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Aurora Areli
AS THE NEXT TWO weeks went by, I could tell that the hope I had wasn't something only I was feeling. The secret meetings the DA was holding were going really well. So well, in fact, that Umbridge's classes were almost bearable. Knowing that there were those of us doing the very thing she and the Ministry most feared, right under their noses, definitely helped.
Nearly everyone in the DA was improving, which I was thrilled about. Neville could now even successfully disarm me without much trouble. The only thing was that it was impossible to schedule regular meetings around three Quidditch teams' practices, but that was probably for the best; it was better to be unpredictable.
Hermione and I even figured out a way to let everyone know the next date and time of each meeting. One particular dream I had had recently stuck out to me. It showed the mark of a Death Eater branded onto someone's forearm (which seemed oddly familiar) that started out as a faint red colour, but soon turned jet black. As unsettling as the dream was, it gave me an idea. I shared it with Hermione, and the two of us set out to make it a reality at once.
At the end of our fourth meeting, we brought out a basket filled with fake gold Galleons. When I started passing them around, Ron grew very excited, like he thought they were real. However, Hermione began explaining as I passed them out, and Ron's excitement quickly faded.
"You see the numerals around the edge of the coins?" Hermione said, holding one up for examination. "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."
"They'll get really hot when the date changes," I continued, once I was finished passing out the faux Galleons, "that way if you're carrying them in a pocket you'll be able to feel them. Everyone will have one, and when Harry sets the date of the next meeting he'll change the numbers on his coin, because Hermione and I figured out how to put a Protean Charm on them. They'll all change to mimic his."
There was a blank silence after we finished talking. Hermione and I looked at each other, and then around at everyone else's disconcerted faces.
"Well — Rory and I thought it was a good idea," Hermione said uncertainly, "I mean, even if Umbridge asked us to turn out our pockets, there's nothing fishy about carrying a Galleon, is there? But . . . well, if you don't want to use them —"
"You can do a Protean Charm?" Terry Boot asked.
"Yes, Rory and I can," Hermione said.
"But that's . . . that's NEWT standard, that is," he said weakly.
"Oh," Hermione said, trying to look modest, while I avoided looking at anyone. "Oh . . . well . . . yes, I suppose it is."
"How come you two aren't in Ravenclaw?" he demanded, as I fidgeted with the end of my sleeve. "With brains like yours?"
