Okay, I managed to finish this chapter. This one really is the last one 'til October, though. Consider it a going-back-to-school present.
Disclaimer: I won the lottery last night and used my winnings to buy Harry Potter…then I woke up from the dream and cried because it wasn't true.
"Speech"
XXXXXXXX- scene change
Harry and Draco's demonstration apparently managed to either impress or shock any rebellion out of the other students, for no one complained when he had them practice basic dueling techniques. It was a good thing he did, too. While those who were in the D.A before excelled, almost everyone else was struggling greatly. He sighed in frustration as a stray Stunner flew over his head.
"STOP!" Immediately, all dueling ceased. "That's enough for tonight. There will be more information on the sub-clubs next week. If everyone I spoke to about teaching those would stay behind for a few moments, I would appreciate it."
Slowly, the crowd trickled out of the Room of Requirement until only the Slytherins, Remus, Neville, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Harry remained. Everything related to Dumbledore's Army disappeared, replaced by two sofas and several plush chairs that were arranged around a fireplace that contained a roaring fire. Ron immediately claimed one of the chairs, as did Neville and Remus. Blaise, Pansy, and Hermione sat on one couch, and Draco, Harry, and Ginny sat on the remaining couch, Harry unconsciously leaning slightly into the blonde.
"I suppose the first order of business should be telling Remus and Neville who they're working with, right?"
While everyone else nodded in agreement, Neville paled dramatically. "I'm not working with Malfoy, am I?" he asked frantically.
This drew a laugh out of everyone except for Remus, who simply smiled in amusement, and Draco, who sneered at the round boy. Neville shrank back into his seat in intimidation.
"No, you are not," Draco drawled haughtily, his nose in the air. Harry chuckled and slapped his arm playfully.
"Don't worry, Neville. Blondie here's mine."
From her seat next to him, Ginny snorted. Harry kicked her lightly on impulse, wondering what she, and apparently Pansy and Hermione, found so amusing.
"Blondie?"
"Yes, Blondie. You are blonde, are you not?"
"Well, yes, but couldn't you have come up with a better term?"
"Such as?"
"I don't know! Dragon, maybe?"
"Guys!"
They turned to Hermione, only to be reminded of their audience.
"Do they always act like this?" Remus asked, his merriment evident.
Pansy rolled her eyes in exasperation. "All the time. Now, if these two lovebirds are finished flirting, perhaps we could return to business."
"We weren't flirting!" Harry defended, mortified and confused to feel himself blushing. Beside him, he felt Draco stiffen.
"Whatever," Blaise waved him off. "Just get on with it."
Harry scowled at him, but continued on his original track. "As I was saying, Remus, Neville, and I will be partnered with someone, as what we are teaching can be dangerous in some circumstances. Everyone just heard that I will be working with Draco to teach Dark Arts and advanced dueling. Remus will be paired with Blaise for magical creature education, and Neville with Pansy for Herbology. Any questions so far?"
"Are you certain you should teach Dark Arts?'
Harry turned to the concerned werewolf. "Yes, Remus, I am sure that I should at least offer it."
"Why, though? Someone could get very badly injured."
Harry turned to his partner, who he knew was better with words than he was. Draco, taking this as his cue, began to explain.
"You see, Professor Lupin-"
"Remus. We are equals within this room, so you may call me Remus here."
"Well, Remus it is then. Anyway, the Dark Arts aren't all bad. Some, such as the Umbrus Charm, can be used for purely defensive purposes. However, when combined with the Cheironomius Curse, that defense can seamlessly become an offense. Others are very powerful healing spells. These would be especially good to know, as damage inflicted by most Dark curses can only be efficiently healed with Dark spells."
"Besides, teaching Dark Arts gives us the strategic aspects of knowing what to expect in battle and having skills the enemy won't anticipate us knowing," Harry added when he saw Ron open his mouth to make a snide comment. He inwardly smirked when the redhead snapped his mouth shut.
"That's true," Ron said slowly, not wanting to admit that Harry had a point but having no choice. Remus nodded hesitantly upon hearing this logic.
"Just to make things clear, I know nothing of this particular aspect of the club," he stated.
"Of course you don't. Why would we tell you? You are a teacher, after all; it just wouldn't be logical," Draco said. Everyone else nodded, agreeing to keep the professor's knowledge of the shadier activities of Dumbledore's Army to themselves.
"Um, I have a question," Neville said hesitantly into the prevailing silence. Harry turned to him.
"What is it?"
"What sorts of plants do you want Pansy and I to cover?"
"Anything you two think useful. Potions ingredients, healing herbs, things like that. Just use your best judgment."
"Perhaps you and Pansy could go plan out your lessons," Draco suggested. Pansy sighed and nodded, gesturing for Neville to follow her. The Gryffindor gulped nervously before standing and going after her.
"What about Professor Lupin-sorry, Remus- and I? Any specifications?"
"Mostly creatures classified as extremely dangerous that Voldemort-" Harry sighed in exasperation as everyone but Remus and Hermione flinched at the name, "would ally himself with, particularly werewolves and vampires. Try to dispel any preconceptions you can and, if possible, expose them to said creatures."
"That could get pretty dangerous."
Harry rolled his eyes at the obviousness of the statement. "Hence the reason I wouldn't let Remus teach without a partner."
Blaise scowled at him while Remus grinned.
"You just sounded exactly like Lily, Harry. Mr. Zabini, perhaps we should follow Ms. Parkinson and Mr. Longbottom's example."
Blaise cast a curious glance in Harry's direction, but nodded in agreement with Remus and they moved to the opposite side of the room, leaving Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Draco alone.
"Hermione, you understand what I want you to teach, right?"
"Of course. In my opinion, it's about time someone taught these people the proper method of researching information," she scoffed, her statement making everyone within hearing distance snort in amusement.
"Ron, you understand as well?" Harry asked, his tone considerably colder.
"Yes," he responded tersely. "Unlike some people, I'm not stupid."
"Then you need to come up with insults that showcase that rather than the truth," Harry retorted, not batting an eye. Draco looked down at Harry with a pride-filled gaze and smirked at Ron, making his ears redden in anger.
"You guys can do whatever you need to for a while. Draco, Ginny, and I are going to work on our lessons."
They glanced around Harry in astonishment. "We are?" they asked in unison.
"Yes, we are." He stood and pulled up the still-sitting duo. He hauled them to an empty table against the wall and roughly pushed them into two of the chairs. He sat heavily in the last one, ignoring the chuckles his behavior generated around the room. "Ginny, do you know what you plan to do?" he asked calmly.
She nodded once she overcame the shock of being manhandled by Harry. "I thought I'd start with the Leg-Locker Curse and the Body Bind Curse since even a first year should know those. After that, we'll slowly progress to my year's material. And, of course, I will teach them how to cast a proper Bat-Bogey Hex. From the way the professors around here teach it, I'd almost be inclined to suggest that they didn't want us to learn how to cast a good one."
Harry held in a chuckle as Draco's eyes hardened at the memory of his last encounter with Ginny's Bat-Bogey Hex. "That sounds good, Gin. Just remember to do some training on how to block as well, and mention that it's okay to dodge if you have time."
"I won't forget, Harry," she said in exasperation. "Honestly, sometimes you can sound like such a mother hen. So, what are you two going to do?" she asked, cutting off any response Harry may have made to her jibe.
Harry glared at her briefly before responding. "We should probably start with something less…severe…than the average Dark spell. Any ideas, Draco?"
"Well, I would suggest we start with healing spells, as they are more similar to the types of spells the students are more familiar with casting than the curses. After that, perhaps shields?"
"What about the Dark equivalent of the Patronus?" Draco and Ginny stared at Harry, Draco in shock and Ginny in confusion. "What?"
"Harry, that's really, really advanced magic. Besides, it requires extremely traumatic memories to be conjured; memories most people don't have."
"I didn't say we had to teach it immediately," Harry replied, slightly put out. "Just sometime while we're doing these classes."
Draco sighed in defeat, knowing that it was very unlikely that his partner would drop the matter. "Fine, but only if they learn everything else first."
"We'll need to teach offensive spells, too, as well as the Unforgivables."
"Why those?" Ginny asked, appalled and slightly sickened.
"Well, Imperius would be good to use against those of higher rank. If things look bad for whatever side you're on, you can cast the curse and command whoever's in charge to order the opposing side to retreat," Draco explained.
"The usefulness of the Killing Curse is obvious. And sometimes on the battlefield, you may find yourself short on veritaserum, in which case a good Cruciatus Curse may be the best way to make any prisoners spill whatever info they have."
"What about the advanced dueling lessons?" Ginny asked several minutes later, after digesting the information she was given.
"I was thinking we could teach them to use a combination of Dark and Light spells in battle. If they're mixed together, the enemy won't know what kind of defense to use."
Draco beamed at the raven-haired boy. "Very Slytherin of you, Harry. We should also teach them to move and dodge while dueling. Staying in one place isn't worth dying over, and shield spells aren't infallible."
"Good idea. So, when are you free?" At Draco's raised eyebrow and Ginny's badly muffled snicker, he elaborated. "We need to know what days to have class on."
"Slytherin has Quidditch practice on Monday and Friday from three to five, and Tuesdays are usually reserved for tutoring the younger years."
"Gryffindor practices Monday from five to six-thirty, Wednesday from three to five-thirty, and Friday from five to six. Wednesday will also have regular D.A meetings from seven to nine."
"Looks like our only option is Thursday, then. Say…seven to eight on the Dark Arts training, and eight to nine on the dueling?"
Harry grinned at Draco. "Done."
Ginny shot Harry a confused glance. "What about your Muggle dueling, Harry?"
Said boy cursed quietly. "Shit, I knew I was forgetting something! I suppose the best day for that would be either Tuesday or Friday, depending on the others."
"Are we finished here? If we are, we should probably join everyone else."
Harry glanced up at Draco's comment and was surprised to find the others seated and waiting for them. "Ginny?"
"I'll wait until we hear the others," Ginny waved him off. Draco and Harry nodded their understanding, then the three stood and reclaimed their sofa.
"Did everyone work out the basics of what's on the agenda?" Everyone nodded. "Great. Next up is scheduling," Harry said, pulling out a sheet of parchment. He was amused to spot Hermione mirroring his actions. "First off, does anyone other than Ron and Ginny have any scheduling conflicts?"
"All the upper year Slytherins tutor the younger years on Tuesdays," Pansy piped up. Hermione beamed at her; her opinion of the snakes had apparently just risen another notch. "We can push that back until later on in the evening if need be, though."
"Right, so no Herbology or Magical Creatures on Tuesdays, then. How about Monday for one of these?"
The two groups quickly collaborated and came to a decision.
"It would be best if Herbology was on Monday," Remus stated on behalf of the groups. Harry nodded and wrote that down, allowing Draco to take over.
"Harry and the Weasleys have the same schedule, and Harry said his best day was either Tuesday or Friday. Which one do you want, Weasley?"
Ron gave a longsuffering sigh. "I'll take Friday, I guess."
Harry nodded in acknowledgment and wrote himself down for Tuesday and Ron for Friday. "Um, guys? We have a problem."
"What is it?" Blaise asked, obviously wondering what could go wrong while doing something as mundane as arranging a schedule.
"We're running out of days."
"How about Thursday?"
"Draco and I have that filled. It's the only day we both had free." Harry paused, thinking. It was Neville who supplied the solution, though.
"Erm, can any of the classes be cut down to an hour long? I know Herbology can. If another one can as well, we can have two in one day.
"Research can be cut down."
"So can strategy."
"And the basics."
"Magical Creatures, too."
"Woah, woah!" Harry called out, cutting off the barrage. "That's enough. How about this schedule: Herbology on Monday from seven to eight; Research on Monday from eight to nine; Muggle dueling on Tuesday from seven to nine; Dark Arts on Thursday from seven to eight; advanced dueling on Thursday from eight to nine; Magical Creatures on Friday from seven to eight, and basic curses and hexes on Friday from eight to nine?"
Everyone dwelled on the proposed schedule, then, one by one, concluded that it would work. Once this consensus had been reached, Hermione began rapidly scratching out a copy of it for herself. She huffed in annoyance when Harry, Ron, and Ginny began laughing at her outright, and the Slytherins smirked quietly.
"Well, someone has to have a spare copy for when you lose it," she sniffed. After a bit more discussion and some mostly-good-natured teasing, the group decided to call it a night.
"Hey, Remus? Could you do me a favor?" Harry asked quietly, though loud enough to draw the werewolf's attention. The duo walked to a place slightly away from the rest of the group.
"What is it, Harry?"
"Well, me and the other Gryffindors are close to our dorm, so we don't have that much of a chance of being caught out late. The Slytherins don't have that luxury. I was wondering if you could escort them to the dungeons."
Remus smiled at him. "Of course I can. It will be no trouble at all."
"Great! Don't tell them I suggested it, though."
Remus nodded and walked over to the Slytherins to suggest that he accompany them, and Harry returned to his housemates.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked him suspiciously.
"Nothing."
The other Gryffindors looked at him oddly, but let him slide for the moment. They left the Room of Requirement first, followed by the Slytherins and Remus about ten minutes later. Yawning widely as they entered the portrait hole, the lions bid each other good night and went to bed.
XXXXXXXX
Moonlight filtered through the window of the boys' dormitory. Ron had just barely managed to get into a pair of pajamas before he fell into his bed, snoring loudly. Harry and Neville shook their heads in disbelief before they, too, got ready to go to sleep. Before Harry retired for the night, though, he pulled out his Marauder's Map.
"I solemnly swear that I'm up to no good."
He watched as, illuminated by the light from his wand, lines began to appear. He scanned it until he found the dots labeled as Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini, and Remus Lupin. On the first floor, they ran into Filch. Harry grinned triumphantly.
"I knew that would happen!"
"Knew what would happen?" Neville asked drowsily from his own bed. Harry flushed, realizing that he may have been a bit too loud and thanking any deities that were listening that he hadn't woken anyone up.
"The Slytherins ran into Filch," he explained, not seeing any harm in doing so. "Remus was with them though, so they shouldn't get in trouble."
"Is that why you sent him with them?"
"Was it that obvious?"
"Yes," Neville answered bluntly. "G'night, Harry."
"Good night, Neville." Harry pointed his wand at the map. "Mischief managed." He watched as the lines disappeared, then returned the blank parchment to his trunk, extinguished his wand, and lied down. Within a few minutes, Harry, too, was fast asleep.
Author's Notes: That chapter was grueling! You have no idea how hard it is to schedule like that. Hopefully, between ShadowMoonDancer and myself, we got all the kinks out. Once again, this is definitely the last installment until October.
Thanks to the chapter 14 reviewers:
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