::::::-------------
Chapter Eight: Gathering
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The moment Harry's feet hit the floor of the Gryffindor Common Room, he raced up to his dormitory and began ripping out the contents of his trunk.
"What're you looking for?" asked Neville, arriving a few minutes later.
"My DA Galleon," said Harry.
"Oh. Did you spend it?"
"I hope not, Neville."
There were a few minutes of silence as the floor became increasingly obscured by Harry's belongings.
"Harry?" said Neville.
"What?"
"Is this an Invisibility Cloak?"
Harry stopped. He vaguely recalled tossing the Cloak a few minutes ago, but it had been absent-minded.
"Yes," he said. "Why?"
"My dad had one just like it," said Neville softly. "Finest Demiguise hair."
"What's a Demiguise?" asked Harry.
"It's a sort of gorilla thing," muttered the other boy, "that can turn invisible when it wants to. These cloaks are made of Demiguise pelts."
"How'd you know that?" frowned Harry.
"I use mine a lot, too," grinned Neville. "And Hermione does a lot of homework in the library. Don't tell her."
"You're cheating off Hermione?" cried Harry.
"No!" said Neville, shocked. "I just read over her shoulder. D'you really think Snape's thick enough to believe I use the word 'erroneous'?"
"Suppose not," said Harry, returning the smile. "I'd better get back to-"
"No need," shrugged Neville. "Your coin was wrapped up in the Cloak."
"Oh. Thanks, Neville."
***
Noon on St. Stephen's Day. Most students were still asleep, but not the DA. They were sitting in the Room of Requirement, awaiting the reason why they were forgoing their extended lie-in.
"Something's happened," said Harry. "Something bad."
"What is it?" groaned Lavender.
"There's been a break-in," said Hermione simply. "Three students are missing. Haven't you noticed?"
"Cho," said Michael Corner.
"Stewart," muttered Hannah Abbot.
"Miss Bones," said Ernie anxiously.
Harry nodded. "We're going to do something about it."
"What?" scoffed Seamus. "Take on You-Know-Who?"
"That's exactly what I said!" said Ron.
Harry ignored him and began to pace in front of his seated ranks. "I won't force anyone to come along. This is a purely voluntary - thing. It's not for the weak at heart, and not for anyone who wants to get out of school. Chances are, not all of us will survive. It's not a decision to be taken lightly."
"Spit it out!" said Zacharias.
"Shut up!" roared the Gryffindors.
"We're going to Azkaban."
A hush settled over the group. "Why?" said Padma Patil. "Why Azkaban? What good will that do?"
"It's Voldemort's headquarters," snapped Hermione. "Why else would we go there? To see the sights?"
"This is a joke," said Dean Thomas, looking hopefully from face to face. "Nobody's that thick..."
"It's no joke, Dean," said Ginny coldly.
"Course not," said Seamus. "It's suicide, that's what it is."
"Call it what you want," said Harry impatiently, "I'm not making you come. Now, anyone who's got the heart to rescue their friends from the jaws of death, come to the front. If you don't, then leave. We have a lot of planning to do."
Slowly, one by one, members of the DA stood up and stepped into place behind Harry. Only Zacharias was left. "You're all bloody mad," he said, staring from determined face to determined face. "Mad. Not one of you'll get out alive. I've had enough. I'm off."
"Fine," called Ron, as the door banged shut. "You've been a right little snot since Day One. See if we care."
"But we do care," said Harry darkly. "We're twenty-five half-trained teenagers against about a hundred full-grown Dark Wizards and Voldemort."
A few people were looking uneasy. "I'm not going to make you stay," said Harry. "It's your choice."
But then a voice behind Harry said, "We're all in it for the long haul, Harry. We'll follow wherever you lead."
Harry blushed, nodded and clapped his hands. "Right," he said. "Where's Azkaban?"
Chapter Eight: Gathering
::::::-------------
The moment Harry's feet hit the floor of the Gryffindor Common Room, he raced up to his dormitory and began ripping out the contents of his trunk.
"What're you looking for?" asked Neville, arriving a few minutes later.
"My DA Galleon," said Harry.
"Oh. Did you spend it?"
"I hope not, Neville."
There were a few minutes of silence as the floor became increasingly obscured by Harry's belongings.
"Harry?" said Neville.
"What?"
"Is this an Invisibility Cloak?"
Harry stopped. He vaguely recalled tossing the Cloak a few minutes ago, but it had been absent-minded.
"Yes," he said. "Why?"
"My dad had one just like it," said Neville softly. "Finest Demiguise hair."
"What's a Demiguise?" asked Harry.
"It's a sort of gorilla thing," muttered the other boy, "that can turn invisible when it wants to. These cloaks are made of Demiguise pelts."
"How'd you know that?" frowned Harry.
"I use mine a lot, too," grinned Neville. "And Hermione does a lot of homework in the library. Don't tell her."
"You're cheating off Hermione?" cried Harry.
"No!" said Neville, shocked. "I just read over her shoulder. D'you really think Snape's thick enough to believe I use the word 'erroneous'?"
"Suppose not," said Harry, returning the smile. "I'd better get back to-"
"No need," shrugged Neville. "Your coin was wrapped up in the Cloak."
"Oh. Thanks, Neville."
***
Noon on St. Stephen's Day. Most students were still asleep, but not the DA. They were sitting in the Room of Requirement, awaiting the reason why they were forgoing their extended lie-in.
"Something's happened," said Harry. "Something bad."
"What is it?" groaned Lavender.
"There's been a break-in," said Hermione simply. "Three students are missing. Haven't you noticed?"
"Cho," said Michael Corner.
"Stewart," muttered Hannah Abbot.
"Miss Bones," said Ernie anxiously.
Harry nodded. "We're going to do something about it."
"What?" scoffed Seamus. "Take on You-Know-Who?"
"That's exactly what I said!" said Ron.
Harry ignored him and began to pace in front of his seated ranks. "I won't force anyone to come along. This is a purely voluntary - thing. It's not for the weak at heart, and not for anyone who wants to get out of school. Chances are, not all of us will survive. It's not a decision to be taken lightly."
"Spit it out!" said Zacharias.
"Shut up!" roared the Gryffindors.
"We're going to Azkaban."
A hush settled over the group. "Why?" said Padma Patil. "Why Azkaban? What good will that do?"
"It's Voldemort's headquarters," snapped Hermione. "Why else would we go there? To see the sights?"
"This is a joke," said Dean Thomas, looking hopefully from face to face. "Nobody's that thick..."
"It's no joke, Dean," said Ginny coldly.
"Course not," said Seamus. "It's suicide, that's what it is."
"Call it what you want," said Harry impatiently, "I'm not making you come. Now, anyone who's got the heart to rescue their friends from the jaws of death, come to the front. If you don't, then leave. We have a lot of planning to do."
Slowly, one by one, members of the DA stood up and stepped into place behind Harry. Only Zacharias was left. "You're all bloody mad," he said, staring from determined face to determined face. "Mad. Not one of you'll get out alive. I've had enough. I'm off."
"Fine," called Ron, as the door banged shut. "You've been a right little snot since Day One. See if we care."
"But we do care," said Harry darkly. "We're twenty-five half-trained teenagers against about a hundred full-grown Dark Wizards and Voldemort."
A few people were looking uneasy. "I'm not going to make you stay," said Harry. "It's your choice."
But then a voice behind Harry said, "We're all in it for the long haul, Harry. We'll follow wherever you lead."
Harry blushed, nodded and clapped his hands. "Right," he said. "Where's Azkaban?"