A/N: Okay, then, people, new chapter's up, hehe :) Harry, Ron and Hermione, frustrated because of Umbridge's teaching and punishing methods, come up with the idea of a secret group that will learn proper Defense Against the Dark Arts and, of course, Calliope and her friends are more than willing to join. But when Oliver shows up and, although he gives her faith, Calliope is facing dilemmas again, she decides to reveal the whole truth.

xXMizz Alec VolturiXx- Thank you so much :)

Bellamort500- I'm happy you liked it! I hate her too (pretty obvious, considering my comments in your fanfic, right?)

Gotta Dance 88- What makes me hate Umbridge as much as Voldemort and Bellatrix is that she's actually happy while the students are suffering because of the Blood Quill! I hope you'll like the new chapter too.

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and his world

'McGonagall is worried' Phoebe stopped reading her Arithmancy book one evening. 'Have you seen how she looks at Umbridge? I bet that she wants to openly support Harry, but she's afraid that this will make it worse'

'Do we have any news from outside?' Lexi asked. 'Anything suspicious, disappearances or murders…'

'Nothing' Calliope answered. 'You have to admit that You-Know-Who is playing a very clever game. He stays in the shadows without doing anything. If he had acted, then people would believe Harry and they would resist. But now nothing is certain'

Elaine marched through the portrait hole, with a satisfied grin on her face. She sat next to her friends, who looked surprised towards her.

'Revenge time has come!' she hissed and rubbed her hands.

'What?'

'I was with Hermione' Elaine whispered after looking around. 'Listen, we all agree that Umbridge is useless and that we need to practice spells, correct?'

'Correct!'

'We also agree that, since You-Know-Who has returned, it is necessary for us to train and learn to defend ourselves, correct?'

'Correct' Phoebe nodded, trying to find out what was going on. 'What do you have in mind, Elle?'

'Not me' Elaine smiled. 'Hermione told me that they have decided to form a secret group, purpose of which will be to learn defensive spells that will help us to confront any danger!'

'That's brilliant!' Calliope exclaimed, but lowered her voice. 'What's the plan?'

'Ron and Hermione are speaking to students who might be interested. According to them, many are and they've arranged for us to meet at a pub on Saturday'

'Saturday?' Lexi repeated and threw a secret look towards Calliope. 'On Hogsmeade day?'

'Yeah. It will be much safer, since Umbridge won't be around to overhear us. So, should I tell them that we're in?

'Of course!' Lexi and Calliope said.

'It will be difficult' Phoebe was more skeptic. 'We have to find a secret place to meet and so many other things. But this is important, it's for our own lives. So, I'm in too'

'Lexi!' Harriet appeared on the stairs. 'There's a letter for you!'

'Excellent!' Lexi stood up. 'By the way, Harriet, come here for a minute. Elaine wants to tell you something that has to do with our dear toadface called Umbridge!'

On Saturday, the five girls were nervous and curious as they were walking around Hogsmeade. It was almost time for the meeting, at a pub called Hog's Head. They had seen many familiar faces, including the twins, Ginny, students in Harry's year.

'Why do you think they chose the Hog's Head instead of the Three Broomsticks?' Elaine wondered.

'Probably because it's so crowded in the latter, that someone will overhear us for sure' Calliope guessed. 'Why are you smiling like this, Lexi?'

'Oh, it's nothing' Lexi said, but smiled even wider. 'I'm just happy that we're finally doing something against the toad! By the way, how's your hand, Callie?'

'It's fine' Calliope checked her left hand. The sentence had disappeared, the pain was gone. The only thing that was still there was the internal scar.

'Excuse me?' a young girl with dirty blonde, waist-length hair and a dreamy voice. 'Are you also heading for the Hog's Head?'

'Yeah' Calliope nodded and smiled. 'You can come with us, if you want. I'm Calliope and these are my friends, Lexi, Phoebe, Elaine and Harriet'

'Luna Lovegood' the girl introduced herself.

'Luna? Your name is wonderful!' Phoebe commented. 'It means "moon", right? Well, it kinda suits you'

'Thank you, you're really kind. And your names are wonderful as well'

'In which year are you, Luna?' Elaine wanted to know.

'Fourth'

'Oh, then perhaps you know Ginny Weasley!' Calliope said.

'I know her' Luna confirmed. 'She's a very good friend of mine. We only don't spend so much time together, because she's in Gryffindor and I'm in Ravenclaw'

Their conversation interrupted their arrival at Hog's Head, which didn't have anything from the comfort and the warmth of the Three Broomsticks. It was smaller and dirtier and smelled like goat. The six girls were the last and smiled when they saw that at least twenty other students had come. That meant that Harry had supporters and wasn't alone. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting at the front, looking very determined, but also anxious. Calliope couldn't blame them. The time had come to figure out who really was on their side and willing to fight'

'Um' Hermione stood up 'hi. So, you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience in defending against the Dark Arts!'

'Hear, hear!' Phoebe exclaimed and her friends looked at her, surprised by her strong voice. She wanted to say more, but was interrupted by a blonde boy.

'Why?'

'Why?' Ron snapped at hm. 'Because You-Know-Who's back, you tosh-pot!'

'So he says'

'So Dumbledore says' Hermione interfered.

'So Dumbledore says because HE says' the boy insisted. 'The point is, where's the proof?'

'What kind of proof do you want, you idiot?' Lexi rolled her eyes. 'Do you want us to find You-Know-Who and drag you to see him? Don't want to scare you or anything, but he'll be the last thing you'll ever look at!'

The boy stared at her, but couldn't find an argument to disagree. The tension was clear in the atmosphere. Just then, a black-haired boy who was sitting next to Ginny, spoke with a calm voice.

'If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed…'

Why did you say that? Calliope thought. Don't you realize that it's a painful memory for him? Seriously, being a bit discrete won't harm you.

'I'm not here to talk about Cedric, so, if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out!' Harry said loudly, standing up, obviously having enough. He turned towards Hermione and whispered something to her and Hermione answered.

'Is it true that you can produce a Patronus Charm?' Luna wanted to know.

'Yes' Hermione replied. 'I've seen it'

'Blimey, Harry, I didn't know you could do that!' exclaimed a boy with dark skin, who belonged in Harry's year.

'And he killed a basilisk!' Neville continued. 'With the sword in Dumbledore's office!'

'It's true!' Hermione and Calliope said simultaneously. Harry looked towards the seventh-year with confusion and she smiled at him.

'Oliver told me afterwards that you had found something out and, when McGonagall announced that everything was back to normal, we assumed that you had achieved it!'

'And third year he fought off about a hundred Dementors at once!' Ron revealed with a proud smile.

'And last year he really fought You-Know-Who in the flesh' Hermione concluded.

'Look' Harry interrupted his friends praising him 'it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time and I nearly always had help'

'He's just being modest!'

'No, Hermione, I'm not' Harry was serious. 'Facing stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow, but out there…when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes…you don't know what that's like'

He slowly sat down. Calliope was impressed by the strength of his words and the composure he had, despite everything that had happened to him.

'You're right, Harry, we don't' Hermione sat down next to him. That's why we need your help, if we're going to have any chance when facing…Voldemort'

The sound of his name made some students gasp. A little boy was glaring at Harry and Calliope felt admiration for him. He was so young, yet willing to learn defensive spells.

'He's really back?'

Calliope was smiling widely when she took a pen and signed on the parchment. The others were lined up behind her, while the only ones who had signed before her were Harry, Ron, Hermione and the twins. Before leaving, she looked again at the name they had chosen for their secret organization. Ginny couldn't have chosen a better one.

Dumbledore's Army. It represented their intentions, their goals, their wishes and the loyalty to each other.

'That went much better than I had thought!' Elaine celebrated when they went outside. 'And look at how many actually believe Harry's story! Guys, I have a very good feeling about this!'

'Me too' Calliope agreed. 'Everything will go well. So, what do you want us to do now? We still have time'

'I was thinking, Calliope' Lexi smiled. 'You hate Umbridge and you were from the first ones who spoke up against her. Are you sure this isn't too much for you? I mean, the forming of our secret group is still very fresh'

'Lexi, what on earth are you talking about?' Harriet asked, but Lexi ignored her.

'Why don't you go for a walk to the path that leads to the Shrieking Shack? It will help you'

'Maybe you're right, Lex' Calliope nodded. 'I need some isolation after all this. I…I'll see you later, okay?'

But when she recognized the person that was standing all alone at the path, staring at the abandoned building, she understood Lexi's strange behavior. First she thought to run away, but her happiness was stronger.

'Ollie!' she yelled and the wind carried away her voice.

He hugged her tightly and they stayed like this for a few minutes. They hadn't seen each other for months and the last time it was only for hours. Calliope remembered their real last conversation, at the Yule Ball last year, but she quickly got rid of the thought.

'Are you alright?' she asked him, noticing his tired expression. 'Are the practices difficult?'

'Pretty harder than they were here' Oliver laughed. 'But I enjoy them and my teammates are really nice. And then it's all this rubbish the Daily Prophet says and I really have a bad feeling about all this. Anyway, how are you? Lexi worried me in her letter'

Calliope decided to open her heart to him. She needed it right now, she needed Oliver to assure her that everything would be fine. He would give her courage, as always. And so, she told him everything. About how she was dreading to hear unpleasant news, how Umbridge refused to teach them practical methods of Defense Against the Dark Arts and about the Blood Quill.

'What did she do?' Oliver shouted. 'But that's torture, Callie! Are you sure your hand is okay? You want to be a Healer, so you know the dangers of infection'

'Oliver, I'm fine' she reassured him. 'She made me use it only once, so I guess it's not as bad as it would be otherwise'

'I still don't believe that you didn't say it to Dumbledore!'

'He has enough problems, I don't want that Umbridge hears that I'm complaining and it would be worse for Harry. But don't worry' she smirked mischievously 'we found a way to resist'

'What do you mean?' Oliver asked with interest.

'I can't tell you. I swore to keep it a secret from everyone' Calliope apologized. 'But it will help us all to fight against anything evil, even You…I mean, Voldemort'

Oliver gasped when he heard the name coming from Calliope's lips. It was the first time she had used it, meaning that she was indeed ready to fight until the end. He looked better at her and saw that she had changed. Her skin was pale, her lips were forming a narrow line and she had folded her arms in front of her chest, as if she wanted to protect herself.

'Calliope, are you sure about this?'

'Yes, I am perfectly sure' she replied. 'We're in a war, Oliver. And, right now, the main enemies are two. One is out there, planning to kill us all and probably building an army right now. The other one is inside the walls of the castle and punishes those who disagree with her! And if you're thinking that I'll just sit there, without doing anything…'

Her voice broke and, for one more time, Oliver felt proud of her. She was one of the strongest people he had ever met and that was one of the things that were drawing him to her. Instead of crying and giving up, she was seeking ways to make everything better. He hugged her again and rubbed her shoulder.

'My little lioness' he whispered and kissed the top of her head. 'My little, brave lioness'

He had never called her like that before and this characterization brought tears of joy in Calliope's eyes. This was more than enough to vanish her fears and the only thing she wanted was to stay like this, with him, as long as possible.

'The only reason I won't kill you, Lexi, is because I feel much better now' Calliope told her friend the same night.

Lexi smiled widely as Calliope was jumping on her bed. The last months she had noticed some changes and she thought that it was time for her to act.

'So, Callie, in which phase are you two now?' she wanted to know. 'Are you in the "We-are-best-friends" phase, in the "We-are-a-couple" phase or in the "We-are-in-love-but-too-shy-to-confess-it" phase?'

Phoebe, Elaine and Harriet looked from one to the other. Calliope looked out of the window, but she knew that Lexi would bring this issue sooner or later. At moments like these she hated Lexi's sharp mind and how she demanded to know what was going on.

'It's not my imagination' Lexi continued. 'It's even since last year. Whenever you talk about Oliver, you either smile like an idiot or you speak with a sad voice. Calliope, you know I'm asking because I'm concerned for you'

'I know' Calliope told her. 'Okay, I'll tell you what brought this change, but you have to swear that you won't tell anyone. And I mean anyone'

'Of course!'

'Lexi, you're right. Something happened last year, something that changed everything. And this event was the Yule Ball'

A/N: Another chapter has come to an end :) Hope you enjoyed it. But before you cast the Cruciatus Curse or Sectumsempra on me because of the cliffie, I assure you that I'm working on the next chapter right now. xx