The golden flames warm the left side of my body as I sit in the Gryffindor common room, looking out of one of the high windows as the rain spatters against it. Hermione is off on another one of her rants about how Umbridge is ruining Hogwarts and what not. I tend to agree with her and over the past few weeks we have started getting along a bit better.
"We're not learning how to defend ourselves. We're not learning how to pass our OWLs. She's taking over the entire school," Hermione vents, telling the complete truth.
"Harry," calls a voice that sounds close and oddly familiar.
"Sirius!" exclaims Harry, moving to kneel by the fire.
Turning to look into the flames I see Sirius' face, "What are you doing here?"
"Answering your letters," Sirius replies. "you said you where worried about Umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-breeds?"
I shake my head back and forth but it is Harry who finally winds up speaking.
"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all," he explains.
"I'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that Fudge doesn't want you trained in combat," replies Sirius.
"Combat?" Ron questions from his spot on the couch behind Harry and I. "What does he think? We're forming some sort of army?"
"That's exactly what he thinks. That Dumbledore is sending his own forces to take on the Ministry. He's becoming more and more paranoid every minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this, Isabelle, Harry, but things aren't going at all well with the Order. Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn. These disappearances are just how it started before. Voldemort is on the move." communicates Sirius, looking between Harry and me.
"Just as I said this summer but no one listened to me," I state unable to hold my tongue.
"We now know what you said to be true darling," answers my father with a smile.
Of course, after the fact I'm correct but none of that matters now. It's too late. Voldemort is rising again and nothing but Harry Potter can stop him. Let's hope Harry is up to the challenge.
"Well, what do we do?" asks Harry.
Just then the portrait of the Fat Lady begins to swing open, "Someone's coming. I'm sorry I can't be of more help but for now at least it looks like you're on your own." Sirius says before disappearing back into the fire.
Hermione sighs heavily as Harry moves to sit back on the couch, "We need to be able to defend ourselves and if Umbridge refuses to teach us we need someone who will."
Finally, someone who actually wants to do something about what Umbridge is doing to our school. Ron, Hermione and I look over to Harry who looks back at us with an almost confused expression.
"No," he says.
"You've fought him, you know how it works," argues Hermione.
"Ask Isabelle, she's just as talented as I am," replies Harry, looking over at me.
Although I am honored I don't think I could teach other students about defending themselves. Not by myself at least, I'd need help.
"Why don't you both do it?" offers Ron. He is officially my savior for today.
"Brilliant. I'll spread the word. We can have our first meeting when we go into Hogsmead," says Hermione with a smile. Harry has still not agreed.
For the next month Hermione and I do our best to get the word out about the first meeting of Harry and my defense class. It's a hard task to keep something like that secret and get enough people to come at the same time. We did it though. In total we have twenty – eight members: Hannah Abbot, Katie Bell, Susan Bones, Terry Boot, Lavender Brown, Cho Chang, Michael Corner, Colin and Denis Creevey, Marietta Edgecombe, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Seamus Finnigan, Anthony Goldstein, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ernie Macmillan, Padma and Parvati Patil, Zacharias Smith, Alicia Spinnet, Dean Thomas, Fred and George, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Harry and I will teach and hopefully by the time OWLs roll around the students in our class will be prepared not just to answer questions about the defensive magic but also how to use it.