On Monday the three Gryffindors noticed a sign on the Gryffindor notice board.

After reading the 'Educational Decree' Hiccup groaned.

"I knew nothing good would come out of Hog's Head." said Hiccup.

"This isn't a coincidence," said Harry, his hands forming a fist. "She knows."

"She can't," said Ron at once.

"There were people listening in that pub. And let's face it, we don't know how many people who turned up we can trust...Any of them could have run off and told Umbridge…"

Hiccup nodded in agreement.

"Zacharias Smith!" said Ron at once. "Or - I thought that Michael Corner had a shifty look too -"

Harry and Ron decided they would tell Hermione.

"Um...I would do that if I were you…" said Hiccup as the two boys marched up the stairs to the girls' Dorm, but too late, Harry and Ron came tumbling down the stairs.

"Thanks for the early warning," muttered Ron.

"Sorry," said Hiccup sheepishly.

"Hermione allowed in our Dormitory, how come we're not allowed -"

"Well, it's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, who had just slid neatly onto a rug in front and was getting to her feet, "but it says in Hogwarts: A History that the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls. Anyway, why were you trying to get in there?"

"T0 show that!" said Hiccup pointing at the Educational Decree number twenty-four.

Hermione quickly read the notice and her expression became stony. Then all four of them went down to the Great Hall. Hiccup looked around at the students. The people from the meeting in the Hog's Head looked either worried or angry. Hermione told her about her jinx on the parchment she had put. Hiccup clapped, Hermione is one smart girl. Then he stopped himself. He felt weird. Was he in love with Hermione? NO, he answered himself. We are very close but no. I love Astrid and I can't love someone else. Hiccup sighed, what was he gonna do?

"Don't worry, Hiccup," said Harry, thinking Hiccup sighed because of the Educational Decree. "We'll find a way."

"Yeah," said Hiccup, forcing a smile. "I know."

Hiccup was sitting in the History Of Magic classroom. He was bored, so he started to talk to himself in Dragonese.

"When will this end…" said Hiccup, groaning. Then he heard hooting. An owl.

[Let me in!]

It was Harry's snowy owl Hedwig. He nudged Harry and at the same time Hermione nudged Harry too. Harry yelped.

"What?"

They pointed to the window.

[I'm hurt!] hooted Hedwig. [My wing is hurt…]

"She's hurt," translated Hiccup when Harry brought her. "Her wing is injured."

"Professor Binns," said Harry, loudly. "I'm not feeling well."

"Not feeling well?" asked the Professor.

"Not at all well," said Harry, standing up. "So I think I should go to the hospital wing."

The Gryffindors (Hermione, Hiccup and Ron) watched Harry leave.

"I hope Hedwig's okay," said Hiccup, worried.

"I wonder why her wing is hurt," said Hermione. "It never happened before."

"Maybe she was attacked." said Hiccup.

"Could be," said Ron. "There's a lot of people out there that are spying on Harry."

"Yeah…" said Hermione, slowly. "Who can it be?"

"Um, the Ministry, Death Eaters, and other animals," said Ron. "A long list, right?"

"No, animals don't attack first," said Hiccup, shaking his head.

"Then who? It could be anyone," said Hermione.

.

.

.

They met up with Harry after the class. Harry showed the others Sirius's letter; Today, same time, same place.

Hermione told Harry their own thoughts on this matter.

Hiccup was very tired that evening. His potion exploded due to his lack of concentration during potions and was annoyed by Umbridge and was fed up by all the homeworks he had to do. He was sitting in the common room with his friends. He was scribbling his essay on the extra homework from potions.

It was soon it was time to meet Sirius.

After Sirius's head appeared in the fireplace they told them about their plan(Not that they needed to, he already knew).

"So," said Sirius. "how are you going to organize this group? Where are you meeting?"

"Well, that's a bit of a problem now." said Harry. "Dunno where we're going to be able to go…"

"How about the Shrieking Shack?" suggested Sirius.

"No," said Harry. "There's too many people and I don't think the house can survive after we practiced our magic in it."

"Fair point," said Sirius, looking slightly crestfallen. "Well, I'm sure you'll come up with somewhere...How about Hiccup's bag? You know, the one Mad-Eye gave him."

They turned to Hiccup who shook his head.

"No, casting spells there might hurt the creatures." said Hiccup and rolled his eyes. "I don't think people will like to practice magic next to dangerous creatures like a dragon or a basilisk or some other creature…"

Sirius nodded slowly, trying to stay calm. Harry, who had already seen the inside of Hiccup's bag, was smiling while Hermione and Ron were wondering what other creatures Hiccup was keeping.

"How about the secret passageway behind the big mirror on the fourth floor?" asked Sirius.

"No," said Harry, shaking his head. "Fred and George told me it's blocked."

"Oh…" said Sirius. "Well, I'll have a think and get back to-"

Then he stopped, his face tensed.

"Sirius?" asked Harry, anxiously.

He vanished from the fire and in his was a hand...Umbridge's hand…

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hiccup were sitting in the back of the Charms classroom. Today the room was filled with caws and croaks from the frogs and Ravens they were practicing their silence magic on.

"Umbridge has been reading your mail, Harry. There's no other explanation." said Hermione.

"You think Umbridge attacked Hedwig?" asked Harry, outraged.

"We're almost certain of it," said Hermione and Hiccup.

"Watch your frog, it's escaping." said Hermione.

After Harry got his frog back Hermione continued.

"I've been suspecting this since Filch accused you of ordering Dungbombs, because it seemed such a stupid lie," whispered Hermione, "I mean, once your letter had been read, it wound have been quite clear you weren't ordering them, so you wouldn't have been in trouble at all - it's just a feeble joke, isn't it? But then I thought, What if someone wanted an excuse to read your mail? Well, then, it would be a perfect way for Umbridge to manage it - tip off Filch, let him do the dirty work and confiscate the letter, then either find a way of stealing it from him or else demand to see it - I don't think Filch would object, when's he ever stuck up for student's rights? Harry, you're squashing your frog."

Harry let go of the frog hastily. Hermione continued to talk to Harry while Hiccup spoke to his raven.

[Um, hi.]

[Hello, wing-less.] said the raven staring at him in the eye.

[Do you really have to call me that?] asked Hiccup, rolling his eyes. [Anyway, I'm going to cast a spell on you, sorry…]

[Wha -?]

"Silencio!" said Hiccup and the raven looked at him with sorrowful eyes.

"Sorry!"

"Silencio! SILENCIO!" said Ron, waving his wand madly.

[HA!] sneered the raven.

Hiccup rolled his eyes as Hermione lectured Ron about his wand holding.

Hermione and Hiccup were sitting in the library later that day. Harry and Ron had gone out for their Quidditch practice, Hiccup was starting to get bored of reading. He looked up from the book he was reading and saw Hermione. She looked deep in thought.

"What's wrong?" asked Hiccup, putting away the book.

"It...It's nothing." said Hermione.

"No, there is something." said Hiccup.

"It's...It's just that I don't think we can trust Sirius's advice! I mean he's trying to live through us! We can't just do something...reckless." said Hermione. "The other boys just won't listen! Harry trusts Sirius with his life and he won't think straight!"

"Okay. Point taken," said Hiccup, scratching his head. Surprised at Hermione's sudden outburst. "I...Uh, well I guess Harry and Ron were a little mean not to listen."

"I'm not saying they're mean!" exclaimed Hermione. "I'm just concerned. I want Ron and Harry to be safe."

"What about me?" asked Hiccup, grinning.

"You too!" Hermione quickly added smiling.

They returned to the Common room a short while later. After they finished their homeworks they went to bed early.

Hiccup was standing in the corridor with Harry, Ron and Hermione. They were waiting for the other students. Harry started walking back and forth the corridor. After he repeated this three times a door appeared. Hiccup stared at it.

"Wow."

They stepped inside. It was the perfect place to practise spells and (thankfully) the walls were fireproof. All the students gathered around Harry.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sorts of stuff we ought to do first and - er - What Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.

"Harry's our leader." said Cho, and Hiccup could see the blush on Harry's face.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, unperturbed. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So - everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everyone put up their hands. Hiccup heard the animals whispering from inside his bag.

[Harry? A leader? Of what?]

[Maybe it'ssss the Defence group they were making.]

[What Defence group?]

etc.

"Er - right, thanks," said Harry. "And - what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can't we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested one of the Weasley twins. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"How about the Tenebrae artium defensionis?" asked Hiccup. The others stared at him. "What?"

"The Defence Association?" said Cho. "The D. A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the DA's good," said Ginny, Ron's younger sister. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

Hiccup tried to hold back a laugh.

"All in favor of the D. A.?" asked Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority - motion passed!"

She wrote DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY across the top of the paper - with their names on it - in big letters.

"Right, shall we get practicing then? What now Hermione?" groaned Harry as Hermione stood up again.

"I forgot to tell you something." said Hermione, standing up for the third time. "We have another teacher."

Harry looked at her in shock. Hiccup jumped while the others looked curious.

"You guys remember what Professor Lupin taught us?"

Everyone nodded (Except Hiccup).

"He taught us all sorts of creatures that involve the Dark Arts, right?"

They nodded again.

"So, I got a teacher to do just that, Hiccup!" called Hermione.

Hiccup slowly walked to the front. He heard whispers and snickering. When he got to the front people stared at him. Hiccup felt his ears burning.

"Uh...hi," said Hiccup. "I am here to teach you -"

"Wait," said Zacharias Smith, holding up a hand. "You can teach?"

"Yeah, " said Hiccup, shrugging. "I guess?"

"You guess?" asked Smith, again.

"Hiccup is an expert on the subject, thank you." said Ron a little rudely. "Didn't you see him ride a dragon last year?"

The murmurs grew louder.

"He's like Hadrid, then."

"Should I take that as an insult?" asked Hiccup, sarcastically.

"Prove it." spat Zacharias Smith, some people nodded. Hiccup sighed and glanced at Hermione. 'If you want,' she mouthed.

"Fine," said Hiccup, getting his bag. "Step back."

Everyone took a step back.

[Toothless!]

A dark shape leaped out of the bag. A Night Fury, Hiccup smiled at his best friend. The others slowly backed away, while Hiccup walked toward Toothless.

"Are you insane?" asked one Ravenclaw girl.

"I'm not sure." said Hiccup beaming.

[What is this place?]

[You can relax.] said Hiccup, trying to calm the dragon.

Everyone watched in dead silence as Hiccup talked to the dragon.

Then one of the girls shrieked as Hiccup jumped on Toothless.

"It's okay," said Hiccup, trying to calm the students and Toothless.

"Yeah," Ron spoke up. "He does that everyday."

"He flies on a dragon everyday!?" said Zacharias Smith, shocked.

"I do," said Hiccup, grinning.

"Is...Isn't that against the Ministry to have a dragon at our age?" asked Cho's friend.

"No, it's not," said Hiccup. "but it is illegal to buy a dragon or a dragon egg. Toothless was with me when I came to Hogwarts. So, it's not illegal to keep him."

Hermione clapped and soon everyone clapped as well.

"Now, finally we can start." said Harry. "Today we can have two groups of students so we can learn from both me and Hiccup."

They nodded.

"Team A is Ron, Angelina, Colin, Fred, Ginny, Lavender, Neville, Seamus, Cho, Marietta, Padma, Ernie, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Zacharias Smith. Team B is everyone else who isn't on Team A." said Harry.

Everyone separated into two groups.

"I'll take team B." said Hiccup.

"I'll take team A then." replied Harry then he slightly blushed noticing Cho was on team A.