Am I the only one who hates when the teacher quickly transfers into the next slide, but you're not yet done copying. Siiiiiigh

(This note was written back at 2019)

-•-°-•-°-☆

You and Neville were walking together, minding your own business, until you spotted Crabbe and Goyle approaching you both. Suddenly, Crabbe and Goyle intentionally tripped Neville. He almost lost his balance, but you immediately helped him.

"Watch where you're going, Longbottom!" Goyle insulted as Crabbe cackled. You turned to them and sent them a death glare causing the two Slytherin bullies to run away. You looked at Neville, who was dusting himself off. "Are you okay, Neville?"

He nodded wordlessly and sighed. You and Neville continued to walk. Neville stopped in his tracks when he noticed something odd. You stopped walking and turned around to see him. "Neville?"

You stood next to him and you suddenly heard a slight rumble. The wall started transforming into huge doors. You and Neville shared a look. "Neville, I think we found a room for the meetings." You whispered.

You and Neville immediately searched for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the other few Dumbledore's Army members. All of you entered the Room. "You've done it, Neville and (Y/n)! You've found the Room of Requirement!" Hermione exclaimed happily.

You looked at Hermione, who was standing beside you, and grinned at her. "The Room of Requirement?"

"The what?" Ron asked.

"It's also known as the Come and Go Room. The Room of Requirement only appears when a person has real need of it and is always equipped with the seeker's needs." Hermione explained as she looked around.

"So, say you really needed a toilet..." You snorted causing Ron to smile.

Hermione rolled her eyes but nodded. "Charming, Ronald. But yes, that is a general idea."

Harry grinned. "It's brilliant! It's like Hogwarts wants us to fight back."

°•○●○•°

"Expelliarmus!"

Suddenly, Neville's wand flew backward, causing you and your friends to duck for safety while Nigel was the last one to duck. Slowly, the members stood up and looked at Neville, who sighed in frustration. "I'm hopeless."

After discovering the Room of Requirement, Harry immediately held a meeting to practice some spells and charms the next day.

Harry faced Neville. "You're just flourishing your wand too much. Try it like this." He pointed his wand at the wooden dummy with a fake wand. "Expelliarmus!"

The statue's wand flew away and landed on the ground.

The Dumbledore's Army continued sneaking inside the Room of Requirement for the secret meetings the next few days. Although you and the others were stealthy enough to be noticed, you noticed that Filch was following or stalking around.

"Stunning is one of the most important spells in your arsenal. It's sort of a wizard's bread and butter, really." Harry explained as he walked around, holding his wand with both of his hands. "Come on, Nigel. Give it your best shot."

Harry stood in his position while Nigel stepped out and faced Harry, few feet away. Nigel took a deep breath and pulled his wand out. "Stupefy!" Both of them flew backward and landed harshly on the ground. "Good. Not bad at all, Nigel. Well done." Harry praised.

After a few minutes of break, it was Hermione and Ron's turn. You gave Hermione an encouraging smile which she smiled in return. Ron walked towards Hermione and whispered. "Don't worry. I'll go easy on you."

Hermione looked at Ron with a smile, with her eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Thanks, Ronald." She said sarcastically.

Once Ron was positioned in his place, he and Hermione pulled their wands out. "Come on, Ron." The Weasley Twins cheered as you stood beside Luna and Cho.

"One sickle."

"You're on."

You heard the Weasley twins whispered. Neville gave Hermione and Ron a signal. Ron was about to cast the spell, but Hermione was much quicker. "Stupefy!"

Ron flew backward and fell on the ground with a hard thud. A grin was plastered on your face as you ran towards Hermione to congratulate her. Some girls stood beside you and Hermione, giggling and praising Hermione's performance.

Ron approached the twins and sighed. "I let her do that. It's good manners, isn't it?" He cleared his throat. "It was completely intentional."

The next day, you noticed Filch setting up a new rule. You looked up with Cho and read the new Decree: All students will submit to questioning about suspected illicit activities.

You scrunched your nose in disgust. 'Fuck off, Umbridge.'

A few hours later, you and the rest of the members of Dumbledore's Army were back in the Room of Requirement. All of you kept on practicing some spells while Harry continued to teach.

"Okay, I excel at my grades and pass my exams, but this..." Megan sighed as she pulled out her wand. "...how in Merlin's beard can I not do this?"

You chuckled and stepped away from her, pulling out your wand too. "Just keep on practicing, MJ. Try it on me."

"Are you sure?" Megan asked as she cocked an eyebrow. "You're not gonna blame me if I end up cutting your arm off after this?"

You looked at her with a deadpan expression. "Just do it."

Megan took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Once she opened them, she pointed her wand at you. "Expelliarmus!"

Your wand flew back and you heard a short clatter at the back when it landed on the ground. You looked back at your sister and quickly picked your wand up. "Holy shit, you did it!"

She gasped but then smiled and squealed. "Holy shit indeed!" Megan cackled. "I can't believe I did that! Did I do that? Or did someone else did it? That was so simple and I didn't even know why I was struggling to do that!"

Megan immediately ran towards Luna and Ginny to rant about how she perfectly cast the spell while you headed towards Fred and George. "Hey."

The twins both looked at you and smiled. "Hey."

You were in the middle of both of them and looked up. "Did you two noticed that Filch is following us?"

Fred nodded. "Yeah, we did."

"Got a plan?" George asked.

A playful smirk danced on your lips and placed both of your hands on your hips. "Yeah, and I need you two to help me with the plan."

Fred and George glanced at each other before smirking. "We're in."

"Do you guys have chocolates?"

°•○●○•°

"Stupefy!"

"Expelliarmus!"

Everyone was slowly perfecting the spells Harry taught them. They practiced and learned well.

You looked around until you spotted Harry, observing a student who was floating in the air. He looked at you and smiled excitedly. You ran towards him and gave him a big hug. "Thanks, Harry!"

Harry chuckled and hugged you back. "No, no, no. Thank you, (Y/n)."

You pulled away, but you remained, your arms wrapped around his neck. "Why?"

"If it weren't for you, Hermione, and Ron, Dumbledore's Army wouldn't be possible and happen. Without you guys? We are so helpless."

You chuckled and hugged him again. "No problem, James."

You felt Harry jumped a little. You smiled and pulled away, placing your hands on his arms. "Come on." He said. "We still have to practice, Althea."

You scrunched your face and smiled a bit, slightly poking Harry's nose. "No one calls me Althea, Harry."

"Well, there's one now." Harry grinned.

No one has ever called you with your second name. Your parents frequently call you by that when you were little. You assumed Draco didn't address you by your second name because he might have thought that you hated the name.

Another day has passed and Filch added a new rule. Umbridge was forming a group. Inquisitorial Squad. You passed by the Great Hall and scoffed loudly. 'Who would want to join that group? Probably the idiots.'

"Those wishing to join the Inquisitorial Squad for extra credit may sign up in the High Inquisitor's office." You heard Umbridge's voice through the speakers.

A few hours later, you were ready to head to the Room of Requirement. You stopped walking when you spotted Draco talking to Crabbe and Goyle.

You noticed something odd. Squinting your eyes to see what was on their robes, you gasped when you realized what they have. 'They have pins on their robes. Inquisitorial Squad. Shit.'

You inhaled sharply and quickly walked away, heading towards the Room of Requirement.

"Diminuendo!" You heard Nigel casting a spell on the wooden dummy.

"Working hard is important, but there's something that matters even more," Harry advised as he corrected you on how to handle your wand. When he was done, Harry walked away and helped the other students to correct their positions.

"Believing in yourself." Harry continued. "Think of it this way: Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than we are now. Students. If they can do it, why not us?"

°•○●○•°

Peter rolled his eyes as he sat under a tree and opened his book. "Joining the Inquisitorial Squad? Seriously? Are you out of your mind?"

He looked up and saw Draco sitting on a branch, his green apple in his hand. 'He really has a thing for apples.' Peter thought to himself while Draco took a bite and looked down at the Hufflepuff boy. "As if I wanted it. Just forced. Besides, what's the worst thing that can happen?"

Peter shrugged and looked down at your book. "It's not like (Y/n) or Potter has a little club of their own." He heard Draco muttered. Peter widened his eyes and quickly coughed when he accidentally choked on his own spit.

"What the hell," Peter muttered while quickly changing the page of his book.

"You alright there, Peter?" Draco asked, glancing down at his friend. Peter looked up at him and nodded before going back to reading. "Heard you cough."

"Just choked. By... my own... spit." Peter trailed off before clearing his throat.

Peter knew about Harry, you, and your friends have formed the Dumbledore's Army to learn spells and how to defend yourselves. Of course, he would know. Megan had joined there too. Although Megan wanted Peter to join, he decided not to. He didn't want to get involved in any of this. It was a coward or insensitive to others, but he figured that applying himself more in the situation would make his Aunt May even more worried.

While Peter knows about Dumbledore's Army, he promised you and Megan not to tell anyone. Meaning he couldn't tell Draco everything. He wanted to tell him but learning that he recently joined the Inquisitorial Squad, he knew the right decision was not to tell him. But he was hesitating. He felt like the Slytherin boy had to know.

After all, he has been trustworthy in these past few months... even years.

Peter shook his head and sighed as Draco continued to talk and eat his apple. A few minutes later, Draco slightly coughed and accidentally dropped his apple core near Peter. Peter scrunched his nose in disgust. "Malfoy, I'm not a dumpster nor your servant to throw that."

"Hi, Peter."

Peter looked away from the eaten apple to see you just standing a few feet away from him and Draco. You looked up at Draco. "May I have a word with you? Alone?"

Draco silently nodded and jumped down from the branch. You and Draco walked a few feet farther from Peter. "Is there a problem?" Draco asked.

"First off, I want to apologize." You gazed at him. "I acted terribly to you. I was angry and aggressive. Although I do have an excuse, I prefer not to say it since I'm apologizing. And I mean it, Draco."

Draco smiled. "It's no big deal. I'm... sorry too." He took a deep breath and looked down. "I didn't listen and understand your words before. I should've known better."

You inhaled sharply. "I have to ask..."

"Hm?"

"Why did you join the Inquisitorial Squad?"

Draco took a minute to process what you said, so you helped him a little by pointing your finger to his small badge pinned to his robes along with his Prefect badge. Draco glanced down and sighed. "Look, I can explain..."

"You decided to side with Dolores Umbridge?" You questioned sternly. "You and I both know her brain and mouth are just full of rubbish."

"I'm doing this to protect you," Draco explained. "I was actually going to invite you to join the Squad so Umbridge wouldn't do anything to you."

"She would do anything to hurt the students who would side with Dumbledore or Harry." You scoffed. "And Draco, for your information, I don't need your protection."

"I want to, (Y/n). I want to protect you."

You shook your head. "Malfoy, I am well capable of handling myself. You know that."

"Then stop running yourself into danger!" Draco exclaimed. He glanced around and found nobody was bothered nor surprised by his sudden outburst except for you and Peter. Draco pulled you further away from Peter. "Stop being so selfless. God, (Y/n), ever since your first year in Hogwarts, you were either hurt or in trouble."

You stared at him while Draco shakily exhaled. "First year, you were hurt by a giant troll. Second-year, you were Petrified. You approached our former Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher by the end of our third year while transforming into a werewolf. And I know you weren't hurt, but the fact that you approached a dangerous creature is driving me insane."

"Nothing happened to me at the fourth year..."

"Well, you fainted if you can recall that," Draco stated. "And now this year..."

"I didn't do anything this year!"

Draco grabbed your wrist, pulling it up to show your recent scar on your hand. "You were in detention again with Umbridge. You were late for your class. That's the second time you went to detention and scarred your hand."

"And that's the pink toad's fault for wounding me, not mine."

"Then why were you late?"

"I overslept."

"Overslept? For what?"

"The OWLs." You scoffed.

What you said was a half-lie. Although you oversleep because of OWLs, you also overslept because you practiced spells from what you learned from Harry. It's not easy multitasking. And it didn't help that you were overthinking while studying.

Draco sighed. "Have you been keeping secrets from me?"

You stared at him before slowly shaking your head. "No..."

"(Y/n)..."

"Look, Malfoy, just..." You held his badge causing him to look down at it. "Joining the Inquisitorial Squad for protecting me won't make much of a difference. But I do appreciate the effort."

You placed your hand down and looked away. "Although, it would be nicer if you could just walk out from that group. Umbridge is cruel. You shouldn't side with her."

"I wish I could just walk out, but..." Draco sighed. "Dad wanted me to do this as well. I was forced to join. I was going to decline, but when I saw you with the scar, I had to. I never wanted this."

You looked up to him. "Then stop being your father's slave and do the right thing." You replied. "I don't want you to protect me, alright?" After that, you walked away, leaving Draco.