Chapter 15: Fading Summer
Disclaimer: If you've seen it, I don't own it.
The DA members seemed intrigued at the thought that something that all these adults had to talk about concerned them. Everyone sat around the now empty table and listened intently as Dumbledore relayed what he had found out about Voldemort's plans.
The order members were shocked when they heard that the Dark Lord planned on attacking the school.
"Albus we don't have enough people to defend the school!" one of the order members yelled from the back. "Not with the Dementors."
"That is why I said this concerned the DA. Harry how many are capable of producing a Patronus?" Dumbledore turned to the group of youngsters.
"The majority of us can conjure a decent Patronus but we've never practiced on actual Dementors. I am the only one who has done it with the real thing standing there."
"how much practice do you need to be confident in your group?"
"Maybe a week. They are all pretty advanced."
"I will talk to their parents about letting them stay here. Here they can do magic undetected by the Ministry. I still wish for any practicing to be done in front of an adult so that no accidents happen." Dumbledore gave them all a stern look.
"Yes sir." Hermione answered for all of them.
"No w we must devise a plan for the defense of both the train and the school. Does anyone have any ideas?"
They all began to think.
"How many Order members are there Professor?" Ginny asked after a few seconds.
"If I pull the ones I can out of missions we have about a hundred and fifty. So that makes around a hundred and eighty people all together. Plus the teachers who aren't part of the Order for various reasons, making a grand total of two hundred or so." Dumbledore was adding their full strength aloud.
Draco suddenly looked like he had an idea. "What if we made sure that Voldemort didn't know how many we had. We can have DA members in ever compartment without anyone noticing something strange. The Slytherins would suspect something though so we could have the Prefects near them. We could also slip Tonks in so she looks like a first year Slytherin and she could defend some of the Slytherins that way. See my plan is while everyone is boarding the train we can have DA members arriving randomly and patrolling the train as if looking for a compartment. Mad-eye can stand watch near the door where he can make sure no Death Eaters are sneaking around in invisibility cloaks or using any sort of disguise charms. The Aurors can stand around the train and it wouldn't look too suspicious because the Ministry admitted that Voldemort was back and then we have plenty of parents in the order. As for the school, the moment the train sets off, many of the order members could apperate to the school. Others can stay with the train so that no attacks can surprise us at Hogsmade. The Order members who are at the school can inform the teachers and set up defenses there. From what I know of the Dark Lord he will most likely attack as the carriages approach the school so that he can use the students as a shield, so you just have to take the students in another way." Draco smiled at the thought of a stunned Voldemort.
"and how would we get the students in?"
"Flying. The thestrals pull the carriages right? Enchant them to fly over the forest and land on the side of the school opposite from the gate. Send carriages with Order members through the gate normally to bait the Death Eaters into a trap. It will lower their numbers with little cost to the order or the DA."
Everyone was silent for a minute. "Brilliant Mr. Potter. I think it just might work." McGonagall exclaimed after a moment.
Dumbledore quieted the now excitedly chatting group. "We will make further plans for the actual fighting plans while you all go and practice. Kingsley would you mind monitoring their practice?" Dumbledore turned to the bald man.
"No Problem." Kingsley stated as he followed the group of youngsters out of the room.
The weeks went by fast as the DA practiced and got better at attacking and defending. Draco knew many jinxes that they could learn and learned more than he taught. Hermione would spend the free time in the evenings looking up new spells to learn that would add twists to their fighting while at the same time wouldn't drain the caster.
Ginny had thought it a good idea to learn a few healing spells as well (for minor things) so that in case something went wrong they wouldn't have to worry nearly as much.
Ron had asked Hermione out (much to the relief of the others) the evening after the first meeting and she had agreed. They were often seen together during any waking hours of the days and often enough asleep on the couch together. (much to the amusement of Harry, Draco, and Ginny.)
The Potter twins had their first birthday party ever which turned out to be a blast. They didn't receive too many gifts as most of the guests were not allowed on Diagon Alley but the fact that they had people who cared about them was enough.
The boys spent the evenings playing exploding snap with their friends or talking about life in general whilst stroking their Phoenixes and Hedwig, when she wasn't hunting. The summer was quickly coming to a close and the DA members were sent back home for their last week of vacation. Remus decided that he needed to spend some time with his young charges before things got hectic and he couldn't. Dudley would be sent to a boarding school as Remus had been enlisted to stay at Hogwarts with other various order members for the schools protection.
Dudley was beginning to get comfortable with the magic around him and was beginning to think that maybe Harry and Draco weren't freaks but actually just a little different. Gifted was the word that came to mind.
All too soon it was time to board the Hogwarts Express.
A/N: That's a short chappie but you can deal with it. I'm writing at 3 a.m. because I can't sleep so you can give me a break.
Disclaimer: If you've seen it, I don't own it.
The DA members seemed intrigued at the thought that something that all these adults had to talk about concerned them. Everyone sat around the now empty table and listened intently as Dumbledore relayed what he had found out about Voldemort's plans.
The order members were shocked when they heard that the Dark Lord planned on attacking the school.
"Albus we don't have enough people to defend the school!" one of the order members yelled from the back. "Not with the Dementors."
"That is why I said this concerned the DA. Harry how many are capable of producing a Patronus?" Dumbledore turned to the group of youngsters.
"The majority of us can conjure a decent Patronus but we've never practiced on actual Dementors. I am the only one who has done it with the real thing standing there."
"how much practice do you need to be confident in your group?"
"Maybe a week. They are all pretty advanced."
"I will talk to their parents about letting them stay here. Here they can do magic undetected by the Ministry. I still wish for any practicing to be done in front of an adult so that no accidents happen." Dumbledore gave them all a stern look.
"Yes sir." Hermione answered for all of them.
"No w we must devise a plan for the defense of both the train and the school. Does anyone have any ideas?"
They all began to think.
"How many Order members are there Professor?" Ginny asked after a few seconds.
"If I pull the ones I can out of missions we have about a hundred and fifty. So that makes around a hundred and eighty people all together. Plus the teachers who aren't part of the Order for various reasons, making a grand total of two hundred or so." Dumbledore was adding their full strength aloud.
Draco suddenly looked like he had an idea. "What if we made sure that Voldemort didn't know how many we had. We can have DA members in ever compartment without anyone noticing something strange. The Slytherins would suspect something though so we could have the Prefects near them. We could also slip Tonks in so she looks like a first year Slytherin and she could defend some of the Slytherins that way. See my plan is while everyone is boarding the train we can have DA members arriving randomly and patrolling the train as if looking for a compartment. Mad-eye can stand watch near the door where he can make sure no Death Eaters are sneaking around in invisibility cloaks or using any sort of disguise charms. The Aurors can stand around the train and it wouldn't look too suspicious because the Ministry admitted that Voldemort was back and then we have plenty of parents in the order. As for the school, the moment the train sets off, many of the order members could apperate to the school. Others can stay with the train so that no attacks can surprise us at Hogsmade. The Order members who are at the school can inform the teachers and set up defenses there. From what I know of the Dark Lord he will most likely attack as the carriages approach the school so that he can use the students as a shield, so you just have to take the students in another way." Draco smiled at the thought of a stunned Voldemort.
"and how would we get the students in?"
"Flying. The thestrals pull the carriages right? Enchant them to fly over the forest and land on the side of the school opposite from the gate. Send carriages with Order members through the gate normally to bait the Death Eaters into a trap. It will lower their numbers with little cost to the order or the DA."
Everyone was silent for a minute. "Brilliant Mr. Potter. I think it just might work." McGonagall exclaimed after a moment.
Dumbledore quieted the now excitedly chatting group. "We will make further plans for the actual fighting plans while you all go and practice. Kingsley would you mind monitoring their practice?" Dumbledore turned to the bald man.
"No Problem." Kingsley stated as he followed the group of youngsters out of the room.
The weeks went by fast as the DA practiced and got better at attacking and defending. Draco knew many jinxes that they could learn and learned more than he taught. Hermione would spend the free time in the evenings looking up new spells to learn that would add twists to their fighting while at the same time wouldn't drain the caster.
Ginny had thought it a good idea to learn a few healing spells as well (for minor things) so that in case something went wrong they wouldn't have to worry nearly as much.
Ron had asked Hermione out (much to the relief of the others) the evening after the first meeting and she had agreed. They were often seen together during any waking hours of the days and often enough asleep on the couch together. (much to the amusement of Harry, Draco, and Ginny.)
The Potter twins had their first birthday party ever which turned out to be a blast. They didn't receive too many gifts as most of the guests were not allowed on Diagon Alley but the fact that they had people who cared about them was enough.
The boys spent the evenings playing exploding snap with their friends or talking about life in general whilst stroking their Phoenixes and Hedwig, when she wasn't hunting. The summer was quickly coming to a close and the DA members were sent back home for their last week of vacation. Remus decided that he needed to spend some time with his young charges before things got hectic and he couldn't. Dudley would be sent to a boarding school as Remus had been enlisted to stay at Hogwarts with other various order members for the schools protection.
Dudley was beginning to get comfortable with the magic around him and was beginning to think that maybe Harry and Draco weren't freaks but actually just a little different. Gifted was the word that came to mind.
All too soon it was time to board the Hogwarts Express.
A/N: That's a short chappie but you can deal with it. I'm writing at 3 a.m. because I can't sleep so you can give me a break.