Dressed for Ruin

chapter eight

"Well, hi." Hermione said nervously. "Well...erm...well, you know why you're here." I was puzzled, I clearly did not know why I was here.  Erm...well, Harry here had the idea, I mean, I had the idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts, and I mean really study it" she emphasized on the word 'really'. "Not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us, because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts, well I thought it would be good if we took matters into our own hands. And by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells." she said, visibly more confident. "But, I want to be trained properly in Defense because well, Lord Voldemort is back." 

As soon as she said that, everyone's reactions were immediate. Some gasped, twitched, some girl even shrieked. I didn't react, because of course Lord Voldemort was back, that much was obvious. And not just to me, my father being a Death Eater and all, but to anyone who was really paying attention. "Well... that's the plan anyway. If you want to join us, we need to decide how we're going to-" and Hermione was cut off by Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff Quidditch player. "Where's the proof You-Know-Who's back? I think we've got the right to know what exactly makes him say that he's back" he said rather aggressively while pointedly looking at Harry. I rolled my eyes at this "What makes me say You-Know-Who's back?" he started while solely staring a Zacharias the whole time, "I saw him. But Dumbledore told the whole school what happened last year, and if you didn't believe him, you don't believe me, and I'm not wasting an afternoon trying to convince anyone." 

Nobody said anything for a short while. "So like I was saying" Hermione interrupted before Harry's temper could get the best of him. "If you want to learn some defense, then we need to work out how we're going to do it , how often we should meet, and where we're going to meet." Nobody suggested anything, but a lot of people suddenly started asking Harry if everything he's done in the last five years, was real. In this moment I only wanted to know why the hell they'd invited me. All of  these people hate me, was it because of my father's obvious closeness to the Dark Lord, had they asked me here so they could get information out of me? I didn't care for Lord Voldemort, but I wasn't about to sell out my family, even if I didn't particularly like my father. I debated whether or not I should give them a piece of my mind, but then I quickly settled for leaving in peace instead. I looked at Harry, and walked out.

I was a few steps out of the Hog's Head when I heard the door open and close. "Helena, what is it?" I heard Harry say, "Why did you ask me here? So you could humiliate me, or so I could be your little spy?" I sneered, Harry looked taken aback by my tone. "Blimey, nothing like that. We figured, or rather, I figured, you could be a good addition to our group" he claimed. "Harry you do know that nobody wants me there, right?" I said while stepping closer to him. "Well, I want you there, so the lot of them will just have to accept that." he declared, this just completely caught me off guard, I felt the blush rise up my cheeks. He took this as a yes and grabbed my arm and led me back to the Hog's Head. 

Everyone was caught up in conversation, so I only felt the heavy eyes of Hermione Granger staring at my arm in his grasp. He let me go and went to the front of the group, she still stared at me. "Are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry? We'll be learning how to defend ourselves agains Voldemort and Death Eaters" she emphasized that last bit while making a point out of staring at me. Then they decided that they would give the location of where we would meet some thought and get back to us. Lastly, we had to sign a piece of parchment just to know who was here and that. One by one, they signed and left. Soon it was just Harry, Hermione and Ron here along with me, I still haven't signed. What's the worst that could happen? Some more detention with Umbridge? At least I'd learn a few thing, so it would be worth it. Right? Harry and Ron were lost in conversation and Hermione eyed me skeptically as I bent down and signed my name on the parchment. 

'Helena Grace Malfoy'