The Revolutionary

Chapter 4: Defence Against the Dark

"Of course you realise, this means war!" - Bugs Bunny

It was six in the morning at Hogwarts. The sun had not yet risen, mist rolled over the Black Lake, and two people were running around the edges of the lake. It was a routine of theirs, waking up early and doing their ritual workout since Harry could remember.

A thin sheet of sweat covered Harry as he kept pace with Naruto. The man himself made their workout look effortless. A fact which irked him somewhat as Naruto revealed that every time that Harry got used to workout, he made it more difficult to raise his limits. The asshole still had the audacity to not even pretend to be tired.

"You enjoying Hogwarts, kiddo?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, I am. I made some friends on the train and they're real nice." Harry grunted, tripping over a pebble before catching up.

"Ooh, you lagging behind there, Harry? You want me to ease up a bit?"

"Shut up."

Naruto chuckled. "Tell me about your house, what's it like? Making any new friends there too?"

Harry warred with himself. Should he tell him about the big group of bullies that were asserting a mini fascist regime?

"It's interesting, has a nice underwater lake view." No, he needed to resolve this on his own. He couldn't let Naruto solve every one of his problems and he had to stand on his own two feet. "I think I made a friend and talked to her very prickly mate."

"Oh, this sounds interesting. How'd you piss them off?"

"What makes you think I did anything to piss them off?"

"You take after me so you're bound to piss someone off."

"I didn't piss her off, she's just…weird about stuff." Harry didn't know how else to describe it. Usually, he was a hit with people in his own humble opinion. Then again, Daphne was someone who lived a different life than he did. Maybe there was just some things he didn't quite understand about Wizarding society. Ah, who cares? He'll face it head on when it comes.

"Hey big bro, I'm a capable guy, right?" Taking on a league of bullies who had an iron grip on his house should be a good challenge. A first step to changing the hearts and minds of people. Plus, it didn't hurt to get some advice.

"If you weren't then I failed at my job." The two stopped off at the southern tip of the lake, Hogwarts castle in the far distance.

"Hypothetically speaking, if a group of people want to come after you because of who you are, what would you do?"

"So you did piss someone off! And a whole bunch of them too!"

"Oi!"

"It's a little funny." Naruto chuckled to himself before his face darkened. "Okay, who do I have to prank for bullying you?"

"Don't you have a duty of care towards students?"

"Yes, I do. I'm making sure that a student remains safe from the actions of other students. Through cruel and unusual methods that will leave them confused for the rest of their lives. See, I'm caring."

Harry glanced at Naruto who shrugged.

"Alright, fine, since I have this magical thing called a brain, I think I can figure out what's going on."

"Really? You finally found it after all these years."

"Good one, it only took you the same amount of time to come up with a decent comeback."

The two ribbed each other for a few more moments, laughing to themselves.

"Now if they were out to get me, I'd tussle with them, see what they're about and talk it out. Make them see the error of their ways."

"Really?"

Naruto laughed. "Hell no, I'm burying those guys and making sure they're not coming back."

"Ok, how about advice that doesn't elude to premeditated murder and overkill?"

"Fine, I'll concede to the other point but not the one about overkill. It's still effective in every scenario."

"Naruto."

"Fine, so if this hypothetical group consisted of upper year levels and they're within your own house, that means I wouldn't provoke them yet.

"Yet?"

"Yup, the provoking comes later after step one. Gather intel. Investigate these guys, know their strengths, weaknesses, if they keep dirty magazines under the bed-"

"-gross-"

"You find out what you can about them. And you use that information to your advantage. When you know what you're up against then half the planning is done."

"Alright, what's the next step?"

"I'll let you figure that one out."

"But—you're right. Thanks Naruto." He meant it too. His advice would be invaluable. Knowing these guys and what they were capable of was going to help him in his plans. And he already knew himself and what he can do. Yes, Harry was prepping for war. And he was going to win.

The Great Hall of Hogwarts was near empty save for but the few who managed to muster the willpower to wake up in the early hours…and teachers. Hermione was one of those few individuals and she helped herself to a plate of eggs, bacon and toast with a bowl of fruit.

"HERMIONE!" The girl jumped in her seat at the Ravenclaw table at the boisterous and loud voice of one Harry Potter. Alongside him was a flustered Neville, who plopped themselves down on the seat opposite to her. "How's it?"

"Oh, hello, um, I-I'm good, I thought we wouldn't see much of each other after the Sorting or that's what my house mates tell me." Hermione explained, her voice shrinking in herself as did she in her seat. She hoped that he didn't notice.

"What's wrong?"

He did.

"I haven't gotten scarier in the last twelve hours, have I?" Harry looked over himself. "Right, Neville?"

"Uh, you did drag me from Gryffindor tower this morning…" The poor boy still looked like he was half-awake, yawning into his arm as he waved to Hermione.

"But was I scary doing it?" Harry said.

"No?"

"Neville, you're not really helping my case here."

"Sorry."

"Well, everyone knows you're Harry Potter now and I don't think you'd want to talk to me," Hermione said, stirring her eggs and not at all meeting his eyes.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

She remembered the conversation from the previous night as she told her housemates about how she met Harry Potter on the train before he was sorted and there were a few looks of disbelief from them. There was an off-hand comment that wormed and burrowed its way into her mind, rooting itself there and cast doubt on her.

'You'd think he'd still be friends with you? You're not exactly…' Terry Boot, the other Ravenclaw sorted with her, waved his hand at her up and down, shrugging his shoulders. Hermione was brought back to her years in primary. To her years of loneliness and the only friends she had were her teachers.

"Because I'm not…" Hermione started, blinking the water away from her eyes.

"Awesome, smart, spectacular." Harry finished for her. "Sure, you are."

"That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"Because I'm not good enough." She whispered, her terrible secret spilling out and tears flowed freely from her. She found two arms wrapped around her body.

"What are you doing?" She sniffed.

"It's called a hug, it's what friends do sometimes when their friends are being sad and silly." Harry said in her ear. "We're friends, aren't we?"

Her heart hammered in her chest. Friends? She couldn't believe the words coming from him. She knew she had claimed to her parents that Harry was her friend but to hear from the boy himself was… precious.

"Yeah, we friends." Neville mumbled into the table, still half-asleep.

Hermione laughed a belly-aching laugh at that, a heaviness on her shoulders lifted from her.

Susan bounded up to the table, a giddy smile on her face. "Good morning gu—Hermione, are you alright? Were you crying? Do I have to beat Harry up?"

"Why are you blaming me?" Harry protested, hands up in surrender and more than a little offended at the remark. He picked up a fork to defend himself.

"Because Neville wouldn't hurt a fly and you're scary." Susan crossed her arms.

"Hmm, scary." Neville mumbled.

"What does that make you?" Harry pierced a sausage with his weapon and pointed it at her before taking a bite.

A shark-like grin spread across Susan's face. "Scarier."

She picked up her own fork and got into a fencing stance.

"En garde!" The tinkling noise of forks clanged against each other with Hermione, doing her best to separate the two though she didn't try very hard as she was too busy laughing while Neville slept through the epic fencing match.

A cough came from behind them and the four looked up.

"I don't mean to be rude, but I must ask you three to leave and join your tables," an older boy came forward, a Prefect badge on his lapel.

"Why?" Harry speared another sausage, staring at the prefect.

"Because you're meant to sit with your house."

"But why?"

The prefect's jaw tensed at the predictable yet annoying line of questioning as if he had done this before with his younger siblings and did not enjoy a single second of it. "Because that's part of the rules."

"But my friend is here. That's why we are here. How am I meant to talk to my friend if I'm over there? That's a bit silly, isn't it?" Harry questioned, unnerving the Ravenclaw Prefect a tad. "Tell me, in the rules, where I am and aren't allowed to sit? And come on, I know the House Rivalries are a thing but that shouldn't really stop peers from being peers right?"

"I'll look into it but please, in the meantime, return to your tables."

"Come on, guys, we'll make our own table, with blackjack and hookers."

"What's a hooker?" Neville asked.

"Harry!" Hermione started, scandalised at that 'word'. Susan blushed before she hurriedly pushed the two boys away.

"Forget the table!" Hermione giggled, watching her friends go off to their own tables. Admittedly, she held authority figures in the highest regard and was somewhat (read:very) mortified that a Prefect had come over. On her second day, no less. Yet, a new feeling blossomed in her heart, a friend who stood up for her, to be with her and that warred with her other emotions.

Harry sighed to no-one but himself, "It only exists in our imaginations now."

The time had finally come for the class that everyone had been expecting, Defence against the Dark Arts and from what small rumours that could be gathered. It was… something else. Daphne wagered that the class would be an experience but so far, she wasn't impressed. She was of the few that had arrived early in the class and yet the professor had not even shown up.

The classroom was empty save for a skull on a desk as the class filed in, sitting down at their desks, taking their books, quills and parchment.

"I thought Fred and George were my pulling my leg when they said Defence was the best class and the teacher isn't here," the red-headed boy, Ron, whined. Daphne kept her eyes on the few late stragglers walked in.

"Your brother sure is inspiring confidence as a teacher." Daphne couldn't help but snark to Harry, who was seated next to her. He was leaning on his chair, pushing back and forth without care. And her modest opinion, the opposite of how a proper Heir and noble should act.

"Hey, don't be so quick to judge."

A rattling noise filled the room and everyone looked around for it, save Harry, whose eyes narrowed at the skull.

"He's here," Harry flicked his wand out. "The lesson's already started."

"What are you talking about?" Daphne was perplexed at the slight mania in his eyes.

Harry stood up, the chair scraping against the wooden floor. His eyes darted over the room. "Everybody, be on your guard!"

No sooner had he said that did the windows shutters close engulfing them in darkness. The class screamed. The rattling grew louder. The doors to the room clicked and locked behind them.

Daphne grabbed her own wand, heeding his advice.

"I know a spell that can help us, Lumos!" Tracey's wand lit up from the front of the class, seated behind them. Daphne turned around and her heart caught in her throat. Behind Tracey, the skull on the desk floated behind her, its jaw rattling behind her in laughter.

Everyone paled, their eyes widened as they pointed at her.

"T-Tracey, behind you." Daphne pointed as she couldn't keep the terror from her voice.

"What's behind me?" Tracey turned around just as the skull vanished into the darkness. The rattling laughter echoed throughout the room.

"Everybody, stay calm and think rationally. We've got numbers on our side so group together. Don't let fear control us." Harry called out, and his friends immediately began calling out for each other. Daphne searched for Tracey, hands clasping to hers as they held their wands up in dence. She looked around the class to see that Harry's words fell on a few deaf ears. They had never confronted a situation such as this. She had never confronted a situation such as this. Logic and rationale went out the window and panic sowed amongst the terrified children.

"Stay calm!" Harry brought his wand up, the light at its tip shined around all of them. "Go to a corner of the room and we'll cast Lumos like we just learned from Charms. Then we'll make our way to the doors and use Alohomora to unlock the doors. We'll get one of the teachers to help us." Harry commanded, and half of the group immediately started doing that, clutching at their wands as they whispered Lumos and several bright lights appeared, some dimmer than others. Daphne was with Harry, Tracey and Neville in the furthest corner.

"I've also lived with our Professor for a while so I know this is one of his practical lessons. Just do as I say, and we'll get out of this alive." He called out, just as the light at the end of Tracey's wand dimmed and flickered out.

"Oh darn, Lumos!" Tracey called out again except there was no Harry standing beside them anymore.

"Harry?" Daphne called out, there was no way that someone like him could disappear like that and she raised her wand, the light shining from its tip. Neville's spell sputtered and waned, pitifully.

The skull's laughter bounced around the room. "Your best chance of survival just disappeared, what will you do now?"

Everybody screamed and the ones who had been closest to the door started banging on it.

"Stop, it's no use doing that!"

"I don't wanna die!" A sandy haired boy cried out, thick Irish accent in full effect.

"We're going to if you don't listen! Remember what Harry said, stay calm and think rationally. Everybody make your way here to the door. Has anyone here gotten the use of Alohomora?"

"I have!" A few voices in the crowd called out, none of them being at the door already.

"Good, make your way there now. Everybody else, use Lumos and hug the walls, we can't lose anymore of us."

"Why should we listen you, you're a Slytherin!" Ron called out, from the other corner.

"Listen to your betters, Weasley!" Malfoy said, glaring at Ron in the same corner. The two started to bicker amongst themselves, and Daphne thanked by whatever graces they hadn't started hitting each other.

"Does that really matter, right now!?" Tracey called out, an inner fire rising from within as she followed Daphne's lead.

"C'mon, Ron. Just listen, we're all trapped here together." Neville pleaded as he followed behind Tracey and Daphne. Tracey's wand started dimming again as well as Neville's. "Tracey, your wand!"

"Yours too! Concentrate, Neville! We're almost there."

"I can't!"

"Yes, you can! Believe in yourself. Trust in me and I'll trust in you, ok?" Tracey whispered and Neville nodded with her. "Now, come on."

Just as Tracey said that, both their wands faded and darkness enveloped them. One wand immediately brightened and Neville shook in his place, realising that Tracey was taken.

"No, Tracey!"

"One more gone!" The skull cackled.

"LUMOS SOLEM!" Daphne called out, the tip of his wand brightening to that of a sun and illuminated the room. For a moment, everyone could see skull statues were placed all around the room, their arms outstretched to the groups closest to them as they inched closer in the dark. Where Tracey once stood was instead a demonic skull wreathed in armour and shining with blue fire in its sockets, it's laughter echoing in the room.

"Will you be next? Will you? Will you?" It called out just as the spell ended and Neville stood stock still, eyes wide in complete terror.

"I'm out of here!" Malfoy raced towards the door, leaving Ron behind. "My father will—"

Malfoy's wand clattered to the floor, a suffocating silence replacing his absence.

The class stayed pinned where they were as more of them kept disappearing.

"I just wanna be back in the greenhouse at Gran's with the sun and my plants." Neville sniffed.

A part of her wanted to drop him, leave him behind. She was tempted to and he was a Gryffindor. She wouldn't be wrong for it. Her housemates would applaud her for it. She looked towards the door that was a hop, skip and a step away and to the terrified boy behind her. She closed her eyes.

"Are you heir Longbottom or are you not!? Pull yourself together." She hissed, grabbing him by the shoulders. "If you want to be useful, then think of a way to get out of here."

"Light!"

Daphne shook her head, flabbergasted. "What?"

"Daphne, your spell, it was blinding like the sun. We need real light! We need the sun!"

"What are you—" Daphne called before looking at where the windows were. "Right, the sun!"

"Anyone closest to the windows, cast Alohomora right now!" The few that were immediately did and the window shutters rattled before opening as bright streams of sunlight pierced through and revealed all, the room brightening up further as the students safely made their way to the door, the statues no longer moving in the shadows.

"Alohomora!" They shouted, pointing their wands to the door as the locks clicked and rattled before swinging open as they raced out.

The Skull Man appeared in fire and smoke, raising his sword. Fear in everybody's eyes except for a scant few who raised their wand in defiance.

"YOU!" It growled before it disappeared in a puff of smoke and a tall blonde man smiled at them. "Pass."

"Professor?"

Naruto clapped his hands and the entirety of the room brightened up, the statues disappearing to be replaced by desks and chairs and on the other side of the room, a mirror cracked before shattering as the taken students were all there, perfectly fine.

"Congratulations on passing your first test of Defence Against the Dark Arts! Well, the dark, in any case."

Daphne scanned the room, seeing Tracey rush over and pull her into a tight hug. The beating of her heart was still in her ears as she wrapped her arms around Tracey. She'd thought she lost her friend. Other students that were 'captured' talked to their friends ("You were scared out of your mind!"— "It was a one way mirror, we could see everything happen.")

"We were never in any real danger?" Daphne said though it sounded more akin to a question.

"Correction, Miss Greengrass. You were all in simulated danger." Naruto said simply as he fixed a turned over chair and soon, his desk was overflowing with paraphernalia and the old skull was back there except it had eye balls in it which made it look much sillier.

"Yeah, you gave em' a good fright boss," The skull said in a thick cockney accent.

"Is that skull talking?" Ron asked, pointing to it.

"Ye', what's it to ya ginger?" The skull sniped back with a click.

Ron withdrew his finger.

"Course it is, this is Bob, the one doing all the rattling earlier," Naruto patted the skull.

"Wotcher folks, I'm ya friendly neighbourhood skull, Sir Ignatius Robert the Third or Bob, if ya like," The skull cheerfully introduced as the students settled down. "As you can tell, I'm a skull, I died in the 15th century or so and I'm 'ere as an assistant o' sorts'. If ya 'ave any questions or advice, let me know!"

"How'd you die?" Ron asked.

"Geez, are all kids these days insensitive?" Bob snarked and Ron's ears burned at the skull's answer. "I got me 'ead chopped off in battle."

"That's bloody wicked!" The Irish boy from before, Seamus, said. A few students surrounded the skull in morbid curiosity and bombarded him with questions.

"You did brilliant, mate!" Harry clapped Neville on the back.

"I thought I was going to die!" Neville said, clutching his beating heart.

"Well, we will someday, just hopefully, old and in warm beds, yeah?" Harry laughed in his own morbid humour before turning to Daphne. "And look at you, who knew you could give pep-talks?"

"I did what I needed to." Daphne crossed her arms before turning away.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts, I am your teacher, Naruto Uzumaki. You may call me Professor, Teacher, Sir or Mr Uzumaki."

"So all of that earlier, all the darkness, statues and rattling?" Tracey asked. "That was a lesson?"

"Just a taste of what you will be learning but it's amazing what you can do with no light and some noise. As Harry explained earlier, in a dangerous situation, you must stay calm as much as you can and think rationally. Do not let fear control you and your decisions. Assess the situation, problem solve and apply." Naruto explained, a chalkboard appearing behind him with the words being written out.

"Was all that horror fun-house stuff part of the lesson too?" Seamus called out from the back.

"Theatricality and deception are powerful agents to the uninitiated, Mr Finnigan." Naruto said. "But, we are initiated, aren't we, Harry?"

"Is that why Harry was the first to go? Because he already knew the tricks," Daphne said, brow furrowed as she puzzled out what just happened.

"Yup and they're not tricks, Miss Greengrass. I already know what Harry is currently capable off but I did allow him to leave you with some instructions into getting out." Naruto walked down the aisle of students. "I will commend an exceptional few in the classroom. Miss Davis, I will reward you for your loyalty, you had a chance to leave Mr Longbottom behind but you did not, instead you actively encouraged and supported him. The same goes to you too, Miss Greengrass, 5 points to Slytherin each.

"In addition to that, you displayed leadership in the face of danger, thinking rationally to get all of the students together, well done, another 10 points to Slytherin.

"And Neville, for your courage, creativity and ingenuity in finding a solution in the most trying times, I award 20 points to Gryffindor and this soft-boiled egg." Naruto said, tossing the egg to Neville.

"Now, I will ask you this, what do you think was the point of this little introduction? Not you, Harry." Harry's hand wilted as he slumped in his chair.

Silence reigned as the students in class all turned to each other, unsure of what to say. Neville's courage came around again as he raised his hand.

"Yes, Master Longbottom."

"It's so that we don't have to be scared of the dark?" The class laughed at his answer and Neville's ears burned and his cheeks flushed.

"We're not five anymore, Longbottom." The Malfoy heir snickered.

"And yet, I recall you screaming for your father not five minutes ago." Naruto's response shut the boy up. "Go on, Master Longbottom. Why do you think that we don't have to be scared of the dark? Take time to think on it or if any students would like to assist young Master in his answer, please do so."

It was the tall dark-skinned boy before, the one in Slytherin colours, and who sat behind Harry that raised his hand.

"Master Zabini."

"It's because when we face the dark, we don't know what it's in it. So when we're facing the dark, we're facing the unknown and not being afraid of it."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because when we were all screaming before, it felt like we were in a helpless situation and we didn't know what was hiding there." Zabini said.

Naruto grinned wide, "Excellent, did you hear that class? When we face the dark, we face the unknown, the monsters that lurk within and when all the chips are down, what are you left with?"

"Our wands?" Ron pointed out.

"By themselves?" Naruto questioned, walking down the aisle between the desks.

"Uh, yes?"

"Alright, let's build on that answer. To use a wand, you must need…"

"Our minds, sir." Daphne answered. "Without our minds, we don't have a plan. Without a plan, we don't have a chance to survive."

"A very astute answer. Yes, without your minds and without your will, you face an insurmountable challenge to overcome. That's why our first lesson did not deal with anything specific but instead cover the unspecific. When you head out in the world at the end of your education here, you will face the unknown." The gravity of Naruto's words enraptured the entire class as they leaned in closer to hear his words. Children, as dismissive as adults would like to believe due to their immaturity and lack of growth, were very observant and keen. They knew when adults cared and put passion behind what they believe so they too began to believe it.

"There may or may not be a specific spell for the situation you face but that will come in time. What I will prepare you with is the mentality to survive those odds. You assess, you problem solve, and you apply. If the situation calls for you to run, then you run. No amount of pride or courage is worth your life, your priority is your safety first. You save yourself so that you may get help or save others. Now, then, onward to the rest of the lesson."

The class listened with rapt attention.