The Corrupted Gamer: Harry Potter

Harry had a wonderful time during his tea and crumpet meeting with Pomona Sprout and they discussed Herbology as Harry took copious notes about her views, her techniques, and how she handled things and kept so many students safe every day. The book outline was quickly worked out and the pair relaxed and just talked.

Pomona had an even better time than he did, because she felt like she was talking with a colleague and not a student. He understood everything she talked about and his writing speed was astonishing. He didn't even have an ink bottle and his quill wrote and wrote as if it had its own ink. The tea and various cookies and sweets were scrumptious as well.

Before Harry left, he gave her the recipe for the tea and a huge box of sweets under a stasis charm. Pomona thanked him for being so thoughtful and for a delightful afternoon. Both student and teacher went about the rest of their day with smiles on their faces.

*

Harry was completely unaware of all the interest being expressed in him as he went with his friends down to breakfast on Monday morning. He was still having a huge problem with all the popups and tried to concentrate on Padma and his friends as he ate.

They went to Charms and Flitwick handed him a reference book to read and taught the rest of the class the locking charm. Herbology was next and Pomona waved for him to do whatever he wanted, so he helped Padma and the other students by giving them helpful tips about dealing with Devil's Snare and taught them the variant wand lighting spell, Lumos Solem.

It created a sun-like light that was both magical and benefited most plants, while Devil's Snare wilted under the harshly bright light. Pomona had watched him discreetly and wasn't surprised that every single student in the class got the spell on the first try, because Harry had explained it so well and told them what to think when the spell was cast.

After lunch was Defense Against the Dark Arts and the students were surprised when a seventh year Ravenclaw girl was there instead of a teacher. Harry recognized her and smiled and waved.

“Hello, Harry.” Eliza said motioned for everyone to take their seats. “As you can see, there's no teacher yet for this course.”

“What are we going to do?” Lisa Turpin asked. “We won't learn anything without someone to teach us!”

“Don't worry about it too much.” Eliza said and all of the Ravenclaws in the classroom gave her incredulous looks, except for Harry. “I meant that this is going to become a self-study class and you can work at your own pace to get through the materials for this year on your own.”

“I could have done that at home.” One of the Hufflepuffs named Ernie MacMillan commented.

“The only real exams that matter are your Owls and Newts, and those are in fifth year and seventh year respectively.” Eliza said. “At the moment, we don't have anyone to teach us, either. The rumors are that either Headmaster Dumbledore or Professor Snape will be trying to fill in.”

Harry couldn't stop his bark of laughter.

“Harry, shh.” Padma whispered.

“Harry? What is it?” Eliza asked.

“Nothing.” Harry said. “I just thought your expectation to learn from the worst teacher in the school, and from an idiot headmaster that alienated and then lost the boy-who-lived, was pretty funny.”

Eliza's mouth opened in surprise, because she hadn't heard anyone express their opinion quite that harshly before.

“It's too bad we don't have History of Magic right now.” Morag McDougall said and a bunch of people nodded.

“Why is that?” Eliza asked.

“Harry takes over.” Lisa Turpin said and then gasped. “Harry can take over this class, too!”

Suddenly, everyone was talking animatedly and asking Harry to go to the front of the class and to teach them properly. The other Ravenclaws were adamant that he could do no wrong and even Padma gave Harry a pleading look.

“Oh, all right.” Harry said and stood as the other students cheered.

Eliza watched, stunned, while Harry was praised like a conquering hero as he walked to the front of the room. He didn't ask her to move out from behind the teacher's desk, though. No, he was above that sort of thing. He conjured an inordinately carved podium and stood behind it as he activated his Supreme Actor skill and chose Professor.

“Defense Against the Dark Arts is a slightly wrong title for this course, because in it, you are taught to recognize spells that are considered dark and only some of them can be countered. However, the teacher must know the Dark Arts in order to cast the spells for you to see them. You are also taught about dark creatures and what to do to fight, to contain, or to get away from them.”

The entire class listened with baited breath, as did Eliza. She had never seen anyone command people's attention like that before. Her opinion of Harry was already as high as it could possibly go, so she was at a loss abut how to categorize this version of him.

“I could go on for hours about the subtle intricacies between what an actual dark spell is and what people believe a dark spell is.” Harry said and then he lightly laughed. “Instead, why don't we get to the fun part? Actually learning how to block or deflect unfriendly spells.”

“Yes!” Most of the class exclaimed and the rest nodded.

Eliza remained stunned for the entire two hour class, because by the end of it, all of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuff first years knew how to cast the Protego spell and could block Harry's liberally cast tickling charms.

“Thank you all for attending the very first self-study DADA class and for completing the homework with the shield spell. Well done, everyone.” Harry said and beamed a smile at them all. “Class dismissed.”

Everyone packed up their things and left the room, quite happy about the lesson and their progress. Padma gave Harry a happy smile, kissed his cheek, and left to go find her sister. She had something else to brag about now and couldn't wait to tell her about Harry's awesome DaDa class.

Harry went to his own desk and packed up his things. When he had them stored, he looked towards the teacher's desk and saw Eliza's stunned face. He somehow knew that she was going to help him with something he had been wondering about, so he went over to the desk.

“Harry... you... how did you do that?” Eliza asked in a whisper.

“Magic.” Harry said and hung his backpack over his shoulder.

Eliza huffed and then laughed. “Cheeky.”

Harry smiled. “I've been thinking about something important since last week and I was wondering if you could help me with something.”

“Oh? What's that?” Eliza asked.

Harry pretended to reach into his backpack and pulled out 'Advanced Runic Arrays for Warding' from inventory.

Eliza caught her breath at the expensive book and she closed her mouth before she begged to borrow it. She was much too ladylike to debase herself like that. At the moment. It would depend on what Harry wanted in exchange.

“You're a seventh year and you're taking Ancient Runes.” Harry said and put the book on the desk as he kept his hand on it. “I know you won't let me use your engraving kit and I would never ask you for such a thing.”

Eliza blinked her eyes in confusion, because she wasn't sure where he was going with the conversation.

“However, you have been in the course for four years, two of which you've been allowed to use an engraving kit.” Harry said and she nodded. “I sincerely believe that your old engraving kit must have worn out a long time ago and you've replaced it with a much newer one with the updated charms.”

Eliza sucked in a sharp breath when she understood.

“Being the nice person I am, I would be more than willing to buy your old and outdated kit for a reasonable price... say, twice the cost of a brand new set?” Harry asked and took his hand off of the book.

Eliza didn't grab for it even though she desperately wanted to.

“I would also be willing to compensate an entrepreneurial student appropriately if I just so happened to be nearby when she tested out her new engraving kit by doing the basic exercises in the first chapter of the fifth year book.” Harry said and took out another book.

Eliza gasped when 'Essential Curse Breaking Spells for the Curse Breaker' appeared and her eyes widened as Harry put that book on top of the other one.

“These are the only copies of this edition that I could find of such rare books.” Harry admitted and she nodded. “As a Ravenclaw, you know what that means to me. To us.”

Eliza nodded again and looked up from the books to stare into his eyes.

Harry picked up the two books and placed them back into his backpack as he stored them, then he dropped a small sack of galleons onto the desk. “Please let me know when you manage to find your old engraving kit.”

Eliza didn't look at the sack. “I'll need more practice materials to replace my old ones.”

Harry gave her a smile and opened the sack, then added several more handfuls of galleons to make the thing bulge. “If that's not enough, I can get more.”

Eliza broke eye contact and looked at the bulging sack. “I think that should be enough. Barely.”

Harry nodded and left the classroom. He wouldn't hand over the two rare books until he used them to level up his Ancient Runes skill and possibly the Engraving skill when he finally did the basic exercises that had locked him out of learning everything he could.

*

An owl delivered a brown paper wrapped bundle to Harry during supper and he accepted it and handed the owl several treats. It hooted thanks and took off. He tucked the bundle into his backpack and stored it, told Padma and his friends that he was going to the library early, and would meet up with them later.

Harry went right to the library and there was no one else around, so he went over to Madam Pince's desk and gave her a huge smile as he put the bundle down on her desk. “The overdue books, Madam.”

Irma smiled widely at him. “Thank you, Harry.”

Reputation with Irma Pince increased!

“It was no trouble, Madam.” Harry said and then remembered something he needed to get done before Friday's potion class. “If it's not too much trouble, could I ask you a question?”

Irma nodded.

“I overheard an older student talking to his friends and he mentioned something about the mind and that there was something about attacks? Odd defenses?” Harry said and shrugged. “It was all very confusing and I thought I would come to an expert and ask about it.”

Irma shook her head because she had sworn to not mention anything to do with the third floor and especially not about the defenses for whatever was going to be stored there. “I'm not sure what you are talking about, Harry. Perhaps if you asked the student to be more clear, I may be able to find something for you.”

“No, that's okay, Madam. It was just an idle conversation and I doubt if I went to him like I have with you, he would have the same reaction and not know what I was talking about.” Harry smiled at her. “Thank you for your time, Madam. Have a great day.”

“You too, Harry.” Irma said and watched him walk away towards the closest aisle.

Harry waited until he was out of sight before he sighed. He had detected a partial lie, so she knew something about what he wanted, which meant the information had to be in the library somewhere. He would just have to find it within the next three days or his mind was going to be under constant attack. So, more late night library raiding was in his immediate future.

*

Tuesday morning had Minvera almost shaking in anticipation. She had put the chair at the front of the room and waited for the object of her thoughts to enter the classroom. As soon as she saw his long blonde hair, she stood up and waved him over to her desk.

“Mister Bones, would you make me another chair to match the first one, please?” Minerva asked.

Harry gave her an odd look for a moment and his eyes unfocused for several seconds. He let out a soft chuckle and took out his wand. “If you wanted a new dining room set, you could have just said so.” He said and an identical chair appeared, then another and another.

Minerva was about to tell him to stop when a beautiful and quite heavy ornately carved oak wood table appeared in the space where she normally stood to conduct class. Her mouth wouldn't work as she stared at the thing, because it was so similar to her old dining room set that memories flooded into her mind. She didn't react at all until Harry waved his wand at the table and then at all four chairs to shrink them down to doll size.

“There you go, Professor. I hope you enjoy them.” Harry said and placed the table and chairs into her hands before he sat down with his girlfriend as if he hadn't just broken one of the known fundamental laws of transfiguration.

“Professor McGonagall? What are we learning today?” Terry Boot asked.

Minerva didn't answer him as she looked at the set of furniture in her hands. “I'll be back in a few minutes.” She said and left the room at a fast walk.

“What is it with most of the teachers not wanting to actually teach us anything?” Padma asked.

“Maybe they don't want to rush us or something.” Harry suggested and shrugged.

Padma gave her year mates a knowing look and they nodded several times. “Harry.” She whispered and kissed his cheek. “What do you think should be taught next?”

“Mice into snuffboxes.” Harry said right away, not realizing what his answer meant, until there were several comments about him teaching them the spell because he already knew it.

Padma gave him an encouraging smile and Harry stood up. He ignored the light applause and went to the front of the classroom to give another short lecture, explained the point of the spell, and summoned a box of mice. He immobilized them and handed one out to each student, then taught them the spell and every student managed to make a basic snuffbox out of their mice.

Harry dismissed the skill level popups and sat back down to write up the homework assignment that they all knew Minerva was going to give them.

Little did he know that his teaching display in the DaDa classroom the day before was already spreading like wildfire throughout the castle. The rumors ran rampant and confirmation from a seventh year girl that had monitored the class, gave the rumors legitimacy. The school now had a brand new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that was the son of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

Harry Bones.