About DADA

Headmaster Dumbledore sat in front of his desk. In front of him were the Head boy and girl, and a student representative of each of the houses. Behind him and around the walls of the room were Professors McGonigal, Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout, and various members of the school board.

"So, children, I hear that you have an idea for the rest of this term?"

"Yes, professor Dumbledore," said Gillian, "The idea is that students teach the class until winter break, or the start of the next term."

"That is an interesting proposition. Do you have any idea of how tough this will be for you all? I don't want you all to strain yourselves unnecessarily."

"To be honest with you, and with our heads of houses, we have been teaching ourselves under opposition all school year until recently. We have obtained written material from Professor Lupin, who was our best DADA teacher recently, and we have shared books amongst ourselves. We were going to classes, teaching classes, and grading homework already. We just won't have to distract or dodge Umbridge anymore."

One of the school board members asked, "What do you all do for grading?"

Head girl Carissa stated, "Professor Lupin has been providing grading rubrics per chapter about once a month. Currently he has provided them thrice."

Another school board member asked, "Why did you choose Professor Lupin for papers? I know that you said he was the best recently, but is there more to that?"

"Professor Quirrel ended up dead, besides his atrocious handwriting and stuttering made going to his class really hard. Lockart was fiction, so his weren't right. Last year's teacher died as well, though he did teach us some stuff. Lupin taught us, even though he had to deal with his monthly issue. Plus, he's alive, we can get his notes, and we all actually learned something that year."

"How are the teachers and the classes set up?"

Gillian went into the description of how the teachers and the classes were organized in detail, as well as how the teachers were picked. He also went into detail about the time of the day of the classes as well, and how the years were organized.

"So you went with the best grades per house?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"You are all willing to continue this until a new teacher is found?"

"Yes, sir."

"If you would all go wait in the corridor, we are going to have to vote and discuss this amongst ourselves."

"Thank you for listening to our proposal."

The six students left the room, closing the door behind ourselves.

"Well, I have to admit, we don't hear something like this every year."

"I have to admit, they presented their idea very well."

"The two main issues with this proposal is that we do not have an adult in that room, and that this is self taught material. How do you think we can put out a counter proposal to that and deal with those issues?"

After half an hour of discussion, the adults let the students back into the close room.

"We would like to do a counter proposal. We keep the course material for the rest of the year, and you teach it with the same teachers at the same time of day. The only differences would be that it will be that it is in the DADA classroom and that there would be a teacher in the room as well. Is this an acceptable compromise?"

The six quickly talked to each other.

Gillian stated, "We have an agreement."

"Excellent. We'll see about getting the new teacher in by the end of winter holidays then. Will you folks be telling the rest of the teaching students?"

"Yes, sir."

"Headmaster, you'll be making the announcement to the student body?"

"Indeed, young man."

"In that case, this meeting is adjourned."

.

The hubbub around the news of how the DADA class was going to be handled was joyous, mostly. There were the few that were a little upset that they would still be teaching for a few more weeks. However, the idea that the student run classes were now being officially recognized was huge and the ability to talk about how DADA was going was refreshing. Others were relieved that the homework assignments given out last time by the student teachers were still required to be completed, and that they didn't have a bunch of new ones to complete for the course. Student teachers now had to hand in assignment marks to the Headmaster so the students' marks could be recognized. The previous ones were given by Gillian to the Headmaster by the end of lunch. Some had gotten used to not having an adult around and thought that it was an imposition on their class. It was cool and annoying and amazing.

.

One could say that for once Harry Potter was not particularly happy with how things were turning out. He had been dealing with things the way he knew how, with those he trusted of his peers. Hermione and Ron were hanging out with him while doing their home work, or complaining about it a lot while doing it, in the case of Ron and Harry himself. He knew that this was important, especially since he was helping teach a class, but still he hated anything to do with ink and paper together. He preferred anything physical. He also preferred nobody knowing some of his deepest, darkest secrets, and it seemed that there was now another person in the know than he would like. Granted, if no one was going to do anything, he would prefer nobody know and not get a lot of apologetic looks from those who could scarcely do anything about it. He already had left the Dursley's, so the Weasley's didn't have to mail food over so he wouldn't starve, and nobody else seemed to do anything that would help him with his former housing affliction. He was stewing, and unfortunately, wasn't able to keep it off his face at the moment.

Hermione noticed.

"Harry, why are you so upset?"

"Snape knows."

"Wait, what? He is a professor, Harry."

"Professor Snape knows what Professor McGonigal said to us in first year, what the Headmaster said when I asked to stay, and he saw some of my memories of the Dursley's."

"How did he learn that?"

"In the end of my detention for Draco and I keeping the others out of the dorm, he mentioned that I had been learning Occlumency and said that he was going to test how good I was. He saw my memories, and now he says that he will take over the lessons."

"Did he say why, mate?"

Ron had apparently tuned into the last of the conversation so far, and was being surprisingly calm.

"Something to do with neither Draco nor I having strong enough Occlumency shields to survive."

"Then we should probably trust him, though you might want to ask him to try to get along better."

"And why should I stick my neck out there when I know he will want to chomp my head off for it just being there?"

Hermione scratched her head.

"Look, I know that for a while after Slytherin house got nicer, you watched Draco like a hawk. Not that that's different than normal as you two are used to keeping an eye on each other, but maybe just watch him this next week and see if there's anything to trust there?"

Ron interrupted her emotional ramblings, saying, "I know why you don't trust adults, mate. In your shoes, I'd probably be the same. However, when has Professor Snape not helped when he has decided to help?"

The other two were listening intently, as Ron rarely had anything calm to say about Slytherin, Death Eater (former or not), mean, angry Professor Snape.

Ron continued.

"I know we started out first year not liking Snape, but remember the broom incident? When we were so sure that it was Snape cursing the broom? Remember how Quirrel was chanting as well, and when the fire started Snape knocked him back so they both stopped chanting? Remember how Quirrel ended up being the guy we had to fight that year? Second year, I would say that Snape made all those potions for all those people that were stuck, even though he didn't have anything to do with getting the basilisk killed. Third year he came out to stop us. I wonder if Snape doesn't really like you Harry, but will help in ways that will stay unnoticed. Like getting better than Malfoy at Occlumency."

"I guess that is an idea..."

"Sorry, mate, I'm trying to see if trusting Snape with this is a good idea. Well, we know that he doesn't like you or your father or your godfather, and makes it known every single potions class almost, so that is the obvious. Well, he's also a Slytherin that hates you, so who knows if he does that to kind of hedge his good deeds for the year fund."

Hermione shook her head.

"Honestly. I don't think it's a good idea. However, I don't think we have a way out of this right now. You just come to us and tell us what happened, all right?"

"Sure, I guess that works."

.

Occlumency was brought up by Draco when they were in the dorm that evening.

"You know we'll still have to practice, right?"

"We will?"

Draco smirked.

"Yes, we will. All those really hard lessons, and we have to try to gain some knowledge and practice it."

Harry groaned.

"Of course we will, because if he just throws recipes at us in potions, how will he not expect us to try?"

"Of course. All right, but we're setting a timer this time because I don't want to get detention for that again."

Draco nodded.

.

Severus Snape was striding through the halls of Hogwarts, halfway in thought, halfway with an eye open for movement. He had already sent a couple back towards three common rooms who had not been paying attention to the time, taking points from both houses. He had yet to apologize to Sirius or any Gryffindors, current of former. Yet, the figure of Dudley Dursley rose in his mind's eye as a blow to his pride yet again. Opposing that was a desire to not injure his pride, and wondering how that would impact his ability to spy for either the Headmaster or the Dark Lord. Yet, once again, seeing Harry and Dudley together at lunch and supper came up again. He was so lonely. He was aware that most would not believe his change of heart and mind, and would watch to see if he went back to what his bitter, dismissive self. He blew out slowly as he turned a corner.

He headed up to the owlery. He was quite sure that Sirius would not be expecting anything like a letter of forgiveness and apology towards himself. It was not yet light's out. He had time to go interrupt the Potters after the jaunt to the tower.

.

To say that Harry Potter nor Dudley Potter was expecting to be called by their Head of house would be an understatement. They stood in the hall by their dorm door in front of their professor, as Draco and Blaise were in the process of getting ready for bed.

"You called us, Professor?"

"Yes, I did. I called you to apologize to you, Potter.

"You probably don't know why I would be apologizing to you. I've never shown any sign of what I was doing injured my conscience in anything I've done towards you. However, it's gotten to the point where I can ignore it no longer. I am sorry for how I've treated you, and the rest of the Gryffindors while around you or in my classes."

"Professor, is there something that we should know about?"

"No. That's it."

"Professor Snape, I accept your apology."