30th September

"Are you going to tell me where you think we're going to host the Defence Against the Dark Arts sessions?" Hermione said, putting on her pyjamas, we weren't overly tired, but had given up on doing work for the evening. The boys had been out playing Quidditch in the pouring rain and looked completely done-in and we all unanimously came to the decision of having an early night.

"Yeah…" I said, I had been thinking of this particular place for a number of days, but whenever I think about why I was previously up on the seventh floor, I wasn't particularly proud, so I had kept schtum about it ever since mentioning it to Sirius in the fire, "I know the perfect place, but it was Oliver who told me about it. It's called… the Room of Requirement. I'd appreciate it if you didn't-"

"Oh yes, of course," Hermione looked at me and decided not to ask the question on her mind, "I actually read about it, I didn't think it was real…"

I nodded, "It is very real."

1st October

"Kathryn, how do you know about up here?" asked Ron as we stood on the seventh floor, slightly out of breath after climbing all the stairs. The weather was so bad that Quidditch had been cancelled by Ange and we decided to organise our first Defence meeting.

"Ask no questions and I'll tell you no lies." I said, "Okay…" I walked along the corridor and came across the familiar tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy that was opposite a blank stone wall, "This is it. Close your eyes and think about the place you want… somewhere safe, somewhere to give us a place to practice, somewhere we can learn to defend ourselves, to fight… somewhere we can't be found…" I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione close their eyes and imagine, "Got an image?"

The three of them nodded.

"Keep that image in mind, and walk with me from the window and back to the vase three times…" I said, "trust me." so we did just that.

"Kathryn!" Hermione said sharply as we walked past for the third time, "There's a door!"

Ron stared at the door wearily. Harry reached out, seized the brass handle of the highly polished door and opened it to reveal a spacious room filled with flickering torches. The walls were lined with wooden bookcases and all over the floor were large silk cushions. I suddenly felt very nervous. Not for the meeting, but because I had a flashback of what went on between Oliver and me almost two years ago now…

"Kathryn?" Harry grabbed my attention.

"Hmmm?" I looked up at him.

"Do these look familiar?" he said, showing me the contents of the shelves at the back of the room – there were Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors and a large, cracked Foe-Glass.

I took a step back, "Moody."

"These will be good when we're practicing stunning," Ron said enthusiastically, prodding one of the cushions with his foot.

"And just look at all these books." Hermione said excitedly, skimming through names of the books, she was glowing, "Harry, this is wonderful, there's everything we need here!" she grabbed a book, flumped on one of the cushions and began reading.

There was a gentle knock on the door moments later and I busied myself with welcoming Ginny, Lavender, Dean, Neville and Parvati.

"Whoa," Dean stared around, impressed, "What is this place?" he asked Harry as I opened the door again to the next people arriving.

I couldn't help but smile as I saw Fred and George. I flung my arms around George's neck and kissed him, "Thanks for coming." I showed him the room.

Fred puckered his lips, "Do we all not get the same welcome?"

I gave him a hug and told him not to try his luck.

I continually greeted people, relaxing more into the environment. Michael looked at me strangely (as though sizing me up) before smiling and entering the room, which was filling quickly. Cho arrived along with her friend Marietta, who looked just as happy to be here as she was to be dragged to the first meeting in the Hog's Head. At eight o'clock, everyone was here and I signalled to Harry to begin, taking a seat on the remaining cushion on the outskirts of the group. I was very happy there.

"Well," said Harry, slightly nervously, "This is the place we've found for practice sessions, and you've – er – obviously found it okay!"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho and serval people murmured in agreement.

"It's bizarre," Fred said, frowning, "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then."

Dean was sitting closest to the shelves, "Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" he asked.

"Dark detectors," Harry went on to explain, "Basically all they show is when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled…" he glanced at me then back at the rest of the group.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and – er –" Harry noticed Hermione's raised hand, "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader."

Cho announced, "Harry's leader." She looked at Hermione as though she was mad.

I sniggered.

"I think we ought to vote, make it formal… So everyone who think's Harry should be leader?" Hermione said from the comfort of her cushion.

Everyone raised their hand.

"Er – right, thanks." Harry said, "And – what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. She was just as annoying here as she was in class, and if possible, slightly worse, "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?" then Hermione looked at me and stared, "Before you suggest it, Kathryn, we're not calling ourselves The Fight Club."

I gave her a joking dirty look.

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge league?" Ange said hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic are Morons Group." Fred suggested.

Hermione frowned at Fred, "I was thinking… more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"The Defence Association?" Cho suggested, "The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the DA's good," Ginny said, "Only, let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

"I'll second that." I announced, feeling impressed.

"All in favour of the DA?" Hermione said bossily, she sat on her knees and counted the hands, "That's a majority – motion passed."

Hermione was definitely going to work as the wizarding equivalent of a lawyer.

She then stuck the piece of parchment with everyone's names on it to the opposite wall, with the name DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY in large letters.

"Right," said Harry, who was glad to have Hermione sit back on her cushion, seemingly finished with her interruptions, "So the aim of this time together is for us to learn how to defend ourselves…. To be able to duel." There was a murmur of agreement and nodding heads, "Kathryn, I was hoping you'd assist me on this?"

I looked up at Harry who was beckoning me to stand, "Come on." He nodded.

I reluctantly stood and joined him at the front.

"Last year," Harry said, "Hermione, Ron and Kathryn helped train me for most eventualities that I might have faced in the Triwizard Tournament… And I think Ron and Hermione will agree that Kathryn has a certain… knack for duelling."

Hermione laughed, "She will fight you."

"Yeah, mate, are you wise?" Ron said.

I shook my head.

"I challenge you to a duel." Harry smirked.

I took off my cardigan, rolled up my sleeves and loosened my tie, "You're on, Potter."

"Oooooooooh." The members of the DA lapped it up.

"Now pay attention to the jinxes and counter jinxes," Harry said.

Harry and I stood about four metres apart and bowed to each other. I watched his every movement and every flicker of his wand. I let him make the first move.

Harry lifted his wand and flourished it, "Expelliarmus."

At the same time, I raised my wand across my body and shouted back, "Protego!"

Harry avoided my shield and I hit back with a quick, "STUPEFY!"

Harry, who was a second behind me, yelled, "FINITE!" his hand motioning in a shield shape.

"Repello," I said quickly, getting my own spell reverberated back at me, "Confundo!" I sent the confusion charm at Harry, he wasn't fast enough for me, he appeared to not know where he was or what he was doing, "Rictusempra." I muttered as Harry fell to the floor in a fit of giggles.

"FLIPENDO!" Harry yelled as he laughed, knocking me off my feet.

I landed on my arse a few metres back on the cold hard floor. Ouch.

I stood quickly, "Tarantallegra!" I sent in Harry's direction, making his legs jolt in every direction uncontrollably.

"Locomotor Mortis," Harry threw back at me as he fell, my legs were locked together and I fell forward. Harry laughed at me, he was enjoying himself.

"Arresto Momentum!" I stopped my fall and hopped on my feet, quickly making 3 clockwise circular motions, then pointed at my legs and released myself from the bind, "Colloshoo" Harry's feet stuck to the ground and as he went to move he lost his balance. He was not going to get away with me flying back and landing on my arse.

"Stupefy!" Harry yelled as he gained control of his uncontrollable legs.

"Protego!" I countered. As Harry deflected, I shouted, "Engorgio Skullus."

Harry's head had swollen up to three times its usual size. I could hear a few laughs.

"Alright, alright." Harry said, remembering the last time I used that spell on him, "I think they get the point."

"Expelliarmus." I said cunningly, "Never trust your opponent whenever they say they want to stop," I caught Harry's wand, "because Harry dearest was preparing to send something right back at me." I smirked, "I taught you that move, you can't use it back against me," I stuck out my tongue, "Redactum Skullus." I said, returning Harry's head to its normal size, "Depulso." I banished Harry's wand back to him. I let out a deep breath and there were a few cheers.

"That's my girl!" I heard George cheer.

"GIRL POWER!" Ange yelled.

I curtseyed stupidly on the spot and took my seat back in the far corner, out of the immediate view of everyone else. Ginny high-fived me on the way past. Michael gulped.

"Thanks, Kathryn." Harry laughed, "It's a pleasure as always." He shook his head, "Right, shall we get practising then? I was thinking the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic, but I've found it useful-"

"Oh, please." Said Zacharias Smith rolling his eyes, folding his arms.

I stood, "I'm sorry, do you want to-?" I challenged. I didn't retake my seat, instead I leaned against the wall, making Harry feel a little more comfortable standing in front of everyone else.

Zacharias' eyes widened and he slumped into his cushion, "I mean, I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," Harry spoke quietly, "It saved my life in June."

Zacharias opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was that quiet that you could have heard a pin drop.

"But if you think it's beneath you, then you can leave." Harry spoke with such conviction. No one moved a muscle, "Okay… I think we should all divide into pairs and practice."

I think I would have rather faded into the walls than practice. Ron and Hermione paired up. Fred and George paired up and I stood there like an idiot. Of course no one wanted to take me on after what they had just seen.

Neville looked at me sheepishly as he and I were the last two people standing. I shrugged my shoulders and he said, "Please go easy on me."

"Do you know how to disarm?" I asked him, "Have you done it before?"

Neville looked at me nervously, "N-No, I haven't…"

I looked at him with wide eyes, "I'm not going to yell at you, Neville, unless you try to blow me up like when we were in first year! I'm trying to help! I want to help!"

Neville stood a little taller, "Okay, teach me, Professor Pink."

I scoffed, "Kathryn will do."

So I stood with Neville and taught him, step by step the wand movements and the pronunciation of the incantation. I bravely stood and let Neville try and disarm me. First go, he managed to make books fly out from the bookcase behind me and whack me across the head as they fell. We practiced how he would aim. Second go, Neville knocked himself over like a bowling ball lightly touching a skittle. We re-practiced the wand movements. Third go, he managed to disarm me completely.

"I DID IT!" Neville shouted gleefully, "I've never done it before – I DID IT!"

Fourth go, I felt more relaxed as he took aim at me. Big mistake. I was taken off my feet and thrown into the bookcase with a loud bang, as more books as well as sneakoscopes and the foe glass fell on top of me.

"Katy! Katy! Are you okay?" I had George, Fred, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione and a very pale Neville surrounding me. I tried to play it down, for Neville's sake. I tried to shake it off. "You've got a gash on your forehead."

"I hope it looks like a lightning bolt." Was the first thing I managed to say gruffly as I was freed from all the stuff on top of me. George gave me a hand up to my feet again. I felt really unsteady. I held onto George's arm for dear life as my vision focused back again. Everyone was looking amongst each other, panicked.

"H-h-here's your wand, Kathryn…" Neville placed it back into my hand. I hadn't even realised it had flown out of my grip.

I didn't feel right. I didn't feel right at all. "Georgie?" I asked, still holding onto him tight, my voice didn't sound like it normally did, I raised my hand shakily and touched my forehead and looked at my hand which was covered in blood, "Can you bring me to Madam Pomfery? Please?"

"Of – of course."

"I'll come too," Ginny said, putting an arm around me as I hobbled towards the door.

I turned slightly, "I'll be okay, just carry on! I just need a potion, I'll be back!"

Ginny and George helped me hobble down to the hospital wing. The walk was fairly painful, but at least I still had feeling. As George basically carried me down the stairs, I mentally assessed my condition. I didn't feel like I had any broken bones. My head was thumping. Madam Pomfery who took one look at me, ushered me to a bed. "Miss Pink! What happened?"

"Library, books fell on top of me, I fell backwards and hit my back."

"And I'm sure you're going to tell me exactly what's wrong with you?"

"My head is throbbing, I have nausea, I can't remember what happened when I fell…"

Ginny stood closer to me, "You were unconscious for a second. Wasn't she George?" George nodded. Then Ginny looked to Madam Pomfery, "She didn't make much sense when she came round and she's really wobbly."

"Concussion." I said.

Madam Pomfery surveyed me for a moment, making me follow her finger, tell her when I can see her hand in my peripheral vision and then she asked, "What year is it?"

"1995" I answered.

"What is this fine young gentleman's full name?"

"George Weasley," I looked up at George, then to Madam Pomfery, "But I am almost certain he has a middle name, either Fabian or Gideon after Molly's brothers. I think I heard that mentioned once?"

George smirked, "Fabian. I'm GFW and Fred is FGW!"

"You learn something new every day." I uttered.

"Hmmmm…" Madam Pomfery thought aloud, "Shall I have a look at this head wound of yours, then?" she started poking and prodding at it.

"Hey! That's sore!" I scowled, as she cleaned out the wound, "and if you put any of that-" Madam Pomfery summoned a bottle of antiseptic and lathered it onto my head, "Ahghh!" I really wanted to hit her but waved my hands about to stop myself, and I gritted my teeth, too. When the wound stopped stinging, I took a deep breath and said, "You had best give me something for this headache now."

Madam Pomfery looked to Ginny and George, "She always has been the most demanding of patients." She shook her head at me and gave me a teaspoon full of acetaminophen.

"Seriously, you're not going to give me any of the good stuff?"

Madam Pomfery raised an eyebrow at me, "It's not a concussion, you're very lucky. I would like to have a look at your scars and feel your abdomen, if that's alight?"

I nodded, looked at George and told him to turn his back, "You don't need to see this."

George did as he was told and I took my shirt off and revealed my scars. Madam Pomfery had a feel of my tummy and we could see bruising forming already where a corner of a book hit me around one of my ribs. Then I turned over and she examined my biggest scar from my kidney operation and she listened into my chest and did a lot of spells over my body. I then had to lower my skirt and tights so that Madam Pomfery could see examine my coccyx.

"You are going to be very bruised in the morning." She concluded, and I redressed myself, George turned around and saw a little cleavage but I'm sure he's seen a lot worse! He did help undress me as I was septic, so… "No lasting damage." Madam Pomfery explained, "You are still your usual terrible patient self and you had the sense to come here and get checked out. Your vision seems unchanged; your wound will be left in the air to heal I'm afraid until tomorrow evening when I shall dress it for you. Your headache should go away." She started writing down a list of things, "If you have any of the following symptoms that do not disappear, you need to come straight back to me… If your headache doesn't go away by the morning, if you are too dizzy to stand, if you start vomiting, if you become confused or have memory loss, if you're very clumsy, have visual disturbances or someone realises that you cannot be woken in the morning."

"Cheers." I mumbled, "I'll see you tomorrow evening after dinner, then?" I stood and steadied myself before taking George's hand.

Madam Pomfery looked at her watch, "You've five minutes before curfew, off you go, and please, don't hesitate to come back if you have any concerns and do not take anything else for your head. I'm warning you."

"Alright, alright! Thanks for making me less bloody and for checking me over."

"Any time."

On the way back to Gryffindor Common Room we passed Hannah, Ernie, Susan, Justin and Zacharias.

"Are you okay, Kathryn?" Hannah, who I sat beside in Muggle Studies was full of concern.

"A few bruises and this lovely job on my forehead." I replied, "Don't worry, I'll be in class tomorrow."

Ernie smiled, "Good, what did you think of the essay? Difficult?"

I nodded, "It took me a while, but I got there in the end, I can't say I know much about muggle transport other than the specific modes."

"You're a step ahead of us, then," said Ernie, "Do you reckon you could quickly read over mine before we hand it in? I'm going to the library at lunch to finish it. Justin has been useless-"

I was about to open my mouth when Ginny stepped in, "If you haven't realised, Kathryn isn't exactly 100% right now, she needs to get up to bed and rest. She will hopefully see you tomorrow."

I looked to Ginny and shook my head.

"What?" she said, "Someone's got to stick up for you."

"I'll see you three tomorrow," I said, "until next time Zacharias."

I hobbled up the stairs to the entrance to the common room and climbed in through the portrait with great effort. On the other end, I had Neville hold out a hand to help me in. "I'm so so so so sorry…"

"It's okay, it's okay, just shut up," I raised my hands in the air, "my head is killing me."

"Oh, sorry…" he whispered, "I managed to disarm Harry, thanks to you."

"That's great, Neville." I said, "But I've really got to get to bed."

I felt a little bit unsteady and both Ginny and George were right beside me to hold me up. Hermione looked at me in concern, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "I will be." Then Parvati, Lavender and Fay crowded around me, "You four are on making sure I don't die duty. So if I ask you to bring me to Madam Pomfery, I'll need you to help. Here's a list-" I handed it to Hermione who went a shade paler, "I'll be fine." I told her, "It's just precautionary."

Harry approached me and whispered, "I feel like this is all my fault… I shouldn't have let you-"

"Harry…" I stopped him, "It is not your fault, okay? I'm glad it was me than someone else. And what's another scar to add to the collection?"

He looked at me reproachfully. "See you tomorrow."

I turned and George cautiously wrapped his arms around me and I kissed him softly, "I'll be okay, I've felt worse! If anything happens, I'll send someone up to get you, okay?"

He nodded and kissed me on the part of my forehead that wasn't gashed, "It doesn't get any easier, seeing you hurt, you know."

"Why do you think I'm learning how to defend myself?" I smiled, "I'll see you in the morning, alright?" I kissed him one last time before tacking the staircase up to my dormitory. I showed off my new bruising to Hermione, who would tell me how much worse it was in the morning. I let her talk to me for a while about the rest of the DA meeting. She mentioned that Cho couldn't concentrate around Harry. Apparently Terry Boots' wand went whizzing through the air and hit Alicia on the nose. Hermione laughed as she told me that Justin had to detangle himself after Luna was practicing the charm on him. I could hardly keep my eyes open, even though it was so very interesting. Last thing I caught her say was that we're meeting again next Wednesday.

I looked forward to making it through an entire meeting without being rendered unconscious.