"Come on, we'll be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts." Natalie said, dragging the boys away from breakfast.
"Why would you put porridge in my hair?" Harry complained. "You know how messy it already is, why did you have to make it more so?"
"You called me stupid!" Ron retorted, trying to twist his arm out of Natalie's grip.
"I did not!" Harry said indignantly. "I said that it will never be my first day at Hogwarts again, in a tone that implied that I was suggesting that you were not the smartest person in the world."
"Exactly." Ron nodded. "Calling me stupid."
Harry rolled his eyes. "Natalie!" he barked suddenly. "Can you let go please? You're cutting off blood circulation to my arm."
"Hurry up, then!" Natalie said impatiently, but she released her grip on Harry.
The classroom door was already open when they arrived, and most of the class was seated.
"Where's the teacher?" Harry asked Natalie. "They weren't at dinner last night, were they?"
"No, they weren't." Natalie whispered back. "I don't know where they are."
Just as she finished talking, the office door opened, and, to Harry's immense surprise, Remus entered the room.
"I'm sorry, Harry." he said.
"Why-" Harry's question was answered when an explosion of confetti blew out of the teacher's office with a BANG, and James and Sirius emerged, sliding down the banister to the front of the class.
"Welcome, students!" James exclaimed. "My name is Professor Potter, and I will be your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor this year!"
"Uh, Dad..." Harry said, trying to ignore the looks he was getting from his classmates. "Why are Moony and Padfoot, here, then?"
"Because, Harry!" James said jovially. "Professor Black here is my teacher's assistant for the year! Next year I am his teacher's assistant, and the year after that, we are both Professor Lupin's teacher's assistant!"
"You mean..." Harry looked slightly horrified. "You three are my teachers... for the next three years?"
"Four, if you count Mrs. Potter becoming Professor Potter The Second in your fourth year!" James said, striding over to Harry and clapping him on the back. "She said she'd be coming in often these three years to 'observe.' She seemed to think I'd kill you all!"
"Dad, how did you get this job?" Harry asked. "What about Britt?"
"On they days that your mother comes in this year, she'll just come, too." James explained. "And as for how I got this job, I applied and Dumbledore said yes!"
"Right..." Harry looked extremely apprehensive. "You realize that Severus teaches here, too?"
James made a face. "Yes, I do, and he doesn't know that we're here, either. He'll find out at lunch."
"Now, now, Prongs, on with the lesson!" Sirius said, handing him a covered cage.
"Ah, yes!" James set the cage on the desk. "These little critters are extremely dangerous. You may find yourself facing your worst fears in this room. Now, let's see what you make of them!"
With a flourish, James uncovered and opened the cage at the same time, releasing electric-blue Cornish Pixies.
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