"Harry, are you alright?" Tracey asked as the Slytherin's walked away from their care of magical creatures class.
"Why wouldn't I be?" Harry asked as he walked with Jet resting on his shoulders.
"Harry, mate, the big guy did just drop you on a hippogriff before sending you straight into the air. You could have fallen off and injured yourself, if not kill yourself." Blaise replied.
"True, but I think Hagrid just got over excited and didn't think it through." Harry shrugged. "He's better than Quirrell and Lockhart at least."
"I would find it difficult to imagine anyone being worse." Theo replied.
"Don't tempt it." Harry sighed.
"We should contact my father and the papers," Draco suggested. "we can probably get the oaf fired within the week."
"No." Harry said, shaking his head.
"Why not?" Draco whined.
"Because despite his overenthusiastic near manslaughter, I rather liked the lesson." Harry admitted. "I'm going to go and speak to Professor McGonagall, tell her how to improve his lessons, we can go from there."
"But why?" Draco sighed.
"Because I owe him," Harry said, thinking about how Hagrid had helped Bathsheda with the photo album that Harry had got during his first christmas at Hogwarts. "this is my repayment, after that we'll be even." Harry said, while his time at the Tonks family had somewhat diluted his belief that everyone always wanted something in return for everything, it hadn't got rid of it completly. Harry didn't know if Hagrid would ever demand a favour from him but as far as Harry was concerned any debts he owed Hagrid would be gone once he helped Hagrid keep his job.
"Owe him? How on Earth do you owe him?" Parkinson asked with disbelief.
"Quite simple, Parkinson, actions have consequences, long and short term ones, you'd do well to remember that." Harry replied.
"Hmm, you need to be very specific with what you want to do." Salazar said.
Right now Harry and Jet were in the chamber of secrets, they had taken Salazar's portrait outside of the statue so they could practise spells. Right now Harry was practising his animation spells, Salazar had him break a wooden chair into pieces and then animate the pieces into something else, Harry had opted for somethings simple and had gone for a small person, using the chair legs as arms and legs while the seat was the body and the head was the back rest.
Harry had began practising moving the mini person around the chamber, having it walk around, stop and turn, pause, reach up and any other thing Harry could think of.
"Animation charms are always underrated bits of magic." Salazar commented. "I once saw Godric slaughter ten people by animating a large cat from several swords and shields. Could have just sent them flying at his enemies but no, wanted to prove the spell was underrated. In fact it's almost as underrated as me."
"I would argue that Helga Hufflepuff is more underrated than you." Harry said, keeping the majority of his focus on his spell.
"Don't you think it rather proves my point in a way if you argue against me?" Salazar asked.
"No, I am very sure that Helga Hufflepuff is more underrated, people at least talk about you and the other three." Harry replied.
"I don't know why people don't talk about her, honestly she was one of the kindest and most dangerous women I have ever known." Salazar said as he shook his head with disbelief. "She also gave brilliant handjobs." He added with a wistful sigh.
Of course it was at that moment that Harry's concentration broke and his animation charm failed, causing the animated chair-person to fall onto the ground, falling into pieces.
"I...beg your pardon?" Harry blinked as he looked at him.
"Oh, well...what happened was that one day Helga and I decided to..."
"Ah!" Harry cut him off. "I do not want to know...I do not want to know at all."
"Are you sure?" Salazar asked.
"Nobody wants to know and if you tell us I will put my fangs through your portrait." Jet warned.
The next day Harry was in a meeting in the headmaster's office, he was sat opposite Headmaster Dumbledore who was sat behind his desk. Standing on Dumbleodore's left was Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, and standing on his right was Hagrid who was looking quite nervous.
"Now, Harry, I believe you had requested this meeting to discuss Professor Hagrid's lesson." Dumbledore began.
"Indeed I did, sir." Harry nodded. "Our lesson started off with hippogriff's, he told us a bit about them before he had me approach one. Then I began petting one, then he said I could ride one, that was right before he picked me up and put me on the hippogriff without my consent and then he sent us both into the air, once again without my consent, and without a saftey harness or even a saddle."
"I see." Dumbledore frowned, he looked at Hagrid who was looking quite worried. "Is this true, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked.
"I...I...I'm sorry, sir." Hagrid said, his head bowed down.
"Hagrid," Dumbledore sighed before turned back to Harry. "Harry, I understand why you are here to complain, but..."
"Complain?" Harry asked, "no I am not here to complain about Professor Hagrid, I am here to help Professor Hagrid." Harry said, earning shocked looks from all of the Professor's, especially Hagrid who looked up so fast that he nearly hurt his own neck.
"Help, Mr Potter?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Indeed, while the lesson was less than perfect, Professor Hagrid is quite knowledgable in the subject." Harry replied. "I assure you if he didn't even remotely ressemble a competent teacher then I wouldn't bother. But in my opinion there are a few clear and fixable problem when it comes to his lessons."
"Oh, and what would that be?" Professor Snape asked, sneering as he did so. Harry was tempted to call him out on it but was beaten to the punch.
"Severus." Dumbledore said in a warning tone before he turned to Harry and gestured him to continue.
"The way I see it is Professor Hagrid may know a lot about magical creatures, but what he does not know about or have is experience teaching the subject. I would recommend someone help him plan out his lessons for the year, because in my opinion we never should have started out with hippogriffs. They are facinating animals but our first lesson should have been with a smaller and less dangerous animals like a niffler or a bowtruckle and then move up to the more dangerous animals."
"I think that is an excellent idea," Dumbledore smiled before turning to Hagrid. "Hagrid, I'm sure either myself or Professor McGonagall will be able to make time to help you plan your lessons for the year."
"Oh...thank you, sir." Hagrid said, tears in his eyes.
"If I might make one more suggestion then I'd like to suggest he contain his enthusiasm and I'd like to point out that an animal that could hurt Professor Hagrid would likely be able to kill us students." Harry added. "It would benefit him to remember that the rest of us are not as strong or as big as him."
"An excellent point, Mr Potter." Professor McGonagall nodded before turning to Hagrid. "He is not wrong, Hagrid. You need to consider other people's physical capabilities when you plan your lessons. Either myself or Professor Dumbledore will also go over keeping the students as safe as possible during your lessons."
"Uh...right, right ma'am." Hagrid quickly nodded as he wiped the tears off of his face.
"Right, if that will be all then I would like to leave." Harry said as he stood up.
"Of course, thank you for your help, Mr Potter." Dumbledore nodded to him.
"Wait," Hagrid said before Harry could leave. "just...thank you for the help, Harry. It means a lot."
"In my first year you got me pictures of my parents," Harry shrugged. "that meant a lot, in return I've helped you keep your job, this is me repaying you. We're even now." Harry said, he nodded to everyone before he turned and left.
Once he was gone Dumbledore let out a small sigh, on the one hand he didn't know what to think about the fact that Harry apparently only helped Hagrid because he felt obligated, but on the other hand maybe it wasn't just that. It was entirely possible that that was just one reason why Harry had helped Hagrid. But overall Dumbledore was proud of Harry and rather happy, while the boy might sometimes remind Dumbledore of Tom Riddle, Dumbledore was still sure that Harry was not walking down the same path as Tom. A similar one, maybe, but not the same.
"So...now we are running our school in whatever way the brat suggests?" Snape asked, looking annoyed.
"Professor McGonagall, Professor Hagrid, can you please leave the room? Dumbledore asked with a tired sigh. "I have a VERY long and overdue conversation that I need to have with Professor Snape." He said. Professor McGonagall seemed to have realised what Dumbledore was talking about since she gave him a pleased nod before she walked out along with Professor Hagrid.
"Sit down, Severus." Dumbledore ordered.
"Headmaster?" Snape blinked.
"We need to have a very serious discussion about your attitude to all things Potter." Dumbledore said.
Harry and the other Slytherin's were currently in their first defence against the dark arts lesson with Professor Lupin. Malfoy and Parkinson didn't seem too fond of him due to how he was dressed in less than perfect robes, personally Harry couldn't give two shits what the guy was dressed like as long as he could teach decently.
"Interesting, isn't It?" Professor Lupin asked as the class looked at the shaking cupboard in front of them. "Does anyone care to guess what is inside that?" He asked.
"That's a boggart, that is." Dean thomas answered.
"Correct Mr Thomas," Professor Lupin nodded. "does anyone know what a boggart looks like?" Harry raised his hand along with several students. "Hmm...Mr Potter." Professor Lupin said, gesturing to him.
"Nobody really knows what they look like, they always change shape depending on what a person fears the most." Harry answered.
"Correct," Lupin nodded. "now there is luckily a very simple charm that we can use to deal with a boggart. The incantation is 'Riddikulus'. Can everyone repeat that for me?" Lupin asked, he had the class repeat the incantation a couple of times before he continued. "The charm requires a strong mind and good concentration, the incantation alone will not affect a Boggart. What really finishes off a boggart is laughter, you need to make it take the form of something that you find amusing. Now, we need a volunteer, hmm...Neville, will you join me please?" Neville, despite looking very uncomfortable, did step out of the crowd and walked towards Professor Lupin. "Atta boy, now Neville, what frightens you the most?" He asked, Neville didn't immidietly respond, and instead ducked his head down and mumbled something. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite get that?"
"P...Professor Snape." Neville answered, earning some laughter from other students. While Harry did crack a smile, he wasn't entirely impressed. Sure he might not be the biggest fan of Longbottom but there was clearly something wrong with a teacher when they are a student's worst fear, just another mark against Professor Snape.
"Professor Snape, frightens all," Professor Lupin nodded with a smile. "now in a moment I am going to let the boggart out, here is what I want you to do." Professor Lupin stepped next to him and whispered something into Neville's ear, once he was finished Neville gave him an odd look but Professor Lupin ignored it and flicked his wand at the cupboard while he stepped off to the side. Seconds later the boggart exited the cupboard, disguised as Professor Snape, in fact it even sneered like him. "Wand at the ready, Neville, wand at the ready." Lupin called.
"R...riddikulus!" Neville cried out as he jabbed his wand at the boggart, a second later the boggart was now dressed in an awful green dress, was supporting a bright red handbag and had a stupid looking vulture hat on his head, the worst/best part was that Harry was almost positive that that was what Neville's grandmother wore.
"Wonderful Neville," Lupin called. "now you get to the back, everybody else form a line, come on."
The next few minutes of the class were spent with multiple students having a go at facing the boggart, including Ron who had went up against a giant spider which he defeated by making it legless. The Gryffindor's had gone first, now Seamus Finnegan was taking his turn at the boggart, then it would be the turn of the Slytherin's.
"I guess that I am going first." Harry rolled his eyes when the other Slytherin's looked hesitant, Harry handed Jet off to Daphne before he walked forwards. But he stopped when he heard Ron mumble something while looking at him. "Did you say something, Weasley?" Harry asked as he looked at him with a smile.
"No, he didn't." Neville said quickly before Ron could reply, for a second it looked like Ron was going to disagree but he apparently had more brains than Harry had credited him for and stayed silent.
"Good, I mean I'd hate to see something bad happen to your family because you can't shut your mouth." Harry smirked. "I mean, pissing off the guy who is willing to start a blood feud with your family, a really cunning stratergy. No, wait, not cunning. What's the opposite of that?"
"Retarded." Harry heard Jet hiss.
"Retarded, thank you Jet." Harry said before he walked past the Gryffindor's, including the red faced Ron, he stepped in front of the boggart after Seamus had moved to the side.
Harry looked at the boggart which had currently been turned into a clown. Harry wondered what the boggart would turn into, he didn't have any fears that he was aware of. Darkness, water, heights and so on didn't bother him. Harry wasn't scared of any animals either, of course if they attacked him then he'd be scared in the moment but after or before that he would be fine. So what would it be?
Harry watched as the boggart shifted, it grew wider and taller, and it grew a mustache.
"Uncle Vernon?" Jet asked in a confused voice. Standing in front of Harry was his Uncle Vernon, face purple with anger, belt wrapped around his hand.
"Of course," Harry sighed as he closed his eyes. "of course it would be you." Harry said, he opened his eyes and glared at the source of many of his nightmares. Harry raised his wand and aimed it at him. "Riddikulus." Harry said, a beam shot out of his wand and hit the boggart, in front of the whole class it shapeshifted, but they were all rather suprised when it turned into Ron Weasley.
"Mr Potter?" Professor Lupin spoke in a questioning voice.
"You said something funny," Harry shrugged. "pathetically funny counts." Harry said before he turned and walked off, once again walking past a red faced Ron Weasley.