Color Me Slytherin (A Harry Potter FanFiction)

Chapter 19

*^* Cecily *^* 

I had never known where the room of requirement was, but Dalton had drawn me a map, and I showed up with Padma, Victoria and Evelyn in tow. Dalton was already waiting there, rather suspiciously leaning on the wall of the parallel corridor. It irked me a little bit that he could easily be caught by Umbridge's new "inquisitorial squad," but he didn't seem to mind one bit as he kicked off from the wall, smiling at the four of us. 

"Hello, you lot," he greeted pleasantly. 

"Hello, Dalton," I smiled, seeing all the girls giving me sideways glances, trying to gauge my reaction to the very sight of him. The others gave words of greetings as I glanced around, wondering where the entrance could possibly be. 

"Neville found it," Dalton explains as the saunters down the corridor, glancing sideways at the wall the the left of us. "Says he was wishing for some place to hide from some Slytherins, and it suddenly appeared like-" he pauses as suddenly a door appears to the left of him, almost like it had been there the whole time. 

"Wicked," Evelyn smirks. Dalton opens the door for us first, ushering us all in quickly. I nearly gasp at the sight. 

It's a large room where already many people are gathered. Most robes are red and yellow, but I can see a few Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws gathered, even Cho Chang. The room has high ceilings, lots of mirrors, and even a few practice dummies that I understand we'll be practicing on. 

Harry comes up to greet us, along with Hermione. 

"Thanks for coming," he tells us, giving me a small smile. 

"Here and ready to learn," Padma practically gives the boy heart eyes, and I can hear Evelyn snort, causing Victoria to nudge her with a hard elbow. As he moves on to greet other people, like the Minster at some important event, Dalton grabs my elbow. 

"Cecily, team up with me," he says, "I'm assuming we'll need dueling partners." I smile at him. 

"Of course." Evelyn and Victoria smile at me, clearly happy with the development. Padma goes to join Parvarti, while Evelyn and Victoria go to speak with a Hufflepuff boy I don't recognize. 

We start with a simple spell, a disarming spell, and Neville, who is first up, proves to be quite bad at it. However, with Harry's coaching, he seems to get the hang of it, and the line moves on. 

Dalton, who is to my right, turns to me. 

"Harry can produce a full patrons," he whispers. 

I raise my eyebrows, "Really?" 

"Did it in our third year, to protect Padfoot from the dementors," he says, "Wicked, I tell you. His is a stag- never seen anything like it." 

"Are we going to be practicing conjuring a patronus?" I question. 

"I reckon we will," he smiles. I smile back, truly excited. 

*^*

The weeks go on, and the only thing keeping me sane is the meetings of what Harry named Dumbledore's Army (or the D.A. for short). 

Unfortunately, Umbridge and her Inquisitorial Squad had been onto us. She had been conducting what she called interviews (interrogations, more like) with many Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, including Harry and most of his friends. I had been excluded, probably due to my family ties, but Evelyn had reported that she was out for blood. 

In about our seventh meeting, I walk into the Room of Requirement, a little late due to a potions essay I had been writing, to see that Harry can indeed produce a full patronus.