Harry and Hermione -- Their Sixth Year II

Friday, August 30, 1996

Most of the teaching and associated staff of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry met in the late morning. This was the tradition, meeting the last weekday before the students arrived.

"Welcome, faculty and staff!" Dumbledore proclaimed. "As you all know, the war we feared last summer has slowly started this summer. We shall be discussing detailed defense ideas and plans after our buffet luncheon. This morning, we shall start with our usual agenda, which means we start with staff changes."

There were glances sent towards the obviously-new members. "First, Divination will be officially split this year. Professor Trelawney will be teaching the Third through Fifth year students. Professor Firenze will be teaching the Sixth and Seventh years." Trelawney and Firenze were sitting on opposite ends of the room, refusing to even look at each other.

"Second, Remus Lupin will be joining the staff as a defense consultant. In addition to helping the Defense teacher with dark creatures for the first three years of students, he will be aiding select students in dueling and keep an extra, expert pair of eyes on the students and grounds. He shall be addressed as Professor."

Most of the staff glanced at Snape, who sneered slightly. "And where is our dear former, now returning, colleague?" Snape asked in his oiliest tones.

"He is on a special assignment for me," Dumbledore retorted. "Third, I wish to introduce Timothy Law, who has just retired as a hit-wizard for the International."

The staff looked at the elder of the two strangers.

"Well," Snape said, "that certainly answers for most of your qualifications." Even Snape, who had again requested that he be allowed to teach Defense, couldn't argue about being supplanted by an ex-hit wizard. "I'm surprised you would retire at a time like this."

The portly man looked at Snape for a moment, which somehow made even Snape a bit nervous. "Mandatory retirement from active duty is seventy-five. I am a reserve, currently assigned by the International to serve under Dumbledore at Hogwarts. You should all understand why."

"As for my academic qualifications, they are not quite what I or the Headmaster would like. I attended Hogwarts, Slytherin, Head Boy 1939." He glanced at McGonagall and winked at her. "The Head Girl, would, I hope, have at least a few nice things to say."

McGonagall almost giggled. Most of the rest of the staff nearly goggled from surprise, except for Dumbledore and Flitwick, who remembered the pair's flirtations during their last year, although both had married later on and were both now widowed.

"I went through auror training and worked as an auror for the British Ministry until Grindelwald's defeat. I then moved to the International, first as an auror and then as a hit-wizard. So, I have extensive field training, but will rely on some of you, and Remus Lupin, with some of the dark creatures material."

Snape saw the younger man smile at that.

"Our final new member is Doctor Tyler Powell, who will be taking over the position in Muggle Studies. He was brought to my attention by his uncle, here," Dumbledore and Law both smiled, "but I assure you he is well-qualified."

"My mother is the twin sister to my uncle's wife," Powell said. "Perhaps some of you know of the Canadian Cariadus family?"

Most did. Many Irish, Scots, Welsh, Breton, and Cornish magical families had emigrated to North America a century before the Muggles started to settle. The Cariadus family were famous as dark-hunters -- of dark creatures, wild werewolves, unregulated vampires, and especially dark wizards.

"The Powells are famous as magical artificers: wands; dark detectors; foe glasses; and even cheaper items like the more inexpensive sneakoscopes. I was determined to avoid both callings, and have failed to some degree. I opted for Muggles as a speciality. When I graduated from school, I went to Los Angles. I earned a Muggle bachelor's degree in Classics -- that's Greece and Rome -- and master degrees in political science, history of science, and art history, and a doctorate in the history of science."

"All in eight years! Most Muggles would take at least twelve!" his proud uncle proclaimed. "Pretty good for some one who had never so much been to a Muggle village until he was fifteen!"

Powell shrugged. "So, I'm over-qualified to teach teenagers. While I have spent most of my adulthood living within the Muggle world, I have never left this one, and in fact was the North American Dueling Champion in 1987. More to the point, this Voldemort" (most of the staff winced at Powell's casual use of the term) "hasn't been the only dark wizard out there since Grindelwald. A wizard named Marco Znati, for example, organized a dark coven in Florida, where I was teaching at a Muggle university." Powell's face darkened in anger and pain.

"My nephew was instrumental in taking the coven apart," Law said, "although his wife was killed in retribution just before the end. He has since help both the International and the North American Wizarding Union with some complicated problems."

Powell sighed. "Anyway, I'm here to help."

"Doctor Powell's dueling prowess and . . . his fight against dark wizards are NOT to be discussed with students or anyone else, without my express permission," Dumbledore stated. "I would like to keep his non-academic abilities in reserve."

The staff nodded their understanding.

"Now, on to new problems. Professor McGonagall, could you appraise us on the new students?"