I walked into the Slytherin common room, and noticed a large sign covering up the notice board.

BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR 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 High Inquisitor

(Professor Umbridge).

No student organisation, society, team, group or club may exist

without the knowledge and approval of the High Inquisitor.

Any student found to have formed, or to belong to, an organisation,

society, team, group or club that has not been approved by

the High Inquisitor will be expelled.

The above is in accordance with Educational Decree

Number Twenty-four.

Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor

I gritted my teeth upon reading it myself. Someone must have ratted something about Harry's secret group. It could've been someone from the group or someone in the bar at the same time as us. But who?

~~~~

There was a peculiar intensity about the chatter and an extra measure of movement in the Hall as people scurried up and down their tables conferring on what they had read. Harry, Ron and Hermione had barely taken their seats when Neville, Dean, Fred, George and Ginny and I descended upon them.

"Did you see it?"

"D'you reckon she knows?"

"What are we going to do?"

They were all looking at Harry. He glanced around to make sure there were no teachers near them.

"We're going to do it anyway, of course,'" he said quietly.

"Knew you'd say that," said George, beaming and thumping Harry on the arm.

"The prefects as well?" said Fred, looking quizzically at Ron and Hermione.

"Of course," said Hermione coolly.

"Even you?" Harry asked his eyes widening.

"I don't back out of a challenge." I said, smirking.

"That's my girl!" Fred grinned, throwing his arm around me.

~~~~

I snuck into the Gryffindor common room, but at this point they just let me in, as I was always with Fred and George. I sat down on a sofa and looked at Fred and George, who were demonstrating their newly perfected Skiving Snackbox, that they had me help enchant.

First, Fred would take a bite out of the orange end of a chew, at which he would vomit spectacularly into a bucket they had placed in front of them. Then he would force down the purple end of the chew, at which the vomiting would immediately cease. Lee Jordan, who was assisting the demonstration, was lazily Vanishing the vomit at regular intervals with the same vanishing spell Snape used in his potions class on students who messed up.

It was a long while before the crowd around the twins dispersed, and I finally made my way over to Fred.

"No kisses until you brush your teeth." I chortled softly.

"You were here the whole time?" His eyes widened in slight embarrassment.

"Yeah." I smiled. "Oh shit it's like midnight, I've gotta go!"

"Bye!" Fred yelled after me.

~~~~

Fred and I walked into what we thought was a broom closet, and entered a large room with Harry, Ron, and Hermione inside. Books of jinxes and spells lined the walls.

By the time eight o'clock arrived, every cushion was occupied. Harry moved across to the door and turned the key protruding from the lock; it clicked in a satisfyingly loud way and everybody fell silent, looking at him.

"Well," said Harry, slightly nervously. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've - er - obviously found it okay -"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho, and several people murmured their agreement.

"It's bizarre," said Fred, frowning around at it. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then . . ."

"Hey, Harry, what's this stuff?" asked Dean from the rear of the room, indicating the Sneakoscopes and the Foe-Glass.

"Dark Detectors," said Harry, stepping between the cushions to reach them. "Basically they all show when Dark wizards or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled . . ."

Well, I've been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and - er -" He noticed a raised hand. "What, Hermione?"

"I think we ought to elect a leader," said Hermione.

"Harry's leader," said Cho at once, looking at Hermione as though she were mad.

"Yes, but I think we ought to vote on it properly," said Hermione, unperturbed. "It makes it formal and it gives him authority. So - everyone who thinks Harry ought to be our leader?"

Everybody put up their hands, even Zacharias Smith, though he did it very halfheartedly.

"Er - right, thanks," said Harry, who could feel his face burning. "And - what, Hermione?"

"I also think we ought to have a name," she said brightly, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" said Angelina hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred, plopping a cheeky kiss on my cheek.

"I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred, "more of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"The Defense Association?" said Cho. "The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good," said Ginny. "Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"

There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring and laughter at this.

"All in favor of the D.A.?" said Hermione bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority - motion passed!"

She pinned the piece of paper with all of their names on it on the wall and wrote DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY across the top in large letters.

"Right," said Harry, when she had sat down again, "shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful -"

"Oh please, " said Zacharias Smith, rolling his eyes and folding his arms. "I don't think Expelliarmus is exactly going to help us against You-Know-Who, do you?"

"I've used it against him," said Harry quietly. "It saved my life last June."

Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet.

"But if you think it's beneath you, you can leave," Harry said.

Smith did not move. Nor did anybody else.
"Okay," said Harry, his mouth slightly drier than usual with all those eyes upon him, "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

I partnered with Fred, and George partnered with Lee.

"You can practice with me," Harry told Neville, who was awkwardly shuffling in place to the side of everyone. "Right - on the count of three, then - one, two, three -"

The room was suddenly full of shouts of
"Expelliarmus!" : Wands flew in all directions, missed spells hit books on shelves and sent them flying into the air.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that my spell did in fact disarm Fred, knocking his wand out of his hand. I proceeded to gather win after win against Fred, making him all the more glum. His younger brother, Ron, was also struggling against Hermione, who just like me was winning nearly every match against Ron, but was rather sore whenever he came out on top.

"Well, that was pretty good," said Harry, "but we've overrun, we'd better leave it here. Same time, same place next week?"

"Sooner!" said Dean Thomas eagerly and many people nodded in agreement.

Angelina, however, said quickly, "The Quidditch season's about to start, we need team practices too!"
"Let's say next Wednesday night, then," said Harry, "and we can decide on additional meetings then. . . . Come on, we'd better get going . . ."

He pulled out the Marauder's Map again and checked it carefully for signs of teachers on the seventh floor. Harry let us leave in threes and fours, the twins, Lee, and I leaving first.

"I knew you would be good, but I didn't know you would wipe the floor with my face." Fred playfully pouted as we walked.

"Mate she's a head girl, and you only have three owls." George and Lee snickered.

"Freddie you were good, and you got some good hits in there." I smiled at him. "You posed a good challenge."

"Hear that boys, I'm not a sore loser." Fred beamed.

~~~~

Hermione soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the next meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice, because it would look so suspicious if people from different Houses were seen crossing the Great Hall to talk to each other too often. She gave each of the members of the D.A. a fake Galleon.

You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione said, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. "On real Galleons that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, though, the numbers will change to reflect the time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow hot when the date changes, so if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic his."

"Smart girl." I chortled, examining the coin in my hand. "You know that a Protean Charm is a N.E.W.T level spell?"

"Oh," said Hermione, trying to look modest. "Oh . . . well . . . yes, I suppose it is . . ."

"Maybe you could help me study sometime." I patted her on the back.

~~~~

The morning of the first quidditch game was bright and cold. I awoke to Fred snoring loudly next to me. He looked so relaxed and peaceful, it made me not want to wake him. I gently stroked the loose hairs framing his sleeping face. He was the only guy I've ever considered perfect. Sure I've seen hot guys, maybe even drooled a little, but Freddie was the only one that made me feel this way just by being there.

"Freddie..." I whispered, and his eyes slowly opened, a smile forming on his lips.

"Today's your first match." I said, placing a small kiss on his nose.

"Will you be there?" He asked drowsily.

"Of course, and I'll be your number one fan. Now come on, get dressed, breakfast is in 15 minutes."

~~~~

The Great Hall was filling up fast when we arrived, the talk louder and the mood more exuberant than usual. Fred and I sat down next to George and Lee at the Gryffindor table, who have already arrived and were waving us over.

"It never ceases to amaze me to see a Slytherin wearing red and gold at our games." Lee Jordan sighed. "How the hell does Fred get a girl like that?"

"By using these bad boys." Fred flexed his biceps, which were barely visible under his robes.

"It's true, I find them irresistible." I giggled, planting a kiss on Fred's cheek.

~~~~

"Captains shake hands," ordered the umpire, Madam Hooch, as Angelina and Montague reached each other. I could tell that Montague was trying to crush Angelina's fingers, though she did not wince. "Mount your brooms . . ."

Madam Hooch placed her whistle in her mouth and blew. The balls were released and the fourteen players shot upward. I could see Ron streak off to the goal posts. Meanwhile Harry was actively searching for the snitch. Fred and George were beating bludgers left and right from Harry, and I cheered louder every time Fred hit one.

"And it's Johnson, Johnson with the Quaffle, what a player that girl is, I've been saying it for years but she still won't go out with me -"

"JORDAN!" yelled Professor McGonagall.

"Just a fun fact, Professor, adds a bit of interest - and she's ducked Warrington, she's passed Montague, she's - ouch - been hit from behind by a Bludger from Crabbe. . . . Montague catches the Quaffle, Montague heading back up the pitch and - nice Bludger there from George Weasley, that's a Bludger to the head for Montague, he drops the Quaffle, caught by Katie Bell, Katie Bell of Gryffindor reverse passes to Alicia Spinnet and Spinnet's away -"

Lee's commentary rang through the stadium.

"- dodges Warrington, avoids a Bludger - close call, Alicia - and the crowd are loving this, just listen to them, what's that they're singing?"
And as Lee paused to listen the song rose loud and clear from the sea of green and silver in the Slytherin section of the stands:

Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring,
That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King.

Weasley was born in a bin,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley will make sure we win,
Weasley is our King.

"- and Alicia passes back to Angelina!" Lee shouted, and as Harry swerved, his insides boiling at what he had just heard, he knew Lee was trying to drown out the sound of the singing. "Come on now, Angelina - looks like she's got just the Keeper to beat! - SHE SHOOTS - SHE - aaaah . . ."

Bletchley, the Slytherin Keeper, had saved the goal; he threw the Quaffle to Warrington who sped off with it, zigzagging in between Alicia and Katie; the singing from below grew louder and louder as he drew nearer and nearer Ron -

Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He always lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King.

I wanted to do something so badly, and the look on Ron's face made me want to punch every single one of my house mates, but there was nothing I could do.

"- and it's Warrington with the Quaffle, Warrington heading for goal, he's out of Bludger range with just the Keeper ahead -"
A great swell of song rose from the Slytherin stands.

Weasley cannot save a thing,
He cannot block a single ring . . .

"- so it's the first test for new Gryffindor Keeper, Weasley, brother of Beaters, Fred and George, and a promising new talent on the team - come on, Ron!"
But the scream of delight came from the Slytherin end: Ron had dived wildly, his arms wide, and the Quaffle had soared between them, straight through Ron's central hoop.

"Slytherin score!" came Lee's voice amid the cheering and booing from the crowds below. "So that's ten-nil to Slytherin - bad luck, Ron . . ."
The Slytherins sang even louder:

WEASLEY WAS BORN IN A BIN,
HE ALWAYS LETS THE QUAFFLE IN . . .

"- and Gryffindor back in possession and it's Katie Bell tanking up the pitch -" cried Lee valiantly, though the singing was now so deafening that he could hardly make himself heard above it.

This went on for a bit, until Harry finally spotted the snitch.

Feet from the ground, I saw Harry lift his right hand from his broom, stretching toward the Snitch . . . to his right, Malfoy was also reaching for the small golden ball.

It was over in two breathless, desperate, windswept seconds - Harry's fingers closed around the tiny, struggling ball - Malfoy's fingernails scrabbled the back of Harry's hand hopelessly - Harry pulled his broom upward, holding the struggling ball in his hand and the Gryffindor spectators screamed their approval. . . .

Gryffindor were saved, it did not matter that Ron had let in those goals, nobody would remember as long as Gryffindor had won!

WHAM!

A bludger hit by Crabbe hit Harry in the back, making me wince. I ran over to Fred, who had just landed and pulled him into a bear hug, as the rest of the team crowded around Harry.

"We wanted to write another couple of verses!" I heard Malfoy call, as Katie and Alicia hugged Harry. "But we couldn't find rhymes for fat and ugly - we wanted to sing about his mother, see -"

"- we couldn't fit in useless loser either - for his father, you know -"

Fred realised what Draco was talking about and tensed up, along with George.

"Leave it, Fred, let him yell, he's just sore he lost, the jumped-up little -" I tried to de escalate.

"- but you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" said Malfoy, sneering. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't see how you stand the stink, but I suppose when you've been dragged up by Muggles even the Weasleys' hovel smells okay -"

Harry grabbed hold of George; meanwhile it was taking the combined efforts of Angelina, Alicia, and myself to stop Fred from leaping on Draco, who was laughing openly.

"Or perhaps," said Malfoy, leering as he backed away, "you can remember what your mother's house stank like, Potter, and Weasley's pigsty reminds you of it -"

Harry suddenly let go of George, and both of the boys ran at Malfoy, tackling him to the ground and starting to beat him. Suddenly a knock back spell was shouted, and both Harry and George were thrown off Draco.

"What do you think you're doing?" screamed Madam Hooch,

Malfoy was curled up on the ground, whimpering and moaning, his nose bloody; George was sporting a swollen lip; Fred was still being forcibly restrained by three chasers and myself.

"I've never seen behavior like it - back up to the castle, both of you, and straight to your Head of House's office! Go! Now! "

Harry and George marched off the pitch, and I finally loosened my grip on Fred, finally aware at the pressure applied to my arm from the chasers on either side of me, and drawing back in pain.

~~~~

Banned. Umbitch BANNED Fred. For a fight he didn't even get into! I sat on my bed, Fred's head laying on my lap, his body curled in the fetal position next to me, trying his best not to burst out angry crying. To be fair, I was as well.

"Freddie, I'm so sorry, if I'd have known they would've kicked you off the team I wouldn't have held you back, so at least you could've packed in a few good ones." I said, in a poor attempt to make a joke, resulting in a loud groan escaping Fred's lips.

"Oh Freddie, what if I talk to her, I am a head girl-"

"Oh give it up, she's not gonna listen to you, especially after your outburst in DADA." He snarled.

"Outburst?" I asked, a little hurt.

"Sorry, that came out wrong," Fred's scowl left his face, and he sat up, taking my hand. "I meant she won't listed to you after how you stood up to her."

"It's ok Freddie."