Chapter 1189: DA and the Defense Association
Chapter 1189: DA and the Defense Association
"Perhaps we should hurry, I suspect we're going to be late."
"Our meeting time is at noon."
Trekking towards Hogsmeade Village in the midst of howling winds and swirling snow was no pleasant experience. They had to bend their bodies against the biting cold and trudge forward, their exposed skin stinging with the chill despite being wrapped in thick scarves.
Even Harry had to admit that on a day like this, staying cozy in the common room would have been far more enjoyable. Unfortunately, they had no choice now, and turning back to the school was certainly not a desirable option.
"If only we could just Apparate directly to Hogsmeade," Ron pulled at the scarf around his neck and gazed at the Hogwarts students trudging ahead, their faces set against the wind. He muttered, "I feel like my cheeks have gone numb from the cold."
"Stop complaining, we'll be learning Apparition this semester." Hermione, deep in thought, suddenly turned to the person next to her and said, "Harry, I recall you're not old enough yet."
"My birthday is at the end of July," Harry said glumly, "I might have to wait until next semester to take the Apparition test."
"I think you should learn Apparition first, just in case." Hermione suggested earnestly, "And Ron, you too, make sure you pass on the first try."
"Hermione, do you know something we don't?" Harry asked suddenly. "Did Albert tell you something?"
"No." Hermione shook her head, "But do you remember? He made a prophecy."
"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Ron asked loudly.
"A truly tumultuous time... is coming." Glancing at Ron, Hermione lowered her voice and reminded him, "According to Albert's prophecy, the current situation doesn't count as tumultuous. So, what do you think would qualify as a truly tumultuous time?"
"A situation worse than this." Harry couldn't even begin to imagine what that would look like.
"He also warned other Muggle-born wizards, believing that before the tumultuous times arrived, they should learn something useful, which is why the 'Self-Defense Guide' was created." Hermione shared her thoughts with her two companions, "I think he's trying to tell us that Muggle-born wizards will face great danger when the truly tumultuous times come. I suspect that Voldemort will completely control the Ministry of Magic and persecute Muggle-born wizards."
"But as long as Dumbledore is here, there's almost no way Voldemort can control the Ministry." Harry didn't think this was likely. He had faith in Dumbledore, and even Fudge, a spineless wonder, hadn't succumbed to Voldemort, let alone Scrimgeour.
"Yes, I used to think so too." Hermione's voice was barely audible, and only those nearby could barely make out her words. "Do you remember the injury on Dumbledore's hand? It was likely caused by some kind of terrible curse. I suspect that Dumbledore will..."
For a moment, the three fell silent.
This was undoubtedly a very serious topic.
Perhaps, without Albert's prophecy, they wouldn't have thought in this direction, but now, everything pointed to one thing—Dumbledore might gradually lose his ability to counter Voldemort, or leave them forever.
Without Dumbledore's deterrence, nothing Voldemort did would be surprising, and perhaps that would be the beginning of the truly tumultuous times.
Harry had actually had similar thoughts, but he quickly pushed them aside. At the very least, he didn't think the situation would deteriorate to that extent, as Dumbledore, in Harry's heart, was an all-powerful figure.
"I remember Fred and George were practicing Apparition with Albert back then." Ron seemed to sense the oppressive atmosphere and changed the subject, "They passed the Apparition test with ease, and now Albert is helping them make a fortune. Dad says they're becoming the richest in the family."
Ron envied the twins' good fortune. Even though Fred and George were in hiding, they were still running their owl order business and making a killing.
Sensing the stiff atmosphere, Ron changed the subject again, "Those two rascals also said that if they can't find a job, they'll help out at the store. What about you guys, what do you plan to do after graduation?"
"I want to join the Ministry of Magic and help improve the situation of house-elves. Wizards shouldn't treat them the way they do." Hermione replied without hesitation.
"I think that's going to be tough, the probability of Percy becoming the Minister of Magic is higher than that." Ron ignored the displeased look Hermione shot him and continued, "What about you, Harry? Do you still want to be an Auror?"
Talking certainly helped take their minds off the grueling trek to Hogsmeade.
"Well, if possible, I do want to become an Auror, but it seems more difficult than I imagined, and..."
Ever since learning about the prophecy concerning him and Voldemort from Dumbledore at the end of last semester, Harry had let go of many things and stopped worrying about his future career.
His first priority now should be figuring out how to defeat Voldemort, or be defeated by him. If he failed, then thinking about anything else was meaningless.
"I feel like you guys are all hiding something." Ron blurted out, once again changing the subject and bringing up another topic, "By the way, I heard that Fred and George turned Zonko's Joke Shop into one of their branches? Maybe we'll get to see it later, they seem to be having a big sale today."
Seeing that the other two remained silent, Ron sighed and offered some comfort, "Actually, you don't need to worry too much. Even if something happens, we still have Dumbledore, don't we? And Albert? I don't believe they haven't prepared for anything. We really don't need to worry about those things."
Upon arriving in Hogsmeade, the trio was shocked by the transformation of Zonko's Joke Shop, a store popular among Hogwarts students. Not only had it been renovated, but there was also a comical statue placed right outside its door.
It was an upgraded version of the pink toad statue.
Sitting on the toad was Umbridge, her skin rough and covered in warts, as if she had consumed a compound potion made with toad skin shavings. On her head sat a pink toad, and the most remarkable feature was the trio of toads neatly arranged, croaking in unison.
"I knew it, those two must have been behind that statue incident back then." Hermione examined the toad statue before her and lowered her voice as she spoke to Harry and Ron beside her.
The Umbridge statue undoubtedly drew a lot of Hogwarts students to Zonko's Joke Shop. Everyone pointed and whispered at the toad statue, and some even took photos with it, their photographer being none other than Lee Jordan.
“What the devil are you lot up to?!”
The trio walked over to Lee Jordan, who was busy taking photos for the other students.
“It’s two Sickles for a photo, or free with a purchase of ten Galleons worth of goods,” Lee said with a smile, pointing to the statue in front of the store. “What do you say? Want a photo?” “That’s expensive!” Ron exclaimed. “You’re ripping people off!”
“It’s not that expensive if you get a group together and split the cost,” Lee reasoned. “And it’s not easy to find someone to take your photo these days. Film is more expensive than you think. If we weren’t having this sale, you couldn’t get a photo for this price.” “I think we’ll pass,” Ron said, tugging on Harry’s shoulder and gesturing to the crowded shop. “Let’s go warm up at the Three Broomsticks first. We can come back when it’s less busy.”
Peeking through the window at the throng inside, Harry nodded in agreement. They should take care of the important things first. “Is Fred and George here too?” he asked.
“They’re inside helping out,” Lee said. “Go on in and take a look. We’ve got some great new stuff that I think you’ll like.” With that, he turned back to his business of taking photos.
The trio exchanged glances and headed straight for the Three Broomsticks, where they spotted Cedric and Cho having an animated conversation at a table.
Harry turned away, intending to find another table, but Hermione held him back.
“What is it?” he asked, following her gaze to Cedric, who was waving them over. Harry hesitated for a moment before walking over.
Ron and Hermione shared a concerned look, both aware of Harry’s crush on Cho.
“I’ll get some butterbeer,” Ron said, heading to the bar.
Hermione glanced at the alluring Madam Rosmerta, then at Ron’s hurried back, and rolled her eyes. Joining Harry at Cedric’s table, she asked, “Didn’t I hear you were in some trouble recently?” Harry no longer felt the same jealousy toward Cedric, nor did he feel that flutter in his heart when he looked at Cho. “I ran into a group of Dark wizards and had a bit of a tough time,” Cedric explained nonchalantly.
“You should be careful,” Harry began. “And about Voldemo—” “Ahem!” Hermione quickly interrupted with a fit of coughing, finishing Harry’s sentence. “…about You-Know-Who?”
“Yes, it’s related,” Cedric said quietly. “According to Albert’s prophecy, a tumultuous time is approaching, and he believes we should stick together to get through the next few difficult years.” “But…”
“I’ve helped with the re-establishment of the Defense Association,” Cedric continued. “While I was recruiting members, I ran into some trouble. You may have heard that Death Eaters have been going around using the Cruciatus Curse on wizards. Well, I happened to cross paths with them, and they seemed desperate to find Albert. They captured me and tried to force me to give them information.” “So, that’s why you quit your job at the Ministry?”
Ron returned with three cups of butterbeer and set them on the table before taking a seat next to Harry.
“Albert saved me,” Cedric explained with a helpless shrug. “So, it’s not really appropriate for me to stay at the Ministry now; it would only cause more trouble. Anyway, the situation is worse than you think, maybe even worse than the last Wizarding War.” “What’s this Defense Association like?” Hermione asked curiously. “Is it similar to the DA gatherings we had at school?”
“It’s quite similar to the old DA,” Cedric replied. “We teach everyone about Dark Arts defense so they won’t be clueless when they encounter danger.” “But isn’t the Ministry also promoting Dark Arts defense education?” Hermione felt that there was more to Albert’s “Defense Association” than just teaching defense spells, and there must be another important reason for its formation.
“That’s different,” Cedric explained. “The Dark Arts defense knowledge being taught to Hogwarts students right now is quite basic. The Defense Association teaches more advanced spells and techniques. Plus, members of the organization keep in touch and help each other out. If someone runs into trouble, we won’t just stand by and do nothing. If a Death Eater targets someone, we’ll even help hide them. You could think of it as a mutual aid organization against You-Know-Who.” “After all, the Ministry is already overwhelmed with everything going on,” Cedric continued. “If we want to protect ourselves during this tumultuous time, we need to stick together.”
“So, that’s the main reason you’re here at Hogwarts, teaching Dark Arts defense? You want the students here to join your organization?” Hermione asked, fixing Cedric with a stare.
“Yes, Hogwarts graduates are our target audience,” Cedric admitted. “If they’re willing to join us, that is. But the current level of Dark Arts defense among students is quite mediocre, so Albert thought we should raise their skill level. That way, they’ll have the strength to deal with the upcoming changes and protect themselves and their families.” “I think Albert makes a lot of sense,” Cedric said. “The entire wizarding world is on edge right now, and who knows how long Scrimgeour can hold out.”
Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Cedric said, glancing around and lowering his voice. “Those are Albert’s exact words. Scrimgeour has made a lot of enemies by killing so many people. I suspect he knows he might end up getting assassinated, which is why he’s been so ruthless with those Dark wizards.” “Are you saying Albert told Scrimgeour this, but he didn’t…”
“Hide?” Cedric shook his head. “Do you think he could just abandon everything and go into hiding?” The three fell silent.
Just then, a piercing scream outside the pub drew everyone’s attention.
(End of Chapter)
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