Chapter 2

Hermione is sitting in her first defence against the dark arts class of the year with Professor Umbridge. As Umbridge hands out their new textbook for the class 'Defence against the dark arts for beginners' Hermione scrunches up her nose, beginners? We're hardly beginners as fifth year students… she queries in her head. She flicks through the pages and notes that there is noting about using defensive spells in the text. Hermione questions the Professor on the non-existence of using spells and is very confused by her reply of "Well I can't see any reason why you would need to use spells, The Ministry believes a purely theoretical knowledge base is sufficient for you to pass your OWLs."

Ron pipes up with, "Well how will we learn to defend ourselves without using spells?"

"What could children like yourselves possibly need to defend yourselves from?" Replies Umbridge.

"Oh, I don't know… Lord Voldemort!" Chimes in Harry.

Hermione watches as Harry and Umbridge go back and forth until the Professor has clearly had enough and orders Harry to meet her in her office after class.

Hermione and Ron are now back in the Gryffindor common room waiting for Harry to return as Ron begins to plead with Hermione for help writing his latest assignment. She chuckles and shakes her head at Ron, "I'll write the introduction and that's it." She smirked as Ron called her a saint.

Harry eventually re-joins them sitting down beside them with his notebook in hand. As they're chatting Hermione looks down and seeing something odd on the top of Harry's left hand and asks him what's wrong with it.

"Nothing." Harrys tries to hide it by showing of his other hand.

"Not that one." Says Hermione as she grabs his left hand now clearly seeing the scarring of 'I must not tell lies' Hermione gasps putting the pieces together and realising that it was Umbridge who did this to Harry not half an hour ago as punishment for is outburst in class. "You have to tell Dumbledore!" She insists and Ron agrees with her. However, Harry refuses exclaiming that it's not that simple, Dumbledore is too busy and has better things to worry about.

As Ron and Hermione persist Harry stands up and sighs, "You don't understand…" and then walks off. Hermione looks over to Ron concerned about their friend, then help us too Hermione thinks but there is no point in vocalising as Harry has already left.

A couple days later Hermione is enjoying some breakfast with the youngest two Weasley siblings. Her and Ginny share a slightly disgusted look as they watch Ron stuffing his face with food. Suddenly they hear a commotion in the hallway outside the great hall. A handful of students including themselves form a group as they watch McGonagall and Umbridge heatedly discuss Umbridge's chosen punishments and McGonagall's clear outrage at the matter. Hermione stays silent as the two argue not wanting to alert anyone that she had earlier gone to Professor McGonagall about the issue unsure of how Harry would feel knowing that she went against his wishes.

As the trio sit in the common room once again Hermione is passing back and forth while ranting to the boys about Umbridge. "We're not learning how to defend ourselves, and we're certainly not learning how to pass our OWLs!" That woman is infuriating is the most prominent thought in her head at the moment. "We need someone who will actually teach us how to face the dark arts, someone with real experience…" She voices her thought. Hermione's eyes light up as she has an idea and focuses her stare on Harry.

Hermione had convinced Harry to hold a meeting with herself and Ron at the Hogs Head. The meeting ended with them forming a group labelled 'Dumbledore's Army' with whom they would practice learning how to duel and more important defend themselves, lead by Harry's instruction. Hermione felt exhilarated by the plans they had made. The adrenalin rush she was receiving at the thought of breaking the rules for once was evident as she proclaimed, "Who cares if we're caught, it's kind of exciting breaking the rules for a change!" Her friends notice the change in her normal goody-two-shoes attitude and poke fun at her as a blush appears on her cheeks.

As they wandered back to Hogwarts from their meeting Hermione's thoughts drifted back to her time spent at the Black house before school. Her thoughts were drawn back to the Black family tapestry with one particular witch on her mind, the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. She had heard some stories of the atrocious acts she had committed during the first war which ended her up in Azkaban for the past 14 years. She looked over to Neville Longbottom who was walking back with them. She felt saddened knowing the fate that his parents had suffered at the hands of deranged death eater. Remembering the image of the witch she saw on the tapestry, she wondered how someone so normal looking, someone so attractive, could be so absolutely insane. Her eyes widened as she realised where her thoughts had led and quickly shook her head free of the images passing through her mind.

Dumbledore's Army was assembled for their first training session in the room of requirement, curtesy of Neville.

Harry states that stunning spells are a witch's or wizard's bread and butter. After taking turns practicing spells on the dummies the room had provided them with, they were now about to practice firing spell one-on-one at each other. Hermione and Ron were pitted against each other but before their duel began Ron approaches her and whispers in her ear "Don't worry, I'll take it easy on you." Hermione feels insulted by his comment implying that she is not a match for him. So, she makes it a point of showing everyone she is more than capable by sending Ron across the room with a strong Stupefy! She puffs out her chest and smirks down at Ron while she is congratulated by many of the people in the room.

Christmas break was fast approaching and before they knew it Dumbledore's Army was attending their last practice before the break. After an intense hour of firing stunning spells everyone was leaving and wishing each other a merry Christmas. Ron and Hermione share a knowing look as they see Harry staring off at Cho. Hermione giggles and tells Harry they'll see him back at the common room.

Unbeknownst to everyone else in the wizarding world something was about to go down at the wizard prison Azkaban. Bellatrix Lestrange was sitting in her tiny cell clothes tattered and torn, dirt smeared on most of her body. These past 14 years had been hell, if people didn't think she was insane before she was locked up, they certainly would now. Being locked in a cramped cell with no human interactions, every waking hour hearing screams of other prisoners and at the mercy of dementors Bellatrix's mind had not fared well. Whether or not she deserved this treatment may differ depending on who you speak to… Bellatrix felt a sudden burning sensation in her arm and looked down at her dark mark. She let out a hideous cackle, she had not felt this feeling in the last 14 years she had been locked up, but she knew now, her dark lord had returned! Before she could think much more the walls of Azkaban were smashed in by an incredible amount of power. Bellatrix, now free from this hell, let out a loud laugh filled with glee.