Chapter 19
While Professor Driscoll droned on and on about a specific Arithmancy equation that was often used in OWL examinations, Harry tuned her out and instead tried to figure out what to do about Tom Riddle.
The handsome young man who was sitting next to her. And who had just an hour earlier tried to murder another student just because that student had dared show an interest in Tom's object of desire, Harry himself. Even though Harry had turned Naveen down quickly and clearly. Apparently that wasn't enough to curb Tom's violent tendencies.
Part of Harry wanted to drag Tom away the second class ended and give him a piece of his mind about the acceptability of murder attempts as part of a teenage courtship. There was enough burning outrage swirling through Harry that he was sure he could lecture Tom for a whole hour on the subject without once having to come up for air.
But the more Harry thought about doing that, the more he realized that this was not the right way to approach a person like Tom Riddle.
The biggest problem was, of course, that Tom Riddle had no idea how to act like a functioning human being. Oh, he could put on a genial mask and smile and laugh in all the right places. But in essence, Tom lacked something that would make any other person understand that passive-aggressive murder attempts were not an acceptable way to try to get a girl's attention. Whether this was because of something Tom was born with or because of how he was raised in that damned orphanage hardly even mattered in the end.
What truly mattered was that Tom was not a well-adjusted individual who understood such simple human concepts. So treating him like he was simply wouldn't work. Tom would nod and smile and promise from the bottom of his heart that he'd never do it again, and then promptly try to murder the next guy who give Harry more than a cursory glance.
Harry thought there was a great deal of irony in the fact that Harry was suddenly the most well-adjusted person compared to his friend. In his old life Harry had been anything but well-adjusted. He'd been a workaholic with his fair share of war trauma, a borderline alcoholic who couldn't even manage a healthy relationship with the girl he loved, and a would-be hermit who hardly left his house outside of work because he was constantly harassed by both the public and the press.
Yeah, Harry knew all too well what it was like to be barely able to function like a well-adjusted adult. So he sympathized with Tom on several levels, since it was obvious that no one had ever taken the time to teach Tom any of this stuff. Harry at least had his friends, once upon a time. He'd had Hermione who'd given him a small pile of books on how to deal with all sorts of traumas and how to manage your emotions. And while Harry had snorted and rolled his eyes at his friend, he'd still read the books. And while they hadn't fixed everything, or even most things, they had given Harry a few ideas on how to get through the day without wanting to curse everyone and everything in sight out of sheer frustration with how horribly his life turned out to be.
Tom had no one to give him a push in the right direction. Well, now he had Harry, who had given Tom a few shoves away from the pitfalls that would have turned him into Lord Voldemort, but that was it. Getting angry at Tom right at this time wouldn't help anything, because Tom would simply not understand that his actions were wrong. As long as Tom could get away with something, he'd probably never think of it as wrong.
But Tom was a Slytherin down to his core. Tom was always looking for ways to get what he wanted. So perhaps Harry had to approach this whole mess as something that he could use to give Tom what he wanted in exchange for stopping any future murder attempts.
And what did Tom seem to want most of all at that moment? That was Harry himself.
A plan began to form in Harry's head, something that would tickle Tom's love for negotiations, no doubt. And that would hopefully keep the rest of the Hogwarts students safe from Tom's passive-aggressive tendencies to end the lives of those who displeased him.
So when their class ended, Harry pretended as though nothing was amiss. He gave Tom a bright smile while he packed his bag. "Library next? I've got some homework to finish and we've got detention tonight. I've also got Astronomy at eleven, so it will be a very long evening for me."
Tom blinked a few times while he stared at Harry in obvious doubt. Apparently Tom had expected Harry to give him some sort of lecture, or perhaps give him the silent treatment. He obviously hadn't expected Harry to treat him as though nothing had happened.
Ah, Harry did love shaking up Tom's expectations from time to time. It would keep the man on his toes around Harry instead of thinking he could anticipate his every move.
"Yes, I have some homework to finish myself," Tom muttered and followed Harry out of the classroom.
Myrtle joined them, Petunia cupped in her hands while she briefly whispered to the snake. Then she looked up at Harry. "It's so horrible what happened to Naveen, isn't it?"
"A tragic accident," Harry said with solemn nod before giving Tom a pointed look. Harry might pretend nothing was amiss but he still wanted Tom to know that Harry knew exactly what had really happened to poor Naveen.
"Do you think we should visit him in the infirmary?" Myrtle asked quietly as they walked down the corridor, students passing them left and right. "He is a member of the Defence Association. It might be nice to wish him well in person."
Harry bit his lip so he wouldn't burst out in slightly hysterical laughter. Ah yes, let's give Naveen even more attention. And then they could all be terribly surprised and shocked when someone found Naveen dead in his infirmary bed the next morning, suffocated with his pillow or something. Harry managed to keep a straight face and he gave Tom another pointed look, which Tom politely ignored. "I don't think that will be necessary," Harry said diplomatically, knowing full well he really was playing with another student's life here. Why did he have to make friends with the one student who thought murder was a perfectly acceptable way to express his feelings? "I'm sure Naveen will have plenty of friends who want to visit him."
"I suppose," Myrtle said as they descended the stairs. "McClure only allows four visitors at a time anyway."
Harry was very happy to hear that. That gave him a perfect excuse to never seek out anyone in the infirmary lest Tom do them in permanently.
They settled at their regular table in the library and were soon joined by Annabel and Lukas. Ben and Arnold the Hufflepuffs also found seats at their table before long. And then Orion and Theodorus showed up as well and sat down as though they belonged there. Harry sighed but ignored them. He'd allow them to join them in the library, but he still wasn't letting them join the DA, no matter how much they tried to bother Harry about it.
Ben, who sat opposite Myrtle, put down his quill and cleared his throat. "Myrtle?"
Blinking, Myrtle looked up from her Charms essay. "Yes?"
"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday?" Ben asked, his cheeks flaming red but his eyes shining with determination. Harry silently admired his courage. It was no small feat for a fifteen-year-old to ask a girl out while in the company of his friends.
"Er…" Myrtle seemed entirely taken aback and she glanced at Harry with wide eyes.
"You should go if you want to," Harry whispered to her, giving her an encouraging smile. Myrtle deserved to go on a date with a nice chap like Ben. It also freed Harry up to follow through with his own plans, if he didn't have to worry about Myrtle that day.
"Yeah, okay," Myrtle finally said, still sounding full of doubt, but her smile was absolutely sincere.
"Thanks." Ben beamed at Myrtle, his whole face full of joy at the idea of going on a date.
"Harriet," Arnold said, giving Harry an anticipatory smile. "Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"
"NO!" A flush of cold panic swept through Harry at the thought of Tom hurling yet another student off the stairs in the name of love. "I mean, sorry, Arnold, but I have plans already." And Harry leaned a bit to the right and stomped his foot down right on top of Tom's under the table. Perhaps if he injured Tom's foot the twat wouldn't be able to go out to get revenge for this imagined slight.
Tom released a snarl as he quickly drew away from Harry before giving him a wounded look. Harry's answering glare made it clear that he would not tolerate another murder attempt under any circumstances.
Arnold seemed to only now realize that something was going on between Harry and Tom and he ducked his head, cheeks reddening at once. "I apologize. I hadn't realized you two were… you know."
"That's fine," Harry said at once, denying nothing lest it enrage Tom to the point of no return. "Apology accepted."
Tom's face was carefully blank as he gave Arnold a tight little nod. He shot Harry another wounded glare, as though he couldn't for the life of him imagine why Harry would physically try to stop him from going out and execute people as he pleased. Harry ignored him and turned back to his Defence essay. He was planning to speak to Tom later that evening, so for now it was best if he gave Tom no encouragement of any kind.
As Harry glanced around their group to make sure no one was getting suspicious of either Tom or Harry, he noticed both Orion and Theodorus giving him speculative looks. Harry wouldn't be at all surprised if they knew what Tom had done to Naveen, but he wondered if they knew why Tom had done it. Not that it mattered in the end. If they tried to mess with either Harry or Tom they would be in for a surprise, because Harry was sure Tom wouldn't mind putting them in their place. And neither would Harry, to be honest.
It was perhaps fifteen minutes later, when Harry was just about done with his Defence essay, that it occurred to him that at no point that afternoon Harry had considered calling off his friendship with Tom over his murder attempt.
Once upon a time, when Harry was a teenager the first time around, he'd have been appalled if someone had pushed another person down the stairs, causing them great physical harm, only because someone had shown an interest in Harry.
God, what a naïve little prick he'd been. Harry wanted to roll his eyes at himself for ever having been such a righteous little swot. The years after Hogwarts really had changed Harry to the point that a mild murder attempt wasn't enough anymore to keep him from wanting to fuck someone else. In fact, if Harry was truly honest with himself, there was a part of him that rather liked it that Tom was so obsessed with Harry, so determined to make Harry his own that he did not hesitate to do away with any competition.
Yes, Harry knew it was wrong what Tom had done and he wasn't putting up with it in the long run, but he also couldn't help feeling a bit flattered. It wasn't every day that your crush showed his interest by way of manslaughter. That took a level of devotion Harry hadn't encountered in his life before and it made him feel rather good about himself.
The rest of the afternoon went by without any further incidents and when they broke up for dinner, Harry gave Tom an expectant look. "I'll meet you in the entrance hall to go to detention right after dinner."
"I'll be there," Tom said softly while his brown eyes burned with unbridled desire. Was he thinking about what had almost happened in the stables the previous night? All the drama that afternoon had almost made Harry forget they'd come very close to kissing the evening before, but now he couldn't stop thinking about it.
Fuck, this crush was absolutely getting out of hand. Harry quickly joined Myrtle in the corridor as they made their way to the Great Hall.
"Will you help me Saturday?" Myrtle asked, leaning her head close to Harry's so they wouldn't be overheard.
"With what?" Harry asked, nonplussed.
"With using some of those charms for your hair and makeup." Myrtle gave Harry an urgent look which quickly turned pleading.
"Oh, for your date." Harry suddenly got all excited on Myrtle's behalf. His friend was about to have her first date! "Yes, of course I'll help. I'll turn you into your best version of yourself, promise."
"Thanks." Myrtle seemed to walk on clouds all the way down the castle, a dreamy smile on her face as she all but floated through the hallways. Meanwhile Harry got more and more nervous about his upcoming confrontation with Tom. Harry was sure it would work, but he still couldn't help the anxious flutters that danced through his body.
After a delicious dinner of bubble and squeak with mushy peas, Harry accompanied Myrtle back to Ravenclaw Tower. He loaded up his Astronomy supplies and swung his bag over his shoulders. That way he could go straight to his class after his detention.
Tom was already waiting for him in the entrance hall, his face a neutral mask as he watched Harry descend the stairs. Strickland was nowhere in sight, but Harry assumed that the man trusted them to make their own way to the stables now that they'd been there once. Without saying a word, Harry followed Tom out of the castle.
It was still light out, though the sun stood low in the sky, barely shining over the tops of the trees.
"We need to talk," Harry said without any preamble. He gave Tom a narrow-eyed look to make sure Tom knew Harry was being utterly serious.
"Ah." Tom looked momentarily amused, eyes crinkling and the corners of his mouth twitching. But then he carefully schooled his features until they gave nothing away. "You have no proof," Tom said, nose stuck in the air, as though saying that would someone make Harry reconsider Tom's guilt in the matter.
"I don't fucking care," Harry said with plenty of real venom on his voice. "I don't appreciate you trying to kill other students for any reason, Tom."
Yeah, judging by the dead look in Tom's eyes and the sudden slackness of his face, this was entirely the wrong way to go about correcting Tom's behaviour. Still, Harry needed to get that out of his system before he could offer Tom the deal he had in mind.
"I'm willing to make a deal with you," Harry said with a bit of sigh. Really, his life would be so much easier if his love interest wasn't a homicidal maniac in the making.
That piqued Tom's interest enough that his eyes started gleaming again. "What sort of deal?"
Harry stared ahead as they strolled across the wide lawn. It was strange that he hesitated, but he did feel as though he was exposing himself by articulating his interest in Tom so obviously. Then again, Tom had been rather obvious with his own interest, so Harry didn't think he was in for a rejection of sorts. "I'll go to Hogsmeade with you this Saturday if you promise not to try to kill any other students for any reason this year."
Tom slowed his pace down, brows furrowing as he mulled Harry's offer over. "You'll go to Hogsmeade with me every Hogsmeade weekend for the rest of our Hogwarts careers and I promise not to try to kill any students this year."
Harry snorted and shook his head. That greedy little bastard. "All Hogsmeade weekends for the duration of our schoolyears and you won't try to kill anyone during that whole time."
A slow smile spread across Tom's face as he looked down at Harry. He appeared nothing but smug, as though he had planned for this deal to happen all along. "That is acceptable. We'll go to Hogsmeade this Saturday right after the DA and have lunch at the Three Broomsticks."
"Sure." Harry nodded his agreement, since there was no reason to disagree.
"And Saturday night we'll go to the Slug Club together," Tom added, clearly trying to push Harry to his limits.
"Urgh." Harry squeezed his eyes shut. He'd again forgotten about Slughorn's stupid soirees. "Yeah, fine. But I'm not staying one minute longer than is required to be polite."
Tom was too busy basking in his imagined victory to care about Harry's almost dismissal. Harry let him have his little moment, even when he knew none of this had been Tom's idea in the first place. For all that Tom was someone who loved to meticulously plan certain things, he could also be incredibly impulsive, as the sudden attack on Naveen had proven. Not that Harry could blame him, since impulsivity was Harry's greatest weakness, as far as he was concerned.
Oh, and his recent interest in would-be killers. That was probably also a weakness of sorts.
They arrived at the stables, where Strickland was waiting for them.
"I have Astronomy at eleven," Harry said at once, to make sure Strickland knew Harry had to leave well before then.
"That's fine, Miss Hubble. You're both here early so we'll call the detention over and done at ten thirty."
"Thank you, Professor," Tom said, looking like a model student again. "Tomorrow evening Professor Slughorn expects us for his first Slug Club meeting. You know how he is." Tom gave a little shrug while he chuckled and Harry couldn't help admire his skills at slithering his way out of detention.
"I can let you both off the hook tomorrow," Strickland said with a knowing smile as he looked between the two of them. "But we'll add another day to end of your detention." When Tom nodded his agreement, Strickland waved them both inside the stables, where the giant bottle of milk already stood waiting.
Harry wasted no time and picked up the bottle so he could feed Silver the orphaned unicorn foal. Tom chose a stall right next to Harry to clean, with a huge Abraxan in it, so he could surreptitiously keep an eye on Harry, that obsessive pillock. Harry smiled at him while Silver sucked his bottle, happy that at least for the rest of their Hogwarts days Tom wouldn't try to kill anyone again. And all it had cost Harry was to spend time with him in Hogsmeade, which wasn't a punishment at all as far as Harry was concerned.
Honestly, Harry would have spend time with Tom in Hogsmeade completely for free, but hanging out with Tom the Slytherin had taught Harry that it was always a good idea to negotiate for the best possible deal instead of offering things without expecting anything in return.
Harry's offer to Tom might very well have saved a few lives. Who knew?
Strickland stayed with them as they cleaned and fed the many critters around them, so they had no chance to talk in private. And after their detention was over Harry had to hurry back to the castle, much to his regret.
After Astronomy, Harry fell into bed immediately, exhausted as he was. The next day was Friday, where they had double Defence, double Potions and Ancient Runes. All classes Harry shared with Tom.
What Harry noticed at once as they sat down in the Defence classroom was that Tom seemed calmer, somehow. As though he'd finally gotten what he wanted and didn't have to spend so much time and energy worrying about it anymore. Tom said nothing about their upcoming date, but he did spend a lot of time smiling at Harry for no reason at all.
Wait a moment. Harry had a date.
How silly was it that it wasn't until sometime during Defence that Harry understood that he was going on a date with Tom Riddle. It was Harry himself who had suggested it. But at that time it had seemed almost like a hypothetical thing, not something that would actually happen.
Harry Potter had a date with Tom Riddle.
For a moment Harry wanted desperately to be able to tell this to his old friends and watch their shocked reactions. He could only imagine Hermione's insistence that Harry being a horcrux must have something to do with it. Ron would probably try to convince him he must be under the Imperius or something, even though Harry could resist that curse.
Harry was going on a date with Tom, and Harry couldn't help himself from feeling completely happy about that. And the more he thought about, the more nervous he became.
That afternoon, after Ancient Runes, Harry joined Myrtle in the third floor bathroom on their way down to the library for a quick pee break.
"You don't mind me spending the day with Ben, do you?" Myrtle asked as they stood washing their hands side by side.
Harry met Myrtle's worried gaze in the mirror. "Not at all. I've got plans myself. Tom and I are spending the day together."
"What?" Myrtle spilled water all over her skirt as she raised her soaking wet hands up to her face in shock. "You're going on a date with Tom? Really?"
"Yeah, really." A huge wave of anticipation left a tingling trail behind as it moved through Harry's body. The more he thought about it, the more he really liked the idea of going on a date with Tom.
Behind them a stall opened, door slamming against the wall with a bang. One of the Slytherin students that had accompanied Walburga during her attack on Harry and Myrtle stepped out of the stall and stared at Harry in disbelief. "Riddle is taking a little mudblood like yourself to Hogsmeade?"
Harry sighed, shaking his head. He had hoped to keep the news of him going on a date with Tom a secret, but that was off the table now. "Yes, sorry to disappoint you," Harry said with his sweetest smile, blinking large, innocent eyes at the older girl. "But Tom likes his women talented and not inbred, as it turns out."
Sputtering, the Slytherin student reached for her wand but Harry was faster. He muttered a curse that covered the girl in oozing boils from head to toe. He was done playing. Harry hadn't been lying when he'd told Orion that squib descendants were no longer the school's whipping boys and girls. Harry simply wouldn't tolerate anyone using the m-word again from then on.
"Come along, Myrtle," Harry said, leaving the wailing girl behind. "She deserved that," Harry said once they left the bathroom, lest Myrtle think Harry had suddenly become eager to curse anyone without rhyme or reason.
"Oh, I know," Myrtle whispered, giving Harry an awed look. "I just wish I had your confidence."
"It takes a lot of practice," Harry said honestly. He was well aware that he hadn't always been the most confident caster either. He'd been stubborn and brave beyond his years, but he'd not really learned to proficiently cast magic in the most efficient ways until he started Auror training. "We've got the DA tomorrow," Harry reminded his friend. "We'll focus on shield charms and such."
"With how everyone's been looking at us, we'll probably need it," Myrtle said, much to Harry's surprise. He hadn't really noticed anyone looking at them in any worrying ways, but then again, he'd been busy trying to figure out how to keep Tom from murdering the entire student body, so perhaps Harry hadn't been paying enough attention.
Of course, the Daily Prophet had been printing plenty of opinion pieces for days now, about how those upstart muggleborns needed to know their place in magical society or else they could go back to the muggle world. So yeah, sentiments around the wizarding world were obviously heating up when it came to squib descendants and their recent prominence in the news.
So it only stood to reason that those sentiments could be found in Hogwarts as well beyond Walburga Black's pathetic attempt at teaching Harry and Myrtle their place.
They reached the library where they joined the usual suspects for a few hours to socialize and do their homework. Tom was the perfect gentleman, making every effort to ensure Harry's comfort. He suggested books to use for his Transfiguration essay, he lend him his inkbottle when Harry's ran dry and he gave him smile after smile after smile.
By the end of the afternoon Harry started feeling just a bit flustered from that onslaught of dedicated attention.
"So can we join your student group tomorrow morning?" Orion asked as they all packed their bags to go to dinner.
Harry's soft, warm mood was instantly vaporized by Orion's assumptions. Harry inhaled a deep breath and placed his hands on the table so he could lean forward and glare at Orion with all his might. "So you think because you've spend three days at our library table while refraining from using the m-word during that time, that you're suddenly invited to the Defence Association?"
Orion looked genuinely taken aback by Harry's rather intense reply. "Well, Tom gets to go, so why would you refuse other Slytherins? That's not fair."
"Because you're blood supremacists!" Harry snarled, tired of beating around the bush. "Why the fuck would I teach you all I know, if all you're going to do is use that knowledge against people like me? People born into the muggle world from two squib descendants. Don't deny it," Harry snapped, when Theodorus looked ready to open his mouth and explain to Harry why they weren't like that. "Tom is a half-blood born and raised in the muggle world, so like the rest of us he needs all the help he can get to find a decent place for himself in the wizarding world.
"You lot are raised with vaults full of gold and mansions to live in and as many tutors as you like," Harry continued, breathing heavily but unable to shut up now that he was finally voicing his grievances to some of the people at fault for them. "So no, you do not get to join our student group that aims to educate those of us that need help the most because people like you have spent the last few centuries taking our rights away and trying to keep us down!" And with that Harry slung his bag over his shoulder and marched out of the library.
Tom and Myrtle were right on his heels. "I'm not sure that was brilliant or suicide, to confront two heirs of prominent pureblood families like that," Tom said in a harsh whisper as they all hurried through the corridors.
"It was bloody brilliant!" Myrtle insisted at once, giving Tom a look of vague disgust. "That needed to be said."
Harry's stomach was rolling with anxiety. He understood exactly what Tom meant. Harry was very much trying to change the world for squib descendants but up until that happened their society was still ruled by people like Orion and Theodorus' families. Purposefully pissing them off might do more harm than good for them on the short term. Well, no matter, it was done. And truthfully, it had felt really fucking good to say it.
They reached the Great Hall and dropped the subject as Tom moved to his own table to eat. Harry and Myrtle enjoyed a generous portion of fish and chips, a treat that the house-elves prepared once a month or so. Afterwards they made their way to Ravenclaw Tower where they spent the rest of the evening in their dormitory.
Harry took the time to write down a few shield charms and instructions on how to use them on articles of clothing. Then he copied that piece of paper enough times for every member of the DA. Myrtle spent her time obsessively trying out some of the cosmetic charms Harry had taught her in front of the mirror. Harry eventually joined her and together they mastered the charms they wanted to use the next morning for their upcoming dates.
Harry went to bed and treated himself to a bit of private time with a dildo to celebrate his upcoming date. He had no intention of doing anything intimate with Tom anytime soon, except for a bit of snogging if Tom was up for that, but it didn't hurt to imagine some of the things Harry hoped to eventually share with Tom. Lots of naked, sexy things that brought Harry many orgasms.
The next morning, both Harry and Myrtle were up at the crack of dawn and took showers before they spent at least an hour in front of the mirror curling their hair and carefully applying makeup charms that gave them a natural kind of beauty without going overboard.
Harry grabbed his bag with his copied instructions and together they headed down to breakfast, Myrtle with nervous little steps and Harry with eager strides.
When Tom spotted Harry sitting at the Ravenclaw table as he walked inside the hall, he almost tripped over a passing Hufflepuff, his attention solely on Harry's new look. Harry chuckled and flipped his curls over his shoulder before turning his attention towards his slice of toast with marmalade. He enjoyed the practicality of keeping his long hair in a braid most days, but he couldn't deny the lovely feeling of having perfectly styled long hair falling in curls down his back.
Tom certainly seemed to appreciate Harry's efforts, since he could hardly keep his eyes off Harry for most of breakfast.
If the whispering around them was any indication, the news that Harry and Tom were going to Hogsmeade together had already spread around the school, probably thanks to the Slytherin girl Harry had cursed. Many students were craning their necks to look at Harry, but since this was nothing new for Harry he just ignored everyone and ate his breakfast without making a fuss.
"You look lovely," Tom whispered to him when they met up near the door to the Great Hall.
As much as he tried, Harry couldn't help the flush that came over his face. "Thanks," he whispered, ducking his head a bit, unsure what else to say. Harry had learned many things in his previous life, but dealing with compliments wasn't one of them.
Most of the members of the DA were already waiting by the large tree near the lake when Harry, Myrtle and Tom arrived.
Naveen was amongst them, good as new. "My shoelaces were untied," he told anyone who asked after his recovery. "That is why I tripped. It was a rather silly accident and I feel quite embarrassed about it."
Harry was at least happy to see that Naveen had made a full recovery and didn't seem at all aware that someone had purposefully caused him serious harm. As much as Harry resented Tom for his one man attempted murder spree, he also didn't want Tom to get into trouble and perhaps even face expulsion.
Myrtle was happy enough to take the pile of instructions from Harry and distribute them amongst the students while Harry welcomed everyone to their second DA meeting.
"Today we're going to practice shield charms," Harry said with an encouraging smile. When it looked like some students, mostly the older ones, wanted to protest, Harry quickly raised a hand to silence them. "I'll also teach you how to apply them to your clothing."
"Wait… you can add shield charms to clothing?" Minerva McGonagall asked. Harry still wasn't happy knowing she'd ratted them out to Dumbledore the previous week, but then again, Minerva probably hadn't even realized she might be getting Harry in trouble while telling her favourite professor about all the things she'd learned in her first DA meeting.
"Yes," Harry said, pleased to see that this seemed to intrigue every student gathered enough that any protests died down at once.
And that is how they spent their DA meeting. First Harry demonstrated the five different shield charms, explaining their differences and their applications. After the students practiced all the charms, mostly with success, Harry showed them how to apply some of them to their clothing, to prevent getting cursed in the back. This was met with lots of happy exclamations, as Harry had expected.
The last half hour of their meeting Harry spent on wandless magic again, where he had everyone practicing blowing over a candle to light it. Much to Harry's pride, two more students managed it that day. Carolina Pugh, a seventh year Hufflepuff and Dougie Jones, a seventh year Ravenclaw.
"Don't be discouraged," Harry told his students at the end of the lesson. "Learning wandless magic takes time, practice and patience. I am convinced that all of you will be able to do it within a few more weeks. Keep practicing!"
Their meeting was barely over when Tom stepped up to Harry. "Are you ready to go?"
Well, someone was certainly impatient to get their date going. Harry gave Tom an amused little smile and slung his bag across his shoulder. "Yeah, let's go."