Four stand as One

'So among all the places available at Hogsmeade, this is the one you came up with!' Exclaimed Ron while looking at the Hog's Head Inn with a disgusted face. He glanced at the wooden sign hung above the door. There was a wild boar's severed head leaking blood onto a piece of cloth, that must have been originally white, and Ron didn't want to know it was real blood or just an illusion.

'Come on,' said Fred to cheer them up. 'It can't be that bad.'

Hermione, Ginny, Ron, Fred and Georges entered the bar and they discovered one of the dirtiest places they had ever seen in their life.

'Apparently it can,' smiled Georges. 'Let's find a table.'

They didn't have trouble finding one as the bar was empty, aside from the owner who was glancing at them with furrowed eyebrows. His lack of clientele wasn't an issue for him and he wasn't used to having so many people at the same time.

'Do we know how many will come?' Asked Ginny while eyeing the door.

'Couple of students, I think,' said Hermione. 'I don't know, did you talk to a lot of them people?'

'I got Seamus and Dean interested,' replied Ron. 'You?'

'The Patils and Neville. So that would make about ten students. It's not so bad.'

The twins looked at each other and grinned. Ron and Hermione didn't realise how much students Harry had motivated with his departure. Being at school had never been so interesting.

'I think we can start pulling some tables together,' said Fred in a casual tone.

As soon as he stood up, the door opened a second time and a flow of students invaded the bar. The owner almost dropped his pipe.

In the end they were about thirty people and Hermione found herself very nervous to talk in front of such a crowd. Every House had answered the call. The dark-haired boy that had defended Harry against Umbridge had come with two other Slytherin who were looking quite unsure. They weren't used to being welcomed at students' gatherings. They recognized Susan Bones in a group of five Hufflepuffs. The seven Ravenclaws were gathered on the left side near the Slytherins. Hermione recognised Luna Lovegood among them and smiled awkwardly at her. She noticed Cho Chang had come too. The Gryffindors were the most numerous. Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lee, Angelina, Alicia, Katie, the Crivey brothers. In total there were about fifteen of them. She stood up and cleared her throat. The silence fell immediately and all the eyes fixated on her.

'Well, huh, first I wanted to thank you for coming today. It's quite brave of you given the circumstances,' the thought of Umbridge gave her a renewed energy. 'As you already know we are here to form a group to learn to defend ourselves.'

'Against who?' Asked abruptly one of the Ravenclaws.

It was a boy named Michael Corner and he was looking quite stubborn.

'You perfectly know who Hermione is talking about,' said Ron with an icy voice. 'If any of you here still don't believe in the return of You-Know-Who,' he continued with a stronger voice, 'then I suggest they leave immediately!'

'Well, you believe it because Harry told you,' continued a Hufflepuff girl with a high pitched voice. 'In the end nobody knows what really happened. We just saw him come back with Cedric's body.' His loss was still a very sensitive topic among the Hufflepuffs.

'A murder, Dementors on the loose, a massive outbreak at Azkaban and people starting to disappear,' said a William with a mocking voice. 'I could understand why it is still not clear for a bunch of Hufflepuffs, but such a lack of clairvoyance coming from Ravenclaws… Ah this is rather embarrassing,' he finished with a sly smile.

All the attention was shifted on him. But unlike Hermione it didn't bother him at all.

'You-Know-Who is back,' he said calmly still smiling. 'And losing our time fighting about whether it's true or not is exactly what He wants. I believe Harry and I believe them,' he said, pointing at Ron and Hermione. 'And we Slytherins don't like wasting our time. Now if everyone could stop asking stupid questions, I'd like to hear what Gryffindor has to offer.'

Slytherin siding with Gryffindor was so uncommon no one dared saying anything.

'Hem… thank you,' said Hermione, looking very grateful. William smiled politely toward her in return. 'As I was saying our goal is to teach anyone willing to learn Defense Against the Dark Arts. We don't intend to follow Umbridge's methods at all!' Her voice grew more assertive. 'To those of you who are in, I suggest we meet twice a week, we already have a place, and start training as soon as possible. So,' she pulled a piece of parchment out of her bag. 'If you all agree, I am going to ask you to put your name on this parchment here so I can have the list of those who are interested. And don't worry,' she added when she saw multiple worrying faces. 'I am not stupid and I know what we are dealing with at school. I won't leave this list laying around.'

'One moment,' said another Ravenclaw in a timid voice. 'I don't want to question your intelligence, we all wonder why you're not at Ravenclaw to be honest, but how do you intend to teach us? What is your curriculum?'

'Harry left the school,' replied Hermione. 'But he didn't abandon it. He left us… how to say this, materials to guide us. He gave us everything we needed to train and learn in the best way possible.'

'And I don't know about you,' added Ron with a smile, 'but I'll take any advice from the one who managed to survive the Killing Curse and then witness You-Know-Who's rebirth to escape it again.'

'We were there when he left Hogwarts,' said Neville gathering all of his courage to speak. 'We saw him fight Umbridge! I have never seen anyone fight like this. It was amazing.'

'It's true,' continued Seamus. 'He barely used his wand and he was so fast it was hard to follow what was happening.'

'Umbridge never saw him coming!' Laughed Dean.

Smiles were drawing on the students' faces. They might disagree on plenty of things. But when it came to Umbridge, they all had a solid common ground.

'Is that true he threw all of her books to her face?' Asked a Hufflepuff with bright eyes.

'Not only that,' replied Ron grinning. 'He lifted the books above the tables with his hand,' he was mimicking the action at the same time he was explaining it. 'And then he used the Oppugno jinx to throw them at her! She had to hide behind her desk.'

Dean then proceeded to describe the giant fist that had propelled the desk against the wall and soon the room was buzzing with all the students that were sharing what they had heard or seen.

'Wandless nonverbal magic is something that even adults have a hard time to master,' said a gentle voice. 'Even some of our seventh-years struggle with it.' Luna Lovegood had her strange smile on. She wasn't talking to anyone in particular but all the students of her House nodded.

William Sinclar stood up and walked through the crowd followed by the other Slytherins.

'So,' he said with a bright smile. 'Where do we sign?'

Ron, Hermione, Fred, Georges and Ginny had already signed the list. The first signatures which followed theirs were all Slytherins.

'Well that was a success,' said Ron, looking pleased as the last student was leaving the bar.

'If it hadn't been for this Slytherin,' said Hermione while rolling the list and putting it in her bag, 'I am not sure it would have turned out so well. What's his name again?'

'William Sinclar,' answered Ginny.

'Isn't that the guy who used to team up with Harry in his Potions practise?' Asked Ron.

"I think so,' replied Hermione. 'Well it's a good thing he came.'

'Slytherin and Gryffindor teaming up to break the rules…' Said Georges while rolling his eyes up.

'Now we can say we've seen everything!' Said Fred with a grin.

'Well in the end all the Houses are here,' replied Ginny, heading towards the exit.

'That's true,' said Hermione following her.

'Well look at that,' smiled Ron. 'Harry managed to unite us around a common cause. If I didn't know him I'd say he has turned into quite a mastermind.'

The first meeting they held was during in the middle of January. Everyone managed to find the Room of Requirements and once they were all done marvelling at the place, they gathered at its center. On one of the walls was a board with the program that Hermione had created from Harry's notes.

'First of all,' she said with a confident voice, 'it is needless to say that our organization has to stay secret. Use the galleon I gave you to communicate with Ron or I if you have any trouble.' She considered the crowd of students. Some faces were crisped but almost all of them had an impatient look on. They were eager to learn.

'A secret organisation?' Repeated the younger Crivey brother with sparkling eyes. 'That's awesome! We should find a name!'

'We're here to learn,' replied Anthony Goldstein with an annoyed look. 'Not to find cool names.'

'No, no, he has a point,' said Ron. 'Look, I don't reckon a single association in this school where all the Houses are represented! I don't know if it's a first at Hogwarts - "It is!" Chimed up Hermione quickly - but I think that this is unique and it deserves recognition of some sort. We deserve a name!'

Many students nodded in approval and soon ideas started to flow. Hermione looked around the room.

'I need a blackboard,' she thought.

Magically, a giant board appeared on one corner of the room and three students rushed to bring it near the group. Hermione approached and motioned her wand to write the ideas she was hearing.

Thirty minutes later, the list had shortened to two names which were dividing the group heavily. On one side Slytherin and Gryffindor were defending "Potter's Army" and on the other side, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff wanted to go with "Hogwarts Defenders".

'Potter's Army is too vindictive!' Shouted Ernie Macmillan.

'Yeah? Well we're not there to sit and wait to be attacked!' Replied Erwan Kingsley who was one of the Slytherins.

'What about "Hogwarts Army"?' Said a peaceful voice. Luna Lovegood really had a way to choose the best timing to speak. She was never shouting, always smiling and speaking softly. But everytime she was being heard.

'That's not so bad,' said Cho with an encouraging voice.

'There is still the Army in the name,' grumbled Hannah Abbot.

'Yes,' replied William with an appeasing voice. 'But I think that this represents what we're all doing here. We want to learn to defend ourselves. So of course there is a war connotation. But we're doing it to defend Hogwarts!' He finished with a strong voice.

'I think it's a good idea,' said Hermione. 'Everyone in favour of the name, raise your hand!'

The result was unanimous. Hermione smiled and as if the Room was approving their choice, a huge banner with the name and Hogwarts coat of arms appeared above the board on which they had hung the program. They all looked at it pensively.

'Now that this is settled,' said Ron pulling his wand out, 'I suggest we start at once.' He turned toward Hermione with a mischievous smile. 'Professor if you will?'