DISCLAIMER: If you are not a bunch of dunderheads as Snape's students usually are (winks) you should know that the chance of millionaire authors writing fanfiction is quite slender. Need I say more?

-Chapter Twenty-One-

Darkness rules the world around-

In times like these all hearts aere sad,

Yet not for grave all smiles are bound,

Little things still make us glad.

The DA at Work

"Where do you think they've gone?" Ginny asked the other two after a glance at her watch. "It's been three hours now."

Neville shrugged, and carried on with his work, which was scanning a pile of old newspapers for news of mayhem and murder.

Ginny stared carelessly at the page she was reading. She couldn't make anything out of this. What were those three up to? First they said they wanted to compile lists of Voldemort's crimes to understand the pattern of his activities, an explanation which Ginny found highly doubtful, and then they suddenly disappeared. What was more, they themselves had not been working with them on the old newspapers. She could still a pile of books lying on the table where they had been working for the past few days. What were those books on? She glanced sideways at her companions. Neville was now scribbling notes in one of the diaries, his face screwed in concentration. Luna on the other hand was reading an article with her quill stuck up behind her right ear. Ginny stood up and walked over to the other table and picked up one of the books. The title surprised her. Hogwarts: A History? All right, it was Hermione's favourite book and she liked quoting from it about ten times a day, but why would she be reading it if she was working on fighting Voldemort? She looked at the other books and none of them had anything to do with the Dark Arts or with defence magic. They were all on Rowena Ravenclaw or on druids. Feeling thoroughly confused, she returned to her chair.

"It's no use." Neville said quietly beside her.

Ginny wheeled around to face him. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean it's no use looking at their books. They won't tell us what they are doing and we can't find out. The three of them are quite practiced in keeping secrets from others. In fact, I am fine with it. I don't know what they're up to but they say they need my help and I'm just glad to do what I can do."

"But do you really believe that they are trying to find a pattern of how Voldemort and his deatheaters work?" she asked pointedly.

Neville winced at the name, but was otherwise calm in his reply.

"No," he said, "I don't. But I do believe that this work is really important for Harry, or he wouldn't ask us to do this."

"I think he's trying to build up an army of mathomites." said Luna suddenly.

"Mathomites?" Neville repeated, looking half curious and half amused.

"Yes. Mathomites are spirits of the dead awakened by magic." She raised her hands, as if to awaken an invisible army before her. "They rise to avenge the wrongs done to them in their lifetime."

"And so you think Harry's searching up old victims of You-Know-Who so that he can awaken their spirits and use them against him?" Ginny asked with a bemused expression.

"Yes." Luna replied earnestly. "Don't you think it's a great idea? My father will be pleased when I tell him, I mean nobody believes mathomites are real but if it gets known Harry Potter used them to defeat You-Know-Who then everybody will."

"But you are not going to tell your father, are you?' Neville asked lightly, "Harry said this work was a secret."

"No of course not. But maybe when the war is over Harry will agree to reveal the secret himself. And once they know mathomites are real, they will also start believing about heliopaths and Blibbering Humdinger."

"And Crumple-Horned Snorkack." muttered Ginny under her breath.

Neville quickly bent his head down and started reading the diary which he had been writing on.

About thirty minutes later Neville suddenly sat up.

"What happened?" Ginny asked, and Luna turned to look at him curiously.

"This article, take a look at this. It's dated 13th October 1965. It's the first time the Death Mark had been used. Around twenty aurors were killed in the encounter. I think Harry might be interested."

Ginny glanced at the paper in his hand. "Keep the paper for him, then. Show it to him when he comes back from wherever he's gone. And now's they've gone for a really long time. Do you think we should tell somebody?"

But then there was a knock and Luna went to open the door.

Mrs.Weasley poked her head in.

"Dinner-time, children." The Order had decided to keep a senior member at the Headquarters at all time and today was her turn.

"Coming, Mum." Ginny said.

They arrived at the kitchen five minutes later and found Draco Malfoy sitting there, looking bored.

"Mum, Ron, Harry and Hermione are not back yet. Can we wait for them?" Ginny asked.

"I had a message. They can't come back tonight. Harry's injured."

"What?" The three of them exclaimed together, alarmed; and Malfoy looked up.

"Nothing to worry about," Mrs.Weasley said soothingly, though she did look worried herself, " he's just injured his hand handling a so-called protective amulet or something. It was cursed, apparently. He bought it from one of those new stalls that have sprung up in Diagon Alley that Arthur constantly rants against."

Draco Malfoy looked carefully at her. He knew Potter well to believe he would do something so stupid. Buying and wearing a protective amulet was something he was least likely to do, firstly because he had been witness to what happened to Katie Bell last year, and secondly, Granger would never allow Potter or Weasley to do something like this. And Mrs.Weasley probably thought it a lie too; from the way she was looking at the others. Potter and his friends were probably messing with more dangerous things as usual, and would be, if they already were not in trouble for it. The question was, had the golden trio let in these other three into their secret this time? It had been his routine for five years to know, or try to know what Potter was up to and he felt the familiar old curiosity. Maybe if he angered the Weasley girl, she would say something? He was going to try it.

"So Potter went to buy a protective amulet?" He drawled when Mrs.Weasley had gone to the pantry, "I didn't realize he was this scared."

"Shut up, Malfoy." Ginny said shortly.

Draco sneered. "Seems like I touched a nerve there, did I?"

"I don't think you should talk about others being scared, Malfoy, after needing medication just so you could sleep at night." Neville said quietly. It wasn't very like him to taunt people about their nightmares, but he needed to shut Malfoy up if only to save him from another dose of Ginny's Bat bogey hex. And they were supposed to be friends now.

Malfoy flushed, stood up, and left the kitchen.

"Good that you got rid of him, Neville." Ginny said, still glowering, but Neville sighed.

"I think he was hurt. Maybe you shouldn't have reminded him about his nightmares, Neville, it isn't very pleasant to think about them, I suppose. " Luna said thoughtfully, looking at the door through which Malfoy had left.

"I am more concerned about how Harry got hurt." Ginny whispered, checking to see if her mother had returned, "And I don't believe this amulet story, they can't be this thick. But if Ron and Hermione are lying about what injured him, it must have been something really dangerous. I am really afraid about it."

"Fighting You-Know-Who is really dangerous, and we always knew that, even if we don't know what Harry, Ron, Hermione are doing." Neville said simply.

Mrs.Weasley returned with a large apple-pie. "Where's Draco gone?" she asked.

"He was feeling sleepy so he went up, but I will take up a piece for him, Mrs.Weasley." said Neville.

Draco was sitting on his bed, not quite aware of what he was thinking. Somebody turned the lights on and Neville Longbottom walked in, carrying a plate.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" he asked cheerfully.

"Turn it off, will you?" Draco replied coldly. "I am trying to sleep here."

"Sleep? I don't see you lying down." Neville asked, "Are you a horse?"

"I was lying down before you banged into the room."

"I did not bang into the room and I see you are still in your robes." He looked pointedly at him.

"Look, Longbottom, leave me alone."

"Sorry, Malfoy, but I can't. This is my room too. And here's a piece of apple-pie for you. Mrs.Weasley sent it up." Neville placed the plate on his bedside table and dropped casually on his bed, facing Draco.

"I don't want it. Take it away."

"Don't say 'no' to her cooking because you are angry with me." Neville smiled, and then looked at him seriously, "Look, I am sorry I talked about your nightmares, but I only wanted you to stop talking about Harry. I didn't want a duel at the dinner-table, and we are all in the Order now."

The reply angered him even more.

"All of you are laughing at me, aren't you? To think that Draco Malfoy needs your help now to save himself, he's actually at the mercy of the Scarhead Potter who's been so kind to allow him to stay at his house. And you are talking about my nightmares, you don't even know what it is like when he puts you through the Cruciatus…"

Neville stood up quickly. "Tell me, Malfoy," he shouted angrily, "are you or are you not in the Order? Because if you are, then you are staying here at Harry's house because Harry has allowed the use of his house as Headquarters and not because he's been particularly merciful to you. Though I do think all of us including Harry have been very kind to you so far in not teasing you about your nightmares because you are the one who always laughs at people's weaknesses. Do you remember mocking Harry about the dementors?"

Draco stared at him speechless. He had never thought Longbottom could shout like this.

"And what were you saying about me not knowing about the Cruciatus curse? Ask me about it Malfoy; you didn't grow up seeing your parents in the hospital! Your aunt, your own dear aunt put them through it, and me too, in the ministry two years back. And your father was there too, enjoying himself." He stopped abruptly, and then sat down again, breathing heavily.

Draco took a long breath, and then said, "I am sorry." The words surprised even him.

Neville looked up, and then said quietly, "I am sorry too. You didn't do all these things…to my parents or me. And I shouldn't have talked about your nightmares."

"Of course you shouldn't have, I missed my second helping of the apple-pie because of you."

Neville smiled and held out the plate to him. "Don't worry, I got a large piece for you."

Malfoy leaned forward and took the plate in his hands, and then suddenly dropped it, clutching his right forearm.

"Are you alright?" Neville asked, alarmed, looking into the gray eyes widened with fear.

"Yes," he whispered, "well, no. Neville, he's calling me."

Author's note: Umm..well, you tell me.