Chapter 7: Friendly Fire

"WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM?" thundered Ron the second he descended the stairs for breakfast. Ron had just burst out of a red velvet love seat in the common room looking like he could start throwing curses - or punches. It had been a few weeks since classes had started and Harry was starting to feel the loneliness. Ron had always been terrible with emotions and it was no surprise it took him this long to process how he felt about their first defence class. Hermione had likely left him to his own devices on this one.

"Excuse me? Harry responded tense and ready for a confrontation. Ron is practically known for flying off the handle and it pays to be prepared.

"You agreed with Umbridge in our first lesson! How could you side with that stupid toad?" Ron cried in outrage.

"Actually Ron, Harry didn't agree with her. He just told her what he wanted to hear. That was very sly of you Harry" Hermione said appreciatively from her seat that was identical to Ron's. She had been just as outraged as Ron but with some reflection she had realised Harry had actually done well to outwit their new Professor.

"Oh that makes more sense. Sorry mate, I was just so angry when I thought you were taking her side over ours. I figured it was a grudge you were holding from the summer." Ron said slightly sheepishly, likely remembering the tournament fiasco and how close he had come to ruining his friendship with Harry. He sat back down, riding out his embarrassment. Harry decided to throw him a bone, it wasn't like Harry to be so in control so he couldn't fault Ron for being angry.

"It's alright Ron, I didn't particularly fancy a detention with Umbridge, so I thought keeping my temper in check was the best option there. Snuffles warned me not to put my neck out so much this year because both the ministry and Voldemort are making it their goal to cut it." Harry said, taking the last seat in the set. It was their little spot in the common room where they would spend their time off.

"Morbid but true" Hermione agreed. "That thing they call a textbook is a clear indication of how far the ministry is willing to go to interfere in our future. It's got nothing about using magic and that's going to get people killed, Voldemort or not. What if some criminal decides to attack us and all we know is to run away and call the aurors? It's completely ridiculous." She ranted, slightly flustered, throwing the book a disgusted look.

"I agree, the ministry clearly wants weak and pliable people. Not much else we can do but self-study though, I feel fairly confident with the fifth year DADA syllabus anyway so I don't think I'll suffer too much on my O.W.L's" Harry surmised

"I just wish we had a proper teacher" Ron contributed. "Every year it's always some sort of trade off, usually they're out to get you mate, maybe they think you're after their job" He joked

"Haha not likely, I've got more important things to do than teach ickle firsties" Harry said

"Oh!" Hermione gasped and pulled her 'I have an idea' face to which she raced out of the common room likely towards the library, book bag in hand.

"Well, that's all we'll see of her today, wanna grab breakfast?" Harry said to Ron, grinning at Hermione's familiar tendencies.

"Now that's an idea mate, but first I wanted to ask you something" Ron replied. Just by looking at him Harry could recognise his nervous indicators. Ron would cast his eyes down, slump his shoulders and bounce his leg if he was sitting and he was ticking all three boxes right now.

"What's on your mind Ron?" Harry said. He prided himself on being there for his friends when they needed him because they had been there with him most of the time and he felt it was the least he could do.

Ron looked up and met his eyes before blurting it all out "me and Hermione, you're good with that right? We didn't get to talk at Grimmauld because… well you were understandably pissed off but I thought that I should check in because I don't want us to stop being friends"

Now that was a significant amount of emotional range from Ron, maybe Hermione has been helping him with that. Nonetheless he deserved a serious answer because he looked like he was going to explode. "Ron, you two are my best friends. Just as I would be happy for you guys if you were dating other people, I'm happy for you now. If you treat each other right, I see no problems with it." He said, capping it off with a smile. Seeing Ron relax significantly Harry stood and offered his hand and pulled Ron up from his seat.

"Now" Harry said, clapping Ron on the back in brotherly love "let's get some food in ya, being hungry has made us all sappy. Hermione would have a field day." He joked. In truth Harry liked these small moments he shared with his friends as it allowed him to show how much he cared about them.

"Too right mate, best not mention it to her otherwise we'll never hear the end of it" Ron agreed laughing heartily as they walked out of the portrait and on to the great hall.

"Say Ron, what happened to your hand?"

"Ah nothing to worry about Harry, was just being stupid, you know how it is" Ron joked

"Indeed, I do mate" Harry agreed as they turned the corner down a corridor.

What they missed was the disillusioned figure following close behind them as they walked. 'Alright Potter the game is on' Daphne thought.

My Dearest Daughter,

What you have told me is promising but not enough. However, I have learnt something that, with the information you've shared, has confirmed a theory. In the latest Wizengamot meeting the Black seat was absent. Usually, Lucius holds this seat but when it was called for attendance he looked like he wanted to kill the announcer.

Now you see the Blacks were famous for both their torturous dark curses and, as you saw, illusionary magic. I believe the Potter boy to be in connection with the current Lord Black or he's been elevated to that very title himself.

In light of this, I must warn you to tread carefully, if he's had access to the Black grimoire then it's likely he knows some very nasty curses. He knows your face now and if he catches you again, he might not be so curious as to your intentions. A shoot first, ask later type of scenario. I have no delusions about your skill set but we don't know enough about him yet to risk an engagement. Keep your distance and observe, do not interact. Especially if he is friends with Moody. That man is only close to Dumbledore and those he deems worthy to teach, which almost certainly means he's had some duelling training from him.

On a positive note, his status a Black could help sway the more questionable members of our society to his side. We shall see.

You're doing well, your mother sends her love, look out for Astoria

Love

Your father

Daphne read the letter twice to check for any hidden meanings but found it to be fairly straight forward. She then burnt the letter as her father had instructed before she boarded the express, any communications about 'house business' were to be removed from existence on their discontinued necessity. The house of black development both surprised and intrigued her. The political power he could claim would be significant if handled well, something to consider later. She had been tailing him ever since the morning after their first day and had been having little success in finding out where he goes to train. Often, she would see him walk into the second floor bathroom but then disappear, at first she thought she'd been caught again but then he did it again the next day and the next. She'd finally concluded that there was some kind of secret passage like the one to Hogsmeade in the statue of Gunhilda of Gorsemoor.

'I'll need to tail him a little closer otherwise I'm going to get nowhere' she thought on her way to the seventh floor. It was early, barely sunrise, and she needed to get her exercise in before Potter woke up. She knew he had a free period today and he always disappears for those. Lucky for her there was a room on the seventh floor which met her needs perfectly, this room would morph into whatever she needed if she paced in front of it. Having found it in her third year when trying to remember which way to for astronomy, she had been surprised to see a door materialise right in front of her eyes and even more surprised when she walked into an exact replica of the astronomy tower. Suffice to say she skived off class that night.

Reaching the room, she entered and changed into her work out clothes. They were muggle in origin, she would've worn them under robes but being discovered in them in Slytherin would be dangerous to her public image. She had cultivated an image of strength and apathy to her classmates and by extension the whole school. Small altercation here and there were quashed when it came to outwitting or out duelling pathetic school kids, there was not a lot of potential at this school right now especially in Slytherin. Starting off her warmup stretches and cardio, Daphne thought about the true key players in her sphere.

In Slytherin she had Draco Malfoy. In the past, he was arrogant and not very ambitious. Not that he didn't deserve to be in Slytherin, but Daphne felt that wanting to live up to a father's legacy wasn't something that was very ambitious. However, he had certainly mellowed out recently, he had become more contemplative and quieter and, likely more dangerous because of it. She had shared a very distant relationship with the Malfoy boy, their families no longer ran in the same circles

Outside of Slytherin she had Voldemort. His goals and ambitions were fairly obvious, world domination and the subjugation of those who would oppose him meaning everyone with any sense. Still, he was a magical colossus and right now only Dumbledore could really contend with him.

Speaking of Dumbledore. The old fool has the power to seriously mess things up here. If he notices that she's following Potter, then it was a whole new world of trouble for Daphne. She could be expelled or even jailed seeing how fiercely he favours Potter. 'Thankfully the ministry is keeping his hands full right now. That stupid cow Umbridge is useful for something at least. The way she's teaching, if you weren't already self-studying you're going to be forced to now. Dumbledore really is losing his touch by allowing her here' she thought moving towards the pull up bar.

Then there was Potter himself. He had proven himself to be a worthy adversary already just evading her day in day out. She had noticed his buddy buddy relationship with Auror Moody which was very interesting. Her father's comments only confirmed her immediate inferences, she was tempted to engage him just to see if he was any good. However duelling people isn't usually a good way to introduce yourself.

Completing her reps on the pull up bar she then moved to the leg press. Setting herself up and beginning the workout, she lost herself to her thoughts again. 'We're putting a lot of faith in Harry's ability to lead us though. All facts point to him being more introverted than leader material. If he's going to be the face of the new faction then he'll need to be charismatic and captivating, not much to suggest that he's anything like that. Although his ability to control himself in Umbridge's first lesson was impressive, I thought for sure he was going to fly off the handle. That's not enough to go off though.'

Done with her leg workout, she moved to the boxing bag in the corner of the room and taped her hands up. It was truly wonderful that the room would provide her whatever she asked for. Beginning to hit the bag Daphne zoned out completely giving herself up to her inner machinations completely to the sound of flesh hitting the bag.

"Potter" an unwelcome voice called

Turning around in the corridor, Harry saw Malfoy staring him down a few metres away, surprisingly without his two goons. Moving his hand towards his wand, Harry adopted a defensive posture eyeing Malfoy warily. "Yes Malfoy? I missed your annual visit to my compartment on the train, did you get lost? Harry mocked.

"Sorry to disappoint but I had more important things to do" pointing to the collar on his robes Harry noticed a prefect badge. "I'm a prefect now, someone saw fit to elevate me above my peers, as it should be" he said pompously.

"I would congratulate you, but I simply don't care. Now what did you want?" Harry said impatiently.

"You better watch your back this year Potter, you never know who or when someone will decide to break it" he attempted to say menacingly. But Harry could tell that his heart wasn't in it.

"Yea sure Malfoy, speaking of back problems, how's Lucy? Can't be easy on the old bones bending down to kiss the feet of a half blood." Harry taunted, satisfied with that insult. Malfoy was too easy now, bigger fish to fry and all that.

Malfoy looked away and clenched his fists but took a deep breath and returned to staring at Harry before sneering slightly and asking in a small voice "Halfblood?"

"Yep, dear old Voldy has a muggle dad. Crazy right? All, this pure blood bs is likely just to get gullible families like yours to join the cause." Harry revealed, hoping to shatter Malfoy's world just because he can.

Malfoy was stunned and after opening and closing his mouth to speak a few times he just decided to push past Harry towards the dungeons.

'That was… odd. Eh he's probably processing no longer being top of the food chain. Oh well, poor Malfoy. I wonder why Hermione didn't tell me Malfoy was a prefect, must've slipped her mind.' Harry thought.

Walking towards the Potions classroom Harry decided to put his encounter out of his mind as he tried to think happy thoughts before another horrible potions lesson.

"I think it's a brill idea, Harry." Ron said, looking mighty pleased with himself. They had just proposed a defence class taught by him for interested students. Whilst he was trying to tame this damned plant that he couldn't pronounce the name for.

"If you can search your minds for a second, you'll remember everyone thinks I'm a nutter or killed Cedric, or both! Besides I don't have time to teach a bunch of kids shield charms, death eaters use unforgivables anyway." Harry argued. If he had to teach these runts basic spells, he would cut into his own training time and that was not acceptable. The greenhouse was loud enough for him to raise his voice a little, the pained yells and not so murmured curses accompanying them created a great environment for private talk.

"But Harry, they'll fail!" Hermione returned. However, seeing that he still didn't care, she switched tactics. "If you're not convinced by that then think of it this way. If you teach them to defend themselves even slightly then they might be able to protect their families long enough for help to arrive when the war really kicks off. Muggleborns like me won't be as defenceless when they the real danger bursts down our door"

'Damn Hermione and her argumentative prowess. If I can help save lives, then I probably should do it. Need to set some terms though' Harry thought. Ron was just standing there being unhelpful and smiling a smug little smile. Harry flipped him off with his free hand. Sending him into a fit of laughter. Turning to a triumphant Hermione he said "Alright but I have conditions, boundaries if you will. I've come to really appreciate my time alone so only on weekends will I do classes and anyone not taking it seriously enough won't be allowed to join. You have to find members and do all the organising; I will only teach." Sticking his hand out to Hermione that he had used to flip off Ron as his other hand was still preoccupied with vines, she shook it vigorously and started scribbling furiously in her little notebook.

"I'm going to set up a meeting in Hogsmeade next weekend. Does that work with you?" She asked. At his nod she turned back to her notebook neglecting the plant in front of us.

Turning his attention back to the plant that was quickly becoming his arch-nemesis he glared at it and said "Okay you little shite, it's you and me now" before grabbing the vines with both hands pulling violently.