A true leader
Chapter 22:
For the next few weeks, Neville and Harry worked tirelessly to train the KA. While at first, Harry was the default leader, Neville gradually began to become a more prominent leader. Soon, people began to see him as the leader of their group, instead of him. Harry did not mind. He was glad to see the man Neville had once been, the leader he had once been, shine through. Part of being a good leader was having people who believed in you. While only a few months ago, Neville had been seen as little more than a shy, borderline Squibb, he was now being seen with more respect by the members of the KA.
Harry didn't even mind that it was taking away from his own status as leader. After all, he still thought that Neville was a better ruler than he would ever be.
And in any case, the KA would only be a small part of their forces. They still had many more allies to gather. And while it wasn't advisable to have a divided army, both he and Neville believed there would not be much conflict, due to them being on such good terms. And if there were arguments between the different legions, then they could easily resolve them.
The first of the allies for Harry to recruit were the house-elves. After much discussion, they had decided that it would be better for Harry to be the one to negotiate with the other races. The main reason for this was the legend Dobby had told them, concerning Harry being some kind of "Promised One" for the magical beings of Britain.
Before Harry did any recruiting, however, he wished to find out how exactly the house-elves became practically enslaved to the wizards. Hence why he was currently sitting in an empty classroom with Dobby, hoping the house-elf knew some kind of history concerning his race.
"So, do you know anything?" He asked. "About why House-elves must serve wizards?"
Dobby nodded, uncharacteristically serious.
"Yes, Dobby knows. All house-elves are told the story when they are young."
"Could you please tell me?" He requested.
Dobby nodded again.
"Dobby would be happy to tell Harry Potter anything."
The house-elf began his tale.
"Long, long ago, the people from the realm of magic, the land of forever youth, walked freely between their world and the world of the humans. One day, a being from the magic world came to this one, but was then attack by very, very bad wizards, who wanted to take the being's power for themselves. The being was strong, but these wizards knew how to fight them. Not only did they use their magic, but weapons of iron. Soon, the being was dying, and the wizards had stolen almost all of their magic.
But then, another wizard found the dying creature. The wizard took pity and used his own magic to heal the being. But unfortunately, the being could not live without magic. And after they were attacked, and their magic was stolen, they lost their connection to the magic realm. So, the wizard put some of his own magic into the being. And they were healed, but they were also bound to the wizard.
The wizard took the being home, and they came to an agreement. The being would repay the wizard by assisting him in household tasks, and the wizard would provide the being with the magic they needed to live. Part of the agreement was that the wizard would treat the being fairly.
It was this being, who became the first house-elf. And, as this first house-elf was bound to the wizard, all of their descendants would be bound to wizardkind. And if they were not, they would slowly begin to lose their magic and eventually die.
At first, the wizards treated the house-elves fairly. But, soon the wizards began to treat the house-elves worse and worse, until the house-elves were treated like slaves. They were even denied clothes, to the point that the wizards made it so the only way for a house-elf to be freed would be for the wizard to give the house-elf clothes.
But there was stibl hope, for it was said the Great King, the Promised One, would rise again and free the house-elves, along with all other races, from the cruelty of the wizards."
Harry looked at Dobby as the house-elf fell silent.
"Dobby," He said slowly. "That's... That's just... Well, that's messed up."
Dobby nodded.
"Yes." The house-elf replied mournfully. Then, his ears pricked up. "But Dobby's happy now, because the great Harry Potter is the Promised One, and he will free all of the house-elves and give them back the magic that was stolen."
"Dobby, dobby, please calm down." Harry said, trying to calm the house-elf. "I don't know about this whole Promised One thing, but I do know that I will do my best to free the house-elves, or at least make things better."
Dobby nodded excitedly.
"Dobby knows. Harry Potter can do it. He is brave, and kind, and..."
"Okay, okay." Harry interrupted, raising a hand. "But Dobby, one thing bugs me."
"What is wrong Harry Potter?"
Harry sucked in a breath.
"You said that, if a house-elf was free, then they would slowly lose their magic and die."
Dobby nodded.
"But, when I tricked Malfoy into freeing you, you seemed happy about it."
"That is because Dobby was happy." Dobby replied.
"But then, it took you ages to find a knew home." Harry continued. "And you could have been accepted, but you didn't because you were demanding pay."
Dobby nodded.
"Because Dobby did not want to be treated like he was with his old bad masters."
"But," Harry continued. "If your life was on the line... Dobby, what would have happened if you had never found anyone to take you in?"
"Then Dobby would have died." Dobby replied simply.
Harry felt a twinge in his heart when he heard this. It was hard for him to imagine Dobby dying and being alright with it.
"Why?" He asked.
Dobby clenched his fists.
"Because Dobby would rather die than be treated badly by anyone ever again."
"Oh, Dobby."
Harry could not help himself. He lent forward and wrapped his arms around the house-elf.
"What is Harry Potter doing?" Dobby asked, his voice muffled due to his face being berried in Harry's chest.
"I'm hugging you, you loveable idiot." He said.
"But why?"
"Because you deserve it." Harry replied. "You, and all the house-elves, deserve a thousand hugs and any form of love and comfort. I knew that the Malfoys were bad, but I didn't think it would make you prefer death."
"A lot of house-elves are treated just as badly as Dobby was."
"Then I'm going to do my best to free you all, even if it kills me, promised one or not."
He could feel some dampness on his chest.
"Harry Potter is truly the Promised One, for only the Promised could be so kind, and brave and..."
After that, Dobby's words became inaudible. Harry began stroking his back.
"Hey, what are friends for?"
This only caused Dobby's sobs to intensify.
"Harry... Potter... Considers Dobby a friend...!"
"Of course I do." Harry said gently. "Dobby, you're a good person. When you found out something was going to happen at Hogwarts, you did not hesitate in trying to protect me. Even if you almost killed me in the process, I still appreciate the gesture."
He continued to try to calm the house-elf down.
"Everyone deserves a friend Dobby. I think you're a pretty could one."
They sat like that for a long time, Harry comforting Dobby. And, eventually, he was able to calm his house-elf friend down. Dobby slipped out of Harry's arms, his eyes red rimmed and puffy from the crying. Though, he was smiling widely, and there was an unbridled joy in those green orbs.
"So," Harry began. "You ready to spread the word to the rest of the house-elves?"
It was late at night when Harry snuck into the kitchens. Dobby had said he would try to get all of the house-elves in one spot.
He entered the kitchen to see over a hundred house-elves, all looking at him.
He coughed awkwardly.
"So." He began.
That was all he managed to get out before they all began clambering around, asking him how they could serve, if he needed any food, what he wanted them to do.
"Okay, okay, please can I have some silence!" He yelled over the din.
Instantly, the entire room fell silent.
"Thanks." He said.
He began walking to the other side of the room. The house-elves parted before him. When he reached the other side of the room, he saw Dobby, standing next to a chair that the house-elf had conjured.
"Thanks." He whispered.
Dobby only nodded.
Harry turned and sat in the chair. He could not help but feel it was like some sort of throne, in front of all these diminutive figures.
Well, it might as well be a throne, considering that he intended to be a king.
He cleared his throat.
"Are these all of the Hogwarts house-elves?" He asked
They all nodded.
"Okay." He began. "Please, take a seat..."
The house-elves began to sit on the cold hard floor, but Harry was having known of it. He waved his wand and conjured several rows of comfortable stalls.
"Now take a seat." He said.
The house-elves stared at the stools warily, unsure of what to do.
"Please." Harry continued. "I want to to all be comfortable."
This much hesitation, the house-elves sat on the stools.
Harry cleared his throat again. He wished that Neville was there. After all, they were both supposed to be kings. But Neville had thought it best, as, from what Dobby had told them, the house-elves or any magical creature for that matter did not think very highly of Arthur Pendragon.
So Harry was stuck here, alone. Well, except for Dobby. He was at least thankful for his friend.
"Now, I have recently been made aware of some things." He began. "Apparently, house-elves are bound to wizards and witches, not just in magic but in life. The wizards have held this power over you for too long..."
"But sir, we are happy as we are." One voice squeaked up from the crowd.
Many small heads nodded.
"It's a house-elve's lot in life." Another voice said.
"But it doesn't have to be." Harry argued. "How many of you have heard of, or experienced, poor treatment from people who were supposed to treat you fairly?"
Many shaking hands rose into the air.
"You don't have to live like this." Harry continued. "You are living beings, just like everyone else. You deserve the right to be free, the right to live, the right to magic, the right to ware clothes and be paid for your hard work, just like everyone else."
There were many mutters.
"I know, that many of you are comfortable." He said. "That many of you have accepted this as your lot in life. But it doesn't have to be. It should not be. You should be free."
He looked around, meeting the eyes of every single last house-elf.
"My allies and I wish to help you, along with many others, to gain the equality you deserve."
"How can you do this?" A house-elf squeaked. "What power do you have?"
"Dobby thinks that Harry Potter should show them the sword." Dobby whispered to him.
Harry pulled back his cloak and temporarily removed the camouflage from Caliburn.
Gasps echoed throughout the room. For a second, Harry was concerned at all the wide eyes and silent stares. Then, every single last house-elf fell to their knees.
"The Promised One!"
"He has come!"
"We shall be free!"
"We shall have our stolen magic back!"
"Okay, okay!" Harry said loudly, grabbing all of their attention. "Please, stand up. You don't have to knee like that."
They all got back to their stools, though they were still all staring at him as if he were some kind of benevolent god.
"Right, well," He continued. "I and my allies are planning to bring equality to magical Britain..."
"How may we help the Promised One." A house-elf squeaked.
Harry sighed. Great, just what he needed, an army of Dobbys.
"Please, I don't want to be treated like some prophesied savour." He began. "I only wish to lead you and the rest of the magical world into a new age."
"And we will stand behind you!"
The rest nodded.
"Thank you." He began. "It won't be easy. Many may not survive this war."
He looked at them all.
"But everyone who sacrificed for the good of the future will not be forgotten. We will stand, and we will fight, for our children and our children's children and all other generations to come. But we cannot do it alone. We must stand as one, if we have any chance of success."
Suddenly, Dobby stood up from the stool that had been beside Harry's this entire time.
"Hale Harry Potter!" He yelled.
Everyone echoed him.
"Hale Harry Pott!"
Another house-elf yelled.
"Hale, the king of freedom!"
Again, they echoed. And then, came a tightly which he had heard applied to Neville, but never to him. Looks like he was really the house-elf equivalent of King Arthur.
"Hale, the Once and Future King!"
After several minutes of the house-elves yelling in joy, praising him and promising their loyalty to him, they actually began to have a miniature party with leftover food and sweets. Thankfully, with the help of some of the older house-elves, he was able to calm them down and remind them that, for now, they needed to continue to work for Hogwarts, so no one would find out about their plans.
When he was finally out of the kitchens, he sighed and turned to Dobby.
"Well, that was easy." He said.
"Dobby thinks that Harry Potter did great." Dobby said, smiling.
Harry fingered the paper crown that one of the house-elf children made him. It was made out of scrap piece, and held together by magic. He took it off.
"I'm going to keep this somewhere safe." He said. "I don't want anyone to see me with a crown on yet, but it's still a nice gesture and I don't want to offend anyone."
"Oh, Dobby doesn't think that Harry Potter could offend anyone." Dobby replied. "At least not any of the house-elves."
Harry chuckled.
"Thanks."
They continued to walk down the corridor.
"What will Harry Potter do now?" Dobby asked.
"Well," Harry began. "Neville and I are still training the KA. We've found some spells to help spread along some of the learning, but it will still take months before most of us are ready."
Dobby nodded.
"Some of the house-elves can help."
Harry blinked.
"House-elves know how to fight?"
"We can learn." Dobby replied.
Harry nodded.
"Do any of the house-elves know how to do some healing tricks?"
Dobby nodded.
"Yes, many of us."
Harry nodded.
"Do you think some of them could help teach some of the KA? It would be very helpful."
Dobby nodded.
"Of course. We all will be willing to help in any way."
"Right." Harry said.
He looked down at his friend.
"Dobby, I have a very important job for you."
Dobby's ears perked up.
"Yes, Dobby will do anything for the great Harry Potter sir."
"Good." Harry continued. "Dobby, this is a very big job. It's really important, so I'm trusting you with it."
He sucked in a breath.
"I want you, to be my representative among the house-elves."
Dobby froze, his eyes as wide as tennis balls. Then, he began to jump up and down like a kid on a sugar high.
"Oh, Dobby is so honored. The great Harry Potter has given Dobby a big job, and Dobby will do his best to help Harry Potter."
"Okay, okay, please calm down." Harry said.
The house-elf instantly calmed down.
"As I was saying," He continued. "I will need to to monitor all that happens with the house-elves, how things are progressing, if they have any problems, if there are any who show sines of hesitation in our plans, stuff like that. And I will need you to report it to me. You will also act as my voice among them, and you will act my place if I am unable to be there. Do you understand?"
Dobby nodded.
"Dobby understands, and he will do everything that Harry Potter wishes him to do."
Harry smiled.
"Thank you."
"As Harry Potter said, what are friends for?"
Harry chuckled.
"Yeah, thanks."
"So, what else is Harry Potter going to do?" Dobby asked.
Harry sucked in a breath.
"Well, as I said, we are going to try to gain equality for all races. This means I'm going to go and try to make alliances with other magical creatures, like Goblins, centaurs and Werewolves."
Dobby nodded.
"Dobby thinks that the Goblins and Centaurs will be easier than Harry Potter thinks. Many magical creatures, not just house-elves, no the tale of the Promised One."
Harry sighed.
"I hope you're right Dobby. I hope you're right."
He was watching the training-yard. Half of the fighters were practicing with weapons, the others with magic. It was currently his turn to watch the weapon training. While he did mostly focus on the magical training, he and Neville liked to alternate, so that they too, could enhance some of the areas which they were less skilled in.
He was watching the archery range, when suddenly, there was a commotion from the dueling section. They all turned to see that Ernie McMillan had gotten into an argument with Blaise Zabini. He went to intervene, but before he could, Neville stepped forward.
"Alright, what's going on?" He asked in a loud, clear voice.
The two arguing boys turned to him.
"He cheated." Ernie accused Blaise.
"I did not." Blaise retorted.
"Alright, what happened?" Neville asked.
"We were in the middle of practicing the shield charm, like you and Harry told us to." Ernie began.
"No, if I remember correctly, they said to practice magical shielding, not just the shield charm." Blaise retorted.
Neville somehow managed to remain calm.
"So, I am guessing that Blaise did something other than the shield charm?"
Ernie nodded.
"He threw up a stone wall."
"Because it's more practical." Blaise retorted. "The shield charm takes energy to sustain. Throwing up a stone wall only takes a bit of energy to conjure, then it takes nothing to sustain."
Before Ernie could retort, Neville interrupted.
"Okay, Blaise, the reason why we have people learning the shield charm is because it's basic and easy to cast. But Ernie, there are other alternative, more advance ways of blocking spells. You have to remember that the shield charm only blocks minor to moderate jinxes and hexes."
Both boys nodded.
"Now, can we please have no more arguments, just because some people have alternative was of shielding."
They both nodded again.
Harry smiled and walked up to Neville.
"Well done with defusing the argument." He whispered.
Neville shrugged.
"It was easy, really."
Harry nodded.
Harry stood on the edge of the Forbidden Forest, wondering if this was really a good idea. From what he had both heard and observed, the centaurs were a proud race. They would be less willing to swear their loyalty to a human. However, he did have hope that maybe, possibly, if what Dobby had said was true, that perhaps his supposed status as "The Promised One", would help persuade them.
He had of course, gone to the only centaur he was on somewhat good terms with, and ask him if the centaurs had a similar tale to the house-elves. Thankfully, his contact had informed him that it was so.
From what he could remember, the centaurs took prophecies very seriously. They were always looking to the stars to divine the future. They trusted what the stars said, more than almost anything else.
He was hoping to use this to his advantage.
Finally, his guide to the centaur camp appeared. He looked up to see the centaur who had saved him during his first year, when the teachers had thought it would be a good idea to send four first-years into the forbidden forest at night.
"Hi, Firenze." He said, smiling slightly.
The centaur nodded.
"It is good to see you again Harry Potter. Or would you rather I call you by your original name, now that you finally remember."
"Harry's just fine." Harry replied.
Firenze nodded.
"So, are they ready?" He asked.
Firenze nodded.
"Many have been skeptical, but still more remember that your coming has long been foretold."
Firenze began to lead him deep into the forest.
"So, how did you know about my past?" He asked.
"I have known since the first time I saw you." Firenze replied. "We all did, even if you could not remember."
"How?" Harry asked.
Firenze stared at him.
"It is in your soul. Though you ware a different face, the markings of Mordred Ap Arthur are still there."
Harry shuddered. Centaurs could honestly be as creepy as... Well, as Luna. The only difference was that he was used to Luna, not so much to the centaurs.
"And what do your people say about Mordred Ap Arthur?" He asked.
Firenze's eyes flicked up to where the night sky was just visible from beyond the canopy of trees.
"They call him, or rather you, the Fallen One. They say that, long ago, the Fallen One tried to free this land from the Shadowed One and his Puppet King, but died in the his purpose, leaving the land in only more ruin."
Harry bowed his head.
"I never meant for it to go so far." He muttered.
Firenze continued.
"But it is said that he shall rise again, cut the strings of the Puppet King, and fulfill what he had set out to do so long ago."
Firenze stared at him.
"Long as the stars told of your coming." He said. "And long have many of my kind waited for you."
Harry pursed his lips.
"And how likely are they to follow me;"
Firenze shook his head.
"Though the stars have spoke much of you, my people have long been discriminated against by the humans. Many may be less willing to follow a wizard, despite what the stars may say."
Harry nodded.
"I suspected as much."
"Do you have a plan?" Firenze asked.
Harry grinned.
"Of course I do." He replied.
They then emerged into a large clearing. Harry looked around. There were so many centaurs, more than he had thought. And they were all doing various tasks, traveling between the makeshift dwellings. They did not seem to have noticed him and Firenze yet.
"Err, Firenze?" He asked hesitantly.
"Follow me." Firenze said. "I will take you to Magorian, our chieftain, where he awaits with our elders."
He led Harry through the encampment, the centaurs parting at their approach. As they passed the centaurs stopped whatever they were doing to stare, but resumed their tasks once they had passed. Harry noted several things. Firstly, that none of them seemed to ware clothes, save for some jewelry which looked as if they were made from either beads or bone. Even the women were undressed. Harry managed to avert his eyes from their exposed chests, mostly because he wanted to be polite, but also because he thought that Luna would not appreciate it.
This seemed to at least earn him some points with the female centaurs, as they did not seem to stare at him with as much distrust after they noticed where his eyes were not traveling.
Another thing was that, while the adults seemed to eye him with distrust at best and contempt at the worst, the children gazed at him in wonder. They most likely had never seen a human. They muttered amongst themselves. He waved at them, trying to appear friendly. They smiled and waved back, but their parents did not seem to approve of this.
Finally, they reached the center of the clearing, where several Centaurs waited.
Magorian had the body of a chestnut, with black hair. He was also glaring at Harry, although with the rest of the gathered centaurs. Harry bowed to them respectfully.
"Thank you, for agreeing to meet with me." He began.
A few of the elders snorted, but did not say anything.
"I am sure you are all curious as to why I have made such a request of you." He continued.
"We know who you are, though you where a different face, Mordred Ap Arthur." Magorian spoke.
Harry cleared his throat.
"With all due respect, I would prefer to be known as Harry Potter, the name which I am known by in this life. I have only very recently remembered my past, and I am still... Coming to terms, with certain things that I had done as Mordred Ap Arthur."
Magorian nodded.
"Yes, your soul is tarnished. Your hands are stained with the blood of your father, the puppet King."
Harry cleared his throat again.
"Yes, well, as I was saying..."
"We know why you have come." Magorian interrupted. "Long have the stars and the planets foretold of your coming. And now they say that war is on the horizon."
Harry nodded.
"Yes, a war which began long ago. Not the war of Mordred and Arthur, but of Morgana and Merlin. Both have been reborn, and both are just as powerful as they once were. Though I suspect you already know this."
Magorian nodded.
"Yes, the Dark One whom disguises himself as light has long resided in the castle, and the Mad Queen has just returned from being little more than a specter."
"The heavens have told you this?" Harry asked.
Magorian snorted.
"Of course." He said. "And they have told us that you and the Puppet King wish to fight them."
"And succeed." Harry added. "But that is not all. We wish to reshape magical Britain, free the land from corruption and suppression of the Ministry."
"And you wish for us to fight for you." Magorian snorted.
Harry shook his head.
"No, I wish for you to fight with us, not for us."
This court the attention of the elders, along with some of the surrounding centaurs.
"Long have you been suppressed, discriminated against, by those who control the governing body, along with the humans of magical Britain as a whole." He said loudly and clearly, drawing a crowd. This was good. He wanted them to hear him.
"You have been treated as lesser beings, called foul names like Halfbreeds..."
This elicited several loud snorts and many stamped hooves.
"You have been forced to live in small areas, in the one general place, instead of living like the free nomads you were born to be." He continued. "I highly doubt you chose to live in this forest."
There were many snorts of agreement from the crowd.
"Believe me, I know how this feels."
"How could you possibly know this human." One centaur demanded.
"I have experienced such discrimination in both of my lives." Harry replied. "When I was Mordred, I lived in a time when you could be killed for practicing magic which had been decreed dangerous. Each day I feared being discovered and executed for my practices. I witnessed my lover being murdered by her own mentor, all because she dared explore magics which should not have been forbidden."
He sucked in a breath, trying not to cry at the memory of Nimue's death.
"In this life," He continued. "I was raised by non-magical relatives. Non-magical relatives who hated me, all for having magic. A fact which I did not know until I was eleven."
He sucked in a breath.
"I have been beaten, starved, locked away in a dark, cold cupboard, made to do every single last chore as if I were a slave. And if anything was done with the slightest error, I was punished severely."
He looked around at the now large crowd.
"All this, for being who I am." He said quietly, though he could still be heard clearly throughout the entire audience.
He then threw back his cloak and drew Caliburn. Many of the centaurs flitched, some reaching for bows, but a shake from Magorian's head stopped them.
Harry crossed the sword in front of him, and placed his hand over the flat of the blade.
"We may not be the same species, but that does not mean we do not fight for the same thing."
He looked into each and everyone of their eyes.
"I, Harry James Potter, who was once Mordred Ap Arthur, Ap Lot, do hereby swear on the blade of this sword, and on my magic, and on the magic which flows through this land and all of her beings, that I will fight for the freedom of all races. I will fight for a better tomorrow, no matter the cost."
He looked around.
"But I cannot do it alone. I need your help, all of you. I am not asking for you to serve me, as if I were your leader. I ask that you fight with me, as equals. If you do this, well, I cannot ensure that we will succeed, but I can ensure that if we do succeed, then your voices will be heard. You will be free to go wherever you wish. You will no longer be treated as if you were lesser beings."
He finished, and silence fell upon the entire clearing. Magorian spoke quietly with the elders. Then, he turned to Harry.
"We shall discuss this further." He simply said.
Harry bowed again.
"Thank you, for your time." He said before rising.
He turned and Firenze led him through the crowd. When they left the clearing, Harry let out a breath he had not known he had been holding.
"Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." He began. "At least no one tried to kill me."
"I believe you did well." Firenze said. "You have proven to them that you have what it takes."
"What it takes to do what?" Harry asked.
"To be a king." Firenze replied simply.
Harry shook his head.
"I am no king." He said. "I do not want to rule over them."
"No." Firenze replied. "You wish to be their equal. But that is what a true leader is. A true leader accepts that they are equal to their people. Their people serve them by given them their loyalty, and in exchange the leader serves the people by ensure their safety and wellbeing."
Harry thought over this for a long time.
"You know, those are some very wise words Firenze." He commented. "I wish that more world leaders could understand what you have just told me. I'm sure there would be far fewer problems in the world."
Firenze nodded with a smile.
"And if only they were as wise and as accepting as you."
A few days later, Harry received a message from the centaurs. They agreed to become allies, and to assist in any way they could. Harry smiled. He had been afraid that they would not accept his proposal, so it was a relief to see that they were willing to help.
While the house-elves were useful in their own way, and the KA were slowly improving, it was still good to have professional warriors on their side. The centaurs were a formidable race, both with the bow and with the spear.
But they were also skilled healers, which would also be useful.
Things were coming together nicely.
Harry was in the main war-room, going over maps of Hogwarts. None of them were the marauder's map. He wished to keep such an artifact a secret for the moment. The less people who knew about the magical map that could show them the entire castle, the better. And in any case, the map really only showed a massive overview of Hogwarts along with most of the grounds.
The maps which he was currently going over with Neville, Draco and some of the tacticians, had a smaller range but showed more detail concerning the layout of the areas they covered. The Room Of Requirement had provided these, of course.
They were just discussing where the wards of the school ended, and what points may be less defended, when they heard a loud gasp. It had come from the healing room.
Harry and Neville jumped up to investigate. They both headed towards the healing room, Neville in front. Once they entered, they saw Lavender was looking over one of the dummy patients the room provided for training purposes, because they weren't about to seriously injure one of their own just so the healers could learn how to repair serious wounds.
The one Lavender was looking over was covered in blood, with several wounds meant to resemble someone hit by a large number of cutting curses.
Lavender herself was pale, and obviously in shock.
Harry was about to intervene, but Neville beat him to it.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked gently, slowly the Lavender.
"It's... Nothing..." Lavender said shakily.
"Doesn't look like nothing." Neville replied soothingly, reaching her.
Lavender shook her head.
"I'm sorry. It's just... I've never seen so much blood."
Neville frowned.
"If the sight of blood disturbs you so much, then perhaps being a healer isn't the right job for you. I'm sure we can find..."
Lavender shook her head.
"No, no, it's okay." She said. "I can... Learn to manage it."
"Are you sure?" Neville asked.
Lavender squared her shoulders.
"Yes." She said firmly. "I want to help. I know I'm not a great fighter, I hate violence. But I do want to help people. This..."
She gestured at the fake body.
"... Is something I just have to learn to handle. I can do it."
Neville put a hand on her shoulder.
"Okay, if you're sure."
Lavender nodded.
"I'm sure." She said.
Neville nodded.
"But if you ever feel uncomfortable or there are any other issues, my ear's always open."
Lavender smiled.
"Thanks."
Neville left Lavender to her training, and he walked back to Harry.
"Well handled." He said.
Neville only shrugged.
"I was only trying to help her." He said.
Harry nodded.
"You're really becoming a good leader." He said. "Or, more rather, you are still a good leader, just as you were back then."
Neville shrugged.
"I could say the same about you." He said. "You've already got us so many allies."
Harry shrugged.
"And from what I can see, you're doing a good job with the KA."
They both chuckled.
"We make a great team." Neville said.
Harry smiled.
"Yeah, a really great team."