Chapter 31: Return of a new old professor. Staff meeting part 2

After the beach celebration, everyone returned to their usual summer routines. Harry, Blaise, and Neville had taken the ones who inquired about where they often got their food from the day after. Easily enough, they were not disappointed; Ulrich and Viktor were elated as they were the first to buy some groceries. The former would have bought more, but Bianca stopped him. However, she had to admit they had a good selection of different spices from around the world, such as chicken, meat, seafood, etc. Even Fleur was impressed with their selection, especially Gabrielle, who practically begged her older sister to buy a box of imported chocolates from Belgium.

But all good things have come to an end, as Harry and the other professors at Hogwarts are currently having a meeting to discuss the new additions to the school. Since the arrival of the OWL and NEWT results, appreciative letters from parents and students have come flying in. A good portion of the letters have been directed at Harry, as the students who received their results a couple of days ago were very pleased with their marks. At the moment, they were all gathered in the Headmistress's office, where they were currently evaluating a candidate for the teaching post of Government. A man named Stephen Lane. The man was in his early thirties, had attended Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, received high grades, and worked at the MACUSA's Office for Magic Relations and Education.

Septima clicked her tongue. "You have given us much to consider, Mr. Lane. We will notify you of our final decision within two to three days."

"Thank you for your time," he gave them a respectful bow before taking his leave.

A light smile appeared on her face when the door closed. She wrote down some notes while looking at the man's CV. "That makes him our fifth person to apply for the Government teaching post. What do we all think?"

Minerva was the first to respond. "Mr. Lane definitely strikes me as capable, and his experience working for the MACUSA branch's Office for Magic Relations and Education cannot be dismissed," she stated, having verified the man's credentials, reviewed his file, and spoken to the people who wrote reference letters about him.

". . .among the five people we have interviewed for this position, he does stand out as the most promising candidate," Pomona commented. She was very happy with the way things were progressing. The decision to replace Divination and Muggle Studies with Government and Law was a stroke of genius. In hindsight, they should have been removed years ago. Earlier today, the decision of who is to be given the position of Law professor was made—Mrs. Brittany Hill had worked as a Lawyer for sixteen years.

In addition, because of the increase in the school's budget and with the approval of the Board of Governors, two new subjects were added to the school's curriculum: Business, Curse breaking & Warding. Things were definitely looking up in her opinion. Furthermore, Pomona was very thankful to Harry for his after-school sessions. She had seen how he taught the students and was very impressed. He kept them interested and attentive and taught them different study methods, resulting in several students receiving higher marks. Also, their end-of-the-year marks in Herbology certainly helped with her bonus.

One look at the clock showed that it was almost nine in the morning. Pomona released a yawn; she was still partly tired. Just then, a house elf arrived with a long silver tray carrying a large pot of freshly brewed coffee, milk, sugar, and goblets. The elf poured coffee into each goblet and vanished back to the kitchen after everyone had grabbed a cup. A second later, a reporter from the Daily Prophet appeared on the crystal projection screen to deliver the morning news. "Good morning, everyone; this is Tanya Jackson, reporter from the Daily Prophet," the reporter said. "We come to you this morning with a news report from Madam Griselda Marchbanks, the Department Head of the Wizarding Examinations Authority and Chief Witch, along with a handful of parents who wish to comment about the results from this year's OWL and NEWT students at Hogwarts School Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Madam Marchbanks, what are your thoughts regarding this previous year's OWL and NEWT students and their results?" The older woman stepped forward upon being asked the question.

"I will admit that my thoughts about the former Delores Umbridge being given the DADA teaching post were more than negative. That woman's OWL and NEWT grades were less than acceptable. On top of that, she was a horrendously reprehensible woman who enjoyed tormenting not only the other employees in the Ministry but also the students at large. How someone like her could be given a teaching post'. . .let alone, even be considered an educator is highly beyond me. I knew she was a vile person, but I never thought she'd go so far as to torture minors. What concerned me the most is that the former Minister of Magic granted her so much power within the school and how the late Albus Dumbledore did nothing to oppose her appointment or attempt to rein her in."

"Cornelius Fudge was never an ideal leader; taking bribes from Death Eaters to further his own agenda and make himself look good at the expense of others is pathetic. In my personal opinion, Fudge was a poor excuse for a wizard. A cowardly, greedy man who was easily influenced into allowing a vicious, dishonorable woman to disrupt the education of the students at Hogwarts. When that woman's exam results were released to the public, and the number of complaints from both the students and their parents came rolling in, I had even more reason to be concerned. However, fortunately, the professors at the time were firmly against the woman teaching at the school and were less than cooperative in helping enforce her Education Decrees. More specifically, helping one of their own provide a better curriculum for the students taking their OWL and NEWT DADA exams."

"You are referring to the after-school sessions provided by Professor Harry Potter, correct?" Tanya inquired. "I am told that you and the Head of the WEA at the ICW had legitimized it before the start of the year. Rumor has it that the sessions were truly beneficial. Do you think the same?"

"Oh, most definitely," Griselda replied, her lips forming a smile. "I have it on good authority that the students who took their OWLs and NEWTs this year had achieved high marks in their exams," she explained. A half moment later, she added, "as you know, my and Madam Quinn's departments take precautions against those who think they will be able to cheat by applying anti-cheating charms to the examination papers. Anti-cheating Quills are provided when the exams are being administered; Remembralls, Detachable Cribbing Cuffs, Self-Correcting Ink, and any potions meant to help get the right answers are strictly prohibited. Everyone in our Departments is required to take a magical vow stipulating that they won't directly or indirectly help the students while they're being examined, will not play favorites, alter grades, and to not share any information with any outside party until the exam results have been sent out."

"By far, the students we assessed were nothing short of exemplary; many of them showed exceptional skills in both magical knowledge and skills. It had been about fifty years since I'd seen such brilliant control and refinement over one's magic. . .but a good number of them had shown great promise. Especially when it came to using nonverbal casting. While silent casting was thought to be difficult, a decent number of the students showed impressive mastery over it." Griselda praised those who were able to achieve such feats. "In addition, I heard some of them and my colleagues talk about Mr. Potter's sessions and how helpful they were. My overall conclusion is that Mr. Potter has taught them not only how to do nonverbal casting and wandless magic. . .but also how to refine their skills. Therefore, upon seeing the results of their hard work firsthand, my department and I fully agree with the changes happening at Hogwarts for the upcoming year; we believe that higher levels of magic should be taught to the students."

"I am also in agreement with this." Mrs. Jackson turned to the person who said that.

"Lord Patil," she began, "what are your thoughts regarding the changes being made to the school your children attend?"

Lord Aayush Patil, the Head of the Most Noble House of Patil, gave a small laugh. "To be perfectly honest, my wife and I feel like we and our daughters have been cheated by the former Headmaster as well as by the former Minister of Magic and his Undersecretary. They allowed a subpar education to be taught at Hogwarts, thereby cheating us out of our money and the opportunity to have a proper education. It's shameful and inexcusable!" The anger in his eyes showed his displeasure.

Despite his anger, the man remained calm and composed. "But with that said, I am grateful to Lord Potter's after-school sessions and his teaching methods. Both of my daughters have spoken of how good of a teacher he was. . .even when Fudge and Umbridge were disrupting the learning environment at school. When their OWL results came in, my wife and father were amazed that they had achieved more than ten OWLs and had gotten nothing below Exceeds Expectations."

"I don't know the full scope of Lord Potter's teaching methods, but my daughters were more motivated to do their best in their exams," said Lord Patil.

The people who arrived with Lord Patil gave their own opinions about the sessions; surprisingly, a few were former NEWT students. They had all expressed their gratitude to Harry for his help this year and hoped the new changes to the Hogwarts curriculum would be approved.

Harry grunted. "I was only doing my job," he commented. Turning to the other professors, he said, "it seems we have no choice now. The people are demanding that the students be given a higher form of education—changes to the syllabus for each of your classes are now mandatory."

"Finally," Filius squeaked. The diminutive professor was bouncing on his feet. He remembered they had a meeting yesterday to discuss the electives for the students in their third year and up. The forms had already been sent out with the changes. "We're actually going to teach the students more advanced magic."

"Settle down, Filius," Minerva said. Though the smile on her face showed, she was just as happy at this new prospect.

"All right, so who's next?" Burbage asked.

Septima looked through her clipboard for a moment. "A candidate for the position of Potions Professor. He should be here. . ." The wards around the office alerted her that the person they were expecting was coming. "Now," she said as a knock came on the door. "Come in."

A few people were surprised to see who entered when the door opened: Horace Slughorn. The man calmly walked into the office with his head high. "Hello, everyone. I apologize for being late, but I had to make a stop at the Apothecary shop in Knockturn Alley for some new bottles of dragon's blood. Prices are sky-high at the moment."

"Understandable," Harry said. "How are you doing, Mr. Slughorn?"

"Oho," he said, his large round eyes flying to Harry; his expression lit up. "Not so well, I'm afraid, Mr. Potter," said Slughorn at once. "Weak chest. Wheezy. Rheumatism too. Can't move like I used to. Well, that's to be expected. Old age. Fatigue."

He then turned his gaze toward Severus. "Ah, hello, Severus. How have you been these past couple of years?" Looking at his former student.

"As well as one can be," Severus coolly replied. Being a father can be difficult at times, but it can even be rewarding," he gestured toward Harry, who smirked at him.

"Yet you don't have any grey hairs. For all you know, I could have turned out like my godfather," Harry remarked. His cheeky quip earned a couple of chuckles.

"Do you want to spend the next week cleaning the dungeons in both Potter and Black Castle?" Severus asked. The subtle threat made Harry lose his smile at the inclination of having to clean those dungeons again.

Harry wisely shut his mouth as he did not know whether his father was serious or not, though he was unwilling to test him on it. He diverted his attention back toward Horace. "Anyway, we appreciate you coming from the States. We were hoping you would consider coming out of retirement to teach Potions."

"Now, hold on," Horace immediately said. "Just because I agreed to come here today does not mean I intend to start teaching again," he added sternly, seeming to pull himself back together again. "The fact remains that I'm an old man, Mr. Potter. A tired old man who's earned the right to a quiet life and a few creature comforts."

"And, of course, we understand that. Every now and then, there comes a time for a person to retire from their profession," Harry stated. "However, given the situation with the current generation of witches and wizards needing a capable and experienced Potions Professor and what's happening with Voldemort and his Death Eaters out and about, it would be most helpful if—"

"If you're going to tell me my life would be more peaceful at that pestilential school, you can save your breath, Albus! I might have been in hiding, but some funny rumors have reached me since Dolores Umbridge had been arrested and sent to the Maze of Tartarus! The last two professors. . ."

"That loathsome woman had no business being in this school," Minerva responded. "She tortured the students with blood quills, used veritaserum on minors, then performed the memory charm on them."

"That's what she did, did she?" Slughorn said, positively disgusted. "Idiotic woman. Never liked her."

Severus half grunted. "Believe it or not, you are not alone. The bloody woman had the nerve to walk through the school as if she owned it." There were a couple of nods from the staff members who agreed with him.

After a few moments of silence, Slughorn's watery eyes fell over Harry's mostly invisible scar, this time looking at his green eyes, taking in the rest of his face.

"At first glance, you appear to resemble James, but upon closer inspection, you seem to have inherited your looks from your grandparents. Bless their souls."

"Thank you," a small smile appeared on his face. He knew exactly what his parents and grandparents looked like from their portraits. "A lot of people confuse me for looking like my birth father. . .but I inherited more characteristics from my grandparents."

"Except for your eyes. You've got—"

"My mother's eyes, yeah, I know," Harry said. He had heard this numerous times, though it never failed to make him smile. "She's spoken very fondly of you both when she was a student here and had apprenticed under you for her Potions Mastery. The notes in her Potions journal from when she did her apprenticeship were brilliant and helpful."

The man chuckled. "Yes, that does sound like her. Lily always did an extraordinary gift for Potion making, much like Severus here." He wiped a tear from his eye. "From what I have heard, you seem to have inherited the talent from her—altering already made potions and creating your own. My colleagues in the International Society of Potioneers told me about the three potions you created: The antidote to restore a person's sanity, the Regenerative Potion, and the Antidote to Lycanthropy. Brilliant!"

"You're wrong on one of those accounts," Harry replied in a calm, even tone. "The first two were indeed were indeed my creation. I wanted to restore the sanity of my godmother, Alice Longbottom, and her husband, Frank Longbottom. The second potion was derived from my father's Restorative Potion," he explained, pointing to Severus. "However, the third one—the Antidote to Lycanthropy was created by three people. My beautiful girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass, and my oldest friend, who is like a sister to me, Miwa Kawada, each had a hand in its creation."

"Yes, yes. My mistake," Horace apologized. Quickly composing himself, "you must be very proud of your son, Severus. You and Lily were always the best when it came to my class. Though talent alone can only take one so far. . .I guess you and Ms. Black taught him a few things here and there."

Severus offered no reply except grunt in confirmation.

Horace cleared his throat. "Yes, well. You shouldn't have favorites as a teacher, of course, but she was one of mine. Your mother," Slughorn added in answer to Harry's questioning look. "Lily Evans. One of the brightest I have ever taught. Vivacious, you know. Charming girl. I used to tell her she ought to have been in my House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back to."

"Sounds like her. Guess I know where I get my cheek from in the family." Harry laughed at his own joke while his father rolled his eyes, and the other professors simply looked amused. "Anyway, you were the Head of Slytherin house, right?"

"That I was," the man confirmed with a wide smile puffing up his chest. "Oh, now, please do not hold that against me. You would have been in Gryffindor like her, I suppose?"

The left side of Harry's lips tugged upward into a smirk. "Would you like to know a secret?" He beckoned the man over when he nodded. Then, whispering in his ear something that surprised the man.

Horace let out a booming laugh. "That was very cunning of you, young man. Very cunning indeed!" He quieted himself down enough to speak. "Oh, how I wish you had been born when I was still teaching. . . Though there are times it usually goes in families. Not always, though. Aside from Severus. The whole Black family had been in my House, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor! Shame—he was a talented boy. I got his brother, Regulus, when he came along, but I'd have liked the set."

He sounded like an enthusiastic collector who had been outbid at auction, looking lost in memory of his past students.

"Like so many others, I believed your mother was muggle-born, of course. So you can imagine my surprise when it was revealed that she was a pure-blood who'd been muggle-raised."

Harry decided to speak at that moment. "Believe it or not, sir, there are a lot of students who are muggle-borns and half-bloods that have proven themselves to be exceptionally talented and powerful in their own rights. I am even good friends with some," he said, clicking his tongue. "Just because I am pureblood myself does not mean I look down on those that are half-bloods or muggle-born. That whole garbage about purebloods being superior is a complete joke if you ask me.

Slughorn looked at him with surprise. "Of course, you are absolutely right," he added when the boy raised an eyebrow at him. "You mustn't think I'm prejudiced!" he said. "No, no, no! Haven't I just said your mother—no matter how she was raised—she was one of my all-time favorite students? And there was Dirk Cresswell in the year after her, too—now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, of course—another muggle-born, a very gifted student, and still gives me excellent inside information on the goings-on at Gringotts!"

Harry listened as Slughorn mentioned some of his past students and how they used to send him gifts every now and then. The man was definitely a collector; his family members mentioned that he had a habit of collecting people who were either very popular in the Wizarding world or had the potential to be. When asked if they knew how to find him, he answered Minerva with a wry grin, responding that he had been in the States out of touch with everyone and things currently going on with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. He elaborated further on how taking a position at Hogwarts would be like pledging his allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix and that he was one of Dumbledore's followers.

Harry then offered a quick response. "You don't have to join the Order to teach at Hogwarts," said Harry calmly. Most of the teachers aren't in it, and none of them has ever been killed. except for Quirrell, but that's a different matter." He left out how it was that Quirrell had died as it was not needed to know. "Plus, if it makes you feel any better, then the Order of Phoenix has mostly been disbanded after Dumbledore's true nature and intentions were."

"Oh, thank Merlin," said Horace, placing a hand over his chest and sighing relief.

Harry seized the moment to continue. "I don't mean to toot my own horn here, but I am no slouch when it comes to dueling, and the protections around this school have increased thanks to my magical orbs. As you already know, the wards around this castle are over a thousand years old, and with the added protections from the orbs, even Voldemort would have difficulty trying to get in." He saw that had piqued the man's interest.

"But back to the main point here. Will you at least listen to what we have to offer?" Harry asked.

Slughorn looked uncertain for a few minutes, mentally weighing the pros and cons. He then took in a breath. "Well, alright. I will at least listen to what you have to say," the man agreed and sat in the chair.

"Professor Vector, all you," Harry cheekily gestured.

The woman gave him a small grin on his cheek before turning her gaze at Horace. "You see, Mr. Slughorn, like you heard, there are some benefits if you decide to come out of retirement. In addition to the protections around the castle, there would be a salary increase," she said, letting her words sink into the man. "Originally, the staff would receive a salary of 74,280 galleons a year—a bonus would be given to a professor depending on how well their students did on their end-of-the-year exams."

"She's not wrong," said Severus. Everyone looked at him. "This past year and the one before, I received a 26 percent bonus because of how well the students did in their final exams—their OWLs and NEWTs—and got into my NEWT class." A few other professors, including Septima, nodded in agreement; they had also received an end-of-the-year bonus.

"As it is, the salary for any staff is 86,430 galleons a year," she explained. "And if you've seen the latest reports from the Daily Prophet, you know that we are changing the syllabi for each class. This way, the teachers can teach the more advanced and complex branches of their respective subjects; spells, potions, etc." Slughorn listened with rapped attention as she explained the benefits of teaching at Hogwarts.

Horace's eyes widened considerably, and when she was done, he stood up, looking like a child who just entered Honeydukes. "All right, all right, I'll do it!"

"So you're willing to apply for the position to teach Potions?" Septima asked.

"Yes, yes," the man said. "However, I have one condition: I want Professor Merrythought's old office, not that watery closet I had before."

"Then we have an accord."

The interview ended after forty minutes, with Slughorn signing his employment contract. Horace hadn't been this happy in years. "I'll have the syllabus for each year drafted by Friday. Now, if you all excuse me, I have to pack my trunks and check out my new office." He left without another word, though the big smile on his face said enough.

The staff continued interviewing potential candidates for the rest of the day to teach their remaining open classes, which lasted till a quarter after four. With the last of the candidates done, Septima put the person's file in one of her desk drawers. She leaned back in her chair, releasing a long, tired breath. "That should do it for now," she said, closing her eyes for a second; opening her eyes, she saw that Severus was offering her a Calming Draught. "Thank you, Severus," she uncorked the vial and downed the potion.

"We shall pick this up tomorrow at the same time. Everyone except Professor Potter is free to leave." The staff, save for Harry, filed out of the office. Septima rubbed her head. "I swear this is more strenuous than I thought."

"You'll get no argument from me," Harry replied, knowing what she was getting at. "The old goat had a lot of work he left undone. Well, at least we no longer have to deal with him. Here are the files you wanted me to review. I've gone over all of them," pulling a couple of folders from his watch and placing them on her desk.

"Thank you."

"The new Quidditch brooms should be here tomorrow at noon." He placed an order for a collection of Nimbus 2001s, Comet 260s, and Cleansweep Elevens. "Also, the renovations for Professor Sprouts Greenhouses are underway."

"Thank you, Harry."

"If that is all, I will take my leave for the day," giving her a cordial nod and walking out of the office.

He descended the revolving staircase and headed toward the castle's main door before teleporting away.

(0^0)

Miles away at the Ministry of Magic, Daphne was on her way, walking through the halls toward the Department of Magical Co-operation. The sixteen-year-old Greengrass Heiress had clocked out a few moments ago and was going to pay her friends a visit.

She walked into the locker room where they had just finished clocking out. "Are you guys ready to go?"

"Absolutely," Tracey responded, stretching out her body. "After today, I think I'll be going to bed early."

Daphne gave a small grunt. "Too much paperwork today, Trace," she quipped with a soft smile.

"You have no idea," Lilith remarked, understanding why Tracey was mentally drained. It had just been one of those days. She let out a small breath. "Look at it this way: by doing our internships now, we have a better chance of getting the jobs we want sooner than everyone else. Either way, you look at it, we're ahead of the curve."

"That is true," said Padma. She came over with her handbag and looked somewhat tired. "Any ideas on when we'll get our new booklist for the upcoming year? I sent the form with the list of classes I wanted to take this morning."

Lilith answered. "No idea. Though if I had to take a guess, they might come on the 1st or 2nd of August," Lilith shrugged her shoulders. Truthfully, she had been wondering the same thing. When the parchment containing a list of the sixth-year classes arrived yesterday, her eyes widened at the new elective classes that had been added. Her brother was slightly envious when she showed him. "But keep in mind that they're in the process of getting new professors and changing the school's curriculum."

"That's a good point," Padma replied. "You three want to grab some dinner?"

"I'm in," Tracey immediately said. The other two agreed, and they all left together. "By the way, I forgot to ask earlier during lunch, but what did you get on your OWLs? I heard your father say you and Parvati got nothing lower than an Exceeds on the news this morning."

"Mm. I'll tell you later. Mind if I bring Parvati?" she asked. Her sister should be getting off from work about now.

"Sure," Daphne replied.

With that, Padma used her watch to contact Parvati and tell her that she, Daphne, Lilith, and Tracey were heading to a restaurant in Diagon Alley and wondered if she wanted to come. Her twin said yes and that she'd meet them there. The four left the Ministry using the Floo terminals; Padma then placed a hand on Lilith's shoulder, and they teleported to the restaurant where Parvati was waiting for them.

"One of those days?" Parvati inquired upon taking a look at her sister's face.

"One of those days, Pav," Padma replied casually. The expression on her face was similar to the one Parvati had the day before.

When they entered the establishment, a hostess approached them and showed them to an open table. Before leaving, she gave them a menu and told them a waiter or waitress would come by in a few minutes.

Throughout the rest of the dinner, the girls enjoyed talking amicably about what's been going on in their lives lately. Padma shared that she earned twelve OWLs: Ancient Runes: 94, History of Magic: 91, Government: 97, Business: 98, Charms: 94, Herbology: 94, Astronomy: 86, Arithmancy: 94, CoMC: 88, DADA: 95, Potions: 95, and Transfiguration: 96. Parvati revealed she had earned eleven OWLs: Astronomy: 86, Transfiguration: 93, DADA: 92, Business: 96, Herbology: 88, History of Magic: 84, Divination: 93, Potions: 90, Charms: 95, Arithmancy: 94, and CoMC: 86. In all they were very happy with their results. They even talked about their internships at their jobs.

After dinner, the girls returned to their homes. Daphne teleported to Potter castle, where she felt the wards upon landing on the porch in front of the main door. Harry had created protective orbs capable of manifesting an anti-teleportation ward. Ordinarily, it would be ridiculously difficult, not to mention very painful, for anyone who tried to use teleportation. Luckily, Harry had keyed the people he trusted into the ward so they could teleport onto the property without suffering the consequences. Using her key, she unlocked the door and walked inside, closing the door behind her. The lock instantly snapped shut when the door closed.

Daphne walked through the living room and up the stairs. She headed toward the Lord's study, where she had a feeling Harry might be. Coming up to the study, she knocked on the door. "It's open," she heard Harry's voice. She opened the door and walked in to see him sitting on the couch reading through the Slytherin grimoire.

A smile adorned her face. "I had a feeling you were in here," she said, walking in and then turning her head toward the portraits on the wall, where his mother and grandmother were. His father and grandfather were likely elsewhere in their other portraits. Lily smiled at her when she sat on the couch next to him.

"You look like you had a long day at work," Lily noted, looking at Daphne.

"What gave it away?" Daphne quipped. Dorea and Lily looked amused. "But since I started doing the internship at the DoM last year and am now a Level 2, I will have a much easier time getting the job in the future."

"That is a good benefit. . ." Harry closed his grimoire and leaned back in his seat, letting out a heavy breath. "Plus, with your masteries added to your CV, they'll accept you with open arms."

"You sound completely drained. Everything okay?" Daphne said with a hint of concern in her voice.

"He's just tired," Dorea answered for her grandson. "Just returned from a meeting with some of the ICW Representatives.

Daphne hummed in acknowledgment, now knowing why her boyfriend seemed tired. Harry may be good when it comes to dealing with the bureaucrats, but he absolutely loathed it. Politics were not something he enjoyed. Given his expression, she could only guess which Representatives he met with. "It was that bad, huh?"

"You have no idea. Damn hard-headed fools," he groaned. Harry wandlessly lifted his grimoire and, with a simple wave, sent it back to the shelf, he got it from.

She could not help but giggle at the way he described the Representatives. Harry shook his head, "enough about me. How was your day?"

"It was there. Hopefully, tomorrow will be easier," Daphne replied. "Come on," she said, getting up from the couch with Harry following suit. They bid Dorea and Lily goodbye and left for the master bedroom.

"So, did anything noteworthy happen at the meeting with the Hogwarts staff?" Daphne asked as they entered their room.

Harry grunted. "Still trying to fish for answers, I see," he grinned at her which she returned. "Well, it won't hurt to tell you this piece of information. . .we convinced Horace Slughorn to come out of retirement to be the Potions Professor."

"Slughorn? If I remember correctly, he taught my parents when they were in school," Daphne mused. "Mum told me he is an exceptionally talented Potions Master who is well-connected and likes to collect people who are talented and famous or have the potential to become either of those. He also likes to mingle with the social elites. I imagine it didn't take much convincing to get him to agree."

"Then you be right," he laughed a bit and began to shed his clothes. "While he was reluctant at first. . .he seemed convinced after the number of benefits of what could happen if he were to return."

"What kind of benefits?" She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, noticing his wry grin.

"A better office, a pay raise, and the opportunity to meet some exceptionally powerful and talented witches and wizards," Harry said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist, bringing her closer.

"In other words, you basically offered him the opportunity to try and collect me and the others," she said with a faux-angry tone, though her lips tugged to form a mischievous smile. "You, mister, are in trouble."

He kissed her lips softly. "My apologies, Auror Greengrass. Did that help my case?"

"Hmm. . .only a bit," she wrapped her hands around his neck. "To atone for the crime of indirectly using my name without permission, I'm going to require something else."

"Mm, I believe I know how I can make amends," he said with a lopsided grin she knew all too well. In one motion, he brought his lips back down to hers in a heated kiss and picked her up by the waist. Daphne could not help but let out a couple of moans as she felt his hands caress her bum, and their tongues danced with one another. Harry placed her down on the bathroom countertop. He was already without his shirt and pants on as they continued their heated makeout session.

After several minutes of making out, Daphne was left in only her blue bra and pants, still on, attempting to recapture her breath. The blouse she previously had on was now on the floor, with its buttons scattered around. Harry trailed kisses down from her neck to her stomach before returning to her lips. Daphne could only moan in his mouth while their lips did battle; he undid the front clasp of her bra, letting it fall off her shoulders. She was torn between small moans and gasps as he removed her jeans, showing she had a matching pair of panties on.

The two pulled back to catch their breath. "What do. . .you intend to do. . .next, Mr. Potter?" Daphne inquired between breaths.

"I think a nice long, hot shower would be an order, Ms. Greengrass. . ." Harry said in a suggestive voice that made Daphne laugh a little. She loved him more than anything. It was going to be a good night for the both of them.

(0^0)

Next week, the Hogwarts staff—the current and new members—were having a final meeting in the staffroom to discuss what would happen for the upcoming school year. Professor Vector received the syllabi from each professor and verified them with the school's Board of Governors and Madam Marchbanks, getting the green light to proceed. ". . .that takes care of the final syllabus for the Business curriculum." Her eyes fell on Professor Slughorn. "What is the status of the potion ingredients from the Apothecary?"

"They will be here tomorrow morning," the pudgy man said with a delightful smile. "I am also pleased to inform you that the books I selected for this year will be available at Flourish and Botts and the Trinity Library."

"Good. Seems like everything from the school's course list has been met," Septima said, looking through her clipboard. She then looked at the next piece of parchment. "Onto another matter. . .if we are all in agreement, then the Yule ball will commence on the 25th of December. The same rights and rules will be added, like when the school hosted the Triwizard Tournament. Mr. Potter. . ."

"Like you even had to ask. I already know which band to book for the event," Harry cheekily responded. He would be meeting with the band and the band's manager after they finished today.

"Is there anything else we need to discuss for the upcoming year?" Septima looked around until her gaze fell on Filius. She gave him a nod so he could speak.

The school's resident Charms Master looked giddy with anticipation as he hoped his proposal would be approved. "I would like to propose that we introduce a Dueling Tournament," he said, causing a few staff members to whisper. He explained further, "a few of the professors and I have already talked about this, and we believe it would be a good idea if a Dueling Tournament was allowed. The tournament will be a team-based event where there will be no more than five people on a team. The students can pair up with people from either their own or a different house. This will be made available to those in their third year and above."

The people who were unaware of this exchanged a couple of looks like they were having a silent conversation. Then, with nods of agreement, they all looked at Septima. One look at her face showed she, too, was on board with the proposal. "Sounds like a decent idea to me. What kind of prize will be given to the winning teams?"

It was Minerva's turn to respond. "We were thinking two prizes would be awarded to the winning team. One: A photo of the team along with this beautiful trophy," she said, pulling the trophy out from her watch. The trophy was similar to the Triwizard Cup, but instead of the words Triwizard Cup written on it. There were Dueling Champions, and the Year the students were in. "Two: The winning team can be taught up to four different things not taught in their year within reason. Be it spells, potions, wards, etc."

"I'm liking this idea more and more," said Septima. She looked really intrigued. "I trust the two of you can create the rules." Filius and Minerva nodded their heads.

The former looked at Severus. "Would you like to help us?"

Severus gave him a curt nod. "We can discuss the rules at a later date."

"Then we are in an agreement," Septima said. "Minerva, Severus, and Filius will each oversee the Dueling Tournament for each year."

"Oh, this is going to be fun," Filius said while bouncing in his seat.

"Is there anything else?" Septima looked around at everyone. She ended the meeting when no one said anything. "Alright, then. Please enjoy the rest of your summer vacation, and we'll meet up the week before term begins."

They all left the staffroom going in different directions. Harry instantly teleported away when he reached beyond the castle's apparition wards. Boy, did he love this method of magical travel.

He reappeared in front of a record company. Walking through the door, he entered the lobby and went to the elevator, where he pressed the button to indicate he wanted to go up. He stepped in and pressed the twelfth-floor button when the doors slid open. Harry calmly rode the elevator up to the desired floor, which didn't take long. He stepped off the elevator and entered a waiting room. There, he strolled up to the register, where a receptionist was currently organizing some documents.

She looked up when he cleared his throat. "Mr. Potter, how are you doing today?"

"I have been well. I have an appointment with Mr. Hutchinson and Sakura. Are they available?"

"Let me see. . ." She looked through her appointment book to verify if there was indeed an appointment. It only took a moment for her to find his name. "Ah, yes, right here. Please sign your name, and I'll let them know you've arrived," she said, handing him a clipboard and a quill.

He signed the form and went to sit in one of the chairs. "How are you doing, Em?" he asked, not needing to turn around to know who stood behind him. His lips tugged to form a small smile upon hearing a faint groan.

"One of these days, I will be able to sneak up on you," Emily grumbled as she took a seat beside him; her disillusionment charm had worn off. "Anyway, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be at Hogwarts attending the staff meeting or at home?"

"You'll see," he replied with a hint of amusement dripping down his voice. "How's your internship going so far?"

For the past couple of weeks, Emily has been working as an intern for the Five Dragons under Sakura. "It's brilliant. I've been a lot about the record business, and Sakura sometimes lets me watch her when she and the others are recording and rehearsing songs."

"Glad to hear you've enjoyed yourself thus far." The two siblings turned to see that Sakura and Mr. Hutchinson had arrived. Sakura had a big smile on her face, as did her manager, whose smile wasn't quite as big but still noticeable. "During the summer, things around here usually get hectic. . .but you working here has made things easier," Sakura added. She then turned to look at Harry.

"It's good to see you, Harry. How have you been?"

A small chuckle exited his lips. "Aside from the frequent meetings at Hogwarts staff, the Board of Governors, the bureaucrats in both the Ministry and the ICW, and working on my masteries, I've been pretty busy."

"I bet," said Mr. Hutchinson. "I believe you wanted to talk about something? Shall we head to my office?"

"Lead the way," Harry replied. "Come on, Shizuku."

Hutchinson took them around back through a hallway to his office, a large, spacious room with record labels and music awards on the wall, two charcoal grey sofas with a coffee table between them in the center, and an office desk near the window. Up against the wall was a sink with a refrigerator attached to it and a whiteboard with a world map next to it. By the looks of it, they were planning a world tour, as some countries had pushpins in them. Sakura sat on one couch while the siblings sat on the one opposite of her.

"Would either of you like a drink?" The man offered, opening the refrigerator.

Harry and Emily shared a quick look. "Two bottles of water."

The man pulled out four bottles of water and handed them over when he sat beside Sakura. "So, what's the nature of your visit here today?"

Harry took a swig of his water. "To get straight to the point here. I would like to book the Five Dragons to play at Hogwarts for the Yule ball this year." Sakura and Emily blinked their eyes in surprise at him. "The school will be hosting a Yule ball on the 25th of December, and I wanted to book the Dragons to play that night. I will pay you, of course."

"Harry, that is not necessary," Sakura objected. We would be more than happy to perform that night. You invested a lot of money into us, so we will do it for free."

"Sakura, I cannot ask you to do that," Harry replied. "We agreed that in return for my investment, I could get free tickets, VIP backstage passes, and a cut of the company's profits. In addition, you guys would do private parties and holiday specials for me. But this is for the students at Hogwarts. That puts us outside of the agreement."

"I'm not going to win this argument with you, am I?" Sakura said after thinking for a couple of minutes. They agreed that he'd receive certain benefits in return for his investment. But she didn't want to feel like she was taking advantage of him. "You are aware this won't be cheap, right?"

"I'm not worried about the cost."

"Fine, but I'm giving you a discount," she firmly stated.

"Deal. However, not too big of a discount."

"15 percent," they said at the same time.

A pleased look appeared on her face. "You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Potter."

"I could say the same about you, Ms. Daw," Harry returned. That got a few laughs from Emily and Mr. Hutchinson. "Come on, Mr. Hutchinson. You know how we do."

The amused man retrieved the necessary contract, a bottle of ink, and two quills from one of his desk drawers. He then brought the items over and placed them on the table. Sakura was the first to sign in the designated areas, and then it was Harry's turn. Including the discount, the price for booking the Five Dragons on a special holiday was 495,000 galleons. He would be paying them with the funds from his own vault.

"You'll be down in the books and receive a confirmation letter when the funds are transferred," Preston said before putting the documents in a drawer.

"Then I believe our business here is complete."

"Hold on a second," Sakura said, stopping the two from leaving the room. "Before leaving, would the two of you join me in the music studio for a little while?"

Harry and Emily looked at each other before nodding their heads at Sakura. She took them to the room where her band recorded and rehearsed. The room was large and filled with different instruments, a couple more record labels, some beanbag chairs, and a couple of microphones. A huge smile appeared on Emily's face as she knew what Sakura had in mind. "One of the perks of this internship is that every now and then, I can play some of the instruments, watch Sakura and the others while they're doing their recordings and rehearsals, or sing with her when she's writing a new song. So long as my work is done, of course."

"I hope your skills haven't gotten rusty." Sakura came over carrying a pair of drumsticks and a guitar. She motioned toward the drum set.

He mirrored her grin and accepted the offered drumsticks. "Why don't I show you," going to sit on the stool behind the drums while Emily went to the piano.

"Then let's see if you still got it," Sakura said.

They spent the next half hour or so playing some songs from the Five Dragons' second album and a few from the new one.

A/N: Professor Slughorn is once again the Potions Professor at Hogwarts. After listening to the benefits of what could happen if he agreed to come out of retirement, he jumped at the chance. Let me clarify that I do not dislike the man but find him naive and a little too opportunistic. Both the Yule ball and the Dueling Tournament will take place in the upcoming year. This will be good as it will teach the students how to work as a team.

Harry has booked the Five Dragons to play for the Yule ball. After a quick negotiation, Sakura agreed to give him a discount instead of doing the event for free. I wasn't sure how much it would cost to book a band like theirs, but I figured it would cost a decent amount of money. Therefore, I took a guess.

Next Chapter: The Joke shop and the Slug Club Invitation