AN:

Now one thing I want to make very clear is that while fudge is gone, and madam bones is a much better leader she is not perfect and reworking the ministry is very hard. So, when the question of Dumbledore being unable to find a teacher comes up, she delegates the job. Unfortunately, there are still let's call them sympathizers in the ministry that manage to get Delores into the position and while she won't have the same authority over the whole school she still causes as much pain to the students in her class as she can. This will still result in the DA forming, and they will still hide it, but the hiding is more to conceal their numbers and activities from people like Malfoy who will get the information to Voldemort.

Also, this chapter is not going to be a single time frame it will jump around in the year.

All right now it's been a chapter, but I still do not own the Harry Potter books they still sadly belong to JK. On with the chapter!

The first DA lesson after Christmas break

It was now after Christmas and recruiting for the DA as many of its members had taken to calling it was beginning to pick up. The first 'meeting' after Christmas was called and the room filled quickly. "How many people are coming?" harry hissed to Hermione glaring at her. He had been tutoring Ron, Hermione and a few others for most of the year due to their cruel and incompetent DADA teacher, Professor Umbridge. But this, this was getting out of hand as harry thought this he realized what defense meant to those he saw walking in. Many he recognized as muggleborns, half bloods and those who he knew would not stand by and watch their friends suffer if they could help it. He turned to Hermione "can you make more of those galleons we are going to need them." She beamed at him grabbing her wand and moving to the side beginning to work feverishly.

As he stood up a small podium appeared curtesy of the room. He cleared his throat slightly and stood at the podium feeling very strange looking out at the room. He closed his eyes for a moment and knowing what to say began to talk. "This started as tutoring to make sure we would do well in our exams. I think we all know it means more than that now. The past few months have shown us that." He looked down momentarily remembering his visions of the death eater's cruelty. Visions that bypassed his already formidable occlumency shields. "We are here because it is better to stand up for something than to cower behind others and watch them do what you are unwilling or incapable of doing. That sounds hard so I'm telling you this now. We are not learning to fight. We are not an army no matter how many times you call us Dumbledore's Army, but the world is getting darker, and we don't know what is coming. You may have to fight. You may watch someone die or be injured. You may die or be injured yourself. If you cannot handle that reality, then please leave now. None of us will think less of you. You will be welcomed back at any time but before any of you leave this room you must think on this carefully and sign your name pledging to keep these meetings secret." He stepped down from the podium looking over the many faces seeing many nodding and set. He saw no one moving to leave.

The vision

Harry's vision flickered as he was walking back to Gryffindor tower and hit head split with pain as he once again saw what Voldemort saw "Yes… we have finally found a way to break the wards and take what you desire my lord it will be done tonight." the scene shifted to a doorway harry recognized well. Harry gasped and leapt to his feet. Giving Ron and Hermione a significant look he ran for the headmaster's office. He ran into professor Flitwick who told him the headmaster was out of the castle at the moment as was professors McGonagall and Snape. Harry's jaw dropped and his face hardened. He spun and ran back to Gryffindor tower running into Luna on the way who followed him as he ran into Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville in the corridor. "there's no one here from the order. We need to get to a fireplace and fast I need to contact Sirius." The others looked worried but determined suddenly Ron grinned "let's use Umbridge's. We can have some fun while we are at it." They all agreed and ran to their dormitories to grab better clothes and anything else they might need, instinct telling harry he was going to be fighting. They met in the corridor adjacent to Umbridge's office. "ok you three" harry pointed at Neville, Luna, and Ginny "find Umbridge and distract her as long as you can. Warn us with your coins if you lose her. I have a plan to take care of her if she finds us, she's been snooping around Hagrid and the forest trying to find a way to ingratiate herself further with the new administration." They split up quickly getting to work on their jobs, several minutes later Harry found himself in a chair with Umbridge's wand in his face. All he had managed was to get a message saying 'Voldemort going for prophecy' through the fire before he was caught. The other three burst into the room and Umbridge spun. As she did harry slid his wand off her desk into his sleeve. Harry stood "I'm sorry professor but I didn't want to be overheard I think I figured out what Hagrid has been doing in the forest" feigning sympathy and fear "we can show you, but you have to come right now, or he might catch us!" Umbridge's toad like face stretched into an evil grin and let them lead the way into the forest. Unfortunately for her they ran into the centaurs, and as she disappeared into the distance harry called "Sorry professor I must not tell lies! Remember?"

His agitation returning, we have to get to London I can't be sure anyone else knows we could be all that is between the death eaters and whatever they have been searching for!" Luna looked at him slightly puzzled "we should fly of course." He looked at her puzzled but even as she said it, he heard a rustling behind him, and he saw several thestrals moving through the trees. He stroked the lead thestral ignoring Ron and Neville's groans of fear. They managed to get all of them onto thestrals and into the sky headed towards London. They landed in the small alleyway near the phone booth entrance to the ministry and got off quickly. Cramming themselves into the phone booth they pinned the badges onto their shirts. As they got out of the phone booth they spread out moving quietly towards the lifts. Once they were all in and headed to the proper level harry spun and quickly discussed the plan with the others. They exited the lift immediately running to either side not giving anyone an easy target. When no spell fire came, they began moving down the hallway towards the door. It opened easily and they walked into a circular room with doors all around them. "No don't let it…" Harry was too late as the door swung shut behind them and the doors began to spin dizzyingly around them coming to a stop eventually.

The Chamber

As spell fire began to fly harry found himself back-to-back with his godfather. Until suddenly he wasn't. He looked and saw Sirius flying towards the veil and the world seemed to slow. He reached out his wandless hand and the air between the arch and Sirius became solid his golden shield preventing Sirius from falling through. He spun still shielding Sirius and began hammering spells at Bellatrix wordlessly. After a moment he was joined by Neville who look angrier than anyone harry had ever seen. As Neville joined the duel something changed. Bellatrix stopped laughing and found herself on the defensive. Harry only occasionally throwing a spell he mostly just protected Neville as the usually calm kind boy whose face was nearly unrecognizable with fury pounded her with every spell he could imagine. And Bellatrix faltered Neville's well placed leg locker curse breaking her rhythm sending her to the floor. Harry stunned her and realized there was silence in the chamber as the other death eaters had already fallen. When he turned, he had to tackle Neville to stop him continuing to curse her. As he fought with Neville, they both froze a smooth icy voice that seemed to crawl over the floor and their skin saying, "Do it… ssshe dessserves it… finish her off…" and Harry's scar exploded in white hot pain. He slammed his shields down and it cut the pain but not entirely. He raised a shield in time his free hand seeming to move of its own accord the glittering dome deflecting the explosive hex into the stone bleachers as harry rose to face Voldemort. Even as he did another door slammed open and harry saw hope. Albus Dumbledore walked into the room eyes blazing and harry finally understood why everyone always said he was the only man Voldemort ever feared. He could almost feel the energy radiating off of him or wait no. He really did feel it and it felt almost…familiar. He realized the feeling was the same as that night in Dumbledore's office. He shook his head and hissed to Neville "get the others and get out of here hurry!" Neville glanced at the bleeding and bound Bellatrix before heeding his words. Harry saw the others run out an adjoining door leaving only the three. The duel began and it was all Harry could do to keep out of the way. Suddenly a rope wrapped around him and he found himself in the entrance hall of the ministry of magic the duel between Dumbledore and Voldemort continuing. He saw Neville fly out of a lift chasing Bellatrix. He saw Neville's spell hit her in the side. He saw Bellatrix take her last breath. He watched Neville hit his knees nearly distraught the horror on his face mixed with a strange kind of relief. He turned and saw Dumbledore thrown against a wall even as fireplaces began to light up green, members of the ministry and the press finding themselves witness to something amazing.

Harry stepped between his teacher and the man who had ripped everything from him, and he blocked spell after spell. Dodging the green but everything else simply exploded against the iron fortitude of his shield. His defense as unyielding as the grief and rage that accompany 11 years of desolate loneliness. As strong as the love he has for those he considers family. Finally, after what seemed like minutes but in reality, was a brief ten second flurry of spells Voldemort vanished leaving Harry barely standing as he felt strong hands supporting him and Dumbledore's electric blue eyes appear just before he lost the strength to stand. The crowd was a low murmur in Harry's ears as Dumbledore lowered him to the floor so he wasn't in danger of falling over. After a few seconds Harry began to notice the flashing cameras and his friends being helped out of lifts by the members of the Order of the Phoenix. Suddenly he twisted and saw Luna comforting Neville who was still where he had knelt looking at the now covered body of the woman who had tortured his parents into insanity. Even as he watched the rest of his friends drew the other two away to join the others as they made preparations to return them to Hogwarts, specifically the hospital wing. All soon vanished and he looked up at Dumbledore exhaustion sweeping through him like a rush of warm water making him feel slow and heavy. "take hold of it Harry be strong now we need to get you out of here." Harry looked down at the head of the wizard statue that was beginning to glow blue as Harry placed his hand on it and was whisked away leaving Dumbledore to deal with the ministry.

His feet hit solid stone and he collapsed onto his hands and knees the statues head rolling away down the center of the room. Almost immediately gentle hands were guiding him to a bed and handing him a potion. He drank it and immediately his senses cleared and his lethargy left him. "Wow! What is that stuff?" Harry asked smacking his lips, the potion had tasted vaguely spicy in not an unpleasant way. "Invigorating Drought, and don't get excited it is highly addictive. Now Potter do tell me how you and five of your friends suddenly appeared in my hospital wing looking like you had just been through a battle?" (She already stabilized Ron, and Hermione was hit with a improperly performed coma curse. Which madam Pompfrey was able to fix recognizing the purple color from their descriptions. Well in my version at least.) Harry's face hardened and his eyes found Neville starting at his hands while Luna talked to him gently. Harry turned to madam Pompfrey "We were. We just fought the death eaters in the department of mystery's." Madam Pompfrey looked unsurprised "good Potter at least you're still honest. But can you tell me why Longbottom is so..." she trailed off gesturing to his apathetic state. Harry's face darkened and he sighed "he...he helped me fight Bellatrix...and he killed her while Dumbledore and I faced Voldemort." To her credit she did not flinch at the name nor did she appear disgusted or fearful at the news of what Neville had done. In fact only a profound sorry filled her face she turned away from Harry and moved towards Neville and Harry caught a few words she said to herself under her breathe "...and he won't be the last..." Harry had no question as to their meaning. Neville would not be the last to lose part of themselves to this war. He would not be the last to face the truest horrors of reality and lose what little of the child still remained in them all. He would not be the last to take a life far before the responsibility should have fallen to him.

Harry waited until both Madam Pompfrey and Luna had left Neville. He swung his legs out of bed and moved to Neville's bedside sitting beside him. Neville glanced at him and met Harry's eyes. For some reason Harry felt compelled to speak "I...I can't say I know exactly how you feel. I have fought before. I killed the basilisk and I have fought death eaters before but...I have never taken another human life. All I will say Neville is that what you are feeling right now is exactly what makes you different that those we fight. The emotions and the pain you feel should show you exactly why what you did was right. Those we fight do not regret killing. They revel in it, and actively enjoy it. Your parents were good people Neville and you gave them justice. Just remember don't lose sight of what keeps you human." A small smile crossing Harry's face as he glanced over to look at Luna who was talking to Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. When Harry looked back to Neville he saw red creeping up Neville's neck as the other boy refused to meet Harry's eyes. "Thank yo..you Harry how long have you known?" Harry looked at him and Neville met his gaze his expression more relaxed than before but still slightly fearful. "Since the end of last year Dumbledore told me about some things, and it came up. I'm sorry Neville." Harry stood and extended his hand shaking Neville's hand and pulling him into a rough half hug before nodding at him and walking over to join the others in conversation.

AN:

Yeah, yeah, I know they're only 15 I don't care. Neville deserved to be the one to do it. And don't give me that crap about revenge vs justice the important difference is how you react and how you recover Neville will go through some emotional turmoil because at his core he is a good person. He will feel remorse for taking a life but not feel guilty. Saving his soul but he did what needed to be done. This is completely justified. Sometimes evil needs to be fought and you can't hug evil into being good you have to fight it. And sometimes that means doing the things no one should have to do. If you think otherwise, then I suppose Harry isn't justified in killing Voldemort either huh? Also, Dumbledore was about to rejoin the fight that's why Voldemort left Harry isn't strong enough to take him in a real duel yet. He wanted to see what harry could do.