Un Nuovo Inizio

Chapter 3

Severus was ready to pull his hair out. He and Minerva had been interviewing potential defence teachers all day and were only halfway through the list. She sighed and slumped in her chair.

"Were they all as incompetent as they seemed to me?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so. He was the last one for the day. Who did you like best out of today's batch?"

"Mr. Kenzington seemed the most competent today. However, Mrs. Porter from yesterday has more experience teaching. She may not have ever needed to use her knowledge outside of a classroom but she seemed organized enough." Minerva nodded and made a few notes before they went down to dinner. They had to pick someone by the end of tomorrow, or they might not have a competent teacher for the school year.

Severus watched Harry happily help himself to a slice of lasagna and a slice of fresh bread from the head table in the great hall. He didn't know why it surprised him that Minerva decided to continue with one table for the summer rather than simply keeping the house tables there, but it did. From the look of things, it seemed the young man had taken his advice and started to eat normal portions once more. He never ate more than necessary-but he was filling out enough to take away the sharp angles the lack of food had done to him before the final battle.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Severus turned towards the wine on the table and poured himself a glass before offering Harry some. Harry looked at him with wide eyes at the offer.

"You are of age and technically a year that doesn't even exist. You're being treated as an adult-with everything, including alcohol. However, let it be known that you are not allowed to be sharing this privilege with any of the other students when they arrive, nor are you to be drunk around them. You're allowed to have one glass of wine with dinners on Fridays and Saturdays if you'd like and can have alcohol when school is not in session-although we ask you refrain until Friday evenings and Saturdays like the rest of the staff-either in your room or with a member of staff." Harry smiled and accepted a few sips worth of the drink.

"I've never had wine so I don't know if I'll like it." Severus put the bottle down where Harry could easily reach it should he enjoy the treat with his dinner and desire more.

Sure enough, Harry did actually pour a proper glass-Severus was quite happy to see he didn't overfill it like a certain astronomy teacher liked to do. He was further impressed when Harry seemed to enjoy tasting the wine as he drank, rather than just drinking it. He was glad someone was actually appreciating the wine Hogwarts had to offer for once.

Classes were an absolute chore the first day. None of the students wanted to pay attention, the new defence teacher had managed to send three students to the hospital wing and frankly Severus was over it by lunch.

He had decided to forego the dangerous and forbidding teacher persona and tried to just be a normal teacher for the year, but it didn't seem to be working. All he needed was for the next two classes to calm down enough for him to review the important things from the previous year with them so they could brew tomorrow.

The class after lunch was just as bad as the morning classes. Wandering eyes, doodling and yawns were just as frequent as the throbs Severus's head was experiencing. And then finally, finally the last class of the day entered.

The first student in the door was none other than Harry Potter and to everyone's shock, he took a seat at the table in front of his desk and placed his book on the table next to a sheaf of parchment, quill poised for notes. Severus couldn't help but think that the rest of class may have been shocked, but he was downright flummoxed.

After the class, Harry walked to his desk and smiled down at him.

"Rough day?" Severus nodded, wondering what on earth Harry wanted. "They're all restless because they want to ask you questions about the war but they're too afraid to breach the subject themselves. Just thought you should know."