janus ~ hermione granger

xlvii

"woah," maddy breathed out as her and phoebe walked into hog's head.

The building was full of students from everyone house, except slytherin, of course.

"a couple of people?" harry was heard.

"yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular. ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?"

"seems like you've stunned the barman," phoebe chuckled, hugging each of the golden trio.

"how was training?" harry whispered.

"tiring," maddy scoffed. "sev has me doing extra work."

"i'm sorry, doll," hermione mumbled, rubbing maddy's arm.

"what have you been telling people? what are they expecting?" harry spoke as he glanced over to where a crowd was forming around the bar.

"i've told you, they just want to hear what you've got to say. you don't have to do anything yet, i'll speak to them first."

"hi, harry," neville said, taking a seat next to the potter boy.

harry smiled in response, too busy looking at cho to answer.

"you're drooling," maddy teased.

within a couple moments, everyone had sat down, glancing at harry.

"er," hermione began, but maddy instantly noticed how nervous her girlfriend was so she intertwined their fingers. "well, hi. you know why you're here. harry, here, had the idea-i mean-i had the idea-that it might be good if people who wanted to study defense against the dark arts-and i mean really study it, you know, not the rubbish that umbridge is doing with us-because no one could call that defense against the dark arts."

"hear hear," a boy called out.

"we thought it'd be good if we took matters into our own hands. and by that, i mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells-"

"you want to pass your defense against the dark arts o.w.l. too though, i bet?" michael corner raised an eyebrow.

"of course i do, but i want more than that, i want to be properly trained in defense because-because," hermione paused to take a deep breath. "because lord voldemort's back."

the reactions they had received were predictable.

"well, that's the plan anyways. if you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"

"where's the proof you-know-who's back?"

"up your arse," maddy scoffed, instantly getting glared at by her friends.

"why is she here?" a gryffindor spoke up.

before the taylor girl could respond, hermione covered her mouth and replied to the hufflepuff girl who asked a question.

"well, dumbledore believes it-"

"you mean, dumbledore believes him," the boy nodded at harry.

"i'm sorry, who are you?" maddy and ron said in unison.

"zacharias smith, and i think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say you-know-who's back."

"look-"

"that's not what this meeting's about, you bloody idiot."

"maddy," harry spoke softly, realizing why so many people had showed up. "what makes me say you-know-who's back? i saw him, but dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and i'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."