Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters attached.
Reviewers:
Dragon sword master: you couldn't review the last chapter because it was replacing the notice, which you had already reviewed.
Now, the duelling was basic for several reasons, Harry doesn't want to reveal everything he know until he faces Voldie, the only advanced, offensive magic that the JR DEs know is dark, which will get them expelled…something they are trying to avoid.
I am actually considering adding Daphne in the relationship, if I do, It wont be until near the end. While I don't believe on soul mates (too depressing), Harry and Blaise are as close to it as you can get…I'm gonna have an unusual magical effect at work soon…shortly after the DA's first battle…so if Daphne does join in, she'll have to work for his love.
Chapter 19: Planning.
"Let me get this straight." Harry said to Rose as they sat in the 'Intelligence headquarters', a comfortable, twelve foot square office with two desks and four chairs. Rose was sat behind 'her desk' while Harry was sat in front of it.
It was that evening, about four hours after Harry was ambushed.
"You got a lead on Nott, and were trying to find him, so you could question him with Legilimancy, when you bumped into Malfoy, literally, you followed him to where he ambushed me, and I know the rest about the fight."
"Right." he continued at her nod. "Now, why were you questioning Nott about being gay?"
"In the muggle world, being gay is tolerated, but in the magical world, it's looked upon as some sort of disease that needs eradicating, so if he was gay, he has had to hide it for fear of being killed, or even tortured by his father."
"And is he?"
"Why don't you tell me? You are the one that taught me Legilimancy." She said with a smirk, already knowing the answer.
"May I remind you that you are the only one capable of penetrating my shields, my filters might as well not be there. And you are far better at it than me, or even Dumbledore."
"Alright, yes, he is gay, he stayed with his boyfriend this summer: twenty year old half-blood…and yes I erased the memory of me prying into his mind."
"Alright, when's his birthday?"
"February, why?"
"We'll offer him a deal, we just get information off him, after teaching him Occlumency, until Christmas. Then, after the holidays, we'll train him enough to get himself out of a fix; since I get the impression that he'd like to stay neutral. That way, if he gets compromised, he can be protected."
"I asked about his birthday because then he comes of age so his father can't force him to do anything."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Harry." The Indian girl said as she sat down next to him at lunch a few days after Halloween.
"Yes Padma?"
"I've been thinking, and you know that the DA needs to get bigger, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, anyone that joins will need to be trained from scratch."
"Uh huh." Harry agreed while wondering if the Ravenclaw prefect had been taking lessons on 'how to take as long as possible to explain something'.
"Well, I came across a handy charm while I was studying for OWLs, that will help us get everyone trained up to a decent level in very little time."
"And how does this spell help us do that exactly?"
"It compresses time."
"Excuse me?" he asked incredulously.
"It compresses time in a given space, like a room or building…even a cabinet or table."
"So…your suggesting that we put this spell on a room, and do a huge amount of training in there."
"Yeah…that's about it."
"Padma…you…are…a…genius." He praised while resisting the urge to kiss her since his girlfriend, sat on his other side, wouldn't be very happy with him. And unhappy girlfriend equals less kisses. "What kind of limitations are there on the spell?"
"It only lasts up to an hour in real time, but, depending on power, the internal time can be varied from two hours to twelve months. Also, once cast, nothing can get in or out of the area until the spell fades."
"Can the spell be cast inside of an existing compression…bubble, yeah, that works, can the spell be cast on an area already inside a compression bubble?"
"I don't see why not."
"Brilliant! Padma, do you know of a potion called 'Felix Felicis'?"
"Yes." She said faintly, while Hermione looked at Harry in shock.
"Good, as you know, the DA is going to fight, a little extra luck during said fights will be handy, so we'll make some in…four weeks."
"Harry, Felix Felicis takes 6 months to make! You can't expect someone to spend that long in compression time."
"I'm not, I may not be good at potions, but I know how to read brewing instructions…thanks to Blaise, it requires five months, three weeks, six days and eight hours to simmer, with fourteen hours make time before hand. We go into compression time, say…four weeks inside, while in there, we spend fourteen hours making it, then put it under this time compression charm for said amount of simmer time."
"Oh, you do know that that potion is hard to make?"
"Yes Hermione, the book I found it in said, and I quote; 'desperately tricky to make, and disastrous to get wrong'"
"Oh, well, what makes you think we can make it?"
Harry just smirked as he lifted the fork to his mouth, pausing before he took the bite. "It said the same thing about 'the Polyjuice potion'."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Alright, your all here because you want to fight against Voldemort. The first thing we will do is using an ability called Legilimancy; check that you are loyal to us. Not spying or otherwise revealing information to people not a part of this group."
"This isn't because we don't trust you, but we had a spy problem last year and want to ensure it doesn't happen again. Rose, Blaise, if you will." Rose and Blaise stepped forwards to begin the Legilimancy tests.
The group gathered in the room of requirement was made up of a large group of students that, if all made it in, would bring the DA up to 101 members.
It was Saturday, two weeks after the suggestion to perform time compression training had been made, the chamber of secrets was cleaned out ready the previous Saturday, and its alteration begun today.
Two hours, and three thumping headaches (Harry, Blaise and Rose) later, and the tests were complete. Returning to the raised platform at the front of the room, Harry addressed the students.
"Congratulations, welcome to the DA, you training will begin in two weeks, we will meet at the girls bathroom on the second floor at 1pm. Dismissed."
Five minutes later, once everyone but him and Blaise had left, Harry told the room to shift back to his and Blaise' room.
Moments later there was a knock on the door, opening it, Blaise found Rose, holding her head, along with Padma and Hermione, who was also holding her head.
After letting them all in, Padma spoke up. "We'll have the chamber completely set up by tomorrow evening, here is the list of supplies we'll need for four months, everything is there, potions ingredients, food, drinks, etc."
"Brilliant, there ate a few things I'd like to add to that list. Do any of you know a good shop for selling things like combat boots and webbing belts/pouches?"
"No." Padma and Rose echoed, while Hermione looked thoughtful, before speaking up.
"I don't, but my dad might. He's an ex-army dentist. He didn't do any fighting, but it was required they know how and where to get replacement supplies since the army has atrocious logistics, so the soldiers had to know where to get equipment."
"Can you write him about getting 100 pairs of combat boots, and webbing belts? I'll pay for them, but I'll need to know how much it all costs."
"Yeah, no problem."
"Good, I'll send this list off to Fred and George tomorrow, so they can get it all, I'll drop in on them on this Saturday, it's a Hogsmeade weekend, so I won't be missed." He paused, looking thoughtful.
"Padma, do you know about networks?"
"Yeah…you mean like computer networks, that sort of thing?"
"Yep, well, I think I've found a way for us to communicate silently over long distances."
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Telepathy…if we can somehow put my telepathy in an object, like a stone or necklace, then we can charm the necklace so that the wearer was connected into a network made up by these stones or necklaces."
"That's a brilliant idea…I'll look into it for you."
"Thanks, that's all I ask. Now, before the Hogsmeade trip, I'd like to hold a meeting of the old DA."
"Alright, I'll arrange it."
"Thanks Hermione."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: I don't know if the make time for Felix Felicis is correct, I think it says six months in HBP, but I can't be bothered to scan through to be sure.
Quote about how difficult Felix is to make is lifted straight from HBP, Slughorn: page 178, chapter nine (Half-Blood Prince) (UK edition).