March To The Sea - George Weasley ✔️

- 1 1 5 - DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY

LORELEI WATCHED GRYFFINDORS PRACTICE, SMILING AT ALICIA WHO LOOKED TO BE HAVING THE TIME OF HER LIFE. Angelina was made to be Captain, that, Lorelei, was sure. She could see depressing glances from Fred, George, and Harry, but she tried to wave and smile like she was fine.

Harry had the worst reaction of them all. He told her that Sirius was outraged when he heard about it during the last Order meeting. He threatened, just as Fred and George, to jinx the toad, but Lorelei made all three promise to be as good as they could be because Angelina needed her team. Lorelei was easily replaced, but the twins? Harry? Irreplaceable.

At the very first meeting of their defense group, Lorelei walked with the twins to the seventh-floor where they were told to think of a room to practice in. A door appeared making all three smile at each other. Lorelei could remember this place being no more than a closet.

When they walked in, Fred mumbled out her thoughts, "It's bizarre. We once hid from Filch in here, remember George, Lor? But it was just a broom cupboard then..."

When Hermione asked for a leader to be elected, Lorelei rolled her eyes as they all agreed on Harry (wasn't he the reason they were doing this anyway?), then, she said they needed a name. Angelina had requested an Anti-Umbridge League with a bitter tongue, glancing at the mermaid who hadn't been on a broom in weeks. Fred sniggered and suggested the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group. Cho then suggested the Defense Association, but to cut it to DA for short. Ginny's won, however, changing DA to stand for Dumbledore's Army because that was the Ministry's worst fear.

Harry wrung his hands nervously before saying, "Right, shall we get started practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful--"

"Oh, please," said Zacharius, and Lorelei already felt her temper rising. It was almost November now. And Lorelei had not been in the water for far too long. "I don't think Expelliarmus is going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," Harry said quietly. Lorelei glared at the Hufflepuff hatefully. "It saved my life last June. But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave." Nobody moved. "Okay, I reckon we should all divide in pairs and practice."

Lorelei saw George about to come toward her, but Lorelei noticed Neville by himself. She motioned toward Fred, which George nodded and walked away to his brother who smirked devilishly. Lorelei walked to Neville.

"Partners?" she said, Neville jumped in surprise.

"You want to be my partner?" he asked incredulously.

Lorelei nodded with a small smile. She noticed Harry smiling at her gratefully from a few meters away.

Lorelei easily disarmed the boy a few times before focusing on him to disarm her. She would walk over to him and show him how to flourish his wand. When she would go back to her spot, she would explain the annunciation, which she made him reply. After a few failed attempts, she felt her wand wiggle a bit.

"Good! Try again, but try to have a bit more confidence, Nev. You're doing so good," she mused, watching his eyes light up from her words.

After a while, he was able to disarm her once, but it was enough for the excited boy who shouted, "I DID IT! I've never actually done it! I DID IT!"

Lorelei felt her wand ripped from her hand after she had just picked it up again, but Neville hadn't moved. It happened thrice more before she turned to glare at the sniggering red-heads who waved innocently at her. Muttering, "Stupefy," under her breath, she watched gleefully as both twins fell backward stunned. People around them glanced around worriedly, and Harry glanced her way with a knowing grin. Whistling, she walked toward them.

"Don't forget that I'm a temperamental mermaid who's been out of the water for far too long, boys," she said making Angelina and Lee laugh the loudest out of the group. "Rennervate."

The twins woke up with a start after she sent them the countercurse. They glared at her, but she could see the mischief in their eyes. They were about to send a spell at her, but Harry had called for the end of the meeting stating they overran. Winking, Lorelei turned her body to walk back over to Neville.

Linking her arm with his, she said happily, "You did so well, Nev. Just keep practicing on the flick of your wrist and the annunciation!"

He nodded, soaking in all her words.

Lorelei let him go and walked over to Harry. She nudged him with a grin. "Cho Chang?" she said, and Harry quickly put a hand over her mouth as people passed. He gave her a shut-the-fuck-up look.

He nodded once people were slowly leaving. Lorelei smiled again. "You did well. You saw happy Neville was?"

"You're a good teacher," Harry said. "I'll be asking you for help with some lessons. I didn't even know there was a countercurse to the stunning one."

Lorelei hummed happily before kissing Harry's cheek. She walked over to the twins who were waiting with a knowing look on their faces. George kissed Lorelei's cheek as he whispered, "We're so getting you back for that."

Fred pinched Lorelei's other cheek. "Ah, bless her. She thinks she won."

Lorelei swatted their hands away before linking her arms with theirs as they walked briskly back to the Common Room. After this first lesson, Lorelei found new motivation to stay at that dreaded school. Umbridge could take away the sport she loved. Umbridge could teach rubbish on the Ministry's orders. Umbridge could give her however many detentions she wanted. But the pink puff could not take away the one thing those twenty-nine students just instilled in themselves again.

Hope.