The Blessings of Hecate [Abandoned]

The Hog's Head Smells Like Grover

Chapter Twelve: The Hog's Head Smells Like Grover
Percy's P.O.V.

CLASSES HAVE BEEN running smoothly lately. The first trip to Hogsmeade was coming soon, and I couldn't wait to get out of the castle and spend some time with my Wise Girl.

The last Friday of September when I was eating lunch with Annabeth in the great hall, Ron and Hermione came running up to us.

"Hey guys." Annabeth said, "What's going on?"

"Okay." Hermione said, "Ron and I- well just me actually- had an idea."

"What are you talking about?" I asked still stuffing my face with food.

"This may sound mad, but she came up with it. The idea is to have Harry teach people D.A.D.A. because Umbridge won't do anything. If you're interested meet us in the Hogs Head this weekend." Ron said quickly, "No one can find out. Well, except for the people we have already told."

"I think that's a great idea!" Annabeth exclaimed, "I mean, Percy and I already had our weekend planned out. But we'd love to support you guys." She really is a better actor than I am.

"Okay see you two later," Hermione said.

* * *

Before I saw it, I was lucky not to know what the Hogs Head was. Apparently it was a run down wizard bar that smelled strangely of goats(I think Grover would've liked it.). It had one comprised one small, dingy, and very dirty room. It's windows were covered with grime that very little daylight could enter the room, which was lit instead with the stubs of candles sitting on rough wooden tables. Then there was the creepy bartender who had long gray hair and beard.

I followed everyone else who had wanted to learn D.A.D.A. into the small bar. I looked around and saw that about thirty people also showed up. That's a pretty good turn out.

When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was upon Harry Potter and his two aquatints.

"Er," said Hermione, her voice slightly higher than usual. "Well- er- hi."

"Well... erm... well, you know why you're here. Erm... well, Harry here had the idea, I mean," Harry had thrown her a sharp look. "I had the idea, that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us, because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts-"

"Hear, hear." Said a fifth year Ravenclaw boy.

Hermione smiled at the Ravenclaw boy and continued, "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands." She paused and went on, "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells -"

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" said yet, another Ravenclaw boy.

"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because... because..." She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

That's when all chaos broke loose. A sixth year Ravenclaw girl shrieked and spilled what wizards called butterbeer down herself. One boy gave a kind of involuntary twitch. A few other Ravenclaw girls shuddered. Neville, a fifth year Gryffindor, gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough.