The Dark Gryffindor

Chapter Nineteen: Joining Dumbledore’s Army


It so happened that the very next day Valerie had a Quidditch practice where she would surely see Ginny Weasley.

Valerie was in the air with her teammates, yet skulking away from them in the distance. Down below, she heard a whistle blow hard. Their Seeker, Ginny had just caught the golden snitch for the fifth time during today's practice and now the supervisor, Mcgonagall wanted to end the practice. Madam Hooch had since left Hogwarts, so fed up and disgusted with the violent competition Quidditch had soared to under the new order.

Valerie went for a sharp, daring dive with her Comet Two-Sixty broom. It was almost a wronkski feint. Her broom skidded the surface of the muddy pitch, her feet trampling down hard. She wiped the sweat off her brow and squinted through the failing sunlight. Night was fast falling and the dementors were like gray clouds scudding the outskirts of Hogwarts.

Just then, Ginny landed in front of Valerie and in front of the rest of the team. Ginny glanced over her shoulder towards the stands and said, “Good practice, guys! No actually it was great!” And Ginny looked with a haughty triumph over her shoulder again.

There was a crowd of Slytherins dominating an area of the stands where Ginny looked, most of them wearing articles of green and silver, some with the snake emblem. The Slytherins started to jeer at Ginny’s brave attempt. “She's the runt of the pack of Blood-traitor crap - the weasel captain of Gryffindor losers!,” started to ring once again just like the silly slogan it is.

Finally, Mcgonagall bolted out of her seat, chest-rising and furious at her full height. By the rules of the school she had not been allowed to ban their presence earlier today, but now that practice was over she could. She looked truly rankled, losing her cool like never before. Under a booming sonorous charm she roared, “SHUT-UP! GET OUT!” Mcgonagall’s eyes swerved furiously around the front of the Slytherin crowd, she spotted Draco Malfoy in the center, and Pansy Parkinson not far off from her old boyfriend. Mcgonagall shot a furious glance at the Slytherin Head Boy, badge no longer gleaming in the overcast weather caused by the dementors drawing closer. Draco – remembering the many times Mcgonagall had issued him detention and certainly not wanting one now – what with the torture those being punished endured, turned, fleeing from the pitch, and his entourage of over a dozen following.

Mcgonagall seethed, actually waving her fist, “And you all – to the lockers!…I swear – you better beat Slytherin! I can’t stand to see that nasty, bigoted lot win!" It was true that Quidditch games were no longer official, but they were still being held. Voldemort had removed the school’s custom of the Quidditch Cup, but still permitting the House Cup.

Seamus Finnegan, one of the chasers raised an eyebrow and turned his back obeying, but still sharing a secret smile with Demelza Robins (another chaser, a pretty African descended girl) and also he smiled with Ginny Weasley. The rest of the team –except for Valerie followed behind.

"Our match against the Slytherins is booked for March first. To have any chance we've gotta' beat Hufflepuff...," said Ginny determinedly.

Cormac McLaggan, one of the beaters said, "It'll be easy. Hufflepuffs are pushovers. There won't be any fighting with THEM."

Meanwhile, Valerie was staring hesitatingly at Mcgonagall, who waited alone, keeping her wand poised just in case the dementors came near the stadium. Her comment about the Slytherins was making Valerie herself wonder if she still supported the ongoing inoculation against Muggle-borns at the ministry.

Mcgonagall, coming a bit out of her stare, like a soldier on guard duty said sharply, “What is it, girl?”

“Nothing, professor…”

But at once Mcgonagall’s voice became softer, much kinder. “How are things with Professor Snape?”

“He teaches me very well. I’ve learned a lot from him,” said Valerie stiffly, wanting to avoid the fact she knew there was more there than teaching.

“You know what I mean! It is hard for me to believe - but Snape – is he cruel?”

Valerie said coolly, “Quite the contrary. He is a kind lover, professor.”

Mcgonagall sighed, “I suppose. If you say so. Off you go then!”

Valerie went hastily across the trimmed lawn, full of muddy ice patches, almost slipping. She turned around suddenly and yelled with alarm, “Professor Mcgonagall? You aren’t going to tell anyone about us? Please, don’t!” For Valerie finally understood what dangers this would put Professor Snape’s life in, let alone her own life.

“Never! I daresay this school couldn’t afford a scandal. You ask me, Hogwarts is on the verge of collapse.”

But after never, Valerie did not hear. Red-faced and cheeks flushed at the thought of what Mcgonagall probably imagined herself doing with her headmaster sexually, she sprinted across the pitch.

Flustered, she entered the girl’s shower stalls. She was glad to see Demelza was already at the lockers. Without saying hello to her, as is her habit with most people, Valerie breezed past Demelza and went into the steamy heat of the shower room.

Ginny was apparently still in her shower and Valerie hopped into another stall, and closed the curtain. It was blissfully refreshing to wash the grass and sweat off her body. She had thrown her red and gold Quidditch robes and padding over the curtain.

A few moments later Valerie dashed out and grabbed a white linen towel and held her wand doing some rapid drying spells. She could see Ginny was standing at the full-length looking-glass, as she changed back into her plain black robes, tatters and even holes in them, as the Weasleys of course, bought nearly everything second-hand.

Once dressed, Ginny remained, brown eyes fixated on the mirror.

“What are you doing, Weasley?,” said Valerie curiously. She knew Ginny was not a vain girl, so why would she be staring at her reflection?

The Quidditch Captain did not answer at once, as she stared morosely at herself. “I was wondering how much I’ve changed since…Oh, its nothing.” Truth was Ginny did not want to tell Valerie who she was thinking about. It was Harry Potter and how much she missed him and Ginny would rather keep those thoughts to herself.

Valerie decided to drop the subject, as she finished drying her hair with a magical steam emitting from her wand.

Valerie whispered so as not to be overheard, “I want…to join Dumbledore’s Army!”

And now Ginny turned away from the mirror. “What? You?!”

“Yeah, me!,” said Valerie defensively. “I’ve been working hard. And resisting the Carrows' regime for months.”

“I’ll have to think about it, Powers,” said Ginny, crossing her arms and not sounding the least bit enthused by the idea.

Boldly Valerie turned around, the towel cascading to the floor. “I was whipped and chained up a lot more than you. Look…I still got the marks and the Carrows are still after me.”

Ginny's face screwed up to wretched impunity, as Ginny did not think much of Valerie's suffering, as so many others had shared the same fate. Yet the state of Valerie's back was repugnant, several red scars gleaming. There was no scars on her buttocks, having not been whipped there and Snape had cleared up all of his minor damage with the murtlap, and murtlap cannot heal scars.

Valerie turned around again and grabbed her much nicer robes than what Ginny owned off the hooks. Valerie could see Ginny was fighting a surge of compassion for Valerie in her heart, yet all she did was blankly comment, “I have marks, too, you know.”

Valerie frowned and said, “Come on,…We’re cousins! Please…Ginny?” Valerie had said her third cousin’s name on her father’s side for the first time to her face. “And I dormed six years with Hermione.”

“I guess so. We always need more people…I’m sure Neville won’t mind if I recommend you. We’ll induct you into the D.A. tomorrow night. Okay?”

But before Valerie could do more than grin victoriously, Demelza popped her head into the shower room. “Professor Mcgonagall and everyone else is waiting for you guys!”

And Ginny and Valerie jumped as if running from a werewolf to get back out on the pitch, both grabbing their brooms from the lockers.


Note: Sorry no Snape this time round. He will be back in a few updates though as will Voldemort. I swear Quidditch is important to several elements of the plot and Snape plays a part in the Quidditch too!