star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Monday morning, the news of a new educational decree being passed spread throughout the castle fairly quickly.

Arabella and Hermione had been in their dormitory when they heard an odd sound. When they went to leave the dormitories to investigate, they found that the staircase to the common room had changed into a slide. The two girls exchanged looks, knowing what must have happened. They slid down to the common room and found Harry and Ron standing there, looking completely dumbfounded.

Afterwards, the boys led them to the new plaque outside of the Great Hall that had been put up next to Educational Decree 23. The new decree stated that "all student organizations, societies, teams, groups, and clubs" were disbanded, but that they could reform with permission from Professor Umbridge; if a student was found to be apart of something that was not approved of by her, they would be expelled.

"Someone must have blabbed to her!" Ron said after allowing the girls to read over the decree.

"They can't have done," Hermione said.

"You're so naïve, you think just because you're all honorable and trustworthy-"

"No, they can't have done because we put a jinx on that piece of parchment we all signed. Believe me, if anyone's run off and told Umbridge, we'll know exactly who they are and they will really regret it."

"Did you honestly think we were just going to trust people like Zacharias Smith and Michael Corner to keep their mouths shut?" Arabella questioned as if the idea were absurd. "It's bad enough we've got Lavender in on it. That girl never shuts her mouth."

Hermione gave her a look. "You should really take your own advice, you know."

Arabella's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you on about?"

"Insulting your roommates is not being united."

Realizing that she was right, Arabella huffed grumpily but didn't say anything else on the matter. "Come on, let's get breakfast. I'm starving."

Naturally, those most upset about the new decree were those that had signed the parchment for the defense group. Those that belonged to other Houses were flocking to the Gryffindor table to question whether it was still on, and they had to shoo them away so that they wouldn't look suspicious, as it was clear that Umbridge already knew they were doing something to undermine her. Later on, however, they were sure to inform everyone that they were still continuing with the defense group.

By Tuesday, Harry came to Ron, Hermione, and Arabella with news that Dobby the house-elf had visited him when he had fallen asleep in the common room the night before and told him of where the defense group could practice, somewhere where teachers wouldn't find them. They all took it upon themselves to spread the word to the other members of the location and time of the meeting.

At nearly eight o'clock that evening, Arabella left Gryffindor Tower with the Dean, Neville, Ginny, Parvati, Fraser, and Lavender to the seventh floor corridor. Following Harry's instructions, they paced the corridor three times, thinking of what they had come to do, and after those three times, the door appeared and they entered to find that they were the first ones there besides the trio.

Not long after they arrived, the Ravenclaws of the group arrived: Evelyn, Michael, Anthony Goldstein, Cho, Marietta Edgecombe, Padma Patil, Terry Boot, Luna, and the Head Boy Alexander Stedman. As expected, Michael took his seat next to Ginny, and Evelyn and Anthony sat next to them, looking rather cozy.