All Hail the Dark Lord, Or Something Idiotic Like That

The Black Family Tree pt7

A/N: Not my story! Original available on ao3

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"Merlin...we've had some messed-up professors, haven't we?" Hermione sighed, pushing it aside temporarily.

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Harry was holding Sephie in his arms, needing the comfort as he walked into the entrance hall of the school. Even so, everything disappeared around him three steps in and he was standing in the middle of the battlefield the school had become. There was smoke, spellfire, and crying all around him. He could smell the blood and hear an echo of Bellatrix's laugh in the distance.

"Ow!" Harry jumped and shifted Sephie in his arms to rub at his side. "There has to be a better way to get my attention." He frowned at Ron who had viciously pinched his side when he'd blacked out in the middle of the hall. "I definitely have bruises!"

"What does your boyfriend usually do?" Hermione asked him as she put a hand on his arm and tried to offer some comfort as they followed everyone into the Great Hall.

Harry hummed with a small, nervous smile as he tried to stay in the moment. "I don't think you or Ron would want to try that."

"Ew, too much information," Ron grimaced while Hermione just laughed.

"I'm joking," Harry gave Ron's arm a little bump with his shoulder. "He usually just rubs circles on my back or talks to me until I come back."

"Bloody hell! The other professor you got rid of had to be better!" Ron dramatically groaned after a look up at the head table. "You should have left it alone. This year is going to be terrible! Let's just quit now!"

Harry frowned, coming back to himself more in confusion as he tried to see who the DADA professor was that Ron was so adamantly against. He absolutely could not help the smile that broke onto his face even with all the Occlumency training he'd had over the years. He pushed down his glee and excitement as much as possible when he briefly caught the eye of Percy Weasley. Percy's face softened just slightly before he turned back to where he was talking with McGonagall at the head table.

Hermione was also talking about something when Harry sat down with them at the Gryffindor table and started listening in to them again. "But he isn't even qualified. I'm sure he did well on his NEWTs, but how does that equal being able to teach DADA?" She was ranting quietly from beside Ron who was nodding away vehemently.

Harry held his tongue. Oh, if they only knew...Percy might not have a mastery in DADA, but as an Unspeakable, he was more than qualified to teach their class. Harry wondered just how persuasive his partner was with Fudge or if he needed to check the minister over for memory charms the next time he saw the man. He gave a mental shrug; he really didn't care. He did care that his Percy was going to be at the school that year though!

"Erm, Harry...?" Hermione asked with worry in her tone and a scared look on her face. "Why do you think Professor Flitwick would be staring at you like he is extremely, possibly murderously concerned...Like maybe he sees a tattooed 27 year-old sitting where Harry Potter should be sitting at the Gryffindor table?"

Harry looked over from where he'd been looking at Percy, and yes, Flitwick was staring at him like the next goblin uprising was about to start any second...then Flitwick's eyes cut over to Percy, a similar but more confused look crossing it then. "Bloody hell...it's not just house elves," he groaned wondering how long Flitwick would give him before demonstrating why he was world-renowned dueling champion. "This is why experimental spells are experimental!"