𝐒𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍 (Hermione Granger)

Chapter Forty-Four

"THIS IS MAD," Harry said as the four walked through Hogsmeade. "Who'd wanna be taught by me? I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Look on the bright side," Ron said. "You can't be any worse than old toad face."

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said with a hint of sarcasm.

"I'm here for you, mate."

"Who's supposed to be meeting us then?" Harry asked.

"Just a couple of people," Hermione responded. They opened the door and no one was there.

"Thought it be safer somewhere off the beaten track," Hermione said.

Eventually, people came, but it was more people than they expected. Hermione stood up, ready to speak first. "Um...hi. So... you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

"Why?" some boy asked.

"Why?" Ron repeated his question. "'Cause You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot."

"So he says," the boy said, looking toward Harry.

"So Dumbledore says," Lehla defended.

"So Dumbledore says because he says," he said. "The point is, where's the proof?"

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory for killed..." some boy suggested.

"I'm not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now," Harry said as he stood up. "Come on, Hermione, let's go, they're just here 'cause they think I'm some sort of freak."

"Harry, wait," Hermione told him.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna Lovegood asked.

"Yes," Hermione responded for him. "Lehla and I have seen it."

"Blimey, Harry, I didn't know you could do that," Dean said.

"Uh-uh, and he killed a basilisk with a sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville spoke up.

"It's true," Ginny said with a small smile.

"Third year, he fought off about a hundred dementors at once," Ron said.

"And last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Lehla spoke up.

"Wait," Harry stopped her. "Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help."

"He's just being modest," Hermione tried.

"No, Hermione, I'm not," he said. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow but out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes... you don't know what that's like." Harry sat back down after he finished talking.

"You're right, Harry, we don't," Hermione said as she sat down. "That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of beating... Voldemort..."

"He's really back?" a kid asked. Harry nodded his head before signing. The three had a piece of paper and a pencil. People were signing their names up and soon enough the entire paper was covered.

-

"RIGHT, FIRST, WE NEED to find a place to practice where Umbridge won't find out," Harry explained as Ginny, Neville, Fred, and George followed the quartet.