A New Potter - Chapter 11

The campus was finally reopened a week later. It felt like every hall was packed with all of the students with them restricted to the castle. Everyone was feeling the pressure and tensions were starting to rise. Even the smaller, in-house disagreements became more of an issue. Luckily, no one was sent to the Healing Ward, but Fred and George made a killing in sales.

The extermination outside had prompted Dumbledore to make it a requirement that all students were to eat meals together in the Great Hall until the Acromantula had been completely handled. As such, it made each day feel like the welcoming feast. Announcements were easier to make, students began to cross over to other tables, and unlikely friendships had begun to form. Fred and George had connected with a couple of Hufflepuff students that had an unrivaled talent with applied herbology and potion development. Integrating those skills with the twins opened to an entirely new business opportunity and potential partners after graduation.

The previous Harry had used the winnings from the Tri-Wizard Tournament to invest in the Weasleys. Their success and development meant future profit for me. Plus, I got a free crack at their new inventions before they hit the market. The option to commission special items was a nice plus as well.

"Students," Headmaster Dumbledore stood from his spot on the staff table. "It is my pleasure to introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, Professor Jadis White."

He motioned toward the end of the table where a tall, thin woman with ice-white hair stood and inclined her head slightly. There was a regal aura about her even in that simple movement. I didn't realize how tall she was exactly until the other staff members stood. She was easily the tallest among them without Hagrid here.

"Defense will start today as the position has been filled," Dumbledore said. "Also, the extermination of the Acromantula is complete, the Auror forces have done three circuits of the ground to verify the creatures are under control, and the grounds are now open."

Every single student cheered. Dumbledore smiled warmly as the celebration slowly eased.

"Keep an eye out for any stragglers," Dumbledore warned. "The Ministry has seen fit to place a squad of Aurors to the grounds until the end of the year for our safety."

Five Aurors stood at the end of the staff table. I recognized the two that had questioned me and Tonks. The other duo didn't tick any boxes in my mind. I waved at Tonks and the chatty Auror. Tonks shot me a mock-glare while the other Auror waved back. I really needed to learn their name.

"Please allow them to do their job unimpeded," Dumbledore said.

I cocked an eyebrow at that statement. It reminded me of the announcement in the first year about the third-floor corridor. Why bring attention to it? Leaving them alone was common sense. Pointing it out was like daring everyone to try. Maybe it was Dumbledore's subtle way at thumbing his nose at the Ministry?

That did bring another problem to mind. Would the Ministry take control of Hogwarts after I killed Dumbledore? That would make things really annoying. Not every Ministry official was like Umbridge, but the entire organization didn't inspire my trust.

Technically, I was the rightful Heir of Slytherin. I think that being able to draw the sword of Gryffindor meant I was also the recognized heir. If I was lucky, I could use that connection to take control of Hogwarts once Dumbledore was dead.

Why would I need to wait for him to die? It shouldn't matter if I claimed control now. I waited for the Great Hall to clear. It didn't take that long since everyone was quick to get out of the castle.

"I claim Hogwarts as the Rightful Heir of Gryffindor and Slytherin," I stated clearly.

My voice echoed around the room. I waited for something to change. Nothing did. I sighed. That would have been too easy. I turned around to find that I wasn't as alone as I had thought. Professor White stood nearby watching me. She was even taller than I thought. It didn't help that the body in Harry's body I topped out at five-foot-five and wouldn't get any taller according to the source material.

Judging by the height difference, she was easily seven feet tall. She couldn't be human. Her perfectly sculpted eyebrows rose in question as we shared a look.

"It was worth a shot," I flashed her a roguish grin.

"Heir of Slytherin and Gryffindor?" She asked.

"It's a long story," I replied trying to step around her.

She gracefully moved to block me.

"You are an interesting one," she stated. "What is your name?"

"Stubby Bagman," I answered quickly.

She glared at me.

"Harry Potter," I said with a sigh.

"Hm," her cool, blue eyes flashed pure white for a moment and studied me once more. "Interesting."

She turned and walked out of the Great Hall without another word. I didn't recognize that sort of magic as anything from the books or movies. That, plus her height, made me think she was definitely not normal. Well, as normal as a witch could be. I would have to keep an eye out for her.

I took a deep breath and let it out. If I couldn't claim the right to rule Hogwarts then I would have to roll the dice and hope it didn't fall in favor of the Ministry. Voldemort wouldn't need to attack the Hall of Prophecy, so it was likely that his arrival wouldn't be acknowledged for a while longer than the source material. Now, that was a problem I hadn't thought of until just this moment. If Voldie played it cool, or more likely, if Fudge kept his head in the ground then things were going to get messy.

"Damn," I muttered.

~§~

The entire school, staff included, were in better spirits now that they were restricted to the castle. Transfiguration and Charms were both taught outside. Unfortunately, most of the other classes weren't available for outdoor sessions.

For the rest of the week, I was roped into no less than three Quidditch games, a game of tag on brooms, and a couple of races. Interhouse rivalry was forgotten. It was a wonderous occasion which meant I was why I was completely taken off guard when I found myself waiting for a set of stairs to stop moving beside Pansy Parkinson.

Pansy was on the prettier side of cute. Her black hair was styled in a shoulder-length bob. She had a cute button-nose with a slight upturn that made me think of a pixie rather than a pug. Her build was naturally thin, but not petite.

We watched in silence as the stairs lined up with another floor. The group beside us thinned until it was just the two of us still waiting.

"I've been meaning to ask," Pansy said without turning to face me. "How did you do it?"

"Hm?" I asked in reply.

"Umbridge," Pansy clarified. "How did you do it?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I said with a shrug. "The spiders got her."

"She just happened to go into the Forbidden Forest and found them?" Pansy did turn toward me now.

"Stranger things have happened," I smiled at her.

"Well done," Pansy said turning back to the stairs. "This is my stop."

"Nice talking to you, Parkinson," I said as she started up the stairs. "We should do it again sometime."

"If you're lucky, Potter," she spoke over her shoulder.

Her hips swayed a bit more as she continued her climb. It wasn't until the stairs moved away once more that I realized that it had been aligned with my destination as well.

"Fuck," I muttered. "This place really needs elevators."

~§~

It took some time for everything to calm down again. Outdoor classes, while nice, weren't all that conducive to actually learn. Outside of Care of Magical Creatures that is. Everyone, even the professors, was distracted by the multitude of external stimuli. It probably wouldn't have been so bad, but word spread rapidly that Flitwick could be easily derailed with a simply question about how nature reacted to various charms. This inevitably led to little of his lesson plan being followed.

No one would admit it, but Professor McGonagall was even worse. There were many perks to being an animagus, however, there were some instinctual crossover behavior. The professor was in control in the classroom. Not only was she a professional, but she could manufacture the situation to her favor. Outside, there were hundreds of little things to catch her attention. It wasn't overt, but it only took a sharp-eyed student to notice her drifting gaze to put two and two together. Those classes in Transfiguration were focused on making and animating random creations made from grass, maple seeds that changed size as the spun, and altering the soil to a certain consistency that anyone with survival instinct avoided pointed out felt like a litter box.

The lessons were informative. They just weren't anywhere near what was supposed to be taught. It did make me wonder how McGonagall would react to a laser pointer. Or catnip for that matter.

Professor White was strict and did not allow for any sort of tomfoolery in her class. She was like McGonagall in that regard, but without the hidden gems of caring. It was hard to like her. The twins had tried to prank her after their first class. She easily disarmed their little trap, basically a whoopie-cushion that shot glitter and would continue to do so at random times with the appropriate sound effect, with a casual wave of her hand. While she wasn't pleasant, she knew what she was doing and treated everyone fairly. None of the houses were given preferential treatment.

Which was why I was rather shocked when she called for me to stay back after one of the classes.

"Go on," I said to the class. "I'll catch up."

 Our little group had grown to the entire Fifth Year collection of Gryffindor students. The time stuck together had expanded the bonds of the initial crew. We didn't exclude the firsties either. Gryffindor wasn't so much a family as it was a team. Luna spent more time in our common room than she did with Ravenclaw. There wasn't a need to form Dumbledore's Army with Umbridge gone.

I made a mental note to get one started anyway. It wouldn't be called Dumbledore's Army. I still had to figure out how, and when, to kill the old goat. Getting an official club going would be the best bet. Hogwarts and Hogsmeade may be safe but that left a lot of area for Voldie to terrorize.

"Mister Potter," Professor White's voice broke me from my internal monologue. "Follow me."

She turned away and began to walk off without a look back. The woman led me back to her quarters as though she had lived in Hogwarts her entire life.

"Are you aware of the Muggle belief of Adam and Eve?" She asked as we stepped into her quarters.

"Vaguely," I replied.

"There is a story about the first man created by a god," Jadis directed him over to a couple of chairs in front of the fireplace. "Adam, as they have come to call him, was created in the Garden of Eden from the dust of the earth. It was a magical place with no death, pain, or hunger. Adam grew lonely and asked his god for a partner. His god agreed and created the first woman, also from the dust. Her name was Lilith. Unlike Adam, she was not content in the garden. She wanted to see what lay beyond it and spurned his attention. This angered the god, and she was cast out of the paradise. Adam was heartbroken and once again alone. He begged his god for a partner. This time, his god created a woman from a piece of Adam. The name she is known by now is Eve."

She paused to make sure I was paying attention. It was a story I had heard in my previous a few times. The way she told it was still more interesting than I was expecting.

"The more common stories follow the life and trials of Adam and Eve. Their stories form the basis of a few Muggle religions," Jadis continued. "Lilith though, she had a much more interesting life. After she was cast out from the Garden of Eden, she taught herself magic."

"What happened next?" I asked.

"Trouble in paradise," She smiled, and it sent a shiver down my spine. "Eve was the perfect wife. Too perfect. Adam missed the spirited Lilith and asked his god to bring her back. His god, for whatever reason, agreed and sent a trio of angels to convince Lilith to return, by any means necessary."

She sat in one of the chairs and motioned for me to join her. I did.

"Lilith had not been idle," the tall said. "When the angels arrived, they asked for her return. She agreed, as long as they helped her complete a ritual. As commanded, they did what was necessary. Unfortunately for them, but fortunately for Lilith, the ritual was not a minor one. It released magical beings into the world. For their part, the angels were punished, and Lilith disappeared in the resulting chaos." Jadis let a brief silence settle between them. "Some claim that the offspring of Lilith are among the first magical humans. The magical beings, as well as the forsaken angels, are thought to be the origins of many magical creatures."

"Damn," I said.

"Quite," She inclined her head ever so slightly.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked.

" As you have no doubt noticed, I am not a mere human," Jadis said. " I am a Daughter of Lilith. We are a coven that stretches across the world. Each witch is tasked with finding powerful individuals." Her ice blue eyes locked onto his. "Such as yourself."

I didn't feel any sort of intrusion on my mind. It still made me slam my mental shields into place. Her ice-blue eyes stared into my soul.

"To recruit?" I asked. "I don't know if associating with me is a good idea, there is a Dark Lord and his cult trying to kill me."

Her laugh was like icicles clinking together. It was surprisingly pleasant considering her previous intensity in the classroom.

"No," She said. "Not to recruit. To breed the next generation."

My mind took a moment to catch up with her words. "Pardon?"

"I want you to impregnate me," Jadis stated. "Not now, of course. It would cause some issues with my lesson plans."

"Yeah," I nodded. "I'd imagine so."

We sat in silence for a moment or two. I didn't know what to say and she didn't seem to be in any hurry to say anything.

"Um," I cleared my throat. "Why me?"

One of her sculpted eyebrows rose at the question.

"Before I arrived at Hogwarts, I was a queen," she replied. "I learned how to measure the worth of a person during my time on the throne. Your story caught the interest of my coven. I wasn't sold on the idea until I met you. You exude a power that I haven't felt in some time. Old Magic that whispers a lullaby I had long forgotten. I may not appear so, but I have been alive for quite some time."

"You were a queen?" I asked.

"In a land far from here," her voice gained a hard edge to it. "Beyond a barrier that I can no longer cross. My life there ended in the jaws of an ancient beast only for me to wake here hundreds of years ago. There is a connection between the worlds. I was able to trace the bloodline of Lilith to find my family." She took a moment to steady herself. "I may no longer be a queen, but I still have a duty to my people. A strong heir, or more if you're willing, is but one of them."

"Oh," I eloquently replied.

"Now," she stood as she spoke. "We will speak on this later. Good day, Mister Potter."

I nodded and got to my feet. The walk to the Gryffindor tower was a blur. This was starting to get complicated. Not only did I have to kill Dumbledore, and get away with it, but now I had to figure out how to deal with a deposed queen that wanted me to knock her up. There were worse problems to have I guess. Now I just had to figure out how much of her story was true and how much was altered to make her look like the good guy.

Jadis White. She was a former Queen, a Daughter of Lilith, and, if I read between the lines, from another world. It looked like I was going to be spending some time in the library.