Disclaimor: All things Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling.

Thank you Corazon for all your help and advice with this story and beta reading it!

Chapter 28

A couple of weeks passed and the lessons continued. The students were advancing well even to Severus, surprisingly. Draco and Hermione are still ahead but Draco was learning better technique and a few things he didn't know. Hermione's lessons with Lupin and Severus continued once a week plus her regular lessons with Severus alone during the week. Tensions were still high for the three boys but they dealt with it. Ginny and Hermione were helping Severus and Draco every time they needed to. The four kept silent about Ginny's involvement though, they didn't want to cause trouble.

During the lessons the students started to duel each other but Hermione seemed to back out or the teachers would change partners on her. When she did duel she would use simple shields the others learned and would throw easy curses making extremely sure she was careful with her force.

Hermione was able to convince Harry and Ron to start studying for N.E.W.T.s even though they were months off. Harry and Ron wanted to be Aurors and needed good scores for admittance so they agreed to study with her.

~~~~~

"Conjunctive!" Severus roared.

A second later, "Stupefy."

"Visadlio," Hermione whispered stepping in front of the stunning spell.

"Get out of the way Hermione!" Black yelled.

"Sirius, you have it wrong."

"I saw enough, Snape cursed Harry. I'm going to kill him."

"Sirius, don't you dare come near him," Hermione's voice took a dangerously soft tone.

Severus came up behind Hermione closer.

"Petrificus totalus," Black tried to body bind Severus.

"Visadlio," barely above a whisper, "Expelliarmus," a bit louder. Hermione quickly caught Black's wand in her left hand.

"Black I'm going to..." Severus started to say but stopped when Hermione turned and put her hand on his chest, he looked down at her and she shook her head.

Black was coming up behind Hermione, "Hermione get away from him. I'm going to tear his bloody head off."

Hermione spun around and waved her hand at Black who went flying backwards a few feet.

"I see I have arrived a bit late," Dumbledore said walking in seeing Black fly through the air and land ungracefully to the ground.

Lupin and the other students looked on in shock. Lupin tried to get Black's attention but his ranting drowned him out. What had everyone in shock was Hermione had easily dueled Black and won, but the man continued and Hermione simply waved a hand and knocked him off his feet. Black was up on his feet, Dumbledore took the curse off Harry who was surprised to see his Godfather. "Sirius what are you doing here?"

"Harry, are you all right?" Black asked urgently.

"Of course, why wouldn't I be?" a puzzled Harry asked.

"You were dueling Snape."

"No, he was throwing curses so I could practice," Harry explained.

"Practice?"

"Yes, Sirius. Severus and Remus are training the students," Dumbledore came up to him.

Some of it was making sense now... except Hermione. "Why was Hermione defending Snape? And how did she knock me off my feet?" Black was looking to Hermione now.

Hermione was leaning her back against Severus' chest with his hands on her shoulders, "Sirius you wouldn't listen and I told you not to come near him." Hermione's temper was cooler now.

"Albus, what is that child talking about?"

"Headmaster, Harry, I apologize now but if he refers to me as child one more time I will not be responsible for my actions."

Harry agreed. The way Black said child was an insult and if he considered Hermione a child, how did Black see him? Dumbledore chucked at Hermione and advised Black, "Sirius, I would watch what you say in front of the young witch."

"Sirius, relax," Lupin walked over to him.

"Albus, you actually let her talk to you like that?" Black pushed it.

"She's being respectful in reference to what she could do to us," Dumbledore smirked.

"What could she do?" Black questioned.

Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco watched on in astonishment. While they dueled each other and practiced with the older wizards Hermione's skill and technique was impressive to them.

"Hermione is a powerful and skilled witch," Dumbledore simple said. "So, how is the training going?"

"Good Albus. The students are improving vastly and their dueling techniques are becoming better," Lupin praised.

"Excellent. Now the reason I'm here is I asked Sirius to join us. Sirius, if you remember you were allowed to come and visit Harry and see his progress, but was never able to make it. The students are training for the day Voldemort will eventually attack. Harry, you knew one day the time would come to defeat Voldemort," Harry nodded. "I wish I could fight this battle for you but I can't. Since he used your blood to return it must be you to defeat - kill him. No one else can."

"How will I defeat him, I can hardly duel him with my wand," Harry asked the last major problem on his mind about facing Voldemort. He was getting the knowledge and skill to defeat him now, he just needed a means.

"That's why I'm asking Severus and Remus to come up with a plan to allow you to fight him," Dumbledore said looking at the two men.

"Lupin and I will work on it," Severus said.

"Thank you. I'll take my leave now and let you return to your lesson." Dumbledore left.

Draco came up to Severus and Hermione, "Professor Snape, why is Black here? Isn't he on Voldemort's side?" Draco asked softly.

"No, he is innocent of his crimes. Peter Pettigrew is guilty. You have seen Peter by Voldemort's side," Severus explained to the young man.

"I've heard his name as Peter, but didn't realize it was Pettigrew though."

"It is. Please keep your knowledge of Black secret," Severus hated he had to ask that.

"Of course sir," and he went back to practice.

"Hermione, may I have my wand back please?"

Hermione felt Severus go rigid at Black's voice. Hermione held up the wand to Black, "Sorry about that Sirius but I wasn't going to let you hurt him." Even though she knew the curses fired at Severus would've had no effect on him, she was still protective.

"Hermione, I must know why? I was never told why you defended him." Black talked about the man as if he wasn't there.

"Because I love him."

"What!?"

The students stopped their lessons again and watched the three. Harry walked over to them, "What's wrong?"

"Snape and Hermione," was all Black said.

"Yes, we know and don't tell anyone else," Harry said. He was use to Hermione and Snape and knew they were good together.



To Be Continued...