(4/4)

"Alright, everyone," Harry's voice rang out, breaking the quiet that followed the disposal. "That's a good start for today. You've seen a few basic applications of force and how to handle… difficult situations."

Hermione stepped forward, an offhand Scourgify rendering her robes like new. "Indeed. Remember, the key is not just technique, but also adaptability. Sometimes, the most direct solution is the best. For the rest of the lesson, it's free practice. Spread out, form groups, experiment. Try out new things, see what works best for you. We'll be around if you have any questions."

The students, still somewhat stunned, began to murmur amongst themselves, slowly dispersing into smaller clusters. Many exchanged a silent, potent gaze, as a strange new understanding dawned within them.

The trio moved to a more secluded corner, ostensibly to discuss future plans, their voices low but clear. "This DA is really coming along, isn't it?" Ron muttered, watching the students tentatively begin to engage. "Who knew it'd be this… effective?"

"We need to plan out the next few sessions more thoroughly," Hermione said, already pulling a small, self-inking quill from her robes. "And we need to ensure Umbridge doesn't get wind of this. Secrecy is paramount."

"And if we're going to keep this up," Harry added, surveying the room with a practiced eye, "we'll need more teaching assistants. This is a lot of work for just the three of us."

Hermione nodded, tapping her quill against her chin. "Precisely. Perhaps we should consider expanding our reach. I was thinking… the Slytherins. Maybe we should try to approach some of them."

Ron choked. "The Snakes? What would we want them for? They're all--"

"Not all of them can be bad, Ron," Hermione interjected smoothly, though her eyes held a spark that belied her placid tone. "Besides, even if some of them are difficult, it would be good to have additional… assistants." The word hung in the air, weighted with unspoken meaning, a subtle, almost clinical reference to those who had already 'assisted' in the day's learning.

Harry looked out at the burgeoning chaos in the Room of Requirement. The students, eager to apply their lessons, were indeed taking the instruction to 'experiment' with a terrifying enthusiasm.

In one corner a group of older Hufflepuffs and a few Gryffindors had cornered a slight, shivering first-year Ravenclaw girl. She was barely visible, already encased in a shimmering cocoon of frost, her delicate face turning a terrifying shade of blue. They were practicing a new variant of a freezing charm, the deepening cold hushing all other sounds, making her frantic, desperate whimpers exquisitely audible. Her shivering had become violent, uncontrollable tremors, and her breath hitched in ragged gasps, each exhalation a cloud of white. She was clearly in the late stages of hypothermia, her eyes wide and fixed, a silent, frozen scream perpetually etched onto her stiffening features.

Not far from them, a more aggressive knot of students had found another creative use of spellwork. Hannah Abbott was being held, her head forced into a transparent, shimmering bubble of water. A spell usually designed to create an air pocket for underwater breathing was now perversely being used to deny oxygen. Her body thrashed wildly, her face contorting and pushing desperately against the smooth, unyielding surface of the water bubble, her muffled gurgles of protest already growing weak. These feeble sounds were soon punctuated by terrifying, silent open-mouthed gasps as she fought to breathe, her eyes darting frantically for an escape that wouldn't come, her struggles becoming less violent, more spasmodic.

And in the center of the room an ambitious project was well underway. A selection of eager participants had Angelina Johnson pinned to the floor with one arm held out, bare and exposed. An axe, transfigured from a quidditch broom, descended and with a feminine shriek the limb was expertly sliced off. It landed with a splat near a group of watching first-years, who stared at it with wide, unblinking eyes. The group began to rearrange itself, moving to her other arm and in the process revealing the extent of Angelina's ruined body, her legs already ending in bloody stumps just above the knee, her life force draining out while the students raced to complete their masterpiece first.

Harry surveyed the scene with an approving nod, a clear sense of vindication radiating from him. "Honestly, Hermione," he murmured aloud, turning back to her, "if we hadn't put this together, if we'd just let Umbridge's nonsense win... where would everyone be right now? Helpless. What we're teaching here is what we need to keep everyone safe." He smirked. "And you know what? We definitely need more teaching assistants. I think the Greengrass sisters would certainly make excellent additions to the DA. The more, the better!"

****

I hope this story was enjoyable or at least interesting to read. Please reply with a review if you have a positive or negative opinion (did you have a favorite segment?) I'll be posting it on Ao3 soon, and so I still have time to correct any new mistakes if they're found.

A long time ago I posted here under the name YJ_Anon. This is the new penname I've chosen for posting *riskier* fiction.

Since the last time I shared something I've been attempting to improve my writing, attacking various bad habits and trying to expand my repertoire. However, I have yet to be able to write stories straight off the cuff, save for some extremely rare bursts of creativity. Instead, I'm still relying on an incremental approach: I sketch out my ideas roughly, then revisit them to expand, then refine the wording to better capture the feeling I want to convey, and then repeat ad nauseam until I think it's right or I'm too tired.

Or, in simpler terms, I smash the dumb words that I wrote with a thesaurus until it sounds smart.

I'm not sure if I've already reached the limit of what I can do with this approach, risking a descent into nonsensical, flowery prose. Any critical feedback on the technical aspects of my writing would be appreciated in addition to reviews of the story itself.