Chapter 32

It was now two weeks into the term. Harry and his Gryffindor friends headed out from the common room, on their way to their second Dueling Club meeting with Professor Flitwick. There they would be seeing a number of other students, most from Slytherin, the balance made up of those former members of Dumbledore's Army who had decided to stay with Harry when he'd terminated the DA.

The last meeting of the defence against the dark arts club had been most unpleasant, for Harry had faced a hostile crowd. But not without support, for with him were all the Weasleys, along with Hermione, Neville and Imogen. But almost everyone else was very, very angry. As usual, they'd come to the Room of Requirement carefully, singly or in small groups, risking expulsion if caught, only to be told that they'd taken the risk for nothing.

"How else are we to learn Defence Against the Dark Arts?" demanded Angelina Johnson.

"You can learn on your own," said Harry, "if you work hard, and if you're careful not to be seen by Umbridge. Yes, you'll make more progress with me teaching you, but none of you is helpless. Besides, if you join the dueling club with me, some of what you'll learn from Flitwick will be really useful."

"But it's just not the same," pointed out Lavender Brown. "It's not the same at all. Yes, we'll learn loads from Flitwick, but how much of that can we use on our O.W.L. at the end of the year? You and Hermione and your friends will be fine. But what about us?"

Lavender's comments were echoed by many in the group.

Marietta could be heard telling "I told you so" to her friend, Cho. Others made angry comments about Harry having led them on and wasted their time. They'd risked everything to be in this club, and now Harry was abandoning them.

"I have a good reason for quitting the DA," asserted Harry. "Any one who wants to work with me and join the dueling club is welcome. I'm leaving the DA because I have no choice. But all of you do have a choice. Every one of you. But choose carefully, because there's one more thing I'll promise you as well. There's a real chance that those who join me will be dead within a year."

Marietta scoffed at this, as did a number of other students.

"I'm not being dramatic about this," continued Harry.

The muttering ceased, for the calmness of Harry's voice was far more convincing than if he'd become angry. "I don't mean 'dead' as in really big trouble, like a week's detention or even expulsion. I mean dead as in our friend Cedric. As dead as my parents. I guarantee you that anyone who joins me will be especially chosen as a target, and perhaps their families as well. Those who join me at Flitwick's tomorrow night will not just be learning Defence. They'll be using it before they graduate from Hogwarts. You won't be practicing as a hobby to get a good mark at the year's end. Instead, you'll be working hard so that you won't be killed. In the DA, you risked expulsion. If you follow me now, you risk death. It's that simple. The reason I'm ending the DA is because the stakes have been raised, and only those who are prepared to put their lives on the line should come with me. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying 'join me or you're a coward'. It's not like that at all."

"Then what are you saying?" asked Colin. There was no way he would let anyone think he was afraid of anything.

"If you're sure in your own heart that you are ready, right now, to fight, and to fight to the death if necessary, to die rather than to surrender, then join me. If you think you're skilled enough, or that you can soon acquire the skill to handle yourself and not be a burden to your friends in a fight, then follow me. But if you think you're not ready, or that you won't be ready soon, there's no shame in that. No one will say you're afraid. I'm not asking any of you to make a decision now - think about it. And if you think you're ready, then come to the dueling club tomorrow night, and you'll be welcome. Those who don't come, you're still my friends and I'll know you're on my side."

The next day the Dueling club's membership was augmented by the arrival of Harry, and a number of DA members. Harry had known that the Weasleys would all join, along with Hermione, Imogen, Neville and Luna.

But he had been surprised and not a little disappointed at the less than enthusiastic response from his other friends, especially those in Gryffindor. Now, a week later and at their second Dueling Club meeting, Harry still had a slight hope that perhaps more DA members would show up this time.

Ron's explanation for the poor turnout of the DA was that Harry's speech at the last DA meeting had been far too candid.

"You can't expect people to come running to join you if you practically promise them they'll be killed," he said. "Couldn't you have told them something a little less scary?"

"Sure," Harry replied in a low voice, not wanting to be overheard as they stood outside Flitwick's classroom, waiting for the diminutive professor to arrive. It was impossible to enter without Flitwick, unless one of them managed to overcome the charm protecting the door. What's special about the room?

"But can you imagine trying to fight it out with Death Eaters, when some of us are either cowering or running screaming for the exits? I don't think so. There's a reason I only wanted people who had some notion of what they were getting in to. Mind you, I expected a better response than we got last week. But maybe more will come this time."

Ron shook his head doubtfully, for Harry, Ron and his core supporters were only accompanied by four former members of the DA: Angelina Johnson, Cho Chang, Ernie MacMillan and Marietta Edgecombe.

"Why do you think Marietta joined?" Harry asked Ron.

"That's simple enough," said Ron. "Marietta is here because her friend Cho is here. And Cho is here because you're here, and she fancies you."

"Did Hermione or Imogen tell you that?" replied Harry.

"Well, maybe I would have figured it out, but yeah Hermione told me," admitted Ron. "But I wonder if Cho will stay when she notices you and Ginny are an item."

"She'll never notice," said Harry, "not if I can help it. I can't let anyone outside our group know about Ginny. It's just too dangerous for her and your parents - or for any of your family that's not inside the walls of Hogwarts."

"Cho and Marietta," said Ron, shaking his head. "At least Angelina will be good to have along. But what about Ernie?"

"I wish we had a dozen Ernies," said Harry. "He's not very imaginative, that's true, but on the other hand, I know he'll never run. If the wizarding world were made up of Ernies, people like Voldemort couldn't exist."

"I still wish we had some more Gryffindors," replied Ron. "I still can't believe Dean's not here, nor Seamus. I thought for sure Colin would join us as well."