Chapter Twelve: History Classes and Quidditch Matches:

Though classes were getting harder for the third years, Harry was having a great time. He loved his classes and from what Hermione said about Divinidation he was glad he had taken Athermancy instead. Hermione looked tired all the time now and stressed and no wonder, her schedule was completely full though the boys wondered how she got to all of her classes as some were at the same time. The only way Harry knew she could was with a time turner but those were well protected and not everyone had the skill to even operate on properly. He was heading to his second Magical History class and could have swore Hermione was behind them but she did not show up for class. Harry did not have much time to think on this as he took a seat with Ron and Neville.

Once more as with most classes this one was with the Slytherin third years. Draco did not seem too pleased that Moody was their teacher as Moody was not afraid to keep the Malfoy heir in line. He would take points and Harry knew he would tell Snape about why later as he was Slytherin just like Snape and Draco. He refused to play favorites and took points from any student he thought was needed even if they were from Slytherin. Today he was writing on the board "The allure of evil" and Harry knew they were in for a good class. Moody turned and scanned the class with his magical eye. Today he did not need to take anything from any student as the students were more than use to his magical eye and they knew they would not get away with anything in Moody's class.

"Right then, today is a very important topic." Moody began. "As you know from reading yer chapters I assigned we are learning about the allure of evil and Voldemort. Now who can tell me why a good witch or wizard would go over to the dark side? Yes Miss Brown."

"Because a dark lord or lady makes promises and stuff?" Lavender said.

"That is one way, Mr. Malfoy maybe you can enlighten us?" Moody said.

"Well if the dark lord offered purebloods supremacy over everyone else that would be tempting sir." Draco said.

"Aye, Mr. Longbottom maybe ye kin add to that?" Moody said.

"The power to rule the world so that there is peace and plenty for all." Neville said thoughtfully. "The dark lord offers power to do good, a few may have to die for the greater good but muggles are better off ruled by magic as they only war among themselves. Yet it doesn't work that way."

"Why not?" Moody asked.

"Because what do you do with those that want freedom?" Neville said, "they have to die or be maimed all for the great good of course, but really it is all about power."

"Correct, I think you understand Voldemort, what he offered and the power he promised to those who followed him." Moody said. "You see me, I did not end up this way sitting at home, no I ended up this way protecting those that Voldemort saw getting in his way or just annoying to him. Many witches and wizards who followed him I took down as I had to. I am teaching you about Voldemort this way as you have to know why people joined him and how it is that anyone could become what he is just by loosing focus on what is right. Might is not always right, now with that in mind let's learn a bit about Voldemort and what caused him to turn out the way he did."

The rest of the lesson was spent learning about Voldemort, how he had been born Tom Marvolo Riddle and had used many dark and evil transformations to become lord Voldemort. They learned how he had tricked many good witches and wizards to join him and killed many who refused to join him. Like Harry's parents, Molly Weasley's brothers, the Bones family gone and on and on. Many children here had lost a parent or both parents, or had lost aunts uncles and older brothers and sisters, cousins and family friends had fallen in the war. So many dead, so many families torn apart as brother fought against brother and father against son. When the class was over Draco Malfoy had a lot to think on, he knew what his father wanted him to do but he knew it was wrong and knew that Voldemort would come back. He loved his father dearly but knew he was wrong and it hurt him badly that he would have to defy him and not join the dark lord. He did not want to hurt his father but he could not join someone who had tore apart the Wizarding world once already.

He did not have much time to think on things like this as the first match of the year was coming up and it was Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff. Both teams were evenly matched in strength and skill and they would need all of it in this match. It was a cold wet windy day but that did not mean the match would be called off, no in fact it made things that much more interesting. The teams were soaked the instant they got out of the lockers and Harry shivered as he got on his broom. Madam Hooch blew her whistle and they were off. Harry found it was a challenge flying in this weather but he loved it all the same. He felt like he had been up in the air for hours and he was frozen to his broom when he felt the tell-tale chill of a Dementor. He swore and looked down and saw a few just below him.

"Need help?" Cedric asked him flying up the snitch forgotten about for the moment.

"Yea, yea I could use some help." Harry said.

"Right on three!"

Both boys cast their Patronus charms and Harry's stag along with Cedric's dog bounded out of their wands and down to chase the Dementors away. Flashes of light below told Harry more were being cast as he went back to the game. He saw the snitch at the same time as Cedric and they were after it neck and neck, Harry willed his broom to move faster, he stretched out his hand and caught the snitch. He landed on the ground grinning as Wood and the rest of the team mobbed him as he held the snitch high. He worked his way free of his teammates and walked up to Cedric to thank him for his help.

"Thank you for helping me." Harry said.

"Sure, those were not suppose to be on the grounds, only at the gates." Cedric said. "I don't know what Fudge is playing at letting them here."

"We could chase them off completely." Fred said coming up to see what was going on.

"Yea, it would show that Dementors are not a good defense for the school." George added.

"We got our brooms."

"So let's go chase them off!"

Before any teachers could stop the teens they were back on their brooms heading after the retreating forms of the Dementors. McGonagall looked highly upset and she took a broom from one of the team members who could not cast a Patronus charm and headed after the cocky teens. Just what were they thinking going out like this? She would have a word with them about chasing after Dementors! She got to them just as they had harassed the Dementors off school grounds and were about to chase them off completely. They stopped seeing her knowing they were in deep trouble now.

"Just what do you think you are doing?" She asked.

"Getting rid of dark creatures professor?" Fred said going for a winning grin.

"Yea, I mean anyone who can cast a Patronus charm could do what we did and then where is the protection over the school?" George added.

"They should not even exist." Cedric said.

"Where is Harry?" McGonagall said looking for the small teen.

"Oh no, he probably went into the forbidden forest." Fred said.

"Yea, we will go get him." George said. "I mean theoretically we know the woods very well."

"Yea, we will be alright." Fred said.

"We will bring him back safely." George finished.

"I don't know why I am letting you do this, if you are not back in half an hour I will send your mother after you."

Half an hour later Fred and George could be seen flying slowly up to the school with Harry right behind them. With Harry was a fierce wild looking centaur with black hair and horses body and human skin the color of ebony. He was clad for war and had a long bow in hand, his black beard flowed over his strong chest and his powerful legs ended in equally powerful hoofs. He was talking with Harry who was showing the up-most respect to the centaur who as of last year had taken over as head of the centaur herd as Morgan had died fighting Aragog. Harry dismounted his broom and lead the centaur into the castle right up to a startled minister who had just finished a meeting with Dumbledore about security at the school.

"Minister, lord Bane would like to offer the services of his herd to the school." Harry said to Fudge.

"Oh really?" Fudge said looking up at the fierce looking centaur lord. "The Dementors can do the job just fine."

"Sir anyone who can cast a Patronus Charm could enter the school grounds," Harry said, "if lord Bane and his knights are allowed to guard the school we all will be safe, they know the woods and such better than any human."

"I see the signs in the stars, great war will come unless the house human and house centaur unite and work together." Bane said. "I spoke to my people, we will guard the school."

"Well it could not hurt minister." McGonagall said. "After all the centaurs do know the lands around here better than any."

"Very well, but if Black gets through."

"I would worry about getting him alive sir." Harry said. "If I get to him first I will kill him."

"I see, well I must go." Fudge said.

He walked out of the school and Bane waited on the ground floor to speak to Dumbledore who came down shortly. Moody stormed up and grabbed Harry and drug him up the stairs by the arm. Harry had a very good feeling he was not going to be sitting very well for a time. It had been a few years since he had been spanked but he knew Moody was going give him a butt whipping for his running off like he had done. He should have thought truthfully and now he was in huge trouble. He found himself in Remus' office with Remus waiting there for him. Oh he was in so much trouble, he could have waited to go into the forest, he should have but he had got the centaurs here had he not?

"What were you thinking Harry?" Remus asked him sternly.

"I was not sir." Harry said looking down at his own shoes.

"No ye were no'" Moody growled. "Ye went into the forest alone and against the rules!"

"The centaurs are going to guard the school now!" Harry said in defense of his actions. "I brought lord Bane here and Fudge agreed!"

"That could have occurred in the morning, they were planning on doing so anyway." Remus said. "I have been talking to them, they would have met with the minister anyway."

"Oh, um I am sorry." Harry said. "I was trying to help."

"You went into the forest." Remus said sternly. "You never are to do that on your own with out permission!"

"Ye disobeyed us." Moody said sternly. "Ye know the consequences boy."

"Yes sir." Harry said quietly knowing what was coming.

"Thirteen for each year of yer age." Moody said firmly. "Come here boy."

Harry found himself over Moody's knee and he knew that Moody was not going to use his hand as he had when he was younger or his belt. No he would use a ruler and Harry braced himself but still yelped at the first hit. Moody did not like punishing Harry like this but Harry had endangered himself and Fred and George had had to go get him. Harry was thinking hard about that as his rear got very sore. Finally after thirteen strikes he was allowed up and allowed to regain composure before he headed back to the common room. A roar of noise greeted him as he entered the room and he was surrounded by the whole house.

"I thought Moody was gonna kill you!" Fred said.

"Yea mate, how bad?" George asked.

"George you don't ask things like that!" Hermione said.

"Well I didn't loose any house points." Harry said. "But I would rather not go through that again."

"Here, try this, it helps." Fred said handing Harry a small container.

"Yea, mum still gets us good." George said.

"But not ickle Ronikins!" Fred seeing Ron walk by.

"I told you not to call me that!" Ron said shooting a spell at Fred which turned his red hair blue.

"Hey that was not nice!" George said shooting a spell at Ron that Ron blocked, now George had pink hair.

"Nice, real nice Ron." Harry said grinning forgetting his pain for the moment.

The next few weeks were interesting, Hermione stormed out of her Divinidation class and refused to go back, Fred and George managed to charm the candles to sing at dinner and Harry defeated his first Boggart. On a cold winter day Harry, Ron and Neville had all but dragged Hermione out of the school to see Hagrid as one of his Hippogriffs was ill and it was clear she was ready to lay an egg soon. They had tea and visited with Hagrid and had a good afternoon. They were heading back to the school when they saw Draco who just had to be rude to Hermione at this time.

"Well, well if it isn't the cannon fodder." He said proud of knowing one muggle phrase. "Gryffindors barely survive the wars you know."

"Oh shut up." Ron snapped at Draco.

"What will you do, sick your brothers on me?" Draco said. "I will call my father."

"Raise you Ron's mother." Harry said glaring at Draco.

"Let's go, he is just not worth it." Hermione said.

"What do you know mudblood?" Draco snapped at Hermione.

"How dare you!" Hermione said taking her wand out so fast Draco did not have time to blink. "YOU FOUL EVIL LITTLE COCKROACH! IT'S YOUR KIND THAT GOT SO MANY GOOD PEOPLE KILLED!"

"Hermione that may not be…"

"Shut up Ron!" Hermione said she had her wand at Draco's throat but she did not hex him, she drew back her fist and punched him in the nose. "You ever say that to me again and I will hurt you so badly your mother will not recognize you!"

Hermione stormed off and the three Gryffindor boys looked at Draco who was whimpering in pain holding his bleeding nose. They walked off not seeing Snape who had watched the whole thing. He walked up to Draco and hauled him to his feet and drug him to the hospital wing. Score one for Hermione Granger as Draco had deserved what he got and Snape told him as much. Draco was going to have to learn that this was a new world and his age old prejudices did not have a place in this world.

Yea it seems drastic Harry got a whipping, however he had rules to follow and he disobeyed. The forest is not place for a young man and Remus was going to talk to the centaurs in the morning. Moody and Remus felt they did the right thing. Fred and George had to go into the forest and rescue Harry and they could have been in danger as well. If not for Bane well what trouble Harry could have gotten into…