Chapter 18

Close to midnight in the Gryffindor common room and Harry came thundering through the portrait hole. Ron made to open his mouth, but Harry just put a hand up and continued onto the staircase to their dorm room.

Ron would have been concerned by this had it not been happening more frequently that week. He noted it was the most stressed he'd seen him since both he and Hermione had been on the end of his ranting when he first got to the headquarters. Recent event's giving him the knowledge that he and Hermione were an item meant that he no longer had to guess what it was that had perked him up so much back at Grimmauld Place. As he had the thought, Hermione stepped into the Common Room. She too came in with an anger visible on her face, but her brow was creased with a concern.

She didn't get to open her mouth when she approached Ron, who headed her off.

"Upstairs", he informed her with a finger pointing behind him as he sat with his face in his book, his parchment of homework hanging over the arm of the couch.

"And was he?"

"Oh yeah!" Ron scoffed.

"And you didn't think to stop him?"

Ron peered at her over his book, "you're kidding, right? He's stressed enough as it is, he doesn't need me meithering him". He watched as she slumped into the armchair across from him and pulled the cushion to her face, letting out a muffled scream. Laughing he snorted, "gods you must be a crap snog".

He failed to look up in time to see the cushion hurtling towards him. It hit him with enough force that it knocked him back. "Point taken", he whined as she sat growling at him.

With a huff she hit the sides of the arms on the chair, "why can't you take this seriously?"

"I am", a slight indignation in his response, "I'm taking it very seriously, that's why I'm here while he's there stewing and giving those idiots in our dorm a hard time for meithering him".

"Ronald, you can't honestly believe that is 'helping', its bloody bone idle".

Ron looked shocked, "Hermione, language!"

She made to reply but stopped, shaking her head at him through hawk like eyes. "Ron, seriously he needs to talk".

"That's what you've been doing haven't you, trying to get him to open up?", Ron dropped the wind up now and put his book down.

"Well of course I have, it's what he needs".

"And have you been doing this before or during your snogging sessions?", he laughed when she pulled a face, "bloody hell Hermione you're doing yourself no favours with him".

"Ron look", she said sounding like she was about to start reassuring him, "when we go out, for our walks", she added hastily, "we only go and-…".

Ron cut her off, "he drags you behind the tapestry and cops a feel", he said flatly.

"Ronald!", she stood up quickly, her piercing eyes with a fierceness he wasn't expecting.

"Ok…ok", he hurried, "rude of me, he, err, partakes of your womanhood".

"Ronald!" again she scolded him but this time it was more shock than anger, he noticed her hands drift up her body almost like she'd been caught naked. "What do you…-".

"What do I know?", he sat back in his chair, "just where you're favourite spots are, so's not to bump into you when I'm not about. Then it's pretty much whatever he feel's up to sharing, I don't ask but he'll tell me things".

She sunk back in her chair open mouthed, shocked by what he was hearing. "Harry tells you about our, intimacies?".

"Your intimacies?" he couldn't help but grin, "well, yeah he does, but again, it's what he chooses to".

"And you're not bothered by that?"

"Well of course I'm not bothered by it Hermione, you're my best friend and he's my best mate, it'd be a pretty poor showing if I just fobbed you both off because I know, what I assumed, you were doing anyway".

"But what about us?" she said softly.

The way she asked was so gentle, like she was wounded slightly, it made him feel a twinge in his chest as well as a flicker of arousal before he killed it off. "There is no us".

"I'm sorry", she said embarrassed, "I didn't mean that, I meant, well… ".

"You meant because I had feelings for you", he wasn't getting annoyed by the way their conversation was going, just wary of the fact he knew it was straying in a way he might not like.

"Have or had?"

"Why should that matter when you have Harry, if it matters then you probably shouldn't be talking with me like this".

"Your right, I'm sorry Ron", she looked a little pained, seeming to contemplate her words before she spoke. "I think, I look at you and I struggle to differentiate what you mean to me from what Harry means to me. I love you", her eyes widened, and she hurried, "I love you both…".

"It's ok, you love us equally as friends, I know", he nodded to her.

"Yes, but I've also always felt something between us too and when I sit and think about you both, it feels like it could have easily gone either way. In very different ways I'm, I'm err, attracted to you both, and now were all growing up so fast, it's hard to pretend like were not when were in each other's pockets".

He sighed, "that makes me want to keep my distance".

"No!", she had a forcefulness to her voice, "I don't want to do anything that would hurt Harry or break my own morals and beliefs in honesty and trust, but mostly I would never want to lead you on".

"Then why are we having this conversation?" now feeling out of his depth Ron tried to drown the thoughts that flooded up in his head, that this, a week or two earlier would have been everything he'd wanted to hear.

"Well, we never got to talk after it all came out", she smiled sheepishly, "and it always felt unfair that we never had time to speak alone and after hearing from your own mouth about liking me so much romantically".

"I guess it is nice to hear that you liked me too, but doesn't it also mean that it complicates things with us now?"

She smiled warmly at him, "I think you've heard plenty about people liking you recently", her grin widened as he smiled. She might not have liked it all, the rumour mill, but she liked that it had impacted him positively and she was proud to see it hadn't gone to his head. "I don't think it complicates things, I think you showed me, us, me and Harry, how strong you really are with the way you handled learning about us". She pulled a face, "and now I hear about you and Harry talking about our…".

"Intimacies?", he grinned.

"Oh, shut it", she laughed. "But yes, it's a shock to hear you can handle that in such a nonchalant way. And then, I don't know why but it just felt like you could handle what I never had a chance to talk about with you". She paused then tilted her head, "he really tells you?"

"Yes!"

"And you're ok with it?"

"Bloody hell, yes!" He sat forward and pointed at his face, "you see this, your boyfriend did this, and I gave him a black eye. We beat the snot out of each other and…".

She sat forwards now, "you pair of lying shits!" she breathed,

"Language!"

"Oh, balls to Language! So, that day I was annoyed at breakfast you both..."

"Umm Hmm", he nodded, "straight up lied to your face, that's got to lose him some boyfriend points!"

"Oh, don't you worry it does. And you're up a creak without a paddle too, definitely no homework help for a week". She sat sulking for a moment until she spoke again, "but why?"

"Because we didn't want to get into trouble, obviously", Ron shook his head at her.

"No, you…why were you fighting".

"Oh, I don't know, I think it just seemed right at the time", he smirked at the incredulous look on her face, "but the point is everything seemed to work itself out and everything with the three of us seemed that so much easier after we did". Admitting more to himself than to her he added, "honestly, hearing about the two of you has just kind of made me feel that bit happier knowing the two of you are happy". He saw the predictable side of her that melted at his words, "oh, don't start blubbering".

Pausing a minute, he went even further into his privacy as he admitted more to his inner thoughts. "I hated myself for it, but for years part of me, a very small part, was jealous that I was just the tall ginger mate of Harry Potter, no one knowing who I was. Or being known as just the, other brother, of the more popular Weasley brothers, everyone knowing Harry before they even spoke to him. It was a spitefulness I hated about myself".

Hermione remembered the time he told her when they were alone, about being the youngest in the family when taking Ginny out of the mix, as a girl she was doted on. As the youngest and least remarkable boy, he always felt like the least liked in his own home.

"That's not nasty or horrible, it would be if you focused on it and allowed it to poison your head, but you don't, you dismiss it and don't allow it to interfere with your friendship. And it makes you both all the stronger, you've always remained his best mate, despite that it damages you to a degree to do so. It's very admirable".

A small stretch of silence grew, as it did Hermione looked uncomfortable, "I want a word with you", she said flatly.

"I'm sorry?", Ron put down his book, after only just picking it up again, "I didn't do it, you've got the wrong man, come on what can I have possibly done now!".

"I'm being serious Ron; I want to talk".

"And what do you want to talk about", giving her his full attention, something about her face told him enough to know it wasn't going to be a subject he wanted to go over.

"Slytherin girls!"

"There Slytherin's and their girls Hermione, yes?"

"I don't like them".

"Slytherin boys!", Ron announced.

"What? What about them?", she questioned, taken aback.

"I don't like them either", he said flatly. He turned back to his book. He knew what she wanted but he wasn't interested and found the idea of him, out of the two of them, to retreat into a book, all the more hilarious.

"Ron, Parkinson is a snake and a vile one at that. Davies, well Davies is as calculated as they come, and they've been pretty rude to me in potions".

"They have? No way!"

"You exasperate me", she huffed.

"Hermione, their Slytherins, there going to be arseholes with us. Malfoy's the biggest arsehole this side of the hemisphere", he muttered to himself.

"There! You see, what if I told you I…", she gulped, "liked Malfoy, in 'that' way".

He grimaced, but soon found a grin when he looked at her. "Depends, he might have a huge…".

"RONALD!"

Laughing he tossed his book to the side, "bloody hell Hermione what can I say. There both fit, ok? I like them in their own ways. Tracey, actually, is a hell of a laugh and Pansy…". He paused smiling to himself, "she challenges me".

"Challenges you!"

"Yeah, and she's got a great …"

"I don't want to know!" she threw her hands up. Whining she looked back, "Ron please, this is a big deal to me".

"You were a big deal to me!", his words sounded a bit darker than he meant and it certainly had an effect on her. Hermione recoiled as if struck by him and he relented slightly. "I'm sorry", he said softly and with an effort to be genuine he dropped the banter. "I love the bones off you two and it makes me happy you have each other, otherwise you would have been a harder pill to swallow. But I swallowed it for you both, don't you think that me sacrificing my feelings for you both is worth a bit of the same from you".

After a moment's mulling this over she relaxed into her chair again. "Ron I can't stand them", she whispered.

"Life's full of disappointments but, I don't know, just deal with it. Look you brought them up, I'm happy with them being in the back of my mind offering me out in the storage room…".

"You what?"

"But that's all this is, me liking a few people. I haven't snogged them; I've not asked them out or been on a date, this is just, just flirting. Nothing's happened for you to be worried over, and if you…".

"Parkinson cosied up to you!"

"Yeah, she did!" he grinned. Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "…but if you love me, as your best friend, then you should be willing to accept my choices, if they ever came about".

There was a moment where his words hit out at her. Hearing that she should accept for him, because it was him, her friend, it meant a lot. She hated his sturdy logic; she couldn't fault any of what he was saying and that infuriated her because gods did she hate those girls. Then there was the heat of arousal that ignited in her. How had he grown so much, their arguing evolving from childish swipes to intelligent debates. She found it all the more inducing within her as he battled her as he now could, there was an over attractiveness to the confidence in his own words.

Pausing for a moment she eyed him curiously, "I don't have much experience, but I thought I was a good kisser", she delighted in seeing the immediate squirm. But this wasn't some play for him, it was a rib and she enjoyed that it hit the mark. But she was with Harry and wanted to bring herself and the conversation back to him, winding up Ron just being the bonus.

Alarmed Ron shifted, "I'll take your word for it".

"No", she giggled, "you complained I must be a 'crap snog'".

"Err, ok?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at him, "so, where am I going wrong with him?".

"Huh!", Ron muttered until he realised, "Oh…OH! Right! yes…I see. Well, it's your snogging!" he finished dramatically flatly.

She gave him a look that told him he really did exasperate her.

"No seriously, it's not 'you're' snogging, it's, 'the', snogging. You haven't been doing it!"

"Well, yes, we have".

"But you haven't had your tongue down his throat".

"Ronald, I do not stick my-…".

"That's not what I hear", he said as she went a deep shade of Scarlett, "but the fact is, you haven't since he's gotten so, wound up over Umbridge".

"Well, no, but I've been trying to get him to open up and go to Dumbledore".

"So, you, his girlfriend, have been acting like McGonagall would, meanwhile I, his mate, have been taking him to Quidditch practice and seeing naked Slytherin's".

"You what?!"

"What goes on at the pitch stays at the pitch Hermione, focus!"

She seemed to change from one colour to the next as she tipped from confusion to anger and back again. "Your point being!"

Answering very sharply and slowly in pronunciation Ron said, "Stick! Your tongue! Down! His throat!" He smiled as she recoiled in her seat, "you're his girlfriend, not his teacher, not his mothe-…" He caught himself from a sad faux pas, "…you're not his councillor".

"But he needs to talk-…".

"Lads don't talk and if we do, we do when were ready, what he needs is a tongue! Down his throat!"

"It's that simple?" she quizzed.

"We're honestly, that, simple".

Harry came walking into the Great Hall leaving Hermione behind as she'd bumped into Angelina as they entered and the two started talking. Finding where Ron sat, he slid into a seat opposite him and leaned over.

Ron looked up to find a red and sweaty faced Harry, fully in his own face, "morning?", Ron had been waiting for them intently, but they'd been an age.

"The hell have you said to her?"

"Who?"

"Piss off Ron you know who, look at me, I've just had to wrestle her off me".

"And your complaining because?"

"I'm complaining because she won't stop ramming her tongue down my throat and clawing the skin on my back raw".

Ron stared at him blankly, "I refer to my previous question", with a shake of his head.

"All the time growling into my mouth about 'bloody naked Slytherin's'", Harry kept looking at Hermione to check that she was still engaged then to his left and right to be sure they weren't overheard. "And I got a bollocking for five minutes straight about lying to her then more attacking me in the secret passageway".

"So, you got a bollocking about lying and some flack about those girls for a good five minutes", Ron mocked with a nod and narrowed eyes.

"Umm Hmm!" Harry nodded.

"And then how long did she molest you for?"

"Like half an hour!"

Hermione came over and Ron inclined her head to sit down quickly. As she did Ron turned back to Harry and hissed, "You're welcome!"

Once she sat down, he raised his voice slightly so she could now hear but no one else. "Right, it's a good job you've been going at it for a bit this morning because- …".

"Really Harry, again", Hermione glared at him.

"Hermione please", Ron said sarcastically, "look at the state of him, what else could you be possibly doing, morning jog around the lake".

Hermione blushed but Harry's mouth fell open, "again?" he looked between them, "so you have been talking!".

"Oh Harry, don't be so bloody paranoid". Ron picked up his Daily Prophet and shook it before spreading it out Infront of them. "Look around the Hall", he hissed as he did.

"What?" Harry said as he cluelessly did as he was told, "what am I supposed to be noticing". Hermione though had already just done this and seen for herself. Harry taking a moment longer, said, "the Prophet?" He had just noticed everyone in there was either sat with a copy or stood around someone who was. He looked down with Hermione.

"What the hell is a High Inquisitor?", Harry muttered.

"What did you say first night back Hermione", Ron said darkly, "about the Ministry interfering at Hogwarts".

"I didn't think it would be this quick but, then again", she looked at them both, "we knew this was coming". The boys stared at her, "Snuffle's letter, that they got wind of the Ministry putting some new bills through quick and underhandedly".

"You think that was this", Ron said.

"If she's right", Harry said, his face was filled with a loathing as he looked at the top table, Umbridge was sat staring at the students with a wide smile, "then I think there's going to be a lot more of these bills fast tracked through before long".

Pansy and Tracey walked into the hall at a usual time for them and started to sit towards the end of the Slytherin table. They made to sit down alone as per one of the new rules they decided on at the last night's meeting. As they did, they made sure to at least lock eyes with Harrier and Liza. The two were surprised to see Farah sat with them, rather unfortunately for her they agreed to not hang around with each other and stay within their years which meant she would be alone. As Harrier and Liza gave them a very subtle wave, they aborted their seats and made for the Gal's regular spot.

As they did Pansy locked eyes with Draco, and he stood. As it was Tracey had been in front of her and kept walking. By the time she noticed she couldn't turn back as Crabb and Goyle had stood up, messing with their shoes in a rather rehearsed manor, apologising to Tracey as they did.

Her shining knight blocked from her she turned to Draco with a measure of resolve.

"Pansy".

"Draco".

"You've been avoiding me".

She opened her mouth to lie when she noticed Millicent sat across from her, "I have".

"I don't like that", he said evenly, but the smile he wore, she had seen before. It wasn't quite the smile he wore when he wanted to amuse himself with her and use her as a toy to practice his lip work with, it was a smile she'd seen him wear for the other girls, like Daphne.

Thinking quickly, and more so in an honest way rather than a deceitful one she said, "I don't want to speak to you here, like this. I'd rather do it later when it's more private".

He pulled a face, she knew he hated not getting his own way, but he relented, and the smile returned. "This is a game to him, he thinks is courtship, that were flirting", the thought came to her as she realised, he had been reading this whole new thing with herself, the Group and the Gal's wrong. To his mind this was all for him.

"Is that a promise Pansy?"

He wasn't flirting with her now, but he was playing. This was him invoking manners, she couldn't fob him off so easily If she agreed.

"Yes".

"Until later then", and as he sat down Crabb and Goyle's idiot issues with their feet ended. Pansy couldn't think why as Tracey had already abandoned them to go and sit with the Gal's, although she looked to be sat poised to rush in. As they both lumbered out of the way, she continued on and sat with Tracy and Liza opposite Harrier and Farah.

"Pansy?", Tracey began.

"It's nothing I can't handle", she reassured her with a smile. "So, what's with the change of-…".

"What time do you call this", Farah spat.

Tracey and Pansy exchanged a look.

"Hush love", Liza hissed to the youngest sister, apparently trying to sooth her but for what, Pansy could not say.

Farah looked down embarrassed, "I just, didn't sleep much".

"It's, okay", Pansy again exchanged a look but both nodded when Farah looked back up.

There was a sharp cough and Harrier gave her and Tracey a poignant look, as she did, they she tapped her nail to the table, drawing their attention down to a small piece of paper. "Have you seen this, I'm not even sure what to make of it", her voice was even but even to Pansy who's time with her was short, she knew it was fake and rehearsed. As she spoke, she slid a copy of the Prophet over too them in one hand. The other, that tapped the paper, slid that over too.

Understanding the request, they leaned forward to read the headlines and as they did, saw that the paper was a note that simply said, "No talk, follow".

As they started to read Liza leaned in to look to, "eat quick, follow", she whispered.

They both didn't react but as they started to read the two took a coffee and tea respectively and made to start eating as they consumed the article. When they finished Pansy and Tracey's gaze drifted up to where Umbridge sat, smirking like a great fat cat down at them all. She didn't seem to focus on them or anyone, but the Hall as a whole. Seeing Umbridge in the Hall was unusual for a morning, she wasn't for eating with them before today, unless it was dinner. She was also never seen at any time on a weekend which had become an all the better time of week because of it. But odder still was that no teachers were present, in fact no member of staff at all.

Harrier and Liza led them through a quick breakfast with the only topic being what an Inquisitor would mean for the school, and not in a way that drew any attention to the fact that this was not news to them, other than what had already been discussed.

They finished in record time for the five of them as Harrier and Liza stood, prompting the others to do the same. As they did Liza made a lot of fuss about heading to the library for study day together.

This had been confirmed as a ruse fifteen minutes later as they all met by one of the side entrances to the Greenhouses. Instructed to meet there with their winter cloaks the Five bypassed the Herbology grounds to use the small entrance there that led to the main grounds. Once out in the open they found a reasonable pace and began a long walk by the woodlands.

It was a harsh frost-bitten day, which was a big difference from what appeared to be the Indian Summer they had been enjoying. But the school being located so remotely in Scotland, weather snaps were frequent and unpredictable, almost as much as the enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall. Pansy however, found it to be an extremely pleasant cold as they walked. They had all jinxed their cloaks with the same warming charm they had used the night of her induction. That, along with Liza, who had conjured two small burning orbs to circle them like tiny orbiting Sun's made for a pleasant warmth against the chill of air across her face. It was made all the more pleasing against the backdrop of Hogwarts and the surrounding views in tones of white and silver in the frost.

"So" Tracey let the word hang in the air.

"Obviously we had a change of plan, or Harrier did, but I'm with her on it", Liza, like Tracey did usually come down on the side of her best friend, but Pansy had learnt she was not afraid to challenge her if needed, however not on this occasion.

That night before in the Cascade, they had come up with a number of mutually agreed rules, some of which they all disagreed with, but all agreed were for their own good. For instance, they would limit the amount of time they spent as a group, to not draw the eye of Umbridge. So, Pansy and Tracey, Liza and Harrier would only spend time together with their own years and Farah having to be apart from them as much as possible. Pansy supposed this was the cause of her frosty mood, she had taken to hearing this badly the night before.

Also, Harrier decided that they would no longer meet together at the entrance to the Cascade or march down together. A long discussion took place, and after much arguing they agreed that the ridiculousness of their naked joyride around the grounds was perhaps one of the best methods, to a point. The ridiculousness of it was what appealed to them believing no one would suspect it. But the true logistics of storing a small number of brooms around the unused rooms of the taller towers and flying separately under a cloak of disillusionment to the forest was what they hoped would make them confident they could continue their exploits.

But it seemed that some of their new protocols had already been abandoned.

Harrier spoke as they continued their walk on the outskirts of the wilderness. "Last night when we finished, I found an owl at my window, from Vivacia and it put me on edge. It was basically gibberish, badly spelt gibberish at that, unt il the end and then it said, 'Death, Moonlight, Cascade'". She stopped, eyeing that they were alone and carried on for them to follow.

Tracey snorted after Harrier's long pause, "I think were past dramatic effects love, so that meant what?"

"Well I don't know, I've never read Parceltongue".

"Huh!"

"What?"

"I didn't realise until I read it out loud that I'd spoken it, or read it, well both I guess".

Pansy stopped, "I'm sorry, you can read Parceltongue?"

"Yes, or at least, it can be, but I can't. I only did last night by accident", Harrier kept them walking, still with her head on a swivel. "I knew it could be, I just didn't know I could. That's when Aspis woke and started to tell me that he only taught it to the lead sisters in their last years, we just hadn't started yet. I can read it because I've spoke it for so long now".

Pansy stopped and looked at her again, her mouth open. Harrier grabbed her shoulder and forced her into carrying on in the direction of nowhere which was still their destination. "Yes, yes, I speak with him, not always in the Cascade and yes he can speak, like properly, not just a half answer here and there. I told you he has life, and at this point the magic in him is ancient, he's my advisor more than anything".

"It's true", Liza said, "sometimes she forgets at night, hissing away, and I have to throw a silencing charm up for her, otherwise sounds possessed or like she's…", her eyes widened, and she stopped.

"Anyway, I know what 'Death, Moonlight, Cascade' is, it's the final words given to you by your Maior Soror when you leave the Cascade and school for good".

"Cheery souls aren't we!" Tracey scoffed.

Ignoring her Harrier said, "'Death, Moonlight, Cascade' is supposed to be your final farewell but more importantly it's a safe word if were ever in trouble or need to be subtle when we meet each other. Just a random set of words no one could mistake or decipher".

"Well, that's quite clever really", Pansy spoke up, "so why are this lot only hearing about it now, its something we could really use, especially at the moment".

Harrier considered her, "I don't know if I'm honest. You have me there, its just another tradition I was taught in my final months before my ascension and my teacher's departure. But like I said, tradition. We're passing this down a line that stretches through hundreds of Gals, generation after generation."

"Well, that's the thing about secrets", Pansy mused, "some stay secret and become lost".

Harrier eyed her, "you're saying we create our own passwords, just like we might have once done".

"Makes sense", Liza conferred.

"Death, Teacups and Dresses", Farah said, again she sounded deflated to Pansy's ear and again she saw a level of comforting as Liza linked her arm.

"That's not half bad", Harrier scoffed.

"Again!" Tracey spoke up, "Death? Are we sadists now?"

"Death is a good word of warning", Pansy quietened her friend, "It's been used for centuries as a caution and not just as an absolute. Teacups and Dresses…", she looked to Farah with a smile, "very us".

Harrier captured their attention again, "but more importantly, it's random, and right now it's probably necessary".

"Wait a minute", Tracey marched in front and halted them all. "Are we seriously saying were going down this route, for real? This, this messing with notes, pretending to go to the library only to sneak out to the grounds…where we're aloud to be by the way! And now were getting code words, this isn't James Bond".

"Who!"

"You know what I mean, well, you won't, but this is all sounding very cloak and dagger".

"Tracey hush love!" Liza, as usual with her peacekeeper duties, "and don't confuse them".

Harrier fixed Tracey with one of her looks, but instead of it turning into an argument she linked her arm with Tracey's and encouraged them all to walk on huddled together.

"I don't know who this James Blonde is", as Harrier spoke Pansy saw Tracey's face crack and her lips perse quickly together which meant she was holding back laughter, but Pansy too didn't know who he was, so she didn't see the humour in it. "But if I carry on to my original point, then yes, it is getting very cloak and dagger".

They had reached a point where the woodland stopped, and they approached one of the open glen's laid out before the mountainous borders and continued down the frostbitten grounds.

"For example, Aspis, I had made to stow him away and keep him out of sight but were the ones on the back foot now. Pansy was smart enough to realise she'd seen Vivacia's Maior Soror because Aspis made her stand out, at least it's the best guess we have. If there's any truth in that then she's had a full week and then some, to scope me out". "And as for why I scrapped the idea of us going our separate ways, well, it's the same thing. If she only knows I'm a part of it then she knows we all are, were inseparable".

There was a murmur of agreement at that until Pansy spoke up, "what if she just tries to take Aspis from you?".

"Well, I've thought of that too and I don't think I'd ever have to worry about a teacher stealing my things but…", she trailed off. "If I consider the letter from Vivacia, that hodgepodge message from her, I re-read it a few times after realising the code at the end. Seeing it was actually all basic code, first and last letter sort of thing. She basically warned me about our mail being checked and that I should be careful when I write and then the names of others I should expect to hear from".

"Others? Other Gals?"

"Yep, five in total, all my aunt's now", she smiled at the confusion in their faces. "As per, Aunty V's instructions, not to much detail and keep it diluted, should it be intercepted, hence, Aunty V".

She went on to explain everything they had put together for her. Aunty T, who turned out to be Vivacia's Maior Soror, had told her how to write the warning in Parceltongue. She was currently a retired independent advisor to the Ministry on foreign Wizarding affairs and had spent her final years unfortunately bumping into Umbridge with her meetings with the Minister. She had already heard through her contacts about Fudge's ambitions to take over control of Hogwarts and put a lot more details to help fill gaps. The final three owls came from Gal's still working in the Ministry who knew both Vivacia and T, they were able to go into much more details about procedures Umbridge was allowed to undertake, such as confirming the checking of post to certain students.

"But in general, they all had the same underlying message", Harrier said, "don't underestimate how dangerous she is. Don't underestimate her tactics. And don't underestimate her devotion to Fudge and his mission to dismantle Dumbledore's ranks".

"His ranks?"

"The word he keep's using apparently, when in the private halls of the Ministry".

"But were not involved with Dumbledore, Gal's had never had staff involvement, has it? So why us?" Tracey kept the discussion going.

"Because she felt snubbed", Harrier began to theorise, "because she feels were a threat depending on what she knows or thinks she knows about what we do? And now she's in this position she can do Fudge's work and snuff us out at the same time. That's the other thing Aunt V and T both stressed, they seem to think she's a threat to us more than anyone else in particular". She looked at Pansy, "so coming back to you, and Aspis, I've been more worried she might try something. But, as much as I don't enjoy doing it, if you think Draco's "My Father will hear about this" card is any good, you haven't seen anything yet".

"But why now?", this time Pansy spoke her mind, "not just Umbridge, but the Minister. What do they want, or, I don't know, what is it they don't want. Dumbledore's Ranks? What exactly has them so worried about Dumbledore".

"That's easy", Farah spoke up, they all turned to face her, "Potter".

A/N,

I know I haven't written a lot of these since the beginning but as I wrote so much at the start I didn't want to bombard.

Firstly, unless I go back and add more A/N's, I love the GAL's, their personality's took a lot more shape for me as it went on and as I didn't want to introduce main characters because I'm not someone that makes them in general I'm happy with how they've added to the story without taking over it. I particularly love the idea of secret societies, covens, little fraternities. I started this story before I got Hogwarts Legacy as I got it late and that just pushed on this ideas that in a thousand or so years, thousands more students will have passed through. There's so many secrets that could be hidden its easy to get caught up in the idea of numerous untold factions.

Also, James Blonde, I love writing muggle confusions into this. I like that Liza has a foot in both worlds, Pansy and Harrier are oblivious wizard kind while Farah and Tracey raised muggle. I could write tons of them in.