The Defense Association

Third Person P.O.V.

It was almost the end of the weekend and all of the demigods were just on a mutual understanding to meet up again at the Room of Requirements. But when they saw the notice board they knew something was definitely up with this new Professor.

— by order of —

The High Inquisitor of Hogwarts

All Student Organizations, Societies, Teams, Groups, and Clubs are henceforth disbanded. An Organization, 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 Organization, 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 Organization, 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

It didn't take anyone stupid to know that this was a way of silencing the secret Defense Against the Dark Arts club. Much to the golden trio dismay.

"'Mione you think the new transfers told Professor Umbridge," Ron ask as they sit down to eat.

"They couldn't have. I jinxed the parchment so we would know if they did it," Hermione commented.

Harry nods. He wasn't as suspicious of the demigods as Hermione. She was still researching them to comprehend what in the world they are. And she got nothing from her research. There is no way for her to distinguish whether or not the transfers are really there to help them.

"We have nowhere to meet up," Harry says.

"I'm trying to figure that out as well," Hermione state as she was rummaging through theories that would get her to have dirt on the demigods.

The golden trio found the Room of Requirements the day of the demigod's secret meeting. They passed by the place two times before the third time came to the same door the demigods saw their first time.

The golden trio entered the room. Harry being the first one to enter. He sees Percy and Jason sparring with swords. Thalia was showing Asteria the proper way to use a bow and arrow. Annabeth was reading up on her homework with Piper while Hazel and Nico talking with each other in some language they didn't know.

Hermione was surprised by the fact that the demigods were secretly gathering at the same time as them.

Thalia was the one to notice them. She continues giving Asteria tips before going towards the trio.

"We weren't expecting you. Is there a reason why you're here," Thalia says, her body was sparking with electricity.

She was prepared to confuse their memory of this event. That was until Asteria noticed Thalia gone. She quickly puts her things down and rushes to Thalia.

"It's eight o'clock already. I mean we didn't expect you to be coming to the same place as our meeting either," Asteria says.

This put the trio on guard as all the demigods were now actively paying to who just came in. No one was sparring, or speaking at all. The tension was only lifted when there was a gentle knock on the door. Harry looked around; Ginny, Neville, Lavender, Parvati, and Dean had arrived.

"Whoa," said Dean, staring around, impressed. "What is this place?"

"Oh, I believe it's a room for us to practice," Asteria said with a smile.

It slightly surprised the newcomers coming into a place that looks much more like Ancient Greek architecture. Harry nodded as more people came in. The demigods sat on cushions behind all the other wizards and witches coming into the room. 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. Hermione carefully marked her page of Jinxes for the Jinxed and set the book aside.

"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. . . ."

The students were looking at everything but not at the swords lined up against another section of the room. It was clear to the demigods that everyone didn't have care about actually about hand to hand combat.

"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, and Harry's stomach did yet another backflip.

"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 half-heartedly.

"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.

"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 were a couple of murmurs of appreciation and the demigods whispering to themselves.

"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?"

"And I can cut you into pieces," Asteria calls out. "Just shut up won't you."

Everyone was slightly surprised by Asteria's outburst. Thalia was trying to contain her laughter while Annabeth nudging her to stop.

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

The moment the demigods heard what he whispers and started to laugh hysterically. Smith opened his mouth stupidly. The rest of the room was very quiet with the exception of the demigods.

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

Smith did not move. Nor did any other of the students. The only one moving was the demigods as they tried to stop from going into a fit. Only Frank and Nico seem to be calm. With Nico being the one smirking at what was happening

"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."

It felt very odd to be issuing instructions, but not nearly as odd as seeing them followed. Everybody got to their feet at once and divided up. Predictably, Neville was left partnerless.

"You can practice with me," Harry told him. "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. Harry was too quick for Neville, whose wand went spinning out of his hand, hit the ceiling in a shower of sparks, and landed with a clatter on top of a bookshelf, from which Harry retrieved it with a Summoning Charm. Glancing around he thought he had been right to suggest that they practice the basics first; there was a lot of shoddy spellwork going on; many people were not succeeding in disarming their opponents at all, but merely causing them to jump back a few paces or wince as the feeble spell whooshed over them.

"Expelliarmus!" said Neville, and Harry caught unawares, felt his wand fly out of his hand.

"I DID IT!" said Neville gleefully. "I've never done it before — I DID IT!"

"Good one!" said Harry encouragingly, deciding not to point out that in a real duel situation Neville's opponent was unlikely to be staring in the opposite direction with his wand held loosely at his side. "Listen, Neville, can you take it in turns to practice with Ron and Hermione for a couple of minutes so I can walk around and see how the rest are doing?"

The demigods seem to have gotten the gist of the disarming charm. But it got quite boring to them as Harry walks around observing everyone else performance. The only ones to slip back into the fighting ring was Asteria and Thalia, who this time were not using bow and arrows. The clashing of swords was not heard with all of the students practicing. It was only when Harry call for everyone to leave that the people notice the fighting going down between them. But it was only for a second before they had to leave out to their dorms.

Hermione was the only one taking great care to make sure that the new transfer didn't leave last. That's when she took notice to where they were fighting in. And ideas began to swirl in her head.