"That explains why there were three Neville Longbottoms in my office this morning. I can't say I share your enthusiasm that a new surge has begun, however. You've already proved yourself capable of manipulating the Calamity, why start another?"
"Ever since the last surge began, I've felt a sense of deep foreboding... I thought it might be a byproduct of the Dark nature of that surge, but it hasn't dissipated since the surge ended. If anything, it's gotten stronger. I fear the Calamity is building up to something... something nefarious. So when I sensed someone - perhaps Lethifold or Barghest from that letter we intercepted - starting to manipulate the Calamity again, I immediately tried to wrench control away. It wasn't easy, but it appears I've managed to override their surge with one of my own."
"That's brilliant, Harry! The ability to redirect a surge will go a long way towards preventing the Calamity's power from being abused and corrupted by Dark magic. Even so, I'd rather we stamp out this surge quickly. Something about it feels off to me..."
Joining his friends in opposition to Dolores Umbridge, Lee Jordan enlisted in Dumbledore's Army both to learn how to defend himself and to rebel against Umbridge's administration. Ever the character, Lee became fast friends with his compatriots and was always willing to offer an encouraging word or a funny turn of phrase to uplift their spirits.
"Remember quite a few surges back how, after we returned Foundables of ourselves, we were left with memories of conversations with Grim Fawley we never actually had?"
"Yes, to your old friend Lee Jordan, apparently. He's suddenly been able to recall an unfamiliar, unsettling memory of a wizard making an example out of another wizard by using the Cruciatus Curse on him. Mercifully, he spared the details, but it sounded awful."
"This is Harry's surge. He should be the only one able to communicate using the Calamity. Why would he subject a friend to something so vile? Unless... Constance, did Lee get a good look at either of the wizards' faces?"
"He tried, but the memory was too foggy to make anyone out clearly. What was clear to him, however, was the feeling that the memory was meant to be a message..."
Despite often being viewed as clumsy and shy by his peers, Neville Longbottom proved his bravery and loyalty by volunteering to be one of the first to join Dumbledore's Army. A key figure in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, he would eventually assume a leadership role in the group. To this day, Neville still fondly remembers catching Harry completely unawares with a Disarming Charm during their first D.A. meeting.
"I just had a rather concerning talk with Neville Longbottom. Since we returned his Foundable, he's been able to distinctly recall a memory of a conversation with an unknown wizard. In it, the wizard questions his loyalties and tries to coerce him into making an Unbreakable Vow to prove it. At first I thought he'd had one too many Butterbeers. Then I wondered if the stress of the Calamity's Dark turn had somehow unknowingly caused me to implant a false memory in his Foundable. However, after speaking with him further, I'm convinced neither are true."
"To be honest, I'm less concerned with the 'how' than the 'why' and 'who.' I've no doubt that someone sent this memory for a reason. Figuring that out may be key to uncovering who Lethifold and Barghest are and what they're planning."
Ariana Dumbledore was the youngest child of the Dumbledore family. Bullied and tormented by local Muggle boys, the trauma she endured left her unable to control her magic. During one such outburst, Ariana accidentally killed her mother. She was tragically slain when she got caught in the crossfire of a duel between the Dumbledore brothers and Gellert Grindelwald. Her portrait rarely speaks, but is said to be kind.
"Poor Ariana Dumbledore... To this day, I'm not sure what's more tragic, her untimely death or the guilt Dumbledore must've felt."
"Dumbledore's Army owes a great deal to Aberforth Dumbledore. If he hadn't sent Dobby to rescue me, Harry, and Ron from Malfoy Manor, we likely would've died. He even supplied food and water to our friends hiding from the Carrows in the Room of Requirement. I suppose the point I'm trying to make is that Aberforth does not deserve his dodgy reputation. Though I can't say I understand his interest in goats..."
This parchment, while a seemingly innocuous non-disclosure agreement, hides a clever trick. Unbeknownst to the members Dumbledore's Army, Hermione Grangerjinxed it so that anyone who signed it and reported the group to Dolores Umbridge would have the word "SNEAK" appear on their face in boils.
"When I learned that Marietta had triggered the jinxHermione placed on this parchment by ratting Dumbledore's Army out to Umbridge, I believed she was a foul git and a traitor. But perhaps she was just afraid? That doesn't excuse her actions, of course, but I understand why she felt she had no choice but to turn us in. Fear is a powerful motivator. It can lead anyone astray, even myself. People often assume I must've been fearless to confront Voldemort like I did, but the truth is that I was afraid - terrified, really. Even so, I was able to overcome my fear because I realised standing up to him was more important. That's the mark of real courage - not a lack of fear, but the ability to continue on in spite of it."
"Neville and Lee were both left with new and frankly disturbing memories after becoming Foundables, memories I'm certain I didn't implant. Someone has clearly figured out how to embed messages in others' surges."
"I'm not so sure about that. Harry, you created this surge in response to someone else starting to manipulate the Calamity. In other words, another surge was already in its preliminary stages when you intervened. We both thought you were successful in wrenching control away from them, but what if that wasn't entirely the case? What if parts of this witch or wizard's surge - namely, these memories - got absorbed into yours?"
"If my theory is correct, more elements of this witch or wizard's surge will likely continue to manifest once the surge picks back up again. Perhaps we'll get more clarification then about who those memories belong to and why they were sent."
"Harry, we're receiving reports that the surge has returned. Considering that it seems to be related to Dumbledore's Army, I take it you were able to maintain control over the surge's direction."
"Yes, but just barely. Whoever is trying to manipulate the Calamity fought hard to regain their hold over it between surges. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear there were hints of desperation, even fear in their magic."
"If Hermione's theory about their surge being absorbed into yours is true, then isn't it a good thing they're resisting? After all, the more memories of theirs we have access to, the easier it'll be to identify them. Then again, it's equally possible that Lethifold and Barghest know we're onto them and this is all an elaborate trap designed to trick us into believing we have the upper hand."
"The Room of Requirement provided us dummies like this one to practise our offensive spells on. Whenever we'd destroy one, another would always take its place. Back then I naively believed that once we defeated Voldemort, that would be the end of the Dark Arts. Now I realise that what Snape said about them in my first N.E.W.T. level Defence Against the Dark Arts class is true. The Dark Arts are like a many-headed monster. When you sever one head, another does sprout in its place. Just like how a new training dummy would appear whenever we'd destroy one. Fortunately, my time in Dumbledore's Army and the SOS Task Force has also taught me that there will always be people willing to stand up and fight against evil. We should take solace in that fact."
Often written off due to her dreamy demeanor, Luna Lovegood surprised everyone by joining Dumbledore's Army. Whilst a part of the group, Luna proved herself to be a talented and driven witch. The full extent of her skill and determination became evident in her integral role in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries.
"Luna Lovegood, a former member of Dumbledore's Army, sent me an owl. Apparently she has a memory similar to Neville and Lee's. In it, a wizard cloaked in a hooded robe warns her that "The Unforgivable are everywhere"."
"I'm inclined to agree with you, but Luna seems to think otherwise. She said the wizard sounded scared, not malicious. According to her, this isn't so much a threat as a warning..."
Luna Lovegood learned to conjure her corporeal Patronus, a Hare, during her fourth year at Hogwarts. This is often regarded as an exceptionally young age for someone to have mastered such a difficult charm. It's said that her accomplishment inspired many of her peers in Dumbledore's Army to unlock their own Patronus.
"I must admit, after returning nothing but Foundables of Dark wizards, witches, and artefacts last surge, returning Foundables that aren't trying to kill me has been rather refreshing."
"That's actually why I chose to center this surge on my memories of Dumbledore's Army. I thought my happy memories could become a shield against the Darkness - much like how a Patronus is a shield against Dementors and Lethifolds."
Once the Malfoy family's House-elf, Harry Potter tricked Lucius into releasing Dobby with a sock. He later went on to work at Hogwarts Castle, where he received, at his request, a modest salary. Dobby was responsible for introducing Harry to the Room of Requirement, which would become a meeting place for Dumbledore's Army. Kind, energetic and friendly, Dobby was, above all, a free Elf...
"When I first met Dobby... well, quite frankly, I thought of him as a nuisance. As the years went on, however, Dobby became not just a valuable ally, but one of my truest, most loyal friends. Whenever I visit his grave, I bring him a new pair of socks so he knows how much he's missed."
Created by Hermione Granger as a way to discreetly communicate with members of Dumbledore's Army, these fake galleons were linked by a Protean Charm to reflect changes made to the master coin. The numerals engraved around the edge conveyed the time and date of the next Dumbledore's Army meeting and the coin would heat to indicate the change. Many members of Dumbledore's Army are said to retain their coins to this day and carry them with pride.
"Harry, is this the same coin that you display on your desk?"
"That's right. Hermione created these coins so I could discreetly communicate with the rest of Dumbledore's Army. See the numbers around the edge? I'd change them to reflect the date and time of our next meeting. Rather ingenious, isn't it?"
"We've found another fragment of a note. I can't make out its contents yet, but it appears to be addressed to you, Harry. I don't suppose you're going through a particularly introspective phase and wrote this letter to yourself?"
"Hermione did theorise that elements of the surge you interrupted might have been absorbed into yours. I'd bet my wand that this note is one of them. Which means..."
"Whoever's been manipulating the Calamity is trying to reach out to me specifically. Constance, tell the members of the SOS Task Force to prioritise recovering the rest of this note. It's imperative we find out what they want."
"We've only reassembled half of the note, yet its contents are already shocking, to say the least. The author - who admits to having created the surge you intercepted to get your attention - claims to be a part of a cabal of Dark wizards and witches called The Unforgivable. If this letter is to be believed, they're not only the ones responsible for the Calamity's Dark turn, they've been involved with the Calamity since the beginning."
"That's quite the confession. If true, it certainly raises a lot of questions about the Calamity, Lethifold and Barghest, and Grim Fawley's role in it all, doesn't it?"
"If being the key word. I'm convinced this is a load of codswallop intended to throw us off the real trail. Why else would they be telling us all this?"
"Interesting... Looks like we've gotten an answer as to why our mysterious pen-friend was being so chatty. Apparently they're in a bad way with The Unforgivable's leadership. They want out, but fear too much for their safety to just leave. They're offering information on The Unforgivable's members and plans in exchange for your personal protection and a full pardon. If you agree to their terms, Harry, they say you should come to this address they've listed... alone. They were very emphatic about that."
"I apologise for intruding, but I'd be remiss if I didn't chime in. You're not seriously considering going along with this, are you, Harry? It's obviously a trap."
"I have to agree. We have no reason to trust this witch or wizard. It's quite possible they're threatened by your ability to manipulate the Calamity and this is all a ploy to get rid of you."
"I understand where you're both coming from and appreciate your concern. However, if there's even a remote possibility this could allow us to end the Calamity and apprehend those responsible for it, then it's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Harry, thank Merlin you're safe. Constance told me about the letter. I can't believe you'd be so daft as to go and meet up with the author by yourself knowing full well it could be a trap. ...Harry, what's the matter? You're awfully quiet. Normally at this point, you'd be chiming in to try to defend your reckless behaviour."
"I was too late, Hermione. By the time I'd arrived at the meet-up spot, the presumed informant's mind had been completely Obliviated, to the point where he couldn't even remember his own name. The Healers at St. Mungo's are doing what they can to try and restore his memory, but it isn't looking good."
"How awful... Though I suppose it does lend some credibility to his claims that a cabal of Dark wizards and witches called The Unforgivable are controlling and manipulating the Calamity, doesn't it?"
"Hermione, as far as I'm concerned, this experience has made two things abundantly clear. First, that this mess goes beyond Grim Fawley, Lethifold, and Barghest. And second, if we continue to stand in this group's way, it's only a matter of time before they come after us."