Chapter 34 - New Tutor

"What do you want now?" Professor Babbling asked with a sigh as she looked at him from the half opened door and he wondered if she would slam the door on his face after their conversation because frankly, he didn't really believe that she would change her mind and start teaching him all of a sudden.

"Will you teach me?" he asked feeling all the exhaustion after not sleeping for the last two days in a row.

"Not until you bring a signed paper from all your teachers." She said a bit sympathetically "You must understand that I can't be seen being partial with you. Especially after all the things that the Daily Prophet wrote about you."

Daily Prophet?

He had no idea what that shitty paper published about him. Most likely not something good.

The truth was that he held such disdain toward that paper that he'd never even read one of it's publications so far.

That just went to show what he thought about it.

He could clearly remember the paper publishing pure bullshit about the Original Harry and his personal life at the Goblet of fire event in the fourth year.

Though those gossip articles were not even comparable to how they destroyed his public image after he told the minister that Voldemort had returned.

Harry knew that in the end, the paper was nothing but a way to spread the propaganda for the ministry so he vowed to never read it.

But that was not important at the moment.

He looked at the Ancient Runes' teachers in the eyes and sent a subtle legilimency probe to her mind before saying "If you are not going to teach me then can you at least tell me the name of the student with the best score in that subject."

The name Penelope Clearwater and Cassius Warrington passed through her head for a moment before she shook her head. "Sorry but I can't tell you that Mr Potter. Student-teacher Privacy and all that. I hope you understand."

Harry nodded his head, having gotten what he wanted and left with a farewell. Leaving a surprised teacher behind who was probably wondering about his lack of persistence.

—————

"Do you know what they are saying about you in the Prophet?" Penelope Clearwater asked a bit worriedly and he wondered if she was acting or if she was really worried about him.

A kid she didn't even knew.

A subtle legilimency probe showed that yes, she cared. Especially because she knew that the Slytherins and Gryffindors were only after him because he stopped them from bullying his friend.

Huh, he had no idea that the Slytherins and Gryffindors had started some kind of smear campaign against his name.

Sigh… Did these people had really nothing better to do with their time.

"No. And frankly, I don't really care." He said nonchalantly "But that's not why I called you here."

"Yes, I was a bit surprised when I received that note from you. Especially considering how you're such a hard person to find." She said and giggled as if she was just reminded of some personal joke "I've heard that the Slytherins and Gryffindors are still trying to find you and have combed through the whole school a few times in order to find you, even going as far as to accuse us Ravenclaws. Saying that we're hiding you inside or common room."

Harry felt mildly amused at their stupidity but nothing more so he continued "I called you here because Professor Babbling told me that you're one of the best student in Ancient Runes. And since she can't teach me that subject as she might get accused of being partial I can only learn from one of her favorite student."

Penelope blushed at his words and he wondered how she came to be Professor Babbling's favorite student considering how there must have been many other students who were older than her in the school.

She must have been really talented in that subject.

"I'm not really that good." Penelope said modestly and even though she was being modest on the outside, she was clearly proud of her achievement in her mind, whatever that achievement might have been.

He didn't probe too deeply in case she might notice something.

"As long as you can teach me the basics of the subject and the way to carve runes without blowing shit up, I will make do."

"I'm not really…" he could read the hesitation in her mind but also the thought that she wouldn't mind teaching him if he could pay him for her time since she came from a poor family and he jumped at that thought.

"I don't expect you to teach me for free. That would just presumptuous of me. In fact, I'll pay you 2 galleons for every hour that you teach me. How does that sound to you?"

2 galleons per hour was a generous offer for a student. Especially for someone with muggle parents and a poor household like her so it was not long before she accepted and they came to an accord.

"This is your employment contract." He said and passed her a piece of paper, something that had her eyes widening with surprise.

It seemed like she had not understood the seriousness of his offer so far.

Regardless, she quickly composed herself went through the parchment twice before she frowned and looked at him with a bit of worry.

"I cannot teach you for four hours everyday." She said with a grimace. "I don't have that much free time on myself."

He smiled at that statement. At least she wasn't lying to him.

"You don't need to worry about time." He said and passed her another piece of parchment.

"What's this one about?" she asked curiously.

"A non disclosure agreement." He deadpanned.

"Seriously?" she asked in a 'are you joking with me' manner and he simply shrugged in response.

"I take my privacy very seriously."

"Yeah. I think I know a thing or two about that." She said jokingly but signed the parchment nonetheless.

It wasn't long before he showed her the Time turner after which she signed the Employment parchment as well and thus Harry was able to bypass another obstacle in his path.

—————

Penelope Clearwater was envious of Harry Potter.

She was envious of his Eidetic memory that allowed him to retain all that he ever read.

She was envious of the fact that he had so many books on Ancient Runes in his library that even Professor Babbling's personal collection fell far short of anything that he had.

She was envious of the freedom he had in the castle. Even though he was technically a prisoner as he didn't want to remain here any longer and was being forced to do so by the Headmaster.

She was envious of his wealth which allowed him to hire her without blinking an eye though a part of her will always remain glad that she was able to earn such a large amount of galleons from him for such little and simple instructions.

She was also envious of the fact that he was a genius when it came to using his magic. The fact that he was also magically powerful than her, someone who was four years older than him was a fact that just rubbed it in for her.

And she was envious at the speed with which he learned Ancient Runes and devoured any knowledge provided to him by either herself or the numerous books under his possession.

Still, she was glad that she had the chance to teach him something personally.

Especially because after knowing him a little better, she could clearly see him for the enigma that he really was.

By the gods, he could use magic like it was his third arm.

Things like wandless and wordless magic, something that she believed could only be performed by legends like Albus Dumbledore came absurdly easily to him and she couldn't help but feel inadequate in his presence.

In fact, she had decided that even after he surpassed her in Ancient Runes, which she believed would happen very soon, she would continue to spend some time with him. Gods knew that the boy could get careless if left alone to his own devices.

She considered herself lucky to have made his acquaintance. She couldn't call him a friend because she could tell that he was hesitant about such things after what happened to his last friendship so she decided that she would try her best to just be close to him.

And it was not like she was losing any of her time anyway considering how he used a time turner everyday when she came and they would spend the next few hours in each others company simply learning.

And over the past few days she had surprisingly grown to care for him like how she would care for a little brother and she hoped that they would be able to continue like this even after she didn't have anything left to teach him.