"Amora, you need to eat something," Cedric urged her as she stabbed her pancake lazily with a fork.
"I just had a lot of Chocolate Frogs last night, that's all," Amora lied. The truth was, she had been so caught up in the events of the past few days that she had completely forgotten about her mother's fireplace incident. Even though she found her mother on every headline on the Daily Prophet, Amora had stopped reading the news. Not when she knew that her and Harry were being slandered in every article.
Ever since her mother had contacted her and Tyler's reminder about family, Amora was feeling conflicted. Aspen was only one letter away, but so was Bellatrix. The right thing to do would be to report her mother's whereabouts to the Ministry, but Amora didn't know why she should. What had the Ministry ever done for her? Attack her and her friends in the news constantly? Amora pondered on these thoughts as she glared at her pancake.
"Bloody hell Amora, what did the pancake do to you?" Tyler chuckled as he sat next to his sister at the Slytherin table.
"Morning, Tyler," Cedric greeted him, but Tyler simply ignored him.
"Good morning!" Rey giggled as she dragged Aaron behind her, who clearly hadn't had enough time to wake up.
"What's got you so cheerful so early in the morning?" Cedric asked before taking a sip of Amora's Pumpkin Juice. She swatted him on the head playfully before taking her goblet back.
"I finally told her I loved her," Aaron yawned, and Rey's face lit up at the simple word.
"Took you long enough," Amora quipped.
"I thought I showed her that I loved her with actions, I didn't know I just had to say some words," Aaron shrugged as him and Rey sat down. Tyler scoffed at the group and Aaron turned to his little brother.
"Can I help you?" Aaron asked, confused.
"I think they should go back to their table," Tyler snapped, nodding to Rey and Cedric.
"And why is that?" Cedric questioned.
"Because you're a blood traitor and she's a Mudblood. The lot of you are disgusting-" Tyler explained until Aaron grabbed him by the scruff of the robes.
"What the hell has gotten into you?" Aaron growled at his younger brother.
"Mister LeStrange, set down your brother. Save your sibling squabbles for... elsewhere," a cold voice drawled. Professor Snape was standing behind them, clearly in a sullen mood. Aaron reluctantly let Tyler go who settled back into his seat with a smirk.
"Hey, I'm really sorry he said that," Amora whispered to Rey.
"It's alright, I've gotten worse," Rey whispered back. Before Amora could ask more, a hand gripped her shoulder.
"Amora! Come on, you need to see this," Hazel's voice squealed.
"Hazel! I haven't seen you in forever, where have you been?" Amora asked, but Hazel brushed off the question.
"Come on! Everyone! We're gonna miss it!" Hazel whined as she dragged Amora out of the Great Hall. Cedric merely shrugged before following them, followed closely by Aaron and Rey. Hazel pushed her way through a forming crowd of students before they stopped in the front, close enough to get a view.
"Good to see you again, LeStrange," a familiar voice muttered to her in a low voice. Amora looked up and smiled at Fred, who was clearly just as happy to see her.
"Got here just in time for the action," George explained. Amora felt an arm wrap around her shoulder and saw Cedric stand next to her, shooting daggers at the twins.
"Cedric, please just say hi," Amora asked, looking up at him.
Cedric rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically like Amora had asked him to battle another dragon before forcing out a, "Hi."
"She's got you whipped, mate," Fred snickered.
"Hush, it's starting!" Hazel snapped.
Amora was surprised to see Professor McGonagall muttering something to Umbridge. Once McGonagall paused, Umbridge looked flustered and took a step back, clearly offended. However, Amora saw right through her little act.
"Pardon me, professor, but what exactly are you insinuating?" Umbridge asked, her voice as high and shrill as ever.
"I am merely requesting that when it comes to my students, you conform to prescribed disciplinary practices." McGonagall shot back, taking one step up the Grand Staircase.
"So silly of me, but it sounds as if you're questioning my authority in my own classroom, Minerva," Umbridge giggled, but stopped when she arrived on McGonagall's name. She too stepped up the Grand Staircase, clearly trying to prove her authority in some weird way.
"Not at all, Dolores, merely you're medieval methods," McGonagall explained, calm but full of purpose. Amora then understood exactly what she was referring to as she glimpsed down at her scarred hand. Rey's Wiggenweld Potion was helping the process, but not fast enough for it to disappear yet.
The students gasped and some even cheered at McGonagall's rebuttal, clearly taking her side, but Umbridge did not like that at all.
"I am sorry dear, but to question my practices is to question the Ministry...and by extension, the minister himself. I am a tolerant woman, but the one thing I will not stand for is disloyalty," Umbridge spat, taking another step up the stairs.
"That's bullshit," Amora heard Aaron mutter under his breath.
"Disloyalty," McGonagall scoffed. Before Umbridge could continue, McGonagall turned on her heel and left. Amora didn't blame her.
Umbridge wasn't really worth anyone's time.
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"And she tried to kick Trelawney out!" a Ravenclaw first year whispered to their friend.
"I don't blame her, she's batty," a seventh year Gryffindor murmured to another Gryffindor.
Amora had been working on her Potions homework when Umbridge tried to fire Trelawney. Even though everyone knew that Professor Trelawney was practically mad, Amora still felt that no one deserved that.
She pushed her way through the hallways, making her way to the Great Hall. Her decision to skip breakfast and lunch because of nerves had left her extremely hungry for dinner.
Still, Amora was noticing that she had an effect on fellow students. She named it the Amora Effect and she knew exactly what it did. When the Amora Effect was in place, it's when Amora is walking through a hallway and students suddenly become quiet and look at her like she's the strangest thing they've ever seen. Mainly because she did spit on the Dark Lord and the Daily Prophet has convinced everyone and their aunt that her and Harry are insane.
Amora settled down in her seat at dinner, trying to ignore the stares and whispers around her. Her hopes that people would treat her normally once a new year started were completely crushed.
"Hey, can we talk?" Cedric whispered to her. She nodded to the seat next to her, and Cedric plopped down into it before he began talking again.
"Harry wants to meet with us. With a lot of us. At Hog's Head," Cedric explained.
"What about?" Amora asked.
"Dunno. He won't tell unless we go," Cedric told her.
"Well, guess we better go," Amora sighed.
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"Can't forget that he saved the Sorcerer's stone from You Know Who in his first year," Fred added.
A group of kids huddled in the corner of Hog's Head that consisted of Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Lavender Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil, Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecomb, Luna Lovegood, Katie Belle, Alicia Spinnet, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Angelina Johnson, Ernie Macmillan, and a couple of others that Amora didn't know where all listening to Hermione, Harry, and Ron's plan.
Amora, Cedric, Belle, Ned, Hazel, Aaron, Rey, and Cassie had all sat down at their own table and were clutching their butterbeers. Everyone was currently talking Harry up and discussing the DATDA situation, but Amora still wasn't sure what they were all doing in the small pub.
"And you fought off those dementors that attacked you this summer," Ginny interjected, to which Hermione looked tremendously pleased.
"So, all in favor of taking lessons from Harry?" Hermione asked the crowd.
Ah. That's what this is about. Amora thought. Without a moment's hesitation, Amora and many others raised their hands. Some hesitated, looking between one another, until every hand was raised.
"Where are we going to meet?" Hermione asked.
"What about an unused classroom?" Neville suggested.
"A bathroom?" Ned chuckled, which caused a chorus of laughter.
"Erm... Neville, I'll look into the whole unused classroom idea, because it might work," Harry told him, and Ned sent Neville a proud smile.
"Ok good," Hermione said, pulling a parchment out of her bag, "I think we should put our names down, so we know who was here."
Everyone shifted in their seats, suddenly becoming quite uncomfortable. So did Amora, knowing the risk they ran if the paper was discovered.
"I don't know...if it were found... I mean, Umbridge wouldn't like what we're doing," Ernie Macmillan explained, and everyone nodded their head in agreement.
"Honestly, Ernie, do think I'd just leave it lying around? Besides, it's enchanted," Hermione assured them. Everyone relaxed, suddenly becoming less tense at her words. Soon enough, a line was formed and names were signed, even a stubborn Marietta Edgecomb.
"Also, what should we call ourselves?" Hermione asked as everyone began preparing to head back into the cold.
"What about the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina suggested.
"We need something that doesn't give away what we're doing," Hermione reminded her.
"I think it should be Dumbledore's Army," Ginny said.
"Wouldn't that make him look guilty?" Amora asked, but her voice was drowned out by the excited agreement for the name.
"Dumbledore's Army it is, then. The D.A. for short." Hermione announced.
Everyone stood at the name, the enthusiasm spreading around all of the gloomy Hog's Head.
"We'll let you know when we're going to meet," Hermione told them.
Then, just like that, the meeting was over.
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A/N: WHOA. 6k READS. HOLY SMOKES. THANK YOU ALL SO FREAKING MUCH!!! :)