Disclaimer:Harry Potter, associated characters and setting belong to JK Rowling and whoever she chooses to share the rights with, which does not include me. This is for entertainment purposes only, with no copyright infringement intended, or profit made.
Chapter 5: Activation
Molly should have known her children were conspiring when they managed to get out the door on the way to the train station on time.
Hermione declared that they wanted a compartment away from the prefects, loos, or either end of the train, and they wanted to be sure it was locked and secure before people started compartment hopping and visiting. And when Hermione said something was essential, and reminded you to pack four times, well, it was easier to just go along.
As soon as they said their goodbyes and got on the train, they picked a compartment, and started casting spells to secure it. The Hogwarts Express was essential to Hermione's plans, since it wasn't monitored as underage magic, nor was it under Dumbledore's wards. And Hermione pointed out that underage magic monitoring was done by place, like 4 Privet Drive, rather then by wand, since Dobby didn't use one. So whoever found all their spells would be able to track them as far as the train tracks, and no further.
Once they felt the initial jolt of movement, they started a flurry of magic. Cloaks were brought out and charmed. Anti-portkey jinx's were applied to pendents. Pouches were charmed to carry many jars. Jars were charmed to be unbreakable. Hermione checked things off her list.
Harry turned to look at her. "Why did I just charm 15 cloaks?"
Ron laughed. "Because Hermione told you to, and you didn't think to question her."
Hermione smiled. "Because I put that many on the list. It's easier to make sure we get them right if we do them all at once."
"But who are they for. We don't need that many, unless they're spares."
"We should consider recruiting. Neville and Luna would train up the way we ask, no questions asked. I do wish Tonks wasn't already committed."
"Committed?" Ron looked confused.
"She's sworn her loyalty to both the Aurors and to the Order. Both would think that what we're doing should be reported. As much as I like her, and think she's nice, I don't want to put her in a tough spot. And trying to decide whether or not to rat us out to Dumbledore would be a tough spot."
They had locked themselves in their compartment so hard that they didn't hear the snack cart. Hermione had even made them cover the windows saying 'wizards rarely consider that windows are a weak possible entry point. Besides, flashes of spells are identified by color, and Aurors have brooms.' Only Tonks banging panickedly on the door told them they had arrived at Hogwarts. Hermione had warned them of the time, and they all had their robes on and their contraband hidden in time to open the door.
On the way up to the carriages, they told her about Malfoy's annual visits on the train, and his use of prefect powers. Harry explained that Hermione had convinced him that playing turtle was the wise course. Tonks argued a bit, since Malfoy, also, stayed in his compartment.
Hermione smirked. "Maybe he's learning?"
"Maybe he's up to something..."
"Harry, don't be paranoid." Hermione waited until the carriage door was closed to add "It's us that's up to something."
ooo
They settled in as a group to watch the sorting, and await the feast. Gryffindor had left them seats at the end nearest the teachers, near where the new first years would sit. As they walked along Gryffindor, Neville literally fell into the group. Hermione caught him and invited him to sit up with them, where they'd all be trying to get seated at the same time.
As the first years were led in, Harry turned to whisper in Neville's ear. "Good to see you again mate. You going okay after last spring?"
"Got a new wand. Gran told me I reminded her of my Da, standing up for us like that."
"Good on you, then. The wand should help you."
"You doing DA again?"
Harry looked around, and lifted an eyebrow at Hermione. She nodded, as did Ron.. "If we do, it'll be as a cover for the game we've got afoot. Can't really talk here, you know."
Neville nodded and looked up. Harry joined the Great Hall in applauding, as he asked out loud "What'd the hat say?"
Hermione smiled, and looked somewhat like Crookshanks when canary creams were introduced, a cat with a really big tasty bird. "The Sorting Hat warned us all against just going with the status quo. It reminded us that lack of choice is still a choice, and every house can be proactive. Slytherins can actively plot, Gryffindors rush into the fray, Hufflepuffs work to change the world, Ravenclaw planning to save the day."
Ron grinned. "We're not to be lazy, either. The Hat thinks we Gryffindors should boldly charge into our studies."
Harry nodded. "Practical, and something we all needed to hear, I'm sure."
Ginny smiled. "It makes about as much sense out of context as usual. I''m sure the Hat seems smarter if you look back at it's songs from twenty years later."
After the meal, Harry hung back to watch Ginny give Luna a hug and ask a few questions about her summer. Since Ginny had cast a privacy charm, all he could hear was buzzing, but he know it was approximately the same conversation he'd had with Neville.
Just as it was wrapping up, Professor Snape came sweeping down from the Head table. Harry moved to block his view of the conversation, and of Ginny's wand. As he hugged Luna, and wished her a good night and good new year, he could feel Snape's glare boring into his back. When he turned and motioned Ginny towards the first of the stairs, he tried not to glare back. Only guilty students are nervous, right...
ooo
Hermione and Harry reported to Flitwick's office with their radio notes during their first free period. Harry muttered about how he hoped Flitwick would be there. Hermione stated that she knew he would be. When Harry asked how, Hermione mentioned updating her class schedule with office hours for professors, habitually.
After a rather squeaky greeting and a cup of tea each, Hermione handed over their enchanting notes and papers, and Harry, for his extra credit, started transfiguring and charming old marked up parchment from Flitwick's trash into a WWN. Flitwick appeared enthralled, watching Harry's work while Hermione narrated. As they turned it on and got the Witching Hour in all its debatable glory, Flitwick started clapping. "Outstandings all around, and as a reward for your curiosity and thoroughness, you both get a get-out-of-homework-pass, good for one paper."
Hermione looked distressed at the mere thought. Harry asked instead if they can keep asking him questions throughout the year. They want to keep up the project.
Hermione started to recover from her distress, and nodded. "There's so much to learn, still. If only we had a workspace and supplies..."
Harry laughed. "Hermione could take over the wizarding world with a workshop and a few paperclips, I'm sure."
Flitwick offered them the classroom they used during the Tri-wizard cup, and full access to any debris and paperclips the house elves could spare.
Harry stepped on Hermione's foot at the mention of house elves, thanked Flitwick for the room, and the help over the summer, and hauled Hermione out and down the hallway.
"That went well..."
"Honestly, a get out of homework pass. One would have a gap in any revising, not to mention a gap in one's studies."
"It's okay, Hermione, I bargained him down to paperclips. You still have to do all your work."
Ron, who had caught up to them for this last bit, muttered 'house elves' under his breath as he walked behind them.
ooo
Hermione activated the DA coin the first full day of classes, calling for a Thursday afternoon meeting in the great hall, just 30 minutes before dinner.
The confused DA members wandered in and sat at the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. More then a few of them seemed bemused to be meeting out in the open after the lengths they'd gone through to hide the year before.
Hermione stood up and started passing out papers. "This is a simple petition that asks Hogwarts and the Ministry to allow Apparition lessons to younger years, for emergency escapes. If you don't mind, I'd like your help getting this out to every student."
Harry stood up. "I'm all for this. Is anyone against or, or anyone have questions?"
There was a moment of silence. Harry smiled. "I'll take that as an unanimous vote for it".
Hermione stood again. "Each of you have a page, which you can gather signatures on. Bring it back to my copy, and it will and merge back into the main one. Get as many signatures as you can before Monday. The Head Boy and Girl and the Slytherin Prefects will also have copies, but feel free to get signatures from any house. Don't worry about overlap. The main copy will sort out duplicates and fake signatures."
Ron and Harry watched carefully as she handed out those extra pages at Thursday dinner, in case Malfoy wanted to misbehave. Professor McGonagall came down to see what they were up to, and Hermione gave her a page, in case she wanted to help gather signatures. As she read through the statement at the top, the Professor stopped scowling and started to smile a bit, and she didn't take any points for Hermione being out of place.
ooo
The group's first weekly meeting was held in the Room of Requirement. They spent the night turning each other into mice and eating the toast Harry had brought. Hermione helped Neville and Luna catch up and gave them twenty pages on the training regiment and plan.
As Ron left to make a run to the kitchen for chocolate biscuits he saw the back corner of Snape's billowing robes in the seventh floor stairwell.
They decided Snape's presence so far from the dungeons was a bad sign. They held their second 'Monday' meeting on a Tuesday night in the chamber of secrets. It was a rather creepy place to practice mice to human transformations and jar handling, and Ron said he couldn't be bribed back down for toast or chocolate biscuits.
They held their third 'Monday' meeting under a willow down by the lake on a Saturday afternoon. It was a popular snogging spot. Normally, one just put a scarf in the tree as a signal for privacy. Hermione put up a scarf, and then added 14 spells, including one to hide the others.
The others let Hermione start. "We need outside eyes. We can't fight them if we don't know where they are, and we can't find them from in here."
Ron nodded. "The twins will help, but they're stuck at the shop most of the time, and not able to wander about looking for attacks.".
Harry smiled. "Our radios are ready. Hermione and I brought enough for all of us, and we got some made for the twins. We'll send them via Hedwig from the Shrieking Shack, later."
Hermione nodded. "We've managed to make some that only have one frequency. They work like a speed dialed muggle telephone."
Harry took the thread of the report back. "If the rest of you don't mind, we were thinking about sending a batch out to Lee Jordan. I have a few marked as for who they go to, like Alicia Spinnet and Angelina, but most of them will be for whoever he runs into that's on our side and can work the things. If he see's Oliver Wood, or whoever, he can hand them a little radio, and tell them how to use it."
Hermione nodded. "I'm sending one to my parents, since they aren't likely to report me to Dumbledore. We've put instructions in for Lee. He's to tell people 'Hide, run away, press the button. Tell them where you just apparated from. Don't be stupid, don't be seen.' I think most people will be okay with the idea of an unofficial Death Eater report line."
"Especially the younger ones, or those with muggle experience. Muggles have hotlines for all sorts of things. Sirius..." Harry paused. "Sirius had a hotline, when they were calling him an escaped prisoner."
Hermione cleared her throat, and started teaching Ron how to pass the radio over his ear three times to hear it, then put it in his pocket.
Harry looked up at the group. "Keep your supplies ready at all times, now. Know where to meet. Keep your radios on.. The twins are ready to apparate us to any location in England, and Hermione's got us studying the apparition manual."
He sighed. "Now all there is to do is wait.
AN Speaking of waiting, sorry, but there is hope. Chapter 6 is at Beta, 7 is 80 percent done, and I've got 1000 words of chapter 8.