Harry gets a new friend (Harry Potter/Dresden Files crossover).

[The Romulan Republic]

From a fan fic idea I had that I probably won't be writing any time soon, because I already have so many fan fic ideas I don't have time to write.

In book two, Harry Potter finds himself hiding in Borgin and Burkes' a seedy shop in Knockturn Ally that sells, among other things, dark magical artifacts. Now as I recall, among the many items littering its shelves are one or more human skulls. Well, suppose that one of those skulls belonged to a Bob the spirit of intellect (you can handwave how he ended up in the Potterverse however you want), and Harry happened to pick it up? How would having a bad ass but amoral spirit of intellect at his beck and call affect Harry's life going forward? And how would Bob be shaped by Harry (a different Harry, that is) possessing his skull (IIRC the spirit's personality is shaped somewhat by that of the person holding his skull)?

[Majin Gojira]

First of all, Bob would have a new Personality. He wouldn't have his lust or much of his snark. He would reflect Harry at age 13 (or whatever) as soon as he picks it up. If he has the effective knowledge of the Potterverse as he does of the Dresdenverse, then he would be quite a helpful tool.

Harry, of course, would tell his friends on the train to Hogwarts, about the thing he 'found'.

And then I can quite easily see it working its way to Hermione Granger's hands, and it would probably give her more knowledge that she may yet be mature enough to handle.

I don't see Bob doing much active in the overall plots. But it would solve minor information gathering problems, and be instrumental in the Triwizard tournament. And in Destroying Horcruxes. Or, at least providing the how-too.

[The Romulan Republic]

First of all, Bob would have a new Personality. He wouldn't have his lust or much of his snark. He would reflect Harry at age 13 (or whatever) as soon as he picks it up. If he has the effective knowledge of the Potterverse as he does of the Dresdenverse, then he would be quite a helpful tool.

Harry's just turned 12 at this point. Just before the start of his second year at Hogwarts. And yeah, Harry doesn't seem to have a particularly strong sex drive even when he's older. He doesn't even consciously notice a girl in a romantic or sexual way until mid-way (at least) through his thirteenth year, doesn't kiss a girl until he's fifteen, and doesn't sleep with anyone until... near his 18th. birthday at the earliest, we don't really know, despite going through bouts of popularity in which he has girls practically throwing themselves at him (and trying to drug him with love potions, ugg). So if Bob imitates the personality of his owner (there are some uncomfortable house elf slavery parallels there, now that I think about it), he's not going to be the sex fiend who patterned himself on an adolescent Harry Dresden. Which is unquestionably for the best, as having that Bob, the voyeur who uses his powers of possession and mental influence to cause orgies and openly objectifies a sixteen year old Molly, flying around a boarding school would lead to some very bad things.

Harry, or at least older Harry, does have a sense of dry snark, though. So I think Bob might be snarky still (which he has to be to be recognizably Bob), but maybe in a dryer way than in canon.

As to knowledge... yeah, I'll say his knowledge of the Potterverse is, while not quite up to his Dresdenverse standards, at least on par with anyone who has read the books, watched the films, read through Pottermore, and has an eidetic memory (huh, the board's spell check doesn't recognize "eidetic"). And then has a mind which understands magic theory in the way Stephen Hawking understands theoretical physics. He's been sitting on the shelves of Borgin and Burkes for a while now, overhearing every conversation, examining the other artifacts in the store because he has nothing else to do, maybe helping the store owner with the odd cursed object or suspicious potion. And anything he doesn't know, he can quickly pick up.

Harry, of course, would tell his friends on the train to Hogwarts, about the thing he 'found'.

Probably before then, because he meets them in Diagon Ally later that day.

And then I can quite easily see it working its way to Hermione Granger's hands, and it would probably give her more knowledge that she may yet be mature enough to handle.

Hermione would probably want to turn Bob in, either as a potentially dangerous artifact or, if she's too young and naive at this point to realize that, because he's stolen. Until she realizes he's a sapient being who was effectively enslaved, at which point she'll want to keep him. And, yes, start talking to him and digging out magical secrets that a twelve/thirteen year old really shouldn't be playing with.

I don't see Bob doing much active in the overall plots. But it would solve minor information gathering problems, and be instrumental in the Triwizard tournament. And in Destroying Horcruxes. Or, at least providing the how-too.

I bet Bob would tumble onto the fact that Harry is a Horcrux much sooner. Like, end of second year or in third year (I've read that Rowling at one point considered having Dumbledore reveal the Horcruxes to Harry at the end of Chamber of Secrets, after Harry first encounters one in action other than himself). The question is, does he tell Harry (or anyone else) if he's not directly asked about it? If he does, that could have an absolutely massive effect.

For the rest of the plot, how much Bob changes things, beyond the Butterfly Effect, depends on how much Harry uses him. Harry probably isn't going to grasp, at least initially, just how powerful an asset/ally he has at his disposal. Bob isn't much use in a direct fight- unless he possesses something that is, which he can do. Against flesh and blood opponents that is- against spirits, he's basically a karate master, since for Dresdenverse spirits knowledge very literally is power. If Potterverse spirits have similar vulnerabilities... well, Diary Riddle is likely fucked. Disembodied Voldie would probably be in for a real fight, if he were around at this point. Not sure how he'd fair against Dementors, because I'm not sure if they classify as spirits or not. Oh, and Peeves is getting a whupping the first time he annoys Bob. The Bloody Baron ain't got nothing on Bob.

And then there's the research. Bob can magically skim books in seconds IIRC. He can fly around everywhere, invisible. He has an excellent grasp of magical theory. Harry has the ultimate spymaster at his beck and call, if he chooses to use him as such, in addition to a world class researcher and magical experimenter.

Harry can ace potions with Bob's help. Harry can ace every class with Bob's help. Bob could possess the Basilisk and kill Diary Riddle. Bob could simply possess Pettigrew when he tries to make a break for it, I'd imagine, unless perhaps Pettigrew is skilled at defending himself against mental magic (given his evident weak will, I doubt it). Triwizard Tournament research will be much easier, yes. Bob could probably help Harry learn Occlumency. He could certainly help with lesson plans for the DA. He could advise Harry when he's about to fall into an obvious trap. He could carry secret messages more securely than an owl. He could help with Horcrux research. Etc.

The main risk is that if you use him too openly, or in the field, someone else might take the skull, and gain control of Bob. And that Bob can drag his heels and be uncooperative if you don't keep him happy.

I can also see Dumbledore trying to confiscate Bob, if he finds out about him. You don't even have to go full Manipulative Dumbledore- Bob is a much more dangerous thing for a student to keep in their dorm than a fully-loaded assault rifle, and Dumbledore would have every right and reason to confiscate him. Then again, Dumbledore's intelligence about what goes on inside Hogwarts seems spotty, and he will sometimes allow Harry and other students to do dangerous things if it furthers the fight against Voldemort, so... could go either way. Perhaps he sneaks into the dorm and takes Bob one night, questions and examines him thoroughly to make sure he's not a direct threat to Harry, and then returns him, maybe with a cryptic note. Yes, that seems Dumbledore's style.

[LadyTevar]

"The Potions Master said What?!?" Bob exclaimed, jaw rattling as it tried to drop open in shock. "Ok, get out your book. I'm gonna show you a few tricks to show him."

[The Romulan Republic]

"The Potions Master said What?!?" Bob exclaimed, jaw rattling as it tried to drop open in shock. "Ok, get out your book. I'm gonna show you a few tricks to show him."

Heh.

Bob would probably be more qualified academically/intelligence-wise to teach than any professor in Hogwarts, in any subject. Personality-wise, he's amoral and sarcastic, but he'd still be no worse a teacher than Snape, or most of the DADA professors, in that respect.

[The Romulan Republic]

Hmm, that's actually an interesting thought: Professor Bob. He's amoral, like I said, but if you gave him some strict guidelines, like "don't seduce the students" and "don't get them killed", he would actually be very qualified. And its not like Dumbledore hasn't hired non-human professors before, including a spirit, although Bob isn't really like anything I'm aware of in the Potterverse. He's exceedingly dangerous, but then again, putting students around highly dangerous magical artifacts is pretty much Hogwarts' whole shtick.

[Elheru Aran]

Hmm, that's actually an interesting thought: Professor Bob. He's amoral, like I said, but if you gave him some strict guidelines, like "don't seduce the students" and "don't get them killed", he would actually be very qualified. And its not like Dumbledore hasn't hired non-human professors before, including a spirit, although Bob isn't really like anything I'm aware of in the Potterverse. He's exceedingly dangerous, but then again, putting students around highly dangerous magical artifacts is pretty much Hogwarts' whole shtick.

To be fair I'm pretty sure Dumbledore didn't "hire" the History of Magic teacher, the teacher just died on the job a few centuries ago and then pretty much kept coming in to teach and so nobody noticed...

Also fairly sure at least some of the Hogwarts teachers have been there for longer than Dumbledore's headmastership; McGonnall and Filch would be likely. Snape was explicitly hired by Dumbledore though, as was Hagrid.

But it's a very minor point. I'm just nitpicking

[The Romulan Republic]

True, Binns the history ghost was not a Dumbledore hire, but Dumbledore did allow him to continue teaching.

McGonnagle was canonically a student around the same time as Riddle, I believe, maybe a bit younger, so Dumbledore was a teacher when she was a student. She could have been a Dumbledore hire, or not. I'm not sure when she applied for the teaching post, or when Dumbledore became headmaster, though. However, given that she is the Transfiguration Professor, and that Dumbledore held that post before her, she might very well have been one of his first hires- to replace him in his old post after he became Headmaster.

Filch isn't a teacher, he's a janitor, but beyond that I have no clue. Its possible he's a Dumbledore hire, though, depending on how willing his more conservative predecessors would have been to hire a squib.

Snape, Hagrid, and all DADA teachers in the books/films were definitely his calls, though, as were Trelawny and Firenze the centaur. Notably, nearly every one was unfit for their position in some way or other, because Dumbledore's big failing is that he tries to be both the kindly old Headmaster (which, at this point in his life, is where I think his heart really lies) and the Spymaster/politician leading the fight against Voldemort (which is the role circumstances forced him into as the most powerful wizard alive), and thus he makes hiring decisions based on strategic considerations in the war against Voldemort rather than fitness as a teacher (Hagrid was at least partly charity for a man who was unfairly stigmatized and down on his luck, though).

Firenze was, to all appearances anyway, his one unambiguously good hire as a teacher.

But his record does demonstrate a willingness to consider unconventional hires, without regard to (and indeed in direct opposition to) the usual bigotry of the Wizarding World's elite.