Over the next week Harry alternated between being a student, and being a teacher himself as he taught more and more students at Hogwarts.
After the classes were done he would lead two classes of his own, one teaching Hermione and a few other students about magic from Skyrim, and the other teaching the boys and a few girls hand-to-hand combat. Of course, Harry was still offering money for anyone who was able to knock him on his arse. And no one managed to claim it.
The only problem that Harry noticed was that the few Slytherins that attended at first had been completely absent after the first couple days.
Finally it was Friday again, and Harry decided to see what was up with them as the group headed down to the dungeons for Potions class.
"Are you looking forward to flying lessons next week, Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked him eagerly.
"Of course." Draco drawled as he swaggered down the corridor with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him on either side.
"I spent half my life on a broom already, even had a few near misses with those stupid muggle contraptions. Flippyboppers or whatever they're called? Anyways, I plan to try out for Seeker on the House Quidditch team after Higgs graduates at the end of this year."
Draco then went on about broomsticks and how he was going to bring the latest model with him to school the next year, but none of them noticed Daphne Greengrass disappear as an invisible force slipped away with her.
"Daphne." The abductor said after pulling her into a broom closet.
"Potter." Daphne said with narrowed eyes as she regarded him questioningly.
"I hope you do realize that we have Potions in just a few minutes, and Snape does NOT appreciate tardiness." She said irritably.
"Don't worry, I'll let you go in time for you to get to class."
"YOU have that class as well."
"And I'm not going to go. But I just wanted to ask you what's up with the Slytherins?" Harry said after waving her reminder that he had Potions away.
"..."
Daphne was silent for a moment as she regarded him carefully.
"Malfoy." She finally answered, prompting Harry to cock a brow.
"Malfoy?"
"Yes, Malfoy. His father is very influential, enough to even have the ear of the Minister. Malfoy threatened to send word to his father about us interacting with Gryffindor students, let alone the Boy-Who-Lived."
"And considering the little 'club' that most Slytherin graduates are a part of, I doubt Lucius would be too understanding about that." Harry said, recalling what he had read in the book that Rita Skeeter sent him.
"I'd watch what I say if I were you." Daphne told him with a voice full of ice.
"Don't care." Harry immediately replied, making her look like he'd just slapped her. But he truly didn't care. What was a first year witch with only two weeks of schooling going to do to him?
"How would you like to still learn some of the magic I know?" He offered her suddenly, making Daphne blink.
"Are you serious?"
"Completely. You are talented, almost as much as Hermione. It would be a shame to let that go to waste just because of a few rotten apples." Harry told her, his words genuine.
Daphne gave him a suspicious look at his offer. "Why?"
"I already said, you're talented. Plus from what I've researched your family wasn't nearly as involved with Voldemort and his actions back then. Additionally..."
"You want someone in the know." Daphne finished for him.
"Exactly." Harry conceded.
"I don't know anything about the power dynamics of wizarding society, and books can only tell me so much. So if you can help me fill the gaps, then I can teach you magic that isn't like anything taught here at Hogwarts. Deal?" Harry asked as he stuck his hand out.
"..."
Daphne alternated between looking at Harry's hand then back to him for a moment, before finally saying, "Let me think about it for a few days."
"Fair enough." Harry relented, as he wasn't going to strong-arm an eleven year-old into his fight with Voldemort. But if he played his cards right, Daphne could prove herself to be a valuable asset in the future.
'I'm going to Potions now, and I suggest you do the same." Daphne said since Harry had said everything he needed.
"By all means." Harry said as he opened the door to the closet and made an 'after you' gesture.
"Thank you." Daphne said as she walked by him, but when she turned to look back, Harry had disappeared entirely.
"..."
"Maybe I should learn from him..." She muttered in a conflicted tone, before hurrying to Potions. Shockingly, Harry never showed up.
While Daphne was in Potions with the rest of the Slytherin and Gryffindor first years, Harry quickly made his way to Albus's office for the second time in a week. And like last week, it was because of Sirius.
Today was the day of his trial.
For the last week the papers have been having a field day with the revelations about Sirius and the possibility of him being innocent. One of the biggest points that they had been bringing up was the fact that Sirius was apparently the current head and last heir of the house of Black, as the only other remaining Blacks had already been married off and had different names.
And one of them was Narcissa Black, now known as Narcissa Malfoy and the mother of dear Draco.
Harry couldn't help but wonder what was going to become of THAT particular factoid in the near future as he stopped in front of the statue guarding Albus's office.
"Lemon drops." Harry said to it, and the statue leapt to the side to reveal the spiral staircase leading upwards.
"Good morning Harry." Albus greeted him as soon as Harry entered the office.
"Morning. Everything set to go to the trial?" Harry asked he helped himself to one of the chairs.
"I'm afraid that I cannot escort you to the trial today, as I will be required to reside over it as per my duties as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. As such, I have arranged for someone else to escort you."
"Who's that?" Harry asked curiously, expecting someone like Moody.
"He is actually an old friend of your father and mother. In another, happier, life, you might have even referred to him as 'uncle'."
Harry's brows shot up as he pieced together who Albus was referring to, someone Albus told him about the night they met as he shared stories of Lily and James.
"Remus?" Harry asked him.
"Indeed." Albus affirmed while inclining his head.
"Though usually someone like Remus would never be allowed at the Ministry, an exception has been made due to the nature of this situation. He may even become one of the key witnesses if his letters to me over the last few days are anything to go by."
"'Someone like Remus'?" Harry repeated with a cocked brow.
"Unfortunately yes. When he was a child Remus was afflicted with a certain condition, which has resulted in him being ostracized by the wizarding world for the majority of his life. I have tried to help him, but there is a limit to how much 'charity' he would be willing to accept. Maybe meeting you will do him some good. He's waiting at the Leaky Cauldron now until the trial starts."
"I'll take my leave then." Harry said as he stood and made his way to the fireplace, taking a pinch of Floo Powder as he did so. A flash of green flame later, and he was off to the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry stepped out of the fireplace when he arrived at his destination, finding himself in a familiar pub that had effectively been his home for a month.
"Harry!" Tom exclaimed when he saw him, obviously surprised by his presence.
"Morning Tom." Harry greeted him as he glanced around the pub, which only had a few people in it at this time. One of them was a man who had the look and bearing of a man in the prime of his life, but also bore signs of premature aging. His hair was a light brown, and his robes were shabby and patched with what were obviously self repair jobs.
"Remus Lupin I presume?" Harry asked as he approached the man, who was staring at him like he had seen a ghost.
"Hello Harry..." He breathed out, looking Harry up and down as if he were trying to commit his appearance to memory. "The last time I saw you, you were barely up to my knee..."
"If you're surprised by how I look now, you should have seen me two months ago." Harry commented wryly as he sat down at the table beside Remus, while Tom readily brought him a drink without him even asking.
"Yeah? Dumbledore said you have been through quite a bit in his letters, but never went into detail." Remus stated, while eyeing the mug of ale Harry was drinking in confusion.
"Yeah. He said something similar about you and your 'condition'." Harry replied after taking a drink, and was now eyeing Remus curiously. Whatever it was that Remus was suffering from though, Harry was sure it wasn't as bad as Albus made it out to be.
"Right..." Remus nearly groaned as his voice dropped in volume. "I suppose you were going to find out anyways, and its better if you go in today with some context... I am a werewolf."
"..."
"Is-is that it?" Harry asked incredulously, wondering if that was all the big secret was.
"Well....yeah. Though I suppose you might not know too much about werewolves aside from muggle stories and such." Remus said sheepishly, keeping his voice lowered so that the other patrons couldn't hear. However, he never could have predicted how Harry was going to react to THAT.
"Pft.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Remus blinked as Harry began to laugh. Not a giggle, chuckle, or snort. But a full on laugh from the bottom of his belly that drew the attention of every single patron in the pub.
"Uh, Harry?" Remus tried to sober him up, while also feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the attention they were getting.
"Sorry... Haha... Sorry." Harry said a few times as he tried to get himself under control, though it took him another few minutes to do so.
"Ah man, I haven't had a good laugh like that for a long time." Harry finally said as he got himself under control.
"I'm glad my condition was able to amuse you so." Remus commented dryly.
"Sorry, but I think I need to start from the beginning so you understand why what you said was so funny." Harry said, still fighting back a giggle as he launched into his own story.
Harry told Remus how he had spent the last fifty or so years on another world called Nirn, as well as a taste of what the world was like along with some of his experiences there. He even threw in a couple displays of minor magic to prove his story. But then Harry ended his story by telling Remus he had even gotten married and had a family while he was there, to a werewolf.
"..."
"You were married, to a WEREWOLF?!" Remus uttered in disbelief.
"Yeah, I was..." Harry said dreamily, reminiscing about his wife as he did so before casually adding, "I also had a vampie for a mistress, but that was only becasue she didn't like the idea of marriage, or temples, or big ceremonies like a wedding."
"..."
Remus looked as if his eyes were about to bug out of his head from everything Harry told him, even as Harry casually polished off the rest of his ale. He then declined a second mug from Tom, but only because they would be heading to the Ministry soon.
"I-I can't beleive this...." He uttered while burying his face in his hands, obviously struggling to come to terms with everything he had just learned.
"Who else knows about this?" He asked suddenly.
"A few people." Harry answered casually as he did accept a side dish to snack on. "I'm not exactly hiding my past from those around me. After all, can you imagine a man in his sixties trying to pretend he was eleven again? But I'm also not openly advertising it due to Voldemort and stuff."
"You said you had a family." Remus then started suddenly. "Did you and your wife have any kids?!"
Harry looked at him weirdly for a moment before he answered, "If you mean biologically, then no. The idea of actually getting pregnant and carry a baby to term didn't appeal to Aela, because of how active she liked to be. I can only imagine the torture it would have been for her not to go hunting for so long. We did however adopt a few dozen kids due to the high amount of orphans that could be found throughout Skyrim."
"Do you have any idea how DANGEROUS that was?!" Remus practically growled in a low voice, and not in a wolfish manner. But he didn't expect Harry's eyes to immediately sharpen.
"Tell me you are NOT implying what I think you're implying." Harry said in a low and dangerous voice, all of his previous mirth having evaportaed.
"Listen, Harry-"
"No, YOU listen." Harry cut Remus off as he leaned forward.
"I spent more time with Aela than you've been alive. No one in all of Nirn knew her better than I did, including how dangerous she could be when she chose to. I have seen her slaughter entire bandit camps, vampire dens, and even full-grown giants. Yet she never once did anything that could be considered even remotely threatening towards our kids.
"So before you say something you regret, I suggest we compare notes first on werewolves, because I'm quickly learning that things in this world are exceptionally different than they were in mine. Does that sound like a plan?"
"..."
Remus said nothing as he just slowly nodded in affirmation, which had an immediate effect as the tension quickly dissipated from their table.
"Good. Now then, I think we should head to the Ministry since the trial will begin soon. Don't worry I'll pay." Harry told Remus as he put a golden coin down on the table, which was far more than their drinks and snacks were worth, but Harry didn't mind since they had created a bit of a scene.
Remus then led Harry outside to flag down what he called the Knight Bus, a bus that functioned as transportation for witches and wizards when they couldn't rely on things like Floo Powder or brooms. And while the ride was chaotic, both Harry and Remus were able to stay composed enough that they were able to give each other lessons on lycanthropy in different worlds.