Weasley Charm | Fred Weasley

Chapter 5-10: Hogs Head Inn

Life for the students at Hogwarts seemed to become more and more insufferable and controlled by Umbridge each day. Umbridge began creating educational decrees almost once a week while continuing to teach "hypothetical" magic to the students. But today it would change. Delaney and Hermione found a way to learn real magic. They just had to get their teacher on board.

"Remind me why we're going here and not walking around the village," Fred looked down at Delaney as they walked towards the small tavern/inn called Hogs Head.

"Because I promised Hermione we would come to help convince Harry to teach us defensive magic," Delaney said with a pointed look.

"Right so why couldn't the two of you do that alone?" Fred asked. Delaney narrowed her eyes in return.

"Because he's already said no before so now we're trying to show him that people want him to teach them. That's why I forced George to walk with us," she laughed as he turned her head to George who was walking slowly behind them.

"How many more people are there?" George asked from behind them, skepticism lining his voice.

"This many," Delaney held out her arms to bring attention to the number of students who were already sitting in Hog's Head. Dean, Neville, Ginny, and Luna were sitting at the front of the group.

"That's going to be a lot harder to keep secret," George muttered.

"They're here because they need to be. Now come on before Hermione gets here with Harry and Ron," Delaney ordered as she walked to three open seats at the front.

"Um, hi," Hermione greeted the group as she walked in with Harry and Ron. "So, you all know why we're here. We need a teacher. A proper teacher. One who's had real experience defending themselves against the dark arts."

"Why?" A boy asked from the back.

"Why? Because You Know Who's back you tosspot," Ron snapped. Delaney looked down as she snickered at Ron's comment.

"So he says," the same boy said, inclining his head towards Harry.

"So Dumbledore says," Hermione said pointedly.

"So Dumbledore says because he says. The point is. where's the proof?"

"If Potter could tell us more about how Diggory was killed," a boy sitting next to Ginny prompted.

"I'm not going to talk about Cedric. So if that's why you're here you might as well clear out now. Come on Hermione, let's go. They're just here because they think I'm some sort of freak." Harry stood up, ready to leave.

"Is it true you can produce a Patronus Charm?" Luna asked in her usual mystical voice.

"Yes. I've seen it," Hermione nodded after Harry failed to answer.

"Blimey Harry, I didn't know you could do that," Dean said with an amused look on his face.

"And he killed a Basilisk with the sword in Dumbledore's office," Neville added.

"It's true. I was there," Ginny nodded in agreement with Neville.

"Third year he fought about a hundred Dementors at once," Ron added to the list of Harry's accomplishments.

"And last year he really did fight off You Know Who in the flesh," Delaney finished.

"Wait," Harry paused. "Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that. But the truth is most of that was just luck. I didn't know what I was doing half the time. I nearly always had help."

"He's just being modest."

"No, Hermione, I'm not," Harry looked at her. "Facing this stuff in real life is not like school. In school if you make a mistake you can just try again tomorrow but out there when you're a second away from being murdered or watching a friend die right before your eyes, you don't know what that's like."

Delaney noticed Fred beginning to shift nervously in his chair before shooting a few glances at George and his other siblings. It was clear he was thinking of how it would feel to lose them. Delaney grabbed hold of his hand, squeezing three times before giving him a kind smile. He squeezed her hand in return, which seemed to calm him down.

"You're right, Harry, we don't. That's why we need your help," Hermione sat back down. "Because if we're going to have any chance at beating," she paused. "Voldemort. It's with your help."

"He's really back?" a small boy named Nigel asked. Harry quietly nodded his head.

"Harry please," Delaney paused, hoping the urgency was visible on her face. "We need you."

Harry looked at each of the faces staring at him. "Alright, I'll do it."

"What should we call ourselves?" Ron grinned, seeming relieved when Harry finally agreed.

"I was thinking of a name that wouldn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings. Any ideas?" Hermione prompted.

"The Defense Association? The D. A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?" Cho Chang asked from Luna's side.

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good, only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?" Ginny asked with a defiant smirk.

"I think it's safe to say we've found our name," Delaney smiled as she looked from Ginny to Hermione before looking to Fred.

After everyone signed their names on a piece of parchment showing they were officially a member of Dumbledore's army, Delaney, along with Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and Neville began walking back to the castle with Harry.

"Right, first we need to find a place to practice where Umbridge won't find out," Harry ordered.

"The Shrieking Shack," Ginny suggested.

"It's too small," Harry shook his head before meeting her eye.

"The Forbidden Forest?" Hermione asked, although her skepticism bled through her words.

"Not bloody likely," Ron said with terror in his voice. Delaney snorted knowing he was recounting the memory of him and Harry having to run from giant spiders in the forest second year.

"Harry," Ginny paused. "What happens if Umbridge does find out?"

"Who cares?" Hermione asked. "I mean, it's sort of exciting, isn't it? Breaking the rules."

"Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?" Delaney laughed. Hermione was always the one to ring Delaney back in if she teetered too close to breaking major rules with her antics.

"Anyway," Hermione paused. "At least we know one positive thing that came out of today."

"What's that?" Harry asked, casting his glance toward her.

"Cho couldn't take her eyes off you could she?" Hermione offered a knowing grin. Delaney could tell Ginny was quite bothered by Hermione's statement about Cho but she didn't want to say anything to her when she was surrounded by her brothers.

"Right, over the next few days, we should each come up with a few possibilities for us to practice. We've got to make sure wherever it is there's no possibility she'll find us," Harry said as the group walked into the castle.

Delaney jumped onto Fred's bed, landing next to him with a proud grin, "We did it! We got him to agree to it!"

"We still have to find somewhere to practice though," Fred pointed out. He had a point, but the first step of their plan was complete. And that was enough to suffice for now.

"I'm sure you know somewhere we can go where Umbridge won't find us," she grinned.

"I know lots of places. Just not big enough for a large group of people. It's more fit for small numbers like two," he smirked.

"Oh yeah?" she smirked back, leaning up on her elbows to be closer to him.

"Mhm," he hummed before connecting their lips. "Of course, you'll have to deal with the occasional spider."

"Oh stop it," she lightly hit his arm. "You know just how to ruin a moment," she laughed.

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't," he smiled at her. "Now, let's get to thinking of places for the D. A."