Chapter Thirteen: Percy Has a Nightmare (Again)
Neville's P.O.V.

"SO," GINNY SAID as her, Dean, Lavender, Parvati, and I were walking to our first defense lesson with Harry. I really hope we wouldn't get caught. "What do you think this 'Room of Requirement' is going to look like."

"I dunno," Lavender shrugged. "But we're about to find out."

"I wonder how Leo knew about this place?" Dean asked, "Ever since the beginning of the year Piper, Nico, him, Annabeth, and Percy have been acting strange and suspicious."

"Even Trelawney has been paying attention. She's delivered two prophecies to the five of them," Parvati marveled.

"Yeah," I say joining the conversation. "Doesn't Harry usually get the death threats?"

Ginny just smiles at that. The other three just look confused.

"I don't believe really believe him. It's a fact You-Know-Who isn't back, he's a bloody liar," Lavender mutters under her breath.

We walk in silence for the rest of the way there. When we reach the seventh floor it's about seven fifty; ten minutes until we're supposed to be there. Right in front of us is a door I never noticed before. It was highly polished wood with a brass handle. Dean grabbed the handle and lightly knocked the door.

The door opened revealing a spacious room lit with flickering torches like those that illuminated the dungeons eight floors below. The walls were lined with wooden bookcases, and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor.

"Whoa," marvels Dean. "What is this place?"

"The room of requirement," A voice said behind me. I jumped and realized it was Annabeth, along with her other four friends.

I looked from Harry to Annabeth and realized he was giving all five of them dirty looks. I wonder what that's about.

* * *

By the time eight o'clock arrived, every cushion was occupied. Harry moved across to the door and turned the key protruding from the lock; it clicked in a satisfyingly loud way and everybody fell silent, looking at him.

"Well," Harry says, slightly nervously. I wonder what that's about. "This is the place we've found for practices, and you've- er- obviously found it okay -"

"It's fantastic!" said Cho, and several people murmured their agreement.

"It's bizarre," said Fred, frowning around at it. "We once hid from Filch in here, remember, George? But it was just a broom cupboard then..."

"I think we ought to have a name," Hermione said changing the conversation, her hand still in the air. "It would promote a feeling of team spirit and unity, don't you think?"

"Can we be the Anti-Umbridge League?" Angelina said hopefully.

"Or the Ministry of Magic Are Morons Group?" suggested Fred.

"How about the, Dam Defense Strategists?" Percy said choking on laughter as his girlfriend Annabeth laughed along with him like it was an inside joke. Harry and Ron just glared at them. I wonder what that's about.

"I was thinking," said Hermione, frowning at Fred and Percy. "More of a name that didn't tell everyone what we were up to, so we can refer to it safely outside meetings."

"How 'bout Dumbledore's Army?" said Cho. "The D.A. for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"

"Yeah, the D.A.'s good," Ginny says. "Because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?" There was a good deal of appreciative murmuring and laughter at this.

"All in favor of the D.A.?" Hermione said bossily, kneeling up on her cushion to count. "That's a majority- motion passed!" She pinned the piece of paper with all of their names on it on the wall and wrote DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY across the top in large letters.

"Right," said Harry, when she had sat down again. "Shall we get practicing then? I was thinking, the first thing we should do is Expelliarmus, you know, the Disarming Charm. I know it's pretty basic but I've found it really useful." Everyone was left silent.

"Okay," Harry says. "I reckon we should all divide into pairs and practice."

Everyone around me divided into pairs, and as usual I was left partnerless.

"You can practice with me," Harry told me. "Right- on the count of three, then- one, two, three-"

The room was suddenly full of shouts of "Expelliarmus!": Wands flew in all directions, missed spells hit books on shelves and sent them flying into the air. Harry was too quick for me, and my wand went spinning out of my own hand, hit the ceiling in a shower of sparks, and landed with a clatter on top of a bookshelf, from which Harry retrieved it with a Summoning Charm.

I looked around and saw the only people who succeeded on first attempt were Hermione, Harry, Cho, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and Nico. Only eight people out of thirty-one.

I quickly noticed how Harry wasn't on guard and yelled, "Expelliarmus!" and I watched Harry's wand fly out of his hand.

"I DID IT!" I said gleefully. "I've never done it before - I DID IT!"

"Good one!" said Harry encouragingly, "Listen, Neville, can you take it in turns to practice with Ron and Hermione for a couple of minutes so I can walk around and see how the rest are doing?"

"Sure," I said. This club was going to be so much fun, even if it was the trouble.

* * *

I woke up to the sound of screaming. It was just a typical November morning, about one month after the first D.A. meeting. I jolted up in my bed to see where the screaming was coming from. I looked around the dormitory. Everyone was awake, and like myself, they were trying to figure out were the screaming was coming from.

"Do you think he had another nightmare," Leo whispered to Nico. He said it very quiet, but I was in earshot.

Nico nodded, "If that isn't it, I have no idea what's going on."

The screaming stops and I hear footsteps thudding down the stairs. Harry opens the door and Annabeth and Percy are running down the stairs. Percy kept muttering, "Tell the stars, Bob says hello."

While Annabeth on the other hand is telling him, "It's all right, Kelp Head. You're at Hogwarts, remember?"

At the last word Percy looks up and says, "Oh gods. I did it again."

"What are you talking about?" I asked. He looked at me then realized that half the Gryffindor house was staring at him.

"Nothing," Annabeth and Percy say in sync.

"It's nothing to worry about. Percy is absolutely fine," Piper says. She caught me by surprise, but then I realize the whole time she was standing behind Annabeth. All of a sudden a haziness of relief comes over me. What was I thinking about? Nothing is wrong with anything! Percy is fine, just like Piper said.

* * *

The next day at breakfast, Leo walked up to me and said, "Neville, guess what? There are three spots open on the Quidditch team! Are you going to try out?"

I already knew the answer to that, everyone had heard about it. Mrs. Toadbridge kicked Harry, Fred, and George off the team. For five years, beater or seeker has never been available. I see what Leo's playing at. I would try out but, obviously flying isn't my strong suit.

"Well, good luck with that," I say walking off to my first class. Sometimes Leo can be delusional. I remember hearing about the first time he tried out in his third year; he was trying out for chaser when he had a rogue bludger attack him, even though it was supposed to be locked up, he tried to shoot it through the hoop like a quaffle and he got a face full of bludger.

I walked through the empty corridor for my next class, potions when I heard two voices, "You really called it close yesterday Percy."

"I know," Percy said. "It's not my fault, besides, you have the nightmares too."

"Good point," Annabeth hesitates. "I have a bad feeling about this quest."

"Then why'd you volunteer, Wise Girl?" Percy laughed.

"I don't know. I told you, it felt like I had to. Like how I felt about the quest for the Parthenos Statue."

"Well, hopefully we can avoid any more crazy professors screaming our old prophecies at us," Percy said. What was he talking about? He told everyone he had no clue what Trelawney was talking about. Was he lying?

"We meed get to class," Annabeth paused. "You better roll down your sleeve Percy, your tattoo's showing."

Me: I forgot what I was going to say.
PJO/HOO/HPCharacters: *facepalm* Seriously?
Sirius: Did someone say my name?
Ella: No they did not. Are you Sirius Black? First featured in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I have read that book. It is very good.
HPCharacters: Whhhaaattt?
Ella: "What Does The Fox Say" is a pop song by Ylvis.
Me: *Snaps fingers* I know what I was going to say now!
Ron: Just say it and get it over with!
Me: I do not own any of the characters. All characters either belong to Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling.

1/6/15