Another Weasely? (A Harry Potter Love Story)✔ #Wattys2016

The Hog's Head

Arianna POV

We made no mention of Harry giving Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons for two whole weeks after our original suggestion. Harry's detentions with Umbitch were finally over (he doubted whether the words now etched on the back of his hand would ever fade entirely); Ron had had four more Quidditch practices and not been shouted at during the last two; and all four of them had managed to vanish their mice in Transfiguration (Mione and me had actually progressed to vanishing kittens), before the subject was broached again, on a wild, blustery evening at the end of September, when the four of us were sitting in the library, looking up potion ingredients for Snape. "I was wondering," Hermione said suddenly, "whether you'd thought any more about Defense Against the Dark Arts, Harry."

" 'Course I have," said Harry grumpily. "Can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us -" "I meant the idea we had" - Ron cast her an alarmed, threatening kind of look; she frowned at him - "oh, all right, the idea me and Ari had, then - about you teaching us."

Harry did not answer at once.

"Well," he said slowly, when he could not find Asiatic anti-venoms interesting much longer, "yeah, I - I've thought about it a bit."

"And?" said Hermione eagerly.

"I dunno," said Harry, playing for time. He looked up at Ron. "I thought it was a good idea from the start," said Ron, who seemed keener to join in this conversation now that he was sure that Harry was not going to start shouting again.

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn't you?"

"Yes, Harry," I said, gently. "but all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defense Against the Dark Arts, because you are. You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, you can produce a Patronus, you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't.

Hermy started, "Viktor always said -"

Ron looked around at her so fast he appeared to crick his neck; rubbing it, he said, "Yeah? What did Vicky say?"

"Ho ho," said Hermione in a bored voice. "He said Harry knew how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year at Durmstrang."

Ron was looking at Hermione suspiciously.

"You're not still in contact with him, are you?"

"So what if I am?" said Hermione coolly, though her face was a little pink. "I can have a pen pal if I -"

"He didn't only want to be your pen pal," said Ron accusingly.

"Stop it! You'll can decide who's whose pen-pal!" I said exasperately.

Hermione shook her head and, ignoring Ron, who was continuing to watch her, said to Harry, "Well, what do you think? Will you teach us?"

"Just you three, yeah?"

"Well," said Hermione, now looking a mite anxious again. "Well . . . now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please. . . .

I continued, "But me and Mione really think you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we're talking about defending ourselves against Voldie, it doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people."

Harry considered this for a moment, then said, "Yeah, but I doubt anyone except you three would want to be taught by me. I'm a nutter, remember?"

"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say," said Hermione seriously."Look," she leaned toward him; Ron, who was still watching her with a frown on his face, leaned forward to listen too, "you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"