"Harry, what do you think? …Harry?"
Harry Potter blinked as he snapped his mind back to reality. He realised he had missed half the conversation, as they sat in front of the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room in the early hours of the following morning. Whilst he could hear the voices of Hermione, Ron and Ginny within the room, his own mind was elsewhere, and he found himself tracing over the rough scars of the injury he sustained in the previous evening. The sealed wounds on his right arm were sore but left quite a significant scar on his pale skin once Hermione insisted, she lather on the murtlap essence she took from Snape's office. His arm was still throbbing with pain.
Once he finally registered his name as being called, he looked up to find Hermione staring right up at him.
"…Yeah?" Harry blinked.
Hermione glanced hesitantly at Ron and Ginny, and then looked back at Harry. "Did you hear what I said?"
Harry shook his head.
"I said - we'll send out a message to the other DA members and find out who is interested in helping us."
Harry was tempted to say something rude in response to that but gazed up at Hermione with a worried look on his face. He hated this plan.
Ginny, who was sitting beside him, placed her hand within his and clasped them gently, "We can handle this. We'll just use the coins and see who shows up. It's not like we are forcing anyone to come back."
"I still think we should inform McGonagall about it – After all, we can't have a dozen of us go unnoticed within the school, " Hermione suggested. "She'll know something is up."
"Yeah, because she'll totally allow us to go on recon missions, and stage guerrilla attacks on the rest of the Death Eaters, " Ron said, sarcastically. "She'll have our head for sure."
Ginny grinned, "Well, that's not a bad idea. I'm down for that. With or without McGonagall's word. What is she going to do? Put us in detention? Expel us? "
Harry felt uncomfortable with the entire idea, "They are all in hiding. The only way they are going to reveal themselves is if they find their target. In which case, it's still me. It's the Battle of Hogwarts all over again. I told you, this is a bad idea. Let the Ministry handle it this time."
"You just said it yourself. Let us bring them out into the open - We'll force them out of hiding," Ron shrugged, "I don't know about you, but I don't fancy going back out there again looking over my shoulder every day."
"They are still taking hostages and killing people, Ron. What's to stop them from taking someone we know? Could be another student. Their family. Your family…" Harry debated fiercely.
"All the more reason to put an end to it, don't you think?" Ginny said. "Harry, you were the one who wanted to do something about it in the first place. Now that we offered to help, you are completely dismissing the idea?"
Harry sighed, and released Ginny's hand, "I know what I said." He ran a frustrated hand through his messy hair. "Whatever - Fine. If we do this, we need to be careful. We can't be reckless."
"Blimey, the tables really have turned with you, " Ron smirked.
"Is it so wrong of me to feel this uneasy about it? I seem to be the only one here struggling with that idea. After everything that's happened."
Hermione shook her head, "No, of course not."
"Good," There was an awkward silence for a few moments between the four, which made Harry even more uncomfortable. "I want to go back to Grimmauld Place."
Hermione was getting frustrated with him, "It's far too dangerous to be there right now. Besides, the Fidelius Charm is broken, remember? Death Eaters could be using it for all we know."
"Then we'll take it back."
"Harry, McGonagall wants you safe within these walls, " Hermione was growing more frustrated with him.
"Yeah, I honestly don't care, " Growing more agitated, Harry stood up and started pacing the room, "I can't stay here. I just bloody can't. I see enough ghosts when I walked these halls, and I'm not talking about the ones you can see. Everywhere I turn, I just see…death. Don't any of you? Everywhere I turn is a reminder of what we all lost. You can't expect me to pick up where we left off, because nothing is the same anymore."
"And yet we keep going. We have to, " Ginny interjected, sadly, "I lost my brother that day, Harry. But then I think back to their memory, and then I realise that Fred would not have wanted us to stop and wallow in self-pity despite all that. Of course, his loss is devastating to me. And the rest of us. It hurts that he is not here with us now. But I fight for him, and everyone else we lost that day."
Ron nodded, "She's right. Stopping now doesn't seem right. We don't know how many of those Death Eaters are left – After what we saw last night, you can't expect us to just ignore that? I made the mistake of leaving you and Hermione in the forest that day because I was angry and had enough. Eventually, I knew how much of a terrible idea that was, and it still kills me to even think back on that. I still hate myself for it. Don't make that same bloody mistake I did."
"As you said, Harry. We'll approach this carefully this time and come up with a plan. After all, they know we are onto them. They'll want to continue to retaliate, " Hermione explained, "I want to be with my parents – But even they may be in danger still. We are all still in danger."
Harry paused as he listened to their reasoning. Ron was right – the tables really have turned with him. Perhaps he did not want to admit that he needed help and could not do it alone. He wanted to keep his friends safe and protected – He did not want them involved. But admittingly, they were all right in banding together one last time. It was not over – The Death Eaters were very much still a threat, even despite their diminished numbers. And if they are targeting high-risk people, what will stop them from hurting, kidnapping, or murdering more of their own as a last hurrah? They would not go down without a fight, and neither should they. They all displayed very valid points; Harry could not deny that. Either way, they were still more than willing to put their lives back on the line, and Harry still felt guilty about that.
Harry looked at his friends, "Let's summon Kreacher – He'll be able to tell us what's happening there."
"Oh, of course!" Hermione nodded slowly, "Alright. It's a start." Collectively, the others nodded their head.
Without waiting for further approval, he called out for Kreacher. They waited for a few moments – but nothing. No sound of him Apparating within the room. No sound of his familiar deep drawled voice. Looking back at the concerned faces of his friends, he called out again. Still nothing. Not even the appearance of another elf in his place. There was silence within the room while they waited nervously for some sign of the familiar old house elf. It was rare for any house elf not to immediately respond and that thought alone sent Harry's nerves on edge.
Once he realised their new predicament, he cleared his throat, "Well that settles it, then – We'll do it. Let's get our Headquarters back."
Nodding, Hermione rummaged through her beaded handbag until she retrieved an ornate golden coin. As she held hers up, whilst Ron and Ginny retrieved their own within their pockets and held it up in unity, sharing the same curious smile as each other. Harry couldn't help but feel amused by this – All three of them were more than ready to unite Dumbledore's Army once again, except him. They had always been ready. It was Harry who was reluctant, but the more he saw the eagerness within his friends, the more they inspired him to do something about it. With a defeated sigh, Harry dipped into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out the master coin that Hermione bestowed the Protean Charm with, allowing the coin to link with the rest.
Raising his coin so the others could see, he looked to each of his friends, "Are you sure about this? We have to be absolutely sure."
"Abso-bloody-lutely, Harry, " Ron said sarcastically, and that caused Hermione and Ginny to burst out laughing. "I think we've more than earned our group a promotion from learning defence spells in secret, to using them to duel and capture dark wizards. "
"At least we have a good Minister on our side this time, " Ginny agreed.
Suddenly, the tension in the room disappeared and was filled with the incredible warmth that Harry had missed and longed for. This felt like old times. Before the war. Before Voldemort's return. A time when they did not have to worry about being attacked by the darkest wizard of all time and his blind henchmen. A time when Harry had more confidence in himself and was not marked to be the sole wizard to defeat Voldemort. Harry was done wallowing in self-pity and needed something to distract him from the sadness that was constantly building up within his very core. He needed to stop reminiscing about things he could not change and focus on the fight still going. It was not truly over yet, and he knew that deep down. He only hoped that this was not a bit mistake on his part.
Retrieving his wand, Harry tapped the coin and spoke the incantation needed to send its message. Almost immediately, the coin pulsated within his palm, and numbers appeared on its surface. Simultaneously, the remaining trio in the room received the same message, and the new time and date were shared with the rest. Satisfied with the task, it was a waiting game to see who was willing to return. After everything, Harry was not expecting a crowd. He understood if they did not, and he could not blame them for ignoring the call. They lost multiple DA members that day, and that alone would have become a massive turn-off for them to come back, knowing some of their own had sacrificed their lives.
But the next thing Harry was worried about – The Room of Requirement. Their previous run-in with the magical room had been destroyed by Fiendfyre during Harry's attempt to destroy Ravenclaw's Horcrux diadem. The room was known to repair itself when needed, but he could not be sure if there was ever a time when it no longer would. Harry was not convinced that the Room was gone – Time and time again, it would return another form. Hogwarts was repaired and now still standing. Surely the Room would have been protected by its collective wards and magic imbued within its ancient wards.
The four Gryffindors made their way to the seventh-floor corridor and towards the wall in which the doors would usually appear. They stood there for a while, feeling uneasy with each passing minute when the doors failed to reveal themselves. Harry looked at his friends with obvious worry plastered across their faces.
Concerned, Hermione broke the silence in a quiet whisper, "I sure hope we didn't break the room. "
Ron shrugged, "I wouldn't be surprised if the Room is finally done with us, to be honest."
Harry shook his head and stared intently at the wall before him, trying to echo Snape in clearing his mind. Come on, Room. Sorry, we broke you earlier, but we could really use your help again. We need a secret space…Please. They waited again, but still nothing. Harry walked closer to the wall, waiting for any sign of indication that the Room was still accessible. We need to reassemble to stop the remaining Death Eaters.
"Hey Room, open up! Don't be stubborn now," A familiar voice echoed through the hall behind them and Neville Longbottom walked hastily down the stone corridor to reach the others. Harry turned around to face him when they heard a low grumble from the blank wall and suddenly, the familiar black lattice doors began to appear.
"Neville, you legend! That Room loves you!" Ron grinned. "Bloody brilliant, that is!"
Neville looked smug, "The Room and I have history."
Ginny grinned, "We are so glad you made it!"
Neville held up his coin with excitement, "Of course, I'd be here. I couldn't believe it at first! Thought I was imagining it. I almost dropped my Gran's teapot."
"Yeah, it was a…err, last-minute decision, " Harry explained. "Wasn't sure who'd be interested in coming back, after everything…But, it's important that we did."
The Gryffindors, led by Harry, entered the black decorative double doors and a collective gasp emanated simultaneously. The Room looked exactly as it did when the DA meetings first began, and suddenly, Harry was reminded of the early days when all they had to worry about was sneaking behind Dolores Umbridge's back. That seemed like a lifetime ago now. The Room of Requirement was incredible - And untraceable. It was the saving grace during the Death Eater reign at Hogwarts, and it harboured the students in order to protect them from the wrath and torture of the Carrows. Now, it looked different, and it had reverted to the mirror-lined walls, tall ceilings, and gold embellishments that they were all too familiar with. Only a small difference was noticed – Large multiple crimson-coloured pillows were arranged on the floor in a circular pattern. Hovering above, were ornate blue lanterns which were emitting a beautiful glow overhead. The Room was asked to prepare for a meeting, and it was provided. It looks cosy and welcoming – And Harry was glad to be back.
Harry felt a new surge of excitement as they walked further inside, with his friends close behind.
"Blimey!" Ron was aghast, and most likely on the same thought train as Harry.
The entry doors swung open again, and Luna Lovegood walked inside with a smile. She took a few moments to gaze around the room in awe and wonder and gave a small sigh to herself before she noticed the other people in the room. Her bright blue eyes were wide in anticipation, "I must say, your timing is rather impeccable. I had my coin buried in my garden for good luck a few days ago. Then it rained, and it reappeared. Quite extraordinary. "
As the morning progressed, more and more students began to show up and fill up the cushions on the ground. Their sombre faces were apparent as they walked in, and Harry acknowledged that this meeting will not start on a happy note. It has been almost two weeks since the Battle of Hogwarts ended, and the events were still far too raw in everyone's minds. Since then, everyone had dispersed and tried to rebuild their lives as they all came to terms with loss, trauma, and the horrors that they have had to witness since Death Eaters infiltrated the school. It was extremely difficult for everyone to be here.
Harry watched as more familiar faces found their seat, although he did notice that there were many who chose to ignore the call. He understood – He would have felt the same too. As the students wandered inside the Room, he saw some of them console each other. The Gryffindor realised that many of them had not seen each other since the Battle ended – If any, this meeting felt more like a wake and a reunion. Suddenly the awe of the revived Room disappeared from his mind and was replaced by an inherent sadness.
Hermione rummaged through her bag and pulled out the original Dumbledore's Army list with a spare quill, and soberly placed it on the newly appeared table behind her.
Already seated were Katie Bell, Seamus Finnigan and Hannah Abbott. Dean Thomas and Susan Bones were shuffling to find a spot, as the Parvati twins and Lee Jorden followed soon after. Eventually arriving were Cho Chang, Dennis Creevey, and Angelina Johnson, and the only one that Harry understood would not show up, was George Weasley. Once Neville, Luna, Hermione, Ron and Ginny sat down, the room was silent as they watched Harry Potter take his seat at the front beside Ron. Harry struggled to look up at the familiar faces gazing up at him – He could only share their devastated gazes as he paused to find the right words. He was struggling.
Eventually, he mustered up the courage to speak but his voice was hoarse, "I know this meeting may have come as a surprise for you…After everything that has happened, I don't blame you for wanting to ignore it. "Harry swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat, as his heart began to race again, "We lost a lot of people that day. It is…difficult for us all. "
Harry looked down at his hands and noticed that they were trembling slightly. He drew in another deep breath, and looked back at the group, still silent and watching. "Words cannot express how proud I am of all of you. You didn't have to stay and fight, but you did. Hogwarts is still standing because of you. Those we lost, would have been proud of you, too. "
There were a few sniffles in the room, and he noticed that many of them were huddled against each other in reassurance. The Parvati twins were silently weeping together, while Dean Thomas had a comforting arm around Susan Bones. Cho Chang was sitting alone, but her head was buried in her hands as tears streamed down her face. Ginny was leaning up against her brother Ron, and Hermione's eyes welled up with tears. Harry could not find a single person in the room unaffected by the tragedy they all experienced together.
He was not alone.
Respecting the sombre silence, Harry gently withdrew his wand, and raised it shakily up over his head, lighting it up with Lumos. Holding back tears, Harry continued, "I want you all to raise your wands for those we lost amongst us. "As soon as they watched Harry, one by one, each of the students retrieved their wand and lit them simultaneously, as their collective lights were raised in the air in respect to the fallen. "To our fallen friends and family in the DA – Fred Weasley. Lavender Brown. Colin Creevey. Michael Corner. Anthony Goldstein. Earnie Macmillan. And Alicia Spinnet."
Harry could feel a tear trailing down his cheek, "And to all others who we lost within Hogwarts. Students, teachers, and allies…They all gave their lives to protect us all. They will never be forgotten."
There was a moment of silence, as everyone in the room sat there with their wands raised. Harry could hear a few of them crying, and he closed his eyes as the weight of the last few weeks plummeted down onto his chest. His anxiety was increased tenfold, and he had to bite back the urge to weep. He just could not do it in front of them. The sadness in the room was almost suffocating. The collective grief was heartbreaking, and he could feel the devastation of that immensely.
Once he could take the silence no more, he extinguished his wand light and placed it back in his pocket. Soon after, everyone else slowly followed suit without a word. Harry drew in another deep breath and gently released it, as so to settle his racing heart, "There are a few things that I want to address. I understand it is hard for you to be here, and I completely respect that. I appreciate you all being here. However – The next thing I want to ask is completely your choice, and I don't expect you to stand with me on this. You may have already heard that there were a group of Death Eaters who were unable to be captured at the end of the Battle. They are going after anyone who opposed them - Even their own. Right now, we are still treading on dangerous ground. And a few of us have decided we want to keep fighting and help the Ministry in finding the last of them…"
Suddenly, there were multiple voices speaking at once in protest, and Harry found it difficult to concentrate amongst the rising voices. "Just hear me out, okay? I don't like this any more than you do, but it's only a matter of time until they come after us again. I want to finally end this, and as I said, I don't expect you all to support us on this -"
"- You're barking mad! After what we've just been through, you want to send us out again?" Seamus was the first to speak out.
"Harry, we've done enough," Angelina Johnson spoke as she wiped a tear from her face, "What more could we possibly do?"
Harry nodded, "I get it. I know. As I said, I am not expecting you all to join me. I want to end this. If anything, this is a call to arms." Desperate, he looked to Hermione for some intellectual moral support.
"We understand if you want to be with your families - This is merely of interest. Since the loss of the majority of the Order of the Phoenix, we've chosen to step up and assist them, " Hermione explained. "We want to ensure everyone's safety."
"Blimey, we are not going to send you all on dangerous missions," Ron interjected, "And for the record, we are not looking for active participation. If you do, then great. Otherwise, we want to know that if we do need help, you will have our back. That's all."
"So, we have a choice?" Padma Patil said quietly.
"Of course, you do. You all have a choice," Harry nodded. "A previous Order headquarters was compromised. We want to reclaim it as a base, and use it as a safe house when needed. It won't be here."
Lee Jordon looked confused, "What did you mean by 'active participation?'"
Harry looked at Ron, then back at Lee as he took over the question, "Meaning, you don't have to fight on the frontlines. If you want to help, but don't want to fight, you can help us by trying to seek out information. Keep an eye on other newspapers, or sources of information, that may help us to uncover where they are hiding out or planning. Every bit helps. We need valuable intel."
"We don't want to force you into something that you don't want to do, " Hermione retorted, "Alright? I left the original sign-up list behind me, so those interested in helping can indicate in doing so. As mentioned – it's purely your choice."
There was silence amongst the group, and slowly, there were a few nods. They did not look all that convinced, and Harry felt like they just wasted everybody's time. They were not as enthusiastic as Harry expected, but after everything, could he blame them? One by one, the DA members left except for Seamus, Dean, Katie, Neville and Luna. There was a sombre shuffle, and soon enough the meeting was over.
Dean approached the others with Seamus by his side, "Harry, I'm keen to help. You're right, we can't just do nothing."
Beside him, Seamus looked rather moody, but eventually, he nodded in support of his best friend, "Frankly, I think it's completely mad that you decided to do this. But I suppose I can help out if you need."
Katie Bell nodded, as she joined them, "I'm with Seamus on this one. I'd feel terrible if you went about it by yourselves – Count me in. Let's go get 'em."
Harry was relieved, "Thanks. I know it seems like an impossible and selfish request, but…we could really use the help."
Shaking her long blonde hair, Luna tilted her head towards Harry, "It's not selfish, Harry. Quite noble, actually. I'd be happy to help. After all, I'd most likely be sitting alone at home - Chess is awfully boring by yourself."
Harry hesitated at the comment, and nodded in acknowledgement, "Thanks, Luna." He turned to the others, "Right now, I want to re-establish headquarters. It had a Fidelius Charm previously, but that was since compromised. The house elf there is not responding to my call."
"So, what would you like us to do?" Dean asked.
"For now, we'll handle Grimmauld Place. What we need are eyes elsewhere. Hogsmeade. Diagon Alley – Though, I'd suggest keeping away from Knockturn Alley for the time being. "
Dean nodded, "Alright. We'll see what we can find out. I wonder if the Leaky Cauldron is still open. "
"Just…stay vigilant, okay?" Harry warned them.
Hermione glanced over at the DA list she left on the table and was disheartened to see that several members had left behind their coins.
Ron followed her uneasy gaze and shrugged, "Well, we tried. We can't force them. For now, we are enough."
"Until we're not," Harry turned to the remaining members.
Deciding that it was time to put back the effort into the DA again, Harry began to formulate tasks for the members still eager to help. There was still much to do, especially as they had no real direction as far as tracking them, goes. He knew for a fact that something had happened at Grimmauld Place and taking it back within their grasp was at the top of their list of priorities. Second, on Harry's personal list, was to find out where Snape went. After the fight down in the Forbidden Forrest last night, the ex-Death Eater failed to show up back to Hogwarts after he made sure the young children and the Gryffindors were safe within Hogwarts. But Harry could not help but worry if he had been discovered. Surely not – The man avoided detection as a double agent for years. If anyone could avoid being seen or recognised, it was Severus Snape.
Hermione had come up with a brilliant idea to charm the gold coins as an emergency beacon in case anyone ran into unnecessary trouble. To alert the other members, one would hold the coin in their palm, and chant Mitto Auxilium to activate the coins and emit a small charge to the other coins. Much like the master coin displaying a time and date, it will appear with a name and a magical charge which can allow the user to Apparate to their location, or close enough, depending on the surrounding enchantments and wards. Much like a magical one-way pull.
Once Harry was satisfied enough with their additional team, he sent Dean, Seamus and Katie to Diagon Alley to scope out the situation there, while Neville, Luna and Ginny decided to investigate Hogsmead and attempt to uncover any suspicious activity. There was an exceptionally high chance that no dark wizard will be lurking in those two locations, but they had to start somewhere. For all they knew, they could be posing as the locals, or using the Imperious Curse or Confundo Charm to keep their location concealed from other bystanders. There was a multitude of ways they could be keeping themselves hidden, and it would be extremely easy for them to induce fear among those who did not want to fight or were too afraid to. Fear makes one incredibly vulnerable.
Throughout the afternoon, the Trio converged in the now eerily empty Library at Hogwarts to discuss ideas upon breaking back into Grimmauld Place. Never in their right mind would they have ever considered the possibility of discussing a home break-in, but here they were, doing just that. Harry suddenly felt like a criminal – This idea felt just as terrible as trying to break into Gringott's Bank. Without the urgency of the Horcrux, breaking into a home – specifically one that was owned by Sirius Black – was absolutely insane. But the thought of his Godfather was an even bigger incentive to get that home back into his possession. After all, everything Sirius owned now belonged to Harry since his death. He would be damned if it let it be taken by Dark Wizards.
Eventually, the others returned from their delegated locations and discussed what they could.
Diagon Alley was still deserted – According to Katie, there were a few people inside the shopfronts, but presumably there for the clean-up and repairs. Despite that, it was still rather eerie to be there without the usual crowds of families and students preparing for the school year. The Leaky Cauldron was not as empty as they expected. Though they did not blame the locals for wanting to get drunk on Firewhiskey to drown out their anxiety and their troubles signifying the end of the war. With Harry's warning, they avoided Knockturn Alley, and they decided to scope that location out when they were more prepared. Hogsmead was essentially the same - However, those who still resided there had been warned of the dark wizards on the run, so many locals were too frightened to leave their homes. The Three Broomsticks was practically deserted – Not even Madam Rosmerta could be seen. Neville and his group concluded that she may have abandoned the post – possibly for fear of being targeted. The famous bar was destroyed in its interior, but they could not gather if that was a recent attack. Quickly deeming that location unsafe, they relayed that information back to the others at Hogwarts.
Ron and Ginny returned home to the Burrow to check in with their family. Least of all, they did not want Arthur or Molly to worry about their whereabouts. Ron decided that they try and coax their father into spilling some information that they could deem valuable, and Ginny was concerned about leaving George at home alone to grieve the loss of his twin.
Concerned, Hermione Granger decided to make a visit home and make sure her parents were safe. Even despite the wards and disillusionment charms, she placed on the house, the thought of the looming threat still caused her to feel incredibly uneasy.
At this point, Harry remained in the library with a large tome on Revealing the Unseen, when he was visited by wisps of familiar blue-white light in the shape of a doe. Placing down the quill he was using to write down notes on the parchment beside him, he turned his attention to the Patronus in his company.
A familiar deep drawl emanated from the gentle creature, "Potter. Meet me immediately by the Thestrals. Ensure the Cloak is with you." Once the message was received, the doe's smoky form dissipated.
Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved or concerned by Severus Snape requesting his presence, but sensing the urgency within the message, he made a detour to his dormitory bed to retrieve the Cloak and headed back downstairs to meet with the man again.
The Gryffindor had an idea.
CH 11: Rise Up