kbinnz - Harry's New Home

The Potion Master did his best to look nonchalant. "Some professors are able to make their topic sufficiently interesting so as to attract students' attention outside of class."

"We'll have to remember that and do our best to emulate you," Remus put in, exchanging a mischievous glance with Sirius.

"What d'you mean, Moony?" Harry asked curiously.

The two Marauders glanced at Snape, who shrugged irritably. He couldn't really hope to keep it from the brat any longer. "Your godfathers," he announced, "will be teaching at Hogwarts next year."

Harry's jaw dropped. "Really?" he gasped in delight. "WICKED!"

"Hmf." Snape huffed as the other men grinned at Harry's obvious happiness.

"Yep! So you'll have to call me 'Professor'!" Sirius teased Harry, ignoring the look of pain that crossed Snape's countenance at the thought.

"And 'sir'," Harry teased him right back. "But you'll have to get used to it and stop turning around to see who I'm talking to!" Then he paused as a thought struck him. "But what classes are you teaching?"

"The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall will be on leave," Snape cut in. "The Headmaster will be taking some time to recuperate after the excitement of this year тАУ he is not a young man anymore тАУ and Professor McGonagall will be looking after him while she pursues some research of her own."

Harry frowned. "Professor Dumbledore is okay, isn't he?" he asked worriedly.

"He is fine, Potter. Just a little tired," Snape reassured him briskly. "But with their departure, we needed some temporary faculty to replace them for the term or two they'll be gone."

"I'll be teaching DADA and serving as Gryffindor's Acting Head of House," Remus told Harry. "So no sneaking out after curfew, Mr Potter!" he growled with mock severity.

Harry giggled in delight. "That's brilliant! An' what about you, Padfoot? What're you gonna teach?"

"Transfiguration!" Sirius exclaimed, grinning. "If we don't have the two of you fully fledged тАУ and unregistered тАУ animagi by the end of the year, I'll eat my boots!"

"You probably gnaw on them already, mutt," Snape grumbled under his breath.

"Ooooooh, this is gonna be great!" Harry was beside himself with excitement.

"Yes, think of all the extra tutoring I can schedule for you, not to mention the fact that now there will be three of us at school to keep you out of mischief," Snape told him silkily.

That effectively punctured Harry's enthusiasm, as he belatedly realized that Remus at least would likely be a lot less indulgent as a professor than as a godfather. "You're not gonna give out detentions, are you?" he asked uneasily.

"Would you prefer we just turned you over to your da for punishment?" Remus asked, amused.

Harry shook his head vigorously. "But you're not gonna use that special quill, right? Just regular lines or essays or stuff?"

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose. Here it came.

"What special quill, Harry?" Sirius asked blankly.

The resultant explosion left no doubt in anyone's mind that Blood Quills would not be used, and only after examining Harry's hand repeatedly, to ensure that there were in fact no lasting scars, did Sirius grudgingly permit that Harry did not have to be sequestered in Switzerland and privately tutored. "What kind of fucking psychos is Dumbledore letting in that place?" he demanded of Snape irately. "How could he allow someone to use a bloody torture implement like that?"

Snape rolled his eyes. "He has employed disgraced giants, former Death Eaters, and squibs, not to mention someone possessed by the Dark Lord himself. By comparison, Umbridge was nearly normal."

Sirius huffed. "Good thing that bitch disappeared or I'd show her a few things that crazy Cousin Bella used to do to the house elves."

Remus eyed Snape narrowly. "Are you sure she won't be making a reappearance?"

"Completely," Snape said, with a meaningful look. He didn't want to give too much away, particularly not in front of the wide eyed boy who was sitting on the couch, listening avidly as Sirius fumed and swore.

"Perhaps it's just as well that Albus is relinquishing control, at least for now," Remus commented, shaking his head.

The rest of the visit was much less exciting and, for Harry, less educational, as Remus kept a closer watch than ever over Sirius' language, cautioning that the ex-Auror needed to get used to censoring himself in preparation for his new role as a teacher. Still, Harry was pleased that Sirius' single outburst had provided him with at least a half dozen new phrases that he could teach the other boys once school resumed.

Snape spent several afternoons floo'ing over to visit Brunhilde in Basel. (Urusla and Sirius had, as predicted, long since parted company.) To Harry's delight, on more a few of these occasions, he accompanied Snape and they were also joined by Brunhilde's godson Jonah and his younger brother Seth.

Harry was accustomed to being the youngest and smallest, so it was nice to be the "big kid" for a change, looked up to by nine year old Jonah and seven year old Seth, and he took his role seriously, much to Brunhilde and Snape's quiet amusement.

"Are you sure you can do it?" he asked for the sixth time one afternoon in the flying park. Brunhilde and Snape were off talking on a nearby bench while the boys practiced with their brooms and a toy snitch. Harry had already demonstrated some of the moves that he used during the school Quidditch season, and naturally Jonah and Seth were wild to try them too.

"Yes, Harry! I know I can!" Seth promised, eyes shining.

Harry looked at him doubtfully. "I don't knowтАж It's awfully easy to fall off," he warned.

"Oh, come on, Harry. He said he can do it," Jonah supported his brother, to Seth's incredulous joy. Usually Jonah ignored him, in the time-honored way of big brothers everywhere, and it thrilled him to hear his brother's vote of confidence, and in front of The Boy Who Lived, no less.

"I swear I can do it!" Seth was more determined than ever to show both older boys he could perform the Feint.

"OkayтАж" Harry handed over his broom, since Seth's was still safety-spelled to stay close to the ground.

Seth did an excellent job of following Harry's instructions, but the speed of the racing broom coupled with Seth's light weight resulted in a centripedal force that was too much for the seven year old. Seth only realized he was in trouble a few seconds before he lost his grip, and all his frantic efforts to slow the broom were for naught. He came off with a piercing cry of fear.

Two bolts of energy shot out and caught him in mid-air, then lowered him gently to the ground. Seth sagged to his knees in relief, fighting back tears. The last thing he wanted now was to disgrace himself any further. Harry and Jonah rushed up to him, panicked, while Snape and Brunhilde, their wands still out, were only a step behind.

"Are you all right?"

"Did you get hurt?"

"What happened?"

Much to Seth's dismay, Brunhilde swept him into a close cuddle, while a furious Snape interrogated the older boys.

"Harry James Potter! What were you thinking?" Snape scolded angrily, once he had elicited the whole story. "Giving a racing broom to a seven year old?"

Harry squirmed in an agony of embarrassment and shame. It was bad enough getting ticked off in public, but it was even worse knowing that he deserved it. Seth could have been killed!

"It wasn't his fault," Jonah protested. "Seth said he could do it!" He sent an angry glance to where his brother was still being examined by Brunhilde. The seven year old cringed, even more embarrassed than Harry.

"I did!" Seth spoke up. "It wasn't Harry's fault."

"Foolish little boys make all sorts of wild claims," Snape said coldly, sweeping all three with a dark glower. "I expected you to have enough sense to understand that," he told Harry sternly.