"MISS PARKINSON, A word please?" McGonagall calls to Paz, just as she was about to leave from her Transfiguration lesson.
"What's up Professor?" She questions, pulling away from Luna and walking over to McGonagall's desk. She takes a seat in the first row of desks.
McGonagall rubs her hands on her forehead, stress seeming to ooze from the woman. Paz had noticed this stress since returning in September.
"You need to be more careful with your little club." McGonagall states firmly, folding her hands in front of her on her desk.
"I'm afraid I don't understand..."
McGonagall frowns.
"Don't think Professor Flitwick, Sprout and I haven't noticed the way a handful of our students have been very secretive lately," Paz avoids eye contact as McGonagall continues. "All I'm saying is to be careful. We know nothing, and we would like to keep it that way."
"Yes, well, very well then. Thank you Professor."
The two smile at each other before Paz stands up and leaves the room. McGonagall sat at her desk for a few moments, frowning as she watched Paz disappear from her doorway.
"They're the only hope for this war." She mumbles, before returning to her office.
Now rushing to Charms class before receiving a late for the day, Paz pushes her way through the crowded halls before entering the room, taking a seat next to Ginny.
"What kept you so long?" She asks.
"I'll tell you later," Paz waves her off, Flitwick beginning the lesson a few moments later.
Flitwick started the class with a short lecture on vinegar to win, explaining how to perform the spell and the movement of ones wand when doing so, before ending his lecture and allowing everyone in the room to practice.
Paz and Ginny attempted the spell for a long period of time, though both were very unsuccessful in doing so. Ginny's had turned on odd, dark blue color, while Paz's latest attempt left her vinegar frozen solid.
"Finite." Paz mumbled, the vinegar returning back to its liquid state.
"You ever gonna tell me why you were late?" Ginny pesters Paz.
"McGonagall kept me back for a couple minutes," Paz lowers her voice and moves in closer to Ginny, "I reckon we're being slightly careless with the D.A."
Ginny's eyes widen, clearly shocked. "She knows?"
"Sounds like it. So do Flitwick and Sprout. I suppose the Carrows are too daft to notice, Slughorn is around Slytherin's most of the time so he has nothing to notice, and the other Professors only get handfuls of students, so I suppose they won't realize either."
"Well, we've got a meeting tonight, suppose we can talk to Neville and Luna about it. We should probably think about moving in smaller groups."
Paz nods her head in agreement.
"Miss Parkinson, may I see you perform the charm?" Flitwick questions, Ginny and Paz noticing they had been talking for several minutes and not working.
"Oh, um, yes of course."
Paz put all her focus on the charm, waving her wand and watching as the vinegar sizzled, then exploded into the air. Several gasps were heard around the room, Flitwick sighing and shaking his head.
"Practice it for next class, you as well Miss Weasley, wine is not blue."
Once class was dismissed, the two girls decided to head to the library, as they had two hours to spare before their D.A. meetings.
After settling at a table, Paz pulled out her card and mumbled the password, then tapping the top right corner three times to reveal their messages. Neville had sent a message several minutes prior.
Meeting at 6. Travel in small groups. Make sure you're not being followed. -N.L.
"Haven't seen Neville all today or yesterday," Ginny whispers, "I'm relieved that he sent that and is alright."
"You think the Carrows got him?" Paz questions. It was normal for Paz to go a day or two without seeing Neville, that goes for most of the seventh years in other houses, as they were on all different schedules. Ginny, though, not having seen him is never good news.
"Might have. Seamus told me at lunch earlier that Neville had detention last night with Amycus. He went off on him for using the Cruciatus curse on Lavender when she refused to use it on Crabbe."
Paz sighed.
"Better person than me, I think he's one of the only students I would use it on." Ginny laughed loudly at this, earning a 'Shhh!' from Madam Pince.
After getting some work done, Ginny and Paz gathered their things and headed towards the seventh floor. They still had some time before 6, though they thought getting their early would be better than arriving just on time.
Ginny checked before turning every corner, and Paz was careful to watch out for anyone following behind them. Just as they turned a corner, Paz saw someone jump behind a statue behind them.
"You go on Ginny, I'll be there in a moment."
Ginny nods and continues on to the correct corridor. Paz back tracks towards an oddly placed statue, peaking behind it to see Theodore Nott pressed up against the wall. She frowns, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Any reason you're following us?"
Theo groans, stepping out and smoothing his shirt.
"You seemed to be sneaking around a lot lately."
Paz rolls her eyes in annoyance. "I haven't been. Even if I was, it's none of your business, Nott."
"You've gotta be careful, if the Carrows catch you-"
"Oh shut up, Theo. I don't need any advice from you, I'm more than capable of handling myself."
Giving Theo one last dirty look, she began to walk away, the opposite way of the direction she needed to go. Theo followed close behind, trying to get a word in.
"Snape is realizing something is going on, Paz." Theo states, causing Paz to come to a halt. She turns, facing him.
"What is that supposed to mean?"
Theo walks closer to her, "It means whatever you're doing, you need to stop. Just play by the rules for once in your life, please Paz."
"Why can't you get over the fact that I'm not you? I'm not Pansy, I'm not Blaise!" Paz raises her voice, "You guys made it quite clear that apparently we're very different, and that it's been this way forever."
Theo looks to Paz in desperation, "We just- I just miss you. I need you back, I need you safe."
Paz laughs. "Don't be selfish, Theo. No one is safe. Not you, not me, everyone's life is on the line."
Now noticing she is late to the meeting rather than early, she turns and begins in the correct direction of the corridor needed for the Room of Requirement. Theo waits a moment, deciding to go after her again once she turns the corner. When he does and looks down the hallway, Paz is no where in sight. Feeling as if he made matters worse than they already were, he stalked back to his dormitory for the night.
Paz entered the room just as Neville was talking about re-visiting the Patronus charm, as the dementors were slowly becoming a threat once again.
"Hello Paz." Luna smiles warmly as Paz joined her, Ginny and Neville in front of everyone.
"Hello Luna, hi everyone, my apologies on being late."
"Were you able to get that paper done?" Neville questions Paz, as she nods and reaches into her bag, pulling out a long piece of parchment.
Some members had a feeling they knew what that was, while newer members were quite confused at what role this blank piece of parchment played.
"If everyone could please write their name on this parchment, just so we can keep track of who is a member of the D.A. It also ensures that if someone were to snitch, they will pay for it." Paz states, signing her name before handing a quill and Ginny to Luna.
"Like that Marietta Edgecombe girl," Padma announced, earning several eye rolls and groans from returning members upon hearing that name.
"What happened to her?" A third year Hufflepuff, Erin Podgekins, asks.
Seamus laughs, "Somethin' awful, which is why you don't wanna let any professors know about the D.A. after signing."
Neville nodded. "Even if they do know, no matter who is questioned and no matter what the professors or headmaster may put you through, you are to give no information away."
Paz notices scared looks on the first and second years faces.
"If rumors were to begin, though, professors would most likely come to the fifth, sixth and seventh years first, as we are the ones who were in the original D.A. two years ago." Paz states, trying to ease the younger members anxiety over it.
Once the parchment had returned back to Paz, she made sure everyones name was written before rolling it up and throwing it back in her bag. After listening to Neville and Ginny go over the Patronus charms incantation and wand motion, everyone spread out and began to go over it themselves.
Most original D.A. members had already mastered the charm, so they were focusing on perfecting it, while newer, younger members were having trouble.
"Make sure to move your wand once clockwise, not counter-clockwise," Paz advises a third year Ravenclaw.
"Expecto Patronum!" The third year says, as a thin wisp of silver escapes his wand, before disappearing into the air. His facial expression changes from excited to disappointed.
"Great work!" Paz encourages, "I didn't master the charm until after nearly a month of practicing, you'll get it."
Paz then speaks louder for everyone to hear.
"The Patronus charm is a very advanced charm, don't let it bring your spirits down if you don't get it right away."
"It took most of us months to master it, even Hermione Granger didn't get it right away." Neville jokes, as several gasps are heard around the room.
Just before 8 hits, Neville gathers everyone together to go over the new plan of getting everyone back to their respective houses.
"We've been drawing too much attention traveling in groups of six or seven, so we need to start moving in groups of two or three. It'll take a lot longer, but it should keep others from gaining any suspicion." Neville explains.
So, in groups of two to three, D.A. members slowly began to leave the room. Paz and Neville were the last two left.
"I heard you went M.I.A. for a while there.." Paz mentions.
Neville sighs, "Carrows kept me in the bloody dungeons overnight. To be quite honest, I didn't know we even had access to them anymore. Missed a full day of classes because of it."
"I'd love to have a go at those bastards," Paz growls, only imagining what they had put Neville through. "We need a way to let them know we're not gonna take their shite without a fight, but we also need to keep our identities and each other safe. McGonagall just had a row with me today about being less suspicious."
"I agree... I think anything we do will raise suspicions, but we gotta do it. We have to fight back." Neville states.
Paz paces back and fourth, picking on her nails anxiously. "We could pull a Weasley and set off fireworks?"
"Hmm," Neville hums, "It's a good idea, but I think, I think I want them to know that the D.A. is well and alive. We've gotta be careful not to leave any trace that it's anyone specific, though I'm sure they'll think it's us. But, I want them to know we're not gonna stand down."
"So much for laying low.. but how do you expect we pull anything off?"
"Well- no, it might be too straight forward."
"Just spill it Neville." Paz taps her foot impatiently.
"Something like, something like graffiti maybe? Paint on some walls, let 'em know we're gonna keep fighting and there's nothing they can do about it."
Paz smiles deviously.
"I quite like that idea, Neville," Paz says, earning a smile from Neville. "Why not start tonight?"
----------
"C'mon!" Ginny whisper shouts, as Neville, Luna and Paz round the corner. The four were now standing in front of the door to the Great Hall. Neville and Paz had gotten paint and a large paint brush from the Room of Requirement before leaving it a few hours earlier.
"Alright, you three keep a look out, I'll write it on the wall, I suppose I can charm the brush to do it on its own." Paz says, as the three others spread out along the hallway and keep a look out for any professors or Snape.
Moving to the right side of the huge doorway, Paz flicked her wand and watched as the paint brush dipped itself into the white paint. She then began to write out 'Dumbledore's Army Lives On' in big letters with her wand, the brush following her movements onto the wall. Neville startles her when she hears his footsteps behind her.
"Wow," he gushes, Paz finishing off the last letter.
"I think that might make a bit of a statement tomorrow." Paz smiles.
Ginny then comes running down the hall. "It's Alecto!"
Paz throws the paint and brush in her bag, running down the hall towards Luna with Neville and Ginny.
"C'mon Luna!" Neville whispers, grabbing onto her and continuing to run.
"Who's there?" Alecto shouts, the four hearing her footsteps grow louder and faster.
The halls are dark, as they've turned out their lights from their wands. As the Gryffindor house is the best bet for everyone making it back safe, they take the longest way there, eventually shaking Alecto off their tails.
"Suppose you guys will crash with me then?" Ginny asks as the four climb through the portrait hole, ignoring the Fat Lady questioning why they were out past curfew.
"You read my mind Gin." Paz smiles.
i love deathly hallows but i really wish we got some more perspective on what went down at hogwarts during this year. it would have been really cool to see a day or so of it, or something like that. what do you guys think?
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