Innocence | Severus Snape x Reader

46 - Teaching Double

I stood before the room of students with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

When Harry first told me what he was planning, I thought he'd gone mad, but then after very little consideration, I agreed to help him teach those who were interested in REAl defensive magic instead of the bullshit Umbridge was spilling. 

"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 random kid says.

"Why?" Ron looks at him like he's crazy. "Cos You-know-who is back you tosspot."

"So he says." The kid argues back.

"So Dumbledore says," Hermione responds.

"So Dumbledore says because he says."

"So I say." I added in. There was a pause. I didn't like that I got that slight bit more respect than Harry did.

"So Dumbledore says because you two say. The point is, where's the proof."

"Well if they could tell us more about how Diggory got killed..." Another kid adds. Harry stands up with his hands to his side. He scans the whole room once.

"I'm not going to talk about Cedric so if that's why you're here you might as well clear out now." He turned to the girl next to him. "Come on Hermione, let's go. They're all just here because they think I'm some sort of freak." 

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

"Yes. I've seen it." Hermione replies for him

"Blimey Harry, I didn't know you could do that." Dean Thomas said, I had seen him around but never talked to him.

"And he killed a Basilisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville added.

"It's true!" Ginny said from somewhere near.

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

"And last year, he- THEY really did fight You-know-who in the flesh." There was a solemn feeling in the room.

"Hermione... look, it all sounds great when you say it like that but the truth is that most of that was just luck. I mean I don't know what I was doing half the time and I always had help." Harry glanced towards me.

"He's just being modest..."

"No, Hermione, I'm not. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can 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."

Hermione stands up again as Harry sits. "You're right Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. If we're going to have any chance at beating... Voldemort..."

"He's really back?" The kid asks. Everyone is silent.

"Yes," I spoke. 

Afterward, The four of us set out a paper and pencil, the paper titled "Dumbledore's Army". Harry, Ron, Hermione, were the first to sign it, and everyone signed on their way out. 

I didn't need to be in the "Army" I was already in the official Order. However, this was the whole point of me teaching this year, I had found. Not just to help and protect Harry, but the other students as well.

"Right, first we need to find a place so that Umbridge won't find out," I said as me, Hermione, Ron, the twins, Ginny, and Neville walked across the bridge back to Hogwarts. 

"The Shrieking Shack?" Ginny suggested. 

"It's too small" Harry said. 

"Forbidden forest?" Hermione said. 

"Not bloody likely," Ron said. 

"Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?" Ginny asked. 

"Who cares? I mean, it sort of exciting isn't it, breaking the rules?" Hermione said, reflecting her excitement. 

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Ron joked. 

"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today," Hermione said. 

"What's that?" Ron asked. 

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off of you, could she?" Hermione said, to Harry. 

I glanced at Harry, confused but smiling. I didn't know that had even been a thing. 

"Right, ver the next few days we should each come up with a couple of possibilities for places we can practice," Harry said, ignoring Hermione's statement as we approached the castle. "We've got to make sure wherever it is, there's no chance she could find us." 

Neville, someone else I was quickly growing to like, had found the Room of Requirement. 

It was there that Harry and I taught the other students, though I left most of the teaching up to Harry. While I had the knowledge from all seven years at Hogwarts, he had the actual experience. 

We taught the disarming spell, the stunning spell, levitating spell, and many others. 

We had gotten to the point where students would duel each other. 

Like Ron and Hermione, where Fred and I won a bet against George. A sickle for us each. 

Umbridge was beginning to catch on though. It was obvious when she banned student-lead organizations, but now she made it so all students will submit to questioning about illicit activities with Educational Decree number twenty-eight. 

As lessons continued, I noticed a growing connection between Harry and Cho, which made me smile. He deserved it. 

Little weird that he was going after his dead friend's ex-girlfriend, but I'm sleeping with my old Potions professor, so to each their own I suppose. 

Fred, George, and I had taken it upon ourselves to play a prank on Filch after we had figured out he had been spying on us, which prompted Umbridge to create the Inquisitorial squad. 

Of course, my brat of a little cousin decided to join. 

"So, that's it for this lesson. We're not going to be meeting again until after the holidays. So just keep practicing on your own as best you can and, well done." Harry said. 

I stood with the trio in front of the others quite proudly, not only of all of them but Harry as well. I was learning from him too. 

The students dispersed and I noticed Harry focusing on Cho. I figured I should leave. 

"Well you three, it's been a pleasure," I said to them, then left the room.