Alastriona sat with Darcy, Dawn, Tracey, Blaise and Theo in the Hogs Head Inn, waiting patiently for either Harry, Ron or Hermione to start.
"Er, well, hi." Hermione said, the nerves obvious in her voice, she probably wasn't used to talking to such a loud crowd and right now there were thirty sets of eyes on her. "Well... erm... well, you know why you're here. Well, Harry here had the idea - I mean - I had the idea, that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts - and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish Umbridge is doing with us because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts, well I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."
Thirty heads were nodding at her, so far agreeing with everything she said. "And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells--"
Michael Corner, not someone Alastriona knew very well, interrupted Hermione. "You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L too though, I bet?"
"Of course I do. But I want be properly trained in Defense because... because..." Hermione took in a deep breath. "Because Lord Voldemort's back."
Alastriona heard Darcy try to cover up a massive flinch by coughing but she needn't have worried, poor Neville Longbottom nearly fell off his chair.
Hermione softly cleared her throat. "Well... that's the plan anyway, if you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to--"
"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" The abrupt question came from the pompous Zacharias Smith, Alastriona rolled her eyes at the same time Darcy did.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it--"
Zacharias interrupted Hermione again. "You mean Dumbledore believes him--" He stared pointedly at Harry.
"Who are you?" Ron asked, fed up with him already.
Alastriona couldn't blame him, her fellow Hufflepuff tended to bring out the most aggressive side of people.
"Zacharias Smith, and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
Alastriona fidgeted in her seat, all she wanted to do was hex him, but she was on her best behaviour today. Blaise, probably sensing her unease, grabbed her hand and pulled it onto his lap, holding it gently in his own.
Hermione glanced briefly at Harry, clearly worried about his reaction to Zach. "Look, that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about--"
"It's okay, Hermione." Harry said and captured everyone's attention. "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back? I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you don't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
Zach rolled his eyes. "All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know--"
"Shut up, Smith!" Alastriona snapped loudly, unable to bite her tongue anymore. So much for good behaviour... she hadn't removed her wand from her hair though. Blaise squeezed her hand gently.
Harry glared at Smith. "If you've come to hear exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you. I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."
There was a second where everyone looked around, to see if anyone was leaving, but even the idiot Zach Smith stayed in his seat.
Hermione tried to get the meeting back on track. "So, so... like I was saying... If you want to learn some Defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet, and where we're going to--"
"Is is true that you can produce a Patronus?" Susan asked.
Alastriona hid her smile, she'd been talking about that since school started.
"Yeah." Harry said, not sure where this was headed.
"A corporeal Patronus?"
"Er- you don't know Madam Bones, do you?"
Susan smiled brightly at Harry. "She's my auntie, I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So is it really true? You make a stag Patronus?"
Alastriona was just as curious to know the truth, she could hardly get a whisper of light when she tried the spell.
"Yes."
"Blimey, Harry! I never knew that!" Lee Jordan called out, Darcy avoided looking at him.
Fred grinned at Lee. "Mum told Ron not to spread it around, she said you got enough attention as it was."
"She's not wrong." Harry said. A collective chuckle went through the room, the ice seemed to be breaking.
Terry Boot, from Ravenclaw, sat up straighter in his chair. "And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office? That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..." He waited eagerly for Harry to confirm the rumour.
"Er, yeah, I did, yeah." Harry answered, Alastriona thought he looked a little uncomfortable.
"And in our first year he saved that Sorcerous Stone-"
"Sorcerer's." Hermione corrected Neville.
"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who."
Cho leaned forward and spoke up. "And that's not to mention all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year, getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things..."
Harry waved a hand around, gaining people undivided attention. "Look, I... I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be modest or anything, but... I had a lot of help with all that stuff..."
Michael Corner scoffed, "Not with the dragon, you didn't, that was a seriously cool bit of flying..."
"Yeah, well-"
Susan piped up again. "And nobody helped you get rid of those dementors this summer."
"No, no, okay, I know I did bits of it without help, but the point I'm trying to make is--"
"Are you trying to weasel out of showing us any of this stuff?" Zach interrupted again.
"Here's an idea, why don't you shut your mouth?" Ron called out, completely fired up.
"Agreed!" Alastriona growled, glaring vehemently at Zach from across the room.
Zach scoffed and waved his hands in the air, pointedly ignoring Alastriona. "Well, we've all turned up to learn from him, and now he's telling us he can't really do any of it."
"That's not what he said." Fred said through clenched teeth.
George pulled a long metal rob out of his Zonko's bag. "Would you like us to clean out your ears for you?"
"Or any part of your body, really, we're not fussy where we put this." Fred had a chilling smile on his face.
Theo snickered under his breath until Blaise elbowed him in the stomach.
Hermione, again, tried to pull the group back into focus. "Yes, well, moving on... the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?" There was a wave of agreement, heads nodding and students saying yes. "Right, well then, the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week--"
Angelina interrupted Hermione this time, to make sure Quidditch training wouldn't be overlooked.
Alastriona's eyes wandered over the crowd sitting at the tables pushed together until they fell on Cho Chang. Cho must've felt eyes on her because her own finally left Harry and darted to the Hufflepuff. Cho's eyes narrowed at Alastriona and she looked her up and down before turning her nose up and focusing back on Harry.
Blaise leaned in close to Alastriona's ear, "What was that about?" Of course he'd seen that, not much got past Blaise.
"Nothing." Alastriona lied easily. She tuned back into the conversation, Ernie, her fellow Hufflepuff Prefect was speaking up.
"Personally I think this is really important, possibly more important than anything else we'll do this year, even with our O.W.L.s coming up!" He seemed pleased when no one argued with him. "I, personally, am at a loss to see why the Ministry has foisted such a useless teacher upon us at this critical period. Obviously they are in denial about the return of You-Know-Who, but to give us a teacher who is trying to actually prevent us from using defensive spells--"
Hermione stopped Ernie from going on. "We think the reason Umbridge doesn't want us trained in Defense Against the Dark Arts is that she's got some... some mad idea that Dumbledore could use the students in the school as a kind of private army. She thinks he'd mobilise us against the Ministry."
There was an overwhelming silence, as if it was dawning on all present that the Ministry had completely lost their minds.
"Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge has got his own private army." Luna Lovegood broke the silence.
Alastriona turned around and grinned at Dawn. "Seriously, I love her."
Dawn smiled back at her, "You should hear what she does around her dorm, but in all honesty she's just an amazing witch."
Theo glanced at Luna and then back at Dawn. "Really?"
Dawn nodded and was about to start raving about the young Ravenclaw but Ginny was speaking, and you don't interrupt Ginny Weasley.
"Weren't we trying to decide how often we're going to meet and get Defense lessons?"
Hermione breathed out heavily, stopping herself from arguing with Luna Lovegood. "Yes, yes, we were, you're right..."
"Well, once a week sounds cool." Lee called out. Darcy squirmed in her chair.
"As long as--" Angelina began.
"Yes, yes, we know about the Quidditch." Hermione said, trying not to sound as exasperated as she was. "We'll send a message round to everybody when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting."
She pulled a piece of parchment and a quill from her bag. "I-- I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was here. But I also think that we all ought to agree not to shout about what we're doing. So if you sign, you're agreeing not to tell Umbridge, or anybody else, what we're up to."
No one was volunteering.
Zacharias Smith cleared his throat and eyed the door to the pub. "Er... well, I'm sure Ernie will tell me when the meeting is."
Ernie stuttered. "I- well, we are Prefects and if this list was found... well, I mean to say... you said yourself, if Umbridge finds out--"
Alastriona dropped Blaise's hand and stood up, she rolled her eyes and took the quill off Hermione. She signed her name.
"Ernie, if we aren't willing to sign then why should anyone else?" She asked, he gaped slightly. "We're Prefects, Ernie, let's set a good example."
He took a deep breath and took the quill from her. There were no more objections.
Fred and George signed their names and Fred held up a Zonko's bag. "Well, time's ticking on, George, Lee, and I have got items of a sensitive nature to purchase, we'll be seeing you all later." He wiggled his fingers as a wave at Alastriona's friends, "Goodbye, mixed bag."
Lee nodded at Darcy on his way out. Darcy sat still for all of five seconds before she got up, signed her name and rushed out without so much as a 'see you later' to her friends.
Theo raised an eyebrow at Alastriona, "What's her problem?"
"Just... things." Alastriona said, vaguely.
Katie Bell approached the group and smiled at them before her eyes rested on Theo. "Hey."
"Hey." He greeted with a nod.
"Want to walk me back to the castle?"
Theo stood up. "Sure." He threw a wink back at his mates before throwing an arm over Katie's shoulder.
Alastriona smiled at Tracey, Dawn and Blaise. "Should we head back?"
Blaise stood up and held out his arm for her to take. "Let's go, Red."