Defence Against the Dark Arts Club
Harry's first week back at Hogwarts turned out to be quite different from what he had anticipated. Despite his initial reluctance, he found himself repeatedly pacing back and forth on the seventh floor, right in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. His objective was clear: he sought to unlock the enigmatic Room of Requirement. However, no matter how many times he posed various questions and fervently hoped for the room's appearance, he was met with disappointment each time he opened his eyes. All that awaited him was an unyielding stone wall, suggesting that the room was either occupied or, more dishearteningly, destroyed.
Yet, the Room of Requirement was not the only aspect of the castle that had undergone change. Harry discovered this when he first laid eyes upon the Marauder's Map, a magical artifact that had served him well in the past. However, this time, large sections of the map appeared blank or blocked off, a testament to the extensive reconstruction efforts that had reshaped the castle's layout. Even the once-secret passages that provided convenient shortcuts or harboured clandestine rendezvous points for amorous teenage couples were now sealed shut. Harry's failed attempt to access the One-Eyed Witch passageway and find the familiar tunnel to Hogsmeade reinforced the reality of these closures.
Perhaps Professor McGonagall had seized upon the opportunity presented by the castle's destruction to seal off the hidden stairways and secret passages. It was conceivable that these shortcuts had been deemed unnecessary or even potentially hazardous during the rebuilding process. Alternatively, the construction team might have been oblivious to the existence of these concealed pathways, inadvertently concealing them forever. Regardless of the reason, sneaking around the castle, even with his trusty invisibility cloak, had become significantly more challenging for Harry. Not that he had any immediate need to engage in such activities anymore, at least not for the time being.
To Harry's pleasant surprise, his constant nemesis throughout his Hogwarts years, Draco Malfoy, had not returned to school alongside his mother. Consequently, Harry enjoyed a reprieve from the incessant teasing, underhanded tricks, and malicious attacks that had plagued him in the past. The absence of the constant fear of Lord Voldemort's menacing schemes, too, was a welcome change. Harry no longer felt the pressing urgency of confronting Death Eaters who were now on the run from the Ministry. Even the Slytherins, who had often displayed open hostility towards Harry, seemed to have dialled down their animosity, if not exactly extending warm greetings to him.
However, Harry couldn't shake off the lingering thoughts about the masked wizards who had brazenly attacked the Hogwarts Express. Despite successfully fending them off with some assistance, the fact that they had openly attacked a train full of schoolchildren with a Dementor in tow worried him a great deal. Ginny's suggestion to reform Dumbledore's Army tugged persistently at his mind. While Harry remained uncertain about re-establishing the organization, the prospect of having Narcissa Malfoy as the Defence Against the Dark Arts professor troubled him deeply. He couldn't help but wonder about the future of the DA after he graduated. Would someone else step up to lead the group? It seemed unlikely, and if that were the case, they would be back to square one. Moreover, he pondered where their classes would be conducted. Even if Hogwarts managed to conjure up a new Room of Requirement, Harry doubted he would stumble upon it before the end of the school year.
Amidst these thoughts, a pang of guilt crept into Harry's conscience as he considered plotting against Professor McGonagall. Although he strongly disagreed with her decision to hire Narcissa Malfoy, Harry acknowledged that the Headmistress had always acted in the best interest of her students, himself included. Scheming behind her back would not only constitute a personal betrayal but would also attract unwanted attention from the ever-inquisitive Daily Prophet. Given the recent attack on the train, the newspaper would undoubtedly be keen to pry into the affairs transpiring within Hogwarts. If any other student were to undermine the Headmistress, it might go unnoticed, but Harry Potter's actions would inevitably make front-page news. Harry didn't relish the idea, but he couldn't ignore the reality that every move he made, no matter how mundane, was meticulously scrutinized by the gossip columns of the Daily Prophet. Even a simple act like purchasing a new quill had the potential to become fodder for public discussion. It was equal parts refreshing and suspicious then, that perhaps the best way to approach the idea was given to him by his new Slytherin acquaintance.
"Why don't you just ask McGonagall if you can do it after the school day has finished?" She said, setting herself down beside Harry as he gazed out over the castle grounds.
"What?"
"Your secret Defence Club that everyone is talking about."
"Everyone isn't-." But Harry didn't continue, of course everyone was talking about it. Regina looked at him with a pitying expression.
"'Course they are. It was an open secret when Umbridge was in charge; Harry Potter is running a secret DADA Club. Even in Slytherin, people thought that was pretty bad ass."
"I didn't see any Slytherin's queuing to join up."
"Would you have let us?" Regina raised an eyebrow. Harry's silent response told her what she needed to know. "You were very unpopular in Slytherin, still are in a lot of ways. But let's not pretend that you held us in any high regard either."
"Can you blame me?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?" Harry asked incredulously.
"In the entire time I've been at Hogwarts I would bet that I'm the first Slytherin you've had a conversation with that didn't result in wands being drawn."
"Well, that's completely untrue, I've punched Malfoy in the face a couple of times, no wands needed." Regina stared at him for a moment in bemusement before the pair rolled their heads back in laughter.
"Well why don't you go do his Mum too?" Harry pondered for a moment, before his face set into a serious expression and he gazed across the lake towards the Forbidden Forest.
"Bad optics," Harry sighed, "I will speak to McGonagall. It's better than going behind her back. I'm not sure she'll like the idea though."
"Just Harry Potter her."
"What?"
"You're Harry Potter. You saved the world. You get into some crazy adventure every year that makes half the school hero-worship you. You must've broken over a hundred rules at Hogwarts, but you always seem to get away with it when nobody else would. So go into her office and do whatever it is that you do and get permission to form up your secret duelling club. Harry Potter her." Regina laid back on the grass, clearly finished with her assessment of his school years.
"I do not go around Harry Potter-ing people, and I don't always get away with stuff, and I don't go on crazy adventures. I just try not to get myself or my friends killed, and someone tries to kill me every year, usually the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor." Harry was no becoming incensed. Why do people always think it's so easy being me? Harry thought, Why don't they come and try it?
"Well, there's an even better reason to start up your club; to help prepare you for when Malfoy tries to do you in."
Harry struggled with the decision for a few minutes, but, truth be told there would be no harm in presenting Professor McGonagall with an outright request. The worst she could do was say no. His mind finally made up, Harry rose to his feet and strode across the lawn back towards the castle, and ascended the stairs until he was face to face with the gargoyle that stood guard over the entrance to the Headmistress's office. He didn't know the password, but after a few moments of pleading with the stone gargoyle to let him past the Headmistress's stern voice rang out from deep within the office.
"Oh, for goodness sake just let him in!"
The gargoyle said nothing, but leapt aside to allow Harry access to the stairs leading up to Professor McGonagall. He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. He had been excited to finally take action as he had strode through the castle with purpose, but now he was actually facing Professor McGonagall the whole idea seemed stupid, and would no doubt make her cross. Perhaps she would give him another detention. You fought Voldemort, Harry said to himself, are you really going to be afraid of asking a teacher to start up an after school club?
"Well Potter, I hope you have a good reason for visiting, I'm in the middle of marking transfiguration essays you know." Professor McGonagall raised an eyebrow over the top of a sheet of parchment. "It would seem Miss Chatterley knows far more about the dating lives of the Weird Sisters than she does about switching spells." Harry watched as McGonagall scribbled an 'A' for 'Acceptable' in red ink on the top right corner of the essay. Now or never he thought.
"Professor, as you know, during my fifth year I taught Defence Against the Dark Arts to some of my fellow students, when Umbridge was our Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor." Professor McGonagall's lips tightened to become even thinner than usual, and Harry was almost put off by her stern demeanour but resolved to keep going. "I wondered if perhaps you would allow me to run a sort of after school Defence Against the Dark Arts Club, to teach some practical duelling."
"Would this be in response to my appointing Narcissa Malfoy as your new teacher?" Professor McGonagall got straight to the heart of the matter.
"Partly," Harry replied in what he hoped was a measured tone, "I won't pretend that I think it was a bad idea. But, I've also learned a great deal since my fifth year, and I have a lot of practical experience duelling dark wizards. I wouldn't be teaching anything dangerous; I would just like to assist younger students with their practical work and help them become confident in defending themselves."
Professor McGonagall's eyes bored into him as she considered this, letting a heavy silence hang in the air for so longer Harry almost began rambling just to stop himself feeling uncomfortable. "Would you open this club to all students?"
"Yes." Another long silence.
"You won't allow any students to come to harm?"
"I won't." Professor McGonagall studied him for a moment.
"I will grant you the old transfiguration classroom on the fifth floor, every Wednesday at six o'clock. You will submit a lesson plan to me a week in advance. You will not undermine Professor Malfoy's teaching, and you will attend all of her classes. Any nonsense, any deviation from our agreement, and I will put a stop to your club immediately, do you understand Potter?" Harry nodded his agreement. "I will see what equipment we have in storage that may be of use to you, and you can begin setting up the room in the evenings after classes have finished. I will give you two weeks to prepare."
"Thank you, Professor. I won't let you down."
"See to it that you don't." Professor McGonagall replied sternly, her face still set into a frown, although Harry was sure he could see a small twinkle in her aging eyes. "Oh, one more thing before you go Potter; the Cedric Diggory Quidditch Cup. I've decided to name you Captain of the Hogwarts team. I want you to pick the best players available to you, from every House. How you go about it is up to you, but I expect you to a field a very capable team. Now, off you go, I have marking to finish."
"Yes Professor, thank you Professor." Harry said, and scurried from the room so she had no time to change her mind. When he returned to the Gryffindor Common Room to share the news with Ginny, he thought she would be pleased that he had come around to her idea. He was wrong.
