Okay so, this is the last chapter I have already written, so updates are going to slow down, especially since my motivation for pretty much everything is kind of really low right now.

Also, I was thinking of updating whenever a new chapter is ready instead of trying to follow a schedule. That way I don't disappoint myself and anyone reading when I don't post on time.

Also also, the first chapter of my superhuman/mutant Au is up, if anyone wants to check that out. It might end up being a bit dark, and it might not be updated very frequently, but I'm pretty excited about it!

Maybe having the first club meeting in a sketchy pub isn't a good idea.

Hogsmead was a cold, but beautiful place, Ludwig decided. It had long streets and shops of all sizes that lit up the area around them. It was a quaint little village.

He didn't want to get out of bed in the morning, especially when he felt the cold air surrounding his bed. He shared a room with two nice boys that he barely talked to. One of them might have been named Jonathan, but he couldn't be sure.

Unfortunately, he felt guilty after staying in bed for even five extra minutes, and got up anyway despite his mood. After a filling breakfast, he and Lilli met up with the others and set off for Hogsmead.

The line to get out of the school was long, and apparently Gilbert did not enjoy having to wait.

"What's taking them so long? It's not like we're carrying something 'illegal' or anything!" He whined.

"I'm sure they're just making sure everyone has their necessary paperwork in order. With everything Arthur said about Death Eaters" people looked his way and glared "and such maybe they had to increase security."

"Yeah, but still, they should conduct their searches fasteeeerr. I'm bored, Luddy."

"And what do you want me to do about that, Gilbert?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

"Entertain me, that's what brothers are supposed to do." Ludwig loved his brother, but sometimes Gilbert got on his nerves.

"Mmhm..." Ludwig tuned him out and turned to Basch.

"How is your house?"

"Hmm? Oh, it's alright. Kind of cold."

"In what way?"

"Both. All of them. The common room has a green tint to it and it's cold in every sense, even though it has a fireplace."

"Isn't your common in the dungeons?"

"Mmhm, yeah it is." He nodded and this was the end of that conversation. Through time Ludwig learned to tell when Basch was done talking to someone.

He heard Gilbert whining to Roderich when they got to Mr. Filch. Filch looked over their papers and made sure they were on the list to leave, and soon finished with them.

Hogsmead was alive with activity. Students of every house were walking around, going in and out of stores and pubs. One such pub seemed to be quite busy.

The Hog's Head wasn't as welcoming as the village it was part of. It was dark and musty and it seemed like the place in movies where weapons or sketchy items would be traded. They came in and settled behind Ernie MacMillan, drinking butterbeer (at which Gilbert was disappointed that the drink wasn't actually beer) and waited for the meeting to start.

Hermione didn't seem very confident at first, pausing here and there to collect her thoughts. Halfway through her speech, around when she started badmouthing Umbridge, her voice became stronger and she relaxed some.

"Because Lord Voldemort is back."

People didn't react well to this. Someone screamed, Neville coughed, and there was a splash of butterbeer.

"Well... that's the plan anyway. If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-"

"What's the proof that You-know-Who's back?" said someone.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it-"

"You mean, Dumbledore believe him."

"Who are you?" Ron asked none too politely.

"Zacharias Smith, and I think we've got the right to know what exactly makes him say You-know-Who's back." said Zacharias.

'Maybe the fact that England himself told us' Ludwig thought.

"Look," Hermione said rather pointedly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about-"

"It's okay, Hermione." Harry had a strange look of realization on his face. "What makes me say You-know-Who's back? I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an entire afternoon trying to convince anyone."

Zacharias apparently wanted the last word, because even though that should have been the end of it, he said," All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts."

This was all news to Ludwig. England hadn't said anything about a death in the school. Ludwig felt like this should have been explained to them before they came to Hogwarts.

Zacharias continued, "He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know-"

Harry was close to exploding, "If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you. I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."

No one moved. Not one person got up to leave. Hermione spoke up again,

"So, so... like I was saying... if you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to-"

She was interrupted yet again.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus?"

People started murmuring.

"Yeah." said Harry.

"A corporeal Patronus?"

The girl who interrupted Hermione turned out to be Susan Bones. She said Harry's Patronus was a stag.

"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?"

"Er-yeah, I did, yeah."

People made various sounds of being impressed. Ludwig hadn't heard about this either.

"And in our first year, he saved that Sorcerous Stone-"

"Sorcerer's."

"Yeah, that, from You-Know-Who."

"And that's not to mention all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year-getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things..."

People were definitely impressed. Harry was slightly red-faced.

"Look, I... I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything but... I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."

"Not with the dragon, you didn't. That was a seriously cool bit of flying..." Someone said. Harry didn't seem to want to disagree.

"And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer." Susan Bones said.

"Are you just trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" Zacharias said smugly.

Ron told him off rather loudly. Zacharias said something else, which must have made people mad, because two identical boys with hair similar to Ron's pulled out a lethal looking tool.

"Yes, well, moving on... the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?"

Everyone agreed, and Hermione began to set a day for their first defense meeting. Afterwards, Ludwig learned that the Ministry thought Dumbledore was organizing an army to fight against the Ministry. Honestly, where did they come up with that?

The rest of the meeting was spent trying to figure out a time and place for their next meeting. Hermione had everyone sign a peace of parchment before she let them go.

"Why didn't Arthur tell us any of that. You know, the things Harry did?" Gilbert asked.

"Maybe he forgot. Or just didn't think it was important at the time." Ludwig answered.

"Yeah, well, I think it's very important. Now I feel stupid thinking Harry wasn't anything special."

-Linebreak-

Two days later, all clubs were disbanded and unauthorized clubs were now illegal, according to Educational Decree Number 24.

Many members of the defense club were panicking, walking over to Hermione and Harry during breakfast to find out what they were going to do.

Of course, Harry wasn't about to stop just because some Ministry witch told him to.