So, someone finally commented on Theodore's speech and I wanted to let everyone know that, yes, this is how he talks and, yes, I know that him being one of the smartest people at school means most people think he shouldn't talk like this. I would like to remind everyone that speech style isn't a sign of intelligence as fools can talk fancy and geniuses like rednecks. Keep that in mind. Furthermore, speech is a reflection of our social life and our emotions. With that now fixated in your brain, imagine why Theodore may speak in this manner.

Now, that I've finished that :D

Enjoy!

Harry was surprised at how calm Theodore had become by the time they were in the Room of Requirement...not that the rest of the class was calm. They practically rioted because Theodore was there, but Cedric and the twins got order, saying they trusted Harry's judgment (the look of shock on Ron's face caused Harry's cheeks to hurt from fighting of a grin).

Hermione insisted on making a leader, to which half of the group chose Harry and the other half various others such as Cedric and Ronald, but in the end the majority count was still Harry. Thankfully, picking out a name wasn't nearly as hard and between Cho and Ginny they had become the D.A. or Dumbledore's Army, which Hermione promptly wrote across the top of their recruits list.

"Right." Harry nervously began. "Shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus , you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic, but I've found it really useful..."

"Oh, please," Zacharias Smith interrupted loudly. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

Before Harry could speak, Theodore cut in, his cool tone dangerous, "Is actually the most used spell of aurors and Death Eaters alike and considered the number one defensive spell any wizard or witch should know. Of course, if you'd rather leave your opponent armed, feel free to sit out during this lesson."

Zacharias was about to speak again, but Harry quickly added, "I've used it against Voldemort (Theodore visibly jumped out of the corner of his eye). It saved my life last June."

If anyone had anymore objections, they were squashed with this statement and soon everyone was paired, Theodore with Neville as Harry figured the latter boy would learn better with someone who could retain their patient calm and knew what they were doing.

This was perfect as Harry was able to walk around the class and give instructions to those who needed it.

As Harry passed a Ravenclaw boy, he noticed how his eye was caught and then dropped quickly by the Ravenclaw, whose cheeks turned brilliant pink. Harry moved on, but his eyes kept wandering over to the other Ravenclaw and he finally asked Cho Chang who he was.

"Terry Boot." She answered. "Pretty smart, even by Ravenclaw standards. Great at potions."

As Harry had never had a Potions class with the Ravenclaws, Harry couldn't make any judgments on this and so continued on. Despite deciding internally that he wasn't interested in a relationship right now and especially not with someone from a House outside his own, Harry found he couldn't stop glancing Terry's way. What if Boot liked him? Heat ran through Harry's body at this thought. Wouldn't it be nice if someone did like him?

He passed by Terry a couple more times and noticed how the boy, who would do fine with his Disarming Charm when Harry was elsewhere in the room, kept screwing up the spell when harry drew near. Pretending to just be of assistance, Harry gave him advice, watched him perform the spell again, this time more effectively, before congratulating the quickly reddening Boot and moving on.

After that, the class seemed to fly by and soon he was blowing his newly discovered whistle and setting up the time of the next meeting. Ron, using the Marauder's Map oversaw getting the students safely to their classes and Theo and Harry were the last to leave.

"How did Neville do?" Harry asked, glancing at Theodore.

"Is an idiot, that one." Theodore responded slowly, eyes revealing his exhaustion. "But he'll figure it out. Not confident, that's his problem."

"Be encouraging then." Harry snorted, amused.

"What's that again?" A hint of laughter in his eyes, Theodore said the password and they entered their Common Room.

The next few weeks were wonderful. The D.A. was doing fantastically and Hermione had even created these coins where Harry could change the time and date on his and everyone else's would change to match, so that he could set the meetings and not have to spend most of the day informing everyone.

Of course Harry had to bring up how they reminded him of the Dark Mark on Voldemort's Death Eaters, which caused Theodore not to talk to him the whole lesson.

Another exciting thing was happening though, which greatly took his mind off of Theo: Harry was sure Terry Boot liked him. With every D.A. class, Terry would start talking to Harry more, though with great embarrassment, and soon Harry was sure he was spending more and more time on Terry's side of the Room of Requirement. Terry was an intelligent person, reminding Harry a lot of Theo, only not nearly as morbid and emotionally scarred. He was exactly as Harry pictured the other Houses: cheerful, bright, gentle, caring, and optimistic. Terry had short light brown hair and brown eyes, very average in appearance, but still good-looking. It seemed to match his modest personality.

On the D.A. before Slytherin's match against Gryffindor, Terry admitted he was a bit unsure of which team to root for.

"Normally, I root for Gryffindor." He said in an abashed tone to Harry when everyone was beginning to clear out of the room. "But...I'm tempted to switch sides for this match."

"Why's that?" Harry feigned ignorance.

"Well, you're on the Slytherin team." It seemed the Ravenclaw had known Harry was pretending as he gave Harry a coy smile. "I think I like you, Harry."

Blush ignited onto Harry's cheeks and he looked away, finding (to his horror) that his eyes went straight to Theodore, who was giving Neville some last minute pointers on the jinx they'd been working on earlier. Hesitating for only a moment, Harry turned back to look at Terry. "I think I like you too, Terry."

Grinning sheepishly, Terry shifted on his feet. "You know, the next Hogsmeade visit, we should hang out."

"I'd like that." Harry admitted, his heart racing.

"Sounds like a date." Terry gave a wry smile before walking off to join the Ravenclaws about to leave the room.

Harry's eyes watched him, his excitement over going on a date completely missing Theodore's glare of disapproval.

The Quidditch match had been horrible as the Slytherins had verbally brutalized the Gryffindor's new Keeper, Ron Weasley, and then the Weasley twins had made a dash at Malfoy after the game when Draco had begun insulting their mother and father. Harry, foolishly, had gotten involved, trying to stop them and defend his House at the same time as not insult his Gryffindor friends either. This had kicked the twins and Harry from their respective teams as Madam Hooch had witnessed Harry elbow Malfoy in the face and punch George. he had been sent to Professor Snape, who was quietly livid, though this quietness had disappeared the moment Umbridge had arrived.

"May I help, Professor Snape?" She asked in her sweet voice. Harry's stomach convulsed.

"Help?" Snape's voice dropped as his anger surfaced. "What do you mean, 'help'?"

"Why, I thought you might be grateful for a little extra authority."

Snape's scathing scoff was significantly louder than Harry's had been the one day in potions and enough to cause Umbridge's smile to fade. "I do not need the help of a teacher whose only idea of authority is to site the Minister." He spun around to Harry, "You have a week's worth of detentions with me, Mr. Potter."

"Hem, hem."

Snape turned so fast, his cloak smacked Harry in the face and the boy took a step of safety back away from his teacher. "Yes?"

"I think he deserves rather more than detentions."

Snape sneered. "If I wanted your opinion, Dolores, I'd give it to you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Well, then I'll just have to..." She pulled out a piece of parchment and continued speaking, "Hem, hem...'Educational Decree Number Twenty-five..."

"Oh, another one..." Snape snarled nastily. "Joy."

Umbridge was smiling in a sickening way as she explained it was Snape who made her realize she needed to a further amendment since it had been Snape who had overrode her and reinstated the Slytherin team when she had been unwilling to permit the team to reform.

"Apparently, being High Inquisitor gives you the power to exercise your prejudice and biased points of view." Snape growled at her. "I am assuming this new decree will mean you will be issuing Potter's punishment than?"

"I am banning him from Quidditch." She stated sweetly. "He will never play again, I'm afraid as he is quite to violent."

Snape suddenly smiled and if Harry knew anything at all, he knew Snape smiling was merely a sign of the Apocalypse.

"Oh, poor naive Dolores." Apparently, Umbridge had figured that a Snape smile wasn't a good thing either as her own smile disappeared. "If only she knew she hadn't seen violent yet. A word of caution: mind where you step."

He turned back to Harry. "You heard your punishment. Remember, you must still come in for detentions."

"I believe he should spend these detentions with me."

"Have you a brain, Dolores, or did you trade it in for that pink cardigan?" Snape cast her a silencing glare. "You will usurp any authority I have over my students and my House if you are constantly butting into my punishments I give them. Now, unless you want students running amok with you as the only authority while the rest of the teachers stand back, you can more than be my guest, but I'd advise against it as all the teachers working together can barely contain this lot. I can only imagine the damage they could do if there was only one person bothering to control them."

He scowled at Harry. "Get out of here, Potter."

Harry didn't argue and took off towards his Common Room where he was met with uproar, Malfoy especially angry.

"I was only trying to keep you from getting kicked off the team from an injury or sheer stupidity!" Harry shouted back at the blond. "And thanks to it, I've been kicked!"

If his fight with the Gryffindor twins and Malfoy had caused such a ruckus, it dimmed in comparison to the outrage the Slytherin voiced over this. It took Snape's arrival to silence everyone and then Harry had stormed from the Common Room to sit angrily in the Astronomy Tower, where he was joined by Theodore some time later.

"Shouldn't have done that." Theodore told him.

"I don't need a lecture right now."

Theodore frowned and peered over the Hogwarts grounds. "Want something to cheer you up then?"

"Umbridge's head on a plaque would do." Harry grumbled. "Or we could shake up Skeeter some more."

Theodore snickered and then gestured out to the grounds. "No. This is better: Hagrid's back."

:P