Audacity. | Harry Potter

TWELVE

THE FOLLOWING WEEKS at Hogwarts were become more and more hellish. Control from Umbridge was at an all time high, every aspect of the school now had rules and regulations. Freya hated every second of it. Daily more and more control would be posted outside the Great Hall by Filch on a stepladder. Dumbledore was aloof and Freya would be lying if she said it didn't feel a little weird.

She watched as more and more students wound up with scars on their hands, and dread in their eyes. The Weasley twins tried their best to keep everyone's spirits up but in truth it wasn't much help.

The Gryffindor common room however had now become what seemed to Freya like a giant secret that she wasn't in on. Everyone would whisper about meetings and coins. The blonde would be lying if she didn't feel the slightest out of the group.

She spent most of her time writing to her father to pass time, every night she would sit by the fire and write him a letter, lying about how her year was going. She didn't want him to worry, he worried about enough already.

"Freya." Harry whispered.

Freya's head turned, "Why are you whispering?"

"I don't know." Harry shrugged returning to his normal tone and taking a seat next to her, "Now since we aren't friends I'm not obligated to tell you that I'm teaching a defense against the dark arts class."

"What?" Freya's brow scrunched.

"I'm also not obligated to give you this coin," Harry handed a small galleon to her, "Follow the instructions when they arrive."

Freya looked at the fake galleon, running her fingers over it.

"But you since we aren't friends, I never told you this."

Freya tried to hold back her smile, "You are incredibly annoying Harry."

"I like to think it adds to my charm."

»»-------------¤-------------««

It took two days until something appeared on the coin.

Room of Requirement 6:30

Freya was weary, but decided to take a chance on Harry. After all, she did miss actually casting spells.

So at 6:30 she was pacing past the room of requirement, waiting for it open as she thought of the class. After a few moments it opened, she walked in two see a large room full of dueling equipment. Groups from almost every house were in there. Excluding Slytherin, but that was unsurprising to Freya.

"You came!" Harry smiled as he walked over to her.

"Figured I'd listen to a stranger." Freya teased.

"What's she doing here?" Ron asked, slightly louder than he meant to. This caught Hermione attention immediately as she stomped over.

"Harry what happened to trustworthy only? We can't have this blown for us!" She argued.

"It is trustworthy only Hermione." He looked at her, "I trust her. Don't you think it would be a little odd one of the most talented Gryffindors wasn't here?"

"You don't even know her." Hermione shook her head.

"Actually I do," Harry straightened, "Alright everyone let's start!"

Freya awkwardly kept to the back, she received a few odd looks but for the most part she felt alright.

The lesson of the day was expelliarmus. Freya caught on rather quickly and practiced with a dummy hanging on a string.

"Okay partner up let's try it." Harry announced.

Freya dreaded the thought of working with anyone in the room, but considering she was a guest she just had to suck it up.

"Would you like to be my partner?" Neville Longbottom asked, he seemed almost scared of her.

"Sure." Freya put on a friendly expression, doing her best not to scare him away.

Seemingly comforted by that, Neville smiled and both teenagers practiced their spells. Neville struggled in the beginning he just couldn't get his wand movements right.

"Try loosening up your wrists Neville, it'll help." Freya added, trying to be as helpful as she could.

Surprised by her somewhat kind nature he loosened up and managed to disarm the blonde at last.

"That was awesome!" Freya found herself saying.

"T-Thanks." Neville smiled as Freya picked up her wand.

Freya and Neville look a break after a few more times. Freya went and sat up against the wall, her wandering eyes landed on Harry helping Cho Chang. Harry was showing her wand movement, and for some reason Freya just couldn't take her eyes off the two.

"What are you looking at?" Neville look a seat beside her.

"Oh nothing." Freya brushed it off, turning her attention to the boy next to her.

"I just wanted to thank you for helping me." The boy smiled.

"Yeah it was no problem." Freya nodded.

"You know, you're not as cold as everyone says." Neville stood up, "I'm sure everyone would like you if you treated them like me."

Freya was shocked slightly at the statement, "Not everyone is you Neville. Some people really suck."

"Yeah, But you never know." He shrugged before walking away.

Her encounter with Neville is what made Freya decide she would come back for the next lesson.