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„You ask yourselves why the great Tony Stark is your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year? It’s indeed the most obvious answer: I lost a bet.”
The whole classroom chuckles, some students even start laughing openly.
It’s funny, but Peter is just glad to have such a great opportunity. If you are at least a bit interested in DADA, you know the name Tony Stark.
Among other wizards and witches, he had destroyed one of the most dangerous wizards that had ever lived. It was nearly fifteen years ago, but he still had a reputation. Headmaster Fury had fought along him, that’s probably how he ended up here.
“Professor Fury beat me in our little game. But I am a man of honour, so here I am.
But I can imagine better things than teaching a room full of little children.”
Any laughter died.
“That means you are going to prove to me that you are more than little children. Defence Against the Dark Arts is delicate and dangerous. You need to know what you do. Not knowing important spells, curses and their counter-curses will cost your life when you are unlucky. Being able to read something into your tea leaves will not save you.”
In the beginning of the lesson, everyone had been cheerful and excited to meet a man like Tony Stark. Now, everyone seems to be a little bit intimidated.
Peter is sinking down on his chair. He has always loved DADA – but he isn’t sure he can live up to any expectations the man has.
☼
The last school year is more stressful than it has any right to be. The N.E.W.T.s classes were challenging and he needed to do more homework than ever. Sixth year had been annoying already, but now it just got more and more difficult.
Peter loved learning, but school was just not the perfect system to learn things that matter.
The only subjects which still caused a spark in Peter were Transfiguration and DADA. Luckily for him, the former is falling into his lap and he does not have to study as much for it and still get good grades. For the latter though, he practices a lot. He often goes to the lonelier parts of the Hogwarts Grounds to try some of the spells.
Ned thinks he is insane for the extra work, Peter already has good grades – but good isn’t good enough.
Exceeding Expectations wouldn’t be enough for him, he wants an Outstanding at the end of the year.
He needs it for his job applications.
Maybe a little part of him also wants to be the best version of himself in front of Professor Stark.
☼
He sat with Ned among the other Hufflepuffs in the Great Hall and spent the rest of the break there, till they needed to go to Potions. They talked about their last assignment there and how they hoped that they nailed it. Peter worries a bit, but it’s probably unnecessary. He often worries too much.
But when he worries too much, he has friends to stop him.
“Heyooo. Pete, I saw you yesterday near the lake,” MJ had snuck up on them and squeezes herself between Ned and him.
“Why haven’t you said hi?”
“I was talking a walk with Gwen,” she said and before she could continue, Ned interrupted her with a grin.
“You were too busy flirting with a Ravenclaw, you mean? Peter, she hasn’t even kissed her and is already pushing us aside for her.”
He laughs and Peter joins him, it’s just a joke. MJ would never just leave them.
MJ doesn’t answer and just stands up. “At least I’m on my way to get some, different to little Hufflepuffs I know.”
“I could, I just do not want to.”
“Of course, Ned. But at least your kind of flirting isn’t learning every spell in your free time to impress a certain DADA teacher.”
Damn, Peter had hoped she hadn’t seen him practise.
“That’s not true,” he says, but it’s pointless: MJ already head back to the Slytherin table, but not without throwing him a wink, while Ned just laughs.
“What the fuck, dude. You were her victim, why do we talk about me?”
“Pete, you are just too easy to read.”
☼
The school year is ending and slowly he needs to decide which career path he should choose. Of course, everybody is struggling with this decision, but Ned already has a plan, MJ as well. But Peter still cannot decide if he wants to be a Curse Breaker or if he wants to go with the safer option, a journalist and photographer.
Both have advantages, both have disadvantages.
Being a Curse Breaker could kill you.
Being a journalist won’t kill you.
Sadly, it’s the reason why Peter doesn’t want to do it.
What do you do without a bit of thrill in your life?
May says safety is important and he doesn’t want to make her sad. She only has him.
He cannot be too reckless.
He groans and puts his face against his way too warm pillow.
He loves recklessness.
Nothing had ever been quite as good as the feeling of flying for the first time.
Tricking a dangerous creature in his O.W.L.s.
Finally mastering a difficult curse and its counter-curse.
☼
“I have survived the school year and so have you. It was surprisingly pleasant to work with you, but I am glad I never have to stand in a classroom again.”
This time, everyone laughs. The first lesson with Professor Stark had been a bit scary and he was certainly a strict teacher, but he is always way more humorous than everyone else. He pulls jokes without being too mean.
“Now, I am curious to see what you all are doing with your life. You have proved yourself worthy in this class – some more, some less. Thompson, start.”
“I will be a Quidditch commentator. The British Quidditch league has discovered me here at Hogwarts, they saw my potential, so I work for them after the summer.”
Under his breath Ned mutters to him that it’s no surprise, no one can talk more than Flash.
His laughing is difficult to constrain, but he doesn’t want to be mean. Even though Flash always is.
Betty explains how she will start learning at St. Mungos and after Ned said that he will be a potioneer, it’s Peter’s turn.
“For a long time, I couldn’t decide if I want be a Curse-Breaker or accept the job-offer at the Daily Prophet, but in the end, I went for Curse-Breaker.”
“Not the safest choice, but certainly better for you, Mr. Parker. I cannot see you behind a desk,” answered Professor Stark, the first time he said something regarding the career choices.
“Yes, sir.”
“And the Daily Prophet is not the best paper in the Wizarding World, I can assure you. You should have read what they published twenty years ago, just gossip and nonsense. I’m very glad you are all too young for it.”
Some students chuckle at that and a very daring Gryffindor asked if they published his wild antics.
“No comment. Please don’t look it up,” Professor Stark laughs.
“Parker, if you need some contacts, I have some names for you, come at the end of the lesson to me. Now, Mr. Barton, what will you do?”
☼
After the lesson ended, Peter packs his things slowly. Ned wanted to wait for him, but he said he can already go to lunch. With a shrug he had accepted and now the classroom is empty, except for him and Professor Stark.
While Peter walks towards the desk, Stark seems to write something on a short piece of parchment, then folds it twice and hands it to him.
“I know a few people who are working as Curse-Breakers, Natasha Romanoff for example, maybe you know her.”
Peter nods eagerly, she was one of the most famous Curse-Breakers, she had worked on every place in the world and broke the weirdest curses.
“Great. I have written down their contact details; if you have a problem, you can write them. Just say you know me and it’s all good.”
Peter nods again, unsure of what to say, but he didn’t want to be rude or ungrateful: “Thank you, Professor. That’s really nice of you.”
“Just don’t tell anyone I’m nice, that’s bad for my reputation,” he says with a smirk, but Peter cannot laugh about it. The Professor always said bad things about himself, covered as jokes, but sometimes Peter thinks he may believe them.
“Very well, goodbye Parker. It was a pleasure to teach you.”
Because his body did not react like he wants, he blushes furiously and nods again (can his head do anything else?). He stutters a thanks and then leaves the room, nearly fleeing.
Of course, MJ had been right - he always wanted to impress Professor Stark, but that didn’t mean he could handle compliments from him.
The parchment lies in his hand, but he doesn’t dare to read it till he reached the third floor. Ned and MJ are already at lunch, but he needs to give back a book at the library first.
His cheeks feel normal again and with the Defence against the Dark Arts class room behind him, he could look at the parchment without getting weak knees.
That was a lie, his knees are getting weak anyway.
A few names and addresses are written on it with black ink, but what catches his eye is the red ink at the bottom of the parchment. It must be the ink Professor Stark normally uses for his grading, but now there was written something else than a grade - it was an address and a little paragraph of messy handwriting.
Tony Stark. Please write me letters from time to time and tell me how you are doing – you have an extraordinary mind, Mr. Parker.
“Tony” is underlined two times.
The hallway is empty and he has never been gladder to be alone than now. His face feels on fire again and the parchment in his hands shakes because Peter is barely holding on. He is not sure he can make it to the library like this.
What the hell is his life.
☼
The day before departure Peter regrets his messiness. The worst part of the school year ending was cleaning out the room he had occupied for a year. He hardly ever found what he searched and when he found it, it was in places where he never expected it.
That’s the reason why he finds a book behind his bedside cabinet. He had borrowed it from the library probably months ago, he is surprised that Miss Pince hadn’t written him an angry note, asking where the book was. Maybe she hadn’t realised it was missing? She was getting old too after all…
It is not a lot of fuss, but he needs to rush to the library before he can pack the rest of his stuff. At least it gives him a break from sorting his things.
The corridors are rather empty, he only meets few students.
One hallway away from the library, he freezes on the spot. Professor Stark stood five metres away.
Until now, he had tried not to think about him, which was quite difficult at Hogwarts. Whenever they ate, he had to force himself not to look at the teacher’s table.
(Ned told him when Professor Stark was occupied, then he allowed himself to look at him. Just a short moment.)
“Professor, hello.”
Sometimes he asks himself how he got through seven years of school and made friends.
“Hello, Mr. Parker. Did some last reading before losing the privilege of using the Hogwarts library?”
He points to the book that Peter carries in his left hand.
Nervously, he laughs: “I wish. Ehm, I just found it in the back of my room, I kinda lost it. I have brought the rest back earlier this week, I wanted to be done. But my messiness –“ he realises mid-sentence that he is rambling like he always does when he does not know what to do and that it’s going to be embarrassing soon.
He stops himself: “….yeah, I just found it.”
He had already said that in the beginning of his ramble, he wanted to hit himself.
Extraordinary stupid is what he is.
“I get it. Luckily, the house-elves take care of my mess, that’s what you get for being a professor.”
Professor Stark grins and Peter smiles back, with courage he doesn’t really feel; he is a Hufflepuff after all.
“But you are being forced to have classes with annoying students, so you deserve the house-elves, sir.”
As he said sir, Peter could swear he saw Stark’s grin fade for a second, but it must have been his imagination.
“Not all of them are annoying, I know some exceptions.”
Has Peter already mentioned he cannot handle compliments from this man? His face is flushing again, he feels it clearly. And if he can feel it, Stark can see it.
“Peter.”
Teachers are not supposed to call students by their first names, Headmaster Fury hates it.
“You are blushing, don’t. I haven’t said anything blush-worthy yet.”
“I-I’m sorry?”
“Don’t be, it’s alright. Listen, I like your passion. I’ve seen you on the grounds, practising curses and spells. It’s impressing.”
Hell, how big is the chance he had seen the times where he messed up?
“Even if you fail, you don’t stop, you just try harder. It’s admirable.”
Obviously big. He nearly can’t focus on the words, because everything that happens seems a bit unrealistic – why is Professor Stark telling him that?
“You are going to be a great Curse Breaker. I’d love to see you again, work with you on the field.”
He is speechless, he tries to find words, but his brain just fails him.
Which amuses Professor Stark just a bit.
“Writing that I want a letter from you time to time was a lie. I want a letter next week, when I have left this castle and fortunately, you have left it too. Telling you which other traits of you are admirable while drinking a glass of firewhiskey was my vision.”
“Butterbeer is my preference,” is the only thing that gets out of his mouth and Peter asks himself if he is dreaming, because this cannot be real.
“That can be arranged.”
When Peter isn’t answering – he still needs time to process, Stark looks at him and his brows are furrowing.
“But if you don’t send me a letter, it’s alright too. These names on the parchment are still yours.”
He shakes his head.
“No, Professor. I just didn’t thought – “, that the greatest man of the wizarding world could have any interest in Peter Parker.
Now Stark grins again, like his confidence did never falter at all.
“Great.”
He passes him and Peter is still thinking about ways to confirm that this is reality when Professor Stark gently squeezes his left shoulder.
“By the way - the two lines meant that you can call me Tony, Peter.”