Solangelo go to hogwarts

Chapter 8

It took a while for everyone to file into the Hog's Head, and even longer for everyone to stop talking. Once Nico had managed to glare everyone into shutting up, Hermione stepped forward to address everyone.

"I assume you're all here today for the same reasons we are. Because for one, we're not learning anything useful and you'd actually like to pass your OWLs, and for two, you believe that dangerous times are ahead, and you'd like to actually do something about it. I'm not the expert here. My suggestion is for four leaders, Harry, Draco, Nico, and Will."

She waited a moment for everyone to let that sink in. "We'll go through questions in a moment, but I'll explain the reasoning. Harry has been through more than most of us could imagine, and he's had to use defensive magic that we've not been taught to survive it. He's used spells like the Patronus charm, that could be life saving, and that we wouldn't get a chance to fully practice otherwise. Nico is a master at physical combat, weaponry, hand to hand the likes, but I'll let him explain why that's useful. Will is an incredible healer, I've seen it with my own eyes, and I think we could all benefit from knowing what to do when things have already gone wrong, when our best hope isn't to fight, but to heal. And Draco knows counter curses and jinxes to spells that we would never consider, or necessarily even know about. I know you've had difficulties with him in the past, but it's time to look past that, because he's grown up around spells that could sentence you to a fate worse than death, and he knows how to counter them." She moved back, and motioned for the four of them to take her place.

Harry shrugged awkwardly. "I don't really know why you'd want me to teach you anything. But if that's what you want then I'd be happy to do it."

Nico didn't move from where he was leaning against Will. "If you sign up, which you should because shit's about to go down, then you better be prepared to actually gain some muscle. We're talking workouts, three foot metal swords, no calorie deficits. Everything. You will get hurt, you will experience more consistent pain than you likely ever have, and you will wish you never agreed to it. But by the end of it you won't be totally useless if someone snaps your wand, and that's what we're going for here."

Will nodded seriously. "It's kind of shocking that none of you have any first aid training. Even Nico can do some basic stitches, splint a broken bone, that kind of thing, and he's a reckless idiot. You guys have spells for everything and that's fine, but some of you are going to panic at the first sight of blood, and every spell you've ever learned is going to leave your mind, and the only thing you'll have left is muscle memory. I can and have dealt with full combat injuries, and low mania in the same patient without using magic, but I doubt a single one of you could sort a sprained ankle."

Draco shuffled forward until everyone could see him. "Dark magic isn't what you think it is, necessarily. Every death eater I've ever met, and it's a lot, I grew up in a house with them, can cast every curse and hex I can think of non verbally. And if you don't know what spell it is until you're writhing on the floor in pain, counter spells are useless. Sometimes, somebody is going to cast a cruciatus when your back is turned and they're not going to say it aloud. At that point you don't need to know the counter curse, you need to be able to survive it. And I hate to say it but you need to be able to cast one back. The only people in this room who I reckon could summon the hatred needed to cast one right now, are me and Nico. I know you all want to be the good guys. I know you have a level you don't want to stoop to. But I'd rather make torturers out of you than murderers, and if your back is against the wall and they've got what it takes to kill you, an unforgivable curse might be the best chance you've got." 

Hermione stood back up. "Any questions?" Everyone's hands rose.

"Are you really going to get us to cast cruciatus on each other?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Gods no.  Nico is gonna do some mildly illegal magic and summon some skeletons for us. He'll be able to relay how successful the curse is."

"How do we know Draco isn't gonna turn on us?"

Nico glared darkly. "How many of you have been consistently nice to, and faithful in Harry? Because I'm pretty sure it's one or two. But you're still here today, despite the things that have made you doubt or resent him, so extend the same courtesy to Draco."

"How are we going to know where and when the meetings are?"

Here Ron spoke up. "Me and my brothers used to use these enchanted coins to pass messages that we didn't want our mum or dad to know about. I reckon we could apply the same kind of thing. The coin will grow warm when we send the message, and we'll put the time and room on it."

"You know who..he's back, isn't he?" Seamus asked carefully.

Harry sighed and nodded. "He is. I didn't ask for any of this, and if I could go back and make none of this happen and just be a normal kid I would. I wouldn't lie about Voldemort being back."

Nico sat up properly, keeping his fingers linked with Will's. "Wait. People think that Harry is making this up for attention? He accidentally enters a competition that has resulted in people dying, against a bunch of people three years older than him, almost dies fighting a dragon, then almost dies in the fucking lake, then enters the ultimate death maze, bar the Labyrinth, disappears for a while, then exits holding the corpse of his dead friend, bleeding, and says Voldemort is back, and you guys decide to ignore all the evidence, and decide that, what?  A fourteen year old idiot that literally cannot process his own emotions managed to cheat a magical artefact, and an age line drawn by the dude you all worship, and then with then, despite the fact that he flew away from the dragon instead of killing it, and the fact that he saved an extra person in the lake, you reckon he murdered his friend, or watched him die by accident, even though he was a perfectly healthy seventeen year old, and then you think he lied about the return of the guy who killed his parents for popularity?!" The room grew darker and colder as Nico got angrier, only Will's arm wrapping around his waist stopping anything worse from happening.

Everyone went silent. "Di immortals." Will murmured. "Okay, so let's start with a quick lesson. People who are abused and lied to and who suffer as much as Harry have, who are forced into the position Harry has been forced into, either end up as heroes or villains. I know people who have gone both ways, and I can promise you, Harry is definitely not a villain. So get your heads out of your asses, and actually experience an independent thought that isn't affected by that gods be damned newspaper."

Harry coughed. "Right, now you've all been thoroughly threatened. Hermione wants you to sign this piece of parchment to indicate your interest. I've got another sheet, for anyone to write down any specific spells or things you want to learn from the four of us, or if you've got something you think would be useful for you to teach."

Every single person in the room signed their name. Hermione beamed as the last couple people left. "Well I think that went rather well."

Draco smiled nervously. "Butterbeer at the three broomsticks?"

Nico made a dramatic sound. "I can't believe the first time I came to a country where I'm legal drinking age where I've actually got time to drink, I look fifteen."

Will cooed. "How are you gonna cope huh? Not able to drink away your sorrows like all the other angsty teenagers."

Nico scowled as the others laughed. "I will shadow travel to a distillery and steal vodka Solace."

"Nah, sunshine. You're a sappy drunk, you'd come running right back to me, and I'd be able to remove it from your system."

"Stupid Percy having a stupid party with stupid alcohol and stupid Apollo giving you stupid healing powers." Nico mumbled as they headed towards the Three Broomsticks, the others still laughing.