Hermione Granger and the Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 13 - The Worst Few Minutes of Hermione's Life

Two weeks passed with no incidents. Hermione's birthday came and went with little fanfare - Ginny and Ron both gave her small presents, but that was it. Hermione did not ask Harry about her suggestion until the end of the month, when they were library, so hopefully Harry would be less inclined to yell
"I was wondering" she said cautiously "whether you'd thought any more about Defence Against the Dark Arts, Harry"
"Course I have" said Harry "can't forget it, can we, with that hag teaching us-"
"I meant the idea Ron and I had-" Ron gave a don't bring me into this look "-Oh, all right, the idea I had then - about you teaching us"

Harry stared at his book and did answer immediately
"Well" he said slowly "yeah, I - I've thought about it a bit"
"And?" said Hermione eagerly
"I dunno" said Harry uncertainly, glancing at Ron
"I thought it was a good idea from the start" said Ron
"You did listen to what I said about a load of it being luck, didn't you?" said Harry awkwardly
"Yes, Harry" said Hermione "but all the same, there's no point pretending that you're not good at Defence Against the Dark Arts, because you are. You were the only person last year who could throw off the Imperius Curse completely, you can produce a Patronus, you can do all sorts of stuff that full-grown wizards can't, Viktor always said-"

Ron swung round
"Yeah? What did Vicky say?"
"Ho ho" said Hermione, rolling her eyes "He said Harry knew how to do stuff even he didn't, and he was in the final year at Durmstrang"
Ron stared at her
"You're not still in contact with him, are you?"
"So what if I am?" said Hermione "I can have a pen-pal if I-"
"He didn't only want to be your pen-pal" said Ron
Hermione sighed and ignored him
"Well, what do you think?" she said "Will you teach us?"
"Just you and Ron, yeah?"

"Well" said Hermione timidly "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"
"Yeah, but I doubt anyone except you two would want to be taught by me" said Harry "I'm a nutter, remember?"
"Well, I think you might be surprised how many people would be interested in hearing what you've got to say. "Look" she lowered her voice and leaned forward "you know the first weekend in October's a Hogsmeade weekend? How would it be if we tell anyone who's interested to meet us in the village and we can talk it over?"
"Why do we have to do it outside school?" said Ron
"Because" said Hermione "I don't think Umbridge would be very happy if she found out what we were up to"

The next morning, Ron went up and down the Gryffindor table, telling people they could trust about their idea. Hermione went over to the Hufflepuff table to tell Hannah Abbott and her friends, and accidentally recruited another boy she didn't recognise, who had been eavesdropping. She went to tell Terry Boot and his friends, and found she didn't need to
"Oh, yeah, we know" said Michael Corner "Ginny told me earlier"
"Told you what?"
Cho was sitting opposite them, accompanied by a girl with red-blond hair
"Harry and Hermione are setting up a Defence club" said Terry "It's a brilliant idea. I wish I'd thought of it"
"Oh!" said Cho "can I join?"
"Well, er..." Hermione started "We haven't really set it up yet. We're meeting at the Hog's Head next Hogsmeade weekend. You're welcome to come"
"I'll be there" said Cho, looking interested

Smiling, Hermione turned and found herself face to face with Luna Lovegood
"Uh, hi, Luna"
"Ginny told me too" she said without into ducting
Hermione found that unlikely
"Er, right"
"Can I come?" she said eagerly
"...Sure" she said slowly "If you'd like"
"Okay!"
She wandered off. Shaking her head in bewilderment, Hermione went back to the Gryffindor table

"What's up?" Ron asked Harry a few days later "you look worried"
"Nothing, just-" said Harry "What if Sirius does turn up at Hogsmeade anyway? It's something he'd do"
"Well, you can't blame him for wanting to get out and about" said Ron "I mean, he's been on the run for over two years, hasn't he, and I know that can't have been a laugh, but at least he was free, wasn't he? And now he's just shut up all the time with that ghastly elf"
Hermione scowled at Ron
"The trouble is" she said "until V-Voldemort - oh, for heaven's sake, Ron - comes out into the open, Sirius is going to have to stay hidden, isn't he? I mean, the stupid Ministry isn't going to realize Sirius is innocent until they accept that Dumbledore's been telling the truth about him all along. And once the fools start catching real Death Eaters again, it'll be obvious Sirius isn't one... I mean, he hasn't got the Mark, for one thing"
"I don't reckon he'd be stupid enough to turn up," said Ron "Dumbledore'd go mad if he did and Sirius listens to Dumbledore even if he doesn't like what he hears"