Chapter Seventeen
A/N: I'm back! Thank you again to all of my lovely reviewers. Sorry this took so long to get out. I've been really preoccupied lately. I usually am about three chapters ahead of what I post. At the moment, this is all I have. Hope you enjoy it.
Disclaimer: *Writing on a chalkboard, reminiscent of that of Bart Simpson* I will not claim to own Harry Potter… I will no claim to own Harry Potter…
"The DA? Really?" Hermione said after Harry caught up with her and Ron in the common room later that evening.
"That's wicked, Harry! And this time we don't have to deal with that toad Umbridge." Ron added.
Harry smiled widely, all unhappy thoughts driven from his mind. This was going to be great.
"So what are you going to teach?" Hermione asked. "I bet we could get a lot of N.E.W.T practice in with this as well…"
"Hermione, give it a rest with the tests, would you?" Ron said. "N.E.W.Ts aren't until next year."
"It never hurts to practice, Ron." she snapped.
Harry waved a hand in front of their faces. "Back to the DA guys, focus."
"Well, what are you going to teach… and is it N.E.WT material?" Hermione asked quickly with a quick look at Ron.
"Lupin and I came up with this," Harry handed her the piece of parchment on which he and Lupin had written a crude outline of the DA training.
"When do you start, mate?" Ron questioned.
"Next week." Harry said proudly.
"How are you going to teach all these people?" Hermione said suddenly.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, the DA isn't a secret organization like it was last time. There are going to be a lot more people who want to join. You're going to have to break it down into different subclasses."
That night Harry went to bed thinking of all the different ways he could teach the students of Hogwarts. Last year Harry had seriously considered a career as an auror. While the job still appealed to him greatly, he began to think more and more about teaching. Everytime he though of the DA, he instantly became happy. Maybe it was because it brought back memories of defying the ministry. Maybe it was because it was something he was good at. Or… just maybe… he thought… it was because he really liked to teach. Last year he even had Neville up to par. Maybe Harry Potter had a less ambitious niche in life than everyone thought…
Monday evening, while all of the students were happily digging into their meals, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement. As he stood up all of the chattering in the Great Hall abruptly stopped.
Even after all his years as headmaster of Hogwarts, Dumbledore still found his ability to silence all of the student body amazing. He smiled at them all, blue eyes twinkling. "As I'm sure most of you know, tonight in the start of our defense club. The 'DA', as it has been dubbed, is run by Mr. Harry Potter. Mr. Potter is a very able teacher, as those of you involved in the DA last year will remember. I have full confidence in him." Dumbledore looked over in Harry's direction and smiled. He then turned ever so slightly in the direction of the Slytherin table and began speaking again. "Although the DA is not mandatory for all students, I strongly suggest that you all take advantage of this opportunity. There is never any harm in being prepared. Thank you and I trust that Mr. Potter will see most of your first and second years tonight."
"You ready Harry?" Lupin asked as he vanished the tables of the Great Hall about an hour later that evening.
"As ready as I'm going to be." Harry replied, his confidence failing him slightly.
"Do you think that Harry's going to be okay?" Hermione whispered to Ron. They had agreed to help Harry by trying to keep the first and second years in line.
"Oh he's just nervous. I suppose being able to face you-know-who is nothing compared to having to face a room full of first and second years." Ron said sarcastically.
"Ron, don't be so cynical! We're here to help Harry. You could at least show a little compassion."
Ron opened and closed his mouth several times. "My humor is wasted on you Hermione."
Within the next fifteen minutes nearly every single first and second year student was in the Great Hall; with the exception of the Slytherins of course.
Harry moved to the front of the room and the murmuring began to lessen. "Er… Hi. I'm Harry Potter, I'm going to be helping you learn how to defend yourselves. Professor Lupin is here in case anything gets… er… out of hand. Ron and Hermione," he pointed to his two best friends, "are here to help me out as well."
Ron and Hermione smiled. With every word Harry spoke he began to grow more and more confident.
"Professor Lupin told me that you have gotten fairly far into your basic defense training. Today we will start out simple. Basic spells that you should all be familiar with."
William Hartly, a small first year boy with auburn hair, raised his hand tentatively into the air.
"Yes?" Harry looked at him.
"Is it true that you can produce a Patronus?" he asked in a meek voice.
"Yes but-"
"Can you teach us how, too?" Anderia Kent, a tall second year girl with blonde hair questioned.
"We will work up to more difficult spells." Harry explained. "Knowing your basic spells can help you out of most sticky situations. You would be surprised."
"Okay so break up into pairs. I want two lines, going right down the center here." Harry instructed the students, now feeling very much in control. "Now, we are going to start with expelliarmus. It is a very simple spell that is also very useful. Ready? All right, wands out. On three. One… two… three!"
Shouts of expelliarmus filled the room. Wands were flying in every which direction. One flew past Harry's head. A very small redheaded girl scrambled past him to pick it up.
"Ron, Hermione," Harry began. "I want you two to take the end of the line down there. Exelliarmus isn't going to do them much good if they are just tossing their opponents wands everywhere. I want to have them catching the wands." Ron and Hermione nodded and moved down to the end of the line to help the first and second years.
Harry came upon the same small first year girl who had just passed him to get her wand. "What's your name?" he asked, smiling at her and her partner, another small girl who looked remarkably like someone he knew…
"Madison Gibbs." squeaked the redhead. "This is Aria Chang."
Harry's mouth went dry. "Chang? Are you related to a Cho Chang by any chance?"
Aria nodded. "She's my sister."
Harry swallowed a lump in his throat. "Well girls, I think you're both doing well, but you need to try catching your opponent's wand."
"I can almost do it!" piped Madison. "Expelliarmus!"
Aria's wand flew out of her hand and straight at Madison's outstretched hand, however halfway there the wand detoured and hit Harry square in the face.
"I'm so sorry!" Madison squeaked as she bent down to pick up her friend's wand. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine." Harry said rubbing his forehead. "Why don't you try concentrating harder." He could tell this was going to be a very long two hours…
By then end of the session all of the first and second years could use expelliarmus without having stray wands flying about. They also got a rather good grasp on the Impedimenta spell. They only had one mishap in where Anderia Kent somehow managed to stop Ron from moving instead of her partner.
After the last of the students had left, Harry sat down and heaved a heavy sigh. Ron was trying to fix the now ripping arm of his robes. Hermione collapsed on the floor looking up at them both. Lupin chuckled.
"It's not such an easy job, teaching, is it?" he smiled.
"That Aidan Hoxley kid is going to be the death of me." Ron said, still trying desperately to keep his sleeve from ripping any farther.
"Reparo." Hermione mumbled. Ron's robes sewed themselves back into one piece.
"Thanks."
Harry massaged the lump that was beginning to grow on his temple from where another one of Madison's miscalculations had hit him.
"What did you think?" Lupin asked him cautiously. "You don't have to continue this, you know."
Ron and Hermione looked up at Harry, not exactly sure what he was about to say.
"That was great." he smiled broadly at them. "Of course I'll do it again."
A/N: I felt as though Harry needed something happy in his life. Even though the circumstances are not good, I'm sure Harry leading the DA would have him feel better. I love the idea of Harry as a teacher. It just sort of hit me this chapter. I also love making up names! I think that's why it took me so long to get this chapter out. When creating a name, you create an identity. Always be careful with that.