Chapter 189: The Meeting

Mr Dumbledore had frozen in the act of wiping out a glass with a rag so filthy it looked as though it had never been washed. Possibly he had never seen his pub so full.

"Hi," said Fred, reaching the bar first and counting his companions quickly. "Could we have . . . thirty-three butterbeers, please?"

Mr Dumbledore glared at him for a moment, then, throwing down his rag irritably as though he had been interrupted in something very important, he started passing up dusty butterbeers from under the bar.

"Cheers," said Fred, handing them out. "Cough up, everyone, I haven't got enough gold for all of these . . ."

"It's alright, I will take care of it," Cedric said as he paid for all the butterbeers as the crowd took their butterbeers from Fred happily.

"Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?" Hermione whispered to Ron as the crowd started to make their way towards them.

Chris realized her face must have been sad because Luna slightly nudged her before everyone settled down around.

"It's alright, you're doing the right thing," she whispered.

Chris smiled back at her.

You are doing the right thing. Focus on that Christina. People are here to hear from you. You can do this.

Chris prepared herself as Hermione cleared her throat. Ginny and Colin sat near Chris and Luna. 

"How did you pull that off? How did you bring Dennis here? He's a second year," Chris whispered to Colin.

"Later," Colin grinned.

"Well . . . erm . . . well, you know why you're here. Erm . . . well, we had the idea — that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defense Against the Dark Arts — and I mean, really study it, you know, not the rubbish that Umbridge is doing with us" Hermione's voice slowly changed from nervousness to powerful. "because nobody could call that Defense Against the Dark Arts"—"Hear, hear," said one of the Michael's friend, and Hermione looked heartened —"well, I thought it would be good if we, well, took matters into our own hands."

Hermione paused, looked sideways at Ginny. Ginny nodded and started speaking, "And by that she means learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just theory but the real spells —"

"She wants to pass our Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. too though, I bet?" said Michael pointing at Hermione.

"Of course I do," said Hermione at once. "But I want more than that, I want to be properly trained in Defense because . . . because . . ." She took a great breath and finished, "Because Lord Voldemort's back."

The reaction was immediate and predictable. Lavender shrieked and slopped butterbeer down herself, Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch, Irena shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Chris, Harry and Cedric.

"And He is not alone. There is a myth like. . ." Ginny looked at Chris then turned back to others. "Like the Chamber of Secrets. And like Chamber of Secrets, it's also true, it's not a myth. Malgino, a man who was a student under the four founders, is still alive. And worse, he had decided to join Voldemort."

Again people flinched.

"Where's the proof of that?" said the blond Hufflepuff player in a rather aggressive voice.

"Well. . ." Hermione nervously started but Chris stopped her.

"I'm glad you asked that," Chris said calmly, completely aware of the bad vibe that Hufflepuff boy was giving. "Because we have loads of proof."

"Like?" The Hufflepuff boy said with a challenging tone.

"Who are you?" said Ron rather rudely.

"Zacharias Smith," said the boy. "And I think we deserve to know about the proofs."

"The entire last year is proof. Why do you think Harry's name was in the Goblet of Fire? Why do you think Karkaroff disappeared? Why do think I came out of the maze with Harry and Cedric? What do you think happened to the duplicate Mad-Eye?" Chris said boldly. She wasn't shouting but her voice clearly echoed in the silent bar. Even Mr Dumbledore was watching her now. "What about Crouch? What about the deaths happened last year? What about the Quidditch World Cup? There are lots of things to prove us right, if, only if you want to see."

"There could be other explanations for that," Zacharias Smith said.

"Like what? Are you talking about the ones Ministry is trying to fed people?" Chris asked smiling.

"So you think you are right and Ministry is lying?" snapped Zacharias Smith.

"Smith," Cedric said finally. "I think you would have believed us if you were there, you know, facing You-Know-Who and Malgino in that graveyard, tied on a tombstone, watching the horrible scene of His rebirth. But unfortunately, it was only us, me, Harry and Chris. So if you don't want to believe us then leave but don't you dare accuse Chris, Dumbledore or us."

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This followed by a heavy silence. Zacharias Smith opened his mouth but didn't speak.

"I trust them," Padma said smiling towards Harry. "Think about what they have done in the last few years. I don't think it's impossible for them to fight You-Know-Who and come back."

"True," Susan said. "Well for a fact, I know that Harry and Chris can perform a corporeal Patronus."

There was a murmur of interest around the group at this.

"Er. . . You must me Madam Bones' relative who talked about me, aren't you?" Harry said.

"Yes, she's my auntie," Susan smiled. "I'm Susan Bones. I have to say, my Aunt was really impressed by you in the hearing."

"Really?" Harry looked happy. "And yes I produce a stag Patronus. That's what saved me over the summer."

"Blimey, Harry!" said Lee, looking deeply impressed. "I never knew that!"

"Mum told Ron not to spread it around," said Fred, grinning at Harry. "She said you got enough attention as it was."

"She's not wrong," mumbled Harry and a couple of people laughed.

"What about you, Chris?" Irena asked. "What kind of Patronus do you produce?"

"Eagle," Chris replied smiling at her.

"Wow," exclaimed one of the friends of Michael. "Are you sure you are fourteen?"

Many of them laughed.

"And did you really saved Ginny Weasley from the Chamber of Secrets and killed a basilisk with that sword in Dumbledore's office?" said another Ravenclaw. "That's what one of the portraits on the wall told me when I was in there last year . . ."

"Er. . . yeah, but I wasn't alone. Harry helped me," Chris replied.

Justin Finch-Fletchley whistled, and Lavender Brown said "wow" softly.

"And in our first year," said Neville to the group at large, "Harry saved that Sorcerous Stone —"

"Sorcerer's," hissed Hermione.

"Yes, that, from You-Know-Who," finished Neville.

Hannah Abbott's eyes were as round as Galleons.

"Not to mention all the tasks Harry and Cedric had to get through in the Triwizard Tournament last year — getting past dragons and merpeople and acromantulas and things . . ." Colin said grinning.

There was a murmur of impressed agreement around the table.

Cedric and Chris caught each other eyes and grinned.

This is really working.

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To be continued...