Lucinda Evans - still in progress

Chapter 20 - DA

"Tomorrow, when we go to Hogsmeade we have a meeting to attend," Ernie says when he comes sitting in front of me and diagonally of Mer.

"I love meetings. What's this one about?" Mer asks excitedly.

"It will be a meeting about learning Defence Against the Dark Arts by ourselves. Your brother will be leading the meeting if I understood correctly, Luce."

"That's actually a brilliant idea. I still can't see how that toad can be so dumb to want us to perform the spells for the first time on our O.W.L. exams," I complain about that awful woman again.

"Where will the meeting take place?" Mer asks.

"In the Hog's Head."

"Are they serious? You never know what kind of people go there. Do they want to be overheard?" she now comments in disbelieve.

"Well, it's less likely than in the Three Broomsticks," I shrug before turning back to my porridge.

-----

"Er," Hermione started, her voice slightly higher than usual out of nerves. "Well.. er.. hi. Well.. erm.. well, you know why you're here. Erm.. well, Harry here had the idea,  I mean, I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense 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 Defense Against the Dark Arts. Well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands." She pauses and looks sideways at Harry before she continues, "And by that, I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —" 

"You want to pass your Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" Michael Corner interrupts, a Ravenclaw guy in the same year as we are. 

"Of course I do," Hermione answers at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because... because Lord Voldemort's back."

This causes and immediate and predictable reaction in the pub.

"Well, that's the plan anyway," Hermione goes on. "If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to —"

"Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back?" Zacharias Smith asks in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well, Dumbledore believes it —" Hermione begins but get's interrupted by the Hufflepuff again.

"You mean, Dumbledore believes him. And I think we've got the right to know exactly what makes him say You-Know-Who's back."

"What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" my brother speaks up for the first time this meeting, "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone. I'm not gonna talk about Cedric so if that's why you came, you should leave," Harry says angrily.

"Is it true you can do a Patronus Charm?" Luna Lovegood asks. I'm sure she's trying to get the attention on his good side. Clever girl. I didn't like her last year when we first met but she seems quite ok.

"Yes, I've seen it." Hermione answers. Everybody is under the great impression. They all start to enumerate all my brothers' triumphs. I'm impressed, I didn't know all the things he did. I just knew some. I look at Mer beside me and she has the same expression of marvel on her face.

"Wait. Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that but the truth is, most of the time was just a matter of luck. I didn't know what I was doing half of the time. I nearly always had help. Facing this stuff in real life is not like school at all. In school you can make mistakes, out there it's a game of life and death. You can't do it over. Seeing a friend die before your eyes,... you don't know what that's like."

 Of course, now he chooses a moment to be modest. What an idiot he can be from time to time.

"That's why we need to learn how to defend ourselves. If Umbridge doesn't want to do it, we need to do it ourselves. So here is a form that you need to sign when you want to join the DA and want to learn how to prepare yourself for what is out there." Hermione takes out a form. "I-I think everybody should write their name down, just so we know who was 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."

"Wait, can I just ask another thing," Smith says in an annoying voice. God, I don't like that guy. "Why is there a Slytherin here?"

Now everybody is looking at the back of the pub where Ernie, Mer and I are seated. Now he made me hate him. Well done, Zacharias.

"Just shut up, Zach," Ernie says with clear irritation in his voice.

"Who says she will not betray us," Smith just ignores him and continues. I just look him in the eye, daring to say what he wants. "Slytherins always save themselves first, not thinking about others. You can never trust them. Umbridge recently started a club of her minions who are above everybody else. They're all Slytherins! Doesn't that say enough?"

"She's my sister, so she stays," Harry defends me. "If you don't like it, leave."

Smith looks angry but doesn't dare to say another thing. Thanks, my brother, for protecting my dignity.

We all line up to sign the form and join this new found club. 

"Are you sure you want a Slytherin in that group of yours?" I ask my brother when it's my time to sign it. 

"You're my sister. Of course, I want you to be there."

"Do your friends understand that too?" I ask in disbelieve, looking over my shoulder to where Smith is seated. 

"They'll just have to deal with it. Besides, a guy like that is certainly not my friend."

"All right then," I smile a little and sign the form. I look up at Hermione and ask; "What did you do with it, if I may ask. I'm rather curious since I know there must be a reason for you to do something like this."

She smiles at me with a hint of mischief in her eyes while answering; "I charmed it before. If anyone would tell they would get 'tattletale' on their forehead in pustules."

"Nice one," Mer comments, "Unexpected, but I can only approve. If you wanted too, you'd make a nasty prankster."

"Wow, you should feel honoured, Ganger. Because that's the highest form of a compliment you can get from her," Ernie says grinning.