Hey everyone! So, two major things have happened! Guardianship not only hit 600 followers with the last chapter, but this chapter makes the word count… just over 100,000 words! Oh my goodness…. I have never written anything this long before, and I am so proud, and I am so thankful to every single one of you for reading this and sticking by it and aaahh, thank you lots and lots! This chapter shows Harry talking to Jane about the Defence meetings, and then talking to Ron about the Slytherin's, and finalising the meeting in Hogsmeade!

Enjoy, and please review! Thanks again guys :)

Jane was sat in her favourite seat in the library. Harry had learnt that when looking for Jane in the library, he should always make a beeline for the back, left corner, where the books were not quite so dusty. He wouldn't have been surprised to walk in and see her dusting it herself. There were a few comfy, over-sized armchairs in that corner, and a large desk for plenty of books. Harry was actually surprised that more people didn't go sit there; he had come to believe it was one of the best spots.

Jane heard his footsteps and looked up as he approached. She smiled widely as he gave a little wave, "Hey, what are you doing here? You don't usually come and study on a Sunday. I thought this was a Gryffindor day." She was constantly teasing him about his study plan, what days he could spend with her and the Slytherin's and what days he would spend with the Gryffindor's.

Harry laughed, "Right, well, we had a bit of a falling out."

Jane immediately frowned, putting her quill down on the table, "Oh, Harry I'm sorry. Was it serious?"

"Ron stormed out, he's really unhappy with me. Hermione and I are fine though, we talked about everything, you know, the whole controlling aspect." Harry told her, sitting down opposite her, "She seemed to understand, so hopefully she will dial it back now."

"That would be good." Jane replied neutrally, "Can I ask… What did you fight about?"

Harry gave her a sad, apologetic look, and Jane's mouth formed an 'O' shape. She picked up her quill again and fiddled with it, not saying anything while she twirled it between her fingers, "I'm sorry." Harry said, after a small silence.

"That's alright." Jane said, cleared her throat and looked up, "So, they don't want us to be friends?"

"I told them I've been spending time in your common room; they weren't particularly pleased with that." Harry informed her, pulling out his own supplies so he didn't have to look at Jane and see her saddened face, "Actually, Ron completely flipped, he was furious. He started going on about how Malfoy could attack me, and how I'd lied to them… Hermione was much more understanding, just upset I hadn't told them sooner. I think the fact I've been retreating to the Slytherin common room of all places, to get away… It seemed to sober her somewhat."

Jane nodded, commenting, "Well, Ron seems to be quite protective of you, there is definitely traits there that amplify that. As for Hermione, you mentioned she can be rather controlling."

"I think it was more than that." Harry reasoned, opening his copy of 'Intermediate Transfiguration', "Hermione may be controlling, but I think part of that is just feeling scared she will get left behind, or of being left out of the loop. She didn't really have any friends before she came to Hogwarts."

"I suppose that is understandable." Jane said, "So, are you here to break up with me?"

Harry gaped for a minute, wondering what Jane meant. He hadn't asked her out at any point. Just as his mind was going into overdrive, he saw a smile tugging at her lips. She was teasing him. She laughed at the goldfish-like expression on his face, and Harry relaxed, "Oh sorry I just…"

"I meant break-up as in our friendship Harry," Jane was still laughing lightly, "Don't worry, I haven't got some insane notion that we're dating, you can calm down."

Harry smiled weakly, "I don't want to stop being friends with you. I think Ron just needs some time to calm down, he'll come around eventually. Previously it was Hermione who was throwing sticks, and she's come around. Hopefully, soon, neither of them will have a problem."

Jane grinned, and then leant over and squeezed his hand, "Good." She said softly.

Harry hesitantly squeezed back, and then Jane withdrew her hand. She shuffled her parchment pieces around, casting a drying spell on the ink. She had gotten much better since she and Harry had been partnered together.

"Actually," Harry said, before she could start another piece of work, "There was something else I wanted to talk to you about, but it is top-secret. You can't tell a soul, apart from the people I specify. Is that alright?"

Jane raised an eyebrow and then leaned forward, "I'm intrigued."

"You really can't tell anyone. Do you promise?" Harry asked, and Jane rested her elbow on the table, pinkie finger raised from her hand.

"Promise." She told him, and Harry hooked his pinkie finger around hers. They grinned at each other.

"Okay," Harry said, lacing his hands atop the table, "Hermione, Ron and I have come up with a plan. We want to learn proper defence, things that will actually help us through the next couple years, not the rubbish Umbridge and the Ministry is putting us through."

"That sounds great." Jane whispered, "Is it going to be like a group, a club?"

"Yes, but absolutely, completely secret. None of the teachers will know, we can't risk it getting back to Umbridge that we are teaching and learning practical defensive spells, she'll think it's the revolution against the Ministry." Harry chortled, "We're inviting quite a lot of people, from all of the different houses, but only people we can trust, people who hate Umbridge as much as we do."

"And you want me to ask some of the Slytherin's?" Jane asked.

"Only people we can definitely trust." Harry warned her, "We need people who won't tell Umbridge what we are doing; you have to be absolutely certain they won't mutter a word of it to anyone. Tell Graham and Sophie of course, and the others from Friday nights. Uh, none of them are Death-Eater inclined right?" At Sophie's raised eyebrow, he shrugged, "I haven't known them for that long."

Jane giggled and conceded, "That's true, but no, none of them are. They are all on yours and Dumbledore's side in this war. They are all aware you-know-who is back. Some of them are pureblood and their fathers have been called to arms."

Harry looked horrified, "Voldemort's calling all pureblood's to fight for him?"

Jane nodded, "Sophie's father and family has been notoriously on-the-fence about which side they are on. Apparently, her father received an invitation to Malfoy Manor to 'meet a guest of the Malfoy family'."

"You have got to be kidding me." Harry muttered darkly, "He's staying with the Malfoy's?

"Who else would it be?" Sophie whispered back, "Sophie passed the message onto Professor Dumbledore for her father, but we aren't sure whether he will listen. Your Gryffindor friends aren't the only ones with prejudices… The Headmaster has never particularly listened to the advice of Slytherin's, except for Professor Snape of course."

Harry suddenly wondered if Severus already knew this information, but shook his head to clear the thought. It didn't matter, either way, "We're getting off topic, we can discuss that another time. That's great, about your friends; I really wanted to invite them. Stick with the six of you, for now, unless there is anybody else you think would be good."

Jane paused, and then patted the table excitedly, "What about Harrison? He's a seventh year, he knows the old curriculum!"

"The Head Boy?" Harry asked, dubiously, "That's quite risky. Are you sure about what side he's on?"

Jane hesitated, "He's always been a bit inconspicuous, but you saw how he treated Malfoy. If he was in the ranks, he would never talk to the son of Lucius Malfoy like that."

"If you aren't sure, don't ask. We can't risk it, and I can always ask Severus and then we can recruit him later. Though, having a Seventh year would really help…" Harry trailed off.

"Ok, that's a good idea. Wait; is Professor Snape involved with this?" Jane's eyes got very wide.

"Do not tell the other Slytherin's that." Harry said quickly, "He's not involved, and he's not going to be teaching us. If asked, he knows nothing. He may just be slipping me certain texts to read and certain spells that may have featured on previous OWLs before though…"

Jane smirked, "How very Slytherin of the pair of you."

"I've learnt some tricks." Harry grinned back.

"Ok, so, secret defence club that you can't tell anyone about, top secret, preparing for our OWLs and also the upcoming war." Jane said, ticking off the list on her fingers, "Did I miss anything? When's the first meeting, and who's going to be teaching us? I suppose we'll need a leader to remain organised."

"Sounds about right," Harry nodded, "Hermione thinks meeting in Hogsmeade next weekend would be a good idea, but we haven't determined an exact place or time yet, so I will let you know in the week. As for who's going to be teaching…" He trailed off, "Hermione thinks I should do it."

"And are you going to?" Jane asked pointedly, still holding her fingers up to be ticked off.

"Yes, I think so. I mean, I don't have much choice." Harry told her nervously, "I don't love the idea, but no actual teacher can do it; and as so many people have pointed out, I do have unquestionable experience with the Dark Arts." He let out a slightly panicky laugh.

"I think it's a great idea." Jane said firmly, and Harry stared at her.

"You do?" He questioned.

"Yes." Jane bobbed her head, "Those people are right, you have so much experience with the Dark Arts, however unfortunately. You are the best person to do this, you have the leadership skills to do this, and I think it's great."

Harry blushed a little, "Well, then, that's what you can tell people. They may not come on that basis though. I was talking to Ron and Hermione about this, before we fell out... More than half the school thinks I am mad."

"The Slytherin's don't." Jane argued, "Half the school thinks you are mad because of the allegations you made about you-know-who, but everyone in Slytherin knows they are true. For the most part, they don't want to believe it, but they are stunned the rest of the school is so deep in denial. You won't get any complaints from us."

Surprisingly, those words made Harry feel a lot better. A year ago he would have resented the thought that the only people in school who believed him were the Slytherin's, and would have probably acted something akin to how Ron was acting, but now Jane's argument made him feel a lot more relaxed about the meeting in Hogsmeade.

"Thanks." He said, "So, you know exactly what you are going to tell them? And what not to tell them?"

"I am going to tell them that you are organising a secret defence club to try and get us through our exams and prepare us for the war, that they can't tell absolutely anyone about it or Umbridge might stop us, that there is going to be a meeting in Hogsmeade about it next weekend and that you will confirm when and where sometime this week." Jane re-ticked the notions of her fingers, "And I will not tell them about Severus' involvement, just in case Umbridge was to hear, I suppose."

"Exactly." Harry confirmed, "I won't risk Severus getting fired."

"Understandable and the Slytherin's will appreciate that." Seeing Harry's face, she quickly added, "Not that they'll know, because I won't be telling them he's involved. Besides, if Professor Snape were to be fired, we might end up with Professor Umbridge as our head of house." Jane visibly cringed, "And none of us want that."

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

Harry went to lunch with Jane, feasting on bacon sandwiches and corn on the cob. They made no more mention of the defence club. After parting ways with Jane, he made his way outside onto the grounds of Hogwarts. The brisk October wind ruffled his jacket. He didn't let it put him off, and went straight down to the lake's edge. There were a few water-plants growing here, and some pretty flowers.

Harry spotted a particular pretty pink flower a few metres away, but the stem had begun to shrivel. He knelt down next to it, one hand curled around the base of the flower. He closed his eyes, and concentrated hard. After a few seconds, he felt the flow of natural magic in his fingertips. He didn't open his eyes until the feeling stop, but when he did he saw the flower standing tall again. It made him smile.

Liking how the natural magic made him feel, he kept going. He slowly made his way around the whole lake edge, using his natural earth magic to repair what he could see was slowly dying from the chill. He couldn't keep the plant-life alive throughout the whole winter, but a few more weeks would not hurt.

He had started his trek near to the broom shed and Quidditch stadium, working his way around the gigantic lake until (half-way) he was near to Hogsmeade Station. He could almost feel the magic of the Hogwarts' borders pushing him back towards the castle. Nevertheless, he paused here for a while, admiring the castle. It was from here that the first years boarded boats at the start of the year, and it offered an incredible view. Harry remembered why his eleven-year-old-self had been so in awe when he arrived.

Smiling at the fond memory, he kept walking. He had found that painting, meditating, walking and using his natural magic were all excellent calmers for his anger and his nerves. With Umbridge taking such charge over the school, he felt he needed as many calming activities as possible.

Slowly the Forbidden Forest came into view, and as he rounded the last bend of the lake edge, he began to see Professor Sprout's Greenhouses, the Whomping Willow, and there in the distance was Hagrid's homely hut. No smoke was puffing out of the hut's chimney, and Harry couldn't help but reminisce how much he missed the half-giant.

He trekked up the sloping lawns back to the castle, wondering what the time was. The lake was quite ginormous, and having kept continually stopping to use his earth and water magic, he had been gone a fair long while. The brisk chill was now freezing his face, but it wasn't dark. He didn't bother to cast a time charm, simply made his way to the Gryffindor Tower.

There were quite a few people in the common room. Some were doing homework; others were warming themselves by the fire and playing Wizard's Chess. Fred and George Weasley were discreetly selling their joke products in the corner of the room, grinning at Harry as he passed. It was not known outside of the three of them where the twins got their money from, to finance their endeavours. Harry preferred it that way.

They tossed him a small sweet as he passed, calling out together, "Newest batch!" Their customers stared enviously at his free merchandise, and then went back to haggling prices with the twins.

Harry turned the rounded sweet in his hands as he made his way up to the dormitory. He knew better than to think it was the delicious kind of sweet – it had come from the twins after all. He tucked it into his jacket pocket, telling himself to ask Ron about it.

Speaking of whom, Harry could hear him muttering angrily to someone before he had even got to the door. The mutterings stopped as Harry drew closer, so they must have heard his footsteps. He prayed it wasn't Seamus.

His prayers were answered. Ron was sitting on top of his Chudley Cannons duvet spread, arms crossed. He was wearing the same thing as earlier that day, when he and Harry had fallen out. Sat opposite Ron on the edge of Neville's bed, with her back to the door, was Hermione. She swivelled round when she heard someone come in, and smiled when she saw Harry.

"Hello, you were gone a long time." She commented, and then added, "Not that you had to be here, of course. I was just making a comment. Uh… How was Jane?" She tried to paint over her awkwardness with the question.

"She was fine," Harry told Hermione, dumping his bag onto his bed, sitting right on the end so he could see her, "I told her about it all. She loved the idea of the Defence club. She's in, and she's going to tell a few of her friends. Only the one's I have met though, the ones we can trust."

"Really?" Hermione said eagerly, "So that's a few more people. Gosh, the total really is starting to add up… We're going to be a bit squashed in the Hog's Head…"

Ron's head shot up, his gaze having previously been set on the floor to avoid looking at Harry, "The Hog's Head?" He questioned harshly, "Why that old place? It's dirty and smells of goat. The twins have been before. Apparently the barman is an old grump."

Hermione sighed, "Well we can't very well go to the Three Broomsticks, can we? The rest of the school will be there, they'll all hear us. They'll wonder what a collection of the four houses is doing crowded around some tables, listening to Harry talk. The Hog's Head is more… inconspicuous."

Ron huffed but didn't say anymore. Harry looked at him, but the red-head refused to look back. Hermione gave him a weak smile as if to say, 'I've been trying, promise!'

"We're going to have to sort a place in Hogwarts to meet." Harry commented, and Hermione nodded her head feverishly, "And a day, and a time. If we have all four houses, lessons and quidditch practice is going to get in the way."

"Maybe we shouldn't have all four houses then." Ron said viciously.

"Ron!" Hermione said sharply, her mouth thinning to an unfriendly scowl.

"They're my friends, Ron." Harry said firmly, after a second, "And they're coming."

"We were your friends first." Ron muttered childishly.

Harry threw his hands up, "When have I denied that?"

"You promised you wouldn't go making friends with all of them!" Ron bellowed suddenly, "You promised, you did! When you came to Grimmauld for your birthday, you promised! Don't go making friends with all the Slytherin's, I said! That's never going to happen, you said! And look where we are now!"

"Things change!" Harry said back, not quite shouting, "I had no idea this would happen, I didn't plan it! For Merlin's sake Ron just get your head out –"

"Stop it right now, both of you!" Hermione screamed, and jumped to her feet. The boy's fell silent, staring at her with wide eyes. She looked incredibly like Mrs Weasley right then, and that (rightly so) terrified both of them. Hermione had her hands on her hips and her nostrils were flaring, her bushy hair seemed bushier than ever and her eyes were burning.

"Hermione we –" Harry started.

"No!" Hermione waved a hand at him, cutting him off, "Do either of you realise what is happening here? Honestly, look at the pair of you! Merlin… Don't you think we have bigger things to worry about than what friends each of us have outside of each other?"

Harry had to admit she was right, and it was a time he didn't even mind admitting it. He looked guiltily over at Ron, who was looked at him with a similar expression.

"Now Harry," Hermione breathed, "This isn't me trying to be bossy, please don't take it like that. I'm just trying to make you both see that there are more important things like Umbridge and the war that should take precedence over this absolute nonsense and really if you can't even see that –"

"You're right." Harry said, and Hermione stopped going on, staring at him with her chest heaving slightly, "You're absolutely right Hermione… This is so stupid."

"Yeah, it is. You're right." Ron said quietly, "I'm sorry mate."

Harry sighed at the apology, "I am so sick of the pair of you getting angry at me and trying to tell me about the Slytherin's and warning me about things like Seamus and Malfoy and Severus." He said, tiredly. Hermione's gaze softened, Ron's got slightly harder, "Please, if you can both stop doing that, we can move on. Please, or I am telling you, it will damage our friendship. You were the first friends I made here; the first friends I made ever actually, but you can't be it forever. Especially not during a war, when we need all the support we can get."

Hermione nodded, "I've already said, I promise to try really hard, Harry." She looked at Ron, "With both of you, actually… I know, uh… I know I tell you what to do a lot, Ron. I have your best interests at heart, really."

"I know that." Ron said gruffly, rubbing his hands on his knees, "I guess… I guess I do get angry and jealous, like last year, with the tournament… I, uh, I'm sorry mate. I'll try not to, just… the Slytherin's…" He looked back up at Harry and then shook his head

"You can't keep thinking all Slytherin's are evil, Ron." Harry told him quietly.

"I don't! Not evil!" Ron argued immediately.

"Then you act like that is what you think." Harry said, "I am sorry I didn't tell you I was spending more time with Jane and her friends, especially since that time was in their common room. I really am, it was wrong to keep that from you. I knew what your reaction would be and I wanted to avoid it. They are good people, though, and I think if you actually tried you could be friends with them too." He looked imploringly at his friend.

Ron made a gruff noise, "I suppose I could try..."

Harry smiled, "Yeh? You're still my best mates."

Hermione beamed at the comment, while Ron's cheeks went a bit pink. He smiled eventually, and said, "Yeh, alright then. I suppose we need all the help we can get. Pritchard, uh, Graham the study buddy, he was really good with jinxes."

"Oh, that's a great idea Ron!" Hermione said, still beaming, Ron raised an eyebrow at her sudden enthusiasm, "Everyone we get together will have different strengths, we could ask them to write down theirs and everyone can get involved with teaching! Of course it'll still have to be focused on defence, but it will take a little pressure of you Harry!"

Harry laughed at her joyful expression, now lying relaxed on his back with his weight on his elbows, "I think you are getting a little far ahead of yourself Hermione! We need to get everyone together, in one place, without Umbridge finding out first. They have to agree to do this. And then we need to find a place, date and time for meeting within Hogwarts?"

"Oh yes," Hermione deflated slightly, but quickly perked up again, "Well, between all of us I am sure we can do it. Shall we go over the list of everyone we are inviting?"

All in all, there were around thirty to thirty five people that would be coming along to the first meeting. Hermione reasoned that a few people may suggest friends that could come along with them, and they went over the 'trustworthy' speech. Hermione was going to approach most people about the subject. Ron would tell his sister and brothers.

They also had a long talk about Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas. Hermione cast a silencing spell on the room so if they arrived back to the boys dorm, they couldn't listen at the door while they chatted.

"I don't know…" Harry said, very hesitantly, "Seamus is completely against me, and all of the things I've been saying. If we invite him, and then there are Slytherin's there, he may hit the roof…"

"He's actually been a lot better in the past week or so." Ron commented, and the other two looked at him with raised eyebrows, "We've been talking more in here, since Harry hasn't been around a lot. He admitted that the Prophet seems to be printing any old rubbish now, just anything to get people on the Ministry's side."

"So what does that mean?" Harry questioned.

"He was thinking about apologising to you. I said he should." Ron shrugged, "Told him the truth, that you hadn't made this up, and like or not, we are about to go to war. Told him to pick a side."

"That's very unlike you Ron." Hermione commented, slightly bemused, "Well, if you do see him then Harry and he apologises, I suppose that would be a good time to tell him about the Defence club. I won't tell him until then, not him or Dean. They are too close I think. We can't invite one and not the other."

"Agreed," Harry said, "But that doesn't solve the problem of the Slytherin's. He wasn't just against my proclamation about Voldemort. He had a real problem about Severus being my guardian, me being a traitor to the house; he started muttering about me telling the Slytherin's all of Gryffindor's secrets one night…"

Hermione giggled at that, but quickly sobered, "Well, I suppose you have to wait and see how he phrases his apology, if you do get one. He's not going to run and tell Umbridge what we are doing, I don't think, even if he doesn't get involved with the group."

Ron nodded, "Definitely not. He hates her more than Snape. No offence Harry."

"None taken." Harry said lightly, knowing that the Gryffindor's still held a grudge against their potions professor for his ill treatment of them the past four years, "That's settled then. So, final plan, meeting at the Hog's Head pub on Saturday… Yes?"

"Yes." Ron and Hermione echoed.

Hermione then added, "Make sure Jane is extra careful, Harry. Malfoy may trail her and her friends if they are seen heading to the edge of Hogsmeade… or someone else, you never know. Especially since they are known to be friends with you, Malfoy and his cronies will be looking to catch them and us out."

"Good point." Ron cringed, "Or this will be over before we know it."

Harry nodded at their words, knowing how true they were. He had seen the way Malfoy and Parkinson had treated Jane and her friends in the Slytherin common room, singling them out because they were known to associate with him. It made him cringe slightly, and seeing that, Ron and Hermione asked why. He explained what had happened with Malfoy and Parkinson, and also explained who Harrison Townsend was.

"It would be wonderful to have the knowledge of a seventh year in the group," Hermione immediately gushed, but then bit her lip and looked more determinedly serious, "But no, you are right. If we aren't sure about him, then he should be left out, at least for now. We have plenty of people. A few are in the years above; we can always ask them for extra help if they know last year's curriculum."

"Plus Professor Snape has got out back." Ron grinned, and it was the only positive thing Harry had ever heard Ron say about his guardian, "Right Harry?"

"Right." Harry confirmed, a nervous yet incredibly excited feeling bubbling in the pit of his stomach.

"So we're really doing this?" Hermione said, looking as if she was experiencing the same feelings as Harry.

"Yes." Harry said firmly, "Someone's got to stand up to Umbridge. Besides," He grinned, "No one is better at breaking school rules than us three."

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

Write in the reviews what you think the DA should be called in Guardianship.. The same, or something else? :)