Time Keeps on Slipping - Chapter 19

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I'm focusing on increasing the per-chapter wordcount. Aiming for a minimum of 5k with a full goal of 10k and it is slowing down posts. Started reading a story that was roughly 1200 words per chapter and found it annoying. Felt like each one ended at the halfway point. I don't want to do that.
~§~

Harry and the others returned to Hogwarts without any further discussion. The nervous energy that he had on the train was gone now that he had something else to focus on. Dealing with new classes, students, and seeing his friends now old enough to be his parents didn't feel as daunting. If anything, it was a welcome distraction. He would trust Hermione to handle things. She hadn't given him any reason to doubt her. Things were in her favor now that she had the Ministry as a resource.

"Welcome," a professor he didn't recognize greeted him as he entered the Great Hall.

She was a statuesque blonde with aristocratic features. The robes she wore were professional, but clearly tailored to fit.

It was well passed dinner time, and the other students were in their dorms. They had missed the sorting, yearly announcements, and the welcome feast which meant everyone was settling in. The Weasley brood had split off to their respective dorms.

"I am Professor Greengrass," she introduced herself. "I teach Transfiguration. If you have any questions, or need further tutoring, please let me know during office hours so I can arrange something for you." She paused. "You're in luck, these days Hogwarts has a process for new students. It was unheard of to have anything but a First-Year for longer than any of the staff would like to admit."

She paused, this time the moment stretched for longer. Slowly, she actually looked at him. Her eyes narrowed as she studied him. After a moment she shrugged.

"Harry Potter," Professor Greengrass said. "Gryffindor, no surprise there," the last bit she muttered. "You'll be in Dorm C."

"Dorm C?" Harry asked. "I thought I would have Lord Quarters."

"Yes, dorm C," She replied with a sigh. "Follow me."

Harry did as instructed. It was a little odd that she didn't react much to his name, but he was too tired to care. Much to his surprise they stepped onto an elevator that raised them about half-way up the Gryffindor tower. Professor Greengrass motioned for him to follow as she stepped out.

She walked over a pair of doors separated by a wide landscape painting. One had a stylized 'B' on it while the other had a 'C' instead.

"This is the boys sixth year dorm," she explained. "The witch's level is off limits to male students." The professor turned and fixed him with a hard stare. "Regardless of year."

Harry nodded.

"Your things should already be waiting for you beside your bed," she continued. "Have a pleasant night and I hope we can improve your understanding of Potions this year."

"Thanks," Harry said ignoring the slight jab at his low score on the OWLs.

Harry stepped into the room to find three other guys already in there. Their laughing stopped once they saw him. One looked to be of mixed Asian heritage, another was white with bright red hair that made the Weasley's look muted, and the last was a squat kid with short black hair.

"New guy!" The shortest of the trio yelled. "We were wondering who you were."

"Hi," Harry waved awkwardly. "I'm Harry."

The guy rolled his eyes.

"Of course you are," the guy chuckled. "This is Harrison, we call him Sonny," he pointed to the redhead. "This is Sirius, we call him Russ," he motioned to the Asian guy. "I'm Hadrian, if you call me anything but Adrian I will curse you."

"Noted," Harry nodded.

"You'll need to come up with something for people to call you," Russ spoke up.

"Is it that bad?" Harry asked.

"There are three other Harry's this year in Gryffindor," Russ replied. "Another seven in the fourth through first year."

"That's just counting the guys," Sonny added.

"And just Gryffindor," Adrian said as well. "You're…" He thought for a moment. "The twentieth in our year, I think."

He looked over at the others. They shrugged.

"Close enough," Russ said.

"There's really that many?" Harry asked trying to wrap his head around the information.

"Harry and Sirius are the two most popular names in the magical world, for witches and wizards," Russ answered. "For wizards there's also a lot of Ron, Nevile, and James as well. Thank Merlin there are laws that prevent people from using their Surnames. Could you imagine how many Potters we would have running around?"

"Why do you think Clay and Star are popular?" Sonny asked with laugh.

Russ shrugged. He turned his attention to shuffling a deck of cards that Harry hadn't noticed before.

"Then there are the 'unique' variations like mine," Adrian said rolling his eyes.

"Why James?" Harry couldn't help but ask.

"Harry James Potter," Russ replied. "There's only one poor bastard named Billius."

"Two," Adrian corrected.

"Who?" Russ turned to the other wizard.

"Lucy Merchant, Sixth year in Hufflepuff," Adrian answered. "Don't tell her I told you that. She may look sweet, but that girl is evil."

The other two roommates laughed. Harry took a moment to absorb the new information. He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

"What about Hermione and Luna?" Harry asked after a moment. "They were there too."

"There are a few Luna's, not that many though," Russ answered. "I can't remember if there are any other Hermione's."

"No surprise there," Adrian chuckled. "The Minister has rubbed a lot of Purebloods the wrong way." He paused. "Luna. I don't know who that is."

Harry shook his head. The two of them were well worth the praise as well. He sighed. At least Sirius wasn't being cast as a villain anymore.

"Want to play?" Sonny said offering a seat next to him. "We just started."

Harry could see they were doing something with cards. It wasn't any sort of game he recognized.

"What are you playing?" He asked moving over to join them.

"You've never played Archmage?" Sonny said, clearly shocked.

"Homeschooled," Russ muttered.

Harry didn't feel like correcting them.

"We’ll teach you," Adrian said taking a seat beside Russ. "It's easy to learn, difficult to master. Just like it says on the box."

Harry took a seat next to Sonny.

"It's a battle card game," Sonny explained. "Each player has their own deck, which is their action catalogue. We'll have you watch a couple of games, then I can give you one of my spares."

"Spares?" Harry asked.

"Different decks for different builds," Sonny replied. "Each one has its own strategy. There is Physical, Elemental, Arcane, and Esoteric."

"I think I've got a handle on Physical and Elemental," Harry said.

"Good man," Sonny chuckled. "Arcane is a build for countering attacks and traps that trigger under certain circumstances. Esoteric decks have actions that take multiple rounds to activate."

"The main thing," Russ interrupted. "Is that all four types rely on Mana to fuel actions even if it's dodging."

"There are also basic actions that any type can do," Sonny said, taking over the lesson again. "Dodging, meditation, defense, recover, and retreat."

Harry paid attention as they further explained the game. He had to admit, it was interesting, but their explanations were starting to make his head hurt.

~§~

"Hey, Newt," someone shook his bed. "You're going to miss breakfast."

Harry sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he put on his glasses. Sonny stood nearby already dressed for the day.

"Newt?" Harry asked.

"You're new and like the twentieth Harry. New and Twenty. Newt," Sonny explained like it made perfect sense.

Harry shrugged. He had been called worse. The familiar routine of getting ready for the day helped move him along without too much issue. Though using an elevator instead of stairs and not going through the common room was a little odd. The guys from Dorm B joined them on the way down. Sonny introduced him as Newt to the others.

"Don't tell me. Your name is Harry, right?" One of the Dorm B wizards asked.

Harry nodded. The guy slipped a coin to one of the others.

"Happy to help," Harry said shaking his head.

"This lucky bastard is Tony," Sonny introduced the wizard who had spoken. "Newbloods are so lucky."

"Newblood?" Harry asked.

"Used to call them Muggle-born," Tony explained. "Muggle is a 'bad word' these days. We're called Newblood or First Gens now." He paused realizing the other three hadn't been introduced. "Excuse Mikey, Tim, and Roll. They aren't morning people."

Only one of the introduced trio grunted in response. He didn't know which one was which, and they weren't awake enough to clarify.

"Their names are Harry, Harrison, and Sirius," Sonny whispered. "Most people go by their middle names. What's yours?"

"James," Harry replied.

"Newt it is then," Sonny chuckled.

"Harry James?" Tony asked. "Damn, your parents went all in, huh?"

"It's the name they gave me," Harry said with a shrug.

"No harm meant," Tony said quickly. "There are a couple of Arthur Pendragon's running around. People love heroes."

"Why not Merlin?" Harry asked with a small smile.

"That would be just asking for trouble," Russ spoke up.

The elevators were old fashion similar to the ones in the Ministry. He wouldn't have stepped foot inside one if they were in the mundane side of things. They were basically large birdcages held up by chains and moved via pulleys. It didn't even have the control panel that he had expected. Now that he thought about it, they hadn't pushed a call button or anything to summon it.

His thoughts were interrupted as the elevator arrived at the ground level. The group shuffled out and headed toward the Great Hall.

"Harry!" Roxie called.

The majority of the group turned at the name.

"No, Harry," Roxie clarified.

The various Harry's in the group pointed to each other. Harry smiled at their confusion.

"Do you mean Newt?" Sonny asked.

"Newt?" Roxie asked as she strode over.

"New Harry," Harry clarified. "I'm also the twentieth Harry this year. Twenty backwards is close enough to Newt."

"And you don't mind?" Roxie asked.

"I've been called worse," Harry shrugged.

"Newt," Sonny stepped over to join them. "You've been holding out on us. How do you know Roxie?"

"It's Weasley to you, Harrison," Roxie glared at him.

"You wound me," Sonny said grasping his chest in imaginary pain.

"Good," Roxie narrowed her eyes at him as she spoke.

Sonny read the signs and made a hasty retreat. The two waited until the group of wizards had left before speaking again.

"I thought you'd be in the Lords Quarters," Roxie said motioning him to walk with her.

"They put me in Dorm C," Harry replied. "I was too tired to argue with Professor Greengrass."

"She's a hard ass," Roxie grumbled.

"Did you blow up a cauldron?" Harry teased.

"No," Roxie squawked. "She has it in for anyone with the last name Weasley. Especially me, James, and Harri." She paused. "Harriet. You know what I mean."

Harry smiled. It seemed that the Twins left a lasting impression. He decided not to let her know that part of things. She should know from all the stories she had heard from her family. A note of sorrow struck as he realized that Ron wouldn't be there to share more. The colors in the room dimmed a bit as the thought settled in. Subconsciously, Harry thought he would be the first to die among his friends. Losing Ron was almost too much to comprehend. This entire situation was too much to comprehend.

He hadn't really spent much time at all with Bill. They met once at the Quidditch World Cup and had a couple superficial conversation when the older Weasley visited sporadically during the summer break. He could still be there for Dominique and Louis if they needed him.

No more Ron. The memories of Ron in school clashed with the man Harry had met. His death didn't hit as hard because Harry had already lost him. If that made any sense. He may have traveled into the future, but it was basically a completely different world. His friends had an entire life while he was away. In fact, their lives without him were more than the five years that they had known him.

"Hey, Harry," Rose whispered as she joined them.

She had dark circles under her eyes and moved in an awkward stride. He had seen exhaustion enough to recognize it. Harry had lost a friend; she had lost her father. He stepped closer and pulled her into a hug. Physical contact wasn't the most comfortable thing for him, but she needed it. Plus, they had been much closer not too long ago.

"You shouldn't have to go to class," Harry said as he held her tight.

"No," Rose said, she shook her head. "I don't want to be alone right now."

Harry nodded.

"By the way," Harry said. "They're calling me Newt."

"They aren't freaking out about you?" Rose asked.

"I wasn't going to correct them," Harry shrugged. "It's better than them freaking out."

James, Louis, and Hugo waved them over once they got to the Great Hall. Dominique sat next to her brother with a distant look on her face. It wasn't so much sorrow as confusion. The Weasley students gathered regardless of their House. That wasn't usually how it worked, but these were extenuating circumstances. Rose and Hugo were holding up better than he had expected. The fact that they had a good chunk of their family with them probably helped. A more cynical voice in the back of his head whispered that they weren't all that broken up about the loss because Ron wasn't much of a father.

Harry took a seat on the edge of the gathering. He still felt detached from things. Ever since arriving in the future he had a hard time connecting with anything. It felt like his entire life had restarted, again. First when he started Hogwarts and once more when he fell out of the Veil. The entire world had moved on and his friends had entire lives without him. Once more, it was his first day at Hogwarts.

He had his own complicated mess of feelings when it came to Ron being killed. Right now, wasn't the time for him to worry about that. He wanted to be a good friend to Rose and Hugo. They hadn't known each other for long, but he liked them.

Harry scanned the gathered crowd to see if anyone was looking at him. In the process he discovered that he wasn't the only wizard with messy black hair and glasses. No wonder his dormmates didn't believe him. There were a couple of people he spotted that would have looked more like Harry Potter than he did.

The various doppelgangers distracted him enough for someone to sneak up on him.

"Your schedule, Mister," the baritone voice paused for a moment. "Potter."

Harry turned around to see Neville Longbottom. The awkward young wizard had grown into a tall, handsome man with broad shoulders. He would have fit perfectly as the love interest in a romance movie like the ones that Petunia had watched.

"Headmistress McGonagall would like to speak to you after breakfast," Professor Longbottom said. "I know you lot got in late," the professor went on. "I am Professor Longbottom; the Head of House for Gryffindor and I teach Herbology."

"Thank you, professor," Harry replied on instinct.

He watched his old friend move down the row handing out schedules. The edges of his vision started to go gray. He could feel tingling start on his fingertips.

"Harry," someone nearby whispered.

He turned toward the voice. His vision wiggled a little as his brain took a moment to recognize the person next to him. Roxie had her hand on his shoulder, holding him steady.

"Are you ok?" She whispered.

"I don't know," Harry replied drawing out each word.

"Look at me," Roxie kept her voice steady. "I need you to listen to me. Focus on my words."

Harry nodded.

"Tell me five things you can feel," Roxie said.

"What?" Harry blinked at the odd request.

"Five things you can feel," she repeated.

"Uh," Harry forced himself to listen to her. "The table, the warmth of the food, the bench, the stone under my feet, and my head spinning."

"Good start," she assured him. "Four things you can hear."

"Your voice," he replied. "My heart, the silverware on plates, and that guy over there that's chewing way too loud."

"Good, good," Roxie said rubbing his back. "Do we need to keep going?"

"What would be next?" Harry asked.

"Things you can taste and stuff you can see," Roxie answered. "It's a little exercise to help center yourself. I can show you something physical to do too."

"Sure," Harry nodded.

"Watch me," she held up her hand as she spoke. "Thumb touch index, thumb touch middle, thumb touch ring, thumb touch pinky, and then reverse."

Roxie demonstrated the motion as she instructed him.

"How do you know this stuff?" Harry asked.

"I've had panic attacks before," Roxie replied with a gentle smile. "They aren't fun."

Harry let out a ragged breath.

"Thank you," He said giving her a small smile of his own.

"Do you want someone to come with you to speak with the Headmistress?" She offered.

"I'd like that, yes," Harry nodded.

~§~

Harry and Roxie walked the familiar path to the Headmaster, rather Headmistress Office. Unlike Dumbledore, there wasn't a stone gargoyle guarding the door, but a desk with an assistant waiting for them. Harry recognized them right away. An older, but still very much horribly dressed, Dobby doodled on a notebook. The elf friend wore a neon green suit jacket with the Hogwarts crest embroidered on the chest. To top it off he had a blue and white striped witch's hat sitting lopsided on his head. Harry noted that it was a spiral one like he'd used in mundane schools and the elf was using a normal pen as well.

"Excuse me, Dobby," Roxie said as they approached. "We have an appointment with the Headmistress."

Dobby pulled over a much thick ledger and flipped through it.

"Mister Harry Potter to see Headmiss Kitty," Dobby read.

The elf stopped. They could see the large eyes re-reading the line again. Slowly, Dobby looked up from the ledger to see Harry. His already large eyes widened in shock. The elf let out a wailing mixture of glee and sorrow as he sprang over the desk toward Harry. Neither noticed the hat flying toward them until it smacked Roxie in the face.

"Great Harry Potter has returned!" Dobby sobbed. "Oh, how Dobby and dogfather searched for you. Where have you been? Did you tell dogfather?"

"Yes," Harry hugged the elf tightly. "I've spent some time with him since I got here."

Dobby cried loudly, pressing his face into Harry's leg.

"Dobby failed as your elf," Dobby's voice came out garbled through the layers of fabric. "Dobby should have been there."

"Dobby," Harry knelt down to wrap the elf in a hug. "I didn't tell you where I was going. It wasn't your responsibility to take care of me."

"But Dobby is your elf!" Dobby wailed. "Great Harry Potter saved Dobby, Dobby should save Great Harry Potter!"

"You did," Harry soothed, rubbing Dobby's head. "Remember? Lucius Malfoy tried to kill me. You saved me then. That makes us even. You weren't my elf, you were free. You are free."

Dobby nodded. The elf blew his nose on Harry's cloak then pulled away.

"Dobby is free," the elf said straightening his posture. "Dobby is Great Harry Potter's elf. Dobby will always be Great Harry Potter's elf."

"You're my friend, Dobby," Harry smiled at the elf. "I'm your friend, not your master."

Dobby noticed the rather large wet patch on Harry's cloak. A quick snap returned it to perfection. Dobby adjusted his neon green suit jacket as he pulled himself together.

"Yes," Dobby cleared his throat. "Dobby is Harry Potter's friend. Does Queen Wiggy Owl know?"

Harry nodded. He picked up the forgotten hat then held it out to Dobby.

"Headmiss Kitty is waiting for you," Dobby bowed low motioning to the door.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry replied. "We'll talk more later?"

"Yes," Dobby nodded happily.

Roxie and Harry stepped through the now open door. There was a small hallway rather than stairs. The door opened smoothly as they approached. Standing there waiting for them was Headmistress McGonagall. Unlike everyone else, she didn't appear older. In fact, she looked a good few years younger than he had last seen her. Beside her stood the familiar for of Professor Flitwick.

"Mister Potter," she smiled widely at him.

McGonagall strode over to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. Her other hand came to rest on his cheek. Tears brimmed in her eyes, threatening to overflow. Flitwick pulled a handkerchief from his pocket to clear the moisture from his eyes.

"Professor," Harry gasped. "How?"

"Oh?" McGonagall cocked her head to the side. "My appearance, right. There are some untold benefits to being the Headmistress of Hogwarts. The attunement to the castle gives each Headmistress, or Headmaster, a boon to their health and magic."

"That's…" Harry's mind stalled in search of further words.

"It was quite a shock for me as well," McGonagall smiled at him. "Please, take a seat. We have a few things to discuss."

"Miss Weasley, I don't believe you were supposed to be here," Professor Flitwick spoke up.

"I asked her," Harry replied. "I've been having some issues since I arrived."

"Panic attacks," Roxie added. "I have experience with them, so I've been trying to help."

"Ten points to Gryffindor," Professor Flitwick said as he moved to stand beside McGonagall's desk. "For a moment I had thought it was a joke when Minister Weasley contacted me regarding your return. I would have written it off had anyone else been the one to tell me."

Harry nodded. He took in the new office. It wasn't the somewhat controlled chaos that Dumbledore had cultivated. In fact, it was impressively arranged and organized. It would have fit in a mundane CEO's office if not for the moving portraits and a few magical instruments.

"I'm sure you've seen that there are quite a few homages to you and Sirius among the student body," McGonagall continued. "You are far from the first 'Harry Potter' we've had in the last few years."

"No one has believed me yet," Harry shrugged.

"How does it make you feel?" McGonagall asked. "Is that what is fueling these panic attacks?"

"No," Harry replied with a shake of his head. "It's nice to not be the center of attention. Just everything else is causing them. The entire world has changed. Even Neville didn't recognize me, and we shared a dorm for five years."

"There are only a few among the staff that know who you are," McGonagall said. "I wanted to discuss it with you before the information was shared."

Harry sat back in the chair. Someone considering his preference? Why was that such a rare thing? Damn, maybe he needed to treat this as a true fresh start.

"I think I'd like to just be Harry," he said after a moment of thought. "I won't deny it, but I'm not going to tell anyone."

"I will inform the members of staff that are aware," Professor McGonagall said with a warm smile.

"Come along, Mister Potter, Miss Weasley," Professor Flitwick said. "You have classes and so do I. I'll escort you along the way."

"Thank you professor," Roxie replied.

Sixth Year was the first after OWLs, which meant that the classes scheduled were the ones that the students were focusing on for their NEWTs. They set him up with the classes he had arranged before his trip through the Veil. His schedule for Monday and Wednesday consisted of three classes: Defense, Transfiguration, and Charms. That gave him two open periods for classwork, independent study, or simply some free time. Tuesday and Thursday had two classes: Potions and History of the Magic of the Western World from 1800 to Present. Binns had been guided to the afterlife. The curriculum of Hogwarts was found wanting when compared to other Magical Schools. History had been split into two courses to cover the subject in better detail. Friday was a day set aside for school clubs and independent study for Sixth Years. First through Fifth year students still had to go to class though. Harry had chosen to take History mostly to catch up with the years that he had missed. Also, there was most likely quite a bit of time that Binns hadn't covered. He didn't know if he would keep the class after Winter Break. It was still information he needed to know.

Initially, he hadn't planned on taking Potions. Learning that Snape no longer taught the class sparked some latent interest in the subject. It had been one of the classes he had been excited about before the greasy bastard ruined it. He hoped that it would be better this time around with a different professor.

They arrived at the Defense classroom faster than expected. Flitwick may have been of smaller stature, but he was rather quick on his feet. Harry and Roxie stopped in the doorway behind the half-goblin. Roxie didn't seem bothered at being late. Honestly, Harry didn't mind either, but that wasn't what stopped him from entering. The professor was a stunningly beautiful redhead. She was a bombshell. Susan Bones had grown up gorgeous.

"Professor," Flitwick said as he led them to the Defense Classroom.

"Professor Flitwick," the redhead professor replied.

"I have a couple of students that were meeting with the Headmistress," Professor Flitwick said stepping out of the way to allow them to pass.

"Thank you, Professor," Susan gave the half-goblin a polite smile. "Take a seat, we're just beginning."

Her eyes sparkled a little as she saw Harry. She didn't say anything, but he had a suspicion that she recognized him.

"Newt, sit over here," Russ motioned for him to join him.

Harry looked at Roxie, shrugged, and then sat next to his dormmate.

"This year we will focus on silent variations of shields, stunners, and the use of transfiguration and charms in a crisis situation," Professor Bones said. "I know dueling has become rather popular in recent years, while you can use these techniques to expand your catalogue, the focus of this class is defense."

The students waited patiently for her to continue.

"Now," Susan asked almost casually. "What is rule number one?"

"Constant Vigilance," the class said as one.

"Very good," Susan flashed a wild smile at the class. "For the first assignment of the year we're going to play a little game to check if you've lost a step over the summer."

Harry watched as the students around him perked up. He scanned the class to see everyone start to draw their wands. She saw his confusion.

"If you are IT then you only use Color Splash to tag another student," Susan clarified. "Your task is to not get tagged however you can." She waved a wand at the chalkboard behind her to summon list of the students. "Lowest score wins."

~§~

Color Splash, as it turned out, was the magical equivalent of a squirt-gun. Anyone hit with it would get a little splat-mark as a mark that faded with time. By the end of class everyone was covered in splashes of color. Harry didn't know who had won at the end of things, but it was fun. Everyone packed up with a smile on their faces.

"One foot on the variations of shield spells used in class today," Professor Bones said before they could leave. "If you only used one spell I want another half a foot on the benefits of dodging and physical barriers."

The class grumbled but didn't argue.

"Newt," Professor Bones called. "Stay behind for a moment."

Harry finished packing up his bag and waited for the others to leave. The door clicked shut. A bright smile crossed her face. She rushed over to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's good to see you again," Susan said taking a step back. "I can't believe you're back."

"Neither can I," Harry chucked. "I thought I was dead."

"Harry Potter strikes again," Susan teased. "I didn't think you'd want McGonagall to tell people. You never did like the attention."

Harry shrugged.

"How have you been?" Harry asked.

"Fine enough," Susan gave him a gentle smile. "It calmed down a lot once you… died."

"That's what people tell me," Harry sighed. "I come back and suddenly an evil witch appears. This keeps happening when I'm around. I might be cursed."

"The Ministry is competent these days," Susan assured him. "There is sufficient funding for the Aurors, and they're actually staffed properly. You won't have to save the world this time."

"Don't tempt fate," Harry cautioned.

Susan motioned zipping her mouth and locking it.

"How did you know?" Harry asked.

"I've got some connections in the Ministry," Susan answered. "The old guard is close enough to be my aunts and uncles. The new group was with us at Hogwarts. Not to mention cocktails with the girls."

Harry chuckled.

"You should get going," Susan said. "I don't want you to be late."

"Thanks," Harry smiled at her.

"Come talk to me when you want," Susan said as he grabbed his bag. "I'd like the company."

"I will," Harry blushed.

He ducked out of the room. His hope that Susan hadn't seen the red on his cheeks was slim.

~§~

Transfiguration wasn't as welcoming as Defense. The class was a mixture of all four houses. There were only a few open seats by the time Harry arrived. He took a seat next to a Ravenclaw that he didn't know. Professor Greengrass wasn't a bad teacher. She clearly knew her stuff, but didn't seem to understand why anyone else would struggle with it. Harry was glad that he hadn't had her as a professor for this first four years. She may have been easy on the eyes, but there was something about her that he just didn't like. He didn't think it was the fact that she had been a Slytherin. She just took one of his favorite subjects and turned it into a chore. Her tone was brisque and her facial expression was a steady, stern look no matter what house the student was from. McGonagall wasn't all giggles when she had taught the class, but she at least seemed to enjoy teaching.

Last night she had said that she had a mastery. Harry got the feeling that Daphne Greengrass would have been much happier as anything other than a teacher. At least she didn't insult or terrorize the students. He left the classroom with a foot and a half due on Elemental Transfiguration. Hogwarts allowed the use of standard pens rather than quills these days.

Thankfully, directly after that was lunch. The meal passed in a blur. Most of the students were too busy trying to get back into the student mindset for any real talking. It was limited to complaining about homework, asking to pass some food, or nerves about one of the many classes.

Charms was a wonderful return to form. Flitwick made learning fun and interesting. The half-goblin didn't make anyone feel like they were lagging behind. Harry left the class a bit lighter than when he came in. By the time he got back to Dorm C he could say that the first day of classes went well.

"How's it going, Newt?" Sonny asked.

"Good," Harry replied dropping his bag and stuff. "Where were you? I didn't see you at all."

"Arithmancy, Herbology, and Runes," Sonny answered. "Might see you tomorrow in Potions."

"Oof," Harry slumped onto his bed. "I've never taken Runes or Arithmancy. I'm pants at Herbology too."

"What do you do for fun?" Sonny asked.

"Fly," Harry replied. "Quidditch."

"Anything else?" Sonny pressed.

"I didn't have much time for anything else," Harry said shrugging.

"Homeschooled, right," Sonny muttered.

Harry didn't feel like correcting him. He needed to come up with some sort of story for his past. People would probably buy it if he just told them he was new to the area. They could fill in the gaps on their own that way.

"Have you tried Summoners Ball?" Sonny asked.

"I have no idea what that is," Harry shook his head as he spoke.

"Let me show you," Sonny said tossing his cloak on his bed.

Harry shrugged and followed Sonny. They ended up at two raised platforms near the quidditch pitch. One was much larger than the other with thick bands of alternating black and white. The other platform was a walkway. A scoreboard rose from the far edge of the platform as Sonny stepped onto it.

"This is Summoners Ball," Sonny explained. "There are six orbs, three for each of us. Do you want to be Red or Blue. Blue goes first."

"I'll be red this time," Harry motioned for Sonny to continue.

"Each band of color is worth points, your goal is to summon the ball as close to the edge as possible," Sonny explained. "You get zero points if your ball falls off the platform. You can also knock your opponent's ball off to erase those points."

Sonny stepped up. He called out the spell and pulled one of the blue orbs toward him. It stopped well before the edge. The scoreboard near them let out a little chime as it tallied the points.

"The zone closest to the edge is worth fifty," Sonny said. "Most people think that the best strategy is to keep hitting that zone since it's the highest. You can if you'd like, but it's the easiest place to get knocked off the board. You also have to be careful not to overpower your spell or you'll send your own orb off the board. Your turn."

Harry lost the first round, which was to be expected since he was learning. He lost the second as well, but it was closer that the previous. Usually, it was the best two of three, but they played the third round as well.

"What do you think?" Sonny asked after the first game.

"It's fun," Harry said with a nod.

"This is the basic difficulty," Sonny chuckled. "There are two more settings. One adds moving barriers and the other changes the landscape."

"Is this an official sport?" Harry asked. "Like professional league?"

"I don't think so," Sonny shook his head. "Not sure how that would work."

"Thanks for showing it to me," Harry said.

"My pleasure," Sonny flashed him a smile. "Don't place any bets if you play with Russ."

"Noted," Harry replied.

"Want to go again?" Sonny asked.

"Sure," Harry answered returning to his position.

"So, what's the deal with you and Weasley?" Sonny asked as they waited for the board to reset.

"Hm?" Harry looked over to his dormmate at the question. "Which one?"

"You looked close to all of them," Sonny replied.

"I met Rose and Hugo first," Harry explained. "Then Rose introduced me to Roxie. The three of us talked about Quidditch and that's how it goes. Hugo is easy to be around. The rest I kind of know in passing. Why do you ask?"

"A guy named Harry Potter pops up and happens to be close to the Weasley family," Sonny shrugged. "It makes you want to ask some questions."

"Yes," Harry spoke loud enough for those nearby to hear. "It is I, the true Harry Potter. I have escaped death and have returned… to take my NEWTs."

"Jack-ass," Sonny scoffed. "You could have just said no."

"You were curious enough to ask," Harry shrugged. "It would only make you want to find out more." He paused. "Go ahead, ask away."

"Are you Harry Potter?" Sonny asked flatly.

"I'm a Harry Potter," he shrugged. "That's what my parents named me."

"Why are you just starting Hogwarts now?" Sonny continued on with his questions.

"I just got back in country recently," Harry replied softly. "There was a family emergency that brought me back."

"Oh," Sonny winced. "Sorry."

"You didn't know," Harry shrugged. "Are there any other games around here? This is fun, but it kind of feels more like homework."

"It started out as a Charms exercise," Sonny said. "People found it fun so they left the court up for students to use whenever."

~§~

The Trainee Healer at St. Mungo's watched of the unnamed wizard that lay unconscious on the bed nearby. All of the Muggles had been identified, treated, had their memories altered, and released. The few witches and wizards present had already been cleared as well. Only a few unlucky stragglers were caught in the blast. It turned out that an explosion of compressed magic did a lot more damage to Muggles than magical folk.

Still, that left this one unidentified victim. Their magical signature fluctuated wildly through the night. The staff had thought the man would simply explode at a couple of points through the ordeal. Now, it seemed like the fluctuations had calmed and it was waiting game. That meant that a Trainee was put on watch for when they woke up.

The Trainee jolted in their seat as the reading on the patient began to change. They were coming around. The Trainee sent a note flying to find the head Healer who arrived moments later.

"Wha? Where?" The wizard mumbled as they woke up.

"Easy there," the Head Healer soothed. "You were in an accident and took quite a tumble."

"Am I ok?" The wizard's eyes shot open in shock.

A bewildered look crossed their face as they scanned the room. They paled when they saw the patient across from them who was slowly regrowing the bones in their hands.

"Where am I?" The wizard asked.

"You're in the Recovery Ward of St. Mungo's," the Head Healer replied. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Lionel Cross," the wizard answered. "St. Mungo's? That's not the name of a real hospital."

"I assure you," the Head Healer bristled. "We provide the highest quality treatment for all magical maladies and accidents."

"Magical?" Lionel screamed. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You seem to be suffering from memory loss," the Head Healer drew their wand and began to cast diagnostic spell on the patient.

"What are you doing?" The panic in his voice was growing. "What is that stick?"

The Head Healer paused. They cautiously placed their wand back in the little pocket in their smock.

"Can you tell me what the last thing you can remember clearly?" The Healer asked.

"I was waiting for my train," Lionel answered, the panic still in his voice. "Then there was an explosion. Was this a terrorist attack?"

"You were waiting for a train?" The Healer sent a questioning look to the Trainee.

The Trainee had seen the Head Healer in many dire situations. They had never lost their composure or looked confused before. Not when a group of wizards came in with an unknown poison, that poor bastard who found out the hard way their 'domesticated' pixies very much weren't, or the really weird time a witch some how swapped the position of her head and left hand.

"The Hogwarts Express had already left the station," the Healer stated. "You are too old to be a student and not one of the staff."

"I was taking the train to get to work," the man yelled. "Where the hell am I?"

It felt like a heavy stone settled in the Trainee's stomach as an idea came to them.

"Sir," the Trainee tried to keep their voice from shaking. "Are you a wizard?"

"A what?" The patient was now truly screaming. "Let me out of here you crazy fucks!"

"He's a muggle," the Trainee whispered.

"Call the Aurors," the Head Healer ordered. "We have a situation."

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