Chapter Twelve: The New D.A.
"Ron, where's Ginny? I need to see Ginny!" Harry croaked, and he realized his throat was parched and sore as though he'd been screaming for a while. The door to the dorm room opened and closed and Harry realized Neville was suddenly missing.
"Harry, you were glowing, all red, and then green, and then red again. It was weird," Ron told him.
"And you were talking in your sleep, too" Seamus added, as though this were far more strange than glowing red and green.
"What…what was I saying?" Harry took in the ashen faces and thought of his dream. He wondered if they had heard….
"You said…" Dean tried to explain.
"You commanded…" Seamus tried to help. And Harry thought he had a pretty good idea why they couldn't continue. He scrambled out of his bed and down the steps to the Common Room.
Neville stood at the bottom of the steps that led up to the girls' dorms, contemplating. He suddenly took out his wand, said "Wingardium Leviosa" and pointed it at himself. He then floated straight up the stairs and rapped on the dorm door.
"Neville, you're brilliant!" Harry exclaimed. He cast the same charm upon himself and joined Neville at the top of the stairs. The door opened and Lavender stood gaping at the two hovering boys.
"You boys aren't supposed to be up here," she said bossily.
"Just get Ginny, please," Neville said kindly, but firmly.
"No way, I will not be a party to your late night pranks. You can pull whatever this is on her in the morning," Lavender said, and she started to close the door.
"Lavender, go and get Ginny, it's important. This is no prank!" Harry commanded, and Lavender's eyes widened.
"Who do you think you are, Potter, telling me what to do in the middle of the night!"
"Harry?" Hermione came to the door, "What's going on?"
"Hermione, thank Merlin! Please, go and get Ginny. Wake her up. Make sure she's Ok." Harry spilled out. Hermione donned a motherly sort of worried look and went to fetch Ginny. She gasped slightly a moment later, and Harry could not contain himself a moment more. He rushed into the room and over to Hermione's side. Hermione stood over Ginny's sleeping form, trembling.
"She's so cold," Hermione said, "and she was glowing!"
"What color?" Harry asked.
"What?"
"What color glow, Hermione?" Harry said more desperately.
"Red," Hermione responded.
Harry sighed, relaxed a bit and bent over Ginny. He gently shook her and her eyes fluttered open, 'Are you all right?' he thought to her.
I'm fine, whatever you did, you saved me. But I don't know about Percy.
'I hope he's ok, but thank Merlin you're all right. I'm so sorry.'
Hermione looked from Harry to Ginny who seemed to her to just be staring into one another's eyes. Harry noticed her doing this and broke out of the reverie and looked up at her. "Can you stay here with her?" Harry asked, "Just stay beside her?"
"Sure Harry," Hermione said, a hint of curiosity evident in her voice. She sat on Ginny's bed and looked again between her two friends. "What's going on with you guys? How did you know she was in any danger, and why did you ask me what color she was glowing?" Hermione's face held an expression that clearly said she already had some idea what the answer was to these questions.
"It was Voldemort. He invaded my dreams again. He tried…he…" but there seemed to be no way to explain what Voldemort had done without explaining how Ginny had been present in Harry's dream.
Harry looked to Ginny for help and she sighed. She took a deep breath, looked around the room at the many curious faces, and whispered quietly, "The bond." Hermione's eyes widened with recognition, but the others just looked confused. Harry smiled weakly at Hermione's shocked expression.
"I'd better get back to bed," Harry said awkwardly. He leaned down and planted a kiss on Ginny's forehead, smiled the same weak smile at Hermione again, and left the girls' dorm.
"What was that about, Harry?" Neville asked, who had not gone in but had waited at the door for Harry.
"It was just a nightmare. One that seemed all too real," Harry said, knowing it was at least half true.
"Most people don't glow red and green during a nightmare, Harry."
Harry looked warily at Neville and tried to pacify him, "They do when Voldemort tries to tell them something in their sleep."
Neville blanched and stepped away from Harry.
"It's all right, Neville. He's gone now." But Neville didn't seem convinced.
"I think you should tell the headmaster about this, Harry. There's more going on here than I think you even know. You should go to Dumbledore."
"Neville, I just want to go to bed," Harry said. But Neville had grabbed onto Harry's arm and was dragging him toward the portrait hole. Neville didn't let go of Harry's arm until they stood in front of the gargoyle statue. Harry didn't resist him. He figured Neville was probably right. But Harry was extremely nervous to tell Dumbledore about his connection with Ginny.
"Canary Creams," Harry said reluctantly, and the gargoyle statue sprang out of the way and the staircase began its revolving assent. Harry and Neville stepped onto the first step and rose to the top. Neville knocked loudly on the door, which immediately swung open to allow them entry. Dumbledore sat behind his desk looking tired and old. He was clad in his usual day-time garb and Harry wondered briefly if the old man ever slept anymore.
"Thank you for bringing him to me, Neville," the headmaster said, "You did exactly the right thing." Neville smiled and sat on a chintz armchair next to the desk. Harry sat in another, and looked up at Dumbledore warily.
"Harry," the professor began, "I believe this will be much simpler if we invite Ms. Weasley and Ms. Granger in as well." That said, the door swung open again revealing the two girls and Ron. "Ah, and Mr. Weasley, you too may join us." That twinkle was back in Dumbledore's eye, and Harry thought it made him seem much younger all of a sudden. The three other students stumbled into the office and Dumbledore drew up three more chairs for them.
"Now, Harry, Ginny, I think there is something you may first need to explain to us all."
"Uhm," Harry said, looking at Ginny for permission. She smiled and nodded, and then looked at her hands.
"Well, sir, it all started this summer at the house." Harry looked at Dumbledore, and he smiled at Harry. "Ginny heard something…something I didn't say out loud. And then…ever since…."
"I think it's the Ptolemy Bond, sir," Ginny said quietly, "But we don't really know for sure how we came to have the bond."
"Can you think of any reason at all?" Dumbledore asked.
"Well," Harry raised his eyes from the floor for a moment to respond, "there was the Chamber of Secrets, and then last spring, at the Department of Mysteries…"
"We all protected each other," Ginny finished for him. "It was a…uhm, a life…altering…experience."
"To say the least," Ron interjected there, starting to catch on to what was being said. "So then you two…"
"Yes," Harry said simply, and Ron seemed to be digesting that information rather badly as he leaned back in his chair and gulped audibly.
"It wasn't something we ever really chose," Ginny tried to explain, "It just happened."
"Harry," Dumbledore said, "How do you feel about this connection you two are sharing?"
"Feel? Well, I guess at first it sounded really fun. I mean, we could talk to each other from different classrooms and listen to one another's conversations with other people. But tonight…I was afraid…"
"What happened, Harry?" Dumbledore prompted him.
"We have been sharing a dream," Ginny answered for Harry. "It started almost the same way as it always does. But then it changed."
"Voldemort was there, and he had Percy locked in a dungeon," Harry continued the tale, "And Lucius Malfoy was there. I saw through his eyes, as before, until he turned his wand on Ginny. He was about to use the killing curse when…."
"Go on, Harry," Dumbledore encouraged, but Harry didn't know how to explain this last part. It was too new.
"I told him to stop."
"You commanded him to stop," Ginny corrected.
"And did he?" Dumbledore asked.
"He laughed and tried to do it anyway," Ginny went on, "and then Harry glowed all red, and then green, and then red again, and the red light came and seemed to swallow me up. The next thing I knew, Harry was waking me up and Hermione was standing over me and shaking all over. She said I was glowing too."
"Glowing Red?" Dumbledore asked.
"Yes," Hermione answered for them.
The room was very quiet for a while and Harry shifted nervously in his seat. Ginny reached over and took his hand in hers. Dumbledore took out one of his little silver instruments, pointed his wand at it and muttered something. The instrument glowed red and green and red, then formed a puff of red smoke tinged with gold sparks. As the sparks evaporated and the smoke dissipated, the five Gryffindor students looked around at each other in wonder. When Dumbledore finally spoke again, it was with a merrier voice than before.
"It seems," he paused and looked Harry in the eye, "that the two of you," his gaze shifted to Ginny, "have a very strong bond, the strongest I have seen in many years. The choice is up to you what to do with this bond. It can be broken, if you ever so desire it. But I daresay you most likely will find it comes in handy quite a lot of the time. Other than that, there is something else I think you should see, Harry." Dumbledore waved his wand in a peculiar fashion. A cloud-like substance swirled in the air before them all. The center of the cloud began to clear, revealing an image of some kind. As Harry looked closer, he could see the dungeon he had seen before. Lucius Malfoy bent over someone who lay on the floor. Harry squinted into the image nearly touching his nose to it, and saw long, white spindly fingers, still clutching a wand of yew, extending lifelessly from the sleeve of a black robe. The face was obscured, but Harry knew by the twinge in his scar who that was on the floor.
"Is he…is he dead?" Harry asked, bewildered.
"Unfortunately, Harry, he is not. But I do not believe he will recover from this episode of mind games as easily as he has done before."
"Percy…" Harry looked quizzically up at the professor.
"It seems we have been mistaken about his allegiances. The order will do everything in their power to retrieve him from Malfoy Manor's dungeon. I am grateful to you, Harry, as I am sure Arthur and Molly will be when I inform them of this discovery. But there is one thing I must ask you to do for me."
Harry thought he knew what the headmaster was going to ask and beat him to the punch, "You want me to learn Occlumency."
"Yes, Harry. We wouldn't want to give Voldemort another chance to attack Ginny through you, would we?"
"Of course not. But will this interfere with the bond we have?"
"Only if you want it to, Harry. You will learn to allow access to one person without letting down your defenses to another. It's really quite simple. And, no, I will not assign Professor Snape to teach you this time."
Harry let out a sigh of relief that made Ginny giggle, and he turned and smiled at her.
"As for you three," Dumbledore said, looking at Ron, Hermione, and Neville in turn, "with the exception of Miss Lovegood, I would ask you to keep what you saw and heard tonight to yourselves. The six of you share another kind of bond that I do not believe you have fully realized yet. Nevertheless, I expect you to look out for one another. I am more grateful than any of you will ever know that Harry has such reliable and trustworthy friends as all of you."
"Sir, there were others who saw Harry glowing," Neville informed him, "What should we say to them?"
"Not to worry. Your classmates have become accustomed to Harry being a tad bit…different…in some respects. They will not be terribly concerned. But, mind that you do not tell them of the Ptolemy bond or Voldemort's momentary demise. They will not understand that."
All five students nodded, and stood to leave. Harry and Ginny lingered behind a moment. "Professor Dumbledore," Harry said, "how did you see into the dungeon just now? What was that cloud you produced?"
"It's called a vision catcher, Harry," Dumbledore responded, and his eyes twinkled merrily. "I use it most often to keep an eye on those wizards and witches who are most important to me."
"Can you see anything in it?"
"No, I cannot. If I could, it would be a great help to the order, but alas, I cannot. I can only see imprints of certain wizards and witches with whom I share a connection, or in this case, I used your connection to Voldemort to invoke the spell. Though it enabled us to see a small moment of the goings on in Malfoy Manor, were I to draw on that connection too frequently, not only would you be unable to study, but it would eventually tire you so greatly that you would remain very weak for a very long time."
"Oh," Harry said dejectedly. "All right then. Goodnight, sir."
"Good night, Harry."
"Harry," Ginny said as the two approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, "Do you think Vol…Vold…demort…could have actually hurt me through that dream?" She was biting her lip and looking at her shoes as they walked.
"I don't know, Ginny, but one thing is certain. I won't let him hurt you."
"How did you stop him?"
"I'm not sure," Harry looked into Ginny's face and opened his mind to her. She let him see how she felt, that she loved him, but she feared allowing Voldemort access to herself through her connection with Harry. She was unsure about the safety of their bond.
"Ginny, do you want to sever the bond? We could probably get it back again later with that ritual Hermione found."
"No, I don't want to…I mean, I really like having this bond. It's fun sometimes, and…"
"It keeps us close," Harry finished for her.
"Yes, I'm just scared."
"Dumbledore said that if I learn Occlumency properly I can keep Voldemort out while still sharing this bond with you. I promise; I'll master it. I won't let him hurt you."
"I believe you, Harry. It'll be all right."
"Are you two going to give the password or do I have to sit here and listen to this drivel all night?" the Fat Lady asked, peering angrily at the young couple.
"Flobberworm," Harry said, and the portrait swung open. Hermione, Ron, and Neville sat on the couches by the fire waiting for them to return.
"I think I've seen the headmaster's office enough times for one term," Harry said, and the others chuckled their agreement. The five friends sat in amiable silence for a few moments, and then discussed how to explain Harry's nightmare to the other students who had witnessed bits of it. It was decided that they would only say that Harry had had a nightmare involving Voldemort harming Ginny and had simply gotten worried about her. They would say that Neville had been overprotective to take him to Dumbledore, and that everything was otherwise normal. As for the glowing, it was just a part of Harry's dream coming out, like talking in one's sleep. Once they had their story straight, they all traipsed back to their beds for a few more hours of what they hoped would be restful sleep.
Sunday morning dawned bright and early and Harry and his friends were all a bit groggy as they arrived, quite late, to the Gryffindor house table for breakfast. Luna, having just finished her breakfast, sat down with them next to Neville. She donned the usual half moon earrings and butterbeer bottle cap necklace. They filled her in about the Ptolemy Bond and she took it all in as though it were old news.
"My parents shared a rather strong Ptolemy bond before my mother died. Actually, I think they still converse through it from time to time."
"No offense, Luna, but how can your father speak with your mother when she's dead? A Ptolemy bond should be severed when one of the bonded persons dies. It was in the book!"
Luna looked dreamily around at everyone but Hermione. She smiled sweetly to Neville as though they were sharing some deep secret that Hermione was not to be let in on. Hermione huffed and turned to Ron for support. He shrugged and looked alarmed that he should have to say anything on the subject.
"I wonder how Malfoy enjoyed his stay in the hospital wing," Harry said, changing the subject. He didn't want his friends to start fighting again, and he was feeling rather curious about what might have happened to Malfoy to land him in the condition in which they'd found him the previous afternoon.
"Who cares," Ron responded, "he's just a slimy git. I'm sure he's fine."
"Who was the girl whose reputation you were concerned about?" Hermione asked. Harry looked up and down the Gryffindor table before responding. It was mostly deserted, and those still there were far enough away not to hear him.
"Parvati Patil," he whispered, "Malfoy said he'd been talking to her by the lake when his dad came and took her and did that to him."
"His father did that to him? Well, I might have known. Dad has always said Lucius Malfoy was scum. I just wouldn't have expected him to treat his own son and heir like that." Ron said.
"I know. Something is up with Malfoy. First he's depressed because he found out his dad really is a Death Eater – I mean, I would have thought he'd be overjoyed to find that out," Ginny pointed out.
"And then he messed up in Potions class badly enough to make Snape pay attention to it," Harry continued.
"Yeah, and then he didn't show up for Gryffindor's tryouts," Ron supplied.
"And he shows up all battered in a deserted corridor," Hermione mused.
"And then he says he was with Pavarti when his dad showed up and hit him?" Neville asked quietly.
"What happened to Parvati?" asked Luna.
"Dumbledore went and got her, brought her back to the hospital wing. I can only assume she was at Malfoy Manor, since Malfoy said his dad took her," Harry told them.
"Wow," Hermione muttered.
"No way," Ron shook his head.
"I think we should go and see how they're doing," Luna offered. "They might enjoy a bit of company."
"Luna," Neville addressed her sternly, "this is Malfoy we're talking about!"
"It's not the same Malfoy," Luna replied simply.
"Looks like the same one to me," Ron said agitatedly.
"No, no he's different now. He's changing," Luna argued.
"I think Luna's right," Ginny defended her, "The Malfoy we know would have been at our quidditch tryouts no matter what the circumstances. He would never have been seen talking to a Gryffindor by the lake, and he certainly would not have told Dumbledore where to find that same Gryffindor knowing it would reveal his father's escape from Azkaban. We don't have to go in or talk to him, but I think we should go up to the hospital wing just to see if he and Parvati are ok. We could say we came to visit Parvati if we do go in."
"I'm going up there," Harry decided. "Who wants to go with me?" Everyone but Ron agreed to come, and Ron grumbled and followed just the same. At the doors of the hospital wing they could see that the curtains were pulled around the two beds where Malfoy and Parvati had been placed the day before. They went in cautiously and asked Madame Pomfrey for permission to visit with Parvati briefly. Permission was granted on the condition that they would stay only a few minutes. They made their way quietly over to Parvati's bed and Ginny peaked in.
"Parvati," she whispered, "we've come to see if you're OK. Can we come in?"
"Who's with you?" Parvati said in a quiet voice, and she sat up and pushed aside the hangings to see for herself. "Oh, hi all."
"Hey," they said back and everyone was awkwardly silent for a moment. "So, are you OK?" Hermione finally asked.
"Yeah, I guess so. He just stunned me and took me somewhere. Dumbledore said he found me at Malfoy Manor. I suppose you all know as much about it as I do."
"Well, we know that Lucius Malfoy abducted you," Hermione explained, "but we don't know a whole lot. Do you mind if we ask about Draco?" Hermione looked a bit worried as she bit her lip and waited for Parvati to respond.
Parvati mimicked Hermione's lip-biting expression and looked at Harry and Ron before speaking again. "Now, don't get all mad or anything," she warned. "Actually, Draco and I are sort of, well…we're friends at least. We were just talking, and Mr. Malfoy came walking up to us all of a sudden. He stunned me and took me away. That's all I know. I guess he did something to Draco, too, since he's over there right now," she pointed her thumb toward the curtained bed to her right.
"Yeah, he did a right number on him," Ron told her. But Hermione's stern look kept him from saying more.
"I hope he's OK," Parvati said, throwing a worried look at the bed hangings.
"He'll be back to insulting the Gryffindor quidditch team by tomorrow, I'm sure," Harry comforted her with a wry smile. Parvati returned the grin and looked relieved.
"He hasn't said anything, then, since last night?" Ginny asked.
"No, they gave him a dreamless sleep potion and he's been out since. It's good of you guys to come down. I know you've never been on the best of terms with him, and I was kind of worried no one in Gryffindor house would be able to accept that I've made friends with him. I hope you won't hold this against him. It really wasn't his fault."
"We were the ones who found him," Harry informed her. "He's been acting oddly since term began. Maybe you're having a positive effect on him."
She giggled and replied, "He was never all that bad. He just doesn't like you three. You're always in the spotlight, and don't tell him I said this, but I think he's just always been jealous of you."
"Well, whatever his reasons, it doesn't matter. He'll probably always hate us, and I can't promise we'll ever attempt friendship with him, either, but he did what he could to help Dumbledore bring you back here, and that says something about his character," Hermione said thoughtfully. "We'll just have to see what happens next."
"Yeah, but really, Parvati, be careful around him," Neville warned. "I'm not sure he's made up his mind whose side he's on."
Parvati seemed to understand Neville's meaning and nodded her response. They bid her farewell when Madame Pomfrey came over to check on her patients. They went out to enjoy the last of September's warm and sunny weather. They visited with Hagrid, had tea and avoided the biscuits, then returned to the Great Hall for Lunch. Thoughts of Malfoy and Parvati were soon pushed to the backs of their minds.
The days seemed to pass more quickly than ever, and the first Hogsmeade weekend was only a few days away. Harry posted the notices with Hermione's enchantment upon them in each common room and asked Hermione to make some extra fake galleons for any new recruits that might show up. He had abandoned the idea of using the Sorting Hat to decide each member's skill level in favor of a more entertaining method. He showed his skill testing plan to Tonks and got her approval. She agreed to be in attendance and to set up the necessary arrangements. Harry hoped there would be a good turn out. The morning of the first Hogsmeade weekend arrived crisp and cool in the October sun. Clouds were just beginning to show on the horizon, and Harry hoped it would not rain before the meeting was over, as they were planning to hold it in front of the Shrieking Shack in Hogsmeade. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Hermione and Neville came down to breakfast together and met Luna there in the Great Hall. They ate quietly and stood in line to depart for the nearby village. Hermione clutched a basket of new galleons and Harry had stuffed a parchment and quill in his pocket for writing down the names of the new members. They arrived in Hogsmeade and split up to do their various shopping, meeting up at the Three Broomsticks when it was time to head for the Shrieking Shack.
"So, what'd you get?" Ginny asked Hermione as they walked up the lane.
"Oh, a new book, some quills and parchment…" Hermione replied.
"What's the book?" Harry asked.
"Oh, it's a treatise on the Goblin Wars of the second era. I've been studying up on that subject. Did you know the Goblins tried to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the standoff before declaring outright war? They really had no desire to fight, but like the house elves, they had no rights of their own. They…"
"Hermione, we get enough of that in Binns' class," Ron cut her off. "Can we just enjoy the day and save studying for Monday, please?"
"Ron, this is really interesting information. It could really apply to the war with Voldemort. It could help people see the importance of granting equal rights to all magical creatures!"
"Hermione, please," Ron said irritably and Harry could see another row starting. He quickly thought of something to distract them.
"Look, some people are already up there waiting for us. I think that's Dean and Seamus talking to Tonks up there, and some Hufflepuff girls as well." Harry pointed in the direction of the shack.
"Yeah, and there are a lot of others following behind us," Ginny informed them glancing over her shoulder. Sure enough, a long line of students from all four houses seemed to be forming. Students were pouring out of every shop, filtering into the queue two or three at a time. Harry guessed there were at least fifty people following them up the hill. Lavender, Parvati and Padma were among the first in line behind Harry and his friends. He also noticed Katie Bell and the rest of the Gryffindor team, the Creevey brothers, Ernie, Justin, and Hannah from Hufflepuff, with Hannah's sister, Madeline following closely behind. A few other Ravenclaw first years were walking with Madeline. Cho and her friends, even Marietta, were also in the group. Harry noted that all of last year's D.A. members who had not graduated were coming, along with a lot of others, most of whose names he did not know.
"Welcome to Dumbledore's Army," Harry called as they all assembled before him. Some smiled, others clapped and cheered. Most of the returning members nodded and a few waved cheerfully to each other. Harry grinned. This was going to be better than he had hoped.
"I have been asked to reform this group and to include in it all students who have an interest in learning to defend themselves and their friends and families from Voldemort and his Death Eaters." A shiver circulated the group at the mention of the Dark Lord, and Harry frowned.
"The first thing we are all going to do is to say his name aloud without concern for the effect! Voldemort is nothing more than a bully. He is the self proclaimed master of evil, and has effectively removed all humanity from his being. He is a monster and a terror, but he is still just a man. He was once known as Tom Riddle, a student of Hogwarts, and the heir of Slytherin. It was he who opened the Chamber of Secrets four years ago and petrified our friends; it was he who has burned and destroyed the homes and families of many of you here seventeen years ago. It was he who gave me most of the scars I now carry, like this one," Harry pointed to his forehead, "and this other," he pulled back his sleeve to show them the scar on his arm. Their eyes followed his motions with rapt attention. Harry continued his speech in a purposeful voice, "Tom Riddle, also known as Lord Voldemort, can and has been thwarted, and in the end, he will be defeated. His greatest power is fear. If we cease to fear him, we have wielded our greatest weapon against him. So say it. All together now, repeat after me: Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle."
Some people sniggered, some coughed nervously, but no one spoke. Harry looked to his friends and they nodded. The six of them repeated Harry's phrase in unison, "Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle!"
"Everyone now," Harry cried fervently, and most of the students joined him in shouting, "Lord Voldemort is a smelly pig whose real name is Tom Riddle!"
"That was better," Harry commended them. "Try this one: Tom Riddle, alias Voldemort has the brain of a troll and the face of a hag!" They all laughed, and this time everyone joined in to repeat the insult. Harry smiled and nodded.
"Great! Now, there are several of you who are returning from last year's group, and some who are new. Each of you comes with your own story to tell about how Voldemort and his minions have affected your lives. Each of you has a combination of desire and skill to help you in the effort to destroy him. I need to know how I can help you and what you can already do. So, I've had Professor Tonks set up a little obstacle course inside the Shrieking Shack." There was a murmur at the mention of the "haunted" building, but Harry just chuckled to himself and led the group up the hill to the front door of the Shack. "Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna will be inside acting the part of the attackers. You have to follow the arrows through the house and come back out the back door. I assure you, there is nothing in there, aside from my five friends here, that will do anything at all to you. Whatever spells you are hit with by one of these guys will be reversed as soon as you exit the building. Please line up single file to begin the course."
The students formed a long line, Harry's friends entered the house, and Harry stood at the door to usher people in. He asked Tonks to wait at the back door. He sent the students in one by one, and the testing began. He could hear the shouts, thuds and muffled screams of a few who were caught off guard by a stunner, a bat bogey hex or a Petrificus Totalis spell. He could see most of the action from the front window and watched patiently, laughing from time to time when one of the students caught one of his friends unawares. By the time the afternoon waxed toward evening, all of the students had emerged from the back of the building in varying conditions. He joined Tonks and his friends behind the shack to close the meeting.
"I hope you all enjoyed that," Harry said, a devilish grin spreading across his face. A few of those who had done poorly shot him grumpy scowls, but most of them laughed or just waited for him to continue.
"Does anyone have any questions?" Harry asked.
"What makes you think Voldemort can really be defeated?" asked a fifth year Slytherin.
"What makes you think he can't?" Harry replied, focusing on the boy.
"He has quite a track record for winning," the other responded.
"Actually, as far as his efforts to get rid of me," Harry said ruefully, "he seems to be on quite a losing streak. He has attempted to kill me five times to date, and I still manage to be alive."
"Yes," said a third year Hufflepuff, "but you're the boy-who-lived. You're the only one who has ever survived a direct attack!"
"I am not the only one," Harry countered. "Professor Dumbledore has dueled with him and won, my own parents defied him, as did Neville's, three times before he could bring them down. There are a lot of wizards and witches who have fought against him both seventeen years ago, and just recently, who have lived to tell the tale. I swear to you all, before this war is over, Tom Riddle will be defeated, one way or another!"
Bolstered by Harry's promise, many gazed proudly at Harry. Others gaped at his seemingly brash promise. Some looked understandably doubtful.
"Whatever the power and threat Voldemort presents to the wizarding world," Harry went on, "We will be far more likely to come out on top if we believe in our cause, our ability to win, and train with the attitude that says we intend to do so. If you do not think Voldemort can be defeated, there is no point in your being here. If you can put your faith in the promise I gave you then sign your name to this parchment, pick up a galleon from Hermione, and I'll see you at the next D.A. meeting."
The students filed forward and every one of them signed and the new members took a galleon. Each galleon was attached to a slip of parchment giving directions on how to use it. They shuffled away in groups similar to the ones they had come in, and soon Harry, Tonks, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Neville, and Luna stood alone in the waning sunlight. Tonks was the first to break the silence.
"Well, Harry, that was quite the speech."
"Yeah, I think you might have made quite an impression, especially on that one Slytherin!" Ron agreed.
"I only hope it's enough," Harry replied, still looking out at the horizon and the shrinking forms of the new and returning D.A. members.
"I suppose we'd best pack it in then, dinner will be waiting for us back at Hogwarts," Tonks pointed out. The seven of them went into the shack, pulled down the signs and righted the bits of furniture that had been overturned. They gathered at the back of the Shrieking Shack and headed back to the castle, weary and hungry, but mutually satisfied by the day's events.
"So," Ron opened the conversation as they sat in the Gryffindor Common room after dinner. Luna had joined them for the moment and sat to the right of Neville on the comfy sofa. Harry and Ginny shared the chair to the left of the sofa, and Hermione sat on the one to the right, Ron at her feet, enjoying a neck and shoulder massage. After a hearty groan of encouragement directed toward Hermione's hands, he continued, "What do you think the old Snake is up to now?" Ron had taken to calling Voldemort "the old Snake" over dinner since he was still a little shy of using the proper name, and Harry decided not to make an issue of it yet. It was after all an improvement over "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named" and Harry would take what he could get.
"I know he's trying to do something with Percy, trying to force him to join the Death Eaters. There was something in that vision about wanting to put him in place as the next Minister of Magic, under Voldemort's control of course." Harry watched the others' reactions to this and frowned.
"It sounds like just the kind of thing Percy would fall for, though, doesn't it?" Ron said dully.
"I don't think he will though," Harry replied, "At least, in the vision he was ready to die rather than give in to Voldemort's demands."
"What if Voldemort was just sending you another fake vision, Harry?" Ron asked, tempting Harry's temper with his need to be sure of his brother's loyalties.
"I suppose it's possible. We'll see soon enough, though, won't we? The Order is trying to get him out of there. If he has actually joined the other side, we'll know! He'll have the mark, won't he?" Harry donned a confident look.
"Yeah, that's true. I just hope, that is if Percy has gone to the other side, that no one in the Order gets hurt trying to rescue him," Ginny joined the banter. Hermione nodded her agreement, but continued silently with the massage.
"Perhaps your brother has been affected by Voldemort's AutraPersona potion," Luna suggested.
"His what potion?" Ron asked in annoyance.
"AutraPersona Potion," Luna repeated, "It makes the drinker take on an alternate personality, often bringing out all their basest and most vile traits."
"If there is such a potion, I'd bet Riddle has had regular doses of it," Ginny offered in truce-like fashion.
"No kidding," Neville added. "Perhaps there is a potion that brings out all of one's positive traits, we could force feed it to him and he'd melt into a pile of dragon dung because he hasn't got any good traits."
Harry chuckled, but after a moment said thoughtfully, "That's what we call Love, Neville. It works both ways. It makes us the best and the worst we can be. Jealous love makes us crazy and we do things that make no sense!" Hermione chuckled a little, and Harry smiled in Ron's direction before going on. "The lack of it destroys the soul. That's what happened that made Tom Riddle into Voldemort in the first place. He had no love for anyone, and no one had ever loved him. And Dumbledore said it was my mother's love that saved me from his first attack on me when I was a baby."
"And loving my parents is what keeps me going to Snape's potion class every day," Neville included. "Someday I'll be the healer that finds a way to cure them."