A True Gryffindor

Neville and Ginny knew that most of the DA's former members would be unlikely to notice their enchanted Galleons glowing over the next few days, so they enlisted the help of Seamus and Luna Lovegood to pass on the message to those who needed to know.

On the evening of the first Thursday of term, Neville, Ginny and Luna sat on the floor in the Room of Requirement, waiting for the others. The room was much the same as it had been two years before, when the same students had used it to practise defensive spells, but Neville had pinned a Chocolate Frog card showing Albus Dumbledore's portrait on a corkboard. The room was silent, each student not wanting to speak in case they missed the sound of the others approaching.

Eventually the door opened and Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott and Susan Bones entered, shutting the door quietly behind them. More students stepped through the door in small groups minutes apart, and half an hour later, a modest crowd had assembled on the floor, some students chatting animatedly with old friends, others gazing at the once-familiar surroundings in which they sat. Neville counted the crowd under his breath. There were 14 students in total. Everyone from the former Dumbledore's Army who was still at Hogwarts had decided to join again, including Seamus, who had only attended their last meeting during his and Neville's fifth year. Ginny nudged Neville, who glowered at her and scrambled to his feet, clearing his throat.

"Er, hi, everyone... welcome back." He paused, looking around. He saw Luna nod encouragingly, and continued with his speech. "We know why we're here. The school is under the control of, er, You-Know-Who, and students are being abused. We need to unite and protect each other from Snape and the Carrows."

"I agree," added Seamus. Several other people murmured.

"I think that if Harry Potter were here, he'd probably be running the DA like he used to, but..." Neville went quiet as Zacharias Smith interrupted.

"But instead he's on the run, so it's up t o us to look after ourselves, is that it?"

"I don't think that's what Neville-"

"He's not on the run, Smith." It was the first time Ginny had spoken since the meeting began. Every face in the room turned in her direction. "I don't know where he is, or exactly what he's doing, but he said something about a mission for Dumbledore before he, Ron and Hermione left." Smith flushed. He had obviously forgotten that Ginny had spent time under the same roof as Harry during the summer.

"If you don't want to respect Harry, Smith, you can leave." Neville looked around at the small crowd. "So can anyone else." Nobody moved. "All right," said Neville, "sign the parchment." He passed around a scroll and a quill. None of the group appeared apprehensive about signing the list this time. Perhaps the prospect of torture had frightened many of them into wanting to unite against the Carrows and Snape.

As the other students left in small groups to avoid attention in the corridor, Neville approached Ginny and Luna. "I've got an idea," he told them. "Something to raise morale..."

***

Ginny leaned against the wall and peered around the corner, wand aloft. Deciding that the corridor was empty, she silently motioned with her hand for Neville and Luna to follow, carrying an old sheet that Neville had found in his dormitory. It was from his first year, and he and other Gryffindors had decorated it for Harry's first Quidditch match.

The moonlight streamed in through the windows of the Entrance Hall, casting slender rectangles of light on the stone floor. The three Gryffindors moved silently across the Hall, halting at the foot of a bare wall. Ginny raised her wand as Luna and Neville held up the sheet and let go of the fabric.

"Wingardium Leviosa," whispered Ginny. She guided the sheet to a suitable height and fixed it to the wall with a Permanent Sticking Charm. The three students left the way they came, taking care not to make any noise.

***

Severus Snape was distracted from his thoughts by a great deal of giggling on his way into the Great Hall for breakfast on Friday morning. He paused, turning his head to discover the source. A large number of students around the Entrance Hall were pointing to something on the wall and whispering. Snape whirled on the spot and gaped. A large banner hung there, bearing the proclamation Potter for President and a Gryffindor Lion. The background was slightly faded now, but occasionally flickered different colours. Snape's mouth curled into a thin snarl as he scanned the sea of students to find a guilty face.

"Get away, go to breakfast!" he snapped at a group of Hufflepuff boys as he strode up to the banner. He aimed his wand at the banner to wordlessly remove it; nothing happened. He tried to Vanish the banner but it still stayed firmly in place. Cursing audibly, he whirled around and stormed to his office, knocking over several students in his path.

Standing inconspicuously near the back of the gathering, Neville surveyed the students. He smiled at the expressions of hope on many faces at the reminder of Harry on the wall. Harry Potter, he remarked to himself. The students' hero, even when he's not at school.

His hopes were dashed considerably upon leaving the Great Hall after breakfast, however, for a horribly memorable notice was pinned to the wall below the sheet. Neville pointed this out to Ernie Macmillan, who was walking with him, and they crossed the Hall to read it.

BY ORDER OF THE HEADMASTER OF HOGWARTS

All student organisations, societies, teams, groups and clubs are henceforth disbanded.

An organisation, society, team, group or club is hereby defined as a regular meeting of three or more students.

Permission to re-form may be sought from the Headmaster (Professor Snape).

No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist without the knowledge and approval of the Headmaster.

Any student found to have formed, or belong to, an organisation, society, team, group or club that has not been approved by the Headmaster will be expelled.

Signed: Severus Snape, Headmaster.

Ernie gasped.

"How did he know it was the DA?" he whispered.

"Ssshhh!" hissed Neville. "Not here, for Merlin's sake!" He glanced around to check that no one had overheard. He, however, had wondered the same thing.

***

"Impossible!" whispered Ginny, when Neville told her that lunchtime in the library. "No-one would have told him, they were all too scared of the Carrows to admit to being part of the DA!"

"Maybe he's got some of your brothers' Extendable Ears, and overheard the meeting?" suggested Luna, sitting across from Ginny and stroking Trevor the toad. Ginny shook her head.

"I doubt it, Luna; he'd have to have known that we were planning the meeting in the first place. I think he knows it's us, Neville. We've all been involved with the DA before, and only you and Seamus remembered the bed sheet."

Neville nodded, silently cursing himself. It had been foolish to use an identifiable banner; he could see that now. He would have to be more careful in future as Snape would be watching him closely. But it was worth it! He reminded himself. Seeing someone rebel gave the other students hope.

***

Over the following days, the DA met again more than once in the Room of Requirement to discuss other ways to oppose the new staff. The Potter for President banner remained on the wall of the Entrance Hall, neither Snape nor the Carrows being able to remove it, nor any of the other staff willing to volunteer. A group of second-year Ravenclaws were liberated from detention in one of the dungeons while Amycus Carrow was fetching manacles one afternoon, and someone had charmed the chalk in Alecto Carrow's classroom to write Long live the Boy Who Lived repeatedly on her chalkboard. Snape suspected Ginny Weasley of this crime; but Michael Corner and Luna Lovegood both claimed to have seen Ginny in the Library on the evening in question. Neville regarded each of these acts as a blow to the Death Eaters and the regime they were forcing upon Hogwarts.

Amycus and Alecto, on the other hand, were finding increasingly cruel ways to punish outspoken students. The seventh-year Dark Arts class had now begun to practice the Cruciatus Curse on human victims. A terrified first-year Gryffindor who had been given detention was the first of many students to be used as a target for the older students to practice on while Amycus breathed down the backs of their necks. Every time a student refused, they were treated to the Sectumsempra Curse.

Neville found himself defending Harry at DA meetings as many students began to lose faith in the Boy Who Lived.

"Did he give you any clues, any at all, about what hewould be doing this year?" he demanded of Ginny one evening, as they satin the Gryffindor common room.

"Well, they sat up in Ron's room every night planning what to do, but they madethe door impervious to Extendables," she responded. "But there was a lot of fuss over Dumbledore's will... I think he left them stuff that they'd need on their way." Her eyes widened and she looked at Neville. "The Sword! Dumbledore wanted to leave Harry the Sword of Gryffindor but Scrimgeour refused!" she exclaimed. "I remember the shouting. Maybe we can help him, Neville! The Sword should be in Snape's office- if we can get it, we may be able to give it to them!"

Neville did not know of a way they could possibly give the Sword to Harry, Ron and Hermione, but if it helped to destroy Voldemort, it was worth getting the Sword.