A/N: I am really really sorry for the long wait. I have been super busy with school and stuff. Now that its summer and I'm finished school I can probably update weekly.
Chapter 9: In the Hog's Head
"A couple of people?" said Harry to Hermione. "A couple of people?"
"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular," said Hermione happily. "Ron, can you and Anna pull up more chairs?"
The barman looked like he had never seen his pub so full.
Harry could not imagine what all these people had turned up for.
"Not what you expected, right?" asked Anna coming up behind her brother.
"No at all. What did Hermione promise a speech." said Harry. He thought about this and thought that was a horrible thought.
"I really don't know, what she promised them." replied Anna, "I guess we'll find out soon though."
Harry made his way to Hermione as Anna went to go talk to Fred and George.
"What have you been telling people?" he said in a low voice. "What are they expecting?"
"I've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say." Said Hermione soothingly; but Harry continued to look at her so furiously that she added quickly, "You don't have to do anything yet, I'll speak to them first."
"Hi, Harry," said Neville, beaming and taking a seat opposite him.
Harry tried to smile back, but did not speak; his mouth was dry. Cho had just smiled at him and sat down on Ron's right. Her friend did not smile, but gave Harry a thoroughly mistrustful look which plainly told him that, given her way, she would not be here at all.
In twos and threes the new arrivals settled around Harry, Ron, Anna, and Hermione, some looking rather excited, others curious, Luna Lovegood gazing dreamily into space. When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry.
"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well – er – hi."
The group focused its attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry. Some eyes were on Anna too, some people still couldn't believe she was Harry's sister.
"Well… erm… well, you know why you're here. Erm… well, Harry here had the idea – I mean" (Harry had thrown her a sharp look and Anna had elbowed her) "I had the idea – 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 –" (Hermione's voice became much stronger and more confident) "- because nobody could call that Defence Against the Dark Arts –" ("Hear, hear," said Anna, and Hermione looked heartened) "- Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."
She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing the real spells –"
"You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts OWL too, though, I bet?" said Michael Corner, who was watching her closely.
"Of course I do," said Hermione at once, "But more than that, I want to be properly trained in defence because … because…" she took a great breath and finished, "because Lord Voldemort is back."
The reaction was immediate and predictable. Cho's friend shrieked and slopped Butterbeer down herself; Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch; Padma Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.
"Well… that's the plan, anyways," said Hermione. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to –"
"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said a Hufflepuff.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it – "Hermione began.
"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.
"Who are you?" said Ron, rather rudely.
"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
"Look," said Anna for the first time, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about –"
"It's okay, Anna," said Harry.
It had just dawned on Harry why there were so many people there. He thought Hermione should have seen this coming. Some of these people – maybe even most of them – had turned up in hopes of hearing Harry's story firsthand.
"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" Harry repeated, looking Zacharias straight in the face. "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you won't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Harry spoke. Anna even had the impression that even the barman was listening.
Zacharias said, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know –"
"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," harry said. His temper, always so close to the surface these days, was rising again. Anna put a hand on Harry's shoulder to try to calm him down. Harry did not take his eyes from Zacharias Smith's aggressive face, and was determined not to look at Cho. "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."
He cast an angry look in Hermione's direction. This was, he felt, all her fault; she had decided to display him like some sort of freak and of course they had all turned up to see just how wild his story was. But none of them left their seats.
"So," said Hermione, her voice very high-pitched again. "So… like I was saying… if you want to learn some defence, 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 –"
"Is it true," interrupted girl, looking at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"
There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.
"Yeah," said harry slightly defensively.
"A corporeal Patronus?"
The phrase stirred something in Harry's memory.
"Er – you don't know Madam Bones, do you?" he asked.
The girl smiled.
"She's my auntie," she said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So – is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"
"Yes," said Harry.
"Blimey, Harry!" said Lee, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"
"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred. "She said you got enough attention as it was."
"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry to Anna, and a couple people laughed.
"And did you kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" demanded Terry Boot. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year…"
"Er – yeah, I did, yeah." Said Harry.
Everyone looked astonished and Anna said "Wow!" softly.
"And in our first year," said Neville to the group at large, "he saved the Philological Stone –"
"Philosopher's," hissed Hermione.
"Yeas, that – from You-Know-Who," finished Neville.
There as lots of chat about all of Harry's accomplished including the Triwizard Tournament and how he saved himself from Dementors in the summer.
"Did you really do all that stuff harry?" asked Anna.
"Yeah, I really did." Replied Harry.
"Wow!" said Anna.
Everyone talked longer and they all agreed that they would take lessons from Harry. Next they all voiced their opinions on where to meet but didn't figure out where would be the best place.
Hermione got out a piece of parchment and everyone signed their names.
Everyone left in groups of twos and threes.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Anna returned to Hogwarts after a long afternoon.
A/N: Please review. It would mean the world to me.