Flames Of Destiny : Conflicting Emotions // HJP [2]

Chapter Twelve : The DA

The rest of the weekend passed in a productive blur as (Y/n) and Hermione knitted dozens of scarves and hats for the house-elves. (Y/n) noticed that Harry had been in remarkably high spirits; he laughed more, grinning in a way she hadn't seen all term. It was as if some of the tension he'd carried since their arrival at Hogwarts had lightened after the meeting at the Hog's Head. But that cheerful spell was short-lived.

One morning, as (Y/n) and Hermione were heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast, they discovered the Gryffindor staircase had turned into a steep slide. (Y/n) chuckled, remembering it was enchanted to do just that if any boy attempted to climb to the girls' dormitory. She slid down and landed gracefully, only to see two very familiar figures tangled at the bottom.

"Who's the idiot that tried to sneak upstairs?" she asked, laughing as she took in Ron's dishevelled look and Harry's sheepish expression.

"Me," Ron grumbled, brushing himself off. "I didn't realise it'd do that! It's not fair—you girls can come into our dormitory, but we're not allowed in yours?"

"It's an old-fashioned rule," said Hermione, who had slid down behind them and landed lightly on the rug. "According to Hogwarts: A History, the founders thought boys were less trustworthy than girls. But why were you even trying to come up there?"

"To show you this!" Ron said, dragging Hermione over to the noticeboard.

A new sign had been posted there, so large it dwarfed all the other notices—the ones about secondhand spellbooks, Filch's list of banned items, the Quidditch training schedule, and the Weasleys' latest advert for product testers. In bold, black letters with an ominous seal and signature below, it read:

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS

All student organisations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs are henceforth disbanded.
Permission to re-form may be sought from the High Inquisitor (Professor Umbridge).
No student organisation may exist without her knowledge and approval.
Any student belonging to an unauthorised group will be expelled.
This decree is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four.
Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor.

Hermione's eyes skimmed the notice, her face darkening.

"What a joke," (Y/n) muttered, shaking her head. "But how would she even know? Surely no one... blabbed?"

"Someone must have!" Ron said angrily.

Hermione narrowed her eyes, her voice low. "No one could have. (Y/n) and I both jinxed that parchment we signed—if anyone snitched, their name would light up and burn on the page. They'd feel a stinging curse that not even a bucket of water could ease."

Harry looked at (Y/n) in amazement. Ron, though, seemed rather eager. "So, what exactly would happen to them?"

"Oh, they'd regret it," Hermione replied with satisfaction. "Put it this way: it'd make Eloise Midgeon's acne look like a beauty spot in comparison. Now, let's head down to breakfast and see what everyone else makes of this... I wonder if it's posted in all the houses."

The moment (Y/n) and Hermione stepped into the Great Hall, they realised that Umbridge's new decree had spread like wildfire. There was a frenetic energy about the place, with students huddling in tight groups and casting nervous glances towards the staff table. (Y/n), Harry, Ron, and Hermione barely had time to sit down before they were swarmed by Neville, Dean, Fred, George, and Ginny, all looking tense and worried.

"Did you see it?" Neville asked urgently.

"D'you reckon she knows?" Fred added, his voice barely above a whisper.