Contrary to what a lot of people would have thought, Ginny wasn't happy with her life at the moment. She was often seen in the arms of Michael Corner from fifth year in Ravenclaw, but in reality, it was more like it was him taking her in his arms than her settling herself there. She liked him, she was sure. He was funny and easygoing, but he was a know-it-all like Hermione who even if she was her friend, was still a bit annoying about that fact. As for Michael, he even sometimes knew less than even her fourth year self, being more than a little annoying at those times because he never conceded.
He wasn't bad looking, but not that handsome. Also, they couldn't even talk about one of the major point in her head they had in common, Quidditch, because it stopped to the sport itself. She was a Gryffindor to the end while he was a hardcore Ravenclaw. She supported the Holyhead Harpies, he was supporting the Tutshill Tornados. She wished to play Chaser, he wanted to play Seeker and couldn't even agree to the best broom brand. In the end, they ended up arguing more than anything else.
So why was she with him? Easy question : Distraction.
Yeah, as bad as it sounded, she never really had forgotten Harry, but Hermione gave her good advise and now that she looked elsewhere, now that she had something to distract herself from the Golden-Boy, she was more natural around him and felt like she could bond with him at least a bit. She didn't feel like she had a chance anymore really. Oh she knew people said she was pretty, she herself thought she had a good figure for her age, a bit small but growing up early at the good places. No, it wasn't about that. The look he was giving her was the same her brothers gave her, the same look he gave toward Hermione! The more she was speaking with him, the more she could feel the fraternal attitude he had toward her.
Hermione knew, of course. She gradually changed her speech from "be more natural and he'll eventually see you like you really are" to "be more natural and you'll feel better about yourself, you might even find out he wasn't the one for you!"
She cried for it. She still loved him and in her heart, she still felt like he was the one for her. So she kept the only thing that could distract her from thinking about him : Michael Corner. She hated to use him like that, she felt bad for it, but as much as she was Gryffindor in her heart, some part of her was Slytherin because she felt selfish and didn't care who she hurt as long as she wouldn't be hurting anymore.
"Hey Gin!" Exclaimed Michael when she went to sit with him on breakfast. He looked around a bit and seeing they were out of earshot of anybody not concerned asked the question that burned him and a few people since last week's meeting. "Did Hermione told you when the meeting would be?"
"No, she didn't. I'll tell you when I hear it I promise, but stop asking every time we see each others, okay?" She answered before starting to eat. One week had gone by and they still didn't had any words on the next meeting for the study-group other than Hermione telling her a few more people joined them and signed the parchment. She had seen Harry coming back later every night from what she learned to be practicing spells to teach them. She thought maybe he wasn't ready, it was something big he had to do.
On the Gryffindor table, every fifth year were laughing loudly along with a few from other years.
"Yeah, it was too tempting. It WAS worth the one hundred points I had my house lose for it even if its still extreme. Sorry again about it." Said Harry, but nobody seemed to care. Its not like they were in the course anymore anyway with Slytherin licking Umbridge boots as well as Snape favoring his house. "When I heard that every single fifth year other than most Slytherins and I thing one or two Ravenclaw had dropped the class through last week, I HAD to do it..."
It was too good. Harry knew from what people told him that there was not a single person in his class that didn't dropped the course. After they did it, the word had spread like wild fire and everybody seemed to agree to the fact it would be funnier to leave the DADA teacher in the dark about it.
Hermione tried to stop him from doing what he intended to do, but his eyes had a mischievous glint that reminded her both the twins and Tracey's eyes. Striding forward to the classroom that he knew would be empty, he reflected on his little talk with McGonagall last week.
She seemed surprised, mainly because it was Hermione that really turned the idea to a concrete goal, but in the end, they saw her smile in a way they never thought they would see. Oh she did smile to them often, but it was a first to see a happy malevolent smile draw itself gradually on her strict face. She played her role and said she was sorry to know they felt the need to search for education somewhere else, but had their schedule magically modified, creating them an empty period. After that, she mentioned that she wouldn't reveal it to Umbridge, that she would see it herself at her next class.
Harry smiled at the memory and entered the empty classroom and selected the center-most desk to settle himself behind then waited. After a few minutes, he heard a feint gasp and had to control himself to not turn around and laugh madly at what he guessed would be the most shocked face he'd ever seen on the toad's face. No, he mustn't turn around and look, her face would be priceless when he dropped the bomb.
He waited as he heard her walk to the side of his desk and looked angrily at him.
"Well?" She asked. "What is the meaning of this? You fed them all with your filthy lies and had them skip the class, is that it?"
"No madam, It seem like everyone decided that Defense Against Dark Arts was not a necessary class as there is obviously no Dark Arts to defend against." Said Harry casually. Nobody, not even Umbridge, could miss the arrogance and the sarcasm in his words. Harry had to restrain himself not to burst with laughter because her face was indeed very priceless, but he wasn't finished. "I think the same way in fact with slight differences that I don't think is needed to be told, both of us knowing what they are. But I thought I should at least come to tell you directly that I had the Defense class removed from my schedule. I might still try to pass my OWL in it, as I was pretty advanced anyway and have already finished the book you would have us read all year."
"Why you little! Don't think that I'll permit you to even think about getting your OWL in Defense Against Dark Arts, I know you set all this up!" Shouted Umbridge.
"Sorry to disappoint you, but the Wizarding Examination Authority is not affiliated to the Ministry, so you won't be able to stop me even if I need to go to abroad to pass all my OWLs. As for setting this up, I think you did it yourself by convincing everyone I was telling lies. I must say congratulation, I wanted to be the one to tell you what a good job you did of it. Now I'll be out, as you probably have an other class to evaluate, this period being free now. I wish you a great day Mrs Umbridge."
Umbridge didn't miss the fact he didn't used the Professor title. Harry thought that anyway, she didn't deserved it as to be a professor, you need to be teaching something, which she wasn't. Umbridge on her side became enraged by it and yelled at him that he had his house lose one hundred points for being insolent and irrespective, but couldn't put him in detention as she wasn't his teacher. Of course, that would change with one of the next Educational Decree, but for now he was safe.
Soon, the story reached almost every ears in the great hall. Looking over to the Slytherin table, Harry could see Daphne struggle to keep her face straight as Tracey was vividly telling a story to her. He didn't know how, but Harry was certain it was the story of his conversation with Umbridge the preceding day. His view though was shadowed by McGonagall and he had to gulp while looking up to her.
"Mr. Potter. It came to my attention that you had a conversation with Professor Umbridge yesterday." Said the stern looking professor loud enough to have everyone at the table and around it hearing everything.
"Y-Yes, Professor McGonagall." Said Harry.
"I see. Mr. Potter, it also came to my ears that Peeves tried to drop a desk on your head a bit later after that, but that you transfigured it into a pillow before it hit you, is that right?" She asked, still looking like she was lecturing him.
"Ehm... Yes? I do that all the time, about everyone that know how do it." Harry answered. He knew she simply used that as an excuse, that the real reason she was talking to him was about the fact he got Umbridge totally insane the day before.
"Good, that is a good use of Transfiguration. I think fifty points to Gryffindor are earned for this. Continue the good work, Mr. Potter." At that, Professor McGonagall winked at him and went back to the teacher's table.
Soon after, it was Flitwick that came and gave him twenty points for using a accio to get a cupcake from a serving plate a few seats to his right. He was then followed by Professor Sprout that gave him an other twenty points because the way he used his knife to cut an orange was also the best way to cut the fruit of a certain plant they never heard before so to keep most of the juice. And in the the end, astronomy professor Sinistra gave him twenty points because the bits of eggs remaining in his plate were placed just like the Orion constellation. Harry was certain this wasn't a coincidence and that Sinistra magicaly moved the eggs bits while walking toward him.
The Gryffindor table was speechless for a few minutes before erupting in cheers. In the end, Harry gained ten points to his house and regardless of the reasons they improvised, he knew that the real reason was because he showed Umbridge a piece of her own medicine. Even Hermione in the end said that it was indeed brilliant.
"Thanks Hermione. Oh by the way, I found the perfect place for you know what." Said Harry.
"Oh yeah? What is it?" Asked Ron, intrigued.
"I'll show you at break after charms. I'll bring my two friends too as its thanks to them I found it." Said Harry, looking at Ron while saying it and waiting for what he knew would come, all three of them knew which two friends he was talking about.
"Oh, I can't at break, I... Promised... Dean a rematch at chess." Claimed the redhead, hoping no more questions would come and pleading the black boy to simply agree.
"No Ron, not this time. I don't know why you keep bringing me up when you don't want to go somewhere with Harry and I don't care, but you should come clean to him." Countered Dean, before walking away, leaving the trio alone at their part of table.
"Its ok Ron. I don't want to force you to like them, I'm already pleased that you aren't trying to keep me away for them." Said Harry after seeing there wasn't anybody near anymore to hear the conversation. His friendship with the two Slytherins was still a secret from anybody except Ron, Hermione and Jeff.
"I am. I mean, I'm trying to keep you away from them in a way, not trusting them and not hiding it. I know you'll come around and see that I'm right about them when I say you can't trust them. I'm sure they were set up by Malfoy to... whatever it is he want them to do." Said Ron.
"I don't think so Ron. The more time I pass with them, the more I find them nice, especially Daphne who you seem to hate the most." Harry wasn't liking the direction the discussion was going, but it had to be said.
"She's the daughter of the Greengrass family, they were with You-Know-Who during the war! How can you be so blind? Its obvious she will sell you to him if she can!" Ron had sincere eyes, evident that he was absolutely sure of what he was saying.
"She told me. She also told me how much she hate her father for it, that if she could she'd turn him over to the government to get him in Azkaban." Harry was now starting to get angry, Hermione looking split between her two best friends.
"She's lying, I'm certain of it." Said Ron with obvious conviction.
"You sound like Umbridge." Said Harry, now really angry. "Fine, don't trust her. I do. I hope that YOU come around and see that I am right."
"Like that could ever happen. I'll never trust any snakes." Said Ron, crossing his arms as a sign that he wouldn't budge from his opinion.
Harry looked at him, his anger fading a bit but being simply replaced by sadness. "Then I'm sorry. You've been my best friend, but I don't know if I'll be able to feel that way toward you much longer if you're not able to open your mind more."
Ron was shocked while Hermione put a hand in front of her mouth, still saying nothing but tears welling up in her eyes. "I... I see..." It took a long time after that, a few minutes where neither of them would look at the other but, in the end Ron deflated and seemed to make a resolve for himself. He remembered how much of a prick he had been last year about Harry becoming a champion and how he felt bad about not trusting his friend. He saw that he was making the same mistake again. He got up and walked on Harry's other side. When his friend looked up, he sighted, a sing that he resigned to something, and finaly spoke. "For our friendship Harry, I'll try to tolerate it. I know you can watch for yourself so I'll keep trusting you, I trust you, but I still don't trust them."
Harry smiled, Hermione also left a relieved sigh at hearing those words. They were both a bit surprised that Ron would come around as quickly as he did, thinking he was probably growing up other than in height and they were both thankful of that. "Thanks Ron. I'm sorry for putting you through this. On my part, I promise I'll be extra careful when dealing with them. That's ok with you?"
After a nod from Ron, the Trio got up and the two boys shook hands in a very brotherly way to seal the deal. Hermione was happy to see this and was smiling widely before urging them to the charm class.
Daphne was standing on the seventh floor in front of a tapestry of a sorcerer trying to show Troll how to dance the ballet. She was thinking on how much that week had been good. Her time with Harry was really fun and they learned a lot. Jeff was good help as he was very good at charms in general, but nobody could deny the fact Harry was also pretty good, better even when it touched defense or offense, learning very fast. But that wasn't all they did. They talked a lot, mostly casual stuff or stuff related to what they were doing or school. Last Friday though, Hermione had faked a headache, Tracey said she had an essay on charms to finish and dragged Jeff with her, leaving the two raven haired teens alone for the evening. They trained a bit but without the input of Jeff or the pressure from Hermione, they soon dropped it and just sat on cushions they conjured, a charm they actually learned in one of these training session. Harry opened up a bit more on himself and Daphne had also started to talk of her life up to now. She found that Harry was a very good listener and she felt good just talking to him about everything and nothing.
Her thoughts were interrupted by her blond friend that snorted in a very unladylike way, trying to stop herself from laughing and failing badly. Tracy had a laughing fit while looking at the absurd the tapestry, but Daphne knew it was just an excuse, she was in fact laughing at Daphne for what she had almost done a bit before but learning it only just a few minutes ago.
While going to their class, Daphne felt a hand over her robe and, without thinking at all, she hexed the boy that was closest to them at the moment which just happened to be Nott. What she hit him with, Daphne didn't tell but it had the effect of creating painful boils on his manhood from what they heard later on. The thing is, they didn't know before the end of their class that Nott probably never even tried to put his hands on her at all, because what she felt was in fact Harry leaving a paper note in her pocket. The pocket wasn't even close to a private place, but when she's in her Ice Queen persona, everywhere on her body is private to everyone except maybe Tracey and Astoria that can hope to survive touching her arm or shoulder... Tracey had a doubt Harry had a bit more place he could reach without being hexed to the next generation but never challenged her on it. It was in fact common knowledge in the school that Daphne would hex anyone that tried to touch her without her approval. That fact rapidly became known as the Frost Bite of the Ice Queen, something she didn't discourage.
All that to say, Nott was in the infirmary, everybody saying he was Frost-Bitten, and all Daphne received was a ten point loss to Slytherin – like she cared – and the satisfaction of hexing Nott's bits, not minding the fact he was innocent at all. Tracey found the situation hilarious, not only for the boy's misfortune, but because Daphne said she didn't even see it was Nott before the spell left her wand and hit his groin. That meant if Harry had been a tad bit slower, she'd have hexed him instead.
"Good, you're there." Said Harry while rounding a corner with Jeff and Hermione. Looking at the Greengrass daughter, he took on an exaggerate nervous look. "Is it safe to approach you?"
Daphne was able to smile at the little jab and answered. "As long as you don't plan on giving me an other note, I don't think Nott will be there to take the spell for you again."
"Poor bloke... May his descendant, if he can still have any, live without complications..." Said Jeff with a false sad tone.
"Well, he did tried once in third year to cope a feel on me." Said Tracey. "So I'm happy he was there!"
"Oh. Then he deserved it." Said the American with a complete change of attitude before turning toward Harry. "So? What are we doing here?"
"Right." Started Harry before walking in front of the wall while talking. "So I had Daphne and Tracey come because they gave me the idea to ask Dobby for a room to train, as House Elves do know the castle more than anybody. I brought Hermione because she's the head of all of that and I brought Jeff because... In fact, how come you're here?"
Jeff shrugged before answering. "Dunno. Got out of History of Magic and was pretty drowsy, you know, Binns. I got lost after a staircase moved so I wandered a bit. In the end I saw you and Hermy climbing the stairs and I followed, caught up to you just before you checked your map to make sure there was nobody else around but you didn't seem to see me, or didn't care I was there, and here I am!" Hermione rolled her eyes at her nickname but didn't say anything.
"...Ok... I guess I'm already getting used to your presence." Shrugging, Harry started again to walk in front of the wall, looking a bit strange doing it. "Anyway! Dobby told me of the best place to practice, so let me present you..." While talking, a door started to appear much to the shock of those present except Harry. "... to the Room of Requirement!"
Opening the door, they found themselves in a room full of training equipments, books, dummies and even a few medieval weapons. Hermione rushed to the books while the others inspected the equipments.
"These books! Most of them aren't even available in the library!" Said the bookworm, eager to start reading them... in fact she already took three and was suddenly reading, sitting in a comfy chair they knew wasn't there a few seconds before.
"So? What do you think? For trying it a bit, I know this room can become anything you ask. I didn't experiment that much, but its still damn useful. The door disappear from the other side once somebody is in and you can't ask for an other room than the one which is already created. Dobby explained that much. Oh, and to tell the room what you need, you walk past the patch of wall the door is supposed to be three times while thinking on what you want." Explained Harry, immensely happy of the find. He planned on offering loads of socks to the little House Elf.
"It's amazing!" Said Daphne with excited nods of approval from the other. "That reminds me, Hermione, or Jeff in fact."
"Yeah?" She asked.
"Couldn't any of you, or both at once I guess, ask Flitwick about the Fidelius charm? You're both his favorites and we would need more information on it..." Said Daphne. Before any of the two could answer, a book appeared from thin air and dropped in front of the Slytherin. Seeing the cover mentioning "Advenced practical Charms and their theories" she quickly took it and looked at the table of content then flipped almost to the end of the book. "Ehm... Never mind... It's very clearly explained how it work and how to perform it in here. Just like I asked..."
Every one saw Daphne begin to sit where there was no chair before one appeared just the moment she would have lost balance and dropped to the floor. Looking between her and Hermione, both now reading a book with the utmost concentration, Harry couldn't help but roll his eyes before breaking the silence. "Well, that's great and all, but the break is almost finished and we got Transfiguration."
"While I got potions." Added Jeff. "Then I'll be going, I'm already barely on time as it is."
Jeff started to walk toward the door before stopping and turning around. "Hey I just thought of something... Do you think it can give us a shortcut to somewhere in the castle? Like the Dungeons?" And just like that, a portrait appeared on one of the walls. They all remembered that specific portrait as it was one that was just in front of the potion class. The dark hooded man in it was sitting with his back to them and they could see that the portrait was a bit different in the fact the pose situated them behind him while normally they were facing him when in the dungeons. "I think I got my answer..."
Approaching, they saw the man almost jump of surprise from hearing something behind him and seemed intrigued by the room he saw just now. "What the..." He started before alternating watching from one side to the other. Jeff immediately understood and walked to the painting before pushing it a bit. It opened like a door and everybody could see the dungeon before them.
"Thanks Hogwarts!" Said Jeff before waving and passing the hole, closing the painting at the same time. The portrait faded away and the remaining people in the room were totally stunned.
"That is so... Wicked!" Said Tracey with excitement.
"Yeah, really!" Confirmed Harry with a beaming smile. He closed his eyes, concentrating, until a portrait appeared again, this time one in the Transfiguration corridor. "Well, I think we should get to Transfiguration, don't you think?"
A few days later, the group found themselves in the Room of Requirement again, this time accompanied by all of the study-group. Everybody was in awe at the room and a few requested to try it in different ways, but Hermione brought everyone back to order, saying they would be able to try it later.
"Ok, we all know why we are here. First, everyone take one of these. They are fake galeons with a serial number on the side. The number will change to what is shown on the master one. Harry, having the master galeon, will set the next meeting date on it to replace the serial number and the galeon will warm so you know it was updated." Said Hermione.
"That's great Hermione! That's NEWT level charmwork!" Said one of the Weasley twin.
"You can thank Ron, he gave me the idea when I discussed with him silent communication method, I just had to find a charm for it and this room provided me with just the perfect book." She continued while Ron smiled at the praise he got from most of the people around. "Anyway, that way, nobody will think of anything other than it being some money that you got for whatever reason you think of."
Everybody approved of the idea but this time they were brought back to silence by Daphne that walked next to the bushy haired Gryffindor. "Next issue, will be the application of the Fidelius charm so that the secret can't leave the place. Not everybody will be able to be there at every meetings so as everybody is currently present, now is the best time to do it. We'll apply it two times. Once on the room itself, Harry will be the guardian as he is the one that discovered the room and once on the reason of our meetings, Hermione will be the guardian for that as it was her idea in the beginning."
"You can do the Fidelius charm?" Asked Cho Chang, looking surprised.
"Yes, since recently. I worked it out with Hermione over the previous days and even if it is complex, its not that hard to do. It need to be done by at least two person and everybody witnessing the application of the charm will be in on the secret, but not the secret keeper. Anybody that knew of the secret before but didn't witness the application of the charm will forget everything about it and won't be able to find it again unless the guardian reveal it to them. The one doing the charm can't be the guardian of the secret so that's why it can't be done alone. Also, the only one that can undo the charm is the secret keeper himself. The book I got from that room was very precise on its application so I'm confident on being able to perform it, Hermione too or anybody we teach it in fact." Daphne didn't miss the mischievous look the twins gave one an other and thought it would be good to keep an eye on them. "The only condition for it to work is that the person performing the spell need to have total trust of the one he chose as a guardian of the secret. But, if the person that become the guardian of the secret is also included in that secret, is the one to benefit from the Fidelius charm or is the one requesting its application, as right now with Harry and Hermione, he must be the one to have complete trust on the person performing the charm."
At that point, she lost most of the younger while the rest were simply stunned of learning how the spell work. Ron didn't say anything but thought it shouldn't be Daphne applying the charm as nobody could trust her, but he promised Harry to tolerate her and decided against voicing his concern.
The whole group witnessed Daphne apply the charm with Harry for the location of the room. Harry wondered if Dobby and the other house elves would forget about its existence and decided he would go to tell them first thing after the meeting. He felt sort of powerful to be the only one that can give the location of that room or even talk about its existence freely to anybody.
Once the charm was applied, Daphne continued. "Now, nobody will be able to talk about that room to anybody that don't know the secret, other that Harry of course. If you want somebody to learn of it, you will have to ask Harry to do it. I made it so you can say that a magic on the room doesn't allow you to give its location. You can't mention the Fidelius charm, but nothing stop you from telling that the magic is done by the room itself even if its not true. That's what I recommend to say if you're in a bind" She turned to Hermione but was stopped by her.
"Wait. Before we apply the charm, we need to find a name for our group so it's included in the charm." Said Hermione.
"What about the Defense Association?" Said Cho Chang. "We can call it D.A. For short."
"Not bad, I'll keep in mind unless we find better." Approved the Gryffindor girl before being swarmed by suggestions. Most of them were rubbish – and coming from the twins – but there was a few good ones, but none good enough.
"No, I think 'Umbridge Is An Ugly Pink Toad Group' isn't enough mean to her." Argued Fred.
"Yes, you're right... How about the 'Anti Pink-Monstrosity-That-Makes-Toad-Looks-Charming' ?" Proposed George.
They continued like this for a while, others joining in and Hermione wondered who proposed "The Swiss Cheese Addicts" before seeing Jeff's eyes sparkle while looking at a bowl of sliced swiss cheese that appeared from thin air. This brought a new theory to Hermione as she knew food can't be created or transfigured, one of the limit of magic. The only place the cheese could come from is the kitchen, so the room must be able to bring things from elsewhere in the castle. An other theory would be that anything they got came from somewhere in the castle and they were simply borrowing it from its original place. She would have to experiment, but she guessed there were limits to that, like she doubted they could request for a person to be brought in the room or request for an object that was used. Now that she thought about it, the chairs they got before were exact replicas of the ones in the Gryffindor tower and probably came from a storage room somewhere in the castle because she knew nobody claimed that a chair had disappeared from the common room. Oh god this room was exciting!
"How about the thing Umbridge and Fudge seem to be fearing the most? 'Dumbledore's Army' which also work with Cho's idea of D.A. for short." Proposed Ginny, earning a pleased smile from Michael Corner.
"Yeah... It got a meaning, a practical side and it do tell what we do in some way." Said Hermione. "Everybody is ok with Dumbledore's Army?"
After an unanimous 'Yes', Hermione nodded to Daphne to perform the charm now. A few minutes later, Hermione smiled and wrote on the parchment the name of their group that she pinned to the wall. She turned back to everyone and pointed to the parchment while looking from one person to an other.
"Welcome all to Dumbledore's Army. Lets the learning begin!"