Bumblebee (A Fred Weasley Fanfiction)

- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO -

The Hog's Head

In the next weeks, Angelina Johnson became the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain, Ron became the new keeper, Fred and George made tons of improvements to their Skiving Snackboxes, they even found a cure for their Nosebleed Nougat, and Professor Umbridge was appointed First Ever High Inquisitor, whatever that meant, and she was inspecting lessons and teachers.

"Are you going to Hogsmeade this weekend?" Emmie asked the twins as she rushed into the Gryffindor common room, "erm yeah I guess," Fred replied, "great, we're gonna go to the Hogs Head,"
"Isn't that the pub?" George asked, "why would you want to go in there,"
"Just trust me."

*

That Saturday Emmie, Fred, George and Lee entered the Hogs Head to see Harry, Hermione, Ron, Neville, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, Padma, Cho, Luna, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina, Colin and Dennis Creevey, Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Hannah Abbott, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Ginny and a handful of others that Emmie didn't recognize.
"Hi," said Fred, reaching the bar first and counting his companions quickly, "could we have... Twenty-five Butterbeers please?",
The barman glared at him for a moment and then started passing up dusty Butterbeers from under the bar.
"Cheers," said Fred, handing them out, "cough up everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these."
When everybody had pulled up a chair, the chatter died out. Every eye was on Harry.
"Er," said Hermione, "well, er, hi."
The group focused it's attention on her instead, though eyes continued to dart back regularly to Harry.
"Well... Erm... Well, you know why you're here. Erm... Well Harry here had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against The Dark Arts and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us - because nobody could call that Defence Against The Dark Arts - well I thought it would be good if we took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing real spells - because Lord Voldemort is back."
There were a few gasps, shrieks and whispers as she said this, "where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" Asked a blonde Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.
"Well Dumbledore believes it -" Hermione began, "you mean, Dumbledore believes him," said the boy nodding at Harry.
"Who are you?" Asked Ron rudely, "Zacharias Smith," said the boy, "and I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."
"Look," said Hermione, intervening swiftly, "that's really not what this meeting was supposed to be about -"
"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" Harry interrupted, looking Zacharias straight in the face, "I saw him, Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year and if you don't believe him, you won't believe me and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone."
The whole group seemed to have held its breath while Harry spoke.
Zacharias said dismissively, "all Dumbledore told us last year was that Cedric Diggory got killed by You-Know-Who and that you brought Diggory's body back to Hogwarts. 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 exactly what it looks like when Voldemort murders someone I can't help you," Harry said, his temper rising, "I don't want to talk about Cedric Diggory, all right? So if that's what you're here for, you might as well clear out."
He cast an angry look in Hermione's direction as no one, not even Zacharias Smith, left their seats.
"So," said Hermione, "like I was saying... If you want to learn some defence then we need to work out how we're going to do it, how often we're going to meet and where we're going to -",
"Is it true," interrupted a girl with a long plait down her back, looking at Harry, "that you can produce a Patronus?"
There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.
"Yeah," said Harry slightly defensively.
"Blimey, Harry!" Said Lee, looking deeply impressed, "I never knew that!"
"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred, grinning at Harry, "she said you got enough attention as it was."
"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry and a couple of people laughed.
"And did you kill a Basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" Demanded Terry Boot, "that's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year..."
"Er - yeah, I did, yeah," said Harry.
Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, the Creevey brothers exchanged awestruck looks and Lavender Brown said "wow!" Softly.
"And in our first year," said Neville, "he saved that Philological stone -"
"Philosopher's," Emmie corrected him, "yes, that - from You-Know-Who,"
"And that's not to mention," said Cho, "all the tasks he had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year - getting past dragons and merpeople and Acromantula and things..."
"Yeah, well, the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry?" Hermione said followed by a murmur of general agreement, "well then the next question is how often we do it. I really don't think there's any point in meeting less than once a week and I'm sure we can find a night that suits everyone and we need to decide where we're going to meet."
"Library?" Suggested Katie Bell after a few moments, "I can't see Madame Pince being too chuffed with us doing jinxes in the library," said Harry,
"Maybe an unused classroom?" Said Dean.
"Right, well, we'll try to find somewhere," said Hermione, "we'll send a message round to everyone when we've got a time and a place for the first meeting."
She rummaged in her bag and produced parchment and a quill, "I think everybody should write their names down just so we know who 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 not to  tell Umbridge or anybody else what we're up to."

- Princexiero xx