"I am," Harry said with more confidence than he felt. In fact, he hadn't even taken his NEWTs. School had been closed well before the end of his seventh year because the war had escalated, and students of all ages had taken up arms against Voldemort's forces - or for him, as the case had been. It had been sobering to see so many young faces on both sides of the conflict, a conflict that, in reality, belonged to the generation that came before then.
"All right," Dumbledore nodded. "I've included a number of things you may find useful, especially with it being the middle of the term. On top, you'll find a list of potions and the curriculum that the fifth and seventh years must have mastered in order to pass their OWLs and NEWTs, respectively. There is also a copy of Professor Slughorn's lesson plans for all the classes he was teaching. The plans, unfortunately, are not quite as up to date as they ought to be, so you will likely have to discuss with the individual classes what material they have covered and which they have yet to cover."
"Thank you," Harry said, idly thumbing through the papers, grateful for the fact that he wouldn't have to make up entire lesson plans for a subject he didn't even really like. At the very least, he knew that he could look up the things he didn't know in the library as they were outlined by the lesson plans. Skimming through them briefly while the headmaster talked, Harry suddenly realized with some dread that he would inevitably be spending a lot of time reading potions books.
"One more thing," Dumbledore noted, "although the fifth and seventh years are the only years to take standardized tests, I highly suggest that you follow the lesson plans outlined by Professor Slughorn for the others years. He has also left records of previous years in his office. I would advise you to take a look at them, so that you can teach your students to the best of your ability."
Though there was no skepticism in his tone, Harry knew that Dumbledore was internally wondering if he really was capable of teaching this class. So do I, Harry thought to himself. Worst case, he mused, he could always follow Snape's example and put the recipe on the board, then let the class do their thing in silence. Someone was bound to get it right, and he could grade everyone else off of that.
The rest of the meeting passed quickly, as Dumbledore only had a few more arrangements to discuss as he assigned Harry an office and apartment. By the time he left half an hour later, he was finally ready to begin his new duties as a substitute staff teacher at Hogwarts.
.....
"I don't like it one bit," Moody growled angrily, gesturing the barkeep for another round of ale.
Dumbledore had arrived at the Three Broomsticks late on the first night of the new term to find the grizzled old auror drowning his suspicions in alcohol. Even though the headmaster could agree that Slughorn's sudden "accident" and Ashworth's subsequent appointment to the Hogwarts staff at the behest of the Malfoy and the Board of Governors was slightly suspicious, he couldn't seem to find the energy to worry about it.
"Aren't you being a little paranoid, Alastor?" Dumbledore commented as he sat down and waved away the waitress when she asked him if he'd like to order anything. The large dinner at Hogwarts had left him more than satisfied.
"It's suspicious," Moody argued, coughing around a gulp of ale. "I can see Slughorn having an accident, but everything put together is just far too convenient. We've got Malfoy pushing things around to get an unknown and potentially dangerous young man into our midst. It's practically impossible for him not to have an ulterior motive."
"Romulus has always been too underhanded for his own good," Dumbledore agreed, "but there isn't enough information to form a connection right now. Mr. Ashworth claims he only met Romulus briefly and mentioned he was looking for a job. There is a perfectly good chance that it is all legitimate." He only wished he could believe his own words, he wanted to believe them. The last thing they needed right now was to deal with an internal threat because Malfoy had developed an interest in Hogwarts internal affairs.
"It's got to be some kind of plot," Moody muttered. "Maybe he's here to spy on us. He may even be an assassin."
The headmaster shrugged tiredly. "As far as I know, Mr. Ashworth hasn't associated with Romulus Malfoy enough for there to even be a plot. Ashworth's only connection in Britain seems to be a passing acquaintance with the Black family. If there was a ploy, it certainly would be coming from that direction."
"As far as you know," Moody insisted. "And who knows who's pulling Malfoy 's string? Orion Black could be manipulating both Malfoy and Ashworth from different directions. He is a lot craftier than you seem to give him credit for."
"Even Orion Black would have trouble manipulating Romulus. No, it would be much easier for the Black family to take matters into their own hands than to convince Romulus to be their middle man."
....
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