The Great Hall of Hogwarts was abuzz – rumors and gossip were making the rounds about one thing and one thing only: who would be filling the newly vacant Defense Against the Dark Arts position. The prestigious post had cycled through various Aurors and Ministry of Magic personnel in the years following the war, yet none had lasted more than a couple of years; they had all been temporary stopgaps until Headmistress Minerva McGonagall could find the appropriate wizard or witch on whom to bestow the official title of Professor of Hogwarts. After seven long years, she had finally come to a decision and had announced that a permanent Defense teacher would be named at the opening banquet of the new school year.

Hence, the gossip mill was churning at full force, everyone excited by the prospect of some juicy news. The rumors were not limited to the confines of Hogwarts either, as the Daily Prophet and even a few wizarding newspapers overseas had run articles debating likely candidates. Kingsley Shacklebolt's name had been thrown around ever since he retired as Head Auror two years prior, his vacant position filled by Harry Potter, while esteemed witches such as Fleur Delacour and Hermione Granger were also widely considered to be in the running. More farfetched and unlikely names were included in the discussion as well - Rita Skeeter even went so far as to say that Molly Weasley was her dark horse for the abilities she demonstrated in defeating Bellatrix Lestrange. Whatever the actual case may be, in a few minutes time, the mystery would be revealed, galleons would exchange hands, and life would go on…at least, that was the belief.

So when the Minerva McGonagall stood to attention at the head of the staff table following the seating of all the students, everyone quieted to a hush immediately, including the staff members, who were equally clueless as to their newest colleague. All of those present in the Great Hall were on the edge of their seats as they prepared for the eagerly anticipated announcement.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the school of the utmost magical tradition…."

As McGonagall droned on in her welcoming speech, students and staff alike tuned her out, their recent excitement momentarily forgotten and replaced by overwhelming boredom. But all at once, about five minutes into the speech, they perked up as the Headmistress prepared to announce the long-awaited news:

"Finally, as I am sure you are all aware, we will be welcoming a new professor into our midst this year and he will be holding the permanent position of Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

At once, hushed whispers went back and forth between students, as the new teacher was now necessarily a wizard. When the Headmistress did not continue speaking and silently glared over her spectacles, the students got the message and quieted up.

"I have just been informed that he has entered the premises and should be reaching the Great Hall at any moment now. This wizard has qualifications that put him far and above what Hogwarts was seeking for this position: after helping to defend the wizarding world from the forces of darkness as Head Auror – "

The murmurs redoubled, and several heads started nodding, galleons already changing owners. However, the Headmistress had no need to silence the crowd this time around, as the distinct knock sounding on the main door to the Great Hall accomplished that for her. With a smile and twinkle in her eye, both eerily reminiscent of her predecessor's, Headmistress McGonagall completed her announcement:

"Everyone, please welcome Grand Sorcerer and Order of Merlin, First Class… Harry Potter!"

x

This time, there was no quieting the students, and even the professors jumped out of their seats to stare in amazement at the figure approaching the staff table.

Harry Potter was dressed in black robes and smiled as he purposefully strode down the aisle towards his colleagues. Long gone were the pair of glasses he had worn during his years at Hogwarts and even his hair had been somewhat tamed; now, his scar was openly displayed on his forehead, not that he would ever go unnoticed without it. Moreover, his body was muscular and toned after years of training and Auror work – this was most certainly no longer the body of a boy. Above all else, he carried himself with a confidence that demanded attention from everyone in the room.

As soon as he reached his former Transfiguration professor, he quickly brought her into a tight hug before holding a quiet conversation with her. He did the same right afterwards with his longtime friend Hagrid and his other former professors still teaching at the school. When that was done, he finally took his seat of honour right beside the Headmistress.

Throughout this time, students were madly scribbling on parchment and calling for their owls, eager to spread the news. Others simply chattered amongst themselves, while several witches gathered together and giggled while glancing at Harry. Throughout all of this, Harry simply caught up some more with the other professors, glad to be back at Hogwarts, the place he always felt he belonged the most – this was going to be a fun year.

x

Professor Daphne Greengrass sat at the edge of the staff table, wondering what all the hubbub was about. Sure, the appointment of Potter as DADA professor had come as a surprise even to her, but there was no reason to continue fawning over him; the war had ended seven years ago and Potter's arrogance did not seem to have diminished in the least since then – if anything, it appeared to have grown. She just wanted to get this opening ceremony done with, as it seemed it was already going to be a long night.

She eagerly awaited the sorting, wanting to see who would be joining her House. When she was made Head of Slytherin a year ago, she became the youngest ever to hold the title. However, it had been a natural promotion, as she was Potions master, like several of the past Heads of her House. She'd been hired shortly after the war when Horace Slughorn had retired, and naturally, he had recommended one of his former Slytherin students for the post. While other wizards and witches had had better credentials and more experience, one simply could not beat connections; coming from an ancient and powerful family definitely had its benefits.

Slytherins were known for their manipulative nature, and Daphne was no exception to the rule. From a young age, her family's motto had been ingrained into her mind: Greengrasses always get what they want.

x

At the other side of the room, Gabrielle Delacour still stood in awe at her idol of over ten years. After being saved by Harry during the Second Task of the Triwizard Tournament, she had immediately wanted to be just like him, to be strong enough to defend herself and the ones important to her. As the Boy Who Lived, he had always been labeled as different, and was often shunned because of this – not unlike her own situation, being part-Veela. However, he had triumphed over all adversity, becoming one of the greatest heroes the wizarding world had ever known and silencing all his critics in the process.

Harry Potter's successes were the reason Gabrielle tried to emulate him: she wanted to rise above the stigma of her race and prove her worth to the world on the sole basis of being a fantastic witch. One of the main reasons she had transferred over to Hogwarts was to try to learn in his footsteps, and it had been no simple task convincing her parents and her sister that Beauxbatons was not where she wanted to complete her schooling. It was all worth it now, however, as she could not believe her luck: she was going to be taught by Harry Potter!

x

Harry was amazed at the fact that the students were still milling around like bees in a hive and immediately felt sorry for his Headmistress. He turned his head to her and gave her a silent apology, which she returned with a slight, knowing smile. He then looked to the other side of the table and beamed again at the familiar faces. When he reached the end of the table, though, he was somewhat shocked to see a bored-looking Daphne Greengrass sitting there. He vaguely remembered her being a Slytherin in the same year as him during their time at Hogwarts, and was surprised to see she had become a professor at Hogwarts. She was young – not that he was one to talk – but he did seem to recall Hermione saying that Daphne was one of the brightest witches in their year. In his musings, he must have been left staring at her, as feeling his gaze, she turned towards him. Her icy blue eyes shone brightly even in the dimly-lit Great Hall and contrasted her beautifully pale skin and hair that was as black as night. Although she had always been pretty during their school years, she had blossomed into a knockout as she progressed into young adulthood.

Realizing that he was still looking at her, Harry blushed and tore his gaze away from her, causing a snicker to escape Daphne's mouth. She grinned, momentarily forgetting about the grueling procedures still to come and instead thinking that times should be interesting with the return of the Boy Who Lived.

x

"So how was your day, Nymmie?" asked Harry, bracing himself for the inevitable outburst.

Not one to disappoint, Tonks immediately yelled, "Stop calling me that, Harry!"

"Sorry," Harry said with a smile, and Tonks' expression softened, returning the smile. "The Auror Offices aren't a complete mess without me?"

"Don't be full of yourself," she replied with a smirk, "though you know we'd welcome you back anytime, Harry –"

"Stop, Tonks. We've had this discussion before. I became an Auror to get rid of Voldemort's remaining followers who managed to survive the war. There are always going to be new dark wizards that pop up, but you and I both know that the threat is essentially over for now. I want a new challenge in my life, and I think teaching Defense fits the bill perfectly."

"I know, honey…I just miss you," Tonks replied with a shy smile.

"It's only been a day since I left!"

Tonks stuck her tongue out before yelling, "Meanie!"

They shared a laugh before Tonks continued:

"So how was your first day back at Hogwarts? All the papers are already running your face on their front pages, you know?"

"Yeah, I probably should have just gotten there on time so I didn't have to make an entrance…but I wonder whose fault it was that I was late in the first place?"

"Hey! I don't remember hearing you complaining. As I seem to recall, you were the one who started getting frisky."

"You're right as always, my dear, but can you blame a man?" he asked, as he gently bent down to kiss her lips. She returned the sweet gesture, wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him even closer to her body and trailing her fingers through his thick mane of black hair. When they finally broke apart, Harry lightly placed a kiss on her nose, causing the tips of her hair to turn bright pink.

"I'll see you in a week, as promised, alright Tonks?"

She nodded her assent, watching affectionately as her boyfriend disappeared into the Floo.

"…I love you," she whispered, to no one but the flames, too scared to share her feelings just yet. "One week, Tonks," she muttered to herself, "one week. Nothing will have changed in one week and I'll say it then." Satisfied, she whistled as she skipped to her bedroom, oblivious to all that could really happen in the span of a week.