Ch 5: First DA meeting in Room of Requirements

In the spacious hall of the Room of Requirements, the students who had enrolled in Harry Potter's secret training stood in a line, ready to learn. The room had transformed into a breathtaking space with high ceilings and tall windows, adorned with regal pillars and carvings on the walls. It was dimly lit, with a mystical and mysterious ambiance that added to its magical allure. The room was fully equipped with various objects and equipment necessary for the students' training.

It was evident that the room had been transformed into a training ground as it had a wooden dummy at the forefront. The dummy was designed to assist the students in practicing their spells and was a crucial part of their training.

Mike stood in the line with the other students and thought to himself, "Well, it seems Harry listened to my advice."

Harry, who was at the forefront, turned to look at the students in the line and said, "You will one by one come forward and try the disarming charm."

"Neville, you first," Harry said to the fidgety boy who was the first in line.

Neville readied himself and swished his wand and chanted, "Expelliermus." Unfortunately, his wand was already up in the air before he could finish his spell.

"I am hopeless," Neville muttered in a depressed tone.

"Well, you are moving your arm too much, look." Harry said as he gave a slight swish and spelled, "Expelliermus." As soon as he spoke the incantation, the wand that was held by the wooden dummy was flung into the air.

One by one, the students stepped forward to try the Expelliarmus spell. The mystical ambiance of the Room of Requirement seemed to intensify as they cast their spells. It became evident that most of the students knew how to perform the charm, but they lacked the finesse and precision required for effective spell casting. Only a handful, including Hermione and Ginny, were able to successfully disarm the wooden dummy.

After Nigel, a second-year student, failed to disarm the dummy, it was Mike's turn to try. Harry, noticing that Mike was a first-year student, offered to demonstrate the spell for him. However, Mike declined the offer and stepped forward confidently.

"I'm good, Harry," Mike said calmly.

In the previous month, Mike had tried to learn the disarming spell all by himself, and he found that the Occlumency skill he gained from soul canvas made it easier for him to learn spells. With Occlumency, he was able to control his emotions and intentions, which aided him in his spellcasting.

As Mike stepped forward to take his turn at the disarming charm, the tension in the room was palpable. All eyes were fixed on him as he took a deep breath and raised his wand, acutely aware that he was the only first-year student in the room.

After a few moments of silence, Mike shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Suddenly, a bright flash of light illuminated the room, followed by a loud crack. The wooden dummy was thrown backward, its wand spinning through the air before clattering to the ground. The other students gasped in surprise as they watched Mike succeed, defying their expectations.

"Wow, Mike! That was amazing!" Harry exclaimed, patting Mike on the back.

Mike's face lit up with a huge grin, feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Although he may have been an introvert, the thirst for praise was no different from anyone else.

...

Two months had flown by in the blink of an eye, and as the autumn leaves began to fall, the weather in the Scottish highlands grew colder. The final meeting of the Dumbledore's Army of the term had just concluded, and as Mike walked away, he couldn't help but feel that joining the group had been the right decision.

Although he had been able to learn spells on his own, he knew that without practical combat experience, his knowledge of magic would be for naught. That was why joining the DA was so crucial to him. Here, he could learn from Harry's guidance and spar with fellow members to hone his skills.

As the weeks went by, Mike found himself excelling under the tutelage of Harry. He learned spells that he didn't know before, and his confidence grew with each successful cast. He was no longer a complete novice in magic he once was, but rather, a capable wizard with the skills to defend himself against any threat.

The sense of community that he felt among the members of DA was also something he cherished. In this group, he found a sense of belonging that he never felt before, and he was grateful for the friendships he had formed.

Overall, being a part of the DA had been an invaluable experience for Mike, one that he would never forget.

Despite the positive experiences Mike had in the DA, not everything was going well at Hogwarts. Dolores Umbridge's arrival as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had brought about a dark cloud over the school. Her outrageous educational decree, which granted her immense power to control and regulate all student organizations, created an atmosphere of suffocation.

The once vibrant and bustling school now felt like a prison, with students and teachers slowly being stripped off their freedoms. The decree led to the dissolution of many student groups, including the Quidditch teams, and imposed restrictions on student activities.

Umbridge's oppressive presence and the lack of support from the Ministry of Magic had also impacted the quality of education at Hogwarts. The Defense Against the Dark Arts class was now a joke, with Umbridge teaching only theory and refusing to let students practice any spells.

Mike and his fellow DA members were aware that they were breaking the rules by continuing their secret training, but they also knew that it was necessary. With Voldemort's return becoming more apparent, they needed to be prepared for what was to come.

Despite the difficult circumstances, Mike was grateful for the sense of community and purpose he found in the DA. It was a small light in the darkness that surrounded Hogwarts.

...

Amidst all the chaos and turmoil, Mike never forgot about the advantage he possessed - the soul canvases floating in the dark void. He had already set his sights on drawing the image of a demiguise, longing to possess its unique ability to peer into the future when feeling threatened. With such an extraordinary power, Mike would feel a lot more secure during these accursed times.

The recent news of ten Death Eaters escaping from Azkaban had sent shivers down his spine. It was a wake-up call for him, a reminder that the dark forces were still lurking in the shadows, growing stronger with each passing day. Despite the calm veneer, Mike knew that they were gathering strength and preparing for something big. It was more important now than ever to be vigilant and stay ahead of the game.

...

During the two weeks long Christmas holidays at Hogwarts, Mike found himself with a lot of free time on his hands. With most of the students gone home, the castle was eerily quiet, and Mike often found himself feeling a little lonely. But as an adult, he knew how to deal with solitude, and he used this time to focus on important things.

Mike spent much of his holiday time practicing drawing the demiguise on parchment paper. He was determined to acquire the demiguise's ability to see the immediate future when feeling threatened.

As he sketched the creature's long, flowing hair and intelligent eyes, Mike felt a sense of calm wash over him.

As Mike continued to draw the demiguise, the outside world slowly faded away. His thoughts, once consumed with worry and fear, now became focused solely on the parchment before him.

The scratching of his quill on the paper created a soft rhythm, like a lullaby that calmed his mind. The swirling lines of the demiguise's fur took on a life of their own, moving and dancing before his eyes.

For a moment, Mike felt like he was transported to another world, one where peace and tranquility reigned. It was a welcome escape from the harsh realities of life, even if only for a little while.

Drawing had become his sanctuary, a place where he could forget his troubles and find solace in the simple act of creating. And as he gazed upon his finished drawing, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that he had created something beautiful out of nothing.

As the Christmas holidays came to an end, Mike returned to the familiar dark void, surrounded by the soul canvases that seemed to float effortlessly around him.

With a gentle command, his "entity" drew him towards a blank canvas, which welcomed him with quiet anticipation.

Closing his eyes, he summoned the image of the demiguise from memory and began to draw with his wand, each stroke flowing into the next like a conductor conducting a symphony of lines and curves.

Gradually, the image of the demiguise emerged, as if the pieces of a puzzle were finally falling into place to create a coherent whole.

As he finished the final stroke, the canvas glowed with a serene bluish light, filling him with warmth and comfort reminiscent of a mother's embrace.

When the glow finally subsided, he knew that he had acquired the ability to peer into the immediate future, a skill that would prove invaluable in these times of uncertainty and chaos.