AN: I do not own Harry Potter.

I know I was super excited about my plot this week, and my last chapter had a lot of stuff in it. My excuse is "I got excited with the plot, and am thankful that it isn't just two characters telling each other the plot".

Yay, Hedwig.

Boring School

Breakfast.

School.

Lunch.

School.

Supper.

Sometimes Quidditch practice.

Sometimes Occlumency and Meditation.

Harry was bored of school this year. There didn't seem to be anything exciting happening this year. Yes, Draco and some of his friends were friendly this year, but it also meant that fighting Draco was not at the same level now as it used to be. There was more emotional hurt when they started fighting now for real than previous, and so they started doing less of that as well. This was fifth year, with the first of the Ministry exams this year, which meant that there was less slacking off in some subjects as previous. However, it also meant that he and his friends and others quickly went into a rhythm that was anything but exciting.

Occlumency lessons had become harder. Snape was pushing into his mind now, and he was learning how hard it was to actually push someone out of his mind. He thought it was kind of like a game, in which you try to keep your thoughts out of the reach of the invading person by focusing on the feeling of being blankly in the moment. However, that was hard when there were negative emotions associated with Snape, and so Snape ended up seeing lots of his memories about Potions class and complaining in the Common Room. It was embarrassing, knowing that Snape was able to watch him complaining about how his Potions class had gone or about chopping certain ingredients or losing his spot in the process. He disliked that.

Meeting up with Malfoy and friends had become somewhat relaxing now, and ended up with them sharing sharing things that someone had missed with a teacher or not. They had added Dean and Neville from Gryffindor, and Luna and Cho Chang from Ravenclaw. Neville had wanted to know see Malfoy at his more pleasant. Dean just followed. Harry had invited her along one day when she was looking particularly lonely. Cho had come soon after.

"Harry, Harry..."

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was getting bored."

"It's not like it was obvious," said one of the Slytherins. Harry could tell them apart, but not necessarily remember their names.

"Sorry, it's just we normally have something we have noticed is wrong that usually ends up with us defending ourselves against by this time of year, and while I started some extra lessons with Snape, there's no real sense of danger yet. That's unusual, and it normally keeps me distracted from how boring school actually is."

"Poor Harry. School isn't supposed to be dangerous," laughed Draco.

The Gryffindors looked at each other.

"Nah," said Harry, "I've always been in some level of danger at school before, even if I didn't know what it was yet."

Hermione looked at her friend, "Well, I guess we get to have a quieter year. I haven't had one since I started Hogwarts."

"Some not so dangerous excitement would be nice for a change," sighed Ron, "if it's not constant."

"Don't let your twin brothers hear you," stated Hermione, "or they might take that as a challenge."

"Hmm, it is nice," sighed Neville.

"You haven't really been part of it," laughed Harry.

"No, but they all affected me, whether having to deal with my worst memories and having to sleep in the Great Hall once, waking up to see a man standing over Ron's bed, having Hermione petrify me... You understand what I mean?"

"I get it," said Draco. "I wonder how many times, looking back, I put myself in danger just to taunt Potter."

"We may never know" came the answer.

"So Dumbledore has been having Snape teach me Occlumency. I've been sharing what I can with Ron and Hermione," said Harry. "Do you guys know how?"

"I had to learn it before Hogwarts."

"Me too."

"I learned it last summer."

"What's that?"

"If you want to learn, Dean, we can share my notes with you."

"Sounds interesting."

"Remind me when we get back to the dorm."

"Sure."

Hedwig dived and grabbed the mouse with her talons. As she flew up, she noticed the snake. It was a small green snake, non poisonous, definitely within the range of the size of her prey. She was flying in the wrong direction to catch it this time though. Maybe next time she was wanting a bite to eat, she would eat it.

Another day, another lesson where Harry was reading about spells instead of practicing them.

"Questions?"

Hermione raised her hand.

"Yes, Ma'am. When are we going to get to practice the spells in our books?"

"Oh, I think the last week. However, I do know that the majority of class time will be reading our books."

"Ma'am, are you sure that is enough time to learn them?"

"Of course. It's not like you'll be heading out of this class to fight monsters when you can just call the DMLE. You should know enough to survive before help arrives. Now continue reading."

Hermione even knew that if someone was as oblivious to danger that there was hardly any way to convince them without putting them in a dangerous situations by now. They had learned that lesson the hard way in third year and again in the end of fourth, when Crouch Jr. was kissed on the school grounds.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other. They knew that while they might be some of the better at practical spells, many, including Ron, were not. There was no way that Ron could pass or Hermione could get Outstanding without practice. Add to that that the careers that the three of them wanted to do required good DADA marks? And Voldemort constantly gunning after Harry? Harry didn't know how he would continue to survive just with that.

After class, they pulled aside.

"Who do you think would help with this?"

"Well, has Headmaster Dumbledore called you to his office yet?"

"Just to tell me about Occlumency, and I got the feeling he didn't want me around."

"We need to tell somebody, though. It's not like we can teach the class in reality. What if someone messes up? What if we don't teach it right? We're supposed to be learning these ourselves, so it's not like we can teach blind."

"Is there anyone who we know would be able to tell if we did them right or not?"

Hermione brightened.

"Someone like a circuit dueler, maybe? Isn't Professor Flitwick one?"

"Do you think he has time? He has to be Head of House to Ravenclaw and teaches charms."

"We could ask? We don't know unless we ask."

"Okay."