A/N: Once again, I'm not going to comment on the tardiness of the chapter. I've been working on another story that just wouldn't leave me alone, but it's almost done, so I can go back to this. This will most likely be the last chapter you're going to get for a week or two as I leave for camp Sunday. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't review. I am almost out of profiles/favorites to peruse, I need a fresh supply (hence the posting now. Selfish, I know, but what can you do?). Send me a review and then favorite/alert DEERE FAMILY so that I'll have more stories to read!

Okay, so a wonderful reviewer, sapientia stulti, informed me that the last bit of this chapter didn't make much sense, so I've gone back and adjusted the last three paragraphs. They are the only things that changed. Hopefully now it's clearer. Sorry for the confusion.

Chapter Nine:

Harry didn't get a chance to talk to Neville until just before DADA the next day. He knew the shy Gryffindor usually arrived early to the class, so he left Ron and Hermione bickering over homework in the Great Hall and headed to the DADA room, hoping to run into Neville.

He was lucky; Neville was reading Magical Medical Plants Volume III: It Gets Interesting With These! outside the prettier Professor Deere's room. "Hey Neville," Harry began, dropping his heavy bag next to the engrossed teenager.

Neville jumped and looked around before giving Harry an embarrassed grin. "Hey Harry. Is lunch over already?"

Harry shook his head. "I just wanted to talk to you before class started."

Neville suddenly looked afraid. "Why?"

Harry took a deep breath, unsure of how to begin. "I was thinking about what you did yesterday on the pitch, and well, I was wondering if you could do anything else." He winced slightly; the words hadn't come out right.

Neville blushed. "A few." Then his face lit up a bit, "Madame Pomfrey says I'd make a good healer if I wanted."

"Really? That's great, Neville!" Harry exclaimed, glad he hadn't offended the boy with his last sentence. His face sobered. "We – well, I – was wondering if you'd be willing to teach us the basics of healing."

Neville froze. "Who's 'us'?"

Harry suddenly felt really hot under Neville's interrogative stare. "Um, the DA," he mumbled. "If I restarted it this year," he added quickly.

Neville studied the famous teen's face, looking for any sign of the punch line that had to be coming. Seeing none, he asked, "Why me? Why not you? Or Hermione? I'm sure she could do much better than I."

Harry smiled a little, he almost had him. "You're the only one Madame Pomfrey thinks has talent."

"You have talent! You're brilliant with spells!" Neville interrupted.

Harry blushed under the praise. "I doubt I could've fixed my own nose."

"Well, of course you couldn't have. It's risky to perform those sorts of spells on yourself. You could've set it wrong and you'd never know!"

"See!" Harry replied, glad to have proof. "I would never have known that! You just taught me something right now!" He pulled his best imitation of a sick puppy. "Please, Neville? Will you help?"

Neville looked around again. By this time, most of the class had arrived and were shamelessly trying to hear everything he and Harry were saying. He stared at a Hufflepuff trying to pull the DADA book out of her bulging bag, not really seeing anything. Harry was about to tell him to forget it when he finally answered. "Okay."

Harry was about to reply when the door swung open and Lily ushered them inside.

OOOOOOOOOO

Thirty minutes later, Lily was jarred out of her lecture on the finer points of the heighten-senses spell by the sound of running. She looked up to see two identical squirrels run by the open door, quickly followed by a girl she recognized as Ginny Weasley, and much to her disappointment, her husband.

"Stop those squirrels!" James cried as he dashed by.

The class sat in silent confusion as another fifth-year Gryffindor and a Ravenclaw with blonde hair ran by.

"Excuse me for a moment, students," Lily said as she went to find her husband.

"What do you think that was about?" Ron asked, breaking the few seconds of stunned silence that followed their teacher leaving.

OOOOOOOOOO

Fifteen minutes before, James had been explaining the mammal-to-mammal transformation to his fifth-year Gryffindor/Ravenclaw class.

"…Now I want you all to try it. Transform this mouse into a baby squirrel. Just remember, this spell isn't easy, so don't be disappointed if it doesn't work today. We'll be working on it for the next month."

Ginny Weasley had just started her third attempt when her friend, Luna Lovegood, accidently bumped into her elbow. Her wand was knocked off-course and was now pointed (Ginny realized a split second after she'd finished the incantation) directly at one of Professor Paxton's twins. It was too late to cancel the spell so Ginny could only watch in horror as the blue light surrounded the twin and for once, it worked. In the kid's place, sat a stunned squirrel.

Ginny only had time to process the fact that it had worked completely on her third attempt (And Professor Paxton had said it was really difficult!) before she saw another blue light streak by her left arm.

Turning in surprise, Ginny saw Luna's wand out, and for once, the Ravenclaw wasn't staring off into space. "What did you just do?"

Luna shrugged and put her wand behind her ear. "They can't be different species," she replied, as if it were obvious.

Ginny didn't have time to reply, as the twins suddenly decided to try out their new forms and run. It was just her luck that James also chose that second to take a break from trying to explain what one of the denser boys was doing wrong and check on his daughters.

It took him about five seconds to realize his twins weren't missing, but were in fact, the two auburn squirrels currently making a dash for the door. "Catch them!" James ordered.

And so the chase was on.

OOOOOOO

Lily came back into her classroom a few minutes later to the loud ruckus of curious students.

"Quiet!" she shouted. The room fell silent at once and she continued as if nothing had happened, giving no clue of what had just taken place in the hall.

OOOOOOOOO

Harry waited until the classroom had cleared before approaching Lily's desk. "Professor?"

Lily looked up from organizing the latest batch of essays. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. He'd been thinking about it for two weeks and he'd reached his decision. "I'm going to restart the DA."

Lily smiled instantly and produced a sheet of parchment from inside her desk. "I was hoping you'd decide to. I took the liberty of putting together a list of students advanced, or with great promise, in Defense."

Harry took the parchment hesitantly. He hadn't planned on recruiting new members. He looked at the list.

"I believe there are a few new names," Lily added, her amusement at her son's trepidation obvious in her voice.

She was right. Most of the list consisted of present DA members, but there were a couple of new ones scattered throughout. The most surprising of all was… "Malfoy?" Harry spluttered, his eyes registering his nemesis's name sandwiched between Zacharias Smith and Hannah Abbot.

Lily nodded, her eyebrows arching slightly. "He is very powerful."

"But he's a Slytherin!"

"So is Severus Snape."

"His father's Voldemort's henchman! He's probably already kissing Riddle's arse!"

All amusement evaporated from Lily's face. "Do you know that for a fact?" Harry kept his mouth shut. "I thought not. Mr. Malfoy is a formidable dueler with the potential to be a great ally or frightening enemy." Lily's tone lost some of its iciness. "Now, I must go punish my husband."

OOOOOOO

James tiptoed passed his wife's office, intent on reaching his own before she could catch him. He darted down the corridor and ducted quickly into his office, closing the door as quietly as he could. He was just breathing a sigh of relief, rejoicing in avoiding his supremely intelligent, magnificent, and no doubt, fuming, wife when –

"James Paxton Potter."

James jumped, smashing his head into the door and turned sheepishly to face the woman sitting behind his desk. "Pan!" he replied, trying (and failing) to sound innocent.

Lily just glared. "Where are the twins?"

James swallowed. "With Madame Pomfrey."

"And why are they with Madame Pomfrey?"

"Because they ran into two suits of armor."

"And why did they run into two suits of armor?"

James pretended not to know where she was leading. He'd learned long ago not to interrupt the flow. He answered slowly. "Because we were chasing them."

"Why was that?"

"Because they were running," James couldn't help saying. He got another stoic glare. "They were trying out their new shape?" James cowered.

"And that shape was?"

"Squirrels."

"Right. Now care to tell me why our girls were transformed into squirrels?"

"A couple of my fifth-years are holding out on me?" The urge for the joke was too strong; James had to say it, consequences be damned. "I was asking for kittens."

"Potter!" Lily cracked. She looked prepared to shout again, but then seemed to realize how she was addressing James and erected a swift silencing charm around the office. As soon as it was secure, she started again, calmer than before. "Potter. If you plan on sleeping on the couch instead of the shrieking shack, you might want to think of a better excuse. You have as long as it takes me to talk to Albus."

She stood up and walked to the door. "Start now," she concluded, closing the door behind her.

"If it's a good story, do I still have to sleep on the couch?" James called, sticking his head out of the door. He pulled it back in three seconds later and got to work cracking the multi-color charm his lovely wife had just cast on his skin.

A/N: Many thanks to the people who've reviewed and/or alert/favorited. Until next week, fair readers!