The Ravenclaw common room was bustling with absolutely nothing. The sound of pages turning, quiet muttering and quills scratching parchment filled the room and no one dared to question it.
Normally, this was the time for Neville and I to hang out at the lake, but he said that there was some emergency Gryffindor meeting he had to take part in.
And that was a good thing.
He should be hanging out with people that did more than read and smile at him while he rummaged through the water in search of plants. I could tell that my presence was lacking something that I was sure someone else could give.
That was when Michael, along with Terry and Anthony, came bursting through the door while the knocker glared, looking quite annoyed. The rest of the students in the common room looked up from their homework, mimicking the knocker's expression.
Their faces flushed and they spread across the common room, taking me, Sue, Padma, Mandy, Lisa, and Morag aside. "Can we have a quick meeting in your dorm?" Anthony asked in a hushed voice.
"Like hell!" Sue replied in a similar tone, an agreeing nod from Mandy and Padma accompanying her retort.
"This is seriously important, and we can't talk about it here. Someone might hear." Anthony looked at me as if there would be some sort of prefect-telepathy, but I shook my head with a sigh. "Boys aren't even allowed in the girls' dorms. You'll be kicked out by the castle."
"Fine then! Where can we go for some privacy?"
"What about your dorm?" Morag asked.
"Oh, so you guys are allowed in our dorm?" Michael scoffed. "I call discrimination."
"Blame the men before you. Are we going to stay whispering here or will we just go to the dorm?" Sue whispered angrily.
"Fine! But... just outside."
We were led to the boys' dorm and stood outside the door. Padma stood with her arms crossed. "Well?"
"Ginny told me about this thing—" Michael began, and I quickly raised my hand to stop him. "Wait. Ginny? Why was Ginny talking to you?"
"You haven't heard?" Terry grinned. "He and Ginny are a thing now."
I looked around, seeing that I was the only one that was shocked. "Why am I the only one who doesn't know of this?"
"He told us during that lunch that you were studying," Lisa said. "Anyways... carry on, Michael."
"Well, there's this thing that's happening during Hogsmeade weekend. Something about Harry teaching us spells for Defence Against the Dark Arts."
The five girls looked at each other unsure. "Harry teaching us spells...?" Mandy asked. "Isn't that... He's just a student, what—"
"Think about it," Anthony interrupted. "We learn nothing in Defence Against the Dark Arts now, and you know it. That Umbridge doesn't want us learning anything. Harry's fought a basilisk, he got the Philosopher's Stone back, he did all those things during the Triwizard Tournament — we can't rely on this school to keep teach us how to keep ourselves safe anymore, guys. He's our next best bet."
I stared at him for a long while and looked around. "We should discuss this inside."
Anthony nodded. "I agree."
•••
As the Hogsmeade weekend came upon us, a large group of people began approaching the Hog's Head, a bar that was remarkably smaller than The Three Broomsticks.
Lisa had left us to go to Dean.
I noticed Neville in the crowd and began walking towards him, then hesitated. I had a friend, however, who didn't believe in hesitation.
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Sue took my arm and began marching me over to Neville's side, practically placing me there before rejoining the other Ravenclaws that were making their way towards the Hog's Head.
Neville sent a smile my way and I sent one back, hoping that I didn't seem hesitant. "How have you been?"
"You're saying that as if it's been a while since we've seen each other," I laughed. "It's only been a a day." It's been an eternity.
He hummed. "It feels like it's been much longer than that. And how you've been feeling varies from day to day, doesn't it?"
I smiled. "Well, I've been... okay. You?"
"Could've been better if I spent more time with you."
My stomach did a back flip, yet he held no smug smirk on his face nor a triumphant smile. Had he even realized what he said or was he just blabbering?
I tried not to think anything of it. People are creatures of habit. They just say stuff that they're used to saying.
Wait, who's he saying that to? Is there anyone he hangs out with on a regular basis other than me?
"Isn't this place cosy?" Dean muttered as the hoard of us entered, the place dusty and small with people who wore hoods and veils to conceal their faces for whatever dodgy reason.
One turned to me and I recoiled, somehow finding myself wrapped in Neville's right arm as he led me through the Hog's Head while my eyes remained glued on all the strange customers that sat within.
"Welcoming too," I added to Dean's prior statement, trying not to seem uncomfortable as Neville pulled out my chair for me. The table we chose to sit at was long, long enough for the Ravenclaw fifth years to sit at, while Neville and Dean went to sit with the other Gryffindors as if we were still at the Great Hall.
Hermione, Ron and Harry stood at the front and Hermione took the liberty of beginning. "Well, er— hi. 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 the people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts— I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us—"
"Here, here," Anthony interrupted.
Hermione's face glowed as she continued. "Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands. And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory, but real spells. I want to be properly trained in defence because.. because..." She took a deep breath and I knew what she was about to say in an instant. "Because Lord Voldemort is back."
There was a dramatic response of choking on drinks and yelps and shudders and twitches, but at least it gained attention like a siren.
"Where's the proof that You-Know-Who's back?" questioned a Hufflepuff.
"That's Zacharias Smith," Morag whispered. "He's on the Hufflepuff team. Kind of sharp mouthed, isn't he?"
It was like she needed our permission to dislike someone.
"Well, Dumbledore believes it," Hermione began.
"Dumbledore believes him," Zacharias said, motioning to Harry, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
I shifted in my seat.
"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" Harry's eyes were filled with defiance. "I saw him. Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
"All Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought his body back to Hogwarts," Zacharias answered dismissively.
My stomach lurched and I took a deep breath. Don't mention him, don't mention him, don't mention him.
"He didn't give us details, he didn't tell us exactly how Diggory got murdered, I think we'd all like to know—"
"If you've come to hear—"
"Frankly!" Sue's sharp voice penetrated through the boys' spat as she stood, a blazing glare settling on everyone in the room. "I think the topic of Cedric Diggory's death is not what we came here for, nor is it a topic of interest to those of us here, whether they believe that You-Know-Who did it or not. Zachary—"
"Zacharia—"
"Your name is now Zachary," Mandy interrupted snappily.
"—I don't know if you want a recorded video of Cedric's death, but don't you think it's insensitive to bring it up here, in front of others like it's the plot to some TV show?"
Sue was not raised to filter her thoughts, but I think everyone that resided within our dorm agreed that she didn't need to. If someone didn't like what Sue Li said, then they simply shouldn't listen.
"Is it true," another Hufflepuff began, "that you can produce a Patronus?"
My lips parted in wonder as a murmur of interest spread across the room.
"Yeah," Harry answered.
"A corporeal Patornus?"
"Er— you don't know Madam Bones, do you?"
"She's my auntie!" the girl smiled. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So, is it really true? You can make a stag Patronus?"
"Yes."
The Ravenclaws looked at each other with bright eyes, like we had just seen a celebrity walk by. A Patronus was like a trophy within the Ravenclaw house. You'd be revelled if you could get one.
"And did you kill a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Terry demanded, although that begs the question of what he was doing in Dumbledore's office in the first place.
"Er— yeah, I did, yeah."
"And in our first year, he saved that Philosopher's Stone from You-Know-Who," Neville added.
"And not to mention all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year," Cho continued. Harry wore a pleased grin, which I could tell he was trying to hide. The crush on Cho never did go away, did it?
"Are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?" Hermione asked, and murmurs of agreement came in response. "Well, then the next question is how often we do it."
"We need to make sure this doesn't clash with our Quidditch practice," Angeline Johnson interrupted, agreements coming from Cho, Zachary (yes, that's his name now), and Morag.
"Why not during Slytherin's?" I suggested. "A lot of them will be busy practicing for them to catch us and snitch. Besides, they won't be a part of this weird army we're forming, right?"
"Well, that's what Umbridge thinks we're doing," Hermione shrugged, earning stunned stares at her until Luna piped up saying, "Well, that makes sense. After all, Cornelius Fudge had his own private army."
"What?" Harry's eyes were wide.
"Yes, he's got an army of heliopaths."
I furrowed my brow. "Helio-whats?"
"No, he hasn't," Hermione snapped.
"Yes, he has."
"What are heliopaths?" Neville asked.
"They're spirits of fire." Luna's eyes widened in a maddened sort of way. "Great tall flaming creatures that gallop across the ground burning everything in front of—"
"They don't exist, Neville." Hermione's face seemed just about done with Luna's tangents.
"Oh yes they do!"
"I'm sorry, but where's the proof of that?"
"Hermione—" I tried to interject, but Luna's ears were practically whistling with steam. "There are plenty of eyewitness accounts, just because you're so narrow-minded you need to have everything shoved under your nose before you—"
Ginny cleared her throat with a remarkable imitation of Umbridge that made the room go quiet before laughing when they learned who it was. "Weren't we trying to decide how often we were going to meet?" she asked.
"Once a week sounds good," Lee Jordan said, with sounds of agreement from others. "During Slytherin Quidditch practice if we can get us their schedule."
"Well, the other thing to decide is where we're going to meet," Hermione added.
"Library?"
"I can't see Madam Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library."
"An unused classroom?"
"Hmm..."
"Actually," I raised my hand as if we were in a class, "I think I have the perfect place. But we all have to meet first and I'll lead you to it."
Hermione's face lit up. "Perfect. We'll be counting on you, then?"
I suddenly hesitated, nodding but unsure.
"Great." Hermione pulled out parchment and a quill. "I-I think we should write our names down 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 to not tell Umbridge, or anybody else, what we're up to."
While some signed wholeheartedly, some hesitated.
The Ravenclaw fifth years all turned to each other when the paper was passed to our table. "Well, Ravenclaws," Anthony started. "What are we thinking?"
"That we need a better name than 'Ravenclaws'," Mandy answered, although it wasn't really the answer Anthony wanted. "What about The Crows?"
"We'll think about that later," I interrupted. "Are we going to be a part of this army?"
"I say yes," Morag answered.
"Me too."
"Me three."
"Why did none of you answer me properly when I asked?" Anthony questioned, deflated.
"Because," Sue snapped, "your voice isn't leader-like enough. Y/N's is."
I tried not to let a prideful smile take over my features as I took the quill and signed my name on the parchment, followed by the rest of us.
"If we need to meet up, just address The Crows," Mandy whispered.
"...Maybe not that."
"The Ravens?"
"Why are they all birds?"