SCARLETT: THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX

Chapter 10: The Hogs Head

It's to late to apologise...it's too late!- One Republic, 'Apologise'.
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"So where are we meeting these people?" I asked Hermione as we walked through the streets of Hogsmeade.

As usual, the streets were packed with Hogwarts students that were going in and out of the various shops that were set up in the village. Fred and George had been with us when we had arrived here but they had escaped to go to Zonko's Joke Shop. Hermione insisted that we go to our meeting place without any stopovers.

"I thought that we should go somewhere that we couldn't be overheard..." Hermione said.

"And that would be where?" Harry asked.

"The Hog's Head," Hermione said.

"I've heard that place is awful," I said.

"Me too," Harry said uncomfortably. "And why do we have to do this meeting now? Why don't we just have it at the school?"

"Because we don't want to risk Umbridge overhearing us," Hermione explained.

When we arrived at the bar, I was shocked to see just how vacant it was. Aside from us, there were only a few others in there and they all had a sort of sketchy appearance to them.

"Are you sure about this? Why can't we just go to The Three Broomsticks?" Harry suggested.

"There are too many people there," Hermione said.

"I'm sure it'll be fine," Ron said. "Besides, we already told everyone to meet here..."

After taking one more glance around the shabby bar, we decided to take a seat in one of the many vacant tables around the room. Not too long afterwards, Neville came into the bar and easily spotted us sitting down.

"Who was the one that picked this place?" Neville asked me when he sat down next to me.

"Not me," I said. "This place gives me the creeps..."

"Me too," he said. "And what's with the barman?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

When I glanced over at the barman I didn't notice anything odd about him aside from the fact that there was a goat that seemed to be following him around. At the moment, he was putting mugs in the sink and washing them with a dirty looking cloth.

"I don't know, he just reminds me of someone," he said.

Now that the man turned around, I could see what Neville meant. I couldn't tell what it was, but he looked familiar. Maybe it was just our imagination...

Not even twenty minutes after my conversation with Neville, the once empty bar was now packed with students from Hogwarts.

"I thought you said that it was only a few people," Harry said to Hermione.

"It is..." she said nervously.

"I don't know where you got your definition of a few, but it's definitely wrong," Harry said.

Surrounding us sat Dean, Lavender, the Patil Twins, Cho, Luna who looked as if she'd stumbled in by accident, the Gryffindor Quidditch team, the Creevey brothers, Ernie, Justin, Hannah Abbot, a Hufflepuff with a plait who I didn't know, Ginny, Mercila, Eliza, Blaise, Eden, Oscar, Alfie, Olivija, Raven, Rosa and Ellie. There were a couple Ravenclaws that I didn't know. I was holding a meeting for the First Years later.

Fred and George arrived and ordered Butterbeers, so I handed over 2 Galleons for mine and sat down next to Eden. She was sitting next to Oscar and was holding Oscar's hand, smiling to herself. It was like she couldn't see me. That made me feel nice. It was good that she was feeling better after Andie's death anniversary.

October was always a hard time of year for Eden. While we got all hyped about Halloween, she felt sad and regretful. I think it's the guilt that troubled her most.

She dyed her hair back, though. Eliza said that it used to be a light brown but she dyed it black when Andie was killed.

Eden dyed it back to the original colour last week. I think that Oscar is making her feel less guilty.

It's #Oden's one year anniversary in a few weeks. Oscar said that he's got something very big planned.

Honestly, I was very surprised that Alfie was here. He obviously didn't tell Piper that he was coming, because she wasn't here and he kept looking out the window nervously.
*

We talked about things. Mostly about the leader, which we voted Harry, me for the younger students and then when the meetings should be. We all agreed on Wednesday. Today was Sunday, so at least I had something to look forward to this week. It was DOUBLE Defence against the Dark Arts on Tuesday! 2 hours of Umbitch! I've got Potions that day too, plus History of Magic. The only good lesson was Transfiguration, but even that wasn't great in O.W.L year. More stressful.

We all signed our names on the parchment labeled 'Dumbledore's Army' the group named we'd all agreed on. Harry said he'd find somewhere for the meetings by tomorrow. I looked into his mind and saw that he was having a meeting with Sirius..through the fireplace! Like last year!

I knew that this was dangerous, but it can't be helped. Harry isn't talking to me, therefore won't listen to anything I have to say.

Well, if his Godfather gets caught, it's his own fault.

I headed back up to the castle and waited for the younger students to arrive outside the common room. I opened it up when they all got there and lead them to a corner where I placed silencing Charms around so we wouldn't be heard.

"Okay, listen up everybody!" I shouted to the group of excited, chattering first and second years.

"So, you are here today to write your name down for Defence lessons, correct?" Everyone nodded.

"Okay, then. Please form a line and write down your name, house and year!" I said, pulling out the parchment from earlier.

They all did as I instructed and the names were;

Molly Bell, Hufflepuff First Year
Theodora Tonks, Hufflepuff First Year
Ellie Macantire, Slytherin First Year
Euan Abercrombie, Gryffindor First Year
Katie MacDonald, Gryffindor First Year
Rose Zeller, Slytherin First Year

I rolled up the list and smiled.

*

Hi!

This chapter is sorta late, so please don't kill me.

potterheadgirlxxx