Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Harry Potter or have any association with its publishers or distributors and I do not profit from writing fanfiction.
A/N: There's a picture for this chapter. It's at i32 dot tinypic dot com slash ifbwy8 dot jpg
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stood outside the entrance to the spiral staircase that led to Defense Against the Dark Arts, with their fellow students piling out into the corridors after the class. Once the last of the students had left, and Professor Astadourian had bade them goodbye and stepped down a path to the Great Hall in his penguin-like waddle, all that was left was Neville Longbottom standing in the middle of the hallway, checking his watch.
Before long, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs passed through the corridor on their way to Transfiguration, and Neville plucked a blonde-haired seventh-year from the crowd, pulling her aside. She stared at him expectantly in her dreamy expression, and he twitched nervously.
"I got this for you," said Neville. He handed Luna a stuffed orange ball that looked like the flame of a torch. It had glowing circular yellow eyes with no pupils. "It's a Heliopath doll."
Luna's eyes widened slightly as she inspected the doll. She looked up to Neville, grinning ear-to-ear. "Thank you."
"Just thinking of you," said Neville. Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows, impressed.
"I've got Transfiguration now," said Luna. "Do you think we'll talk tonight, after lessons?"
"Yeah!" said Neville loudly. The four observers recoiled slightly at his yelling. "I mean, yeah, that'd be nice."
"It would be nice. I'm very happy with you at the moment." She smiled and skipped off to join her fellow Ravenclaws on the path to the Transfiguration Courtyard.
"Good..."
"Makes sense, doesn't it?" asked a sneering voice from the end of the corridor. "A girl would have to be barking mad to date you, Longbottom."
Draco Malfoy approached, accompanied by his brutish bodyguard Gregory Goyle and the tiny Slytherin first-year, Sean Albright, who was barely tall enough to reach with Goyle's thigh.
"Piss off, Malfoy," growled Neville. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny stepped up by Neville's side. "Who's this? Your new House-Elf?"
"That's Sean," said Malfoy. "I wouldn't mess with him if I were you. I would if I were a competent duelist, like me, but not if I were you. I've taken him under my wing, you see."
Ron glanced down at the kid with a pitying look, and said, "Get help."
"Not too close, guys," said Malfoy, stepping back from Ron. "The weasel's got Spattergroit."
"He's better off, then," said a voice from behind Malfoy.
Malfoy and his goons turned around to face the voice and parted slightly, revealing the grinning faces and yellow-lined robes of the Battle-Axe Bandits.
"You look like you've already died and come back a ghost," continued Blackboot.
"You punks again," said Malfoy, grimacing. "I'll tell Filch what you were up to."
"Ooh, big man," said Roque. "What were we up to, then?"
"You put up those megaphones for the radio!" squeaked the little Slytherin, Sean Albright. "Olga saw you!"
"Ogre can suck a Manticore sting," said Munky. Sean gasped.
The five leaders of Dumbledore's Army stood quietly, letting the situation unfold. Malfoy whispered something to the tiny first-year; he nodded and drew his wand, which was much too big for him. Malfoy and Goyle quickly drew their wands as well and turned to the five spectators, swishing their wands diagonally, while Sean whipped his wand wildly in the direction of the Bandits.
"Lumos Solem!" Malfoy and Goyle chanted in unison, creating beams of blinding yellow light.
Harry and Ron drew their wands quickly, rubbing their dazzled eyes and taking cover behind a large statue of a winged warthog. Hermione quickly cast a Shield Charm while Ginny was firing Stunners in the general direction of Malfoy, and Neville stumbled and hit his head on a wall.
By the time the haze of light faded and their vision returned, the Slytherins were gone, and three of the Battle-Axe Bandits could be seen nursing grotesquely oversized teeth, while the other, Elena Summers, had been laid out cold by one of Ginny's Stunners.
"That cowardly git!" growled Ron, hurrying over to the injured first-years. "We've got to go to the Hospital Wing."
"He's gone too far, yet again," said Hermione as they escorted the Bandits to the Hospital Wing and released them to a horrified Madam Pomfrey. "It'll be detention for that loathsome, evil, conniving-"
"That's not enough!" snapped Harry. "Attacking first-years!"
"I think he had the little one do the attacking," said Neville. "But I'm sure he taught that kid the curse."
"Detention isn't the answer," said Ron.
"You can't be serious," said Ginny. "I don't care what grudge you have against them, Malfoy was completely out of line!"
"I'm not talking about letting him off," said Ron. "Detention is the lowest form of revenge, unless you play by Umbridge's rules. Worst case scenario, they'll be polishing trophies."
"Ron, no," said Hermione. "We'll just get detention ourselves with whatever it is you're planning."
"I'm planning to not get involved," said Ron. "The Bandits will tell George, and George will help them. Malfoy doesn't stand a chance."
"Oh, well, I hope they're alright," said Hermione, peeking into the Hospital Wing. "That curse was horrible when I had to endure it, and I was a few years older than them."
"Worked out in the long run, though, didn't it?" said Harry, grinning. Hermione's cheeks turned a bit pink and she hid it by looking into the Hospital Wing again.
"In my first year there was a dueling club. Remember that?" asked Ginny. "Maybe we should let first and second-years into the D.A. so they can defend themselves against Malfoy's little proteges?"
"More munchkins?" whined Ron. "We have enough, Ginny!"
"Ginny, you've just given me an idea!" said Harry. He trotted away quickly without another word.
"Oh, don't elaborate or anything," mumbled Ron to Harry's back.
"Niffler, bubbles, oddjob, twerp," said Hagrid confidently. The three-headed dust golem's charge went uninterrupted. "That was it, righ'?"
"Nitwit, blubber, oddment, tweak!" cried Ernie Macmillan, but the thrashing dirt dog had already crashed down over Hagrid before exploding into a puff of dust.
Hagrid stood and nursed a bruise on his cheek, while Ernie helped dust him off.
"Thanks, Ernie." Hagrid smiled and patted Ernie on the back, which caused him to step forward involuntarily.
"Don't mention it," he said.
Hagrid squeezed through the hole under the trapdoor and made his way to the Chess Room beside Ernie, the Patil twins, and Lavender Brown. His thunderous footsteps were amplified by their echo in the underground chambers that were originally the hiding place for the Philosopher's Stone. They passed through the tall cylindrical room that was home to Flitwick's charmed keys. The room was so tall that light prickled in from the surface above.
"So, are any of yeh competin'?" asked Hagrid conversationally.
"I am, of course," said Ernie haughtily, his chin up. "I don't know about these three."
"Oh, we'll compete," said Parvati. Padma nodded from beside her. Lavender shrugged.
"Then best o' luck to yeh."
When they entered the Chess Room, Hagrid received a great round of applause, the most vigorous coming from Harry, Ron and Hermione. Without hesitation, Ernie bowed graciously as if the applause was for him. The room was packed tightly; there wasn't a spot of the floor visible through the sea of black-robed competitors from atop the glowing chessboard. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Neville and Ginny stood in a united front facing the cheering crowd.
"Welcome!" shouted Harry, waving his hand. "Welcome to the Dumbledore's Army Dueling Tournament! Your entry fees have been pooled, and the pot is in excess of two hundred Galleons!"
A raucous cheer swept through the crowd.
"Hermione here will explain the rules," Harry continued. He gestured towards a determined-looking Hermione who was whispering encouraging thoughts to herself.
"Right, well," Hermione gulped. "On the referee's go, you will attempt to stun your opponent by any means necessary. The Dark Arts are banned, as well as the Unforgivable Curses, of course. The only way to win is to keep your opponent down for a ten-count."
"The bracket's over there," said Neville, pointing to the D.A. blackboard which had been struck with an Engorgement Charm and stood at four times its original size, and was hanging on the far wall of the Chess Room. The participants rushed over to inspect it.
"Hagrid is your referee today," said Harry. "You will obey his orders and his decision."
The tournament began. Two by two, Ginny would call duelists to the chessboard, where flashes of red would fly, portions of the chessboard would crumble, one of the two duelists would eventually fall and Hagrid would count to 10. The portrait of the spiky-haired teen on the wall had a habit of shouting random numbers that were surprisingly effective at making Hagrid lose his place in the count. When a duel ended, the board was repaired and the next duel immediately began.
"Didn't really think about what it'd be like for Pomfrey," said Harry, looking concerned, as, for the twentieth time, an injured student left and headed for the Hospital Wing. "Just sort of winged it."
"It's what we do best," said Ron. Hermione rolled her eyes.
It was evening by the time the first round finally ended, and the remaining combatants exited the Chess Room and either went to their House's Common Room or the Hospital Wing, depending on their luck. The six leaders of Dumbledore's Army cruised through the first round with little trouble. One notable match was Luna Lovegood versus Gregory Goyle, which ended in a booming thud when Goyle landed in a faceplant over a patch of unlucky students in the crowd.
"That was great fun!" cheered Hermione on their way back to Gryffindor Common Room. "Who do you think is going to win?"
Harry coughed loudly. Ginny scoffed.
"Could be anyone," said Neville. "One lucky Stupefy and it's done."
"It's not that simple," said Harry. "Did you guys see Ernie's match? Made Zabini look like he was using a licorice wand!"
"Yes, Ernie was excellent," said Hermione. "Though I don't think I'd like to celebrate it with him. He'll be unbearable."
"When Malfoy made short work of Zacharias I didn't know whether to swear or thank Malfoy for doing something I've wanted to do for years," said Ron.
"And Luna," added Ginny. "Wow."
Neville smiled wistfully.
"I want to know who it is in that ruddy portrait," said Harry. "I've asked the portraits in McGonagall's office and they have no idea."
"He is quite rude," said Hermione. "Perhaps it's someone we've not met who died to defend Hogwarts? If it's a new portrait, that explains why nobody knows."
"McGonagall would know, then."
"Could be someone from such a long time ago that nobody recognizes him," said Neville.
"Possibly," said Hermione. "Actually, I think I might go-"
"To the library?" asked Ron. Hermione narrowed her eyes but nodded. "I'll go with you."
"Subtle, Ron," said Harry to Ron's back as Ron whisked Hermione off to the library.
The sky was a rich shadowy blue, like the depths of the ocean, with a faint glow on the horizon where the sun had disappeared minutes ago. Moving down the path from the Stone Circle to Hagrid's Hut was a bright cluster of dimly lit wands lead by a pyre of flame within a lantern that bobbed and rattled as its carrier walked. Behind the wands, the illuminated faces of several Gryffindors and Slytherins were visible, and behind the lantern's firelight, a large beared man stood.
"Righ' over here! We're goin' inter the forest!" called Hagrid.
"At this time of night?" complained a disgruntled Pansy Parkinson.
"Right-o! This ain't a class thats happenin' at some other time, this is a class that's happenin' righ' now!" replied Hagrid impatiently. Several Gryffindors sniggered.
"Not to complain," said Harry. "But why was this class scheduled so late?"
"It had ter be night time fer what I'm gonna show yeh."
"What is it?" asked Hermione.
"Just you wait."
The trio shared a terrified look, but trudged on. Just minutes after entering the forest, they came across a large pond surrounded by big gray rocks. With a start, Harry considered the possibility of the rocks being arranged to cage some sort of monster. The water was nearly pitch-black in the darkness of the Forbidden Forest, except for little circles of yellow light that danced across its surface like giant fireflies. The students stood, transfixed, gaping at the spots of light that swam about the pond, while Hagrid turned to face them.
"Miners," he said. "Fish with lights stickin' outta their heads!"
"Wicked," said Dean Thomas, leaning in for a closer look.
"If yeh drop anything in water, they can go n' find it fer yeh! So long as yer their mummy, a'course."
Hagrid withdrew a gold Galleon and tossed it far into the pond. In mere seconds, one of the lights in the pond began to glide towards the students. A large fish, about the size of a young pig, with pale mud-colored skin, protuberant, pearly white eyes with no pupils, and a massive underbite swam halfway onto the shore. Protruding from its forehead was a long fleshy spike with an orb of bright light at the end, looking like a big dandelion.
Several of the students flinched and backed away from the large fish as it opened its pointy jaw and revealed a shimmer of gold on its tongue. Hagrid crouched down and plucked the Galleon from the creature's mouth, and replaced it with a small dead rodent, which the fish then dragged into the water.
"Brilliant!" said Ron with wide eyes. "So if I drop a key or something?"
"He'll go n' get it! Yeh gotta raise one, though, that little feller proberbly wouldn't help yeh."
"Oh." Ron pouted.
"But, what have I always told you lot?"
"Dragons are misunderstood?" asked Seamus Finnegan. The class chuckled.
"Yeh, that, but I was talkin' 'bout the best way ter gain the respect of a Magical Creature."
"You've got to be the one to feed it," supplied Hermione.
"Great! Five points fer Gryffindor. Now, Miners like ter eat Murtlaps - good fer their bulbs, yeh know, the Murtlap essence - Right, grab yer Murtlaps from that pile over there and see if yeh can' feed one of the fish. Just don' touch the Miners, though, 'specially not their bulbs."
Harry grabbed a Murtlap and carried it by pinching a hair on its tail, unwilling to touch the rotting carcass. Ron had his in a full grenade grip, while Hermione had the sense to Locomotor hers. They sat at the shore, dipping the Murtlaps into the water by Hagrid's suggestion, and soon a few Miners came browsing.
"Next Quidditch match is soon," said Harry. "Against Ravenclaw. Will you be all right, Ron?"
"Yeah, unless one of these Miners takes a chunk of my hand, that is." Ron grimaced, prodding his Murtlap into one of the nearby fish's cheeks. It took the rodent from him gently and disappeared into the pond.
"You've got to go," said Hermione. "I've got a surprise for you."
"What is it?" asked Ron. Hermione gave him a look, and he widened his eyes. "Oh, that was a stupid question, wasn't it?"
"Rita's book has done a number on me," said Harry. "People keep asking me how to defeat Inferi with nothing but a flute."
"At least she didn't make it out like you two were together," said Ron. "I hate that rubbish."
"Don't worry," said Harry, grinning. "She was just using me for my fame."
"Oh, yes, I'm quite the ambitious girl, aren't I?" asked Hermione. Harry and Ron sniggered.
Near the end of the lesson, there was a loud splash as Neville fell into the pond, and an obedient Miner dragged the clumsy Gryffindor directly to Hagrid, as if Neville had just fallen out of Hagrid's pocket.
"That is useful," remarked Hermione on their way back. "I'm glad you convinced us to take this class again, Harry."
The class had just made it to the Covered Bridge, when there was a high-pitched feminine shriek and Ron could be seen bolting through the crowd towards the castle, shouting something about the spiders being back. Harry and Hermione looked towards the edge of the forest to see something scuttling away into the dark brush.
"Could it have been a Boggart?" asked Hermione, still staring into the trees. "Could it have also been the creature that attacked you?"
"Boggarts turn into Dementors in front of me. I don't know what that creature was."
"Boggarts change, Harry."