The three landed in some unused classroom somewhere in Hogwarts.
"Harry, you can go ahead to the common room, Sam and I need to take care of some formalities first," Loki said.
Loki quickly deaged himself again before creating an illusion of his older self, much to Sam and Harry's surprise.
"What is that about?" Sam asked curiously.
Loki smirked. "This has two reasons. For ones I'm going to say I'm your and 'Loki Laufeyson's' guardian Gabriel Winchester and second...well, you'll have to see."
Sam now eyed him critically. "Gabriel Winchester?"
"I need to have a name, don't I?" Gabriel snickered. "And besides that, it makes it easier that way for me to convince Dumbledore to let you attend Hogwarts."
Sam had to admit that Loki had a point there.
"Why did just an image pop into my mind where you initiate a prank war with yourself. However, have fun with Dumbles I need to go to the kitchens," Harry piped in after taking a look at his watch. It was only five in the evening, so lots of time to do what he wanted to.
So all four set into motion. Harry went to the kitchens while Gabriel, Loki and Sam went to Dumbledore's office. Sam muttering something under his breath about not giving the trickster ideas.
Harry stayed in the kitchens for about an hour before he made his way to the dungeons. A few minutes later, he knocked at what he knew was Professor Snape's quarter door having two boxes in his hand again, a large and a smaller one. It took a moment until said professor opened the door his face instantly brightening up recognising the boxes the boy was carrying.
"Ah Mr Potter, back from your holidays, I assume. Come in" he said, stepping aside to let Harry in. Usually, only his Slytherins got to see his quarters' living room and just in emergencies, but Harry was an exception.
Harry walked over to the sitting area in front of the fireplace, putting the boxes down on the table.
"I know Christmas is long over but since Loki kind of abducted me that day I wasn't able to give you this then." He shoved the smaller box with the cake over to his professor who smiled fondly at him.
"Thank you very much."
Snape lifted the box's lid to find not one cake but many smaller ones this time looking like ingredients glasses and bowls with different fillings. He still wasn't used to thanking anyone for anything. Always, it seems that Harry inherited his mother's ability to drag his usually well-hidden personality to the front, and for once, he wasn't overly concerned about it.
Harry chuckled. "This is not all. During my holidays I found something you might find quite useful" with that, he took a large wooden box out of his pouch and shoved it also over to Snape.
The man looked at it curiously, picked it up and opened it. Once he saw what it contained his eyes nearly bulged out. The box had five rows á four compartments all filled with small glass bottles in which some of the rarest potions ingredients in the world were stored. Every container was labelled with small copper plates telling exactly what was stored in them.
"I...I..." Snape didn't know what to say.
In this box were ingredients worth more gold he could spend in three lifetimes and even some were priceless, so rare that he wondered where Harry got them. However, he would never sell them. He was a potions master first and foremost and when he thought about what he could do with them...this was indeed the best present anyone could have made him.
Harry snickered. "The box has a few more features. You see the carvings in the lid?" Snape nodded. "When you tip your wand at them you can change the number of compartments you have to maximum ten rows á ten compartments." He demonstrated it by first enlarging the thing and then shrinking it back to its former size. "Then the thing shrinks any bottle to the size of the compartment so that it fits. Don't worry the magic doesn't interfere with the ingredients," Harry added after seeing his professor's glance. Usually, any magic would ruin the ingredients making them worthless, but this box had precautions against it. "At last the plates automatically label themselves stating what is stored in the respective compartment. You can also store potions in it."
Snape sank back into his armchair two contrary emotions raging within him. On the one hand, he was touched that Harry made him such a well-thought gift, and he didn't want to do more at the moment than going into his lab and experiment with the ingredients. On the other hand, he couldn't accept this gift. It just was too much.
Harry, who saw the conflict in his professor, spoke up. "Professor, don't worry, I didn't ruin myself with this gift. Most of the ingredients came from Loki who gladly contributed them when I told him what I wanted to do. His words were when I remember correctly: 'Even if he is a git most of the times, he is a great potions master, and perhaps he can help people with these'."
"Sounds like him," Snape said with a smirk.
Snape got to know some time ago after cornering Loki because of one of his pranks that, while Loki wasn't overly fond with how he treated his students. He respected him a great deal for his work as a potions master. At least they came to an understanding not to annoy each other too much.
"I accept your gift...thank you. Please also send my thanks to Mr Laufeyson and tell him I will put it to good use."
Harry nodded. "Before I leave, I have something else for you." With that, he pulled the two letters out of his pouch. "I was asked to give those to you."
Hesitantly he handed them over fearing the professor's reaction.
"I have no idea what they say, and I know that it is hard to believe that they are real, but they are...please keep that in mind when reading them. I think I should leave then...happy New Year."
With that, he stood up, picked up the other box he brought with him and went to the door leaving behind a confused Snape. The man looked at the letters in his hand, which only stated Severus Snape in curved letters on the envelope, questioning why it would be hard to believe that they were real. Lost in his thoughts, he managed to wish the boy a happy new year before opening the first letter.
Shortly before closing the door behind him, Harry heard Snape taking a sharp gasp. He could only hope that his potion professor believed him and didn't think it was just a hoax. Slightly concerned but mostly happy that his gift was so well received, he walked back to the Gryffindor common room.
Loki, Gabriel and Sam walked down the corridors of Hogwarts on their way to the headmaster's office. About five minutes later, they stood in front of the Gargoyle. They met McGonagall and Binns who Loki informed beforehand. They then altogether entered the office.
"Good evening, Headmaster" McGonagall greeted Dumbledore.
"Good evening Professor, Mr Laufeyson and who are you, my boy?" the last part was addressed at Sam, completely ignoring Gabriel.
"Sam Winchester, Sir" Sam replied friendly despite being peeved about being called 'my boy'. He was of age after all, even if he didn't look like it right now.
"Well, nice to meet you, Mr Winchester. May someone please explain to me what this is all about?" Dumbledore asked with a twinkle in his eyes and a grandfatherly smile.
"Headmaster, I'm here to inform you that I resign with immediate effect" Binns spoke up.
Dumbledore blinked a few times not believing what he just heard. "I beg your pardon? You can't resign in the middle of the year. How am I supposed to find a new history teacher within twelve hours? School is starting up again tomorrow," he answered irritatedly, his twinkling dimming down considerably.
"That is why Mr Gabriel Winchester is here. He is Mr Laufeyson's guardian and the one who taught him everything about history. Mr Laufeyson already demonstrated his vast knowledge about history. I don't doubt that the one who taught him is more than capable of teaching history properly," McGonagall explained.
They had planned this before the holidays. To be honest Professor Binns was glad that he finally got the option to leave. Up to now, he had been forced by Dumbledore to teach with the man stating that there was no alternative to him and that he would be banned from Hogwarts shouldn't he oblige. Loki, however, told him that Dumbledore might be powerful but not that powerful. According to him, Hogwarts was a sentient building, and as long as Hogwarts herself didn't ban him, Dumbledore could do nothing. With Dumbledore having no argument left to force him to teach, Binns gladly resigned to live a peaceful life as a ghost without any duty to fulfil.
"I can't just hire anyone who says that he is proficient. What are his credentials? Has he a proper certificate?" Dumbledore couldn't believe that this was happening. He needed Binns as a history teacher to keep the students unaware of what was happening in the world. Binns only told them about some goblin wars long ago. Still, this Winchester might teach them about the pureblood society's hierarchy, and that wouldn't do. The Muggle-born need to be unaware of how things worked for that they had problems integrating so that he could come and act as the great hero helping them. He very well knew that there would be more and more Muggle-born, and one day they would be a vast political power, so he wanted them to look up to him as their leader. However, that wouldn't work should they suddenly get to know how things work to integrate.
"Headmaster, this isn't my problem anymore. As I said I'm out of it."
With that, Binns floated through the wall and vanished.
Dumbledore looked at the spot the ghost vanished through in disbelieve. His plans seemed to come crashing down right in front of him. On top of that came the problem that he hadn't been able to contact Black yet. Should he believe Minerva, Potter stayed with the man who seemed to become the new history teacher over the holidays. He would have to get to know how much the boy learned and quickly.
"As it seems I have no other option left at the moment. Mr Winchester, it looks like you are the new History teacher. At least until the summer holidays."
Dumbledore rummaged in one of his drawers to pull out a contract and passed it over to Gabriel.
"Before I sign this, there is something I have to address first. My son Sam needs to continue his magical education. You know we lived in America during the last years, but I couldn't leave him alone, so I took him with me..." Gabriel explained.
That made Dumbledore curious. Minerva said that this Gabriel Winchester was Mr Laufeyson's guardian but if they really lived in America why is Mr Laufeyson then student here at Hogwarts. Something didn't add up, but he couldn't fully tell what it was.
"If you live in America, how comes it that your warden Mr Laufeyson attends Hogwarts?" Dumbledore inquired.
Loki found it somewhat hilarious that while the entire staff worked out who he really was over the last months, Dumbledore himself still was oblivious.
"When Loki came in the age to start learning magic, he wanted to attend the best school in the world and therefore asked me whether he could go to Hogwarts. Sam originally also wanted to go too but was reluctant, not wanting to be so far away from home," Gabriel explained.
Sam chuckled. He had to admit that Loki was good when it came to spinning things the way he needed.
"It is true. I didn't want to leave dad alone, so I decided to attend a small magical school near home," Sam piped in with a small voice as if intimidated by what was going on. Okay, it sounded strange to call Loki 'dad' and act like a child when being an adult who faced the worst kind of monsters on the planet.
Dumbledore hummed upon that. "I think we will find a nice place for him in one of our houses while you teach here."
"Cool," Sam exclaimed excitedly. To be honest, he couldn't wait to get started. It is funny how something that he thought made him a freak and an abomination quickly could become normal and good.
Gabriel took the contract and signed it not even caring what it said. Dumbledore would have a hard time finding him anyway should he decide to vanish. Trying to pin an archangel with such a low magical contract would be futile.
After that, Sam was sorted immediately. To his surprise, he ended up in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw as he initially thought. Harry had told him about the houses, and with how much he read and researched things for their hunts, he would have bet that he would end up in the house of the bookworms. Perhaps it had also to do with his stupid actions lately in hope to save his brother, who knows. He didn't want to ponder over it, so he left it be.
Dumbledore told Loki after the sorting that he should show Sam where the Gryffindor rooms were and get him settled. He would have to talk to Gabriel some more, and it would be boring for the children. So Loki dragged Sam happily out of the office and towards the common room.
Somewhere on the way, Loki suddenly turned around and faced Sam.
"Before we get started there is something Harry asked of me. The demon taint...I can't eradicate it completely, not since it has been there for nearly your entire life, but at least I can cut its connection. It will still be there, but it won't have any effect on you or your magic," he explained.
Sam eyed Loki in contemplation. He still didn't trust Loki fully, but the problem was that he was his only option and he didn't want his magic controlled by anyone.
"So no one can influence it ever again?" he asked carefully.
"No one" Loki replied, and Sam nodded.
"Then do it."
It took only one touch, and the connection was cut. Sam suddenly felt the full power of his magical core rushing through him. It seemed that the taint had suppressed quite a lot of it.
"Woah that was..." he didn't know how to describe it swaying slightly because of the sudden influx of power.
Loki just smiled before turning around and walking to the Gryffindor common room.
When they arrived, Sam was greeted heartily by everyone. At the same time, Loki was crushed in a hug by Neville who thanked him repeatedly.
"What did you do?" Sam asked curiously.
"His parents were in some kind of magical coma unable to wake up again, but I changed that as a Christmas gift" Loki replied over Neville's head.
Instantly all of the others started to tell Sam about how great Loki is and what he did for them before going over to what happened in general. God knows what else. During that, they ate the cupcakes Harry provided. Sam had to say that while he at first was overwhelmed, he liked how he was welcomed. The only one not in a good mood was Ronald Weasley who sat in a corner and glared dagger at everyone, but no one paid him any attention.
The next morning everyone was sitting in the great hall. Usually, the students would excitedly chatter about their holidays, but today it was different. The topic of the morning was the new teacher sitting at the head table.
Some rumours said the curse on the DADA post, stroke again and the man was the new teacher for this subject. However, this rumour found an end quickly when a very alive Quirrell entered the hall looking slightly confused why everyone was staring at him.
Others assumed that it perhaps was a ministry sent observant. In contrast, others said it was an apprentice to one of the teachers.
The longer Dumbledore kept his silence, the stranger and more incredible the rumours became. Even going so far as to say that he was a spy of You-know-who sent to undermine Dumbledore to orchestrate his return. One thing they however never assumed, the truth.
Finally, Dumbledore stood up and instantly, the entire hall fell silent anticipating what the man would have to say.
"Good morning, everyone. I hope you all had a nice and restorative Christmas holiday. Today I have to make an announcement. Professor Cuthbert Binns retired as of yesterday. Therefore, I introduce you to Professor Gabriel Winchester, the new History teacher. He is accompanied by his son Sam Winchester who is a proud new member of Gryffindor. I hope you all give them a hearty welcome."
With that said, he sat down again.
Everyone instantly started to chatter with each other. Sure, they wanted a new history teacher, but they all wanted Loki.
Harry, on the other hand, suddenly sported a very mischievous smile. He took out his wand and visibly waved it in the air. A split second later large letters appeared over the entrance door reading:
Mortal kings are ruling castles
Welcome to my world of fun
Liars settle into sockets
Flip the switch and watch them run
(Emperor's New Clothes – Panic! At The Disco)
Accompanied was that by the music playing precisely those lines and an oversized switch that suddenly appeared in the middle of the central corridor between the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor house tables.
The twins who read the lines grinned at each other. They jumped up, ran over to the switch and as told flipped it.
Dumbledore suddenly yelped to everyone's surprise, even Harry since he never would have thought that someone actually would do it. He jumped up and ran around in the great hall followed by his throne-like chair that tried to bite him in his ass.
The whole hall laughed about that sight, and only Sam let his head sink on the table, questioning his sanity. That was when an idea stroke him and he smiled vindictively. If he had to endure this madness, he at least could enjoy himself.
After some time Flitwick finally released Dumbledore from the biting chair.
"Mr Potter, ten points from Gryffindor for...that," he said once his breathing was normal again.
Harry merely shrugged not even attempting to tell them that he had nothing to do with the chair. However, he found this an excellent beginning of the New Year.