Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 25: The D.A.

"Well," Harry began in an oddly awkward voice. "This is the place we've found for practices and you've- er – obviously found it okay-"

"It's fantastic!" Cho exclaimed in a tone that any girl would know the meaning behind.

"It's bizarre," Fred conclude with a frown. "We once hid from Filch in here, though last I recalled it was a broom cupboard, right George?" His twin nodded at the recollection.

"Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and- er- Hermione what is it?" We glanced to Hermione who was sitting by the bookshelves with her hand in the air. She lowered it quickly.

"I think we ought to elect a leader."

"Harry's the leader," Cho said at once, causing a raised eyebrow to appear from Ginny and make Ella, myself and Sam snicker quietly.

"Yes but I think we ought to vote on it properly," Hermione explained patiently. "All in favor of Harry as leader?"

Everyone raised their hand without a second thought, settling that matter.

"Right, thanks," Harry said with a humble glance around the room. "And- what Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly making people around the room nod along. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity. Don't you think so?"

Harry didn't seem fazed by this question. He only shrugged in acceptance while others started to mummer out ideas.

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" One of the Gryffindor Quidditch girls (Angelina) asked.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group," Theo offered getting nods from Lee Jordon and the twins.

"I was thinking," Hermione offered, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside these meetings."

"The Defense Association?" Ella offered. "DA for short so nobody knows what we're talking about."

"D.A. sounds good," Ginny agreed. "Only let's make it stand out more. Dumbledore's Army maybe? It's the Ministry's worst fear, right?"

I watched my brother raise his hand up in vote for the name and others started to join in, including myself.

"Army sounds a bit much but it's the best name we've got so far," Sam admitted as she rose her hand with the masses. Tati and her friends joined in with Alice being the only one with her arm down.

"All in Favor of D.A ?" Hermione asked, and I watched as everyone rose their hand again, this time with Alice in cue.

"Motion passed! I'll write it on our name count, Hermione explained brightly to the group before getting to work.

"Right," Harry said as she went off to pin the parchment to a newly appeared bulletin board. "Shall we begin then?"

Our first lesson was on Expelliarmus; a spell that I wouldn't have banked on nor most of the group until Harry explained in a monotone to Zacharias Smith that he had used it to save his life in front of Voldemort last June.

So, with that, we split ourselves into pairs and spread out across the room while Harry walked along pointing out tricks and directions on how to focus the spell. Wands flew in every direction as Ella and I practiced on each other. I sent Ella's wand flying on my first go and watched while she went to retrieve it as Sam and Alice next to us went about the same ordeal.

"Alice, keep your hand steady or else you won't get it," Sam urged moments before Alice sent her sister's wand flying. "I stand corrected."

There was shouts of excitement from Neville further down the line as he managed to let Harry's wand go flying.