It is said that a night’s sleep does wonders for helping to solve problems in one’s life; that the subconscious works on problems while the conscious sleeps, allowing the person to wake up and find that they have the perfect solution. Either Ginny’s subconscious wasn’t quite feeling up to problem-solving that first night at Hogwarts, or there really was no solution to her problem, because by morning, she was none the wiser on how she intended to steal the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape’s office. No matter which way she looked at it, there were innumerable obstacles that she couldn’t think how to overcome: what would the password to Snape’s office be? What if there were protective charms surrounding the sword? How would she be able to smuggle it out of the office without being caught “ assuming, of course, that Snape had vacated the office in the first place, and for a long enough time “ and what would she do with it once she had?
Ginny lay in bed for a long while upon waking up, thinking things through, but eventually she was forced to admit defeat and get dressed. Emerging from her hangings, she was surprised to find that Niamh was waiting for her. Kimberley was down at breakfast already, being a fairly early riser, and normally Niamh and Helen would go down quite promptly as well.
“Hey, Niamh,” said Ginny, remembering and slightly regretting her promise last night. “Shall we… go down for breakfast?”
“Yeah, okay, let’s go!” Niamh replied eagerly, and Ginny cringed inwardly. How did Helen put up with Niamh? She was like a puppy, constantly cheerful and always tagging along. Good fun in small doses, but otherwise, a bit too much.
“Oh, wait “ we’ll need our N.E.W.T applications,” Ginny realised. For some reason, Niamh bit her lip as Ginny said that, but she pulled the rolled-up application from her trunk like Ginny, so Ginny dismissed it.
They didn’t have to queue for long in the Entrance Hall, and managed to make it into the Great Hall in time for the morning post. Since Ginny’s only pet was a Pygmy Puff bought from her brothers’ joke shop, she knew none of the owls would be landing in front of her, but Niamh looked up hopefully as they soared overhead. Evidently, she was disappointed, since she returned to her pumpkin juice and toast after a few minutes. In the middle of the owls’ arrival, Neville and Seamus entered the Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table either side of Ginny and Niamh. Reaching for some bacon with one hand, Seamus delved into his pocket with the other. “Found it!” he said triumphantly to Ginny, who was on his left, pulling out the fat, gold fake Galleon he’d been given upon joining the DA.
Niamh gave him a strange look. “You’ve found a Galleon?”
“Oh… yeah, erm, good isn’t it?” Seamus suddenly realised that she was there, and wasn’t going to know what he was on about.
“Not just any Galleon,” Neville told Niamh, who was to his right. “His lucky Galleon.”
“Yeah… Gonna get me through my N.E.W.T.s, this.”
“Ri-ight,” Niamh said slowly.
After breakfast, the sixth-year Gryffindors, as well as a few others who were still eating (Neville and Seamus included) waited a little apprehensively for Professor McGonagall to come down from the staff table and approve their N.E.W.T choices. The calmest one at the table seemed to be Kimberley, but then Ginny wasn’t surprised. From what she could see, Kimberley looked like she was applying for more N.E.W.T subjects than Hermione.
Professor McGonagall moved down the Gryffindor table, checking applications against O.W.L results and handing out timetables. Eventually she reached Ginny and Niamh. Ginny unfurled her application and handed it to Professor McGonagall.
“Charms, Potions, Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures, all fine,” said Professor McGonagall. “I was pleased with your Transfiguration mark, Miss Weasley, very pleased. Defence Against the Dark Arts, unfortunately, is no longer a subject.” Professor McGonagall paused, her lips thinning. “A terrible waste of an ‘Outstanding’ O.W.L, but nothing can be done… Do you wish to take another subject instead?”
Ginny considered it. Ron had given her dire warnings about the amount of work in the sixth year, and even though she suspected him to be guilty of more than a little exaggeration, even Hermione agreed that sixth year was tough. “Can I think about it for a few minutes, Professor?”
“Don’t take too long,” said Professor McGonagall. She moved on to Niamh, and raised her eyebrows as she saw that Niamh was making some hasty alterations to her application.
“Have you not decided on your N.E.W.T choices yet, Miss Dublin?” she asked, causing Niamh to jump guiltily. She handed her application to Professor McGonagall.
“Charms, Potions, and Transfiguration, all fine,” she said. “Your Transfiguration mark, in particular, was exceptional.” She bestowed upon Niamh a rare smile. “However, you only just managed an Acceptable in Care of Magical Creatures… and I have never got the impression from Professor Hagrid that you enjoyed the subject much at all.” Niamh went pink. Her self-confidence seemed to have diminished greatly in Helen’s absence. Professor McGonagall looked down the list of Niamh’s O.W.L results, and her eyebrows rose still further.
“You achieved an Outstanding in Herbology,” she noted, “and I have always had glowing reports from Professor Sprout about your prowess. It would be a waste not to take it for N.E.W.T.” She declared this with a tone of some finality.
Niamh started to mumble something, but was interrupted as Neville looked round.
“Oh, you like Herbology?” he said, sounding delighted. “Me too, it’s my favourite subject.”
Niamh blinked rapidly, perhaps taken aback at being addressed by an older student.
“Yeah, I like Herbology,” she replied, sounding a little breathless. “I’m good at it too,” she added, with a modicum of her old confidence.
“Well then, why don’t you take it?” Neville encouraged her with a smile. Professor McGonagall waited rather impatiently behind them. Opposite Neville, Kimberley caught Professor McGonagall’s eye and handed her application across the table. Professor McGonagall glanced down the list of subjects, nodded briefly, and waved her wand over a blank timetable, handing it back to Kimberley. Kimberley immediately departed for her first lesson.
“I dunno… my mum and dad don’t think plants are that great… Helen never liked it much either.”
“You shouldn’t do just what other people want or don’t want you to do,” Neville advised her. “Do what you want.” Ginny knew he was speaking from a lifetime of personal experience.
“Yeah…” Niamh nodded. “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Professor McGonagall seemed to bite back a “Finally!”. Instead she nodded and glanced down the list of Niamh’s O.W.L results again. “You Exceeded Expectations in Astronomy as well, I see.”
“Oh… yeah, but I don’t think I’d know anyone who…” said Niamh. This time Ginny spoke up.
“A good friend of mine is taking Astronomy this year,” she told her. “Luna Lovegood. She’s in Ravenclaw; she’s really nice.”
“Luna Lovegood?” Niamh seemed to recognise the name. “Oh, but people say she’s completely-”
At the looks on Ginny, Seamus and Neville’s faces, however, she stopped short. “Yeah, okay, I’ll do Astronomy as well…”
“Excellent,” said Professor McGonagall crisply, and she tapped a blank timetable and handed it to Niamh, who looked apprehensive as she realised her first subject of the day was Astronomy. Nevertheless, she smiled weakly at Ginny, slung her bag over her shoulder and left for her first lesson. Ginny raised her eyebrow at Neville.
“That was really… well, inspirational,” she said. Neville went a little pink. “D’you know, I think you’ve persuaded me to take Herbology as well.” Ginny liked subjects which were more practical; she had no aversion to rolling her sleeves up and getting her hands dirty. For that reason, she could never stand History of Magic, which was the exact opposite.
Professor McGonagall handed Ginny her timetable, and she saw that she had a free period first thing. “Excellent!” she muttered. Neville and Seamus also received their new timetables, with the same subjects they had been taking last year but with Dark Arts and Muggle Studies lessons timetabled in. The three compared timetables, and it transpired that Neville also had a free period first. Seamus departed for Transfiguration, and Neville finished off the remainder of his toast. Once he had finished, Ginny asked,
“Were you planning to go up to the Common Room, by any chance, Neville?”
She deliberately kept her voice even, as if it were just an innocuous request. Neville caught on, and his eyes flickered briefly towards the staff table, where Snape sat, flanked by the Carrows. None of the teachers attempted to engage any of the three in conversation.
“Yeah, I was,” Neville replied in a similar tone. “Were you?”
“I was. Let’s go now.”
They made their way out of the Great Hall and back to the portrait of the Fat Lady, chanting, “Leprechaun,” in unison as they approached. Neither spoke until they were well inside the Common Room, and had sat down in a pair of armchairs. Neville broke the silence first. “What’s up?”
Ginny glanced about, but the common room was deserted since most people were currently in lessons. Nevertheless, she kept her voice low. “You remember that sword that Harry pulled out of the Sorting Hat in his second year and used to fight the Basilisk? The Sword of Gryffindor?”
Neville cast his eyes upwards; remembering, no doubt, the first ever meeting of the DA in the dingy Hog’s Head pub. “Oh yeah, the one that Terry Boot said is in Dumbledore’s “ I mean Snape’s “ offi…” He trailed off and stared at her. “Oh, shit.”
Ginny nodded, mentally noting that she’d never heard Neville swear before. “Yeah. We need to get it off him, quickly, before he can give it to You-Know-Who.” She shook herself mentally, remembering what Hermione had always said about ‘fear of a name’. “Before he can give it to Voldemort.”
Neville twitched slightly, but nodded in determination. “Okay. How are we going to do that?”
Ginny bit her lip. “Well, this is the problem. He doesn’t teach any lessons any more, so he’ll always be in his office.”
“Unless something brings him out of there.” Neville raised his eyebrows at her. “Like when Harry needed to use Umbridge’s fire, back in fifth year.”
Ginny grinned fleetingly; she’d forgotten about that. She remembered what Fred and George used to say to her, if she ever questioned whether they would be able to pull off a prank. “It’s not a question of ‘if’; it’s a question of ‘how’.”
Neville appeared to be thinking along the same lines. “Is there anything from your brothers’ joke shop that might manage that?”
Ginny jumped up from her armchair. “There might just be.” She hurried up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory and within a few minutes had returned carrying a large, magenta box. In gold letters on the top it read, ‘WEASLEY’S WIZARDING WHEEZES: DELUXE BOX. FOR ALL YOUR TROUBLEMAKING NEEDS.’
Neville watched in amazement as Ginny opened the box to reveal a large assortment of colourful objects. Here and there were some of the objects that the twins had tested in their time at Hogwarts “ several Skiving Snackboxes, some Canary Creams (Neville laughed to himself as he remembered how he had been an unwitting test subject for those), a Headless Hat “ and others which they had developed more recently but were still familiar to Ginny, like Daydreaming Charms and Extendable Ears. She sorted through them with care, aware that, knowing her brothers one or two were likely to explode or make a loud noise when touched, and finally found what she was looking for. “Ah ha!”
Neville examined the black, hooter-like object as Ginny held it aloft. Its legs pedalled uselessly in the air. “What is it?”
“A Decoy Detonator,” Ginny replied. “Brilliant for creating diversions. But this one seems bigger than usual…” She frowned and caught hold of the label attached; her expression instantly changed to one of delight. “Brilliant! Listen to this: ‘The Deluxe Decoy Detonator allows you to record an insult of your choice, which is then played at five times the volume to create both a diversion and a lasting impression on your victim of choice, with added voice distortion to prevent incrimination. Insults must last no longer than ten seconds. Tap once with wand to begin recording and twice to finish.’” She smiled. “This has given me an idea. Let’s see what else is in this box.”
Throughout the entire first period, Neville and Ginny sorted through the box of Wheezes and made their plans. They were anything but sound, and depended largely on chance, but they were a start. Ginny was ever-conscious of time passing, though. Surely Snape wouldn’t wait before handing the sword over to Voldemort? He wouldn’t want to risk being accused of withholding it, and what could he gain from waiting anyway? So the longer that Ginny and Neville took to plan the venture, the more chance there was that it would all be in vain. They would just have to do it, and either succeed or… earn detention trying. Ginny wasn’t sure if she wanted to find out first-hand what the Carrows’ methods of punishment were.
On the way to her second lesson, Charms, Ginny met up with Luna, who was also taking the subject along with Astronomy, Divination, Potions and Ancient Runes (though the teacher had always been little doubtful about some of her interpretations, and disagreed with her theory that the runes had been sent to the future by a prehistoric race of part-humans, part-dragons to warn them of impending doom). The first thing Luna said when she saw her friend was, “You’re planning something.”
“What?” said Ginny, taken aback. “No we’re “ I mean I’m “ not. What gave you that idea?”
“Yes you are, I can tell from the look on your face.” Luna’s tone wasn’t accusatory, merely matter-of-fact. Ginny reflected on past incidents where Luna claimed to have been able to tell what people were thinking or what mood they were in by their facial expression, and she had never yet been wrong.
“All right, maybe,” said Ginny, as they entered the classroom and Professor Flitwick called for silence in his squeaky voice, “but don’t tell anyone.”
“Of course not,” replied Luna, her eyes widening madly. “I’d rather have my Internal Regnais sucked out by a Hooverdinger.”
Thankfully, Ginny was spared from replying by the start of the lesson. Professor Flitwick announced that they would be briefly revising the Aguamenti charm before moving on to accomplishing it non-verbally. Ginny was taken aback; she had to think for a few seconds to remember that Aguamenti was the charm which produced water, a testament to just how much she’d forgotten over the summer.
Normally, Charms was a good lesson in which to enjoy a private conversation, but soon silence descended over Ginny’s classmates as they each strained to carry out the charm without saying a word. Next to Ginny, Niamh frantically repeated the wand movement over and over, biting her lip in concentration, until suddenly a jet of solid ice burst from her wand and poked Michael Corner in the back, eliciting an exclamation of annoyance from Ginny’s sulky ex-boyfriend. Unsurprisingly, by the end of the lesson Kimberley had mastered the charm, and only she was exempted from practicing it for homework.
The rest of the day was similarly strenuous, although thankfully Ginny had neither Muggle Studies nor Dark Arts scheduled, which meant she had yet to experience the Carrows’ ‘teaching’ methods. However, she had both tomorrow, one after the other, which was bound to be a bundle of fun. As it was, she felt like her internal whatever-it-was had been sucked out by a Hooverdinger.
Ginny groaned and stretched her arms above her head as they emerged from the dungeons at the end of the day, shaking her head to try and rid it of potion fumes. Slughorn had held the same competition for a bottle of Felix Felicis as last year, and of course, Kimberley had won it. She doubted the girl would use the potion; in any case, what would her perfect day be like? She already got near-perfect marks in every subject as it was. Ginny felt an ache similar to homesickness in her stomach as this lead her to think about Hermione, and by logical progression, Harry and Ron. She wondered what the three of them were doing now.
“Ginny.”
Ginny jumped as a quiet voice sounded next to her ear. She’d been walking along in a daze, not really noticing where she was going: it was a miracle that she hadn’t bumped into anyone. “Oh, hi, Neville.” She looked round and added, “Hi, Luna.”
“Luna says she wants to be in on the you-know-what,” Neville informed her sotto voce.
Ginny bit her lip as she considered this. Another person would be a help, but then again it would also get Luna into trouble if they didn’t manage it… she was beginning to understand why Harry was always so idiotically adamant about doing everything alone. “Playing the hero”, as Hermione liked to call it. A fond smile curved her lips, and she had to force herself to focus on the matter at hand. “Okay,” she breathed back, knowing it would be easier than persuading Luna not to help them. “But no one else.”
“Fine,” Neville replied. “We need to do it soon.”
“I know…” Ginny glanced down the student-filled corridor. “Where can we go to talk?” The Gryffindor common room was out of the question, because Luna was in Ravenclaw.
“Here.” Neville suddenly pulled them into an empty classroom, shutting the door behind them. He pulled out his wand and did a complicated movement with it. “Espionagis revealio!” Nothing happened.
“What does that do?” Ginny asked curiously.
“It reveals any magical forms of eavesdropping,” he replied. “I read it in a book over the summer.” Then, bringing them back to their original purpose, he said, “I think we should do it tomorrow.”
Ginny’s stomach jolted almost painfully. “Tomorrow? Are you really sure-”
“I don’t think delaying it any longer will do us any good,” said Neville. “Our plan is as good as it’s going to get.” He had an unhappy expression on his face that was reminiscent of his old, awkward self. Ginny hastened to agree, not wanting him to look like that any more.
“All right.” She turned to Luna and prepared to outline their plan. “It’s risky, but this is what we’ve decided to do...”
Severus Snape sat at his new desk in the Headmaster’s office, reading the long list of banned items in Hogwarts with increasing irritation. What the hell was a Disillusionable Dingbat anyway? Still, he needed to know the names of all these things so that he could confiscate them if he saw them.
“Severus Snape is a greasy-haired git!”
Snape froze as the insult sounded from outside his door. Whoever it was was obviously using a voice distortion charm, as the voice rose and fell in pitch unnaturally. One of the portraits sniggered, and then hastily stifled the noise as Snape shot them a furious glare. He waited, and then when no more insults seemed forthcoming, continued reading.
“Slytherin sucks!”
“Outrageous!” yelped Phineas Nigellus. The previously slumbering portrait of Albus Dumbledore cracked open an eye, looking amused. Snape’s eye twitched, but he made no move to get up.
“Snivellus loves Mouldymort!” This time the voice was very high-pitched, as if of someone breathing helium.
That was too much. The use of his hated childhood nickname sent Snape lunging to his feet, face white with fury except for a blotch of red in each cheek. He strode over to the door and yanked it open; a second voice had joined the first, singing childishly,
“Snivellus and Mouldymort, sitting in a tree
K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”
Snape looked around, unable to see the singer. Just then, he caught sight of something black disappearing round the corner. He followed it, thinking of the punishments he’d like to inflict upon this little idiot. But who was it that had let slip his old nickname? The werewolf perhaps, or Black…
Just then, an explosion sounded down a corridor to his right. Someone screamed, and all of the students in the corridor froze in shock. Snape hesitated, then strode towards the commotion.
“He’s gone!” hissed Neville to Ginny and Luna. “C’mon, let’s go!”
The three hurried down the corridor to Dumbledore’s “ they still couldn’t stop thinking of it as that “ office, and then stopped short at the stone gargoyles barring their way.
“Oh, bum,” said Neville articulately.
Luna, however, continued to smile. She stepped forward and addressed the gargoyles.
“Hello,” she said serenely. “We’ve come to liberate the Sword of Gryffindor from Snape’s possession, so that Voldemort doesn’t get it. Will you please let us through?”
The gargoyles seemed to appraise her silently, then, to Neville and Ginny’s astonishment, stepped aside to let them through.
“Wow, Luna, you must have some kind of special power of persuasion,” said Neville, impressed.
“I was gifted by the Gernumblies over the summer,” replied Luna. “That must have been the power they gave me.”
“What are Ger-”
“The sword!” interrupted Ginny, before the conversation could digress any further. Neville and Luna looked over, and saw the magnificent, ruby-inset sword lying in a glass case. “Come on, we don’t know how long our diversion will last for.” She approached the case and pulled out her wand. “Alohomora!” Nothing happened.
Neville, meanwhile, was staring around at the portraits which decorated the walls. All of the wizards and witches who occupied them appeared to be asleep, or at least feigning sleep. Suddenly he gasped. “Dumbledore! It’s Dumbledore! Of course!”
“Reducto!” There was a sound of shattering glass, and Neville whipped around to see Ginny seizing the sword. She removed it from its stand, and the three braced themselves for an alarm of some kind, but nothing happened. “Right, come on, let’s go.”
“How’re we going to get it out of here?” asked Neville, momentarily distracted, but Ginny had already whipped off her cloak and was rolling the sword inside it.
“It’s the best we can do. Come on…”
“But wait “ Dumbledore’s here!” said Neville, gesturing to the sleeping portrait. “We ought to wake him up “ we can tell him about the Carrows “ he’ll know what to do, and he can tell us what Snape’s been-”
Ginny cut him off urgently. “Another time, Neville. We need to go, now!”
Reluctantly, he followed Ginny and Luna out of the door. They hastened down the corridor, unable to quite believe their good fortune.
“You know, it’s amazing that there weren’t more spells on the s-”
The words died on Ginny’s lips as they found themselves face to face with the looming, furious figure of Snape.
The Resistance by enchantedsleeper
Chapter Endnotes: I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this up!! Please, accept my abject apologies and my humble chapter. I hope you didn't find anything too unrealistic or confusing. Reviews are loved!