Chapter 11

My Deepest apologies to all of my readers. This fic's been collecting dust for too long. I know I've probably lost some of you, and I'm terribly sorry to those who have hung on for this long. But at long last... here's chapter 11!

After Harry and Lloyd got back from another detention with Umbridge, they found Hermione and Ron waiting for them in the Commonroom. They each took a look at the two bleeding hands, and immediately dipped them in Murtlap essence.

"I reckon you should complain about this." Said Ron in a low voice.

"No." Harry and Lloyd said in unison.

"McGonagall and Professor Sage would go nuts if they knew..."

"Obviously, but how long do you think it would take Umbridge to set up a decree that says anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets fired?" Lloyd posed as a question. Ron opened his mouth to retort but then closed it again, defeated. Hermione spoke up.

"She's an awful woman... Awful. You know I was just saying to Ron we should do something about her."

"I suggested poison." Ron offered hopefully. Lloyd's eyes brightened. Hermione sighed.

"No, I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defence against the dark arts from her."

Lloyd responded with a shrug. "The other professors can do well enough helping us with that." Hermione glared at him.

"I mean actual wizardry! No offense Lloyd but what the others teach us isn't exactly wizardry..."

Harry sighed. "So, are you saying Lupin...?"

Hermione interjected. "I'm not talking about Lupin, Harry."

"Who then?"

"I'm talking about you." There was a moment's silence.

"About me what?"

Lloyd rolled his eyes. "She thinks that you should be the one to be teaching us Defence against the Dark arts." There was another pause. Ron looked up.

"You know, that's not a bad idea."

Harry turned on him. "What is?"

"You." Ron said. "Teaching us how to do it."

Harry was looking at the both of them, desperately hoping they were joking.

"But I'm not a teacher or anything. I can't-" Lloyd took that moment to interject.

"I'm not a teacher either. But I bet I know more than almost anybody else in the school about the techniques that Kratos was teaching us. I know techniques even he doesn't. The same could be for you. I don't think there are a lot of teachers who can produce a patronus like you Harry."

Everybody was quiet at that point. Harry looked around looking for any support. "I... just... can't..." Ron interjected again.

"First year... you saved the Philosophers stone from You-Know-Who."

Harry looked on almost helplessly. "But that was luck. It wasn't skill or anyth-"

"Second year... You killed a Basilisk and destroyed Riddle."

"Yes, but if Fawks hadn't shown up, then-"

"Third year... you fought off about a hundred dementors at once."

"You know that was a fluke, with the Time Turner and all-"

"Last year... you fought off You-Know-Who again."

"Just listen to me!" Harry was starting to get frustrated. "It sounds great and all when you say it like that, but all that stuff was luck! I didn't know what I was doing all that time, I just did whatever I could think of, and I almost always had help..." Ron and Hermione were smirking, while Lloyd was listening, and already starting to relate to Harry in several ways.

"Don't stand there grinning like you know better than I do. I was there wasn't I? You have no idea what it's like, you just think it's memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him like you're in class or someth- STOP LAUGHING!"

The bowl of Murtlap essence fell to the ground and smashed. The grins had vanished from Ron and Hermione's faces.

"You don't know what it's like. You just think its like-"

"Will you stop bitching on like that?" Three sets of eyes fell upon Lloyd. "The way you keep going on like this, you act like you're the only person who's had to go through this kind of stuff. I've gone through the exact same stuff, and probably worse! Yeah, a lot of it was luck instead of skill, yeah, I had help. So what? You still did it didn't you?" He sighed in disgust. "If you keep thinking like that, then you don't deserve to teach anybody anything!" There was utmost silence.

Lloyd had a steely eyed glare and it was set on Harry. "I'm going to bed." He walked up the staircase into the boys dormitories and vanished from sight.

There was utmost silence. Nobody wanted to be the first to say anything. Harry sighed as he sat down in the chair. Hermione looked at him pleadingly.

"Well... will you think about it?" Harry looked at her dully and after a while he nodded. Harmione's face brightened a bit. "Well... I'm off to bed." She said, in as natural a voice as she could manage. She quickly ran off to the girls dormitories. Ron was still looking bewildered at how Lloyd had spoken to Harry.

"Well... I'm going to bed. Coming?" Harry nodded.

"In a minute. I'll just fix this up." He said indicating the smashed bowl on the ground. Ron nodded and headed up to the boys dormitories. Harry looked at the bowl, waved his wand and said "Reparo" The bowl fixed itself immediately and Harry put it back on the table. He was tempted to just sink back into the armchair and fall asleep there, but he forced himself to his feet and followed Ron up to the dormitories. His sleep was haunted by more dreams of corridors and doors, and he awoke again with his scar prickling.

Over the next few days Ron, Hermione, and Lloyd made no mention of their conversation, and Lloyd was acting friendly as ever. However, he did seem to be spending more time with his friends over the next few days. Kratos had come back into class, to the great dismay of the Slytherins. Apparently Kratos did not approve of the typical Slytherin behavior. However, some Slytherins just don't know when to stop.

"Mr. Malfoy, I'd strongly suggest you refrain yourself from bewitching spitballs to fly at Mr. Weasley during class." Malfoy shot Kratos an arrogant smirk.

"What will you do if I don't? Give me a detention?" Kratos met Malfoys' gaze with his own annoyingly calm one, with an amused spark in his eye.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware you wanted one. Very well, you can come in here on the weekend and help Professor Wilder answer his fanmail." At that comment he rolled his eyes up towards the ceiling in disgust.

Malfoy's jaw dropped. "You... you can't do this!" Kratos looked back at him. "Why don't we make it next weekend as well then. And don't tell me what I can and can't do Mr. Malfoy." Malfoy looked like he was about to protest, but he shut his mouth. Kratos nodded. "A wise decision." Harry and Ron exchanged grins.

After class, Zelos could be heard complaining to Kratos about how he didn't want a whiney little weasel like Malfoy helping him with his fanmail. This earned more smirks from the Gryffindors, and several of them began laughing as Hermione corrected Zelos, telling him that it was a ferret and not a weasel.

The group entered the Great Hall. Harry felt someone shove him aside rather rudely and noted it was Malfoy and his goons, stalking off. Malfoy was muttering something to the effect of 'my father'. This earned his back a number of rolled eyes from the fantastic four (Lloyd, Harry, Hermione, and Ron, obviously).

As for the student taught classes... well, Harry had thought of it. At times it seemed an insane idea... and yet, he couldn't help thinking about it. Planning classes, thinking what spells had served him best in his adventures. Finally, he was confronted on it once again.

"Well?" Lloyd asked. "You've had tons of time to think about it. So what are you going to do?"

Harry was silent for a moment. "Well... I've thought about it..."

"And?" Hermione inquired eagerly.

"I dunno." Came the dull response. Harry was trying to stall for time.

"I thought it was a good idea from the start." Ron stated.

Harry considered mentioning the bit about luck again, and then held it back, noting the look on Lloyd's face. Unlike the others it wasn't exactly eager. More along the lines of unamused. Very similar to Kratos's right now, actually.

"Well... I guess I could give it a try... although I doubt too many people would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"

Hermione gave a cute little smirk. "You might be surprised."

The group made plans that seemed to rush right along, without Harry actually having to do or say much. They agreed to do the meeting during the visit to Hogsmeade on the weekend, and Lloyd and Hermione rushed right out of the room to spread the word among the students.

Nobody actually seemed to ask Harry if he objected.