Ron.had.got.to.his.feet,.too..
.Coming?..he.said.awkwardly.to.Harry..
.Yeah,..said.Harry...In….in.a.minute..I.ll.just.clear.this.up...
He.indicated.the.smashed.bowl.on.the.floor..Ron.nodded.and.left..
.Reparo,..Harry.muttered,.pointing.his.wand.at.the.broken.pieces.of.china..They.flew.back.together,.good.as.new,.but.there.was.no.returning.the.Murtlap.essence.to.the.bowl..
He.was.suddenly.so.tired.he.was.tempted.to.sink.back.into.his.armchair.and.sleep.there,.but.instead.he.forced.himself.to.his.feet.and.followed.Ron.upstairs.
.His.restless.night.was.punctuated.once.more.by.dreams.of.long.corridors.and.locked.doors.and.he.awoke.next.day.with.his.scar.pickling.again..
—.CHAPTER.SIXTEEN.
In.the.Hogs.Head
Hermione.made.no.mention.of.Harry.giving.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts.lessons.for.two.whole.weeks.after.her.original.suggestio..Harry.s.detentions.with.Umbridge.were.finally.over.(he.doubted.whether.the.words.now.etched.into.the.back.of.his.hand.would.ever.fade.entirely);.Ron.had.had.four.more.Quidditch.practices.and.not.been.shouted.at.during.the.last.two;.and.all.three.of.
them.had.managed.to.Vanish.their.mice.in.Transfiguration.(Hermione.had.actually.progressed.to.Vanishing.kittens),.before.the.subject.was.broached.again,
.on.a.wild,.blustery.evening.at.the.end.of.September,.when.the.three.of.them.were.sitting.in.the.library,.looking.up.potion.ingredients.for.Snape..
.I.was.wondering,..Hermione.said.suddenly,..whether.you.d.thought.any.more.about.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts,.Harry...
.Course.I.have,..said.Harry.grumpily,..can.t.forget.it,.can.we,.with.that.hag.teaching.us.‐..
.I.meant.the.idea.Ron.and.I.had.‐..Ron.cast.her.an.alarmed,.threatening.kind.of.look..She.frowned.at.him,..‐.Oh,.all.right,.the.idea.I.had,.then.‐.about.you.teaching.us...
Harry.did.not.answer.at.once..He.pretended.to.be.perusing.a.page.of.Asiatic.Anti‐Venoms,.because.he.did.not.want.to.say.what.was.in.his.mind..
He.had.given.the.matter.a.great.deal.of.thought.over.the.past.fortnight.
.Sometimes.it.seemed.an.insane.idea,.just.as.it.had.on.the.night.Hermione.had.proposed.it,.but.at.others,.he.had.found.himself.thinking.about.the.spells.that.had.served.him.best.in.his.various.encounters.with.Dark.creatures.and.Deat
.Eaters.‐.found.himself,.in.fact,.subconsciously.planning.lessons….
.Well,..he.said.slowly,.when.he.could.no.longer.pretend.to.find.Asiatic.Anti‐
Venoms.interesting,..yeah,.1.‐.I.ve.thought.about.it.a.bit...
.And?..said.Hermione.eagerly..
.I.dunno,..said.Harry,.playing.for.time..He.looked.up.at.Ron..
.I.thought.it.was.a.good.idea.from.the.start,..said.Ron,.who.seemed.keener.to.join.in.this.conversation.now.that.he.was.sure.Harry.was.not.going.to.start.shouting.again..
Harry.shifted.uncomfortably.in.his.chair..
.You.did.listen.to.what.I.said.about.a.load.of.it.being.luck,.didn.t.you?..
.Yes,.Harry,..said.Hermione.gently,..but.all.the.same,.there.s.no.point.pretending.that.you.re.not.good.at.Defence.Against.the.Dark.Arts,.because.you.are..You.