Chapter Twenty Six

Harry didn't sleep well, at just before four in the morning Harry felt his stomach rumble. He climbed quietly out of bed and slipped his jumper on over his pyjamas before covering himself in the invisibility cloak.

The common room was empty, and it was easy to slip out, closing the door slowly behind him. He dodged the ghosts and made his way to the kitchens, hoping there was a house elf awake to give him something to eat.

"Harry Potter!" Dobby cried as soon as he pulled the invisibility cloak off.

"Hi Dobby." Harry smiled, "How are you?"

"Dobby is well Harry Potter." Dobby beamed, "Dobby loves working in the kitchens."

"I'm glad." Harry smiled, sitting down on a handy stool, "Getting on all right with all the other house elves? How's Winky?"

Dobby sighed, "Winky is sleeping sir, she is still drinking lots and does not want to work. Losing Mr Crouch has hurt her lots, and Masters Crouch even mores. Nots my place to says but they was bad folks."

Harry nodded, "I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping that she would settle in more."

"As was we all, Harry Potter." Dobby sighed, "The other house elves and I is getting on well though. Dobby now has many friends, as well as Harry Potter of course."

Harry grinned, "I'm glad."

"What did Harry Potter wants?" Dobby asked, "You did come to the kitchens, and very lates at night… or earlies in the mornings…"

"I was wondering if I could get something to eat?" Harry smiled, "I couldn't sleep."

Dobby beamed, "Yes yes of courses!"

He ran over to the other side of the kitchen and brought Harry back a plate of scones, still warm from the oven with a large pot of strawberry jam and fresh butter.

"Thanks Dobby." Harry said, taking a mouthful, "This is just what I needed."

"If sir doesn't mind me asking, what is on sir's mind?" Dobby asked, hopping up on the bench next to Harry and helping himself to a scone.

Harry shrugged, "A lot. You're allowed to promise me you wont tell anyone?"

Dobby nodded, "Yes sir, Dobby is a free elf."

Harry grinned, "Of course, sorry. Well Umbridge is a total… not nice person. She made me write into my own hand." he showed Dobby the scar.

Dobby looked at it sadly, "We has had more than one student in here with a scar from that evils woman. Many house elves are refusing to clean her office! She is a disgrace to Hogwarts!"

Harry looked at him shocked, "I was holding on to the hope I was the only one she'd done this to!"

Dobby shook his head, his ears flapping slightly, "There have been many. With more and mores letters going missing before they gets to parents."

Harry picked angrily at his scone, "Thank you, for helping them."

"House elves are happy to help. We is loyal to Hogwarts sir." Dobby smiled, "Is there anything else Harry Potter is worried about?"

"I need to find somewhere that can hold about thirty or more of us and is big enough for me to teach them all Defence Against the Dark Arts without letting Umbridge find out." Harry sighed, "That seems pretty impossible currently."

"Ooo!" Dobby cried, jumping up, "Dobby can help, Dobby knows!"

Harry put the scone down, "Dobby knows what?"

"Dobby knows where Harry Potter can teach his friends. Some call it the come and go room, others the Room of Requirement." Dobby explained.

Harry's brain put the pieces together, "Wait, come and go? It doesn't happen to be on the seventh floor does it?"

Dobby nodded, "Yes Harry Potter. That is the one. It only appearers when the persons are in real need of it. And it is said to always be exactly what the persons need."

"Where is it?" Harry asked, "Do you know where it is?"

Dobby nodded again, "Yes sir. Dobby has hidden Winky in there, when she has been very drunks and he has always found potions, to help with drunkness."

Harry grinned madly, he felt like things were finally going right, if everything went the way he thought it would, if Dobby was right then he had found the perfect place to have the lessons.

"We coulds go now." Dobby offered.

Harry looked at the kitchen clock, it still wasn't even five yet so the corridors would all still be empty, Harry nodded.

"I'll need to stay under my cloak, just in case." Harry told him, wishing he'd brought the Marauders' Map with him.

Dobby nodded and led the way out of the kitchen. As predicted the corridors were still empty, the few ghosts that were around paid little attention to Dobby as he walked through the sleeping castle to the seventh floor.

They walked passed a large vase, easily big enough for someone to hide in, and to a blank stretch of wall.

"Dobby, there's nothing here." Harry said carefully.

Dobby nodded and looked thoughtful, "Harry Potter needs to really really think about what you want. Dobby and Harry Potter walk passed thinkings and then..."

Dobby turned suddenly and beamed, "Ta da!"

Harry looked at the smooth wooden door that had definitely not been there just a moment before hand.

"Ok then..." Harry said, looking around to make sure no one was looking and pulled off the invisibility cloak, "That is kinda impressive."

"Dobby has heard many tales of the come and go room." Dobby said, pushing open the door.

Harry walked in and closed the door behind them. Inside was a fully stocked training room, it was larger than any other classroom, plenty of room for them to train all at once.

One wall was lined with books, Harry glanced over them seeing that they covered a wide range of topics, everything from defensive potions to the best attack spells.

Against the other wall was lined with several large dummies for practising on and a pile of soft silk cushions stacked in one corner.

"Dobby this is perfect!" Harry grinned, "I can get the word to everyone to meet here. It's not even on the Marauders map so I doubt Umbridge even knows it exists."

"Does Harry Potter need Dobby to be telling everyone to come to the come and go room?" Dobby asked, after Harry had finished looking around.

Harry smiled, but shook his head, "Thanks, but it's OK. I'll make sure the word gets round."

Dobby flapped his ears, "Dobby should get back to the kitchens, it's getting on."

Harry nodded, "Yes, sorry. I should go try and get some sleep anyway."

Harry slipped the invisibility cloak back on and left the room, the large door vanishing as soon as they'd left the room.

"Harry!" Draco yelled, shaking him awake, "What is the matter with you?"

Harry blinked, rubbing his eyes before putting on his glasses, "What time is it?"

"It's passed breakfast, you've got ten minutes until classes start." Draco explained, "I tried waking you up earlier but you were dead to the world, tried to smack me when I pulled your blanket off."

Harry grinned, "Sorry." he didn't remember it at all so he must have been dead to the world.

"Why were you so tired?" Draco asked, pulling Harry's robes out of his trunk and laying them on the bed.

Harry quickly got dressed, running a brush through his bed hair before leaving the dorm.

"I've got loads to tell you." Harry whispered, gratefully taking the slightly cold toast that Daphne had saved for him, "I was up really last night, couldn't sleep, so I went to the kitchens hoping that I could get something to eat and Dobby told me about this, 'come and go room' that would be perfect for our training lessons."

"Are you sure it's safe?" Draco asked, carefully, "It's just, well, Dobby isn't always the best judge of such things."

Harry grinned, "You can say that again, my poor leg. But it's OK, I think I remember Dumbledore mentioning something and then there was the room that Sirius said Mum used when she was younger, I think it's all the same room. It's like an alive part of the school, it changes to whatever you need. It's not even on the Marauders' Map."

"It sounds perfect." Pansy smiled, "What's the catch?"

"I honestly don't think there is one. I think the world is finally giving us a break is all."

"Look, there's the bell, we're going to have to go. Meet at break?" Daphne sighed

Harry nodded, "Yeah and tell everyone to meet up in the seventh floor study room tomorrow evening, eight o'clock. We need to get the word around."

Harry followed his friends out of the Slytherin common room and begrudgingly headed for Divination. It annoyed him how much more he could get done if he didn't have to waste his time looking up and deciphering Ron's made up dreams.

Ever since Harry had told him he was over compensating for his brothers being better than him Harry was sure that the dreams were made up, no one really dreams of giant, dripping wet lemons while blushing madly and being awkward telling people about them.

Professor Trelawney was still in a furious mood, which also didn't help encourage Harry to sit down on the overly squishy arm chair and give Ron a small half smile. Professor Trelawney threw their books at them, Harry's skidding off the table.

"Well!" she snapped, "Get on with it."

Harry waited until the class seemed distracted with their work before leaning closer to Ron.

"We've found somewhere to train." Harry whispered.

Ron's interest peaked up, "Really?"

Harry nodded, "Yep. I need you to tell everyone you can, who was at the meeting, that they need to be in the seventh floor study room at eight o'clock tomorrow night."

Ron nodded, "Yeah sure. Of course I will."

"Only tell people who you'd run into normally, we can't draw attention to ourselves." Harry reminded him, "And only tell people who were at the meeting, who signed that bit of parchment, if you think someone else would like to join, talk to me, Draco, Daphne, Pansy, Neville or Hermione."

Ron nodded again.

"Well Mr Potter? What is your latest dream?" Professor Trelawney demanded, walking over.

"Ron was just telling me that the fact all my dreams seem to happen at night or in the evening means that I will almost certainly be dead before the year is out." Harry said, smiling at Professor Trelawney.

Professor Trelawney looked a little taken aback, "Well done, Mr Weasley, you might actually be learning."

Harry waited until she'd moved on to the next set of students before turning back to Ron.

"You lied really easily then." Ron said, impressed.

Harry shrugged, "I'd already thought of something to say, I figured there was a chance she would come over and ask after all."

"Seventh floor study room right?" Ron asked, "No one ever uses that any more, won't it look a bit odd?"

Harry shrugged, "We won't be in there for very long, and there is very rarely a teacher there to watch over it. Besides, once you all know where it is, we can just go straight there in future."

Ron nodded, "Ok. I'll see you tomorrow night, if not before."

Harry smiled and turned back to his work.

It was a cold day but he huddled up in his cloak and walked quickly to the meeting spot by the lake.

"The weather really isn't going to let us do this for much longer." Hermione sighed, pulling her cloak a little closer.

Harry couldn't disagree there, "I know, but this is both important and time sensitive. Firstly, first defence lesson meeting is tomorrow at eight o'clock. Meet up at half seven in the seventh floor study room. Secondly, I need you to make a few adjustments to the curse you put on the parchment."

Hermione nodded, "I really wish you wouldn't call it a curse." she mumbled.

Harry ignored her, not to be mean but he needed to be quick, feeling his toes was starting to get difficult they were so cold, and it wouldn't be long until the bell rang, summoning them all back into class.

"I need you to make some sort of effect or mark on whoever introduced the snitch to the group's face as well." Harry said, "So when we tell them they have everyone to think about, and will think twice before inviting just anyone."

Hermione nodded, "It seems harsh."

"We need to be sure, someone might think they're worth the risk because the curse might not be real but they'll think twice if their friends could suffer as well." Harry said, "I just know it's going to end badly for all of us if she finds out, I have this really sickening feeling."

Hermione smiled, "I trust you."

Harry grinned, "Right, the next thing is we need to be able to tell people, just us six, but we need to be exempt from the curse, what if there are new members?"

"That's already the case." Hermione said, "I can also add more people onto the exempt bit if we need to. And I know how to remove any effects if needs be as well."

"Brilliant," Harry nodded, "Right, spread the word about the first meeting and I'll see you later."

He stood up gratefully and heading inside.

"Hem hem." Professor Umbridge said the moment they were through the door, stepping out from the shadows, "I believe that you have broken Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four."

"Not at all Professor Umbridge." Neville said.

Umbridge looked less than happy at being told she was wrong, "Unless I am very much mistaken, any group of three or more students that has not been approved is prohibited."

"Any regularly meeting group." Neville corrected her, "Besides, Prefects have already sorted and received permission to talk to students about their behaviour in larger groups. Mr Potter and Miss Greengrass have had a small drop in grades, we wanted to ask if there was anything we could do to help."

Professor Umbridge gave them a tight smile, "I see. How inter house friendly of you. And is there anything we can do to help?"

Harry shook his head, "Not really, Hogwarts just feels very… hostile, it's effecting my ability to think. If that's all Professor, we should be getting to class. Professor McGonagall doesn't like students being late."

Professor Umbridge moved out their way and stalked back towards her office.

"How did you know my grades had dropped?" Daphne asked.

Neville smirked, "I read over your shoulder last time we were in the library, a whole one percent lower than last year! Miss Greengrass your parents would be shocked!"

"I hate you." Daphne grinned, pushing open the door to Transfiguration.