Astra

XCIII - The New Generation

IT WAS NEARLY MIDNIGHT when Astra and Harry left Umbridge's office that night, her hand now bleeding so severely that it was staining the scarf she had wrapped around it. She expected the common room to be empty when they returned, but Ron and Hermione had sat up waiting for them. 

As usual, Astra took out the Murtlap essence, sighing in relief as it stopped aching as much. She passed the bowl to Harry, who obviously felt the same.

"I still reckon you should complain about this," said Ron in a low voice.

Astra scoffed, "We're already doing all we can. It's no use to get Umbitch out, but it's doing a bit at spreading the word."

Ron opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and, after a moment, he closed it again, defeated.

"She's an awful woman," said Hermione in a small voice. "Awful. You know, I was just saying to Ron when you came in . . . we've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison," said Ron grimly.

"And I wouldn't stop you," Astra agreed.

"No . . . I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any Defence from her at all," said Hermione.

"Well, what can we do about that?" said Ron, yawning. "'S too late, isn't it? She's got the job, she's here to stay. Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well," said Hermione tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today . . . " she shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that-- maybe the time's come when we should just--just do it ourselves."

"Do what ourselves?" said Harry suspiciously, still floating his hand in the essence of Murtlap, while Astra perked up.

"Well--learn Defence Against the Dark Arts ourselves," said Hermione.

"Come off it," groaned Ron. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?"

"But this is much more important than homework!" said Hermione.

Astra, Harry, and Ron goggled at her.

"I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework!" said Ron.

"Don't be silly, of course, there is," said Hermione, and Astra saw, with an ominous feeling, that her face was suddenly alight with the kind of fervor that SPEW usually inspired in her. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting for us out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year--"

"We can't do much by ourselves," said Ron in a defeated voice. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practise them, I suppose--"

"No, Hermione's right," Astra was thinking like she usually did when finding loopholes to the educational decrees, "We've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books. We need to actually learn- like a club or something."

Hermione nodded and continued. "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong."

"If you're talking about Lupin . . . " Harry began.

"Remus won't be welcome back," Astra said glumly, "He was amazing but I'd never want to put him in danger like that with Umbitch here."

"I'm not talking about Lupin," said Hermione. "He's too busy with the Order and, anyway, the most we could see him is during Hogsmeade weekends and that's not nearly often enough."