Over the next three days the Room of Requirement changed back into a camp. To suit the needs of Dumbledore's Army the room even made itself bigger, so that they still had room to train despite the added bunk beds, changes of clothes and – in some cases – piles of books borrowed from the library. There were books about Animagi, books about Morphmagi, about magical artefacts, various jinxes and curses, defensive spells and unidentified diseases. All in all they had tried to find everything that could help them in their upcoming fight against JLW. To say that Hermione was surprised to find people like Matticus Stark, known for not doing a thing in class, burying his head in a book about magical artefacts in order to find out more about the pentagrammic pyramid, was an understatement. Their dedication to the mission was definitely something she had not expected to see so clearly. That they were dedicated she had known all along, but this dedication was to be admired.

On this specific day, four days after the students had consumed the Animagi Potion, Hermione walked into the room after finishing her classes for the day to a scene that she guessed would become a regularity. On one side of the room were Mariah, Taimoor, Matticus, Brianne and Nick practicing counter curses. Curled up by the bunk beds were Sandra, Benjamin, Natasha, Caitlin, Toby and Teddy reading books about various subjects, school books as well as research for the mission. Close to the centre sat Benvolio and Rebecca, apparently taking a break while Benvolio tried to teach his girlfriend how to play chess. The Patronuses were, as always, present around the room, although Toby's was missing due to him losing his wand. It had instead been replaced by Benjamin's eagle which, much like Sandra's phoenix, preferred to sit on his shoulder.

"Professor Granger, are the OWLs and NEWTs still going to take place?" Toby asked as she walked past the reading group.

"The Ministry has not said anything else on the matter since you last asked me", Hermione answered and picked up one of the books from the library. "From what we know they are still going to take place and, as I have also explained, if they don't you'll be able to do them next year."

"Though that requires us to break the curse", Sandra pointed out and looked up from where she lay with her head in Benjamin's lap.

"Like I said; they will take place later this spring", Hermione said, her tone marking the end of the discussion. Deep inside she could relate to the seventh year students fear of not being able to take the final exam before being robbed of their magic. She would have felt the same way.

The door to the room opened again and Hazel entered together with Molly. They were carrying more books, once that Hermione realized were from the Restricted Section of the library.

"How did you get them out?" she asked when the students put them down. "Books from the Restricted Section..."

"The spell isn't working anymore", Hazel answered. "Madame Pince told us while we were looking at the books. She seemed very worried about this."

Hermione felt her eyes widen and the blood disappear from her face. Since they had been deprived of their magic they had at least had previously put up enchantments working, but if that was now failing as well...

"She hasn't told anyone but us", Molly continued, "and we had to sneak the books out of the library to keep others from noticing. Hopefully no one else realizes and sneaks in stealing the books that we need."

"I'm not sure there's anything there that can help us, though", Hermione said. "I've been right through the Restricted Section more than once since..."

"A pair of fresh eyes studying the subject won't hurt", Benjamin interrupted and put away the Astronomy-book he had been studying. Hermione resisted the urge to glare at him. He was right, of course, but it wounded her pride to feel like she was unable to find the things they needed.

"What are these books about?" Brianne asked as she came over to them, wiping her face with a towel. It brushed against the small confirmation mark caused by the Animagi Potion that was located behind her left ear.

"Mainly magical artefacts", Hazel answered and grabbed the top book out of the pile. "We need to find out why the pentagrammic pyramid is so important to him..."

"And why he hasn't come here to take it from us", Mariah filled in. "Considering he was probably posing as the Auror that interviewed Sandra after we got back, so he probably knows we have it."

"He knows we have a log", Sandra answered and sat up. "None of us knew it contained the pyramid until we gathered here the day after we got back."

"Still, he might have a clue about what it might be", Molly said. "And just so you all know I've put a spell on these books to prevent those who have not taken their OWLs from reading them. Just because of that they're out of the library it does not mean they should be read by unauthorized students."

"Spoken like a true Prefect", Benjamin muttered and, disappointedly, leaned back against the side of the bunk bed again. Just then Harry walked in through the door together with George, discussing possible inventions by the Weasley-twins and their usage in the upcoming stand-off. Although Hermione knew perfectly well that the main reason George had been called in during this time was that he was the only Animagus they had involved in this project.

"Is everyone here?" Harry asked as he came up to Hermione.

"No, we're missing a few", she answered, looking around the room once more. "Brooklyn, Kylie, Jacob and Kyle."

"Jacob, Kylie and Brooklyn were heading down to the kitchens; they are on food duty today", Taimoor said. The students had created groups among themselves in charge of bringing food to the Room of Requirement every evening. They still ate in the Great Hall during breakfast and lunch, but often timed those meals to when other students were off having lessons, all in order to be able to keep discussing what they had been discussing during their training without anyone overhearing it.

"What about Kyle?" Harry asked, looking at Mariah in particular.

"I haven't seen him since lunch", the Gryffindor Prefect answered.

"He's coming", Molly said. "He was... just going to check something."

Mariah frowned.

"How do you know that but I don't?" she asked. "Kyle always tells me everything."

Before Molly could answer the bespoken person walked in through the door. When everyone turned to look at him he frowned.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

"Where were you?" Mariah asked.

"Back in the dorm", he answered. "I was picking up a few things."

"What things?" Mariah inquired. "I don't see anything. Besides you told me yesterday that..."

"Stop", Molly interrupted. "It's no use trying to hide it any longer and I seriously do not understand why we did in the first place."

"Hide what?" Mariah asked and looked from Kyle to Molly and back again. Kyle stepped back and linked his hand with Molly's.

"We're dating", he answered.

"That explains a lot of things", Rebecca said. "When did it happen? During our trek in the Forest?"

"Yeah", Kyle answered and smiled slightly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mariah asked. "I thought we were friends."

"We are", Molly said, "and I wanted to tell. You deserved to know what had happened between me and Kyle, but..."

She glanced up at Kyle who looked down at his feet.

"You didn't want to tell me?" Mariah asked, her voice crisp and cold like ice.

"Chicken wings, anyone?" Brooklyn said, entering through the door and interrupting the tense conversation. "And don't worry, we brought other things too, but Merlin's beard those chicken wings looked absolutely delicious and... what's going on here?"

She stopped, closely followed by Jacob and Kylie. Hermione glanced over at Mariah who looked absolutely furious with her friend.

"Nothing", the strawberry-blonde girl eventually said, her voice still cool. "Just someone actually telling the truth for once."

She spun around and walked over to her bunk bed, grabbing a book as she went and hid her face behind it, shutting them out.

"Nicely done", Taimoor muttered.

"Well", Hermione said, forcing a smile, "now that everyone's here we might be able to actually start. George Weasley, whom you have all met before, has offered to help teach those of you who have received confirmation marks how to change shape. I believe those of you who have the marks have also read up on Animagi?"

A coherent mumble was heard among those she was addressing.

"Good", Hermione said with a nod. "We have divided you all up in groups and scheduled Animagi training for you."

She pulled out a parchment from her bag and placed it on the pin board that the room had provided them with.

"Today we have Toby, Molly, Taimoor and Kylie in the Animagi training camp", she continued. "We will start right after dinner."

The four that had been called looked pleased, while the nine others who would also be doing Animagi training hurried up to the pin board to check which group they would be in. As Hermione moved aside to let them have a look her gaze travelled between the six students who had consumed the potion without success. Out of those Sandra and Teddy seemed to be the least troubled, with Teddy pointing out that he had little use of it considering his metamorphic powers and really did not quite understand why he had taken the potion in the first place. Sandra, in turn, said that a person's Animagus often had the same shape as their Patronus and since hers was a phoenix she did not quite see how she could possibly acquire that skill. Nick could still be seen sulking when he though no one else was watching. Hermione was not sure but she did not believe that he had managed to cast a corporeal Patronus as of yet and to then not have the ability to change into an Animagus either must be quite a downer.

At the moment said Hufflepuff was standing by the bunk beds, browsing his school books as he tried to find something good to read. Hermione acted on a whim and walked over to him.

"Nick, have you tried to cast a Patronus lately?" she asked. He jumped in surprise as he had not realized she had walked up to him.

"No, why?" he asked.

"You should try it again."

He sighed.

"It's no use. Besides, a non-corporeal Patronus is pretty good as it is."

The way he looked over at the glowing white shapes circling the room told another story.

"Try it", Hermione urged. "It took me a while to master mine as well; it's nothing unusual."

Nick considered it for a while before he produced his wand and flicked it in an absentminded way.

"Expecto Patronum", he said, clearly not expecting a Patronus to appear.

Hence his scream when his wand started to tremble as a glowing creature started to force its way out of the wood and landed on the floor, shaking its head before turning back to look at its master. Due to this scream everyone else, of course, turned around and looked at it as well.

"Oh my God", Nick whispered. "Oh my God. Oh. My. God."

"Now that might be a good explanation as to why the potion did not work on you either", Sandra said with a wide grin.

"But... it's never worked before", Nick protested. "How come it worked now?"

"Have you tried it since our journey through the Forbidden Forest?" Natasha asked.

"No, I had sort of given up on it."

"I think that all changed when you became the unicorn whisperer", Rebecca remarked. "Look at it, Nick; it's gorgeous!"

Hermione could only smile in agreement as the Patronus in the shape of a unicorn greeted its fellow companions, acting every bit as independent as the others did. Once more her gaze travelled around the room and it was not the first time she wondered what was with this group that made their Patronuses so unique. Her gaze stuck on Mariah, who had once more hid behind her book. Apparently not everyone was impressed, or rather; some had other things on their minds than admiring the new animal walking through the room.