It was less than a week later that Drew returned to Hogwarts. By the time he had reappeared, Harry had made sure the D.A. was watching his back at all times as they had for Draco. There was still no way to tell exactly what Voldemort's reaction would be to Drew's failure to kill Draco. Another attack could happen at any time.
As the weeks passed though, Harry became convinced that no other student would dare attempt an attack even if Voldemort himself ordered it. It was common knowledge that the D.A. was keeping an eye on Drew and Draco, and the threat of retaliation from the entire group seemed enough to dissuade them from making that attempt.
Drew began attending D.A. meetings as soon as he returned to Hogwarts, and had progressed nicely, along with all of the other new students. No one ever said anything about not believing the official story of what happened the night Draco was attacked, but attendance at the D.A. meetings increased immediately.
The increased attendance at the classes had its downside however. Harry, who's time was already stretched thin, found it stretched even thinner as he spent even more of his free time trying to catch the new students up on what they had missed. That was why Ginny couldn't believe Harry had agreed to teach a private class in addition to the ones he was already teaching.
"You didn't mention we were doing this to anyone did you?" Draco asked as he looked at Harry.
"Well, almost no one," Harry responded. "I had to tell Ginny, of course. I can't have any secrets from her. I have asked her to keep it to herself though."
"I just don't want the whole school to know," Draco said. "I wouldn't even have asked you to do this, but Cassidy was driving me crazy wanting me to go to the D.A. meetings with her."
"I understand," Harry said with a smile. "Actually, she's been after me to try to get you to come. I've never asked anyone to come to the classes though. Everyone who walks through that door comes of their own free will."
"You know why I asked you to teach me, don't you?" Draco asked.
"Yes," Harry responded.
"I don't want to train to fight an entire army of death eaters," Draco said. "There is only one death eater I'm interested in."
"Are you sure you want that?" Harry asked. "There are plenty of other students who have already been trained to face your father."
"This is personal now," Draco said. "You have Voldemort. I have my father. We all have demons we have to face."
Harry looked at Draco for a few seconds, wondering if he was doing the right thing, before he said, "So be it. Let's get started then."
Four hours later, Harry looked on as Draco stood breathing hard, with his wand still clenched tightly in his shaking hand. Beyond him, Lucius Malfoy laid sprawled out on the floor unconscious.
"Very nice," Harry said as he walked over to Draco. "I told you you'd be able to do it without using one of the unforgivable curses."
"It would have been faster if I had used one though," Draco said as he tried to catch his breath.
"Perhaps," Harry said. "What would happen to you afterwards though? The ministry would arrest you just as fast as a death eater if you used one."
"So what?" Draco asked trying to make his grip loosen on his wand.
"You've been fighting with your father for four hours now," Harry said. "Your nerves are at a breaking point. Once you've had a chance to think about it for a while, you'll realize what that would mean to Cassidy. I was hoping your relationship with her would last even after we left Hogwarts."
"I guess you're right," Draco said as he relaxed his hand at last. "Assuming that any of us survive to leave Hogwarts, I was hoping the same thing."
"Besides," Harry began, "you really don't need to resort to an unforgivable curse. You have quite a bit of natural dueling talent. It may be a little rough around the edges, but a few more training sessions should make you one of the best duelists of all of the students here."
"Better than you?" Draco asked with a grin.
"No," Harry said.
"And modest as well," Draco said still grinning.
"Just a statement of fact," Harry said. "Trust me. I run my own training sessions."
"I'd like to see one of those sometime," Draco said putting his hand on Harry's shoulder. "We all need to know that you're ready for Voldemort, Harry. I need to know that you can win."
"None of us will know that until it happens," Harry said. "It isn't going to happen tonight though. At least I hope not. I'm exhausted. This is the second D.A. class I've taught today, you know."
"Speaking of that," Draco began, "how are we going to get back to our common rooms? It's well after hours. Filch would have a field day if he catches us out this late."
"He'll never see us," Harry said as he pulled his invisibility cloak out of his robes.
"No way," Draco said. "Where did you get an invisibility cloak?"
"It was my dad's," Harry said. "I've had it since my first year here."
"Wait a minute," Draco said. "Why didn't I put that together before? The night Drew attacked me, Ron knocked me out of the way. I never saw him coming. I never saw him until he sat up after he knocked me down. Was he wearing your cloak?"
"Yes," Harry said. "It's a lucky thing for you that he was. I almost didn't let him borrow it."
Harry took Draco back to his common room, and then made his way back to his own before collapsing in his bed. He was so tired that he didn't even bother to change into his bedclothes. His sleep that night was as deep as it had been in some time. He knew that he was likely to have several days like the one he had just been through before he got out of Hogwarts.
Several weeks later, Ginny walked into the Great Hall and slammed her books down on the table a bit too hard as she sat down across from Ron, Hermione and Neville. It was easy for them all to see that something was eating at her.
"Uh, I thought Harry was coming down to breakfast with you," Ron said.
"So did I," Ginny said.
"What happened?" Hermione asked fearing that she already knew the answer.
"What else?" Ginny said. "It happens all day long every day. He isn't even safe in his own Common room. We were just about to leave when another fifth year asked him to help him with a problem he was having with his potions."
"People are sort of going nutters now that the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s are getting so close," Neville said. "I'm sorry to say that I've asked him for a bit of help before myself."
"But you asked him because you actually had a specific question you couldn't figure out," Ginny explained. "He's spending most of his day explaining everything from Potions to Care of Magical Creatures to people who are using him as a crutch so they don't have to study as hard. Why should they find the answers themselves when he can tell them everything they need to know? He barely has time to breathe any more. He didn't get in until late again last night."
"Why doesn't he just say no?" Ron asked.
"Oh come on," Ginny said. "This is Harry we're talking about. When does he ever refuse to help someone when they ask for it?"
"Good point," Ron said nodding in agreement.
"At least he has his first two periods off today," Neville said. "It's Monday. He doesn't have to go to Defense Against the Dark Arts or Potions. Maybe he can go back to the common room and get some rest."
"Not likely," Hermione said. "He'll do exactly what he does every Monday morning. He'll be in the room of requirement working on a way to kill the dementors and defeat Voldemort."
"Well people had better start giving him some time to relax or he won't be in any shape to do either of those things," Ginny said.
Professor Dumbledore stood on the top step and knocked on the heavy wooden door of Hagrid's cabin. It only took a few seconds for the door to creak open.
"Professor Dumbledore, sir," Hagrid said. "Is ever'thin alri'?"
"Everything is fine, Hagrid," Dumbledore responded. "I just had a few things I wanted to ask you."
"Come on in, Professor," Hagrid said as he stood aside and made room for Dumbledore to pass.
"Thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said as he walked inside.
"Can I ge' ya some tea, Professor?" Hagrid asked. "I jus' put some on."
"No thank you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "I can't stay long. How is everything going with the Care of Magical Creatures class?"
"Jus' fine, Professor," Hagrid said. "Been get'n em ready fur the examiners. They'll be fine."
"Wonderful news," Dumbledore said. "What about Harry? Is he almost done with his weekend class? I understand that his time has been rather limited lately. I'm sure he could use all he could get."
"Oh, 'arry finished the class months ago," Hagrid said. "'e's jus' been comin' here to work on… Sorry, Professor. Don' ask me any more 'bout tha'. Promised 'arry I'd keep it a secret."
"I quite understand, Hagrid," Dumbledore said with a grin. "Well, if Harry is coming here of his own free will, then there is nothing I can do about that. I'll go now and speak with Professor Sprout and Professor Binns. Perhaps Harry is not working on any special projects with them."
Ten minutes later, Dumbledore found himself in Greenhouse number three as Professor Sprout explained, "I'm so sorry, Professor. I know I should have informed you sooner. I was just enjoying his company so much, and he really didn't seem to mind. He passed the class with flying colors a few weeks ago. Since then, he's been such a help to me that I admit I didn't want him to stop coming to the Sunday class times. Honestly, if I had known that his time was so restricted, I would have told him not to come back."
"So Harry has been helping you?" Dumbledore inquired.
"More than I can say," Sprout answered. "It was wonderful. He came to class here every Sunday, and that was a perfect time for him to help me get everything ready for my classes during the week. My goodness, if he wasn't a student, I'd hire the boy to be my assistant. Such a deep understanding of Herbology I haven't seen since I was a student and Professor Boggs taught the class."
"Really?" Dumbledore asked. "That should be interesting when they finally meet. She lives next door to a house he owns. She'll be delighted to meet someone who can converse intelligently with her on the subject."
Twenty minutes later, Professor Dumbledore found himself at a door that few others ever bothered to approach. He knocked lightly, and there was only a brief pause before a disinterested voice told him to enter.
"I hope this isn't a bad time," Dumbledore said as he stuck his head into Professor Binns' office.
"I'm just finishing a bit of grading," Binns said looking up only momentarily before returning to the paper before him. "What can I do for you, Headmaster?"
"I was just coming to ask you about the Sunday class you're teaching," Dumbledore said.
"I was just re-grading the final exam for that class," Binns said showing a sudden interest and looking up at Dumbledore.
"Was there a problem with it the first time?" Dumbledore asked.
"If there was then the problem remains even after combing through it carefully once again," Binns said. "I was sure he was cheating all along. He had to be. No one ever does that well in History of Magic. I'll be hexed if I could figure out how he could have been doing it though. I stood over him as he was taking his exam and watched every stroke of his quill. I knew before he was half way through with the test that Mr. Potter is the best student I've ever had."
"Mr. Potter?" Dumbledore asked surprised. "In all my years here as a student and as a teacher, I think that was the first time I've ever heard you call a student by their correct name."
"I avoid it as a matter of course," Binns said with a rare grin. "Their heads are already big enough. I wouldn't want to do something to make them feel any more important than they already believe themselves to be."
"You're willing to make an exception for Mr. Potter though?" Dumbledore asked.
"Never to his face," Binns said. "Still, the best student I have ever had deserves that much respect from me at least."
"The best?" Dumbledore asked. "What about Tom Riddle?"
"Ha!" Binns laughed suddenly. "Riddle was good. I'll admit that. He doesn't hold a candle to Potter though. Not even close."
"Interesting," Dumbledore said.
"With a little more study he may be able to take over teaching the History of Magic class," Binns said as he looked at Dumbledore's shocked expression. "Well, I can't teach it forever, you know."
Professor Dumbledore caught Harry at dinner that night to inform him that he was no longer required to attend any weekend classes. It didn't do much good though. The students didn't seem to have any trouble finding Harry wherever he was. Within two weeks of getting word of his free weekends, anxiety over the impending examinations hit a fever pitch, and Harry stayed in the room of requirement nearly every evening and all weekend long trying to answer the never ending questions of his fellow students.
Needless to say, Harry found it difficult to leave the room of requirement even for things like food or sleep. He had never worked so hard in his life. He was exhausted. He was irritable. He was stretched too thin.
Ginny had once again gone to the room of requirement along with Ron, Hermione, Neville and Luna to drag Harry down to the Great Hall so he wouldn't miss another meal. The students he had been working with had complained loudly, but Harry himself was too exhausted to put up any fight at all. He merely allowed them to lead him by the arm down the stairs.
Once they entered the Great Hall, the students there saw Harry and had a brief idea to ask him several questions. The look they noticed Ginny giving them all was enough to make them reconsider.
Ron and Neville sat Harry down on the bench. Harry immediately pushed his plate out of the way, and planted his forehead on the table in front of him.
"That's it, Harry," Ginny said as she sat down next to him. "After you eat you're going to bed, and you're going to stay there even if I have to tie you down."
"Try to eat something, Harry," Hermione said. "You haven't eaten anything since breakfast."
"He didn't eat much of that if I recall," Luna said.
"How could he?" Neville asked. "It took him so long just to make it out of the common room, he had almost missed breakfast by the time he got here."
"Well that has to stop," Ginny said. "Another week of this and he'll end up in the hospital wing."
"You have to take some time off, mate," Ron said as he looked at Harry, who hadn't moved since he sat down. "You're only one person. There's only so much you can do."
Harry suddenly sat up with his eyes wide as he said, "Ron, you're brilliant. Why didn't I think of it before."
Harry moved so quickly that none of them had time to react. Harry jumped up from the table and ran for the door.
"He's lost it," Ron said as he started to get up to go after Harry.
"Stay here," Ginny said to them all as she stood up. "He's headed back to that room. I'm going up there and putting a stop to this once and for all. It may not be a pretty thing to watch."
"Are you sure you don't need any help?" Hermione asked.
"I'll have him back here in twenty minutes if I have to stun him to do it," Ginny said. "I've let this go on too long as it is."
Ginny tried to calm herself as she reached the top of the stairs. The door to the room of requirement lay before her, and she was ready for the fight that likely lay beyond.
Ginny stopped as a smiling Harry walked out of the room of requirement and said, "Hi, Gin. Sorry you had to walk all the way back up here to get me."
"I'm here to tell you to put a stop to all of this, Harry," Ginny said.
"There's no need," Harry said. "Everything has been taken care of."
"You told them you weren't going to teach them any more?" Ginny asked.
"No," Harry said as he put his arm around her and they started to walk down the stairs. "Ron was right. I am only one man, but in the room of requirement I don't have to be. There are three of me in there right now answering questions."
"What?" Ginny asked.
"Only these copies of me won't ever want to leave the room of requirement," Harry said. "They'll never get tired, or hungry. They can teach twenty four hours a day."
"So you'll never have to teach in there again?" Ginny asked.
"I'll still teach the D.A. classes," Harry said. "I'll be able to go back to my old schedule again. For now though, lets get something to eat. After that, I've got some rest to catch up on."