Chapter 17
Hagrids First Lesson
(Opening song #2. Danger Danger by FZMZ feat. icy.)
(Monday Evening, The Room of Requirements)
The members of Dumbledore's Army arrived in waves, each one looking more worried than the last. The first to arrive were Fred, George, Lee, and Ginny. Next were Neville, Dean, Lavender, and Luna—finally Cho, Angelina, Kate, Colin, and Parvati.
"It was one on, them wasn't it?" George said seriously.
"No doubt about it. One of The Triad attacked Umbridge" Dean said, his arms crossed, tapping his foot nervously.
"It had to be," Lavender chimed in. "Who else would have the guts to challenge Umbridge so boldly?"
"The hallway...it was in complete ruin. I mean there were holes in walls where you could see other classrooms" Kate said still remembering the horrifying aftermath.
"That's what I heard too, it was total carnage," Cho chimed in, her eyes going wide at the thought. "I heard some professors couldn't even recognize the hallway." The mention of the extent of the damage caused by the attack further emphasizes the severity of the situation
Geroge looked at Harry, Ron, and Hermoine. "Just who the bloody hell are we up against?"
As everyone's eyes fell on Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Harry frowned, considering how much to reveal. "We aren't entirely sure," he admitted. "But whoever they are... they're not people we should handle unprepared on our own."
"More importantly, we need to know how to handle Umbridge's new rules in the upcoming weeks, and how we can counteract them," Hermoine said trying to change the subject
"She was like a mad woman this morning," Ginny noted, her voice calm despite the tension. "She's bound to retaliate"
"That's putting it mildly, she's going to go on a rampage with every power at her disposal," Hermione said, her expression serious. "We need to be prepared for anything."
"Heard Dumbledore had to suspend Zach for his safety. Umbridge was about to call in Auroa's to take him to Azkaban" Lee chimed in.
"What!?" the group exclaimed in unison, shock and disbelief coloring their voices.
"Sending a kid to Azkaban because of a note!?" Fred exclaimed
"All the more the reason we need a plan," Cho said looking at Harry. "I'm sure you have something brilliant up your sleeve"
Harry felt like he was floating in the air again from Cho's words.
"Right well, I figured well split the lesson in two today, First we're going start training harder, more complex spells," Harry announced, looking at each of them with firm resolve. "Then, the second part, practicing spells that can be utilized for stealth"
"It's going to come in handy for sending secret messages to each other and sneaking around the castle unnoticed. Not just around Umbridge, but around her Inquisitorial Squad as well" Hermione said, the others nodded in agreement.
"Sounds like we'll be like real spies," Colin chimed in, a hint of excitement in his voice despite the seriousness of the situation. Harry gritted his teeth, as he glared at Colin for even thinking even any of this was somehow exciting.
"THIS ISN'T A GAME COLIN!" Harry yelled angrily.
The room fell silent for a moment after Harry's sudden outburst, everyone surprised by the outburst. Colin, taken aback, didn't say anything, just looked at Harry with wide eyes, almost looking like he was about to cry a bit.
"I-I didn't mean..." Colin started, but he trailed off, unsure of what to say.
Hermione put a hand on Harry's shoulder. "He didn't mean it like that," she said softly.
Harry turned to Hermione his anger still apparent, but his look softened when he looked at her. He remembered how she was when she had protected them from Yuno's attack on them and Umbridge, and how she completely exhausted herself protecting him and Ron.
"Sorry," Harry said, exhaling deeply to compose himself. "I... this is just really serious, Colin. We're not just training for fun. The Dark Triad has instigated a Cold War between Umbridge and us, we need to be even more discreet if we're going to survive this." Harry explained.
There was a somber moment of silence. They all knew Harry was right. This wasn't just about teaching each other Defense Against the Dark Arts anymore. It had become a struggle for freedom.
"So, how do we start?" Dean asked, breaking the silence.
"We'll start with the lesson with Locomotor Mortis, then we'll go over Protean Charm so we can all relay messages for each other," Harry said. "Hermione I'll leave the Protean charm to you"
"Got it," Hermione nodded, feeling a sense of responsibility to teach this spell correctly. "I'll start going over the incantation and the wand movements."
Harry's voice carried with authority as he moved on to the next topic. "We'll be covering the Locomotor Mortis jinx.
(Sometime later)
"Alright, good work everyone, we'll practice this jinx more next time," Harry said as the group packed up their belongings. As Harry gathered his belongings Cho came up to Harry.
"How are you?" Cho asked concerned about his earlier outburst with Colin.
Harry looked up at Cho, a bit surprised but appreciative of her concern. "I'm... managing," he said. "Just frustrated, you know?"
He leaned against one of the walls. "This whole situation with the Triad and Umbridge is just... a lot."
Cho nodded sympathetically, a frown on her face. "It's a lot for all of us. But we're in this together, remember?" she said standing by Harry on the wall.
Harry sighed. "I feel bad about Colin. I know he's just a kid, but something just overcame me and I lost it. It's been happening so much lately"
Cho placed a gentle hand on his arm, her touch a soothing presence. "You're under a lot of stress, Harry, more than any of us can really imagine. It's okay to feel angry or overwhelmed," she said, her voice seemingly having a calming effect on him.
The flashback of seeing Hermione pale and barely breathing raced through Harry's head. Harry slightly gritted his teeth seeing Yuno's mocking smirk and the destruction he caused last night.
"It's not just that... We were there during the explosions Cho, Hermione managed to save us, but she over-exhausted herself trying to hold up a Protego spell... I thought I was going to lose her" he said, the thought of losing Hermione making his eye water up a bit
She squeezed his arm gently. "It's natural to feel scared and protective. You care about Hermione, about all of us. And that's what makes you a good leader."
"Am I though?.. I've been losing myself to my emotions more than usual and I don't know why. I don't feel like myself sometimes when my anger takes over, and I feel like I'm letting everyone down" Harry said leaning the back of his head against the wall.
"You're not letting anyone down, Harry," Cho reassured him. "You're human. You have emotions. And it's okay to feel them, especially given the circumstances."
She gave him a warm smile. "You're still the person we all know and believe in. Sometimes we all have moments where our emotions get the better of us. It doesn't make you a bad person, or a bad leader. It just means you care too much," she added softly. "And that's one of your best qualities."
Harry looked at her, her words offering a much-needed comfort. Seeing her soft expression made all of Harry's worries disappear. Harry felt like out of anyone, Cho understood what he was going through the best. "Thanks, Cho," he said appreciatively. "I just... I want to make sure we're all safe. I feel responsible for all of this."
He gave her a small, appreciative smile. "I'm glad we have people like you on our side."
Cho returned his smile. "And I'm glad we have someone like you to lead us, Harry. You're the glue that holds us together. And we wouldn't be able to handle all of this without you."
Harry blushed at her words but also gave a small smile. Cho noticed the blush on his cheeks and couldn't help a small chuckle, her smile widening. "You're not so bad yourself, Harry," she said, nudging him playfully.
Harry laughed, "That obvious, yeah?"
"You're not the most subtle when it comes to reactions, Harry," she teased playfully, enjoying the lighter moment amidst the heavy atmosphere.
Harry feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "I'll have you know, Miss Chang, I can be quite mysterious if I want to be," he said wrinkling his nose
"Oh, I'm sure you can be Mr. Potter, but it seems you might need a bit more practice in the 'mystery' department." Cho laughed, which got a laugh out of Harry as well.
Harry noticed the clock on the wall. "We better get going before Filch starts making his rounds. Maybe see each other after class?" he said his expression a bit more serious.
She then turned to him with a warm smile. "Sure, that sounds nice. Let's catch up after class. See you later, Harry." she said. Before she left, Harry felt his cheeks heat up again as Cho gave him a quick peck on the cheek. He blinked in surprise, a small, touched smile forming on his lips. "See you," he replied, still slightly caught off guard by her show of affection.
Harry walked out of the Room of Requirements, his mind still lingering on the conversation with Cho, when he noticed Ron and Hermione waiting for him in the corridor.
"There you are," Ron said, giving Harry a nod. "We were starting to wonder if you got lost in there."
"No time to talk Ron, we need to get back to the common room quickly," Harry said urgently
"Why-oh that's right," Ron said looking annoyed. "Damn brat" he finished. Hermione's expression mirrored Ron's annoyance. "Yes, we do," she agreed.
They quickened their pace, moving through the corridors with hurried steps, keenly aware of the need to avoid any potential run-ins with Umbridge or any of her Inquisitorial Squad members. As they neared the common room, they carefully looked for any signs of trouble. The castle was quieter than usual, the tense atmosphere lingering in the air. Finally, they reached the entrance and slipped inside, sighing with relief as the door closed behind them.
"We need to find the cloak," Harry said seriously. "We can't let it risk falling into someone's hands"
" No, kidding," Ron replied, the frustrated. "If Umbridge finds it, we're in hot water."
"Why would Yuno just toss it like that" Hermione asked curiously
"Probably 'cause he's a complete prat," Ron grumbled, still clearly irritated by the incident.
"Or so it would be able to trace our movements at night" Harry chimed in. "Either way, it's going to take a while for us to find out in the courtyard."
Ron let out a low groan, not relishing the thought of more weekend searching. "Great. More time spent looking for a cloak and less time sleeping in."
Hermione shot him a withering look. "Do you honestly think we have time to lie in bed right now? If Umbridge finds the cloak, or worse if The Triad want to utilize it-"
"-we're more or less screwed. Yeah, I know" Ron finished for her.
"Then stop complaining," Hermione said firmly. "The sooner we get the cloak back, the better."
Harry nodded, appreciating Hermione's unwavering determination. "Let's get to bed guys. We have Hargrid's class tomorrow"
"Yay..." Ron said sarcastically, heading for the stairs to their dormitories. Hermione gave him a disapproving look before turning to Harry. "Good night, Harry," she said, heading up to her dormitory.
(The next day, Care for Magical Creatures)
"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called happily to the approaching students, jerking his
head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."
The class followed Hagrid further into the shadows of the trees. The atmosphere immediately shifted to something more foreboding than usual. Hagrid's tone was cheery, but there was an underlying tension that even he couldn't disguise.
"Right then," Hagrid said, coming to a halt and facing the class. "So... any ideas what creatures we'll be studying today?"
"What prefers the dark?" Harry heard Draco say sharply to Crabbe and Goyle, a trace of panic in his voice. "What did he say prefers the dark - did you hear?"
Harry remembered the only other occasion on which Draco had entered the Forest before now; he had not been very brave then, either. He smiled to himself; after getting beaten up by Arianna after the Quidditch match, anything that caused Draco discomfort was all right with him. Arianna meanwhile stood apart from the group, shooting a glare at Harry.
"Ready?" said Hagrid cheerfully, looking around at the class. "Right, well, I've bin savin' a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em."
"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" said Draco, the panic in his voice even more pronounced. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"
The Slytherins murmured agreement and a few Gryffindors looked as though they thought Draco had a fair point, too.
"Course they're trained," said Hagrid, scowling and hoisting the dead cow a little higher on his shoulder.
"So what happened to your face, then?" demanded Draco.
"Mind yer own business!" said Hagrid, angrily. "Now, if yeh've finished askin' stupid questions," Hagrid said trailing off. He turned, shook his shaggy head to get the hair out of his face, and gave an odd, shrieking cry. that echoed through the dark trees like the call of some monstrous bird. Nobody laughed: most of them looked too scared to make a sound.
Hagrid gave the shrieking cry again. A minute passed in which the class continued to peer nervously over their shoulders and around trees for a first glimpse of whatever it was that was coming. And then, as Hagrid shook his hair back for a third time and expanded his enormous chest, Harry nudged Ron and pointed into the black space between two gnarled yew trees.
A pair of blank, white, shining eyes were growing larger through the gloom and a moment later the dragonish face, neck, and then skeletal body of a great, black, winged horse emerged from the darkness. It surveyed the class for a few seconds, swishing its long black tail, then bowed its head and began to tear flesh from the dead cow with its pointed sighed in relief when he realized he hadn't been hallucinating the animals at the start of the year.
The rest of the class looked on in confusion and a bit uneasy, as pieces of the cow carcass were torn off.
"And what exactly are we supposed to be looking at?" Draco asked a bit annoyed.
"Tey' known as Thesttrals. Can any of yer' see 'em?" Hargrid asked.
Arianna smiled at the sight of Thestrals, they reminded her of her own Thestral back during a happier time in her life. "nck nck" Arianna made a sound with her mouth like calling a horse.
One of the Thestral looked up and made its way over to Arianna. It nuzzled its long, pointed snout against her in a friendly greeting.
"Hey there" she giggled as she stroked its mane
Hagrid seems surprised by the display of familiarity between her and the usually timid creatures.
"Blimey, 'rianna," Hagrid said, staring at her. "Tat' one-way ter answer me question."
Arianna nodded, still smiling at the Thestral standing next to her. The Thestral made another soft, low noise, its breath warm against Arianna's skin.
"What're you talking about,?" Draco said loudly looking between Hagrid and Arianna.
Hagrid, though, was barely paying attention. He was still staring at the Thestral, then at Arianna, then back at the Thestral. He seemed both shocked and confused.
"How long've ye been able to see them?" Hagrid asked, sounding bewildered.
"Since I was thirteen," Arianna said sadly.
"And it sounds like ya' already know ter reason why," Hagrid said his look softening at Arianna.
Arianna didn't answer and just stroked the Thestral snout. The rest of the class was starting to look intrigued by this conversation.
"But, the only people who can see Thestrals," Hermoine said, "are people who have seen death."
There was a sudden silence among the class. The revelation hung heavy in the air, making the already eerie atmosphere even more somber. Harry looked at Arianna stunned at the revelation. He couldn't help, but feel some sympathy for her, despite his animosity.
Hagrid looked at Arianna and slowly nodded. "Ye... ye, tat's right, Hermione."
The other students were silent, looking at Arianna with a mix of unease and fascination. Draco, however, broke the tension with his usual sarcasm.
"Who'd ya watch die, princess" he asked Arianna snidely, a cruel smile on his face.
Harry sneered at Draco's remark. "Git, she saved your arse from getting pummeled," he thought to himself.
Arianna looked at Draco and gave her usual sly smile. "Concerned about me again, dragon?" Arianna retorted back.
Draco's smirk faltered. "Hardly," he sneered. "Just wondering what kind of messed up life you've got to have seen somebody die when you're only thirteen."
"So that's a yes then," Arianna chuckled.
Draco's pale face grew red with irritation at her gibe. He was about to retort when Hagrid cut in, his voice firm.
"Tat's 'nough," he said sternly, leveling a look at Malfoy. "This lesson's not 'bout making fun of each other, i's 'bout understanding and respect for magical creatures."
Draco looked like he'd swallowed a lemon but he held his tongue, his jaw clenched tightly.
"Now 'bout Thestrals-" Hagrid started again. As he continued teaching, Arianna motioned to Draco to come over to talk. Still bristling at their exchange, he reluctantly made his way towards her.
"What do you want?" he grumbled as he approached.
"Just wanted to thank you, for telling Umbridge to spare from punishment after that fight," Arianna said giving a warm smile.
"I didn't do it for you," Draco said quickly, crossing his arms
"Well whatever the reason, I thought it was sweet of you," Arianna said.
"Sweet? I'm not sweet," he huffed, his face flushing slightly. Suddenly, the Thestral nudged Draco, for a pet, but to him, it was like an unseen force pushing against him, making him stumble.
"What the-" he yelped, glancing around confusedly and a bit frightened.
"She likes you" Arianna giggled
"It likes me?" Draco repeated, looking both annoyed and afraid. "Why on earth would it like me? I can't even bloody see it."
"Couldn't tell ya, dragon" Arianna said, which got an eye roll from Draco, clearly giving up on trying to get her to stop calling him by that nickname. The Thestral nudged Draco again, clearly wanting attention.
"Can you tell it to leave me alone" Draco complained.
"She just wants you to pet her," Arianna said nonchalantly, grabbing his hand. Draco flinched at her grasp, while she led his hand towards the beast. To his surprise, he felt the coarse hair of the Thestral under his touch. It felt like a horse's mane, but with an otherworldly smoothness. The Thestral made a soft whinnying sound, seemingly enjoying the attention.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered, but there was no real annoyance in his voice. He continued to pat the invisible creature, and a small faint smile slowly formed on his face.
"It was a friend of mine, by the way," Arianna said
Draco paused mid-stroke, his hand still hovering in the air. "What are you talking about?" he asked,
"That question you asked earlier"
"Oh," he said quietly, his hand resuming its slow petting of the Thestral. He was silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I shouldn't have asked that," he mumbled, the words coming out awkwardly as if unused to saying them.
"Don't worry about it, I knew you were concerned about me," Arianna said putting a hand on his shoulder
"I wasn't concerned," he said, his tone a half-hearted attempt at his usual arrogance, but his cheeks reddening again "But, I'm... sorry. It must have been hard for you" he finished.
"See, sweet" Arianna mused.
Draco grumbled but didn't try to argue occupied with petting the Thestral's invisible body. "Shut up, just merely stating a fact," he said.
They stood in silence for a while, Draco continuing to pet the Thestral, and Arianna watching him with an amused smile.
"Why d'you help me anyway?" Draco asked, finally breaking the silence.
"You mean when Potter and the Weasely's tried attacking you?" Arianna asked.
"Obviously," he said shortly.
"I dunno, guess something just made me spring into action back there, reminded me of when Yuno used to get bullied by the older boys when he was in grade school," she replied
"You started beating people up just because they said words about your brother,?" Draco asked raising an eyebrow. "Doesn't seem like you"
Arianna looked down at the ground, recounting the events, where she saved Yuno's life. "It can be a bit more hostile over in the States. Depending on where you live, you have no choice, but to put up a fight" she said leaning her head on his shoulder.
"Oh…. I see. Well, just don't do it again" Draco huffed, stiffening again from the sudden contact. "I can take care of myself, Darkwood."
"Can't make any promises" Arianna mused.
Draco sighed turning to her, looking her directly in her eyes. "Ari please," he said gently taking one of her hands into his. "I... I don't want you to end up getting suspended because of me." Draco said in a quiet voice, looking at her with a soft pleading expression.
Arianna's eyes widened slightly when he used her nickname, a subtle blush coming to her cheeks, touched by his concern.
"Ari?" she teased, a small smile on her face.
Draco flinched, realizing the slip of his tongue."No I meant... whatever Darkwood," he said irritated, attempting to cover up his slip-up with a dismissive wave of his hand. Arianna giggled at his reaction
Harry turned his head back and spotted Arianna and Malfoy standing close to each other, deep in conversation. He immediately assumed the worst, thinking that they were probably plotting something.
"What are they up to...?" he muttered under his breath, his irritation growing.
"HEM, HEM."
Professor Umbridge had arrived. She was standing a few feet away from Harry, wearing her green hat and cloak again, her clipboard at the ready. She was wearing a bald cap to her now signed hair, and hobbled around with a cane. Hagrid, who had never heard Umbridge's fake cough before, was gazing in some concern at the closest Thestral, evidently under the impression that it had made the sound.
"HEM, HEM."
Hagrid looked up, his face going slack with surprise as he saw Umbridge standing there. He quickly regained his composure though, a frown settling over his features.
"Yes, Professor Umbridge?" he said gruffly.
"You received the note I sent to your cabin this morning?" said Umbridge, in the same loud, slow voice she had used with him earlier, as though she were addressing somebody both foreign and very slow. "Telling you that I would be inspecting your lesson?"
Hagrid's frown deepened further. "Yes... I got the note," he said through gritted teeth.
The Thestrals, apparently sensing the tension, began to fidget and stir in their rope-like tethers.
"You gonna tell on me if I mess with her?" Arianna whispered into Draco's ear as he snickered at Hagrid getting in trouble with Umbridge.
Draco stopped laughing and furrowed his brow at Arianna. "Are you insane!?" he whispered, careful not to draw Umbridge's attention. "What did I just tell you!"
"I won't get in trouble if she doesn't know what exactly happened" Arianna whispered. "She can't even see them" she finished glancing to how Umbridge was unaware of the Thestral standing right by her as she made her notes about Hagird.
Draco looked at Arianna. A small spark of mischief had ignited in her eyes, one that he couldn't help but find a little bit contagious.
"Fine," he said, leaning in closer to her. "What do you have in mind?"
"nck nck" Arianna made the noise with her mouth again. The other Thestral looked up from the horse carcass and made its way over to Arianna. All while Hagrid was explaining to Umbridge what they were learning about today in class
"Are you aware," Umbridge said loudly, "that the Ministry of Magic has classified Thestrals as "dangerous"?"
Harry's heart sank like a stone, but Hagrid merely chuckled.
"Thestrals aren' dangerous! All righ', they might take a bite outta yeh if yeh really annoy them" Hagrid said pointing to a Thestral.
"Shows… signs… of… pleasure…at-HEY" she yelped as she bumped into the Thestral that was on it's way to see Arianna. She stumbled backward, and fell face-first into a pile of manure
Chaos erupted. Hagrid let out a bellow of surprise. Umbridge shrieked as she realized what she landed into.
"What in Merlin's name-!" she spluttered in anger, struggling to get up.
The class erupted into whispers and giggles, some students trying to hide their smirks behind their hands. Draco, despite himself, found himself fighting a smile. Harry on the other hand, while laughing couldn't help, but worry about how Umbridge would react to this incident. She looked absolutely furious, her face, hair, and clothes covered in dung.
"Enough!" Umbridge yelled, clambering to her feet. She was still wearing the bald cap, which had slipped sideways on her head, making her look even more outraged.
"You!" she yelled, her voice shrill and accusing. "This is your fault! You're supposed to have control over these creatures!"
"Ye bumped inter' it'" Hagrid said defensively. "Not me problem if yer can' see it"
"Not seeing it is the least of your problems!" Umbridge spat, still struggling to clean the dung off her cloak. "These creatures are dangerous, and clearly, you're not qualified to handle them!"
"I have ye know 'm perfectly qualified!" Hagrid retorted, his frustration mounting.
Harry glanced back at Arianna and Draco. She was trying to maintain a neutral expression, but he could see a hint of satisfaction in the slight upturn of her lips, while Draco struggled not to laugh. "Damn her, she did that to make Hagrid look bad" Harry cursed under his breath.
"I think I've got enough to be getting along with. You will receive (she mimed taking something from the air in front of her) "the results of your inspection' (she pointed at the clipboard) "in ten days time." She held up ten stubby little fingers," Umbridge said, her face still purple with anger.
"And best yer 'ake a shower," Hagrid said taunting her by miming taking a shower.
Umbridge's face turned an even darker shade of purple at Hagrid's mockery. She stalked off toward the castle, her steps hampered by the dung that clung to her shoes and cane.
There was a collective sigh of relief as Umbridge hobbled away, the entire class glad to see the back of her. Hagrid looked on with a satisfied grin and more than a few of the other students were snickering too.
Harry shot a dark look at Arianna, who was quietly muttering something to Draco, both of them looking rather pleased with themselves.
The students erupted into whispers and muffled laughter the moment she was out of earshot.
"That was brilliant" Draco whispered to Arianna. She chuckled and jabbed him gently in the ribs.
"Told ya you'd like it," Arianna said as she slipped her hand into Draco's. Draco stiffened at first at the contact but gave a small smile at her. Meanwhile, Pansy Parkison looked over at them and sneered at Arianna and Draco talking to each other.
(Sometime later)
"That foul, lying, twisting old gargoyle!" stormed Hermione half an hour later, as they made their way back up to the castle. "You see what she's up to? It's her thing about half-breeds all over again - she's trying to make out Hagrid's some kind of dimwitted troll, just because he had a giantess for a mother - and oh, it's not fair, that really wasn't a bad lesson at all - I mean, all right, if it had been Blast-Ended Skrewts again, but Thestrals are fine - in fact, for Hagrid, they're really good!"
Harry and Ron nodded in agreement, both still smirking at the memory of Umbridge's humiliating fall into the Thestral dung.
"Yeah, it wasn't a bad lesson," Harry admitted, his smirk still in place. "Until Darkwood decided to mess things up for Hagrid" he added, glancing over at her.
"Oh come off it mate, I get that she's Malfoys fan girl, but you can't blame her for everything," Ron said.
"Seriously!? Neither of you noticed that Arianna called over that Thestral that bumped into Umbridge?" Harry asked with a hint of irritation.
Ron and Hermione exchanged glances. They hadn't caught that detail during the commotion.
"Yeah, it does sound like something them two would do," Ron finally agreed.
Hermione furrowed her brow in thought, her gaze shifting to where Draco and Arianna were trailing behind them.
"Well, it's not like Umbridge would have given Hagrid a good inspection score anyway. I knew she was going to look for an excuse to make Hagrid look bad. Still, they made the situation a bit worse" Hermione huffed.
"Still worth it to see Umbridge fall face-first into a pile of shite" Ron sniggered
"Ronald" Hermione complained.
"Sorry," Ron said sheepishly
"Oh never mind it. Anyway, Thestrals are very interesting, aren't they? The way some people can see them and some can't! I wish I could." Hermione said enthusiastically.
"Do you?" Harry asked her quietly.
She looked at him suddenly horrorstruck by what she said.
"Oh, Harry - I'm sorry - no, of course I don't - that was a really stupid thing to say."
"It's ok,' he said quickly, "don't worry about it"
"I'm surprised so many people could see them," said Ron. "Three in a class -"
"Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering," Draco said maliciously behind them with Arianna beside him, and Crabbe, and Goyle following close behind. "'D'you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?"
"Oh come on, dragon. Weasley can see the Quaffle just fine. He's just too scared of it to make any saves" Arianna replied, which got the three Slytherin boys cackling in laughter.
Ron's face reddened at their jab. It was a common insult that Draco liked to throw at him, but the fact someone new was with him stung even more.
"Shut up, traitor!" Harry raised his voice, his fist balling as he began to step towards them.
"Looking to get your ass handed to you again Potter?" Arianna mocked, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
Harry gritted his teeth, his hand twitching towards his wand. Hermione put a restraining hand on his arm, keeping him in place.
"Harry don't," she said. "You're giving her exactly what she wants."
"Good call, Granger" Arianna gloated, which resulted in Hermione scowling at her.
Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle roared with laughter while Arianna gave a satisfied smirk as the four of them made past on their way to the castle. When they reached the castle entrance they broke into a chorus of 'Weasley is our King'. Ron's ears turned scarlet.
"Ignore them, while we're here, we might as well, look for the cloak," Hermione said. She then cast a spell that lit up her wand looking for any sort of shimmer coming from the cloak
(A couple of days later in the Restrict Section of the Library)
"We'll be reviewing expelliarmius, today guys, then well get into dueling each other for the rest of the meeting..." Harry's voice came through the white dot on a green 3D model of Hogwarts.
Arianna, Yuno, and Galin looked at a holographic map of Hogwarts that was created by the sigils that the three of them had managed to place all over the castle. It wasn't perfect, but they managed to slip one into important targets they were hoping for.
"Ya know, you really didn't have do Zach like that man. He wasn't a bad dude" Galin said somewhat disappointed.
Yuno's scarlet eyes flicked to look at Galin, and a small smirk graced his lips. "Oh, come on, Gal," he chided playfully. "It wasn't personal against Zacharias. It was just a means to an end."
"Yeah, yeah I get it. But still, Azkaban? Harsh!" Galin said looking at the holographic map of Hogwarts. He was focusing on the rectangle that was outside of the castle. "Remind me again why Potters's group is meeting somewhere that's floating in mid-air again"
Arianna looked at the rectangle Galin was pointing to. "It served as a bunker in case the castle was ever attacked, so it acts as a pocket dimensions when it's in use. But for the most part, people used it for events or an extra room if needed. When you have a desire for something, the room gets what you need. Everyone here calls it "The Room of Requirements"." Arianna explained.
"Ahhh! What!? So this thing can become a gym if it wants to!?" Galin exclaimed, his hands going to his head in panic "Why didn't anyone tell me about this, I haven't been able to squat and deadlift for weeks now!" He yelled
"Calm down," Yuno said dryly shooting an annoyed look at his outburst. "Not everything revolves around your workout routine."
"But still" Galin complained, looking at the room like a disappointed puppy in the missed opportunities to strength train.
Yuno let out a sigh as he pinched the middle of his brow. "Typical, maybe try to focus on what we're doing for once gym-rat?" he said crossing his arms.
Galin crossed his arms in a defensive pose, his pout deepening. "Hey, I can do both!" he retorted defiantly. "the boss would understand"
"She did tell me that exercise keeps the soul young" Arianna teased Yuno
"You're not helping," Yuno said unamused giving a sidelong glance at Arianna.
"I'm just saying," Arianna chuckled which got a grumble from Yuno as he rolled his eyes.
"Aside from Galin's dilemma, we know where they're meeting now, and the rooms pretty tricky to get into when it's in use" she explained.
("All that time wasted doing wall sits" Galin mumbled in defeat)
Yuno looked at Arianna perplexed. "So we can't just barge in there?"
"No, it was designed specifically to handle powerful magic attacks, the boss couldn't even get in there if she wanted to," she continued. "Since the room itself acts as a pocket dimension, we can't go in from the outside, we'd just end up on the 7th floor, and we can't go in from the front, because the room will only let the people the user wants in" she continued.
Yuno frowned thoughtfully. "So, it's like a self-contained, fortified space that can only be accessed by the invited." He closed the book he was holding, considering the implications. "That complicates things."
"Couldn't my Anti-Magic nullify the room, or anchor it in reality?" Galin asked
"Yes, but you would have to hit it with Anti-magic as it appears. Which means we would know what time they'll be meeting" Arianna said. "We have to expose them, while also keeping off Umbridges radar. As it stands none of us are on friendly terms with any of them, especially since 'The Golden Trio' knows about Yuno" Arianna said.
"Right," Yuno agreed. "We have to tread carefully. It has to look like Umbridge found out about them naturally and vice-versa." He narrowed his eyes in thought.
"Well we're not gonna figure that out with them discussing baby magic," Arianna said. "Yuno could you check in on Umbridge, I see Dragon is in her office right now. That means she's probably meeting with the Inquisitorial Squad" Arianna said pointing at Umbridge's office on the map.
"Can you please stop calling him that" Yuno said with an eye roll.
"Just do it pipsqueak" she retorted
Yuno grumbled but focused in on Draco's sigil. It wasn't long til they could hear Umbridges shrill voice.
"I have a task for all of you to carry out, and you will do so indiscriminately of house or blood status. In the coming weeks', I will have a new set of educational decrees which will give each of you new authority over the students…"
As Umbridge continued to explain to the squads the details of the upcoming educational decrees, an impish smirk grew on Arianna's face.
"Oh! Well, isn't that convenient."
(December, Morning)
Harry got up from his bunk and got ready for the last few days of the semester. The courtyard was now covered in snow, and windows were frosted over with a thin layer of ice. As he neared the Great Hall he looked up and saw four new educational decrees on them
The first one:
"Any items deemed not of educational value are henceforth banned."
The second one:
"Any literature by non-wizards or half-breeds is banned forthwith.
The Third one:
"Students must observe new restrictions regarding Library and Common Room access."
And The Final one, the one that made Harry's stomach feel sick:
"All students are now required to comply to a search of personal belongings requested by the Inquisitorial Squad."