"THIS IS MAD! Who'd wanna be taught by... ME?" Harry exclaims to his friends, throwing them all a look of disbelief and Aine shrugs.
"I'd love to be taught by you, to be honest. You're great at Defense Against the Dark Arts! Have more faith in yourself!" she tells him, hoping he could gain more confidence in his skills.
The Sun had risen down onto Hogsmeade, painting the skies with a subtle rosy peach hue as the Moon was slowly disappearing. The morning had arrived and the weather was chilly but at the same time, when the Sun had kissed Aine's face, she was filled with a soft warmness. The air was crisp and fresh and it seemed like a start to the long day ahead. She was planning to go wander around the Hogwarts grounds today, probably checking by some of the flowers around the meadows nearby and perhaps spend the rest of her day enjoying her freedom. Except what she didn't know was that her friends had far more important matters to perform, which includes her.
For the past week, they have been trying to recruit students to join their little private class; to learn defensive spells to protect them from the Dark Arts since the professor who was supposed to teach them had deemed it unnecessary. Henceforth, no magic was ever cast and used in their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Anyone who thinks otherwise would be immediately muted of their thoughts by Professor Umbridge and will be given detention for refusing to cooperate in class. Something Aine and Harry were very familiar with, but the girl had soon learnt to endure with it. She stopped caring about Umbridge's perspective of a 'perfect' class and studying environment. Worrying means that you would suffer twice and she already had suffered more than needed ever since her new year at Hogwarts.
Today, they were finally calling a meeting with their schoolmates and close friends who were interested and it was held by none other than a bar in Hogsmeade. Just to clear up suspicions since the school was filled with Umbridge's eyes in every nook and crannies.
"I'm a nutter, remember?" Harry reminded his friends and Hermione huffs, swinging an arm around his neck as she persuades him once more. He just couldn't imagine anyone wanting him to lead especially with all the speculations of him being nothing but a big-fat-liar. He could, however, picture his schoolmate's faces of mockery instead and it was the last thing he ever wanted. That was for him to receive even more unwanted attention. Harry gave a long heavy sigh, dragging his feet towards the pub.
"Look on the bright side: you can't be any worse than old toad face!" Ron attempts to lighten his spirits but it did little to no effect in making him feel any better. "If all goes wrong, we could let Hermione teach. Hell, maybe even Aine could do it!" he nudges the raven-haired girl who grimaces at the thought. She shook her head and waved her hands in his face, unwilling to take up that offer.
"I'm good, thanks," Aine quickly rejects, showing her disdain. She was literally the second person everyone had loathed in the whole school. The first is none other than Harry James Potter. Just like the boy, she was taunted for spreading 'lies' alongside him and had been called 'crazy' for her bizarre behaviour during the final task in the Triwizard Tournament when she had a vision of Voldemort. Aine was getting the hang of keeping a low profile for herself and didn't need another round of awareness tied to her.
"I'm grateful... Thanks, Ron," Harry mustered a small smile for his friend, genuinely thankful for such high praise.
"I'm here for you, mate," the red-head boy ruffled Harry's head and smirks at him.
They continued their morning walk to the emerging bar before stepping into a dingy little building. They all stared at the tilted rusty shop sign that had an illustration of a pig with the words 'Hog's Head' on it, the colours of the sign were faint and seemed washed over time. Hermione took the honour of entering first and Ron immediately gagged when a pungent earthy smell filled his nose. He turns his head out to breathe in a huge amount of fresh air before entering, Harry chuckling from behind.
"Lovely spot," he commented, his words full of sarcasm.
The boys scanned around while the girls merely rolled their eyes, it wasn't their first time here since Hermione had dragged Aine to come here a couple of days prior just to scout on the location. The bar was extraordinary small and was filled with sawdust that was untidily scattered and the stoned floorings were covered with accumulated crud over the centuries. There was also the smell of dirt and what Ron had described as 'something that might have been goats'. Sure enough, a white goat had trudged by as soon as he said that.
The windows were nearly opaque, cobwebs decorating the ceilings as rats scuttered by on the dusty wooden ledges. Hermione let out a sudden shriek when one ran past her, she nearly stepped on it. She heaved a sigh of relief, placing a hand over her heart to calm it.
"Great place," Ron uttered and she shot him a glare.
Aine took the lead, overtaking the boys who had no idea where they were walking. They simply stood rooted to the ground, eyes darting about the store as they judged the existence of the shady place internally. The girl passes by the wooden counter, the surface matted with scratches and chips. There stood a tall old man who wore a casual long robe and had long, wiry grey hair and beard, his blue eyes were clouded as he stares soullessly at the tinted mirror, there was a glimpse of longingness in his eyes. With a dirty rag, he continues to wipe over and over the glass, trying to rid of a speck Aine couldn't see. Perhaps it was just a tiny little dirt but had meant more to the man. He met the eyes of Aine who had then given him a gentle smile in the reflection, nodding to him in a greeting.
His eyes would widen briefly before narrowing back to the boys behind her, grumpily mumbling something Aine couldn't make of. His appearance had reminded Aine of a certain person except that this man seemed like a misanthropic, he also looked much rougher with the gaze he held for others.
"Who's that cynical-looking old man?" Ron blurted out of the blue and Hermione elbowed him, shooting him another glare.
"That's the owner of this place, so don't be rude. He's lending us the space upstairs for free!" Hermione snapped at him as she walks up the stairs, Aine chuckling lightly in the background. "People rarely come here because it's honestly dodgy-looking... And students don't usually come in here too so I don't think we'll be overheard," the brunette forwards to them.
Ron nodded, impressed by her choice. "That's a good point... That's a good point..." he murmurs.
The four of them wandered around the second floor that the owner had rented to them. Harry was sitting at the front with Hermione by his side, Ron was wandering about the area, inspecting everything and recoiling back ever so now and then from the filthiness. Aine took a seat by the corner of the room, patiently waiting until the chairs were slowly being filled with their respective acquaintances. She wondered if Draco would make an appearance since she did notify him about the meeting. Her fingers began to fiddle around once more, nervously waiting with the dozen pair of eyes that she could feel staring behind her back.
The crowd mostly consists of her Weasley friends: Ginny, Fred and George. Her fellow Gryffindors: Angelina, Collin, Dean, Katie, Lavender, Lee, Neville, Nigel, Parvati twins and even Seamus were there too. Though he was spotted looking very awkward and fidgety. No doubt feeling a little out of place given the little argument he had with Aine and Harry.
There were also students from the other houses that had joined: Luna, Michael, Cho, Ernest, Hannah, Justin, Susan, Leanne and a couple more that Aine didn't recognize. Amidst the group, there wasn't a single Slytherin student much to Aine's surprise. She wondered if Draco had gotten the message of today's meet-up, rethinking her words. She was positive that she relayed the correct date, timing and location.
Hermione looked in her direction, wondering if there was anyone else left who had yet to arrive. She nodded and implored them to wait a little longer, hopefully by then, he would have reached. She stretches her neck, looking around for him. Yet, no matter how much she waited, he never came. A twinge of disappointment washed past her and Aine couldn't help but look down at her charm bracelet, a frown evident on her face.
So this was the feeling of getting bailed out by someone... she said to herself in her head.
She wondered about all the possible outcomes of why he couldn't make it and she felt a knot in her stomach.
Perhaps he was caught by Umbridge and couldn't come?
Her lips went dry at the thought and she prayed to all of the four founders of Hogwarts that he wasn't. The idea of him being punished in the awfully pink office and the scars that appeared on his hands were enough to make Aine tremble with rage. Was telling him their plan a wrong move after all? Had she endangered him in some ways?
Aine shakes her head at her overthinking self disapprovingly. She tries to think otherwise.
Could Draco be too embarrassed to come instead? she thought.
He did mention the tension between her friends and him before and no matter how much Aine had reassured him, it was clear he was a little hesitant. After all, it's hard for two parties who held such resentment toward each other to make up easily overnight.
A whole fifteen minutes had gone by and Draco was still nowhere to be seen. Aine sighs and beckoned Hermione to start. The longer she was dragging on, the more whisperings and attention was getting from the lot of students. She was upset that he wasn't here since she has even saved him a seat too. Aine's saddened eyes trailed to the few seats next to her, all empty and cold. Perhaps there was a reason he couldn't make it, he wasn't one to play her out. He wasn't that kind of person who would do that.
Her train of thoughts had abruptly stopped when she heard Hermione's voice, "Um... Hi!" the brunette greeted a little too lively. She cringed and pursed her lips, swallowing at the many eyes staring back at her. Her legs planted on the ground as she stood up to get a better view of everyone. "So... You all know why we're here. We need a teacher— A proper teacher," she corrected halfway. "Ones who's had experience defending themselves against the Dark Arts."
"Why?" Ernest questions and Ron immediately grew bothered by his one word.
"Why?" Ron repeated with a scoff, furrowing at him as if he had heard the most ridiculous thing all morning. Which he has. Everyone who was here was either dragged by their friends to come or had felt the same way as Aine and her friends did, needing to learn something to defend themselves in these rising dark times. "Because of You-Know-Who's back, you tosspot!"
"So he says," Ernest mocks back and Ron rolls his eyes, he didn't have the patience to fight back with him. Particularly not with someone who had agreed with Umbridge's methods.
"So Dumbledore says!" Hermione interjected, aiding her best friend.
"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is, where's the proof?" Ernest demanded and everyone fell quiet. No one had proof besides Harry who had fought him and Aine who had seen them in her visions. Though, it was understandable why others felt that it was unreliable since visions could be wrong. However, Aine knew that it wasn't. She could still vividly remember the events as if they had happened yesterday. The coldness of the maze, the eeriness of the graveyard, the ritual that Wormtail had performed to revive his master, the green spark that was shot towards...
"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory got killed..." Michael raises and Aine hitches her breath, reliving the moments she saw Cedric's death. How he had stumbled backwards a couple of steps before he laid unmoving, eyes widened with shock although they see no more. She remembered the look on Amos Diggory's face when he saw his son who breathed no more. The gut-wrenching cry... She dug her nails into her palms and closed her eyes to compose herself.
Ginny had shot her boyfriend a look and nudged his foot with her shoe gently, knowing that his question had posed a sensitive topic. She knew it wasn't ideal for bringing up, especially in front of this many people. Cho squirmed uncomfortably as she grabs onto one arm, casting her eyes away as she bit her lip, still heartbroken.
Harry shifted, he rose and stated, "I'm not gonna talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now!" his voice was strict before he turns his brunette friend, "Come on, Hermione. They're here because they think I'm some sort of freak!" he urges. This was all a bad idea.
"Wait!" Hermione coaxes with a shush.
"So, who are you planning to have us learn from this?" Nigel questions, subconsciously raising his hand to speak. He mentally face-palmed himself, knowing that Umbridge's rules of raising a hand to talk had made him have a habit to do it.
"We were actually planning for Harry to teach us," Ron told him and Harry sighs deeply, he combs his locks back and forced a smile on his friend who raised his brows. "And Aine too!"
The attention that was given to Harry quickly swerved to the girl who was looking at Ron with widened eyes. She pointed to herself and lifted a confused brow, too flustered to speak but she mouthed to him instead, "Me?"
Why me?
Ginny's frown at Michael curled upwards as she looks proudly over at her best friend who was shaking her head when her brother asks Aine to come up with them. "I can't teach!" Aine whispered back to her friends, slowly feeling her cheeks burn with embarrassment when she saw her schoolmates' gaze on her from the corner of her eye. This has all to be a joke, she knew how much Ron loves to joke and she was already regretting the times she had teased him. Was this his way of getting back at her?
It has to be.
"Come on, Ai!" Fred cheers and George claps. Neville was beaming slightly with Luna who cast a simper to her friend. Ron simply held a smirk before Hermione offers a hand to Aine.
The girl cursed under her breath and gave an exasperated sigh, she dipped her head and minced forward. She stood awkwardly still, feeling her limps positioned themselves stiffly like a Bowtruckle. She gave a side glance to Harry who was now feeling better knowing that he wasn't alone. He gave her an uplifting smile, supporting her in his mind.
Have a little faith in yourself, Aine. She heard his thoughts, the words of encouragement she had said to him earlier. She bites down the urge to retaliate but just couldn't think of a good reason to decline. Especially with the puppy eyes, her friends were giving her.
Aine looks at the massive crowd, feeling herself growing small in front of everyone, she didn't know where to look or whose face to set her eyes on. So, all she did was stare way beyond the heads, imagining she was looking outside of the frosted windows. She prayed that someone would speak to divert the attention away from her.
"Is it true you both can produce a Patronus Charm?" came a dreamy soft voice from the group and Aine mentally thanked Luna for helping her.
Aine and Harry exchanged looks, their pupils wavering before Hermione answered on their behalf. "Yes— I've seen it."
"Blimey, Harry! I didn't know you could do that! That's also very impressive that Aine could do it too!" Dean complimented, holding a new profound admiration for the two. His eyes sparkle with marvel.
"And they tackled and killed a basilisk, with the sword in Dumbledore's office!" chimes Neville, speaking up and Aine's lips curled at him, grateful.
"It's true!" Ginny remarked, she may not have been awake to see it but the humongous dead serpent laid before her eyes when she had woken up. She recalls the sword of Godric Gryffindor in Harry's arm along with Aine's battle wounds in the chamber of secrets.
"Third year, they fought off about a hundred Dementors at once!" Ron added proudly, retelling to them what Hermione had told him before since he was at the Hospital Wing when it happened. He gave a thrilling gaze to all of their friends there who were slowly nodding their heads silently, carrying high regard for the two Gryffindors who were becoming shy.
"Last year, he really did fight off You-Know-Who in the flesh," Hermione finishes up the string of compliments.
"Wait! Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that... But the truth is, most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help," Harry cuts in, looking to his three friends who were there when he needed it. Aine hugs herself tightly, lost in the looming silence, she could feel her mind drifting elsewhere.
"He's just being modest," Hermione corrected.
"No, Hermione, I'm not!" he intervenes once more. What he wanted wasn't admiration but understanding. It wasn't easy being the 'chosen one' and he knows that they had all known that. Harry's eyes travelled to Aine who was being still, he knew that she understood his struggles too.
"Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow," He said, looking at every single face in the room. They slowly drop their heads, guilty of ever thinking as if it was such an honour being the 'chosen one', even for a second. "But out there... When you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend brutally die right before your eyes— You don't know what that's like unless you've experienced it."
Aine felt her fist clenched as she processed Harry's words inside. Her face darkens completely when she had realize the dangers they were now being exposed to. Back when Ginny and a couple of other students were victims of the soul of Tom Riddle hidden in the diary and in the Chamber of Secrets, watching her life almost slip away when the boy revealed himself to be the most dangerous wizard of all time. Witnessing the horrifying execution of Buckbeak before she and her friends turned back time to change its fate. Watching Sirius nearly getting his soul completely feasted by hundreds of Dementors to the heartbreaking death of Cedric last year...
A person's life seems so vulnerable in the face of Death, no matter how big or small they were, or how special one may seem. To Death, a person might be nothing more than a plaything, all it ever has to do was to reap their souls and guide them to the afterlife. People eventually die after all when their time is up. There's no stopping it no matter how much suffering it may cause to others. No one can reverse Death.
No one can defeat Death.
Harry sat back down, feeling the slight weight on his shoulders lifted. He said what he had to say and he wouldn't be surprised if they had all stood up and walked away, pretending like this whole plan never happened in the first place. "You're right, Harry, we don't..." Hermione said softly, empathising with him. "That's why we need your help," she added, looking to the rest of the mass who shifted awkwardly in their seats, looking at each other. "Because if we're going to have any chance at beating..."
There was a pause and Aine looks over to Hermione who took a deep breath. With a brave, strong voice. "Voldemort..." she finally said for the first time. Not Tom Riddle, not the Dark Lord.
But Voldemort.
Hermione exhales sharply, feeling a great deal more courageous after saying the name of the person who must-not-be-named. She felt Aine's hand on her shoulders, giving it a comforting squeeze. She smiles at her friend. Ron was looking at her with worried eyes while Harry seemed to be proud even.
"He's really back..?" Nigel inquired timidly and Harry nodded.
A heavy quietness flowed through the air, tensions raised before one by one, the students began nodding their heads, agreeing to be part of this new organization they've made. It was said that the leaders would include both Harry and Aine at the same time while Ron and Hermione became co-founders who would lead them from time to time. There was only one thing left to settle before they scatter and that was choosing a name for the group.
Hermione had thought about having a title for the group so that it could promote a feeling of unity and team spirit. At the same time, it was so that they could refer to it outside of our meetings and conceal our motives. However, the suggestions that their friends have given weren't exactly ones that she thought would fit.
Names like 'Anti-Umbridge League', 'Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group' and 'Toad's Resistance' were options that Aine and her friends had. Thankfully, they were all turned down by Harry who just didn't like any of them.
"What about Defense Association? D.A for short so no one knows what we're talking about?" Cho recommends, her hands clasping together as she peered down onto the piece of paper that was used to write their names. She looks up to Harry who was bobbing his head, liking the ring of her suggestion. He gave her a short smile and looks at his friends who had all found the name interesting and unique.
"D.A sounds great!" Ginny added next to Aine. "Except, why not make it stand for Dumbledore's Army instead? That's what the Ministry is most afraid of, isn't it?"
"RIGHT!" Fred cooed from behind, placing his arm on his little sister for support. There were a couple of murmurs and laughter amongst them before ultimately, it was settled.
"Dumbledore's Army, D.A in short it is then!" Hermione beams, writing the name down on the parchment. Then, in a line, each member of the D.A waited for their turns to sign their names under the title. The paper was slowly being filled up as Aine stares at it, still feeling slightly bitter from Draco's absence. She didn't know why she was so affected by his empty presence, why it had troubled her so much.
"Are you alright, Ai?" George asks from the side and she turns to him, pretending nothing was bothering her.
"Yeah. I'm fine... I'm fine. Just—" her voice faded away and he sat next to her.
"Just?"
There was a break in her voice and George could see the conflicting look in her eyes. Then she shook her head, "Nothing. I was just expecting someone today..." she dismisses and the boy flinched. He nodded slowly, discerning the identity of the person his friend was waiting for. He didn't need to be told who it was since there could only meant one person.
Draco Malfoy.
George's lips flattened as his eyes wandered about. He then looks at Aine, it was clear that she was disappointed and it had made him upset too. Just the look on her face was enough for him to be torn apart with resentment for the Malfoy boy once more. He wanted her to smile and cheer up again, so with a more upbeat voice, he told her. "You know... I was actually thinking of the name Dumbridge Atrocity instead of Dumbledore's Army? Still means D.A anyways, right?"
Aine stifled a chuckle, giving him a look. George shrugs and wiggled his brows. "Right?" he asks once more, hoping for a more distinct opinion and reaction.
"Right~ Jeez, Georgie!" her laughter became louder that the rest of the D.A members were beginning to look at her, bewildered by what was so funny. George laughed along, feeling much better now that he has raised her spirits. "Dumbridge? Really?" she questions him, overwhelmed by another fit of laughter.
"What? I mean it makes sense! Or would you rather Umbitch instead?"
"GEORGIE!" gasped Aine, surprised by his sudden vulgarity. She playfully hit his arm and his mouth hung open in disbelief.
"Ow! That hurt!"
She scoffs at him before giving him another eye roll, shaking her head. They continued to laugh along.
After their little meeting, everyone left in high spirits, excited for what's to come with Harry and Aine now 'teachers'. Many had scattered forth from the Hog's Head bar, chattering amongst themselves as they wondered what they would be learning.
Aine and her friends crossed by the Wooden Bridge back to their school. "Right. First, we need to find a place to practice... where Umbridge won't find out!" Harry instructed.
"The Shrieking Shack?" Ginny replies.
Harry shook his head, "It's too small." The place was secretive and not known to many but with the number of members in the D.A, it was without a doubt, small and would not be able to fit that many students. Not to mention, the structure of the place seemed fragile and would crumble if one spell went wrong.
"Forbidden Forest?" Hermione proposes and Ron quickly opposes.
"Not bloody likely!"
Aine looks at the moving scenery, their shoes thudding against the wooden floorings of the bridge energetically. "What about the Room of Requirement?" she brought up.
"Room of Requirement?" Neville repeats and Aine nodded. She has heard of rumours that such a room had existed in Hogwarts but never have she stumbled across it since it was apparently difficult to come by, except if one is in great need of it. Thus, the name.
"Well, it'll be great if we could find it," Harry replied.
"Harry, what happens if Umbridge does find out?" Ginny questions, peering over Harry's shoulders.
Hermione giggles to herself, "Who cares? I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it, breaking the rules?" she reveals to them and they all looked at her in shock. Never have they imagined seeing the day that Hermione Granger, the school's lawful student, would find breaking rules exciting.
"Wow. I can't believe she just said that!" gasps Fred in the back.
"You know what, Freddie? Me too," George replies, shaking his head with awe.
"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Ron teases and the gang began laughing at their friend's new side. It was refreshing to see her being flexible and loose now and then.
"Anyway, at least we know one positive thing that came from today," the brunette girl noted and Aine raises a brow.
"What's that?" Ginny wondered and Hermione glimpsed at Harry, she increased the speed of her steps.
"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you, could she?"
Harry's eyes went large, feeling himself blush. He cast a gaze down and smiled briefly, something Ginny had spotted. The curl of her lips slowly fall and she looked annoyed for a second. Though she was in a relationship with another, she couldn't hide the sorrow of seeing Harry smile like that. She was reminded of the feelings she had kept bottled up, sinking deep within her heart that was now slowly being hooked up by a rod again.
She blinks away from Harry and pushes the thought away, not wanting to kindle the flame within herself from the feelings of an unrequited crush.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
Alrights! First of all, I am so sorry for the lack of updates but here it is! This chapter is by far one of the most exciting chapters I've written for this book! And definitely one of the longest. What do you guys think of it? Let me know in the comments!
- Zeneria