"What?" Screeched Professor McGonagall, and Dumbledore looked mildly surprised.
"Of course. Who else could it be? A very, very old family, but highly reclusive - rarely seen in public - and many of the other wizarding families regard them as oddballs."
"I can see where they're coming from." McGonagall muttered.
"If you look at their family trees, however, you will see that they are joined with nearly ever other wizarding bloodline. Even those with… sour reputations.
"You might say that they, ahem, love good so much that they give up their lives for the protection of it. Which brings me to the point."
"Yes, Albus?"
"I have received information that there is to be an attack on Honeydukes on the 4th of January at 16:30. I will need to you rally round as many of the Order of the Phoenix as you can find at such short notice."
"Of course." Replied McGonagall, and she turned to leave. Dumbledore's voice stopped her.
"And you shall not, for any reason, or to anyone, pass on the knowledge regarding this particular family."
The D.A. had gathered together in the Room of Requirement for their monthly meeting. Now that the attacks had slowed down, and also, perhaps more importantly, exams were coming up, the meetings were usually short and to the point.
Harry Potter looked around, gloomily. "Does anyone have anything of interest to report? Anything at all? Because I really have to finish off my Potions essay."
There was a decisive shaking of heads, and Harry sighed with relief. "Good. I suppose then, that this meeting is adjourn -"
"Perhaps," said a clear but dreamy voice from the very back, "it would be a good idea if we made a patrol rota and people went round the school in groups when it gets dark. There is a sense of… heaviness round the school."
Harry sighed, grumpily. "Heaviness? You all know that I appreciate suggestions at all times, but we can't very well go on a feeling, and I for one am finding Charms a bit fiddly at the moment, so - "
"It's true, Harry." Neville Longbottom said suddenly. "There is a weird sense going round the school. It's as if we're all waiting for something to happen.."
"It's called foreboding, Neville," Hermione said, and then shook her head slowly, "but I must admit that there is certainly something in the air. Maybe we should make a patrol. Just to be on the safe side."
There was a stir and the sound of people agreeing, only very, very quietly, just in case nobody else did.
"Right then." Harry sighed. "I suppose that if we must, we must. All those that wish to make a patrol rota say I."
"I." Replied everyone, and Harry looked vaguely surprised.
"Alright then. Meet here at the same time tomorrow and we'll draw it up. But I'm warning you, if I don't get at lease anAcceptable in my next Charms exam, I'm not fighting the Dark Lord."