"You've found it Neville, you've found The Room of Requirement," Hermione praised the boy. They were standing in a large room, outfitted with mirrors and mats and equipment identical to a Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

"The what?" Ron's eyes were wide and bulging. Jamie and the twins, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, Ron and Neville were gazing around the newly discovered sanctuary.

"It's also known as the Come and Go Room," Hermione explained. "The Room of Requirement only appears when the person has need of it and is always equipped to their needs."

"So, say a person really needed the toilet…"

"Charming, Ronald, but yes, that is the general idea."

"It's brilliant," Harry smiled. "It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back."


The first meetings were late at night, gathered in The Room of Requirement, practicing defensive spells and maneuvers.

Jamie let Harry do most of the instructing, watching as his confidence slowly inflated as more and more of their members improved. Jamie took on more of a consultant role, she helped direct students as the practiced and paired off, and occasionally subtly nudged Harry in a different direction.

The confidence of the other members were growing. She watched as Neville and Dennis and Collin and even Ron slowly improved. As they learned something new, they felt even more sure of themselves and their abilities.

Counter spells, defensive charms, and tactics on how to anticipate an opponent's next moves were all covered.

Of course, it was hard to go unnoticed. Almost immediately, Professor Umbridge outlawed student gatherings and groups. Angelina nearly had a riot on her hands as the team went up and arms, and the four captains of the respective Quidditch teams had to talk Umbridge into allowing their season to continue.

Filch was lurking around in the hallways, trying to catch the D.A.'s comings and goings from the room, but with little luck. Umbridge created a team of students—mostly Slytherin's, to try and crack down on rule-breaking, but even it was proving futile.

Jamie had told Draco what they were doing, and Draco was subtly running interference, chasing false leads and tips in order to keep Umbridge off the D.A.'s trail.


Jamie's eighteenth birthday was a very different affair. Her family was unable to come up to visit her like usual due to Umbridge's presence. The D.A. gave her a box of candy and her friends a bottle of Firewhiskey, and she resolved to crawl into bed to celebrate.

Before dinner on her birthday, a paper crane flew across the library where she was retrieving a book for a Charms essay. It flitted around, causing a few students to laugh. Jamie's eyes widened with delight as it twittered toward her, wings flapping, and her own incredulous bubble of laughter erupted from her lips as it landed in her outstretched hands.

Unfurling the paper, the animation charm wore off, and she was left with a sneaky little note. In a neat font she recognized from this summer, was a message:

Secret room, after dinner tonight.

Enclosed in the note was a tiny silver charm, in the shape of an origami paper boat. Her eyelashes flickered as she glanced up subtly, spotting Draco across the room, tucked in at a study table in the corner. His head was down, but she could spot his smile from there.

"Hello," she called out softly as she opened the door of their secret room. How funny that it had slowly become "theirs". It was dark inside, but a soft warm glow lit the room. Hundreds of tealight candles covered the surfaces of the furniture, and Draco stood front in center, nervously holding a small cupcake with a single Birthday candle flickering from the top.

"Happy Birthday," he told her, holding up the small treat as she closed the door behind her. Her breath had caught in her throat, tears stinging her eyes and a warm smile covered her face. "You look lovely."

"Draco!" Her came up to cover her mouth, trying to bury her emotions from how touched she was as she glanced down briefly at what she was wearing, having forgotten. She had slunk on a short black button-down dress with tiny white polka dots covering it. Her new little origami boat charm hung around her neck proudly on a silver chain she had charmed from an old shoelace.

"I couldn't let you go uncelebrated," he told her. "This was all I could talk the house elves into down in the kitchens." He gestured to the cupcake in his hand, swirling pink frosting and a metallic silver wrapper.

"Thank you," she breathed, moving around to touch his shoulder gently. They sat on the floor, sharing the cupcake with two forks. She pulled the whiskey out of her bag and they sat like that for hours, drinking, nibbling at the cupcake, and talking.

"It's late," he told her. She was slumped on the floor, drunk and happier than she had been in a while.

"It is," she agreed, smiling. "I don't want to walk back."

"We could get caught," he prodded at her cheek gently. "I'll walk you back."

"Then you'll get caught," she countered with a sly little smile. "We're already here and out of the halls, they can't catch us."

"True," he said and moved toward her. She let out a squeal as he pulled her over and up into his arms, getting to his feet with only a small stagger of difficulty before he plopped her down on the bed. He pulled off her shoes and pulled the covers over her as she grinned up at him cheekily.

"Goodnight, fungus," he pretended to be annoyed as he snatched up a throw blanket and crawled on the lumpy couch.

"Goodnight, Draco," she cooed, eyes already growing heavy as the candlelight was extinguished.


"A WIN FOR GRYFFINDOR TO KICK OFF THE SEASON!" Lee was shouting triumphantly as the crowd went wild. Jamie was whooping, as Harry and the twins flew dizzying circles down the ground in celebration, the snitch clutched in Harry's fingers.

"Alright, calm down," Draco called out to her as made his descent, painting a nasty look on his face as he winked at her quickly.

"Sore loser," she sneered back at him playfully.

"TONIGHT, WE RAGE!" Fred was shouting as he stood on the pitch, he and the rest of the team swarmed by their house, cheers erupting.

"I don't care what anyone says, I think pumpkin juice is bland and disgusting," Jamie argued to Angelina as the team made their way toward Hogsmeade for a celebration party at The Three Broomsticks. They joined the throng of other students from all houses as they made their way through the courtyard and to the gate.

"Did someone say bland and disgusting?" A snooty voice called out. "Oh, was someone talking about Shacklebolt's newfound personality?"

Jamie's head whipped around so quickly it hurt. She came face to face with Pansy Parkinson, Crabbe and Goyle, and Blaise Zabini.

"Dunno Pans, I'd say she's pretty interesting…or perverted, seeing as she hangs around with a bunch of in-breeders," Blaise scoffed, a smirk on his face. "She is a little close to her supposed 'baby-brother' after all...gonna give us a Weasley-Potter mutt next?"

"Ooh, careful Blaise, she looks mad," Pansy tittered, pretending to cower. "Too bad she's too busy trying to be Miss Boring Perfect Potter to do anything about it. She's turned herself into a cowering Hufflepuff."

They all threw their heads back in laughter.

"Oh I'm not mad," Jamie said slowly, dangerously. "I'll show you mad."

Rage was boiling and before she could re-evaluate, she launched herself at Pansy, tackling her to the ground and dropping punches as the girl tried to cover her face. In her rage, she could hear the sounds of her brother and cousins going at it with her goons.

"BREAK IT UP, BREAK IT UP!" Severus shouted. Hands roughly pulled Jamie up and off Pansy, she was practically being held up by the back neck of her shirt, hair mussed and face dirty, a single scratch across her cheek. Pansy was wailing, covering her bloody nose as she writhed on the ground.

"Stupid decision, sweetheart," Draco muttered in her ear as he held her back. Severus had Harry in almost a headlock as the boy made to lunge at Blaise once more. Other Inquisitorial Squad members were pinning Fred and George.

"Everybody to my off—"

"Hem hem," A voice interrupted Severus. His look of fury morphed as Umbridge pushed through the crowd of onlookers, an angrily delighted look on her face.

"Thank you for stepping in, Professor Snape," she said. "I'll take things from here. Students, please escort these barbarians to my office where punishment will be arranged. Somebody take Miss Parkinson and the others to the infirmary at once."

Harry was grumbling as he spun around in Severus' hold, eyes narrowing at the sight of Umbridge, but Severus shook him slightly, warning him in a dangerously low tone to knock it off.

"Looking just the picture of an exemplary role model, Miss Potter," Umbridge sneered over her shoulder as they were dragged along behind her. Pansy sent Jamie a sinister pleased smile as she left for the infirmary. Jamie went to lunge toward her again, but Draco, being as gentle as possible, began rubbing his finger soothingly against her neck to simmer her down.

Jamie didn't care what was about to happen, Pansy had hit a nerve and she had popped off without a second thought, already thrumming with adrenaline from the match.

"Relax, you'll only make things worse," Draco told her as he waited to 'push' her into the office. Once they were standing around Umbridge, she gave them a dangerous smile.

"Ah, there she is," Angelina opened the door reluctantly, in her hands were four broomsticks. Jamie recognized her own beloved broom, as well as Harry and the twins'. Angelina had watery eyes as she handed the brooms to Umbridge.

"Very well, Master Flint, I think you're capable of doing the honors," Umbridge passed Fred's broom to the big burly Slytherin. "Use your strength."

Fred let out a little choking gasp as Flint snapped his broom in half, the two pieces clattering the floor. He and George had saved for months for new brooms, they coveted them. Jamie was shaking in Draco's grasp, he had moved his hands to rest on her forearms, as one by one, each broom was broken right in front of them.

"Very well," Umbridge smiled cruelly. "Due to your unsavory and barbaric behavior, I have no choice but to ban the four of you from Quidditch for life. You will not play for the school ever again."

"But—"

Harry's protest was cut off with a single raised finger from Umbridge. "Unless you want to write lines, Potter, I suggest you keep quiet. I told you all, I will have order. There will be punishments for acting out of line."

Harry opened his mouth and closed it, as if stunned. Professor McGonagall entered, looking furious, but Jamie couldn't figure out who it was directed to. She took in their snapped brooms, her face fuchsia with anger.

"Now you see, don't you, Minerva?" Umbridge asked sweetly. "How right I was in attempting to stop Gryffindor team re-forming? A house known for such dreadful tempers…I've deciding banning these four from playing Quidditch ever again will be justifiable."

"Over a school yard squabble?" McGonagall was trying desperately to control herself.

"Surely you aren't condoning violent student behavior," Umbridge warned. "Miss Potter assaulted an innocent girl."

Jamie couldn't help the sharp incredulous snort that escaped from her.

"My point exactly, an absolute savage," Umbridge sneered. "I think detention served with me for the remainder of the season during every match should curve her aggressions. I'm not particularly afraid of wild animals, Miss Potter."

Draco dug his nails into her arms to silence her before she could snap back. She gave a growling sound, low in her throat, as she hung her head, holding herself back from saying more.

"Get them out of my sight," Umbridge spat. "Surely you can manage them from here, Minerva?"

"Come. Now," their head of house ground out. Jamie made a show of shaking Draco away from her as she trudged out of the office, her cousins and Harry falling alongside her.

"Sit," McGonagall pointed to a sofa. They were in her personal chambers, and the four squeezed in together as she wandered into an adjoining room. She returned, levitating a tray of mugs, the scent of warm hot chocolate wafting. "Drink up, you bloody fools."

"She insulted our families, Professor," Fred protested feebly. "You've always told us to stand up for ourselves and for our families…loyalty."

"I'm sorry Mr. Weasley, do you hear me yelling at you?" their head of house said in a surprisingly soft tone, though she still looked angry. "I think you're fools, not bloody cowards. I understand why you felt violence was necessary, but look where it's left us now?"

"We're sorry," Jamie said.

"I know you are," McGonagall sighed. "I know you are."


In the end, fourth-years Andrew Kirke and Jack Sloper replaced Fred and George as beaters. Much of the remaining team protested Angelina's choice, as they weren't particularly good, but Angelina reminded them the pair had been the best of the worst during tryouts. Alicia would step up from reserve and replace Jamie fulltime on the team, and Ginny was finally having her moment as she replaced Harry as seeker.

It was a bitter moment; Jamie knew they all wanted to be excited for Ginny as she fulfilled her dream of playing…yet it still stung too much. Umbridge had cut them where it hurt, and the only thing left to do was throw themselves in the D.A.