Chapter XII

It was nearly midnight when Harry left his second detention with Umbridge that week, his hand now bleeding so severely that it was staining the scarf he had wrapped around it. He expected the common room to be empty on his return, but Ron and Hermione had sat up waiting for him. He was pleased to see them, especially as Hermione was disposed to be sympathetic rather than critical.

"Here," she said anxiously, pushing a small bowl of yellow liquid toward him, "soak your hand in that, it's a solution of strained and pickled murtlap tentacles, it should help."

Harry placed his bleeding, aching hand into the bowl and experienced a wonderful feeling of relief. "Thanks," he said gratefully, "I'll have to see Tom tomorrow about healing it fully."

"I still reckon you should complain about this," Ron said in a low voice.

"No."

"McGonagall would go nuts if she knew—"

"Yeah, she probably would," Harry said. "And how long d'you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another Decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately?"

Ron opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and after a moment he closed it again in a defeated sort of way.

"She's an awful woman," Hermione said in a small voice. "Awful. You know, I was just saying to Ron when you came in …we've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison," Ron said grimly.

"No … I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defense from her at all," Hermione said.

"Bit late, though isn't it? What are we going to do," Ron yawned. "She got the job, she's here to stay. Fudge'll make sure of it."

"Poison…" Harry repeated, his eyes shifting. Hermione scoffed at him. "Harry! You can't be serious!" she said.

"Syrup of hellebore, powdered moonstone, Asphodel, and baneberries," Harry said. "You can make one in ten minutes."

"I can't believe you're… Harry, Ron, we are not going to poison Umbridge," Hermione said firmly. "I don't even want to know where you've learned that from."

"Tom."

"Then what else are we going to do?" Ron asked.

"Well," Hermione said tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today. …" She shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that—maybe the time's come when we should just—just do it ourselves."

"You mean just learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves?" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"Come off it," Ron groaned. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" Hermione said. Harry and Ron goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," Ron said.

"Don't be silly, of course there is," Hermione said. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year—"

"We can't do much by ourselves," Ron said in a defeated voice. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practice them, I suppose—"

"No, I agree, we've past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," Hermione said. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

Harry frowned, for some reason he has a distinct feeling she was talking about him. "You're thinking of me teaching, aren't you?" he asked.

Hermione's cheeks went pink. "Well… it would be the obvious choice, wouldn't it? I mean you have the most experience, you're the best in the year at Defense Against the Dark Arts! I mean look at what you've done!"

"How d'you mean?" Harry asked.

"Let me think," Ron said, pulling a face like Goyle concentrating. "Uh… first year—you saved the Stone from You-Know-Who."

"That was just luck!"

"Second year," Ron interrupted, "you killed the basilisk and destroyed Riddle! The bad one, not your boyfriend."

Harry bit his lip and chocked back his words as he remembered that the basilisk is still living under the castle, asleep in the Chamber of Secrets. As for Riddle…

"Third year," Ron said, louder still, "you fought off about a hundred dementors at once—"

"You know that was a fluke, if the Time-Turner hadn't—"

"Last year," Ron said, almost shouting now, "you fought off You-Know-Who again—"

"Listen to me!" Harry said, almost angrily, because Ron and Hermione were both smirking now. "Just listen to me, all right? It sounds great when you say it like that, but all that stuff was just luck—I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I didn't plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help—"

Ron and Hermione were still smirking and Harry felt his temper rise; he wasn't even sure why he was feeling so angry. "Don't sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn't I?" he said heatedly. "I know what went on, all right? And I didn't get through any of that because I was brilliant at a damn class! I got through it all because—because help always came at the right time, or because I guessed right—but I just blundered through it all, I didn't have clue what I was doing—STOP LAUGHING!"

The bowl of murtlap essence fell to the floor and smashed. He became aware that he was on his feet, though he couldn't remember standing up. Ron and Hermione's smiles had vanished.

"You on't know what it's like! You—neither of you—you've never had to face him, have you? You think it's just memorizing a bunch of spells and throwing them at him, like you're in class or something? The whole time you know there's nothing between you and dying except your own—your own brain or guys or whatever—like you can think straight when you know you're about a second from being murdered, or tortured, or watching your friends die—they've never taught us that in their classes, what's like to deal with things like that—and you two sit there acting like I'm clever for being alive and Cedric's dumb for dying! Yeah! Cedric died and if it wasn't for Tom he still would be! You just don't get it! It could have easily been me who died, it would have been if Voldemort didn't need me—"

"We weren't saying anything like that, mate," Ron said, looking aghast. "We weren't having a go at Diggory, we didn't—you've got the wrong end of the –"

He looked helplessly at Hermione, whose face was stricken. "Harry," she said timidly, "don't you see? This… this is exactly why we need you. …We need to know what it's really like… facing him… facing V-Voldemort."

It was the first time she had ever said Voldemort's name, and it was this, more than anything else, that calmed Harry. Still breathing hard, he sank back into his chair, becoming aware as he did so that his hand was throbbing horribly again. He reached for his ring-finger and, feeling nothing but his skin, frowned.

"Well… think about it," Hermione said quietly. "Please?"

Harry could not think of anything to say. He was feeling ashamed of his outburst already. He nodded, hardly aware of what he was agreeing to.

Hermione stood up.

"Well, I'm off to bed," she said in a voice that was clearly as natural as she could make it. "Erm … 'night."

Ron had gotten to his feet too.

"Coming?" he said awkwardly to Harry.

"In a minute, I'm going to look at for my ring," Harry said. He fixed the bowl as Ron nodded and left. He took the time to calm down, knowing that there was no way he would find Tom's ring in the common room. He went upstairs and had another restless night filled with dreams of long corridors and locked doors, and he awoke next day with his scar prickling again.

He went to Tom that morning, and asked him to follow Harry out of the Great Hall. Harry led Tom to a small bench outside in the courtyard and told him everything that happened last night. When he was done, he looked up at his boyfriend and asked, "Well… what do you think I should do?"

"Besides being punished for not telling me about the two weeks of detention you have?" Tom asked, causing Harry to flinch. "It is an interesting proposal, and they had a sound logic proposing you."

"But I only did half the stuff they talked about," Harry said. "I didn't kill the basilisk—it's still sleeping underneath us—and I definitely did not fight you last year!"

"No, but you were trained by me," Tom said. He thought for a moment and stood up. "Follow me, and ask no questions," he said. Harry nodded and the two walked back into the entrance hall. They turned away from the Great Hall and towards the marble staircase. They climbed up to the second floor and turned into the left-hand corridor where the girls' bathroom is. They entered it, and Harry was relieved to see that Moaning Myrtle wasn't there. Or, at least she wasn't visible. Tom and Harry stopped in front of the sink with the snake engraved into the faucet. "Open it," Tom said.

Harry looked at the sink and hissed, "Open."

The sink sank out of sight, revealing a large pipe that was big enough for a man to slide in it. Harry turned to Tom, who just nodded. Harry jumped into the pipe without any hesitations, Tom following him. The fall was shorter than he remembered as soon he and Tom were standing at the bottom of the pipe, the floor was still littered with small animal bones.

"This way," Tom said simply. He walked through the piles of animal bones and towards the gigantic snake skin, which was still a vivid, poisonous green. Harry looked around and frowned, "Where did the rocks go?"

"Dumbledore must have had them removed," Tom said. "Doesn't matter." He continued to walk down the twisting tunnel, Harry following him. They did not light their wands, there was no need to. Harry felt comfortable in the darkness, and somehow he just knew where exactly to go, following Tom as they turned and twisted with the long tunnel that ended at the solid wall with two entwined serpents were carved, their eyes set with great, glinting emeralds.

"Open," Tom hissed in a bored manner. The serpents parted as the wall cracked open, the halves slid smoothly out of sight, and the two walked inside.

Again Harry was greeted with a very long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with more carved serpents rose to support the ceiling lost in darkness, casting long, black shadows through the odd, greenish gloom that filled the place. Tom took out his wand and with a small flick lights appeared in the hollow eye sockets of the stone snakes, lighting the pathway towards the statue of Salazar Slytherin.

"Why are we here?" Harry asked, his voice echoing in the Chamber.

"To correct a wrong," Tom said as he walked down the chamber towards the statue. Harry followed as Tom continued to talk, "Hermione Granger was correct. You would be an excellent teacher, especially compared to Umbridge. They would learn much from you about Defense Against the Dark Arts. After all, my love, I have taught you much of what I know."

"But—"

"Do not argue," Tom said. "You are not giving yourself enough credit. You are my boyfriend, Harry Potter, you are the Heir to Lord Voldemort, The Dark Prince. If you do not believe that you can teach a group of students Defense Against the Dark Arts, then you are unworthy of all." They stopped in front of the statue of Salazar Slytherin. Tom looked up at the statue. "You can do more good than you know Harry," he said. "This can be our chance to do so. You are more powerful than you'll ever know."

Harry looked at the statue and frowned. "Tom…"

"Summon the basilisk," Tom ordered.

"Huh?"

"Summon the basilisk," Tom said. Harry frowned and looked at the statue. He turned to look at Tom, who just stared at him with a neutral expression. Harry turned back to the statue and said, "I don't know what to say…"

"In Parseltongue, say 'Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four,'" Tom said. Harry nodded and looked at the statue.

"I don't know what this will prove but…" Harry hesitated before hissing, "Speak to me, Slytherin, greatest of the Hogwarts Four."

Slytherin's gigantic stone face was moving, his mouth opening wider and wider to make a huge black hole. Something was stirring inside the stone mouth; something was slithering up from its depths. The giant serpent uncoiled itself from Slytherin's mouth, its body hitting the floor. It was a violent, terrifying titanic creature with green scales. "Stare at its body, but avoid the eyes," Tom said, looking at the snake. Harry did and stared at it.

Harry didn't know why it wasn't attacking them on sight. "The Snake only obeys the Heir of Slytherin," Tom said.

"But that would be you," Harry said.

"Exactly, she remembers me," Tom smirked. He walked towards Harry and wrapped his arm around Harry's waist. "Look at her: magnificent power, an unstoppable creature that can kill with just a stare… unimaginable power under our control… She reminds me a lot, actually, of you."

"Why because you technically own me and my soul," Harry asked.

"That, but more importantly, my love, because you are a wizard of full potential, a wizard who can easily surpass Dumbledore, Grindelwald… maybe even me as the most powerful wizard of all time. Together, we can do tremendous things Harry, we have done tremendous things. And it all started here in these very halls when you gave me your heart and soul."

"Two things you still own," Harry blushed.

"And will not be giving up any time soon," Tom chuckled. He turned back to the basilisk and said, "Give her a command. Any command."

"Oh umm… Rest." Harry said and watched in amazement as the large basilisk started to coil onto itself, its eyes closing until laid in front of them in a perfectly smooth coil, the snake's outline almost blurred together.

"Do you see what you can do with a simple command?" Tom asked. "Teaching would be simple."

"But, I can only do these things because I have you, Tom. You taught me everything I know, you made me into the boy I am today. Without you… I would be nothing," Harry said. "Which is why… which is why… if I agree to Hermione and Ron about teaching them Defense Against the Dark Arts… I want you with me. I want you to teach them with me."

"Me?"

"Yes," Harry nodded. "Teach them the spells you've taught me, show them the tings you've shown me. Open their eyes like you have opened mine… take them away from Dumbledore, and make them yours."

Tom looked at Harry and saw an interesting glint in eyes. Pride filled his boy as he turned to Harry and said, "My Dark Prince, my beautiful, handsome Prince… look at how much you've grown."

"Only because I have you, my Lord," Harry said. "Together we can open their eyes, reveal to them the truths you've revealed to me. Take them away from Dumbledore's influence, away from the Ministry's influence, and instead put them under yours. You told me you wanted a new start, let them be that start."

Tom smirked, his hands moved from Harry's waist to his shoulders. He squeezed them pridefully and moved to hold Harry's face. "You've developed into a fine heir Harry," he said. "I'm so proud of you."

"Tom…" Harry said. He stared at his boyfriend and smacked his hands off of his face. He lunged for a kiss and was on his knees before Tom knew it. "I've missed you," Harry breathed, reaching for Tom's pants. "It's been forever since we've touched…" He unzippered the fly of Tom's pants and reached in, pulling out Tom's flaccid cock.

Tom watched amused. "Did you?" he said.

"Yeah… I did," Harry said. He held the cock in one hand and stretched it out, giving it a long, single lick from balls to cockhead. It was just as big as Harry remembered. Blood started to fill it out as Harry continued to kiss and lick Tom's cock, leaving little nibbles here and there that made Tom's breath hitched. Tom tried to grab Harry's head, but the boy slapped Tom's hands away whenever he tried. This was something only for Harry to do. He grabbed the base of the three-inch-thick cock and gave a playful tug, squeezing lightly as his hand moved up and down the full nine inches. Harry moaned when he felt the full weight of Tom's cock in his hands. He opened his jaw as wide as he could and swallowed as slowly Tom's cock sank into Harry's mouth inch by inch. His nose pushed against Tom's pants, his chin touching Tom's balls. He dragged his tongue on the underside of Tom's cock as he pulled away ever so slowly, enjoying the taste, feel, and weight of Tom's cock instead of him. Harry stopped when only the head of Tom's cock was in his mouth. He lapped his tongue all around the cockhead, thrusting the tip into the hole of Tom's cock before swallowing it again.

He began to bob his head, keeping most of Tom's cock in his mouth, the thick, hot piece hitting the back of Harry's mouth, pre-cum dripping down his throat. Harry hummed and quickly began to increase his pace, his head moving quickly up and down Tom's cock. Tom groan and moaned but every time he reached to hold Harry, to grab onto his hair so he can fuck Harry's pretty lips, Harry slapped them away. He held onto Tom's hips and forced them to stay still as he moved up and down, up and down, slicking up Tom's cock as it moved in and out of his hot, wet mouth.

Tom did not last long with Harry's skilled mouth. The boy set off with making Tom cum quick and hard, which is just what he did. With a scream he filled Harry's mouth with his seed, and much to his surprise Harry began to swallow, moaning as the perverted elixir went down his throat, it's sweet, hot taste remaining in Harry's mouth long after Tom came. Harry licked and sucked the deflating cock, cleaning it perfectly clean before getting to his feet again and kissing Tom. "I missed your taste," he breathed in a slutty voice.

"I missed your mouth, my little prince," Tom smirked. "Your body was made just for me."

"For you," Harry hummed. They kissed and Harry relaxed in Tom's arms. "Let's do it," he whispered. "Together, let's do it."

Harry did not give Hermione the answer until two weeks later. Ron had four more Quidditch practices and not been shouted at during the last two; and all three of them had managed to vanish their mice in Transfiguration (Hermione had actually moved on to vanishing kittens), before the subject was broadcast again, on a wild, blistery evening at the end of September, when the three of the were sitting in the library with Draco, looking up potion ingredients for Snape.

Draco was having a silent argument with Ron, ("No I'm not simply going to tell you the answers Ron! How else are you going to learn?") When Hermione said suddenly, "I was wondering whether you'd thought any more about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry?"

"'Course I have," Harry said grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us—"

"I meant the idea Ron and I had"—Ron cast her an alarmed, threatening kind of look' she frowned at him— "oh, all right, the idea I had then—about you teaching us."

"Yes," Harry said. He dropped his book and looked at Hermione. "Tom and I talked about it."

"And?"

"I'll do it… only if Tom does most of the teaching," Harry said. "It makes sense, he was the one who taught me. So it should be him teaching you guys. It is just you guys right?"

"Well," Hermione said, now looking a mite anxious again. "Well … now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please. …But I really think you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we're talking about defending ourselves against V-Voldemort—oh don't be pathetic, you two—it doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people."

"I doubt anyone except you three would want to be taught by me, I'm a nutter, remember? But ask Tom, he's the permission you'll need," Harry said.

"Where is he?"

"Somewhere around here," Harry shrugged. "Probably working on something I don't understand or he'll won't tell me." He looked around and saw his Lord in the corner of the library, hunched over a book and essay. "He's over there."

Hermione rose with a purpose and made her way straight towards Tom. "Tom," he said.

"Busy. Be quick," Tom said.

"Harry told us that you guys—"

"I know about the teaching proposal, we have agreed," Tom said. "We will teach you my way."

"I-I know," Hermione said, not deterred by Tom's attitude. "I'm just asking you if you'll be fine if we spread the opportunity to others?"

Tom stopped for a moment. "There is a pub in Hogsmeade called the Hog's Head," he said. "It is off the main road, private, the owner is a man Dumbledore knows very well. Tell anyone who wishes to be taught by Harry Potter to meet us there on the first weekend in October. I have searched the castle and found ourselves a perfect practice room for us to use. Don't worry, Umbridge knows not of either places. Now, if you excuse me, I need to finish this essay." Tom returned to his essay.

Hermione frowned and went back to her seat. "Tom is a bit hard to talk to," she told Harry. "I don't know how you do it."

"You just have to keep trying," Harry shrugged. "What did he say?"

"He already has a meeting place for us at Hogsmeade, which is great because Ron and I have been going around telling some potential others the same thing, and he somehow found a place for us to practice without Umbridge knowing," Hermione said, sounding both impressed and confused.

"That's Tom," Harry sighed. "Always two steps ahead of everyone else."

"Arguments must be awful with him," Ron said.

"Not really, we both just blow up against each other," Harry said, feeling immensely relieved. They were going to do this! They were actually going to steal Dumbledore's students. And it was his plan! He couldn't wait to see it pay off.

.

The day of the Hogsmeade trip found Harry, Ron, and Hermione walking down the main street of Hogsmeade and turning up a side street at the top of which stood a small inn. A battered wooden sign hung from a rusty bracket over the door, with a picture upon it of a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto the white cloth around it.

"Well, come on," Hermione said slightly nervously. Harry led the way inside.

It was not at all like the Three Broomsticks, whose large bar gave an impression of gleaming warmth and cleanliness. The Hog's Head bar comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room that smelled strongly of something that might have been goats. The bay windows were so encrusted with grime that very little daylight could permeate the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. The floor seemed at first glance to be earthy, though as Harry stepped onto it he realized that there was stone beneath what seemed to be the accumulated filth of centuries.

Tom was already sitting in a back table with Cedric Diggory, whose cane was leaning on the table, both had a fire whiskey in front of them. For some reason Harry thought that Tom blended in with the seediness of the bar.

The barman sidled toward them out of a back room. He was a grumpy-looking old man with a great deal of long gray hair and beard. He was tall and thin and looked vaguely familiar to Harry.

"What?" he grunted.

"Three butterbeers, please," Hermione said.

The man reached beneath the counter and pulled up three very dusty, very dirty bottles, which he slammed on the bar. "Six Sickles."

"I'll get them," Harry said quickly, passing over the silver. The barman's eyes traveled over Harry, resting for a fraction of a second on his scar. Then he turned away and deposited Harry's money in an ancient wooden till. Harry, Ron, and Hermione retreated to the furthest table from the bar and sat down, Harry sitting next to Tom.

"I am glad you've found this place," Tom smiled. "Cedric and I have been here for about ten minutes."

"We have, how's your leg Cedric?" Hermione asked.

"Getting better every day," Diggory smiled. "Madam Pomfrey believes I won't need my cane soon."

"That's great news," Hermione said.

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Ron said.

"I go where Tom goes," Cedric smiled. "He told me about this and said that it would be a great thing for me."

"Indeed," Tom said. "Anyway, how many people have you told about this meeting, Hermione?" he asked.

"Just a couple," Hermione said, taking a sip from her butterbeer. The door to the pub had opened. A thick band of dusty sunlight split the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the incoming rush of a crowd of people.

First came Neville with Dean, Seamus, and Lavender, who were closely followed by Parvati and Padma Patil with Cho and one of her usually giggling girlfriends, then (on her own and looking so dreamy that she might have walked in by accident) Luna Lovegood; then Katie Bell, Alicia Spinner, and Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Flinch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, and a Hufflepuff girl with a long plait down her back who Harry didn't know; three Ravenclaw boys he was sure were Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, and Terry Boot; Ginny followed by a tall skinny blond boy with an upturned nose whom Harry recognized vaguely as being a member of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, the Weasley twins Fred and George with their friend Lee Jordan, and lastly Draco Malfoy followed by a confident-looking Blaise Zabini and a very skinny, and very pale, Theo Nott.

"A couple of people?" Harry said hoarsely to Hermione. "A couple of people?"

"It doesn't matter," Tom shrugged. "We'll teach them all the same. Hello Twins."

The barman had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he had never seen his pub so full.

"Hi," Fred said, reaching the bar first and counting his companions quickly. "Could we have … twenty-eight butterbeers, please?"

The barman glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his ray irritably as though he had been interrupted from something important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

"Cheers," Fred said, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these—Malfoy put that money away and make Ron pay for it!"

Draco palmed Ron two Sickles as the large chattering group took their beers and rummaged in their robes to find coins. Harry could not imagine what all these people had turned up for until the horrible thought occurred to him that they might be expecting some kind of speech, at which he turned on Hermione.

"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," Hermione said 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."

"Very well," Tom said. "Harry love, do not worry about anything." He took a sip of his fire whiskey, drawing a jealous look from Fred and George.

"Why he's got fire whisky?" George demanded. "And Diggory too!"

"We got here first," Tom shrugged. Cedric nodding in agreement.

"Um… hi… Cedric, "Cho Chang said hesitantly.

"Hello."

Harry noticed an awkwardness between the two and looked at them curiously as the others settled in around Harry and Tom, some looking rather excited, others curious. Tom did not say a word. He just looked around at them, and suddenly a silence fell on the crowd as they stared at him and Harry. "You may begin," he said softly to Hermione.

"Right…Well—er—hi," Hermione said. The group focused on her instead. "Well… well you all know why you're here. Erm … well, Harry here had the idea—I mean"—Harry had thrown her a sharp look—"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 because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts"—"Hear, hear," Anthony Goldstein said, and Hermione looked heartened—"well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands. And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells… 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. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry.

"Well… that's the plan, anyway," Hermione said. "if you want to join us, we need to decide how—"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff.

"Well—"

"Don't worry about this Hermione," Tom said. Staying in his seat, he looked at the blond Hufflepuff. "Cedric, who is this?" he asked.

"That's Zacharias Smith," Cedric said. Tom nodded and said, "Zacharias Smith… if you wish to know the believability of both my boyfriend Harry, and friend Cedric, you would be kind to ask them in a polite tone directly instead of trying to jump down Hermione's throat. With your rudeness, however, I believe you do not even earn that right. So I will answer instead. Lord Voldemort killed Cedric. Or else, he would have if it had not been for both my and Harry's quick thinking. Isn't that right, Cedric?"

"It is," Cedric nodded.

"If all you came here for was to talk about slander and accusations against Harry, then please leave. Now."

Nobody moved. Then, the girl with the long plait down her back, looked at Harry and said, "Is it true you can produce a Patronus?"

"Yeah," Harry said 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 the trial, so is it true? You make a snake Patronus?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"Blimey, Harry! I never knew that," Lee Jordan said, looking impressive.

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," Fred said, grinning at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"Funny, Ron told me that she told you guys that," Draco drawled, earning fake glares from the twins.

"You watch it Draco Weasley—"

"Weasley? What makes you think I'll take your last name?" Draco chuckle, interrupting George. "Ron's going to become a Malfoy, right Ron?" He looked at his boyfriend, a huge smirk playing his lips.

"Uhh—"

"Can we move back on track please?" Hermione asked, looking between the twins and Draco.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Terry Boot demanded. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year…"

"Yeah, I did," Harry said.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, the Creevey brothers exchanged awestruck looks, and Lavender Brown said "wow" softly. Harry was feeling slightly hot around the collar now; Tom's hand on his thigh kept him from bouncing it.

"And in our first year," Neville said to the group at large, "he saved the Sorcerous—"

"Philosopher's Stone," Tom corrected.

"Yeah that from You-Know-Who," Neville finished.

"Not to mention the tasks that my Harry had to pass last year," Tom chuckled.

"Only with your help," Harry muttered. He turned to the group and said, "Look, I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but I had a lot of help with all that stuff—I would be dead twice over if it wasn't for Tom. Everything that I've done, I've learned from him."

"Not the Patronus, Harry love, I cannot produce a Patronus, let alone a fully corporeal one," Tom said. "But yes, I will admit having a helping hand in your education." He turned to the rest of the group. "You do not know me, which I am fine. My name is Thomas Edward Riddle. You will refer to me as Tom. I have been with Harry since his second year, my fourth, and since our meeting I have been his mentor, friend, and eventual boyfriend. Our proposal is simple: You will learn from us. We will be sticking to Defense Against the Dark Arts, but I will occasionally be peppering in extra spells that Harry and I will deem useful for both your safety in the coming battles, as well as your general education here at Hogwarts. We will be your teachers, but more importantly, we will be your comrades in this confusing, ever-changing time. Please, answer me, but can I be under the generalization that you all wish to learn from Harry and myself?" Tom paused. There was a murmur of agreement. Tom continued. "Good. With that matter taken care of, the next will be of how often we shall meet. Now, before you interrupt, I know that many of you have other duties such as to Quidditch and clubs. And while I will not begin to understand them, I can promise you that we will respect all prior engagements and promises equally. However, I would like to remind you all the importance of this: This is more than test grades and O.W.L.s which a good chunk of you are taking this year, including Harry. This is about preparing ourselves for the future, this is preparing ourselves for the inevitable war and battles to come.

"Lord Voldemort is here," Tom declared, spreading his arms out widely. "He is here, and we must be ready for him! The Ministry has left us with a useless teacher, a miserable woman who would rather see us turn dim-witted rather than allow us to grow and develop! The Ministry and Dolores Umbridge are both under the assumption that we are mobilizing a force against them. I say we let them continue their fantasies, let those who refuse to see the truth of change remain in their delusions. Meanwhile, you and I will strive forward, developing for both ourselves and a better tomorrow. Under Harry and my care, I promise you all will grow, you all will become to the best of your potential and we will mobilize! Not against the Ministry, but against the true enemy! This is the beginning of a new day, a new Hogwarts, a new Wizarding Community! And it begins not with Dumbledore, not with Fudge, not with Umbridge; but with Zacharias Smith, with Cho Chang, with Neville Longbottom, with all of you! Follow Harry and myself. Learn all that we teach you, and I promise that you will be prepared for what lies ahead."

Tom sat down. The group him stared at Tom before applauding. The barkeep and his few patrons turned to look at him. Harry for the first time that they weren't the only ones there, there was also two figures sitting in the corner, one of them was a witch with a thick black veil that fell to her toes. He ignored them as the applause died out.

Tom looked at Harry and Hermione. Hermione cleared her throat, and said, "Right well… we'll work out how often we'll meet… and Tom has told us that he had already found a place that we can practice. We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and place for the first meeting."

She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, then hesitated, rather as though she was steeling herself to say something.

"I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think," she took a deep breath, "that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So, if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge—or anyone else—what we're up to."

Fred reached out for the parchment and cheerfully put down his signature, but Harry noticed at once that several people looked less than happy at the prospect of putting their names on the list, but in the end, everyone did so. George leaned over Draco's shoulder as he signed it, he was one of the last ones to do so, and said, "You spelt 'Weasley' wrong," only to get an elbow in the gut.

"Blimey! Not all graceful and snobby, huh Draco?" George coughed with a laugh. "Maybe you really are turning into a Weasley! We should change your hair red for you."

"Do that and I'll not only hex you two, but take away every point I can from Gryffindor," Draco said, giving the parchment to Blaise, who signed it followed by Theo, who gave a weak smile.

"So violent Draco… such a bad influence on our innocent brother," Fred said, shaking his head.

"Innocent? Who do you think I learned my curses from?" Draco said, causing both the twins to laugh. Draco turned and winked at Ron.

Hermione took the parchment back from Blaise and slipped it carefully into her bag. There was an odd feeling in the group now. It was as though they had just signed some sort of contract.

"Well, time's ticking," Fred said briskly, getting to his feet. "George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later. Draco, be prepared for red hair."

In twos and threes the rest of the group took their leave too. Cho hesitated and looked at Cedric, who turned to talk to Tom animatedly.

"Well, I think that went well," Hermione said happily when it was just the six of them walking out of the Hog's Head. Blaise of and Theo were the last to leave, Draco deciding to stay with Ron.

"Indeed," Tom said. "Now, the only thing left is for me to finalize our meeting place. It's a sort of sensitive room you see."

"I swear, if they think of changing my hair color," Draco growled to Ron. He turned to Ron and said, "If we have kids, I don't want the twins a mile near them, you hear me? My hair is going to stay blonde until the day I die."

"I hear you," Ron chuckled, squeezing Draco's hand and kissing his cheek. "Though it was funny the way you've put them in their place." Draco sighed and shook his head. "But that Zacharias bloke was a wart," Ron said.

"I don't like him much either," Hermione admitted, "but he overheard me talking to Ernie and Hannah at the Hufflepuff table and he seemed really interested in coming, so what could I say? But the more people the better really—I mean, Michael Corner and his friends wouldn't have come if he hadn't been going out with Ginny—"

"WHAT!" Ron said outraged. "She's going out with—my sister's going—what d'you mean, Michael Corner?"

"Well, that's why he and his friends came, I think—well, they're obviously interested in learning Defense, but if Ginny hadn't told Michael what was going on—"

"When did this—when did she—?"

"They met at the Yule Ball," Draco said, "and they got together at the end of last year. You didn't know Ron?

"How—you—"

"The twins told me," Draco shrugged.

"Which one is Michael Corner?" Ron demanded furiously.

"The dark one."

"I didn't like him," Ron said at once.

"Huge surprise," Draco sighed. He tugged Ron's arm and said, "Come on, I need to get your mum something. Coming Granger?" he asked.

"Sure," Hermione said, and the three departed into the nearest shop.

Cedric, hobbling on his cane, looked at Honeydukes and back at Tom, "I'll be in there if you need me," he said.

"Alright, see you Cedric," Tom said as Cedric hobbled away from the group, which instantly became two. Tom smiled at Harry and wrapped his arm around his waist. "We did it my Prince," he whispered.

"It's all because that speech you made," Harry said.

"No, no you did more than I could ever have done," Tom said. "You brought them together. People are naturally drawn to you Harry, we can use that to our advantage. Besides my love, this was all your plan. I am simply playing along with it."

Harry smiled and relaxed against Tom's body as the couple walked down the main street of Hogsmeade. He had never before realized just how beautiful the small town was.

A/N: Your reviews keep me motivated. Please continue tell me what you guys think!

Littlesprout: thank you

Mythreader: Yes damn.

BloodMoon08: You really want to see Harry punished don't you? Lol never knew my readers were kinky. And thanks for calling my evilness yummy… though I am slightly confused.

Alex Frost: Thank you love! Hopefully you liked this update!

MirrorFlower and DarkWind: And in one move, Tom completes an entire subplot. Only to begin a new one here.

Blizzachu: Thank you! I'm glad you like this!