The Protagonist System

The rest of the ride to school passed by quickly with three eager and fun girls to spend it with. I had gifted them all with expanded trunks for their birthdays, so no one struggled with their things, except for Hermione. When I met up with her and mentioned that in the carriage ride from the train to the castle, she smacked me on the head and huffed at me for reminding her.

I couldn't tell if the sorting went the same as it did in canon, since Harry hadn't attended it and the story had been told from his biased perspective. The only clues I had that it might not have changed, were that Luna still went to Ravenclaw and Ginny went to Griffindor.

I needed to head off that potential years-long problem before it started, so as soon as the sorting was over, I stood and walked right over to the Ravenclaw table and gave Luna a hug and a kiss, said pretty loudly that I was happy for my latest girl, and made a show of giving her one of my Official Girlfriend ID cards while slipping her one of my protective amulets.

Let me tell you, a lot of the Ravenclaws looked envious, some looked angry, and some looked thoughtful. I was sure it was because most of them hadn't realized I liked smart girls, even with Hermione as a prime example. House rivalry was still a limiting thing, apparently. It was almost funny that Padma and Daphne hadn't swayed them already, even though they had a card, too.

I gave them each a quick kiss as well, just because I wanted to see them blush again, and went back to my table. Of course, now that I was already up, the amused looks on my other girls made me go to each of them and give them a kiss, too. I only kissed Ginny on the cheek, since she was blushing too hard and looked faint already.

I didn't want to knock her out with a kiss on the lips, so I whispered to her that I would give her a proper kiss later when we weren't in public, which made her swoon anyway. I held her steady for a moment and then went back to my own seat.

“Now that Mister Potter seems to have finished his ministrations...” Minerva McGonagall said and a lot of the students let out laughs, myself included. “...let the feast begin.” She clapped her hands and made the feast appear.

I put some food on my plate and discreetly watched Ron as he loaded up his own plate, then he looked surprised and stopped. He couldn't put the food back, so he picked up actual utensils and started eating with surprising slowness. I smiled at it working already and glanced over at Luna. She was looking at me and had a dreamy smile on her face as the Ravenclaws around her talked to her.

I raised my glass of pumpkin juice to her and took a sip, then went back to eating. Hermione noticed me do that and didn't mention it, so I assumed she would be interrogating me as soon as the meal was over. I held in my chuckle at her being so obvious and looked at the head table where the professors sat. Not surprisingly, the drunk from first year wasn't teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year.

I really should have searched for that curse. I thought, because Professor Lupin sat there.

Some unknown man sat where Professor Snape used to sit and I didn't recognize him. I didn't bother trying to figure out who he was or listened in to his conversation with Professor Flitwick. I'd find out as soon as I had potions class. There was no one else new, so Binns was still teaching History of Magic. I hoped that meant I had more full afternoons off again this year.

Minerva gave some announcements that amounted to the same ones every year and dismissed us to go to our dorm rooms. Percy was a sixth year this year, so I still had access to the Griffindor Head Boy's room. I would have to make new living arrangements next year when he became Head Boy.

Maybe I could stay in the Head Girl's room? I asked myself and followed my friends up the stairs to go to Griffindor Tower.

“What are you thinking about?” Hermione asked me.

“I'm wondering if the house elves assigned to move your trunk have collapsed from the weight of all those books you piled inside.” I joked.

Hermione smacked my arm with a smile on her face. “No, really.”

“Percy's going to be head boy next year and I'll have to find somewhere else for my famous butt to sleep.” I said and Hermione gasped. “It's a severe problem and we need to work on it immediately.”

“I am not losing my quiet study room without a fight, Harry.” Hermione said, her face determined.

I chuckled. “Relax, Hermione. I already have a couple of solutions.”

“Like what?” Hermione asked.

I thought about revealing the Room of Requirement and decided not to. This was too public of a setting to let that secret out. “The Head Girl is going to be a Ravenclaw, so the Griffindor Head Girl's suite will be unoccupied until you take it in seventh year.”

Hermione looked surprised, then she blushed. “Thank you for the compliment.”

“You're welcome.” I said and gave her a one-arm hug. “I'll have Nanny bring you a trunk tonight.”

Hermione gave me a bright smile. “Thanks, Harry.”

We reached the common room and everyone else split off to go their separate ways.

“It's my job to give you everything you want, remember?” I reminded her and gave her a kiss. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” Hermione said and looked quite pleased as she went up the stairs of the girl's dorm.

Before I could do more than take a step towards the boy's dorm room stairs, a dark-skinned hand caught my arm and held me back.

“Did I hear you say it's your job to give your girlfriend everything she wants?” Alicia asked me.

I turned and smiled at her. “Angelina figured that out last year.” I said and decided to deflect the blame. “She didn't tell you?”

“Oh, no you don't!” Angelina said with a laugh and pulled me in for a few seconds of lip locking. “You can get yourself out of your own mess, Mister Potter.”

I laughed as well. “It's not my fault I'm rich, popular, and really can do everything you've heard I can... no, wait! Yes, it is. Never mind.”

Angelina let me go and rolled her eyes. “Just give her what she didn't realize she could ask you for.”

“Yes, ma'am!” I said and saluted her to make her laugh, then I turned to salute Alicia, too. “The Ebony Goddess of Sexiness has commanded me to give her protege whatever you want, so speak and it shall be done.”

Alicia looked embarrassed and Angelina looked proud. Katie just looked at us expectantly.

“Well?” I asked and dropped the silliness to step close to Alicia and gave her a serious face. “What is it that you want? Or need? Or desire? If it's within my abilities to grant, you'll have it.”

Alicia looked into my eyes and her embarrassment grew as she looked sad. “I don't think I can ask for it.”

I figured it had to be either personal or financial, so I motioned towards the corner of the common room that was more private than standing out in the middle of the room. Alicia nodded and took my hand to lead me over there. I cast a privacy spell and sat her down on one of the chairs and sat across from her.

“No one can hear us or see us right now.” I told her and she turned her head to look, only to see a fuzzy film and not the rest of the common room.

“Can you teach me that spell?” Alicia asked as she looked back at me.

“We don't get our schedules until the morning, so if we don't have an off class at the same time during the week, I'll set aside some time in the evenings or the weekend.” I promised and she nodded. “What is it that you need?”

Alicia blushed again. “Harry, I... well...”

“It's all right, Alicia. Just say it.” I reassured her.

“Money.” Alicia said, with embarrassment. “My family is struggling, even with the school supplements...”

“Is that all?” I asked and pulled out a cloth bag of galleons from my pocket. “Is 1,000 enough?”

Alicia looked stunned as I put the heavy bag on her lap. “H-H-Harry!”

“If you need more than my pocket change, I have to pop over to the bank to get it.” I said and she made a choking sound as she hugged the bag. I knelt on the floor in front of her and patted her back. “Are you okay?”

Alicia nodded and looked down at the bag of money. “Harry, this... why would you...”

I moved my hand from her back to cup the side of her face. “Because you asked.”

Alicia looked like she was about to cry, so I leaned in and kissed her to distract her. She let the bag of money go and hugged me tightly as she did her best to snog me senseless. After a few minutes, she let me go and looked nervous as she hugged the bag of money again.

I cast a notice-me-not charm on it. “There. No one but us can see it. You can put it in your trunk and no one will find it.”

“Thank you.” Alicia said, her voice full of gratitude. “I mean that, Harry. Thank you.”

“You are quite welcome, Protege of the Ebony Goddess.” I joked and she barked a laugh.

“I hope you realize that Angelina is never going to let that nickname go.” Alicia warned me.

I smirked at her and stood. “I know.”

Alicia stood as well, still hugging the bag. I dispelled the privacy spells and motioned towards the stairs to the girl's dorm rooms. She gave me a quick kiss and quickly walked towards the stairs and her friends. Angelina gave me a knowing look and put an arm over Alicia's shoulders, then the three of them went up the stairs.

I went up the stairs on the boy's side and right up to the Head Boy's suite. Nanny popped in and helped me unpack my trunk. When we were done, I asked her to retrieve a multi-compartment trunk from my workshop at home and to give it to Hermione. Nanny popped away and I changed for bed. I climbed in and Nanny popped back into the room to tuck me in.

“Goodnight, Nanny.” I said and closed my eyes.

“Goodnights, Master Harry.” Nanny whispered and lightly petted my head as I drifted off to sleep.

*

My class schedule sucked, because I had double classes of History of Magic in the mornings this year. I didn't want mornings off, because I couldn't really start anything important, like crafting or enchanting, because I would be interrupted by the class before lunch, which was usually Defense Against the Dark Arts.

My frustrated sigh made Hermione laugh, because she knew the mixed up schedule cramped my style. She did promise to not let me get bored, which Lavender enthusiastically volunteered herself to help with, because she believed it was a worthy cause. She also loved that I would go down on her for as long as she wanted without complaining about it. Not surprisingly, Hermione loved that, too.

Of course, this was the first morning of my Schedule of Suck and my comments about the title made the girls laugh. On the plus side, we all went to an empty classroom instead of going to History of Magic and studied ahead for the DaDa class. Barely half an hour in, Lavender enjoyed herself as she licked Parvati and I licked her.

An hour in, Hermione was having no trouble reading up for DaDa as she rode me. My chest made a great bookrest, apparently. She barely got off for the second time when we had to stop and get dressed.

“I'm going right to McGonagall about this.” Hermione groused as we all left the empty classroom to head to Defense Against the Dark Arts. “It's interfering with my study time and that is not acceptable!”

Lavender and Parvati giggled, because they knew what she really meant. Fay hadn't participated, even though she had sat off to the side and enjoyed the show.

We entered the DaDa classroom and it was changed around from the year before. It still had the dragon skeleton hanging from the ceiling, though. The differences were the various creatures in jars and containers all around the walls of the room. It was a little creepy and eerie, because most of them were still alive.

Remus Lupin introduced himself and told us what DaDa was going to be about that year, which was fighting dark creatures and defending yourself if you were ever attacked. I held in my comment about him teaching us that a year early, since in canon he taught that to the third years. I hadn't mentioned it, because I suspected that it was because I was in the class and he changed the curriculum to show off.

When the bell rang to end the class and let everyone go to lunch, Remus spoke up. “Mister Potter, if you could stay for a moment.”

I nodded and gave Hermione a look. She nodded as well and would wait for me right outside the classroom. Everyone else shuffled out and left. When everyone had gone and the door shut, I was all alone with the professor. Before he could speak, I decided a little ribbing was in order.

“Well, well, well. The Tin Man has finally come back to Oz.” I said.

Remus looked surprised. “Excuse me?”

“You know, the Tin Man? He went to the great and all powerful wizard to grant him a heart?”

“I have read the story.” Remus said. “What does that have to do with me?”

I held in my huff of indignation and spoke with my best Surfer Dude accent. “Hello? Because you're heartless? Duuuh.”

Remus looked a little angry. “That's uncalled for, Harry.”

“Is it, Mister Remus J. Lupin, former best friends with my murdered dad and imprisoned godfather?” I asked pointedly and the man winced. “You're not going to ask why I compared you to characters in the Wizard Of Oz?”

Remus shook his head.

“Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.” I said, magnanimously. “My mother was Dorothy venturing through a new land of magic, my dad was her faithful sidekick, Toto. You are the heartless Tin Man, Sirius Black was the brainless Scarecrow, and that traitor Peter Pettigrew was the Cowardly Lion.”

Remus looked stunned that he and his friends actually fit the metaphor I was using.

“Oh? You're not going to argue that Sirius should be the dog? I was ready to counter you and say Sirius was the brainless scarecrow because he abandoned me and went after Peter.” I said. “Peter was the cowardly lion, because he was a Griffindor that abandoned his friends when the going got tough.”

Remus didn't deny it and looked sad.

“You on the other hand, chose to stay away after hearing what happened. No letters, no visits, and no offers to take me in or take me away.” I said and he shrunk in on himself. “You've stayed away from me for 14 years, Mister Lupin. Why did you come back now?”

Remus sighed and looked guilty. “Minerva contacted me and offered me a job.”

I stared at him and he didn't say anything else. “That's it? You came back for a job and not to visit me, or Sirius in prison, or the grave of your best friend?” I asked and let disgust fill my voice. “Well, that tells me everything I need to know about your character, Mister Lupin.”

“Harry, I... Albus told me to stay away.” Remus said in his defense.

I put a fake smile on my face. “Then shouldn't you have stayed away, Mister Lupin? If Albus is the end all to be all for your life, then you are here in direct defiance of the senile old man.” I said and he winced. “I will remind you to leave me out of whatever plans you had for me this year, Mister Lupin. I neither want nor need you in my life after all this time.”

“Harry...” Remus started to say.

“At the end of the year, you can tuck your tail back between your legs and scurry off to wherever you've been hiding. I've gotten along just fine without you and I will continue to do so.” I said with finality. “Is there anything else? I'm late for lunch with my friends and they will wonder what's keeping me away from them.”

Remus wilted at that last dig at his friends wondering where he was. He waved towards the door and didn't speak.

“Have a good day, Mister Lupin.” I said and opened the door, stepped out, and closed the door quietly instead of slamming it like he expected.

“I'm sorry, Harry.” Hermione said and hugged me.

“He is, too.” I said and gave her a kiss. “Thanks for waiting and keeping an ear out for me.”

Hermione and I walked down the hallway, an arm around each other's waists, and went to lunch.