Into The Light (Golden Trio Era) {2}

"I suggested poison.."

Umbridge was keeping Harry in detention much longer this week, compared to the hour that he had to endure last week. Last night, Ron had told Mikayla that Harry hadn't been back until nearly midnight. Thinking that tonight would go the same way, Hermione, Ron, and Mikayla waited up for him in the common room. They sat in the comfy chairs by the fire, Mikayla had a vial of her healing potion, they sat in silence briefly. "We have to do something about Professor Umbridge." Hermione spoke up as she stared into the fire. "Like what?" Mikayla wondered, stroking Crookshanks' furry back as he laid beside her. "Like poison." Ron suggested. "Yeah, let's poison her." "Ron." Mikayla sighed as Hermione said sharply, "Ronald!" "What?" Ron shrugged. "I'm sure no one would miss her-" At that moment the portrait swung open and Harry climbed through the hole. The three of them watched him anxiously; from her seat Mikayla could see that the scarf he had wrapped around his left hand was stained with blood. "Here." she stood up and grabbed his hand, leading him to the chair that she was sitting in. She handed tended to his hand with her potion before handing him the vial, "Keep it, you're going to need it." Mikayla smiled weakly and sat in the empty armchair between him and Ron as Crookshanks settled himself in Harry's lap. "Thanks, Ayla." Harry said as he scratched behind Crookshanks' ears with his right hand, Mikayla flinched slightly at the nickname, Cedric gave it to her last year whilst they were dating, of course Harry didn't know why the girl flinched and took a self note to question her about it later. "I still reckon you should complain about this," Ron said in a low voice. "No," Harry shook his head, his voice flat. "McGonagall would go nuts if she knew-" "Yeah, she probably would," Harry agreed. "And how long d'you reckon it'd take Umbridge to pass another Decree saying anyone who complains about the High Inquisitor gets sacked immediately?" Ron opened his mouth to retort but nothing came out and after a moment he closed it again in a defeated sort of way. "She's an awful woman," Hermione said in a small voice. "Awful. You know, I was just saying to Ron and Mikayla when you came in... we've got to do something about her." "I suggested poison," Ron said grimly. "No..." Hermione threw Ron and glare. "I mean, something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any defense from her at all." "Well, what can we do about that?" Ron yawned. "'S too late, isn't it? She got the job, she's here to stay, Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well," Hermione said tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today..." She shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and then plunged on, "I was thinking that, maybe the time's come when we should just, just do it ourselves." "Do what ourselves?" Mikayla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Well, learn Defense Against the Dark Arts ourselves," Hermione said. "Come off it," Ron groaned. "You want us to do extra work? D'you realize Harry and I are behind on homework again and it's only the second week?" "But this is much more important than homework!" Hermione exclaimed. Harry, Ron, and Mikayla gaped at her. "I didn't think there was anything in the universe more important than homework," Ron said in shock. "Don't be silly, of course there is!" Hermione said, her face alight with the kind of fervor that S.P.E.W. usually gave her. "It's about preparing ourselves, like Harry said in Umbridge's first lesson, for what's waiting out there. It's about making sure we really can defend ourselves. If we don't learn anything for a whole year—" "We can't do much by ourselves," Ron said in a defeated voice. "I mean, all right, we can go and look jinxes up in the library and try and practice them, I suppose—" "No, I agree, we've gone past the stage where we can just learn things out of books," Hermione nodded.

Mikayla realised what Hermione was hinting at before saying, "We need a teacher, a proper one, who can show us how to use the spells and correct us if we're going wrong." "If you're talking about Lupin..." Harry started. "No, no, I'm not talking about Remus," Hermione shook her head. "He's too busy with the Order and anyway, the most we could see him is during Hogsmeade weekends and that's not nearly often enough." "Who, then?" Harry asked, frowning at her. Hermione heaved a very deep sigh. "Isn't it obvious?" Mikayla spoke, before Hermione took over. "I'm talking about you, Harry."

There was a moment's silence. A light night breeze rattled the windowpanes behind Ron and the fire guttered. "About me what?" said Harry.  "I'm talking about you teaching us Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione said plainly, hoping not to repeat herself again. Harry looked to Ron, probably hoping to share that look of exasperation, but Ron didn't seem too phased by what she said. "That's an idea." Ron said. "What's an idea?" asked Harry.  "You," answered Ron. "Teaching us to do it."  "But..." Harry began to grin, he thought it was a joke. "But I'm not a teacher, I can't-"  "Harry, you're the best in the year at Defense Against the Dark Arts," Mikayla spoke up, it wasn't a bad idea at all, if it meant she could pass her O.W.L.s, and learn to defend herself. "Me?" Harry said, grinning even more widely now. "But both you and Hermione have beaten me on the tests-"  "Actually, I haven't," Hermione admitted. "You beat me in our third year- the only year we both sat the test and had a teacher who actually knew the subject. But I'm not talking about test results, Harry. Look what you've done!"  "How d'you mean?" 

"You know what, I'm not sure I want someone this stupid teaching me," Ron smirked.  "Harry, first year- you save the Stone from Voldemort."  "But that was luck," said Harry. "that wasn't skill-"  "Second year- you killed a basilisk, killed Riddle, and saved Ginny."  "Yeah, but if Fawkes hadn't turned up I-"  "Third year," Ron interjected. "you fought off about a hundred dementors at once-"  "Mikayla was there, that wasn't all me!"  "Last year," Ron said, almost shouting now, "you fought off You-Know-Who again-"  "Listen to me!" Harry said angrily as they were all smirking, because they were right.  "Just listen to me, all right? It sounds great when you say it like that, but all that stuff was luck- I didn't know what I was doing half the time, I didn't plan any of it, I just did whatever I could think of, and I nearly always had help." He stopped because they were all still smirking at each other. He started to fume.