Again, sorry for the late update. Work has been mad!
15 September 1998
Minerva should have known that the last few weeks had passed too smoothly. Since speaking to her Gryffindors in September about the importance of keeping extra-curricular activities as simple and as close to the new school guidelines as possible, Minerva had neither seen nor heard anything to indicate that Dumbledore's Army was up and running.
What was more, she had not had any complaints regarding Alecto or Amycus and their teaching material and methods. Not that she relied only on complaints from students; Minerva had also been walking past the Muggle Studies and Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom whenever she could to check on her students. So far, no crises.
That was until she woke up the first Monday morning of October. At first, at five o'clock in the morning, there was nothing that stroke Minerva as odd. She got dressed and sat in silence by her window while she drank some freshly brewed tea by the fire. All the while she was silently cursing her inability to sleep for longer than 5 hours at a time.
Indeed, she was tired - exhausted even. She did not know how she was going to get through the day with only a few hours of fractured sleep. Seventh years and fifth years that morning, heaven help her, she thought.
When six o'clock came and passed Minerva sighed, set down her mug on the window-ledge, and wiped her bleary eyes. She went back into her bedroom and changed into some green robes. She took a brooch and pinned it against the fabric on her chest.
Her hand stretched automatically for her customary green hat, but her fingers recoiled before they made contact; she still had not found it in her to wear the hat Albus had gifted her a few years before. She opted for a small black hat instead.
Then, ready, she left her chambers. As soon as she stepped foot outside in the corridor, Minerva noticed several colourful posters lining the walls. Some were bigger than others and all were different colours; different backgrounds and different coloured writing with images too.
Minerva felt her heart skip a beat. She took a step forward and read the leaflet:
Tired of Snape and his cronies? Want to do something about it? Join Dumbledore's Army
The next one was different but the general gyst of the message was the same:
Join Dumbledore's Army - if you think life is getting too boring.
Minerva looked across the hallway. Hundreds of these papers were stuck up on the wall. The brown and grey stone slabs of the castle walls were barely visible under the reds, oranges, and violets of the leaflets.
Had they taken leave of their senses, Minerva thought. She took down one leaflet, then another but paused before she took down a third. With growing apprehension she walked the length of the corridor and turn the corner. Like the Transfiguration corridor, the Charms corridor was equally as colourful. Hundreds of leaflets lined the walls, and Minerva could only assume that the Charms and Transfiguration corridors weren't the only two affected by the dramatic change in decor.
Minerva waved her wand and half a corridors-full of leaflets formed a neat pile on the floor. With another flick of her wand, the leaflets vanished. It took her several minutes to clear the Transfiguration corridor due to the sheer amount of leaflets clinging to the castle walls. Some were more difficult to remove than others and Minerva suspected this was because different types of sticking charms had been used; meaning several students had worked together to get these posters up, Minerva tiredly deduced.
She walked to the Charms corridor and tried clearing as many of the leaflets as she could until she reached Filius' private quarters. She knocked on his door. If these were to be taken down before breakfast, then she would need support, Minerva thought.
"Move along now, you three," Pomona said, ushering Ginny Weasley, Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom forwards into the Great Hall. She frowned and looked at Minerva as they both went to the breakfast table. "They look so confused, I'm not sure what has got into them. Where they expecting something?"
Minerva pursed her lips. "Yes, I do believe they were," she said quietly. "Come along, Pomona. I promise to tell you all about it later in a more—private setting."
"Oh." Pomona cottoned on. She nodded and missed the moment when Minerva and Filius caught eyes with each other from across the hall.
They had spent almost an hour together removing all of the banners and leaflets before breakfast. There had been hundreds of them. And though absolutely furious with the students involved, Minerva had to admit a slight grudging admiration for their sheer nerve and creativity.
Pomona sat in her customary chair beside Minerva's usual one. This morning, Minerva sat down between Pomona and Filius.
As she passed Filius, he caught her eye again.
"It's the usual suspects," he said under his breath. He nodded at the Great Hall which was milling with students. "That list with the names of students part of Dumbl—"
"I have it," Minerva cut in gently. She had spotted Severus walking towards the teacher's table and reckoned it would be best not to mention certain topics out loud lest he heard.
"Right," Filius said. "Well, the group seems to have—erm—expanded."
Minerva surveyed the hall. Parvati Patel was whispering with her sister at the Ravenclaw table. They both got up and went to speak with Neville Longbottom. Minerva pursed her lips as the trio spoke hurriedly together. A small piece of paper passed between their hands. How very discreet, Minerva thought.
Severus was almost upon them. Amycus and Alecto had just entered the hall as well.
"We can speak about this later, Filius," Minerva said.
He nodded.
Minerva caught the eyes of Ginny Weasley at the Gryffindor table. She would have to speak to the girl, Minerva thought. This Dumbledore's Army business had been troublesome enough when Dolores Umbridge was around. And, at that point in time, all Dolores could have done was expel a student; even that would have been difficult for her.
Two years later and the school was under the governance of a much different type. Minerva was reluctant to find out what Amycus, Alecto or Severus would do if they discovered which students were attempting to mock their power. Nothing good, she suspected.