Author's note: I know I took long for posting this chapter. But it was Christmas guys and I had to plan a party and look after all the arrangements. It's not a huge chapter since I tried to write it in a hurry. Hope I didn't keep you all hanging for long. Hope everyone had an amazing Christmas. The next chapter will be up next year! Hehe! So Happy New Year in advance. Party hard and be safe!

…

Harry walked down the stairs of his dormitory; it was four days since his announcement of rearranging the DA. No one had any idea what Harry was planning, but he had spent considerable about of time in the library researching something. He had refused to tell Hermione and Ron and spent the time alone. Hermione guessed most of the time that he spent was in the 'Restricted Section.' She had seen Harry carrying huge books on Defence into his dorm to read and she was actually shocked. Ginny had openly gaped at him and asked him 'Where her Harry had gone?' to which he had blushed to the point of explosion and hurried up the stairs.

Harry walked down the stairs, it was Saturday before noon, and many students were lounging around in the common room waiting for the lunch hour.

"Hey Harry." Ginny greeted him from their usual place near the window.

"Hey." He greeted everyone but did not sit down.

"Won't you sit?" Hermione asked frowning at him.

"No, we are going to be busy today to sit down and relax." Harry said, as he shifted impatiently.

"We?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded and said, "Meet me in the library at Hermione's table in ten minutes with Luna and Neville. Don't be late." Harry then walked away from the table leaving the three teens confused.

Fifteen minutes later Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Neville entered the section where Hermione normally sat. The library was deserted as it was Saturday. They saw Harry buried deep in his thick books about defence and did not notice as they walked in.

"Hey." Luna greeted as they walked over to him.

Harry looked up from his books a bit startled but smiled when he saw them crowded near him. Hermione looked at Harry; he looked quite enthusiastic with this whole new DA programme and she was right; half of the books which surrounded Harry were from the 'Restricted Section.'

"Sit down." He said as he got up from his chair and piled his books at one corner of the table.

Seven chairs surrounded the table. Harry stood near the head of the table. Hermione sat to his right, with Neville beside her. Ginny sat next to him. Ron sat on his left with Luna next to him. They looked up at him as he finally cleared his throat.

"Alright, I know you all have questions and want to know what I'm exactly planning. That's why I've called you here. I'm rearranging the DA into a defensive unit. This is going to be completely different from what we've been doing in the DA so far." Everyone's heart sped with excitement and curiosity.

"First thing, I've selected you people to be co-leaders with me." Everyone straightened up in their seats as Harry said this.

"Now there is a reason why I've selected you of all people therefore, I expect you all to live up to it." Harry said as he looked at each of his friend's faces before continuing further.

"Why have you chosen us?" Neville asked before Harry could continue.

Harry nodded his head and said, "I have chosen you all because I've found something in you that will help me in arranging the DA into a defensive unit. Hermione, I've chosen you because you are quite excellent in research and spells, I've chosen Ron because he is exceptional in strategy, Luna is excellent at creativeness, Ginny is quite skilful when it comes to developing new spells and you Neville, you are quite remarkable in medicine." Neville gave him a quite smile and Harry nodded his head again.

"So, starting from the very beginning, I'm renaming DA, we'll be called the Defence Army, with Dumbledore's Army as the tag line. In case if Umbridge finds out, it won't be a problem for him." Everyone nodded their approval.

"Next, we six will be called the DA Core i.e. the Defence Army's core team who will do the major planning and other stuff like planning lessons and all. The number of students is increasing so it won't be possible for me to teach each and every one personally. So, I'll teach you five personally and divide the DA into smaller sections of say 15 or 20 people and you can teach them while I'll float from group to group helping where ever I can."

"I think that's a good idea." Hermione said giving her approval.

"Apart from this I'm also planning to give extra lessons to anyone who is interested. Like for example, if there are few people who are interested in medicine, Neville can teach them after DA hours; same goes with Defence, Strategy etc."

Hermione had by now taken out a piece of parchment and was taking down everything.

"As far the secrecy of DA is concerned I'm afraid we'll have to have an oath in case no one betrays us. Hermione I'll leave the job of developing the oath to you." Hermione nodded at him and wrote down something in her parchment.

"We all are a team of around 32 which is not enough. We need more people. There a few people who I want to ask to join the DA because not having them will be quite a huge loss for our side. Ron and Luna I leave you the job of making a list of students who you think are good at something and deserve to be in DA."

"But how are we going to ask them?" Ginny asked, speaking for the first time.

"I've something in mind for that." Harry said giving her a small smile.

"Neville and Ginny I want you to come with me to the 'Restricted Section' now to collect some books which will help us in planning our lessons for the DA and shaping them up. By the time we are gone, Hermione try and come up with an oath and Ron, Luna make that list."

Everyone nodded at their responsibility and set to work. Harry left with Ginny and Neville. Hermione had already started scribbling furiously into her parchment. Ron and Luna were talking in hushed whispers about capable students.

Forty five minutes later they were all seated in their seats. Harry, Ginny and Neville had managed to find around 10 books on medicine, strategy, charms etc. Hermione was still busy scribbling in her parchment so Harry turned to Ron and Luna.

"Done guys?" he asked and Luna handed over the list to him. Harry's eyes swept the list at a rapid speed. He was quite impressed with their work, most of the students he wanted were already there on the list.

"Anyone else?" Ron asked.

"Luca Caruso. He is quite excellent in duelling." Harry said handling over the parchment to Ron to write down the name.

"Alicia Comrie." Ginny said, "She is good with charms." Harry nodded and Ron wrote down.

"Write Michael Jordon, I've seen him, he is quite skilful in Potions." Hermione said not looking from her parchment. Ron scribbled down the name and looked at Harry.

"I think that will do, plus the DA members will recruit some people as well. I just want to make sure they are included as well."

"So how are we going to ask them?" Ginny asked again.

"We'll write them personal letters asking them to come and join the DA. We will charm the letter using revelare secretum persona praefinita it's a charm which is used to maintain the secrecy of the letters. The contents of the letter will reveal itself only when the person to whom it is written opens it."

Hermione raised an impressive eyebrow at him. "I saw Kingsley using it at Grimauld Place." He said smiling.

"So what do we write then?" Ginny asked

"Tell them about DA, what we are and our aims. Do not reveal anyone of your names but mine. Tell them if they are interested the next DA meeting will be held on Tuesday at 8:00 pm, where they have to come on the seventh floor. Charm it with a memory charm, I'll tell you how to do it later on. If they refuse, the letter will burn itself and their memory will get oblivated regarding DA. Tell them to write 'yes' on a piece of parchment within an hour if they accept and owl it to me. Also warn them not to discuss it with anyone."

Ginny nodded and smiled at him. He gave a grateful smile back as everyone set to work. They wrote letters to the new as well as the old DA members. Harry had a positive feeling about the new DA as he looked at his friends working with determination. Ron, Luna and Ginny were writing the letters while Hermione was still struggling with the oath. Harry offered to help her but she refused, trust Hermione to take help in something! Neville was reading a book on Advance Herbology and Medicine which Harry had found the day before. Harry looked down at his own book. It was Advance Defence and covered everything from non-verbal to wandless magic. He was determined to master them; he knew he'll have to.

-….-

The next three days, the new found 'DA Core' worked to their full limit after school hours. Hermione had finally come up with the oath and had started researching new spells for the DA. Neville had completed his book, made notes and had moved on to another one. All Harry saw Neville doing these days was reading and writing. Neville gave him an appreciative smile whenever their eyes met. Ron who didn't like to read was taking special interest in the strategy books which he kept near his bed all the time now. Ginny and Luna had already developed two new spells one of them being the Advance Bat Bogey Hex.

Harry had covered most of the theory on wandless and non-verbal spells and he practiced it with any of the 'DA Core' members. They were supportive and encouraging and Harry made it a point to teach them at the end of the day. Majority of the students had replied with a 'yes' within the hour. The DA already had sixty members by now.

On Tuesday evening at 8:00 pm the students arrived in groups. Neville and Ginny stood at the doors of the Room of Requirement rushing the students in as they came. Fifteen minutes later when all sixty of them were present, Harry stood on the podium demanding attention.

There was a loud and an excited chatter among the students. Some of the students were quite astonished to see their friend's present and hurried to talk to them about this. As Harry stood on the podium with Hermione, Ron, Neville, Luna and Ginny the chatter died down. The room hung with silence as every eye turned on Harry.

"Good evening." Harry said his voice strong and full of confidence. "I thank everyone who has come here tonight. I know a lot of you have questions which I'll answer now. So the first question which all of you have is, 'What is DA?" Several people nodded their head in approval.

"The DA stands for Defence Army. It's going to be defensive unit where I'll teach to fight back and defend yourselves in case of danger. As you all know the time is getter harder and it is going to get even harder tomorrow therefore it becomes a matter of urgency that you learn to defend yourself and your family. With the prevailing conditions of the DADA classes I think it is appropriate of us to take the matter into our own hands." This earned even more approval from the students.

"I'll teach everything you need to learn in order to defend yourself; ranging from basic to complex spells, non-verbal to wandless." An excited approval rang through the room.

"Second question is 'Why are we learning to fight' I'm sure everyone of you read the news of the raid, the giant and werewolves?" everyone nodded in fear and disgust. "Who do you think is doing it? Who do you think is behind all this?"

"You-Know-Who. It's quite obvious." Smith, a fifth year said.

"Exactly, he is gaining forces and it's time we should too. We can't sit back and do nothing when he is practically building an army. Though the Ministry might defy this, the truth is quite clear if you ask me. It's high time already that we should start planning and learn how to protect ourselves."

"Third question you all are facing is, 'Who all are in it and who will lead?'

"Yes." A few people said out loud.

"The DA will be led by me. But if you want another leader, we will decide it by votes. I, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville will be the core of this DA. We will be the ones responsible for you in DA and if there are any suspicions roaming around the teachers; we will take care of that. We will make sure that you are left out of the trouble. That DA Core will plan the lessons and strategies and help you in whatever way we can."

"How are we going to practice?' Depending upon the number of members we will divide the DA into groups and allot days for the practice. That group has to come on that specific day to learn. If you can't make it be sure you let anyone of us know."

"If anyone of you wants to back out can back out now. You cannot back out once every one of you has taken an oath. So I request people who are not interested to leave the room. Once you leave the room, you'll pass an oblivation charm which will wipe off your memory of this room and meeting."

"Wicked."

"Blimy."

"Awesome…" was heard across the room, but none left; everyone stood their ground and Harry smiled.

"We are not leaving Harry." A third year said.

Harry smiled. "All right everyone move over to Hermione to take the oath. And then we can discuss the DA further."

After almost half an hour they stood before Harry again. "Okay, we are a large number. It' not going to be easy to organize everyone personally. Therefore, I'm electing house leaders. If anyone of you has any problem, approach them and they will discuss it with us. For Gryffindor it's Fred and George together, for Ravenclaw its Anthony Goldstein and from Hufflepuff its Ernie Macmillan."

Everyone applauded and they moved further with their discussion. Harry cleared several doubts and questions and they discussed even further the type of magic they were going to use. Harry was quite happy with it, since everyone seemed eager to participate and to trust him. Everyone present in the room that day had proved they were loyal to Dumbledore and that made Harry even more proud!

-xxxxxxxxx-

Done!

Next chapter: Draco's hesitation and doubts!