"Um - hi," Hermione nervously greeted. "So you all know why we're here. We need a teacher - a proper teacher - One whose had real experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."
A student spoke up. "Why?"
"Why?" Ron repeated. "Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot."
"So he says," the student replied.
"So Dumbledore says," Hermione replied.
"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is, where's the proof?"
A different student spoke up. "If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed..."
Harry stood up from his seat. "I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now," he said. "Come on, Hermione. They're here because they think I'm some sort of freak," he whispered.
"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna asked.
"Yes," Hermione spoke up. "I've seen it."
"Blimey, Harry. I didn't know you could do all that."
"A-And he killed a basilisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville added.
"It's true," Ginny replied.
"Third year, he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once," Ron boasted.
"Last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Hermione retorted.
"Wait," Harry called out. "Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help."
"He's just being modest," Hermione covered up.
"No, 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..."
"Are you two crying?" Marisol whispered as Harry continued to talk.
"What? No," Fred replied stubbornly.
She pinched his cheek. "That's adorable."
"Stop that." Fred smacked her hand away.
Willa chuckled quietly as she laid her head onto George's shoulder. "Lover's quarrel."
"We're not lovers," Marisol retorted.
"Not yet," Fred retorted.
Marisol's mouth opened in shock as she stared at him. He had a grin on his face. She bit the inside of her lip and looked back at Harry, ignoring Fred's stare.
After the meeting was over, people lined up to sign up for his's secret organization.
"After you, love." George smiled.
Willa smiled at him, leaned up to kiss his cheek, then turned around and wrote her name down. George wrote his name, then moved aside for Fred and Marisol.
"After you, sweetheart," Fred said.
She wouldn't admit it, but the nickname sweetheart made her heart flutter.