DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY REBORN - The Origins

Part I

Another murder, I thought. I took another tasteless bite of bacon and stared blankly at the paper. When will this end? The picture did not show the body - the scene was too gruesome. Instead, a man stared up from the page, looking very distressed. Then he turned away, apparently deciding he couldn't take my disappointed glare any longer.

I reread the article. "Darkness Strikes Again." Sadly somewhat typical these days: killers loose everywhere, families being torn apart.

"As put by Grant Volitial, a witness of the murder, '... The man was just walking, whistling, carrying a small package. Excited to get home, I wager. Watched him walk home every day. 'Night was no different. Except the attack. He [the attacker] just leapt out of the shadows. Seemed to appear out of nowhere. The man didn't know what to do. Drew his wand and everything, he just couldn't defend himself. Suppose he didn't know how. Would of helped him meself but it was too late by the time I got near enough. That monster was already gone. I looked around to see if I could help. The package was burned away from what was inside. It was a little girl's doll. He was taking his daughter a doll, probably for her birthday or something...'

"When asked on his opinion about the goings-on, Head Auror Harry Potter stated, 'His wand is lying next to him. That means he tried to defend himself but he couldn't. He didn't know anything strong enough.'

"'…Now that [You-Know-Who] is gone, people are too careless. The big threat is gone so they think that they can just lay back. That everything is completely safe now and they don't have to worry about the dangers that are still present … This man was killed because he didn't know how to defend himself. People have to learn how to defend themselves or they'll end up just like him - dead because of their ignorance.'"

I sighed as I set down the Daily Prophet article. I agreed with Harry Potter with my entire heart - people are ignorant about the evils in the world and so they don't want to learn to protect themselves. Even the Defence Against the Dark Arts class had gotten to where we didn't learn much about real things. Yes, we learned the occasional spell that we could use, but it simply wasn't enough. The Dark wizards in the world simply wouldn't be bothered by a Fire Charm or a Knockback Jinx.

I pushed my plate away from me. I couldn't eat any more. Snatching the paper from the table, I stood up and rushed out of the hall. I had to finish my Herbology essay, and as I knew it would take me a bit of time, I wanted to get started immediately.

I walked quickly back to the Ravenclaw common room. The long walk up the stairs seemed like only seconds as I thought about the article and the state the people outside the school were in. Within Hogwarts I was relatively safe, but what of my future? Ex-Death Eaters still roamed the country, and most of them were actively upholding their reign of terror on the people. Even Muggles were feeling their effects. The occasional Death Eater went into exclusively non-magical communities and destroyed lives with their killings, regardless of whether or not any of them had to do with the War.

I looked up just in time to see the eagle knocker two inches in front of my nose. "Sorry, mate," I muttered, taking two steps back. "Nearly ran into you again." I ran my hand through my hair subconsciously. "What is it today?"

The bronze beak opened with a slight metallic grind. A soft voice issued the question, "Can ignorance be forced upon someone?"

The question threw me off balance. I knew that sometimes the knocker asked questions based on the events at Hogwarts, but as far as I knew, I was the only student pondering anything like this. Regaining my composure, I focused on the question again.

"No," I answered after a moment's pause. "Everyone has a choice of whether or not to know about something. Even if others withhold information, there is always a way to find any answer." I thought for a moment longer and added quickly, "Ignorance can be chosen, and sadly, it often is."

The door swung open with a quiet moan. "Thank you," I said softly as I walked through and into the open area.

I had failed to check the bulletin board that morning, so I took advantage of my time now to do so. Pieces of parchment littered the corkboard wall: a Quidditch practice reminder, gobstones club sign up sheet, musical theatre auditions (Make a mental note of that, I told myself silently), an orchestra performance… Nothing entirely unusual.

Just as I was turning away, one notice stole my attention. It was written on thin parchment tinted with blue. Swooping black letters spelled out the words "Dumbledore's Army".

Dumbledore's Army? I thought. The name Dumbledore… he was headmaster when my parents were in school. Apparently the only one He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was afraid of. He was also the mentor to the Boy Who Lived. But an army? That made no sense. Dumbledore was dead! For almost twenty years now. Why would there be an army in his name?

The details were written in much smaller words, though in the same handwriting.

A meeting for all those interested in being a member of Dumbledore's Army will be held this Saturday at 6:00 in the Great Hall, directly before dinner. Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Longbottom will explain further at said meeting.

6 o' clock. I checked my watch. Just after ten. 8 hours until that meeting. But a meeting for what, exactly? The notice explained nothing about what Dumbledore's Army is, let alone why one would want to join. But considering the Headmistress would be the hostess, I decided that it wouldn't disappoint my roaring curiosity.

Well, I thought, that certainly sounds like an adventure. Couldn't hurt to go. And with that, walked back out of the common room, Herbology essays the furthest thing from my mind.

After nearly an hour of searching, I finally found a couple of my friends in the library. "Hey, Jordyn, Linn," I said quietly as I shuffled over to them. "What are you two up to?"

"Hey Seth. Just studying for the Potions exam," Linn replied as she pulled her book in front of her and brushed a stray piece of dark hair behind her ear. I sat in one of the two empty seats, ignoring the glance between them that made it clear their Potions exam was not what they were talking about.

I ventured with my proposal. "Did either of you see the notice about the Dumbledore's Army thing going on tonight?"

Jordyn leaned back in his chair, making the front legs rise from the floor. "Yeah. I saw the flyer for it down in the Slytherin common room. I think I might go but I dunno. Depends on who shows up. What's it about anyway?"

"I have no clue. I was going to ask you guys if you knew anything about it."

Linn cut in, leaning over the table in an attempt at mild secrecy. "I know a little bit actually." Jordyn and I turned and listened closely. "Well," she began, "back when Harry Potter was in school, there was this awful Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. My dad said she took over the school and sort of replaced Professor Dumbledore as the head of the school. She didn't actually teach anything. Just theories and stuff. And supposedly Potter told her that they needed to actually learn stuff because Voldemort was back by then, and she didn't like that. So the students got together to teach each other how to actually defend themselves. They hid from the professor and made a club, sort of, that they called Dumbledore's Army."

"Wait," I said abruptly. "Dumbledore's Army was made to fight Voldemort originally?"

"But he's gone now." Jordyn interrupted. "He's been dead for a long time and we don't have to deal with him anymore."

It finally dawned on me. "Yeah, but have you read the papers lately? His Death Eaters have been causing trouble again. They're killing loads of people. And those people can't defend themselves. That's why they're making Dumbledore's Army again. They have to teach us how to defend ourselves in the real world."

"Oh! And I'd bet Professor Longbottom was a part of the original Army," Jordyn finished. "He was Potter's close friend, I heard. He also fought in the Battle of Hogwarts. He must know a lot of good defensive magic."

"Exactly," I confirmed. "He and Professor McGonagall were both strong supporters of Harry Potter, and members of the Order of the Phoenix. If anyone can teach us how to defend ourselves, it's them."

We all jumped as Madame Pince hissed, "Mister Selwyn, I've already told Mister Holliday and Miss Baker that if they cannot be quiet, I will deduct House points." I mumbled a quick apology, ears burning, and leaned further over the table.

"So are you going to the meeting then, Seth?" Linn whispered.

"Of course I am. With everything going on now, we do have to learn how to protect ourselves, and I want to learn it from the best, and that means Professors Longbottom and McGonagall."

"Okay. I will too, then," Jordyn agreed.

"And me," Linn said. "And I'll get Aria and a couple of others to come once I get back to the Gryffindor common room."

"Sounds good," I said firmly as I pulled my head away from the tight triangle of heads we had unknowingly made in our discussion. "And it also sounds like the teachers agree that something is wrong, and we have to be ready for it. We have to be ready for anything now."