Disclaimer: I own no part of Harry Potter or its associated canon nor, any other already copyrighted material.
(A/N): This was actually the first chapter I wrote for this story. I just like the scene.
Chapter 10
Final Year Begins
Monday morning was even more subdued than the welcome back feast had been. Harry had hoped that more students would have returned by the time breakfast rolled around. Unfortunately the tables still sat only partly full. It was also unnaturally quite in the great hall. Morning was usually a somewhat noisy time as students prepared for the coming lessons, the first day even more so. Today though everyone was just milling around, picking through breakfast and not eating much. Ginny sat next to him flipping through a copy of the Daily Prophet. The cover was emblazoned with another obituary, this time for an Aureleas MacNamara, a wizard of the Ministry's mysteries division.
He glanced over to see Hermione and Ron, studiously avoiding each other's eyes. One or the other would glance over and look back quickly, blushing just a little. When they had first come down they had been all excited to talk about their new rooms, but after a certain point they had fallen silent. He shook his head and ignored it the best he could. Setting down his fork he realized he would be eating no more this morning. Pulling out his class schedule he glanced over it again.
Due to the shortage of students, many classes had been reorganized. Instead of being split into periods throughout the day and multiple classes for each subject during the week, each class had been combined into one all day run. The one that was most noticeable was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Usually classes were divided by house and year, but this time some from both years were mixed into each of the all day classes. The Monday class, the one he was going to have to leave for soon and was attending with Hermione, Ron and Ginny, consisted of two-thirds seventh year students and the rest sixth while the Thursday class contained the rest from both years. Harry had asked around and found that most of his class consisted of former DA members. He was still waiting to meet professor Keystone up close. The sight from the head table had told him nothing, though the sword had been an interesting addition.
He continued staring at the oddly rearranged schedule as Ginny folded up the Prophet and set it aside. "I still can't believe we're taking classes together." Harry had been surprised as well. He however felt no desire to question it as any time spent with her was fine with him.
"It makes sense. Like McGonagall said, we need to get trained up as fast as possible. We're going to need it…" Ginny could just make out Harry's eyes going into what she had dubbed thousand-yard-stare mode. It was a look she knew he got when he was considering the coming battles. Sliding closer she leaned against his side. He unconsciously wrapped an arm around her and held her tight.
"Right. WE are going to need it." The emphasis brought him back to the present and he glanced down.
"We." He agreed.
"So no more talk of trying to 'protect' me?"
"No. I know you can take care of yourself. I just worry 'cause I…care about you." Ginny quickly picked up that he had changed what he was going to say mid sentence. Leaning closer she whispered so only he could here.
"Good. Because I 'care' about you to." A small smile tugged on both of them and spread into a small grin across each mouth. Harry felt his heart pound for just a moment and swore he could feel hers against his side. Forcing himself to look away from her eyes before he was lost in them, his gaze came around to Ron who was not quite staring. He has been doing better in his protectiveness toward Ginny, due mostly to a short talk he and Harry had had. Harry could still see him saying, with perfect truth, "You're her choice, and I'm happy for you, but if you hurt her again, screw Voldemort, I'll kill you." It was measure of how serious he was that he didn't stumble over Voldemort's name at all.
Hermione glanced up to the wall clock. "We'd better go. Don't want to be late." Standing, Ron extended a hand and helped her to her feet. They held on longer than was strictly necessary but didn't rush to pull apart either. Harry did the same for Ginny and the four friends began pacing down either side of the table. Reaching the door Hermione led the way with Ron at her side. From next to Harry, Ginny spoke up.
"Hermione, what do they usually teach in seventh year Defense?"
"Mostly it's just supposed to be review with some advanced forms of magic we already know mixed in. They want us prepared to pass the N.E.W.T.s. With the compressed classes, I image review will be even more important."
"Think we could just skip the review by saying we had plenty of practice against Death Eaters?' Ron asked, flashing a cheeky grin to the others.
"Don't think that's going to cut it mate. I doubt they give out points for cheek either."
"Well, Harry…you could always try 'I faced He-who-loves-hyphens and survived.'"
"If that's all it took to pass Defense then I've wasted six years…okay, five years of classes." He mentally discounted Umbridge, that class was utter rubbish. Ron's little word play elicited a slight chuckle from the girls and a grin from Harry. Looking past the red head he realized they had reached the new defense classroom. Considerably larger than the old one, it had broad double doors instead of a single one. Stepping through the open entryway they glanced around at the room.
It was easily many times as large as the previous classroom and a good twenty feet high. Along either side were benches, broken up with a few sets of shelves between the windows. Some of these held books. Others held a wide assortment of random objects, many of them weapons. Doublewide desks with two chairs a piece sat in five neat rows in the middle, three desks to a row starting near the far end of the room. Glancing over them Harry could see that only four seats remained unoccupied, the two tables front and center. The rest of the class was already seated and several of them turned to watch as the four made their way to the remaining spots. Harry held the chair for Ginny, a gesture repeated by Ron, both uncaring of the looks it received. Only moments after settling in and glancing around at the room and the dais at the front, they heard the doors closing behind them.
Turning they saw the doors shut all by them selves. Turning back they started to find Professor Keystone sitting near the front edge of the dais on a simple wooden stool, each of his feet propped up on a rung, sword peeking over his shoulder. With hands on knees he glanced over the class. With a bow of his head for greeting, he spoke.
"Good Morning." They received their second shock at the accent, or rather lack of an accent on his speech. Nodding, he acknowledged the looks of recognition around the room. "Yes. I'm American. From the colonies you might say. My family moved to Wales when I was ten so I could attend Hogwarts. I returned to my home country for a few years. I'm here, now at the request of the new Headmistress to teach you Defense Against the Dark Arts. Anyone curious about my qualifications should check with Professor McGonagall. She seemed to believe they were sufficient…but if you want to second guess her…" He glanced around a moment before speaking again. "Any questions?" After a moment Hermione slowly raised her hand. "Yes Miss Granger?"
"What…uh, what are we going to be studying this year, sir?"
"Ah…the curriculum. To answer that, please open your books to page three." He waited for a moment while the students shuffled and looked nervously at each other. "What?" Hermione was again the one to speak.
"We…we were never assigned books for this class, sir."
"What? Oh…right. My mistake. Here." With a wave of his hand a midnight blue book with silver script chased in gold appeared in front of each student. Harry read the title disbelievingly. Advanced Dueling by Cantiel Ancross. "Now. Mr. Longbottom. If you would be so good as to stand and read aloud the first paragraph on page 3." Paging through his book Neville found the correct passage and stood, holding the text.
"The etiquette of dueling," he intoned and glanced to the professor for confirmation. At his nod, Neville continued. "When engaging in a wizard duel it is always important to maintain the rules of etiquette." The professor stood at this point and moved the stool back a few feet. He then flexed a bit and stretched his hands. "First you should stretch thoroughly to prepare your body and clear you thoughts to prepare your mind. Next the duelists face each other and draw their wands." Professor Keystone did as Neville said and drew his wand from the strap across his chest, letting it hang near his waist. "Second opponents should bow to one another." The professor complied, bowing deeply to his imaginary opponent. "Both combatants should then raise their wands to the en garde position." Keystone's wand rose to his face and then fell back to his waist. "When both wands are lowered from this position is signals the beginning of a duel and both combatants are free to cast their first spell." Neville returned to his seat a moment after finishing.
"Excellent Mr. Longbottom. That is the standard and correct form for beginning a wizard duel. Anyone want to take a guess how many duels Mr. Ancross engaged in over his glorious career? Yes, Mr. Weasley."
"A lot?"
"Good guess, but no. To date Cantiel Ancross has engaged in a grand total of…none. He has never dueled a single enemy." The class looked down at the book skeptically after receiving that bit of information. "Have any of you ever been in a wizard duel?" Several hands rose tenetivly behind the firm acknowledgment from Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny. "Right. Good. Now, those of you who have been…did you bow?" Shaking heads and murmured 'no's greeted him. "Did you raise your wand to the en garde position?" Same reply. "Did you take time to prepare prior to the battle?" Again, shaking heads.
"That's right. Because real duels aren't formal. They don't start and stop according to ritual. They are spontaneous events that happen in the midst of battle or in an ambush. You don't bow and warn someone you're about to attack them. With luck they're unconscious before they know you're there. Battles aren't honorable and they don't have a code of conduct. They are about winning. Pure and simple. Miss Granger, you asked what we would be learning this year? You will be learning how to win."
"But sir…seventh year defense is suppose to be about review. Why, some of us are still in sixth."
"What would you review? Silent casting? Wandless magic? Advanced shield charms? You will learn all of that. You will learn or you will fail. This is not a normal year. Voldemort and his Death Eaters are on the loose and it is my job to make sure you can defend yourself. Make no mistake. I will push all of you right to the breaking point and you WILL walk out of this class as a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield." The shock and nervousness was clear on various peoples' faces. Though at its heart Defense had always involved protection, many had never really thought that might extend to them learning to fight. Those who did were almost all former DA members. "It's going to be hard and it's going to be draining. But the alternative…well…we won't speak on that." He could see the light of recognition in each of them.
Regaining his seat he continued. "I expect you to help each other. The sixth years are going to be behind. That's no reflection on them personally; they just haven't had the extra year. It would be advised to get them up to speed as soon as possible. You'll be practicing against each other so the stronger you are as a class the faster you can grow." With a wave the books disappeared. "I think we can safely do without those. Now…are we ready to begin?" Excitement shone in the eyes of some students, anxiety in others and determination in a select few. Harry was the first to give a short, sharp nod. He glanced over to Ginny who gave a similar nod. She glanced at him and a quick flick of the eyebrow seemed to say 'let's do this.' He acknowledged it with a slight grin and turned back to the front of the class.
"Excellent. I'm sure you will all do very well. You were hand selected for this section after all. Now…who would like to guess what the real necessities of dueling are? Say what you think." He got several responses.
"Knowing a lot of spells. Silent casting. Magical strength." He nodded until they had pretty much ended.
"Right. Good answers. Many of those things will help but aren't necessary. I've won duels without casting a single spell." Awed looks sprang up around the class. "How did I do it?" He waited for a moment but no one offered a possible reason. "I ran up and punched my opponent out." A lightning quick jab flashed out along his right arm before it settled back to his knee. "Not many wizards expect physical attacks from other wizards. That's why I carry this." Two fingers rose past his shoulder and touched the red wrapped sword handle visible over his back.
"Now…listen carefully." He waited a moment to ensure he had their attention before continuing in a low voice that seemed to weave a spell of mystery over his words. "At its heart, winning a battle requires three things. Two of them I can teach you. One I can't. The two I can teach you are Concentration and Stamina. The ability to stay focused and do it for longer than your opponent will win the day more often than knowing every spell ever could. The shortest duels last seconds. The longest on record lasted 18 days and ranged across an entire city. It only ended when one wizard, exhausted from getting little sleep, misaimed a concealing charm and left his feet exposed while he slept." While the rest of the class considered this, Ginny furrowed her brow and raised her hand. "Yes…Miss Weasley?"
"Sir…what was the third thing. The one you couldn't teach us?"
"Ah…yes. The third, and perhaps most important, thing is…a reason to win. This you have to find for yourself. Make it a good one. Pride, greed, hate, glory, fame, and the spirit of competition, all of these will do the job. But the ones that are the strongest, survival, protecting another…love, these can allow you to conquer otherwise unbeatable forces. Love especially can make an average wizard extraordinary and a strong wizard unbeatable. It was once thought that love strong enough could even stop Avada Kedavra. The idea has fallen by the wayside though as no one wants to test it." His eyes flashed to Harry for a split second. "So, find your reason, keep it close. Concentrate. And have the physical stamina to keep going. Do this, and you will become invincible." Harry wasn't sure if there was some underlying magic or simply the man's skill as an orator but the last words seemed to hold an impressive mystique all their own. Keystone allowed the thought to hang in the air for several moments before continuing. When he did his voice was far lighter and much more business like.
"You're going to get off rather easily today. This morning we'll review a few important spells and practice some silent casting. After lunch we'll do a few one on one pairings to see where you're at. After that we'll talk about study group assignments and…homework." A few little groans were let out and more than one student looked disheartened at the first homework of the year. Harry was certain Keystone grinned to himself at the response but the quirk was gone in a flash. "I'll be going fairly light on you this year. No written reports or research in this class." The relief in the students at that revelation was palpable. "I hate reading it and anyone can copy from a book. It's what you know that will help you in a battle." Harry realized he wasn't the only person cutting their eyes toward Hermione to see how she would take this bit of news. For a change she actually looked relieved she wouldn't have the extra work. Maybe Ron really was influencing her.
"Next week, and every week after, make sure you have some comfortable clothing. We're going to be working on stamina." More than a few students glanced around wondering just what he meant by that. "Now...who can name three ways to stop a rampaging giant?" Hands shot up all over.
Even Harry was impressed with the professor and found him having to use everything he had learned over six years of classes to answer the questions posed. Even Hermione was caught short a couple times though between all of them, they managed at least one satisfactory answer for every question and scenario he asked. Just about the time they were getting stiff and tired of sitting down, Keystone called a break. While he withdrew into the office set off the main classroom the students rose and stretched, inevitably discussing in whispered voices the class so far. Whispers passed this way and that about the teacher and the all together different methods he seemed to be employing. Some looked concerned, some excited and others bewildered. Hermione most often cast concerned glances at the office door and he could almost see the gears turning in her head.
Harry was left alone as Ginny took the opportunity to speak with some of the DA members present in class. From his own recollection, Harry though the majority of them still at the school were probably in this room. A little paranoia set in as he wondered why that might be. He didn't think McGonagall had known…Dumbledore on the other hand… His train of thought was set aside as Neville approached and sat next to him on the desk. Looking back over the room most of the students had broken into groups of three or four and scattered around, leaving the desks pretty much empty. Harry had half an eye on Ginny, moving from place to place.
"So…pretty interesting class so far, huh?" Harry nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Kind of reminds me of third and fourth year. Learned tons then."
"Learned a lot fifth too. Just not in class."
"Yeah…" After staring off for a minute he realized Ginny hadn't spoken to Neville yet. "Speaking of fifth year…"
"Yeah?"
"How would you feel if the DA were to start up again?" After a moment of silence he turned to see Neville staring at him, eyes wide.
"Really? You're really thinking…?"
"Yeah."
"That would be great! I mean…it looks like we're going to have a proper instructor this year, but…it was always more fun learning when you were in charge." Harry colored just a little at the compliment. "Any extra practice would be good. Maybe if I can get good enough my gran will finally be proud of me." Harry smiled at the combination of fear and respect Neville always showed when mentioning his grandmother.
"Neville…you helped me break into the ministry, fought Death Eaters there and acquitted yourself admirably in battle here as well. If your grandmother isn't proud of you yet, that's her problem, not yours." The taller boy looked as if Harry had just spoken some foreign language…or parlstounge. "Anyway…yeah. I'm restarting the DA."
"I'm in!"
"Thought you might be. Ask Ginny about the details. See you at the meeting tonight."
"Attention everyone!" All of them turned at the professor's voice to find him returned to the dais holding a cardboard box. Setting it down on the stool he motioned for the class to gather around. As Harry neared he could make out that it contained various pieces of leatherwork that reminded him of Quiddich guards. The professor lifted one of the pieces from the box and held it up for all to see. "I had intended to put these on the list of required supplies for this year. Unfortunately I discovered there is no shop in Diagon Alley that carries them, so I had them imported from the States." The thing seemed to be a series of leather straps connected to one central piece. "For those of you wondering what they are, this is a wand sheath. It's designed to be strapped to your forearm and allow quick and reliable access to your wand. Could I get a volunteer?"
The class glanced at each other for a moment and Harry once again felt it would have to be him. Surprisingly Neville stepped forward a moment later, already rolling back his sleeve. "Longbottom, excellent. Observe. Right handed correct?" Neville nodded and held out his left. The professor demonstrated putting it on and fastening the small buckles that held it in place. At his nod Neville drew his wand and slipped it into the sheath. The handle stuck out where it would be easily accessible just below his wrist. Once his sleeve had been rolled down it all but disappeared. "Good. Now, everyone else, pick one and put it on. Some of you may have wands too long to fit easily. In that case try rotating the sheath to the top or back of your arm."
Slowly the class descended on the box and one by one found a sheath that would work perfectly for them. Harry managed to strap his on easily and tested it a few times by quickly drawing his wand. It was easier and much quicker than trying to dig it out of his robes. Soon the entire class was mimicking his action with similar surprise at the improvement. After a few moments of this Keystone set the box aside and called for attention.
"Okay class, let's try some practical review." They turned and followed the professor as he headed to the open area closer to the doors. "Split off into pairs for this practice session. First we'll try the basics. Expelliarmus. Now…go." As the late morning progressed, Harry was struck by how much the practice mirrored the first few meetings of the DA. By the time lunch rolled around they were more than happy to take another break. It was becoming clear to each and every one of them that Professor Keystone wasn't exaggerating when he said they would be pushed to the edge. And this was only the first class.
The afternoon consisted of more dueling. Only this time they each took a turn trying to take down the Professor. They had varying levels of success, differentiated mostly by how long they lasted. Harry lasted the longest, managing to very nearly cut through the instructor's defenses before he called an end to it. To the surprise of many, Neville had done the second best, actually managing to nick him with a hex. It was also clear that some of the students, not just the sixth years but also a couple sevenths needed to do a lot of work to catch up. DA meetings would be useful. Keystone returned to his stool and returned his light colored wand to its sheath.
"Excellent. I must admit you all did much better than I thought you would given the instructors I'm told you've had recently. Then again I've heard certain stories about the Ministry just over a year ago and the battle a few months past. Perhaps it's my fault for underestimating you. But it looks like we'll be able to jump ahead a bit in the course plan I had set up based on your previous classes. It's almost like you've had extra help…" Harry didn't need to look around to know which students were grinning just a little. He was to.
Before he could continue the door was tentatively opened by a young student Harry didn't recognize. The girl looked to be in second or third year and was holding a packet of papers. She looked rather intimidated by both the size of the classroom and the senior students staring back at her. She took a hesitant step in and looked around. From the front the professor stood and took a step forward. "Yes?"
"P-Professor McGonagall sent me to give you these." She lifted the papers a little.
"Oh, thank you. Well...bring them up." She complied and passed through the rows of students to hand him the sheets. He paged through them quickly after taking them. "Excellent. Tell the headmistress I appreciate it. Five points to Hufflepuff for a speedy delivery." The girl beamed at having earned points for her house and happily headed back out the door. He continued to look them over and separated the top sheet from the rest. Holding them out as he read he glanced up for a second. "Miss Granger, if you would be so kind as to pass these out…?" Hermione rose and complied with the request. "Thank you…" Finishing part of the top sheet his eyes rose to address the class.
"What Miss Granger is distributing right now are special permission slips for one of the more…controversial parts of this course. After much debate and finagling with the governors, the Headmistress convinced them to allow, on the condition of parental approval, that I be allowed to teach you to defend yourself against an Unforgivable." Hermione stopped dead while handing one of the slips out and looked down at them stunned. The rest of the class was hardly less so. She however was the first to protest.
"Sir…you can't…I mean…how can they allow you to use…?"
"You're wondering why I won't be sent to Azkaban for using an Unforgivable?" She nodded in confirmation. "Because even the Ministry, surprisingly, recognizes the danger posed by Voldemort and his followers at this point and has made this exception. I've been given strict limits on the circumstances I may use it and they include only in this room and only when a sufficient number of students are present…as well as an Auror." Hermione looked less than pacified but returned to handing out the slips. "Now…as to the Curse… Obviously I couldn't teach resistance to Avada Kedavra and the Cruciatus has no reliable counter. As many of you I'm sure guessed from the start, I'll be instructing you how to resist the Imperius Curse."
Harry's nodded to himself in recognition. That would be easy for him; he had already done it several times. "But only if you have a permission slip. Those of you who are of age can sign the sheet yourself and return it at your leisure. Everyone else will need the permission of a parent or guardian. These aren't for me; they absolve the school of its liability." He noticed several students already drawing quills to sign. "I'd wait at least a day. Consider this carefully. Unforgivables are nasty pieces of work and though learning to resist them can be invaluable, the process can be long and frustrating. Make absolutely sure you want to do this. Another point to consider is that only I will be available to practice against. I'll make the time to help you, but this can't be homework. A student casting an Unforgivable," his eyes cut to Harry for a split second, "in any but the most desperate circumstances, is grounds for immediate expulsion if not a ticket to Azkaban."
He allowed that thought to hang heavily in the air before continuing. "Now…class dismissed." They all took a moment to rise before filing out, each of them either staring at the paper clutched tightly in their hands or throwing glances back at the seated instructor. "Oh…by the way…Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger?" The named students and Ginny hung back to see what he wanted. "Headmistress McGonagall wishes to speak with you. She wrote to meet her in the Transfigurations class room." They acknowledged the notice and turned to head out. After clearing the door way Ginny hit Harry with a quick kiss.
"You three have fun. I've still got a few people to track down. Later."
"Bye…" She headed off at speed chasing after the already scattering class. It took a moment for Harry to stop staring after her and follow the others. Crossing the school to find the correct room they found McGonagall, as usual, sitting behind her desk checking over a few papers.
"Ah…there you are."
"What do you need Professor?"
"I have a few things to give each of you. These were left in my care at the beginning of last year by…Albus…after the incident with his hand. He had a few personal objects that he wished to leave behind should something unfortunate happen. I believe he wished to give them to you himself, but…" She trailed off for a moment before returning her gaze to them. "I think he believed they would be useful for…your mission. Firstly, Miss Granger…" She handed the girl a small envelope and a book which Hermione quickly opened and then stared at in wonder.
"What? What is it?"
"It's…a pass to the library's restricted section. Good anytime for anything. And…Hogwarts: A History…the first edition…" Harry grinned to himself. He doubted there was a better possible gift to give Hogwarts resident bookworm.
"Now…Mr. Weasley… This has been in his care for some time and he believed you would appreciate it more than any one else." She handed him a folded box marked with black and white squares. Undoing the latch, Ron opened the case and stared at it a second before breaking out in laughter. After a moment he turned the box so they could see inside. It appeared to be an ornately carved chess set. Harry looked closer.
"Wait a minute…that's…"
"The set we played through in first year!" He turned to the professor. "How…?"
"After the Philosopher's Stone was destroyed, Albus decided to keep the pieces around. He shrunk them to fit on a normal board. I believe he intended it as a graduation present…though events forced his hand." While Ron looked over the pieces, picking each up and examining it, and Hermione began paging through the book, Harry waited for what he had been left. He already had the pensieve and could think of nothing else that might be more valuable than all that Dumbledore had already left him. "Mr. Potter…to you he left these, they are, after all, yours." She waved her hand five objects appeared on the desk. He looked in awe at each of them.
First was the sword of Godric Gryffindor he had drawn from the Sorting Hat in second year and used to slay the basilisk. Next to it sat the Tri-Wizard Cup, still resplendent in its glory. Finally was a plaque denoting his as the captain of the team that had won the Quiddich cup. The last two were familiar looking vials with tight stoppers that each held a silvery substance. He knew immediately that they were memories and snatched them from the table. Making sure they were tightly sealed he placed them deep in a pocket. He then turned his attention to the other object. "Professor, those I know he wished me to see but the rest…I…these don't belong to me."
"Yes they do. You drew the sword, won the cup through more difficult tasks than anyone else ever has and we have a copy of the plaque for the school. You've earned these Potter." After a moment he tentatively picked up the sword and turned it around to reveal the name imprinted on it.
"Could…could you sent these back to Order HQ?"
"Of course. I can't say I'd approve of you having them here anyway, especially that." He set the blade back on the desk and thanked her before heading out with the others.
"And for a moment I thought he was going to be a normal teacher." Hermione looked exasperated as she walked along the hallway flanked by Harry and Ron. Ginny was already at the Room of Requirements where the DA was gathering for their first after dinner meeting. They had been otherwise occupied recently and this was the first opportunity she had to say anything about the new Defense instructor. They glanced at each other behind her head and waited for the rant to continue. "I mean, an Unforgivable? Even if it is a valid threat, there is a reason these things aren't taught."
"You still haven't told us if you're going to sign the sheet."
"Well Ronald, that's because I'm not sure yet. Have you?"
"Of course. How about you mate."
"Yeah. I've already learned how, couldn't hurt to get in a little practice." She shook her head.
"Honestly, don't you two ever consider the dangers of what you're doing?" With his best grin Ron wrapped an arm around her shoulder.
"Course not. That's why we need you, love." He smiled for another moment before his eyes widened in shock at what he'd just called her. She had stopped dead, eyes similarly widening. "I mean…"
Before he was forced to witness whatever was about to happen, Harry quickly strode around a corner and hurried out of earshot. Nearly jogging up a flight of stairs and down the hall he had already reached the door to the Room of Requirement and been waiting for more than a couple minutes when they appeared. Neither of them seemed to be in an explanatory mood, which was just fine with him, and they each were blushing furiously whenever they looked at each other. Before they could do any more he reached for the knob.
"Tell you what…you two wait here and get control of yourself. I'm going in." Pushing the door open he quickly slid in and left them alone in the hall.
(A/N): If you feel it is warranted feel free to review. I welcome any and all opinions.