AN: Sorry for the long wait. I am still struggling to figure out a good posting schedule with work and school. This chapter is going to cover the meeting and there is going to be a time jump. i want to get to fourth year so i am going to finish up the set up for it in this chapter and then move into fourth year.
Harry looked over at Percy and Penny and the glanced over at the two professors before nodding and standing up to address the student that had appeared for the defense club.
Harry pointed his wand at his throat and mumbled "sonorus."
"Welcome to the defense club. As many of you know the last time we had something like this it was led by a professor who was a joke. While the idea was good the planning was awful. The only thing we learned was the disarming charming and we got to see Professor Snape take out the idiot, Lockhart. Many of you have had defense professors just as bad or worse. I had a professor with Voldemort on the back of his head my first year and was attacked three times that year. My second year consisted of a professor who stole the credit for what others did and then obliviated them so they would not be able to take credit. This year is the first year where i have had a competent defense teacher. My hope is that this defense group will help to fill in the gaps that have been caused by the constant changing of defense professors and to make sure that we can protect ourselves properly."
Most of the people, especially the older years, were skeptical about having a third year leading the defense group. The biggest group of skeptics came from the Slytherin side of the room. Harry's enhanced hearing allowed him to discern that he was going to have to prove his skills or this club would not be successful.
Before Harry could address the skeptics in the room a familiar drawling voice rang out. "What make you so special scarhead? You're only a third year."
Harry shook his head and glanced at Malfoy.
"Tell me Malfoy, how many times have you faced Voldemort? Have you ever faced a basilisk or fought off a dementor?
"i have been practicing defense since i got home for the summer and had a duel with my tutor almost every day of the summer and christmas breaks. How many people here, besides the sixth and seventh years have dueling practice."
Harry glanced around the room and saw very few hands in the air. While it should not have been a surprise, Harry was surprised to see that Susan had sone dueling practice.
"Now, for those of you that have dueling practice, how many of you can last longer than a minute or two. How many can cast a patronus?
Not many people had their hands up anymore. Percy and Penny were the only ones that Harry knew that still had their hands up. After Harry mentioned the patronus no one had their hand up.
Malfoy scoffed. "Quit lying Potter, you cant cast a patronus."
Harry raised his wand, thought about his feelings for Sirius and his friends and mumbled "Expecto Patronum." Everyone watched as a large and extremely bright stag erupted from Harry's wand.
"Anyone else think im not qualified to lead this club?"
Another Slytherin Harry recognized spoke up. "Its just really flashy magic. You should prove yourself in a duel."
"Are you volunteering Marcus? If i lose this duel I will let Lupin and Flitwick choose an appropriate replacement. If i win nobody else will question my right to lead this group. Any objections?
When no one said anything Harry looked over at Professor Flitwick and asked him to create a dueling platform, cast wards for protection of the observers and count off the beginnong of the duel.
"Begin in 3, 2, 1."
When Flitwick reached one Marcus sneered and cast a cuttijg curse in Harry's direction. Using his animagus dexterity, Harry sidestepped the spell and stared at Marcus Flint. Marcus glared at Harry and sent a cutting curse, a disarming charm, and a stunner in Harry's direction without moving. Harry side stepped the first spell, ducked under the second, and shielded the third. As soon as the third spell struck his shield Harry threw a disarming charm, stepped to the right and cast a stunning charm, and rolled to the left and sent a full body bind. Everyone watched as all three spells struck Marcus. His wand flew out of his hand, he was stunned and immediately bound.
Most of the students in Harry's year applauded, including some of the more friendly Slytherins, while most of the students who were older looked at him in shock.
Professor Flitwick walked over to Marcus Flint and released him from the body bind and rennervated him. Lupin then spoke to the entire group.
"Who understands where Mr. Flint failed and how Harry took advantage of that failure." He looked over at susan and acknowledged her. "Miss Bones?"
"Marcus stood in one spot the entire time. Instead of putting up a shield Harry moved around constantly and only used the shield when he could not dodge. He also shot his spells from several different directions."
"5 points to Hufflepuff for the excellent observations Miss Bones."
Harry then retook control of the club and asked everyone to split into pairs, with people not from their own house.
"I would like for one person to practice the disarming charm while the other person dodges the spell. I want each of you to switch roles after you hit your opponent or after 5 minutes has passed. For those of you that think you are beyond a disarming charm and a shielding spell i would like for you to do it silently. If you can cast your spells silently your opponent is forced to shield or dodge, unless they know the spell beong fired at them and can counteract it. While yall are practicing, the professors and i will walk around the room and give suggestions or corrections."
As Harry observed the group of students, he noticed that most struggled to hit a moving target. He did, however, find people from each year that he would attempt to recruit for his shadow legion.
Harry ended the lesson at the end of the hour and addressed the students. "Alright, everyone. This has been a productive lesson and i would like for each of you to consider how you can improve before our next session. I would suggest that each of you consider ways in which you can increase your stamina or flexibility. I have yet to learn much about exercise for those from magical backgrounds, but those who have any knowledge of yoga or martial arts might be able to practice those skills for endurance and flexibility. Maybe i can convince some of the professors to find some books on forms of exercise and martial arts. I will be running laps around the lake and the quidditch field, for those that are interested in joining me. I have also sought out the owners of the robe shops and have given them some ideas similar to the new school robes that are heavier and lighter than our school robes. If you can fight while being weighed down than it will be eaiser to fight in lighter clothing."
By the end of the school year most of the students had joined the defense club and few had anything bad to say about it. A few, mostly slytherins, from the upper years had been expelled from the group for using what they had learned against other students.
Harry had recruited many students into his shadow legion and all of them had accepted the shadow mark. These students included people from most of the years. They included: Colin Creevy, Ginny, Hermione, Fred, George, Ron, Cedric, Percy, Penny, Neville, Hannah, Daphne, Astoria, Padma, Parvati, Angelina, Katie, Alicia, and Oliver.
Harry had recognized some special skills with some of the students or had given them extra assignments in the legion. Ron had become the strategist. Hermione, Daphne, and Padma became researchers. Harry, Hannah, and Astoria were leaning as much as the could about healing.
The remainder of the year had been quiet but it would not last. During the last Hogsmeade visit everything would change.
Harry was in the Three Broomsticks with Neville, Hannah and Susan amd were waiting on Natalie and Mary to join them for lunch. Harry had sent Hedwig to Mary right before they left for Hogsmeade to invite them to lunch.
Harry looked at his watch and noted that Mart and Natalie would be there any minute when he heard a scream coming from just outside the Three Broomsticks. Harry ran out the door followed by his three friends. The temperature immediately dropped as anger and magic began to roll off of Harry. They heard the screech of an owl at the same instant that Harry disappeared from sight. In front of them they could see a longer than normal cutting curse headed toward a young almost hogwarts age girl.
Harry could not contain his anger as he saw the girl that he considered to be a younger sister crying and kneeling infront of a woman on the ground. Peter Pettigrew was standing in about 20 feet away from the woman on the ground and the young girl.
Peter shot a spell that harry recognized as an enhanced cutting curse meant to take out a group of people. He knew that it was too late to save Mary but he wouldnt let harm come to Natalie. The area temperature aroind Harry dropped as he disappeared and reappeared in front of Mary.
Harry heard a screech and saw a flash of white as he blocked the curse from hitting Mary with his body. The last thing he remembered as he fell to the ground bleeding was Hedwig falling on top of him.
Meanwhile, in Dumbledore's office, one of the instruments he used to monitor Harry rang as if struck and slowed down drastically. Dumbledore looked up and grabbed his wand calling out "Fawkes."
Dumbledore disappeared in a flash of fire amd reappeared to see several people huddled around a couple of body's and Peter Pettigrew lying feet away from them bound by ropes and appearing to be unconscious. Miss Abbott appeared to be casting healing spells on Harry attempting to stop the bleeding.
Fawkes flew toward Harry and immediately started crying over Harry. When one of the tears fell on Hedwig she was engulfed in flames and before anyone could do anything she turned into ashes.
With a crowd forming Dumbledore had Fawkes flash Harry and Hannah to the Hospital wing. Hermione was attempting to comfort Susan and both girls knew Harry would be devasted by the loss of Hedwig. They both walked over to the ashes with tears in their eyes as they saw and felt something strange.
The air around the ashes was colder than it should be and instead of burning embers mixed in with the ash they could see what looked like chunks of ice or snow.