It was 9 o'clock when Harry, Ron and Hermione carefully snuck out the portrait hole and made their way to the seventh floor corridor undetected with the help of the Marauders map.

The common room had a few students huddled by the fire who didn't notice Harry, Ron and Hermione leave but corridors were deserted. Harry pulled out the maurauders map.

"The 7th floor corridor is clear. Neville isn't there yet." Harry said.

"He isn't in the Gryffindor tower either." Hermione added, scanning the map from over his shoulder.

"Let's just go before someone catches us standing here." Ron said urgently. They didn't hesitate and began to make their way to the seventh floor.

They had just turned into the corridor where the room of requirement used to be when Ron suddenly pointed at the map which was spread out in Harry's hands and said "Flitch is on his way."

"Where is Neville, he said to wait for him here." Hermione said looking around desperately.

"We need to hide." Harry said finally leading them down the corridor a little before they found large wooden double doors which wasn't there before.

"Is this what I think it is?" Harry gasped, staring at the doors with his mouth open. "What is?" Ron asked as he checked to see if anyone was coming. "let's hide here till Flitch goes away." Ron said and then stepped forward and pulled open the doors and went in. Hermione and Harry followed hesitantly.

"Harry!!"

"They are here, they found the place!"

Behind the wooden double doors was a room very similar to a regular classroom but without the desks and a high ceiling. Instead there were chairs placed in a circle. Most of the chairs were even occupied except for three next to Neville which were clearly meant for Harry, Ron and Hermione. Neville smiled at broadly at them as everyone turned to see the new arrivals.

The low chatter in the room died immediately as every face turned to look at them. "Brilliant, isn't it?" Neville said gesturing the room.

"What is this place?" Harry asked as he closed the door behind him, looking around. "It isn't on the map."

"I believe this is the room of requirement's final service to us." Neville said happily. "A way for it to live on after the fire that destroyed it."

"A room of requirement created by the room of requirement?" Hermione asked curiously "I didn't know such magic was possible."

"Neither did I. But I think it might have something to do with how ancient this magic is. Sometimes they develop over the years to become more powerful and sometimes they fade." Neville said. "The room has sensed our need for it and created another before it could get destroyed."

"The fiend fire is a powerful curse. I don't think any magic could survive it." Hermione said sitting down.
Harry noticed that the first year students, Seth, Sarcona and Henry, who they met at the first Quidditch tryouts were also there, grinning broadly.

"What is this meeting about?" Harry asked when he finished gazing around the room and moved into the seat next to Neville and in front of the fireplace.

"Terrence Conner." Neville said immediately. "We believe he is planning another attack." The others seemed to have already been informed of this and did not look as shocked as Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Would he dare? So soon?" Hermione asked giving Ron a worried look.

"That's exactly why nobody would see this coming." Dean said and Hermione pursed her lips.

"It's exactly what he said." Neville said. "Henry overheard him saying 'we need to do it now when no one will see it coming. Every week we wait it gets harder.' And that's when we knew for sure he was up to no good."

"Who was he taking to?" Harry asked.

"I don't know." Henry said sadly. "It was after care of magical creatures class and we were on our way back to the castle from the forest when I saw him hiding behind a tree and talking to someone. Unfortunately I couldn't see who he was talking to without drawing attention to myself."

"The forest seems to be the place he meets with his accomplices." Hermione said in deep thought.

"During class we always have someone on his tail." Neville said assuringly. "We are also watching the others on the list. Apart from going to the bathroom between ever class, they haven't done anything unusual yet."

"We have also kept an eye on Malfoy. He hasn't done anything suspicious either." Neville added. Hermione's expression suddenly cold. "I doubt Malfoy is involved in this. The last time he was involved in a mission, he failed to complete it and exposed the mission prematurely."

Her unusually cold demeanour earned her a few stares of surprise but nobody said anything about this.

"What do we do next, Harry?" Piped up Sarcona who had been very silent up until then.

"We need more information to be better prepared for the attack." Harry said. "We cannot let them enter Hogwarts again" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"And Ron," Harry said turning to Ron "you will not go anywhere alone. I need you to be accompanied by a DA member at all times."

"I'm always accompanied by DA members at all times." Ron said seriously.

*******

Hogwarts had never felt so unsafe before. Perhaps it was because of the absence of Dumbledore or maybe because of the new threat looming over the Weasleys. Nothing was the same anymore.

What worried Harry as he watched Terrence carry his books into his dormitory is how little they knew about this new threat. How could he stop them from hurting Ron or any of the Weasley again?

Harry joined Ron and Hermione in front of the Gryffindor common room fireplace, the next evening. They both were sitting in silence as Hermione was pouring over her books and doing her homework and Ron was playing with his quill and looked lost in thought.

They hadn't spoken much since the DA meeting last night. While all the members were excited about restarting the DA; Harry, Ron and Hermione were beginning to worry about the upcoming attack.

"Quidditch practice this weekend." Harry told Ron but Ron just continued to play with his quill. Harry thought Quidditch might help them take their mind off their situation. Meanwhile the rest of the common room fell into commotion as peeves began throwing ink pellets at students who came through the portrait hole.

Several students stomped angrily past them, covered in ink while some of the others roared in laughter. Hermione glanced up in time to see peeves making his way to them at the fireplace and quickly closed her books and rolled up her homework for safekeeping.

"Weee!! Look it's Potty, Weasel and Grunge!" Peeves sang as they swooped down with another ink pellet. Harry managed to duck in time and the pellet went crashing onto the place his head had been moments earlier.

Hermione was still scrambling to collect her things as peeves aimed the next one.

"HAHAHAHA!!" Peeves roared as he dropped the pellet. Ron pulled her out of the way in time and the pellet crashed onto the floor.

"Let's get out of here." Ron said grumpily as peeves moved on to the next targets. Harry and Hermione didn't say anything but followed him out of the Gryffindor tower.

"I know what you are thinking." Harry told Ron. Ron turned to Harry questioningly. "We can't stay here."

Hermione looked at Harry and then to Ron and back to her feet as they walked.

"But we can't leave." Ron said glancing at Hermione. "I mean, we need an education." Hermione laughed.

"I think Harry knows that it's not the education you are more worried about." She said.

"But this is something you want." Ron said turning to face her.

Hermione stopped in her tracks and thought for a moment. "I just don't want to see you get hurt. If they can get to you at Hogwarts, then they can get to you anywhere else too!"

"Hogwarts is one of the safest places around, or atleast it used to be." Harry said "but if it can't keep us safe then nothing can."

Hermione but her lip. "So Kingsley offered us a place in the Auror department?"

"Yes." Harry said. "You like that, right?"

"I donno. I always thought I would do something more worthwhile.." Hermione said.

"Like spew?" Ron chuckled and Hermione narrowed her eyes.

"It's not spew, Ron- Never mind, that's not what I meant anyways." Hermione said. She continued walking down the corridor as some students rushed past them to get back to their common rooms before Flitch came to give them detentions.

"Or we could just finish this year and then join the ministry." Ron suggested catching up to Hermione in a single stride.

"You don't have to risk your life for something I wanted." Hermione said with a sad smile. "We need to keep you safe and Hogwarts isn't safe anymore."

"It isn't safe only for me." Ron said grabbing her hand to make her stop. "Harry and I will be fine wherever we go, we cannot stop you from doing what you want to do."

"Of course not, Ronald." Hermione said with a little laugh as she blinked back tears. "Who ever told you, you could stop me from doing what I want to do."

"Then stay at Hogwarts." Ron said and before Harry and Hermione could protest.

"I know you have a lot to decide. Take your time. Finish the exams. We will meet again." He said.

"I will not stop fighting for you." Hermione said "I will not let Nicholas Flamel hurt you. I can do both I promise!"

Ron grinned and took her hands in his. "That's why I love you." He said and the tears Hermione tried to hold back came flowing out as they kissed.

The kiss became long and passionate, Ron's hands were lost in Hermione's bushy brown hair. Their bodies were so close that they looked like one person. Neither of them remembered Harry who was awkwardly standing next to them wondering if he needed to walk away and give them privacy.

It was only when Ron pushed her up against the wall for support as they kissed that Harry realised that he won't be missed, so he decided to head back to the Gryffindor tower hoping that peeves had gone by then.

*******

Hey guys!

Gah! I know! I was updating so regularly and suddenly I broke my streak......
But don't worry, I'm back to having a routine and will update again soon!

Hope you liked this chapter!! Let me know your favourite character you want me to write about and I'll try to bring them in too!

<3<3