Rise of the Death Eaters [3]

Chapter 39: Eat Your Words

"Today's meeting will be focused on the spell, Protego," Harry announced to the D.A. It was the end of February, nearly a week and a half had passed since Valentines Day and things had once again shifted, however slightly.

D.A-wise, our meeting times had become deliberately abstract so that no two meetings were at the same day of the week nor told to any of us until the night of. For those who prided themselves on their study schedules, this plan wasn't ideal but the ever growing power of Umbridge had become a shadow over Hogwarts and we all were beginning to fear her.

Though I would never admit to it of course. My meetings with her had become a game of kiss assery against one another mixed with a healthy amount of manipulation.

Sam still had her precautions over what I was doing but she did nothing to stop me anymore. Rather, she spent more of her time keeping busy and checking up on her little sister, Alice, who with had been going through a bout of migraines for the past month.

"There's got to be a potion or something that Madam Pomfry can give her to keep them at bay," I guessed after I found Sam coming in late to the common room earlier that week. I could tell she was on edge about the whole thing and only nodded vaguely at my prompt.

"She says it's hormones that's screwing her over and that Alice will just have to ride it out."

I shuddered at the idea.

"Puberty is bad enough as it is," I consoled, "Can't imagine adding migraines to the mix." Sam chuckled before turning away from me to change for the night.

"Yeah, me neither."

I was surprised to see Alice there at the D.A meeting, with that same Spencer determination flare in her eyes as she listened like the rest of us to Harry's directions.

For all I knew she was suffering with an incoming headache now but wouldn't miss these meetings for the world.

"I'll walk around as you practice and depending on how you catch on we can move to something new. I figured we will move on to Levicorpus."

Sam gave me the most condescending stare down following Harry's words and quickly side tracked away from me.

"Sorry but there is no way in Merlin I'm letting you lift me up in the air."

"You can't be serious!" I laughed as Sam, who really was serious, walked over to Ginny who was easily deemed the best spell caster in our friend group.

"Need a partner, then?" I turned toward the voice to find Hermione standing opposite me with her wand already drawn.

Oh brilliant. There goes my shot at winning a duel this week.

"Sure," I said with an awkward laugh before taking out my own wand. "It's been a while, hasn't it? Since we talked, that is."