Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter

POV: Hermione

Hermione Granger walked along the Hogwarts corridors as she accompanied her friend Harry Potter to the hospital wing.

"How's your hand?" she asked. Harry had been stung by a Venomous Tentacula and his right hand was swelling rapidly.

"It stings a bit" said Harry "But still not nearly as bad as Umbridge's quill"

Harry had spent two weeks in detention writing lines with a quill that cut into his hand.

"You really ought to tell Professor McGonagall about that, Harry" said Hermione earnestly. "It could be illegal"

"Well since it's me Umbrigde is doing it to, I don't think most of the Ministry will be too fussed" said Harry.

Hermione didn't say anything. Partly because she knew Harry was right and partly because they had reached the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey, the matron, looked at Harry's swollen hand which was starting to turn a nasty shade of purple.

"When did this happen?" she asked sharply

"Bout five minutes ago" said Harry.

"Have a seat, Potter" said Madam Pomfrey pointing to the nearest unoccupied bed. As Harry sat down, Madam Pomfrey strode off towards her office muttering to herself. She soon returned with two bottles of potion. The first, a dark red one that looked almost like blood, she gave to Harry to drink. Judging from the look on his face, it was not pleasant. The second, a clear, jelly like substance, she rubbed into his hand.

"This will have to be put on every half hour until your hand returns to normal, Potter" she said in a very business like manner "it shouldn't take more than a few hours"

"A few hours!" Harry repeated "But I've got Quidditch practice"

"You'll have to miss it, I'm afraid, Potter"

Madam Pomfrey returned to her office. Harry lay back on his bed.

"Angelina's going to kill me" he said gloomily.

"She'll understand, Harry" said Hermione "I'll get Ron to tell her"

"You'd better hurry up, practice starts at five o'clock" said Harry. "And if I don't show up she'll come looking for me"

Hermione left the hospital wing to find Ron, vaguely listening to Harry saying that at least he didn't have to worry about getting to the hospital wing when Angelina was finished with him.

There was no sign of Ron when Hermione entered the Gryffindor common room. She thought he must already be at Quidditch practise. Hermione had just made up her mind to go down to the pitch and tell Angelina that Harry was going to miss practise when the portrait hole opened and Ron came in.

After being informed that Harry would not be able to attend Quidditch practise and promising Hermione that he would find out if anyone on the Quidditch team was interested in learning Defence Against the Dark Arts from Harry, with no conviction in his voice, Ron left the common room again. Hermione looked around for people who she thought might be interested in learning proper defensive magic.

The common room was mostly full of older students whom Hermione felt she didn't know well enough to ask them to join a secret defence group.

"Just because you don't know them it doesn't mean they're not interested" she told herself "Some of them might want to learn some defensive magic, even if it is just to pass their exams"

Feeling half anxious, half stupid Hermione headed towards two girls sitting around a table near the noticeboard.

"…why Johnson chose Weasley for Keeper, he was terrible at tryouts" one girl was saying.

"It'll be because of his brothers, Vicky" said a second girl bitterly. "Wouldn't surprise me" said Vicky. "You know Johnson said she didn't want me on the team just because I'm in too many other clubs"

Vicky's friend nodded.

"And Geoffery Hooper was better than Weasley at tryouts, but he didn't get on the team because Johnson doesn't like him or something like that" said Vicky. "Anyway, I don't like Johnson that much so I'm sort of glad I'm not on the team. But the way she goes on about Quidditch you'd think it was a life or death situation. You've heard her yelling at Potter, haven't you?"

"Well if Potter's going to make up all that rubbish about You-Know-Who…"

Hermione didn't bother to listen to anymore of what they were saying. Two things were clear about these girls. The first was that they thought Harry was a liar. The second was that they didn't like Angelina. While Hermione agreed that Quidditch was by no means the most important part of Hogwarts life, she liked Angelina and was sure she didn't choose Ron to be Gryffindor's Keeper because of Fred and George.

"Still I wish she'd stop being so hard on Harry when he gets detention" thought Hermione. "I wonder if I should tell her what he's doing. No he'll just get angry with me"

She looked around again and spotted Parvati and Lavender sitting by themselves near the back of the common room. Hermione debated with herself whether or not to go and talk to them for a minute. On their first night back, Lavender had said she thought Harry was lying about Lord Voldemort's return. Hermione and Lavender had not spoken since then, so Hermione did not know if Lavender had changed her mind or not. Hermione wondered if it would be better to talk to Parvati on her own.

"She'll probably just go and tell Lavender anyway" she thought. Hermione made up her mind and headed over to Parvati and Lavender. Parvati was speaking to Lavender and writing in a large book as she spoke.

"There was a pig – that means work. And trees and the trunks were bent I think that means something unexpected

"What are you doing?"asked Hermione.

"Professor Trelawney's asked us to keep a diary of our dreams" said Lavender. "Do you want to tell us about one of yours? We could tell you what it means"

"No thank you" said Hermione politely. She did not care for Divination although it provided her with a means of asking Parvati and Lavender if they wanted to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts from Harry.

"I heard that Professor Trelawney was quite upset after Umbridge inspected her" Hermione continued.

"Of course she was upset" said Lavender launching into an account of Umbridge's inspection of Professor Trelawney and the lesson that took place after Trelawney had received her results.

Hermione listened to Lavender's tirade about Professor Trelawney. Not adding that she thought Umbridge's perception about her was probably accurate.

"You know I think she's an awful teacher. Umbridge, I mean" said Hermione in the hope of changing the subject to Defence Against the Dark Arts. But it was Parvati who, inadvertently, bought up the subject first.

"She's easily the worst teacher we've ever had" she said "I don't see how she expects us to pass our O.W.L if we'll be doing spells for the first time during the exam. Learning the theory isn't going to help us. I've got a good mind to practise some spells in private, in our dormitory, I know it won't be anywhere near as good as learning them from a teacher, but it's better than nothing"

"Oooh that's an idea" whispered Lavender.

"It's funny you should say that" said Hermione "Because I wanted – wait a second" Hermione had just seen Ginny Weasley coming in through the portrait hole. She got up and bought her over to sit with Parvati and Lavender.

"Well I was saying that I wanted to ask you if you wanted to learn some real defence spells" said Hermione. "I've asked Harry and he's agreed to teach people who are interested"

"I'll be in it" said Ginny at once.

"I think it could be useful" said Parvati eagerly. "Would it be alright if Padma comes along, too?"

"Yes, of course" said Hermione happily. "What about you, Lavender?"

Lavender looked both interested in having real Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons and uncomfortable at the idea of having the lessons from Harry.

"Do you think it's a good idea for Harry to teach us?" she asked doubtfully. "Wouldn't it be better to ask one of the teachers?"

"If we did that, Umbridge could find out what we were up to" hissed Hermione. "And in case you hadn't noticed, she's not letting us use magic in class because she's too stupid to admit that You-Know-Who is back!"

Lavender gasped, Hermione ignored her. "And Fudge has got the stupid idea that Dumbledore's going to use the students as a private army to take over the Ministry. I suppose you've been reading that he's losing his mind?"

Lavender nodded mutely.

"Well you saw him first night back. Did he seem strange to you at all?" challenged Hermione.

"No" whispered Lavender.

"What about Harry. Has he been showing off and trying to get attention?" asked Ginny angrily.

"No" said Lavender slightly louder this time.

"Of course he hasn't!" said Ginny. "Harry's stayed at my house in the holidays and he's never done anything to get attention, not on purpose anyway. When are these lessons starting, Hermione?"

"Come to the Hogs Head, twelve o'clock, first Hogsmeade weekend" said Hermione. "If you've got any friends who are interested bring them along too"

"I might know some people" said Ginny "I'll see if I can find any of them now."

"I think I'll go and tell Padma" said Parvati getting up and following Ginny out of the portrait hole.

Hermione and Lavender stared at each other. There was a very tense silence between them.

"If you still think Harry's a liar, don't come" hissed Hermione angrily before getting up and leaving Lavender alone at the table.