The Spark {Book 5 in the Star of Gryffindor Series}

Chapter 19 - The Dissenters

The Daily Prophet
Issue No. 102,067
16 January, 2022

Dissenters Create More Danger!

Recently, there has come the Ministry's discovery of an underground agency called the "DA," a resistance group created by Hogwarts students to combat the Death Eater influences at the school in the late 90s that has resurfaced now as a resistance group against the Ministry, our sources say. It is suspected that many high-ranking citizens of the wizarding world are involved in this plot to supersede Ministry power, including former Deputy Headmaster of Hogwarts, Neville Longbottom. The Minister has yet to make a public comment on this issue, but readers are warned: Do not dissent. Obey the Ministry. Or you'll only make yourself a target for the dark forces at work...

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Of course, everyone and their mother had heard what had happened on New Year's Eve. The Ministry had found out about the DA in the aftermath of the attack.

All the common rooms felt the absence of a student who was mourning his or her respective family (or, for Hufflepuff, two former students who weren't mourning anyone). The Gryffindor common room had a darker air about it over the next few days. As if it had finally sunk in to everyone that the Predatels weren't messing around.

A lot of people were avoiding Wren. She didn't seem to notice; she was still pretty shaken from the attack, I thought. She was a little withdrawn and wasn't particularly paying attention to the general population of students. It was making James mad, though, and when she wasn't around Albus and I had to stop him from proclaiming her innocence in all of this to the crowded halls more than once.

"I don't get it. What's wrong with everyone?"

"Well, I mean, it's her parents doing this," Albus pointed out. "I don't like it either, but there isn't anything we can do about it."

I shrugged, sighing. I had definitely restrained the urge to hex a couple of people who had been hissing insults at her as we'd walked past earlier, but Albus was right, and I did know that. "Yeah. He's got a point."

James gave me an odd look. "You're agreeing with him?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Why? You're normally quicker to jump at people than I am."

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe I'm growing up."

"As if." James rolled his eyes. "You're the idiot who ran straight for the house on New Year's Eve instead of away."

"Maybe I'm only growing up a little."

"And maybe you should shut up, James," Albus suggested, walking over to the notice board outside the Great Hall.

James rolled his eyes. "Well, maybe you should go f—" He cut himself off quickly as Albus turned with an eyebrow raised. Last time he'd told Albus to do something inappropriate, Albus had taken five points from Gryffindor for explicit language.

"Full of himself, he is," James muttered to me as Albus turned back to the board and scanned the schedule for prefects.

"Hey, at least there's one Gryffindor prefect willing to take points from Gryffindor for you," I said, chuckling. "I know Wren doesn't. And Lillie. And I bet Lucy and Louis don't either, since you're their very favorite cousin."

James shook his head. "Nah, they're pretty bad, too. Lillie's okay, I guess."

I glanced around the entrance hall. Marcus Dillam was walking down the stairs with Mollie, and I rolled my eyes and looked away. When I looked back, they'd started making out, though Mollie quickly pulled back, looking angry. She gestured in my direction, and I sighed. They had been making out a lot when I'd happened to notice them. I'd assumed they'd make out anywhere, anyway. Guess not.