A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed and favorited this story so far. I hope you enjoy this new chapter! Happy reading! XO

Chapter 55

Annie had been sat on the couch in the common room since she had woken up and come down to find the announcement posted on the bulletin board. Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four had banned all organized groups from meeting until they were approved to continue by Professor Umbridge. Who knew how long it would take Professor Umbridge to approve the Gryffindor quidditch team to play again. She had it out for the Gryffindors since she started teaching at Hogwarts. Annie was absolutely devastated to the point where she refused to attend any of her classes and stayed back claiming she was too sick to move from the couch. Nobody really bothered her or questioned why she hadn't gone to her classes. She just sat there, reading the chapters in her books that she was sure they were supposed to be going over in her classes.

"You're actually doing work?" Harry asked, sitting down next to her on the couch. Annie had lost track of time and figured it was around lunch time.

"Yup," she answered, stowing a bookmark inside her Muggle Studies book and setting it aside. "I figured I might as well do something since I'm not going to class. Shouldn't you be getting lunch?"

"Thought I might try to convince you to come down and eat with us at least," he answered. "You can come back here after if you want."

Annie shook her head. "I don't really feel like getting called out for not going to class by Snape or McGonagall or Hermione right now. And I don't even want to look at Umbridge's stupid face. I don't really want to see anyone right now," she answered, throwing her head back on the couch.

"Then we'll go to the kitchens. The only people you'll see are the house-elves and they love you," Harry suggested. "I've got something to tell you anyway."

Annie picked her head up and stretched her feet out so they were sitting in Harry's lap.

"And what is it you have to tell me?" she asked suspiciously.

"Rather not do it here," he said, looking around for eavesdroppers. "Come on, what do you say?"

Annie rolled her eyes and put her feet on the floor.

"Alright, I guess. Lead the way."

Harry and Annie made their way out of the common room and walked through the corridors until they reached the kitchens in the basement of Hogwarts. Harry reached forward and tickled the pear which caused the portrait to swing open allowing them access to the kitchens. Annie climbed in first and was greeted by the house-elves closest to the entrance. After Harry had climbed through, Dobby came running up to them and lead them over to one of the tables.

"Harry Potter and Ms. Annie, such an honor it is to have you here for lunch," Dobby greeted, bowing so low that his long nose touched the floor.

"How are you, Dobby?" Harry asked when the house-elf straightened up.

"Dobby is most excellent, sir!" he squeaked. "Can Dobby get sir and miss anything?"

"Yeah, Dobby," Annie said, taking a dish of mashed potatoes from one of the house-elves. "Can you get me a Firewhiskey?"

"Of course, Ms. Annie," Dobby conceded, bowing again.

"No, Dobby," Harry said, ignoring the scowl on Annie's face, "she'll have a Butterbeer if you've got any down here."

"Anything for you, Harry Potter," Dobby answered before tottering away to find their drinks. He came back with two bottles and set them down in front of the two kids. "If sir and miss need anything else, please let Dobby know."

"Thanks, Dobby," Annie said, giving him a thumbs up. When the house-elf had left, Annie turned back to her conversation with Harry. "So what did you want to tell me?"

She stabbed a piece of roast beef with her fork and popped it in her mouth.

"Oh yeah," Harry said, popping the cap off of his Butterbeer. "Hedwig was intercepted this morning."

"What? How? And by who?"

"Dunno, but I kind of think Umbridge was behind it," Harry answered. "She showed up during History of Magic looking all disheveled."

"Who, Umbridge?"

"No, Hedwig."

"Oh, that makes more sense."

Harry shook his head in disbelief and took a bite of his lunch.

"Anyway," he continued, "she had a letter on her from dad saying that he wanted to talk again in the fireplace tonight."

"Tonight?" Annie asked and Harry nodded. "Why?"

"Dunno, do I? Letter was pretty brief."

"What time?"

"Around the same time as last time. What time are you done with McGonagall?"

Annie held up a finger telling Harry to wait a moment as she took a swig of her Butterbeer. She placed the bottle back down on the table and wiped at her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Around ten or so I think."

"Great, then you'll be there."

"Yup."

They continued to eat their lunch, making small talk about how classes were going since Annie wasn't in any of them. Potions, as Annie had suspected, was disastrous because Umbridge had been there to inspect the class putting Snape into a bad mood. After they had finished eating, they said goodbye to Dobby and left the kitchens. Harry walked Annie back up to Gryffindor tower and climbed through the portrait hole into the common room where he had left his backpack.

"So, you think she knows?" Annie asked, flopping back down on the couch.

"Yeah, I think she does," he answered, slinging his bag over one shoulder. "I don't think that decree would be around if she didn't."

Annie sighed and picked up her discarded Muggle Studies book and flipping to the page she was on. She held her place with her finger and looked back up at Harry.

"What do you think will happen to the team?"

Harry laughed and reached over to ruffle her hair.

"Don't worry about it," he answered. "Angelina has been up her ass all day. I think we'll be okay."

"We better be," she said, slumping back against the armrest. "I'll see you later for dinner."

"See you."

That night they sat in the common room by the fireplace waiting for James to appear. Annie, who had been helping Fred and George with their Puking Pastille display after she came back from her animagus lessons, was dozing off on the floor using Harry's backpack as a pillow. Harry scratched his chin with the end of his quill and looked up from his Potion's essay to find two familiar faces staring at him in the fire.

"Hi!" he said to James and Sirius who were smiling at him.

"Took you long enough to notice. Only been sitting here for ten minutes," Sirius joked, looking around at the group of kids, two of which were stirring from their sleep and one putting away her book.

"Are you serious?" Annie asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes with her fist.

"Well that is my name," he replied, laughing. "Glad you finally learned it."

"Asshole," Annie muttered, crawling over to the couch to sit at Harry's feet.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

"When you two are finished," Hermione interrupted, "we would like to know what you wanted to talk to us about."

Annie stuck her tongue out at Sirius who did the same thing back.

"So," James started, breaking his niece and his best friend out of their momentary act of immaturity and getting straight to the point, "started up any illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts clubs lately?"

Harry blinked, his mouth hung open like a fish.

"How did you know about that?" he asked, astounded by his father's remark.

"Dung was there," Sirius answered, laughing at his nephew's expression. "He said Annie recognized him. Good eye, kiddo."

"Annie, you saw somebody from the Order and didn't tell any of us?" Hermione chastised.

"He was the woman with the veil sitting behind Fred and George. He was being quite obvious," Annie defended. "I'd have gone over and said hello if we weren't having that bloody meeting. What was he doing there dressed like that anyway?"

"He was banned from the Hogshead years ago," James answered, laughing at the misfortune of the Order member. "And he was there trailing Harry."

"Oh come on, dad," Harry complained. "Why do I still need to be watched? I'm not doing anything."

"Except setting up an illegal Defense club on your first day off in Hogsmeade," James interrupted. Harry sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Hey, we're not saying it's a bad idea."

"Yeah, we think it's a great one," Sirius added, a hint of pride in his voice. "Just be careful about where you go about doing it."

"Oh yeah, and Ron," James called to Ron who perked up from where was starting to nod off again in his chair, "your mother wanted me to pass along a message. She said that she is warning you against joining this club as it may jeopardize your future."

"Typical," Ron said, giving a snort of laughter. "I'm still going to do it no matter what she says."

"Atta boy," Sirius commended.

"Just tell her I told you if she asks," James said laughing and turning back to his son. "Now, where are you going to hold these secret meetings anyway?"

"We haven't found anywhere yet. That's why we haven't had a meeting yet," Hermione answered for Harry.

"Well, that and stupid Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four," Annie scoffed, ripping a loose thread from the rug.

"Oh yeah. I read about that in the paper this morning. That included sports teams didn't it?" Sirius remembered. "How you holding up there, kiddo?

"Oh, just peachy," Annie replied, sarcasm hard in her voice. "Lovely, in fact. Fan-bloody-tas –"

Annie was suddenly cut off by her the sound of her father and uncle popping out of the fireplace in a hurry. The teenagers looked into the fire, confused, when two chubby ring-clad hands started waving about exactly where the heads had been. They got up and ran for the staircases, heading up to their dorms without saying goodnight. Once Annie and Hermione had burst silently into their room, Annie made a beeline for her bed, jumping and landing spread-eagle on top of the blankets.

"I can't believe her," Hermione hissed, leaning against Annie's bedside table. "She is so-"

"Hermione, can we go over this in the morning?" Annie mumbled into her pillow. "I've had a long, hard day of doing nothing and I'm very tired."

Hermione huffed and walked over to her bed.

"You're going to class tomorrow, right?" she asked.

Her only reply came in the form of a snore coming from her best friend's bed. She rolled her eyes and closed the curtains around her bed and went to sleep.