March

March was a boring month, as far as anyone could tell. Ron's birthday passed with little accord, other than Harry waking up screaming about Voldemort and Rookwood. Hermione had insisted that Harry write to Padfoot for ideas on how to use his Occlumency shields while he was asleep.

Two weeks later, they had to admit that Padfoot had likely never received that letter, as no posts were going out and the posts that came in were obviously searched. Even Draco wasn't getting the sweets that Narcissa tried to send his way. He made a valiant effort to blame the baby, he refused to give it a name, but even he had to admit that there were crumbs in the box.

That was the same week that Trelawny got sacked. The fact that most of the students used her class as a bird course meant that her leaving was an unpopular decision. What Umbridge did not expect was Professor McGonagall to stand up for her. Trelawny may have lost her position, but she didn't lose her place at Hogwarts. The student body cheered as Umbridge's face turned multiple shades of puce.

Firenze, Hagrid's centaur friend, was hired to replace Trelawny. There were whispers as to why a half human centaur was an acceptable teacher by Ministry standards when werewolves were out. Those whispers became screams when Sirius Black wrote a scathing review in the Quibbler. The Quibbler became the overnight place to get information. There were far more of the public willing to listen to Harry than it seemed before. They just had to get the information.


April

April was the month when things when to hell in a handbasket. The twins started things off with their annual birthday prank-off. The day saw many students, and teachers, from all houses, subjected to the humor of the Weasley twins. They saved their birthday bash in the Gryffindor common room for the next night, knowing that the students attending would need a weekend to recover.

That would be the last joy anyone had in a long time. The next Monday, during the first meeting of the DA, the High Inquisitor struck. The Inquisitorial Squad, which had been basically useless, busted through the doors to the Room of Requirements only moments after Dobby had warned them. Draco led the charge and his friend suddenly understood why he hadn't been around as often.

"You're a filthy traitor!" Harry screamed as Goyle and Crabbe took him down.

"Not your traitor," Draco smirked, letting his friends know what side he was truly on, theirs, before grabbing Ginny by the wrist and leading her away.

Several of the older students busted through the Inquisitorial Squad, causing them to give chase and giving the younger students a chance to flee. In the confusion, no one thought to grab the DA list that gave the names of every member. Fred dragged Hermione through a series of secret passages, George and Angelina hot on their heals. They ended up in a back section of the library.

"Why did you never tell me there was a way to get in here without going past Madame Pince?" Hermione glared at her boyfriend as if this were the time for that conversation.

Fred smirked at her, then pulled her in for a kiss. "If anyone asks, we've been here for hours, got it?"

Hermione nodded her agreement before leaning back into him. George and Angelina were doing the started their own steamy make-out session in the chair next to them. It wasn't long before they were inevitably interrupted.

"Like anyone is going to believe you two were in here when we've got the little Weasels up in the headmaster's office." Pansy Parkinson sneered.

"Doesn't matter, Pans. They were stupid enough to leave the DA sign-up sheet out where anyone could find it." Draco smirked. "Whole lot will be in detention for the rest of the year."
"Guess we know what your true colors are now, Malfoy." Fred sneered back.

"Then again, there's no other way out of Harry's shadow, is there?" George challenged.

Instead of responding, Draco just said, "They're sending everyone to their common until Dumbledore is dealt with."

"What do you mean by 'dealt with'?" Hermione asked skeptically.

"You honestly didn't think that putting his name on the parchment would do him any favors, did you?" Pansy asked slowly as if Hermione didn't best her in every subject.

"How do you know that wasn't our intent?" Hermione quirked her eyebrow at the other girl.

Pansy didn't seem to have a response to that. Draco rolled his eyes and motioned for the foursome to make their way to the seventh floor.

"Oh, Johnson," Draco shouted. "Since you seem to know when to keep your mouth shut, I'll make sure you don't get reported. Umbridge is bound to kick your beaters off the team, but since you didn't resist, she'll let you stay. I want some competition for the final game."

While the four headed up to the tower, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were being held in the headmaster's office.

"We have the alleged leaders of the rebellion right here," Umbridge smirked at Minister Fudge and the Aurors surrounding him.

"You expect the Minister to believe that a rebellion is being led by three students? None of which are even of legal age?" One of the Aurors, Kingsley Shacklebolt, asked skeptically.

"Of course. They're the Potter boy and the youngest of the Weasley brood. Both are families that have been making the Minister's life a nightmare recently." Umbridge stated.

"Let me see if I have this right, Madam Undersecretary. You want to accuse the heir to a massive fortune, and his two friends, of treason. Even though they aren't of legal age and have no way of getting off of school property to incite rebellion." Shacklebolt clarified.

"They held a rebellion of the student body," Umbridge stated.

"How long have they been holding meetings for their rebellion group?" Shacklebolt shot back.

"Since the middle of the fall term," Umbridge answered, suddenly a bit unsure.

"And where have a group of more than one hundred students met over the last five and half months that you haven't been able to catch them?" Shacklebolt asked, hoping against hope that the Minister was able to understand what was being said.

"They've been meeting in a room that disappears when they're inside of it." Umbridge faltered, hearing the words as they were said.

Everyone's eyes darted between Umbridge and Fudge, wanting to see what he made of this. Apparently, the man was as inept as advertised.

"That seems completely plausible. Who knows what secrets this school holds. Although, since Dumbledore's name is on this sheet of paper, listed as the founder of this group. We're going to take him to Azkaban as the leader of this asinine rebellion nonsense." Fudge declared. "Now, let's all just go quietly."

"Oh, you seem to be mistaken, Minister," Dumbledore said in his most grandfatherly tone. "I won't be doing anything 'quietly.'" With that, Dumbledore clapped his hands and Fawkes the phoenix whisked him away.

Everyone stared at the blank space where Dumbledore had once stood. Shacklebolt couldn't help but mutter, "Did he just abandon a bunch of children to clean up his mess?"

Harry couldn't help but mutter back, "It's his usual style."

After that, Harry, Ginny, and Ron were sent back to their common room while the Minister discussed things over with his Undersecretary.

"Do we know who snitched?" Harry asked. Everyone knew the only way they could have gotten in was if someone had known the dates and times.

"It wasn't Draco if that's what you're hoping, we're all playing our part." Hermione glared at him. "We'll know more in the morning."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked skeptically.

"It means, Harry, that I charmed the paper. Whoever did this will come to breakfast with the word 'snitch' written across their forehead in pimples." Hermione said tiredly. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day and I want some sleep. Good night to the lot of you."

"Oi, what about me?" Fred asked, leaning his head back on the couch to look at her. She smirked at him as if to call him an idiot, then kissed him soundly. Their friends had a variety of reactions, from catcalls to mock vomiting. Hermione glared at the vomiters in particular before heading towards the girls' staircase. "If I were you lot, I'd get some sleep as well. We'll probably be in detention most of the afternoon tomorrow." The rest of their group groaned out their annoyance, knowing that she was probably right.

Morning light didn't bring any positive changes. Breakfast brought Educational Decree Number 28: Dolores Umbridge is now Headmistress of Hogwarts. The newly interred Headmistress, then, announced that all of the students involved in Dumbledore's Army were expected to arrive in the Great Hall for detention that evening after supper.

Even Marietta Edgecomb was having a bad morning. The word 'snitch' was spelled out brightly for everyone to see. Whispers babbled across the Great Hall from all four tables. Umbridge, who had effectively ruined Marietta's social life, seemed to be unable to come up with a single charm to reverse the spell. In fact, when asked, she had smirked and said that self-serving children always get their comeuppance.

That day was like any other when students were dreading the end. It moved too fast. Breakfast barely seemed over before they were writing lines with blood quills for detention. No one could explain how Umbridge had found that many blood quills, they just knew the message she wanted them to write. It was tailored to each student, as it always was, but boiled down to Haha, I won.

Even Fred and George had managed to show up, even though they seemed to have something other than their normal saying written on their hand. They hadn't been there more than fifteen minutes before a loud boom reverberated through the halls. Then, the doors blew open, and the Great Hall was filled with fireworks.

The room filled with colorful bursts of light. The Inquisitorial Squad, Draco leading the charge, followed them in. Draco grabbed Ginny by the arm and dragged her out of the Great Hall and away from the hated blood quills.

"I'll try to buy them as much time as I can," Draco muttered in her ear.

Ginny was taken aback for a moment before she realized exactly what her older brothers had done. She just wondered if Hermione had helped them brew the polyjuice this time. Ginny allowed Draco to pull her for a bit before she decided to fight him off, for the look of things if nothing else.

"Get up to your common room quickly. She won't be punishing anyone tonight." Draco warned, kissing her quickly before giving her a push off as several members of the Inquisitorial Squad rushed passed.

Ginny, realizing he was playing a game, nodded her head once, then ran for the stairs and to her common room. "Draco," she said, turning for the stairs, "Just know playing hero comes at a price."

Everyone in the DA quickly found their common rooms. Umbridge tried to catch Harry, but he used his extensive knowledge of the school's secret passages to slip into the Gryffindor common room just before she could spot him. Just then, the second wave of fireworks erupted throughout the halls. The twins smiled sheepishly and said that they didn't know how long the DA needed to get to cover. The resulting smoke damage was so bad that Umbridge forgot completely about the DA and started focusing on all the household charms she'd refused to learn. The DA members in all houses hunkered down for the night, happy they had escaped detention with Umbridge relatively unscathed. The two poor, unsuspecting fourth years playing the polyjuiced rolls of Fred and George Weasley each received a free Skiving Snackbox.

Late that night, as everyone in the castle slept, Harry was confronted with dreams of the rows and rows of shelves. This time, however, he stayed asleep long enough to follow the dream out of the room of shelves, through a door, and all the way to Ministry of Magic entrance hall. He sat bolt upright as he realized where the dream was taking place. Then, for the first time in weeks, he collapsed back on his bed and was actually able to sleep.

After that, time moved too fast again. Easter hols came and went. Everyone was stuck up in the castle, studying for their OWLs. Ginny laughed at their misfortune and packed her trunk. Fred and George pulled her aside, whispered a few things in her ear, and she unpacked her trunk. Hermione had quirked her eyebrow over that situation.

Halfway through the hols, Fred and George pulled Angelina and Hermione from their studies. They snuck passed the Inquisitorial Squad and to the Room of Requirements. When they returned, Hermione and Angelina looked like they had been crying, but were now resolved to some unknown fate.

The Monday after Easter hols, Harry decided he really, really needed to talk to Sirius. He needed to know how to block the dreams at night. He needed to know if Aunt Cissa was okay. He needed to know that Remus was alive. But most of all, he needed his godfather. The only problem was that all the floos were being monitored by Umbridge because the students couldn't be trusted not to spread lies to their parents.

Fred and George offered him a solution. "We'll distract Umbitch. You break into her office and use her floo. It's not monitored."

When Hermione agreed to watch Harry's back, she'd told him it was for plausible deniability. Harry shrugged and said she could come. After classes had wrapped up, Fred and George liberated their broomsticks with a simple accio charm. They zipped through the halls and straight for the twins.

"Come one! Come all!" They cried together in front of a massive crowd of students. Umbridge was bearing down on them, ready to exact punishment. "And see Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes latest creations! The Amazing Portable Swamp!"

With that, and in front of all the students and professors, they turned the infamous third-floor corridor into a swamp, complete with swamp gasses. Luck would have it that one of the swamp bubbles popped next to Umbridge, covering her in swamp muck. She shrieked as the twins darted out of Hogwarts on their brooms. The assembled student body ran out after them, Umbridge leading the charge.

"Check out Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes!" Fred shouted launching a Wildfire Wizbang into the air.

"Now located at 93 Diagon Alley!" George added throwing his own Wildfire into the mix.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves!" Fred shouted, and Peeves was seen to salute the twins.

"See ya in hell, Umbitch!" George laughed uproariously.

"We're done here!" The twins chimed in unison, then they flew out over the Scottish countryside, before heading to the Burrow to face the wrath of one Molly Weasley.

Luna, knowing that Ginny couldn't look away from where her older brothers were disappearing, took off running towards the Defense office to warn Hermione that it was time to go. She made it with just enough time for all three of them to hide in a magically appearing alcove and avoid Umbridge's wrath.

Everyone was sent to their common rooms without supper, even the Slytherins, because the entire student body had cheered on the Escape of the Weasley Twins. The event itself became the stuff of legends in the days and weeks to come.

"Fred got a note in," Hermione announced at breakfast a week later. "Disguised it as the Daily Prophet."

"What's he say?" Ginny asked, buttering her toast.

"Says that your mum wasn't best pleased with them at first. She calmed down, though. They took her out to the shop and showed her around. She's decided that, after that stunt, they've got just enough luck left to make it work for them." Hermione read.

"I knew Mum would come around. She didn't like Bill living in Egypt either. For the first few months at least." Ginny shrugged. "She always comes through in the end."

The last six weeks moved entirely too fast. All of the fifth years, Harry and Ron included, found themselves doing nothing but studying. The Quidditch final was played, and Ron turned out to be the hero. All those years of 'never winning' in pick-up Quidditch meant that he reveled in the attention showered upon him as he stunned the Ravenclaw offense. Angelina wept tears of joy as her team won despite all odds. As Ron was carried away, Hagrid took Hermione and Harry into the forest to meet his brother.

Harry thought that the whole situation with Grawp was sheer madness. He could not understand why Hagrid thought it was a good idea to bring a giant into magical Britain in the current political climate. When they informed Ron of the whole mess the next day, he agreed with them, but he also agreed to help keep an eye out. Hagrid was rightly worried that Umbridge would sack him and he wouldn't be able to take care of family.

It was in short moments of bliss where Ginny could see Harry and Draco. They both agreed to keep everything low key. It wasn't like they were sneaking off into empty common rooms, but rather to Hogsmeade, where the locals had grown used to seeing them out, no one blinked about it anymore. It was all public, just not to the eyes of Hogwarts. Draco would use his authority to sneak them out of the castle, while Harry used his invisibility cloak.

"Are you going to tell me what is on your mind?" Harry asked her, pulling the cloak off of them towards the end of one of the tunnels to Hogsmeade on night in the late of May.

"Just been doing a lot of thinking, while you study," Ginny said, lacing her fingers into his.

"No thinking," Harry said, kissing her head. "At least no hard thinking, not on the one date we have gotten this month." Ginny nodded her head, but after a moment, Harry spoke again. "I lie, I need to know."

Ginny looked up at him and laughed, shaking her head. "All of the year's distractions are gone. No more fourth-year meetings since we caught up, detentions for the rest of the year to take up more of my time, no more Quidditch. I think I finally have a clear head."

"One day you'll have to tell me what that feels like," Harry smiled, opening the cellar floor for them to enter. They walked through the shop, then into the cool air. "So, what would you like to do today, my dear? Just don't ask for the food at the Hog's Head, again. That was a cruel joke. I was thinking maybe some butterbeer in the back of the Three Broomsticks and we can catch up. Or rather I can because I can tell you what I've been doing in one acronym."

"Harry," Ginny said, stopping his rambling in the middle of the street. "It's you."

"What?" He said.

"It's you." Ginny laughed, smiling at him. "I want to be with you."

Harry felt the goosebumps rise over his body as a slow smile crawled on his lips. "Really?"

"No, I'm just saying it to give you false hope," Ginny said with an eye roll.

Harry put his hands on her shoulders, stepping closer to her. "And you're positive about this? Because I want this Ginny. I've always wanted this. I've always wanted you."

"I know," Ginny said, a small tear falling from her eyes as she smiled up at him. "I want this too. I want you, not the idea of you or the person everyone thinks will save us. I just want you. All of your stubbornness, broodiness, cockiness, maybe not all of your arrogance," She said with a small laugh, making Harry laugh as well. "You will never make me settle for anything less than I am. I love you for that."

"I love you too," Harry said, pulling her in for a kiss. They didn't pull apart until someone coughed in the street. They both blushed as Harry wrapped his arm around Ginny's shoulders and headed into The Three Broomsticks. They ordered, they kissed. They were happy.

It was hours before they were back in the quiet common room, where only a few fifth years were still up studying when they parted.

"Harry," Ginny said, as he pulled out one of his books to get in one more hour of studying with Hermione before they went to bed.

"Yes," He said with a goofy smile he hadn't been able to shake all evening.

"Don't tell anyone. I'll tell Draco after OWLs," Ginny whispered.

"I've waited this long, I can wait a few more weeks," Harry said, giving her a quick kiss. "But no snogging him."

"Deal," she said, giving him a peck before walking up the steps.

Harry turned around to see Neville, Hermione, and Ron staring at them from the other end of the common room. "What?" Harry said, walking over to them and sitting next to Ron.

"I think George owes Fred a few Galleons," Ron said, before turning back to his books.

After that it was June and OWLs had arrived, which was a nightmare. One of the few bright spots was that Umbridge was a made to look a fool when all of the fifth years performed their Defense OWL practical flawlessly. The damper came a week later when Umbridge finally had enough evidence to sack Hagrid. In the chaos that was his sacking, Professor McGonagall was hit with no less than four stunners. Madame Pomphrey said she would be under for at least the next five days.

Harry and his friends didn't have time to think about that, though. As the fifth years wrapped up their final test, Harry was thrown to the floor in a fit of blinding pain. Then he saw it, the most terrifying thing in his life. Sirius was being tortured by Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic. Hermione, who was done with her test, led Harry to the hospital wing.

"It's him, Hermione. Voldemort is attacking Sirius." Harry cried.

"I'm sure your right, but just in case he's somehow discovered you can read his mind, we need to check up on that." Hermione soothed.

"How?! How do you suggest we do that, oh great one!?" Harry snarled.

"The mirror, Harry. Check in the mirror." Hermione replied.

"Oh, sure, the mirror. Oh, wait! I don't have it, do I!" Harry bit out. "Remus took it with him to the werewolf camps!"

"Oh, no! That's right." Hermione bit her lip. Soon, the others joined them.

"You need to get into Umbridge's office again," Neville stated.

"That means that Hermione is on guard again and the rest of us will have to cause a distraction." Ron nodded firmly.

"Don't worry, Fred and George left me a pack of decoy detonator prototypes before they left. Now's a great time to test them." Ginny smirked.

Just then, Draco rushed to Harry's bed. "Whatever you do, you better hurry. She's coming this way to bust you for interrupting OWLs testing with you personal problems."

"Why do you care? You're on the Inquisitorial Squad." Harry accused defensively.

"I care because you are family and family is important." Draco glared back.

"So prove it." Harry kept his eyes narrowed at his competitor and friend.

Draco smirked at the challenge. "Inquisitorial Squad is particularly fond of patrolling the fourth floor. If you set those detonator thingies off on that floor, opposite side from her office, they'll be heard and you'll have plenty of time to get a floo connection going."

Ron nodded at that information and started running strategies through his brain. "It's the best option we have. Give us a five-minute head start. That'll give us time to get there and get started before you even get to her office."

Everyone nodded grimly, unaware that this skirmish would lead to the first battle in the second war against Voldemort. It was their last moment of innocence before all hell broke loose.


Kat: Well, you can blame me for the late post. Life is kicking my butt. But hey, at least the Harry/Ginny/Draco triangle is over! Later chapters will explain more on why Ginny made the choice she did.

Gabs: The triangle is over… for two-thirds. Poor Draco's gonna get blindsided after OWLs.

Kat: At least she isn't doing it before, that would be mean. We're not mean...right?

Gabs: Can't affect Draco's scores with horrid information like that. If Voldemort can wait until final exams are over to kill Harry, Ginny can wait to crush Draco's spirit.

Kat: Well, tell us what you think with a review! We love them like we love everyone who reads this.

Gabs: We own nothing!

XOXO

Gabs and Kat