Disclaimer: view Chapter 01 for that one

Enjoy this chapter and feel encouraged to leave me a tiny little review ^_^.

Chapter 25 - Meet the Defence Association or Explanations and Surprises

They had only four days left now until the start of the summer holidays. The students would leave school on Monday 24th early in the morning. Draco and his friends made their way down to Snape's office. Carya felt that something had happened that they didn't know of.

When they knocked on the door to Snape's office he called them inside and they were greeted by the Potions Master and three other men. Sirius, Remus and Dumbledore were there as well. Snape raised a curious eyebrow at Draco which asked why he wasn't alone.

Draco crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at his godfather daring him to ask while he was thinking the same. The Potions Master just shook his head and asked the kids to sit down. There weren't enough chairs but the three couples made it easy.

Hermione sat down on Harry's lap while Ginny sat with Draco. Carya and Tom settled down on the rug with their backs against each other and turned their heads around so they could see the other's properly.

"Draco, we have something to tell you. Your father ...", Dumbledore began and the boys eyes shot towards Sirius confusing the adults for a second.

"Sorry, my dear boy, this is about Lucius," Albus corrected himself and Draco nodded darkly.

"He was among those who got caught. Lucius Malfoy, Rabastan and Rodolphus Lestrange, Walden Macnair, Peter Pettigrew and Augustus Rookwood have been captured and sent to Azkaban after their trial on Monday afternoon," the headmaster continued.

Draco looked blank for a minute before he started grinning. He turned around a bit and drew Ginny for a deep kiss. Lucius had subjected him to the Cruciatus again in the Department of Mysteries and he hated the man more than ever.

The adults looked concerned and Draco explained everything.

"Don't worry. I'm perfectly alright. He only got what he deserved. As for feeling happy about it, let's just say I'm free now, free to do what I want to even if Voldie's still around. Lucius may have the same last name as I have but he does not belong to my family.

He lost that right when he cursed me with an Unforgivable for the first time. I was six and didn't want to leave the room. He cast Imperio and made me go. The man is a bastard and I don't care if he lives or dies," Draco said firmly and leaned into Ginny who sat next to him.

Carya looked at Sirius and noticed his dark mood.

"Bellatrix Lestrange got away, right, Siri?" she asked and he looked up startled before nodding.

"How did you know what I was brooding about?" he wanted to know.

"Every time the name was mentioned you'd have this dark look. That's how I knew. She'll get what she deserves, Paddy, don't worry," the girl said smiling at her godfather.

"There still is more to discuss, children," Remus threw in.

All six teens looked at him and noticed his serious expression.

"It was a very reckless thing to go into the Department of Mysteries, especially since you knew what would await you there. You endangered yourself and six other children willingly," he scolded and the kids looked really hurt, "... but ... I have to admit that I'm glad you did.

Without you the prophecy would've fallen into the Dark Lord's hands. We wouldn't have been able to get there in time. Why didn't you alert the other teachers though? You don't rush into things like this normally, do you?"

Carya looked quite put out at the last statement. She was furious. How dare they assume the would run at the first signs and not think about it first.

"We did try to find someone but no teacher was in the place he or she should have been! Not even McGonagall was in the castle! And we didn't rush into it. We talked everything through before. Only problem was that we didn't have enough 'Spy-Potion' left.

If we had we would have gotten the prophecy and left without the bastard noticing! But we hadn't so we had to create a distraction. Finding the blasted room was difficult enough. And Voldie's not just anyone. Do you really think we would underestimate him that much?" she shouted angrily.

The adults were shocked at the outburst. No one had seen this one coming. There had been no warning like the previous times. She had just exploded and her temper seemed to be shorter than normal as well.

"Carya, please, calm down. No one is accusing you of anything. We didn't know that you had tried to find someone first. We don't even know what really happened there until we arrived. Would you tell us if we asked?" Sirius tried to soothe his agitated goddaughter.

She blinked a few times and then sighed heavily, "Alright, we'll answer your questions if we think that you need to know the answer. I refuse to answer some things here though. They are far too personal to be discussed here."

The four men agreed and started asking questions. The six teens answered everything until they actually found the Dark Lord. What had made the adults gasp was the revelation of the short note Carya had received from the Dark Lord. She had known it was a trap but had gone there anyway.

"What in all seven hells possessed you to go if you knew I was safe?" Sirius demanded and Carya started glaring at him with as much venom as she could muster.

"Why did I go? How dense can you get Siri!" she shouted before going on a bit quieter, "You know that we had these weird dreams. It wasn't the fact that he used you as a bait, well, ... not entirely. But it didn't affect our decision to go. We were ready and about to leave when the note arrived."

"It actually made things easier because we then knew he would really be there. And we knew that he was expecting us at a certain time. Knowing him like we do by now he did not think we would be early or that we'd bring comapny," Harry said and Carya was smirking evilly right now.

"Sometimes he is so predictable, it hurts. And seeing Carya taunting Lestrange was quite amusing as well. Azkaban surely left it's marks on her. And our dear Voldie seems to be proclaiming that he's a pureblood himself.

No offence, Tom but he is a coward, a liar and a thorough slimy bastard," Draco told them smirking.

"None taken, Dray. I was surprised myself and your description seems fairly accurate to me," the crimson eyed boy replied snickering slightly which seemed totally inappropriate right now.

"If we had more of our potion then they wouldn't even have noticed how many of us were there. Voldie only suspected that Harry and I were present and we could've gotten out had we been invisible but alas that wasn't an option," Carya sighed while frowning at the floor.

She knew someone was bound to mention her and Tom's use of dark curses that day. The aurors and the Order members had seen and heard it. She didn't want to know what kind of punishment they would get. And mention it they did.

"Carya, Tom there is something we have to discuss with you," said the headmaster and both kids grimaced.

"Please don't beat around the bush like this headmaster. Get over with it already!" Tom asked.

"Well then, as you know many people saw the two of you using quite dark curses that night. Some are not sure what to think of it and we are still trying to find an answer ourselves. Why would you use that curse in particular?" Albus inquired.

"Different reasons, sir. And none of them are really good either. If you wish I can name a few of mine," Carya said and upon the nods she did just that, looking to the floor, "There was fear of being defeated permanently, rage at being caught off guard.

The desire to take revenge for being subjected to the Cruciatus Curse again, to hurt them just as much as they hurt me, to hurt them for hurting my family, for trying to harm and to kill any of my friends. But mostly because I saw no other way out of it without my rage overtaking my actions.

I don't really want to imagine what I'd have done if I'd lost control over my anger then. I know a few really unpleasant curses that are already worse in theory than the one we have used that night, professor."

"With me it's similar but the breaking point was seeing Carya summoning Siri to her and then lying there on the floor. Unmoving, bleeding and unconscious. I just ... my control snapped and I only wanted to hurt everyone who had hurt Carya or my family, sir," Tom admitted never looking up.

They both felt a bit ashamed of what they had done but not so much as they should have. The last time Carya had done this she had felt disgusted with herself even if her victim had been a Death Eater and the situation was a little different. They had fought for their lives, for survival this time.

This time she didn't even feel bad about using it and that scared her. At one point she had enjoyed giving them back some of the pain they had caused her and she knew that Tom felt the same way. They were scared to loose control right now. Control over what they were doing.

"How do you feel about using these curses?" the headmaster asked and suddenly the adults were faced with two scared and ashamed looking teenagers.

"Not as bad as we should, sir," they said in unison and closed their eyes.

"Why is that, children?" Albus asked persistent and Carya bit her lip while Tom grabbed her hand to comfort her.

Even though her eyes were closed you could see a mass of conflicting emotions rush over the girls face. Tom just looked very tired right then.

"I ... I should by all means feel disgusted with myself to use such a curse. A curse that is this close to the Unforgivables. A curse that is about to be put into the same category. But I ... I have to admit that I'm not. And that really scares me.

When I ... the moment I used it on that bastard after he smashed that chair into Neville's face and they subjected all of us to the Cruciatus, I just wanted to hurt him back. I actually felt good and hated doing it at the same time," Carya confessed and Tom agreed on that.

This little statement shocked them to the core. She had just told them that she all but enjoyed torturing that Death Eater for the few minutes she had done it and Tom had agreed that he felt the same way.

Somehow it seemed as if their worst fears have come true but they had to make sure first. Dumbledore decided to try the careful approach rather than asking them outright.

"What are you going to do now?" the headmaster asked and the teens, all six of them thought about it before five of them looked expectantly at Carya Potter.

"If we are allowed to we will spent the last four days of term trying to put the whole affair past us. Just sitting in class will have to be enough though because I doubt I'd be able to get anything into my head right now.

After that I'm looking forward to a nice, quiet and long summer with my best friends and family. I want to spend some time in my lab trying to find a few new and funny ways to annoy the Gryffindor's next year without harming anyone in the process.

Once we've got our summer assignments done I want nothing more than relax, have fun, be nothing else than a child for once and perhaps ... forget that some things have happened at all," Carya said quietly.

She didn't feel comfortable saying this because it showed much of how she felt deep inside. It revealed what was going on in her mind and soul right now and she normally did everything in her power to prevent people from seeing this.

The adults took this for what it actually was. A sign of total trust that they wouldn't abuse her by using this knowledge against them. Albus and Sirius were still concerned about the confession of Carya and Tom but Severus and Remus seemed to think they were okay.

Their discussion ended briefly and Carya mentioned the Pensieve to Severus.

"Sir, there are still the things I saw during my brief ... encounter with Voldemort," she told him and he looked at her questioningly.

"What do you mean by that Carya?" he asked confused.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that I put our training to good use. He'll have a hard time pulling anything in the next few month if you take a look at these memories, sir," she answered smirking but her eyes were twinkling like the headmasters always did right now.

"You didn't!" Snape exclaimed but the grin didn't fade, "Of course you did. Did he get to you?" he asked back.

"Very brief. The only thing he saw was that the prophecy was smashed. His anger about that was enough to shut him out and launch my own attack, sir," she replied and sounded a bit proud of herself.

"We will look at these thoughts over the next days. Do you wish to be there as well, Miss Potter?" Albus asked but Carya shook her head.

"Already seen all that, sir and I don't wish to actually see it again. Remembering it is bad enough," she told him with a shudder and leaned heavily into Tom who had put his arm around her shoulders.

"Are you alright, pup?" Remus asked and she looked him right in the eye before softly shaking her head.

"No, I'm not. Not really anyway, terribly tired and sore," she answered sighing.

She was angry with herself. Here she was and had admitted weakness two times on the same day without putting up a fight. The whole incident must've gotten to her more than she had previously thought.

"You should go to bed then. Lie down and get some rest. You as well Tom. As for you four. You should be doing your homework right now," Snape said and at first the four addressed teens missed his amused smirk.

They figured it out when Carya started giggling like she had done in the infirmary. It sounded very girlish and childlike. Something they all weren't used to from the 'Dark Princess of Slytherin'. But it sounded very cute coming from her and it suited her just as much as did the forbidding aura she usually had.

"One last thing my dear children, then you can head off to wherever you hide normally," the headmaster said smiling, "Although you did something very reckless by going to the Ministry yourself I know you did what you could not to get into trouble.

You tried every other option before going. I have to admit that, yes, without your interference Voldemort would have gotten the prophecy and that would indeed have been bad. I will tell you if you want to know. In fact I think I should have told you years ago ..."

"No need to do it now, professor. I think, we'll ask you when we want to know the truth about that Prophecy but right now I had enough of that kind of thing. I start to feel like I'm taking Divination, professor," the Potter girl interrupted shuddering at the thought of being in class with Trelawney.

"Well, then. I won't tell you until you ask. I am proud though how you handled the whole affair. None of you was seriously injured and no one will be punished for going. What I'd like to do though is meeting your little group - the 'Defence Association'." Albus told her.

"Eh, I can't decide that. You'll have to wait until tomorrow. I then can tell you if the others agree on that. We are a democratic group, sir. And I can only fulfil your wish if everyone agrees," Carya replied and Dumbledore nodded in understanding.

The children were dismissed and left Snape's office. All the adults noticed the way Carya and Tom held each other on the way out. There was more to the children and to the latter two in particular than they knew but they all knew better than to press the issue.

Carya contacted Fred, George and Susan to meet with them in one of the abandoned classrooms in the dungeons. They also contacted those who had come with them to the ministry a few days ago. Once the twelve were complete they set up a meeting schedule for that night and quickly parted.

Neither of the adults could find any change in behaviour in any student that night. Carya and Tom still seemed tired and their friends seemed concerned but that was it. No other child was acting any different at all.

'They all learned how to act quite well. I wonder who taught them. Perhaps being subjected to Umbridge caused this development,' Severus thought.

A little after curfew the first group of students vanished from the hallways. Along the next fifteen minutes more and more kids weren't in their dorms anymore. Around half past ten the whole Defence Association had gathered in the Room of Requirement.

"Why did you call us, Carya? Has something happened? Fred mentioned something but he was very secretive about it," Angelina asked.

"Yes, something has happened but it isn't bad. It's about Dumbledore. You all know what he did when they dismissed him from Hogwarts, don't you?" Carya asked and received nods from everyone,

"He has asked if we all would meet with him. He'd like to get to know the mysterious 'Defence Association' we've formed in secret. I told him that it would depend on your opinion. I said we'd vote and that we'd meet if all of you agreed on it. But we'll only do it if everyone is positive on that.

I'm not going to force anyone but if we do it we have to do something else first. I'm sure you all figured it out by now, haven't you?"

"Yeah, we at least have," growled Fred while pouting slightly, "You cursed that quill or the parchment, right? To know if someone of us was a traitor?"

"Eh, exactly. It became important when that Hufflepuff overheard some of you talking about this," she said sternly and a few looked at her in a sheepish way, "But it seems my worries were completely unfounded.

You are very loyal friends and companions. I'm proud to be in this with all of you. I ask you to raise your hand if you agree to meet with Dumbledore."

Not one hand stayed down. They all agreed with their leader and raised their arms. Carya then took out her wand and cast a few quick spells she and Ginny had prepared before meeting the others. The members of the Defence Association felt a tingling sensation.

One that was similar to the one when they signed the parchment. It tickled though and they were all giggling when it was fading.

"I will tell him that we can meet on Friday then? In the evening. I will tell your contacts the exact time and location tomorrow although I'm sure it'll be after dinner," the Potter girl said and closed the meeting.

They sat for a while longer though and discussed what had happened the night of Sunday. Those who had went explained what had happened and not many of those left behind weren't glad they hadn't been the ones going there.

Not long before midnight the meeting finally ended and the children were brought back to their dorms by the 'Slytherin Six' aided by the Marauders Map. Tom and Carya didn't get up the next morning. The teachers weren't surprised and did not question their absence.

Dumbledore had informed them that the two would probably miss class because they were still recovering. They surprisingly attended lunch that day. Carya looked at the headmaster and gave a tiny nod which he interpreted right.

Once the meal was over the girl made her way towards the headmaster's office. Tom was with her as always. When she knocked on the door she heard Dumbledore call her inside. She smirked at the sight that greeted her. As it had been the last few times Snape was here as well.

"Don't like being alone with me, professor?" she teased and the headmaster chuckled.

"It seems you feel the same way, Miss Potter," he replied cheerfully and motioned the children to sit.

Severus was surprised when Carya actually sat down but she still was sitting in the chair nearest to the door and very close to Tom.

'Old habits die hard, even at their age, I guess,' he mused and focused on the meeting.

"They all agreed, headmaster and we'll meet with you tomorrow evening. Preferably in a place that is not crowded with people," Tom told them and both adults looked surprised.

They had watched the students trying to find out if they had met already or not but hadn't been able to figure it out.

"You already met and voted?" Snape asked them and they grinned.

"Yeah, why? You wanted to find out who we are beforehand, sir?" the girl said, smirking in amusement.

Severus had the decency to look embarrassed for a second before slipping his usual mask back on. The headmaster was just smiling as annoyingly as always. They agreed to meet in the Potions Classroom after dinner the next day and soon the kids left the headmasters office.

On Friday the six friends actually attended classes as a whole group again. Advanced Defence even was a bit of fun as they went over the spells they'd learned that past year. Severus was not too harsh with them for once and his students enjoyed the changed mood.

History was as boring as ever and Cat Williams actually asked the ghost when he would think of finally retiring. Binns was so baffled at this that he forgot to teach any further. He just floated out of the room and sulked.

They all were early for Charms that way and Flitwick's class was as relaxed as Advanced Defence had been. He showed the children some very amusing and harmless spells and Carya even showed a couple of those she made up.

Flitwick praised her work and told her that she had gotten her mothers talent for making up new spells. She smiled at that and once more wished that she'd known her parents. But there was no use dwelling on things that couldn't be changed so she dismissed these dark thoughts quickly.

Dinner came around and soon as over. The twenty-six members of the 'Defence Association' slowly made their way down to the dungeons. They were still wary of the whole situation. They trusted Carya not to lie to them but who said that Dumbledore and Snape would be keeping their promise?

At half past seven everyone was there. The children settled down on the chairs and tables when Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin and Black walked in from the office that was adjourning the classroom. All four adults noticed the strong locking and silencing charms that had been placed.

They also were astounded how many were in the 'Defence Association'. Not only that but they were from all four houses and from many different grades. They had known most of these facts but seeing them together was a lot different from just knowing about it.

"So this is the little rebellion you have formed, Potter, eh?" Severus said to Carya and smirked but she didn't seem offended at all and smirked right back.

"Yep, and we did really well, sir. But as you know, actions always cause counter-actions and that was just what we were doing. She took away Duelling and Survival as well as proper classes so we made our own class," the Potter female said with pride in her voice.

This pride was directed at the members of the Defence Association and they all noticed it. Severus spotted Neville holding Blaise close and smirked at them. The Longbottom boy did not back down but stared him defiantly into the eyes.

"And it has done good to some of you I see," Snape said his eyes never leaving the fifth year Gryffindor / Slytherin couple.

Neville grinned slightly and gave Blaise a kiss on the cheek before returning his attention to his 'Leader'. Carya held the respect of every member of their group. Even those who were older and who should have had more experience with Defence had submitted to her training.

No one had complained though. They all knew what they got themselves into and had agreed by signing up with their names. And none of them regretted doing that either. They all had learned and gained so much from this. They would've never learned any of it had they not become DA members.

Dumbledore looked at each of them and his eyes radiated pride and astonishment. Yes, he was proud of these young men and women. They had done what he wished for the whole school. They became friends regardless of their house or heritage.

"I have to say that I'm very proud of all of you. You have lived what I wanted you to understand the whole last year. You overcame your differences and became friends not caring about houses or prejudices. If you allow me I would like to make this a regular group or at least borrow your idea.

I will understand if you want to keep it secret and I don't object but you know that six of you will already leave permanently in a few days. Think about it and tell me some time during the holidays, okay? Will you tell me what you've covered in your meetings?" the headmaster told them.

Carya looked at her friends and received some eager and some hesitant nods but no one was shaking his or her head.

"Eh, we covered the basic defensive and offensive spells we should have learned during Defence class this year. We also did most of the ones we would have learned during Advanced Defence if Umbridge hadn't interfered with the teaching methods at Hogwarts.

Another part were some useful but mostly harmless curses that almost every Slytherin first year knows after a few weeks in the house. But the most difficult one was the Patronus charm, sir. As far as I know, only Harry, Tom and I can produce a corporeal Patronus right now.

But a few of them had quite spectacular reactions as well. Neville's cloud is just as bright as our Patronus is but it is streaked with gold sparks when he really concentrates. Most of them can produce these misty figures without problems. Everyone has been able make something happen.

I think with the proper training they all will be able to produce a fully functional if not even corporeal Patronus within the next year. I'm very proud that they deemed me capable of teaching them and I hope I met all their expectations," Carya explained and smiled broadly at her little group.

They all smiled back at her and confirmed what she'd wished for. They had been very pleased with her teaching even if they had gotten more than a fair share of bruises and cuts a few times. It was what they had agreed on though and lastly it didn't matter.

"The best thing is though that most of us will probably have one subject that we didn't fail this year," said Fred Weasley grinning lopsidedly.

Everyone laughed at that and knew what he was getting at. Fred had struggled to do his best on his Newt's and his brother hadn't fared any better. Even Angelina who was Headgirl and best of her class did have a few struggles to deal with but it hadn't been like that with Defence.

After a few more minutes of talk the children were allowed to get back to their dorms. They would stay another two days at Hogwarts if they wanted to but they could leave the next day already. Not many had chosen to leave on Saturday and the majority of students wanted to enjoy the weekend.

Sunday would be an extra visit to Hogsmeade for those who wanted and even the first and second years would be allowed to go this time. The parents had been contacted and they all allowed their kids this one day of freedom.

That certainly made sure no first or second year left for home early. They wouldn't let this opportunity pass to visit the town before entering their third year at Hogwarts. On Saturday afternoon the next weird thing happened.

Around tea-time an elderly witch stumbled into the entrance hall. She asked for Dumbledore but he was already there. The headmaster greeted the woman and she asked for her grandson.

"Ah, I think Neville will be outside at the lake with his friends, Aleena. Why don't we go looking for him there?" Albus suggested and together they made their way outside.

Mrs. Longbottom had been happy to hear that Neville was among those chosen for Telepathy class but she had always doubted his abilities and his skills. She just thought that he wasn't as good at magic as his father had been.

What she saw made her think that someone was polyjuicing as her grandson. There on the lawn by the lake sat Neville, one arm around a girl and cheering a couple that was currently doing something that looked like a mock duel.

When they were finished a boy with red hair stepped up to Neville bowed and seemed to ask him something. Neville agreed, kissed the girl onto the cheek, got up and took his place before starting to exchange curses and hexes with the other boy.

The kids noticed the headmaster and the elderly witch approaching and stopped their game. Neville paled slightly and stepped close to Blaise who squeezed his hand reassuringly. The boy took a deep breath and stared his grandmother right into the eye.

Gone was the pudgy little boy who was scared of his own shadow. In his place stood a well built young man who was confident and appeared to be strong.

"Neville?" the witch asked and he nodded.

"Yes, grandma, why are you here? I'm coming home in two days," the boy answered.

"Who are these kids, Neville?" she asked when she noticed the different house badges.

"These students here ...," Neville said motioning to the others with his free arm, "... are my friends, Grandmother. We have been training together the whole last year and we just had a little fun right now."

"I don't understand. You could hardly do a decent 'Accio' when you left for your fifth year," she mumbled shocked.

"You should blame Blaise for this, Mrs. Longbottom. Neville found his confidence through her. Having a girlfriend can do wonders. He even gets through Potions without embarrassing himself now. Neville is quite a good student now that he doesn't fear failure anymore," Carya said and smiled at Neville.

The boy grinned sheepishly at her. He remembered his failures in Potions very well. But these days were over. Snape didn't scare him anymore. He was still wary of his Potions teacher but not afraid nowadays.

"Miss Potter is right, Aleena. You should be proud of him. I'm sure you heard about the last Sunday night, haven't you?" Albus asked and Aleena just nodded.

"Well, as you might know then, a dozen students have been involved in the whole thing. They faced about twenty Death Eaters and the Dark Lord to prevent him from stealing something important. They held them off until the aurors arrived. Neville was one of them.

He certainly has his father's bravery, Aleena. There is no doubt in that and he also has inherited the loyalty his mother had towards her friends. He has grown into a remarkable young wizard over the last year," Dumbledore said, praising the young Gryffindor.

Neville suddenly felt himself getting quite embarrassed. He was glad that he wasn't 'Clumsy Stupid Longbottom' anymore but he still didn't like it when people made a fuss about him. He reddened even more when Aleena Longbottom pulled him into a hug.

"Oh Neville, why didn't you tell me? Your parents would be so proud of you," she said wiping away a tear.

"Yeah, I'm sure they would. You know, I'm still hoping against all odds that someone finds a cure for them," he admitted quietly and smiled a bit.

Aleena's look softened even more and she took a long look at her grandson.

"You've grown, Neville. This is the mysterious Blaise, I assume?" she said and looked at the girl beside Neville.

"Yes, Mrs Longbottom, my name is Blaise Zabini, I'm in Slytherin and Neville is my boyfriend. He's the best thing that ever happened to me," the girl said smiling at Neville affectionately.

The elderly witch hugged the girl too and then left with the headmaster. Neville finally gathered his courage and told everyone who as with him about his parents. They were shocked about it and it shocked them even more to find out who had been hurting his parents.

"But isn't Sirius Black your guardian?" Ernie Macmillan asked the 'Slytherin Six'.

"He is but he has nothing to do with his cousin. He has in fact not spoken or written a single friendly word to her since he was sixteen himself when he left his family for good. He then moved in with James Potter who, as you know, is our father," Harry said defending Sirius.

"Harry's right. Mister Black is not like that Lestrange bitch. He tried to help us against her in the Department of Mysteries. And he rescued me from being cursed again!" Neville told them all.

"Hey, it's almost dinner time. I suggest we clean up a bit before going. We might stink a bit after this little practise," Ginny suggested and they all walked back towards the castle.

Chapter 26 - Pranks and Collaborations or End of Term and Confessions

Aleena Longbottom stayed over dinner and watched her grandson sitting at the fifth student table with many of his friends. She asked Dumbledore about the strange seating arrangement and he explained the purpose to her.

Because of that distraction no one noticed Carya, Fred, George and Tom sticking their heads together. These kids were up to something and the teachers would be the target that time. Severus thought he had seen a strange glint in the Potter girls eyes but he wasn't really sure.

Sunday was a wonderful day. It wasn't too warm but the sun was shining all day. The children left for Hogsmeade shortly before lunch since they had decided to pack most of their things that morning right after breakfast.

The 'Slytherin Six' met up with Fred and George in the 'Three Broomsticks'. Carya then told them about the prank they had prepared for the teachers that evening. They would colour their robes with annoyingly cheerful colours and would chose everyone's least favourite one.

The potions and charms they used would chose though. While they were talking Severus was down in his private lab when he was suddenly hit with a sneezing fit. He had the weird feeling that this had to do with the Potter twins and their friends but he couldn't explain why.

It was just a feeling, something he usually did not ignore. They were up to something and he doubted that he would like it. The students would return in about two hours and he decided to spent the time brewing potions.

When the last children were back it was already dinner time. The whole school gathered in the Great Hall for the End-of-Term feast. Dumbledore made his usual speech before awarding that years Cups.

"This year the Quidditch Cup again goes to Slytherin. They have won every game and received the highest score ever. Congratulations!" he said and asked Harry to receive the cup.

"On a second note we have the house championship. The points are as following. In fourth place, Hufflepuff with two hundred seventy-nine points. In third place we have Ravenclaw with three hundred and forty-eight points.

Gryffindor is in second place with four hundred and twenty-seven points and in the lead we have Slytherin with five hundred and seventy-six points. Like with the exam points last year we have decided to add your Quidditch results this year. In the end it stands the following.

In fourth place Hufflepuff with 407 points, in third place Ravenclaw with 728 points, in second place Gryffindor with 807 points and in first place and therefore winner of the House Cup is Slytherin with amazing 1366 points, congratulations, Slytherin!" the headmaster said.

Cheers erupted throughout the Great Hall. The Gryffindors were happy as well. They had made second place this time. Even if they again couldn't beat the Slytherin's, they were better than the year before.

The feast was starting nicely. Everyone was happy, even the Hufflepuffs. It was not so much about the Cups or the end of the year. Dumbledore had made another announcement that had cheered everyone up.

"On a last note I have to say that Professor Umbridge has left Hogwarts indefinitely. It seems as if her duties have been too much and she was submitted to the care of St. Mungos until she has fully recovered from the last year," he said his eyes twinkling slightly.

Severus had told him everything about Umbridge when the Headmaster had come back. Since the whole Defence Association had been involved somehow he had quickly dropped the issue but had wanted to meet the determined group of students.

He didn't truly approve of their methods but he admitted that they had been desperate and therefore he kept quiet. His only problems right now were to find a new Defence teacher and to keep an eye on the ministry.

Fudge's popularity had sunken to new depths once it came out how deep Voldemort had gotten into the ministry already. A vote of no confidence was probably going to be made within the next year and they needed a capable new minister then.

Fortunately many were thinking that Arthur Weasley would make a good Minister of Magic even though many were a bit appalled at his obsession with muggle technology. It would certainly help his family though.

Suddenly Albus was roused from his thoughts as the whole Great Hall was filled with laughter. He looked around until he found the source. It was the teachers table that sent the students into laughing fits. Every professor was wearing a robe in colours they liked least.

He himself had green hair, streaked with pink while wearing a black robe. Minerva was wearing pink robes and had green hair as well. Severus had been subjected to crimson robes and his hair hadn't changed at all.

His plate was untouched so Albus summarised that the drinks turned their robes a different colour while the food changed their appearance. The rest of the teachers didn't fare any better. It was fairly amusing and suddenly Albus knew when and who had planned this.

The evening before the 'Slytherin Six' had been sitting very close with the Weasley twins. They had pulled this prank together, of that the headmaster was sure. It seemed to be a farewell gift from the Weasleys since they wouldn't return next term. They had passed all their exams but didn't know yet.

The colours didn't wear off until the next evening and every professor who had eaten was forced to either have breakfast in their rooms or submit themselves to the snickering students. Severus hadn't eaten the evening before and had just gone to the kitchen's later.

He was one of the few who dared to come to the Great Hall on Monday, June 24th. The children ate breakfast quickly and said goodbye to friends and Professors alike. Forty of them wouldn't return the next September but the same number of new students would be introduced then.

Fred and George went around and apologised to each teacher for what was to come over the next few years as they would be starting their business right after receiving their Newt results.

Most of the Hogwarts Professors were horrified when they heard about it but they relaxed upon thinking that the twins didn't have enough money to start from scratch. Little did they know about the arrangement the two had made with one Carya Lilith Potter.

The carriages brought the students down to the train shortly after breakfast was over. Everyone looked forward to two month out of school but they also were sure that they'd miss their friends horribly.

The Defence Association would continue the next year although they might take up Dumbledore's offer to make it a proper group. They would owl each other during summer. Carya and Harry had already decided to make a visit at Privet Drive this year.

The girl wanted to know how her aunt was faring with her little witches. Molly Weasley hadn't told them anything about the girls and Carya had been too busy to write letters. The train ride was uneventful and surprisingly quiet.

They all had expected their fellow students to be more ecstatic about summer holidays. But the last year had been so exciting and terrifying at the same time that the peace and quiet was something weird in the opinion of most students.

Upon arriving at King's Cross the friends and couples parted. Harry could see Neville kissing Blaise good-bye before walking off with his grandmother. Ginny was going to the Burrow for the first month again and Draco would go there in about two weeks.

The same applied to Harry and Hermione. Carya and Tom would spend the first week at Black Manor before visiting Privet Drive for a week. After that they'd do some Potions research and occasionally meet at Grimmauld Place with Snape.

August would be spent at Black Manor again. The whole group would come over on July 31st to celebrate the twins birthday. This time the party would be really big as all DA members who wanted to come had been invited.

Carya watched her friends walk off with their family and then turned her attention towards her own. So much had happened this past year. They had gained much but lost quite some things. For the first time the girl truly realised what it meant to have Sirius with her.

Nearly losing him had been quite a blow to her confidence. She swore that she'd do everything to prevent her family from getting harmed. Unbeknownst to her Draco, Harry and Tom swore the same thing at the same time.

She was sure though that as long as they all stood side by side they would be able to face almost everything. With a deep sigh she allowed her godfather to hug her close and enjoyed the feeling of being loved by him like a daughter.

They all gave her and Harry the confidence they needed to get through life. Tom was the one who grounded her and her friends made her see how good it was to open up a little from time to time. It actually felt good to realise all this.

Carya and her siblings promised each other that they'd try their best to stay friends throughout their whole lives. The also wanted to make sure that Sirius and Remus were fine and they hoped that Padfoot one day realised what he had done as a youth in order to make peace between him and Snape.

The four children and two adults floo-ed home from the station and the kids immediately went to unpack their belongings. Each of them was thinking about the last year and what had happened. They had done so many things during the term that they never had the time to reflect on them.

Downstairs in the study Sirius and Remus were thinking about the same topic. They were curious how much the children had to do with Umbridge's departure from Hogwarts. Both knew how much the children hated Umbridge.

They were also sure that they had something to do with her sudden paranoia and mental breakdown.

"Remy, what do you think about that? Did they have something to do with that?" Sirius asked.

"I'm not sure Padfoot. It might very well be. Carya, Harry, Tom and Draco as well as Hermione and Ginny hated Dolores Umbridge but what could they have done to cause any of this? Snape said he didn't know about it so I think Potions is out of question," Remus replied.

"He might be lying, you know? The Greasy Git never told us the truth! I bet he's lying just to ...," Sirius started to shout but Remus interrupted him sharply.

"Sirius! Even if he has indeed lied about knowing anything it's not right of you to go and insult Severus. If he hasn't told the truth then he is probably protecting Carya and Tom. Those two are his assistants. And if Severus knew something they all would get into big trouble!" the werewolf shouted angrily.

"Sorry, Remus, I lost it again, didn't I? I'm sorry but I need to know. I guess we should just ask the kids after dinner tonight," the animagus answered and they returned to more pleasant topics until Mikie called everyone for dinner.

They had barely finished eating when Sirius couldn't hide his worry and curiosity any longer.

"Kids, I have to ask you something. Don't worry, I won't tell on you or punish you for anything you reply. Did you four have anything to do with Dolores Umbridge mysterious illness?" Sirius asked.

The four teens looked a little bit uncomfortable but their looks were blank and didn't betray them.

"Please, kids, We have to know. Sirius is already attacking Severus verbally because he thinks that Snape lied to us when he said it didn't involve him," Remus explained and Carya started gaping.

"He said what?" inquired Harry in astonishment.

"When I asked him if he knew anything he told me to sod off because he didn't know about it. The greasy git is lying, I tell you!" Sirius growled.

Draco scowled at him briefly before he started smiling softly like the other three teenagers.

"I can't believe it. He's really done that. Well, now we have proof that he truly is fond of us. That's really good, don't you think so, Draco?" Carya wanted to know.

"Yeah, it is. Now I'm really looking forward to Potions next term. He's still a bastard in class but with so many troublemakers around he has to be in order to prevent accidents," the blonde said lost in thought.

"Would you kindly explain what you are going on about?" snapped Sirius impatiently.

"Eh, ... well ... it's ... You are right, Siri. He did lie but only to protect the Defence Association. We all had our part in it. What happened isn't pleasant at all but there will be no lasting harm. I can assure you that.

I don't fancy going to Azkaban because I wanted to get rid of a stupid, annoying bastard teacher. Honestly Sirius, I doubt you'll forgive us if we tell you but we have no choice, have we?" Carya replied and left him no room for an answer.

"We brewed a Potion in Snape's dungeons and he knew about it. He was surprised that we wanted to use that particular one because it's not traceable by normal means. And even if they find it they wouldn't know who gave it to her.

It causes something that ranges from slight paranoia to a full blown but temporary insanity. No victim of the potion has ever been known to harm him or herself seriously though. She wouldn't leave otherwise and we needed to try and get rid of her before the exams started.

No one would've passed Defence or any other practical had she still been around. Remus, you have seen the effects. It's not been that bad. She's just a bit overly paranoid right now and in a couple of month she should be fine," the girl told them and left two gaping adults staring at them.

"What did you use?" asked Sirius with a sharp edge to his voice and Carya cringed at his tone.

"We used a potion that we found in a book. Several books to be exact but the recipe was in the one that Remus bought on her request. We discussed the potion with Snape before attempting it at all and we only used it as our very last resort," Tom replied and the children stepped closely together.

The expected tirade didn't come. Remus had put a hand on Sirius shoulder to soothe him and looked sternly at the four teens.

"You promised not to brew any of the dark potions in that book Carya. I'm disappointed that you broke the promise. It will be a bit difficult to trust you on something like that again in the near future but I think we can get past this together.

If I catch you at breaking such an important promise again I'll have to do something. Hearing your confession about you fight against the Death Eaters was scary enough, child," he said coolly and frowned at the girl before his features softened as did his voice. "I don't want to loose any of you, pup.

I couldn't stand it. I can remember how devastated your mother was when she found out about Severus. Of course no one of us knew that he was a spy for Albus. Lily was crushed and turned to James in her desperation for comfort.

She never abandoned her friend though. She stayed with Severus when he needed her but the friendship never again recovered fully. I dare say that if he hadn't started to spy, he and Lily would have been together. I know she loved him.

Yes Sirius, Lily loved Severus in school but she couldn't bear to see the Mark on his arm without shivering in fear. That's why she settled on being his friend rather than his companion. It's time you all get to know the truth about Lily.

She learned quite something about the Dark Arts from Severus and Lucius. Yes Draco, your 'father' was, albeit quite reluctantly, a friend of Lily and he was Severus' best friend. They were the only ones who retaliated against our pranks.

Don't get lost, Carya. The same applies for you Tom. Severus was able to find a balance and I hope you'll manage the same. I think you should go to bed now. Don't worry too much about the potion. We'll get past this. I'm not mad at you, only a bit disappointed. You could have talked to me first.

Don't you trust me with this? Did you think I'd punish you for thinking about the whole affair?" Remus asked and looked a bit hurt.

Realisation hit the four children like a ton of bricks. Carya realised that they indeed could've talked to Remus first. They hadn't even thought about that. She was suddenly feeling ashamed and helpless.

That kind of look simply didn't fit onto the face of the now nearly sixteen year old teenager. She hardly ever looked like this and that worried Sirius. She was looking miserable and started crying silent tears.

"I'm sorry, Remus, I didn't even think about you. I'm really stupid. How could I not come to you first. You, who is a very important part of my family and who has never let me down," she murmured loud enough for everyone to hear.

She was now looking at the floor and was shaking with quiet sobs. Tom didn't know what to do. Taking her into his arms wouldn't help because he felt just as guilty. A short glance at the other two boys confirmed that they felt the same way.

Sirius just stared at them. The children involvement with all that and Remus confession had shocked him to the core. Remus himself felt torn between his urge to protect his pack and to be the responsible and therefore sometimes stern adult in their family.

The protective pack leader won the argument and he hugged the girl.

"Shh, pup, we all make a mistake sometimes. Everyone of us does it. Albus did with you, Sirius did when he told Severus about me, Lily did when she didn't trust her best friend anymore. James did when he trusted Peter too much.

It's natural to make mistakes but you have to learn from them if you're given the chance. Do you understand?" he asked and felt her nodding against his chest.

The werewolf sent the children to bed and promised they'd continue the discussion in the morning. He kept the promise and by the time lunch came around the next day all problems had been solved. The teens had been forbidden to go into Diagon or Knockturn Alley before the twins birthday.

This meant they had to order their presents through Owl Express this year. It didn't matter. This kind of punishment was bearable. After the first week Carya, and Tom went to Privet Drive to visit the Dursleys while Harry and Draco stayed at the manor before they'd visit their girlfriends.

When the two arrived they were greeted by a chaotic sight. The girl twins were just doing some accidental magic and milk bottles were flying around in the kitchen. Carya helped her aunt to clean up the mess while Tom and Dudley cleaned Lily and Freesia before putting them to bed.

~*~*~ End Year Five ~*~*~

Spell Explanations

'Aperio Claustra' = 'Open Lock'

'Mutato noscanima' = 'Change the text and identify the magical signature'

(spell is made of: Muto scriptum nosco animo magico = Change text identify magic Spirit)

'Alligo Animo Insert Person's Name' = 'Bind to Spirit of Insert Person's Name'

'Significo' = 'to mark'

'Destruo' = 'to destroy'

Potions Explanations

'Sanguinis et Animo' 'Blood and Spirit' (used by Voldemort to regain his body)