Harry Potter and the Year of Toil and Trouble

The next morning Harry and Ron went downstairs into the common room and out of the portrait hole. Everywhere they could see, there were teachers, ghosts and prefects patrolling the corridors, keeping an eye on the students. Very reluctantly, Harry and Ron headed towards Snape's office. They reached the door and looked at each other. With a sigh, Harry knocked.

Professor Snape opened the door almost immediately. "Potter, Weasley, come inside."

Harry and Ron obeyed and were surprised to find that Professor Moody and Professor Dumbledore were already there.

"Ah, Harry," smiled Dumbledore pleasantly. "I hope you both are alright after last night's...events?" Harry and Ron nodded, warily.

"Oh, there is no need to be worried," Dumbledore continued, with his eyes twinkling. "I merely wanted to introduce you both to our new teachers."

Harry looked from Snape to Moody, then back to Dumbledore, very confused. "Um...new teachers, Professor Dumbledore?"

"Yes, you see Harry, this isn't the real Professor Snape and this isn't the real Professor Moody."

"Uh...what?" asked Ron, looking as utterly confused as Harry felt. Harry was surprised to see that Snape was smiling! Actually smiling. Harry had never seen Snape smile before, certainly never such a beaming smile as he had on his face now.

"What do you mean, 'not the real Professor Snape?'" asked Ron, looking at 'Snape' suspiciously.

"If you're not really Snape...who are you then?" Harry asked Professor 'Snape'.

"Sirius Black."

"Wh...what?" Harry gasped.

"And Remus Lupin," Professor Moody continued.

"Bloody hell!" cried Ron.

"I don't...I don't get this..." harry said, running a hand through his hair.

"It is rather confusing," said Dumbledore, with a smile. "The real Professor Snape is busy...er...doing some work for me, as I'm sure you have figured out. He cannot be here all the time to teach his lessons, but to prevent certain people becoming suspicious, we needed to make it appear as though he was still here. Therefore, with the aid of Polyjuice Potion, we turned Sirius into Professor Snape."

"Which I'm none too pleased about, may I add," Sirius interjected.

"You couldn't be Professor Moody, Padfoot, as you don't have experience teaching Defence against the Dark Arts," said Lupin.

"But he doesn't have experience in Potions either," Ron pointed out.

"On the contrary, I was second best in the class after Snape," said Sirius.

"Won't the...Deatheaters become suspicious if Snape is in two places at once?" Harry asked now.

"they won't always know that Professor Snape is watching them, thanks to such things as invisibility cloaks," explained Dumbledore. "I also needed a new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher, but most of those I had hired in the past turned out to be supporters of Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "I needed someone reliable, a good teacher, like Professor Lupin. So I decided to ask him to come back to Hogwarts."

"What about when you...you know...?" asked Harry, hesitantly.

"The real Moody will be here to teach, as parents wouldn't be happy to see a werewolf back at Hogwarts," said Lupin. "Professor Moody is also working for the Order of the Phoenix. The real Snape will be here from time to time to draw up lesson plans for Sirius. It took...some persuasion for him to do this," Lupin smiled at this.

A look of disgust crossed Sirius' face, making him look more like Snape.

"Make sure you don't hug me...too much," said Sirius. "Just in case I'm not me."

Harry burst out laughing at this, everything just seemed so ridiculous. Everyone else stared at him in surprise. Harry laughed so hard that tears leaked from his eyes. After several minutes he ceased. "I'm...sorry! It's just you...as Snape...it's hilarious!"

Lupin and Ron began to chuckle too. "Unfortunately, it's necessary," said Sirius, throwing Dumbledore a dirty look. Dumbledore just smiled and winked at Harry.

"Now you had better get along to breakfast," he ordered. "Then Professor 'Snape' will see you in class."

The two boys left, still grinning at Sirius' misfortune, and headed into the Great Hall for breakfast. Several students looked around as they entered the hall, and many whispered behind their hands. They probably blamed him for the recent deaths, Harry thought starting to feel less cheerful and more miserable.

As they sat down at the Gryffindor table, the student's owls swooped into the Great Hall, carrying their mail and gifts from home as usual. Hedwig landed in front of Harry with his usual copy of the Daily Prophet, which he had taken out a subscription for. Harry glanced at the headline and choked.

"What's wrong?" asked Ron, frowning at Harry's expression.

Silently, Harry passed him the paper. Ron looked at the headline and spat his pumpkin juice all over it. The boys moved closer together so that they could both read the story.

Dangerous happenings at Hogwarts school

Following the death of Hogwart's student Cedric Diggory in last summer's Triwizard Tournament, Rita Skeeter was present afterwards to hear that the Triwizard Cup was actually a portkey. Apparently Bartemius Crouch jnr, whom many believed dead, had used Polyjuice potion to escape from Azkaban and to turn himself into retired Auror, Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody, while keeping the real Moody a prisoner under the imperious curse. The imposter obtained employment at Hogwarts school where Ms Skeeter heard his confession to killing his father Bartemius Crouch snr and also of bewitching the Triwizard Cup into accepting Harry Potter as the fourth champion. Potter claims that the Triwizard Cup took him and Diggory to an unknown location where You-Know-Who was waiting for them. Potter alleges that You-Know-Who has returned to full power and that he murdered Cedric Diggory. Harry Potter luckily escaped. After these events, Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, summoned Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Minister Fudge wisely gave Bartemius Crouch jnr over to the Dementors.

Your Daily Prophet reporter can also exclusively reveal that upon the departure of Cornelius Fudge, escaped Azkaban Prisoner, Sirius Black, appeared in the Hospital wing where Harry Potter was being treated. Potter alleges that Sirius Black did not murder Peter Pettigrew as is believed, nor did he murder twelve innocent Muggles. Potter alleges that Pettigrew, not Black, is working for You-Know-Who and helped him return to power. Also present alongside the Dark Lord that fateful night claims Potter, were prominent wizards Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Avery, Nott and MacNair.

It appears that Sirius Black was able to escape from Azkaban, as he is an illegal animagus who can take the form of a large, black dog. Both Professor Dumbledore and Harry Potter appear to have been assisting Black to evade capture. Dumbledore now trusts Black to the extent that he has enlisted Black into an apparent army working against the Dark Lord.

When confronted by this reporter's evidence, Minister Fudge claimed: "I saw no sign of Sirius Black anywhere in Hogwarts or at the Triwizard Tournament and I assure you we would know if Black was an illegal animagus."

When asked about Harry Potter's claim that You-Know-Who has returned to power, an irritable Fudge snapped: "it's absolute rubbish! These recent deaths and the attack on the Hogwart's express were the work of Sirius Black and Bartemius Crouch obviously working together until Crouch's capture. They planned the train crash together and Black decided to continue alone. Harry Potter is a confused, attention-seeking young boy. I have recommended to Professor Dumbledore that Potter seeks medical assistance at St Mungo's but the headmaster has refused."

Professor Dumbledore stressed that "evidence proves" You-Know-Who has returned and he urged the magical community to remain vigilant. However, until Dumbledore presents the evidence he allegedly has, the magical community will question why a man so friendly with a known murderer is responsible for their children's' education.

"Rita Skeeter!" Ron muttered. "I don't understand! I thought Hermione told her not to write anything for a year!"

"But Hermione's in the hospital wing, unconscious," said Harry. "So Rita probably escaped and now she's free to write what she wants. I knew she wouldn't keep this quiet!"

"Do you think she knows Sirius is here, right now?" Ron whispered, looking around nervously in case the other students overheard.

"No, or she would have written something here," said Harry, still staring at the headline.

"Now the Deatheaters will know what Dumbledore is up to!" sighed Ron, running his hand through his hair in frustration. "I wish Hermione were here, she'd know what to do!"

"We need to speak to Sirius after class," whispered Harry. Ron nodded his agreement and they both rose from the table, having left most of their breakfast untouched, and began to walk out towards the Potions classroom. The students turned to look at them again as they walked past, and whispered, obviously discussing Rita Skeeter's article.