(Extensive A/N at bottom. Sorry for the shorter chapter…but to add anything more would take away from the feel…and add more time before update.)

Disclaimer: ….I think it is well established that I own none of the above.

A Good Defense

To say the least, Angelina's reaction to Harry's detention was not a pleasant one. If possible, it made him even angrier than he had been previously to know that he was now letting down the team by getting detention. He was furious and treated everyone with a short temper until McGonagall's treatment of the new High Inquisitor lightened his mood slightly. Secretly he held dear the idea that no matter what Umbridge made him do, he could call up the look on her face as she was dressed down to cheer him up. So it was with great reluctance, but determination, that Harry went to detention ready for anything.

Several hours later, afflicted with a sickening understanding of the new interruption in his life, Harry left detention and made his way back to the dorms. The back of his hand felt inflamed and raw but was still unmarred taking away all proof of the atrocity that woman had thought to commit. Still, Harry swallowed the thought of telling on her before it had even properly formed in his head. He wouldn't run to a teacher for help. He wouldn't run to Dumbledore. He wouldn't tell anyone because if he did, she would win. In silence he swore to bear through the week and watch Umbridge more carefully from then on.

-----

Two nights later, Harry left the room barely able to contain his rage. The back of his hand was throbbing and he could feel blood seep slowly from the shallow cuts. She had even kept him until a few moments before curfew, souring his temperament even more as he made the mad dash back to Gryffindor Tower. So, in truth, it was to have been expected that his irritation only magnified when he saw someone waiting purposefully at the end of the hall. He didn't really need to look to recognize the Asian boys piercing amber eyes watching him approach.

Harry wondered briefly if he could get away with just passing Li by, but realized quickly the futility of the idea when the other boy smilingly stepped in front of him, effectively blocking his way. Thus, Harry sighed and looked at him scornfully.

"What do you want, Li?"

Instead of answering, the other boy reached out and grabbed Harry's sore hand. It took all he had not to cry out at the sudden magnification of the already screaming pain. Gritting his teeth, Harry allowed Li to inspect his hand thoroughly. He would have given anything to have the ability to disapparate from this situation which he was becoming rapidly more annoying by the second and found himself cursing under his breath about stupid wizarding laws.

"That woman do this to you?"

"Something like that," Harry replied bitingly.

Li nodded. "You should use some herbs on that. Otherwise it will get infected. You won't be able to use your hand if that happens." He paused a moment before saying, "And you should probably tell someone in authority what that woman is doing."

Harry tore his hand away from Li and glared at him. "I don't need to go crawling to a teacher," he replied scathingly.

"Whatever, Potter. Just make sure you do something about that hand." With this said, Li turned on his heel and headed towards Gryffindor tower. Harry stared after him, wondering if he might have been seeing things, because for a moment he could have sworn that he had seen a glimmer of respect grow in the other boy's eyes.

Sighing, Harry looked around for a second before following Li. Silently, he wondered if Hermione would know what he could put on his hand.

-----

On the last day of his detention, Harry sat with Hermione, Ron, Sakura and Li as they all quietly did their homework. He didn't feel much like doing homework himself, especially since his hand was extremely tender and bleeding from the still fresh cuts. Instead he watched everyone else and devised ways to get revenge on Umbridge. They had been sitting like that for some time when, after some few minutes of worrying her lip, Hermione let out a sigh of frustration. When everyone looked up at her she blushed sheepishly but answered their unasked question.

"I mean nothing against Professor Hiiragizawa, because I am learning a lot from him, but we are never going to pass our O.W.L.s like this. This is not the year to deviate from our coursework."

"Umm, what do you mean, Hermione?" Sakura asked.

"Well, instead of working on counter-curses like we should be, we are learning how to sense auras. That is undoubtedly helpful in the long run, but not what we are going to be tested on."

"Oh."

"It's not like we can do anything about it, what with Umbridge being such a prat," Ron muttered as he handed Harry a bowl of picked murlap tentacles to soak his hand in.

"Well," Hermione began thoughtfully, "I was thinking perhaps we might be able to do something."

"Like what," Harry asked looking at the undesirable goop in the bowl with a sigh.

"I'm fairly sure she'd be able to sense poison," Ron chimed in.

"Nothing like that, Ron! No…I was thinking perhaps we should teach ourselves."

Ron and Harry looked at her askance. "You mean you want to do MORE work outside of what homework we already have? Are you nuts?"

"This is much more important," Hermione insisted.

Everyone made a face of shock at these words, even Sakura and Li who had quickly taken Hermione's measure when it came to homework. "You think something is more important than homework, Hermione?" Ron exclaimed. "Are you sick?"

"Of course not! This is much more important. Homework is just for grades, but counter-curses…that is for life. No offense again, Sakura, Li, I know how much you like Professor Hiiragizawa."

Li snorted derisively while Sakura just nodded. 'We understand."

"So what do you propose to do about this, Hermione? It's not like we can really teach ourselves."

"No," she said in a drawn out, considering sort of way. "But there is someone who can teach us."

"Who?"

"Well, it has to be someone who has already had a lot of experience in using them, and who could show us how to use them readily enough."

"Get at it already!" Harry grumbled. "Who do you mean?"

"You, Harry. I think you would be perfect."

Harry's jaw dropped. "No, I wouldn't! If you want a teacher, why don't you do it! You make better grades than I do!"

"Not in defense against the dark arts. You made the better grade in that Harry."

"Well, why not Li then! Or Sakura? They are making better grades than I am now!"

Before either of them could speak up, Hermione interjected, "It's not about grades, Harry! It's about what you have done! You have already done so much more than any of us!"

"What have I done that is so special!"

As Hermione and Ron began rattling off his list of accomplishments, Harry could feel his ire rising. They were talking about all of it as if it were child's play that he had done so easily. He knew better than anyone how much luck had been involved and how close he had come to dying each time. Unable to stop himself, Harry exploded in anger.

"Stop making it sound so easy! You don't know what it was like! You don't know what it was to go against him! It isn't just spells you memorize and cast! It is luck and thinking and hoping with everything in your being that you just survive! And it is being unable to think straight for fear that in the next moment you will die or stand there and watch your friends get tortured...or killed. It is not something so simple!"

The group had gone silent, Hermione in silent tears as she watched her friend. "That's why we need you, Harry. Because you know what it is like. Because you've done it. We need to know what you know. We need to know what it is like to face V-Voldemort."

It was the name that broke through to Harry most. It was the first time she had called him by name and not by that silly you-know-who. She meant what she said.

"I…I'll think about it."

"That's all I'm asking, Harry." Hermione smiled and stood up. "I think I'll go up to bed now. Goodnight."

"Me too," Ron added awkwardly. "You two coming?" he asked Harry and Li. When they both shook their heads, he turned and headed up on his own.

Harry sat down again, not even had realized he had stood up until that moment, and tried to ignore the looks he knew Sakura and Li were giving him. He sat there staring at his hand for a moment before he heard a movement. Looking up he saw Sakura standing next to him. Softly she reached down and touched his hand, just that.

"It's okay, Harry. Remember that everything will absolutely be all right." With a small smile, she turned and went to the dorms, Li walking a sort way behind her.

As he watched her go, a thought occurred to Harry that struck him hard. The look in Sakura's eyes had not been pity or sympathy, but rather understanding. Somehow he felt that she KNEW what he was talking about, that she had been there. For the first time, Harry wondered just what she had been through.

------

"Are you sure we need to do this, Kinomoto?"

"I know it seems a bit silly, Meilin-chan, But I think it would be a good idea. And you don't have to come if you don't wish."

The Chinese girl sighed. "Might as well come."

"Besides, it will give me more time with Sakura-chan," Tomoyo nearly squealed.

Syaoran resisted the urge to chuckle at the look on Sakura's face. Instead he noticed the Weasley twins and a friend enter a shabby looking building up ahead of them. "I think that's where we need to be."

The four entered the dank room and were a little startled at the sheer number of people there were present. Sakura was a little afraid there would not be room and smiled graciously at George Weasley when he found seats for them.

Sakura glanced around and noticed right away the Chinese looking girl hat was staring at Harry with a bit more avid interest than was really called for. Sakura continued to observe everyone quietly as they settled in, noting the many looks from those gathered and the somewhat stressed look on Harry's face as he looked at everyone watching him. At last, her attention was caught as Hermione spoke up and began to introduce the session. It was much what she expected to hear, so Sakura found her attention once again wandering as her eyes drifted back to observing people. After a few minutes, she turned to smile at Syaoran and at last returned her attention to Hermione just in time for her to deliver her proclamation.

"Because Lord Voldemort is back."

The reaction was instantaneous and startled Sakura. One girl screamed and several made distressed sort of noises. In fact, the only ones lacking a reaction were Harry, Sakura and her friends. She noticed that their lack of reaction didn't go unnoticed by the bushy haired girl, but didn't take the time to worry as the conversation dissolved into a "my word over yours" battle over Voldemort's return.

One boy in particular began to badger Harry about what had happened. Sakura watched as Harry's face steadily darkened more and more as he finally replied. He firmly swore off telling an account of his battle with Voldemort to those who he believed only came to hear such a speech. Even Hermione felt the strain on the mood and Sakura was about to speak up and help her two friends when a girl spoke up and completely turned the conversation with a short question about something called a Patronus.

Sakura watched as suddenly people began to give accounts of what Harry had done. The change in atmosphere was absolute. They had gone from doubt to awe almost instantly. Sakura didn't venture to speak for the rest of the meeting, even when they began to squabble needlessly. However, when Hermione brought out a piece of paper, she perked up and sat forward to inspect it.

The feel of magic surrounded the paper. Quickly, Sakura looked around the group to see if anyone else noticed what she had. No one did. At last, she turned to look at Syaoran, who was himself inspecting the paper. Eventually, he glanced at her and shrugged.

Sakura nodded. He obviously didn't think there was anything dangerous to it. So when it came time to sign, Sakura did so without hesitation. The meeting ended shortly after that and people began to disperse quickly. Sakura and the others stayed behind until only Harry, Ron and Hermione where left.

"Ano…Hermione, may I ask you something?"

Hermione's eyes widened, but she nodded. "Go ahead. You didn't say anything earlier so I assumed you didn't have any questions."

"Oh, it's not about the meeting. It's about the paper we just signed.

Hermione frowned. "What about it?"

"I was curious what kind of spell was placed on it."

The older girl looked shocked for the briefest of moments before answering, clearly disconcerted. "I put a jinx on it so if someone snitched it would be painfully obvious who it was."

"Oh," Sakura said with a relieved smile. "Just making sure. Ill see you later then," she grinned as she left with Tomoyo, Meilin and Syaoran, leaving behind three very startled teenagers in their wake.

"That girl certainly is clever, isn't she?" Tomoyo noted as they entered the streets once more.

"Almost as cunning as you, Daidouji-chan," Meilin replied.

"My only issue is with how easily everyone was swayed. Aside of the Weasleys and the twins' friend, everyone bounced back and fourth between what they one thought and another. Disloyal, fickle bunch."

"Don't be harsh, Syaoran. There were more people than that. Especially, that girl who waved at Harry as she left."

"I think she likes him," Meilin commented.

"I don't know," Sakura frowned, thinking about what she had read in her aura. "But poor Harry-kun seems so stressed. I don't know if this is a good idea for him."

"It will help him a lot," Syaoran observed quietly. "He has a lot of pent up stress and emotions. I think teaching people to help themselves will help him. Make him feel less useless and give purpose to what he's been through."

"I think he needs a long break from his own life," Sakura noted quietly.

"Unfortunately, I don't think he will get rest for a really long time. Not until this is done," Syaoran sighed, wrapping his arm around Sakura in an unusually public display of affection.

Silently, everyone agreed.

Meanwhile, at the Hog's Head, Harry watched as Hermione pulled out a different piece of paper and began scribbling.

"Then I'm not the only one who thinks it is really odd that she knew about the spell," Harry pointed out as he watched her tally up their latest clues.

"That and they were completely devoid of reaction when I mentioned Voldemort. By now, they should understand enough to be even slightly afraid of him. I noted they didn't seem the least bit moved. I think that is a bit suspicious."

Silently, Harry agreed and thought on it as Ron and Hermione when on to talk about Ginny. For some reason, Harry was beginning to think that these people were even more special than they originally thought they might be. The idea wouldn't leave his head and even replaced all thoughts of Cho and how she'd smiled at him.

Author's Note: Ack! Way too long between updates! Life has been far too crazy for me and I didn't even realize how long it had been since I updated until I started work on my FFX-2 fic. So, I updated!

It is not my best work, for that I beg forgiveness. More than half of it was written some time ago and it is always hard to go back and insert new material without ruining the flow…so I did it as little as possible…which is why it is so short.

Hopefully the next update will come soon. I make no rash promises. I am going to try to work on all of my fics…or at least work on each of them individually until they are finished. No new ones until I get another one finished.

Thanks to all the LOVELY reviews I have received on this story. They mean the world to me. Please feel free to ask any questions, I am more than happy to respond in anyway you leave for me.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!