A/N:

Okay, WOW on the number of comments this story has received. onto the replies.

Mella deRanged - A great job ... in my opinion. :)

Eric: The wait was over early this afternoon! Here's 12

Swords - babe - Um ... read chapter 11. I think we are on the same wavelength

weatherbee - As for the explanation. I have the supreme impression that Dumbledore doesn't answer to anyone and runs the school as he sees fit. The 12 regents can always give him the boot and replace him, but that's about all. Even the Ministry of Magic can't expel a student (OP) that further enforces it in my mind. So the only person he had to convince was Harry. I find it very plausible. Also thank you for your constructive thought on Chap. 11. I'll take them into account.

Rukato86, and Potter-man1, and Desert Hacker, and LarcolTydol, and Athenia McGonagall, and Isabella Grace, - Thanks!

Lighteningbolt - Well get Hamilton to read the story then, heh.

Dslguy - I hate the description also, but every other one was worse, however if you would like to help in that regard then I will always listen.

Sabrina - I'm posting 10-15 pages a day ... gheez! Kidding. It's always good to have you wanting more.

Queen Lurker - I am JK Rowling and all others are peons. Um ... okay not really. Thanks for the compliment!

Arcaddian - Canon is my middle name. Thanks.

Mione - I'm having too much fun writing it. I promise I won't stop unless the comments disappear, that is. So consider yourself bugged.

Lilymarie - Um ... okay. Request granted! Here you go!

Whew!

Chapter 12

"What are you all excited about?" He asked Hermione on the way to the Room of Requirement.

"You are kidding, right," she paused to see if Harry was serious or not. "We are about to be taught by the greatest living wizard. What's not to be excited about!"

It was hard not to catch a little of Hermione's enthusiasm as they walked along.

"This will look absolutely wonderful on my résumé." She looked on, "Look, Harry there his is."

Harry looked up and saw Dumbledore walking back and forth in the hallway as if he were searching for something when a feint glimmer caught his eye. The door to the Room of Requirement appeared as it always did, for the searcher's current need.

"Ah, Harry and Hermione. Right on time."

They entered the strange room to find it much as they had left it last year before Doloras Umbridge had caught them, putting an end to their practices.

Dumbledore conjured a chair and table in the middle of the room where he ushered the two to sit.

"I thought we would start off with a few questions about your first day of classes."

Harry flinched, "Is there something wrong, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled, "Quite the contrary, actually. I hear tell that the first and second years are making quite the ruckus in the halls, spouting Lord Voldemort's name just to watch the reaction from the higher years.

"The other Professors are in somewhat of a quandary as to how to react."

Harry nodded, "Professor Snape was taking points off a second-year at the beginning of one of my classes."

Dumbledore smiled, "I'm sure you will find that certain people will be harder to convince than others. However I must ask you, in the future, not to use the Sonorus charm in your class as Professor Flickwick's Charms class is right above yours," he chuckled. "It caused quite a stir for the fourth-years when the floor vibrated with the sound of Voldemort's name."

"Sorry," Harry said sheepishly.

"That wasn't in the lesson plans, Professor," Hermione said trying to cover her own butt.

"Of course it wasn't, as I assume the spouting ink charm wasn't as well."

"Sorry," Harry repeated.

"You must follow your instincts, Harry. Short of Professor Moody's first lesson in your fourth year, or rather his impostors first lesson, I haven't witnessed such a reaction from the students for sometime."

He leaned forward and steeped his fingers and peered over them, "The hardest lesson of becoming a teacher is how to make a connection with the students."

Hermione nodded with understanding, however Harry wasn't following, "I just wanted the lesson to be fun and interesting. Not drone on all day about the history of this charm and that, or who gave the jelly-legs curse to whom and the what year it was."

Dumbledore looked down at the table, "Then I think, Harry, that you have learned that lesson quite well."

******************

They returned to the Gryffindor common room shortly before dinner and nodded to the few people that hadn't already left to eat.

"Snuffles."

The Thin Lady nodded and opened the portrait letting Harry and Hermione inside. Once Hermione close the entrance all pretense of cool collectiveness was off and Harry almost threw her against the wall. "I've been wanting to do this for the last hour and a half."

Hermione's hands ran up under his robes to his chest and scratched downward feeding the heat between the two. Her breath increased to a small pant as she waited in eager anticipation for his lips.

He smiled down on her, "You think we should start this right before we eat? You know how flustered you ..."

Hermione gripped his shirt and pulled him down. He moved to kiss her, but she bit his lower lip first, "Don't tease me, I'm hungry."

And it wasn't for food.

The portrait flew open and they jumped apart when and Ron dashed inside closing it shut behind him.

"Hide me! Hurry!"

He looked from side to side and dashed past the couple for Harry's bedroom.

"Ron?" Harry called.

"She's after me. I can't get away from her."

He dove under the bed and pulled the spread down so it hid him underneath.

Hermione followed him, "Ron who are you talking about? Is it Professor McGonagall?"

The spread lifted just enough so they could see his terror filled eyes, "Worse. It's Loony Lovegood." He looked behind them and over at the bedroom window. "Every time I look around she's there: meals, after class, in the hallways, outside the lue. It's always darling this and darling that. Drivin' me bloody bonkers!"

Hermione really did try not to look disgusted at his antics, "Ron this is Gryffindor tower; she can't get in here without a password. She's a Ravenclaw for goodness sakes!"

The spread lifted back up, "Exactly! If anyone is smart enough to get past the Fat Lady, it's a Ravenclaw. I'm not takin' any chances." He dropped the spread back down.

Harry tried to reason with him, "Ron, you'll have to come out sooner or later."

"No I won't."

"You'll have to use the lue, you'll need to eat."

"I'll have Dobby bring me a chamber pot and some food."

"Now you're being ridiculous," Hermione remarked.

Harry turned to his girlfriend, "I thought Gryffindor's were supposed to be brave and all?"

The spread lifted up again, "Ain't a matter of bravery. It's survival, mate."

Hermione tugged on Harry's arm, "Well were off to dinner, then. And we might forget to close the portrait on the way out."

He actually stuck his whole head out this time, "You wouldn't ... "

Hermione looked like she was going to be rather sadistic, but at the last second she changed her mind, "Ron, just pull her aside, privately mind you, and tell her you aren't interested in girls."

"Hey!"

She continued, "She's a beautiful girl, sure she's always looks a bit surprised and she rarely blinks, plus the quirks she has, but she has a number of redeeming qualities that other girls don't."

It took him a moment to crawl out form under the bed, "Name one."

"Well, for one, she likes you. Though for the life of me I don't understand why."

Harry tried not to laugh and instead coughed rather unconvincingly.

"She's smart, her family is rich ... did I mention she likes you?"

"Hey!"

"Ron, lets face it; you could do a lot worse."

His face fell in his hands, "But Lonny Lovegood?"

"Ron," Hermione waited until he looked back up at her. "How do you like being called 'weasel'?"

It had been a long time since Harry had seen his friend feel ashamed.

"Ruttin' hate it."

"And how do you think she ..."

"Yeah, yeah. I've got it. You don't have to rub salt on it."

She walked up and held her hand out, "Come on. Let's go eat. What's the worst that can happen."

He stood and they made their way out.

He huffed, "I could go temporarily bonkers and give her a bloody engagement ring."