"We're in here Ginny!" Luna called from a compartment at the end of the car. Ginny pushed past a group of third years and dragged her trunk down the corridor.

"Missed you this summer, but mum says you can visit at Christmas" Ginny said as she stepped into the compartment.

"What are you doing here?" she hissed, wheeling around to close the door behind her. "Didn't you get my message?" she turned to stare at Colin Creevey in disbelief.

"Oh that was you? I thought Harry sent it." Colin shrugged. "It's fine Ginny, Sean and I have a plan." Ginny narrowed her eyes at the other boy, who smiled shyly at her. He was the newest addition to their little group and was still a bit afraid of her, unlike Colin.

Ginny sat down, but kept her eyes fixed on the pair of boys. Colin was lounging across three seats, his head of mousy hair was sun-bleached and resting on against Sean Peakes, who must have grown another six inches over the summer.

"Well?" Ginny pressed after a moment.

"Turns out my mum was Mr. Peakes' half-sister. Dad lost touch after she died, didn't know she was a witch, see. Not til Dennis and I started at Hogwarts." Colin explained. Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"Sean, do you know how dangerous that is?" Ginny asked. Sean's dark eyes flicked to her and then to Colin.

"I… well you know how he gets…" he muttered. "Dad said it was ok, as long as we're careful."

"And this is careful?" Ginny scoffed, motioning to the pair of them. Colin groaned and sat up, putting his feet on the seat between Ginny and Luna.

"Do you have any proof?" she pressed.

"Course not, it's not true is it?" Colin joked as he dodged a kick from Ginny.

"Dad works in the ministry, he's taking care of it." Sean offered. Ginny chewed her bottom lip for a moment before accepting it. Having Colin around would make Hogwarts without Harry easier to bear.

"So Dennis came back too?" She asked, deciding to put the hostility aside.

"Yeah, he and Jimmy like the idea of being cousins. We spent a week at their place and dad was ready to kill them both by the Wednesday." Colin said. Ginny laughed, comforted that they probably spent more time studying each other's families than they'd ever admit.

"I don't fancy being a Gryffindor Prefect with those two around." Sean said rolling his eyes. Colin and Sean entertained the girls with stories of their brothers' antics until the lunch trolley arrived, followed shortly by Neville.

"I was wondering where you'd gotten to" Luna said as Neville picked up Colin's legs and tossed them off the seat next to her.

"Took over as Prefect with Ron being sick. Gran told me." He said looking at Ginny. "She also told me" he said, leaning over at and staring accusingly at Ginny "that you've taken to riding a motorcycle." Sean clapped Colin on the back, who had just choked on a pumpkin pasty.

Ginny's face split into a wide grin as she pulled on a chain around her neck, revealing a small silver key.

"Blimey! Where'd you get it?" Neville asked in awe.

The excitement over the motorcycle only lasted a few minutes, as Luna had spotted the Dailey Prophet sticking out of Neville's pocket.

"Moment of truth I suppose" Colin said, sitting upright and betraying how nervous he was. Luna flipped the pages until she came to a list of names in the center of the paper.

"Supposed Witches and Wizards Wanted for Failing to Register as Muggle Borns with the Ministry of Magic" She read out.

"What do they mean "supposed"?" Colin spat, leaning forward. He made Luna read through the C's four times before he slumped back against the seat. Luna started reading again from the top of the list, mumbling until she came to a name they recognized.

The compartment was quiet when she finished.

"So Dean and Hermione are on the list, they must be on the run." Neville said breaking the silence.

"Not Justin though, has anyone seen him on the train?" Sean asked. Although Justin Finch-Fletchley was a year ahead of Sean, Hufflepuffs tended to look out for one another.

"I didn't see him in any of the compartments…" Neville's voice was barely above a whisper. Nobody moved, though Ginny was sure she saw Sean give Colin's hand a squeeze.

Unable to take the tension, Ginny flipped through the rest of the newspaper before coming back to the front page.

"Bloody hell!" She gasped, staring at the headline. "Neville, why didn't you say anything?"

"Well it's not exactly the best news, is it?" he replied, glaring at Severus Snape's photograph. "You don't want to read the article, especially after eating." Neville said, flipping over the paper.

"Highlights are, he's a bastard and will be running the school like a Death Eater recruitment center. I had to hide it from Gran this morning; she might have tried getting on the train with me if she'd seen it." Neville continued.

"I think it's time we reunite the DA" Luna said, pulling out her gold coin.

"And with Snape as Headmaster, we should start with the Disillusionment charm." Ginny said. She had a mental list of spells she's been working on whenever Tonks had visited over the summer. Neville pulled out a piece of parchment and quill to start making notes.

"We should review shield charms and stunning spells too" Neville added.

"What about the Patronus charm?" Sean asked "Colin showed me last year, wouldn't put it past the Death Eaters to send Dementors to the school."

"Luna? You were the best next to Harry." Neville asked as he scribbled faster. Luna smiled sweetly and nodded.


As they queued up for the carriages in Hogsmead, they were joined by Seamus and Michael Corner, who Ginny had to hush when they started asking about Harry and the DA.

"Not here! Grab a seat with Neville and Luna, they'll fill you in" she whispered as Colin tugged her away by the arm.

"You're an incredibly needy person, did you know that?" She muttered as she climbed in the door of a carriage behind him. Sean was already settled into a corner.

"You know, after being away from you for two months, I'd nearly forgotten." Colin teased. Ginny closed the door behind her and took Arnold out of her pocket to play with. It took until the carriage lurched forward for her to notice that the Colin was being uncharacteristically quiet.

Ginny looked up at to see him glance awkwardly at Sean, then back to her.

"So… you're sort of right" Colin said

"Of course I am, but what's new about that?" Ginny replied with a smile.

"About us having to be careful. It's not just me, it's Dennis too, and Sean and Jimmy and our parents. I know that" Colin was staring at Ginny intently.

Ginny sighed "You had to know that going in Colin, but you're not on the list, so as long as you two don't let on…"

"I'm also wondering how you're planning on keeping the Death Eaters away from you," Colin interrupted. "Harry was the last boyfriend you had, everyone know that. If you look like you could still be with him, or waiting for him…"

"Are you suggesting I start snogging someone as a decoy? Would it be so hard to believe that with a war going on I simply don't have time for a boyfriend?" she asked hotly.

"Well…" Colin looked at her sheepishly. Ginny leaned forward, but Sean held up his hand to stop her.

"Listen Ginny, you haven't been single for more than two weeks at a time since the beginning of fourth year." Sean said steadily. "If you want Harry to look like a passing fling, you need to think about what you're going to do."

Ginny chewed her lip. Fuck. They were probably right.

"There was already talk about Colin and me at the end of last term, and if we're going to keep him safe, we need to put that thought out of everyone's mind." Sean continued.

Ginny looked up suddenly, her eyes flicking from Sean to Colin, both of whom were staring at her, waiting for her to catch on.

"You want me to… date Colin?" She asked. The carriage was silent again.

"It wouldn't be like, for real" Colin said breaking the silence. "I know you don't want to date anyone, but other people will expect you to. They'll think you're in love with him if you don't." he paused to gauge Ginny's reaction. She stared back at him, ignoring the taste of blood that told her she'd torn the skin on the inside of her lip.

"It wouldn't be hard to convince people, remember what Romilda Vane said about us in third year? You wouldn't even talk to me for a month!" Colin chanced leaning forward and dropped his voice. "If people think we're together they'll think you've moved on from Harry. They'll believe Sean and I are cousins. Please, Ginny."

Ginny closed her eyes for a moment and touched the key around her neck, she couldn't think properly with Colin looking so helpless. But it made sense. It would mean she wouldn't be badgered for weeks before each Hogsmead visit. It would mean keeping Colin safe, keep his relationship with Sean a secret so they could continue their charade as cousins, and he kept her sane. Ever since their second year, he had been the one person she could confide in, go to when she needed to talk about her brothers or her nightmares or Harry.

Harry. This was what Harry would want her to do.

"Alright." She breathed. "But I'm not snogging you." Colin lunged forward, wrapping her in a tight hug. Ginny glanced over his should a Sean, who smiled gratefully at her.

"Okay, get off me, we're almost there" Ginny laughed, pushing Colin to the floor.

Colin was grinning from ear to ear until the moment Ginny opened the carriage door. The entrance way to the school was guarded by half a dozen witches and wizards, including at least two Death Eaters that Ginny could recognize.

"Think they're checking for muggle borns?" Sean whispered as he followed the other two up the steps. Ginny unconsciously took Colin's hand as they approached the double doors.

"Ginny Weasley. Gryffindor." She announced before the witch who approached them could ask. Her thin orange hair was streaked with grey and pulled back so tightly it looked slick. The witch ran a stubby finger down her list before moving on to Colin.

The great hall was buzzing as they walked in, but it wasn't the usual chatter of excited students that usually preceded the start of term feast. Small clusters of students gathered at their house tables, making the hall look even emptier than it already was. Ginny was sure at least a quarter of the students were missing.

Neville waved at them unsmiling from across the hall and Sean smiled at Colin reluctantly as he made his way to the Hufflepuff table.

"They took a fourth year as we got out of the carriage." Neville said as they sat down.

"Do you think they were muggle born?" Ginny asked feeling sick.

"I think so, that blond girl who tried out for Beater last year." Neville replied looking somber. "I didn't realize what was happening until Michael took a curse trying to go after her." Ginny glanced at the Ravenclaw table and saw Padma Patil gently inspecting her ex-boyfriend black eye.

"Rebecca Thompson, she was on the list in the Prophet." Colin said "I'm sure there was nothing you could have done. They've been planning this for weeks."

Students fell silent as Professor McGonagall escorted the first years to the front of the hall. Ginny counted less than two dozen. The Sorting Hat's song seemed to echo off the rafters.

Gryffindor did their best to cheer with enthusiasm as each of their five new students joined them, but everything sounded hollow. Silence fell as Snape rose from the headmaster's chair and Ginny fought the urge to retch.

"Welcome," Snape said, staring down the end of his nose "to another year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I am Professor Snape, and as some of you may have been able to deduct, Headmaster." He paused as if to let the room settle, but no one had dared make a sound.

"Additions to staff this year include Professors Carrow and Carrow, who will be teaching Dark Arts and Muggle Studies classes." The ginger haired woman from the front steps rose briefly, as did the man next to her. Both wore identically evil grimaces.

"We have increased security measures surrounding the school and patrols of the castle will be in place nightly." Snape directed attention to a group of wizards in plain black robes with silver badges pinned to the front who were standing at the back of the hall. "These witches and wizards will be on the grounds at all times. Students are to obey their orders above all else."

"Finally, all class schedules are final. Students will not have the opportunity to drop a class they are doing poorly in and any absences must be made up for two fold. Teachers are reminded that all students who have earned a detention are to be referred to Professors Carrow or Carrow." Snape's black eyes swept over the hall, daring anyone to cry out in outrage. Ginny saw Professor McGonagall stare daggers at his back.

"That will be all." Snape said, and the tables filled with the usual start of term feast. It was the only familiar thing out of the entire evening.

"Really making the school his own, isn't he?" Colin spat, reaching for a baked potato.

"This is not his school." Neville hissed. "It's worse than I thought. I think we should start tonight."

"Don't be daft Neville, with all the new security? They'll be expecting something tonight more than ever." Ginny whispered, pulling her DA coin out of her pocket.

"Tomorrow then. He hasn't said anything about curfews, so I say we assume they stay the same." Neville pressed. Ginny pretended to be pulling up her sock, tapping the galleon with her wand under the table.

Looking around, Ginny saw her fellow DA members glance in her direction, nudge their friends or slip their hands into the pockets. They all had the same look of relief and determination on their faces.

At the end of the night, Snape rose from his seat at the head table as the puddings vanished. Students stared up at him, but he seemed to have nothing more to say and swept out of the hall through the door beside him.

The hall erupted as soon as the door slammed behind him. Students were swarming their heads of houses with questions and outrage, while Neville and the other Prefects tried to corral their first years.

"Let's get out of here before McGonagall loses it" Colin suggested eyeing the head table wearily.

"I'll meet you up there, password's Fillius" Neville said as he grabbed a first year by the collar who had tried to follow a group of Ravenclaws.

Ginny and Colin made their way past the security post easily enough, but started sprinting as soon as they were out of sight.

"Look at the bright side," Colin panted as they stepped into the empty common room. "We won't have to take classes from the bastard this year."

"I somehow doubt those Carrows will be any better. They look about as dumb as trolls." Ginny replied as she sunk into her favourite armchair. "And did you notice that he dropped the word 'defense' from Defense against the Dark Arts?"

"We'll pick up the slack there with DA meetings, they're better than the usual classes anyways." Colin reasoned. "Who knows, some of the curses might turn out to be useful. If they play dirty, we might as well."

It wasn't long before the crowd from the great hall filled the common room. Ginny caught Neville's eye and she and Colin followed him up to the 7th year boys dormitory. With three of its five occupants missing in action, it seemed as good a place as any to start writing up a lesson plan for the following night's DA meeting