a job he deserved because of that blasted Potter! The sheer insult of it all! That brat was his father's son, to be certain. Snape had already despised Potter, but this scheme of his had only strengthened his loathing of the boy. And as for Albus—he would never forgive the man for going back on his word.
Snape wasn't sure what his next move would be. At this point, after Dumbledore's betrayal and Potter's meddling, he wasn't even sure where his loyalties lay. But he knew this: Dumbledore would hear just what he thought of this decision. And Potter? If he saw an opportunity to gain some measure of revenge on that arrogant brat, he would seize it to its fullest.
Chapter 8: Back to School
"Oh, hello Harry."
"Hello, Luna," Harry said with a smile. "Mind if Hermione and I share this compartment with you?"
"Go right ahead," she answered serenely, and the two Gryffindors stepped into the Ravenclaw's compartment on the Hogwarts Express. Luna smiled at Hermione, but appeared confused once she realised no one else was behind her. "Where is Ronald? You usually arrive with him," she observed.
"Oh, he's running late, as usual," Hermione said with a smirk. "Thankfully, I was actually able to convince Harry to pack ahead of time, so he was ready to go for a change. Since Harry and I are prefects, we didn't want to risk running late. So, Ron's brother Bill and his fiancé Fleur brought us here ahead of everyone else. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will be bringing Ron and Ginny once they're ready."
"I see," Luna commented thoughtfully. "I'm sure you're happy that your studious habits are rubbing off on Harry at last, Hermione."
Hermione nodded triumphantly at Harry before responding to Luna. "Yes, of course. I just wish I'd gotten through to him a bit earlier. It pains me to think of all the time he's wasted over the years," she said, and punctuated her statement with a theatrical sigh.
Harry chuckled at her. "Yeah, it was about time I picked something up from you, I guess. I am a prefect now, after all. And speaking of that, we might as well head to the prefect's carriage for the meeting."
"Yes, we probably should. I know you're very eager to see Malfoy again," Hermione teased, causing Harry to shoot her a playful glare. "Luna, would you mind if we left our things here while we're out?"
"Certainly not," Luna said, looking back down at her (upside-down) copy of The Quibbler as Harry and Hermione stepped back out into the corridor and shut the compartment door behind them.
"Good thing she agreed to that," Harry remarked, as they began walking to their destination. "You lug around enough books as it is, but with those additional books Dumbledore let you borrow, you'd probably throw your back out."
"Very funny, Harry," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "But honestly, I think it was very kind of the Headmaster to let us borrow those books from his private collection. I've already learned many useful things from them, and once we have some time, I'd like to show some of them to you."
"Can't wait," Harry teased, before giving her a genuine smile. "Seriously though, if there's anything in any of those that you think are worth teaching me about, I'm open to it. I trust your judgement."
"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said. As she smiled at him, Harry couldn't help but notice that she had quite a pretty smile. The buckteeth she'd had in her younger years were long gone, replaced by a perfect set of teeth that would look right at home in a framed picture inside of a dentist's office.
Harry's pleasant thoughts were rudely interrupted once they arrived at the prefect's carriage, or more to the point, when he saw that his 6th year Slytherin counterpart had already arrived.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" Draco Malfoy asked with a disdainful sneer. "What, did you steal Weasel's badge? Or maybe you bought it from him, so he could actually afford all of his books?"
"Oh, shove off, Malfoy," Harry bit back. "Unlike you, I don't go throwing my money around so I can have things I don't deserve." Harry watched as Draco's pale skin flushed with anger, and it gave him a sense of satisfaction. He ignored Hermione's tug at his sleeve and took his taunting a step further. "Honestly, if your daddy hadn't bought the whole team brooms, I don't think Slytherin would've let you anywhere near the quidditch pitch. And I bet poor Mr. Malfoy regrets wasting his money like that now. Maybe he could have used it to bribe his way out of Azkaban."
If Harry and Draco had one thing in common, it was that they would not stand for anyone insulting either of their parents. Harry watched as Draco's face twisted into a furious grimace, and knew without looking down that the Slytherin was reaching for his wand. But by the time Draco got his wand out of its holder, both Harry and Hermione had their own wands out and trained on him.
"Don't even think about it, Draco," Hermione commanded, staring at him with calm determination. "You either, Harry. You two are prefects; you need to be setting an example for the other students, not picking fights like a couple of children."
Harry felt properly chastised by Hermione's words, but predictably, they had no such effect on Draco. "Don't you dare lecture me, you filthy Mudblood!" he snarled. Harry's eyes narrowed, but Hermione latched onto his arm with her free hand, preventing him from retaliating. Seeing that, Draco smirked at him. "Good thing the Mudblood was here to hold you back, Potter, or I would have made you pay for what you did to my father. But I guess I'll just leave it to him to deal with you himself, once he gets out of Azkaban."
"He's welcome to try," Harry said. "Didn't work out too well for him last time, though."
At that point, the three 6th years were joined in the compartment by the new Head Girl: Harry's quidditch team mate, Katie Bell. Katie took one look at the three 6th years, all with their wands drawn, and her eyes narrowed.
"What's going on here?" she demanded. "Why are you pointing your wands at each other?"
"Don't take that tone with me, Bell," Draco said indignantly. "Potter deliberately provoked me. All I did was stand up to defend the honour of my father, as anyone would do. Well, perhaps Potter wouldn't, seeing as he doesn't have a father-"
Forgetting his wand altogether, Harry tried to lunge towards the Slytherin. Hermione held him back, though, while Katie kept an eye on Draco, ensuring he wasn't about to try anything.
"That's enough, Malfoy," Katie said, clearly irritated with the boy. "You don't have Umbridge or her 'Inquisitorial Squad' rubbish to protect you anymore, so if you try to abuse your position like you did last year, I will report it to the Headmaster."
"Ooh, I'm shaking Bell!" Draco said in a mocking tone. "As if I'm going to listen to a stupid Gryffindor like you."
"Oh, just shut up and wait for the meeting to start, you git," Katie snapped, her patience gone. Harry smirked as Draco flinched slightly, but the arrogant blonde quickly recovered.
"I'm not going to waste my time with you imbeciles," Draco scoffed. "I only stopped by to tell you not to bother giving me any patrol times. I'm not going to spend one minute watching over a bunch of Mudbloods and blood traitors, so save yourself the effort."
Harry's blood continued to boil at Malfoy's casual use of the bigoted term 'Mudblood', but he kept himself in check. He knew that Hermione would not approve of him escalating the situation, so he settled for showing his hatred towards Malfoy with as fierce a glare as he could manage. He continued glaring as the arrogant Slytherin strolled right out of the compartment, deliberately bumping Harry none-too-gently with his shoulder as he departed.
"What a tosser," Kattie muttered. "I don't know how he gets away with the things that he does. And he made prefect, even!"
"I guess that's what happens when your father bribes every bloody person he possibly can," Harry mused. "Not to mention, he has Snape as his Head of House, and that greasy bastard lets him do whatever he wants."
"Not that I disagree," Hermione interrupted, "but do you think we could change the subject? As long as we're here early, why don't you fill Harry in on what you and the Head Boy will expect from him as a prefect?"
Nodding her agreement, Katie began bringing Gryffindor's new prefect up to speed on his responsibilities.
-NMM-
Once the meeting had been completed and all questions had been answered, Harry and Hermione emerged from the prefects' carriage along with their fellow prefects. They briefly chatted about the subjects that had been discussed during the meeting, but Harry knew Hermione too well to think he'd heard the last of his confrontation with Draco. Sure enough, as soon as they were out of earshot of the other prefects, Hermione abruptly changed the subject.
"I really wish you wouldn't go at Malfoy like that," she said quietly. "If you're going to take your prefect duties seriously, you need to set a better example." Harry kept his eyes focused straight ahead, not wanting to see the disappointed look he was sure was on her face. The reproach in her voice was bad enough.
"I do take this prefect stuff seriously," Harry insisted. "It's just...he's such a git!"
"I never said he wasn't," Hermione replied, "but you can't let him get to you. He's just a spoiled little brat. Be the bigger person, and don't react to his nonsense. You have more important things to worry about, anyway."
"I know," Harry acknowledged. "I'll try my best. But any time he calls you a Mud...well, you know...while I'm around, you might wanna keep an eye on me, because I'll probably want to punch his face in.
"I know," Hermione sighed, "and thank you for wanting to stick up for me. But I can take care of myself." In spite of these words, Hermione wore a slight smile on her face as she walked. Harry did not see it, as he was still not looking at her. Even if he had, he wouldn't have had any idea what it meant.
The two friends walked in comfortable silence the rest of the way, until they arrived back at Luna's compartment. Upon opening the door, they saw that Luna had since been joined by Ron and Neville. Conspicuous by her absence was the other member of their ill-fated trip to the Department of Mysteries, Ginny.
"Hullo, you lot," Harry greeted. "Where's Ginny?"
"She's off in another compartment with Dean," Ron said, grimacing as sourly as if he'd just witnessed another Chudley Cannons defeat. "I swear, if that git tries anything..."
"Oh, hush, Ronald," Luna said. "Ginny won't let him do anything she's not comfortable with."
"It's not just him I'm worried about," Ron grumbled. Ignoring him, Luna turned her head to look at Harry as he took his seat.
"Harry, Ronald told us that you and Hermione confronted Headmaster Dumbledore over the summer, and that Professor Lupin's return is your doing. Is this true?"
"Well...kind of," Harry said. "We didn't demand that Dumbledore hire Lupin specifically, but we did let him know that if Hogwarts couldn't provide a decent Defence professor for a change, we might transfer to some other school."
"Really? You threatened to leave Hogwarts?" Neville asked, startled. "Blimey! That took guts, Harry, standing up to Dumbledore like that! I don't think I could pull that off."
"Dumbledore might be a powerful wizard, but he's human. He makes mistakes like everybody else," Harry said. "And when we heard who he wanted to give the job to this year, we knew we had to do something."
"Who'd he want to give it to?" Neville asked curiously.
"Snape," Ron spat, answering for Harry. Neville's eyes widened at that, and even Luna looked surprised.
"Snape?" Neville repeated in disbelief. "Bloody hell! Thanks for standing up to him, you two. Snape teaching Defence would've been awful!"
"I quite agree," Hermione said, nodding. "Considering that most students outside of Slytherin don't think he's very good in his current role, I found it puzzling that the Headmaster would want to give him an even more important one. And he was actually hoping that Harry would help him set things into motion by going with him to recruit a replacement to teach Potions! I know he thinks highly of Professor Snape, but honestly, you'd think he would see that the man is simply no good as a teacher."
"Perhaps the grease-filled slipperdunks that make their home in Snape's hair have clouded the Headmaster's judgement," Luna offered. Harry turned his head quickly, not wanting to miss Hermione's reaction. He was not disappointed.
Hermione's mouth opened and closed wordlessly, as Luna's statement had left her too astonished to speak. As was usually the case, Hermione had no clue how to respond to Luna's seemingly outlandish statements. For his part, Harry found it incredibly amusing to see Hermione Granger, the girl who almost always had an answer for everything, struck speechless.
"Err...yeah, maybe that's it," Neville said hesitantly, breaking the brief silence that had overtaken the group.
"Yeah, you have to watch out for those slipperdunks," Harry agreed, smiling widely at Hermione as he spoke. She looked right back at him and rolled her eyes, though the slight grin threatening to break through suggested that she found some humour in the situation, too.
"Yes, I quite agree, Harry," Luna said, either oblivious to Harry and Hermione's interaction, or choosing to ignore it. "If you aren't aware of their presence, they can trick you into making some very poor decisions."
"Sounds like they've been screwing Dumbledore up for years, then," Harry said automatically. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn't acknowledge her. He'd agreed to give Dumbledore another chance, but that didn't mean he would easily forgive or forget what the man had done in the past.
Ron and Hermione already knew all about Harry's problems with Dumbledore, but Neville and Luna did not. Harry glanced back and forth between the two, trying to gauge their reaction to what he'd just blurted out. Luna hadn't outwardly reacted to his words, but that was nothing new. Neville, on the other hand, seemed taken aback. He was staring at Harry through narrowed eyes, and Harry was sure he was about to ask for an explanation.
Sure enough, Neville was the first to speak. "What're you talking about, Harry? What's Dumbledore done wrong?"
Harry didn't immediately reply. He liked Neville a great deal. After the events of the past year, he certainly felt much closer to Neville, Ginny and Luna. But how much faith was he willing to place in them? Could he confide in them to the same degree that he had Hermione, and later Ron? Could he tell them about his mistrust of Dumbledore, or of the contents of the prophecy?
Eventually, Harry settled for a simple, "It's complicated." His flat tone made it clear that he didn't want to discuss it any further, and Neville slowly nodded in understanding.
"OK, Harry," Neville said, looking him straight in the eyes. "If you don't want to talk about it, I'm sure you have your reasons. But just so you know, if you ever need help with anything, or even just someone to talk to, you can come to me. You can trust me, Harry. I won't rat you out or anything."
"The same is true for me," Luna offered. "I'll be happy to help you in any way I can, Harry. I don't have many friends, so it would be quite a shame if something happened to you."
Harry was silent for a moment, absorbing what his two newest friends has said. Neville's offer had been all eagerness and enthusiasm, while Luna's had been blunt and awkward. But both of them had been sincere. He had no doubts about that.
"Thanks, you two," Harry said. "Maybe I'll feel more comfortable sharing these things with you later. It's just...it usually takes a while for me to trust someone, and I've only just started hanging around with you guys, and..."
"I get it, Harry," Neville said, interrupting his rambling. "I know what you mean. Just know that we'll be there for you whenever you're ready."
Harry nodded, showing his appreciation, and the five friends moved on to other subjects.
-NMM-
The rest of the trip went by without incident. They thankfully did not encounter Malfoy again, either on the train or while riding in the carriages pulled by the Thestrals. Since they did not have to deal with any arrogant ferrets, Harry's group was able to chat pleasantly all the way until they arrived in the Great Hall for the Welcoming Feast. It was at that point that Ron's good mood evaporated, as he saw Ginny sitting very close to Dean at the Gryffindor table, his arm around her shoulders.
"Oi! Keep your hands to yourself, Thomas!" Ron growled. Dean made as if to comply, but Ginny grasped his arm and kept it right where it was.
"Shove off, Ron," she said heatedly. "His arm is around my shoulders—it's not as if he's copping a feel." Ron's face threatened to turn green at that particular mental image, but Ginny kept going. "Dean is my boyfriend, and he's not going to stay away from me just because you're uncomfortable. I'm not a little girl, Ron. You'd better get used to it."
Ron scowled at his sister, but Ginny's reprimand had effectively silenced him. Harry and Hermione shared an amused glance as they sat down beside Ron further down the table, finding humour in his discomfort.
"They grow up so fast, don't they, Ron?" Harry teased, grinning at Ron as the redhead glared at him.
"Sod off, Harry," Ron grumbled, none too happy that his best mate had decided to take that opportunity to poke fun at him.
"He's right, though, Ron," Hermione added seriously. "Ginny is growing up, whether you like it or not. If you try to treat her like a child or interfere in her relationships, it'll only make things worse."
"So, what, I should just sit back and do nothing? What if that git tries something with her?" Ron asked, glaring at Hermione in defiance.
"If Ginny ever truly needs your help, I'm sure she'll ask for it," Hermione calmly replied. "But in the meantime, I suggest you let her live her life. If Dean gives her any sort of trouble, Ginny is quite capable of handling herself."
Ron still didn't look very happy, but he was prevented from responding as the Sorting began. The three friends watched in relative silence as the incoming first year students nervously approached the Sorting Hat, and they applauded whenever one of the newcomers was Sorted into Gryffindor. As he watched one student after another sit upon the stool and receive the Sorting Hat's judgement, Harry couldn't help but think back to his own Sorting, which felt like a lifetime ago after everything he'd been through in the past five years. He wondered if any of the students being sorted on this day would have to argue with the hat, as he'd had to. The hat was supposedly never wrong, but Harry doubted very seriously that he'd have done well in Slytherin. Sharing a dorm with Draco bloody Malfoy did not sound appealing in the least.
Once the last student had been Sorted, Headmaster Dumbledore rose from his seat and smiled patiently as all chatter gradually died down. Once things were quiet, the revered wizard began giving his customary welcome speech.
"Hello students, and welcome to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I trust that you all have had a nice summer—that is to say, as nice a summer as could be had under the present circumstances. Hopefully, you've been able to enjoy yourselves during the past months. But now that you've returned to Hogwarts, it is time for us to acknowledge what lies before us, and prepare for it as best we can.
"As we are all well aware, Tom Riddle, a former student of this very school who later adopted the name 'Lord Voldemort', returned to power over one year ago, at the conclusion of the Triwizard Tournament. Our own Harry Potter witnessed this first-hand. He saw Voldemort's followers-those who refer to themselves as 'Death Eaters'-return to do their master's bidding once more. He watched as Cedric Diggory was thoughtlessly murdered, merely because he happened to be there.
"When Harry returned to Hogwarts that night, he told me exactly what had taken place, what he'd seen. I soon received other compelling evidence that confirmed Harry's story, but even if I'd had nothing to go on but his word, I would have believed him, as I hold him in the highest regard. When he described to me exactly what he'd seen, there was not a doubt in my mind that Harry was telling the truth: Voldemort had returned."
Harry looked around, taking note that many of his fellow students looked pale and sickly, no doubt horrified by the mere thought of Voldemort truly being back. The notable exception was, predictably, the Slytherin table. While some of the students were unreadable, others seemed to be fighting not to smile. Draco was far bolder: he was smirking openly, and when he noticed Harry's scrutiny, his smirk grew more pronounced and he made a slashing gesture across his throat. Harry scowled at his long-time nemesis and turned away, returning his attention to the Headmaster.
"Unfortunately, certain influential members of our society chose not to believe Harry. They refused to believe that Voldemort had returned, because they were unable or unwilling to deal with what that would mean for our society. And so, instead of doing their best to prepare magical Britain for the danger that was closing in, they sought to discredit both Harry, and the unfortunate news he delivered to us. And, since I steadfastly supported Harry's claims, they labelled me a senile old fool who was no longer fit to run this school. In an effort to watch over both Harry and myself, Minister Fudge appointed Dolores Umbridge to last year's teaching staff, without my consent."
Unsurprisingly, there were loud, angry mutterings from many of the students at the mention of Cornelius Fudge's Senior Undersecretary. Aside from those that joined her infamous Inquisitorial Squad, Umbridge had angered nearly every student in Hogwarts with her tyrannical behaviour.
Harry grimaced as he thought back on his own run-ins with Fudge's filthy toad. He glanced at the back of his hand, which still carried a faint scar thanks to Umbridge and her blood quill. Hermione noticed and patted Harry's hand in sympathy, lightly running her fingers across his scarred flesh, and Harry smiled at her in response. Before he had much time to reflect on how comfortable he was becoming with Hermione's affectionate touches, Dumbledore continued.
Dumbledore smiled and nodded knowingly at the negative reaction Umbridge's name had generated. "Ah, I see that many of you were not overly fond of Madam Umbridge's methods. It should please you then to know that she will have no involvement with Hogwarts this term, or ever again. But that is not the only change that will be made at Hogwarts. As you all know, Lord Voldemort was spotted in the Ministry of Magic building near the end of last term. After this sighting, not even Minister Fudge could deny the truth any longer. He, and all others who had supported his viewpoint, was forced to acknowledge that Harry had been telling the truth all along. Nearly a year after it had happened, Voldemort's return was finally an accepted fact within our society."
Harry was aware of several students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and even some from his own table, casting brief, guilty glances in his direction. No doubt they were thinking back to their own actions during the previous school year, when quite a few of them had bought into the propaganda of the Ministry and the Daily Prophet. One student who seemed particularly remorseful was Harry's own dorm mate, Seamus Finnigan, who had initially gone along with his mother in doubting Harry's claims. Seamus, his face red with shame, looked at Harry apologetically, but Harry just smiled and waved it off. Seamus had long since apologized, and besides, Harry had far more important things to worry about than a simple argument with a classmate.
"I understand that this isn't news you ever wished to hear," Dumbledore continued, "but it is the truth. And the good news is, now that Voldemort's return has been taken as fact, we will be free to focus on preparing ourselves. Now that they've seen that Harry and I were telling the truth all along, the Ministry has given me the authority to once again run Hogwarts as I see fit, free from their meddling. This, of course, means that any and all 'Educational Decrees' made by Madam Umbridge are henceforth abolished. But that is only one change of many this term. Now that Voldemort's return is out in the open, I feel it is imperative that the faculty do everything we possibly can to prepare you for what is out there. Voldemort and his Death Eaters will not distinguish between trained aurors and schoolchildren. In Voldemort's mind, if you are not a so-called pureblood wizard who shares his own prejudiced views, you are a target. Thus, it is essential for every student in these halls to learn how to defend themselves. With my authority as Headmaster restored in full, I have instituted some changes for this upcoming term, all designed to make sure you will be better prepared should you find yourselves in grave danger. The first of these changes, which most of you are already well aware of, is the return of the good Remus Lupin as our Defence Against the Dark Arts professor. Professor Lupin, if you would please rise."
Lupin rose from his seat at the staff table, and quickly received an enthusiastic round of applause from three of the four House tables, with Slytherin being the obvious exception. Those students fourth year and above, who'd been taught by Lupin three years earlier, were especially exuberant in their applause. Lupin smiled broadly, clearly touched that so many students were happy to see him return. Harry clapped harder than anyone in the room, and when Lupin looked his way, he grinned and gave his father's old friend a thumbs up. Lupin's smile widened, and he acknowledged Harry with a slight nod.
There was at least one person that was distinctly unhappy with this announcement however: Severus Snape. When Harry happened to lock eyes with the Potions professor, he was treated to a murderous glare. Snape, with his narrowed eyes and fierce scowl, looked as if he wanted nothing more than to get up from his seat and throttle the "Boy-Who-Lived" with his bare hands. He'd obviously read the Daily Prophet article that Dumbledore had put together in support of Remus. The article, which had done much to ease the public's fears about Lupin's return to Hogwarts, had featured several direct quotes from Harry. Harry wasn't sure if Dumbledore had previously promised Snape that the job would be his, but if this death stare was any indication, he had clearly thought he would be given his desired post at last. Suppressing a shiver, and now devoutly thankful that he would no longer be taking Potions with Snape, Harry looked away in time to see Lupin sit back down, and Dumbledore stand front and centre once again.
"I am pleased to see that so many of you older students seem to have fond memories of Professor Lupin's previous stint at Hogwarts," Dumbledore remarked with a twinkle in his eyes. "For those of you who have not had the pleasure of being instructed by Professor Lupin, let me assure you that he is very much qualified for the position. In fact, I think it would be fair to say that it has been a decade or more since any Defence teacher has done the job as well as Professor Lupin. Were it not for the unfortunate revelation about his status as a werewolf, Professor Lupin would have remained here as our Defence instructor all along."
Harry scowled, remembering exactly who it was that had let that bit of news slip. Now that Lupin had come back and had once again been given the DADA job that Snape supposedly coveted, he wondered what, if anything, the greasy git might do to try and run him off for a second time. Based on the look Snape had given him moments earlier, Harry wouldn't put anything past the enraged Slytherin. He resolved to bring this fear up with Hermione the first chance he got.
"As I've already stated in the Daily Prophet article that I'm sure many of you have read, I am quite confident that Professor Lupin's medical issues will not pose any threat to anyone in this school," Dumbledore said assuredly. "Here at Hogwarts, he will have ready access to the Wolfsbane Potion, which will allow him to remain in control of his actions even during the full moon. There will also be other precautions in place in order to protect you should something go wrong, though I think it best not to reveal what, precisely, those precautions are. Rest assured that Professor Lupin will pose no more danger to you than any other Hogwarts professor. I am delighted that my opinion of Mr. Lupin, as well as the opinions of some others who know him well, was enough to appease any outside concerns and ensure that he be given a second chance. I have no doubt that he will make the most of this opportunity and prove that, werewolf or not, he deserves this job."
The same students that warmly greeted Lupin when he was first introduced did the same once again, making it clear through their loud applause that they supported his return. Harry happily joined in, feeling immensely proud that he'd been able to help make this happen.
"The return of Professor Lupin is not the only change I will be instituting," Dumbledore went on, once the applause had died down. "While I believe he will prove to be a more than capable instructor, I have decided that in these dangerous times, additional Defence work is a very sound idea. Thus, beginning this term, Hogwarts will be offering optional "Advanced Defence" instruction. This will not be an official class as such, and there will be no formal testing. Instead, these Advanced Defence lessons will focus on teaching you how to apply the lessons you've learned; the jinxes, curses and hexes you know, in actual combat situations. Some may refer to it as a Duelling Club, though I can promise you older students it will be nothing like the farce of an exhibition put forth by Gilderoy Lockhart four years ago. These lessons will allow you to get a taste of what it is like to truly face down an opponent, though we will obviously not permit the use of anything that could inflict lasting damage. Certain restrictions and regulations will apply, but as I am sure many of you are growing quite restless, I will say no more for now. If you wish to learn more about these Advanced Defence lessons, contact your Head of House for more information."
Harry shared surprised looks with both Hermione and Ron. Neither Dumbledore, nor Remus had said anything to them about these Advanced Defence lessons, so Harry was learning of them the same time everyone else was. Nevertheless, Harry thought it sounded like a great idea. There was no such thing as too much Defence, and if these lessons were run properly, they could help he and his fellow students prepare for any future battles with Voldemort and his cronies. Even though he and his friends had made it back from the Department of Mysteries in one piece, Harry held no illusions about what had happened. They got lucky, plain and simple; just as he'd gotten lucky in his first year, when his mother's protection prevented Quirrell from touching him, or his second year, when Fawkes had swooped in to save him in the Chamber of Secrets, or his fourth year, when his wand being a "brother" to Voldemort's had allowed him to escape from the graveyard. Sooner or later, Harry was sure his luck was bound to run out. And when it did, he wanted to be prepared.
"Now, before we enjoy another wonderful feast, I have one last announcement I would like to make," Dumbledore said, making sure he still had everyone's attention before he continued, his voice suddenly taking on a harder edge and his face looking quite serious. "I understand that, in these times, it may be hard to decide which course of action to take. Indeed, some of you may feel that you have no choice in the direction your life is headed. But I firmly believe that there is always a choice. Regardless of what your friends, your family, or even your professors try to tell you, your life is what you make of it. As I am quite fond of saying, there may come a time when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy. When that time comes, look inside your heart, and you will know what to do."
As Dumbledore finished his speech, he seemed to be looking squarely at Draco Malfoy. Harry watched as Draco stared straight down at his table, resolutely refusing to meet the Headmaster's gaze. Harry silently wondered whether Dumbledore actually believed that Draco could be saved, that he could be convinced not to walk down the same path as the father he so admired. As far as Harry was concerned, Draco was either a Death Eater already, or he was well on his way. Regardless of what Dumbledore thought, Harry knew he would need to watch his back around Malfoy and his friends, now more than ever.
-NMM-
Harry wasn't the only one who paid close attention to Dumbledore during the final few moments of his speech. Severus Snape watched as the old man tried to get through to Draco Malfoy, and silently snorted in derision. That boy worshipped the ground his father walked on. If he didn't already bear the mark, it was only a matter of time. Snape had said as much to Dumbledore, but the old man had refused to believe him. He still had hope that Draco could be convinced not to follow down his father's footsteps; no matter how closely he resembled a teenage Lucius Malfoy in both appearance and attitude.
Sentimental old fool. Some people are beyond saving.