Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

79. In the Hog's Head

Hermione made no mention of Y/n and Harry giving Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons for two whole weeks after her original suggestion. Harry's detentions with Umbridge were finally over. Ron had had four more Quidditch practices and not been shouted at during the last two, and he, Harry and Hermione had managed to Vanish their mice in Transfiguration. Hermione had actually progressed to Vanishing kittens, while Y/n had already made his vanish much to McGonagall's shock.  Before the subject was broached again, on a wild, blustery evening at the end of September, when the four of them were sitting in the library, looking up potion ingredients for Snape.

"I was wondering." Hermione said suddenly. "Whether you'd thought any more about Defence 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 Ron and I had..." Hermione pushed on and Ron cast her an alarmed, threatening kind of look. She frowned at him. "Oh, all right, the idea I had, then...about you and Y/n teaching us."

Harry did not answer at once. He pretended to be perusing a page of Asiatic Anti-Venoms.

"Harry." Y/n called out his name to get a response from him.

"Well..." he said slowly. "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 Harry was not going to start shouting again. "And you heard Y/n, he's on board with it."

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." said Hermione gently. "But all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defence Against the Dark Arts, because you are."

"Harry." Y/n got Harry's attention now. "You and I were the only two last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, We both can produce a Patronus, We both have dueled Voldemort."

Ron winced at the use of the name but Y/n ignored him and carried on.

"You are right Harry when you say that they do not understand what it is like to face him. But I do, I have been there with you...and I know that right now they need to be more prepared than ever in case they do face him, If we barely survived then what chance do they have right now? It is up to us to teach them what we know while getting stronger ourselves. Voldemort is only going to grow in power as the days go by, we cannot rely on Umbridge to teach us anything. We have to take matters into our own hands now..."

"Well, what do you think? Will you teach us?" Hermione who was continuing to watch said to Harry.

"Just you and Ron, yeah?" Harry asked.

"Well." said Hermione, looking a mite anxious again. "Well...now, don't fly off the handle again, Harry, please...but I really think you ought to teach anyone who wants to learn. I mean, we're talking about defending ourselves against V...Voldemort. Oh, don't be pathetic, Ron. It doesn't seem fair if we don't offer the chance to other people."

Y/n did not realize that Hermione would suggest this, he had thought it would be just her and Ron they would be teaching. Would anyone else really want to learn from them? From himself especially. 

It seemed Harry was thinking the same thing as he said. "Yeah, but I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by us. I'm a nutter, and he's a supposed murderer remember?"