Sunday was wet and miserable. Dudley and his friends spent the day sat as close to the fire as possible doing their homework.

"I don't envy Cho doing quidditch in this," Ron said, wriggling his toes by the fire. He looked content and didn't seem like he was actually worried about Cho's discomfort as long as he was hot, dry and had a big box of cauldron cakes to eat.

Dudley was working on his potions essay with Hermione—or rather, sneaking quick glances at Hermione's work and hastily writing down what she had. Dean and Ron were finishing off their Defence Against the Dark Arts homework. Luna and Ginny were busy with history.

"What are they doing?" Hermione said, glancing over at the bulletin board. Fred and George were there, attaching to it a big poster.

While she was distracted, Dudley hastily copied what Hermione had written about the draught of peace.

'Come on, Ron,' she said, getting up.

Dudley looked at the next few lines and copied them.

"Come on, Hermione—that could be for anything," he said.

"You know perfectly well it's for Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes," she said, stalking over to the twins.

Ron moved as if to get up, then slumped down on his chair. "She can handle it," he said, lamely.

Ginny snorted. "I doubt Fred and George are going to listen to Hermione," she said as across the room, Hermione started having a hurried argument with the twins. "They barely even listen to teachers."

Dudley wasn't paying attention. He was taking advantage of the moment to copy everything he could from Hermione's essay. Maybe at last he would get a good grade?

"Wow! She won!" Ginny said in shock.

Dudley looked up and, sure enough, Hermione was coming back over looking angry but the twins were stalking off back to their dorm. They had removed the poster.

"What did you say to them?" Ginny asked, in awe.

"I said I would write home to their mother if they advertise for test subjects for their idiotic skiving snackboxes," she said.

"That's a low blow," said Ron and lowered his head as Hermione glared at him.

"Thanks for your support, Ron," she said icily.

Ron muttered something about her being able to handle it and turned back to his essay.

"Dudley, we haven't had much of a chance to talk," a voice said. It was Lavender, she was with Parvati.

"Hi, Lavender, nice summer?" Dudley immediately felt like a moron. Of course she hadn't had a nice summer. She had last her boyfriend in June.

Hermione tutted and Ginny rolled her eyes. Dean gave him a sharp nudge in the ribs.

"Sorry," he said, quickly.

"Are you and your friends doing those dueling session again?" Lavender asked. "I know you used to go and practices curses and hexes and the patronus. I want in."

Dudley looked at Hermione, then at Dean and Ron. They hadn't discussed it and had no plans to.

"I don't see the need," Hermione said. "Professor Tonks is teaching us how to fight."

Lavender gave a small nod. "I didn't think you would, but I thought I'd ask. I'm glad we've got her teaching us. We need to know this stuff."

"It's useful," Hermione said. "You never know when you'll be attacked."

'I just hope she gets onto the offensive curses soon," Lavender said. "I owe them for what they did to Neville."

Cho Chang

For about the hundredth time that day, Cho brushed her wet hair out of her eyes. She had tried tying it back, but the wind kept making it come loose. She wished she was in the fire, curled up near the fire or, better yet, curled up with Ron, but instead she had to run the quidditch trials.

Usually she loved quidditch, but not in weather like this.

There were three openings on the team for chaser. Roger Davies had been murdered and the other two, Jeremy Stretton and Randolph Burrow, had graduated last year. There was also an opening for keeper as Grant Page had graduated.

"Patil! You need to play more as a team player!" Cho shouted, and gave a toot of her whistle.

Padma Patil immediately through the quaffle to Michael Corner who hadn't been expecting it. He missed it completely and it dropped to the ground. Cho signed, this was going to be a long day.

She had the players working a practice quidditch match.

Nobody was trying out for beaters, so Cho had arranged for the current beaters, Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels, to play as they liked and target anybody.

Potential chasers were Padma Patil, Michael Corner, Leon Bradley, Melanie Chambers, a third year called Rasputina Reems and Terry Boot. The two trying out for keeper were Mandy Brocklehurst and Sue Li.

"Concentrate, Mandy!" Cho shouted as the ball went in.

"I can't see a bloody thing with these!" Mandy shouted back, pointing at her glasses.

"Then cast the impervious charm," Cho replied, trying not to roll her eyes.

"Pass Padma!" Cho shouted again.

Padma didn't pass. She tried to score from a tight angle and missed. Cho sighed. Padma was a good flyer, fast and nimble and had good handling of the quaffle but she was greedy. Still, she was the best flyer of the bunch. Boot and Reems were average at best, she would probably make one a reserve. Corner wasn't very good. He could handle his broom well enough but his shooting was awful.

Padma got the quaffle again. This time she passed to Leon Bradley who punched the ball in midair. Sue Li dived wildly but missed.

"Good goal," Cho said, approvingly.

She had her final team in mind. Sue Li would be in goal, she was short for a goalkeeper but a better player than Mandy Brocklehurst. Padma Patil, Leon Bradley and Melanie Chambers would be seekers. She would be seeker and Duncan Inglebee and Jason Samuels would be beaters again.

"Ok, gather around!" she called. "Actually, gather around in the stadium … at least that way we can be out of the rain."

She was dripping wet and couldn't wait to go straight to the prefects bathroom and have a hot bath. Ron was a prefect too, she thought … it wouldn't technically be against the rules to invite him. She gave a quick shake of her head and focused on her team.

She announced who would make it. Sue and Padma exchanged high fives, but Mandy looked disappointed. Cho hoped they wouldn't argue, she knew they were all best friends.

"This is my last year at Hogwarts, and I want to go out on top,' Cho said. "So we are going to win. We've got Gryffindor up first."

"Your boyfriend's team," Sue Li snickered.

"Yes, and that's why it's doubly important we win," said Cho. "I can't stand the thought of him rubbing it in."

Padma giggled suddenly and tried to stifle them with a handful of her robes. She failed and Cho stared at her as she made a bunch of snorting noises of held back laughter.

"What?" Cho demanded.

"Nothing," said Padma, composing herself.

"She's laughing at Ron … rubbing it in," Sue Li said, innocently. They all laughed and Cho felt herself blush.

"Enough of that!" she snapped, still red in the face. "Focus—this is our year. We're going to practice hard … and extra practice if you keep giggling," she glared at Padma who was still trying not to laugh.

"So, come on! Let's bring home the cup!" she shouted and the new Ravenclaw Quidditch team cheered.

The Hex Girls Celebrate

"Well, it's not as good as the bathroom," Sue Li said, stepping into the secret room. "But I suppose it'll do."

'Like you have a better idea?" Padma said, giving her a push.

"How did you find this place?" Sue Li said, glancing around.

"Oh, erm, somebody showed me," Padma said.

The girls noticed her awkwardness and grinned. "A boy," said Mandy, knowingly.

"Was it a boy?" Parvati asked, quickly.

"I'm not saying," Padma said, quickly. "Anyway he … or she," she quickly corrected while the girls giggled. "Showed me this place."

'Uh-huh, and I wonder what for," said Lavender sarcastically.

The room looked like an old study and was hidden behind a bookcase. Padma had had to remove eight books in a certain order to open it. There were a few beer bottles on the floor and even an empty bottle of firewhiskey.

"I figured we could use it to celebrate," Padma said. "Since Cho is hogging the prefects bathroom."

"Sounds good," said Mandy putting the tray she was carrying on the desk. It had three jugs of various drinks, courtesy of the Hogwarts house elves.

Parvati was carrying a tray of sandwiches and Sue had cakes. Not a bad feast at short notice, Padma thought. If only they could find a way into Hogsmeade one day, they could maybe bring back Honyedukes chocolates. But, as far as she knew, only the Weasley Twins had ever found a way out of school, and they told nobody.

"Let's celebrate then," said Mandy. "To the two new players of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team!" she was disappointed at not making it, but not too disappointed that she was going to sulk and not celebrate with Padma and Sue for their success.

Albus Dumbledore

Dumbledore was concerned at the news that Severus had brought him. Voldemort was switching tactics and this could be dangerous. Low-level, hit and run tactics and a campaign of terror would be extremely effective. Even with their new increased numbers thanks to the Auror Initiative and Lockhart lowering requirement standards, they still couldn't be everywhere at once.

"Inform me of any potential attack," said Dumbledore.

"Of course," said Snape.

With a bit of smart maneouvering, he could use Shacklebolt to pass word on to Lockhart and hopefully they could stop the worst of the attacks. One of the positives of Lockhart as Minister was that the man was obsessed with public appearances. Dumbledore knew the man would act upon the information because capturing Death Eaters and preventing bloodshed reflected well on him. Dumbledore knew the public would soon turn on Lockhart if he didn't take the fight to Voldemort, so Lockhart's love of public opinion would probably ensure that he kept taking action. So far, with Shacklebolt's advice, the Minister hadn't done anything too reckless.

Dumbledore disagreed with the decision to lock up suspected dark arts supporters such as Cantankerous Nott and Narcissa Malfoy without evidence. But it wasn't exactly harmful. It was just wrong. As for the Auror Initiative, Dumbledore felt it had merit, but he also thought that sending teenagers with little training into the field—even with a seasoned Auror as supervisor, was just asking for trouble. Dumbledore hoped he was wrong, but he could see that plan backfiring very soon.

Dumbledore hadn't been happy at all with the Ministry interfering with Hogwarts and assigning someone to oversee Defence Against the Dark Arts. School and politics should be kept separate, he thought. Still, there could be much worse teachers than Nymphadora Tonks. Indeed, Dumbledore approved of the curriculum she had put forward. She would be a good addition to his staff. Shacklebolt had confided that Tonks had been his suggestion, and Dumbledore was relieved that Lockhart had listened.

Now, he turned to the matter at hand.

"Are you in Lord Voldemort's inner circle yet, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"No," said Snape. "He trusts me more than he did. But I am not quite there."

Dumbledore nodded, deep in thought. Getting Snape close to Voldemort was of the upmost importance, just in case Plan A—which was himself, failed. Of course, there was Plan C … Dumbledore cast a thought to his other agent, one who even Severus didn't know about. But he felt Severus stood the better chance of finishing off Lord Voldemort, so the priority would be getting him in Voldemort's inner circle.

Suddenly, an idea hit Dumbledore. Lord Voldemort had decided to go after Madame Umbridge, Shacklebolt or Madame Bones and torture them to obtain information on the whereabouts of the holding facility. That could not be allowed to happen, and yet, it was bound to—Lord Voldemort had too many eyes and ears. He would eventually find out what he needed.

"I believe we have need of the Minister and his memory charms," said Dumbledore. He would have Severus Snape give up, or even capture, one of Lord Voldemort's targets—with their memories modified. Snape would get in Lord Voldemort's graces and the new facility would not be compromised.

He had to acknowledge that Gilderoy was the absolute best at memory charms. He didn't feel that even Lord Voldemort would be able to fully break it without destroying the victim.

As to who, the answer was obvious. Actually, the more Dumbledore thought about it, the more he realized he could use this to kill many birds with one stone. Protect the containment facility, get Snape closer to Lord Voldemort and remove a very dangerous woman with very dangerous ideas from the ear of Gilderoy Lockhart.

There was also the matter of removing Lord Voldemort's spy from within the ministry, Corban Yaxley. That hadn't been possible now, but Shacklebolt, it could happen without compromising Severus. Yes, now was the time to get rid of Yaxley before he could cause further trouble.