Hello! I'm in New Mexico! I'll just get to the point!

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Next they had Care of Magical Creatures, and even though Harry thought he wouldn't see Umbridge again till that night she was there, inspecting Professor Grubbly-Plank. The professor didn't seemed at all worried when she was asked questions, most of them about Hagrid. She dodged most of them and was able to get through the class seemingly scott-free.

That night when Harry left Umbridge's office, very close to midnight, his hand was bleeding. He wrapped his scarf around it, but it was staining. When he arrived in the common room Ron, Hermione and Danny were the only ones still awake.

"Here Harry, it's a solution of strained and pickled murtlap tentacles. It should help," said Hermione, giving him a small bowl of yellow liquid when he sat down.

"Thanks," said Harry gratefully, when he put his hand in the liquid. It seemed to sooth the cuts.

"You should tell McGonagall, she'd go nuts if-" started Ron.

"No," said Harry, cutting him off.

"She's a awful woman, I was just saying to Ron and Danny when you came in . . . we've got to do something about her," said Hermione in a small voice.

"I suggested throwing her into the Ghost Zone, it's where all the evil ghosts live," said Danny, "She'd be toast."

"No, I mean something about her teaching. We're not going to learn anything from her," said Hermione. "I was thinking . . . maybe we could just do it ourselves."

"You mean, learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves?" asked Danny, raising an eyebrow.

"Hermione, do you have any idea how much homework Harry and I haven't done? We're already falling behind and it's only the second week back," groaned Ron.

"This is more important than homework!" exclaimed Hermione.

Danny, Harry and Ron just stared at her for a moment with their mouths open. "Wow, didn't think there was anything more important that homework," joked Ron.

"Of course there is!" said Hermione. "It's like Harry said, we have to prepare ourselves for what's out there, waiting for us."

Ron spoke up in a defeated tone, "But there is only so much we can learn from books."

"I agree, we've passed the stage where we can just learn things from books," said Hermione. "We need a teacher, one that can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we are doing something wrong."

"If you're talking about Lupin . . ." began Harry.

"No, I'm not talking about Lupin," Hermione said. "He's too busy with the Order and we would only see him on Hogsmeade weekends."

"Then who?" asked Harry, frowning at her.

Hermione sighed deeply. "Isn't it obvious? I'm talking about you, Harry."

There was a moment's silence.

"Me? I can't teach, I'm not a teacher," said Harry.

"Harry, your the best in our year-" started Hermione.

"No, you've beat me on every test-"

"No, I haven't," Hermione said coolly. "You beat me in the third year, but we aren't talking about tests. Harry, look what you've done!"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"Let's see, first year - you saved the stone from You-Know-Who," said Ron.

"That was luck," insisted Harry.

"Second year - you killed the basilisk and destroyed Riddle," Ron interrupted.

"Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn't-"

"Third year," said Ron getting louder, "you fought off about a hundred dementors at once-"

"You know that was a fluke, and if the Time-Turner-"

Ron got even louder. "Last year you fought off You-Know-Who again-"

"Listen to me!" shouted Harry angrily, because Ron, Hermione and Danny were all smirking. "It sounds great when you say it like that, but all of that stuff was luck, I didn't even know what I was doing most of the time! I just did whatever I could think of, I didn't plan any of it, and I nearly always had help-"

Hermione, Ron and Danny were still smirking at Harry and he felt his temper rise, he wasn't even sure why.

"Don't sit there grinning like you know better than I do, I was there, wasn't I?" shouted Harry, "I got through all that because I guessed at stuff! I didn't have a clue what I was doing - STOP LAUGHING!"

A bowl fell to the floor and smashed. He became aware he was on his feet, but he didn't remember standing. Hermione's cat ran off to the corner; Ron, Danny and Hermione's smiles had vanished.

"You have no idea what it's like! You, none of you, have faced him! You think it's just memorizing a lot of spells and firing at him, like you're in class or something? The whole time you're sure there is nothing between you and death, it's not like you can think straight when you're about a second from being killed, or tortured, or watching your friends die. They never taught you that in their classes, how you deal with things like that and you think I'm just a clever boy and Diggory was stupid, like he messed up - you just don't get it! That could have been me! And it would have been if Voldemort hadn't needed me-"

Ron looked confused. "We didn't mean it like that, mate."

"Harry," Hermione said slowly, "this is exactly why we need you, you know what it's really like . . .facing him. Facing V-Voldemort."

Harry was surprised; it was the first time she had said his name and that calmed him down a little.

Danny stood up. "And Harry, I know I haven't faced him either but I've faced a lot of things that would send most of the kids and adults in this school running. I've watched my friends and family die, sure they were saved but that doesn't stop the nightmares. And I've seen how my future could end up if I stopped caring, if they really did die," explained Danny. "In a way, you and me have more in common than you think." Danny smiled faintly, "I don't know what I'm doing half the time either."

"Can you just think about it, Harry?" asked Hermione quietly.

Harry nodded after thinking it over for a moment.

Hermione stood up. "I'm going to bed."

"You coming?" asked Ron, feeling awkward.

"Yeah, just let me clean this up," said Harry pointing to the ground.

Harry pointed his wand to the broken pieces of china after Danny and Ron walked up the stairs. Suddenly he was very tired and walked up stairs to bed as well. His dreams were interrupted by long corridors and locked doors and he awoke the next day with his scar prickling.

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Hermione didn't mention Harry teaching DADA for two weeks after the original suggestion. Harry's detentions had stopped, although he didn't think the words on the back of his hand would ever fade completely. It was a blustery evening at the end of September and the four of them were sitting in the library when the subject came up again.

"I was wondering if you have thought about teaching DADA?" asked Hermione suddenly.

Harry paused for a minute pretending to be caught up in his book, but then put it back down. "Yeah, I've thought about it," said Harry. "Didn't you hear me say all the stuff about it all being luck?"

"Yes Harry," said Hermione gently, "But all the same you are great at DADA. You can do stuff full grown wizards can't, Viktor always said-"

"Yes, what did Vicky say?" asked Ron mockingly.

"Very funny, he said Harry knew how to do stuff he didn't and he was in his last year at Durmstrang," said Hermione.

"Who's Viktor?" asked Danny, he always had to ask about things. He had missed so much.

"He was in the Triwizard last year, and Hermione's date to the dance," said Ron. "You aren't still in contact with him, are you?"

"So what if I am?" snapped Hermione.

"Where is he from?" asked Danny.

"Hungary," answered Harry, and for no apparent reason (for this certain trio anyway), Danny burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" asked Hermione.

Danny stopped laughing, still holding his stomach. "Nothing, it's just my friend Sam dated a guy from Hungary for a while, but he turned out to be a complete fake. All talk and no action," answered Danny.

"Gee, why does that sound familiar?" asked Ron coolly, turning to Hermione.

"Anyway, what do you think Harry?" asked Hermione, deliberately ignoring Ron. "Will you teach us?"

"Just you three, right?' asked Harry.

"Well," said Hermione, "I think we should teach anyone who wants to learn. We are trying to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort - oh don't be pathetic Ron."

Harry thought for a moment. "Yeah, but who would want to be taught by me, I'm a nutter remember?"

"Well I think you'd be surprised," said Hermione seriously.

"Look, you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend?" she whispered, "I think we should tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over."

"Why outside of school?" asked Ron.

"Because, I don't think Umbridge would be too happy if she found out what we were doing," said Hermione simply.

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I hope you like it!

Thanks to JK rulez, -StarPhantom-, kingdomman, My Eternal Facade (Best beta EVER!), flight-of-death, Kage Jaganshi, Sirithiliel (She broke a rule to read my story!), Angelhalo101, SquirrelGirl13, lindy12, baaQUAK, Pieling, Tamiara, Sasia, dAnnYsGiRl777, Jenna Dax, soccerman, happy yaoi lover, 'Dark-Independent-Girl-101' (Pink is a very evil color!), Cococrash11, Serena the Hikari of Love

DP question: JK rulez, kingdomman (No e-mail, no sneak peek!), My Eternal Facade (No sneak peek because. . . you've already read 12.), SquirrelGirl13, Tamiara, Sasia (couldn't get the sneak peek to you!), happy yaoi lover, DPhantomtomboy

HP question: JK rulez, Angelhalo101, SquirrelGirl13, lindy12, Tamiara, Sasia ( I couldn't get the sneak peek to you!), Jenna Dax, soccerman