ENIGMATIC • 𝐓𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐋𝐄

LXXXVI. Dumbledore's Army

I sit in the Slytherin common room with Harry as hermione paces around the room.

"We're not learning how to defend ourselves! We're not learning how to pass our OWLS. She's taking over the entire school!" Hermione rants before the radio glitches on, Harry glances over and turns it on.

"—Futhermore, we have convincing evidence that these disapearances are the work of notorious mass murderer, sirius black! Make no mistake—-"

"Harry! Y/n!" A voice interrupts as we turn towards it, looking at the fireplace which sirius was in.

"Sirius!" Harry says as we walk towards the fireplace, kneeling down infront of it.

"I got your letters, you said you were worried about umbridge. What's she doing? Training you to kill half-bloods?" Sirius questions as Harry shakes his head.

"Sirius, she's not letting us use magic at all!!!" Harry explains as Sirius sighs.

"Well I'm not surprised. The latest intelligence is that fudge doesn't want you trained in combat." Sirius explains as I tilt my head in confusion.

"Combat?" I repeat as Sirius nods in confirmation. "What does he think, we're forming some sort of wizard army?"

"Well, that's exactly what he thinks. That the headmaster is assembling his own forces to take on the ministry. He's becoming more paranoid by the minute. The others wouldn't want me telling you this... but things aren't going at all well with the order." Sirius explains as we go quiet.

"Fudge is blocking the truth at every turn, and these disappearances are just how it started before... either Voldemort or his death eaters are on the move." Sirius warns us with a glance at each of us.

"Well,, what can we do?" Harry asks before the sound of distance chatting comes closer.

"Someone's coming. I'm sorry I can't be of more help, but for now at least, it looks like you're on your own." Sirius explains before the fire fades out, a couple sparks straying loose.

"We've got to tell sirius... or atleast warn him on what we're doing next." I state with a glance at the diary before turning towards the two.

"I would focus on being able to defend ourselves first, just in case anything happens before we tell sirius." Hermione suggests as she looks out the window. "And if umbridge refuses to teach us how, we need someone who will."

Once she says the last part she turns towards me and Harry.

———

"This is mad! Who'd want to be taught by me? Magic wise, I can understand wanting to be taught by y/n, but why me? Plus, they view me and y/n as crazy!" Harry rants as we towards Hog's head.

"Look on the bright side, you can't be any worse than toad face." I comfort the boy with a grin as Harry sighs.

"Thanks a lot, y/n." Harry dryly replies as Hermione sighs.

"Who's supposed to be meeting us then?" Harry asks Hermione who simply glances at him briefly.

"Just a couple of people." She answers as we open the door to the old building.

"Lovely spot." I state dryly as a goat walks away the dusty building.

"Thought it be safe somewhere off the beaten track." Hermione explains before the tavern keeper starts to call for the goat (Mitzi).

———

We sit in a room where a group of Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, Gryffindors, and even a couple Slytherins sit there boredly.

My eyes scan over the crowd as I notice a few more notable people such as George, Fred, Ginny, Ron, neville, Pansy, Blaise, luna, and Cho.

"Um... hi. 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." Hermione explains as someone in the front of the crowd rolls their eyes.

"Why?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because voldie has so graciously returned from the dead?" I reply sarcastically as the boy glares at me.

"So you say."

"So dumbledore says!" Ginny corrects angrily.

"So dumbledore says because they say. The point is, where's the proof?"

"If the potters could tell us more about how diggory got injured..." the boy taunts as I sigh, glaring at him as Harry stands up.

"We're not here to talk about Cedric so if that's why you're here, you might as well clear out now." Harry explains before turning towards Hermione.

"Come on, hermione, let's go. They're just here cause they all think we're some sort of freaks." Harry mutters to her as I pause at the word 'freak,' giving him a side glance.

"Is it true you two can both produce patronus charms?" Luna interrupts as Harry pauses.

Silence overcomes the building before Hermione speaks, "Yes. I've seen them."

"Jeez y/n, I didn't know you could do that." Pansy mutters as neville turns towards her before looking back at us.

"And he killed a basilisk, with the sword in dumbledores office." Neville explains as Ginny nods with a smile.

"It's true!" Ginny confirms while glancing at Harry with lovestruck eyes.

"Third year, they fought off about thirty dementors at once." Luna explains as Hermione smiles slightly.

"Last year, they really did fight off a bunch of death eaters." Hermione explains with a hand on her hip as Harry glances around.

"Look, it all sounds great when you say it like that, but the truth is, most of that was just luck. We didn't know what we were doing half the time, We nearly always had help...." Harry explains as I nod.

"He's just being modest—" Ginny tries to say but was cut off.

"No, weasely 7, he's not." I interrupt the girl who glared at me. "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." Harry finishes my sentence as the room goes quiet.

"You're right, Harry, y/n, we don't. That's why we need your help. Because if we're going to have any chance of beating... him." Hermione explains with a double-meaning in the last word. For us, we knew she was referring to Dumbledore and his ally's. But for anyone else, they would think she was referring to Voldemort.

"He's really back...?" The same boy from before questions as I nod.

People get up to write their names on the paper as Only one or two people leave.