PREVIOUSLY IN JILY RETURNS
Harry boards the train to Hogwarts after his Christmas holidays.
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Luna, Ginny, Ron and Hermione found Harry sitting alone in a compartment, reading his DADA textbook, five minutes into the train ride.
He quickly snapped it shut and smiled at them when they came in. They stowed their trunks away and started talking about random stuff, ranging from Wrackspurts, to quidditch, to DA lessons and finally landing on OWLs. The two fifth years in the compartment were taking in all the advice they needed from the three sixth years there.
Soon after, Neville and Hannah too came in and gave them advice. Colin came in and they gave him tips to how to go about studying for the OWLs. Hermione had ordered extra planners. So, she gave one each to the three fifth years. The rest of the train ride was pretty normal. They took the carriages to the school and made their way to the great hall for the welcome feast.
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A few weeks later,
It was a weekend, but not a Hogsmeade one. Everyone except for the fifth- and seventh-year students were spending their time outside. The DA meetings were over for the week for both the groups.
Harry, as usual, after brewing the potions he needed to stock up on, was sitting by the lake with Ron, Hermione, Hannah, Susan and Neville, talking about the most random things they could find on earth. Hagrid and Fang too joined them.
Out of everything, they were talking about hippogriffs and brought up the topic of Buckbeak. Hagrid told Harry to thank Sirius on his behalf for keeping his pet Hippogriff safe for a whole year, to which the boy agreed.
Just then, Harry whipped out his wand when his eye caught some movement near the bushes at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Ron and Neville too had seen that movement and got their wands out. The three boys asked the girls to get their wands at the ready and turned towards the bushes. He quickly used the message bracelet that Fred and George had created for the closest members of the DA, which they had named as 'The Herd'.
Harry then remembered the message pendant and used it to send a message to the other bearers of the same kind of pendant, telling them to come to the place where he was. Minerva sent a patronus to Flitwick, asking him to get down there while she waited for Charlus, James and Sirius to floo in.
Severus, Remus and Flitwick reached just in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, Fenrir Greyback, Avery, Nott Sr., Crabbe Sr., Alecto and Amycus Carrow, Antonin Dolohov, Goyle Sr., Gibbon, Jugson, Igor Karkaroff, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rabastan Lestrange, Walden Macnair, Mulciber, Augustus Rookwood, Evan Rosier, Thorfinn Rowle, Scabior, Selwyn, Travers and Corban Yaxley come out from the Forbidden Forest.
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MEMBERS OF THE HERD STUDYING AT HOGWARTS:
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Blaise Zabini, Daphne Greengrass, Astoria Greengrass, Neville Longbottom, Katie Bell, Michael Corner, Parvati Patil, Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, Lavender Brown, Tracey Davis, Lisa Turpin, Terry Boot, Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang.
GRADUATED MEMBERS OF THE HERD:
Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour, Charlie Weasley, Nymphadora Tonks, Percy Weasley, Penelope Clearwater, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Lee Jordan, Cedric Diggory, Roger Davis.