Defend

Chapter Forty-Two Dumbledore's Army (part two!!)

 Two days after the Crucio incident, I've been relatively quiet in class. Ginny was furious she disarmed me so I couldn't protect myself and so she's been very protective, refusing to leave my side. I appreciate it and all, but I can defend myself. I bring that up to her a couple days later.

"Ginny, I love you for protecting me, but I can protect myself, you know."

"I do, but you've always been there for me. We have each other's backs."

~~~~

A month passes, and Ginny, Neville, and I get punished again and again.

We're sitting outside with Luna doing our homework. We've become a tight-knit group, since we're basically survival buddies. That means I've been spending less time with Draco, but he hasn't seemed as interested in me lately anyways.

Any spare time I have is soaked up by the library, as Madam Pince has been helping me find books to prepare for being an Auror since my Defence Against the Dark Arts education has been a mess.

"To be one hundred percent honest, the last time I was this miserable was after the twins left and we were left with Umbridge. I'm not saying these people are worse than Umbridge, but they're pretty close."

Ginny waves her wand dramatically. "Um, hello? I'm pretty sure these people are worse than Umbridge."

I wave my scarred hand dramatically. "Uhum, no."

"We all know you have a grudge against her, and we're definitely not Umbridge supporters. But what's your point here?"

"Well, I think this calls for a little fourth year nostalgia." I turn to look at Neville. "Or for you, fifth year."

"What do you mean?" Luna asks. She seems curiouser than the others.

"Well, first things first I'll be pulling out my old bloody tie, and second, we should restart the DA, because the more people on our side the better."

"That's— that's actually not a half bad idea. But Eliza, don't you think it's going to be harder for you, since you're in Slytherin? The whole house is against you."

"Might make it that much easier to tick them off," I respond smugly.

"Do you think the galleons still work?" Neville asks.

"There's only one way to find out," Luna says.

"I can bewitch them so ours are the lead galleons that control the rest," I add.

"Perfect. It's settled. I'm sure other kids will notice the turn. Eliza, you make yours the lead tonight and schedule a meeting for Friday night."

"So tomorrow?"

"Yes, tomorrow."

That night, I go digging in my trunk for the tie and the galleon. After fifteen minutes of intensive searching I sit down in a huff, not ready to give up though.

Finally my daft brain pulls through and I point my wand at the trunk

"Accio galleon!"

"Accio tie!"

Several ties and galleons lie at my feet and I sort through them trying to figure out the real one. The galleon is the hardest, but after scrutinising the edges, I figure it out.

I sit shut away in my dorm, trying to figure out how to make my galleon the lead. After many failed attempts and one slightly burnt pillowcase later, I finally succeed. The charm Hermoine used, the Protean Charm, is very high-level magic, above N.E.W.T level I believe, and takes many attempts to get it. I set the galleon so it states the next meeting is tomorrow night.