'I think we need to bring Neville into this. And Ginny and Luna, too,' Hermione said to Harry as they relaxed late at night that Saturday in the deserted Gryffindor Common Room.

'What? Why?'

Hermione turned to him. 'Remember what Ragnok said? About the Head of House business? He recommended us talk to a pure-blood or half-blood who grew up in the wizarding world. Neville is perfect, and Ginny would know a thing or two, as well. Luna might, too. They were all raised in the magical world, unlike us.'

'Besides, you saw what the other Ravenclaws did to Luna earlier. It's despicable. I think if nothing else, we could support her in some way, show her that she doesn't have to suffer through everything alone.'

'Yes, but…can't we ask Sirius?' Harry pointed out. 'We can definitely trust Sirius, but Ginny and Neville and Luna… Not that I don't trust them, but are you sure?'

'We have no guarantee of when or if Sirius is going to be freed,' Hermione said sadly. 'For all we know, Fudge might block him from getting a hearing, which would be ridiculous, but it's Fudge we're talking about. This might be urgent. Did Ragnok not want you to go back to Gringotts next week? We need to find out what this business is all about.'

'The political stuff, you mean?'

'Exactly,' Hermione said, 'The political stuff's important. We know we'll need to depose Fudge somehow and rid the Ministry and Wizengamot of Death Eaters. If we want to do that, we'll have to know how the wizarding world's political system really operates. Neville's grandmother's a formidable witch in the Ministry. And Arthur's a civil servant. They'll know stuff we don't. Things we can't learn out of a book.'

'Hermione, what's gotten into you?' Harry teased, 'Saying that some things can't be learned out of a book?'

Hermione rolled her eyes. 'Well, it's true! What do you think?'

'Okay…you have a point. How much do we say, though?'

Hermione thought for a minute. 'I think everything that happened at Gringotts – minus the Horcrux. We can tell them Sirius is innocent, the Godfather Ritual, and how we're in contact with Amelia Bones to get him cleared. Maybe about how we know Riddle will be returning soon. Anything else?'

Harry had a sudden idea. 'Not necessarily telling them anything, but I want to train them. Sort of like the DA but…more proactive. We know the Ministry under Fudge will probably sit around and do nothing and the Order's going to be too busy with the Prophecy or whatever it is they're doing, so it'll be up to us to do the heavy lifting again. We can tell them that we have a hunch that Riddle's going to return soon, and we should learn to fight.'

Hermione thought for a long minute. 'I suppose you're right. But what do we teach them?'

'Everything,' Harry answered, 'Everything we know. All the darker stuff, too. We're not going to sit back this time and meet Avada Kedavra's with Stupefy's. We had mercy the "last time around" and what happened? All the Death Eaters we locked up in Azkaban came right back out and started killing again the next day. If they're going to throw Killing Curses at us, then we fling Killing Curses right back.'

Hermione gasped. 'Do you think they'll…they'll agree to it?'

'To learning it? I don't know,' Harry admitted. 'It's a huge leap from Defence Against the Dark Arts to just Dark Arts. But I think they'll understand why…why they need to learn this to protect themselves and fight back. The fact that Riddle will return eventually isn't really a secret, after all. It'll take some convincing – or a lot of convincing – and if they don't want to, then they're free to leave.'

Hermione shuddered. 'Even if they do agree, we can't…we can't have word getting out.'

'We can't. I…I'm also not comfortable with asking that they trust us on blind faith, either,' Harry said sceptically. 'We just tell them we know all this stuff, that we can perform serious Dark Magic, but we don't tell them from where we learned all that?'

'You know we can't, Harry. Dumbledore and Snape are Legilimens. They can glean information out of their minds. Not unless they learn Occlumency… And we'd need sworn magical vows to secrecy… Maybe then we can tell them…'

Harry raised an eyebrow. 'Like "I swear on my life, magic, honour" sorts of things?'

'Yeah, those. I know it's harsh. I know we've never demanded one, but unless you have a better way of ensuring security…'

Harry shook his head. 'Do you think they'll be willing to take it, though? Doesn't it like…kill you if you even try to go against what you swore?'

Hermione shrugged. 'It's up to them. If they don't want to, then they don't have to, and they'd have every right to refuse. We're not going to force them.'

'And Occlumency?'

'A magical vow to secrecy doesn't protect us from being found out via Legilimency. Unless you want Dumbledore to read their minds…'

'That'll take probably the rest of the school year, though,' Harry pointed out uncomfortably, 'Occlumency isn't easy. We're just going to tell them to "trust us" and expect them to do it? It almost sounds like Dumbledore at this point.'

'I don't really like it, but what alternative do we have?' Hermione asked, exasperated. 'It's obvious we'll need them one way or another. The best we can do is promise that we'll tell them the truth once they're able to keep the secret. Look, Harry, unless you have a better way, then I don't know what else we can do.'

Harry thought silently for several minutes but eventually had to concede that Hermione was right. He had no better solution to the problem.

'You're right,' he conceded. 'It'll be their choice to believe us, after all.'

Hermione nodded. 'It's like the DA again,' she reminisced wistfully, 'Just smaller. And a whole lot darker.'

'It'll be like…Dumbledore's Commandos…or something.'

Hermione snorted. 'You're ridiculous. Dumbledore's Commandos…I ask you…'

'Ginny, Neville, and Luna probably don't even know what commandos are,' Harry pointed out.

'No. They probably don't. And while we're on the topic, I'm not much inclined to name anything after Dumbledore at all,' Hermione said seriously. 'Not after what we found out today.'

Harry grunted in agreement. 'No. I wouldn't either. Honestly, the name doesn't even matter. I just want them to learn this when they can before it's too late…I don't want to see any of them go the way they went…you know.'

'And that's why I love my Harry,' Hermione cooed, 'Did you know?'

'I think you've shown me how much you love me repeatedly these last few days.'

Even in the dim firelight, Harry could see Hermione's face grow bright red.

'We'll tell them to meet us after breakfast tomorrow?' Harry suggested, trying to save Hermione from some embarrassment.

She nodded. 'That sounds good.'

Harry told Neville and Ginny to meet him and Hermione in a room off the seventh-floor corridor opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy right after breakfast, and asked Ginny to pass on the word to Luna. Ginny seemed surprised that they knew Luna, but pleased nonetheless.

Harry and Hermione were sitting, cuddled on a loveseat in the Room of Requirement when Neville came in, followed by Ginny and Luna minutes later.

'Hello, Harry, Hermione,' Ginny said brightly, 'I see something's changed.'

Hermione blushed a little. 'Well…yeah…we're together.'

'Congratulations, I always knew,' Ginny said sincerely, 'My brother's being a prat about it all, but he's Ron, so I don't expect anything less.'

Harry laughed as the other three sat down. Luna was studying Harry intensely with her protuberant grey eyes, as if he were a Crumple-Horned Snorkack.

'Hello again, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger,' Luna spoke in her usual, dreamy voice. Harry felt a surge of emotion as he remembered how much he had missed her in the last few years. 'I have to say, you two have a remarkably low amount of Wrackspurts floating around you.'

'Th-Thanks?' Harry guessed at the response, hoping that it was a compliment.

'You're welcome. Your mind must be remarkably clear.'

'Hermione helps with that,' Harry replied truthfully. Luna gave a single chuckle as Hermione blushed light pink.

'So, Harry, what is it that we're here for?' Neville asked.

'Well, we wanted your help for some things,' Harry began.

'Us? Me too?' Neville asked, sounding incredulous.

'Yes, Neville,' Hermione replied kindly, 'You're our friend, and we reckon you'd know a lot about this.'

'Okay…I don't know too much about anything,' Neville said sceptically. 'I'll try, though. What is it?'

Harry told them how they had snuck out to Diagon Alley the day prior, and how at Gringotts, they had been surprised to find out that Harry's parents' will had stipulated that he would become the Head of the Potter Family.

'The goblins called me "Lord Potter" or something,' Harry said, 'What does that mean?'

'The "Lord" is just a goblin honorific,' Neville explained. 'No wizards go by that anymore. Not since centuries ago. But that doesn't mean the Head of House thing isn't important.'

'What do you mean, exactly?'

'Well, first off, you're magically emancipated, aren't you? You can do magic outside of Hogwarts now?'

Harry nodded. He did not add that Hermione was also emancipated as 'Lady Potter'. Their wedded status was still best kept under wraps for now.

'That's only the first part, though,' Neville continued, 'You have full control of your family's finances, though a goblin account manager will take care of that for you if you don't want to or don't have the time to. That's what Gran does. They're mighty good at handling money, and it's a lot of work taken off your shoulders. You get access to your family's properties, too, obviously. You're also responsible for defending your family's honour.'

'What do you mean, defending my family's honour?'

'Well, say, if some idiot like Malfoy comes and insults your family. And I mean, really insults your family, not just a snide comment or two,' Neville answered with an example, 'You technically could challenge him to an honour duel. To the death if needed. Death is heavily frowned upon, of course, but technically, even if he dies, you won't be sent to Azkaban. There's also "concessions" you can claim if you defeat the opponent. I don't know how it works. People don't really duel anymore. Mostly these days, it's just a serious threat. But that's the way it technically goes.'

'Oh, and another thing about being a Head of House – especially a House like the Potters. It gives you a ton of influence in the Ministry and Wizengamot.'

'But I thought the Wizengamot is supposed to be impartial,' Hermione said with some disbelief.

'It is in theory, but some families have disproportionate influence and sway it in their favour. I'm not exactly sure how – Gran hasn't told me anything too specific – but I know that they can nominate replacements for members if they retire or die. They can directly influence laws that they want or don't want passed. Nearly every member is affiliated with one faction or another,' Neville explained, 'I'm not saying it's right or it's the way it should be – I'm not Malfoy – but it's the way it is. Maybe when you're up there as Minister, Hermione, you can change things. From what Gran told me, the Potters, the Longbottoms, and the Prewetts used to be the head of a powerful alliance of Light families, back in her youth. The Prewetts are gone now. They died with Fabian and Gideon Prewett – that's Ginny's uncles, by the way. And the Potters have been dormant since well…you know…but now you've taken over.'

'So what exactly do I have to do?' Harry asked.

'I'm not entirely sure. Gran would be better for giving you advice, but I think she'd tell you to meet with the Heads of the Potters' old allies. Aside from us, there's also Amelia Bones – she's the DMLE Head. The Weasleys you already know. Ernie's family, the Macmillans, is another.'

'What about the Blacks?'

Neville looked flummoxed. 'The Blacks have never been a historical ally of any of us.'

Harry explained to Ginny, Neville, and Luna the truth about Sirius and how he was undeniably innocent due to the Godfather Ritual.

Neville's jaw had reached the floor by the end of the explanation. So had Ginny's. Luna, however, looked unsurprised at the information.

'Wow…I never knew…'

'Well, of course he's innocent,' Luna stated matter-of-factly, 'He's actually Stubby Boardman, the lead singer of The Hobgoblins.'

'Is he, Luna?' Harry asked, feigning interest. Luna nodded and Harry turned back to Neville. 'So what do you know about the Blacks?'

'They're very powerful,' he said, 'Extremely rich. Of course, they were always aligned with the Dark. But if Sirius is firmly on your side, then that's actually a huge advantage. The Blacks make the Malfoys and their associates look like peasants.'

'So what's the situation currently like in the Wizengamot?'

'The Light faction has always formed the Government,' Neville answered, 'There's also a group of "Neutrals" that's in coalition with the Light faction. They're usually influenced by families such as Abbott, Crouch, Greengrass, Patil, or Shafiq. But for all intents and purposes they may as well as be called "Light". They're a little more conservative, but they will almost never support the Dark faction. None of them really fancy the Death Eaters taking over. Sometimes, Gran says, they'll want to amend some laws more to their liking, and the Light faction usually lets them do it. It's better to compromise than to push them into the waiting arms of the Dark.'

'Which brings us to the Dark faction. In short, they're just a bunch of reactionary pure-blood supremacists. You can guess who's supporting that. Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Parkinson, Nott. All the Death Eaters, basically. They've never been as powerful as the coalition Government – they've always formed the Opposition – but they're slowly clawing at power. Lucius Malfoy has a lot of influence with the Minister and he can get his way a lot. Their biggest advantage is gold, but if we have the Blacks on our side, that advantage is neutralized.'

Harry nodded along, taking in the explanation, while Hermione was diligently taking notes on a piece of parchment.

'That was…very informative, Neville,' Harry said finally, 'Thank you.'

Neville waved him off. 'Gran would consider it criminal if I didn't tell you.'

Harry suddenly remembered something. Neville's magic was only clumsy because his grandmother refused to buy him a wand that fit him. If Neville could get a new wand, perhaps it would give a big boost to his self-confidence and magical abilities.

'Speaking of your grandmother. Have you ever asked her about a new wand?' he asked.

'I have,' Neville answered sheepishly, 'But she said I wasn't good enough, even for my father's wand.'

'Neville, maybe the cause isn't you,' Hermione said kindly, catching on, 'The wand chooses the wizard. Maybe your father's wand just isn't compatible with you.'

'Hermione's right,' Ginny jumped in, 'My prat of a brother was a right squib in his first two years. Then, he got rid of his brother Charlie's wand and got his own, and…well, I hate to say this…but he's much better now. You probably have a lot of potential that's being limited by the wand you have. The fact that you can do good magic at all shows that.'

Neville still looked sceptical. 'I don't know about that. Anyway, I don't even have the money to buy a new wand,' he mumbled.

'That's alright. I'll pay for you. Hermione and Ginny are right. You really should get a wand that's better for you,' Harry offered.

'But – '

'I'm paying for you,' Harry repeated firmly. 'I've never given you a birthday present. Consider it fourteen years' worth.'

Neville looked touched. 'Th-Thank you, Harry. I don't mean to be ungrateful, but…why are you so insistent?'

Harry and Hermione exchanged a nervous look. Each took a deep breath.

'Harry and I are about to tell you something. Actually, more like a proposition,' Hermione began. 'We don't want you to get the wrong idea. We like and trust all three of you. That's why you're here. But we're going to need you to take a magical vow to keep everything we tell you from here on out a secret. This could be a little…dangerous. I perfectly understand if you wouldn't want to do something that…dramatic. You're free to leave if you don't want to. We won't be offended or anything.'

'You trust us?' Luna asked, surprised.

'Of course we do. You're our friends,' Harry replied at once.

'You…my friend?'

'Of course we are. We like you. We want you to be included.'

'It's just…I've never had friends before… Well, Ginny, sort of…but no one else, really…especially not in Ravenclaw…'

Harry and Hermione exchanged another look. They would need a plan to deal with the Ravenclaw students soon, lest Luna suffer more.

'Then we can be your first,' Ginny said.

'That's right,' Hermione backed her up.

Without hesitation, Luna raised her wand into the air. 'I, Luna Lovegood, solemnly swear on my honour, magic, and life that I will not willingly or unwillingly reveal Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's secrets.' Several sparks flying into the air sealed the vow.

Ginny and Neville looked shocked. A minute later, however, Neville had raised his own wand into the air. He repeated the same words and sparks shot out of the end of his wand. Finally, Ginny, following the others' lead, took the vow as well.

'Thank you. It means so much to us that you're willing to do that. I know it was a lot to ask for,' Hermione said after all the vows had been sealed.

'We'd never reveal your secrets,' Neville swore, 'That wasn't a problem, just reaffirming that fact. What is it you needed to tell us, Harry, Hermione?'

'Okay. Here goes.' Harry took a deep breath. 'Tom Riddle, the dark wizard also known as Voldemort, is going to return soon.'

All three of the others gasped in shock.

'How do you know?' Ginny questioned.

'My scar gives me some sort of connection to Riddle,' Harry gave the prepared answer. It was not really a lie so much as a half-truth. 'I can feel that he's growing stronger. He could have a body by…by summer. I know it sounds far-fetched, but I've seen it, sort of.'

'I believe you,' Neville replied immediately, 'Gran's always said that it was only a matter of time before he came back. What the Death Eaters did at the World Cup is conclusive proof, she says.'

'I believe you, too,' added Ginny. 'I agree with everything Neville said, and there has to be a reason Moody's here this year. It makes perfect sense.'

Harry genuinely felt moved by their immediate belief, remembering his 'old' fifth year. 'Thank you. Anyway, I thought that…if he were to return. We should prepare ourselves. Learn how to not only defend ourselves but also how to fight back.'

'So, like Shield Charms, Stunning, Disarming, things like that?' Neville asked.

'Yes,' Hermione joined in, 'But also much, much more.'

'Stunning is useful,' she continued, 'But the Death Eaters will be packing far more firepower. We can't end up having to face Unforgivable Curses with Stunning Spells. A Stunned enemy can get up. If we send them to prison, they could escape.'

'But a dead one cannot,' Neville finished ominously.

'That's right,' Hermione said. 'What Harry and I are proposing to teach you is everything. Powerful and lethal – and yes, illegal – curses. And that includes Unforgivables. Hence why we needed secrecy.'

'Where did you two learn to cast Unforgivables?' Ginny asked, shocked.

'We will tell you in time, we promise, and that brings us to the second thing,' Harry said, taking over. 'You need to study Occlumency to protect your mind. What we want to teach you and what we promise to tell you cannot get out. The magical vow will prevent you from telling willingly, but it doesn't prevent someone from seeing your mind through Legilimency.'

Hermione reached into her bag and pulled out three copies of a book that she had retrieved from the library earlier that day. 'This book will give you enough knowledge on how to get good enough to repel passive Legilimency. You need to practice every night before you go to bed. It'll be challenging. Expect it to take time. I don't expect you to fully learn it until the end of the school year.'

'We'll do our best,' Neville promised. 'Right, Ginny, Luna?' The two girls nodded.

Harry almost felt giddy at the three's enthusiasm. 'Excellent. Back to the topic at hand. I was thinking we could start with basic things. Shields, Disarming, Stunning. We can teach you more advanced hexes and jinxes after. Then, if you're absolutely sure that you want to, we can move on to the dangerous stuff. Blasting and Expulso Curses. Sectumsempra – that's a curse that cuts flesh. There's an Organ-Liquefaction Curse that's really nasty but brutally effective. There's another curse of Hermione's own invention that douses the target in petrol and then sets them on fire. That one's horrible, too. There are also a few others. And then we can do the Unforgivables…'

Harry's voice faded and he took a few moments to compose himself and survey the room. 'If you're uncomfortable with doing these horrible curses, you really don't have to,' he added, seeing their shocked expressions, 'Neither Hermione nor I want to pressure you. If you want to walk out now, we won't think any less of you.'

'I'm staying,' Neville said resolutely. Harry thought he knew why Neville was so keen. 'I want revenge on the people who – the people who hurt others.'

Harry exchanged a quick look and Hermione. Both knew that Neville had almost said 'the people who tortured my parents'.

'I'm staying, too,' Ginny said, 'I don't really want to kill anyone, but if the alternative is myself or my family and friends getting killed, then I'm willing to kill the people who would kill them.'

'And I will, too,' added Luna, 'I'll defend my new friends.'

Harry nodded grimly. 'Okay. We'll find times to meet here starting next week. Make sure you study Occlumency and keep all this a secret. Neville, Hermione and I will get in contact with Ollivander for you, see if he can come get you a new wand.'

The three of them thanked the couple and left. As they closed the door to the Room behind them, Harry turned to Hermione.

'Do you think we did the right thing? Offering to teach them lethal Dark Magic?'

Hermione nodded gingerly. 'I don't really like it, and I know you don't, either, but I honestly think we have to. We wouldn't have survived half as long as we did in the…old timeline…if we weren't willing to kill. Anyway, we know that Ginny, Neville, and Luna aren't about to go around murdering people. We're just teaching them these spells so they can hold their own against dark wizards when the time comes.'

'I suppose it's better to kill someone like Bellatrix Lestrange rather than let them walk free,' Harry conceded.

'Yes. It is. It's better than letting them continue torturing and murdering innocents.'

'I hope they can learn Occlumency quickly. It'd pain me to teach them how to cast Unforgivable Curses and them continuing to trust me on blind faith. They've already trusted me enough.'

'They will,' Hermione assured him. 'You know why Neville's motivated. Ginny is smart and determined and can do anything she puts her mind to. Luna's intelligent, too.'

'I suppose this is all for the better,' Harry said with a sigh.

'It is. Have faith.'

Neville Longbottom felt a sense of grim determination.

This was his chance at revenge. Harry and Hermione were offering to teach him how to fight back. How to turn the weapons back on their own wielders. Sure, some of the curses they described sounded absolutely ghastly. Liquefying organs! Neville shuddered at the thought. He did not know which seemed more horrible, the Organ-Liquefaction Curse or the other one Harry described. The one Hermione was supposed to have invented. He would have plenty of time to make his pick later. It was not as if he could pick wrong. Bellatrix Lestrange would loathe the day she pointed her wand at his mother and father either way.

Neville would give Bellatrix a taste of her own medicine. How would she feel to be tortured to the verge of insanity? How would she feel to be writhing in so much pain that she would literally be begging for death? Whatever happened, Neville decided, Bellatrix would meet her end at his wand.

And Harry even offered to gift him a new wand! He knew he should not accept such an important gift, but he needed it. He admired his father and treated his wand with reverence, but it simply did not work for him. He decided that he would repay Harry's generosity by working as hard as he could, mastering every spell he and Hermione taught him, and protecting him, Hermione, and the rest of his friends from the Death Eaters, while ripping apart as many of the animals, who had caused him and Harry both so much suffering, as he could get his hands on.

And he would avenge his mother and father one day.

And he promised, as their son, to do them proud.

Ginny Weasley did not quite like what she had heard, but she knew Harry and Hermione had been right.

To choose between someone she loved suffering a horrible death and killing a Death Eater who would happily commit that very crime…well, there was not really a choice.

She did wonder where Harry and Hermione had learned all those dangerous spells. They were only fourth years, after all. Perhaps Hermione read about them over the summer and practiced them at the beginning of the year? It did seem like a Hermione thing to do. But it did not really make sense. Especially the part where Harry had said that she had made her own curse that literally burned people to death alive.

Ginny knew they were hiding something dark. Something dangerous. Why else would they ask her to learn Occlumency? But she had known them both for three years, and she knew that neither of them would hurt anyone out of anything other than self-defence. She trusted that her, Neville, and Luna would be safe in their hands, that what they were teaching was important. But that did not mean that she particularly liked learning how to liquefy people's organs, or blowing people apart, or cutting their bodies to pieces, or using Unforgivable Curses.

But she believed them and believed in them. Danger was hovering just above the horizon. It was better You-Know-Who's savages who suffered that fate than someone she loved. Yes, even her idiot brother Ron.

Ginny had gotten over her crush on The Boy-Who-Lived a long time ago, but she could not help but feel a sense of longing when she saw him and Hermione cuddling together, or the looks they exchanged, or their perfect synchronization.

Which made his brother all the more of an idiot for trying to tear them apart. Not just an idiot, but also a prat, a bell-end, and a million other terms of abuse. He had the nerve to suggest that Hermione was not good enough for Harry and offer to set her up with him. To even be delusional enough to think that Harry would go for anyone other than Hermione! Certainly not her! To be honest, she was quite happy to be Harry's 'honorary sister'. Harry was a damn sight better of a big brother than Ron ever was, and Hermione was not a bad 'older sister', even if she was a little bookish.

She would need to get through to Ron soon, before he made an absolute fool of himself – more than usual, that is. Maybe she could enlist Fred and George's help. If Ron stayed a prat, then they would hoist him up by his boxers. That would teach him a lesson!

Ginny could not help but giggle at the thought of Ron being hoisted up by his boxers.

Luna Lovegood was a little more content but no less dreamy than usual.

Harry and Hermione were nice. They were offering to teach her things to survive and fight back against people who wanted to hurt her. Some of the things they had offered to teach had sounded quite nasty, but she supposed it was just the nature of war.

And war was coming. The increased activity of the Umgubular Slashkilters more than convinced Luna of that fact.

Ginny had always been nice. And she liked Neville, too.

It was nice to have friends.

The cloud gliding over the Astronomy Tower resembled a Dabberblimp. She would have to investigate that.