Someday, I will own something of great value. This will not be Harry Potter, as J K Rowling already owns it.
DA Meetings
"So, what were you really doing at the Hogshead?" Draco asked. He and Ryua shared the carriage with Crabbe and Goyle, which meant they could talk easier than if they were alone at Hogwarts or home. No one eavesdropped on a Malfoy when their henchmen were nearby.
"What do you mean?" Ryua said, neutrally.
"I know you weren't just getting a drink, you'd have taken me with you."
Ryua groaned, turning it swiftly into an expression of disgust. "Why is it that you think I include you in everything I do?"
"Um, let's see… because you do?"
"I joined a group to study DADA better than Umbridge could teach it. I figured you wouldn't want the extra work, when you already have Quidditch and Prefect duties."
"Oh." Draco was satisfied with that, although maybe a little hurt deep down. They really did do everything together, and this was the first time Ryua had gone off doing something without him.
The next morning, though, there was a notice on the board which killed off most of Ryua's enthusiasm, to be replaced with hate and frenzied activity. Educational Decree Number Twenty Four the sign read. Ryua couldn't do anything about Harry's group, that was up to him, but she had to get the Quidditch team reinstated. She strode into the boy's dorm, throwing a shoe at her brother. She mildly noticed that the empty bed in the corner had been requisitioned for storage of their extra stuff. "Wake up Draco, we have trouble."
"Uh. G'way…" he said, pulling the blankets over his head.
"Up!" Ryua bellowed, using her best Quidditch pitch yell. "I need to get Umbridge to do something, and she won't listen to me alone. So you're coming with me!"
The pile of green blankets winced at her tone. "So bribe her. I'm not getting up, it's Sunday."
"You are more trouble than you're worth, you know that?" Ryua said as she strode out. Actually, that's not a bad idea…
Before breakfast even, Ryua was knocking at Umbridge's office door. "Good morning, Professor."
"Oh… good morning dear…" she said, apparently not fully awake yet despite the steaming mug of coffee in her fat little fist.
"I just was noticing the Educational Decree posted in the house common rooms, and came here straightaway to get our house team reinstated."
"The Slytherin team, yes, yes… wait. You're the captain?"
"Yes Professor Umbridge. It would mean a great deal to me to be able to continue. I would be… grateful." Ryua said, hiding her disgust, and rolling a galleon across her fingertips.
Exactly as Draco had predicted, her greedy, pudgy little eyes lit up at the sight of the gold, and when Ryua pulled the small bag from her robes, Umbridge immediately signed a paper to be delivered to Dumbledore allowing the Slytherin team to practice. "Some people…" Ryua muttered as she walked up to Dumbledore's office. "Well, at least the team's back, that's what matters." She set the parchment in the gargoyle's mouth and went back down to breakfast.
Predictably, Draco acted like getting the team back was his whole idea. Ryua didn't' mind, it kept him happy, and the people that mattered, namely the Quidditch teams, knew very well that it was her doing. Something interesting happened though, during Draco's usual slandering of the Gryffindors. Although Harry and Ron looked as angry as usual, Neville Longbottom was the one who flew to his feet and leapt at them. Goyle immediately placed himself in front of Draco of course, being the taller and more forbidding, and Crabbe moved in front of Ryua, just in case Neville stupidly decided she was an easier target than Draco.
"Huh. What do you suppose Longbottom has against St. Mungoes?" Draco asked, back in the common room
"Hmm, probably someone he knows in long-term care." Ryua said, copying Charms answers out of the textbook. "The Longbottoms were always involved in the war, probably some cousin or something."
"Maybe he has a long lost brother, that they keep hidden away from the world because they're ashamed to have him in the family!"
"… Draco, you've been reading too many comic books. Neville's an only child, and even if he had a brother, he wouldn't come back, twisted and evil to be the downfall of his family."
"Fine, shatter my beliefs…"
A couple days later in Arithmancy, Hermione told Ryua that they'd found a place for the meetings. "Really? Good, I was hoping for a reason not to fly Quidditch practice tonight…"
"Yeah, that was the guys' reaction too."
"I was worried you wouldn't still do it with Umbridge's decrees. I'll see you there."
And just before eight, Ryua managed to catch up with Fred and George, both of whom looked just as excited as she was. With one look around the room, Ryua fell in love. Books, cushions, dark detectors, and the feeling of doing something completely forbidden came together to make a fantastic atmosphere.
She was a bit shocked to hear that Harry wanted to start with disarming charms, but that was before she saw how sad most of the students were with just that. Expelliarmus was one of the few charms she could work well, because it was so obviously a dueling spell. So, after catching both Harry and Neville's wands within seconds of each other, Harry left her with Neville and walked around the classroom. Neville, for reasons Ryua couldn't grasp, seemed to be scared of the simple little charm. "Relax, Neville, I'm not going to kill you. The worst you can do with this charm is throw someone a few feet, and that takes a lot of magic."
"I did it earlier, I got Harry's wand. Now, I can't do it anymore…" he said sadly, as Ryua's wand hand shivered, but held tight.
"Well, what were you doing different?"
"Nothing!" he wailed, pointing his wand again, and causing a slight push of wind against her body.
"Neville, You're acting like you don't expect it to work. You jab your wand lightly, you say the words quietly, and you don't sound like you expect my wand to obey."
"That's cause you're better than me. I can't order you around." He looked absolutely miserable, "Everyone's better than me…"
"Longbottom, quit thinking that way. This spell doesn't care who's the better duelist, who has the most magic… it cares about how much you want to, need to disarm your opponent." Ryua took a deep breath. "I've used it against much more experienced and stronger wizards, and it works, simply because I really, really wanted it to."
"Really?" He looked up at her, his soft, round face full of hope.
"Yes. Now, start using some of that pureblood magic, and demand that I let go of my wand. The more aristocratic and demanding you sound, the more likely you'll do it right."
"Okay… Expelliarmus!" He shouted, snapping his wand down. Ryua ducked as six books flew off the shelf behind her. "Oops, sorry, sorry…"
"It's okay. That was a good charm. Now, just try to aim it better." Two more batches of books went flying, narrowly missing Michael and Ginny, before he made a hit at her wand. It clattered at his feet. "Beautiful, Neville, beautiful. There's just one problem."
"What?" He asked, nervous again.
"It's much easier to pick up a wand, then try to wrench it out of your opponent's hand. Catch it, don't leave it lying around where anyone can get it." Ryua caught her wand as Neville tossed it back. "Neville, are you left-handed?"
"Erm, no…"
"Neville, you just threw me my wand with your left, and in Potions, you use your left when you cut things. So, why don't you use your left all the time?"
"I've always been told it's bad to use your left…"
Ryua snorted. "Some stupid pureblood rule, like not speaking to muggle-borns. I'll tell you now, Neville, when you're in a life or death situation, it's much, much better to use your good hand. It could mean the difference between disarming your opponent, or being killed."
He looked slightly sheepish, but not altogether woebegone, a good sign. "Okay, I'll try."
"Good. I know how much harder it is to be stuck with your off hand."
"Detention was that bad?"
"… sort of. I also broke my right over the summer, and had to learn everything with my left. Not fun at all. So, don't do it if you don't have to, okay?"
With that, Harry called an end to the meeting, sending them all scurrying back to their dorms before they were caught by Filch for being out.
Author's Note: Wow, I got another three reviews last chapter. Thanks to JeannieBeannie33, Rain4lifeand KarrotMonster (go Me!)for making me feel better, andKarrotMonster for giving me an idea for a chapter later, too!
And I've been trying really, really hard to get a fanart account going. won't accept my format, I can't log into Elfwood until January, and I can't find anymore sites for some reason. Any suggestions?
