"OH!" piped up Sally suddenly.
"What is it, Sally?" asked Neville, Ginny, and Luna.
"I've just thought, " piped up Sally, "Tracey, Daphne, and Astoria don't have to all be recruited individually. Once Tracy is recruited, SHE can recruit Daphne and Astoria. "
"As Tracy is in my year, I'll take the responsibility for recruiting her," promised Neville.
"Now we can go for the night," smiled Sally, "We greatly reduce the odds of looking suspicious if we only have to recruit one Slytherin ourselves."
And so, Neville very quietly slipped Tracy a note in their next Charms class.
The note read:
Dear Tracy:
Please meet me in the Room of Requirement at eight o'clock tonight. I will ask the Room of Requirement to only allow the two of us in.
-Neville.
Tracy had no idea why Neville might want to meet her but all the same she turned up at eight o'clock that night and Neville walked past the wall thrice asking the Room of Requirement "Please only allow me and Tracy in tonight."
The door appeared and Neville entered the Room of Requirement with Tracy trailing behind him. She shut and locked the door and Neville and Tracy sat down side by side on two black office chairs facing each other.
"Tracy," said Neville the nanosecond they were both seated, "Let's get down to business. So, two years ago in our fifth year, Harry and Hermione founded a secret Defense Against the Dark Arts Club that we called Dumbledore's Army or the D.A. for short. Harry was the leader as he taught the students defensive magic. Hermione put a Protean Charm on a series of coins to mimic Harry's and he would inform the members of the D.A. of the time and date of the next meeting by changing the time and date on his coin. Everybody's coin would become hot when Harry changed the time and club was originally Hermione's idea and was founded because Umbitch refused to teach us proper defense in both our O.W.L. year and the year in which Lord Voldemort returned."
"Let me guess, " figured out Tracy, "This club was doormat last year after Umbitch left Hogwarts."
"Indeed," Harry decided not to continue it. However, on the night Dumbledore died, Harry instructed Hermione to summon D.A. members via the coins. Only three responded: Myself, Ginny, and Luna. So, on the train ride to Hogwarts, I sat with Luna and Ginny and Luna quietly and cleverly communicated to Ginny and I that we needed to reform the D.A. this year. We successfully recruited all the old D.A. members still at Hogwarts minus a few shady characters: a traitor, a bitch of a crybaby crying machine who was said traitors BFFs and to hell with her for her constant unjustified crying habit, and for actually defending the fucking turncoat, and a prat that we suspect is a coward. The others are all back and have done wonderfully in our first few meetings. We have also recruited a few new members, including Sally who has now joined me, Ginny, and Luna as the leaders of the newly reformed D.A. Now, last time around there were no Slytherins in our group. Sally thinks that should change this time around."
"So, you're recruiting me to join the newly reformed D.A and become the group's first Slytherin?" asked Tracy.
"Yes," confirmed Neville, "But there are conditions."
"Confidentiality," guessed Tracy instantly, "Never discuss the D.A. with non-members outside of its meetings. Never discuss the D.A. in any area of Hogwarts where non-members, especially dubious teachers like Snape and the Carrows can overhear such conversations."
"The group was almost found and caught last time because the fucking turncoat told Umbitch of our existence," said Neville bitterly. We were all lucky to escape after her betrayal."
"I hope she has to suffer the consequences of her betrayal for the rest of her life," said Tracy coldly, "There is nothing more repugnant than a traitor."
"Generally, I do want you to keep your mouth shut about the newly reformed D.A. and our activities," said Neville clearly, "However, one of the conditions of your acceptance of my offer to join the newly reformed D, A. is that you must also recruit Daphne and Astoria to join as well."
"I accept those terms," said Tracy in a determined voice, "I mean, it's not like Carrow is teaching us any more proper defense than Umbitch did. May I make a request though?"
"Sure," replied Neville simply.
"She's away from Hogwarts at this nanosecond because of the muggleborn ban," rued Tracy, "But my close friend Lily would eagerly join this club if she were ever able to return. I predict that there will be a major battle at Hogwarts in mid spring and that just about everyone on both sides will come back to participate in it. "
"Lily is absolutely welcome to join when she can," promised Neville.
"Not many people know this," said Tracy matter of factly, "But Lily and I had a very short falling out early in our fourth year. And when I say very short, I mean very short. It didn't even last twenty four hours. Lily had decided to end her friendship with me for something that was my fault. But it was actually Harry who talked to Lily and convinced her to continue her friendship with me."
"What did you do wrong?" wondered Neville.
"I yelled at Lily. I spewed and vented at her for something that wasn't her fault. I accidentally dipped my hands into a bowl of undiluted Bubtuber Pus because I thought the bowl contained Essence of Murtlap." said Tracy honestly.
"Ouch," said Neville involuntarily, "That would hurt. I can see why you'd go off in the heat of the moment after having that happen. Lily was an innocent victim, but that's a stupid and petty reason to end a friendship. How did you become friends with Lily in the first place?"
"On the first day of our first year after the Welcoming Feast, Daphne and I noticed in the Slytherin Common Room that Lily looked sad and lonely. It turned out that she was sad and lonely because she missed her parents. We befriended her and the rest is history."
"Wow," said a shocking sounding Neville, "Lily would have to be a fool to throw away friends like that over a heat of the moment outburst. I'm glad Harry talked sense into her."
"It's not widely known, " Tracy informed Neville, "But Harry is literally responsible for saving Lily's mom's life. In the summer between third year and fourth year, Liy's mom needed life saving surgery, but her family didn't have the money to afford it. Harry provided the Moon family with the necessary funds for Lily's mom to have her life saving surgery. With Lily's trust in Harry secure, Harry convinced Lily to retain the friendship."
"Good for Harry," said Neville proudly.
"I tell you all this," explained Tracy, "Because having a muggleborn friend who is thus under threat in the current war is a major motivation for me to join this club. I want to fight for my friend and defend her. I know Daphne and Astoria will feel the same way."
"The key trait of Slytherin is ambition and not all ambition is dark. Yes, Malfoy was always a worthless piece of shit, but I know you don't all worship at the altar of Malfoy."
"So?" inquired Tracy, "Are you going to give me my coin?"
Neville smiled.
He reached his left hand into his left hand pocket and retrieved a handful of D.A. coins.
"Keep one for yourself," instructed Neville, "And give Daphne and Astoria one each as well. Keep one in reserve for Lily."
"Thank you Nevile." smiled Tracy, "I'll keep an eye for the change in time and date. Is the Room of Requirement the meeting place?"
"Yes," smiled Neville warmly.
"I won't rock the boat," promised Tracy, "Slytherins are indeed ambitious and I'm no exception, but I understand that you have all the leaders you need and are merely looking to expand the group."
"It is unlikely that you will ever be offered a leadership position," Neville told Tracy honestly, "But, you will still have ample opportunity to put your ambitious side to use. You see, down the road, we are going to be asking people to create entirely new spells to help us protect ourselves."
"OHH," grinned Tracy, "I'll be of great use there."
"Good luck, Tracy," said Neville sincerely, "I'm confident you will be an invaluable addition to our mission. Next meeting we'll do some review so the new members can catch up. We'll be turning to practicing boggarts and patronuses soon."
Tracy pocketed the D.A. coins into her left hand pocket and smiled broadly at Neville.
A shout out to the following members who have added Luna Lovegood and the Reformation of the D.A. to their favorites and/or follows lists since the last update:
James Marshall
Much love from Arizona for all the support. Love you all-Michael. :)