"How dare you accuse me of being an imposter!"

McGonagall met the Ministry witch's eyes evenly. "I'm not accusing you of anything- I'm stating a fact." She looked down the table. "Potter, take care of my school for me." She turned back to the woman in front of her pedestal. "Good luck, 'Miss Granger.'"

With a popping sound, McGonagall vanished.

Silence sat tense upon the Great Hall, four houses of students watching to see what would happen next. Granger looked affronted, and looked down at Professor Potter.

"Harry- you know it's me, right?"

Aspen saw shock on Professor Potter's face like any of them, but he quickly recovered and nodded. "Yeah, o' course, Hermione."

Granger nodded. "Good." She came to stand behind the pedestal; Professor Potter's eyes never left the newcomer. Granger's eyes raked across the hall as her aurors came to form a semicircle in front of the pedestal. "Students of Hogwarts: It has come to my attention that there have been several illicit activities allowed to happen on school grounds. A school paper without any official guidelines, organisations rebelling against long-held truths, and recently, an illegal magical creature used as a teaching construct. These happenings cannot be allowed to continue. I had hoped your previous headmistress would remain here long enough to agree to a hearing to address these concerns- as it stands, she will be considered a fugitive until she does. I will take her place in the meantime. A few new rules will come to Hogwarts."

Scattered murmurs rippled through the room. Within earshot of Aspen, Jeremy Wood whispered to Zachariah Jordan, "Hope she doesn't expect us to follow them."

"One," Granger said, "The organisation known as BTBSS will shut down and cease all activity. It is a revolting parody of revolution with no grounds and will not be tolerated."

Marcie Finnegan went crimson with fury.

"Two, a school journal will be permitted, but only after it has been reviewed and approved by me. Should such a construct be created without official permission, all copies will be destroyed and creators will be duly punished."

A flash of recognition lit Professor Potter's eyes at the words, and Aspen wondered what he was realizing. I have to talk to him first chance I get, she decided. Not tonight- too obvious- but soon.

"Thirdly, curfew is nine o'clock. Every night at this time, dormitory fires will be extinguished and students are to be in bed. Any student out of bed will provide their reason to me. I trust Mr. Filch's diligence to see this rule upheld, and will place wards."

The caretaker looked ecstatic and surprised, and Professor Potter's face changed from one of recognition to determination and barely concealed wrath. Aspen knew at once that this wasn't Hermione Granger- she would stake her life on it now that the stranger had ordered the rules in one, two, and thirdly. Granger was known for her intellect and studious nature; basic grammar rules would be all too familiar to her.

"Now, then. You may finish your meals and then retreat to your dormitories. Please continue as normally as possible; I know a great change has happened tonight, but we must focus on your education, and not on trivial changes of staff."

Granger smiled pleasantly and sat where McGonagall had been. New food appeared on her plate.

Aspen leaned over the table toward James Potter. "James- who is that?"

He stared at his plate and spoke under his breath. "I don't know- but she's not my aunt. I've never met her before."

ooo

"We have to do something."

Most of the Gryffindor girls from fourth year up were camping in Aspen's dorm at three that morning. Aspen, Jazz, and Aubrey had rounded them up while Claire kept lookout. Those who were too terrified to act stayed in their beds, but those who were ready to stand up to the infiltrator came back with them to their dorm. Clementine Reginald, having the best discipline record besides Claire, kept watch at the end of the hall while the girls discussed.

"James said that's not Hermione Granger," Aspen said. "And McGonagall said the same thing. It was obvious Professor Potter knew who it was- but we don't know if we can talk to him. If McGonagall was actually replaced with Ministry authority, then he'll have to play it cool."

Sarah McLaggen snorted. "Like he did in his seventh year at Hogwarts?"

"That was different," Aspen said. "That was Voldemort- we don't know who this is."

"How do we know they aren't connected?" Claire asked fearfully. "If Professor Potter recognizes them, they could be."

"Professor Potter is more than just the Boy Who Lived or the seventeen year old who saved the world," Aubrey argued. "He is all those things, but he's also got connections in the Ministry, in muggle communities, and he went to Hogwarts. He's bound to know tons of people out of relation to Voldemort. It's been years since then."

"Don't say his name," Claire whispered.

"He's long dead," Aspen said. "I'm not going to fear the name of a dead man. But come on, who do you guys think it is? What do we do?"

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Alice Longbottom II said. "There's only one option."

All eyes turned to the small dark-eyed girl standing by the door. For an eleven year old, she had a shockingly wise look on her face. Aspen raised her eyebrows. "What would that be?"

"We restart Dumbledore's Army. Only this time it's McGonagall's Army."

The decision was made with that. There was no debating. The last time the Ministry infiltrated the school and took control, it had been that awful Umbridge- there was some debate if she could somehow be involved now- and this time it was someone posing as Hermione Granger. Questions rocketed in rapidfire around the room: If that wasn't Hermione Granger, who was it? Where was the real Granger? How had they gotten Ministry permission to overthrow McGonagall? Where was McGonagall? What would McGonagall think of their army? Why had McGonagall turned to Professor Potter- because he had saved the school before, or because he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?

Their answers would have to wait. The goal now was to keep the school safe for students and unravel the mystery as they went.

After some discussion, Aspen stood on her bed and looked around the room. All eyes were on her- she wasn't exactly unaccustomed to the feeling, but now there was something real behind it, and that made her heart pound and her fingertips tingle.

"Okay. We don't make a petition or an official sign-up sheet- that's how the entirety of Dumbledore's Army was caught. We operate in secret, even keeping secrets from each other. That sounds counterintuitive, but trust me, I have a plan. Gain all the information you can, on everything. We'll meet back up in December and discuss. Last time we had something like this in Hogwarts, one of the members was given veritaserum and she was forced to expose all their information. So, we'll operate in groups. Aubrey, Clementine, Sarah, and I will be the heads. Sarah, everyone in fourth and third year that could join us, they're your responsibility. Divide them into teams as well. Clementine, sixth and seventh years. Aubrey- you have the most diverse friend group, you get the Slytherins and Ravenclaws in our year. Good?"

They nodded.

"Okay. I'll take the remaining Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs. Do not, under any circumstances, recruit the first and second years. I know I prank them every year, but when it comes down to it, they're children. Sorry, Alice. We're not involving them in any potential danger. Sarah- keep the third and fourth years out of any real trouble, alright? I'm serious about this."

Sarah nodded earnestly.

"Good. What we'll do is go out of our way to inconvenience the new rules, find loopholes. Keep the imposter busy trying to keep us in line. Meanwhile, we'll look for clues about her real identity, and we'll try to find out why she's here. Our professors may be our friends, or they might not be- I think it's safe to assume Professor Potter is on our side, but we can't involve him in this. We're just students, but we would put him at actual risk with his career and potentially Azkaban. We can't do that to him."

"Understood," Sarah said.

"So. We keep the imposter distracted, keep her attention on thinking we're just delinquents. Be as awful as you can- who remembers the stories about the Weasley twins?"

Collective murmurs echoed across the gathering.

"That's our goal. If you have any Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products, use them. Next Hogsmeade trip, stock up at Zonko's. Make spectacles of yourselves in the classrooms and hallways. The real Granger would have no problem dealing with this- she knew the Weasley twins when they were both here. Keep information you find within your squad. At the end of term, I'll tell the team-leaders where and when the meeting place is, and we'll combine information and try to figure this out. And if you get caught by a teacher, or they realize there's a bigger plot- I put you up to it, alright? Just me. I bullied you into it or threatened you or blackmailed you. Don't be afraid for me- I don't care what happens to me. I want you all safe and at no risk because of my plans. Any suggestions or thoughts?"

Aubrey looked up. "Yeah- are you sure about this, Aspen? It's one thing to be the figurehead for BTBSS, but this… We don't know the risks here."

Aspen met her friend's eyes. "This is the only thing I've really been sure I had to do in my entire life. I know the risks if I don't act- and I have never been one to sit back and accept the fate handed to me. Rebellion's our only choice, Aubrey."

Alice Longbottom looked up with bright eyes. "Here, here!"

And it echoed:

"Here, here!"

ooo

It was hard to sleep that night.

For the first time since she was seven years old, Aspen Lockhart was terrified.

It wasn't an emotion familiar or comfortable. Her skin prickled; she'd start to drift to sleep and then wake in a cold sweat. She expected horrible news in the morning, and worried about what the future might hold. For all her brave words earlier, Aspen- the lion-hearted girl known for her courage- was terrified.

The last time had been when Ben got hurt.

They were a couple of rebellious seven year olds; honestly, they hadn't changed much since then, besides making a few more precautionary adjustments to their usual plans. Their suburban neighborhood was stifling that summer and they wandered into the woods on Aspen's suggestion, down a trail she'd spotted during a walk weeks prior to. Their parents thought they were riding their bikes around the neighborhood. When they came to a gully, Aspen got a running start and jumped it- but Ben was always mildly afraid of heights, and the gully was just enough to freeze his feet. He didn't make the jump.

His head had clashed against a rock when he hit the base of the gully and the streamwater ran red with his blood. Aspen, being seven, hadn't known how easily head injuries bled- she thought at first he was dead. But even then Aspen wasn't the type to let her friend die in a ditch; she climbed to the bottom and picked him up, ripped a strip of fabric off her shirt and tied it around his head to staunch the bleeding, and then pulled him back out on the other side. Aspen's first aid knowledge was limited to what she'd read in adventure books- primarily those written by her father- and seen in intense American action movies. All she knew was that pressure might stop the bleeding and sometimes people passed out from head injuries. She wasn't worried at all about getting in trouble; that was inevitable, and it would be bad, but she didn't care. She was worried Ben was seriously hurt, and she was worried their friendship would be ended by their parents.

That long walk home in the hot summer had been the last time Aspen felt this way.

It wasn't a comfortable feeling.

She was glad of the dawn when it broke gold through her window- while she was zombified by sleep deprivation, at least now she'd have company.

But morning's relief was quickly obliterated.

Aspen was one of the first to arrive in the Great Hall for breakfast, and she was horrified at what she saw.

Hunched in the doorway was Levi Scoundrel, his eyes blackened and lip busted. Aspen ran to his side. "Levi! What happened!?"

He looked up from where he'd been leaning on the wall. In an attempt to save some dignity, he straightened his spine, but even Aspen could see it hurt him. "Nothing. Just… Don't go out after curfew."

She gasped and wrapped an arm around his side, helping him into the Great Hall. "Levi!"

"She set the suits of armor to walk around the hall," he said quietly as they headed toward the Slytherin table. "They literally throw you back into your dorm."

Aspen glared at the teacher's table and sent her gaze quickly to the ground. "What!? That can't be legal!"

"I don't know if it is or isn't," he said. "But it happened."

Aspen stayed quiet until they got to the Slytherin table and she sat him down. She stayed close to his face. "When you get a chance, talk to Aubrey Jordan in private. And before that, talk to Adalyn Fields or Liona Pomfrey at breakfast- they both know basic healing magic. They'll take care of you."

Levi just nodded, looking out of it. Furious, Aspen stormed back to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Sarah McLaggen.

"It's awful, isn't it?" Sarah whispered. "I couldn't sleep all night, and then I get here, and- just look at the Slytherins!"

Aspen looked up. She hadn't even noticed that Eloise Flint and Sylvester Bones bore similar injuries to Levi's. Aspen was so angry she could break the table with a punch right then. "It's barbaric. This can't stand."

"It won't," Sarah said. "I already have William and Hana Rhee. I'm talking to Sanjay Patil and Chloe Abbott in the library at first chance."

Aspen nodded. "Good. But from now on, don't give me any names, alright? There's nothing a witch or wizard can do against veritaserum, and I plan on taking responsibility in the event of anyone getting caught."

Sarah nodded, her blue eyes wide. "This is… Intense, Aspen."

Aspen swallowed heavily. "Whoever that is at the table up there, McGonagall herself ran from them. If that doesn't terrify you… Nothing will. Now, let's stop talking about it. What homework do you have this weekend?"

The two Gryffindors set to conversing about classes, accenting their discussion with hollow complaints and groans. Not even they could muster exasperation at the heavy course-load given the circumstances.

Teddy Lupin appeared with a cut down his cheek and rage in his eyes halfway through breakfast. He cut his eyes at the staff table and stormed directly to Aspen and slammed a hand on the Gryffindor table.

"We have to do something."

"Already on it," Aspen said. "Meet me after lunch in the trophy room."

There was no relief in his eyes at her words; the storm continued in the dark azure irises. "Anyone I should bring?"

"Any fifth-year Hufflepuffs who might want to come along. Send Ravenclaws or Slytherins to Aubrey Jordan. Sixth or seventh years to Clementine Reginald. Fourth or third year to Sarah. Keep it discreet."

He nodded. "Understood. I'll see you then."

In a flurry of robes, he returned to the Hufflepuff table, where he didn't eat but sat seething among his companions. They asked about the cut on his face, but Aspen saw Levi's expression and knew it was the same story. Aspen looked up at the staff table- the Granger imposter was eating calmly, making the occasional light remark to Professor Potter to her right or Professor Flitwick to her left. Aspen shook her head.

"Whoever that is, I'm going to kill them."

Sarah elbowed Aspen. "Watch what you say!"

"Sorry, was that out loud?"

A minute later, Granger stood and addressed the Great Hall. "Another rule will be implemented. It seems idle minds wander too far, and you are given far too much freetime and too little to do. You should have plenty during the day to exhaust you- if you're all able to stay up all night during weekdays, I can't imagine how rowdy you must be on weekend nights!" She gave a short laugh, as if this were some kind of joke. Everyone else in the room stared without amusement. "From this point forward, on weekends you will be required to study from nine to twelve a.m., and be outside the walls from one to three p.m. doing some form of physically active exercises. This should keep you from wandering too much at night, as I'm sure some of your classmates have warned you is a bad idea."

Jeremy Wood walked in then and gave a boisterous laugh. His right eye was dark purple, swollen almost shut. "Really? You know no one is going to follow these rules, right?"

Granger smiled pleasantly at him. "I can always employ the same measures to keep rules followed during the day as I do at night- if that's your preference?"

Professor Potter had a hollow fear in his eyes, and Jeremy Wood shook his head, still laughing, and said, "You know what? I'd like to see you try. Because when McGonagall gets back-"

"Wood!" Professor Potter had rose from his seat. "Go to my office! Now! Don't worry, Headmistress- I'll take care of this one."

"See to it that you do," Granger said. "Gryffindor is known for courage- not stupidity."

Professor Potter was seething as he approached Jeremy, but it was obvious to the students that his anger had nothing to do with the quidditch captain. Zachariah Jordan stabbed the table.

It seemed the whole school was ready for battle.