Chapter 78
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In the coming days, Rebekah had a few things to sort out.
Having realised that her binding ritual bonds were different to her friends was concerning but not enough to warrant full scale panic.
There was always a hierarchy within a group, and she guessed the marks were representing this. Hers had changed the most out of everyone's, it just took a while for all of them to surface on their skins.
All the boys had only their middle fingers linked by the tattooed chain to the wrist. Draco's only linked his middle fingers to his wrist. Blaise's tattooed ring chain was on his middle knuckle while Theo's still went to the tip of his fingers. Daphne had both middle and ring fingers with the tattooed ring chains, her on the middle knuckle like Blaise. Pansy had hers going to the top knuckle while Tracey's were unchanged from when she got them done.
It seemed like they matched until they got to the fingers but after that, their status in the group was revealed by how long the chains got. The longer the chain, the less trustworthy you were and more Magic was needed to keep you in line.
As the leader, Rebekah's was the shortest of all because she bowed to no one.
That was the first thing Rebekah had to find out.
The second and third were how to get Umbridge back for deciding to use a Blood Quill on a student, one for each offense.
Rebekah was furious when she found out that Weasley had been forced to use a Blood Quill for a few detentions, not enough to scar but enough to leave a mark until it healed. Luckily He had enough brain cells to know not to antagonise the pink bitch again.
The woman had begun to review the teachers and had already pissed McGonagall off by doing it. Even Rebekah knew McGonagall wasn't a woman you wanted angry.
The last thing Rebekah wanted to get sorted was her newest project with DADA. They needed a place to make the base of their operation but the Chamber was off limits for anyone but her group. Astoria and Logan hadn't been allowed down there just yet and wouldn't for a little while.
She needed to find a place soon and get this project started.
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"How the fuck did you get a Firewhiskey, Rebekah?" Draco shook his head. "I'm not even surprised anymore. Pass me some."
The group sat in the Hog's Head, all to one corner so they could watch anyone who would enter the pub. There wasn't anyone there but them, but they were expecting only a large handful of people. They had begun to spread the word in their Defense class, and then Astoria spread it to some of her year.
Eight people came along within minutes.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were the first, shortly followed by Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, from Gryffindor, Annie Shaw from Slytherin, Cho and Luna from Ravenclaw, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott from Hufflepuff.
Rebekah had asked them to choose people they would think would stay within the group and not leave halfway through or those who would not be likely to betray. Daphne and Hermione had managed to create a way that would prevent this anyway.
Rebekah shrugged, sipping her drink and feeling the burn of the alcohol in her throat. "Blame my GodFather. If I have to deal with people constantly, I'll need this or a pretty good alibi. I burn the alcohol off quicker than you would anyway, Animagus form does that."
"I hate this," Pansy muttered, bringing a finger to just under her tongue but found her hand slapped away by Rebekah. "Hey!"
"Don't touch it or you'll have to restart the month," Rebekah passed her the Firewhiskey to have a sip of before she sent it around the whole group to take a swig out of. "You don't want the Mandrake leaf for another month, do you?
"Merlin, no!" Pansy spat. "Why is it so hard for us to keep the leaf in place?"
"The placement of your tongue and how you speak," Daphne said before Blaise nodded to the rest and went to get some more butterbeers for everyone. Rebekah watched as he handed them round and gave everyone one each.
With everyone having a drink, Rebekah began by finishing off the glass of alcohol she had shared round with her friends.
"If you're here, it means that you've shown to have qualities we admire," Rebekah said, looking at each of their faces. "Be it courage, wisdom, or kindness, we've asked you to come because Umbridge isn't going to be teaching us anything that will be of use in the coming years."
"What do you mean 'of use'?"
"We all know You-Know-Who is back, even the Daily Prophet has said it," Tracey said, crossing one leg over the other. "They've said that he's just hiding, that he probably won't do anything but that isn't likely with what he's done in the last few years."
Ginny lifted her chin in question. "What has he done?"
"Quirrell, Basilisk, nothing in our third year, and the imposter last year,"
"We're having this meeting because we are creating a group, a study group of sorts that will have to stay under the radar as Umbridge bulldozes through our school," Blaise shrugged, crossing his arms loosely as he stood to one side of the group and spoke. "There are spells we should all know regardless of how the Ministry tries to treat us like children. We aren't children, we are teenagers and it's expected for us to be rebellious. Are you willing to become part of this little act of rebellion and actually learn something useful?"
With a murmur of agreement, they smiled and nodded until Hannah Abbott spoke up.
"Who will be teaching us though?"
"The one with the most experience and knowledge of what we need to learn," Hermione nodded grudgingly towards the group. "Where would we even do this? Chamber of Secrets?"
All of the Slytherins scoffed and laughed.
"What did I say?"
"No one goes to the Chamber because you literally can't get in without permission," Pansy rolled her eyes. "Rebekah's the only one that can open the door anyway."
"Library?"
"Too public and Madam Pince doesn't like Magic in there."
Rebekah paused. "The come and go room."
"What?"
"The HouseElves know of this room called the come and go room, otherwise known as the Room of Requirement," Rebekah cleared her throat before saying. "I'll ask Talpey about showing me it and see if it is appropriate. We'll meet once a week, on days that doesn't interfere with Quidditch as a lot of us are members. Hermione has the sheet I want all of you to sign, to keep track of who knows."
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By order of The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts,
All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded.
An Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.
Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).
No Student Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.
Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an Organization, Society, Team, Group, or Club that has not been approved by the High Inquisitor will be expelled.
Montague was quick to get the Quidditch team permission to play, making sure to be polite to the toad woman as he asked permission and kissed up to her ego.
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Snape was not a happy man when Umbridge decided to walk into his class and state that she would be observing his lesson. He sneered and tutted but didn't outright insult her, which was a truly amazing thing.
"You will notice that we have a guest with us today. We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend. Instructions are on the board." He waved his wand again before pocketing it. "Carry on."
Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner before she began to question Snape only a metre or two away from Rebekah who was listening intently to their conversation.
"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," Umbridge tutted as she looked at Snape looking over one student to look at their potion. She hummed and wrote something down. "Though I would question whether it is advisable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."
Snape straightened up slowly, trying to keep from giving her a dirty look before turning to look at the pink Witch.
"Now, how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" She asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.
"Fourteen years," Snape replied, refusing to look at her as he leaned over to peer at Rebekah's potion and gave it a satisfied nod. He also peered at everyone else's in the group and stepped away without commenting, which meant they were very much passable.
"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Umbridge asked Snape.
"...Yes."
"But you were unsuccessful?"
Snape's lip curled.
"...Obviously."
Rebekah's jaw twitched to the side every time Umbridge did the stupid little 'hem, hem'. She tapped her nail aggressively on the table, trying to keep the annoyance down as Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard and hummed again.
"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"
He barely moved his mouth as he gave Umbridge the dirtiest yet blankest look possible. "Yes."
"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?"
"I suggest you ask him."
"Oh I shall," She smiled sweetly enough to rot teeth.
"I suppose this is relevant?" Snape asked, his black eyes narrowed.
"Oh yes," Umbridge nodded. "Yes, the Ministry wants a thorough understanding of teachers' — er — backgrounds…"
Snape was correct in his theory, looking to Rebekah as he inclined his head towards the pink Witch now speaking to some Gryffindors. Their eyes met and Rebekah felt a presence in her mind, but it wasn't reading her but rather telling her something.
Rebekah nodded before sighing.
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It was nearing the end of the lesson and Umbridge had already spoken to Rebekah many more times than needed, or even wanted. When they got to the part of the conversation that made it feel like Rebekah was betraying her House by speaking of Snape to Umbridge, Rebekah had the excuse of needing to go to the store room because there was an ingredient she forgot to bring.
"She's going after anyone who is known to have a Death Eater in the family," Rebekah said slowly a while after Umbridge left the table and went to a different table to speak to another group. "We'll have to be careful as the weeks come by."
"But what do you mean? Why would she be going after any old person that had a Death Eater relative?" Tracey asked.
"Like OFTP, family is always more likely to join than a random person."
Rebekah had soon realised that the Fidelius Charm was less powerful than the Pietas Ad Mortem ritual they had done. Since Rebekah knew already about the Order, and the group would learn anything Rebekah would and not tell anyone without her permission or knowledge, the whole group knew, save for Logan and Astoria for the time.
Pietas Ad Mortem
Loyalty to death, or Death Duty.
How fitting.
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