Chapter 10

- Hog's Head -

"Smells like something died in here." Teddy said, wrinkling up his nose, looking around the dusty old tavern. "So, who's supposed to be meeting us here?"

"Just a couple of people." Hermione said.

"Lovely spot." Ron commented, wiping his finger across one of the tables that looked as though it hadn't been wiped in years. Teddy had hardly had any sleep the night before the Hogsmeade trip. The thought of his father, lying dead in the Dark Forest haunted him every time he closed his eyes.

"Thought it would be safer off the beaten track."

They all waited at the back of the empty pub. Slowly students began to shuffle in, each one looking just a disgusted as the next. "Um... hi." Hermione greeted them once they were all there. There were far more than just a few people and Teddy straightened when he saw Arkie walk in and stand beside Fred and George. "So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher... a proper teacher. One who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

"Why?" A boy asked.

"Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot." Ron spat but the boy rolled his eyes.

"So he says."

"So Dumbledore says."

"So Dumbledore says, because he says."

Teddy shook his head silencing them all with a loud, shush! Hermione nodded a quick thanks.

"The point is, where's the proof?" The boy continued.

"Maybe, if Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed..." Another boy chipped in quietly.

Harry stood up, looking annoyed. "I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, clear out now." Hermione turned to him. "Come on, Hermione. They're here because they think I'm some sort of freak..."

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna asked, curiously.

Hermione glanced at Harry, who wasn't responding. "Yes. I've seen it."

Dean let off an impressed gasp. "Blimey, Harry. I didn't know you could do that."

"And he killed a basilisk," Neville said. "With the sword in Dumbledore's office."

Teddy crossed his arms, glancing at Harry with a confident smile. "Third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once."

Hermione shuffled nervously. "And last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh." Before they could all go silent Harry stood up again.

"Wait. Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that... but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help."

"He's just being modest."

"No, Hermione, I'm not." He replied, looking at the students. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow."

Teddy leaned against the wall silently, glancing at Harry and occasionally to Arkie. "But out there... when you're a second away from being murdered... or watching a friend die right before your eyes... You don't know what that's like." He sat back down. The tall, brown haired boy nodded slightly.

"You're right, Harry," Hermione said. "We don't.

"But, that's exactly why we need your help." Teddy added. "Because if we're going to have any chance at beating... Voldemort..." He forced himself to say the name for the first time ever. "We need to be prepared..."

"He's really back then?" A girl asked and Harry nodded.

"I have a piece of parchment," Hermione explained, holding up the parchment, on the top it said Dumbledore's Army. Teddy guessed it was meant to be a joke, to mock the Ministry. "If you wish to join, come a write your name down."

Teddy walked up to her, nodded and was the first to write his name on the list. Almost instantly the students all lined up behind him. He stood next to the others, watching each person scribble down their names. Eventually, Arkie got to the front of the line. She looked at Teddy and the two met each others gaze before she bent down to write her name in her usual neat handwriting.

Teddy watched as Arkie left the old pub. "I'll be back, I just need to-"

"Go!" Hermione said, shoving him towards the door. "Go after her." He smiled, running out into the snow outside. Arkie was trudging off and Teddy ran after her, nearly falling over. His pants were cold and damp. He tripped and caught himself on a frosty streetlamp. By the time he was standing up straight again, she was gone.

He turned around in the snow, his cheeks and nose pink from the cold. "Damn it." He said, his teeth chattering. With a small grunt he walked through the snow in the direction of the small cottage just outside of Hogsmeade, his home. It looked abandoned, the windows were dark and frozen over, the small garden was buried under the layers of thick snow, no puffs of steam rose from the brick chimney.

Teddy stared at it sadly, remembering how a few months ago the biggest worry he had, had was running out of books to read. He let out a sigh, watching his breath come out in a puff of warm mist. Something touched his damp shoulder, he looked down to find Arkie at his side. "I'm sorry..." She said quietly. "I-"

"No, I'm sorry. I should've told you about the detentions and I shouldn't have lied. You're right, I'm a coward."

"I didn't say you were a coward, I'm saying you were acting cowardly. And I understand why you were nervous..."

"I can't even write a stupid letter to my own father. I didn't want to worry you."

"I want to help, Teddy. That's all I want... and maybe this time I was the one to overreact, just a little." She smiled an embarrassed smile. "It's just, I don't think I've ever hated someone as much as Umbridge, and no one hurts my boyfriend." Teddy smiled, despite the heavy feeling in his chest. "Came we make a pact? No more lying."

"Deal." The hissed her on the forehead, thens tared down at his boots. "Then I should probably tell you... Dad's been lying."

"About what?"

"About going on those recon missions, apparently he's been trying to recruit a Werewolf pack for months now, ever since the holidays. Sirius says he's been coming home injured."

"Merlin's beard... wait Sirius? How did you-?"

"Long story." He said, shaking his head.

"What are you gonna say to him? You dad, I mean."

"I don't know," he rubbed her shoulders as she shivered beside him. "I'm thinking of bringing it up in private over the Christmas holidays." Arkie leaned into him, ignoring the dampness of his coat. For moment the only sound was the whistling of the sharp wind, whisping snow into the air. "We should probably head back to the others."

She nodded, holding his hand and just catching up to them outside the Hog's Head. Hermione smiled and gave Teddy wink when she saw the two holding hands. They all took the train back to Hogwarts and whispered while crossing the bridge into the courtyard.

"Right. First we need to find a place to practice where Umbridge won't find out." Harry said seriously.

Teddy thought before speaking through chattering teeth. "The Shrieking Shack?"

"Too small."

"Forbidden Forest?" Arkie suggested.

Ron gave a shiver. "Not bloody likely. Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?"

"Who cares?" Everyone looked at Hermione in shock. "I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it, breaking the rules?"

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione?" Ron asked, looking her up and down.

"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today." She said after rolling her eyes.

Harry stuffed his gloved hands in his pockets. "What's that?"

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you, could she?" Harry turned a shade of red and tucked his head slightly behind his scarf.

"Right. Over the next few days, we should each come up with a couple of possibilities of places we can practice." He planned. "We've got to make sure, wherever it is, there's no chance she can find us."

"Will do, Harry." Teddy nodded as the group broke up and went their seperate ways, unaware of the short, fluffy dressed woman, watching them from one of the school windows.