Jack's hand was the first one to shoot up into the air.

Harry was not surprised in the least; this was Hermione Weasley's son, after all. Ron was no slouch in the intelligence department himself either, as evidenced by his marks in his last three years at Hogwarts (Harry had always suspected that Ron had purposely thrown himself into his schoolwork in those final years in an effort to show Hermione that he was not "aimless"), not to mention the highly complex and often cerebral profession he had chosen after leaving school, but it was Hermione who had ingrained herself so deeply into the school's history that her achievements became legendary, and so it was only natural that no one would expect any less from any of her children.

It took a few more seconds before other hands tentatively rose alongside Jack's, but Harry thought it only fair to call on his godson, even if that ran the risk of eliciting resentful snickers from the rest of the class.

"Mr. Weasley," he said.

Apparently, Jack was still not quite used to being addressed in such a formal manner by Harry, for he kept his hand up a bit longer, until he must have realized Harry meant him.

"Oh," he said, a familiar redness invading his cheeks, masking his freckles, "er, yes... the Dementors were guards at the fortress of Azkaban. The Ministry banished them eleven years ago, after the fall of Voldemort."

Harry flashed him a smile of approval. "That's correct, Mr. Weasley."

He caught a faint, "Teacher's pet..." from the back of the room, words that were audible enough to send the class into fits of muffled laughter, and caused poor Jack's already crimson face to turn a freakish shade of purple as he tried to slide as far down his chair as possible, though with his height, there was only so far he could go. Harry scanned the back row and immediately caught the guilty party: two boys from Ravenclaw who stopped laughing the minute Harry's eyes settled on them. He even saw one of them gulp, as they must have known what was coming.

"Ten points from Ravenclaw," Harry said. "And if I hear any more laughing, I won't hesitate to add to that total, is that understood?"

Paralyzed with fear, the class could only nod.

The bell rang moments later, much to the relief of the students, who rushed for the door in a mad scramble--a first for Harry, as students usually lingered for as long as possible after his lessons. He noticed that Jack was in the middle of the huddled mass, trying to fight his way through. Harry thought for a minute about calling him back into the class and asking if he was all right, but decided in the end that it would probably only make things that much worse.

Jack turned his head slightly just before he eeked out of the room; Harry caught his eye and offered a sympathetic smile, which Jack briefly returned before he left altogether. Harry sighed and walked back to his desk, making a mental note to talk to him later. It looked as if the boy really needed it.

He did take comfort that in the meantime, Emily would surely be able to take Jack's mind off things, even for a little while. They had been inseparable here at Hogwarts, ever since school began, together every time Harry saw them outside of classes.

A commotion right outside his classroom caught his attention as he was filing away papers. The herd of first years that had left his room just a while ago and had moved down the corridors on their way to lunch at the Great Hall had suddenly moved back en masse to just in front of his door, and suddenly he heard two very familiar voices among the crowd.

"Stop it!! What do you think you're doing??"

"Go away, Lawrence!! Get 'im, Jack!"

"Emily..."

Harry ran to the door and immediately came upon a wall of breathless first years watching whatever was going on in the halls. One of the students turned around and saw him, then in a panic, elbowed the students in her immediate vicinity, and before Harry knew it, the group parted right down the middle, giving Harry full view of what had had everyone rapt with attention: Jack was in the middle of a scuffle with another first year.

It was Jarrod Bates, one of the boys from Ravenclaw who had been making fun of Jack in the class. Harry recognized him as soon as he shifted a bit, trying to get out of Jack's headlock. Apparently, Jarrod had been trying to reach for his wand, until Jack immobilized him with a signature move that no doubt his own father had taught him (Harry had seen Ron use that move at least a hundred times on the twins while they had been in school).

"Let go!" the boy was muttering. "Let go, you little Weasel!!"

"And let you hex me?? Yeah right!!"

Harry made his way through the throng of frozen students. "Jack!"

That got Jack's attention. He gasped and in his surprise, forgot to keep his hold over the other boy's head, who took full advantage by straightening and promptly pulling out his wand, until Harry's stern look stopped him cold.

"Uncle Harry..."

"In my office, now," Harry said.

He felt Emily tug at his arm. "It wasn't his fault, Dad!! Really-"

"Oh stop trying to protect him," Lawrence said. "Uncle Harry, I saw the whole thing-"

"You two as well, come on."

Emily and Lawrence were still trying to give Harry their different versions of what had just happened as Harry was already starting to make his way down the corridor. He turned around and managed to silence them with a simple, "Not another word until we get to my office. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Dad."

"Yes, Uncle Harry."

Jack nodded and didn't say anything. He looked as if he were about to embark on a death march.

"All right, I want to know exactly what happened."

"Dad, he-"

"Emily..."

She stopped as soon as Harry looked at her, and tried to appease him with a sheepish smile.

"I want to hear from them first," he said. "You and Lawrence will get your turn soon."

"Sorry, Dad."

Harry turned back to Jack and Jarrod, neither of whom looked particularly happy to be here, especially Jack, who no doubt was thinking of a thousand different ways to explain this to his mother once she got wind of what happened; while Ron would probably be torn between pride over his son's spunk and disappointment at his lack of good judgment, Harry knew Hermione would not be pleased in the least.

"Well?"

The two boys remained silent.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and it'll be fifty more each unless one of you starts talking soon-"

"He started it, Uncle Harry!"

"I did not!!"

"One at a time," Harry interjected. "Jarrod, you start."

Jarrod made sure to sneak in a smirk at Jack before he started to talk. "It was like this, Professor Potter... I was minding my own business, headed to the Great Hall, when he-" As an added dramatic effect, he pointed a finger right at Jack, who would have slapped it away, had Harry not given him a look of warning. "-jumped me from behind and started attacking me like a mad-man!"

Jack's jaw dropped in protest.

"What??!! I did not-"

"Jack," Harry said, "let him finish, and then you'll get your turn."

Jack sucked in his lips and sank back into the chair, exchanging frustrated looks with Emily, who looked just as fit to kill as he was at the moment. Lawrence, by contrast, looked utterly prim and proper, patiently waiting for his chance to give his official statement.

"Well, as I was saying," Jarrod continued, "I wasn't doing anything, Professor Potter. He just went nutters all of the sudden--that's the only way I can explain it."

"Perhaps Jack can add some insight into his behavior, then," Harry said. "Jack? Would you like to add to that?"

"He's lying through his teeth, Uncle Harry," Jack said. "Minding his own business... right, so I must have imagined you making some ruddy comment about my cousin!"

"What?"

"It's true, Dad," Emily said, apparently no longer able to sit back and hold her tongue any further. "I met up with Jack just outside your room, and then this git says to one of his little buddies, 'that one's part of Colm Finnigan's harem'..."

At this, Jarrod noticeably shrank in his chair, most likely from the withering look Harry was giving him.

"Is this true, Jarrod?"

"Well... I..."

"Yes or no will suffice."

After what seemed like an eternity, Jarrod said meekly, "Yes."

"There, you see?" Emily said. "He even admitted it!! I told you it wasn't Jack's fault, Dad!"

Harry held up his hand to calm her, though at this point, it was taking a herculean effort for him to remain in the role of the objective teacher; the father in him wanted to beat this boy to a pulp for ever saying such things about his little girl. "That doesn't excuse Jack's fighting."

"That's when I came on board, Uncle Harry," Lawrence said. "I tried to pull Jack off, but he refused to let go. Clearly both were in violation of-"

"Yes, Lawrence, thank you..."

Lawrence smiled, satisfied that he had done his duty, and leaned back against his chair.

"I won't take any more points from either of your houses other than the fifty," Harry said with a sigh. "You can all go now, except Jack."

Jack stopped midway from getting up, then sank back down again. Emily threw him a sympathetic look, then said, "I'll wait for you in the Great Hall. I'll save some food for you."

"Thanks," he mumbled, then turned back to Harry when the three had left the room.

It was a while before he said anything, and when he did, he barely looked Harry in the eye.

"I'm sorry, Uncle Harry... I really am... Please don't be angry with me-"

"I'm not angry with you, Jack," Harry said. "I'm just..."

"Disappointed... I know..."

Harry smiled. "Well, I am disappointed, but I was going to say, worried."

Jack fiddled with the ends of his sleeves, then after a few moments of silence, said, "Why are you worried?"

"Because you haven't been acting like yourself for a while," Harry said. "The Jack I know is a bundle of energy and curiosity, always smiling, always laughing, always ready to have fun." He leaned forward. "You don't look like you're having much fun here, Jack."

"I am," Jack said, rather unconvincingly.

Harry gave him an incredulous look.

"I'm just... a little homesick, I guess..."

Homesick. Harry couldn't remember one moment when he was homesick at Hogwarts; of course, he had the horrid Dursleys at home, and no one in their right minds would miss any of them. Jack, on the other hand, had Ron and Hermione for parents, and three sisters whom Harry knew he adored--even if he was the last to admit it.

"I know it's difficult being away for the first time," Harry said softly. "But you know you've got me here, and Aunt Ginny, and Emily, and Lawrence, and Audrey and Steven... We're all here to make you feel as much at home as possible..."

Jack nodded, but didn't look up.

"Lawrence told me you haven't been sleeping well."

"He... what?" Jack sat up in his chair. "But he promised he'd... I knew he'd say something to you, I just knew it!"

"Don't be cross with him, Jack, he was just worried about you."

"He's a tattletale, that's what he is, Uncle Harry."

"Jack..."

"Well, it's true!"

"He said he caught you sleepwalking a few times... Saw you heading down to the common room..."

Jack shrugged. "It's only happened a few times," he said.

"Really?"

"Okay... a little more than that," he said. Then he quickly added, "But I know it'll stop happening once I'm more... settled here..."

Harry reached over and squeezed his shoulder.

"You know you can come and talk to me anytime, don't you?"

"Yeah..."

"I mean it, Jack, I'm here, and so is everybody else. We want to make sure you're happy here."

After a while, Jack gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Uncle Harry," he said. "Can I... can I go now?"

Harry laughed softly. "Sure, go get some food in you."

Jack sprang up from the chair and ran for the door, but before he turned the knob, he turned around one last time to look at Harry.

"You won't... tell Mum and Dad about this, will you?"

"Well..."

"Please don't tell them, Uncle Harry! Please!!! Mum'll send me a howler for sure!! I promise I won't get into any more fights... Promise..."

Harry smiled, knowing the boy was right on about Hermione's inevitable reaction.

"All right, I won't say anything this time," he said. "But Jack, you have to stick to your word. If anything like this happens again, I will have to send them an owl."

"You've got it!!"

He ran out, and Harry sat there for a few more moments, wondering whether he had done enough to help Jack.