Draco Malfoy *5th Year*

Chapter 13

' Aurora, if you're not busy tomorrow would you go with me to Hogsmeade?'

D.M

I stared at the letter from Draco and sighed before writing my reply. I felt bad for lying to him but I had too. He wouldn't approve of this at all and I didn't need him snitching to Umbridge about it.

I pulled my coat around me tighter as I followed Hermione and Harry towards an old looking pub.

"This is mad. Who'd wanna be taught by me? I'm a nutter, remember?" Harry moaned,

"Look on the bright side: you can't be any worse than old toad face," Ron replied, making me snigger.

"Thanks, Ron," Harry said sarcastically.

"I'm here for you mate," Ron grinned back.

"Who's supposed to be meeting us, then?" I asked

"Just a couple of people," Hermione replied

"Lovely spot," Ron remarked.

"Thought it would be safer off the beaten track," Hermione replied as we walked in, closing the tattered door behind us.

"Hi. So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts," Hermione stood up to face some gloomy, some interested faces of the students who had set up chairs in front of us.

"Why?" One kid asked

"Why? Because you-know-who's back you tosspot," Ron growled.

"So he says," The kid replied nodding his head in Harry's direction.

"So Dumbledore says," Someone else spoke up

"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is, where's the proof?" I glared at the boy

"You want proof? I'll give you proof," I went to march forward but Harry grabbed my forearm before I could do any damage.

"If the Potters could tell us more about how Diggory got killed...,"

"We're not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, clear out now," Harry said standing up

"Come on, Hermione. They're here because they think we're some sort of freaks,"

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna asked, making Harry and I stop in our tracks.

"Yes," I replied for my brother.

"We've seen it," Hermione added.

"Blimey Harry, I didn't know you could do that," Dean said in surprise.

"And he killed a basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville said

"It's true," I smiled nudging Harry.

"Third year, they fought off about a hundred Dementors at once," Ron smiled.

"Last year, they really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Hermione said bringing the sombre tone back into the room.

"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 said

"He's just being modest," Hermione shook her head.

"No, Hermione, I'm not. 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," He sat down and tears pricked my eyes.

"You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance at beating...Voldemort," Hermione agreed.

"He's really back?" A small boy in the front asked, I looked at him and slowly nodded my head.

"Right. First, we need to find a place to practice where Umbridge won't find out," Harry said as we walked quickly down a wooden bridge back towards the school.

"The Shrieking Shack?" Ginny suggested.

"Too small," I said

"Forbidden forest?" Neville tried

"Not bloody likely," Ron laughed

"Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?" Neville asked

"Who cares? I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it, breaking the rules?" Hermione giggled. I looked at her in shock and let out a laugh

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" I asked

"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today," Hermione said to Harry

"What's that?" He asked

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you could she?" Hermione grinned and I elbowed Harry making me shove me with a blush appearing on his cold cheeks.

"Right. Over the next few days, we should each come up with a couple of possibilities of places we can practice. We've got to make sure, wherever it is, there's no chance she can find us," Harry instructed as we walked up the steps into the school.

"Will do Harry," I nodded as we parted our separate ways and Hermione and I headed off to the library in search of what we would be teaching our secret Defence Against the Dark Arts class.