Chapter 9

Thomas could very well have accompanied Harry to Hogsmeade, it was really close after all, but he decided to still bring him to King's cross. There are three reasons for that : the first is the promise Harry made to Hermione when they separated after they bought what they had to for school, the second was that since they got that train it was a tradition of the school and the third and final reason was that he was still the Disciplinary Director and had to inform the new prefect what was expected of them and the Hogwarts express was the best place for that.

Elyse wanted to accompany Thomas and Harry to the train, but her state did not allow her to do so. So Thomas and Harry were at the station early, on the muggle side waiting for the Grangers, which did not take long as they were as early as the Preachers were on the first day of Thomas, meaning they were here at the crack of dawn.

They passed through the passage for platform nine and three-quarters where the train just arrived. They waited a short time before the Blacks arrived, Arcturus looking like he found a second wind, Sirius proud of his niece and Amelia simply happy to see someone from her family, the Bones Family, still able to join Hogwarts. The Abbotts also joined swiftly as Hannah and Susan were still the best of friends.

They talked a little before the children and the overseeing adult boarded the train. Thomas escorted the children to a compartment and then went to the Prefect carriage, waiting for them while preparing the lessons for the newcomers. The head boy and girl have their own interpretation of his rules which he does not correct as that allows differences between the successive head boys and girls, but he still had to explain what was to be avoided at all costs to the new prefects.

The head boy got in first, followed by six prefects, then the head girl and the rest of the twenty two prefects. The prefect system works as such, two prefects per year and per houses, so twenty four prefects, but one boy prefect in seventh year is named head boy and has the responsibility of leading the prefects alongside one girl prefect named head girl for a total of twenty two prefects and two heads.

When all of them were in the carriage, Thomas explained to the fifth years when they should go to his office, meaning when he would be referred to. And reminded them to do a weekly report so that he could do his. Then he left the carriage to patrol the first year's carriage.

He was incredibly satisfied with his job, since he became Disciplinary Director there was a massive decrease in bullying and fighting amongst students, which was the main issue of Hogwarts. Thanks to that the school had in the last three years a bigger influx of students which also allowed more electives to appear once more. Five more electives were now back in school and it was a question of time before more students came and forced them to have more than one teacher in the core subjects.

During his rounds in the first year's carriage, the only carriage where the prefects were not allowed as it would influence their mind and thus influence the sorting. The reason why it would influence the sorting is because the hat read surface thoughts and divine the best house with these thoughts as a basis. The difficult peoples were those either too stupid to be put anywhere or those that could go to more than one house. In those cases the hat often let the students decide which house they joined among those that fitted them.

The presence of prefects for such or such houses would make the first years who were impressionable to believe said house is more responsible than others and this thought would only be corrected after the welcoming banquet, meaning after the sorting. As a teacher he could fill the job the prefects couldn't and as a Disciplinary Director he was expected to board the train anyway.

This year had a lot of students. Twice the expected amount as many hidden families surfaced once again to answer the call of the school now that it was becoming good once more. The first generation wizards that got married and had children had yet to realize that they were being daft by not learning the laws and culture of the wizarding world, but it didn't prevent very old families that refused to send their children in a ruined Hogwarts to come back now that the school Headmaster finally stopped destroying the curriculum.

He didn't have to prevent any fights, as the children were too excited by the prospect of joining the only wizarding school of Great Britain to direct their energy towards each other… either that or the presence of an adult calmed the more hot headed. This stayed true until the night began falling and Hogsmeade was an hour from where they currently were.

A fight, verbal for now, erupted from the back of the carriage. It was where Harry, Susan, Hannah and Hermione were when he left them. He got there swiftly and there, a fight was almost breaking out between a platinum blonde boy, Draco Malfoy, and a ginger one, a Weasley and most likely Ronald. In the compartment next to them were Harry, Susan, Hermione, Hannah and Neville, whose toad was proudly standing on the head of the boy.

"Can the two of you explain exactly what the hell is going on right now ?" Said Thomas with a stern tone.

"Professor Preacher, Weasley here entered the compartment while screaming at those who would listen to him that children from families like the Longbottom, Potter, Bones and Abbott shouldn't stay with a Malfoy." Swiftly said Draco.

The truth prism didn't react, but to be sure of this information Thomas looked at the children inside and they nodded, Neville didn't to not make his toad fall but his face clearly indicated that he had no objection.

"Of course I said that ! My mum told me that your father was a Death Eater ! If-" Began Ronald Weasley

"Enough !" Boomed Thomas' voice. "Ronald Weasley, the sin of the father shan't fall onto the kid. You ought to know that as your family had its fair share of people with debatable moral compass. Mr. Malfoy, please get back in the compartment with your friends, Mr. Weasley you'll come with me to the Prefect carriage where you'll start your first detention. Congratulations on breaking the record set by your brothers for the earliest detention of the year."

Thomas was baffled, while Percy Weasley was the Griffindor prefect of this year, he was an insufferable smug, The only three Weasley that are correct in his experience until now are William and the twins. Surprisingly they are the ones that are quite mischievous. William who was still very responsible then as he was more playful than prankster calmed down and left the country to work for Gringotts as curse breaker, so he was always abroad, but Fred and George or Gred and Forge as they love to jokingly call themselves had a project of opening their shop one day.

Charles Weasley was… well Charles. He had only dragons on his mind, even in school. He was a good seeker, but he didn't care for it. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't as interesting as his brother. His behavior allowed Thomas to look at Percy for what he was, a sycophant. So Thomas hated the boy, sure the child did what he believed was in his best interest but it was simply disgusting, especially since it was such behavior that allowed Dumbledore to destroy half the necessary laws and the curriculum of Hogwarts until Thomas acted.

Ronald, the last iteration in the Weasley story, was a bigot. Thomas hated that word as the more time passed the less it had power and meaning. The term bigot means, by definition, an individual strongly partial to his ethnic, religious, race, gender or political group and intolerant of others. Ronald, thanks to his words, seemed to fit perfectly in the definition for now. Thankfully he was a child and such behavior could be corrected before it could lead to unreasonable acts or ideologies.

They got back to the prefect carriage and he put Ronald at a table, asking him to copy the way to recognize bullying at its start and the sanction for bullying. He asked Penelope Clearwater to make sure it was done correctly. After that he returned to the first year carriage to patrol, but no other incident occurred.

Sure, first years asked him questions, like how they would be sorted or asked about Rituals, but Thomas simply smiled mysteriously in both cases. Of course he directed them to his office after the year began, he would gladly help students learn.

The train arrived at Hogsmeade at the expected time, Thomas directed the first years toward Hagrid that just arrived. Right after that he went to the castle while riding the thestral he saved to make the core of his wand. At the very moment he set foot in the castle, his danger amulet shined yellow, signifying a slight danger close to him. This year promises to be quite interesting.

He whistled to call Jester, his owl perching herself on his shoulder. He swiftly wrote to his wife, asking her to prepare his battlestaff for transportation. He always had a lot of contingencies in case he was in danger, but his battlestaff was not one of them. The Staff of the Thaumaturge, or the Battlestaff, was made to cast absurdly powerful jinxes, hexes and curses. It was not a tool for self defense, it was a weapon of war.

Jester flew with his letter fast, she was one of the fastest owls of Europe so he was certain his staff would be here tomorrow. Why is it that the first year Harry joins Hogwarts, danger also lurks inside the walls of the castle ? It's almost like he was fated to find danger at the first opportunity it was possible. Jokes aside, Thomas knew there were seven convergence points in his fate, events whose consequences will always stay the same but content may differ. Looks like this year will be the first.

He entered the castle and went to the Great Hall where the Teachers were waiting for the students, he went to the teacher's table and found his seat before discussing with Minerva and Filius as usual. He learned then that Albus decided to keep the philosopher's stone in the castle. It was folly to do so, especially since the only way to keep the stone secure inside the castle is through the inherited artifact : the mirror of erised.

The students trickled in and Minerva went to get the first year, the clamor of friends seeing each other after long holidays and discussion about what happened during said holidays was resounding in the Hall. The first year came in, guided by Minerva, and they stopped in front of the chair and hat of sorting.

The hat began his song.