Harry Potter and the Destiny of Prophecies - 2. Chapter 2

It took two cars to get the entire group to Kings Cross Station in time. Poor Ron had waited until morning to finish packing his school trunk and as a result, almost made them all late. The large group of Gryffindor and Slytherin students was loud and boisterous until they passed through the barrier of platform 9 and ¾. Their happiness faded at the sight of the large marble monument that stood near the Hogwarts Express engine.

It was a memorial to Albus Dumbledore, and the events of just two months ago welled into the students' memories. The platform was crowded with Aurors, MLE agents, and nervous parents waiting for the train to leave. In fact, the group of students from Black Manor was the last to arrive. They group quickly turned their luggage over to the porters and boarded the train.

Hermione, the new Head Girl, headed off with Ron to the prefect's meeting. They were followed by Lavender, Seamus, Pansy, and Blais. Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, and the rest of the Slytherins went off to find their house mates. Ginny and Harry found a compartment full of sixth year Gryffindors, but it could only hold one more person. Harry told Ginny to join her year mates as he continued on through the train. Every compartment he checked was full, but everyone greeted him warmly when they saw him. Finally he found a compartment with two open seats and four small, very innocent looking first years, their robes devoid of house badges. He smiled gently at them as they looked up at him in worry and sat down next to a petite brunette girl.

"Hi!" Harry told them cheerfully. "Hope you don't mind but I got here late and all the compartments seem to be full."

"Hi." One of the two boys said bravely. "I'm Darren Creevy. This bloke next to me is Mikhail Karnov, his family moved from Russia a few years ago but he speaks pretty good English. The girl over there is Mirna Doodle, and the girl next to you is Alicia Silversmith."

"Nice to meet you all." Harry said in the same cheerful tone he'd used earlier. "Are you excited about attending Hogwarts?"

"Yes, sir!" Mirna said with a giggle. "Momma wasn't too sure about sending me with everything that happened last year but dad insisted it was safer than me not learning anything!"

"What happened last year?" Alicia asked innocently.

"How could you know not?" Mikhail asked with wide eyes.

"My parents are muggles." The girl replied. "We didn't even know magic existed until I got my letter!"

"I know how that is." Harry said with a chuckle, running his hand through his hair. He realized what he was doing too late because Darren saw his scar.

"OH MY GOD!" Darren shouted at the top of his lungs, pointing at Harry's forehead. "YOU'RE HARRY POTTER!"

"And you're Colin Creevy's youngest brother." Harry retorted as Mikhail and Mirna gasped aloud and Alicia looked confused.

"Are you someone famous?" Alicia asked shyly.

"Famous?" Mikhail exclaimed. "Every wizard in the world knows about Harry Potter! He's beaten You-Know-Who so many times the git is hiding out in fear instead of killing muggles and scaring everyone!"

"Who's You-Know-Who?" Alicia asked, even more confused.

"A very, very bad wizard you won't have to worry about, with any luck." Harry told her with a smile. "Now, calm down. I'm just another student. When I first went to Hogwarts I didn't know much more than Alicia here. I was raised by muggles too."

"I know all about that!" Darren said excitedly, reminding Harry of his oldest brother. "That's why I'm going to be in Gryffindor just like Colin and you!"

"The sorting hat decides that, most of the time." Harry said with a slight smile. The look on Alicia's face led him to give her a brief explanation of the four houses and how the sorting hat decided which fit the student best.

"Yeah, but you better hope you don't get Slytherin." Mirna said firmly. "My Da always said that no good wizard ever came out of that house!"

"Better be careful, Mirna." Darren said in a low voice. "Harry's fiancé Draco Malfoy is a Slytherin."

"Oh." Mirna said with wide eyes. "I forgot about that."

"What kind of name is Draco for a girl?" Alicia asked.

"Draco is a guy." Darren said with a roll of his eyes.

"You're a poofter?" Alicia said in a horrified voice, moving away from Harry.

"OH MERLIN!" Mirna said pushing the girl away from her and back towards Harry. "You better lose that muggle idea that boys with boys is a bad thing real fast or you're never going to make it at Hogwarts."

"Okay." Alicia said in a very small voice. Harry decided to take some sympathy on her despite her comment.

"The wizarding world is very different than what you're used to." Harry told her gently. "As time goes by you will get use to the differences. The best thing you can do is ask questions when something that doesn't seem right shows up. That way you won't offend people so easily."

"Tha…Thank you." Alicia stuttered and Harry smiled down at her. Mikhail had pulled out a piece of parchment that was obviously his Hogwarts letter and was looking at it closely.

"I wonder who made us buy three different books for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Mikhail wondered aloud and Harry grinned.

"Don't complain." Harry said with a smile. "In my second year we had this idiot who made us buy all seven of his own books."

"That's funny." Mirna said as all four chuckled.

"My brother told me that the DADA position is cursed." Darren said proudly, and Harry wondered how soon it would take for his year mates to grow tired of hearing 'My brother told me…'

"Why's that?" Alicia asked, her curiosity coming back to the forefront.

"He said they always have a new professor each year." Darren explained and Harry smiled. "Last year they actually had a half-werewolf return. He taught in my brother's second year. He also said Harry Potter taught some first-year classes."

"I thought you said you were a student?" Mikhail looked at him suspiciously.

"I am." Harry told him. "Last year was a special year and I filled in for Professor Lupin. He's an old friend of my family's. He was good friends with my dad when they went to school together."

"So he's safe?" Mirna asked nervously.

"He won't bite." Harry assured her with a smile. That was when Draco opened the compartment door.

"There you are!" He said in an exasperated tone. "We've been waiting in our compartment for you and you never showed up!"

"Well, excuse me!" Harry smirked back as the first years stared wide-eyed at the blond Slytherin. "I thought the lot of you forgot about me!"

"So you go slumming with first years?" Draco smirked.

"Be careful, Malfoy." Harry said with a sly smile. "If you're not careful you'll scare more students away from Slytherin."

"Oh sure, blame me because you insisted on Gryffindork." Draco said, changing his smirk into a sneer. "Get your golden boy butt moving, Potter, we've got some snogging to get done before we reach Hogwarts."

"Okay, you win." Harry said with a smile. He stood up, waved farewell to the four first years who were staring at them with their mouths hanging wide open, and followed Draco forward.

"You know those four will be telling the story about the first time they met Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy for the rest of their lives, don't you?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Yep." Harry said with a nod and smirk of his own. He noticed Justin Finch-Fletchey coming out of the bathroom and listening to their conversation "We have to let the common people have some excitement in their lives. Those four will go their grave content with having met our esteemed personages."

The look on Justin's face was priceless. Harry looked back and saw him rushing into a compartment with a harried expression on his face. There would be so many rumors around this year that the students should have plenty of gossip to keep them going. Draco soon led him to an oversized compartment filled with seventh and sixth year Slytherins. Over the summer, all of the sixth years in the compartment (who were all but two of the students in the year), had come to Black Manor to join the Blood Oath.

It was time for business.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry entered the great hall surrounded by his friends and house mates. Unlike years past, the Slytherin and Gryffindor houses were getting along quite well as the hall filled with returning students. With a nod to the table full of Professors, Harry sat down at the Gryffindor table and waited for the hall to fill up. It was filled with quiet chatter and he realized that all the students felt the absence of Albus Dumbledore. Still, Harry was getting used to missing more people each year, and he didn't let it get him down as he listened to Ron grumble about waiting on the blasted first years before his golden plate would fill with food. Minerva McGonagall stood at last and waved her hand, opening the doors to admit the first year students, led by Professor Snape, his black robe billowing behind him.

Harry almost laughed out loud at the expressions on the first years' faces as they followed the intimidating Potions Professor, and now Deputy Headmaster, into the great hall. Still, their gaze was soon transfixed to the magical ceiling showing a bright sunny day, and then by the tattered, worn Sorting Hat sitting on its stool. As they stopped in front of it, it burst into a new song, for a new year.

Another year, and more students to try me on!

Another year, and a new Headmaster!

We have grieved for Albus, but now it is time for more!

Come little ones, on your heads try me on!

To your places shall I send you,

Where the great founders might wish you to be!

Under Ravenclaw's wings shall shelter all those

Who value knowledge and learning above all.

Or shall you be guarded by the badger Hufflepuff,

Where confidence and loyalty covers all who come?

Or shall you go to slippery Slytherin,

Master of Plots and Cunning?

Then there are those who are brave, who know courage in every fiber,

They shall learn to roar as Gryffindor's lion

Come little ones and try me on, your future you shall learn!

As surely as the prophesies three of Trelawney!

"Trelawney's had another prophesy?" Hermione whispered to Harry with a shocked voice. He just shrugged, glad his surprise didn't show any longer. Ron was quiet, with an odd look on his face, but Harry figured it was probably from an empty stomach. At the head table, the Professors looked confused for a moment, but Severus Snape ended that by calling the first name on the list.

This year the sorting took longer than usual since there were more first years, and a few older students who had not been sent by their parents the previous year. He paid attention when the four children he'd met on the train were called. He smiled and cheered when Darren and Alicia were sorted into Gryffindor, and also cheered with the Slytherins when Mikhail and Mirna were sorted into Slytherin. The girl seemed shocked, but her warm acceptance at the table, and the sight of Harry cheering for her, seemed to help her relax greatly. The sorting was finally over, and Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry stood to make her speech.

"I am very pleased to see so many returning, and new students this year." She said into the quiet room. "There will be enough time for speeches later, for now, it is time to eat!"

As she clapped her hands at the last word, the plates before the students filled with an abundance of food. Harry dug in almost as greedily as Ron since he'd missed the food cart on the train. Colin spent most of the meal patting his youngest brother on the back, and Darren beamed proudly at Harry and his brother. Several times during the meal, Harry managed to meet the eyes of the platinum-blond at the Slytherin table. He was happy at being back, but there was definitely something missing, something besides the presence of Albus Dumbledore. He realized what it was as he dug into a piece of chocolate pie that wasn't quite as good as the one Kreacher made.

Hogwarts was no longer home, like Black Manor was.

Before he could feel depressed at that thought, Minerva McGonagall once more stood proudly at the head table. She looked through her half-moon glasses as the hall grew silent and she smiled at the faces looking up at her. When she began to speak again, Harry realized that a new era of Hogwarts was truly beginning.

"Now that we have all filled ourselves on fine food, I have a few things I must share with you." She said with a smile. "First, for all first-years, and for some of our more daring returning students, please be aware that the Forbidden Forest remains absolutely off limits to all students. Mr. Filch has asked me to remind you of all the rules that must be obeyed while at school, including no use of magic in the hallways. I suggest that those not familiar with the rules visit the list he has posted outside of his office. Some of our returning students might wish to remind themselves of this list as well."

She gave Harry a very direct look at this and several of the Gryffindors around him laughed before she continued.

"Now, for some changes to our teaching staff. I regret that I will no longer have time to teach Transfigurations due to my new duties as Headmistress. Therefore we are pleased to announce a new teacher, Nymphadora Tonks!"

Everyone clapped and Harry was surprised that he hadn't noticed the former Auror, and that she hadn't told him all summer. Then he realized that her hair was brown and she looked almost normal, which was why he hadn't noticed her before. At least, she looked normal until she tried to stand and knocked over her chair, generating a round of laughter before she righted it and sat back down, blushing furiously. McGonagall raised her hand for silence before continuing.

"Professor Snape has accepted the position of Deputy Headmaster. As such, he will have to cut back his rigorous class schedule and will be assisted in teaching his first year courses by seventh year student Draco Malfoy!"

The Slytherins went absolutely insane at this announcement. Even the Gryffindors joined in with good-natured applause as Draco stood and nodded at the crowd. Again, the room calmed down when McGonagall raised her hand.

"Professor Lupin has returned for a third year as Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. As we had last year, we will continue intensive training for our upper level students, so once more seventh year student Harry Potter will assume the role of instructor for our first and second year DADA classes!"

This time the applause and cheers were downright deafening from all four tables. Harry barely kept himself from blushing as he stood and waved at the room around him. He sat back down with Hermione and Ron clapping him on the back.

"Now, I will inform our first year, and remind our second year students, that when Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy are instructing your courses, they have all the rights and privileges of full Professors. They will be able to give and dock house points as well as assign detentions. You will give them both due respect.

"House Quidditch teams shall hold tryouts in two weeks. All third year and above students are invited to show up and try out for their House teams. DA courses will continue to be held twice a night and all students fourth year and above are encouraged to attend once per week. Professors Firenze and Trelawney will be joining Professor Sinistra in offering a stargazing and divination group each Friday night. Those students third year and above who are interested may sign up on a list posted outside Professor Firenze's office.

"Let me close by reminding you that Hogwarts continues to function in grave times. Our enemy has suffered a grave defeat, but we have also suffered losses. You can remain assured that we will continue to provide for your safety. Learn, study, but above all, enjoy your year!"

"First years Gryffindors follow me!" Seamus Finnegan called out as he stood from the table. Lavender Brown joined him in leading the Gryffindor younglings out of the hall. Hermione and Ron excused themselves to go check on their own rooms, and it was a few minutes before Draco showed up at his side.

"Hah!" Draco said with a smirk. "Looks like we still got two of those kids you were talking to on the train, Potter."

"You must be losing your touch." Harry sighed, earning him a playful slap from Draco. That was when Tonks joined them.

"Wotcher, Harry!" She cried, enveloping him in a hug.

"You sneak!" Harry scolded her with a smile on his face. "You didn't tell me!"

"Wanted to surprise my little baby." Tonks said, raising her hand to pinch his cheeks, but Harry stopped her in time.

"Leave the boy alone, clumsy." Snape's sonorous voice sounded from behind him and Tonks glared at him for a moment, before smiling.

"Are you still Head of Slytherin?" Draco asked the greasy-haired Professor.

"Naturally." Snape replied. "McGonagall served as Head of Gryffindor while Deputy Headmistress, so I will remain as Head of Slytherin."

"Who is Head of Gryffindor?" Harry asked.

"I am, of course!" Lupin's voice sounded from behind Harry. He spun around and embraced the werewolf Professor in a hug.

"McGonagall's going to have fits when you start recruiting Marauders." Harry smirked.

"There will be no such thing." Snape said in a stern voice. "The Headmistress has made it very clear to our dear wolf-boy that any hint of a new group of Marauders will have negative effects for him."

"How much money you got, Moony?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Why do you want to know, Malfoy?" Lupin asked with a frown.

"Oh, just wondering what it's worth to you for me to keep Colin Freward in line." Draco said with an evil chuckle. "He was telling me at dinner about all the new products he picked up over the summer from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."

"Really?" Lupin said, rubbing his hands together and his eyes gleaming until Snape's glare caught his attention. "Oh, I mean, we'll have to have a stern word with the boy."

"Sure." Draco said as they all laughed.

"Draco, it's best if you two head off to bed." Snape said after they'd calmed down. "You have your first class early in the morning."

"You too, Harry." Lupin added.

"Wotcher, Harry." Tonks said. "It's already getting late and knowing you two you'll be exercising half the night away."

"I did not need to hear that." Snape groaned.

"Like you two won't be doing the same." Draco said, then scampered off as Snape growled and lunged at him.

"Sweet Merlin!" Harry yelled back at the group of older Professors as he followed Draco out of the hall. "He growled! Lupin must be rubbing off on him!"

They barely made it to their quarters before Snape could catch them. Harry prayed Snape wouldn't come inside, and the quiet voice of Remus Lupin was probably the only thing that prevented that from happening.

Tonks was correct; it was a few hours before they finally got to sleep since they hadn't used their bed in these quarters for two months. It had to be re-broken in.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why are you so tired, Harry?" Hermione asked at breakfast. Harry had almost dozed off, and a drop of porridge was still on his nose. With a soft growl, he wiped it off and drank some more tea. He looked up and growled again at the sight of an energetic, happy Draco chatting with Pansy and Blaise. Harry brightened a little bit when Draco winced as he moved.

Good, he deserves a sore bottom for being so bloody cheerful after so little sleep.

"Just been real busy getting ready for the first day of classes." Harry told her.

"Oh, yes." Hermione said with a nod of her head. "You have your Defense against the Dark Arts class first thing in the morning.

"Yes." Harry agreed. "First yeah Gryffindor and Slytherin."

"You remember our first year class?" Ron said with a smile.

"What, Mr. Stutter-with-Voldemort-in-the-back-of-my-head?" Harry said with a smirk.

"Yup." Ron muttered before stuffing his face with more sausages and crumpets.

"How could I forget." Harry said with a smile.

"So what are you starting off with?" Hermione asked, and Harry looked to make sure no first years were close enough to hear.

"Well, I'm going to start them off easy this year with pixies." Harry said.

"Harry!" Hermione screeched under he breath. "You remember when…"

"Yes, but I'm not bringing in live ones." Harry said, calming her down. "I'm just going to go over the basics of the creatures and then give them an essay."

"An essay on the first day?" Ron mumbled in shock. "You are mean Harry."

"Well, it was either that or ambush them all as they came in the door." Harry said with a shrug and evil grin. His two friends laughed at that thought. Of course Harry had noticed Darren Creevy eating up every word while trying not to laugh. He'd have to apologize for fooling Hermione and Ron later, but it was worth the price.

As breakfast was completed, Harry walked with Draco briefly. His Gryffindor friends had seventh year potions first class (except Ron who had Astronomy) and Draco had Arithmancy. Draco wished him good luck before they separated and Harry arrived at his class early.

The desks were arranged in rows on either side of two walls while there was an open space in the middle. His desk sat the far end of the third wall, facing the entrance and he went over there, sitting down and opening his lesson planner and grade book as the class filled up with very nervous first year students. He counted them as they arrived, and as the bell gonged indicating it was time to start he smiled realizing two students would be late. He rose from his desk and moved to stand in the center of the two sets of students. Gryffindors were sitting on one side, and Slytherins on the other, as was typical in mixed-house classes.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts." Harry began, smiling at each side of the room. "I am Harry Potter, your teacher for the first year level."

That was when two students appeared at the door, out of breath. His wand was out in a flash and they were both bound with red glowing ropes, looks of shock on their faces. There was a gasp around the class at this, and stood there for a long moment while everyone turned to stare at him.

"Tardiness is not acceptable." Harry said, still smiling as he moved to loom over the two bound, and frightened first year students. "Mirna, Alicia, please explain why you were late."

"We got caught on the staircase when it moved and we couldn't figure out to get here." Mirna said in a rush. Harry moved his wand and ended the incantation, releasing the two girls.

"Very well, take your seats." Harry said, then grinned as he faced the class. "Five points from Slytherin and Gryffindor each. Next time it will be ten and a detention."

Groans filled the classroom and both girls blushed even worse. It was never good to be the students who first lost house points at the beginning of the year. Still, it was fun being the one to take the house points, even those from his own house.

"Now, let's get roll call out of the way." Harry said, moving back to his desk and picking up his grade book. "Before I call your names, let me explain that for this term you will be working in pairs. I will alternate your pairing at the beginning of each term so you will work with new partners. However, you and your partner will only receive one grade for each assignment. Each essay I assign will be worked on by both of you. If I find one person in the pairing doing all the essay work, I will require you to work on them in my presence to make sure you are working as a team. Any questions?"

"What if our partner refuses to help?" A Slytherin boy asked.

"Then you tell me and we'll work something out." Harry said. "If you don't tell me and I find out, and I will believe me in that, then you and your partner will receive failing marks for all work turned in up to that point and will write your essays in front of me. I'm very busy this year and the idea of having to babysit two first years who can't figure out how to do their work on their own will put me in a very bad mood when I grade that essay. Is that clear?"

Everyone nodded their heads.

"Good, now for roll call. I suggest that when I call each name you stand up and move to sit beside your partner. They'll also be your partner when we are working on spells. Mikhail Karnov, Darren Creevy."

"But he's a Slytherin!" Darren Creevy cried out.

"Ten points from Gryffindor and detention with Mr. Filch tonight at 7:00 p.m.." Harry answered mildly. "If I hear one more comment like it will be double the points and two detentions. You will learn how to work with people in other Houses while in my classroom or you will fail this course. The first lesson in this year's Defending Against the Dark Arts is teamwork."

"Yes, sir." Darren said with his head down.

"Mikhail, will you go join Darren please?" Harry asked, and the Russian Slytherin smiled as he crossed the room, ignoring the dirty looks from the Gryffindors around him. It didn't matter, they'd all be mixed up soon enough. Harry continued calling out the pairings, all mixed perfectly between the two houses except for the last two names, both Gryffindors who rounded out the class.

Oh well, nothing's ever perfect.

"Now, who can tell me why this class is important?" Harry asked, and the room filled with hands in the air. He called on a young Gryffindor boy first.

"Because You-Know-Who is back." The boy announced with a smile.

"Wrong." Harry said, and all hands but one went down. He pointed to the Slytherin girl with her hand up. "Mirna"

"Because you never know when someone is going to use the dark arts on you or when you might meet a dark creature?" She said, her voice hesitating slightly.

"One point to Slytherin for an excellent answer." Harry said with a smile. "Mirna hit the answer right on the head. Voldemort is back, yes, and because of that we've had many attacks by people using the dark arts. Still, what everyone seems to forget is that there are always wizards and witches who are enamored with the dark arts, and dark creatures will always exist. Now, who can name some dark creatures?"

"Vampires." One Gryffindor boy said after Harry pointed to him, and he gave one point to Gryffindor.

"Dementors" Another Gryffindor girl said when called on, also receiving one point.

"Werewolves." A Slytherin announced, and was surprised when he didn't receive a point.

"Are all werewolves evil?" Harry asked.

"Of course." The boy replied.

"Isn't Professor Lupin a werewolf?" Harry inquired.

"Well, yes." The boy said after a moment. "But he's different."

"Why is he different?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." The boy said after a moment of silence, hanging his head."

"One point to Slytherin." Harry said with a smile, "For knowing when to admit that you don't know something. Now, let's open your textbooks to page six and learn exactly what makes creatures innately Dark and what the exceptions might be."

The class proceeded on from there, with Harry trying to explain to eleven year old kids that the world is not always black and white. It was frustrating, but he felt like he was making some progress. Before the class ended, he asked a few questions to see how much they had understood.

"So, Darren," Harry asked, picking on the Gryffindor first. "Tell me this: If you saw Professor Lupin walking towards you in the hallway would it be okay to hex him?"

"No." Darren said firmly.

"What if it was a full moon, he'd forgotten to take his potion, and he was in werewolf form? Could you hex him then?"

"Yes?" Darren half-asked in a weak voice.

"Five points to Gryffindor." Harry said with a gentle smile.

"Mirna." Harry said, turning to the Slytherin girl who was partnered with a Gryffindor girl. "If you were in the hills and saw a giant walking along his merry way would it be okay for you to hex him?"

"No." Mirna said. "Not unless he was charging right for me."

"Five points to Slytherin." Harry said with a smile. That final point total brought both houses to an even gain of ten points for the class. Whew, it was tough not letting one house or the other get too many points in a class.

"Now, before you go, read pages fifteen through forty of your Standard Identification of Dark Creatures textbook and be prepared to discuss how to identify trolls, their abilities, their weaknesses, and how to tell if they are a threat to you. That last part is not in the textbook, but I suggest you meet with your partners to discuss it and come up with some good answered before your next class. Any questions?"

"Class dismissed." Harry said as the bell rang. He spent the time in-between classes marking down which students had participated in the discussion and which had not. Those that had been quiet would be the first ones he called on next class.

The Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw passed much the same as the first class, although there was very little rivalry between the two houses. The Ravenclaw students seemed to grasp the point he was trying to make very quickly, and even the Hufflepuffs did better than their Gryffindor/Slytherin counterparts.

Lunch was busy. He ate with Draco in their private room, along with the Defenders. There were several new members to replace graduated students. McGonagall had been adamant that the group continue as long as Voldemort lived, and Harry had agreed with her. Besides, it was a very good reason for Draco and him to continue sharing private rooms.

After lunch was his Care of Magical Creatures class. He missed Hagrid tremendously, but Professor Grubby-Plank was doing an excellent job. It was different for Harry, having been a teacher in the morning but now once again being a student, but he adjusted.

He had a free period after that, and grabbed his invisibility cloak from Ron so he could watch Draco's first potions class. It was another Slytherin/Gryffindor combined class and the students were all nervous. Neither Snape nor Draco were in the room until after the bell rang, when both flowed through the door to Snape's office, robes billowing behind them.

"Put away your wands." Snape ordered in his dramatic first-year intimidation voice, Draco stood behind him, his eyes boring into the students fiercely as Snape continued. "There will be no silly wand waving in this classroom. Here you will learn the mysteries of potions, you will learn how to brew fame, boil glory, and even put a stopper on death. I am a Potions Master, and the school has finally learned what a waste of my time the lot of you are. I will not have to suffer through your explosions, your melted cauldrons, and your idiotic essays. Instead, Draco Malfoy here will take your hand and try to beat some sense into your heads on how to learn the magnificence that is Potions. Pray that I am not summoned to deal with you until your second year."

Snape turned at that and exited the classroom, his robes and cloak billowing behind him. In the silence that followed, Draco stood rooted in his spot. None of the first years moved as the silence grew uncomfortable. Draco just stood there for a long time, letting it continue until the first student, a Gryffindor moved.

"One point from Gryffindor for moving without permission." Draco snapped in an imitation of the departed Snape. "Now, who can tell me kind of potion would use Phoenix Tears? Ms. Doodle?"

"Healing Potion?" The girl said.

"Perfect!" Draco said, smiling slightly. Then he added "One point to Slytherin."

Harry let out a small snort, then wished he hadn't. Well maybe no one had heard.

"Can anyone tell me one ingredient of a potion that would help you detect invisible objects?" Draco asked with a smirk and Harry knew he'd been caught. Draco continued after a moment of silence. "Of course you can't. That's a seventh year potion. Now, pay attention to the board. This is our first potion of the year. It is a extremely simple, so unless you want to be the class klutz for the rest of your life at this school, I suggest you don't mess it up. Of course, Mr. Potter started out such a klutz that he ruined this his first year and it wasn't until I started tutoring him that he learned how to fix a real potion. My point is that I will not be tutoring any of you, so you had best get this right."

'Oh God.' Harry thought to himself. 'He's going to be making fun of me all year!'

Harry chose that moment to let himself out of the room. Draco'd already heard him, so he wasn't surprised at the door opening by itself, but several students looked at the door. A wrong move since Draco jumped on them immediately demanding to know why they had stopped copying the potion.

Dinner was funny for Harry as he listened to the Gryffindor first-years griping about their potions class. Hermione was having a hard time keeping from laughing, and Ron was shaking his head while muttering about smarmy gits ruining potions classes.

After dinner, Harry started the first two DA sessions of the year. He'd prepared a schedule of instructors for the course over the summer, but he'd be taking two per week himself. It went quite well until a fifth year Hufflepuff deflected a bat bogey hex and it hit a sixth year Slytherin who was working with another partner. He got that argument calmed down quickly and was very glad when the second session was over. He was very tired.

He still had two hours of homework to do, and he wondered how bad it would get when he started assigning homework that he had to correct as well as do his own. Draco had spent the time cross-checking the ingredient interactions of some new potion Severus was developing, and it wasn't until midnight that both boys crawled into bed, falling asleep immediately.