Chapter 13: Chapter 12 – New Professors

As the day got darker around us, we spilled out of our compartment and joined our larger friend circle in their compartment. There were too many people to fit comfortably in that small space, but we made it work; squishing in between each other and sitting on people's laps, some even crouching on the floor as we all chattered and laughed. 

It was a relief when we arrived at the Hogsmeade station, where as soon as I stepped out of the train and felt the fresh air hit my face and stretched, I made a very inappropriate noise of pleasure. 

"Oh GODRIC... that feels good." I sighed, shaking out my limbs. 

"Heh." Fred smirked. "I could make y-" 

"First years over here, please!" Terry yelled loudly, waving his arms. I turned my back on Fred, watching and sniggering as Terry directed a group of confused first years onto the train tracks. 

"Godric Gryffindor, Hopper, you're wild." George commented. 

"He doesn't even look like the Head Boy." I pointed out. 

"But Boy, does he give good Head." Draco said cheekily as he passed us, and George and I snorted. 

"Hey, Hagrid, my man." I said, high-fiving the half-giant on the way to the carriages. "How's it goin'?" 

"Alrigh', Daisy? It's goin' good, I've a half a dozen Bowtruckle younglins ready ter -" 

Us Insurgents grinned at each other as we left Hagrid to babble - the poor guy hadn't understood that it was a rhetorical question. 

Everyone could see the Thestrals this year, and bunches of students were gathered around the freaky looking horses, some cautiously petting them and others watching with mingled disgust and interest. There was also a mad scramble for the carriages; due to our year repeating as none of us had actually learned anything during the Dark Hogwarts days, it was as if we had a whole extra year of students to accommodate. 

"Excuse us, coming through." 

"Make way, make way." 

I grinned as the students parted for us, ogling us as we passed, just like at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. I hoped it would be like this all year; the attention was nice, and it was great to be able to get through crowds so easily. 

"Can we take this carriage? Yeah? Okay, thanks, mate." Fred said, coaxing a trio of second years down from the nearest carriage and swinging himself up. 

Terry, George, and I followed suit, and we used the privacy on the way up to the castle to gossip about our friends - 

"Guys, I heard Suzanne's pregnant!" 

"Seriously? Oh my Godric, I'm gonna be an auntie!" 

"Don't believe everything you hear on Snapchat, Softpaw." 

- about politics - 

"I just don't think straight-up capitalism is sustainable long term, it only benefits a very small percentage of people and everyone else gets screwed -" 

"I agree, and may I just point out, I hate landlords." 

"Based." 

- and about - yes, you guessed it - Luke, yet again - 

"I just don't get the hype." 

"You wouldn't, you're as straight as they come. You obviously can't get how Softpaw and I just wanna lick those delicious abs..." 

"Hey, we've got abs too!" 

"Mmm, and those biceps..." 

"UH - we've ALSO got biceps!" 

"Oh, and that hot as hell face... fuck, that jawline... those sexy eyes..." 

"We've - we've -" 

"I'm aware you're both hot too, but other features are also attractive. You can't blame Softpaw for finding other people hot - you think you'd understand, being in a poly relationship." 

"Are you suggesting -?!" 

"No, I'm not suggesting to add Luke into the equation, but a cheeky foursome couldn't hurt, could it? Then her thirst is quenched once and for all!" 

"Jesus Christ, Hopper -" 

We arrived to the bridge, hopping out of the carriage still bickering. I left the three boys to it as I walked slightly on ahead, following the flow of people along the bridge leading to the front courtyard, gazing around. I'd first walked here as a first year, alongside Harry, Terry, and Ron. I'd been teasing Terry, jumping on his back, and pretending to push people off. Then we'd all raced to the courtyard, where Harry and I had won and I had addressed the crowd of fellow first years after, making some stupid joke - and from then on I knew I'd captured the hearts of the students, as they'd all laughed at my attempt at humour. 

And now, with our longer seventh year legs, we managed to make it across the bridge quicker than we did all those years ago. Harry sent me a look over Ron, Hermione, and Kylie's heads, and I smiled at him; he was remembering too. 

We all streamed up the steps into the Entrance Hall. The school had been miraculously rebuilt in the short timeframe between the Battle of Hogwarts and now; if you hadn't been there, you wouldn't be able to tell that anything had happened at all. I made my way across the pristine Entrance Hall, gazing around as Fred, George, and Terry tagged along behind me, still arguing back and forth. The House jewels, glinting red, green, blue, and yellow in the candlelight; the marble staircase, where I'd swept down for so many school balls; the little chamber off to the side where Professor McGonagall had ushered all of us first years into to wait for the Sorting. 

And speak of the devil; Professor McGonagall was hurrying towards me through the stream of people heading into the Great Hall. 

"Miss Potter! Miss Potter!" She reached me, looking slightly out of breath, steadying her deep red witch's hat on her head. "I am glad I caught you. I wanted a quick word, if you will...?" 

"Of course, Professor." I said, shrugging at my friends as Professor McGonagall steered me off to the side. "Hey, congrats on getting Headmistress, by the way." 

"Thank you." Professor McGonagall said crisply, before lowering her voice. "Miss Potter, I just wanted to warn you - before you saw it for yourself -" 

"Saw what, Minnie?" I said indifferently. Not much was affecting me these days. I'd built up a huge tolerance to all the random bullshit that happens to me. 

Professor McGonagall hesitated. "Miss Potter... Lord Voldemort - or Tom Riddle, as you call him - has returned to Hogwarts as a ghost." 

I gaped at her. 

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"I don't know! Like, will we ever be rid of him? What will it take to get rid of that asshole for good?" I exploded, my loud voice masked by the chatter around us. 

"Terry, c'mon, there's really no room -" Colin broke off as Terry forced himself between Harry and Ginny, directly opposite me. It was a tight squeeze, but somehow the Ravenclaw managed it; he still turned the blue flaps of his cloak over like he always did, even though every professor knew who he was and gave zero fucks that he was sitting at the Gryffindor table. 

"I just hope he stays in the Chamber of Secrets and doesn't come up here." Fred simmered, fists clenched in his lap. "If he comes anywhere near you, baby girl, I'll kill his fucking ghost, I don't care if it's physically possible or not!" 

"Technically -" Terry started. 

"No! None of your nerd talk right now, please." 

Terry pouted. 

"But hey, wait. Guys." George said, turning to us with wide eyes. "That means it's not really Riddle stalking us. It's his body, yeah, but it's bound to be controlled by someone else. Because his mentality is here at Hogwarts, as a ghost." 

I stayed silent for a moment, letting this information sink in. I leaned forward on the table, resting my chin on my hand, pondering. Riddle wasn't in his physical body, he was a ghost, apparently... here, underneath the school, and Professor McGonagall had seen him... but his body was walking around in real life, terrorising me... 

"Who could be controlling that body, though?" 

There could only be one person. One THING. 

"Floppy." I said dully. 

Terry, Fred, and George looked at me. Realisation was dawning in Terry's eyes. Fred and George's arms snaked around my waist, and a gaggle of fourth year girls squealed as they passed, eyes on me and my two boyfriends. 

"Think about it. He's a demon, he can possess whoever he likes - within reason, I guess, but Riddle's dead so he'd have no problem getting inside his body." I said. "And there's no one else I can think of that would want to terrorise me like this." 

"You're absolutely right, Softpaw." Terry said, shaking his head slowly in disbelief. "I can't believe we never even thought of this possibility before." 

"Because not all of us are big-brained like you and Softpaw." George shrugged. 

I giggled. "I'm not big-brained. I just know my enemies." 

"Well, you definitely have a big something else." Fred purred, his hand trailing down to my ass. 

"Oh!" I let out another peal of high-pitched giggles. Terry narrowed his eyes at us. 

"Right." He said. "C'mon, now." 

We watched the Sorting casually, participating in the catcalling whenever someone was selected as a Gryffindor, but for the most part our conversation was dominated by the Riddle-ghost and Floppy. We were getting some weird looks from Ginny, so we had to keep lowering our voices, and by the end of the Sorting had to drop the conversation completely. 

"Right, now." Professor McGonagall stepped up to the lectern at the front of the staff table, clearing her throat. "As you all are most likely aware, I am your new Headmistress. I, as you also will most likely know, therefore am of the obligation to speak a few words in honour of the events of two months ago." 

I could feel everyone's gaze on me as Professor McGonagall continued speaking, and felt myself become rather too hot. Fred and George's arms were warm and heavy against me, keeping me firmly in between them... so strong and protective... I couldn't get away from all of these stares if I tried. 

"... And so I think these heroes and heroines of our school deserve a round of applause. Now, please -" 

The twins released me to clap, and I breathed a sigh of relief. They were beginning to feel like bodyguards the way they had to be so close to me all the time now, ever since HIM. 

"And finally, I have some staffing changes to announce. Everyone please welcome Professor Wells, who will be taking over the post of Muggle Studies." 

The most gorgeous older woman I'd ever seen in my life stood up from one end of the staff table, inclining her goblet towards us and taking a sip, her hazel eyes moving around the room shrewdly. She looked to be in her early forties, but had a youthful glow about her; her long red hair fell in perfect beach waves over her shoulders, and her smile was stunningly charming; I wouldn't be surprised if she was part Veela. 

"Holy shit..." Several guys and Kylie chorused around me dreamily. 

"Talk about a MILF." I muttered, shamelessly checking her out. 

"How do you know she's a mum?" Terry quizzed me, and I flapped at him with my hands. 

"Not the point, shh. Let me admire..." I rested my chin in my hands, gazing as Professor Wells sat back down, stretching her toned arms out behind her head. 

"... Professor Snape will be resuming the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor. And while I am Headmistress now, I will still be teaching Transfiguration." Professor McGonagall continued. "If only for a little while; I shall be teaching for half of the week, to accommodate for our youngest member of staff, Professor Soot, who is our new trainee Transfiguration professor." 

And as Professor Soot stood up to give a little wave to us all, I heard the collective sigh of every male-attracted member of the student body. I saw Terry leaning forward to get a better look out of the corner of my eye, and I sat up straighter too, eager to take Professor Soot all in. He seemed to be in his early twenties, not that much older than Fred and George, and his soft brown hair was styled messily but sexily over to one side of his face; his dark eyes were deepset, with beautifully long lashes and dark circles under his eyes that would generally be considered unattractive on anyone else, but on him they just went so well. I subconsciously traced my tongue over my bottom lip as my gaze lowered to his mouth, taking in his lush pink lips, pouting slightly - his jawline, sharp enough to grate cheese on - how fucking TALL he was... 

"I think I might need to take some extra credit in Transfiguration." I said dreamily, and Terry let out a little moan. 

"Snap out of it, idiots." Fred snapped his fingers in front of my face, and I jumped. "I swear, you two are so easily led astray by the existence of anyone even slightly attractive in front of you." 

"Yeah, I guess." I said, and Terry shrugged. 

We consumed everything within reach as the food was brought out; the Feast really was a feast, as Terry and I practically ate a whole turkey between us. We all chatted happily with our friends as we ate, charming a slice of cheesecake to bump into Seamus's ear the whole way through dessert for a laugh. 

Then we sang the school song, which was something I'd missed the last few years; Terry finished it first with his usual quick folk jaunt, and sat there cackling hysterically as Fred, George, and I were the last three left singing, with our slow funeral march. By the time we were sent to bed by Professor McGonagall, I was grinning from ear to ear; the four of us had sang it exactly like that seven years ago. 

"See you tomorrow, Hopper!" I yelled as we split off to go our separate ways to our own towers; Terry saluted me as he was swept along the corridor with Anthony, Michael, Padma, and Luna. 

"C'mon!" Fred and George grinned at me, taking a hand each, and we followed the stream of Gryffindors through the portrait hole and into the common room. I barely had time to look around, take in the familiar sense of home I got from the cozy fireplaces and squashy armchairs and chaotic noticeboards, before the twins were sweeping me up the stairs to the boys' dorms. We burst in through our dormitory door, and I squealed as I ran in, collapsing on my bed for the first time in well over a year. 

"Glad to see it's all still here." George grinned around the room. 

"Yeah, except my blanket." Fred frowned. "Huh..." 

"Oh, sorry." I giggled. "It's in the Room of Requirement - I'll get it tomorrow. Meanwhile, we could all share Georgie's bed tonight?" 

The twins' eyes twinkled at the suggestive tone in my voice. 

"I mean." I batted my eyelashes up at them as I turned, sitting on the edge of my bed. I let my bottom lip pout a little too, and I noticed George's eyes darkening slightly. "If we're allowed, Freddie." 

"Get in there now." Fred ordered, and my giggles echoed down the staircase, before echoes of three different sets of moans, and whimpers of the twins' names...

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