38: Alumni

HOGWARTS, FOURTH EARTH

The rest of the winter vacation passed quite strangely. Pinkie Pie had gotten sick.

She awoke and then immediately vomited onto her bedding. For the rest of the break, she didn't move from the bed. She couldn't take in any food thicker than a milkshake without throwing it right back up. Fluttershy volunteered to stay with her and minister to her ailment, seeing as they shared a room anyway and Fluttershy was the most comfortable with playing nurse, not even flinching as she bundled up vomit-soaked bedsheets and replacing them.

"Don't worry about me," Pinkie told Twilight, Applejack, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash weakly from her bed. "Just go have fun! Have another snow fight or study in the library or…" She put a hand over her mouth, feeling another wave of sickness.

"Really," Fluttershy insisted, "just go. I'm more than happy to stay here with her. You should enjoy the rest of your break."

And so those four ended up gathered around the usual table in the library. Desperate for company, Draco had joined them, and they updated him on what had happened.

"There's just one thing that keeps bothering me," Twilight admitted. "It's a stomach bug. And I'm not even sure it's really a bug. She just throws up. She doesn't seem sick otherwise. I don't see where she would have caught anything caused by a pathogen. This really looks to me like food poisoning. As far back as I know, Hogwarts food has never poisoned anyone. She's only eaten one thing that wasn't made by campus staff. And that was the cake that she wished for from Kyubey."

"I knew he wasn't to be trusted," Draco seethed.

"Okay, that's just silly," Rainbow Dash dismissed. "You're saying that a magical creature from another planet formed a big evil plan…to give somepony a poisoned cake that just makes them throw up a lot? That seems more like a really mean prank."

"I'm not sure it's as straightforward as that," Twilight said.

"Can you explain a little more?" Rarity asked.

Twilight shook her head. "It's…hard to put into words."

"It seems to me you're making a bit of a leap," Rarity said gently.

"Not to me," Draco insisted. "This is that thing's fault."

"I don't know which it is, that Kyubey made her sick or that it's just a big coincidence," Applejack sighed. "Maybe what we do is just keep an eye on her. Make sure it's just a passin' sickness. No matter how it started, we gotta make sure she's okay."

By the time break ended, however, Pinkie Pie was as hale as ever, and with as big an appetite. Whatever had happened, it had passed.

RIDDLE HOUSE, FOURTH EARTH

"It is time," Voldemort told the Death Eaters that had gathered around the living room. "We must lay preparations for the invasion. The Vanishing Cabinet is no longer an option to us, and so we must find another way to enter the campus—"

"I can find a way!" Pettigrew insisted. "All I have to do is turn into the rat…they'll never know the difference between me and the ordinary rats…"

"You have already failed me," Voldemort informed Pettigrew. "If I were you…" He drew his wand. "I would not speak."

"I'll get us in that castle," Bellatrix volunteered. "If I have to force my way in, I'll find—"

"There is no need, Bellatrix," Voldemort replied.

"Oh," Bellatrix snapped, "and I suppose your little pet SQUIRREL has a brilliant plan all written up?"

Ignoring the blatant insult toward Quirrell, Voldemort simply said, "No. In fact, we owe our strategy to Bartemius."

"Crouch Junior?" Bellatrix cried in disbelief.

All eyes turned toward the young, slender, and brunette man with the deep brown eyes and the hungry smile. "I suppose you're all wondering," Crouch said smugly. "I've got it. Down to the last detail."

"And what is it you propose?" Horvath inquired.

"You know why we used the Vanishing Cabinet," Crouch began. "No Portkeys. Why not just use a Portkey, the way I did to get Harry Potter from the grounds all the way down to Little Hangleton? Simple, you think. Because of the inconvenience. Because the most you could have would be…perhaps…five, touching a Portkey, unless it was something large, some sort of furniture. But even then, that's not the difficult part. Because any of you who've ever made a Portkey know. It isn't as simple as pointing your wand at it, saying 'Portus,' and giving it a destination. The destination has to be cleared. Linked up. Someone would have to be there first. Attach the Portkey to the place, and send it to the wizards who needed to be there. Something we didn't trust young Draco with, and, as we now know, for good reason." He scowled. "He's going to be the first one I kill. You should know by now…there's nothing I hate more than a Death Eater who walked free. When the rest of us, when I suffered—"

"DON'T change the subject!" Bellatrix snapped.

"Portkeys," Crouch growled in response. "If there were many, each linked up to a different part of the castle, we could send groups. Corner them from all sides. Appear from nowhere. But who's going to link them up, and how?"

"I'm guessing you," Horvath replied.

Crouch's mouth broke into a wide smile. "It was there, staring me in the face. I had done it once before. I simply need to do it again. As someone less seen in the public eye, this time…there is a student in the basement of this house. Left on her own to go to King's Cross and get back to Hogwarts after vacation. That's where her family thinks she is…and that's where McGonagall is going to think she is. I've already brewed the Polyjuice Potion. All I needed was a hair, a fingernail…and now I've got enough of that to last me a whole semester. And don't even THINK of touching her while I'm away. I need her alive and well in order to keep my supply of potion…and if you sabotage my plan, Pettigrew, you sabotage the entire invasion, and you're only hurting yourself."

Pettigrew shifted uncomfortably, trying his hardest to pretend he hadn't been thinking exactly that.

"I can get on the grounds as her," Crouch concluded. "And I can make Portkeys…Portkeys for every corner of the castle. I've written a plan. You'll follow it. Who's going to use which Portkey and enter which room when the invasion begins."

Medusa's grin was almost as big as Crouch's. "You've thought out quite a complex plan. I must say I'm impressed."

"He hasn't thought out everything," Bellatrix grumbled. "Like that voice of his."

"I'm sorry my essay was late, Professor Flitwick," Crouch said suddenly, mimicking the voice of a preadolescent female so well that Bellatrix flinched, then underwent a chill.

"I trust you not to fail, Bartemius," Voldemort told Crouch.

Crouch nodded in understanding. "In the very unlikely event that I do…you can punish me however you see fit."

The cellars of Riddle House were expansive and dank. Crouch was the only one to have fully explored them and used them to their fullest. It was in a back room that he kept his prizes. In the center of the room, a cauldron bubbled, filled to the brim with the infamous Polyjuice Potion. In the corner, the girl, Veronica Aardman—the first-year who had been sorted into Hufflepuff at the very beginning of the line—was tied up and gagged. She struggled weakly. She hadn't been able to break her bonds earlier, and she wouldn't from then on.

Crouch plucked from her one long, dark brown hair. He lowered it almost reverently into the cauldron. "You see this?" he told Veronica. "This is your insurance policy. So long as you can keep giving me this, you stay safe. Compared to the rest of your friends, you're going to get off easy."

The liquid in the cauldron turned a bright, almost neon shade of green. "Just one hair at a time," Crouch emphasized. "Nothing more."

Veronica tried once more to scream through her gag.

"Even if that worked," Crouch reminded her, "no one here particularly cares."

He drew from his pocket a large bag of chocolates he'd taken from her uniform pocket. Apparently, it seemed, the girl had a sweet tooth. This was going to work out for Crouch excellently. He dangled the bag in front of her eyes. "Too many sweets are bad for you," he teased. "Bad habit."

He dipped each chocolate, one by one, into the cauldron, letting them soak up the potion. Then he replaced them in the bag…the bag that was identical to the hundred other bags in the corner of the room opposite Veronica, each one filled with similar chocolates.

Then he bit into one of the chocolates. After he'd eaten three, the transformation began. Veronica watched as he contorted in pain at first, then shrank and shifted, losing the familiar shape of the tall, lanky man and settling into the form of the small, slight, pale girl with the long brown hair that passed her shoulders. This Veronica, the false Veronica, grinned madly at the true one. "Convincing?" he asked her in his best imitation of her voice.

Veronica was terrified. She had been afraid before, afraid for her life, when Crouch had apprehended her, when he'd brought her to Riddle House, when he'd spoken of the rise of villains she'd thought long dead. However, looking into her own eyes when they didn't belong to her, beholding her own body when it wasn't on her, hearing her own voice come from lips that looked like hers but weren't hers…that inspired in her a whole new sort of fear, a fear of the unnatural.

"Hey," Alex said to announce her arrival in the room, followed closely by Trixie. "You wanted us to—whoa, NICE." She began laughing at the sight of Crouch, who was at that moment shorter and frailer-looking than her. "That looks legit."

"Thank you," Crouch said, still in Veronica's voice, trying to keep it up, make it a habit. He gave a slight, teasing curtsy. "Now, if you could do me a favor while I'm gone. I get the feeling I can trust you two with this at least." He pointed to the real Veronica, who was stunned into stillness. "Feed her, keep her vitals up, keep her alive. When the potion runs out of time, put more of her hair in. One at a time. Get it in the chocolates in the bags. I'll show you how. Then keep sending them to me through the owl post. Little gifts from aunt Alex and aunt Trixie."

"This plan's so crazy, it might actually work," Alex complimented.

"Trixie will not fail you!" Trixie vowed.

"Good," Crouch answered. "Because if you fail me, you fail the Dark Lord, and I think we all know what that means."

"If Trixie fails you," Trixie emphasized, "Trixie fails Trixie. It shall not happen!"

"Then let's get ready," Crouch said. "There's a lot to do before Veronica can go back to school."

THE RAILWAYS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, FOURTH EARTH

"I guess I can't quite believe it, still."

As Harry made that announcement, his eyes were fixed on the window, watching the countryside roll past, rather than on his five car-mates—Ron, Neville, Hermione, Luna, and, most importantly to him, Ginny.

"What can't you believe?" Neville asked.

"The fact that just when we think we're done with school, we get roped right back in," Ron joked.

"In a way," Harry clarified. "For seven years, Hogwarts was home. After all that happened…I finally had to realize that I'd grown up. That I couldn't live in a school of magic forever. I had to leave that to the new students, so they could have what I had. But now I'm going back. Not as a student, as an adult." He paused. "I wonder what they want us to do, exactly."

"Wasn't it obvious from the letter?" Hermione asked. "Form Dumbledore's Army again."

"But how?" Harry asked.

"I'm sure they'll explain everything once we get there," Hermione reassured. "They'll have to introduce us at the dinner. And won't that be a surprise. First they get Malfoy back, then all of us."

"I still can't believe that sniveling git found his way back into this," Ron grumbled. "Are we going to have to put up with him?"

"We could probably tell him to bugger off if we wanted," Ginny pointed out. "But apparently, the war changed him. Somehow. I think the point when he became actually tolerable was when Rarity knocked some sense into him."

"You keep mentioning those names as well," Harry pointed out. "Rarity. Twilight. Rainbow Dash." He'd been told that there were six very unconventional first-years; he'd been told of their physical build and of their true origin. "From what you've said…we're probably lucky. If they join the Army, they'd probably have a lot of knowledge to share."

"I'm not sure they're all they're made out to be," Ron muttered, "if they're the kind to hang around a Malfoy…"

"Well, it's not a question that you'll meet them," Luna reminded everyone onboard.

"I'm still worried about…well, the obvious," Neville chimed in. "It hasn't left my mind since we first got the letter. Death Eaters. Voldemort!"

"It has to be just a group of fanatic followers," Harry insisted. "Even so, they're still a threat."

"Despite the fact that Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack have testified to having seen the terrors of other worlds return from the dead," Hermione pointed out.

"Which is still a crazy story," Ron interrupted, "and one I wouldn't believe if it had come from anyone but you. So you know, Hermione, I'd believe you if you said that Merlin had dug his way out of the grave just to he could tap-dance naked on the Astronomy tower."

"Even with that in mind," Harry continued, "it's a bit of a leap to assume that this is the same case. It could be Voldemort. But it could be someone else."

"I vote we assume the best," Ginny said, "and prepare for the worst. Anyway, I'll admit I'm a little glad McGonagall asked you to come back. I know, we all wish the circumstances were different, but this way, I've got you back with me where you belong."

That took Harry's eyes off the scenery. He turned to face Ginny directly, returning the bright smile she gave him. "Guess I can't argue with that," he said, "now, can I?"

HOGWARTS, FOURTH EARTH

The train arrived. Students disembarked, returning to the grounds, readying themselves for a new semester. They brought with them their familiars, their trunks, their bags, their attitudes.

It wasn't clear whether or not this pleased Argus Filch. On one hand, he appeared frustrated with all the policing he'd have to do, now that the grounds were busy again. On the other, he seemed to take a sadistic pleasure out of finding complaints right away. He found one immediately in two Slytherins trying to return to their common room.

"You two know the rules, and you've been breaking them for an entire semester," he chided the two girls. "You came back with those same disgusting colors in your hair. I should have known you two would be thorns in my sides…I can tell your kind. Troublemakers. All the same."

"Whoa," Stevie interrupted. "You did not just compare me to HER."

"Fuck off!" Ebony added. "I'm not like that prep bitch!"

"You can label yourselves whatever you like," Filch growled, "but if YOU don't take that yellow out of your hair—" he referred to Stevie "—and if YOU don't get rid of that horrendous red—" Ebony this time "—within a week, it's ten points each from Slytherin. Forty points if two weeks pass…and after three weeks, I deduct a hundred points each and scrub those colors out of your hair myself until you learn the proper dress code. You would also do well, Miss Way, to remove those boots you're trying to hide under your uniform."

"Not fair!" Ebony whined. "Why does that prep Rarity get to have purple hair?"

"Because while I don't know what that girl's story is," Filch growled, "I know one thing for sure just by looking. That color's natural. It shouldn't be, but it is. Now do as you're told, and don't let me see you breaking code again!"

As Filch stormed off, Stevie pondered what had been said. "How do you think you get born with purple hair?" she asked.

"Who the fuck cares?" Ebony whined. "Mr. Norris just wants me to have ugly prep hair!"

"His name's Filch, and you have got to let this preps versus goths thing go. Are you seriously that shallow that you're just going to keep your red because if you don't, it makes you less gothic? I'm keeping my yellow because I want the rest of the school to know that I don't care what Filch thinks."

"Don't even talk to me, bitch."

"Fine by me, Enoby."

"Ebony! STEVIE!"

Flora Carrow ran up to the first-years, nearly out of breath. "Have you heard?" she panted. "Have you heard who's back?"

"What do you mean, who's back?" Stevie asked.

"It's them!" Flora gushed. "The whole school knows! Harry Potter's back at Hogwarts! And he's brought Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom!"

The six Equestrians didn't know at first when they gathered for the return to term feast. At first, all Twilight noticed was that Luna was missing, and she worried for her. Rainbow Dash and Applejack noted the absence of Ginny and Hermione, and they just assumed the two were doing important things elsewhere.

At the Slytherin table, however, gossip buzzed. Hestia and Flora explained to Stevie and Rarity the situation they'd heard.

"Apparently, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Neville Longbottom are back on the grounds. This is obviously in response to whatever had the Malfoys scared."

"There isn't any 'apparently' about it, Hestia. I saw them."

"They were three of the biggest heroes during the war against Voldemort. Now, Flora and I were never close to any of them because of…family issues. However—"

"However, this means we're hosting three of the biggest celebrities in the wizarding world. And not just ordinary celebrities like Celestina Warbeck or the Weird Sisters. These are people we owe our lives and freedoms too."

"Sounds wicked," Stevie said with a grin.

"I'm quite intrigued by all this!" Rarity admitted.

"Intrigued by what?" Draco asked. The three Malfoys had been seated at the far end of the Slytherin table, not making contact with anyone else, but Draco was unable to resist his curiosity toward whatever had Flora, Hestia, Stevie, and Rarity so interested.

"Harry Potter has returned," Flora informed him. "And he's brought Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom."

"POTTER?" Draco spat.

"I'm guessing another old enemy," Rarity sighed.

"They didn't need to drag him into this," Draco growled. "He'll be getting a big head before long."

"From what I hear, you would know," Stevie remarked.

"Stevie!" Rarity and Flora barked.

"I wouldn't be so critical," Hestia scolded Draco. "From what I know, he's here because you're here. Because someone threatened you. They're all here for your sake."

"I don't want their pity," Draco asserted.

"And I'm sure you're not going to get it," Hestia replied coldly.

"I know no one asked me," Rarity pointed out, "but if anypony WERE to ask me, I might remind everypony present that with the Death Eaters on the loose, there probably isn't much time to spare fighting. We have to put our hooves together and—"

"Then I'll play nice," Draco growled, "but don't expect me to become friends with them."

"Must you really be such a drama queen?" Rarity sighed.

"Was her saying that as ironic as I think it was?" Stevie whispered to Flora.

The news had reached the Hufflepuff table. Despite never meeting Harry, Ron, or Neville before, Pinkie Pie was excited beyond measure. "THIS IS SO AWESOME!" she cried, squeezing Fluttershy tightly. She turned to her right, shaking the student who sat there by the shoulders. "ARE YOU EXCITED, VERONICA?"

"Yes!" Crouch squeaked, nearly choking on the Polyjuice-soaked chocolate he had been about to swallow.

Sensing the building tension in the Great Hall, McGonagall decided to begin her announcement. "Attention!" she called out. "I'm sure you have all heard the rumors by now that Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Neville Longbottom have returned to campus. I can assure you that these rumors are, indeed, true."

This put the Hall in even more of a frenzy than before. They whispered to each other: "They're really here!" "I thought it was some kind of joke!"

"Rather than attempt to describe their return myself," McGonagall said, "I believe it best to have them make the announcement personally." She turned to Professor Sprout. "Professor Sprout—"

"Yes," Sprout said before McGonagall could finish, rising to walk down the Great Hall and open the doors, letting in a group of six. At the front, Harry, Ron, and Neville entered, and the entire Great Hall erupted into massive cheering—with the exception of the Malfoys, all three of whom stared at the returning Gryffindors with contempt and folded arms. Flattered, the three youths proceeded down the aisle, with Hermione, Luna, and Ginny behind them.

"I can't believe it!" Flora gasped. "It's really them!"

Twilight Sparkle was slightly surprised. She'd heard so much talk of the heroics of Harry Potter and his greatness. She didn't know what she'd expected, but he looked very much like a normal person. Perhaps, she thought, that was how it should be.

The group of six made it up to the staff table, where McGonagall looked at Harry meaningfully. Gathering his courage, Harry looked out over the Great Hall and spoke.

"Erm…hello," he began. "It's…it's been a while, really. Didn't actually know I'd be returning. It's quite nice, actually. This place was like a home to me, and…" He caught himself rambling. "Well, that isn't the point. The truth is—"

"The truth is that some of Voldemort's followers escaped Azkaban," Ron picked up, "and we're here to kick their arses."

"Ron," Hermione hissed.

"What?" Ron replied.

"We're not about to go down without a fight," Harry continued. "We don't know where they're going to strike, if they're going to strike at all, but there's a very good chance it will be here. If that happens…we can't let things become like they were in the past."

"We want to protect you," Neville asserted.

"But more importantly," Hermione said, "we want to help you learn to protect yourselves. You see, we have a plan."

"Maybe you heard the stories," Ginny said, "or maybe you were even here when it happened. Three years ago, we made a group that we called Dumbledore's Army after the late Headmaster."

"We used this group to teach practical Defense Against the Dark Arts and make plans for what we could do if we were threatened by Dark magic," Harry explained. "We were shut down, but in the end, we were the ones who were able to fend off the Death Eaters several times over."

"And we want to start it again," Neville announced. "With you. With whoever's interested. In the meantime, we're going to do our best to find out what's really going on and how to stop it."

"We won't let Hogwarts fall," Harry insisted. "Whoever these latent Death Eaters are, they don't know what they're really dealing with. We're going to put them down once and for all!"

A great roar of cheering erupted from the Hall. During this, Luna tugged at Harry's sleeve: "But, Harry…what if they aren't just upstart followers…"

"I still don't really believe they came back from the dead just like that," Harry whispered to her. "Besides, there were only a few reported."

"I will expect to see all six of you in my office," McGonagall told Harry, Ron, Neville, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna. "Oh, and Miss Granger, Miss Weasley, and Miss Lovegood…please tell Miss Sparkle, Miss Apple, Miss Dash, Miss Majesty, Miss Posey, and Miss Pie to join us. It is imperative."

The twelve assembled in the Headmaster's Office: Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Hermione, Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Rarity, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash.

"I thought it important that you meet," McGonagall began. "After all, you share many of the same goals."

"We've heard a lot about you," Twilight told Harry. "About how you saved this school and killed Voldemort."

"And you must be the heroes I've been hearing about," Harry replied with interest. "I've heard that you've done great things too."

"I don't know about great…" Twilight blushed.

"Of course they were great!" Rainbow Dash interrupted.

"Um, maybe we should introduce ourselves first," Fluttershy whispered.

"Good idea," Harry agreed.

After names were traded, Ron observed, "You really got in on some kind of weird technicality, didn't you?"

"It's a long story," Applejack replied.

"Actually, I told them most of it," Hermione informed.

"You've really got a magic boat that flies between worlds?" Ron asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Out on the lake," Rainbow Dash confirmed. "We can show it to you later."

"So that's what we saw in the lake!" Neville realized, having seen the Starlight earlier.

"Told you it wasn't Durmstrang students," Ron muttered.

"So you want to rebuild this 'Dumbledore's Army'?" Rarity asked, changing the subject.

"It's the best idea we have until we can know more about what's happening," Harry replied. "We don't know how powerful these fringe followers are, or where they came from—"

"But we do," Twilight insisted. "These aren't 'fringe followers.' These are actually the same Death Eaters. The ones you fought. Voldemort might even be back with them!"

"That's bloody rubbish," Ron dismissed.

"No, it isn't!" Twilight growled, taking something from her pocket. "You see this? This is a confiscated, top-secret Chocolate Frog card from before the rise of Voldemort. You see the witch on it? She's actually a faerie. Her name is Maleficent, and she has more Dark power than anyone I know. I think she's bringing people back from the dead. She's already been responsible for two people coming back who shouldn't have!"

Harry took the card with interest. "I do have to admit I've never seen this before…" He turned it over. "Where did you get this?"

"From me," McGonagall answered. "And I received it from Minister Shacklebolt, who found it hidden in the Ministry."

"This whole thing about other worlds…it's real, isn't it?" Neville confirmed.

McGonagall nodded. "And Hogwarts has long been involved in their dealings."

"We can give you plenty of examples," Twilight added. "We found one hall where traveling Sages worshipped light gods, and another that was funded by Fireben—by wizards who only cast fire spells, from another dimension."

"As if we didn't have enough to bloody worry about on this planet," Ron huffed.

"And that would be why this was all covered up after the rise of Voldemort," Rarity replied. "Apparently one Dark wizard was too much to handle."

"No matter which," Harry said, "it will still be good to try and establish ways of self-defense."

"Hermione says you're an expert at Defense Against the Dark Arts," Applejack complimented.

"I don't know that I'm an expert. But I do know that I've learned what I had to learn in order to survive. I haven't exactly had a typical life, even for a wizard. That's why I learned what I learned," Harry explained.

"Well, you can sign us up for your Army!" Pinkie exclaimed. "We're behind you one hundred and twenty-seven percent!"

"There is a slight complication," McGonagall interrupted. "You will not be able to hold lessons in the Room of Requirement as you had in the past. That room is currently being occupied by Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

"Damn Malfoys!" Ron hissed. "They had to ruin this for us too, didn't they?"

"Oh, what IS all this between you and the Malfoys!" Rarity groaned. "Can't bygones just be bygones? Draco does owe you his life!"

"Are you kidding?" Ron moaned. "He owes us far more than that! Six years of being put down because my family's poor and my father actually wants to make peace with Muggles! Six years of him insulting my brothers! My sister! My mother! My father! My girlfriend! My HAIR! And that's not even getting started on that awful father of his. Lucius' work with Voldemort nearly got Ginny killed her first year!"

"But I've been talking to him," Rarity sputtered. "He's been seeing things differently—"

"And I'm a quintaped."

Rarity sighed. "Never mind it, then."

"But on the subject of you not having anywhere to practice," Rainbow Dash interrupted, "what kind of room would you be looking for, ideally?"

"Well," Harry said, "when we practiced in the Room of Requirement, we had it become a practice space. It was large enough to fit a lot of people casting a lot of spells. Vaulted ceilings included. I guess we're just looking for somewhere big enough."

"Could we borrow the Great Hall?" Neville asked McGonagall. "After all, that's where our second year Duelling Club—"

"Actually," Rainbow Dash said with a grin, "I think we've got someplace even better. You didn't happen to know about the ballroom, did you?"

"When we hosted the Yule Ball," Harry answered, "the Great Hall was turned into—"

"So you don't know," Rainbow Dash said with a grin. "Tomorrow, meet us all down by the dead-end hallway out of the front room. And prepare to be amazed!"

"In the meantime," McGonagall broke in, "I am assuming, given the circumstances, that you have no desire to stay in the Room of Requirement."

"NOT," Ron insisted, "with THEM."

"Then I will offer you the same opportunity I gave young Mister Malfoy," McGonagall continued. "There is enough room for you to stay in the dormitories of your former Houses."

"Once a Gryffindor," Hermione insisted, "always a Gryffindor."

"That would be…wonderful," Harry admitted with something like relief.

"It shall be arranged," McGonagall promised. "Miss Dash and Miss Apple can show you the way. That is, after all, their house of origin."

"So you're not all Gryffindors?" Neville asked.

"You didn't tell them?" Pinkie asked Hermione.

"It never really came up," Hermione admitted.

"Fluttershy and I are in Hufflepuff!" Pinkie said excitedly. "Twilight's really smart, so she got to be in Ravenclaw with Luna! And Rarity's a Slytherin!"

Harry, Ron, and Neville did a double take, looking at Rarity.

"Oh, what?" Rarity barked. "Is it because I'm in the so-called evil house? I'll have you know that things aren't all they seem in Slytherin!"

"It's…all right," Harry said cautiously. "I'm sure you're not…evil."

"I know a couple Slytherins who would be interested in joining your Army, in fact," Rarity pointed out.

"That'll be the day," Ron muttered.

"If you have finished conducting business," McGonagall advised, "perhaps you should move your conversation elsewhere. I have much to do, given the circumstances."

"We'll show you the password to the Common Room," Applejack suggested. "Let's go."

"I do wish you all the best of luck," McGonagall said as the twelve departed.

Outside the office, Twilight excused herself. "I have a lot of work to get ahead on for the semester," she said, "and the Gryffindor Common Room is kind of a Gryffindor thing, so I'm going to go back to Ravenclaw. It was really great meeting you, and I hope we can keep working together."

"She's got a point about Gryffindor," Rarity added. "You should probably get back to your Common Room together."

"We'll see you tomorrow!" Pinkie Pie chirped. She, Fluttershy, Twilight, Luna, and Rarity left.

On their way down the hall to the Ravenclaw dormitory, Luna asked Twilight, "Do you keep all the otherworldly Chocolate Frog cards in your pocket?"

"I switch them out depending on which ones interest me," Twilight answered. She didn't want to admit that there was one that stayed in her pocket perpetually, out of the sake of "interest," and it didn't happen to be Maleficent.

Back in the Headmaster's Office, McGonagall began yet another letter to Kingsley Shacklebolt, asking for news on the rising threat. So far, there had been nothing, no leads. She dreaded to think of what would happen if nothing surfaced, if they merely had to grasp at straws until the enemy made the first move.

"So I'll warn you," Harry said, "they'll probably make a big fuss now that we're back."

"We were kind of expecting that," Rainbow Dash replied. "You seem like a pretty big deal."

"Well, we did kill the Dark Lord," Ron bragged.

"We got lucky," Neville amended.

"Says the bloke who decapitated that snake of his!" Ron replied.

"Say, you all right?" Applejack asked Harry. "Ya seem a little…distracted."

"Well…don't get me wrong, I'm more than happy to help Hogwarts out again…" Harry sighed. "But I want Twilight to be wrong. I've had more than my fair share of Voldemort. It hasn't been easy."

"I'm sorry this is happenin'," Applejack sighed. "But I promise you don't have to go through it alone. I mean, you got Ron and Hermione and Ginny and Luna, but you've got us, too. Even Rarity. I wouldn't go writin' her off for bein' in Slytherin."

"I won't," Harry promised.

"Well, that's a familiar face!" the Fat Lady of the portrait exclaimed. "Three of them, in fact! I didn't think I'd ever see you here again!"

"Nice to see you too," Harry said sincerely.

"Godric," Hermione said—the password—and the Fat Lady let the group enter.

The "big fuss" took place immediately. In the main Common Room, Gryffindors cheered to see their heroes returned back to their alma mater.

"It's them! It's really them!"

"You're going to save us, aren't you?"

"Who do you think the 'Death Eaters' are this time?"

"Can…can I have your autograph?"

"And it begins," Neville sighed.

"It begins!" Ron said happily. "Now, what did you want me to sign-?"

The sun set. The moon rose. Books closed, lights were snuffed, and students went to bed.

"I'm so excited," Pinkie Pie babbled to Fluttershy from her bed. "Are you excited? We get to show them the ballroom tomorrow and start up Dumbledore's Army again and I just know this is going to be great!"

"Me too," Fluttershy answered. "We should probably go to bed so we're not tired tomorrow."

"Oh my gosh, you're so right! Night, Fluttershy! NIGHT, EVERYONE!"

All the other first-years muttered goodnights to Pinkie Pie. Then everyone in the first-year Hufflepuff girls' dormitory closed eyes and attempted to go to sleep.

All but one.

"Muffliato," Crouch muttered, knowing the incantation would cause everyone present to experience a sort of buzzing in the ears that would drown out all noise. He set beside his bed an old-fashioned alarm clock, which he set to ring every hour, during which he would wake, take a dose of Polyjuice-infused chocolate, and recast Muffliato to make sure no one would be woken by the clock. That way, if anyone else did wake and look over at that bed, she would not suspect, as none of the Hufflepuff girls suspected at that moment, that there was anyone in that bed other than Veronica Aardman, the first year with a sweet tooth for chocolate.

Harry had spent some time reading in the Common Room after mostly everyone else had gone to bed, hoping to have some time without his excitable fanbase. He looked up when Ginny slid onto the couch next to him.

"Welcome home," she said, and the next thing they knew, they had embraced, kissing passionately, and they truly were home.

They weren't aware that nearby, in the reading alcove, Hermione and Ron were doing the same.

The next day, a Thursday, classes resumed. During most of the day, Harry, Ron, and Neville toured the school, familiarizing themselves with old landmarks until their friends were freed of classes.

"Harry Potter!" a voice called out; Harry beheld a man he'd never seen before. "Oh, you won't know me," he said. "I'm Ermond Ricksmith, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. As you can see, I'm on my free period right now."

"It's nice to meet you." Harry shook hands with Ricksmith. "You've got a pretty coveted position, that's for sure."

"Oh, don't I know it! I've heard all the stories! Don't worry—I intend to stay in this position for a long time indeed! Now, they say you're sort of an expert in the subject of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of course you are! You defeated the Dark Lord himself! I was wondering, well, if you wouldn't mind…would you be able to give a guest lecture or two in my class?"

"I would love to," Harry promised.

"Wonderful!" Ricksmith chirped. "Well, I shouldn't take up any more of your time. Lessons to plan and whatnot! I'll see you sometime soon!" With that, Ricksmith was off.

"The nerve of him!" Ron complained. "Neville, you and I were there just the same as Harry, and he didn't offer us one single thing!"

"Well…Harry was sort of the Chosen One," Neville reminded him.

"Like I haven't heard that a million times…"

"I don't mind being a little invisible," Neville admitted.

"I could try to swing you a lecture if you wanted," Harry told Ron.

"I don't actually want to give a guest lecture," Ron sighed. "I'm relieved to be here and not have to study anything, actually. I just want to be offered."

"You and I both know we couldn't have done any of it without you," Harry asserted. "You can forget what anyone else—"

"Well. If it isn't Mister Potter…Mister Weasley…and Mister Longbottom."

The three, upon hearing their names, turned to face the one who had addressed them; Lucius Malfoy stared them down from further down the hallway. "Aren't we the charmed ones," he practically spat.

"Get out, Malfoy," Ron threatened.

"I'm surprised the Headmistress called you in," Lucius continued. "I wouldn't have. Your time is long over. What's done is done."

"What's the matter with you?" Harry replied angrily. "We're here because you were attacked!"

"If anything," Ron added, "you should be grateful we're here. It's up to us to find out what chased you out of your overblown mansion so we can put you back in it."

"We're just trying to help," Neville said quietly.

"How noble," Lucius scoffed. "Just don't go getting the idea that because you were lucky in the past, you're suddenly the gods of this world. We're all starting to tire of you and your boasting."

"It's not boasting if we really did it," Ron argued.

"And it's not as though it was a game!" Harry insisted. "Maybe it was luck! But it didn't come easily!"

"He's probably just angry," Ron said to Harry and Neville, "that we killed his superior. Missing Voldemort already, now that you don't have him to cower behind?"

"That is ENOUGH," Lucius snapped. "Those ties are BROKEN."

"Tell that to Ginny," Ron hissed. "You know. The girl you gave Voldemort's Horcrux."

"Why did you come here?" Neville asked. "What did you want to say?"

"I came," Lucius hissed, "to tell you three to go home. Whatever is happening, we can solve it without you. You aren't wanted here."

"Make us leave," Ron challenged.

"I'm not going to stoop to that level," Lucius replied. "Just know that you are not welcome here." He turned and stalked gracefully from the hall.

"So he came all that way down just to insult us?" Ron reiterated in disbelief.

"Sort of," Harry clarified. "I think…I think he feels threatened because of what happened during the last battle. He owes a lot to us, and he only just figured out he was on the wrong side. Us being here makes him look bad by comparison."

"Don't go sympathizing with him!" Ron begged.

"Even if it's true?" Neville posed.

"Let's forget him," Harry suggested. "If we just stay on the opposite end of the school from all Malfoys…we'll be fine."

When classes let out, all twelve who had discussed the meeting down the dead-end hallway set out in that direction. Twilight, Pinkie, Fluttershy, and Hermione happened to cross paths first, walking down the hall together. They came across a rather thick traffic jam of human bodies, all watching someone proceed down the hall. Assuming the crowd watched Harry, Ron, or Neville, the four walked on. However, it soon became clear that the one being watched was, in fact, Kreacher.

"Filthy little things won't stop staring at Kreacher," he muttered.

"Kreacher!" Twilight called out. "What's going on?"

"It's a house-elf," a student stated.

"We know he's a house-elf," Hermione replied.

"Kreacher is looking over this castle," Kreacher answered Twilight. "Full of many dark secrets, this castle is. Also full of filthy little humans who won't stop gossiping."

"But house-elves never come up out of the kitchens!" someone else cried.

"Enough!" Fluttershy asserted. "Can't a person like Kreacher go wherever he wants? He's part of the staff! He's free to do that! Or do you have a PROBLEM with it?"

Made nervous by Fluttershy's outburst, the crowd slowly dissipated.

"I'm really glad," Hermione gushed. "House-elves should have the right to go wherever they please. By exercising that right, you're—"

"She is irritating," Kreacher said to himself. "Yes, demeaning, really—"

"Come on, Hermione," Twilight said sternly. "Let's go to the ballroom."

"Sorry," Hermione said to Kreacher; the four moved on.

"I'm so excited!" Pinkie gushed. "I can't wait to show you the ballroom! It's so beautiful and it's going to be perfect!"

They found Harry, Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity waiting at the meeting point. "Ready to be amazed?" Pinkie asked.

"It's still a little hard to believe," Harry admitted, "that there's this secret room in Hogwarts that none of us knew about all this time."

"Well, you'd better believe it," Twilight affirmed. "Pinkie? Rarity?"

"Let's do this!" Pinkie chirped.

Everyone else moved aside to let Twilight, Pinkie, and Rarity move before the blank wall. Together, the trio raised their wands, then cast the spell in synchrony: "INCENDIO!"

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and Ginny stared in awe as the door formed, then opened. "Bloody hell," Ron whispered.

"Come on in!" Applejack invited as the six Equestrians moved into the ballroom.

"Well?" Twilight asked once everyone was inside. "What do you think?"

"HOW long has this been here?" Ron asked in bewilderment.

"It's…perfect," Harry admitted. "And this was kept a secret?"

"Only the centaurs remembered," Twilight confirmed. "You can see the plaque over there about Moshu and Mofa, the people who paid for it. They weren't from this world."

"So can we start making posters for Dumbledore's Army?" Pinkie asked. "Please please please please?"

"I'm all for it," Ginny answered. "This'll be perfect. We just have to let everyone know that they have to cast Incendio to get in."

"Are you sure it's going to be all right," Neville said, "to make a secret like this public knowledge?"

"With everything else that's been comin' to light recently," Applejack replied, "I don't think it's gonna be that big a deal."

That was the night that the six Equestrians went back out to the forest to meet up with Firenze, Bane, Ronan, and the others.

"They came back today," Fluttershy informed them. "Harry and Ron and Neville."

"Heroes of the wizarding world," Firenze muttered. "Yes…I'm aware. I didn't see them on campus today, but I couldn't help but hear the news."

"What did you think of them?" Twilight asked.

"They respected our boundaries," Firenze replied.

"For the most part," Bane muttered gruffly.

"That is perhaps all we can say. We did not know each other as well as one would think, even after seven years," Firenze admitted.

"We showed them the Moshu and Mofa ballroom," Applejack told Firenze. "I hope that's all right."

"It will probably be the least of the secrets that will eventually be revealed in time," Firenze replied, "according to the stars."

"That's kinda what I figured," Applejack replied.

"So are there any more secret rooms we should be finding?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"There is the Demigod Hall," Firenze said. "You will be learning the Spongify charm this year. It will open up a door in the dungeons, down the third hall past the Potions room."

"Demigod Hall," Twilight repeated. "That sounds…well, like a big deal."

"So what do the stars say tonight?" Pinkie asked.

"The same as before," Firenze replied. "What is to come from here out cannot be determined by stars. It must be determined by those involved."

"Then we'll do our best," Twilight vowed.

Chapter 38:

· The use of Barty Crouch Jr. was inspired by GAvillain. And honestly, I couldn't have done this semester if I hadn't thought over what I could do with Crouch. I know that the "I'm taking the body of someone you know and trust" is getting overused in this story, especially since Chrysalis did that with Celestia in the last chapter, but it's Barty's schtick after all.

· I described Crouch by movie descriptors instead of book descriptors because I really, really, REALLY want you to be picturing David Tennant. Because I find him attractive. And, probably, so do many of my readers. Also, if this in any way resulted in you picturing David Tennant in a schoolgirl uniform, this is a normal side effect.

· I found out that "Why didn't they use Portkeys?" is actually a fairly common question in the HP fanbase concerning Death Eaters. And Portkeys have always mystified me as a concept. I can't seriously believe that you can just do the incantation from one end of the journey. So I'm assuming you need to do something at each point, destination and beginning, to create the route. Which gives me an excuse to put Crouch in Hogwarts. Plus, it's canon that establishing an international Portkey requires the consent of the magical governments of both nations, so it's a logical leap that each nation has to do an enchantment.

· When I had Veronica Aardman be first to be Sorted at the beginning of this storylet, I had no idea she would become my Chekhov's Gunwoman.

· The hair scene was actually put in because I learned from one of my readers that British schools crack down really hard on hair color, and I wanted to be accurate. Plus it gave me a chance to reiterate how in "My Immortal," Ebony can't keep from mixing up Filch and Mrs. Norris (she calls them "Mr. Norris" and "Filth").

· Just GUESS whose card is in Twilight's pocket.

· Muffliato is such a useful spell. And also canon. The alarm clock, I just have to assume exists in some way, shape or form. They never do mention how students wake up on time.

· I'm not as good at writing canon romances as I am crackships.

· It's canon that the DADA prof after Deathly Hallows had Harry give guest lectures in his class.