The Last Sanguimagus

Breakfast found Harry happily buttering a scone, all thoughts of stale birthday cake banished. His dreams had been unremarkable, and, truth be told, he was looking forward to a year without Snape, even if it did destroy his chances of becoming an Auror. It was going to be a good year, if he could just talk to Dumbledore and work on his Occlumency lessons. He poured more orange juice and tried not to watch as Ron gulped down his food with a practically indecent enthusiasm.

"I heard from Lavender that she's a former student," said Hermione.

"Who?" asked Harry, confused.

"Professor Tanner. The Talismans instructor." She sipped her orange juice thoughtfully. "I wonder what year she was in."

Harry looked at the teacher in question, and shrugged. "Looks like a Hufflepuff to me. Maybe the Fat Friar would know."

Hermione looked at him, surprised. "What a great idea!" She would have leapt up right then and there if McGonagall hadn't been passing out timetables.

Ron was staring at the new teacher. "She seems..." He seemed to be searching for the right word. "Sad. Or something."

Hermione looked at him. "I thought you said she looked boring."

"Well, she did," he said defensively.

Professor McGonagall handed them their timetables. Harry took his and nearly fell off the bench. "What? Potions?" he asked, incredulous.

The corner of McGonagall's lips twitched, as if she was trying to conceal a smile. "I had a little talk with Professor Snape and...convinced him to let you try," she said quietly. "But I must warn you that he will not tolerate any work of substandard quality, and he will personally expel you from his class if you show any signs of slipping. If you need any help, please speak to me at once." She paused again, and looked at Ginny and Ron. "And good luck with Quidditch this year. I don't need to remind you how nice the Quidditch cup looks inside my office..." She walked off.

Ron turned to Harry, ecstatic. "You're in Potions, mate! That's brilliant!"

Hermione looked worried. "But you'll be taken out of class if anything happens...promise me you'll study harder this year, Harry! If you aren't allowed to take the Potions N.E.W.T. you won't get far--"

Harry looked at the head table, and Snape glowered at him. He felt the most alarming mix of sensations; giddiness that Professor McGonagall had somehow outmanoeuvreed the hated Potions professor, and gloom about another year in his most dreaded class.

"Double Charms...Talismans...Herbology...today isn't too bad," muttered Ron.

"No Divination?" teased Hermione.

"Yeah, well, at least we get a break," said Ron. "You have to go to Arithmancy, while we can relax."

"You mean prepare for Potions," she answered.

"But we don't have Potions until Friday," said Ron.

"Then you'll be that much more prepared," replied Hermione.

"Tryouts for Quidditch are Friday night," said Ginny casually.

"Who'd you hear that from?" asked Ron.

"I decided it," she replied in the same casual tone.

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "Did the new captain ask your opinion?" asked Harry.

"No," she said exasperatedly. "I am the new captain."

Ron's horror-stricken expression was so laughable that Harry had to struggle to conceal his mirth. "You?" Ron spluttered.

"Yes, me," she said. "I have time. After all, it's not like I'm a prefect or anything." She drank a little pumpkin juice. "McGonagall let me know this morning...I'll have to start coming up with defensive plays..."

Ernie Macmillan sat down next to Harry. "When are the meetings going to begin again?" he asked in a low voice.

"What meetings?" said Harry.

"The DA," said Hermione, unfolding her Daily Prophet.

"Er...I thought--well, that is..." Harry began lamely. They all stared at him. "I thought we weren't going to--well, we have a new professor, and that was the reason we started, wasn't it? That we needed competent instruction."

"Harry," hissed Hermione, clearly upset. "We can't stop now. There is still danger--he's still out there, and this would be a valuable resource for everyone! We could discuss what's happening--we could find out new methods of resistance..."

"Well...if it is that important," said Harry, still unsure. "But...maybe we should wait and see what Professor Marten's class is like first. I don't want to cause any more trouble." He thought of the friends who had helped him, who could have died at the Department of Mysteries, and suppressed a shiver.

Professor McGonagall suddenly leaned in next to Harry. "The Headmaster wishes to see you in his office now. You're to be excused from Charms." Harry jammed the last of the scone in his mouth and took off after the Transfigurations professor, waving goodbye to his friends.

"Chocolate Frog," she said when they had reached the gargoyle who guarded the stairs to Dumbledore's office. "Off you go," she said, shooing him onto the stairs, and then turning back into the corridor.

Up he went, through the oaken doors, and into the Headmaster's Office.

Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his eyes twinkling. "Ah, Harry," he said warmly. "Please sit down. Lemon drop?"

"Yes, please," said Harry, taking one from Dumbledore's outstretched hand.

"I've called you here to discuss some very important things, Harry," began the Headmaster. "Our new Talismans instructor is creating an amulet for you. A very powerful amulet that may help to block out Voldemort's influence. It is nearly ready." He fixed Harry's eyes with his own piercing blue ones. "She is not a...conventional witch, Harry, and there will be a need for you to do an unconventional thing to finish the amulet and seal it to yourself. I don't want you to become alarmed, but she will need a drop or two of your blood."

"My blood?" echoed Harry.

"Yes," answered Dumbledore simply. "Then the amulet will be tuned to you and no other. She will speak to you today about setting up a time and place to finish her work."

"Oh...okay," he said, feeling uneasy. What sort of magic would need blood? He couldn't imagine any.

"And I also must tell you, regrettably, that the Room of Requirement has been sealed off."

"Sealed off?" Harry stared at him, aghast. "But why?"

"There is too much potential for...misuse," said Dumbledore carefully. "There are some here at Hogwarts who now know of its secrets, and it could be a dangerous room in their hands."

Harry nodded glumly. Malfoy, of course.

"On a more positive note," continued the Headmaster, "I am giving you full permission to continue with your Defence Association. However, times being what they are, I must ask that you do so with adult supervision."

Harry felt the blood draining out of his face. "Adult supervision?" he asked incredulously.

"Yes, Harry," said Dumbledore firmly. "The Board of Governors has insisted upon it, and, without a secret room to practice in, you must find yourself an adult here at Hogwarts who will lend you a classroom and chaperone your meetings. Your studies are more advanced now, and you must have someone there who will know what to do in case of an accident. The teachers all have contingency plans, and can be remarkably helpful."

"Would you--"

"I regret that I cannot."

He felt his anger growing swiftly. "But--who would help us? I--"

"I am certain that someone will be able to give you some support in this matter." He paused, and looked even more serious. "Harry, no one wants you to succeed in this endeavour more than myself. But I must warn you that there are enemies and dangers everywhere, even here at Hogwarts, and you must handle this with care. Remember that I am trying to help you. You must see how it looks to an outsider for you to carry on teaching a subject which is already being taught. After your subterfuge was discovered last year there was a terrible outcry."

Harry took several deep breaths. At last he looked again at Dumbledore, but he knew that he couldn't disguise the hurt he felt. "All right," he said. "We'll find a chaperone."

"Excellent," said Dumbledore. "Now off to Charms."

Harry nodded and went back down the staircase, his face flushed. So they were ickle firsties now, and needed a big adult to watch them...he nearly walked right through the Fat Friar, who chastised him soundly about looking where he was going. Something about the Friar jogged his memory, but he couldn't remember what it was, so he kept going, heading to the Charms classroom, where Ron and Hermione had saved him a seat.

"I'll tell you later," he whispered to Hermione after she gave him a curious look.

The class seemed to drag on forever, and Harry was restless after his meeting. Finally Charms was over, and they found Ginny during the break.

"What happened?" demanded Hermione.

"Dumbledore said that the DA can meet," he began.

"Excellent!" said Ron.

"But we have to have adult supervision."

"Oh no," moaned Ron.

"Oh, don't be silly," said Hermione. "We have Dumbledore's sanction. And it is a good idea to have a teacher present, someone who can take care of an emergency--"

"But who?" asked Harry exasperatedly.

"We'll have to ask some of the teachers," said Hermione determinedly.

"Anyone but Snape," said Ron grimly.

"If it comes down to it, we'll ask him too," said Hermione, though she paled a little.

"What?" howled Ron. "No way!"

"Maybe we could ask Professor Marten," suggested Ginny.

"I don't think that would be a good idea," said Hermione. "I think he's definitely got something against Harry. Plus, he would see Harry as competition. Why would we need a DA when we've got a Dark Arts professor already? Plus, we'll be talking about Voldemort, and what's happening in the Wizarding world..."

"So we need someone quiet and unobtrusive," said Ginny.

"Well, yes," said Hermione.

"What about Professor Tanner?" asked Ron.

"Ron, we barely know her!" said Hermione.

"We don't know Professor Marten, either," said Ginny defensively.

"She's--I don't know, there's something creepy about her," said Hermione.

"We'll find out more today," said Harry. "Our next class is Talismans, and I have to make an appointment with her. She's making an amulet for me." He said nothing about the blood. Hermione was obviously uneasy enough already.

"An amulet?" Hermione swung around and faced him. "What amulet?"

"To--er, protect me against Voldemort's influence."

"Did Dumbledore say you should wear it?"

"Of course!" said Harry.

"That would be a difficult amulet to make, and she'd need to have your help as well. Talismans are usually defensive in nature, with--"

"Look, we have her class next," interrupted Ron. "We'll see what she's like there. And I'd rather not be late to the first one..." He gave them all a meaningful look.

"Oh--I need to get to Defence Against the Dark Arts--" gasped Ginny, suddenly taking off.

"Where is the Talismans classroom, anyway?" asked Ron.

"Near the entrance of the dungeons," answered Hermione, giving him a disapproving glare. "Honestly, don't you read any of the bulletins? You are supposed to be a prefect, after all."

"Let's go," said Harry, taking off down the corridor.

***