AN: You guys made me very happy! Reviewing like you did. I think four reviews is a lot and I get very discouraged with only two. Isn't that weird? Anyway, I sort of rushed through my other stories to make this chapter, which I think was very successful. Please tell me what you think.

Thank you to those who did tell me what you thought. I'm sorry I didn't put more romance in this chapter, but next chapter I'll definitely have some juicy bits. Haha. But there has to be a plot, after all.

Momo: :D I'm glad you're glad. Because I hate to disappoint. I really do! And doesn't Treize seem like a ladies' man? I'll try to utilize that fact some more. Umbitch will get hers.. but I have to make the plot with her. It's sad. And long reviews do that to me. Just make me wanna' write!

ShianeCollins: Oh, thank you! I hope that's a good thing. oO

NebelKind: Does that mean Cloud Kid or Cloud Child? Took a little German and that's what it seems like... Anywho You haven't read something like what I've written?! Wow. I must have made a typo because I don't know what you mean by handy. And yes, they all have mutations. I haven't typed them up yet. Thanks for revewing!

Vixi: Umbridge seriously scared me when I first read about her. She really terrified me. Thanks for sharing your feelings!

Mission 5: The New Recruits

"Fuck, this job is worse than that school job. Remember Heero? When everyone believed I was gay?" Duo prodded Heero with his wand.

"You are gay."

"You know what I mean. Everyone avoided us me like the plague. Awful place."

"The new recruits are here," said Heero, changing the subject. It wasn't as if he wasn't interested in what Duo was saying, but when it came to a mission he usually forgot everything else. Duo made a face at him, and Heero could sense the boy was irritated but decided not to do anything about Duo's childishness. Then he decided against it, because his heart started to hurt. So he turned around to give Duo a quick peck on the cheek felt a flush of happiness. The mission had its good points, the main one being that he knew when to act accordingly and when to ignore something.

'Here' meant the Room of Requirement, where every meeting was to take place, whether it was between the new recruits or just the Preventer unit. Because of Grimm's law, Hermione and Harry, after asking the house elves down below, took care of food and the room took care of the rest, so that the room was furnished with pleasant furniture, tables, and chairs. The Preventers there sat in their respective Combinementship groups, looking over the names of those that were coming.

The new recruits were actually other Hogwarts students, all of them seventh-years, most of them Combines, except for a few like Hermione who just didn't like Umbridge and had no special status whatsoever. Mostly there were Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, quite a few Ravenclaws, but most surprising of all, there were some Slytherins. Hermione and Heero expected that there won't be any, knowing their attitudes to anything not perfect. They were even nicknamed 'Umbridge's Little Helpers'. They all came in pairs.

They were all Combines.

"They say they are all special cases," Treize explained in a hushed voice. "Near deaths because of some accident or another that required 'Combine surgery' as what they call it."

"I read that Combines do share a common life force," Hermione whispered back, watching as everyone separated into their separate Houses. "Merlin's thumb, is that Pansy Parkinson? Surely she isn't a Combine, the hyprocrite, and she's with Blaise! How in the world did they get past Umbridge and her horrible tests at lunch?"

"Calm down, Hermione, they're with us now," Harry said, shaking her shoulder.

Ron disagreed, "No way. They'll betray us the first chance they get. How do we even know they are really Combines anyway?"

Quatre, hearing this last bit, answered, "Their wands. When Combines share intense feelings together, their wands react simultaneously, and in the same way. So no matter if they like each or not, their wands will do the same thing, and we'll know that they are Combines. If they're not, their wands won't react at all."

"Let's do this for everyone who says they're Combines, so the Slytherins won't feel like they're being singled out. It took a lot of convincing them to join, once they told me they were Combines," Treize said to them, then to the rest in a booming and commanding voice, "We would like for you to separate into Combines and non-Combines, if you will. We have a test for all Combines to make sure everyone's joining for the right reasons."

They separated easily enough. All the Ravenclaws and Slytherins going into the Combine line. Trowa and Heero guarded the exit, should anything arise, and again Heero and Hermione didn't expect there to be any. Unfortunately they were wrong again.

Heero and Duo, and Trowa and Quatre demonstrated the two types of movements the wands may have, meager, excited twitches, or wild jumps, respectively. Still, no one protested with the test, not even the Slytherins. Pansy and Blaise did very well, their wands shooting straight up, and they kissed much longer they needed to. The other Slytherins didn't do quite the same, uneasy twitches and nearly violent forces repelled wands away from one another, but still they were Combines.

Eventually, two Ravenclaw alleged Combines came up to a conveniently made stand and did like the other Combines did- started kissing, nervously, as if they had never done it and never thought of doing it before. Their wands placed on the table before the platform didn't move at all. Immediately, Heero and Hermione took out their wands and shouted, "Obliviate," and successfully took out their memories of the whole meeting, and however they heard of the meeting, and they fell to the floor as if Stupefied, Heero's man taking a bit longer than Hermione's girl. Wufei, with super strength because of Combine mutations, which they found out they all had, picked up both and swung them over his shoulders. He left without another word to take them back to their rooms- well, at least the commonroom.

This happened with a couple of desperate Gryffindors and two more Ravenclaw pairs. Milliardo, looking more and more like a mutant lizard, took care of the Gryffindor and Wufei again escorted the unconscious Ravenclaws out of the Room of Requirement.

"I don't understand," one Hufflepuff said. "Why were they here?"

Pansy answered in an indifferent voice, "Because they follow the Dark Lord."

"Who's that?"

"Pff. You-Know-Who. He has quite a following, you know, what with the propoganda and the fear of another Dark Wizard takeover-"

This was new to the Preventers and Quatre immediately interrupted to ask, "What do you mean 'another'?"

"It was before we were born. A bunch of Dark Wizards got together and managed a conspiracy large enough to take over the Ministry of Magic and spur Operation Meteor in the Muggle World, which would destroy all Muggles on earth but leave the Wizards alive. I bet you didn't know that, did you?

"Anyway, they killed anyone fighting for the other side when the fighting started. It was like that for awhile until their leader, the Dark Lord, decided to go up against Harry Potter and ended up getting broken to pieces. Now he's back and a lot of families are trying to get on the side they think would win, instead of the one they really should be on. Gryffindors have no place working for the Dark Lord," huffed Pansy. "Of course, I have no room to talk. Not like I'm working for the bastard anyway."

"You're very informed," Quatre praised, quickly writing down everything she said, and told Heero to give Lillian a firm reprimand for not telling them.

"I have good resources and, now that we have what we believe are all the traitors, I just want to say that Draco Malfoy is also a Combine, we just don't know with who." She smiled as she said this and the other Slytherin Combines gave her shocked looks. "Oh, please, it's been a secret for years, since very nearly he was born.

How long did you expect me to keep it? And it's not all that uncommon between purebred families, to keep secret that someone or another is a Combine."

"But why are you telling us?" Hermione asked.

"Because, Draco has the magical ability of a third year and nearly failed all his classes last year. I don't want a repeat."

"And you think we can just find out who this mystery Combine is?" Hermione said sweetly.

"Well we can research the possibilities, if it's all the same to you." Pansy spoke in a same fake voice. "And maybe there are some other Combines in the school who don't know their other halves, or thirds maybe," and she looked at Treize as she said this.

"Fine, but the main purpose of this group is to take down Dark Lord- I mean, You-Know-Who. And the only way we can do that is if we share the secrets of how some Combinementships are so much more successful than others."

"Well," Pansy cried, coming up the the platform as if she owned the very place. "That's just simple. I'm sure that the two marshmallows can explain."

"Please refrain from namecalling," Quatre chided, "Every House is represented here and should demand equal respect from the other Houses."

"Whatever. But you do know how to make your magic stronger, especially if you know who your Combine is, right?"

"Not all that well."

Pansy let out an exasperated sigh then suddenly began shouting orders for everyone to sit in a circle. The tables and chairs and sofas disappeared, and in their places pillows lined the floor in a round shape. Then she commanded the Preventers to begin passing out drinks and food, and plates and cups appeared. Hermione was no longer in charge as Pansy ordered her to sit next to her and Blaise, with Ron on her other side, and the other Preventers started seating themselves according to Combinementship, as did the other Houses, except those that weren't Combines and were personal friends of the Combines, like of Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom along with three-eyed Cho and Cedric Diggory. Altogether there weren't that many students, but it was enough for a coup against Umbridge.

"Before we start on the Combines, let's make it clear to everyone," said Heero, his brilliantly dark blue eyes scaring everyone, "If words get out about our meetings, you will die. I will not Obliviate you, I will eliminate you. Understand me?"

The others nodded wordlessly, while Duo smiled proudly, and Heero gave him what seemed to be a smile but turned out to be a mere upturn of the corner of his mouth, but that was enough for Duo anyway.

"Okay, now that you scared them to death, let's talk about magic," Pansy declared. "Accio Book." And the book which Quatre or Hermione always referred to about Combinementship flew to her hand, without protest from either. "This is nifty, but rare. Umbridge had the Ministry get rid of these books."

"We have to admit," Cedric said for the first time that night, "Even if we do get a handle on our Combinementship, we won't be able to take down You-Know-Who."

"Don't be pessimistic. It says here that Combines can be even stronger than regular wizards if their love is strong enough. As you can see, Blaise and I are well on our way in that department, and the marsh- Hufflepuffs Trowa and Quatre aren't too far behind."

"But... But..." Neville studdered, "What if we don't... actually love... each other." Luna slowly turned her face towards Neville, a very tiny frown visible on her face.

"The book says it comes automatically. A yearning for another, no matter who it is. If you hadn't died yet, then you're at least compatible, and if you can't go any further than that, you're a lost cause. However, everyone has a chance of become strong Combines. It's all a matter of accepting your Combine.

"But it's more difficult than that. Since we have at least one three-way here, I might as well tell you that there may be other hindrances beside not liking each other, but having different levels of liking. For example, Treize may only like Wu... What's your name again?"

"Wufei."

"Right, Wufei, but may love Milliardo. That would hurt the relationship. A lot."

"Why does it have to be me in the middle?" muttered Treize.

"Anyway, it could also happen between two people. If one liked the other on a whole different level, it will just hurt the magic. Magic works best when the two Combines are the same level of love and happiness. Understand?"

"How do you make a relationship better then? If that's the case?" Milliardo asked, truly intent on the answer.

"First, in any case, it always, always, ALWAYS helps to talk. Talk long and seriously. And it may take a couple of conversations for anything to happen. Then, talk the relationship to the next level. Yes, I do mean sex, and lots of it."

"Lots," Blaise added, smiling. The other Combines looked mortified, mostly blushing.

"Third, practice magic together, a lot. Probably immediately after you have sex or after you talk, because that's when your magic is at your peak. Fourth, don't get too involved with others, that totally screws everything up. Even if you fall in love with another person, you better think better of it, because everything you've worked for in your Combinementship will all go to waste. Fifth, be ready for the commitment."

"Some Combines can actually go crazy from loving each other," Cedric said. "Is that true?"

"Yes, it says here, and here, and here, that the feelings might become too intense and the magic will go out of control," Pansy said, very quietly as she perused the pages. "I didn't know that. That's actually a bit frightening.

"I think that's all."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Luna said slowly. "But we'll make it good, won't we Neville?"

"Sure, Luna."

It was quiet after this, as everyone contemplated what Pansy said. Of course, some where more apprehensive than others, nervously twiddling their thumbs in the silence, until Treize said to the circle, "We should invite Draco."

Several, "No!" outbursts commenced at once, and Treize looked baffled for awhile before asking, "Well, why not? Is he not a Combine?"

"If I thought he could handle it," Pansy said, "I would've have brought him. But he still has it in his mind that he can somehow suck up to the Dark Lord and make him look over the fact that he's a Combine."

"Tell him that we know that there is going to be an attack on Combines soon. It will happen through Hogwarts and lead to the Muggle World, just like the first takeover."

Pansy looked at him carefully. "That's not exactly a lie, now is it?"

"That's all you need to know," Treize said secretively, one elegant eyebrow rising in a challenge.

She backed down. "Whatever. I'll do what I can do. But what good is it going to do to to invite Draco?"

"It's one less person we have to worry about going to the other side."

"True. Plus, I guess it would help to find his other half or third or fourth or whatever if he was actually here. But we still don't know how to find his other Combine."

"There is a way," Cho said, not looking at the book. "Before, when Combines were first persecuted by the Ministry because they believed it was the Muggle's way of killing off wizards again, they separated Combines. The only way to get two Combines together is for one Combine to focus on searching on the other with his wand using the spell Amor. Over and over and over. It may take a long time, but what happens is that the other Combines wand will point to the Combine saying the spell. Their wand is useless until they find each other."

"So the other witch has to find him?" Ron said.

"Basically."

"That sucks! That may take forever."

"But, at least it's a start!" Pansy gave Cho a hug. "That's brilliant. Now I have to tell Draco and get him to join. It's going to be so much fun without Umbridge, that bi- witch looking to humiliate us Combines all the time."

They drunk up the drinks and ate the food for the rest of the time. The Houses, and some of the Combines, became very friendly with one another. It was mostly on the part of Pansy who easily set apart everyone's fear of Slytherins. She didn't like Muggles, and hated beign a Combine, but she was generally innocuous about it, shrugging whenever someone brought up the topic of her anathema towards non-purebreds. And hour or so later, they called it a night, an hour or so before the regular dorm room time, after being informed that the next meeting would be the next Saturday afternoon. After everyone left, it was only the Preventer unit staying with one another.

"I forgot to discuss mutations!" Quatre cried too late. "I wanted to make sure everyone knew about it, and learned to use it to their advantage."

"What's so advantageous about it?" Treize grumbled, fingering his third eye.

"Strength, for example, Treize. And special powers. I know that I may turn into a werewolf around the full moon of each month. Don't worry, Trowa and I have that covered," he said to their worried looks. "And who knows what else? It's just good to know what you're handling."

"Have you two done it?" Heero asked abruptly.

"Heero!"

"Just answer the question."

"That question is... uhm..."

"Answer the question."

"B-but," Quatre stammered, blushing red as a beet.

"Asnwer the question!"

"Yes," Trowa said. "We've done it at least five times."

"In one week?"

"Yes."

"Do you talk?"

"A lot. We have have the same room together."

Heero scrunched his forehead, a tell that he was thinking. "Then why do you have trouble with the brooms at lunch?"

"We fake it, fight the connection, so that Umbridge will not get suspicious of us if we all of a sudden get stronger."

Treize nodded. "That's intelligent, to make the enemy think she has the upper-hand. You know what I think? I think the attack will come from Umbridge."

Heero nodded, and some of the others also nodded in agreement. "We should follow her. At least at nights. Harry Potter has a cape that makes you go Invisible. It's not magic from the wand so we don't have ot worry about any spells."

"All you have to do is stay quite and not get stuck anywhere," Duo added. "We were thinking of taking turns doing rounds on Umbridge, since they'll notice if we started getting sleepy in classes or anything, they're watching us so damn close. I'll go tomorrow. Then Heero the next day, then Milliardo, then Trowa and Quatre, Wufei, and Treize. Alright."

"Alright," they said.

"It's about time for bed," Quatre warned, and they left for bed.

Before separating off to their separate dorms, Treize gave both Wufei and Milliardo a good-night kiss that left them blushing and calling him an idiot. Treize made his way to the Slytherin door before being stopped by Umbridge herself.

"I wonder why my crows didn't react to my personal space rule you just blatantly broke," she snarled, but walked past him.

In all honestly, Treize had, in his eagerness to kiss them both because of loneliness in the Slytherin House, forgotten all about Umbridge and her rules.