As I step out of Umbridges prissy office I rub the inside of my wrist, 'I will not act out in class, I will respect my elders' was finely etched into my skin. It was raw and red and it took all my strength during my detention not to cry. As my eyes began to pool I remember Draco's gift that I had pocketed earlier. The tiny geode like squishy rock felt foreign in my hand and without thinking too much I swallowed the crystallised object whole remembering Draco's strict instructions on the matter beforehand. It felt rough travelling down my throat and then all of a sudden it burst, a warm sensation grew in the base of my neck and I thought exclusively of the pain in my wrist. Within moments the warm feeling spread to the crude message etched into my wrist and I instantly felt better.

As I rounded the corner I found Harry sprinting towards me. He must not have noticed me because he ran straight past me. Skidded to a halt and turned abruptly. "Ari!" he breathed. I smile and wave awkwardly at him.

"Hey."

"I was meant to get here sooner but I got caught up…"

"It's okay Harry. I think I can manage the perilous walk back to our house dorm." Harry rolls his eyes at my obvious sarcasm and laughs besides himself. But the laughter dies quickly.

"I was busy organising something Aria."

"Organising what?"

"Just come with me." I nod politely and allow him to lead me. We walk in silence until we reach the seventh floor. Across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy Harry states up at a long stretch of blank wall. I wasn't quite sure what was going but I didn't interrupt Harry as he proceeded to walk back and forth three times. I wasn't sure if he was just barmy or pacing. In an instant a door appeared out of nowhere. I backed up a step and put a hand to my mouth. Magic never ceased to amaze me. Still not talking Harry open the ancient door and I follow him in blindly. Inside I'm met with a bunch of familiar faces, all smiling at me expectantly. "Aria… this is going to sound a tad cheesy, so brace yourself." Ron speaks up first. Puzzled I turn to Harry.

"Welcome to Dumbledores army." He gleams at me. "Let me clarify. Not long ago I held a meeting of sorts. I wanted to get better at defensive spells but I also wanted the people I care about to be able to defend themselves. So I created this. You weren't present at the first meeting at Hogsmead because you didn't have signed permission to leave the castle grounds… I did look for you to sneak you out… but yeah sorry I wasn't leaving you out intentionally." He scratches the back of his head apologetically "regardless of that. We're here and we're going to train. And I think your miny protest to Umbridge earlier really inspired us all. I know some spells myself. So does Hermione but your mother bought you up to be constantly on the defensive. That must mean you know a thing or two about defence against the dark arts… I was wondering… well we were wondering if you would consider teaching us what you know?" silence ensues and I look over the faces of my peers, all looking both scared and fired up with passion simultaneously.

"Of course I will." There was never a moment of doubt. I would help these guys any way I could. Ultimately I wanted good to prevail.

"So what do you all know?" I ask finally. There wasn't much time to waste and in all honesty the sooner we started the better. I gathered that the class contained people of mixed abilities and I sighed inwardly. This was going to be hard work. Harry took me on a tour of sorts where each individual showcased their talents, or rather lack of in regards to some people. Every time I walked away from someone my mind was moving at a hundred miles per hour devising a learning plan for them, what they needed to catch up on, what skills they had already mastered and so on and so forth.

By the end of the lesson my head ached and I needed to retire if only to sort my mind out. I had just been bombarded by so much new information I needed a moment to sift through what was important or not. But as they say, there is not rest for the wicked. I departed from the trio and headed straight to the library. I know it was incredibly past curfew but I just knew sleep wouldn't find me, not tonight at least. Harry leant me his marvellous cloak of invisibility and I slinked off alone to the peaceful sanctuary that is the library. Hermione offered to come along but as someone who has spent a majority of their life isolated, I needed to be alone. At least that's what I convinced myself of anyway. I know Draco wasn't a stickler for the rules and I was just hoping that on my way to the library I'd find a certain blonde skulking about in the shadows of the castle.

I had no such luck. Instead I retrieved a few high level defence spell books and sat on the floor in the corner of the library, if filch was coming I'd hear the soft pur of his fluff ball of a cat and whip the cloak over my head which I had draped over my shoulders, it is rather suffocating under there. I didn't learn much from the books that I didn't already know, instead it was more of a refresher course, reminding me of what I already know and what I can teach the others. When the early hours of the morning began to chime I decided it was finally time to retreat to my bed and hope the exhaustion that I felt would be enough to knock me into a deep sleep. As I trudged back to my room I suddenly caught my breathe and slammed myself against a wall. It was Draco.

What was he doing up? This may have been wrong of me but I decided to follow him, if he was going somewhere where the prying paintings weren't looking I could take my cloak off and talk to him. But I couldn't make it obvious that I was in possession of such a thing. Harry made me swear it.

He was walking at a brisk pace and didn't stop for anything. It was as if he didn't care if he got caught. As if he wanted to? Nonetheless we walked on for a moment or two and I became unaware of our bearings. It was so dark I struggled to navigate in such extreme dullness.

That is when the one thing I didn't want to happen happened. I tripped. My cloak caught on the toe of a suit of armour and I hurtled forward, crashing loudly onto the floor. The cloak lay scrunched up against the armour and could be perceived as just that, a grey crushed velvet looking piece of fabric. Me however, I lay crumpled on the floor. As soon as I look up Draco is standing in a fighting stance, wand in hand, eyes ablaze and ready to kill. I shrink back from his stare and it takes him a moment to register who it is that sits before him cradling their scratched up knee on the floor. His eyes don't soften even after releasing who I am and I shiver under his hateful glare.