"Moment of truth," Ginny whispered as Neville passed by her the next morning as he, along with Parvati, arranged the younger students in formation to head downstairs to breakfast.
"Cross your fingers everything goes well," he muttered back, gently guiding a fourth-year girl into her rightful place.
Ginny took her place beside Demelza and Ritchie. She looked over her shoulder at Seamus and Lavender, both of whom shot her looks of excitement. She grinned back at them and rubbed her hands together in anticipation.
Once the Gryffindors were arranged accordingly, Parvati led the house out of the Common Room and down to breakfast. Neville, at the rear of the crowd, was the last to leave out of the portrait hole. He cast a grateful look over his shoulder at the Fat Lady, who smiled knowingly and waved him onwards with a flick of her hand.
There were gasps and excited whispers as the Gryffindors looked at the brightly painted walls on their way down the staircase. Ginny looked on proudly at the walls that the DA had ever-so-gallantly decorated the night before. She bit her lip to keep from smiling.
The oohs and aahs grew even louder when they entered the Great Hall, which was the crown jewel of the DA's graffiti. It was truly magnificent, the dim light from their wands the previous night hadn't done it justice. The colors were amplified in the early morning sunlight and the reactions that it received were even more amazing.
Younger students had thrown their heads back to look up at the painted walls in wonder. Older students whispered excitedly about the fact that the DA had returned. They Slytherins sat fuming at their table, observing the vandalized Great Hall with looks of disgust. Malfoy, Ginny noted, looked strangely conflicted about the graffiti. Hannah winked at Ginny from the Hufflepuff table and Michael gave the Gryffindors a thumbs-up as they sat down at the Gryffindor table, now painted a deep crimson.
Snape sat fuming in his chair in front of the staff table. He rose after everyone had filed in and waited until the students were seated before he began talking in a deathly low tone. "Last night a group of students broke numerous rules, betrayed my trust, and damaged school property. We are in the process of finding the culprits and expect everyone to comply. Now, if the guilty students would turn themselves in immediately, we won't have to take any drastic measures." The Great Hall remained silent. Snape's face turned a deep maroon. "No? Nobody willing to take responsibility?" No one made a sound. Neville gulped. "Very well. In that case, you will all have to face the consequences. Curfew has now been moved to nine o'clock. Professor Carrow and Professor Carrow will be in charge of all detentions, prefects, and teachers will refer troublesome students to them."
The Great Hall erupted in cries of anger. The Gryffindors turned to each other in horror. Neville, slack-jawed, looked at Ginny. She had the same shocked expression on her face. Up at the teacher table, the Carrows exchanged matching sadistic grins.
"Silence!" Roared Snape over the nervous voices. "You've condoned yourselves to this. If I hear so much as a word about this vandalism, you will find yourself in detention. Have I made myself clear?" He certainly had.
Though Snape's speech at breakfast had put a slight damper on the excitement, it certainly didn't stop people from talking. All anybody could talk about that morning was the graffiti, the messages, Dumbledore's Army. She couldn't contain her elated spirits and she practically skipped down the hall to class.
She felt a hand slide into hers as soon as she had entered the Divination loft. She looked down at the hand and then its owner, locking her gaze with a pair of wide, dark blue eyes.
"Thank you, Ginny," Demelza Robins whispered to her, her voice emotional and authentic. She squeezed her hand and guided her over to a nearby table and pair of poufs. "That was really brave of you to do that, it's really given people hope."
Ginny tried keeping a straight face as she plopped down onto one of the poufs. "What makes you think it was me?" She asked innocently as she sunk into the pink velour seat.
Demelza giggled as she dropped down into the purple pouf. "Oh come on, Gin. Who else would've thought up something that bold and rash? It's got Weasley written all over it. Plus it just so happened that you were missing from your bed at midnight last night."
"You gonna tell on me, Little Miss Prefect?" Ginny leaned forward and stared intensely at Demelza, raising an eyebrow.
"Hmm. We'll have to see." Demelza tapped her chin slyly.
"You wouldn't!"
"Never! My lips are locked." Demelza imitated locking her lips and the two girls giggled once again.
"You know I'd never want to put you in danger, Mel," Ginny began as she bit her lip. "You're one of my best friends. But what do you say?"
It took Demelza a few seconds to register what Ginny was asking her. When it had finally clicked, she gaped, mouth ajar. "Me?" She asked, pointing to her chest in shock. "You want me to join?"
"No, the ghost standing in the doorway. Of course you!" Ginny gave her a good-natured shove. "I mean, you read the messages, we're recruiting." She twisted the rings on her fingers, nervous about what her friend's answer would be.
She didn't need to worry, though, because a smile had spread across Demelza's face. She launched herself out of her seat and tackled Ginny with a hug. "I thought you'd never ask! Oh, thank you, Ginny."
"Er, you're welcome?" Ginny said through a mouthful of thick, dark hair. "Spread the word."
Professor Trelawney teetered past the pair, coming to a stop next to their table. Her hands slammed on either side of their crystal ball, elbows straight and locked. The Gryffindor girls reeled back, surprised at the professor's sudden appearance. Trelawney looked down at them with vacant, owl-like eyes.
"Getting into trouble already, my dears?" She asked as she studied the glass ball perched on their table. She pressed her nose against it as she squinted into it. Her voice was slurred and the lingering scent of cherry liquor drifting through the air suggested that she had been drinking.
"Are you alright, Professor?" Demelza asked sweetly, casting a knowing look at a snickering Ginny.
"I doubt that anyone here is fine with a monster like that running the school, Miss Ruben. These are dark times." Trelawney frowned down at her before focusing her attention back on the crystal ball.
"What are you seeing, Professor?" Ginny stifled a laugh as she observed Trelawney's drunken state.
"Very bad things, Miss Wesleyyyy. Very bad things indeed. You and your family are in the heart of danger, it appears. Be wary of the Easter holiday, my dear. As for you, Miss Rutgen, your new alliance will put you in a tight spot in the coming months. Stay safe-" Professor Trelawney's eyes went cross and she slumped over on their short table before she could finish. Demelza lunged to catch the glass ball the professor had knocked over while Ginny sat frozen in her seat.
"What a load of blarney." Demelza returned the crystal ball to its place and prodded the sleeping Trelawney with her finger. She squinted suddenly and pulled out a small flask from the professor's sleeve. "Well, that figures. Do you think this means that class is canceled?"
Ginny could only stay silent as she stared down at Trelawney in horror as the nutty professor's warning sunk in. She cast a brief glance at Demelza, suddenly wondering if she had made a mistake.
Neville tapped his foot nervously as he waited for Parvati, Lavender, and Seamus outside the Transfiguration classroom as usual, careful not to make himself visible in the doorway. When his friends had finally emerged, he grabbed their arms and pulled them away from the classroom.
"Mister Longbottom. A word, please?" A crisp voice stopped him before he could make his exit.
Neville sighed, knowing he was unable to dodge the situation and turned around slowly. "Sure, Professor." He looked at his confused friends and said, "I'll meet you at lunch."
Professor McGonagall waited patiently until the last of the seventh years had cleared out of the classroom. As soon as they were alone, she waved her wand and the door gently eased shut. She nodded at the chair next to her desk, indicating that he take a seat. Neville shuffled down the aisle and slouched down in the chair, staring at his feet.
The professor sighed as she slowly sat down at her desk. She shuffled a stack of papers next to her and looked at him pointedly. "That was quite a stunt you and your housemates pulled off last night."
Neville shuffled his feet nervously, unable to meet her eyes. He gave a small shrug, trying to ignore the growing worry he could feel in his stomach.
"And if I read the vandalization correctly, it appears that Dumbledore's Army is back."
"It appears so, Professor," he muttered with a short nod.
"As you very well know, Headmaster Snape has put quite a lot of attention towards catching the individuals involved in this act of vandalism."
Neville nodded again, staring ahead at a spot on the wall where the dark green paint was chipping.
"And as always when it comes to Snape, the Gryffindor students have become the main suspects in this debacle," McGonagall said carefully as she watched him steadily. She sighed and took her wire-framed glasses off, setting them down on her desk. "This current situation is hardly ideal for any of us at the moment, Longbottom. Rebellion is needed in times like these." Neville looked up sharply at this and she held up a hand. "However, it becomes a different situation when my own house is targeted. Headmaster Snape had never taken kindly to Gryffindors and the lions that are ever so royally decking the halls is an obvious indicator of who the culprits are. Professor Carrow and Professor Carrow will not be kind to you in the weeks and months to come, they will not forget this."
"I'm sorry, Professor, I guess we got pretty carried away," Neville said, feeling guilty that he had put a target on the Gryffindor house as a whole. "We were just trying to make a difference. Give the little ones hope, you know?"
Professor McGonagall studied him intently. She then straightened up and put her glasses back on. "Fourth years and up only, please."
Neville raised his head, a look of confusion on his face. "Pardon?"
"No one below year four shall be participating in your group. Whatever your plans are, be discreet and cautious. And don't get caught or so help me I will-" she took a deep breath to calm herself.
"You aren't going to tell Snape?" Neville asked in astonishment.
"I don't have the slightest idea of what you're talking about." The professor cocked her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. "Last night all the Gryffindors were safely in bed like they were supposed to be. As far as I know, they slept soundly throughout the entire heist."
Neville gaped at her.
The professor looked at him coolly from over her glasses. "Close your mouth, Longbottom, there are beetles in here," she said brusquely, then sighed. "Don't act so shocked. It may surprise you, but us teachers are fighting for the same things that you're preaching."
"No, I didn't think-" Neville began sheepishly.
She shook a finger at him. "This is your school, protect it. And I don't want any reports from the Headmaster about negative Gryffindor behavior. Understand?" Neville nodded dumbly. "Good. Now hurry along to your next class, Longbottom."
Neville rose from his seat, flabbergasted, and collected his belongings silently. He gave her a tentative, befuddled smile and turned to leave. Before he could make it to the door, he was stopped once more by Professor McGonagall's voice. "And Longbottom? Please inform Mister Finnegan that the substance on the bottoms of his shoes bear a striking resemblance to the materials used for the vandalism. We wouldn't want him being falsely accused of something he took no part in, now, would we?"