Hello all, without further delay here's the second chapter.
"I want to learn too."
"Huh?" said Harry astonished.
"I would like to be able to attend these defence classes that you will be teaching." Said Daphne still with her emotionless voice.
"What?"
"Potter, I swear to Morgana, if you make me repeat myself one more time I will curse you," replied Daphne glaring at him "I still have my pride and asking you for help is already hard."
At this, Harry straightened himself not wanting to be on the receiving end of her anger.
"Yeah, huh, sorry, I guess I'm not used to Slytherins asking me for help." said Harry with a small laugh and quickly stopped when he saw Daphne was not laughing.
There was an awkward silence for a moment with them both looking at each other not knowing what to say.
"So? Can I join your group?" asked Daphne impatiently.
"I mean if you want to yes, but I got to warn you, not everyone will like it if I bring a Slytherin with me" answered Harry.
"That's fine, I don't care what people think about me, anyway I want to learn, not make friends." said Daphne getting up from where she leaned against the teacher's desk and started walking toward the door.
"Wait!" said quickly Harry before she could step out of the classroom.
"Yes?" Turning around to look at him.
"Why?" asked Harry "I understand you want to learn, but why take risks doing it? Won't the other Slytherins be angry with you if you're in a group with us?" quickly added the bespectacled wizard.
"I already told you I don't care what people think of me," said Daphne "but yes I have a reason for asking this of you."
Curious Harry quickly sat at one of the student desks and gestured with his head to the desk next to him.
"Come on, sit down and explain it to me," said Harry with a smile "we have some time before dinner starts anyway."
Sighing, Daphne looked at him, in her head a battle raged, whether or not she should trust him with her reasons of wanting to be able to defend herself. Watching him smiling at her earnestly while not even ten minutes ago she was held at wandpoint by him and then he had looked nothing like he was now.
"Come on Daphne, if you trust him to teach you, you need to trust him with this" the blonde witch thought to herself.
She walked slowly and took a seat next to him, staying silent for a few seconds wondering where she should start.
"My name is Daphne Greengrass, and I am the heiress of the old and noble House of Greengrass" she began quietly "The Greengrass family is a pureblood family, often considered Dark by ignorants, the truth is during the last war we stayed neutral, we never joined You-Know-w- "
"Voldemort" Harry cut off, watching a shiver break down her impassive mask.
"What?"
"Voldemort that's his name" replied Harry with a grin watching her shiver one more time.
"Very well," said Daphne resolutely "So we never joined V… Voldemort" It took a lot out of her to say the name aloud as her parents had taught her all the evil it brought to the world.
"Good job." said Harry sarcastically smirking at her.
"Shut up," said Daphne glaring at him, earning a small chuckle out of the green-eyed wizard.
"So, we never joined him, we are more of a 'grey' family than anything else, but well, let's say my parents believe you." she said quietly, and he saw a small amount of panic in her eyes underneath her stony behaviour.
"And I'm scared," she said biting her lips "I'm scared that some people might use me or my sister to force my father to align our house to You- "she stopped as Harry looked at her "-to Voldemort" Harry sent her a small smile.
"You're scared of something happening in Slytherin aren't you" asked Harry.
Daphne looked at him curiously and then slowly nodded, "I am, it isn't the house of the cunning and ambitious it once was, it is now the house of power-hungry and followers" she said with a sigh "I'm scared of the lengths some of my housemates may go to get in the good graces of their Lord…"
"There are no good graces with old snake face" snarled Harry.
Daphne snorted, then she started to laugh quietly, her shoulders shook lightly as she tried to hold in her laughter, which she failed miserably as she started to laugh even harder.
"I'-I'm- ahahhah, I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you." she said holding her hand to her mouth.
Harry was looking at her funnily and then he also started to laugh at the situation, here he was in an empty classroom with a Slytherin and the Ice Queen to boot it, and he was making her laugh, oh if only Malfoy could see it, he would be seething.
"I'm sorry Potter, I lost my composure." said Daphne regaining her emotions after a while.
"That's quite alright Greengrass, you can lose your composure with me whenever you want, I'm good at keeping secrets." laughed Harry.
Daphne was stunned by what he said, there he was, the golden boy of Gryffindor, making her laugh and losing her composure, telling her that she could be herself with him. No boy had ever done that, they all tried to talk to her as if she was theirs by right, this was a nice change. A small smile broke out of the blonde as she looked at the Gryffindor, "I'm sure you're good at keeping secrets, I think there's a lot the rest of us don't know about all the adventures you've had in this castle."
"Maybe, maybe not," the Gryffindor grinned.
"Speaking of secrets," Daphne said, "please keep what I told you tonight to yourself."
"Yeah, no problem, I can do that." Harry replied. He actually enjoyed their conversation, she was surprisingly easy to talk to, even when she was trying to keep her emotions in check, something she seemed to be having trouble with tonight. "I wanted to ask another thing." said Daphne looking at him expectingly.
"Go ahead"
"I would like for my friend Tracey Davis to also join me for your classes, she's a fellow Slytherin, but she's a half-blood, and she isn't always treated the best within my house, and I fear that it might get worse in the coming future."
"Of course, no problem, by the way, tomorrow, we have a meeting at 1 PM at the Hog's Head Inn, apparently all the members that will join will meet with us there." said Harry.
"Oh okay, how many people will be there" asked Daphne curiously.
"I have absolutely no clue" replied Harry with a smile.
"What do you mean you have no clue? Isn't it your class? You should be aware of this" replied Daphne looking incredulous.
"While I agree with you, the only people that I know will be there tomorrow are you, your friend Davis, Hermione, Ron, and me." Harry said now laughing "Hermione was in charge of the invitations, and she wouldn't tell who are coming or how many, so for now I am in the dark."
"I don't envy you Potter." Said Daphne standing up "I better get going or people will start asking questions as to where I was, thanks again, and see you tomorrow."
She made her way out of the classroom with a final wave of her hand she said goodbye to Harry who was still seated at a desk.
"Now to announce this to Ron and Hermione." He chuckled to himself standing up and going out of the classroom on his way to the Great Hall to finally get something to eat.
"Mate, now you're telling me you said ok for two Slytherins to join us tomorrow, what's it going to be next? Replace me with bloody Malfoy?" said Ron in exasperation.
The golden trio found itself in the now deserted Gryffindor common room, it was late in the night, they had to wait for everyone to go to bed before they could have a moment to speak without the need of being wary of anyone listening in.
Harry had come into the Great Hall sporting a small grin, when asked about it, he only said that they would talk about it later, which of course infuriated his two friends. They wanted to know what was making their raven-haired friend look so smug.
"I told you Ron, she has a good reason to, and she didn't insult me, we even laughed for a bit, I trust her alright?"
"I think it's very brave what she's doing," said Hermione, "She's going against the majority of her house on her principles."
"If you could just tell us what was the reason that made her ask you maybe I could have a little more trust" explained Ron looking expectingly at Harry.
"No Ron, I can't tell you nor Hermione, I promised her" smiled Harry.
"Yeah yeah, you told me that already, but it's unusual for you to hide stuff from us though," said Ron with an almost pouting expression "Mione, what do you think of Harry not telling us things?"
"I think you need to trust Harry, Ron, he has never deceived us in the past, and he won't start now, if he trusts her then I do too" smiled Hermione at her ginger friend.
"Thank you Mione" smiled Harry.
"You're welcome, plus I think it's great that we mix up with some of the other houses, it's so stupid that we don't get to be friends with some people just because the sorting hat made a different decision" rambled Hermione.
"Exactly" exclaimed Harry, "I already told you both, the sorting hat wanted me in Slytherin, and I told him no because I wanted to be with you Ron, and not Malfoy."
"That's different mate, you're actually nice" argued Ron.
"But what if I went into Slytherin?" asked Harry "Would that have made me a git?"
"Well, I guess not" replied Ron half-heartedly.
"There you go then, if I tell you Greengrass is ok then trust me alright?"
Ron only nodded to his best friend, too proud, to say out loud that they were correct, and he was wrong. Laughing Hermione turned around and took something out from her bag. It seemed to be a rolled-up parchment.
"What's that?" asked Harry looking at her puzzled.
"That," began Hermione, unrolling the parchment, showing it to both boys, "is how we're going to make people stay loyal to us."
Ron and Harry both looked at the empty parchment and looked at each other trying not to laugh.
"Hermione, not that I want to insult you, but how's an empty piece of parchment going to help us with that?" asked Ron snorting lightly.
"For your information, Ronald, this empty piece of parchment has been jinxed, everyone who will write their name on this parchment will hereby be bound to secrecy to us, if they have the wonderful idea to go talk to someone about it, there are a pretty nasty list of charms and jinx on it that will make them regret it." Said Hermione looking absolutely maniac.
They both turned to her with wide eyes and were becoming quite pale, both knowing what kind of person Hermione was deep down, that is the kind of person who trapped Rita Skeeter in a jar.
"You are completely mental." said Harry.
"Right he is" added Ron looking at her as if he was scared.
"But you're also brilliant" finished Harry looking at her in awe.
"He's once again, right." said Ron.
"Why thank you boys," laughed Hermione, "now the only thing we need for the jinxes to fall in place is a name."
"Why?" they both asked.
"The charms on the parchment will work if someone talks or writes of the name of the group to someone not on the list" explained Hermione, "but for that, we need a name."
"Professor Potter and the squibs!" laughed Ron loudly.
"Fuck no!" exclaimed Harry punching his friend on the arm, "You all will call me Harry, no professor business between us!"
Hermione laughed lightly at the interaction in front of her and proposed "Well we could go with Defence class?"
"Now that's just boring Mione" deadpanned Ron.
"It's still better than yours!" she replied sticking out her tongue at him "Harry what do you think?"
"Does Defence Association do it for you guys?" he asked.
"I like it!" declared Hermione "When can even call it D.A"
"D.A is like Dumbledore's army, no?" said Ron without thinking.
"Oh my god that's even better Ron!" said Hermione slapping his arm.
"Yeah, that sounds alright to me too, it's a nice fuck you gesture to the papers saying Dumbledore's trying to get Fudge's job" replied Harry laughing.
"Language Harry!" said Hermione sternly.
"That settles it then" grinned Ron looking at his two friends "we three are now the leaders of Dumbledore's army!"
Taking her quill in her bag, Hermione went over the empty parchment and wrote in a neat handwriting.
Dumbledore's Army
Daphne had avoided the looks her best friend was giving her ever since she came into the Great Hall, admittedly, she was being suspicious, she disappeared for more than an hour, and then when she came back, she refused to say where.
"Daphne?" Asked Tracey Davis
Daphne paused just as she was about to take a bite of her food and glanced at her friend, Tracey was a fifth-year Slytherin girl just like her, she had brown hair and brown eyes, some freckles around her nose, she was a bit smaller than Daphne but not by much.
"Yes?" she answered her friend without looking at her.
"Why are you acting strangely?" added Tracey.
"What are you talking about?"
"Daph, we never go anywhere without the other, and when we do, we tell each other everything. So, what are you hiding from me?"
Daphne looked around her, she was surrounded by her fellow housemates at the Slytherin table.
"We can't talk about it here, we'll talk later alright?" responded the blonde witch.
"Ooooh! Is it a boy?" Tracey whispered to her with glinting eyes.
"What? No! Nothing like that" said Daphne quickly "Well… there is a boy involved but not in the sense you're thinking."
"Seems fishy" said her friend laughing a bit, "Can't wait!"
Daphne and Tracey finished their meal quickly and made their way to the Slytherin common room in the dungeons.
Coming into an empty corridor, both girls headed right for a bare wall it seemed, but two feet before they would have collided with the wall, a great snake rose up and there appeared the door to their common room. Going down the stairs they arrived in what seemed to be a great lounge, where several couches made of black leather were littered around the place. From there they made their way to the girl's dormitory, but just before they could enter a voice called out to them.
"Daphne!"
Daphne and Tracey turned to find none other than Draco Malfoy advancing toward them, with a grin on his face.
"What do you want Draco?" asked Daphne coldly, so coldly in fact that the grin on Malfoy's face went down, but quickly went up again.
"Well Daphne, as you know, tomorrow is a Hogsmeade Weekend, and I know that you have no one to take you, you must be quite sad, so I will do you the honour of my presence tomorrow alright? We can meet up around ten." Said Draco full of confidence.
"I'd rather have a date with Filch than go with you to Hogsmeade ferret" said Daphne, her tone icy, and then turned on her heel and entered the girl's dormitory leaving Draco sputtering.
Entering the fifth-year girls' room Daphne and Tracey found, Pansy Parkinson on her bed reading a magazine.
"Pansy" called Daphne making the small dark-haired girl look up to her, "you might want to control your little boyfriend, he asked me out to Hogsmeade… Again"
"What?!" exclaimed Pansy standing up "I told you to stop flirting with Draco!"
"Believe me Pansy, I want nothing to do with Daddy's boy, I wouldn't want a boyfriend who likes to watch himself in the mirror more than he does me" answered Daphne.
Pansy turned red before speeding out of the door, to, without a doubt, go and convince Malfoy that she was a better choice than Daphne.
Just as Pansy closed the door, Daphne took out her wand and cast a locking charm to the door and a silencing charm to the room.
"You did that on purpose didn't you?" asked Tracey with a smile.
"You want me to tell you what happened? If yes, then we needed a little bit of privacy" answered Daphne easily.
"Okay tell me everything." said Tracey.
And tell her everything Daphne did, she explained how she had overheard Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger speaking in the library about needing a teacher in defence. How Harry Potter was mentioned as a candidate. She then explained to her friend that she had tried to talk to him for a week and that the only moment she had an opportunity to was today just before dinner by pulling him into an empty classroom.
At that, Tracey snickered.
"What?" asked Daphne.
"No no, nothing, just that usually when a girl and a boy go in an empty classroom it's not usually to speak about defence lessons if you want my opinion."
"Morgana… Tracey, I wouldn't do that" said Daphne appalled.
"Oh come on Daph!" laughed Tracey "Even if he's not the most popular right now you can't deny that Potter's fit, and with his glasses and emerald green eyes, come on say it he's hot!"
Daphne stayed silent just looking judgmental at her friend. After a few seconds of awkward silence were the both of them looked at each other in the eyes, Daphne looked away.
"Fine, he's not ugly" admitted the blonde girl.
"AH-AH!" exclaimed Tracey pointing a finger in her friend's direction.
"You want the end or what?" asked Daphne exasperated.
"Yes yes sorry" replied Tracey.
So, Daphne continued, she told her of their conversation, of how he had accepted of her joining his classes, she also shared with her friend the conversation she and Potter had had, about Voldemort.
"Now you're pulling my leg." Said Tracey disbelieving "He call You-Know-Who, old snake face?"
"Yes! I couldn't believe it either!" said Daphne "I actually started to laugh uncontrollably at that."
"You? Laughing?" said Tracey shocked "A boy made you laugh? And you didn't hex him?"
"What about it?" said Daphne.
"Daph, darling, I've known you since we were five, and since we've come to Hogwarts you've put on the act of the Ice Queen, now don't get me wrong, I get why you're doing it, but in five years not one single boy made you laugh, and Harry bloody Potter managed that in less than an hour?"
"Well yes" she answered simply.
"I need to meet him Daph" said Tracey looking at her expectantly.
"Well about that" started Daphne.
"What?"
"I kind of asked him if I could take you with me on these classes."
"You're joking?" asked Tracey stunned.
"I didn't want to be alone with a bunch of Gryffindors" said Daphne, "I mean sure I told him I didn't care what people thought of me, but if I went to those classes and was the odd one out it would downright atrocious!"
"So now we'll be the odd two out, is that it?" joked Tracey.
"Exactly!" smiled Daphne.
"So when's the first meeting" asked Tracey.
"Tomorrow…"
There was a long blank silence as Tracey looked at Daphne's eyes to see any trace of deception in them. She found none.
"Oh great heavens" sighed Tracey.
The next day, many of the third-year students and above left the castle and headed to the wizarding village near the castle. Hogsmeade. It was always a special occasion for students to go to the village for a butterbeer at the Three-Broomsticks, or even to buy supplies, or for the more playful students to go to Zonko's to buy some prank supplies.
But for around thirty students, today was an even more special day, they all had been invited to join the Golden-trio to talk about joining a special club of defense against the dark arts.
Harry had never been so nervous in his entire life. Facing Voldemort was less scary than this for Merlin's sake! At least then he had the adrenaline rolling off in his body. Hermione wouldn't tell him how many people were supposed to join them. They had arrived at the Hog's Head Inn twenty minutes ago now, they rounder up chairs so that people could sit down. And then for courage the three of them ordered a butterbeer from the innkeeper Aberforth.
Five minutes before 1 PM people started coming in groups. At first, there were a couple of Gryffindors such as the Weasley twins, Jordan Lee, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Dean Thomas.
"That's not so bad if that's everyone." Thought Harry was relieved there were not too many people.
But then another group came in, this time of Ravenclaws, like Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Padma Patil, Edgecomb Marietta, and others.
At that, Harry started to sweat a little bit. And unfortunately for him, it wasn't the end. Not even thirty seconds later a group of Hufflepuffs came in.
Composed of Susan Bones, Hannah Abbot, Finch-Fletchley, Justin, Zacharias Smith, and others that Harry did not know.
Everyone went up to the bar to order up a butterbeer, Aberforth was running between each student to take their order all the while grumbling to himself.
And then the doors opened again to greet the strangest thing of this reunion: two Slytherin girls had just entered. Daphne and Tracey hadn't even had to close the door when someone shouted in their direction.
"Who the hell invited bloody Slytherins!"
All the group of students fell quiet at once and turned in their direction. Daphne and Tracey were suddenly glared at by a body consisting of almost thirty students all from the three other houses of Hogwarts. It was at this moment that Daphne and Tracey realized just how much her house was hated.
Harry seeing this quickly stood up to face the students and called loudly.
"I invited them here! Anyone got a problem with that?"
All of them turned to watch the Boy-Who-Lived, and nobody said a thing, after all, Harry had faced down many dangers and as a result had become quite scary when he wanted to.
"That's what I thought." Harry said to himself more than anything.
Coming up to the two Slytherins, Harry handed them a mug of butterbeer each and said to them gesturing to the crowd behind him.
"Sorry about them, though I did warn you yesterday."
"Yes you did, and I recall saying to you that I didn't care about it" replied Daphne emotionlessly.
"Please excuse her, if she doesn't show them that she's not to be fucked with she'll throw a fit," said Tracey with a laugh, at this Daphne glared at her best friend "Anyway nice to properly meet you Potter I'm Tracey Davis" she continued holding out her hand.
Harry looked at her incredulously before taking her hand with a smile and a small nice to meet you.
After everyone had been able to order up a butterbeer they all sat down on the chairs the trio had set in a semi-circle around them, though a lot of people stood as they hadn't prepared as many chairs as there was students.
"There's more of you than I thought there would be." Said Hermione standing chuckling lightly.
Everyone around chuckled as well to try and lighten up the mood.
"You all know why we're here, we need a teacher, a teacher that is willing to teach us practical stuff, not the garbage the Ministry is trying to feed us."
At that, some people nodded.
"Also to pass our OWL's!"
At that, most people chuckled.
"And also, because…Voldemort is back"
At that, most people shuddered.
"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione began.
"You mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the blond boy, nodding at Harry.
"Who are you?" said Ron rather rudely.
"Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
Harry stood up, and looked at the crowd in front of him, all their eyes were on him.
"Listen, I know you don't all believe me about Voldemort's revival, I would want nothing more than to be allowed by the Ministry to take Veritaserum and show all of you that I'm telling the truth." Some people started to be very interested in their boots.
"But I can't, so you have to take my word, but even so if you don't believe me, you still have to pass your exams at the end of the year, and maybe that will be more credible to you."
"And if you anyone came here about Cedric then you can all clear out."
Nobody moved.
"Why you then mate?" asked Terry Boot "Why not a seventh year that has already passed their OWL's?"
"Because unlike anyone else Harry has real-life experience" growled Ron.
Then a timid voice rose up from a blond Ravenclaw "Is it true you can produce a Patronus Harry?"
"Yeah I can, learned it in third year." replied Harry.
Everyone around the room was shocked, the Patronus charm was known to be exceedingly hard to master and sometimes impossible for people.
"Yes I saw drive off more than a hundred dementors" added Hermione.
"He also saved me by killing the Basilisk in the chamber of secrets." Ginny said.
"Yeah and last year all saw how he managed to win against three others seventh year" someone shouted.
"Everyone please stop," said Harry holding up his hands in a placating manner, everyone fell silent, "When you all say it like that it sounds great, but the truth is, every step of the way I had help, and when I had to do those things believe me, I was scared shitless."
"When it's only you and your wand, and the next spell you cast might make the difference between life or death for you or… for a friend. It's scary, truly scary, and I hope that none of you will have to feel what I have felt, but if I can help to prepare all of you then I will do it."
Silence reigned in the Hog's Head Inn, everyone had the words of Harry Potter ringing in their head, the raw emotions from his voice when he spoke of his experiences could not be faked, it was at this moment that they all understood, he was not lying.
"What kind of spells will you teach us?"
Harry looked up at who was speaking and was surprised to see it was Daphne Greengrass, she had stayed silent during the whole meeting, which did not surprise him as he remembered her to be very silent.
"All the spells I can. Last year for the tournament I spent most of my free time learning all the defence spells I could to be able to be on the level of the three others." Replied Harry
"Even the patronus?" added the blonde Slytherin.
"Yes" replied Harry simply looking into her icy blue eyes, at his answer she gave him a small smile that only he saw and smiled back.
"Anyway, what's this called?" Neville asked.
"We thought about it for a moment last night with Ron and Harry" began Hermione, "and we've decided that we would call ourselves Dumbledore's Army, D.A in short. We thought of it because Fudge's accusing Dumbledore of raising an army so that's why he sent Umbridge to not teach us, and we thought that was a… how did you put it again Harry?"
"We thought it was a nice fuck you gesture!" said Harry smiling as everyone began to laugh even Daphne was fighting off her smile which was something to say.
"Okay now round up, you all come up to Hermione, you all sign your name on the parchment, and you take the fake Galleon, it is charmed to tell you when the next meeting is, and then you can clear out! Understood?" Shouted Ron so everyone heard him. There were choruses of yes and people began to stand in line to sign their names and take their charmed galleon.
It had taken a bit of time all but two people had signed their names on the parchment. Tracey and Daphne, having waited for them to sign their name before they did, approached Hermione, Ron, and Harry to sign and take their galleon. Once they did so Daphne looked at Harry and smiled at him.
"Quite the thing you got going here Professor Potter" She started "Can't wait for the next meeting" and then with Tracey in tow she went out of the inn.
Harry's brain had malfunctioned when she had smiled at him, and it had completely shut down after being called Professor. Ron and Hermione of course had said nothing just as shocked as Harry was. But when the door closed behind the two Slytherins the two began to laugh uproariously. They laughed so hard at him they had to hold their sides in pain.
"Come on guys it's not that funny!" Said Harry with his face redder than a tomato.
"Oh yes, it is mate!" laughed Ron.
"Oh my, Harry you should've seen your face" giggled Hermione.
"I don't get what's so funny." said Harry crossing his arms.
"Harry" started Hermione gaining back control of herself "Daphne Greengrass, from Slytherin, just flirted with you."
"What?!" exclaimed Harry
"Even I saw it this time." said Ron putting his hand on his friend's shoulder in support.
"But I didn't do anything to make her flirt with me!" said Harry exasperated.
"Yes and that's probably why she did it." said Hermione nodding.
"What do you mean?"
"Think of it this way Harry, Daphne Greengrass, has a reputation of an Ice Queen, and it did not appear from nowhere." Said Hermione.
"So?" said Harry still confused.
"So," sighed Hermione, "boys have been trying to flirt with her since she came to Hogwarts, she is very pretty Harry, and you are probably the first boy who did not try to flirt with her, you've only been yourself, and apparently she liked it."
"What should I do then?" asked Harry looking at Ron for reassurance. His Ginger friend just threw his hands in the hair and spoke.
"Mate don't look at me, nobody ever flirted with me too, even less the bloody Ice Queen from Slytherin."
"That does not really reassure me Ron" deadpanned Harry.
"I'll come visit you in the hospital wing if she freezes your bollocks." Snickered Ron.
"Oh come on" said Hermione swatting Ron on his shoulder, "Just be yourself, get to know her, and see where it takes you."
Harry just smiled lightly in answer.
As the two Slytherins closed the door behind them and ventured into the village, Daphne could feel her friend's gaze on her, and after a few minutes of walking, Tracey still hadn't said a thing.
"If you want to say something, say it." said Daphne irritably.
"Honestly I don't know what to say" answered Tracey.
"Well that would be a first" smiled the blonde.
"Did you realize you flirted with the Boy-Who-Lived?" asked again Tracey.
"He's not the Boy-Who-Lived, it's just Potter, and I don't know why I said that, don't make a big deal out of it."
"I think it's a big deal Daphne, I never once saw you smile at a boy as you smiled at Potter today, there's got to be something." Argued Tracey.
"He's just easy to talk to" answered Daphne blushing lightly "please leave it at that."
"Whatever you say."
Both girls fell silent and continued walking towards the village. Leaning against a wall at the entry of the village were two Ravenclaws that Daphne recognized from the meeting, Marietta Edgecomb and Cho Chang.
As soon as the two Ravenclaw saw them they made a beeline for them, stopping only a few feet in front of them.
"What do you both think you're doing?" asked Marietta, her tone venomous.
"Walking. What does it look like?" said Tracey looking at them like they were idiots.
"Don't get smart with us." replied once again Marietta glaring at Tracey, "What were you doing at the meeting, nobody wants you there." Continued the Ravenclaw threateningly.
"Potter invited us." Replied Daphne almost looking bored "Didn't you hear when he said it?"
"I don't care what he said, you will throw away the galleons, and you won't try to join us again and you will leave Harry alone!" said Cho reaching in her jacket to take her wand. But Daphne was quicker, she quickly took her wand that was in her back pocket and pointed it a Cho's chest.
"Now you listen to me, bitch," Daphne started, looking downright murderous, "nobody tells me what to do, especially not a bitch who only wants to get fucked for money, so I'm warning you now, talk to me like that again and I'll stick my wand up your fat arse and blow your insides out. Is that clear?"
Cho and Marietta both turned pale. They took half a step back from the angry Slytherin, then turned and ran as quickly as they had come.
"What the fuck was that Daph?!" blurted out her brown-haired friend.
"I've had enough of people like her and Draco, they think they can order everyone around to do what they want. Fuck them. I'll do what I fucking want" hissed Daphne.
"Remind me to never get on your bad side alright? I'd like to keep my insides right wear they are" chuckled Tracey lightly, "now come on don't let these, bitches, as you've so beautifully put it, ruin our day we can still enjoy Hogsmeade."
"Right"
Both girls spent the rest of the day going from shop to shop, buying school supplies, some clothes and, most importantly, sweets. All in all, it had been a good day and Daphne was strangely impatient for the next meeting with the DA.
The weekend came to an end fast enough and students quickly found themselves waking up on Monday morning to go back to classes for yet another week.
Harry had arrived in the Great Hall for breakfast with Hermione, Ron was once again running late, they sat down and started talking slowly of places where they could start their D.A meetings.
"Hermione we can't just use an empty classroom, it's too easily found" argued Harry.
"I know that, but we don't have a lot of choice, we need space for thirty people to practice spells." Said Hermione tiredly.
"I know" sighed Harry.
"Mr. Potter." said a stern voice behind them.
Both Gryffindors turned to look at who was addressing them, when they saw who it was, they relaxed, it was their head of House, fortunately.
"Yes professor?"
The transfiguration teacher extended her hand to him giving him what seemed to be a letter.
"Here Mr. Potter, I was asked to give you this, please have a nice day, and don't get in trouble."
Taking the letter, she was offering him, he threw his professor a smile "You too professor."
With a last glance at her two students Minerva McGonagall quickly turned and walked back to the teacher's table where she would take a small breakfast before starting her day.
"That was weird" commented Hermione looking at Harry while he was reading the letter, "what is it?"
"Here" he replied giving her the letter.
Harry,
Please meet me tonight at 8 o clock in my office, we have much to discuss.
I would urge you to not be seen on your way.
-Albus Dumbledore
PS: You'll find that gargoyles are apparently very fond of Peppermint Toffee.
Giving him back the letter Hermione smiled at him lightly "Must be important if he doesn't want you to be seen."
"Yeah, I don't know, I guess I'll see tonight." Replied Harry confusedly.
The day passed rather slowly for Harry, he started with two hours of History of Magic, then two hours of Herbology, then he had lunch, in the afternoon he had two very, very, long hours of Defence Against the Dark Arts with the great pink toad, where he had to, multiple times, do himself violence to keep his mouth shut lest he ends up in another excruciating week of detention.
At 7 o'clock in the evening, he went with Hermione and Ron to have a quick dinner, once he was done, he went up to the Gryffindor tower where he took his invisibility cloak, as well as the marauder's map.
Going out of the Gryffindor common room hidden from sight and using empty corridors to get to Dumbledore's office with the help of the map, he finally arrived undetected in front of the Gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office.
"Peppermint Toffee" He whispered to the gargoyle still under his cape.
The gargoyle began spinning up and with it, the stairs leading up to Dumbledore's office. Once in front of the door he knocked on it and heard Dumbledore's call for him to enter.
Entering the Headmaster's office was always an experience for Harry, there were so many magical artifacts, books, and portraits, it was mind-blowing.
"Come, my boy, take a seat." Said the old wizard gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. Harry followed the command and sat himself in front of Albus Dumbledore.
"Tea Harry?" asked Dumbledore scratching his beard.
"No thank you, sir." Was the reply.
"Very well, I must apologize, Harry, for all the cloak and dagger" chuckled the headmaster as he used a muggle saying, "But it is necessary."
"Headmaster, excuse me but why?" demanded Harry.
"As you without a doubt know, the Minister thinks that I am trying to replace him."
"But you're not!"
Holding a hand to make Harry calm down "No Harry, I am not, but the Minister is very paranoid, and he thinks that I will try to use you and your fame, to get to that result. So that is why, I have been distancing myself from you Harry."
"It's alright sir, I understand." Smiled Harry
"I'm sure you do." Smiled Dumbledore standing up, he paced behind his great desk looking at paintings on the wall in silence, for a few minutes neither said anything. Harry was about to say something when the old headmaster began to speak.
"Tell me Harry, how is my army faring?"
"What?" sputtered Harry.
"Yes, how is my army, Dumbledore's army faring? I understand that you, Miss Granger, and Mister Weasley are the leaders."
Harry said nothing, only looking at his feet, how could he be aware, it had only been two days since they formed the D.A, had someone already given them up, if so, who was it, Harry was sure no one in Gryffindor would have told anything, but then who? The Hufflepuffs? The Ravenclaws? Daphne?
After a few moments of silence, Harry asked quietly "How?"
"All I will tell you, Harry, is that it wasn't a student." Chuckled the old man.
At this Harry's head up shot toward the headmaster. If not a student, then who? Who was there? They had only invited students. And then realization hit Harry in the face.
"Aberforth, the innkeeper"
"Very well deduced young one," said Dumbledore "yes Aberforth told me everything. Did you know that he's, my brother?"
"Huh?" said Harry looking disbelieving.
"Well yes not many people know, and I tend to keep it that way." Said Dumbledore with a small smile "You keep to yourself to he is my brother, and I will keep to myself that you formed this army."
"I'm sorry sir, we were just desperate, and with Umbridge, we didn't know what to do."
"It's alright my boy, I think it is a wonderful idea."
"I'm also sorry that we used your name for it." said Harry bashfully.
"That is also better this way, if you get caught, you can pass on the blame to me, Merlin knows you have enough responsibilities."
"Still, I am sorry sir."
Dumbledore looked fondly at Harry and then sat back down in front of him.
"Harry, as you know, dark times are ahead of us," he began, "the Ministry is no use to us, they are turning a blind eye to everything that is happening in our world, because they refuse to believe that Voldemort is back." He sighed "That means, that we have to do what we can to prepare ourselves, I am doing everything I can to prevent Tom from assembling his army, unfortunately, with Madame Umbridge in our school I cannot prepare the students for what is to come."
Harry nodded mutely to his headmaster's words.
"But you can Harry" he finished.
"Sir, I-, I don't know if I'll be able to prepare them as much as you would hope.
"I trust you my boy" smiled the old headmaster, "Well look at the time, you surely have homework to do Harry, don't let an old man keep you, go on."
Harry knowing he was dismissed, sent a last smile at the old professor, stood up from his chair, and made his way toward the door of Dumbledore's office. Once his hand had closed on the handle Dumbledore called out to him.
"Harry, please teach them as best as you can, they will need it."
"Yes sir," said Harry resolutely.