Purple Rain.

Chapter Thirty-Six.

"They're here," (Y/n) whispered to the Strange Women Society. Angelina was the only one not present due to the Gryffindor versus Slytherin game being tomorrow. Leanne, who was the secretary and thus in charge of welcoming the two girls, was above ground, patiently waiting in the abandoned garden. She heard Leanne's frightened squeak the moment the masked Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood walked into sight.

"You've both managed to decode your letter," Leanne began proudly.

"Hello, Leanne," Luna greeted airily. (Y/n) gasped and covered her grin with her hand.

"What?" Padma whispered, looking up.

"I— what?" Leanne cried.

"It is you, isn't it?" Ginny mused. "You guys really need a better disguise... I probably wouldn't have guessed if it weren't for your accent... And for Luna, not many people have hair as pale as hers..."

"Ginny and Luna know it's Leanne," (Y/n) said. The girls gaped.

"Well, you got me," Leanne sighed. 

"So, what's this about?" Ginny asked.

"If you pass nine tests, you'll be welcomed into our top-secret Strange Women Society," Leanne paraphrased. "It originates all the way back to the witch burnings and gave women a safe space during an unsafe time. As our lives aren't necessarily on the line, it has since morphed into girls supporting girls from behind a curtain... You are allowed to back out of the trials if you are not interested in putting in actual effort to make a change... We study the magic that is not taught in school, discuss ideas, gossip, go over school material, and express ourselves."

"Neat," Ginny said. 

"What've you guys done so far?" Luna asked. Leanne lit up, ecstatic to brag about the club.

"So far, previous members of the Strange Women Society have pushed and succeeded with getting closer pay to men in the Ministry," Leanne began. "They have organized a huge protest back in the late '70s, early '80s to push for more women in the Wizengamot— and they succeeded. Multiple Ministry-funded programs to help less well-off ladies in getting good opportunities and school material have started because of the women in the Strange Women Society. Artemisia Lufkin, the first female Minister, was a past member of our society as was Minister Millicent Bagnold."

"Oh wow," Ginny murmured. "Would you say there's a lot of Strange Women in the Ministry?"

"Hm... as much as there can be," Leanne said. "(Y/m/n) Whistler reformed the society back in the '70s because it had previously been disbanded." Though Leanne could see it under Ginny's mask, her eyebrows rose. "Anyways, the Society has a lot of connections in and outside the Ministry, so, naturally we recruit girls who will be of equal assistance and receive equal assistance."

"So... what kind of tests? Combat? Magic? I'm pretty good at jinxes—"

"As great as that is," Leanne grinned, "we test loyalty, skills, ability, reason, problem-solving, adaptability, efficiency, and courage. Nine tasks for nine phases of the moon."

"Uh... how do you do it? Will we get letters for every task?"

"You won't know you're being tested," Leanne answered. "But you will know if you failed one because you'll get a letter swearing you to secrecy and informing you that you haven't made the club... If you do make the club, you'll be welcomed a day before a reunion party in mid-November."

"All right then..." Ginny murmured.

"Just know that we have eyes and ears everywhere," Leanne said. "So, uh, be on your best behaviour."