In those days, it was like we were on top of the world. Nothing and no one could stop us. I was never one to condone rule breaking, but when the rules themselves were rubbish, I could hardly be expected to follow them, none of us could.
So we fashioned ourselves a bit of a rebellion.
"Where are we going anyway?" Harry asked. "The Three Broomsticks?"
"Oh no," Hermione replied as they continued heading towards the outskirts of Hogsmeade, "no it's always packed and really noisy. I've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit…you know…dodgy...but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be overheard."
After some time, the three finally reached the not so welcoming entrance to the Hog's Head. Which apparently had been rightly named, for above the door hung a battered wooden sign with a picture of a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it.
"Charming," stated Ron.
"Well, come on," said Hermione slightly nervously, hesitating to take the first step. However, Harry soon led the way inside and Hermione followed, silently thanking him in her head.
Taking in her surroundings, Hermione began to feel slightly anxious. The pub was very small, very dirty, and held a strange stench usually accompanied with petting zoos. But this was nothing in comparison to its occupants who all seemed to reflect a sort of grayness about them. Apparently it was somewhat of a fashion to keep your face hidden, for almost all of them wore hoods or veils. One witch in particular was completely veiled from head to toe.
Harry who had apparently been staring at her also, leaned into Hermione muttering, "I don't know about this. Has it occurred to you that Umbridge might be under that?"
It had very much occurred to her in fact. However, examining the witch more closely she came to the conclusion that it could not be. "Umbridge is shorter than that woman," she said quietly. "And anyway, it's not as if we're doing anything wrong. I checked and re-checked the rules and it is perfectly okay to form a student homework group. I think it's just best if we don't parade it around."
"No," said Harry dryly, "especially as it's not exactly a homework group you're planning is it?"
Hermione chose to ignore this remark.
Looking down at her watch, she noted that it was almost time for people to began arriving.
"So who did you say was supposed to be meeting us?" Harry asked, taking a swig of butterbeer.
"Oh, just a couple of people."
However, fifteen minutes later, the once quiet pub was now filled with about two dozen chattering and excited teenagers.
"A couple of people?" said Harry hoarsely to Hermione, "a couple of people?"
"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," she replied happily. "Ron go pull up some more chairs!"
Hermione was very pleased to see that everyone she had approached about the meeting had indeed turned up, and then some. Turning back to Harry, she noticed that he looked a bit unsettled.
"What have you been telling people?" he said to her in a low voice. "What are they expecting?"
"I've told you, Harry, they just want to hear what you've got to say," she replied soothingly. "And you don't have to do anything just yet, I'll speak to them first."
As Hermione looked upon the crowd, however, she too began to feel slightly uneasy. There were some people here that she had never even talked to. Ginny had offered to pass along the word to the Ravenclaws as she was currently dating the 5th year Ravenclaw Michael Corner, and there were a couple of faces Hermione didn't even recognize. She knew one of them to be Terry Boot and another she thought might be Anthony Goldstein. And then of course there was Cho Chang, but Hermione couldn't recall the name of her curly-haired friend sitting beside her. Which was just as well. She didn't exactly look thrilled to be here.
Looking back at Harry again, she noticed that he too had been staring in the general direction of Cho and her friend. He seemed to pale slightly as Cho smiled at him and Hermione made a mental note to discuss this with him later. Harry was quite rubbish with girls to be honest.
As everyone had finally settled down, all eyes seemed to be upon Harry. Hermione took this as a cue to begin. "Er," she started , her voice slightly higher than usual, "well—er—hi."
The eyes in the room shifted towards her now. "Well…erm…well, you know why you're here. Harry here had the idea—I mean—I had the idea" she ammended for Harry had just thrown her a sharp look, "that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts—and I mean really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us—well I thought it would be good if we took matters into our own hands."
She paused, looking sideways at Harry, hoping that he might say something. However seeing that he wasn't planning to, Hermione continued. "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells because…because Lord Voldermort's back."
Several people jumped at the sound of his name. Cho's friend even shrieked, and to Hermione's great amusement, spilled butterbeer down herself.
"Where's the proof?"
Everyone turned to look at the owner of the voice. Hermione recognized the boy as a 5th year Hufflepuff.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it—" Hermione began.
"You mean Dumbledore believes him," the boy said, nodding at Harry.
"Who are you," said Ron rather rudely.
"Zacharias Smith. And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
Hermione was starting to get very irritated. This was exactly the sort of ignorance that was forcing them to start this group. "Look," said Hermione, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about—"
"It's okay, Hermione," said Harry.
It was the first time he'd spoken since the meeting began. She looked him in the eye for a moment, and it seemed that both had come to the same realization. People wanted to hear Harry's story firsthand. That's why some, if not most of them came. She should have seen this coming.
As Zacharias continued his snide, disbelieving remarks towards Harry, Hermione suddenly felt a strong sensation of guilt well up inside of her. This was all her fault. And it didn't really help matters that Harry was casting her an angry look. But she would try to fix this.
"So," Hermione began, "like I was saying, if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet and where we're going to—"
But she was suddenly interrupted.
"Is it true?" interjected a girl whom Hermione knew was called Susan Bones, "Can you really produce a Patronus?"
All eyes were again on Harry.
"Yeah," said Harry.
"A corporeal Patronus?"
"Yes," Harry repeated.
This set off quite some excitement among the crowd. Hermione was very pleased. They needed to know that Harry would be an excellent teacher and it seemed that they didn't need her help convincing.
"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?"
"In our first year he saved the Sorcerer's Stone—"
"And that's not to mention all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year."
The last remark, Hermione noted, was made by Cho. She had to roll her eyes at how pleased with himself Harry looked because of this. But of course this didn't last too long, and he once again became the self-deprecating git he usually was.
Finally after much debate over the times and places of future meetings, and after everyone (some a little reluctantly) signed their names on the parchment, the meeting was called to an end.
After everyone had left (Cho had been making quite a spectacle of fastening the catch on her bag but finally managed after seeing her friend waiting impatiently by the door), Hermione turned to the two boys in front of her.
"Well, I think that went quite well, " said Hermione happily as the three headed out into fresh air at last.
"That Zacharias bloke's a wart," said Ron irritably.
"Yes well I don't like him much either but he overheard me telling Ernie Macmillan and Hannah Abbot about the meeting and seemed interested. I couldn't really say no, could i?" explained Hermione. "The more people the better anyway. If it wasn't for Ginny, Michael Corner and his friends probably wouldn't have come."
"What's Ginny got to do with them?" Ron asked confusedly.
"Well Ginny and Michael are dating aren't they," replied Hermione who was currently engrossed in a shop window display of quills.
"They're WHAT?" Ron said, outraged.
"Dating, Ronald," said Hermione sarcastically, "it's when two people who fancy each other decide to—"
"But Ginny fancies Harry!" Ron exclaimed.
"No, Ginny used to fancy Harry," Hermione explained calmly, "but she gave up on him ages ago. Not that she doesn't still like you of course," she added kindly to Harry who looked as though he had not really been following the conversation. Hermione noticed there was somewhat of a dazed expression on his face and wondered what it was he had been previously thinking about.
However suddenly he seemed to return to the conversation. "So that's why she talks now?" he asked her, "she never used to talk in front of me."
Hermione had to smile at this. Great perception, Harry, she thought to herself. "Exactly," she replied to him. Then it suddenly dawned on her what Harry was looking so dazed about.
"So speaking of Ginny and Michael…what about Cho and you?" Hermione asked slyly.
"What d'you mean?" Harry asked quickly.
"Well, she just couldn't keep her eyes off you, could she?" said Hermione, smiling slightly.
It took a couple of minutes for the blush to wear off Harry's face as they made their way back to the castle. Hermione had to admit, it was kind of cute.
A/N: Okay so I feel like this chapter is kinda sucky. And, yes, you'll probably recognize some quotes from the actual book, but it was just really hard not to add them in. And I'm sorry if you hate that. I kind of hate that sometimes when it's excessive. But anyways please leave me a review, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks!
