One of the biggest boons that came with living in Hogsmeade village was that Harry wasn't far away. Lily knew that her son was brilliant and very capable of taking care of himself, but old fears never vanished completely, and having him close by helped her sleep better at night. Beyond those worries however, Lily was quite proud of her son and how well he was doing in school and she understood fully that no teenage boy wanted their mum badgering them, so beyond the occasional note and the Quidditch matches she made a point to never miss saw him about as often as any other parent of a Hogwarts student.
The obvious exception was, of course, the best part about life in Hogsmeade. When Harry and his classmates visited town he almost always popped 'round to say hello. Most of the time she tried not to badger him into coming by (Lily could just imagine how flustered that would make him should he have a date), but when he did she was delighted to see him.
Beyond the business of raising her son, Lily had sunk her time since James' passing into a series of apprenticeships that were conducted by Owl Post, which had metamorphosed over time into large research projects. It was Horace, of course, who had gotten her onto the idea of finding work that could be done while still raising a son, and since Lily didn't have a clue how to actually stop working it suited her quite nicely. Slughorn had been Lily's mentor in school and as adults they had collaborated frequently, sharing their research – which was what she was presently involved in when she heard the sound of footsteps on the walkway through the open window.
Tilting her head she listened for a moment, confirming her suspicions before tossing the parchment she'd been writing on aside and rising to her feet. In the short walk between her desk and the front door a wide grin had spread across Lily's face, obviously overjoyed by the time she threw open the door. "Teenage hoodlums skulking about in my begonas again?" She asked, leveling her playfully narrowed eyes in Harry's direction.
Harry knew that many of his peers would balk at the thought of their parents, let alone their mum, living so close to Hogwarts. He'd seen Ron Weasley's attitude to his mum and knew if the Weasley's lived closer, the boy would likely go insane!
Truth be told, if they hadn't gone through everything they'd gone through (or more specifically, if Lily hadn't gone through everything she had) and he wasn't the Boy Who Lived, he could see where he might agree with that. But that wasn't the case and he was glad that she was close enough that he could visit on Hogsmeade weekends.
It also helped that she wasn't the type of mum who hovered!
Harry grinned when she threw open the door and shot a look at Blaise, Neville and Hermione. "I told you she'd hear us," he said before he quickly walked up the path and gave her a hug. "Hi mum," he said with a grin as the others chorused their hellos. His friends equally enjoyed coming with him to visit. Hermione simply thought his mother was brilliant and honestly, he couldn't disagree!
"Absolutely nothing so important that it can't wait, darling," stepping to the side to let the small gaggle of students in Lily beamed at them. "You're just in time for some tea, though I'm afraid if you're hungry you'll have to wait or just find it in yourselves to make do with what's in town." She was fairly well versed in the dietary habits of the average Hogwarts student on a Hogsmeade weekend out, and while (as any mother would) she would prefer Harry to eat his vegetables and not make a meal out of the sweets at Honeyduke's she had also been a teenager at some point and knew better than to believe it always happened like that.
"How's it been then?" Lily asked as she closed the door and herded the gaggle of teenagers through the main room and towards the kitchen of the cottage Minerva had been gracious enough to allow Harry and herself to occupy all these years. "Classes driving everyone up the wall? Binns learned any new teaching styles yet?" Lily had found herself the exception when it came to falling asleep during History of Magic. It was very dryly delivered and no one else could seem to focus on the ghostly professor's droning, but it had ended up one of her favorite classes.
Crossing to her cabinets, she brought out a few more mugs, before sending the teapot floating gently over to the table. "Who's winning the house cup so far?" She asked over her shoulder.
And if you want to play any of his friends, please feel free to! Not sure why I chose so many. Hah!
He grinned and walked into the house with his small group of friends. "Thanks, mum. I think we'll make do with what we have available to us in town for food," he agreed with a laugh. Though glancing over, he could see by Hermione's facial reaction, she'd rather stay and pick his mum's brain. Honestly, that was part of the reason they were here. Okay, other than simply wanting to see his Mum.
Harry waited until everyone was seating around the table with the teapot and mugs. "It's not going as well as any of us would hope," he answered after a minute. "We have a new Professor, Professor Umbridge who was hired by the Ministry for Defense. She's limiting what everyone can and can't do. And, the worst part is, she's not actually teaching us anything. They don't believe that we need practical knowledge."
"And, even I'm having problems with this method," Hermione piped up with a groan. "Especially for our O.W.L's in the Spring. We think the Ministry is meddling and only teaching us what they think is necessary."
Neville and Blaise nodded.
Harry grimaced, knowing that Hermione had brought up the possibility of him teaching some kind of practical defense class. "As for your other questions, you'll be happy to know that Gryffindor is in the lead for the house cup and Binn has not learned a new teaching style since he died," Harry said with a little quirk of his mouth. The semester had been rough so far knowing what he did about Voldemort's return and the lack of cooperation from the Ministry.
Not a single thing her son or his friends had to tell her sounded like good news. It actually seemed, to Lily at least to be a very clear indication that something was dreadfully wrong at the Ministry, not the least of all the relationship between the Headmaster and the Minister themselves.
"Why would the Ministry be interfering with students at Hogwarts?" Lily looked genuinely puzzled as she looked between Harry and his friends.
Neville, who had sat nearest to the door cleared his throat, speaking up nervously.
"It's the Minister isn't it?" he looked to Harry. "He thinks Dumbledore's trying to raise an army of students."
Harry wrapped his hand around the mug and sent Neville a nod in agreement. "That's the running idea, at least," he agreed, looking at his Mum.
"She has a clear dislike for students forming in groups," Blaise agreed, dryly. "She wears an obnoxious amount of pink and has an unhealthy obsession with cats. That's simply not normal. Thank you, Mrs. Evans, for having us and for the tea." Of course, he knew Harry was her son and as Harry's friends, they were welcome but he had manners.
Harry gave him an amused look though nodded. "The primary concern is the group part. She's starting to put together a list of things that are no longer allowed. She calls them her 'Educational Decrees'."
"She's getting students to snoop on other students too," Neville tacked on after Harry mentioned the Edcuaitonal Decrees, his expression as disdainful as someone who'd been served a dead rat for dinner.
Lily, listening to the kids while they described the situation frowned over the rim of her mug of tea, looking at their faces as she considered the situation, which had she been a student, she would have found utterly outrageous.
Obviously Horace would get an owl, certain that if anyone had the real dirt on the situation it would be him. As she had gotten older and they'd become more peers than teacher and student, or mentor and mentee Lily had realized that the only person who knew more about what was going on was Albus Dumbledore, and Lily knew better than to write to him first. Dumbledore was a good man, but he was sparse with information and kept himself perpetually busy.
"I certainly don't like this," she began, frowning. "And it's just unsafe not to know how to defend yourself against the Dark Arts, has she even disbanded the Dueling Club?"
"That wasn't even an option this year," Hermione said as she reached for a biscuit.
Harry nodded. "Especially now of all times, it's unsafe to not know how to defend ourselves. And when someone brings it up, she just tuts them and said there is "absolutely no reason to know". She either truly believes we live in a "safe world" or she has a motive to keep everyone untrained."
"If you ask me, it's the latter," Blaise said. "No one is that willfully ignorant, are they?" he would sure hope not. But, there were plenty of men who'd married his mother even knowing her reputation so perhaps there were more than he'd ever thought.
Hermione nodded. "We've talked about forming a group though where anyone who would like the hands-on practice can do so."
"She's asked me to help teach it," Harry admitted, glancing at Lily. "We're just stuck at where a group of students can meet when we're not supposed to be meeting."
The more the kids spoke, the more Lily had to work to keep her expression neutral. As they rehashed their situation she stayed quiet, her eyes darting around the room, first to her son and then to Blaise. When Hermione spoke she looked downright thoughtful, considering the trouble they were likely to be in should they get caught.
Hermione had always seemed to be the most level-headed of her son's friends and hearing that she was unsettled enough by what the school had chosen to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts to encourage Harry to take on the task himself and put them all at risk spoke volumes about how important this was to them all.
"It's a shame you can't hold it here," Lily crossed one arm over her middle, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her other hand. "The lost wands room? Nobody ever went through there, though I suppose it is a fairly busy corridor the room itself was quiet while I was there." Realizing that she had already begun to go along with this, thus giving her unspoken consent (at least it stood to reason it would be seen as such in the eyes of a group of teenagers) Lily paused and held up a hand.
"I don't know anything about this, we never had this conversation, as I'm sure all of you are very aware of."
Harry watched his Mum after they had explained what was going on at school. He had hoped that the Ministry would actually believe what they were talking about but he knew they had their own agendas. At least they had someone to confide into and who believed what they were saying.
When she suggested a location of all things, some weight lifted off of Harry's shoulders. Not that he hadn't expected her to not believe them but simply that it was well beyond just breaking a rule. He didn't have to look at Hermione to see her face brighten and then become contemplative.
"The Lost Wands Room would work for a few of us but if we start getting more students, then we may outgrow it quickly." Hermione wasn't sure but she had a gut feeling that once they started sharing it (quietly of course), more and more of their classmates would want to show up.
Harry grinned. "Not sure what you're talking about. We only came by for tea and to say hello."
"There is one old greenhouse," Neville began thoughtfully, tapping his chin before he changed his mind and shook his head, discouraged. "But no way to get to it unnoticed." He perked at the suggestion of the Lost Wands Room but frowned when Hermione mentioned outgrowing it, his eyes widening at the thought.
Lily looked from Alice's son back to Hermione listening attentively as the young woman considered the idea, her eyes widening a touch at the thought of this idea of theirs growing. Her son was certainly making courageous decisions, and there was no disputing that he and his friends believed in the importance of doing something like this.
Giving Harry a wink when he agreed to her alibi Lily nodded again, still looking pensive. "Who knows the castle better than anyone? Perhaps, if any of you are on good terms with the House Elves in the kitchen, they might have an idea of where you might go, though I'd strongly suggest that when you ask, you don't tell them what precisely it's for. Most of the House Elves are quite loyal to Dumbledore, and might take the news back to him, or someone else."
Harry nodded in agreement to Neville's comment. "Yeah, we will need a place inside the castle. Otherwise, a greenhouse would be an excellent option." Although he wasn't completely sold that he would make a great teacher, he knew that in all, he did have the most experience compared to many of his peers. For better or worse.
Blaise nodded in agreement with the others. It had been an adjustment to have the Boy Who Lived / "Defeater" of Voldemort in Slytherin of all houses. There had been students who doubted he was in the right house and had attempted to bully the boy. But to his credit, Harry had given them all a dose of their own medicine. Besides, if there was any student who was skilled enough to teach them defense, it was Harry Potter.
Hermione frowned as she considered the treatment of House Elves and everything they did at Hogwarts (and beyond!) but maybe now was not the time.
Harry considered his Mum's tip and nodded slowly. "I believe we know a house elf that has called Hogwarts his home recently so, we could go ask him." The last thing any of them would want is for that information to get back to Dumbledore or worse, Umbridge.
"That is a great idea, Ms. Evans. We'll do that," Hermione said. "If we can find a location, then we can focus on the other part. Creating or enchanting something that will allow us to notify everyone of when we meet."
Nodding at Hermione, Lily looked off thoughtfully and fell quiet, frowning as she tried to piece together what precisely it was that was happening at her son's school, and thus, to her son. After what had happened when he'd been a baby she remained protective to a fault.
Neville looked around the room and frowned a touch, shifting in his chair and moving to stand. "Mrs. Potter I've got to get going, my Gran's ordered a book for me to pick up at the shop and if I forget it again she'll send a Howler, I'm sure of it." Not that his Gran was especially short-tempered, but that book had been sitting in that shop since last term, and she'd gotten enough owls about it telling her to come to pick it up.
Hermione looked at Neville and then down at her own notes, "actually Harry, I've got to get going too, Neville wait, I'll walk with you."
"See you all," he gave a little wave, Hermione beside him doing the same and headed out of the kitchen, showing himself out of the front door, determined not to forget the book again. Lily gave a little laugh once Neville had gone and looked back at the remaining children, pouring herself another cup of tea.
"You know if the Ministry's this involved you'll have to be more careful than careful Harry," Lily said finally, watching her son.
Blaise stood and gave Lily a warm smile. "I should get going myself. Thank you, Mrs. Potter for having us," he said with a nod before looking at Harry. "I'll see you back in the dorms or around Hogsmeade here later."
Harry nodded and watched Blaise as he showed himself out the front door. Harry turned to look at Lily and nodded. "I know," he agreed with a sigh, slouching a little bit on his chair. "She's horrible, Mum. I've seen kids come out of detention with her rubbing her palms. I'm not sure what she's doing in there and thankfully I haven't been subjected to her detentions, but it doesn't seem right." He knew when to assert himself and while he disagreed with her teaching methods, he knew when not to bother. This was one of those cases.
He exhaled a breath and slid a hand over his face. "Half of my house seems okay with her and the other half, like Blaise and I, know that what's happening isn't right."
Once the last of her son's friends had left, Lily's expression grew more serious. "Harry," she began, waving a hand as she cut off his train of thought about Umbridge.
"I've always trusted you, and I believe you when you say how horrible she is, but Harry," she shifted in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "The Ministry is powerful, and you have to be careful."
If Harry and his friends believed that what had been happening in the school was wrong and thought they knew how to remedy it, she would turn a blind eye, but the idea of something going on in Hogwarts being so close to the Ministry was unsettling. She knew it was right, and she was glad that her son had become the sort of person who stood up and did something when things had gone askew, but the Ministry was powerful.
"Just, promise me if you mean to do something truly stupid, you'll tell me first? Maybe I could be your back-up. Okay?"
Harry sighed and slouched in his seat. He wasn't dismissing what his Mum was saying, she was right (and had always been honest with him). So once she was finished, he nodded. "I know," he said, looking at her.
"Truthfully, it wouldn't be my choice to go so strongly against her, even as subtle as we're attempting to be. But we also have our OWLS this year and not everyone as talented in DADA as yours truly." His tone was teasing toward the end of that as he sent her a teasing smile.
Harry looked at his cup of tea and considered the options. "Honestly though, if you have a better idea then I'm all ears, Mum. You will absolutely be my first call or back up if something comes up."
MAKE IT SO. harry needs these influences in his life
Lily frowned when her son mentioned the possibility that she might have a better idea, and shook her head. "Short of tapping Horace for his thoughts on the matter, which I'm certain you would not have me to, I don't - Hermione's plan makes the most sense. It's dangerous, far more so than I'd like for any of you to involve yourselves in - but it makes sense."
Turning her head towards the counter she looked at her wand, left waiting there after being used to get the kettle to a boil for tea, and considered for a moment before turning back to her son.
"Of course, I can't let you do this unprepared either Harry. I'll write to Dumbledore and see about getting you a pass to go home for the weekend. I'll show you what I know, and you can show your students." Lily certainly couldn't be the one leading a clandestine DADA course but she would be damned if her son was put to the task without knowing everything she had to teach.
Harry actually took a minute to consider that before he shook his head. "Aside from being sometimes the least subtle of Slytherin's, I'm not sure what he could do in this situation. Especially with Sn - Professor Snape as Head of Slytherin." There were days (often) that he wished his Uncle Slughorn remained Head of Slytherin but that honor went to Professor Snape who... well, Harry had some conflicted feelings regarding.
Despite having been sorted into his house.
His mouth curled up a bit when she started a kettle for tea. Harry looked at his mum and gave her a grateful smile. If it was anyone else, he would be surprised by the offer. But, Lily had always been open with him regarding everything that had brought them to this point and he was grateful for that. "Thank you, Mum - I would appreciate it. At this point, any little thing will help."
After grabbing a biscuit from the tray on the table, he looked at Lily again. "How are you doing, Mum? Have you seen Uncle Sirius recently? I worry about him being holed up in that house of his 24/7."
For just a moment Lily failed to catch herself and she frowned deeply at the mention of Severus. They hadn't spoken in years, and while her son knew, to some extent that they had grown up together in the same town, she hadn't yet told him the extent of the story. Some things a boy didn't need to know about his professor, much less his head of house. It would only complicate things for Harry, and Lily thought at present, things seemed complicated enough for her son.
"Dumbledore's a good judge of character Harry, really, even though he doesn't show it," said Lily carefully, her face shifting into a mask of careful neutrality. She wasn't crazy about the idea of Severus teaching either, knowing all too well how cantankerous and thorny he was, not to mention his questionable involvements that had ultimately caused their friendship to end.
That somber train of thought was thoroughly, and somewhat awkwardly derailed when he asked about his godfather, and again Lily had to stop herself from letting her expression betray her.
"I," this wasn't a difficult question, and she knew that, but she didn't like talking about Sirius. It never failed to make her feel awkward, for a multitude of reasons. "No? I mean, he came around a few weeks ago, he was in town because of that bike of his," she paused suddenly and waved a hand towards a new shelf on the wall that was now holding their spices. "He put that up."
Harry noticed the frown on his Mum's face when he mentioned Snape and while he had been curious as to how close they'd been, he'd never asked. Truth was, he didn't really want or need to know. He wanted to base his opinions on Snape based on how he treated his students. Honestly, it went both ways, he had felt a certain amount of loathing and contempt from the Head of Slytherin but more often than not, he left him well enough alone.
So long as he didn't cause any embarrassment to Slytherin, naturally.
His position on the Quidditch team had certainly helped.
Harry snorted at Lily's carefully worded phrase about Dumbledore and his character judgement. "Well, I should hope so since he is the Headmaster of our school," he agreed, giving her a little smile. "The Ministry however seems less than impressed." Course, that wasn't too surprising since the Ministry didn't actually believe anything that was going on in the first place.
Namely Voldemort.
Harry glanced at the shelf that was now hung up and nodded. "It looks good," he said and looked at her again with a little grin. Though he would never say a word, unless prompted, he had always got the feeling that his Godfather was very fond of his Mum (and vice versa). "So long as he's getting out. I know he's working on the place but staying at Grimmauld day and night would probably drive me batty."
She wanted to say that Harry seemed to think that his godfather had a long drive to get to battiness, but she refrained. The further away from the matters of both Snape, and Severus, the more comfortable she would be.
"I promise, I'll keep checking on him for you Harry, but I'm certain he'll grow quite weary of my fussing." A quick note here and there wouldn't hurt anyone, right? "Perhaps the next time you're home he'll come to dinner so you can see for yourself."
This wasn't getting off the topic of Sirius at all. This was actually more like digging a bigger hole for herself to climb into, and a moment later she was swift to change the subject.
"How's your friend, by the way? Hermione. I saw her with you earlier, but we didn't get a chance to chat."
"Somehow, I doubt it," Harry mused with a grin. "You balance out the unique mixture of Kreacher and Uncle Remus when he stops by."
He knew that Padfoot had taken care of himself decently enough over the years with the assistance of the house-elf, wolf, and his Mum. Harry grinned when Lily suggested inviting him to dinner while he was home and nodded. "It has been a while, at least since Summer. I know he's been a bit busy himself, especially recently with everything going on."
Harry grinned automatically when she brought up Hermione but cleared his throat as he took a sip of his tea before answering. "She's good, no doubt at the bookstore and plotting in only the way she can."
Refilling her tea she eyed her son, grinning slightly. "Are you sure this isn't your way of worrying over me not having any company as well, Harry? I assure you I keep very busy." Entirely with research projects and penning the occasional letter to a distant friend, her social calendar wasn't exactly blacked out.
But the grin that appeared on Harry's face when she mentioned his friend was all Lily needed to seize the chance to shift the conversation, turning the tables on him.
"You know," she began mildly, hiding her smile behind the rim of her teacup. "I hope you're aware that it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if you skipped a visit to my house because you used your Hogsmeade visit on a proper date."
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🖋️ coreofaphoenix
The obvious exception was, of course, the best part about life in Hogsmeade. When Harry and his classmates visited town he almost always popped 'round to say hello. Most of the time she tried not to badger him into coming by (Lily could just imagine how flustered that would make him should he have a date), but when he did she was delighted to see him.
Beyond the business of raising her son, Lily had sunk her time since James' passing into a series of apprenticeships that were conducted by Owl Post, which had metamorphosed over time into large research projects. It was Horace, of course, who had gotten her onto the idea of finding work that could be done while still raising a son, and since Lily didn't have a clue how to actually stop working it suited her quite nicely. Slughorn had been Lily's mentor in school and as adults they had collaborated frequently, sharing their research – which was what she was presently involved in when she heard the sound of footsteps on the walkway through the open window.
Tilting her head she listened for a moment, confirming her suspicions before tossing the parchment she'd been writing on aside and rising to her feet. In the short walk between her desk and the front door a wide grin had spread across Lily's face, obviously overjoyed by the time she threw open the door. "Teenage hoodlums skulking about in my begonas again?" She asked, leveling her playfully narrowed eyes in Harry's direction.
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Truth be told, if they hadn't gone through everything they'd gone through (or more specifically, if Lily hadn't gone through everything she had) and he wasn't the Boy Who Lived, he could see where he might agree with that. But that wasn't the case and he was glad that she was close enough that he could visit on Hogsmeade weekends.
It also helped that she wasn't the type of mum who hovered!
Harry grinned when she threw open the door and shot a look at Blaise, Neville and Hermione. "I told you she'd hear us," he said before he quickly walked up the path and gave her a hug. "Hi mum," he said with a grin as the others chorused their hellos. His friends equally enjoyed coming with him to visit. Hermione simply thought his mother was brilliant and honestly, he couldn't disagree!
"Did we catch you in the middle of anything?"
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"How's it been then?" Lily asked as she closed the door and herded the gaggle of teenagers through the main room and towards the kitchen of the cottage Minerva had been gracious enough to allow Harry and herself to occupy all these years. "Classes driving everyone up the wall? Binns learned any new teaching styles yet?" Lily had found herself the exception when it came to falling asleep during History of Magic. It was very dryly delivered and no one else could seem to focus on the ghostly professor's droning, but it had ended up one of her favorite classes.
Crossing to her cabinets, she brought out a few more mugs, before sending the teapot floating gently over to the table. "Who's winning the house cup so far?" She asked over her shoulder.
And if you want to play any of his friends, please feel free to! Not sure why I chose so many. Hah!
Harry waited until everyone was seating around the table with the teapot and mugs. "It's not going as well as any of us would hope," he answered after a minute. "We have a new Professor, Professor Umbridge who was hired by the Ministry for Defense. She's limiting what everyone can and can't do. And, the worst part is, she's not actually teaching us anything. They don't believe that we need practical knowledge."
"And, even I'm having problems with this method," Hermione piped up with a groan. "Especially for our O.W.L's in the Spring. We think the Ministry is meddling and only teaching us what they think is necessary."
Neville and Blaise nodded.
Harry grimaced, knowing that Hermione had brought up the possibility of him teaching some kind of practical defense class. "As for your other questions, you'll be happy to know that Gryffindor is in the lead for the house cup and Binn has not learned a new teaching style since he died," Harry said with a little quirk of his mouth. The semester had been rough so far knowing what he did about Voldemort's return and the lack of cooperation from the Ministry.
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"Why would the Ministry be interfering with students at Hogwarts?" Lily looked genuinely puzzled as she looked between Harry and his friends.
Neville, who had sat nearest to the door cleared his throat, speaking up nervously.
"It's the Minister isn't it?" he looked to Harry. "He thinks Dumbledore's trying to raise an army of students."
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"She has a clear dislike for students forming in groups," Blaise agreed, dryly. "She wears an obnoxious amount of pink and has an unhealthy obsession with cats. That's simply not normal. Thank you, Mrs. Evans, for having us and for the tea." Of course, he knew Harry was her son and as Harry's friends, they were welcome but he had manners.
Harry gave him an amused look though nodded. "The primary concern is the group part. She's starting to put together a list of things that are no longer allowed. She calls them her 'Educational Decrees'."
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Lily, listening to the kids while they described the situation frowned over the rim of her mug of tea, looking at their faces as she considered the situation, which had she been a student, she would have found utterly outrageous.
Obviously Horace would get an owl, certain that if anyone had the real dirt on the situation it would be him. As she had gotten older and they'd become more peers than teacher and student, or mentor and mentee Lily had realized that the only person who knew more about what was going on was Albus Dumbledore, and Lily knew better than to write to him first. Dumbledore was a good man, but he was sparse with information and kept himself perpetually busy.
"I certainly don't like this," she began, frowning. "And it's just unsafe not to know how to defend yourself against the Dark Arts, has she even disbanded the Dueling Club?"
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Harry nodded. "Especially now of all times, it's unsafe to not know how to defend ourselves. And when someone brings it up, she just tuts them and said there is "absolutely no reason to know". She either truly believes we live in a "safe world" or she has a motive to keep everyone untrained."
"If you ask me, it's the latter," Blaise said. "No one is that willfully ignorant, are they?" he would sure hope not. But, there were plenty of men who'd married his mother even knowing her reputation so perhaps there were more than he'd ever thought.
Hermione nodded. "We've talked about forming a group though where anyone who would like the hands-on practice can do so."
"She's asked me to help teach it," Harry admitted, glancing at Lily. "We're just stuck at where a group of students can meet when we're not supposed to be meeting."
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Hermione had always seemed to be the most level-headed of her son's friends and hearing that she was unsettled enough by what the school had chosen to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts to encourage Harry to take on the task himself and put them all at risk spoke volumes about how important this was to them all.
"It's a shame you can't hold it here," Lily crossed one arm over her middle, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her other hand. "The lost wands room? Nobody ever went through there, though I suppose it is a fairly busy corridor the room itself was quiet while I was there." Realizing that she had already begun to go along with this, thus giving her unspoken consent (at least it stood to reason it would be seen as such in the eyes of a group of teenagers) Lily paused and held up a hand.
"I don't know anything about this, we never had this conversation, as I'm sure all of you are very aware of."
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When she suggested a location of all things, some weight lifted off of Harry's shoulders. Not that he hadn't expected her to not believe them but simply that it was well beyond just breaking a rule. He didn't have to look at Hermione to see her face brighten and then become contemplative.
"The Lost Wands Room would work for a few of us but if we start getting more students, then we may outgrow it quickly." Hermione wasn't sure but she had a gut feeling that once they started sharing it (quietly of course), more and more of their classmates would want to show up.
Harry grinned. "Not sure what you're talking about. We only came by for tea and to say hello."
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Lily looked from Alice's son back to Hermione listening attentively as the young woman considered the idea, her eyes widening a touch at the thought of this idea of theirs growing. Her son was certainly making courageous decisions, and there was no disputing that he and his friends believed in the importance of doing something like this.
Giving Harry a wink when he agreed to her alibi Lily nodded again, still looking pensive. "Who knows the castle better than anyone? Perhaps, if any of you are on good terms with the House Elves in the kitchen, they might have an idea of where you might go, though I'd strongly suggest that when you ask, you don't tell them what precisely it's for. Most of the House Elves are quite loyal to Dumbledore, and might take the news back to him, or someone else."
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Blaise nodded in agreement with the others. It had been an adjustment to have the Boy Who Lived / "Defeater" of Voldemort in Slytherin of all houses. There had been students who doubted he was in the right house and had attempted to bully the boy. But to his credit, Harry had given them all a dose of their own medicine. Besides, if there was any student who was skilled enough to teach them defense, it was Harry Potter.
Hermione frowned as she considered the treatment of House Elves and everything they did at Hogwarts (and beyond!) but maybe now was not the time.
Harry considered his Mum's tip and nodded slowly. "I believe we know a house elf that has called Hogwarts his home recently so, we could go ask him." The last thing any of them would want is for that information to get back to Dumbledore or worse, Umbridge.
"That is a great idea, Ms. Evans. We'll do that," Hermione said. "If we can find a location, then we can focus on the other part. Creating or enchanting something that will allow us to notify everyone of when we meet."
i forgot we said the others were heading out!
Neville looked around the room and frowned a touch, shifting in his chair and moving to stand. "Mrs. Potter I've got to get going, my Gran's ordered a book for me to pick up at the shop and if I forget it again she'll send a Howler, I'm sure of it." Not that his Gran was especially short-tempered, but that book had been sitting in that shop since last term, and she'd gotten enough owls about it telling her to come to pick it up.
Hermione looked at Neville and then down at her own notes, "actually Harry, I've got to get going too, Neville wait, I'll walk with you."
"See you all," he gave a little wave, Hermione beside him doing the same and headed out of the kitchen, showing himself out of the front door, determined not to forget the book again. Lily gave a little laugh once Neville had gone and looked back at the remaining children, pouring herself another cup of tea.
"You know if the Ministry's this involved you'll have to be more careful than careful Harry," Lily said finally, watching her son.
ahhh! I totally forgot that!
Harry nodded and watched Blaise as he showed himself out the front door. Harry turned to look at Lily and nodded. "I know," he agreed with a sigh, slouching a little bit on his chair. "She's horrible, Mum. I've seen kids come out of detention with her rubbing her palms. I'm not sure what she's doing in there and thankfully I haven't been subjected to her detentions, but it doesn't seem right." He knew when to assert himself and while he disagreed with her teaching methods, he knew when not to bother. This was one of those cases.
He exhaled a breath and slid a hand over his face. "Half of my house seems okay with her and the other half, like Blaise and I, know that what's happening isn't right."
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"I've always trusted you, and I believe you when you say how horrible she is, but Harry," she shifted in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "The Ministry is powerful, and you have to be careful."
If Harry and his friends believed that what had been happening in the school was wrong and thought they knew how to remedy it, she would turn a blind eye, but the idea of something going on in Hogwarts being so close to the Ministry was unsettling. She knew it was right, and she was glad that her son had become the sort of person who stood up and did something when things had gone askew, but the Ministry was powerful.
"Just, promise me if you mean to do something truly stupid, you'll tell me first? Maybe I could be your back-up. Okay?"
sirius has to live in this universe ok? LOL!
"Truthfully, it wouldn't be my choice to go so strongly against her, even as subtle as we're attempting to be. But we also have our OWLS this year and not everyone as talented in DADA as yours truly." His tone was teasing toward the end of that as he sent her a teasing smile.
Harry looked at his cup of tea and considered the options. "Honestly though, if you have a better idea then I'm all ears, Mum. You will absolutely be my first call or back up if something comes up."
MAKE IT SO. harry needs these influences in his life
Turning her head towards the counter she looked at her wand, left waiting there after being used to get the kettle to a boil for tea, and considered for a moment before turning back to her son.
"Of course, I can't let you do this unprepared either Harry. I'll write to Dumbledore and see about getting you a pass to go home for the weekend. I'll show you what I know, and you can show your students." Lily certainly couldn't be the one leading a clandestine DADA course but she would be damned if her son was put to the task without knowing everything she had to teach.
Agreed!!
Despite having been sorted into his house.
His mouth curled up a bit when she started a kettle for tea. Harry looked at his mum and gave her a grateful smile. If it was anyone else, he would be surprised by the offer. But, Lily had always been open with him regarding everything that had brought them to this point and he was grateful for that. "Thank you, Mum - I would appreciate it. At this point, any little thing will help."
After grabbing a biscuit from the tray on the table, he looked at Lily again. "How are you doing, Mum? Have you seen Uncle Sirius recently? I worry about him being holed up in that house of his 24/7."
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"Dumbledore's a good judge of character Harry, really, even though he doesn't show it," said Lily carefully, her face shifting into a mask of careful neutrality. She wasn't crazy about the idea of Severus teaching either, knowing all too well how cantankerous and thorny he was, not to mention his questionable involvements that had ultimately caused their friendship to end.
That somber train of thought was thoroughly, and somewhat awkwardly derailed when he asked about his godfather, and again Lily had to stop herself from letting her expression betray her.
"I," this wasn't a difficult question, and she knew that, but she didn't like talking about Sirius. It never failed to make her feel awkward, for a multitude of reasons. "No? I mean, he came around a few weeks ago, he was in town because of that bike of his," she paused suddenly and waved a hand towards a new shelf on the wall that was now holding their spices. "He put that up."
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So long as he didn't cause any embarrassment to Slytherin, naturally.
His position on the Quidditch team had certainly helped.
Harry snorted at Lily's carefully worded phrase about Dumbledore and his character judgement. "Well, I should hope so since he is the Headmaster of our school," he agreed, giving her a little smile. "The Ministry however seems less than impressed." Course, that wasn't too surprising since the Ministry didn't actually believe anything that was going on in the first place.
Namely Voldemort.
Harry glanced at the shelf that was now hung up and nodded. "It looks good," he said and looked at her again with a little grin. Though he would never say a word, unless prompted, he had always got the feeling that his Godfather was very fond of his Mum (and vice versa). "So long as he's getting out. I know he's working on the place but staying at Grimmauld day and night would probably drive me batty."
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"I promise, I'll keep checking on him for you Harry, but I'm certain he'll grow quite weary of my fussing." A quick note here and there wouldn't hurt anyone, right? "Perhaps the next time you're home he'll come to dinner so you can see for yourself."
This wasn't getting off the topic of Sirius at all. This was actually more like digging a bigger hole for herself to climb into, and a moment later she was swift to change the subject.
"How's your friend, by the way? Hermione. I saw her with you earlier, but we didn't get a chance to chat."
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He knew that Padfoot had taken care of himself decently enough over the years with the assistance of the house-elf, wolf, and his Mum. Harry grinned when Lily suggested inviting him to dinner while he was home and nodded. "It has been a while, at least since Summer. I know he's been a bit busy himself, especially recently with everything going on."
Harry grinned automatically when she brought up Hermione but cleared his throat as he took a sip of his tea before answering. "She's good, no doubt at the bookstore and plotting in only the way she can."
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But the grin that appeared on Harry's face when she mentioned his friend was all Lily needed to seize the chance to shift the conversation, turning the tables on him.
"You know," she began mildly, hiding her smile behind the rim of her teacup. "I hope you're aware that it wouldn't bother me in the slightest if you skipped a visit to my house because you used your Hogsmeade visit on a proper date."