The DA Meeting

The DA meetings had become more popular in the last week. There had even been a new wave of Slytherins joining from right under the Inquisitorial Squad's nose. Firstly, this was because Umbridge's actions were so appalling that almost the entire school had signed up to offer some kind of resistance to her, and secondly, the Room of Requirement materialised robes for naked witches to wear inside. They couldn't risk wearing anything outside of the DA meetings in case they were caught by one of Umbridge's lap-dogs, but the robes vanished as soon as you stepped into the corridor anyway so that was always an impossibility.

"You know who's always managed to cope rather well with the new dress code?" said Ginny.

"Who?" asked Hermione, she was so relieved to be putting on a warm black robe again that she was only half paying attention.

"Luna."

"She's just a batty young witch."

"That may be, but she's handling this rather well. She never looks uncomfortable, she acts indifferent towards Umbridge in lessons and she is always the last person to get to the pile of robes in these meetings. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she only put clothes on for the benefit of us, rather than covering herself."

"Well... what do you want me to do?"

"Let's ask her how she copes so well."

"Fine." Hermione agreed begrudgingly and walked over to Luna, who was only now picking up the last remaining robe to check the fit.

"Hi, Luna"

"Oh hello," replied Luna with a cheery but distant tone, "I was checking for nargles, this one seems to have the least out of the bunch. They do awful things to your brain and they love to reside in clothing items - you could argue that Professor Umbridge's new rules have actually been a benefit to magical learning."

"That's what we wanted to talk about," Hermione continued nervously, "you seem to be so, er, comfortable, like this. We were wondering, how do you stay so calm, don't you feel exposed or embarrassed like this?"

Luna was about to answer, but was interrupted.

"Today, we will be going through the knockback jinx. The incantation is 'flippendo,' you need to be clear and focused in your incantation and you also need to be deliberate with it. When you cast this spell at an opponent, imagine physically trying to push them over, use your back and shoulders to cast it.

Please pair up and use the cushions provided, I'll come round and talk to you each individually in a few minutes."

Ginny turned to her friends, "Why don't you two pair up? I'll practice with Hannah." Before anyone could reply, Ginny turned and left.

"She's nice." muttered Luna in a kind of sing-song voice, as if Ginny was no more than a passing thought on a pleasant Summer's day.

"Yes, but as I was saying, how do you seem so... at ease with all of this?"

"Well, why don't you feel so comfortable? I think this might have been the best thing Umbridge could have done for you."

"How?" Hermione almost shouted. "I feel utterly humiliated every day. Everyone in school has seen me naked, I've been **** to share my own body, the one thing I thought was mine alone, with an entire generation of the wizarding world."

"That's true," continued Luna, "but she also did that to so many more. She was a bad teacher, but no one expected her to last more than a year anyway so nobody except a few cared. Her feud with Dumbledore was seen as power politics that nobody really wanted to get involved with. When she singular;y picked on Harry, Ron and you, we could all make excuses that you were provoking her and could have avoided it if you kept your head down."

"So I'm all alone in this fight and no one has the guts to help me? How does that help?"

"You're not listening. With this blanket ban on clothing Umbridge has personally attacked almost half the school, and the other half do enjoy it more than they like to admit, but they sympathise with you and condemn Umbridge. Have you not noticed that these meetings have more people involved since Umbridge's decree? This is your chance to unite the next generation of sorcerers against injustice. You have a strong and experienced figurehead that can lead and inspire people," she glanced at Harry, who was helping a Ravenclaw first year, "and you have the support of every decent person in this university - which, I believe, is quite a lot of people."

Hermione was stunned for a minute, but the sound of Padma Patil hitting the floor behind her, brought her back to reality.

"But how does that help me feel comfortable with everyone staring at my bum, my boobs, my... well my lack of a bush now?"

"You can't look at the big picture for long can you? Very well. Firstly, everyone has already seen you; they already know what you look like, so what does it matter if they happen to see you again tomorrow? Secondly, you are always surrounded by women who look like you, who are just as exposed and have been all this time. No one pays much attention to any individual naked witch because we're all naked and the novelty is slowly wearing off. Finally, what do you have to be embarrassed by? You look lovely, wizards and witches look at you and don't condesend towards you, they lust towards you. I like to think it happens to me too, I'm sure I've noticed Neville and Rolf Scammander look at me with more interest. I'm flattered beause I know they can't help but look at me even though they both think they shouldn't."

"So I'm just supposed to take it lying down because everyone else is? Umbridge is controlling me and every witch here and I hate it and every slight draft through the castle reminds me of it."

"You are doing exactly what she wants. I think she wants you to feel helpless and weak, it means you're not much of a threat and you're more likely to submit to her if you feel like you have nothing left to protect."

"What do I have left? I can't fight you-know-who like this. I feel weak and I **** and there's nothing can do about it."

"Are you sure? Last time I checked, you used soft robes to protect your modesty, but I'm sure it was your wand you needed to protect against curses." Luna glanced at Hermione's wand arm "As far as I can see, you still have that."

Hermione didn't say anything.

"Let's practice," said Luna, suddenly sounding cheerful and care free again, "I'll go first."

The two witches raised their wands and practiced the knock-back jinx until the end of the meeting. Luna was helping Hermione clear away some of the cushions when Ginny caught up with them.

"So what did you two talk about while I was gone? Anything interesting?"

"Luna thinks the best way to deal with Umbridge is just to Grin and bear it." Hermione grumbled bitterly.

"What?" Ginny was a little perplexed at this, she thought Luna was going to help.

"Not quite like that." Luna chimed in, "I'm only trying to say, Umbridge wants us to feel beaten and broken, but we can still cast spells and we're getting more support than ever. " Luna continued to give Ginny a summary of all the arguments she made earlier; unlike Hermione, Ginny seemed to agree with everything was saying and even blushed a little when Luna complimented her body.

"I think I understand." Said Ginny, after Luna was finished, "Umbridge wants power over us and thinks she can humiliate us into submission. If we just act is if it's not bothering us and continue the movement against her even more, it will drive her mad!"

"Why do you need to act? You don't need to be embarrassed?" Luna's point fell on deaf ears.

"Hermione, let's try something." Ginny continued.

"What?"

"Set up a resistance meeting tomorrow night at eight. We should tell this to every witch in the castle. In the meantime, take off your robe."

"I'll set up the meeting, but why do I need to strip?"

"I think it's a good idea." said Luna. As mentioned before, robes that were conjured by the Room of Requirement, disappeared as soon as you stepped outside, most girls just kept them on and grimaced as their clothes evaporated as they stepped into the corridor. No one had ever been known to take off their robes while still in the room.

"It's a small step." Ginny answered. "We take our robes off on our own terms now and we walk out that door proudly. We don't have robes, but we have more courage and magical power than any of the inquisitorial squad combined. Starting now, we're going to be confident, it won't bother us that people are staring, it's nothing they haven't already seen." Ginny was grinning broadly and Hermione knew she couldn't say anything to dissuade her. "Fine. I'll go first." Ginny unfastened her robe, pulled it over her head and dropped it at her side. Before the item had even landed on the floor, it had melted into nothing. Ginny just looked expectantly at Hermione and Luna.

"I think this is wonderful." Said Luna with an airy but excited tone. She removed her robe as Ginny had done and watched it disappear with a fascinated expression.

Only Hermione was left. She could feel the eyes of her friends on her and didn't enjoy what she suspected was going through their minds.

"Can we wait? Harry and Ron are still here; I don't want them staring."

"No," Said Ginny with a smile, "you'll strip here and be confident. It's like looking Umbridge in the eye and saying, 'so what?'"

"But they're going to see me voluntarily strip off without Umbridge even around. They'll think I'm a slag!"

Ginny paused with a smirk on her face, staring coolly into Hermione's eyes. "So what?"

Hermione accepted defeat, closed her eyes and pulled off the robe. When she opened them again, she saw Ginny and Luna beaming proudly.

"Well done. I know that wasn't easy, but we're not done yet. put your hands by your sides. Now! Good. Now walk with me back to the dungeons and we're taking the long route. Act as if nothing is abonormal at all."

Ginny took the hands of Hermione and Luna and lead them out slowly and happily. But not without noticing the jaws of Harry and Ron hanging open as the three naked witches strolled past without seeming to care.

The walk to the dungeons was long but uneventful, Ginny lead them all over the castle from the seventh floor to the transfiguration office. Ginny responded cheerfully to Peeves' taunts which left the poltergeist looking a bit confused. Ginny grew more brazen, smiling at everyone who walked by and even wiggling her hips when she knew students that past her were staring at her arse.

"I can't blame them." Hermione found herself thinking, but quickly decided to abandon that thought.

The height of Ginny's cheek was made clear when she strolled past Umbridge, Grinning like an idiot to which Umbridge, obviously vexed at her high spirits, said, "I see you are feeling happy this evening, Miss Weaseley. I hope you're staying out of trouble.

"Well," replied Ginny, I've been getting a lot of compliments today." With that she brazenly shook her breasts almost right in the face of the high inquisitor and hurried off, dragging her friends with her.

"What are you doing? She'll kick you out of school?" Gasped Hermione as soon as Umbridge was out of earshot.

"For what? Enjoying my punishment too much?" Ginny giggled, "Did you see the look on her face? She looked like frog had jumped up and bit her nose. I don't think she's been that surprised and angry at the same time in her life."

Hermione had to agree with her and by the time they made it back to the dungeons, she also had to agree that it was fun when she noticed no one could take their eyes off her and even more fun, watching Umbridge think that her punishments had no effect on them. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a talented young witch again.