The DADA Professor
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Something strange was happening in Zonko's. In particular, an odd sound was emerging from the darkened fireplace in the joke house's basement, as a slight shaking overcame it. If one who was not accustomed to travelling by hearth, the shock would have been immense as the shaking gave way to the sudden and immediate emergcence of a man, quickly followed by a scarlet-haired woman. Brushing themselves off from the massive amounts of dust accumulated in the unused fireplace, they rose to their feet as they took in their surroundings.
"This way," said Harry, remembering another secret entrance into the same basement so many years ago. He led Ginny up the stairs and into the main shop.
The store was not overwhemingly busy, nor was it abandonned. A handful of women and men warily watching over their exuberant children milled about the establishment, as the youngsters tried out and selected many different things. Harry was pleasantly surprised with the confimation of the Weasley twins' ownership of the store, as he saw their smiling portrait above the cash register. The two waved excitedly at him, and he couldn't help but laugh and wave back. Beside him, unseen, Ginny grinned.
They stepped outside into the cold air, and Harry's breath came out in a gasp as he looked around. How different the small town had become! The streets had expanded and the buildings had grown tall, and he realized that Hogsmeade was no longer the quaint little wizard town of his youth.
Next to him, the Auror seemed to have noticed his shock. "Diagon Alley was destroyed in a massive Death Eater showdown about twelve years ago. It was their last great stand, and they were determined to bring down whoever and whatever they could," she said softly, remembering all too well with the skies above the village had been stained with the mark of the Dark Lord.
She jumped, slightly, when he touched her arm, bringing his eyes to meet hers. "I'm sorry."
"Nothing to be sorry about," she murmured, as a pause was held in the air between them, but only for a second. "Anyways, the Ministry decided to simply move everything here. Have a Wizarding city, where we could always find shelter."
Harry looked up and around, taking it all in. "It's incredible."
"Look, Harry," stated Ginny abruptly, as she turned to face him again. "The preliminary team was out here before, and they found nothing. Whoever took your son did it simply and efficiently, and we won't find any answers here." She was different, Harry remarked, as her brisk and abrupt nature manifested itself once more. He couldn't help to think to himself as he watched her: Did I cause that?
He shoved such thoughts away. "What do you suggest then?"
"He had his two best friends with him, right before he disappeared. Maybe we can find some answers with them, at Hogwarts."
Harry shifted his vision and concentrated his eyes on the familiar spires of the castle in the distance, seeing it from afar for the first time in fourteen years. He chuckled, amused. "And how are we going to get into there? We can't just go waltzing in!
At this, Ginny grinned. "You can when you belong to the same family as one of the teachers."
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Only a mere two hours after his arrival at Hogsmeade, and Harry Potter was already standng in one of the ancient halls of his old alma matter, staring at the familiar paintings that lined the walls. Some were new, some were old. He laughed when he saw the Fat Lady across from him, and smiled when she noticed his amusement.
She stopped gossipping with her friend, the resident of the painting, and turned to him. "Stop laughing, boy! Wait until you see who's next door!" At this, she smiled mischiviously. Harry, curious, looked past the Fat Lady and her companinon, and moved to the next frame. His heart nearly stopped when he realized what he was looking at.
It was him. Himself. A moving portrait of Harry Potter, although, it was a considerably younger one. The floppy mop of black hair, the intensely green eyes: it was all, completely, him. The portrait of himself stared right back, as they locked eyes, emerald versus emerald.
And it was weird.
"Harry," called a voice from behind him, and he broke his staring contest with himself. "The Headmaster's allowed us a visit with the students, although she asked to keep it brief."
"The Headmaster? McGonagall?" asked Harry, as they made their way down the hall and towards the ever-changing staircases.
Ginny smiled, again, and something within him fluttered, awkwardly. "Tonks. Nym-pha-dora," and she stressed the outrageously formal name with a laugh, "became Headmaster three years ago when Remus retired. They'd both been here for ages, the old couple."
"They got married?" he asked, and the same pain of a forgotten past haunted him yet again.
"Oh yes. Years ago," she answered, as she pointed him to a nearby door. "There. That one."
He moved to open the door, but before he could close his grip around the handle, he felt Ginny's arm grasp his, and he turned to face her. "What is it, Ginny?" he asked, as he looked into her eyes, meeting her orbs as she stared strangely at him.
"How is it that no one recognized you in Hogsmeade? And why here, of all places, wouldn't you disguise yourself? The children would mob you if they knew Harry Potter was in their midst..." But even as she asked the question, her hand was moving from his arm up to his face, moving to what she thought was the answer.
There. Something flickered along the line between his skin and the edge of his jacket, and she sighed. "You're wearing a disguise, aren't you?"
"I am," he answered. "I can't take any chances."
"How come I can see you?" she asked, confusion showing through her frown.
Now it was his turn to smile. "No disguise is impenetrable. If someone truly doesn't believe what they see, a disguise is nothing. Everyone thinks I'm dead, so there is no real danger for me." His grin turned slightly melancholy then, and he looked away. "Come on," he said, gesturing to the door, as he turned the handle and strode inside.
The chamber was one that he had seen many times before, and Harry realized that it was his ancient Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. However, his heart stopped when his eyes met the figure of the resdient professor, and he froze where he stood, shocked yet again for the second time in less than a day.
"Ginny!" cried the Professor in greeting, movng forward to give the young Auror a hug. "Tonks told me that you wanted to speak with Anaise and Thomas. I've summoned them, and they should be along shortly." The teacher looked away from Ginny, and settled on Harry. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your companion?"
Ginny looked over to Harry anxiously, but he had already moved his hand forward in greeting. "Hello, Hermione," he said softly, as he stared into the deep brown eyes of his best friend.