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Chapter Text

New DADA Teacher… We’re Doomed!

It had been already more than two months since the last time Persephone had heard news from Harry. When they had parted ways on King's Cross, everything had seemed fine, but it now was obvious that she had been wrong.

Persephone had written him many letters, but every time Iris, her mother’s owl, had always come back without a reply. There had also been no signs of Hedwig either and Persephone had slowly lost hope that Harry would send her any answer.

On the other hand, she had exchanged many letters with her other two friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. They had told her that Harry hadn’t kept in touch with them as well. Therefore, Persephone hypothesized that maybe there had been some kind of problem. Maybe it wasn’t that he didn’t want to write them, maybe he couldn’t and it wasn’t his fault.

But what if that wasn’t the case? What if he thought that he didn’t need them and it was Persephone that had thought too highly of their friendship? After the events of last year, she thought their bond was strong, they almost died together, for Merlin’s sake!

Indeed, last year hadn’t been a normal one. Persephone, Harry, Ron and Hermione had avoided the comeback of Voldemort together. Persephone and Harry had even personally faced him.

Not a pretty sight, she didn’t recommend it…

It didn’t seem to matter to Harry, though. He hadn’t written back to them, so he clearly didn’t care about them.

“Sephie, you don’t have anything else to do other than just moping around and eating cookies?” uncle Chris said.

“Let me be, uncle Chris” she said hanging upside down from her bed. “I finished my homework the first two weeks of summer and I’ve had enough of shopping days with aunt Mel!”

“What about helping me with a potion?”

Persephone perked up, “What kind of potion?” she asked intrigued.

“Well—”

Uncle Chris was interrupted by Iris landing on Persephone’s window with two letters.

“Sorry, uncle Chris, maybe another time, bye!” Before he could say anything, she slid down to the floor,  jumped on her feet and shut the door right in his face.

Persephone went to Iris, patting her head and taking the letters. She gave her some of her cookies and let her rest in her cage.

The first letter was from Ron and read:

Ok, that was weird, Harry had used magic in front of Muggles? Why?

The next letter was from Hermione:

That was a good idea, considering that also Persephone needed to buy her textbooks. She had received the list from Hogwarts three days ago and—

“Wait a minute!” she exclaimed, jumping on her bed. “Wednesday?! That’s in a few hours for them!”

Persephone opened her bedroom’s door and rushed downstairs.

“Mooooom! Mom! Mom!”

“What? What’s going on?” said her mother startled.

“We need to go to Diagon Alley tonight!”

“What?! Why?”

“Well— it would be night here but in Diagon Alley would be morning! Anyway, Mione wrote me saying that she and Ron are going to meet tomorrow to buy their books. Please please please, let’s go!” she said making puppy eyes.

Her mother seemed to be trying to resist her, but eventually sighed in resignation. “Ok… We are going to be there around 10A.M., so you have be awake and ready for 2A.M., got it?”

Persephone nodded happily. “Thank you, mom” she cheered hugging her from behind.

“You spoil her too much, Elle” uncle Chris said on his way to the attic.

Persephone stuck her tongue out, “You only say that  because I didn’t help you with that potion, uncle Chris.”

Uncle Chris smirked and messed her hair, “Whatever you say, shrimp.”

That night at two o’clock Persephone and her mother disappareated, only to reappear in the Leaky Cauldron.

They walked through the crowded Digon Alley until they got in front of Flourish and Blotts. They looked around them trying to spot a certain family of red-heads, but there was no trace of them. When her mother saw the large banner stretched across the upper windows of the shop, she scrunched her nose. It said:

“Merlin’s beard! He’s here! It was already traumatic to find out he was the author of your DADA books and now this?!” Persephone’s mother huffed.

“Do you know him?”

“Yeah… you could say that… Back at Hogwarts he was an annoying Ravenclaw that followed me everywhere. He was a year below me and was very arrogant for his age. He also spread rumors about me.”

“He did what?!”

“Yeah… He went around saying we were dating during the last months of my seventh year—”

“But you weren’t, right? Oh please, tell me it was a lie. I don’t want to meet your ex-boyfriend.”

“What kind of question is that?! Of course it was a lie! I was dating your father at the time and, for your information, I was already pregnant with you… even if I didn’t know yet” Electra said.

“Uuuhh… you were such a bad girl, mom” Persephone said, grinning like the idiot she was.

Her mother shook her head rolling her eyes, “Anyway, I don’t want to meet him, so this is the plan. I’m going to buy your potions supplies and everything else you need and then I’ll wait for you at the Leaky Cauldron. Does it sound fair to you?”

“Uh-huh, I’ll buy the books… If you need me you know how to… Er— contact me?”

Her mother nodded and made her way to the Apothecary.

Now, how in the name of Merlin was Persephone going to find the Weasleys and Hermione? Her question was answered at that same moment.

“Sephie dear, you’re here too!” said a voice behind her.

She turned around and met Mrs. Weasley and Ginny Weasley, Ron’s little sister.

“Good morning, Mrs. Weasley, Ginny” she said with a small smile. Said smile slowly faded though, as she noticed Mrs. Weasley’s worried expression.

“What’s going on? Where are the others?”

“They are lookin for Harry” said Mrs. Weasley

“Looking for Harry?” said Persephone, taken aback.

“Well— you see, we came here through Floo powder, but as this was Harry’s first time—”

“He mispronounced his destination, didn’t he?” she concluded with a sigh. She didn't even met him yet and he was already causing Persephone a headache.

Mrs. Weasley nodded, “But I’m sure Arthur and the others will find him, dear. We are headed to Gringotts now. Are you alone?”

“My mom is buying my potions supplies and gave me the task to get my books, but can I come with you?”

“Of course you can” she said smiling.

As they walked Persephone tried to talk with Ginny, but she was so shy.

“I never introduced myself, I’m Persephone Halliwell, nice to meet you” she said offering her hand to shake and a big smile. Ginny looked at her and blushed slightly. She shook her hand and mumbled a weak “Ginny Weasley”.

“So you’re going to Hogwarts this year?”

Ginny nodded her head.

“Er— Well, are you excited?”

Another nod.

“Ok— If you have any question or doubt or if you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to ask me.” Persephone offered another smile, but this time Ginny looked away from her…

Evidently, Ginny didn’t like her, which was a pity, because Persephone found her extremely cute and she had always wanted a little sister. She sighed in defeat, but then she heard a feeble “Thank you".

Persephone couldn’t help but smile.

“There they are!” said Mrs. Weasley.

Persephone’s eyes followed her finger to where it was pointing and she saw them. Her three friends were standing in front of Gringotts. Immediately she broke into a run and engulfed Hermione in a bear hug, startling her. As soon as she recognized her though, she returned the hug.

“Mione! I missed you!”

“I missed you too, Sephie” Hermione laughed.

“What about me?” Ron said with a playful glare.

“Excuse me, do I know you?”

“Hey!”

The four of them laughed. This caught Persephone’s attention, because the fourth laughter belonged to no other than Harry Potter.

“Hi, Sephie” he said, smiling at her.

That smile erased all her worries at once. All the ideas that had been tormenting her during the past two months seemed stupid and absurd now.

She smiled brightly at him “Hi, Harry!”

She was about to hug him when Ron interrupted her, “No, really!  Are you seriously going to ignore me?!”

Persephone huffed, “I see you still have your fine tact, Ron. Of course I missed you too, dunderhead!”

Ron was now smiling satisfied, while Persephone shook her head and the other two chuckled.

“Oh, Harry — oh, my dear — you could have been anywhere —” Mrs. Weasley’s voice came.

Gasping for breath she pulled a large clothes brush out of her bag and began sweeping Harry. Mr. Weasley took Harry’s glasses, gave them a tap of his wand, and returned them, good as new. Then his eyes fell on Persephone.

”Ah, you must be Persephone Halliwell! Ron told us a lot about you!”

”Nice to meet you, Mr. Weasley” said Persephone politely. “I hope they were all nice things.”

”Of course” he laughed.

“Well, gotta be off,” said Hagrid, who was having his hand wrung by Mrs. Weasley (“Knockturn Alley! If you hadn’t found him, Hagrid!”). “See yer at Hogwarts!” And he strode away, head and shoulders taller than anyone else in the packed street.

“Guess who I saw in Borgin and Burkes?” Harry asked Persephone, Ron and Hermione as they climbed the Gringotts steps. “Malfoy and his father.”

“Did Lucius Malfoy buy anything?” said Mr. Weasley sharply behind them.

“No, he was selling —”

“So he’s worried,” said Mr. Weasley with grim satisfaction. “Oh, I’d love to get Lucius Malfoy for something...”

“You be careful, Arthur,” said Mrs. Weasley sharply as they were bowed into the bank by a goblin at the door. “That family’s trouble. Don’t go biting off more than you can chew —”

“So you don’t think I’m a match for Lucius Malfoy?” said Mr. Weasley indignantly, but he was distracted almost at once by the sight of Hermione’s parents, who were standing nervously at the counter that ran all along the great marble hall, waiting for Hermione to introduce them.

“But you’re Muggles!” said Mr. Weasley delightedly. “We must have a drink! What’s that you’ve got there? Oh, you’re changing Muggle money. Molly, look!” He pointed excitedly at the ten-pound notes in Mr. Granger’s hand.

“Meet you back here,” Ron said to Hermione and Persephone as the Weasleys and Harry were led off to their underground vaults by another Gringotts goblin.

While they were waiting for them, Hermione bombarded Persephone with questions about their homework. During the entire conversation— well, monologue— Persephone kept smiling and nodding. It wasn’t that she found her boring, but the fact was that she couldn’t answer her questions on the matter. She had finished all her homework the first two weeks of holidays and she couldn’t remember every word she had written, after all, she had done them early so that she wouldn’t have to think about them until the day professors asked them back.

Fortunately, after fifteen minutes Harry and the Weasleys were back outside on the marble steps, where they all separated. Percy muttered vaguely about needing a new quill. Fred and George had spotted their friend from Hogwarts, Lee Jordan. Mrs. Weasley and Ginny were going to a secondhand robe shop. Mr. Weasley was insisting on taking the Grangers off to the Leaky Cauldron for a drink. Persephone wondered if her mother was already there.

“We’ll all meet at Flourish and Blotts in an hour to buy your schoolbooks,” said Mrs. Weasley, setting off with Ginny. “And not one step down Knockturn Alley!” she shouted at the twins’ retreating backs.

Persephone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street.

Harry told her and Hermione all about his horrible summer at the Dursleys and about Dobby the house-elf.

When he finished, Persephone felt so bad. She had doubted their friendship and in the meantime he had been having a hard time because of that excuse of a family he had. She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Harry hugged her back, his face scarlet red. Persephone let out a sigh of relief and let him go, smiling at him.

Harry bought four large strawberry-and-peanut-butter ice creams, which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows. Ron gazed longingly at a full set of Chudley Cannon robes in the windows of Quality Quidditch Supplies until Hermione dragged them off to buy ink and parchment next door. In Gambol and Japes Wizarding Joke Shop, they met Fred, George, and Lee Jordan, who were stocking up on Dr. Filibuster’s Fabulous Wet-Start, No-Heat Fireworks, and in a tiny junk shop full of broken wands, lopsided brass scales, and old cloaks covered in potion stains they found Percy, deeply immersed in a small and deeply boring book called Prefects Who Gained Power.

“A study of Hogwarts prefects and their later careers,” Ron read aloud off the back cover. “That sounds fascinating...”

“Go away,” Percy snapped.

“’Course, he’s very ambitious, Percy, he’s got it all planned out... He wants to be Minister of Magic...” Ron told Persephone, Harry and Hermione in an undertone as they left Percy to it.

An hour later, they headed for Flourish and Blotts. They were by no means the only ones making their way to the bookshop. As they approached it, they saw to their surprise a large crowd jostling outside the doors, trying to get in. Then Persephone remembered. There was that Lockhart dude today signing his books.

“We can actually meet him!” Hermione squealed. “I mean, he’s written almost the whole booklist!”

The crowd seemed to be made up mostly of witches around Mrs. Weasley’s age. A harassed-looking wizard stood at the door, saying, “Calmly, please, ladies... Don’t push, there... mind the books, now...”

Persephone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed inside. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. They each grabbed a copy of The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 and sneaked up the line to where the rest of the Weasleys were standing with Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

“Oh, there you are, good,” said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded breathless and kept patting her hair. “We’ll be able to see him in a minute...”

Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. The real Lockhart was wearing robes of forget-me-not blue that exactly matched his eyes; his pointed wizard’s hat was set at a jaunty angle on his wavy hair.

Persephone snorted remembering what her mother had told her.

‘Wow… I wonder how mom didn’t fall for him’ she thought sarcastically.

A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.

“Out of the way, there,” he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. “This is for the Daily Prophet —”

“Charming…” mumbled Persephone.

“Big deal,” said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up. He saw Ron — and then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, “It can’t be Harry Potter?”

The crowd parted, whispering excitedly;

“No, you’re wrong, Sir. This is Peter Johnson” Persephone said, remembering the book Hermione had given her last Christmas. There was a character that mispronounced the main characters name and one of these wrong names was exactly Peter Johnson.

Lockhart dived forward, laughing and pushed her away from Harry “You’re so funny, little girl.”

He seized Harry’s arm, and pulled him to the front. The crowd burst into applause. Harry’s face burned as Lockhart shook his hand for the photographer, who was clicking away madly, wafting thick smoke over the Weasleys.

“Nice big smile, Harry,” said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. “Together, you and I are worth the front page.”

When he finally let go of Harry’s hand, he tried to sidle back over to the Weasleys, but Lockhart threw an arm around his shoulders and clamped him tightly to his side.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he said loudly, waving for quiet. “What an extraordinary moment this is! The perfect moment for me to make a little announcement I’ve been sitting on for some time!

“When young Harry here stepped into Flourish and Blotts today, he only wanted to buy my autobiography — which I shall be happy to present him now, free of charge —” The crowd applauded again. “He had no idea,” Lockhart continued, giving Harry a little shake that made his glasses slip to the end of his nose, “that he would shortly be getting much, much more than my book, Magical Me. He and his schoolmates will, in fact, be getting the real magical me. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have great pleasure and pride in announcing that this September, I will be taking up the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!”

‘Oh come on! It wasn’t enough to have a man with evil intentions as a professor, now we have this idiot!’ Persephone thought.

The crowd cheered and clapped and Harry found himself being presented with the entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart. Staggering slightly under their weight, he managed to make his way out of the limelight to the edge of the room, where Ginny was standing next to her new cauldron.

“You have these,” Harry mumbled to her, tipping the books into the cauldron. “I’ll buy my own—”

“Well, we are doomed” Persephone stated.

Harry and Ron snickered as Hermione hit her on the back of the head.

Persephone, Harry and Ginny advanced a little to avoid to be crushed by all the crowd, leaving behind a bickering Ron and Hermione.

“Bet you loved that, didn’t you, Potter?” said a voice Persephone had no trouble recognizing. Harry straightened up and they all found themselves face-to-face with Draco Malfoy, who was wearing his usual sneer.

“Famous Harry Potter,” said Malfoy. “Can’t even go into a bookshop without making the front page.”

“Leave him alone, he didn’t want all that!” said Ginny. It was the first time Persephone heard her speak so clearly. She was glaring at Malfoy. Cute and feisty, Persephone liked her even more. She really hoped one day she would open to her.

“Potter, you’ve got yourself a new girlfriend!" he said before turning his head towards Persephone, "Have you two broken up, pretty face? Come here, I’ll comfort you” drawled Malfoy with a smirk, advancing a step towards her. Harry placed himself in front of her, glaring at Malfoy as Ginny became as red as her hair. What Persephone hadn’t expected though, was little Ginny grabbing her shirt. Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart’s books.

“Oh, it’s you,” said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. “Bet you’re surprised to see Harry here, eh?”

“Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley,” retorted Malfoy. “I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those.”

Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Persephone, Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.

“Ron!” said Mr. Weasley, struggling over with Fred and George. “What are you doing? It’s too crowded in here, let’s go outside.”

“Well, well, well — Arthur Weasley.”

The man who talked could only be Draco’s father. He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold, gray eyes. He stood with his hand on Draco’s shoulder, sneering in just the same way.

“Lucius,” said Mr. Weasley, nodding coldly.

“Busy time at the Ministry, I hear,” said Mr. Malfoy. “All those raids... I hope they’re paying you overtime?”

He reached into Ginny’s cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Transfiguration. Persephone was tempted to swat his hand away, but suppressed  her aggressive impulse.

“Obviously not,” Mr. Malfoy said.

“Obviously this is not your business” Persephone said coldly.

Mr. Malfoy’s eyes lingered on her.

“Ah, yes… Persephone Halliwell. Draco has told me everything about you. Indeed, you are very beautiful… a half-blood, I was told. From what I heard your father is a muggle,” he said with disgust “your mother, on the other hand… you know, at the moment her name eludes me…”

Persephone looked at him with a blank face.

“My father asked you something, pretty face” Draco said menacingly.

“No, he didn’t. He simply stated something. And if you ask me, I don’t see the point in what he said. I didn’t need that information as, if you didn’t notice, it was my family he was talking about... Now I know from where you inherited your stupidity, Dray.”

“How dare you?!” Draco snarled.

Persephone ignored him, “Anyway, if you were asking for my mother’s name, my answer is the same of a moment ago: it’s not your damn business.”

If looks could kill, Persephone would already be with Grams and all the matriarchs of the Halliwell family. Lucius Malfoy glared at her, but if he expected to scare Persephone, he'd be very disappointed.

His gaze returned on Mr. Weasley.

“What’s the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don’t even pay you well for it?”

Mr. Weasley flushed darker than either Ron or Ginny.

“We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy,” he said.

“Clearly,” said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. “The company you keep, Weasley... and I thought your family could sink no lower.”

There was a thud of metal as Ginny’s cauldron went flying; Mr. Weasley had thrown himself at Mr. Malfoy, knocking him backward into a bookshelf. Dozens of heavy spellbooks came thundering down on all their heads; there was a yell of, “Get him, Dad!” from Fred or George; Mrs. Weasley was shrieking, “No, Arthur, no!”; the crowd stampeded backward, knocking more shelves over; “Gentlemen, please — please!” cried the assistant, and then, louder than all —

“Break it up, there, gents, break it up —”

Hagrid was wading toward them through the sea of books. In an instant he had pulled Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy apart. Mr. Weasley had a cut lip and Mr. Malfoy had been hit in the eye by an Encyclopedia of Toadstools. He was still holding Ginny’s old Transfiguration book. He thrust it at her, his eyes glittering with malice.

“Here, girl — take your book — it’s the best your father can give you —” Pulling himself out of Hagrid’s grip he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.

“Yeh should’ve ignored him, Arthur,” said Hagrid, almost lifting Mr. Weasley off his feet as he straightened his robes. “Rotten ter the core, the whole family, everyone knows that — no Malfoy’s worth listenin’ ter — bad blood, that’s what it is — come on now — let’s get outta here.”

The assistant looked as though he wanted to stop them leaving, but he barely came up to Hagrid’s waist and seemed to think better of it. They hurried up the street, the Grangers shaking with fright and Mrs. Weasley beside herself with fury.

“A fine example to set for your children... brawling in public... what Gilderoy Lockhart must’ve thought —”

“He was pleased,” said Fred. “Didn’t you hear him as we were leaving? He was asking that bloke from the Daily Prophet if he’d be able to work the fight into his report — said it was all publicity —”

“Anyway, Miss Halliwell—”said George.

“You have been—”continued Fred.

“Amazing back there!” They said together.

“Oh please! You’re making me blush! Keep going!” Persephone said fanning herself with her hand. Everybody laughed and made their way to the Leaky Cauldron.

They said good-bye to the Grangers, who were leaving the pub for the Muggle street on the other side; Mr. Weasley started to ask them how bus stops worked, but stopped quickly at the look on Mrs. Weasley’s face. The next to leave were Harry and the Weasleys.

Harry took off his glasses and put them safely in his pocket before helping himself to Floo powder.

“See you at King’s Cross, guys!” Persephone said to the Weasley siblings. “Bye, Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley!”

”It was nice meeting you again, dear” said Mrs. Weasley.

”A pleasure, Persephone” said Mr. Weasley.

“Bye Sephie!”

When they left, Persephone turned around only to see her mother sleeping at a table placed in the darker corner of the pub.

‘Poor mom. I don’t think she is going to like the fact that Lockhart is my new DADA professor, nor the fact that I kind of fought with Lucius Malfoy’ she thought.