Chapter Twenty-Three:

Army

Jack was speechless. The room was stacked with books and small cushions, excessively cosy for Jack's expectations. Standing in the room, he immediately saw Astrid, Aster, that Slytherin girl Merida, a blonde girl with a beehive that seemed way too big for a regular sized hair, a few other fifth years and at least another twenty other students that he didn't know.

"I'm glad your plan worked out, Haddock." Neville said. "And you made it out without a scratch!"

"Just barely," Hiccup replied. "Those fireworks worked better than I expected. Everybody left the room." He explained.

"How was White, though?" Astrid asked, smirking. Hiccup winked.

"Desperate."

"What is this?" Jack asked, still in awe, and everybody looked back at him.

"This is the Room of Requirement, Jack." Astrid said, walking up to her friend, her wand firm in her hand. "It's a secret place where a student could go to if he was in desperate need."

Jack still had his mouth open in shock. "I see."

"It's been a while since I've been here." Professor Longbottom said. "Twenty years ago, to be precise." Everybody got closer now, listening attentively to a war hero. "Back in my fifth year, when another Ministry's lackey started intervening on the school. We gathered here where we could learn how to fight back, but…" You could feel apprehension rising on the room. "It was nothing in comparison with today. Last time I got here, back in the Battle of Hogwarts, I thought the room would be sealed off. Now listen up, everyone. McGonagall left the school just this week, but she left me in charge of protecting you. But the way things are going, I am not sure how long I can keep all of you safe from White. She is backed up by the aurors and they are backed up by the Ministry." A gut wrenching silence followed. "It would not be too far to assume that the entire Ministry is compromised."

"What about the Order?" Astrid said, and Jack's heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought of having the Order of the Phoenix standing up against White and the fact that Astrid was talking about it in front of so many students when Hagrid had asked for absolute silence. But apparently, the news weren't as shocking for everyone else.

"You are still too young to join the Order," The Professor said, and there was a collective sigh of disappointment.

"Then let's make our own."

Jack looked to Hiccup, who never seemed braver than when he said those last words, not when he jumped off a tower or flew on Toothless back. The boy looked back at him, and soon he heard the first shouts of encouragement.

"Yes!" The other students replied. "Let's put White to run."

Professor Longbottom looked back at Hiccup. "You called it, Haddock. You name it."

Hiccup thought for a second. "How about… the Black Army?"

"Dramatic much?" Jack commented, but he had to admit that he liked the way it sounded.

"Let's do it," Merida's thick Scottish accent spoke. "The Black Army it is."

There were cheers of excitement rising through the room, Jack and Hiccup could feel it in their bones. Professor Longbottom smiled, he seemed proud. "Okay, then." He said. "We're going to need more space, though."

As soon as he said that, the room shook, and Jack feared for the worst, until he realised that the floor expanded, meters and meters to every direction, and he felt as if he was moving along with the ground. More pillars formed along with the new room, and in a moment the room expanded enough to conceal not just the students, but from the shadows emerged what seemed like metallic manikins, masks on their faces that Jack immediately recognised to mimic Death Eaters.

"Come on, then," Professor Longbottom said. "You better get started, You'll have until lunch, White will be stuck in the fireworks and the swamp until then. You've got around two hours."

And with that, he quickly rushed to the outside. Astrid and Jack stared at the door as it shut, and just like that, they put themselves to practice. Hiccup wasted no time in wandering to the book shelves at the corner of the room, immediately reaching the ones at the very top, even if he had to climb the shelf.

"A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions... The Dark Arts Outsmarted... Self-Defensive Spellwork... wow…" He said, and Jack noticed how his eyes seemed to glisten in lust as his hands reached for the first hard cover he could touch. The blonde girl with the Beehive approached him. "Jack, this is amazing, this is everything we could possibly ask for!"

And then the girl took no time in piling as many books as she could carry in her arms, collapsing to the neared cushion.

"Take care there, Azel," Merida said, walking up to her friend. "Jinx for The Jinxed' doesn't really sound like somethin' yeh really nee' ter read."

"I haven't found most of these books in the Lybrary, yet… I only dreamt of those titles in my wildest dreams, this room is perfect!" The girl Azel complained in a sweet sang voice. Jack chuckled before walking towards Hiccup, taking the book on the highest shelf for him.

"A literal dream coming true, I guess?" Jack said, offering the book.

"Definitely much better than the cove." Hiccup replied in a deeper tone. He then looked around. Apparently no one really knew how to start. "How are we going to help them, Jack?"

Jack just looked at him, smirking. "The same way you've been helping me." Hiccup looked back at him, green in blue. "Come on, it can't be that hard."

The white haired boy turned on his heels, and looked over the other 26 people talking loudly in the room. "Hey, everyone?"

Nobody seemed to notice him. "Alright, quiet please?!"

Hiccup hid his smirk at the awkward fail, rolling his eyes. He needs a whistle... And at arms reach, a whistle seemed to enter his focus, hanging in front of him. He took it, and blew it hard. Jack jumped at the sudden sound, and everyone seemed to quiet down instantly.

"Not bad," Jack muttered. "Thanks."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, stepping ahead of Jack. "Okay, listen up everyone. I think that for being our first meeting, we could start small. How about Expeliarmus for a first try? You know, the disarming charm."

"That's Potter's spell, isn't it?" Aster spoke from where he was standing with Astrid, and Jack had the sudden impression that they were a bit too close for friendliness.

"Yes." Hiccup replied, and everyone seemed to cheer up in excitement. "Come on, pair up everybody, and try to stick to your partners only." He said.


There were books after books of defensive spells, and as most of the room practiced the disarming and stunning charms, some Ravenclaws took their sweet time winging through the pages looking after new hexes and curses they could use. Azel took a sudden interest in the Muy Obscure Rituals from Sotanaht Grim, the detailings of the world levelling curse.

"I see no use for this book, Azel…" Hiccup commented after the girl motioned it to him, not raising his eyes from the heavy book on his lap. "That's not precisely what were dealing with."

"Gladly so… I can't even believe books with these instructions still exist, we should burn those…"

"Nah, far chances," Aster called out from the center of the room, as he duelled disarming charms against a Hufflepuff girl. "Old dark books like these ar' protected by magic, not even fyendfire could destroy it so easily…"

"It does have burn marks all over…" The girl whispered as she examined that hard cover.

"I suppose someone else must have thought of the same thing, then." Hiccup said again, still not raising his eyes from the pages.

"Small curses, Soul breaking curses, Horcrux making, the unspoken unforgivable spells… Which spell could be worse than the unforgivable ones?"

Hiccup had no answer to it, but he jumped in fright as the girl shut the book loudly with a resonating thump. "Well, if we can't destroy it, we better hide it. I know a place. Have you found the next jix yet?"

Hiccup finally lifted his face. "I have." As he stood up, he marked the book page with his own finger. "I don't suppose we have enough training for this one yet, and you just went through a whole bunch of curses, but what you think of trying the Cofringo charm?" He bit his lip.

Azel made a darkened face. "Don't you think of it as too much? Why would we need to blow things up, though?"

Hiccup shrugged, but soon enough Aster ran up to them, his brow chirmed up. "Well, I wouldn't mind seeing some fire… although the further from my face, the better. But on White's ass? I wouldn't mind a bit."

Hiccup snorted a chuckle, but Azel remained with a dark furrow. "But still, Aster, that'd encourage more than violence…" He gave her a stern look. "Self defence? Sure, but those are full on harmful attacks, we should go for peace first…"

"I'd beg to differ," Aster retorted. "I see ya aimin' for the path of love, I guess… But trust me, blondie, there's no freakin' love letter when it comes to pigs like White. I'm sorry to say that, but you've had it too easy. We don't kiss bigots, we punch them. Hard. I rather resource towards the path of good old violence."

He said that in that perfect manner that only Aster could bring, just enough elegant and rebellious that a huge laughter erupted from the surrounding students who listened intently to the conversation. Some even straight up clapped Aster. And as Hiccup worried for Azel's reaction to her poor reality check, he surprised himself at seeing her nodding along, dropping her head in acceptance as Aster gave her light pats on her shoulder.


"The first meeting of the Black Army." Jack said much later, when he, Astrid, Aster and Hiccup were outside the Room of Requirement. The day had passed, and now they were starting their way to their common rooms. "I guess it went well,"

"Are you kiddin' me?" Aster spoke, and he seemed angry. "That bloody fourth year nearly took out my eye with that errant spell!"

"Oh, Aster, you're exaggerating, it just burnt up your brow." Astrid said, rolling her eyes, but that did not make Aster any happier.

"I swear, next time better everyone be up in lines." He said, angrily.

"I think it went great." Hiccup said. "I mean, they need some practice but at least they won't be completely defenceless in case anything happens."

"Argh, what could possibly happen?" Started Aster. "I mean, it's not like there's a riot going on in the castle or Dark Marks appearing everywhere," He said in a clearly mock tone.

They reached the point where Ravenclaws and Gryffindors got apart.

"You two go on," Jack said, and did not wait for an answer before he started pulling/dragging Hiccup out to his tower.

"How chivalrous." Hiccup said, smiling until he noticed the dark tone on Jack's face. "Is everything alright?" He asked, worried.

"Fine," Jack lied, but Hiccup could tell. Gingerly, he snatched Jack's fingers with his own, and the warmth seemed to comfort both. They walked quietly until they reached the West Wing of the castle, now empty as most students were already inside. "Hic," The smaller boy stopped in front of him, eyes open wide. "I don't want to keep doing this."

Hiccup stared in shock. "What?"

Jack raised their linked hands. "This, Hiccup." He said, now letting go of the boy's hands and pointing everywhere, desperate. "I can't keep up with all this right now."

"You just gestured to all of me." Hiccup retorted, rolling his eyes.

"Damn you, Hic…" Jack was sweating, his face starting to screw in a frown.

"Jack, we've already had this talk." The small hands grabbed Jack's sleeves. "We agreed on keeping this a secret, specially when White is watching us-"

"-no, we agreed on not doing anything until it was safe." Jack interrupted, stepping away. "And here we are, giving hands, making out when nobody's watching."

"We wanted it this way!" The green eyes watered, and both boys were about to start crying. "I did it because I thought you liked me."

"I do like you!" Jack exclaimed, actual tears forming out of his blue eyes. "I like you, and that's the problem. That's the whole bloody problem, it's because I like you that it hurts the most."

Jack held the other boy by his shoulders, squeezing lightly. Hiccup sighed: "I like you too," He said. "And I don't want to lose you."

The taller boy sighed. "You're not losing me, Hic, it's just... It's not-"

"Safe." Hiccup finished, not looking at Jack. There was a long pause.

"Yes." He concluded. "If things were different… If I…" Jack swallowed, drily. "I could be different."

"Why is there never an 'us' when you're talking?" Hiccup asked, and Jack stared at him. "You make those decisions for yourself. You always do."

"That's not it-" Jack tried.

"And it's fine." Hiccup interjected, nodding in self-assurance. "If that's what's best."

"Hic…" Jack pleaded, aiming for the boy's hands but the boy shied them away, walking towards the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jackson." And with that, Hiccup ran up the staircases, spitting the password of the common room and scribbling his signature on the daily checks, running off to his bedroom, stripping of his robes and collapsing on his bed. He wanted to hate Jack. He wanted to change all his feelings and condense them into this singular hatred for Jack Overland.

However, he couldn't. Because he knew that Jack was doing this for himself that things seemed easier. If it was up to Hiccup, he would dare for them to go out and do as they pleased. But he was not given the choice; Jack did that for Jack, and Hiccup was okay with it. It's better this way, he thought before drifting off to sleep.


*Black Army refers to the Anarchist Group that surged in Ukraine in 1918, the Revolutionary Insurrectionary Army of Ukraine during the Russian Civil War.