A/N: I just want to thank everyone for giving me such awesome reviews! It just encourages me more to update asap.

CHAPTER 17

Things were better now that Ron and Hermione are on speaking terms. Even Harry seems to be in a better mood since they returned to Hogwarts. It might be because he is no longer stuck in a house that reminded him of the only man he thought of as a father. And it could also be because this morning he remembered he could play Quidditch again. The life long ban from Harry's favorite sport has been lifted since Umbridge was sack. Hermione read in the Daily Prophet she has signed herself into St. Mungo's.

Hermione felt proud of herself. She was able to trick Umbridge into believing her story of a secret weapon. Then, lead her right into the forest of centaurs. Her and Harry were able to luckily escape without any harm, thanks to Garp. And because of that, they were able to go to London and meet up with Voldermort and his Death Eaters. The event was horrible, but many truths were discovered that night.

At breakfast that morning they received their schedule for the year.

"Are you seeing this," Ron said with disbelief. "Double Dark Arts twice a week! We don't even know the teacher yet. And it's with Slytherins again! AND it's the first class today! Can it get any worst!"

Hermione gave Harry an amused look, then went back to sympathizing with Ron. Dean and Ginny just came to the table, and Hermione noticed Harry staring at them.

"Double Configuration" Ron shouted, which made everyone at the table jump. "It looks like our whole schedule are double this and double that!"

"Yes, but you're only taking five classes," Hermione pointed out.

"Well, when you say it like that, it seems like nothing," Ron said. "But double periods! It means would bebored to death…longer!"

Hermione and Harry both laughed. Hermione, herself, were taking seven classes, two more than Harry and Ron.

After finishing their breakfast, the trio went to their Dark Arts class. There was no sign of a teacher when they entered the room.

"Who do you think the new Dark Arts teacher will be," Harry asked, sitting between Ron and Hermione.

"Who cares," Ron said. "Anyone has to be better than that Umbridge cow!"

Harry and Hermione agreed.

After about twenty minutes, there were still no signs of a teacher coming anytime soon. Some of the students were considering leaving the classroom. The Slytherins decided to pass the time by coming up with a prank for the new teacher. Hermione was about to reprimand them when the door opened with a bang.

Everyone took their seats and waited patiently for their new teacher to enter the room.

Their new Dark Arts teacher was a middle-aged woman with gray streaks in her blond hair. However, she had a youthful face and dress quite unlike the other professors around here. Most of the professors here had on very conservative robes. She wore a robe, but it was hot pink. It was open so you could see her outfit underneath it. She had on a t-shirt with shorts on and were wearing heavy army boots. She looked around the classroom at all the students. Her eyes stayed on Hermione, Ron, and Harry the longest.

She went through roll call, once again staring longer at the trio when their names were called. Her voice sounded familiar to Hermione. She knows she has heard that voice before, but she has never seen this woman. How can it be that she feels she knows this woman.

"Hello, class," said the new professor. "I'm sorry I was late. It was a bit of a hold up for my approval at the ministry. Luckily, Professor Dumbledore was able to help out. My name is Professor Dyzene. I have received notes from each of your past professors. You have done pretty well, up until Professor Umbridge, that is. However, I will not speak ill of anyone here. So, I will keep my comments to myself."

"Many of you have learned the basic spells needed to pass your OWLs. That is why you are all here. However, I must warn you, your NEWTs will be difficult. If you thought your OWLs were difficult, then I suggest you don't even try for NEWTs"

Hermione smiled at Harry and Ron. They were able to pass their Dark Arts OWLs easily because of the D.A.

"Now, let's start with something new. There's no need to review if you passed your OWLs."

She opened the bag she had with her and clumsily opened it at the wrong end. All of her books and papers starting flying everywhere. The Slytherins laughed, but some of the Gryffindor students up front helped out.

The remainder of the double periodwent without any more hiccups.

At the end of the period, the bell rang and the class was allowed to leave. Ron, Hermione, and Harry went by the teacher's desk, when Professor Dyzene said, "Wotcher, Harry." And winked at him.

All three of them stopped and stared at their professor. Now, Hermione remembers where she heard that voice before. It's Tonks! Hermione assumed that everyone else realized this, too. They waited until all the students left the classroom before Professor Dyzene, Tonks, closed the door.

She quickly changed back to the form they all recognized her as.

"Tonks," Harry exclaimed. "Your our new Dark Arts professor?"

"Of course," she said with a smile. "Someone needed to keep an eye out on you three."

"You're spying on us," Ron asked.

"No, well, kind of," Tonks said. "I'm here to make sure you start the D.A. group again. Dumbledore and everyone at the Order thought it was brilliant!"

"Excellent," Ron exclaimed. "Hermione and I were discussing about that with Harry before we came back to school. But I don't know if Harry wants to start it again."

"Why not," Tonks asked. "That D.A. group helped out a lot last year. And it saved a lot of lives. You need to start the group up again. Gather everyone that was in it last year. But I'm afraid you can't go announcing the group to everyone. You still need to keep it a secret."

"Why," Harry asked. "Umbridge isn't here anymore. And why do we need a D.A. group when we have a real Dark Arts teacher to teach us."

"Well, remember those lessons Lupin gave you over the summer," Tonks asked. "Those are things I can't teach in class. But you can teach them, secretly."

"Why can't you teach them in class," Hermione asked. "Every student has a right to learn to defend themselves."

"Not the Slytherins," Ron said. "I'm sure if they could, they would join right up with you know who."

Hermione didn't believe Ron. There are a lot of bad Slytherins, but there are also a few good ones. Not all of them are evil and want to join Voldermort. Not all of them have Death Eaters as parents.

"Exactly, Ron," Tonks said. Hermione looked at her as if she was out of her mind. "We put a lot of Death Eaters in Azkaban. But these Death Eaters have families. They have children that go to this very school. We have a source that many of them might pass information to people who will use that information against us."

"Then why doesn't Dumbledore stop them," Harry said. "Umbridge read our mail and watched the Floo Network She basically watched to make sure there weren't outside information coming to us."

"Yes, but that's not how Dumbledore wants it to be done," Tonks explained. "We can't go accusing students of things they haven't done yet. A student is still a student in Dumbledore's eyes, and they need to be protected."

This was too much for Hermione to handle. Someone in this school might be a spy to Voldermort, or someone who knows Voldermort. How can one of their peers do such a terrible thing? However, Hermione wouldn't pass it by Draco Malfoy or any of his friends. They all had parents sent away to Azkaban, and they weren't happy about it at the end of the school year.

"Okay, you lot," Tonks said, changing herself back to Professor Dyzene. "You better get along. And make sure no one asks too many questions about you staying after class. I would also appreciate it if you kept this a secret too."

The three of them started walking out of the door. "Oh, Harry, can I see you for a moment." Ron and Hermione stayed behind with Harry. "I'm sorry, you two, but I'm afraid I only need to talk to Harry."

Hermione and Ron looked disappointed. They wanted to know what Tonks is about to tell Harry. They both looked at Harry. "It's okay, I'll see you later," Harry said.

Hermione and Ron walked out of the classroom feeling they were kept out of the biggest secret in the world.

"Don't worry," Ron said. "Harry will tell us."

"I'm not so sure," Hermione said. Honestly, Harry has been able to keep things inside of him longer and better this year. He hasn't been sharing every detail like he used to. He's been practicing controlling his emotions, and Hermione had to admit, he's been doing a good job.

"No, he will," Ron said firmly. "As much as Harry says he doesn't need us, he does. He knows he can't do this alone."

Hermione hoped Ron was right, for Harry's sake.