Title: Just A Girl
Author: Lady B
Genre: AU Het
Pairing: Draco/Girl!Harry
Rating for this chapter: PG13
Summary: Lily Potter was the top of her class in Charms and Hexes. With a bit of creativity and a spell from an ancient relative, she cast a spell upon Harry the moment she died, thereby ensuring that her child would survive. Only no one understood the nature of her spell and its long-term effects. Is the Wizarding World prepared to deal with...A Girl Who Lived?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Author's Note: Yes this is het. I know I said I'd never write one again, but my bunny was chomping at my heels for this. I'm not following the books/movies much and there will be time-line jumps.

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Chapter 11: The Best Defense...

There was an air of excitement as the Gryffindor/Slytherin Fifth Years made their way to their first full DADA class without Umbridge. They had enjoyed their combined Defense/Potions classes immensely but they missed learning about new spells and hexes.

Harry and Draco were the first through the door and they stopped dead in their tracks, causing those behind them to collide with their backs. This caused a slight traffic jam as bodies tumbled to the floor, Ron Weasley being unlucky enough to be at the bottom of the pile.

"Oi! What gives?" came his muffled shout as everyone gained their feet. They finally made it into the room and gaped in surprise. Gone were the desks and cages and various books on dark curses. Instead they stepped into a large, lush forest, complete with a waterfall in the background. Once the last person was in the room, the door slammed shut and disappeared. A moment later, Harry ducked when a spell winged it's way her direction. She grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and yanked him down. The spell passed harmlessly over their heads. Unfortunately, Ron had been standing behind them and caught the spell directly in the face. He shouted in surprise when his nose began to grow like Pinocchio's.

More spells winged their way toward the fifth years, from every direction.

"Everybody move!" Harry shouted, getting to her feet and ducking behind a boulder. She whipped out her wand and took a moment to peek around her protection. The light blue light of a water spell made it's way toward her and she ducked back as it exploded harmlessly behind her.

"Where's it coming from?" Hermione asked from nearby.

"Hard to say. Seems like there is more than one attacker." Draco replied.

"How the hell did they get into the school?" Blaise wondered.

"I don't think were being attacked." Harry replied.

"How can you say that?" Ron scowled.

"If we were seriously in any danger, the school's wards would have activated." she told him.

"And how the hell do you know that?" the red-headed idiot demanded. Harry clenched her fist around her wand and counted to twenty in rapid German to keep herself from hexing the idiot.

"Try reading Hogwarts: A History sometime, Weasley. You might learn something other than Quidditch statistics." Draco snapped.

"What do we do?" Hermione asked, willing to go along with whatever Harry had planned.

"Everyone use disillusion spells and silencers on yourself and your clothes. If one of us can sneak around behind her, we'll have a chance."

"Her?" Ron frowned.

"Professor McKay, you twit!" Harry growled. Ignoring him the rest of her time, she waved her wand over herself and slowly vanished from view.

"We go on three." Harry whispered. She counted silently to three and they moved as a group, moving slowly so they didn't give away their positions. The other remaining students were too busy panicking and shooting spells blindly into the trees and made a perfect distraction.

Harry spotted their professor hiding in a tree near the waterfall. Professor McKay's vantage point gave her a clear view of the room and the students in it. She pressed her wand to her hand and a moment later, a battle dummy popped up from the ground and shot a Jelly-Legs jinx at the mass of students, catching one in its spell and dropping Susan Bones to the ground. Harry moved closer, wand drawn.

Just as she was about to cast a spell, she lost her footing on some loose moss and fell, giving away her position. McKay caught her in a body bind not a moment later. As Professor McKay was distracted with Harry, Neville Longbottom, of all people, crept up behind the professor and dropped her with a Stupefy.

The battle stopped and the room reverted back to a regular classroom, complete with scorch marks on the walls from the various spells. Neville released his spell and helped the professor to her feet. She then turned to help out Harry.

"You're a bit rusty on your stealth skills, Potter." Professor McKay grinned.

"We haven't had a decent teacher, other than Professor Snape, since I've been here, ma'am." Harry smiled.

"Well, I'm here to rectify that. Good job organizing your team like that. Didn't even see Longbottom behind me. I think twenty points for each of you will do for a start." Professor McKay smiled at the small team of students Harry had commanded. She turned to Neville, "And fifty for you, Mr Longbottom. Well done." The other Gryffindors were shocked to see Neville grin so large it nearly split his face.

"For the rest of you, running about like chickens with your heads cut off is the fastest way to get yourselves and your friends killed. You're lucky that I was only shooting harmless first year spells. If this were a real battle, with real Death Eaters, your families would be collecting your bodies from the morgue right now." The others flinched at that.

"Take your seats and we'll start discussing the things that were done correctly and incorrectly so you will be better prepared. I don't know about your last teachers, but I will work you hard to make sure you can defend yourselves and others in the heat of battle. There will be no slacking off in this class." With that, she swished her wand at Padma and Lavender, who were giggling and whispering in one corner of the room over something. A magazine came sailing out of their hands and Professor McKay set it on fire. "Do I make myself clear, ladies?"

"Yes, Professor!" the girls gulped.

"Good. Everyone take their seats and let's get started."

Draco looked at Harry as they moved to their seats.

"What?" Harry asked.

"I take it you're somewhat familiar with our new professor."

"She was one of my dueling instructors at Salem." Harry giggled.

"I have a feeling Defense Against The Dark Arts is going to become my second favorite subject." Draco grinned.

"I agree." Hermione replied from behind them. They shared a laugh before returning their attention to their professor.





To Be Continued...


I do apologize for the lengthy delay in this next installment. I think I'm completely burnt out on the boys and really need a break. Please don't expect rapid updates and if you wish, feel free to remove yourself from the update alerts. I won't hold it against you. As it is, it may be another couple of months before I work on this again as RL issues have made themselves known on top of my insanely busy work schedule. Additionally, I will be out of town from May 22 – June 5 and won't have access to the net where I am going.