Draco Malfoy *5th Year*

Chapter 15

"All student organizations are henceforth, disbanded. Any student in noncompliance will be expelled," The shrill voice of Dolores Umbridge rang out over loudspeakers that had been placed throughout the school.

"You've done it, Neville. You've found the room of requirement," Hermione smiled as we stood at a door that had appeared in the wall.

"The what?" Ron asked

"It's also known as the Come and Go Room. The Room of Requirement only appears when a person has real need of it. And it's always equipped for the seeker's needs," I explained once we had stepped inside and the door began to disappear behind us.

"So say you really needed the toilet," Ron trailed off

"Charming Ronald, but yes that is the general idea," Hermione sighed and I giggled at the two of them.

"It's brilliant. It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back," Harry grinned into the room.

A few days later we had our first Dumbledore's Army session. Harry had us lined up in two lines and was getting us to practice disarming

"Expelliarmus," Neville's wand flew out of his own hand and he sighed

"I'm hopeless,"

"You're just flourishing your wand too much. Try it like this," Harry the positioned himself

"Expelliarmus," He disarmed the dummy, its wand went flying through the air.

"You will please copy the approved text four times to ensure maximum retention," Umbridge instructed as we sat in DADA one day.

"There will be no need to talk,"

"No need to think's more like," Hermione muttered next to me, I sniggered.

"Wands away," Umbridge told Neville who I could see was practising his movements.

"Stunning is one of the most useful spells in your arsenal. It's a wizard's bread and butter really," Harry explained at another session as he went to demonstrate with one of the younger boys.

"So come on then, Nigel," He nodded

"Give it your best shot,"

"Stupefy!" The boy yelled, he and Harry went flying backwards and landed with a thump on the ground.

"Good, not bad at all, Nigel. Well done," Harry smiled, out of breath.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Ron whispered to Hermione as they were about to face off.

"Thanks, Ronald," She rolled her eyes.

"Come on Ron," some other boys cheered

"One sickle,"

"You're on," I giggled as the twins bet on their brother.

"Stupefy!" Hermione cast, Ron let out a small shriek and was sent against the wall.

"Thank you,"

"Shut up," George glared at his twin.

"I let her do that. It's good manners, isn't it? Completely intentional," Ron defended as he approached them. I laughed and high fived Hermione who was grinning widely.

"Now, focus on a fixed point and try again," Harry said encouragingly to Neville.

"Expelliarmus,"

"Very good, keep your concentration," Harry patted his back and began walking around the room, checking on everyone else's progress. I watched as he went over to Cho

"A little higher," I smirked at him once he had fixed her wand.

Our next task was standing in a circle and firing spells at a moving dummy

"Working hard is important, but there's something that matters even more: believing in yourself,"

"Think of it this way. Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now: students. If they can do it, why not us?" All eyes were on Neville as he faced Pavarti

"Expelliarmus!" He cried and Pavarti's wand went up in the air

"Fantastic Neville!" Harry grinned

"Well done, man," I laughed giving him a side hug.

"So that's it for this lesson. Now, we' re not gonna be meeting again until after the holidays.

So just keep practising on your own as best you can. And well done, everyone. Great, great work," Harry said at the end of the last lesson, there were groans of sadness but everyone clapped

"Well done mate," Ron said to Harry

"Thanks," He replied. I swung my arm over his shoulder

"Good job bro," He laughed and gave me a hug.

"See you in the common room, Harry," Hermione smirked as we saw him watching Cho. I shook my head at him and followed Hermione and Ron out of the room and back into the quiet corridor. We were walking away from the room of requirement when we were stopped by Draco's goons.

"What do you two idiots want?" I asked, sighing. They didn't reply, the just blocked our way

"Crabbe, Goyle, let's go," The sharp voice of Draco spoke out. They parted and we saw Draco was watching us from the end of the corridor. I noticed on his robe, a shining badge, my stomach dropped when I realised it was an Inquisitorial Squad badge.

"Come on," I mumbled and grabbed Hermione's wrist. I quickly walked past Draco and hopped to get past with no trouble when he stopped me and stepped close

"You are up to something, and I'm going to find out what, Aurora," He watched me steadily. He then gave Hermione and Ron a glance before walking with his usual swagger down the corridor towards his goons.

"What was that about?" Hermione asked

"I don't know, do you think he knows something?" I asked

"Impossible, we've been very careful," Ron shook his head.

"Watch out for him then,"

"We hung out a few days ago and everything was fine. Clearly something has changed," I told them.

"Be careful," Ron warned and we left to the common room.

"Well, how was it?" Ron asked as we sat on the couch facing Harry who was on the floor with his back to the fire.

"Wet," Harry replied

"I mean she was sort of crying," He added when I gave him a strange look.

"That bad at it are you?" Ron laughed

"I'm sure Harry's kissing was more than satisfactory. Cho spends half her time crying these days," Hermione snapped

"You'd think a bit of snogging would cheer her up,"

"Don't you understand how she must be feeling? Well, obviously she's feeling sad about Cedric and confused about liking Harry and guilty about kissing him conflicted because Umbridge might sack her mum from the Ministry and frightened of failing her OWLs because she's worrying about everything," Hermione gushed out.

"One person couldn't feel all that, they'd explode," Ron chuckled

"Just because you've the emotional range of a teaspoon," Hermione snapped. I snorted and we all laughed, Hermione wiped tears from her eyes and we bid the boys goodnight.