Potter Sibling Trilogy Plus One Book 2 (continued from Book 1)

Chapter 8 - Training

~Hollie's POV~

It's the day after the R.O.R revealed itself to Neville, and now we're lined up to begin our training.

There's a Dementor statue at the furthest point of the room with a wand at the ready like its going to attack and Neville is up first.

"Expelliarmus," he says but his wand flies backwards, making us all duck. "I'm hopeless."

"You're just flourishing your wand too much," I tell him. "Try it like this."

I cast the spell, disarming the statue and everyone stares at me, impressed.

The next day me, Harry and the Cullens sit to one side of the R.O.R, having already practised most of the spells. The others have formed two lines either side of the room and Bella is walking along the middle.

"Stunning is of the most useful spell in your arsenal," she says. "It's a wizard's bread and butter, really."

She stops by the door and turns.

"So come on, then, Nigel. Give it your best shot."

Nigel looks nervous before he casts the spell, making both of them fly backwards. Edward and Emmett laugh quietly and I just smile.

"Good," Bella says as she gets up. "Not bad at all, Nigel. Well done."

"Right," Harry says, getting to his feet. "Ron, Hermione, your turn."

"Ron moves over to the door and Hermione by the fireplace.

"Don't worry," Ron says. "I'll go easy on you."

"Thank you, Ronald," Hermione replies with an evil smirk on her face.

Edward and Emmett snigger, and I look at them with a grin on my face.

They both cast the spell but only Ron flies backwards. Everyone laughs.

"I let her do that," Ron says as he stands up. This makes us all laugh even more.

A few days later, another rule appears on the wall.

'All students will submit to questioning about suspected illicit activities.'

"Don't worry about it," Edward says. "She has nothing."

Umbridge starts dragging random students into her office for questioning but none of us say anything.

"Now," Harry says to Neville in our 18th lesson in the R.O.R. "Focus on a fixed point and try again."

He tries again but nothing happens.

"Keep trying," Harry says before he goes over to Cho, who has Nigel floating about ten feet off the ground.

I tap Bella and we watch as he stands behind her, smiles on our faces.

"A little higher," he says as he moves her arm up.

She looks round at him and poor Nigel falls to the floor.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," Nigel says.

Me and Bella laugh before Bella continues wandering around the room.

"Working hard is important, but there's something that matters even more," she says. "Believing in yourself."

"Think of it this way," I continue. "Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now - students."

"If they can do it, why not us?" Harry continues.

I hear Neville getting frustrated with not being able to do the Disarming Charm so I go over to him.

"Expelliarmus," he shouts again but this time he disarms Padma.

Everyone stops and gasps.

"Fantastic Neville, well done," I say.

"So that's it for this lesson," Harry says. Now, we're not going to be meeting again until after Spring Break. So just keep practising on your own as best you can. And well done, everyone. Great, great work."

"Filch is sitting right outside," Edward says.

"What do we do then?" Dean asks.

"Don't worry," Jasper smiles as he walks to another wall where a door appears and he looks out. "The coast is clear, let's go."

"See you in the common room, Harry," I say when I notice Harry watching Cho as she looks at the picture and clipping of Cedric on the mirror.

We hurry out of the new door and back to class.

~Harry's POV~

When everyone has gone, I go over to Cho.

"Are you alright? I heard Umbridge gave you a rough time the other day."

"Yeah. I'm okay."

I look down at her hand where the writing is still healing and I take it into my hand and begin stroking it.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"It's worth it."

We both look at the picture of Cedric.

"It's just, learning all this... makes me wonder whether, if he'd known it..."

"Cedric did know this stuff. He was really good. It's just, Voldemort was better."

"You're a really good teacher, Harry; you and your sisters. I've never been able to stun anything before."

There's a rustling noise above us and we both look up to see Mistletoe appearing.

We look back at each other and I lean, making our lips meet and we kiss.

"Well, how was it?" Hollie asks when I tell them.

"You should know, you and Ben have kissed haven't you?"

"Yes but how was it for you?"

"It was... amazing, really."

Ginny throws her book down and heads up the stairs.

"What's her problem?" Ron asks.

"She has feelings for you, Harry," Bella says.

"Why?"

"Why not?" Hermione says. "You're as good looking as the next guy."

We all stare at her.

"I'm not saying I'm attracted to him."

"No, you like Ron, don't you," Emmett smirks.

She goes red, and Ron smiles.

"Anyway, Cho was crying while we were kissing," I tell them.

"That bad at it, are you?" Ben smirks.

"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory," Hermione says.

"Cho spends half her time crying these days," Hollie says.

"You'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up," Ron smirks.

"Don't you understand how she must be feeling?" Bella asks loudly.

There's silence.

"Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric," Hermione says. "And confused about liking Harry and guilty about kissing him... conflicted because Umbridge might sack her mum from the Ministry... and frightened of failing her OWLs because she's worrying about everything else."

"One person couldn't feel all that," Ben says. "They'd explode."

"Just because you've got the emotional range of a teaspoon," Bella scoffs.

I start smiling so Ron sniggers which makes Bella and Hermione giggle and then we all laugh.