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“Is she still secured?”
“Yes, honey.” Harry rolled her eyes, teeth gritted in annoyance. “The soul of your alternate past self is still caged safely inside the magic jar.” She huffed. “You don’t have to asked about it for six times in the row.”
Tom shrugged. “Just checking. No need for the sass, sweetie.” before Harry could cut in with more jabbing words, Tom quickly added, “Anyway,” she got up on her feet, stepping over Quirrell’s colding corpse as she looked around their surrounding with a frown. “what are our next move?”
Harry hum thoughtfully. She conjured up their to-do list in a flick of a wand and quiet mutter of spell, reading over it out loud to Tom. “Let see… we got Voldie’s main soul, so that prevents any future resurrection on this bad boy.” she grinned, shaking the jar which contained said-soul in glee. “...and I already told Hedwig to snatch up Pettigrew, we’ll just have to wait for that before ticking it off; the ring, gauntlet, diary, and also the cup are all dealt with, which left us with only the Ravenclaw’s Diadem to destroy.”
“Which mean…”
Harry snapped the paper away. Her eyes seemed to glow beneath the moonlight, a mischievous glint shining through them.
She smiled. “Know any place to brought ourselves some sea salt, and white sage? We got an old ghost to exorcise.”
Tom chuckled in delight. “I know a few.” Feeling a shift from beneath her robe, she pulled her hand up and allowed Nagini to curled out, finally awaken after few hours of resting. “Aah, nice of you to finally join us, Nagini. I honestly thought you’d stay dead for eternity.”
“Well, apparently not,” she hissed out, still sounding tired. “because a certain someone just chose to dragged me along into the past to… what, again?”
“Fix the past.” Harry supplied helpfully.
“Well,” Tom began, letting Nagini climbed up and curled around her shoulders as she continues, “Death did told us we could pick a companion to bring along as long as they aren’t humans. Who else am I going to picked but you, my dear?”
“Why couldn’t you not pick at all?”
“I could…” she drawled. “...but who would watched over me to make sure I don’t do anything stupid?”
Nagini huffed smugly. “Well, obviously not Potter! She could barely care for herself, much less yours too!”
Harry giggled. “I take no offense to that.”
“Of course you don’t, it's the the truth!” she turned back to face Tom. “But, yes, I guess my presence is necessary here. Gods know the last time I died, you gotten yourself killed in mere hours. Truly, you cannot be trusted on your own.”
“Merlin,” Harry snorted from the side. “I never knew she acted so much like a nagging mother.”
Tom quirked her eyebrow. “Why else do you think I named her Nagini?”
“...oh my God. Nagging Nagini--!”
She lost it.
“Wait, did Binns taught you too back then?”
The ghost screamed in despair, screaming on top of his nonexistent lungs as he slowly burned into ashes within the exorcism circle the two drew on the ground. It’ll be only five minutes before his soul is completely erased from the mortal ground and returned to the afterlife, no longer will he chanted boringly about the Goblin War in repeat at Hogwarts.
Tom scoffed. “Yes, but with actual flesh and bones.”
“...like, alive?”
“Yes, Harry. He was alive.” Harry opened her mouth. “No, Harry. I didn’t killed him.” She shut it closed once more.
The creatures living within the Forbidden Forest wisely stay away from them; a braver few stood by in the sidelines to watched the whole spectacle in a mixture of awe and fear.
“...dibs on the DADA’s teaching position.”
“Not fair! We promised to settled this with paper, rock, and scissor!”
Tom tsked. “Curses.”
“Ha-ha! I win!”
“...could we do a couple more rounds?”
“Tom, no. This is the seventh round. You already lost seven times in the row, I am not doing another rounds. Not even a ‘please’ will bribe me.”
“...pretty please?”
“No.”
She sighed. “Well, worth the try.”
Binns still screamed in the background.
“What if I dispatched Severus--”
“Tom, no.”
“Welcome, welcome! Please, take a seat.” Albus gestured with his arm towards the chair across him. With a nod and polite smile, Tom allowed herself to sit. “I am very delighted to have you here… Ms. Peverell, ” the old man looked up, though he is smiling widely, Tom is amused to find uncertainty and a little tint of shock in his eyes. “is that… is that correct? Your name is indeed Eris Peverell?”
Tom smiled. “That is correct, Headmaster Dumbledore.”
“Aah, I see. How peculiar. “ he muttered quietly, curiosity painted in his wrinkly, punchable face. Merlin, why was she doing this again? Signing up to be a teacher for a subject she disliked instead of Crucio-ing the shit out of Dumbledore?
The door slammed open.
Lo behold, come in Severus looking like the hellhounds are on his tails. He didn’t even spared her a glance - Tom’s finger twitched above her wand. If it weren’t for Harry, she would have blasted this piece of a man to literal pieces - and simply went over to Dumbledore’s side and quietly hissed to his ear.
Tom controlled herself from grinning out widely like a mad man because, sweet Jesus Christ, the look of utter shock and bafflement on Albus was very, very satisfying.
Oh, right. That’s why.
“The Philosopher's Stone is gone.”
But, wait. Something’s missing…
“Albus!” Minerva barged in. “Peter Pettigrew were found alive. He was the traitor this whole time. He-- he confessed!” Albus’s breath hitched.
There we go. Tom have no idea how this day could get anymore better than this-- oh. Wait--
“Headmaster!” Come and in like a frazzled gryphon were Hagrid. He looked confused. “Ha-- Harry! Harry, she-- she-- she wasn’t with the Dursley’s!”
Silence.
“She was in the orphanage!”
Punchline of the Year.
“I take back my words! This time travel bullshit is the best shit ever!” Harry laughed hysterically, rolling on the ground like the mad woman that she is.
Tommie was no better either. The moment she entered the Grimmauld Place, she lost all control over her composure and bent over as she howled out in laughter, no longer holding back for even a second. “That was golden. Please tell me you got all of their reactions recorded!”
Harry quickly sat up, smiling from cheek to cheek. “Of-fucking-course! You think I’ll missed out a tape on Minerva totally beating the shit out of Dumbledore? Hell no!”
Tom perked up at that. “She did?”
“Well, not physically. She merely throw insults and jinxes at him after you got sent out; but dear God, it was savage. ” Harry cackled. “I honestly thought Dumbledore was going to cry right there and then because her words are so fucking harsh. They’re true, but very harsh.”
“Damn.” Tom chuckled softly, having finally calmed down. Then she turned questioning towards Harry. “By the way, you don’t just watched by in that invisible cloak of yours doing nothing, aren’t you?”
“Geez, Tommie. Put more faith in me, won’t you?” at the blank look pointed to her, Harry rolled her eyes, then pulled open her robe, showing the shining necklace worn over her neck. “Ta-da! The Ravenclaw’s Diadem! Doesn’t it looked pretty on me?”
Tom facepalmed. “Harry… just because you are immune to it, doesn’t mean it’s still safe for you to wear such a dark artifact.”
“Yeah, no. I’m abusing the heck out of my Master of Death status.” Harry twirled around, giving not a single fuck to the soul in the necklace that tries to suck off her non-existent soul.
“How quaint.”
“Who’s the good girl? Who’s the good girl? You are!”
Tom watched with a shook of a head as Harry cooed over Hedwig. The owl puffed out her chest in an expression of proudness - or smugness, to be more fitting. Within context, the scene looked kind of hilarious to her: the immortal witch who literally ruled over Death are being dramatically affectionate towards her recently-resurrected owl who, as far as Tom learnt from Harry, were blasted into literal pieces; feeding the ball of white fluff with a portion of her dinner - kudos to Kreacher for serving them in such a beautiful displays as well.
Ugh, love. How disgusting.
Harry blinked at her, green eyes brightening along with her grin. “The food’s good? I told Kreacher to make your favorites.”
Tom didn’t bother hiding her growing smile.
She took a bite. “It’s excellent.”
Love. How utterly disgusting indeed.
Though, Tommie doesn’t mind drowning in it at all as much as she used to.
Not when it’s from Harriet Andromeda Potter.
“--ommie! Tommie! Stop drooling over your wife and tell that servant of yours to bring me more preys. I’m still starving.”
Tom sighed. “Way to ruin the moment, mom.”
Nagini cackled. “It’s a mother’s job to ensured that you don’t go brain dead over love.”
Harry giggled in amusement. “Man! I can’t wait to tell Sirius that my mother-in-law is a snake. He’ll be estatic!”
Tom groaned miserably. “Please. Don’t.”
Those beautiful, beautiful laughter rang again like an angel’s bells.
Ugh, truly, love is very much a disgusting thing.
“--bber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!”
Dumbledore bowed his head slightly, as if he didn’t just confused the entire population of the first years. But before they could pondered over the meaning of those words, the Headmaster quickly added a few more words. This time, confusing the upperclassmen.
“And, aah, yes! How could I possibly forgotten? We shall be expecting two new teachers this year, however…” he looked up at the entrance of the Great Hall in speculation. “...they appeared to be a bit late for dinner. Perhaps all of you could met them in later dates when classes have began. For now, enjoy the feast! And once again: have a great year all around.”
He took a seat, signalling the end of his speech and the beginning of dinner feast. Chattering among students gradually grew until the Great Hall were entirely filled with noises and sounds of spoons, forks, and knives against plates.
From the Hufflepuff table, Cedric hum thoughtfully. “Two new teachers? One’s definitely going to teach Defense Against Dark Arts, but the other…?”
“Odd, huh?” his classmate spoke up from his right. “Maybe one of the teacher drop out? Though…” she glanced at the teacher’s table. “everyone’s there except for Professor Trelawney, as always. So…” she shrugged.
Cedric went ahead and grab a piece of apple, biting over it. “Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Holy shit. No one told me the new teachers are going to be this hot.”
Cedric nudged his friend, shushing him. Though, he can’t help but feel a blush crept over his cheeks as well. The new teacher is indeed attractive, there is no denying that; his hormones never tells lies, and it certainly doesn’t know with how much it spasmed right now at the sight of a beautiful, smiling woman standing at the front of History’s class.
And wasn’t that a surprise as well? Apparently, Binns is gone now. No one knows how, nor do anyone care, really. Especially with such a gorgeous teacher replacing him. Gods, Cedric isn’t going to get over this attraction anytime soon, is he?
“Good morning, everyone.” oh God, even her voice sounded like it came out straight from a clichè, dumb romance novel. “Due to Professor Binns’... unexpected disappearance, I have been hired as his replacement. Whether or not I’ll remained teaching until your graduation is up to Headmaster Dumbledore.”
Distinctly, Cedric could hear a number of guys and few girls muttering prayers to their Gods. Most likely something related to letting the new teacher stayed, seeing that he’s doing it as well right now.
“You may referred to me as Professor Peverell--” a chorus of gasps escaped from majority of the purebloods, himself included because what the heck? Isn’t the Peverell supposed to be extinct or something? Professor Peverell either didn’t noticed their moment of shock or just doesn’t care, because she continues on in her introduction, “--or Professor Eris. Either way is fine, as long as they are worded with respect, understand?”
A chorus of agreement waved through the class. She nodded in satisfaction.
“Good, good. Now--” she flicked out her wand. Then, to everyone’s awe, conjured up an image of, without a doubt, the Four Founders. But what shocked them all to silence were the fact that she’d done in silently. “--why don’t we began with my favorite part of history? The men and women who had founded Hogwarts, the Four Founders.”
Cedric knows that History will be nothing but a wild ride from this day forward.
Actually, nevermind.
“Tomorrow we’ll be learning a special, little sound spell that could sent werewolves to their knees! And, oh, somehow blow up a vampire’s head. I don’t know how, it just do. So, like, if there’s a secret vampire kid in Hogwarts, please inform or else we’ll got some guts to clean after!”
History were tame, safe, and overall calm compared to this murder feast that is Defense Against Dark Arts by. Professor Holly Evans.
“Don’t forget that your homework is due by next Tuesday!” The woman said excitedly, somehow sending chills over spines regardless of her gentle smile and joyous voice. Maybe it's because of the blood splatter all over her shoes. “You have to list at least seven ways on how to exorcise a ghost! I hope you better listened in to my lectures because you won’t find them anywhere in the books!”
Cedric feels like the woman is trying to implied something regarding certain, recent event, but he chose to wisely ignore it along with the rest of his classmates.
Cedric sighed.
Well, at least she’ll be gone by the end of the year. The curse were still up and active after all.
Harry closed her magazine and casually tossed it out of the window. “You done?”
“Done,” With one more show of spark, Tom twirled her wand before pocketing it within her robe. “the position is no longer cursed. You are free to teach here for eternity, dear.”
“Thank you, love.” Harry pecked a sweet kiss upon her lips, lips growing into a smirk as she deepen the contact and allowed their tongues to enveloped each other in warmth.
Students are on break, and the staff are either long asleep or out spending their weekends in the comfort of their home; the two are not at all worried about being caught making out in a classroom above the desk that Harry would undoubtedly grades her future paperworks at.
She did read that Leo is going to get ‘lucky’ tonight.
“Harry Potter?”
Harry blinked, startled out from her moment of dazing off. “Oh! Uh-- here!”
She bowed down her head with a frown, expecting the teacher to come over and congratulate her or mocked her or anything. Because apparently, she’s famous now, so those will be a regular respond she’ll received upon introducing herself by her name.
“Alright, next up…”
...huh.
She turned to faced Ron, exchanging a brief confused stare before the other simply shrugged and paid attention the teacher ahead once more. Harry smiled and slides her eyes over to the front, now very much looking forward to learnt History.
“Hmm, this is not good.”
Tom exhaled her breath, flipping closed her newspaper before turning full attention towards her longtime spouse; who was chewing over a pencil in a show of a nervous tick. “What is it this time?”
“Well, you see,” Harry began, hands moving along with her words. “since we killed off Quirrell, we also prevent the Bathroom Troll Incident. Which mean I prevented the one event that triggered my friendship with Hermione. What if I-- What if Hermione had no one this time around? What if she remained friendless? What if my younger self had no guts to tell Ron to get up and own up--”
Harry suddenly stilled. Her green eyes widening in the way that told Tom of an oncoming disaster that Harry called as ‘brilliant idea’. Tom wondered how many body bags will they need this time around?
“Of course! Of course! I’m a genius!”
Tom was cut short from mulling over in her thought when Harry cupped her cheeks all of the sudden and gave her a full blown kiss. Then without a word, she skipped out from their room, humming a merry tones.
...there will be so much body count.
Halloween have arrived. The only day where the Great Hall are filled with floating pumpkins--
Well, supposedly.
While the first years had no knowledge over this certain aspect of Halloween Day, the older students knew and was surprised to find a lack of pumpkin decorations crowding the space above. Instead, the pumpkins were all set neatly on their desk, along with a set of forks, knives, and spoons beside each of them.
“Oh, cool!” Dean Thomas clasped his hands together, smiling widely. “We got pumpkin carving competition this school too?”
“That is indeed correct, Mr. Thomas.”
Some of the students jumped back in surprise. Seemingly out of nowhere, Professor Peverell appeared from behind them. Everyone was quick to notice that she wasn’t dressed in normal robes.
Ron was the one who asked out loud, “Oh! Professor, what are you wearing-- agh!” He winced, having been nudged hard by Harry who quickly sent him a glare and mutter of Ron, that was rude!
Professor Peverell seemed unphased by this and do a little twirl. “Couldn’t you tell?” Her robe-- no, actually, it was a dark cape with dark red within it. It have a pointed end around the neck and also didn’t go all the way down on her feet, instead stopping above her knees in a similar cut that is on her neck. The bang of her hair were slicked back, and ends with a ponytail hanging loosely over her shoulder. She was also wearing a… combat heels, of all things, to the student’s utter bafflement and awe.
But what really tied up her whole appearance were the bright, red eyes; sharp eyeliners, and the pair of fangs poking out her red lips.
“Oh, wow! You’re dressing up as a Dracula!” Hermione chirped up, smiling wide in genuine after days of being in a down mood. “Correct deduction, Ms. Granger. Five points to the Gryffindor.” Her smile seems to grew even bigger.
Suddenly there was a hiss.
“Is-- is that an anaconda?!”
Tom smiled sharply, at complete ease even with a large snake slithering from her robe and around her shoulders and neck. But before she could replies, another voice beats her to it.
“Actually, Nagini is her mother!”
“Ha… Evans, kind of you to finally joined us.”
Everyone turned to looked at their second newest teacher, surprised to find her all dressed up for the occasion as well. Taking note on her ripped, tainted white robe which draped over head and down on the floor behind her, it was easy to concludes that she was dressing as a Dementor.
Evans shot her a cheeky grin. “The pleasure’s all mine.” Then she waved her hand in the air. “Anyway, we don’t want to lingered here for too long! Everyone, find yourself a partner to pair yourself with.” She clapped at haste. “Chop! Chop!”
It tooks at least five and so minutes before everyone settled on with their chosen pair - Evans noticed in disdain how majority of them are either with a housemate. She smirked. That won’t do.
“Great! You’re all satisfied with your buddy?” A chorus of agreement and nodding replied. “Good, good! Because we are going to switch you all up!” Groaning and protests all around, but a pointed glare from Peverell shut them all up effectively.
“Don’t worry! You will be matched with a classmate of the same grade! Now,” she conjured up a parchment and quill, preparing to write upon the former. “if I mentioned your name, go up to me and I will point you along with your new partner to your pumpkin! Once everyone’s settled, Dumbledore will give his speech and began the contest. Got it, you all?”
Evans nodded in satisfaction upon receiving understanding from the students. Then she began, “Alright, first up: Draco Malfoy, and Harry Potter!”
The students sweated.
Merlin saves them all.
“Pumpkin… carving?”
Harry nodded. “Yup! It’s Halloween-themed and actually required a lot of hard work and efforts if you want them to came out looking nice.”
“But… pumpkin carving?”
“The pairing will be mixed among the four houses, so it’ll encouraged house unity!”
“...”
“And it also involved knives.”
Tom gave a thumbs up. “I approved. Let’s go to Dumbledore immediately, I’m sure he’ll be thrilled with your idea.”
And he was.
“We are from the same house! Why are we paired together?!”
Hermione remained silence beside Ron, but she appeared to be awaiting an explanation from Professor Evans as well. While the girl looked calmer, Ron is downright livid. As if pairing him up with Granger was the worst offense anyone could make on him.
This is unacceptable.
“The fact that you don’t want to be with her is exactly why you are paired up.”
“But-- but-- but why?!”
Holly sighed. “Alright, fine, want to know the real reason?” She crouched down to their level, leaning in to whispered, “A little birdie told me that she was concerned over the two of you. How she wished his two friends would make up and get along again.”
The two stared at her in surprise. Hermione stuttered out, “Harr-- it was Harry, isn’t it?”
The teacher got up, brushing off her robe. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that, Ms. Granger. I have no intention in breaking a trust of a girl who had simply wanted a pair of ears to rant to. But regardless,” Green eyes stared down at them, but it was all gentle and they couldn’t help but be bashful upon them. “I need you two to head to your station at haste, we still got plentiful of pair to call out, after all, and you two are holding the line.”
“S-sorry, Professor.” Ron gulped, exchanging nervous glances with Hermione before adding, “And thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, Professor Evans.”
Holly smiled, waving her hand and dismissing them. As the two walked by to their pumpkin and carving tool, none were sure what to said to filled in the silence. Until Ron sighed.
“I’m… I’m sorry. I was such a jerk back then. Ugh, even worse than Percy. So, like, I got it if you don’t want to forgive me, but--”
“Ron. Ronald.” Hermione smiled. “I forgive you.”
Ron smiled back.
“If you help us win the first place, of course. I heard Professor Evans provide a prize for the winner.”
“She did?! Oh man! What are we waiting for then? Come on!”
He grabbed ahold Hermione’s wrist and pulled her along to paced faster towards the table. Hermione laughed all along the way.
“Manipulating a child, Evans? Oh, how much the Wizarding World’s Saviour have fallen.”
Harry grinned cheekily. “Trust me, I’ve done worst.”
“With how much Death and their hellhounds are afraid of you, I have no qualm in believing that.”
“I know you grew up in a fancy, rich family or something. But, please, tell me that you at least knew a little bit of something about carving a pumpkin…?”
Draco crossed his arms, huffing. “Why should I? Our kind doesn’t celebrates this day in your freakish, muggle way-- woah!” He quickly drew his head back at the knife pointed at his throat, staring in fear at the fury burning hot in Potter’s eyes.
“Listen, Draco. You are free to called me disgusting, stupid, dumb, idiotic, ugly, or whatever the hell insults you come up with every weekends. But… called me with any word that includes ‘freak’... well, you’ll learn that I can be all bark and bite.” Harry bared her teeth. “Got it?”
Draco nodded dumbfoundedly, too scared to even muttered out a yelp. Noticing the tension washing over him, Harry gently sets down the knife and processed to cut open the roof of their pumpkin. She didn’t care whether the other is going to help or not, she just felt like carving a pumpkin or she’ll give into her urge and carved out someone.
“Uuh…” Harry glanced to the side, noticing a flinch from Draco. Feeling merciful, she asked as gently as possible.
“Yes, Malfoy?”
The boy looked at her, seeming uncertain on his next action. In the end, he simply breathe in and gritted out, “I… I want to help. Bu-- but, you have to tell me what to do, or else I wouldn’t know.” At Harry’s pinched look, Draco goes ahead and admits, “I never even touched a knife, alright? So-- hey! Stop laughing!”
“You never touched a knife? Not even once? Even butter knife?” Draco covered his face. “Wait, seriously? Not even a butter knife?”
“How could I? My mother is such a worrywart and my father is even worse-- hmph!” Draco quickly clamped his mouth, realizing a bit too late what he just said. He blabbered out quickly. “Do-- don’t tell anyone I just said that! Oh Merlin, if father heard of this, he’ll--”
Draco stopped, feeling the weight of Harry’s hand upon his shoulder. She gave him an assuring smile. “No need to worry. I won’t tell. I know how it feels when adults are being… frustrating.”
“Gah! I know right? Like, sure, they are much older than us, but that doesn’t mean we are a complete moron who couldn’t even walked straight.”
“Yeah! Its like they think we are a mouse or-- or a dog!”
“A pet!”
“Exactly! But like, way worse than a pet because…”
“Ah, what a marvelous sight!” Dumbledore gushed, downright beaming at the friendly and calm scene upon him. “Students of different houses getting along together! A spectacle rarer than even a unicorn’s sighting.”
“Ugh, yes, how marvelous indeed.” Severus mocked in disdain, sipping over his drink with a disgusted frown across his face. Holly figured that he was merely being a party pooper and didn’t paid any mind to him, focusing instead on the Headmaster.
“We should do thing sort of event more often, Headmaster. The more frequent, the closer our students will surely grow together.”
The man stroked his beard, a habit that now makes him looks more playful than thoughtful when Holly saw it. “Perhaps… but tell me, Ms. Evans. You promised the students a prize for those with the best pumpkin. Could you perhaps elaborate to us what are this prize, you speak of?”
Besides, Eris suddenly lets out a snort. “You will have to wait until the end for that, Headmaster. Holly is quiet stubborn in keeping it a secret to everyone - even to her own wife.” she explained, aiming a look towards Holly who promptly ignored it.
“True. Be patient, Headmaster. I can assured, the prize is very worth all the efforts.”
He expected a trophy. Or maybe money. Or maybe even a cake, or anything along the line like that.
Dumbledore didn’t expect Holly Evans to give the winners all the four founders lost items.
He would been laughing right now at the fact that both winners are ironically muggle-raised first year students and thus have no clue on what so special about these items if it weren’t for how shook and speechless right now.
“Uuh, thanks?” Dean offered a smile to their teacher, though he looked as confused as his partner Wayne Hopkins is.
Professor Evans nodded in enthusiast. “Your welcome, boys! I admire the unique way you’ve craved your pumpkin! It certainly stood out the most in my eyes.”
And it’s true, the pumpkin really did stood out - with only two small holes as the eyes and an even tinier ‘u’ smile below it. It’s literally effortless, but Dumbledore would be lying if he said he won’t considered it a winner if he were to be the judge.
“Is that the my mother’s diadem? Where on Earth did you find it from?!”
What is the Gray Lady doing here? And did she just said her mother’s diadem? That… that explains a lot, actually.
But nevermind that, as the Headmaster, he should addressed this matter immediately before it got out of hand and the actually-competent Defense Against Dark Arts new teacher somehow got accused of stealing or something. Merlin knows how awful a mess like this could escalated when it involved wizards.
“Everyone! Everyone! May I--”
“Dumbledore.”
“Wha--”
Suddenly, a jar was tossed on him. He caught it just in time and, baffled, turned it over--
“... Tommie?”
--and found himself with a sight of a miniature Voldemort trapped within, seeming to be screaming in anguish as she slammed her fist rapidly against the jar.
He looked up in utter shock. Eris Peverell winked back. “Your welcome.” and vanished.
Dumbledore is still too focused staring at the empty seat on his left to noticed that Holly Evans had vanished in the midst of the crowd of students gushing over the lost, magical artifact that Dean and Wayne held as well.
He didn’t even noticed Minerva shaking the living daylight out him, panic over his lack of respond.
It was… it was simply a mess.
“--and then she just vanished! Like, one moment, everyone is busy screaming over what apparently are the Four Founders Lost Items-- heck, even all the ghosts got worked up over it! It was so crazy, you wouldn’t believe it! We only noticed that the new teachers are gone for real, like, the next night when their rooms were found empty.”
Harry took a deep breath, then shrugged. “So, yeah, that was how my first year goes. A disaster from day one to the last.”
“...damn, Harry.” Sirius chuckled. “Your first year is way more fun than mine and your father’s, that’s for sure!”
“Oh! Umm, Mr. Black? Could you maybe tell me about your school days with dad and mom? Please?”
Sirius’s gaze softened upon her, and he gently shook her hair. “Just calls me Sirius and we have to deal, what do you say?”
Harry beamed.
“Of course!”
“...what about France?”
“Maybe next time. I’m looking for somewhere more tropical.”
Harry hum. “Hawaii?”
Tom shook her head. “Been there, done that.”
“...oh! Ever heard of Bali? Kinda like Hawaii, but… but it's just different, in a way. Buddhists are very common there.”
“Sounds interesting.” Tom gazed downwards. “What do you say, Nagini?”
The snake lifted her head up, flicking her tongue out. “Is the place as warm as Brazil?” Harry nodded in confirmation. “You have my approval then.”
“What about you, Hedwig? The place’s a bit hot, so I understand if you want to stay somewhere else while we go there.” When Hedwig merely gave her a look, Harry laughed softly. “Alright, alright. You are coming along then!”
“Book a ticket for tomorrow morning?”
Harry thought over it. “Why not afternoon?” She snaked her arms around Tom’s waist, resting above her chest with a smile. “We could laze around in the morning, or take a walk around London. Just the two of us.” She stared up, gazing over Tom in such deep affectionate that she felt like drowning by them. “What do you think… honey ?”
Tommie kissed her.
“I think that I’ll love you either way around, sweetie.”