Sacrifices, Harry Potter Year 5

16. In the Hog's Head

Lilly's POV
It's been two weeks since Hermione last mentioned the Defense Against the Dark Arts thing. I kept on telling her I would only do it if Harry did. He was okay with teaching Ron and Hermione, but she suggested something further. She wanted Harry and I to teach other people as well. Harry thought about it and agreed, but he didn't think anyone would actually want to be taught by him, he was a nutter after all...
Harry was a bit distraught when it came to Sirius. He knew he hurt Sirius' feelings, but was looking forward to the next Hogsmeade trip. Hermione was planning on having a meeting then. I talked to Neville about it and he thought it was a brilliant idea.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville and I traveled to Hog's Head, it was past Zonko's Joke Shop and the post office. Harry got us butterbeer and we waited for people to arrive.
Dean, Lavender, Parvati and Padma Patil, Cho and her friend, Luna Lovegood, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Colin and Dennis Creevy, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finsh-Fletchley, Hannah Abbot, another Hufflepuff girl, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Ginny, a guy from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, Fred and George Weasley, and finally Lee Jordan.
We all got drinks and after a few moments after settling down, Hermione stood up and said, "Hi - erm, well... you all know why we're here... We need a proper teacher to teach us to defend ourselves against the Dark Arts, not the rubbish Umbridge tries to reach us because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts, "
Anthony Goldstein said, "Hear, hear!"
She continued, "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well took it into our own hands. By that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory, but the real spells."
Michael Corner said, "You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?"
Hermione said, "Of course I do, but I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because Lord Voldemort's back."
The reactions were expected, immediate, and predictable... The shudders, the gasps, the uncomfortable atmosphere. Hermione said, "Well, that's the plan anyway, if you want to join us, we need to decide how were going to-"
The blond Hufflepuff said rather agressively, "Where the proof You-Know-Who's back?"
I grasped Neville's hand; he rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand soothingly. Hermione began, "Well, Dumbledore believes it-"
The blond boy said, "You mean, Dumbledore believes him."
Ron said rather rudely, "Who are you?"
The boy replied, "Zacharias Smith, and I think I've for to know what exactly makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
Hermione said, "That's not really what this meeting was supposed to be about-"
Harry said, "It's okay, Hermione..." He looked at Zacharias, straight in the face and said, "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."
Zacharias said dismissively, "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Lilly almost got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought her body back to Hogwarts. He didn't tell us exact details. I'd think we'd all like to know-"
"If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone, I can't help you. I don't want to talk about Lilly almost being killed, all right? So if that's what you're hear for, you might as well clear out."
Zacharias said, "I wasn't referring to you, I was referring to the only other person there and whom was almost murdered that night, Lilly Black."
I could feel everyone's eyes on my, I was avoiding everyone's eye by looking at the floor with my jaw clenched. Zacharias said, "Well then, Lilly, what happened?"
I stood up locked eyes with him and said, "You have no idea what happened because it's supposed to be like that. To know you are an inch from death, unable to help your best friend, who is fighting the most powerdul wizard on the planet! Being helpless on the sideline, technically dead! I saw what happened that night, I was a spirit looking down and I watched Voldemort come back and he is back. I haven't given anyone a reason not to trust me, so you can trust I'm saying the truth!"
He rolled his eyes saying, "All right, "Lilly Evers!" I launched forward to smack him upside the head, but Neville held me back.
I pushed Neville off and said this, "Yeah, I'm Lilly Black, I said I was Lilly Evers to protect myself. I was prepared to deny anything that Harry said last year, but I didn't and I am not going to start now, so if you question me one more time on my honesty, Smith, I swear on my life, I will hex you!"
Neville said, "Look, if you want to know how qualified these Lilly is, we all are not unfamiliar with the information that Lilly is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the Ministry of Magic." Everyone nodded in agreement.
A girl asked Harry, "Is it true, Harry, you can produce a Patronus?" Harry said, "Yeah..."
"A corporeal Patronus?"
Harry asked, "You don't happen to know Madam Bones, do you?"
She smiled and said, "She's my auntie, I'm Susan Bones. She told me about the hearing. You make a Patronus stag?"
Harry said, "Yes."
Lee said, looking rather impressed, "Blimey, Harry! I didn't know you could do that!"
Fred said grinning, "Mum told Ron not to spread it around, she said you got enough attention as it was."
Harry mumbled, "She's not wrong..." A few people laughed.
Terry Boot asked, "Did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office? One of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in told here last year."
Harry said, "Er. Yeah, I did..."
Neville said, "He also saved the Sorcerer's Stone in our first year!"
Cho also mentioned how Harry and I got past all three tasks in the tournament last year.
I said, "Sure, we did that stuff, but really, I had training and it took time..."
Harry said, "I don't want to sound like I'm trying to modest or anything, but I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."
Michael Corner inturrupted saying, "Not with the dragon, you didn't, that was a seriously cool bit of flying."
Harry nodded and Susan Bones said, "And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer."
Harry said, "No, no, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is-"
"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" said Zacharias Smith.
Ron said loudly before Harry could speak, "Here's an idea, why don't you shut your mouth?" The word weasel is a bit touchy with Ron...
Zacharias said, "Well, we've all turned up to learn from them, and now they're telling us they can't do any of it!"
Fred snarled, "That's not what they said!"
George continued, "Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" He took out a long lethal looking metal object of of the side of one of the Zonko's bags.
Fred said, "Or any part of you're body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this."
Hermione said, "Are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry and Lilly?" There was an general murmur of agreement and Hermione wanted to make a schedule and Angelina, Cho and Zacharias wanted to make sure that this won't interfere with Quidditch, which it won't.
Ernie said, "Personally, I am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who's return. To give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells-"
"Umbridge doesn't want us to be trained in the Defense Against the Dark Arts. She's got some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd use us against the Ministry. Cornelius told me to spy here at Hogwarts as well to see through things are going as he wants. I unfortunately have to comply otherwise I am going to be sacked." I, again, looked away from everyone's eyes by staring at the floor.
Everyone looked at me stunned and Ginny did a perfect imitation of Professor Umbridge's cough and everyone looked around in alarm and laughed. She said, "Weren't we trying to decide how often were going to meet and get Defense lessons?"
Hermione said, "Yes."
Lee said, "Once a week sounds cool."
And Hermione said it wouldn't mess with the Quidditch schedule, but we had to decide where we are going to meet. Katie Bell suggested the Library, but Harry said Madam Pinch wouldn't be too chuffed if we did jinkes in the library.
Dean thought an unused classroom, I said, "No, we need to find a place where Umbridge can't just walk in..." Hermione had everyone right their name down.
Zacharias protested and so did Ernie because of the Prefect status. I said, "Ernie, do you think in your right mind, we would leave the list lying around?"
He said, "Of course not!" Everyone signed the list and slowly left in twos and threes. Hermione and I went to Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and we got new quills. Hermione was also explaining to Ron and Harry about Ginny and Michael dating.
She said to Harry, "And talking about Michael and Ginny... what about Cho and you?"
Harry asked quickly, "What d'you mean?"
Hermione and I smiled. I said, "Well, she just couldn't keep her eyes off you, could she..." I laughed at Harry's smile.

Thanks for reading! Vote please! :)
-Lilly :)