Chapter 3: First Wave

It was horrible. It was aweful. Never had Hogwarts seem such a game of Quidditch before. The Slytherins dominated, no, they were destroying the Griffyndor team. The Keeper was knocked out and a Chaser was down. The Griffyndor seeker was already hurt. The whole situation was bad. The Slytherin team had well over one hundred points to the Lions 30 points.

Madam Hootch, the referee, never saw the expert methods that Marcus Flint the Slytherin Captain employed to rend Griffyndor assunder.

Each minute was agony for Griffyndor as the game was clearly in the control of Slytherin. Slytherin on the other hand was completely enjoying the game.

After another hundred points were scored by the Slytherins, their seeker finally caught the snitch. Lee Jordon dully announced that the game was over. Professor McGonagall who as sitting next to Lee was livid with anger at losing. Slytherin had won eight years in a row and appeared to be ready to do it again.

No one was more disappointed or upset than Ron Weasley.

"Those dirty, cheating, rotten, no good, evil, puss filled snakes!"

Unfortunately the Slytherins who heard him took it as a compliment. They cheered louder drowning out Ron's ranting.

"That was not good. Slytherin really is trying to prove they are better than all the other houses aren't they." Hermione commented as they came back to the castle for lunch.

Harry could only agree along with Neville. "It is just not Slytherin. While the other houses aren't as," Neville paused thinking of the right word, "prideful, in showing they are better, Slytherin tops us all."

"So Hufflepuff tries to prove they are the better house?" She asked disbelieving.

"Of course. They want to win the Quidditch Cup and the House Cup as much as any house." Harry said leading them to a clear spot at Griffyndor table.

"I think I realize something." Hermione said watching the food magically appear on the table.

"What is that?" Neville asked collecting what he wanted to eat on his plate.

"Remember what you said about any points earned are Griffyndor points?" she asked. Both boys nodded.

"I hate losing."

With that they could only agree.

"It's more than that." Harry pointed out.

"What do you mean?" she asked wondering what Harry would say now.

"Well my dad told me about a boy in school that always tried to get points taken off the other houses and earning a lot for his own."

She nodded following the story.

"Well one day he was tricked into a dangerous situation. While it was the boy's own fault for trying to catch someone out of bounds he almost lost his life if it wasn't for my dad."

"Wow." she said.

Neville laughed.

"Don't think my Dad was a saint. My mom told me all about his days before that night. He was more arrogant, mean and proud than any Slytherin." Harry laughed.

"No." she could hardly imagine Harry's father, the famous James Potter acting as Harry described.

Neville nodded with Harry. "My dad was no saint either, but he was nothing compared to Uncle James."

"What Harry is trying to say Hermoine, is that points are important, just like grades, and test scores, but there are somethings that are more important." Neville said and both boys remembered their fathers teaching them the same thing.

Hermione looked thoughtful. She then spoke softly. "Like when you were nice to me when the others weren't. When I tried to help in classes, but came across as bossy. I think...I feel like I understand."

They finished their meal and they made their way to the common room.

XxXxXxXxXxX

Professor McGonagall was not a happy teacher. So far it looked like Griffyndor would lose the Quidditch Cup again. At least the House Cup looked firmly in the hands of Griffyndor, not that she wouldn't put it passed Professor Snape to find a way to put Slytherin ahead.

In the meantime she was pushing her students to learn Transfiguration. Her only bright spot was Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. They were the brightest and top students of the school. They even earned points in Potions which before this year seemed almost next to impossible. They were also helping others as well. She was so proud of them.

After he class the three students she was just thinking about were standing in front of her. She waited for them to speak. "Professor, we were wondering if we could start a study group together with other students." Hermione said first.

She surveyed her young charges for a moment before speaking then said, "You could do that anytime, why are you asking me?" Which as true, that was what the common room was for in Griffyndor Tower.

"No, we mean with the other houses too." Neville added.

"So a club." she clarified.

The three students looked at each other. "Yes, we want to start a study club." Harry said to their professor.

There were many clubs at Hogwarts, but as far as she knew there were no clubs devoted to studying.

"Is it for anything in particular, or just general?"

"General." Hermione informed her.

"Did you have a name for your association?" the head of Griffyndor wanted to know.

Again they all looked at each other. "Not yet, we were going to vote on a name at our first meeting." Harry told her.

"Very well. You have my permission. Inform the Head Boy to the time you want to meet. You can use the empty classroom on the seventh floor."

"Thank you Professor." They all said in turn then went to their next class.

After their last class of the day Harry was deep in thought while Hermione was back on the topic they started when talking to Professor McGonagall.

"I didn't think we would be doing a club." she said as they made their way to dinner.

"It's a great idea." Neville grinned.

"Well we have a few things we need to work out now. Clubs have by laws, a leader, and a clear purpose." Harry said. Hermione nodded. She was thinking the same thing.

"What are we going to do in this club though, just studying?" Neville asked his friends.

"I think it should be more than just that. You see how the Slytherins are, and Snape. We need to learn to defend ourselves, plus meet new friends." Harry said thinking back to when his father organized the resistance against Voldemort.

"Yeah!" Hermione said, her brown eyes seemed very bright.

"So a defense association?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded his head. "That sounds good."

They arranged a time to meet after Harry spoke to the head boy. Anyone was allowed to come, even Slytherins. None did though.

Mostly the classroom on the seventh floor was filled with first years and a few others. He was Harry Potter, the boy who lived and his father had beaten back the Death Eaters.

Hermione took a deep breathe and stood up in front of them all.

"Thank you for coming. Today we are going to organize ourselves into a club. A study club or defense association."

A hand raised in the crowd. "Is that all we are going to do? Study?" a boy with Hufflepuff colors asked.

"We will study together and help each other in classes. We will also learn from each other. Each of us from our families or where we are from can bring something to this club. So we are going to study, but we are going to learn about each other too." she confirmed.

Before the boy could say anything else or someone else asked a question, she said, "Our first order of business is to elect a leader."

"I thought Harry was the leader." someone called out. It looked like one of the Weasley twins.

"We have a nomination." she smiled. "All in favor of Harry being leader."

All of them raised their hand. "Great." she said making a quick note on a piece of parchment next to her.

"Now we need a name for our association."

All of them became quiet thinking.

"Study Association." a person in the crowd called out. Hermione wrote it down.

"Special Projects Extra Work." one of the twins called out. "That's rather long." Harry said.

"We can shorten it." his brother said. "S.P.E.W."

"Spew?" she said with her mouth open.

"Who votes the twins never get to name anything anymore?" Neville spoke up. Everyone, even the twins raised their hands and everyone had a laugh.

"How about Hogwarts Association?" a girl called out.

Hermione wrote that down too.

"Knights and Ladies Association." another said.

"Ooooo, we are in a castle after all." there was a mummer of conversation going around. Harry could hear words like 'merlin' and 'arthur' and other familiar phrases.

"Camelot Group." a Ravenclaw girl said.

The twins got up nodded to each other then said. "The Round Table."

"It think that is enough." Hermione said. "Lets take a vote."

In the end after all the votes were tallyed their new study group was called 'The Round Table.'

"Who votes to let the twins name stuff when they are serious raise your hands?" Harry said after the name was official. Again everyone raised their hands and laughed together.

Harry set the next meeting and the rest of school seemed to fly by. Meetings at the Round Table were productive and they were quickly all becoming the top students in the school. Homework was done and friendships were forged. All too soon the Christmas holiday was upon them.

While James and Lily were pleased that Harry and his friends had started a study group they just felt that their son had just completely complicated their lives.

"James, how are we going to know who he bonds with?" Lily asked as they waited for their son at the train station. He was quiet for a moment thinking back to their meeting with the old woman in America. "I don't know. You know as well as I do that the woman we found is gone. They said she passed away last year." James said. Lily nodded sadly remembering. She was no longer alive and all they had were a few guidelines to how they could save their only son.

Now thier son had just given himself, his time and talents he learned from them to over thirty students. He could have formed the bond with anyone of them or none of them. Still they were proud of him and Neville for starting their club and making friends at school.

With those thoughts the Hogwarts Express pulled into King's Cross. As the students got off she found who she was looking for. "Oh Harry." Lily said scooping up her son in her arms twirling him around once then finally letting him go to let him hug his father.

Stepping back he waved his friend forward. "Mom, Dad, this is Hermione Granger, my friend." he said with a smile. The twelve year old girl stepped forward a little awkardly, but quickly mastered her slight shyness that threatened to overtake her. "Pleased to meet you." she shook hands with both of them. "You as well as Hermione. Are those your parents?" James pointed with his chin to a couple looking around for someone who were wearing muggle clothes.

"Yes." She said. Neville then took Hermione and after introducing her to his parents they all went together. When they saw their daughter Mr. and Mrs. Granger were both hugging her. "Hello." Mr. Granger said standing upright taking Mr. Longbottom's hand first. "Mom, Dad, this is Mr. Longbottom, Neville's dad." Hermione went about introducing everyone.

Sadly Hermione realized that it was time to go. Her parents lead her away to start their holiday. As they were leaving Mr. Granger turned back and said. "Maybe we can all meet together some time."

"We would like that." James said. "Harry will send his owl." With a final wave the Grangers were through the barrier.