Tuesday 15th November 1994.
Minerva entered the room quietly, the meeting still running over in her mind.
She had reached the desk before her senses truly took in the figure sitting behind it. Her good friend and former mentor Albus Dumbledore, the man many considered to be the greatest wizard to have ever lived, was absolutely drenched, head to toe.
Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance. "Er… Albus?"
"As you may have noticed, Miss Granger's house is covered by quite an impressive set of wards. Wards that forcibly relocate interlopers out beyond Azkaban island, but just close enough to the prison that one cannot apparate back. It was quite the swim. I ache in muscles I had forgotten I even had."
"Surely that cannot have taken the entire time you were absent?" Minerva asked as she sat heavily opposite him. "You look as though you just came out of the bath, Albus."
"Ah, true. Had I not gone back and investigated the wards further. It seems they take prodding about as well as they do penetration. The second swim took far longer. I'm not as athletic as I once was Minerva."
She noted that his body was shaking quite badly. Only the way he had his hands clasped and rested on the desk kept them from doing the same. "Albus, you stubborn fool." She drew her wand and cast repeated drying and warming charms over her friend until he stopped shaking from the cold.
"Thank you, Minerva. It seems the old saying about curiosity is still very true." His voice was much firmer now he wasn't about to succumb to hypothermia. "I trust your meeting went better than mine?"
"Indeed, though your disappearance put me on quite the back foot. I have, however, learned what happened to Mister Black after his release. He and Mister Lupin were both in attendance. And neither were all that pleased that you tried to tag along uninvited."
"Ah, that would explain the wards and their reaction. For a moment I had thought it was Miss Granger herself that ejected me."
"Quite. They seem to hold rather a firm grudge against you for the actions that led to the Potter's deaths. It doesn't please me, but I have to ask it."
"When I asked you to start being brutally honest with me a few years back, I hadn't considered just how brutal that might often be." Albus sighed heavily. "I freely admit I made many mistakes back then, Minerva. But I did not lead them to die. I made preparations should such occur. Including investigations into who Harry might best be left with if the worst should come to pass.
"However, it was not my choice for them to hide in Godric's Hollow. I simply provided anything they needed to prepare their safehouse and encouraged the use of the Fidelius Charm. I did not conspire with Tom to bring about their deaths.
"They both weigh heavily on me, even now. More so after seeing Harry again. This time without a phalanx of armed goblins between us. Yet I felt more distant from him than ever."
Minerva eyed the man whom she had trusted more than anyone else on this earth. While that trust had been shaken a few times in the past few years, she still trusted him not to lie to her on matters like this. "Very well. Have you recovered from your own stupidity yet?"
The smirk that dressed her lips drew only a slight eyebrow raise from her friend. "Indeed, please do go on, Minerva."
She tilted her head slightly and passed the folder in her off-hand over the desk. "I had to agree to a few concessions. Especially after you left."
"Concessions? Such as?"
"Miss Granger's presence appears to be first and foremost for young Harry." Minerva may have been on the back foot for the entire meeting, but this second interaction with the two teens revealed a lot more than her first. "To be perfectly honest, the way he looked at her made him look more like James than anything else."
"From the long tirade that you gave me after receiving the girl's rejection letter, I have no problem granting such a request. Her presence sounds like it would be a boon to the school."
"Quite so. The Visitor's Lodge in Hogsmeade shall be made available all year long to Mr Black and Mr Lupin. They made matters quite clear that if they did not maintain free and close access to Harry, he would not be coming."
"Is that truly necessary? Do they not trust…" Albus trailed off as he caught her questioning glance. "Right, yes."
"The only downside I could see is anyone visiting for the Tasks might need to share depending on attendance figures. Yet there are ample rooms in the building that two more shouldn't task the system. Again, a small thing for them to ask. Given the circumstances."
Albus nodded and began reading through the forms she'd had signed by the adults. "I also managed to win quite the verbal argument with Andromeda."
This drew Albus's full attention once again. "Mrs Tonks? Why was she present?"
Minerva gave him a stern look before she spoke. "I learned on my first visit to the Granger home that they'd happened to make friends with the Tonkses. One of the things that made that visit quite so unique. It's perturbing to watch a muggle family act like the advanced magic you've just shown them is no more interesting than a clock on the wall. I had their coffee table dancing a jig and all Miss Granger wanted to know was which other schools and classes were available."
"Are you saying Andromeda suggested they not attend because of me? I cannot recall doing anything to earn that formidable woman's ire."
"I do not think so, Albus. I get the distinct feeling that Harry has known Miss Granger for some time. If Mr Lupin had bemoaned your past actions to the Grangers as he did to me today, I can see why they would be less than enthusiastic about sending their daughter into your 'clutches', so to speak. Not to mention Black's attitude on the matter, and he was freed long enough before the letters went out to colour their opinion on you."
"It seems I'm overdue for a chat with both Mr Lupin and Mr Black. Will Andromeda require residence as well?"
"She will not. It seems that Black and Lupin are both living off Sirius's inheritance and are free to spend all their time watching the children and laying about. Andromeda, however, still works full-time at St Mungo's like a proper contributing member of society. Though she will be bringing herself, Ted and the Grangers to every event. Another concession I felt no hesitation granting."
"Excellent, though I fail to see how that constituted an argument." Albus queried.
"That wasn't the argument. They agreed that it would be best for the children to be sorted and housed in the castle. None of them seemed terribly thrilled at the idea, but I successfully convinced them the social benefits to the pair would be worth it in the end.
"Though it pains me to admit that the look the children gave Andromeda may have been the deciding blow in the argument, rather than my compelling reasoning."
Albus looked at her closely and she knew he had ferreted out the but. "On the condition that you never meet with the children alone. Sirius or Remus must be summoned to the school if you wish to speak with either child. And there must be an actual reason beyond simple curiosity on your part."
His face and shoulders both sank at the statement. "It seems I have a very long way to go to regain their trust in me." Several moments of contemplative silence filled the air before he glanced back up at her once again. "There is something else?"
Minerva sighed heavily before she spoke. "Even though he has agreed to attend the school during his time here, Harry Potter will not be competing as a student of Hogwarts school."
Albus eyed her oddly as she continued. "He refuses to be 'party to stealing Nymphadora's thunder' I believe was the term he used. Given no school was given on his entry, I don't see how this would present a problem unless we make it one, Albus."
The old man fell into deep thought and Minerva could not read his expression. She occasionally wondered if that had been a part of the reason why he grew out his now impressive beard, given how awful it had looked on him for nearly a decade as it grew out.
"I agree. Will the boy accept our help in the Tournament?"
"Do you see him accepting any given the way he's responded to us so far? I believe that was his intention of having Black and Lupin nearby. But I don't see them taking advice from you very well at present either."
"So they'll be going into the First Task blind?"
"I don't like it either, but that is the very purpose of the Task, Albus. None of them are supposed to know."
"Very well." Albus sighed heavily. "Perhaps Alastor will have some luck with his investigation before it becomes necessary for Harry to compete. I do not think I could face the Potters in the next life should I be so responsible for sending their son to meet them."
Minerva considered that carefully. "No, I would not want to move on with their ire directed at me either."
ϟ
Monday 21st November 1994.
Every eye in the Hall followed Harry and Hermione as the pair walked slowly toward the front of the grand room.
Whispers reached his ear and he thoroughly disliked the things that were being said. The number of people in this room who had apparently read those stupid stories was far too high for his liking.
They'd once been a topic of amusement between himself and Hermione, but in the current situation, they simply reaffirmed his reasons for not having attended three years prior. The idea of being subject to such attention for so long irritated him deeply.
A sudden jab of magic touched his own and Harry turned to glance at the smile Hermione was giving him. He returned the touch lightly before turning to face the stern woman before him for the third time. The stool beside her and the Hat resting on it cemented the reality of the deal they had struck with her.
"Your attention please." The stern professor called needlessly, as there wasn't a single eye in the Hall that wasn't already fixed on Harry. "In an unprecedented occurrence, a fourth name has come from the Goblet of Fire. Most of you should recall this occurring on the night of the selection, but due to the individual in question not being a member of the attending schools, we decided to inform them directly before announcing it.
"As the Champions are aware, this also constituted a binding contract to compete in the Tournament. As such, we welcome two new students to our midst today, Hermione Granger and our wildcard entry, Harry Potter."
She indicated the two of them, but it was Harry's name that set the volume of the whispering into overdrive. While he'd featured in the paper a few times in the past years, thanks to his disguise, they'd never gotten a clear image of him to display upon it.
Now the students were getting their first true look at the rumoured Boy-Who-Lived and he was not impressed with them at all.
"Can we do it without the fanfare?" He mumbled, earning an elbow from Hermione and an amused glare from the teacher.
"They shall be attending classes for their age group while here, but are also self-studying other subjects, so please do not disturb them if you find them doing so. As such, the pair shall now be sorted, to find where they shall be spending their nights and classes. Miss Granger."
The tiny twitch to the elder witch's lips may have been a smile as she gestured Hermione forward and raised the Hat from its place. Hermione gave Harry a smile before she stepped forward and sat deftly on the low stool. The large Hat resting neatly on her bushy hair suddenly became animated.
Harry's eyes flicked with interest between his friend and the odd headgear, noting that despite the silence, she seemed to be having a conversation.
Suddenly, a rip near the brim opened and the hat shouted to the Hall.
"HUFFLEPUFF."
Harry noted McGonagall seemed slightly disappointed as she removed the hat and Hermione returned to her place beside him. "You may join your housemates, Miss Granger."
"I'll wait for Harry, thank you, professor." She replied politely, crossing her hands in front of her and smiling at the woman. Her eyes gestured Harry forward.
Harry smiled back at her as he felt the weight of several of the glares that had been fixed on his back heat up and shift to his friend instead. He decided not to turn about but stepped forward before McGonagall could shout his name into the Hall again.
As he sat on the stool that was far too short for him, he made the mistake of looking up. Most of the faces were still fixed on his own and he chafed at the attention. He felt the odd Hat being placed upon his head and a new voice quickly drew his attention.
'Hello there, about time you arrived, Mr Potter.'
'Are you the Hat?'
'Indeed I am. You've quite the history tucked inside this head of yours don't you.' Harry tensed at the idea of someone reading his mind. 'Worry not, I do not share my charges' secrets, and the work you've been doing with the former Miss Black shall keep them from other interlopers. Though it's nice to see you got to grow under your family's tutelage despite the tragedy that befell you all. And you've found the only young witch I've ever seen more inquisitive than your own mother, too.'
Harry smiled as he looked at Hermione and he noted several of the faces in the crowd flick to his friend as well. 'Yes, she is pretty brilliant.'
'I was almost certain the moment Minerva put me on your head, but that settles it. Go on and join your cousin. I'm sure she's missed you.'
"Hufflepuff."
The collective gasp in the Hall was surprisingly loud, but Harry couldn't care in the slightest as he stood and passed the Hat back to the now obviously surprised professor. He grasped Hermione's hand and headed to the suddenly cheering yellow-trimmed house and within moments he was giving his cousin a firm hug.
"Welcome to Hogwarts, shorty."
"Hey, none of that, cheater." Harry retorted, remembering how she had used her ability during their most recent session at the door frame.
It didn't bother him in the slightest that girls sprouted towards the beginning of puberty and both his friends were currently taller than him, at least that's what he told the both of them. He sat with Nym on one side and Hermione on the other as the bench quickly reshuffled to allow them ease of entry to the house.
"So," The dark-haired boy opposite the trio spoke, "the famous Harry Potter." This drew Harry's eye and he recognized the boy as Cedric. "The mysterious cousin that has driven Nym to the top of the class?"
Harry glanced at the aborted blush on Nym's cheeks and smiled at his cousin. "You didn't really think it was Draco did you?"
The boy laughed and extended his hand over the table. "Nice to see you again, Harry."
This drew several of the nearby eyes from Harry to the other boy, most with shock at the idea their own dreamboat was somehow already familiar with the famous boy and had not mentioned it.
"So, is it always this eventful around here?" Hermione asked, tucking into the food that had appeared on the table.
Nym laughed at the comment. "Eventful? Hardly. Let's see, staff-wise... Kettleburn retired our fourth year and Grubbly-Plank took over with Hagrid assisting. The old Muggle Studies professor, Quirrell returned from his summer trip in our third year to teach Defence now that Burbage had filled his old job. But only for that one year before leaving to write a book.
"That's when Moody took things over. Apparently, he spent the entire summer hunting the source of the famous DADA curse. He must have found it too, because he's been teaching it ever since. He's still mad, but he really does know his stuff."
Cedric took over as Nym started on her own dinner. "There were a few rule changes in our third year too. Things pertaining to tighter security of the castle or something."
Nym nearly choked as she laughed aloud. She swallowed before explaining. "Should have seen whittle cousin Dwaco's face when they announced that just after his sorting. Must have been upset mummy and daddy couldn't send on some of his favourite toys. It was odd though, Dumbledore stood and apologized to us all before he made his announcement. And there was a marked change in the curtailing of bullying behaviour around the school. Which also ruined poor Draco's day."
"I'd say, the closest we ever came to this level of excitement," Cedric pondered a moment, "would be when Hagrid got Grubby's permission to introduce us all to Fluffy. No idea where he got himself a giant three-headed dog, but it's amazing. As big a pushover as Fang though, but it stays in the Forest most of the time."
"Did you really fight a chimaera?" A female voice from Nym's far side asked without warning, and Harry paused as he handed the salt Hermione had wanted to add to her dinner that he hadn't realized he'd picked up.
He turned to face the voice as Nym leant back, a cheeky grin on the metamorph's face. "A fan of those books are you…"
"Dora. Dora Williams. I'm a friend of Nym's." The girl provided as she blushed heavily under his gaze.
"Well, Dora." He smirked at his cousin who glared back at him with no heat. "Everything in those books is a complete fabrication. I don't need glasses for starters. My dad did, but not me. I've never battled any fiercesome monster for a damsel's hand." His own subconsciously entwined with Hermione's as he spoke. "And I really hope that you spread it about that I despise that utter rubbish and would rather not be asked about it every five minutes."
"C'mon, Harry, they're a laugh." Nym joked beside him, covering the now flushed face of her friend from view.
"Maybe to you." Harry snorted. "There is a reason I wear a disguise when I go out in public." He mumbled and returned to his dinner.
"Mister Potter, Miss Granger." A cheery voice sounded behind the pair and they turned to see the jovial head of Hufflepuff house that Nym had often spoken so highly of in her letters.
"Wotcher, prof," Nym smirked.
"Nymphadora." The teacher returned with a smile. "Here are your schedules. Minerva explained you may miss classes from time to time, but I suggest you attend wherever possible. I certainly look forward to seeing you both in Herbology. The First Task is on Thursday at 10 am, so if you need anything, either one of you," her eyes flicked between Harry and Nym, "my door is always open."
She beamed at the students before her and returned to the head table. Harry's eyes tracked her and when she sat he allowed his gaze to drift along the table, trying to put names to each of those seated.
Hagrid was obvious, the stories of his parents' time at Hogwarts included many happy times spent chatting to the jovial giant. Hooch also stood out with her bright yellow eyes. And Moody's face could be mistaken for nothing short of hamburger meat.
But it was the vicious look coming from underneath the greasiest of hair that informed Harry of the identity of his mother's former friend. He sighed and nudged Hermione, the movement imperceptible to anyone but perhaps Nym if she'd been watching. The girl looked without turning her head and rolled her eyes at him afterwards.
"You'd think after so long he might have grown up. Even Sirius managed it." She whispered to him.
"Good thing two of his favourite people in the world are now sleeping just down the road and have unlimited access to come and visit," Harry smirked in response. "Sirius is going to love this."
ϟ
Tuesday 22nd November 1994.
"Harry?" Nym asked, glancing into the room the laughing boy had exited. "Why does Vector look like you petrified her?"
"I did nothing." He chuckled, raising his arms defensively. Hermione blushed under the amused gaze the two cousins fixed her with.
"It's not my fault. She's just surprised. It seems that taking Muggleborns from their world at eleven means she's never taught a student versed in higher-level mathematics."
Nym raised her eyebrow at the girl. "Meaning?"
"Apparently," Harry cut in, "studying mathematical analysis, geometry, calculus and the like prepares one well for taking Arithmancy at Hogwarts. Or as Hermione put it; 'Arithmancy is just maths applied to magic'." He stopped holding in his laughter at this point and leaned against the wall for support.
Hermione blushed deeper in response. "Honestly! I'm not sure why she's so surprised. They were studied side-by-side for centuries before the magicals went into hiding. Of course there would be overlap and similarities."
"Well, you broke her." Nym looked to the new girl who had just joined them. "Oh, hello."
"Nym, this is Padma Patil. She's going to join our study sessions after the Task." Hermione introduced the girl, in an obvious effort to redirect attention away from herself.
"Yes, if this," Padma pointed over her shoulder at the still vacant-looking teacher, "is any guide, I'd lose my rights as a Ravenclaw if I didn't take advantage. She hasn't moved in ten minutes now. I did glance at the notes she was quizzing you from though. They're sixth-year level questions."
The girl looked decidedly miffed at the idea the two newest students were so far beyond her in ability. Nym walked over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry. I know how you feel. I've been trying to keep up with them for years now." She leant in and stage whispered the last. "They're freakishly talented, but great motivation."
Nym guided the girl away from the room, Harry copied her action with Hermione, still chuckling slightly as they walked towards the Great Hall for lunch. "So, did you leave our Head of House in a similar state?"
"No, turns out she already has her prodigy in Herbology. Longbottom is amazing at it. He agreed to study with us too." Hermione quieted as they passed the Weasley Twins having a chat with Peeves the Poltergeist and handing the cackling fiend a bag. "Whatever that is about, I want nothing to do with it."
"Come on, Hermione. I know you love a good prank." Nym nudged the girl beside her.
"I love pranking Sirius, because he deserves it, and it makes him happy. He's been through a lot. So I don't mind indulging him from time to time. Can you imagine if those four ever met?"
Harry shuddered and shook his head. "Please no."
Nym laughed at her friends. "Well, the Ministry did decide to cancel Quidditch the school year after the Quidditch World Cup. And that was the only thing those two ever focused on more than fooling about. I do miss being in Italy though. It was a beautiful place to hold it."
Harry chuckled. "Can you imagine if they'd held the Cup in England and then cancelled Quidditch? There would have been riots."
"There nearly were." Padma chimed in, Nym noticed the young girl seemed to be relaxing in her presence and gave her a soft smile.
"Those two were on the table in protest during the announcement." Nym and Padma laughed at the memory of Fred and George loudly hollering at their Headmaster.
"A feast is not the best time to be jumping on the tables either." Padma chuckled. "Anyway, I'll talk to you later."
The girl ducked Nym's arm and dashed away to the Ravenclaw table as the trio settled at their own. Nym waited several minutes in silence as Hermione began eating before bringing up her next topic of discussion. "So, when were you two planning on telling me?"
Harry looked at her with confusion but Hermione froze, mouth half full of food. "Tell you what?" Harry asked.
"That you're dating."
Hermione began to cough slightly around the food now caught in her throat and Nym smiled sweetly at the pair as Harry rubbed his girlfriend's back. "What makes you think we're dating?"
Nym looked at him with disbelief. "Please. You don't think I know you both well enough to tell?"
Hermione finally cleared her throat and croaked her reply. "No!"
Nym tried to keep her face straight but began laughing at the indignant look on Hermione's face. The girl quickly washed the offending food down with some water and cleared her throat several times.
"Fine, you're right. Hermione talks in her sleep. But only when she snuggles up with you, Harry." Nym pointed with her fork. "If you want to keep it a secret, maybe find somewhere better to spend the night than the common room couch."
Both teens blushed in response. "It wasn't like that!" Hermione whispered, clearly hoping to keep her private life private.
"Oh, I know. You two have always been total snuggle-bugs. What's wrong with the beds then?"
"They're too soft. I can't get used to it." Harry muttered, arm still rubbing Hermione's back.
"True, took me a while. So you prefer the couch then?"
"No. It's just… you are so frustrating sometimes." Hermione growled softly earning another soft smirk from Nym in response. "It's a little bit of homesickness, a little bit of the beds are weird…"
"And a little bit of you wanted to snuggle your boy toy."
"NYM!" Hermione yelped, which drew several of the other eyes at the table to her flushed face.
"Oh relax, Hermione. I'm just joking. Let's be fair, the way the two of you behave every day, all you two dating means is a little kissing has been added to the mix."
"Yes, well. Please don't shout it in the Great Hall. It's none of their business." Hermione jabbed at the meta with her fork.
"I know, but if you keep secrets from me," Nym eyed her in return, "expect me to fight dirty."
"Nym's right, Hermione. We should have told her. She's family." Harry gently calmed his girlfriend and Nym smiled at them both in return.
"I planned to, I just felt like it was something that needed to be conveyed in person. And we just haven't had a suitable moment since we got here." Nym could tell Hermione was embarrassed at being caught out and looking for excuses.
"Stop, Hermione. It's fine. I'm happy you two finally figured things out. It has been sort of a long time coming." She winked at the flushed pair. "Just keep me in the loop from now on, alright. And you can give me details later." She fixed her eyes on Hermione as she finished.
"Yes, fine. Can you please stop embarrassing me in the main hall now?"
Nym chuckled and Harry tightened the arm around her shoulders. "Never change, Hermione."
ϟ
The remainder of lunch passed without incident and Nym went her own way once Tamsin pulled her off to their own Herbology class. The two new students walked hand in hand towards their next first class and Harry gave Hermione a light squeeze.
"You alright?" He asked his girlfriend.
"I'm fine. I just wish she'd brought it up in private. I know you saw the looks you received during our sorting. This will get out, I'm sure." She raised their joined hands slightly. While it had been common for them for years, the people around them were new to their habits and would surely believe what they liked based on the evidence at hand. "I just don't look forward to the gossip mongers."
"I agree. I don't care if people know, but I do care if they have a go." Harry pondered for a moment before continuing. "Like that Ravenclaw girl yesterday. She's got like a foot and a half on me, who knows what year she's in, but she was eyeing me like I was a piece of meat. It's disgusting."
Hermione nodded beside him as the pair finally stepped into the new classroom, the shutters on the windows from about halfway down the room keeping it dark enough at the front that the only light came from the scattered candles about the desks and shelves.
In a moment, Harry's wand was in hand as a beam of scarlet light soared towards the pair from the dark front of the room. Several of their classmates shouted and ducked aside as Harry firmed his grip on his wand and twisted his wrist as the red beam made contact with the tip. The light curled about the tip almost forming a ball as Harry let the momentum of the energy move in towards his body slightly, but with a move he'd perfected a few months earlier on Remus, he let the inertia carry the ball around in a small arc, very nearly touching his body, and flicked his wrist forward again.
The stunner now rocketed back towards the front of the room accompanied by a red and yellow spell fired from Hermione's wand. The moment the spell left his wand, Harry fired another stunner behind it and Hermione finished her volley with a lavender-coloured Leg Locker Curse. Four of the five spells splashed vibrantly against a shield that had been conjured, but when the second stunner struck the shield, it gave way and the Leg Locker struck true.
The oddest sound greeted Harry's ears as a wooden scrape preceded a rather loud curse before a heavy object in the dark half of the room tumbled to the floor. "Bugger it. That was good work, Potter."
"Identify yourself, or I'll keep firing." Harry retorted, wand firmly in hand as he noticed some of the nearby students were peeking over their desks and one or two had even drawn their own wands. Harry knew Hermione was keeping an eye on them so he focused his attention forward.
Several quick flicks of his wand had the shutters open and he noticed the dark lump shift on the floor in front of the teacher's desk. Dirty blonde hair flicked out of the old and battered travelling cloak, followed by a slightly familiar face that reinforced Harry's desire to keep his wand trained on the man.
"I promise you'll not come to harm, Potter. Nor you Granger. Needed to make sure you'd be able to keep up in my class." The lump slowly stood and Harry noticed the wooden peg leg with a clawed foot had been freed from the natural leg.
"Sorry, but I'll keep my guard up. I'm not fond of teachers who attack me before introducing themselves. You can ask my tutors how I tend to react to that."
"Don't need to ask the tutors. Can see for me bloody self. That was the whole point. Hell of a curse Granger. The other two?"
Hermione let her eyes flick to the odd man at the head of the class. "Vomiting hex and a cutting curse."
The gnarled man's one true eyebrow rose, the second missing and replaced by the fixings that kept his second swirling eye in his head. Harry felt a little nauseous just looking at it as it spun about the room before it came to lock on his face. The electric blue colour was disturbing in and of itself.
"A serious combination."
"I don't take to being attacked lightly," Hermione replied simply.
"Neither of you was attacked, but I am curious where those wands came from. They weren't up your sleeves and neither of you reached for them. That's a hell of a trick."
Harry remained silent as he stared down the odd man. Hermione refused to divulge their secret either and the man began to laugh, the smile stretching his face horribly, a lifetime of scars proving that they would be unwise to lower their defence in his presence.
"Good on you. Never reveal a tactical advantage to an unknown adversary. I like you two. Join your classmates and we can begin." Harry tilted his head curiously. "I'm done, you've nothing to fear from me but tough exams."
As neither of the two new students moved, he began to chuckle once more. "Finally some quality clay to mold. Hopkins, explain to these two who I am, would you? I need to adjust me leg after that dust-up."
One of the nearby Puffs slowly stood from behind his desk, eyeing all three wands carefully. "He's Professor Alastor Moody. Ex-Auror. He's been our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher since our second year."
"I know who he is. But is it usual for him to fire curses at students randomly?" Harry asked his housemate.
"No," Sally-Anne chirped from her seat. "But we've never had a transfer student before."
"You can sit down. He's a little bit mad, but he's not actually crazy." Susan commented, having been the only one who hadn't ducked the firefight, her own wand being tucked back in her robes as she smiled politely and indicated a pair of empty seats next to the tense pair.
"I heard that Bones. Don't think your Auntie frightens me, girl." Moody chuckled.
Harry nudged his bag into place next to the desk and slowly sat, keeping a weather eye on the man who had his leg up on the table and was tapping it with his wand in several places. Hermione soon joined him, both of them with their wands still out and above the desk.
"Who taught you non-verbal spell casting?" Hannah asked from next to Susan, which appeared to be her usual place in their classes. "We're not supposed to cover that until sixth-year."
Harry glanced at her for a moment. "Our defence tutor is very good. And his assistant is very creative when it comes to testing."
Both girls nodded and everyone focused their attention forward as the sound of wood on wood sounded from the front of the class. Moody still had not put away his own wand, but the stories Harry had heard from his tutors about Mad-Eye had Harry sure the man would never disarm so long as he and Hermione had theirs out.
Nor would they lower theirs until the class was over.
ϟ
"You can stop yer worrying, Albus," Alastor called as he burst in the doorway, his false leg echoed across the stone as he quickly covered the distance to the desk.
"I find that hard to believe, Alastor. About what do you think I can relax?"
"Potter. Granger, too. Tried to take 'em by surprise when they entered me class. Dunno where they were keeping their wands, but they had 'em in hand before the stunner even came close. And Potter returned it. Haven't seen that move in a decade."
"He fired his own spell back at you in class?" Albus asked, concerned.
"Aye, the lass too. Good spell choice. And perfect grouping. Tasked my shield to failure. But I mean he returned me own spell as well as following with one of his own. Whoever has been teaching those two has not been slacking on defence training. Expertly cast, good power, non-verbal."
"Non-verbal casting?" Alastor smirked. It had no effect on Albus as it did on most, leaving them shaken. "You're certain?"
"What was I doing before you asked me here, Albus? I've known Aurors less capable than those two. Stop fretting about it and worry about something you can change."
Dumbledore considered this news. He knew exactly who had been training Harry and Miss Granger. It seemed the Marauders may have considered the possibility of Tom's eventual return as he had and were ensuring Harry had the necessary tools. That Miss Granger, who had not been seen outside Harry's company since they arrived, was as skilled was a surprise, but a welcome one.
Relief spread through him at the thought that his past errors had not cost the boy his chance at either happiness or skill.
"Have you made any further progress on the Goblet?"
"None. It was definitely a confundus, but I cannot figure out when it was applied. It shouldn't have been possible to do once you put up yer spells. Whoever did it is good, Albus. Better than I've seen in years."
Albus sighed heavily. The same conclusions he had drawn. He was greatly regretting his belief that the Tournament was ready. He'd let the small niggling doubt remain unvoiced as he'd signed the approval, and now he was paying for it.
No, Harry was paying for it, which was far, far worse.
"You have made preparations for when the Tournament is over then?" Albus asked his old friend.
"Absolutely. I agree that thing is far too dangerous to be left in Ministry hands. The moment the last task is done, a set of old friends will take possession and ensure its destruction. The Goblet will be no more in a little over seven months."
"Good. I'm loathe to destroy such a storied artefact, but this has certainly proven it has outlived its usefulness."
"Aye." Alastor swigged a large gulp from his hip flask before he continued. "Future looks a lot brighter with those two in it though. This is gonna be a fun year, Albus. I'm looking forward to Thursday, more so after today's performance."
Albus nodded softly to his old friend's thoughts. Harry had proven an enigma at every turn. But he was still far more concerned about the boy's entry than the boy himself.
Whoever had managed to liberate the letter from his possession was a very dangerous threat, one that was still out there somewhere, and in only two days time, they'd have another chance at Harry in a far more public setting.
"I hope you are correct, Alastor. I truly do."