Ever since Lord Voldemort returned, Rose Potter had changed. It began with something Helios Black told her one evening after training inside the Room of Requirement.
"You knew Voldemort would return eventually. So why didn't you prepare for it?"
At first, Rose became angry. Then defensive. Then irritated enough to argue with him for nearly fifteen minutes. But later that night, lying awake in her dormitory while staring at the ceiling, the words refused to leave her mind.
Because the more she thought about it, the more she realized he was right.
Since first year, she had known Voldemort still existed somehow. Quirrell proved that. The Chamber of Secrets proved it further. Sirius Black's escape shattered the Ministry's lies entirely. And then the graveyard happened. Voldemort returned. The war her parents once fought was no longer history anymore.
It was happening again.
And yet, despite knowing all of that, what had she truly done to prepare?
Played Quidditch. Studied for exams. Played wizard chess with Ron. Laughed with friends. Complained about homework and professors and house points like every other Hogwarts student.
She had continued living normally while fully knowing that eventually she would stand before Voldemort again.
And somehow, somewhere deep inside herself, she had simply assumed adults would handle it.
But when had adults ever truly protected her?
Not during first year. Not during the Chamber. Not during the graveyard.
That realization struck harder than any curse ever had.
So Rose began training.
Most students believed she simply disappeared during free periods because she wanted privacy after the Tournament and Ministry chaos. Only a few people knew the truth.
Though even among them, only Helios trained with her.
The others supported her, but they lacked the same urgency. Ron still complained more than he practiced. Hermione focused heavily on theory and magical structure instead of direct combat. Neville improved steadily but still hesitated too much during duels.
Meanwhile, Helios trained like someone preparing for war.
That evening, the Room of Requirement had transformed into a vast stone dueling chamber. Floating candles illuminated the circular room while protective wards shimmered faintly along the walls. Burn marks and shattered stone covered sections of the floor from previous training, and several destroyed practice dummies had already been stacked carelessly near one corner.
Rose stood in the center breathing heavily. Sweat clung to her forehead while her wand arm ached badly enough that her fingers trembled slightly whenever she tightened her grip.
Across from her, Helios looked perfectly calm.
"Again," he said.
Rose groaned loudly. "We've been doing this for two hours."
"And Voldemort's been fighting for fifty years," Helios replied without sympathy.
"That's not encouraging."
"It's not supposed to be."
Ron snorted from where he sat beside Hermione and Neville. "Merlin, you train like a psychopath."
Helios glanced toward him calmly. "And that's why I'm not the one constantly getting captured."
Ron looked deeply offended. "That happened once."
Hermione covered her mouth to hide her smile while Neville outright laughed.
Ron pointed accusingly at all of them. "You people are terrible friends."
Even Rose laughed despite her exhaustion. Then she lifted her wand again with visible reluctance.
"Alright," she sighed. "Again."
This time Helios stepped closer instead of immediately taking position across from her.
"The spell chain," he reminded her quietly.
Rose nodded immediately.
Over the past week, Helios had completely changed how he trained her. Before, Rose focused on individual spells. Accuracy. Speed. Shield timing. Traditional dueling forms.
Now Helios taught something entirely different.
Fluid combat.
Spell transitions.
"Watch carefully," Helios said.
Then suddenly he moved.
"Confringo!"
The blasting curse exploded across the chamber and shattered the practice dummy instantly. Before the smoke even cleared, another spell followed.
"Diffindo!"
A slicing curse tore diagonally through the remains.
"Accio!"
The broken dummy stand flew violently sideways, disrupting balance and movement.
Then instantly—
"Expelliarmus!"
The practice wand ripped free from the dummy's hand.
And before it even hit the floor—
"Ossio Fractura."
A loud crack echoed through the chamber as the dummy's arm shattered apart completely.
Silence filled the room afterward.
Ron stared openly. "That was horrifying."
"It was efficient," Helios corrected calmly.
Hermione leaned forward immediately, fascinated already. "The spell transitions are overlapping," she murmured thoughtfully. "You're not allowing recovery time between attacks."
Helios pointed toward her. "Exactly."
Rose looked impressed despite herself. "That looked impossible."
"It's not impossible," Helios replied. "It's rhythm."
He stepped behind her slightly. "Again."
Rose inhaled deeply and attacked.
"Confringo!"
The first curse landed properly.
"Diffindo!"
Too slow.
"Faster," Helios corrected instantly.
Rose gritted her teeth and continued.
"Accio!"
The dummy shifted violently.
"Expelliarmus!"
The wand flew free.
"Ossio Fractura!"
The practice dummy's leg shattered apart.
Rose lowered her wand breathing heavily while Helios studied the damaged target silently for several moments.
Finally he nodded once.
"Better."
Rose brightened immediately despite herself. Praise from Helios was painfully rare.
Ron noticed too. "You realize he trains you like some terrifying magical assassin, right?"
"That's because real fights last seconds," Helios replied calmly. "Not ten-minute dramatic duels where everyone waits politely between spells."
"That's… disturbingly accurate," Neville admitted quietly.
Then Hermione suddenly sat straighter.
"We should teach others."
Everyone looked at her.
Hermione's mind already raced ahead visibly. "Defense," she said firmly. "Real defense. Dueling. Counter-curses. Shield work. Practical combat."
"Because Umbridge certainly isn't teaching any of it," Ron muttered.
"So we do it ourselves," Hermione continued.
Neville frowned uncertainly. "You mean… study together?"
"Not study," Hermione corrected immediately. "Train."
Hermione continued passionately. "We ask Professor Dumbledore for permission to create a proper defense club. Somewhere students can actually learn useful magic."
"We can't rely on the Ministry," she said firmly. "And if Voldemort really is back—"
"He is," Helios interrupted quietly.
The certainty in his voice silenced the room instantly.
Hermione swallowed slightly before nodding. "All the more reason."
Helios remained silent afterward.
Honestly, he disliked the idea immediately. Too many people meant exposure. Risk. Secrets became harder to control once groups grew larger.
But at the same time, he understood something important.
Wars were not won alone.
People needed leadership. Needed strength. Needed someone willing to stand in front when fear spread.
And deep down, Helios already knew what he intended to become eventually.
People would need to trust him. Follow him. Believe in him.
Slowly, Helios exhaled.
"…Fine."
Rose blinked in surprise. "That's suspiciously easy."
"I'm evolving."
"No," Ron said immediately. "You're plotting."
Helios smirked faintly. "That too."
Hermione ignored the comment entirely because her mind already moved toward organization. "We'll need a secure location. A member list. A schedule. Protective enchantments. And secrecy."
Ron frowned. "Why secrecy?"
All four others stared at him.
Ron sighed dramatically. "Right. Stupid question."
"Very," Hermione agreed.
"Umbridge would shut us down immediately," Neville added quietly.
"And the Ministry already thinks Helios is dangerous," Rose muttered.
Helios raised an eyebrow. "They think?"
Ron snorted loudly. "Mate, half the Ministry probably thinks you're secretly plotting world domination."
Helios looked genuinely thoughtful for a moment.
"…That sounds exhausting."
"That wasn't a suggestion," Hermione said immediately.
Then Rose looked toward Helios more seriously. "Would you actually teach people?"
Helios met her gaze quietly. "If they're willing to learn properly."
"No showing off. No pretending dueling is a game."
His voice hardened slightly near the end.
Because for Helios—
It wasn't a game anymore.
Not after the future he remembered.
Not after watching people die because they lacked strength.
Rose understood that expression immediately now, and somehow that frightened her more than Voldemort sometimes.
Because Helios never spoke like someone afraid of the future.
He spoke like someone who had already survived it once.
Hermione suddenly clapped her hands together once. "Then it's decided."
Ron groaned. "That sounds dangerous when you say it like that."
For the first time in months, something inside her felt different.
Because now they were finally doing something.
Not hoping adults would save them.
Preparing.
And somewhere deep inside herself, Rose realized that perhaps this was how resistance truly began.
Not with armies.
Not with heroes.
But with frightened people standing together inside a room and deciding they would no longer remain helpless.
Helios Black agreed to teach.
The moment Hermione started discussing schedules, membership lists, organization, and leadership positions inside the Room of Requirement, Helios immediately stepped backward like someone avoiding a dangerous curse.
"I'll teach," he said calmly while leaning against one of the stone walls. "But I'm not organizing anything."
Ron frowned from where he sat on a practice crate. "Why not?"
"Because organization creates paperwork."
Hermione stared at him flatly for several seconds. "That is the most ridiculous excuse I've ever heard."
"It's not an excuse."
"It absolutely is."
Helios ignored her completely. "You handle meetings. You handle member lists. You handle schedules and permissions."
Then he pointed lazily toward Rose.
"And she handles people."
Rose blinked in confusion. "What does that mean?"
"It means people follow you naturally."
That answer silenced her for a moment.
Because deep down, Rose knew it was true.
Hermione clearly realized the same thing because she immediately nodded thoughtfully instead of arguing further.
Ron groaned dramatically. "Brilliant. So Hermione gets paperwork, Rose gets responsibility, and Helios gets to stand around looking mysterious."
"I also teach," Helios corrected.
Hermione crossed her arms. "Fine. But if this becomes successful, you are helping."
Helios looked genuinely horrified by the suggestion. "Why would you curse it like that?"
Rose snorted loudly while Ron nearly fell off the crate laughing.
Eventually, after several more arguments, the group agreed to approach Professor Dumbledore officially. Hermione insisted they needed proper permission before Umbridge found a way to interfere, and unfortunately everyone knew she was right.
So the very next day, the four of them climbed the spiral staircase toward the Headmaster's office together.
The gargoyle moved aside after the password, allowing them entry.
Inside, Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk calmly sipping tea while Fawkes rested silently nearby. The old wizard did not look surprised to see them at all.
In fact, Rose immediately suspected he already knew why they had come.
"Miss Granger," Dumbledore said pleasantly, "I suspect you are carrying the purpose of this visit in your notebook already."
Hermione blinked once before slowly lowering the parchment she had prepared. "How did you—"
"You have the expression of someone prepared to lecture adults," Dumbledore replied gently. "It is usually a reliable indicator."
Ron coughed violently trying not to laugh while Hermione turned pink.
Still, she recovered quickly and explained the idea formally.
"A practical Defense Against the Dark Arts study organization," she began firmly. "For students. Focused on practical spellwork, shields, counters, and defensive magic."
"For examination preparation, of course," she added carefully.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled slightly.
"And who shall teach these lessons?"
Hermione hesitated only briefly.
"Helios will teach."
The atmosphere shifted almost invisibly after that.
Dumbledore leaned back slightly in his chair while studying Helios over folded hands.
"And does Mr. Black know of this arrangement?"
"He agreed," Rose answered immediately.
"I see."
Dumbledore's expression remained calm, but his mind was clearly moving quickly now.
Because he understood exactly what this could become.
Students gathering around Helios Black willingly.
And whether knowingly or unknowingly, Helios would gain followers through it.
Still, Dumbledore also knew something equally important.
The students genuinely needed training.
Especially now.
Especially with Umbridge sabotaging practical education completely.
Finally, Dumbledore smiled faintly.
"You have my permission."
And just like that, everything changed.
The news spread through Hogwarts faster than wildfire.
By dinner, students across every house already whispered excitedly about it.
A Defense Against the Dark Arts club.
Notes flew between tables carrying notes and rumors while corridors buzzed with conversation late into the evening.
And everyone understood what the club truly represented.
Defiance.
Naturally, Dolores Umbridge lost her mind.
"You cannot allow this!" she snapped furiously inside Dumbledore's office the very next morning.
Dumbledore calmly poured himself another cup of tea. "Students forming educational organizations is hardly unusual."
"They are learning combat magic!"
"At Hogwarts," Dumbledore replied pleasantly, "that is generally considered education."
Umbridge's face turned violently pink. "You are undermining Ministry curriculum!"
"Your curriculum consists primarily of reading."
"It is theoretical education!"
"And yet oddly ineffective."
For a moment, it genuinely looked like Umbridge might scream.
But unlike before, she no longer possessed real authority over Hogwarts. No High Inquisitor powers. No emergency control over students and staff.
She was merely a professor again.
And she hated it.
Meanwhile, the club itself exploded in size.
Hermione originally expected perhaps twenty five students. Thirty at most if they were lucky.
Instead, over a hundred students signed up within two days.
Hufflepuffs joined eagerly, especially younger students frightened by recent events. Ravenclaws joined because practical learning fascinated them. Gryffindors flooded the sign-up lists almost immediately.
Slytherins mostly stayed away at first.
Openly joining a club organized publicly by Rose Potter felt politically dangerous inside Slytherin House.
Still, ambitious students eventually joined anyway. Especially older students worried about future examinations and real-world defensive ability.
And once rumors spread about Helios is the one training them, interest doubled again.
Soon Hermione realized one gathering would never work.
So she organized schedules meticulously.
First and second years together.
Third and fourth years alternating evenings.
Fifth and sixth years together.
Most seventh years avoided joining entirely, buried beneath NEWT preparation already.
Even among sixth years, only around seven joined. Advanced students often preferred private study and independent preparation.
Still, the club grew large enough to become impossible to ignore. And for the first time in months, Hogwarts students actually looked excited again.
Three days before the first official meeting, the impossible happened.
Cornelius Fudge himself arrived at Hogwarts.
The Great Hall erupted into whispers the moment Ministry carriages appeared outside the castle.
Students rushed toward windows while owls scattered from the rafters.
"The Minister's here!"
"Why?"
"Is it because of the club?"
"He's trying to shut us down."
Hermione looked furious instantly. "He can't!"
Ron looked nervous. "Actually… can he?"
Before anyone answered, the doors of the Great Hall opened.
Cornelius Fudge entered dramatically alongside several Ministry officials. Pink-faced. Sweating slightly beneath expensive robes. Trying very hard to appear authoritative.
And beside him, smiling with ugly satisfaction, walked Dolores Umbridge.
The Great Hall fell silent immediately.
Fudge stepped forward grandly. "Students of Hogwarts—"
Nobody applauded.
"I have come regarding certain… activities occurring within this school."
Every student immediately looked toward Rose.
Fudge noticed that too, and his expression tightened visibly.
"The Ministry cannot permit unauthorized combat organizations to exist within educational institutions."
Murmurs spread across the hall instantly.
Then suddenly, a calm voice spoke from the Slytherin table.
"Good thing it's authorized then."
Every head turned toward Helios immediately.
Fudge's face tightened further.
Helios remained seated comfortably, still eating breakfast.
"You Mr. Black,"
"Yes."
"The Ministry has concerns about your involvement."
Only then did Helios finally look up.
"The Ministry has concerns about everything."
Several students burst into laughter immediately.
Fudge flushed red. "This is not a joke!"
"No," Helios agreed quietly. "It isn't."
Something had begun at Hogwarts.
Not merely a student club.
But the first real resistance against the Ministry's control.
And standing quietly at the center of it—
Was Helios Black.
Author's Note:
Enjoying the story?
Consider joining my Pat*reon to get early access to more chapters and exclusive fanfictions! Even as a free member you will get one extra chapter and you'll receive early access to chapters before they're posted elsewhere and various other fanfictions.Your support helps me create more content for you to enjoy!
Join here: Patre*on(dot)com(slash)Beuwulf