The remaining journey to Hogwarts went by uneventfully. It almost seemed to Neville as if this were any other year, but of course it wasn't, and Neville realized that he couldn't try to pretend it was. There was so much more at stake, and so much more to gain.
The train pulled to a stop, and Neville, Luna, and Ginny gathered their things. Suddenly there was a small tap on the window. Neville shot around, startled, but it was only Lavendar Brown. She smiled and allowed herself into the cramped compartment, shutting the door behind her with a click.
"Seamus told me that you guys are reinstating Dumbledore's Army." She said quickly. "I want to join."
"You were in the first DA weren't you?" Ginny asked, "You should have gotten the message on your coin."
"I chucked mine out a window last year after Ron and me broke up," Lavendar said, blushing a little. "I never thought that I'd need to use it again."
"Well luckily for you we've managed to make some more," Ginny said as she pulled another small gold coin out of her pocket, "But don't go chucking this around if you and me date and break up okay?"
"When are you guys thinking of starting meetings and stuff?" Lavendar asked.
"Oh we really don't have too much figured out yet." Luna replied, "But we want to get started pretty soon so probably in a week or so."
Lavendar smiled at her. "Good, I'm not sure I can stand doing nothing for long," She sighed, "I just get this incredible feeling that everything that I ever cared for about this place, everything magical about it, is going to be ripped away. I'm afraid that the Carrows and Snape are going to force their twisted ideas onto the younger students."
"Me too," Neville said. "That's why we're doing this." He was trying to sound more confident and sure of himself than he actually was, trying to appear a leader to this girl who he had always viewed as being above him. "It's good to have you."
"Thanks Neville." Lavendar replied, and she gave him a small smile before exiting the compartment.
Ginny slammed the door to the compartment and began to furiously throw all the things that she had removed during the ride into her trunk.
"What's wrong with you?" Neville asked, grabbing her hand.
"I just don't like her," Ginny replied, "And don't touch me." She ripped her arm away and continued tossing things into her trunk.
"You know Ginny," Luna said, "That temper is what gets your brother into trouble so often."
Ginny shot her a look that could put a basalisk to shame.
Neville, Ginny, and Luna entered the Great Hall together. As Neville looked up at the almost familiar scene he felt his whole body shaking. Snape was sitting in Dumbledore's tall chair wearing a peculiar look of what seemed to be intense concentration. Neville's heart filled with incredible hatred at the sight. On his left was a small woman, whose face seemed to catch the shadows of the room in a way that immersed her features in darkness. On Snape's other side was a man who looked eerily similar to the woman. Neville recognized them immediately as the Carrows. As he stared up at the sight of the three Death Eaters presiding over Hogwarts he knew for the first time without a flicker of a doubt that the mission that he, Luna, and Ginny had set for themselves was the right thing to be doing, and a glance at his two friends faces set in determination and anger confirmed this confidence.
A shove on his back brought him barrelling back to reality and he spun around to come face to face with Draco Malfoy glaring at him. "Move," The blonde boy spat, but Neville couldn't help but feel that his voice lacked a certain conviction. Still he moved aside and let him pass without a word.
Neville turned to Luna, "See you later," He said, "Try and find some possible recruits from third and fourth years."
"Yes I was planning to," Luna said, and she waved goodbye to Neville and Ginny and headed over to the Ravenclaw table. Neville and Ginny walked together to the Gryffindor table.
"You can't let people push you around like that Neville," Ginny said as they took seats next to each other, across from Seamus Finnigan.
"I can deal with my problems on my own, thanks." Neville said, but at the slightly hurt expression on Ginny's face he sighed, "I'm sorry."
"It's fine." Ginny said. "I just think you need to work on your assertiveness is all."
"You're probably right." Neville said quietly.
The doors to the Great Hall opened and a swarm of first years flooded into the room. Neville and Ginny turned their attention to the sorting. It carried on as usual except that without muggleborns it seemed that an unusual amount of students were sorted into Slytherin. Neville cheered along with the other Gryffindors as several young students took their places at their table. "How many of them do you think will leave this year thinking that muggleborns are scum?" Ginny whispered to him. He shrugged.
As the last first year scurried over to the Hufflepuff table Snape stood up and clinked his glass. The room feel silent.
"Welcome to all of you." Snape drawled, his lip sneering up, "Especially to those among us who come of noble stock." He nodded pointedly at the Slytherin table, "I just want to take this time to inform you all of a couple of changes that will be occurring this year. First off, I want you all to welcome our two new teachers, Professor Carrow, and Professor Carrow." He bowed slightly at the two Death Eaters Claps erupted from the Slytherin table. The rest of the hall remained silent.
The poor reaction did not go unnoticed by Snape. He turned back to face the students, and spoke slowly, "I see that some of you are under the impression that things at Hogwarts are not going to change. You seem to think that I will ignore your lack of respect for the Dark Lord's followers. This is not acceptable. When I introduce these two formidable professors you will clap whether you want to or not- and you will learn to want to. Now let me reintroduce the Carrows." Again he bowed to the two Death Eaters and the Slytherin table clapped enthusiastically. While several Hufflepuffs begrudgingly joined in, the Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and about half of the Hufflepuff table remained still. Neville glanced over at Luna and smiled at the sight of her crossed arms and defiant stare.
Snape began to speak again, "That wasn't much better." He remarked and his lips twitched in a strange way. Neville couldn't help but notice that his voice seemed somewhat strained. "I think it's time you learned that you have no choice at this school. Your opinions do not matter unless they are opinions that support the Dark Lord and his noble work. Express any other opinion and you will be punished." He steadily raised his wand and pointed it out into the crowd of students.
Neville saw McGonagall's jaw tighten at the very left of the staff table. She looked ready to jump up and make a stand at any moment and Neville felt a rush of gratitude for his head of house. "Now students pay attention, " Snape said, and Neville looked up at him, "Now clap!" Snape said as he flicked his wand, and Neville felt his hands beginning to come together as the hall began to fill with the sound of unrestrained clapping.
He tried to resist, and he looked next to him as he tried to keep his hands at a standstill and saw that Ginny's hands were barely an inch apart and that she was fighting with all she had. Across the room Luna had managed to keep her hands a foot apart and barely looked like she was working hard.
But it was not Ginny or Luna who gave Neville strength. It was Seamus, sitting across from him, his hands only a half an inch apart, but resisting obeying Snape's curse as hard as he could. The simple sight of the boy who was not a member of his intimate group of friends standing up for what he believed in gave Neville enough strength to pull his hands apart. He was free of the spell.
As soon as he was free Neville reached next to him and wrenched Ginny's hands apart and the two of them each grabbed a hold of one of Seamus's hands and ripped his hands from one another. The others around the three of them were clapping unrelentlessly but the looks on their faces betrayed the pain that that simple motion was causing them.
Neville looked across the room and saw that Luna had managed to keep her hands at a foot apart. Looking around he realized that she was the only person in the room who was not free of the curse who was resisting.
Luna, however, was not looking at Neville or at any of the other students. She was staring at the staff table straight at Snape, and Neville was shocked to see that he was staring back at her. Snape seemed to be focusing all his efforts into getting Luna's hands to meet but they would not budge.
After almost thirty seconds Snape looked away and stood up. He waved his wand once and the clapping immediately subsided. Snape looked at the students with a hatred that Neville had never seen before. He was shocked by the intensity of it. Finally, Snape spoke, "I admit that I am impressed with some of you. It seems that four of you managed to resist clapping. This kind of power and intensity are traits that the Dark Lord looks for. You will not be punished for resisting my curse." He paused, "However your names have been noted and if you continue to oppose the Dark Lord and his followers let there be no mistake that you will be very sorry indeed."
Snape's eyes roved over to Neville, Ginny, and Seamus and Neville shuddered a little under his stare. Suddenly though he felt soft skin rub against his hand, and he looked down to see Ginny's hand resting on top of his, he took her hand in his and looked at her. She smiled at him just a little bit, and then slowly raised their clamped hands.
Everyone was staring at them. The message they were sending seemed to be loud and clear; the bond that they shared could be broken by nothing, not words, not spells, not pain. Nothing.
From across the room Neville saw Luna raise her wand and point it at them. A black jet shot across the room, and collided with their hands. When Neville looked up he saw only two letters, one on each of their hands.
DA