"He was her primary sponsor at the Ministry. Which means he fed her enormous sums of galleons so she could pay for her position in Cornelius Fudge's administration and pay for her own spies to occupy various offices of the Ministry. With Malfoy's gold gone, she could not pay. Fudge threw her over even though she has extensive blackmail files – he wanted someone wealthy. So now he's relying on one of the Notts, that sweating one, to keep him in gold."
"And we got stuck with her?"
"Nick decided not to fight the appointment and bought himself some future favors which he has plans to use. This is our last year here and we have other things to accomplish. Watch your self. I will be watching as well. When she fouls up, as she will, I will enjoy teaching her a thing or two about Wizard Culture. I have seen traditions start and end and start again. I will enjoy humbling her."
And Harry would as well. "I'll be wary of her."
"You're a good lad, Mr. Potter. I understand you're taking Runes and Magical Creatures."
"Yes, Professor."
"Perhaps I should add Arithmancy to your schedule. You studied mathematics in your primary school?"
"I did."
"Give it a try for a year. You may find it of value given your impressive work on that fire spell."
"Is it for spells, changing them?" Harry hadn't ever been sure what the class was about.
"Well, it can be. Our teacher is a fairly silly witch. She teaches the fun things one can do, if one is interested in divination. She thinks it garners interest from her students. As if modifying spells isn't more interesting than trying to forecast the future... It's all math so I say make good use of it. Take the class and read ahead in the texts to the parts of interest to you..."
"I wish someone had explained this last year..."
"Another item for my list. We really do rely on older students to coach the younger ones. But if the older students have bad information... You are correct, Mr. Potter. Fix one problem so another six can turn up. Will you enroll?"
"Yes. Can I owl order the books?"
"I dare say you can."
Harry smiled. He nodded. He would take the class.
"Work hard and you will do well." And she was gone.
....
Hermione burst into the compartment as if it were on fire and she had a child or perhaps an injured kitten to rescue. Instead, she had Harry to cluck over like some worried mother.
Ron laughed when he came in and saw Hermione checking Harry for wounds or for knocks to the head. Ron sat and said nothing. But he smiled. Oh, did he smile.
Neville came back into the compartment several minutes later. He had a faint smile on his face. Harry recognized it. The happy-confused smile Harry wore after talking to one or both of the Flamels.
"Are you okay, Neville?" Harry asked.
"She did a couple spells on me. I feel a lot better."
"Spells? What were they?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know. She didn't say any words..."
Hermione pursed her lips. But Harry could see she wouldn't forget.
Fred and George Weasley were the next visitors.
"Have you heard..."
"...the news? Of a new..."
"...class, dear Hermione?"
"A new class. There weren't any unexpected books on my list."
"I doubt the new professor can read."
"At least according to our father..."
"...who is rather sharper than we ever knew..."
"...maybe we take after him. He was able to hide..."
"...himself in the Ministry all these years."
"He's a fine role model, he is."
It was nauseating watching these two complete each other's sentences.
"Stop," Harry said.
They looked put out for about one second before they almost bounced off down the hall rather like human-sized rubber balls. Instead, the remained for a few minutes and explained what they knew. They had actually been listening to their father over the summer after his performance at Hogwarts last year. Specifically they had been listening to what their father said about Madam Umbridge falling out with Minister Fudge.
Interesting.
Then they did bounce down the hall. Well, not really. They walked. But they did it with undue enthusiasm.
"Bribes...," Hermione said.
"She couldn't keep up with her end of paying the bribes up and keep her creatures employed...," Harry corrected her.
"Fudge threw them all out as a bad lot. Someone else stepped right in, of course. It's expensive to be the Undersecretary, but one can become fabulously wealthy if one does it right...," Ron said. He, too, had been listening to his father.
"So she's too stupid to be the Bully of the Ministry. So she wrangled a job here. I say we cut her no slack." That was Neville. Those spells of Professor Flamels had really done something for him.
Harry nodded.
Hermione looked torn. A Ministry stooge...but one of her Professors.
The twins returned with bad news. "Oliver Wood's coming for you, Harry," Fred (maybe) said.
"You could run, but he'd keep looking," George said.
"I suggest listening. Then saying yes."
Harry shook his head. "Fine."
Then Oliver appeared a few minutes later. "I have been looking for you. Holding out on Gryffindor that you can fly. We need you on the team, Harry..."
The rant continued well past the point Harry would have agreed to try out for Seeker, assuming Katie Bell didn't mind.
But the words poured from Oliver's mouth until they were nearly at Hogsmeade. He must have been planning this speech all summer, Harry thought. Might as well let him deliver it before he burst from all the pent-up pressure.
.....
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