"ARE YOU MAD?" harry exclaimed, as the four friends trudged through the snow towards the hog's head.
"you and paris are the best i know!" hermione reasoned.
"who would wanna get taught by me, i'm a nutter, remember?"
"right, well, i think it's a great idea. someone's gotta teach this snivelly lot." paris shrugged.
"you would think so, because it was hermione's idea." harry accused.
"what's that supposed to mean?"
"look on the bright side— can't be any worse than old toad face." ron assured.
"thanks ron." the brown-haired boy replied sarcastically.
"i'm here for you, mate." he nodded, not noticing his friend's sarcastic tone.
"who's supposed to be meeting us, then?"
"er... just a few friends." hermione mumbled, as they pushed open to the door to the pub.
"lovely spot..." ron mumbled as they came through the short standing doorway, a goat bleating by the owner's feet.
"thought it'd be safer somewhere off the beat and track..." hermione mumbled.
and hermione was right about that. paris couldn't see anyone coming inside of the place—with its small, dingy and dark brown room. the darkness was on account of the grime-crusted windows, keeping out the sunlight.
"bet they'd sell us anything in here—" paris began, her eyes scanning the dusty pub. "a pint of firewhisky, they wouldn't care."
"bloody hell! could aswell, come on paris, let's get a pint— i've always wanted to try
some—"
"for heavens sake, ronald, don't encourage her! you're a prefect!" hermione snapped.
"oh, yeah. right." ron grimaced.
"well, you may be, but i'm not a prefect, so i think—" paris began, before hermione cut her off with a fierce look.
"let's go!" she dragged her by the arm to the back room.
HERMIONE ROSE FROM HER SEAT where the four of them were sitting before the large group of people. she cleared her throat, breaking the awkward silence. "um... hi." she breathed. "you all know why we're here, we need a teacher. a proper teacher. someone who has real experience against the dark arts."
"why?" zacharias smith asked.
"why? cause you-know-who's back, you toss pot!" ron snapped.
"so he says." the boy looked at harry.
"so dumbledore says." hermione stated.
"so dumbledore says because he says. the point is, where's the proof?"
"i'll show you some proof in a minute—" paris stood up, raising her fists.
"paris." hermione pulled her back quietly.
"if potter could tell us more about how diggory got killed...?" michael corner began.
"i'm not gonna talk about cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might aswell clear off." harry stood up, huffing. "come on, let's just go, they're all here because they think i'm some sort of freak." he whispered to hermione, paris and ron.
"is it true you two can produce a patronus charm?" luna piped up, looking between paris and harry.
everyone now looked towards them, interested.
"yes." hermione intervened swiftly. "i've seen it." she nodded.
"blimey, i didn't know you could do that!" dean exclaimed, impressed.
"and, uh, he killed a basilisk! with the sword in dumbledore's office!" neville added, ginny nodding in agreement.
"third year he fought about a hundred dementors at once!" ron boasted. "and paris knows nearly every spell in the book!"
hermione nodded. "she's brilliant. i've seen her skills— and last year, harry really did fight off you-know-who in the flesh."
"look— it all sounds great when you say it like that." harry sighed. "but the truth is, it was all just luck. i didn't know what i was doing half the time, i nearly always had help—"
"he's just being modest."
"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.
"you're right, harry, we don't. because if we're going to have any chance at beating..." she paused. "voldemort. we need your help."
"harry's right, it's not like school. it's real life— and we only have one chance at it. so if we're going to do this, we need to do this properly." paris nodded. "i'll help with theory and technique, and harry'll help with practical and reflex."
"is he really back?" nigel asked quietly.
harry nodded solemnly.
"RIGHT. FIRST WE NEED TO FIND A place where we can practice where umbridge won't find out."
"the shrieking shack?" ginny suggested.
"too small." paris shrugged.
"forbidden forest?" hermione suggested.
"not bloody likely." ron chuckled.
"what happens if umbridge does find out?"
"who cares?" hermione exclaimed, smiling widely as if she was giddy. "i mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it?" she giggled. "breaking the rules."
"who are you and what have you done with hermione?" ron laughed.
"i think i've had a bad influence on you, granger." paris grinned.
"anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today," hermione smiled.
"what's that?" harry asked.
"cho couldn't take her eyes off you, could she?" the girl spoke with amusement in her tone.
"and paris couldn't take her eyes off you." ginny whispered teasingly, so only hermione and harry could hear.