A Loyal Heart

Chapter 123: Epiphany

"And Harry, nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer," Susan said.

"No, no," Harry said, sounding like he was getting more than a little frustrated. "Well, maybe. I know I did bits of it without help but the point I'm trying to make..."

"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" Zacharias said, interrupting Harry.

"Last warning, Smith. Speak out of turn one time and I well stand you down for the team," Cedric warned.

"Here's an idea," Ron said loudly as Harry was about to start talking again. "Why don't you shut your mouth."

"Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us that he can't really do any of it," Zacharias said pompously.

"Your stood down for a game, Smith. You were warned," Cedric told Zacharias, causing the boy to look at his quidditch captain with a look of outrage.

"Besides, that's not what Harry said," Fred snapped at him.

"Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?" George said sarcastically as he pulled out a long, thin and dangerous bit of metal from his Zonko's bag.

"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we stick this," Fred added.

Zacharias looked at the metal rod with a small amount of fear on his face as he fidgeted nervously in his seat. Fred and George continued to smile at him with a wicked look on their identical faces, making me shudder at what was going through the twin's mind. But honestly, whatever they had planned most like wasn't as bad as they were making it out to be.

"Yes, well," Hermione said quickly, trying to move on from the twin's little threat. "Moving on...the point is, are we all agreed we want to take lessons from Harry, as well as Elsa and Cassy if they are willing?"

There was a murmur of agreement around the room as everyone agreed with Hermione. I looked over at Cassy, silently asking her if she was up to putting a bunch of magical kids through muggle, Avengers training which Cassy answered with a smile and a nod. Looking around the room, it was hard to picture most of the people learning how to actually fight but I was a Rogers and we never backed down from a challenge.

"Right," Hermione said with a look of relief on her face. "Well, then, the next question is how often we should meet up. I really don't think there is any point in meeting once a week."

"Hang on, we need to make sure it doesn't clash with our quidditch practice," Angelina pointed out.

"Or ours," Hamish added.

"No, nor with ours," Cho said.

"I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone," Hermione assured everyone but still sounding a little frustrated that people seemed to find quidditch more important. "But you know, this is rather important, we're learning how to defend ourselves against V-Voldemort's death eaters."

"Well said!" Ernie said, speaking up for what surprisingly was the first time. "I, personally am at a loss to see the ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously, they are in denial about the return of You Know Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actively prevent us from using defensive spells!"

"We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in defense against the dark arts is she got some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks that he'd mobilise us against the ministry," Hermione explained, telling them in what was my opinion a little too much.

"Well, that makes sense," Luna said in her usual dreamy voice. "After all, Cornelius Fudge has his got his own private army."

"What?" Harry asked, looking at Luna like she had suddenly started speaking another language.