It was the fifth of October and we were sitting at the Hog's Head Inn. A lot of things had happened in the past two weeks, mainly Dumbledore's Army. Harry and Hermione had founded it. They had had it with Umbridge's theoretical Defence Against the Dark Arts classes whilst Voldemort was somewhere out there, building his army. We had talked about it all week and today was the day to officially recruit members. Twenty-eight people had showed up. Cho and Mariette had come too, so I waved at them enthusiastically. I still hung out with them, but less.
Fred had pretty much stopped hanging out with Aisley completely and when I hung out with Roger, it was always together with Cho and Marietta, but never alone. Fred and I were okay again, though. It wasn't like we used to be. We didn't joke as much and Fred seemed less carefree than normal, but at least it was better than fighting all the time.
"Uhm ... Hi", Hermione started. She looked nervous. "So, you all know why we're here. We need a teacher, a proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts."
"Why?" someone asked. I had never seen the kid before, but that wasn't unusual at Hogwarts.
"Why?" Ron reacted aggressively. "Because You-Know-Who is back, you toss-pot."
"So he says", the kids said and looked at Harry. What was he even doing here when he was skeptical of the fact that You-Know-Who was back? Couldn't someone kick him out?
"So Dumbledore says", Hermione responded and crossed her arms.
"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is: where is the proof?" I had quite enough of this kid.
"The proof is Cedric Diggory's body which lies below the bloody ground", I spat. "If you have any more ridiculous remarks or accusations, please sod off and don't bother to come back."
People were staring at me, but I didn't care. I hated these people who didn't believe Harry. Cedric's death was not a bloody accident.
"Bangin'", Fred and George said in union.
"Maybe ... If Harry could tell us a little bit more about how Cedric died", Michael Corner said, a Ravenclaw from Harry's year. The guy quickly glanced at me, looking scared. I had never talked to him before, but I knew loads about him. Him and Ginny had started dating at the end of the summer, which I could not tell any of her brothers. He was probably here because of her. Even though Ginny told me he was really nice, I wasn't fond of his suggestion. Were they all here to hear about how Cedric died? I did not want to know the details and these people shouldn't know them either. The point was that he was killed by one of Voldemort's followers and that he didn't deserve that. I looked down to hide the hurt in my eyes.
Harry cleared his throat. If he was going to actually explain things, I would walk out of here.
"I'm not going to talk about Cedric, so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now", Harry said and I sighed in relief. Fred took my hand and squeezed it, which calmed me down. I looked up at him and smiled.
No one stood up, but no one said anything. Harry whispered something to Hermione. He looked stressed.
"Is it true that you can produce the Patronus Charm?" Luna Lovegood asked. I liked her. I had talked to her once when hanging out with Cho and even though she seemed a little odd at first, I imagined her to be a wonderfully sweet girl.
"Yes", Hermione stated when Harry didn't answer. "I've seen it."
"Blimey Harry, I didn't know you could do that", Dean said and more people looked surprised. I guess this meeting still had some potential.
"And he killed a Basilisk, with a sword in Dumbledore's office", Neville said.
"It's true", Ron continued. "In his third year he fought about a hundred Dementors at once." Harry looked uncomfortable, getting all these compliments. Summing them all up, it was indeed impressive. I had heard most of the stories from Ron or Fred and George, but Harry never liked talking about it.
"And last year, he really did fight of You-Know-Who in the flesh", Hermione added.
"Wait." Harry rubbed his hands together awkwardly. "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 and I nearly always had help."
"He's just being modest", Hermione said, but Harry cut her off.
"No, Hermione, I'm not." There was a pause and Harry was struggling to find the right words. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like in school. In school, if you make a mistake, you can just try again tomorrow, but out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes ... You don't know what that's like", he said and I could see the uncomfortable look he shared with Cho. She looked down sadly, probably thinking about Cedric.
It was quiet for a while, so Harry sat back down.
"You're right Harry, we don't", Hermione said. "That's why we need your help, because if we're going to have any chance at defeating..." She paused for a while . Say it, Hermione, I thought. "Voldemort..." The name sure left an impression.
"He's really back?" Nigel Wolpert asked with a little voice. Harry nodded. It was silent for a while, but I could see that most people were changing their opinion of Harry's story. They believed him. I even saw some conflict in Marietta's eyes, who was a firm supporter of the Ministry because of her mother.
"Okay, where do I sign up?" I asked to lighten the mood and stood up. Hermione smiled and handed me a piece of parchment and quill. I scribbled down my name and handed it to George, who was next. Slowly but surely, everyone stood up and made their way to the front, even the annoying kid from earlier.
"Let's get a Butterbeer to celebrate, shall we?" I asked when most people had left and everyone agreed, so we made our way to the Three Broomsticks. Fred wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
"You were pretty cool in there", he whispered.
"That's because I am pretty cool, Weasel." I winked at him and he chuckled, shaking his head.
FRED'S POV
"You've got to be kidding me!" George yelled as he dragged me across the hallway.
"Wow, what's going on?" I asked, but he didn't answer.
"Look at that!" He said and pointed at a framed message on the wall. I squinted my eyes and read the message. Decree number 24: All student organisations are henceforth disbanded. Any student noncompliance will be expelled. I sighed. Someone had snitched.
"We've got to tell Harry", I mumbled.
"Not that one, that one!" George said and pointed out another message.
All Weasley products will be banned immediately. What the bloody hell?
"Are we going to stop selling?" I asked and George chuckled.
"No."
"At least we've got our name on the wall now. We're basically famous", I said and George agreed.
"We should still tell Harry about that other one."
Apparently, Harry already knew about the new decree, and he was rather cool about it.
"Oh, we're still doing in. And we've found the perfect place to do it." I exchanged looks with George and then back at Harry.
"The Room of Requirement! It's on the seventh floor, the left corridor. I'll see you there this Wednesday!" Harry said and with that, he left. George and I shrugged and went on with our day.
YOUR POV
"Expelliarmus!" I shouted and pointed my wand at Fred. His flew through the air and landed a couple yards away.
"Take that, Weasel", I said with a wink. He squinted his eyes and laughed mischievously.
He walked away to get his wand and walked back with a mischievous smirk. I took a stance to beat him at the Expelliarmus spell, but that apparently wasn't the spell he had in mind.
"Aguamenti", he said and before I could block his spell, I was blasted away by a jet of water, cold water. Fred started laughing hysterically and soon, some other kids did too.
"Oh, you're a dead Weasel!" I said and stood up, drying myself off using the Impervius charm.
Fred ran away quickly, until I was able to corner him. I jumped on his back and messed up his hair.
"Can't take a little joke, Homeschooled?" he asked and put me back down. I got out my wand to use another spell on him, but he quickly grabbed my waist, pulled me to him and kissed me. I was taken by surprise, but I couldn't resist him and kissed back.
"We're in a room full of people, behave yourself", I said, grinning widely.
"We need your help later", he said suddenly.
"With what?"
"Your handwriting. We've cooked up some Fever Fudge chocolates to temporarily get Filch of our backs. And to have a little fun of course. We need your writing to write a little love note", he said and wiggled his eyebrows. I shook my head laughing. They were such lovely idiots.
I had completely forgotten about getting him back for the shower he gave me.