Chapter - 72 : Lessons in Leadership

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"You're not," Hermione said cheerfully. "Now that that's settled, I think that we should open our tutoring group to anyone who wants to join in. We're not the only ones taking O.W.L.s, others need to be prepared just as much as we do."

"But that makes things so much more difficult," Harry groaned.

"It does, but it'll be worth it, because we won't just be helping students pass their exams, we'll be teaching them how to protect themselves against V-Voldemort and his Death Eater's. These lessons could be the difference between living and dying."

Harry sighed and leaned back in his seat, not even trying to hide the petulant pout on his face. "Well when you put it like that…"

"Excellent," Hermione beamed. "Oh, there's so much we need to plan; we'll have to rearrange the curriculum I came up with, to accommodate students from different years, and oh, we'll have to find somewhere to practice, an empty classroom would be our best bet, but I don't see any teachers lining up to let a group of students practice spells in their classrooms."

"Why don't we just ask the house-elves?" Harry asked. "They might know a good place. Excuse me, Nipsy?"

A little elf hurried to Harry's side and looked up at him adoringly. "What can Nipsy do for Mr. Harry Potter?" she asked.

"Well, my friends and I were wondering if you knew of any places we and a few others could practice spells and such without being disturbed."

A contemplative look settled over the elf's pointy features for several long moments, then she beamed happily and began to nod. "Yes, yes, Nipsy knows a place, it is known as the Come and Go Room or the Room of Requirement."

"The Room of Requirement?" Harry repeated. "Why?"

"Because it is a room that a person can only enter when they have real need of it," Nipsy explained. "Sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not, but when it appears, it is always equipped for the seeker's needs. Nipsy knows Mr. Filch has found extra cleaning materials there when he has run short, sir, and so do the house elves. It is a most amazing room, sir,"

"How many people know about it?"

"Just the house elves and the caretaker Filch."

Harry grinned at the little elf, who was suddenly quivering with happiness. "That sounds perfect. Could you tell me where it is?"

"Of course, Harry Potter, sir. The Come and Go Room is on the seventh floor in the left corridor, right across from the portrait of the odd wizard showing the trolls how to dance." Nipsy gestured with her arms and did an odd little twirl that Harry interpreted as ballerina's twirl. "To get in, Harry Potter must walk past the wall across from the portrait three times while he thinks of exactly what he needs, and it will appear."

Harry turned to his friends, who were listening in astonishment. "Well," he said, "you reckon we should try it?"

"Curfew isn't for another few hours," Hermione said. "We might as well."

Harry managed a quick thank you to Nipsy, before dashing after his friends and up to the seventh floor.

"So what should we ask for?" Ron panted, staring at the blank stretch of wall across from Barnabas the Barmy's portrait.

"Let's just ask for what we need." Harry said. "A place to practice defense." He did as Nipsy instructed and paced past the wall three times, thinking of exactly what he needed as he did, on his third time past the wall, he heard Hermione gasp and stopped to look. A tall polished door stood in the previously blank wall.

"Brilliant," Ron muttered in awe.

Harry reached out to grasp the polished brass handle and pulled the door open. The room behind the door was spacious and lit by strategically placed windows and torches, the walls were lined with bookshelves and, instead of chairs, silk cushions dotted the floor.

"This is perfect!" Hermione exclaimed, looking around in awe "And just look at these books!" she ran a finger along the spines of the large leather-bound tomes "A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions, The Dark Arts Outsmarted, Self-Defensive Spellwork. This is wonderful, there's everything we need here!"

"So we're really doing this then?" Draco asked, slowly walking around the room.

"We are," Harry nodded.

The blonde sighed and pulled up a cushion. "Then we better get to planning."

"Do you think what you and your friends have planned is wise?"

Harry bit his lip and stared off into the tree line, he and Loki were in the little clearing they often frequented in the Forbidden Forest, taking a small break from Harry's combat lessons.

"I like to think it is," Harry finally answered after several long moments of thought. "I know the moment Umbridge catches on to what we're doing she'll make some new rule to try and stop us. I also know that when she does, we won't stop, because what we're planning to do," Harry beamed radiantly at his father, "it's going to save lives. It started off as just a way to pass O.W.L.s, to get by for the rest of the year, and maybe to provide others with a way to defend themselves against Death Eaters long enough for help to show up, but last night we started planning and we really got into it, and suddenly it's not just this defense club anymore. We're preparing for war."

Loki felt his chest tighten as he smiled down at his beautiful son. He was no longer a child interested in childish things, although to be fair Harry had never been interested in childish things. He was now a young man, almost an adult, and despite whatever protests Harry may attempt to make, his boy was beautiful, the perfect mix of his mother, who he would admit as being striking for a mortal, and himself. And he was powerful, so powerful Loki's blood sang. And now he stood to lose it all, because of one power hungry mortal afraid of death. If anything, anything, happened to Haraldr nothing would contain his rage.

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Loving the story so far? There's a whole world of magic and mystery waiting for you with over 85+ chapters still to come! By supporting my Patreon.

You not only get early access to new chapters but also exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and special perks just for fans like you.

Join us on this enchanted journey and help shape the future of the tale. Your support makes all the difference—discover more and become part of the adventure today!

http//patreon.com/Kun_kanshi

(P).(A).(T).(R).(E).(O).(N)

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