Into The Light (Golden Trio Era) {2}

The Making of Dumbledore's Army

On Tuesday, October 3rd was particularly exciting day, Harry had told them that Dobby came to the common room the other night and gave him a place for Defence classes to take place.

They sped across the flooded vegetable patch to Herbology that morning. The rain was beating so hard on the green house roof that they could barely hear what Professor Sprout was saying. Care of Magical Creatures later was to be relocated to a dry classroom in the castle on the ground floor. 

At lunch Alicia sought them out to tell them Quidditch Practice was canceled.  "Good," Harry said, "because we've found somewhere to have our first Defence meeting. Tonight, eight o'clock, seventh floor opposite that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by those trolls. Can you tell Katie?" She looked somewhat taken aback but promised to pass on the knowledge. Hermione however, was rather skeptical, she watched him as he ate, waiting for him to look up at her.  "What?" Harry said thickly.  "Well... it's just that Dobby's plans aren't always that safe."  "Yea, that Bludger was a bit much." Mikayla said slowly.  "This room isn't just some mad idea of Dobby's; Dumbledore knows about it too, he mentioned it to me last year."  "Dumbledore told you about it?" Hermione said, her expression no longer worried.  "Just in passing," Harry shrugged.  "Oh well, that's all right then," she nodded and did not object again.

Hermione split up the list of participants for them all to go find and tell them about their meeting place. Mikayla spotted Avery with Draco in the library, "Avery, I need to speak with you." Mikayla spoke smoothly as if it was casual, she sent daggers to Draco who has been a target of Fred and George since Mikayla told them what Malfoy said about her being 'a nutter' Mikayla found a quiet corner, "Tonight, eight o'clock, seventh floor opposite that tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy being clubbed by those trolls. For our first meeting. Pass it on to Brian and make sure you tell no one else." Avery nodded, Mikayla waved her goodbye, as Mikayla whispered a biting jinx onto Draco's Quill as she walked out. "Ginny!" Mikayla ran and caught up with the red head who was with her boyfriend, she told them the information and asked them to pass it on to Michael's friends. Mikayla quickly made it all the way through her list.

At half-past seven the foursome left the Gryffindor common room as inconspicuously as they could, Harry clutching the blank Marauder's Map. As fifth years they were allowed in the corridors until 9pm but they were still anxious of getting caught on their way up to the seventh floor. "Hold it," Harry said, holding out his arm so they wouldn't pass. He unfolded the parchment and tapped it with his wand, saying, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." A finely inked map grew on the paper, displaying the entire castle and those who resided within it. "Flich is on the second floor," Harry said with a relieved sigh. "And Mrs. Norris is on the forth."  "What about Umbridge?" Mikayla asked looking over his shoulder at the map. "In her office," Harry said, pointing the the small foot prints and the name tag beside them. "Okay, let's go." They walked quickly along the corridor to where Dobby described the entrance to be. They stopped in front of a large tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet.  "Okay," Harry said quietly. "Dobby said to walk past this bit of wall three times, concentrating hard on what we need." And they each did, it looked quite odd too, four people pacing out of sync and muttering to themselves. Mikayla thought hard on what they needed.  A place to learn, a place to fight. We need to protect ourselves, but no one can find us...  "Harry," Hermione said sharply after their third walk past the wall. A large, shiny door had grown into the wall. Mikayla stared at it, her mouth open a bit to allow for more air to enter in this state of deep breathing.

Harry reached out and took hold of the great metal handles, he pried the doors open to reveal a spacious room illuminated by hundreds of suspending torches. The walls were lined with filled bookcases, the floors held cushions instead of chairs as well. There were also tables and shelves full of instruments somewhat like those in Dumbledore's office. Sneakoscopes, Secrecy Sensors, and a large Foe-Glass with a crack going through it. "This castle will never cease to amaze me." Mikayla breathed, looking around at the vast room.  "These will be good when we're practicing Stunning," said Ron, nudging one of the silk cushions with his foot.  "And just look at these books!" Hermione squeaked, feeling the spins of the old leather bound books. "A Compendium of Common Curses and Their Counter-Actions... The Dark Arts Outsmarted... Self-Defensive Spellwork... wow..." She looked at Harry, beaming. "Harry, this is wonderful, there's everything we need here!" She pulled a book from the shelf and immediately started to read it on the nearest cushion. A gentle knock sounded from the other side of the door and in stepped Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Dean.  "Whoa," Dean gaped, "What is this place?" Harry began to explain but as more and more people arrived he had to restart over and over again. By eight o'clock everyone who had placed their name on the piece of parchment had arrived and was sitting on a cushion of the floor.

"Well," Harry said, slightly nervous. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've- er- obviously found it okay-"  "It's fantastic!" said Cho, people near her were still looking around in awe.  "It's bizarre," said Fred, frowning. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then..."   "Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" asked Dean from the back of the room, indicating the Sneakoscopes and the Foe-Glass. "Dark Detectors," said Harry, stepping between the cushions toward them, "Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled..." He stared into the Foe-Glass for a moment, then turned away.  "Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and- er-"   Hermione raised her hand and he stopped.  "What, Hermione?"  "I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.  "I thought the whole point of this was for Harry to teach us?" Mikayla frowned at her, confused. "Harry is obviously the leader."  "Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So- everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?" Everybody put up their hands, even Zacharias, though he hesitated.  "Er- right, thanks, but what about Mikayla?" said Harry, whose face was turning red, "All in favour of having Mikayla as Harry's second?" Everyone in the room raised there hands quickly causing Mikayla to smile to herself.

"Well now that's settled- what, Hermione?" Harry questions why Hermione has her hand raised again "I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"  "Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Alicia hopefully.  "Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.  "I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."  "The Defense Association?" Cho chimed in. "But we'll just call it the D.A. to keep it low profile?"  "Yeah, the D.A.'s good," said Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?" Mikayla clapped her hands together, "All in favor of the D.A.?" she spoke loudly and clearly, she counted the raised hands. "That's a majority- motion passed!" Hermione wrote the words DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY on the top of the parchment they all signed and hung it on a large mirrored wall.