Harry Potter and the Old Believers

Chapter 23

Monday, September 1, 2003

The new Headmistress of Hogwarts stood, and the under her stern eye the children quieted quickly for the after-sorting speech. "First of all, welcome back. You will be happy to know that Professor Dumbledore will be staying on as an advisor for at least this year. Even though he conducted the sorting ceremony, he will not be acting as the Deputy Master. Professor Sinistra will be taking over that position as of tomorrow." The students applauded vigorously. Everyone had been afraid one of the teachers they didn't like might have the job -- the Slytherins were afraid it might be Black, everyone else was afraid it might be Snape.

"Taking my position as Head of Gryffindor will be Professor Black." The Gryffindors led the applause now. "We have five new professors this term -- the largest and youngest lot in the history of Hogwarts. Professor Flitwick and Professor Trelawney have retired. Professor Charles Weasley has left to lead the International Confederation Department of Dragons and other Class Five Creatures. Professor Bilius Weasley has taken a position as Head Curse Breaker and Trainer for Gringotts. And, of course, we needed a new Transfiguration professor."

"The new head of Ravenclaw is Professor Vector. The new Runes professor is Cho Chang, Head Girl, Ravenclaw Nineteen Ninety-Seven." The Ravenclaws now led the applause.

"The new Care of Magical Creatures instructor is Blaise Zabini, Head Boy, Slytherin Nineteen Ninety-Eight and the new Divination instructor is Hannah Abbott, Hufflepuff Nineteen Ninety-Eight." Those Houses applauded each vigorously.

"Taking my place is another former Head Girl, Hermione Weasley, Gryffindor Nineteen Ninety-Eight. The new Charms professor is also a Nineteen Ninety-Eight Gryffindor, Harry Potter." The applause was almost deafening. The five new professors stood and bowed. When Zabini and Potter gave each other an obviously friendly handshake, the applause somehow grew louder.

Headmistress McGonagall looked over the group of instructors. They were settled onto chairs in a room that hadn't even been marked on the Maurader's Map. "Some of the new faculty may know where the staff room is. This room, however, only appears on the first two days back and during the month of June. We use it to grade our share of O.W.L. and N.E.W.T. papers."

"Now, everyone knows everyone else, and it is now Eight Thirty-three. We have until Ten Forty-five, when we have to do rounds." She waved her wand over a side-board, and a series of bottles, decanters, and glasses appeared. "What?" she demanded, looking straight into Hermione's startled expression. "You don't think we face the year totally sober?"

Snape drawled, "We certainly don't end the year that way." He stood and went to the bar. Sirius and Remus followed. Snape turned, "Especially since these two arrived." Remus and Sirius laughed.

"Well!" Hermione huffed.

Harry laughed as well and fought his way to the bar, coming back a few moments later with a drink for Hermione as well as his own. "Come on, I know you like Madeira. Unless you're pregnant again."

Hermione flushed. "Hermione!"

"No, I'm not. . . ."

"Good. You don't need to out-produce Molly before you're thirty, you know." Hermione had had three sons already.

"You should talk." Ginny was just starting on her third pregnancy.

"Weasleys do seem to be determined to keep Hogwarts in business for the next two generations, don't they?" Remus said, walking up. Three more Weasley cousins had been sorted into Gryffindor, plus one each for Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff that night. There were therefore currently 36 Weasley cousins enrolled, 24 of them in Gryffindor, which was now the largest House, and there were more to come. The six Weasley boys had already produced 15 children.

"I guess, after Sirius, none of us are surprising as teachers," Harry teased as his godfather approached.

"Please," Zabini said from behind them, "Granger . . . err, Weasley . . . was destined to be here. It's you and I who are surprising."

"What about me?" Hannah asked, also approaching.

"If your 'inner eye's' been working, you should have known all along," Harry teased.

"My 'inner eye' says that if you encourage any of my students to pull half the stunts you and Ron are alleged to have played in Divination, I'll have your hide."

"How's Blaise really doing?" Hermione asked. Zabini flushed.

Hannah smirked. "He's doing well as well as he looks. The wedding will be just before New Years."

She accepted the congratulations. Harry pulled Zabini aside, and they walked over to a corner. "Haven't seen you since the last ride on the Hogwarts Express."

"What's five years for bitter enemies like the scion of Gryffindor and the last male Slytherin of their year?" They glared at each other, then broke out laughing.

"Seriously, sorry I missed the wedding, Harry." He grinned. "It was pretty short notice."

"S'okay -- I won't miss yours." Harry grinned in return. "Blame Ginny's mum -- you've met her," Blaise shuddered in exaggerated fear, "and she told Ginny right after we started dating that she couldn't become engaged until after she graduated. So, we didn't officially get engaged, we just made the arrangements as best we could. It wasn't our fault you were off in Australia."

"There aren't many dual-Muggle/Magical veterinary degree programs around."

"I'd never thought of you as loving dragons or fire-crabs. You never looked all that thrilled in class, anyway."

"None of those," Blaise said with a genuine shudder. "I have just have the degrees in Muggle and magical veterinary medicine and we're going to be doing more care than dodging class five animals. Here's a rough guide I printed up -- I've been asked about fifty times."

Harry was impressed. Blaise had been near the top of the class, but Harry hadn't realized how driven and intelligent he must be to have finished a difficult course like his in such a short time. Harry glanced at the card.

3rd Year Non-magical Familiars (Cats, Rats, Owls, Toads, etc), Ghouls, Winged Horses;
4th Year Flobberworms, Auguries, Fwoopers, Jabberknolls, Knarls, Porlocks, Jarveys;
5th Year Puffskeins, Crups, Kneazles, Nifflers;
6th Year Salamanders, Unicorns, Griffins, Hippogriffs;
7th Year Medical Treatments.

"Looks reasonable."

Blaise grinned, "I doubt Hagrid will think so."

"Wait til little Hugo starts here in seven years. Hagrid's likely to be the over-protective type."

"He's coming here, not Beauxbatons?"

"No, little Sophie will, though." Madame Maxime had been rather surprised when she had two children in three years.

"And you aren't over-protective?" Blaise teased.

"Compared to Ron and Hermione, no."

Blaise grinned even wider. He could just imagine. "Are you going to be here weekends?"

"Probably not for many. Ginny'll probably be in Hogsmeade after this year, but I'll be going back every weekend until then."

"I was thinking more of the dueling. You came in fourth last year, and you're the top rated this year."

Harry looked abashed. He'd nearly won the World Championship for the second time last year. "No, I'm taking a year and a half off. Then I'm going to get Doc Pwy out of retirement, and we'll enter the pairs division."

Zabini grimaced. "I'll place my bets now, then. No one will give me odds once they see you two."

"Everyone will think Hannah foresaw it," Harry teased.

"I heard that, Potter!" Hannah shouted.

In a quiet corner, Albus Dumbledore smiled. The path that Titus Pwy had vaguely foreseen for him some ninety years before had been successfully traveled. The staff of Hogwarts was as young and strong as it ever had been in its history.

Visions came to Albus, and he wasn't sure at first if they were true visions or daydreams. He saw Sinistra stay on as Deputy Mistress, while Hermione became the youngest Head of Hogwarts in history. He saw his, McGonagall's, and Hermione's official portraits, all done by Ginny, smiling in what had been his office. He saw Ron and Harry defeating Dark Wizards, together and separately, some as strong as Grindelwald, although none as strong or as evil as Voldemort. He saw scores of red-headed children playing pranks for decades, if not centuries, to come, often aided by children with wild, stiff black hair and others who also looked familiar. He saw three stone circles brought back to life, and the Old Beliefs becoming strong again without becoming oppressive. He smiled when he saw an elderly Hermione in the robes of a Druid Council Member -- no need to worry with Hermione in that power structure.

Above all, he saw Hogwarts continuing, providing equal education for witches and wizards of all backgrounds and faiths. He wasn't sure how far that vision reached, but knew it was hundreds if not thousands of years. And over all his visions, Phoenix song led and comforted him.

Life would never be perfect; evil would always exist. But good would triumph in the end, and life would go on.