a/n: wow, later than usual but i have a really good excuse. i went to see the new transformers movie. it rocked. anyway its creeping a little too close to 2am for my liking and i just finished writing and editing this chapter. its not the last summer part as i thought becasue that didn't want to be written. anyways, please read and let me know what you think. reviews are appreciated and adored.

Chapter 21

'So you're all wondering why you're here,' Ally began as she wandered around the room in front of the ten students, hand picked for the ADADA. 'Most of you are probably thinking you've got detention, only you're not sure what you did.'

The students were seated on three couches in a semi circle toward the back of the classroom. It was a big old one that likely hadn't been used in decades. They all exchanged looks before turning their confused expressions on their often eccentric DADA professor.

'Well, you'd be right. You do have detention, twice a week for the rest of the year.'

She raised her hand against the sudden onslaught of protests and such was the power of her presence and, well, the general scariness that was a rather pregnant ex-Auror that they immediately quieted.

'Now you're really wondering what you've done, what did you do to deserve so many detentions? Maybe you're thinking about going to your head of house, maybe you're thinking I've gone a bit mad because of hormones but what you should be thinking is why the hell am I so lucky?'

They looked back at her like she was crazy and given that the twins and Ron had a little more insight in to what was going on, they also had a little more to support her craziness. Ally spun around, hands moving faster and faster as she spoke and merely glancing over her shoulder when Harry slipped into the room.

'You're special, so special that Harry and I,' she jerked her hand over her shoulder in Harry's direction. 'Have decided that you are good enough to join our advanced DADA group.'

Shocked and pleased looks took over the confused ones on the students faces. Of course, they were still a little hesitant because she was acting a bit more exuberant than anyone was comfortable with at eight o'clock at night.

'You each have a talent, a gift, that is unique to you and you alone and we aim to use those gifts-'

'With your permission,' Harry interrupted.

Ally carried on as though she hadn't heard him. '-in order to fight this war against Voldemort.'

For the first time since they had gathered in the classroom one of the students spoke.

'You want us to fight the war against You-Know-Who?' Daphne Greengrass questioned with a frown. 'Are you mad?'

Ally's shoulders sagged and she stepped aside to let Harry field that one. He looked briefly like a deer caught in headlights but then he sighed.

'We don't want you to fight Voldemort directly,' he explained. 'What we want is to prepare you for what is coming. We want to train you up to protect the school and yourselves when the time comes.'

Silence, an endless and very heavy silence echoed around the room while those students selected for their brilliance and gifts let his words soak in. Luna was barely paying attention to Harry, her focus solely on Fred who was stealthily placing itching powder down the back of a seventh year Hufflepuff's robes. She didn't need to hear the words, she had already spoken to Ally. She was in. She had people to fight for, a father to save and friends to make. Fred was in, all he needed was to know that Harry was in and the same went for George.

Ron was in; ready to do something he was good at. He was ready to outshine Hermione, just this once. Daphne Greengrass didn't need to think on it much. She'd asked around about Ally Martin, had asked her parents and the boy down the Lane that worked in the Minister's office as an assistant to an assistant to an assistant. Everyone she'd spoken to had one thing to say. Ally Martin asks, you say yes. She was saying yes.

Steven Kennedy hadn't asked around, he didn't know Ally on a more friendly level and given that Fred was pouring itching powder down his back he wasn't all that fond of anyone that wasn't a Hufflepuff. Still, he was saying yes because what would look better on his application to the MLE than being a member of an advanced defense group?

Jesse Jacks wasn't particular fussed either way. He had a job all lined up even though he didn't finish school for another year an a half. Honestly, he didn't care one way or the other if he joined the ADADA. What he did care about was the fact that someone had seen something in him worth taking note of. For someone who had spent his whole life being Andrew's older brother that actually meant something.

Abigail Nathan was in, without question. She was fifteen, she was blonde and she hated just about every girl in her year. If she happened to pick up something in this class that she could use against, say Sally Robbins, then she was all for it. So yes, Abby was in.

Susan Bones knew exactly why she was there and exactly what her required gift was. She was happy to help any way she could, especially if it kept her family alive longer and if it helped her aunt get one up on Dumbledore. Amelia Bones would have one niece to be proud of.

Emmy James was just like Abigail. She had no idea what she had to offer Ally in her ADADA but given that she was the only child of a poor muggle loving family, not unlike the Weasley's, she was eager to help.

All of this took mere moments to process; it took those ten students mere seconds to decide whether or not that wanted to join the fight against Voldemort. It was a sure sign that Harry and Ally had chosen well, not a single one of them questioned Voldemort's return.

'Are you in?' questioned Ally, her voice showing every sign that she meant business.

Slowly everyone raised a hand. Ally looked around at the students and smiled a wicked grin. She was going to take this group of poorly educated (Defense wise); young people and turn them into a leading force for Hogwarts. They weren't going to know what hit them. She whipped around and grabbed a stack of folders off the desk. There were ten of them in varying colours, each corresponding to a particular student.

'This is how it's going to work.'

She walked over to the twins and handed them each a purple folder emblazoned with the moniker Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. With raised eyebrows, Fred and George opened the folders to get a glimpse of what was inside. Ally pointed at a door across from them.

'Your lab is through that door.' She gave them a moment to process that before she continued. 'Your part in this is simple, keep making joke products, keep inventing. All I want from the two of you is distractions and controlled mayhem. Understood?'

The twins, who looked as though Christmas had come early, nodded. The chance to continue their work backed by a teacher was an opportunity too good to pass up.

'Susan.' Ally handed her a blue folder. 'You're our contact with the MLE, without you Dumbledore will have access to all of the information we are passing to the department. You're going to control what it is the Ministry knows about the goings on at Hogwarts.'

Susan nodded, acknowledging the fancy way of saying keep up the good work.

'Daphne, eyes and ears in Slytherin house. Any Death Eater activity, anything overheard that could prove useful, you will find out about it and you will use it. I want detailed files of every member of Slytherin house showing signs of sympathizing with Voldemort.'

Daphne took the green folder handed to her and bowed her head in acknowledgement.

'When you're done with that I want the rest of Hogwarts done.'

Daphne's mouth fell open but she didn't protest. Not that there was much point, Ally was already moving on. She handed a yellow folder to Luna and explaining that the Ravenclaw's role would largely involve combing through the information and tips they received for anything useful that the others, who didn't possess her unique insight, might have missed. Daphne smothered a laugh at that.

'Ron, your folder contains detailed maps of Hogwarts, the castle, the grounds and every secret passageway discovered by the Marauders.'

Ron took the maroon folder with a glare directed at Harry and then finished off Ally's instructions. 'Defensible positions, weak points and ideal trap points. Got it. Could've picked a better colour though.'

Harry smiled at Ron while Ally handed Steven a grey folder and gave him the simple instruction of helping Ron.

'That's it? You want me to help, Weasley?'

'You have a problem with that?' Harry asked.

Steven smirked. 'Are you kidding? I was worried you were gonna have me, I don't know, tracking Death Eaters or something.'

Harry smirked in response. 'That's not your job.' He took two black folders from Ally and handed them to Emmy and Abigail. 'It's yours.'

Emmy and Abigail took the folders with uneasy looks. Theirs were almost as thick as Ron's and contained a mere profile on known Death Eater's and suspected Death Eaters.

'How are we supposed to do that?' Emmy muttered unenthusiastically.

Abigail grinned cheekily. 'Oh, I've got an idea on that.'

'Why do I not like the sound of that?' Emmy grumbled.

'So that leaves you, Jesse, you get the fun job.'

Jesse was handed a white folder and a leather pouch that rattled as though filled with coins. When he peeked inside to check he saw that it was indeed filled with galleons.

'Anything we need, you're going to get. Potion ingredients for the twins, gear for Ron and Steven, your in charge.'

'Blimey,' he swallowed heavily; eyeing the bag of galleons like it might bite.

Ally moved to stand behind Harry and surveyed the new recruits. 'Any questions?'

'Yeah, I've got one,' Ron volunteered. 'Where's Ginny?'

Ally smiled.

Ginny was sitting on top of a book case, disillusioned, cloaked and spelled not to make a sound. She was also bored out of her mind. Professor Snape had been in Dumbledore's office for over an hour and they still hadn't gotten around to discussing anything of importance. Though, Ginny was getting an insight into the greasy haired professor she could have done without. Who would have ever thought Severus Snape had good taste in music? She made a mental note to slip in a comment about that later in a potions lesson and shifted uncomfortably. She was wondering on the creation of a spell to prevent your bum going numb after long periods of sitting when the old coot finally brought the conversation around to Voldemort.

'Any new threats?' Dumbledore queried.

'The Dark Lord is taking a break.'

Even as he said it Snape sounded confused and wary. An idle Voldemort generally meant he was plotting something and Ginny could tell it was making her Potions professor mighty edgy not knowing. She wondered if it would help the man to know that Voldemort wasn't plotting, just recovering from the bout of unshielded sex Harry and Ally had enjoyed two nights ago.

Probably not. Best not to make things worse when there was a mass murdering, homicidal, power hungry, maniac on the loose. Ginny wondered how many ways she could come up with to describe Voldemort and his dark ways before Dumbledore went to bed and she could revive her bum.

She got to a hundred and three. Who knew Dumbledore could work till three in the morning?