𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐁𝐋𝐄 | 𝐃. 𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐅𝐎𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟓𝟏: 𝐃𝐔𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐃𝐎𝐑𝐄'𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐘

"Um... hi!" Hermione greeted as she stood in front of everyone. "So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher." She paused for a moment. "A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."

You and your friends gathered a meeting inside Hog's Head Inn in Hogsmeade with the other students. A Hufflepuff boy, Zacharias Smith, raised his hand and then placed it down when Ron noticed him. "Why?"

"Why. Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot." Ron hissed.

Zacharias nodded towards Harry. "So he says."

"So Dumbledore says." Hermione corrected, glaring at him.

"So Dumbledore says because he says!" Zacharias spat. "The point is, where's the proof?"

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed..." Michael Corner trailed off earning a look from Ginny who was just beside him.

You looked at Harry who was already looking at you. He stood up and faced everyone. "I'm not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now."

He leaned forward to Hermione to whisper. "C'mon, Hermione, let's go. They're just here because they think I'm some sort of freak."

"Harry, wait!" Hermione whispered back.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" You looked at Luna who asked the question from the crowd.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Yes. I've seen it."

You've heard about Harry casting a Patronus Charm. You knew because Remus Lupin had thought him how to handle the Dementors. Although you haven't seen him conjure one, you knew he was able to do it.

"Blimey, Harry!" Dean gasped. "I didn't know you could do that!"

"And he killed a Basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville added making you grin.

"It's true." Ginny nodded.

Ron smiled. "Third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once." He proudly stated.

You looked at everyone. "And last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh."

Harry looked around and sighed. "Wait... look, it all sounds great when you say it like that... but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help..."

"Harry--" You tried to talk to him but Hermione interrupted. "He's just being modest." She said.

Harry shook his head and faced Hermione. "No, Hermione, I'm not!" He looked down and sighed. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow. But out there, when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes... you don't know what that's like."

You stood up and nodded, placing your hand on his shoulder. "You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because if we're having to go to have any chance at beating... Voldemort."

Nigel, who was now on his second year in Hogwarts, bit his lip. "He's really back?" He asked in fear.

All Harry can do was nod.

Then you, Hermione, and Harry sat back down and wrote your names on a paper with Dumbledore's Army written on the top. The other students started placing their names too.

Hermione leaned against your year. "I wanted to do something to the parchment paper." She whispered.

Your eyes narrowed. "What did you want to do?"