Harry Potter and the Brethren of Ares

Disclaimer: Yea, I own Harry Potter! No, wait, if I owned Harry Potter, I certainly wouldn't be sitting here writing this, I'd be writing the actual sixth book, which this is not. So, I don't own it. Yea.

By: Merusa the Wonderful Writer That Everyone Loves. Well, the people who provided the eight (!) reviews have to like me a bit.

Chapter 4: Vanity

The Burrow was in an uproar a few days later as the happy Hogwarts students prepared to leave the nest.

To put it in simpler terms, the Burrow was a mad house.

Harry scowled and kick at the ground. He didn't want to leave the Burrow. Going back to Hogwarts meant facing the Prophecy. It meant seeing the Headmaster; it meant facing the whispers once more.

For the third time in his life, Harry did not want to go back to Hogwarts.

"Harry, we're going to be late, get your arse moving!"

"RON!"

Harry grabbed his trunk and Hedwig's cage before setting off at a run out the door.

***

One rushed and frazzled hour later, the Hogwarts Express had pulled away from the station, and Harry was settled in with Ginny, Luna, Neville, and the rest of the Gryffindor sixth years in a large compartment towards the back of the train. Nothing interesting, however, happened until a bit later on, unless you count Seamus losing his eyebrows in a game of exploding snap, and Neville trying to restore them.

Cho slipped into the compartment about two hours into the ride. Her eyes widened when she spotted Seamus's green polka-dotted eyebrows. Harry frowned at her, before casting a quick Finite Incantatem on the panicking Irishman.

"Harry, can I talk to you? Alone?"

"Uhh, sure, Cho." Neville and Dean shot him anxious looks, Luna was staring unabashedly at Neville, and Ginny was making faces at Cho, imitating the way she spoke.

Biting back a laugh, Harry followed Cho into a small, empty compartment behind the one he had previously occupied. Cho crossed the compartment, and looked down at the floor. An awkward silence immediately blanketed the two, as Harry nervously twisted the sleeves of his robes. It was Cho who finally broke the excruciating silence, sounding very desperate. "Harry, we really need to talk."

Harry leaned casually against the door. "What about?"

She glared at him. "You know exactly what this is about, Harold Potter."

"My name's not Harold."

"Oh, whatever!"

"Whoa, whatever, you started using big words; a stupid Gryffindor like me can't keep up!"

"Harry, just stop! I saw you eyeing Padma, I can't believe you'd be shallow enough to start liking someone else-"

"Cho, you started dating one of my friend's ex-boyfriend less than a week after me and you had a big fight."

"What's your point?"

"You got into Ravenclaw how?"

"Oh, shut up! I'm just here to say that it's over-"

"There isn't anything to end. All we had was some mistletoe and hysterics."

"Harry-"

"Bye."

And with that note, Harry turned and strode out of the room, his robes swaying dramatically after him.

***

Harry slipped backed into the compartment. He blinked.

The compartment in which only a few students had previously been in now seemed to contain all the remaining members of the D.A., and a few new people.

"Hey, Harry!" "Hiya, Harry!" "Go, Potter!"

Harry looked stupidly at them all. "Uhh, hi?"

Hermione grabbed his arm and led him gently to a seat. She motioned for quiet.

"Ok, everyone, now that Harry's here, we can begin. As you all know, the D.A. was quite a success last year-"

Hermione was cut off by loud snoring noises from Ron, and the resulting scattered giggles.

"RONALD WEASLEY!"

Ron jumped. "Geeze, Mione, calm down."

"Don't. Call. Me. Mione!"

"Hermione, really, we all know how thick Harry can be, you gotta get to the point-"

"You know, Ron, it's moments like these that make me realize just how much you care."

"Thanks, Harry. Well said."

"It also makes me realize how much you are still like the eleven year old with dirt on his nose."
"Thank y- hey!"

Laughter bubbled across the compartment, just as the door swung open, revealing, who else, but Draco.

Harry pretended to jump in excitement. "Look! It's Slytherin's Good Prince, the Amazing Bouncing Ferret!"

The laughter rang out in full force once again.

Draco scowled as the chuckles finally died out. His scowl quickly switched over to his trademark sneer. "Is that all you've got, Potter?"

"Malfoy, I know Mad-Eye, and I know that he would be quite willing to turn you into the ferret you truly are."

"Really, Potter? Would he do it because your favorite dog has run away?" Draco smirked.

A searing, white-hot anger shot through Harry. He made to stand up, but Ron and Hermione both grabbed his arms, forcing him to sit down.

"Let me go, let me go, he can't talk about Padfoot like that-"

"Harry, calm down. Draco, get out now. You have no idea what you are dealing with."

"And you do, you filthy little mudblood?"

"DON'T CALL HER A MUDBLOOD! We get it, okay? You don't like us, we don't like you, Hermione's muggle-born, Harry's a showoff, my family's a disgrace, blah, blah, blah, we can argue later, leave!"

Ginny slammed the door in Draco's stunned face.

Harry hunched over slightly in his seat. He ran a hand over his face and through his hair.

Zacharias Smith was frowning after Malfoy. "What did he mean? Potter, why did you get so upset over a dog?"

Harry glared at the younger boy. "He wasn't talking about a dog."

Neville's mouth formed a little "o" of surprise.

Hermione looked shaken. "Well, the ones who know exactly what just happened can discuss it later if they so wish."

Dean scowled at her. "We have the right to know!"

Harry switched his glare onto the taller boy. "No, you don't," he said, very quietly.

Silence rang out in the compartment. Harry looked down at the ground.

"Well," said Hermione, hesitating slightly, "we may as well get started.

"As you all know, the D.A. was an organization last year rebelling against Umbridge and the ministry. Many of you were a part of it. The D.A. stands for Dumbledore's Army, or the Minister's worst fear. Harry was a teacher of sorts, helping us learn the real Defense Against the Dark Arts. While we do have high hopes that this year's teacher will be competent, we feel that it would be a good idea to start our little rebellion up again, inducting the new members, such as some second years, that are standing in this compartment. Not only that, I'm sure Dumbledore will have no objections to this, so there's nothing in our way. Any questions?"

Luna raised her hand. Hermione sighed. "Yes, Luna?"

Luna, who had her head on Neville's shoulder, responded sleepily. "Will Harry be teaching us again?"

Hermione smiled. "If he wants to. Harry?" She turned to him.

To the surprise of all, a true smile broke out over his face. "I'm already making a lesson plan."

***

Harry slowly walked up the castle steps, chatting with his friends and ignoring everyone who was pointing at him.

"Mr. Potter!" Harry looked up from his conversation with Neville. He smiled at the strict-looking woman. "Hello, Professor McGonagall."

She nodded at him. He noted that she was still using the walking stick she had gained last year. "Follow me, please, Harry."

Harry shrugged at his friends before following her into the entrance hall. He recognized the path to her office, in which he had visited many times the previous year.

Once inside the tidy room, McGonagall motioned for Harry to take a seat. She took the seat opposite from him, and, for the first time, he realized how tired she looked.

"Hello, Harry. How was your summer?"

Harry realized that she was calling him by his first name, and so the conversation must have importance. "It was fun when I got to the Burrow."

She sighed. "No, Harry, I mean, how was your summer."

"Oh." He got it. He bit back his responses. It was horrible. Why did he leave? The Dursleys gave me no peace. I wanted to run away. I miss him. I know he can't miss me; it's my fault he died. He was the dad I never had; why did he die?

"It could have been worse," he said quietly.

She sighed again. "Harry...keeping your own counsel does no one any good."

He raised his eyebrows. "What?"

She shook her head, "Never mind, Harry. Let's go down to the feast."

Harry silently followed his Head of House into the Great Hall, and slid into his place at Gryffindor, lost in thought. He didn't even realize that he had missed the sorting.

Minerva sat down in her customary place next to Albus. The wizened professor glanced at her. "How is he?"

Severus leaned forward.

Minerva shook her head. "Not well. Molly was right; he isn't going to speak with anyone."

Albus looked troubled. "But, he must, for his own good."

***

After a hearty meal in which Harry barely spoke, the Headmaster stood up. He beamed around at the students, and spoke.

"Welcome back, everyone, and to the new students, welcome." His eyes twinkled. "As I'm sure you've noticed-"

He was cut off when, for the second time in Harry's memory, the doors of the Great Hall swung open. Two figures walked in, both hooded. One was slightly shorter than the other, and visibly daintier.

Dumbledore's smile widened. "Ah, there you two are. I'm glad you've made it."

"Sorry, Professor," said the taller one. His voice seemed familiar.

"Yes, Professor Dumbly-dorr, pleaz axcept our apologies."

Harry's eyes widened. No. Way.

Dumbledore resumed speaking. "If I might introduce our new Arithmancy teacher, Professor Fleur Delacour."

Fleur pulled down her hood, glowing.

"And, her fiancé, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Bill Weasley."

Bill pulled his hood down. He winked at the Gryffindors.

Harry noticed that Paula Walker, the pretty, bespectacled new Muggle Studies teacher was eyeing Bill with great interest.

A silence reigned in the Great Hall, until Ron and Ginny stood up.

"Oiy, Bill, were you planning on telling me and Ginny about this?"

"You're getting married?"

"You're our teacher?"

Ginny and Ron looked at each other, then back at the Staff Table. "That's WICKED!"

At this point, nearly everyone in the hall was laughing.

Dumbledore motioned with his hands for quiet. After a moment, the reverent silence returned, and the two youngest Weasleys sat down.

"Yes, yes, siblings are always happy to see each other. It makes me miss my brother, Aberforth.

"Well, I can see that your attention will not be held for much longer. However, I do have an announcement to make.

"As some of you know, there was a small resistance movement against Professor Umbridge. That poor woman...I digress. This movement was called the D.A., or Dumbledore's Army." Dumbledore paused, his eyes twinkling.

"It was formed without my knowledge- without the knowledge of any teacher, as a matter of fact. It was made up of Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs.

"The idea of the rebellion was one Miss Hermione Granger's. Mr. Ron Weasley quickly caught onto the idea, but the third person, the key person, was not quite so keen at first. However, after some persuasion, Mr. Harry Potter decided that he would help. The organization was a Defense Against the Dark Arts group, in which Mr. Potter was a teacher. The name as created by Miss Virginia Weasley, the abbreviation by Miss Cho Chang.

"The point of this babbling is that the D.A. is now an official club, that is to say, it is legal for the club members to meet. Although, I do have a hunch that the club would have met anyway." Harry exchanged glances with Hermione and Ron.

"And so, if you wish to join, please contact Miss Granger. That will be all. Off to bed, to bed, I said! Ah, a fine muggle writer..."

Harry caught Hermione's eye, and they both burst out laughing.

***

Later in the hallway, Hermione and Ron had left the first years to the two Gryffindor Prefects, and so were walking with Harry and Ginny.

Harry froze in mid sentence. "Hey, do you see that?"

"See what? Oh...is that a golden apple?"

"Hermione, Harry, what are you...bloody hell, an apple's floating on top of the stairs!"

Ginny looked at them like they were mad. "Are you three ok? There's no apple that I see."

Exchanging glances, the quartet started forward. After a few steps, Harry stopped.

"You know, I can still see it. Plain as day, a golden apple, floating above a staircase."

Ginny frowned at him. "I told you, I can't see it!"

"But we can, Ginny. Ron, is this some random magical occurrence that not even I've read about?"

Ron blinked at Hermione; she never taunted her own reading tendencies. "No, not that I know of."

"Well, we were bound to have an interesting year; it may as well start now," said Harry gloomily.

***

Later, In the Common Room

"Hermione?"

Hermione shut the book she was reading. "Hello, Ginny."

Ginny sat down in the armchair next to her.

"Look, do you remember how Harry said Draco was Slytherin's Good Prince? Well, it gave me an idea...

***

Author's Note: View my PLOT! Well, as I write this, fanfiction.net isn't working correctly. Wonderful. Fortunately, that also means I'll be starting on Chapter 5. I really can't wait to write Chapter 6, so 5 should come out quickly.

Review Responses:

Hermione "DB" Granger: Did you see Paula? Thank you for saying that I'm funny. I try. This story is a Dramedy, or a Dramatic Comedy. As for HP+FPP, I haven't spoken to my cousin in a while. Last time I spoke with him, he had writers block. My favorite new pairing possibilities from Book 5 are Remus/Tonks and Neville/Luna. I like long reviews. (hint hint) (wink wink)

Magee: Yes, I've always enjoyed the idea of a Harry/Padma pairing. What do you think: is it forever or is it sixth year? Muah! To read a good H/Pad story, go read Shayla's Harry Potter and the Fall of Childhood. However, it isn't entirely H/Pad.

GG: I did my best to follow Harry's own opinion on how he did on the O.W.L.'s by re-re-re-reading that section of Book 5. I like the career I have in mind for him.

Thank you for the reviews. I thrive on reviews....hint hint.