Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 72: Dumbledore Army
The whole process of watching Harry Potter's memories took a day, but it was worth it. Dudley could see on their faces that the doubt had vanished. Those suspicious glances were gone, replaced by fear and perhaps even trust?
Dudley nudged Harry, silently urging him to say a few words but the boy didn't get his signal so he pushed him.
Harry was taken aback when Dudley pushed him forward, but after a moment, he gathered his thoughts and said, "Voldemort is truly back. But we have a choice, either we fight back, or we surrender. And I don't intend to surrender."
"Yeah! We fight!" shouted Dudley, and his words were met with a loud cheer from the students.
Harry continued, "So, we've decided to start extra classes. We all know why Lucius Malfoy is here. Since his arrival, he's taught us nothing, he only told us to read and read and read, this is not helping us at all and when we meet dark wizard we can't fight them at all because we didn't know how. So Dudley will teach us a few magic especially on how to defend ourselves."
Several students nodded in agreement, some student even cheering.
"My cousin Dudley will be the one to teach us," Harry announced.
"Dudley!"
"He's really strong!"
"I heard he even defeated Professor Snape!"
Whispers and murmurs filled the room as students reacted to the announcement.
"Are you not satisfied that I'll be the one teaching you?" Dudley asked with a raised brow.
"No, we're very satisfied!"
"Yes, absolutely!"
Their responses were enthusiastic, but Dudley didn't want to take full responsibility alone and he knows Harry is really good at teaching other people. So he is also a good candidate who can teach others.
"Don't worry, my cousin will also be teaching you," said Dudley with a smile.
Some students' eyes lit up. They had seen Harry face dragon and dementors, and the thought of him helping lead the class sparked excitement.
"Dudley, you said you agreed," Harry reminded him.
"Yeah, I agreed. But you're just as capable. After seeing your memories, I know you can duel," Dudley replied confidently.
Hermione also stepped forward in support. "Yes, Harry, I think you're a great candidate," she said.
Ron grinned, and then Fred and George chimed in playfully.
"Whoa! The lion and the badger!"
"One of them defeated a dragon!"
"And the other defeated a dungeon bat!"
"This is going to be exciting!"
Their comments lightened the mood, and many students smiled and some even laughed.
"Our class will be every Saturday and Sunday," announced Dudley. "And it begins tomorrow."
"We understand," the students replied in unison.
"Now, everyone can return to your rooms," said Dudley.
"But... the door is gone," one student pointed out.
Everyone turned to the entrance—it had indeed vanished.
Dudley muttered something softly, and suddenly three doors appeared. One red, one yellow, and one blue.
The students stared in amazement, clearly noticing that Dudley had summoned the doors without even using a wand.
"How did you do that?" asked Harry.
"Hey Dudley!"
"Teach us!"
Fred and George spoke up, their curiosity piqued.
"Go back to your rooms," Dudley said calmly. "Gryffindors, use the red door. Hufflepuffs, take the yellow door. Ravenclaws, please use the blue door."
"Hey Dudley, seriously.... teach us how you did that!" said Ron eagerly.
"Oh, that's a trade secret," Dudley replied with a grin. "What are you waiting for? Off you go."
"Wait!" Hermione said suddenly. "They can't leave just yet. This class is supposed to be a secret, right? I think we need to write down our names first."
Dudley blinked, then snapped his fingers in realization. "Right... we haven't even named the club or collected their names."
In the original timeline, it was Hermione who suggested writing down their names, and once again, when Dudley forgot to ask for names or even think of a club name, she was the one to bring it up for them to write down their names.
"I understand we need a club name, but why do we have to list our names too?" asked one of the students curiously.
"It's better to know who's genuinely interested," Hermione replied with different answer patiently. "That way, in the next class, we can tell who actually plans to attend and who just came out of curiosity."
"Oh, alright. That makes sense," the student responded with a nod.
"Speaking of names," Dudley said, raising his hand with a confident grin, "I have a great one for our club."
"What is it?" asked Susan, her interest piqued.
The others turned to look at him, waiting with a curiosity. Dudley beamed, then proudly announced, "How about... the Dudley Army Club?"
Susan hand twitched, clearly resisting the urge to smack him. Harry smile faltered. Hermione eyebrows rose in disbelief. Ron stared at him like he'd grown another head.
Everyone had their own reaction, and Dudley grinned even more as he watched them. He found their expressions hilarious.
"Wait, Dudley... why your name?" Ron finally asked, frowning.
"Well, I'm the one who'll be teaching you," Dudley replied shamelessly.
"Whoa, our great and mighty teacher," said Fred dramatically.
"Please, oh wise one, impart your knowledge upon us," added George, barely hiding his amusement.
Laughter broke out. It wasn't even that funny, but once someone started, others followed. Soon, it became a bandwagon of laughter that echoed through the room.
"Alright, settle down a bit," Dudley said, waving a hand. "So, what do you all think?"
"I don't agree," Ron stated bluntly.
"Dudley, I don't think that's a good name either," Hermione added.
"Even though I'm your cousin, I'm not supporting that name," Harry said with a half-smile.
"Okay, okay... never mind," Dudley replied, chuckling. He had expected that reaction. Truthfully, he only suggested it to lighten the mood and get everyone to laugh.
They resumed the discussion, tossing around names, debating seriously and jokingly. After a while, once everyone had thrown in their suggestions and nothing quite stuck, Dudley offered another idea.
"How about we call it Dumbledore's Army?"
Everyone went quiet.
Dudley continued, "Voldemort fears Dumbledore more than anyone. So I think naming our group after him makes a strong statement. Dumbledore's Army is a name that represents fighting back, learning to defend ourselves, and standing for what's right."
Some students flinched at the mention of Voldemort's name, but Dudley didn't care. They would all have to get used to hearing that name and facing it. Better to start now than later.
"Dumbledore Army… Dudley, that's actually a good name," said Hermione, nodding in approval.
Others murmured in agreement, and one by one, they all supported the idea. The name felt right, strong, brave, and exactly what they needed.
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