Three weeks later, Harry was sitting in Tonks' class. They were learning the basics of Occulmency. "Harry." Tonks said "Would you mind helping me with a little demonstration?" Harry stood up and walked to the front of the classroom. Being Tonks' helper was a normal thing for him now. She asked for him to help with demonstrations almost every day. "Now remember class, Harry has had some experience with these spells. That is why I use him and not one of you. Please do not try the spell I'm about to use. You could end up frying each other's brains. I will give you a much simpler spell to use after the demonstration. Ready Harry?" Harry pulled out his wand and nodded. "Caticlizmic!" Harry felt her trying to pry into his thoughts, but he pushed her back. Dumbledore had used that one before. Tonks lifted the spell. "Very good Harry. You may sit down now." Harry went back to his seat. "Please get out your wands. We will be trying a similar spell. Remember that Harry made it look easy. Now please repeat after me: quicsimpia."
"Quicsimpia." the class said.
"Very good. You may find a partner and begin." Harry turned to Ron.
"Is it really that hard?" Ron asked
"The one she used on me up there was, but Dumbledore uses that one all the time. Ready?" Ron nodded. Harry pointed his wand at Ron. "Quicsimpia." Ron immediately gave up.
"How long was that?"
"Oh maybe one second, tops."
Ron sighed. "This is really hard. Here let me try on you." Ron lifted his wand and said 'quicsimpia'. Harry didn't even have to try to keep Ron away. Geeze this must be hard, Harry thought. I'm letting him see my thoughts and he still can't do it. Ron stopped. "Maybe this is something we should do in the DA."
"Something wrong boys?" Tonks asked
"This is really hard." Ron said
"Well of course it is if you're partners with Harry. He does this every week. Why don't we switch you with someone who hasn't done it before." She took Ron to another pair, and brought back Neville. "I think this will work better for both of you."
"Is it just me or am I actually good at something?" Neville said.
"I think you are. I never really thought it was that hard. Even last year when I had Occulmency with Snape."
"With Snape?" Neville said. "I wouldn't be able to stand that."
"Yeah that's why I'm with Dumbledore now. I guess we should look like we're doing something."
"Alright. I'll go first. Quicsimpia." Harry was surprised. He actually had to try hard to keep Neville out of his thoughts. He's really gotten good at this, Harry thought. "Thanks."
"You heard that?"
"Yes I did. You want to try now?" Harry nodded and pulled out his wand. "Don't go easy on me. I need the practice."
"I won't. Quicsimpia." Harry tried as hard as he could to get into Neville's mind. After a few minutes, he gave up. "You've really gotten good at this."
Neville blushed. "Thanks."
"Please put your things away." Tonks said. "The bell's about to ring." Just as she said that, the bell rang. Tonks stopped Harry and Neville on their way out. "You two did a very nice job today. I think you should work together on harder things like this. You are a little too advanced for the beginners. I'll see you tonight at the DA." They thanked her and left. Ron and Hermione were waiting for Harry.
"What was that about?" Ron asked.
"She was just saying that we did a good job." Neville said.
"You did. Both of you." Hermione said. "Some fully grown wizards can't do that spell, let alone resist it." Harry smiled.
"So are you actually coming to the DA tonight?" Ron asked.
"Yeah you haven't been showing up." Neville said.
"I will. I've had so much to do lately that the DA wasn't all that important." Harry said
"Do you remember why we started the DA?" Hermione asked. "There are so many members now. They want you to teach them, not Tonks. Some have even threatened to leave if you don't show up. They're afraid, and they know you can tell them what to do."
"I remember." Harry said. "And I'll be there tonight."

Later that night, after quidditch practice, Harry and Ron were walking to Tonks' classroom. They met Hermione half way there. "Hurry up." she said "They've been waiting for a while now." The three of them walked into the classroom. Harry's jaw dropped. The DA used to only have about ten members, now it had more than thirty.
"Here he is." Tonks said. They all turned to look at Harry. He felt extremely nervous as he walked to the front of the classroom. All of these people, here to learn from me, Harry thought. Wow... who would have thought it. "Harry we were just voting on what to learn next. Most of the group seems to want to learn about patronuses. I take it you already started them last year."
"Yeah but we didn't get very far." Harry said.
"You're not supposed to learn how to produce a patronus until the end of your sixth year. But I guess we could teach the basics to them, especially to the younger students."
"Younger students?"
"Yes. There are a few second and third years here." Harry looked at the crowd of students. Only about fifteen were fifth years or above. Ron, Hermione, Semus, Neville, Cho, Ginny, and a few others. Harry also recognized Tom and Amanda from the quidditch team.
"Umm..." Harry said. Hermione raised her hand. "Yes?"
"Well I think we should learn what exactly a patronus is used for before we try to make one." she said.
"Great idea!" Tonks said. She went into a long explanation about dementors and why they were bad. Harry walked around the room.
"Thanks." he whispered to Hermione as he passed her. She nodded.
"Alright now Harry? Why don't you tell us what it's like to fight an actual dementor?" Tonks said.
"Well... they aren't the most pleasant things in the world. They suck all of your happy thoughts out of you. So you either fight them or let them kiss you." Someone's hand went up. "Yes?"
"Is it true that you saw a dementor's face?" the girl asked
"Yes."
"Was it horrible?" she asked.
"I've seen worse," Harry said, thinking of the deamons, "but yes it was horrible."
"What could be worse than a dementor?" a second year boy asked. Harry looked up at Tonks. She nodded.
"Vengeance deamons. And Voldemort. But right now we're talking about dementors. As I said, if you don't want to be kissed, you better learn to fight them. Making a patronus isn't that hard after you do it once. The hard part is making it when you're being attacked."
"Very true Harry." Tonks said. "Patronuses take the form of some kind of animal, usually one that coincides with a special trait of yours. What is your patronus, Harry?"
"A stag."
"Any idea why it takes that form?" Tonks asked
"Yes. My dad was an animagi, and he turned into a stag."
"I suppose Professor Lupin told you that?"
"Yes."
"Mine is a cat. A leopard to be more exact." she turned back to the students. "Your patronus can turn into any animal. We will not know which animal it is until you are able to produce it." Another hand went up.
"How long did it take you to learn, Harry?" someone asked
"Most of my third year. I could never really do it until I... well I saw myself do it." Hermione giggled.
"You saw yourself do it?" Tonks asked
"Yeah. We were..."
"Harry we're not allowed to talk about that, remember?" Hermione said
"Oh... yeah."
Tonks nodded. "I see." She seemed to understand what he was going to say. She looked at her watch. "Oh I believe our time is almost up. We will have to continue this next time." The other students left. "Harry come here please." Tonks said. "I know why you couldn't tell us. You used a time turner to go back in time and you saved yourself."
"Well actually... that's not why we went back... but yeah I saved myself, and Ron, and Hermione, and... Sirius."
"I thought that was you." Tonks said "No one else would have risked everything to save Sirius, especially at a time when we all thought he was a murderer." Talking about Sirius made Harry remember what had happened in the ministry. He tried hard to forget it, but he couldn't. "It must be hard after what happened. But Harry you must understand, there was nothing you could have done. There was nothing anyone could have done."
"Yes there was something that I could have done. I could have stopped being a stubborn brat for once and listen when people tell me important things."
"Harry it's over now. It's in the past. And even though you can go back and change it, you shouldn't. Leave the past alone." Harry nodded and left.