Dumbledore's Army (also known as the D.A.) was a secret organisation initiated by Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley to teach their fellow Hogwarts colleagues proper Defence Against the Dark Arts in 1995. It was founded by Hermione, but taught and led by Harry.
This organisation was made necessary by the refusal of Dolores Umbridge, the subject's professor during the 1995-1996 school year, to teach anything in her classes other than textbook theory. It was originally founded with thirty-nine members. The group was disbanded during the 1996-1997 school year following the appointment of Severus Snape as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, although several members heeded the call and participated in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower at the end of the year.
It was restarted by Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, Aquila Black, and Luna Lovegood during the 1997-1998 school year after Hogwarts fell under the control of Lord Voldemort in order to oppose Death Eater professors Alecto and Amycus Carrow, who spread propaganda against Muggles and Muggle-borns and taught the Dark Arts. Dumbledore's Army played a vital role during the Second Wizarding War, and members of the organisation fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts.
History
1995-1996 school year
Foundations
- "Harry, don't you see? This... this is exactly why we need you... We need to know what it's really like... facing him... facing V-Voldemort."
- —Hermione Granger persuading Harry Potter to teach practical defence
Shortly after their fifth Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson during their fifth year, it soon became clear to Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger that practical defensive magic would not be taught in the class. Instead, under the stewardship of Dolores Umbridge, a Ministry-approved course of theory only would be taught. Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge was afraid that Albus Dumbledore could use practical lessons to train an army of wizards and witches to oppose him and to try to take over the Ministry, since he refused to believe that Lord Voldemort had returned. They claimed that Cedric Diggory's death was a "tragic accident", and refused to admit that Voldemort had murdered him.
Concerned that they needed defensive magical skills to combat Voldemort and his Death Eaters, Hermione proposed the formation of a practical study group to be taught by Harry as he had more experience than any of them with using actual defensive and offensive magic following his encounters with Voldemort. Harry was initially reluctant but, after two weeks of dealing with Umbridge, and her appointment as the first Hogwarts High Inquisitor, he finally agreed. Hermione arranged a meeting in the Hog's Head during the first Hogsmeade visit of the school year for anyone who wanted to learn, although Harry was sceptical that anyone would turn up. Since the Daily Prophet had launched a smear campaign against him, many of the students considered him to either be a liar or insane.
In the Hog's Head, Harry was surprised to see a fair number of students from Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw turn up, although he harboured the suspicion that a few, such as Zacharias Smith, only wanted to hear about the night Cedric Diggory was murdered. After some initial scepticism, the students started to list Harry's achievements — the survival of his parents' murder at Voldemort's hands in their family home and resulting defeat of the dark wizard himself as an infant (which earned Harry his fame from the wizarding community and the title "the Boy Who Lived"), rescue of the Philosopher's Stone from a disembodied Voldemort in his first year, slaying of the Basilisk of Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets with the Sword of Gryffindor in his second year, vanquishing of the Dementors of Azkaban at the Black Lake with a corporeal stag Patronus Charm in his third year, and winning of the Triwizard Tournament and duel with the resurrected Voldemort within the Little Hangleton graveyard in his fourth year.
The group agreed that secrecy would be vital — if Umbridge found out about them, they would surely be shut down and punished. However, each student signed, some rather reluctantly, a special piece of parchment to show their commitment. Unknown to any of them, Hermione bewitched the parchment to include a jinx. If any student should betray the D.A., then the word "SNEAK" would be written across their face in spots. The meeting broke up with the agreement that sessions were to begin once a suitable location in which to train had been found.
Unbeknownst to any of the D.A., they were being watched. Mundungus Fletcher, disguised as a witch with a thick black veil, was keeping an eye on Harry for the Order of the Phoenix, while Willy Widdershins informed Umbridge of the meeting in a plea-bargain to avoid punishment for a series of Regurgitating Toilet incidents. Umbridge used the information to implement Educational Decree Number Twenty-Four, which banned all student organisations that were not approved of by the High Inquisitor. Although not revealed at that time, Aberforth Dumbledore also relayed information about the D.A. to the Order, as they were meeting inside his pub.
Initially, Ron thought that a student at the meeting had betrayed them, until Hermione pointed out that if they had, she would have known about it due to the jinx she placed on the parchment that they all signed. Despite the ban, Harry assured all the members that the meetings would go ahead once an ideal location was found. They would just need to be careful. Soon, Harry was informed of the Room of Requirement by the house-elf Dobby, who occasionally used it to store the drunken house-elf Winky. After Dobby told Harry, Hermione, and Ron how to summon the Room, the D.A. convened for their first practise session.
Training
- Cho Chang: "The Defence Association? The DA for short, so nobody knows what we're talking about?"
- Ginny Weasley: "Yeah, the DA's good. Only let's make it stand for Dumbledore's Army, because that's the Ministry's worst fear, isn't it?"
- — Cho and Ginny discuss group names
During the first session, Cho Chang created the name Defence Association, but Ginny Weasley suggested to make the letters DA stand for a different name of their group, Dumbledore's Army, to frighten the Ministry officials, since they were frightened that Dumbledore was creating an army to take over the Ministry; the members agreed upon their group having this name instead of Defence Association. Harry started them off slowly, practising the Disarming Charm. When Zacharias Smith scoffed at its simplicity and wondered about its effectiveness, Harry responded that it was the spell that saved him from Lord Voldemort in the Little Hangleton graveyard.
Aware that arranging meetings and passing the word about them verbally was not a secure method of communication, Hermione bewitched several coins with a Protean Charm, one for each member of the D.A. When activated by Harry, the numbers on each coin would change to inform the bearer of the time and date of the next meeting. When asked about it, she admitted to getting the idea from the Dark Marks. The class progressed at a fair rate, practising the Impediment Jinx, Reductor Curse, Stunning Spell, and various other hexes and jinxes before temporarily breaking up for Christmas break.
Lessons continued during the early months of 1996, and the mass breakout of imprisoned Death Eaters from Azkaban spurred them on to greater efforts, particularly Neville Longbottom, whose friends learned that three of the escapees had tortured Neville's parents into insanity at the end of the First Wizarding War. The class mastered the Shield Charm, and began to work on the Patronus Charm. The class also welcomed a new member, Seamus Finnigan.
Despite being a Gryffindor in the same year as Harry, the two boys had argued when Harry insulted Seamus' mother for believing the Daily Prophet's version of events. However, with the publication of an interview in The Quibbler, many, including Seamus and his mother, came to see the holes in the Ministry's stories, and Seamus willingly apologised to Harry. He then proceeded to join the D.A being led to the room by Dean Thomas, although Seamus only was a member for the very last session when Harry Potter, instead of Neville Longbottom, was still the leader and teacher, because Umbridge finally found out about the organisation during this meeting.
Betrayal and discovery
- Cho Chang: "Harry, I never dreamed Marietta would tell... She's a lovely person really. She just made a mistake... You know, her mum works for the Ministry, it's really difficult for her —"
- Harry Potter: "Ron's dad works at the Ministry too! And in case you haven't noticed, he hasn't got 'sneak' written across his face!"
- — Discussion regarding Marietta's betrayal of the D.A.
Shortly before Easter, one D.A. member, Marietta Edgecombe, betrayed them to Umbridge. She was a reluctant member of the D.A., having been brought to the meetings by her friend, Cho Chang. Her mother worked in the Floo Network Office and was helping Umbridge in monitoring the Floo Network at Hogwarts. Afraid that her mother's job was in jeopardy, and not convinced by Harry's interview in The Quibbler, she revealed the location of the D.A.'s meetings to Umbridge. Immediately, the jinx that Hermione had placed on the parchment that each member of the D.A. had signed activated, causing the word "SNEAK" to break out in boils across Marietta's face.
Dobby the house-elf learned of this turn of events and rushed to the Room of Requirement to warn Harry and the D.A., even though the house-elf was under orders not to. Most members escaped, but Harry was caught by Umbridge and several Slytherin students who were members of the Inquisitorial Squad. A search of the room uncovered the parchment that each member of the D.A. had signed, entitled "Dumbledore's Army." Finally having what she considered "proof" that Dumbledore was building an army to challenge the Ministry, Umbridge immediately contacted Cornelius Fudge.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, an Auror and member of the Order of the Phoenix, used a False memory charm on Marietta to make her version of events tally with Dumbledore's, exploiting the fact that Marietta had only mentioned the meeting this evening rather than revealing the months of classes that had preceded it. His "confession" led to Fudge attempting to arrest him. Dumbledore escaped with help from his phoenix, Fawkes, resulting in Umbridge being installed as the Headmistress of Hogwarts, though very few considered her position legitimate.
Disruption of authority
- Dolores Umbridge: "You two are about to learn what happens to wrong-doers in my school."
- Fred Weasley: "You know what? I don't think we are. George, I think we've outgrown full-time education... Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?"
- George Weasley: "Definitely."
- — Fred and George prior to escaping Hogwarts
Members of the D.A., especially Fred and George Weasley, rebelled against the new authority at the school. On one occasion, the twins released enchanted fireworks through the school, which caused chaos, and with which the professors neglected to assist Umbridge. Fred and George took it easy during the Easter holidays, but then took their rebellion to a new level.
They turned a corridor of the school into a swamp to create a diversion for Harry to access the fireplace in Umbridge's office in an attempt to contact Sirius Black, and were cornered by Umbridge and members of the Inquisitorial Squad. In a final act of defiance, the twins summoned their brooms, openly mocked Umbridge's authority, struck the Squad members with a variety of jinxes, and escaped the school behind to pursue a career in their joke shop, with the money Harry lent them.
In the aftermath of Fred and George's departure, the student body took up their mantle, releasing dungbombs, using Skiving Snackboxes, and, in the case of Lee Jordan, releasing Nifflers into Umbridge's office. The Inquisitorial Squad also found themselves on the receiving end of the students' rebellion; Cassius Warrington and Pansy Parkinson both reported to the hospital wing after receiving hexes which caused them to sprout horrible skin complaints and antlers, respectively. Even Peeves, who had never taken an order from any student, followed Fred and George's request to "give her hell from them." Peeves, during the end of the school year, proceeded to chase Umbridge out the castle with Professor McGonagall's cane.
Despite this, the O.W.L. exams went ahead, and members of Dumbledore's Army impressed the examiners during the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical exam, especially Harry, who produced his corporeal Patronus for bonus marks. He imagined Professor Umbridge being sacked, looked her straight in the eye and did his Patronus. Though she looked smug on the outside when Harry finished his O.W.L., she was indeed furious that he had passed his Defence Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.
As for the betrayer Marietta, due to her treason causing the organisation's shutdown, she was deeply despised by almost all other members: Harry, Hermione, and Ron all found insults and criticisms to say against her, though her friend Cho was the only one who stood up for her. She still had scars from the "SNEAK" boils.
Members of the D.A.
- "We're his army. Dumbledore's Army... Everyone in this room's been fighting... Everyone in here's proven they're loyal to Dumbledore — loyal to you."
- —The D.A.'s loyalty to Harry Potter
| Members since the [school year|1995–1996 school year] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | House | Notes | Final Status Following Battle of Hogwarts |
|
Harry Potter |
Gryffindor | Co-founder/teacher/leader. Signed member. Duelled Voldemort during the Return of the Dark Lord, fought in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, the Battle of the Seven Potters, the Luchino Caffe Duel, the Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, the Attack at Godric's Hollow, the Ambush at the Lovegood House, the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, the Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive |
| Co-founder/deputy leader. Came up with the original idea of the group. Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, the Battle of the Seven Potters, the Luchino Caffe Duel, the Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, the Attack at Godric's Hollow, the Ambush at the Lovegood House, the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, the Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | ||
|
Ron Weasley |
Co-founder/deputy leader. Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, the Battle of the Seven Potters, the Luchino Caffe Duel, the Infiltration of the Ministry of Magic, the Ambush at the Lovegood House, the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, the Break-in of Gringotts Wizarding Bank, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Aquila Black | Signed member, attended meetings. One of the group's acting leader in the 1997-1998 school year. Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Alicia Spinnet |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Angelina Johnson |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Arthur Doge | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Dean Thomas |
Signed member, attended meetings. Involved in the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Colin Creevey † | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts; killed in action by death eaters. | Deceased | |
| Dennis Creevey | Signed member, attended meetings. Lived through the Second Wizarding War. | Alive | |
|
Fred Weasley † |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of the Seven Potters and the Battle of Hogwarts, where he was killed in an explosion. | Deceased | |
|
George Weasley |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of the Seven Potters where he was badly wounded, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Signed member, attended meetings. Came up with the name "Dumbledore's Army" after Cho Chang suggested the abbreviation "the D.A" when naming the group. Acting leader in [school year|1997-1998]. Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | ||
| Geoffrey Cresswell | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| George Bell | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | ||
| Signed member, attended meetings. Assumed to be responsible for it forming a bathroom with washing facilities at the Room of Requirement. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts and survived. | Alive | ||
| Ophelia Brown | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Lee Jordan | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the and survived Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Maisie Cattermole | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the and survived Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Matilda Corner | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the and survived Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
| Molly Roper | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the and survived Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Neville Longbottom |
Signed member, attended meetings. One of the group's acting leaders in 1997-1998 school year. Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Parvati Patil |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts and survived. | Alive | |
|
Seamus Finnigan |
Unsigned member, only attended the last meeting, after apologising to Harry. Deputy to Neville, Ginny, Aquila, and Luna in the 1997-1998 school year. Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | |
|
Anthony Goldstein |
Ravenclaw | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Final status following the Battle of Hogwarts is unknown. | Unknown |
| Antoine Mathers | Signed member, attended meetings. He was a muggle-born wizard and had to leave Hogwarts when the Muggle-Born Registration Commission made it illegal for muggle-borns to attend. He went on the run and was murdered by Snatchers in October 1997. Among the messages the D.A. painted on the walls during the 1997-1998 school year was one which read "Remember Titou." | Deceased | |
| Signed member, attended meetings. Suggested the abbreviation "the D.A" when naming the group. Ginny Weasley then suggested it stand for "Dumbledore's Army". Fought at and survived the Battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | ||
| Signed member, attended meetings. Acting deputy leader in 1997. Involved in the Skirmish at Malfoy Manor, Fought at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Astronomy Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts. Survived the battle of Hogwarts. | Alive | ||
| Marietta Edgecombe | Signed member, attended meetings. Betrayed the D.A. to Dolores Umbridge. | Unknown (Likely Defected From D.A.) | |
|
Michael Corner |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Padma Patil and Richard Beasley both survived the Battle of Hogwarts. Michael Corner and Terry Boot's status following the climax of the Second Wizarding war are unknown, although it is implied that Michael Corner survived the Second Wizarding War. | Unknown, Likely Alive | |
|
Padma Patil |
Alive | ||
| Richard Beasley | Alive | ||
|
Terry Boot |
Unknown | ||
|
Ernie Macmillan |
Hufflepuff | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of the Astronomy Tower and the Battle of Hogwarts. Hannah Abbott survived the Battle of Hogwarts and married fellow D.A. member Neville Longbottom. Ernie Macmillan's final status following the second Wizarding war is unknown. | Unknown |
| Hannah Abbott | Alive | ||
|
Justin Finch-Fletchley |
Signed member, attended meetings. Final status following the Battle of Hogwarts and second Wizarding war unknown. | Unknown | |
|
Susan Bones |
Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Final status following the Battle of Hogwarts unknown. | Unknown | |
| Evander Bourdillon | Signed member, attended meetings. Fought at the Battle of Hogwarts. Final status following the Battle of Hogwarts unknown. | Unknown | |
| Philippa Beutel † | Unsigned member who came to the Room of Requirement for protection during the 1997-1998 school year. She fought during the Battle of Hogwarts and was murdered by Hestia Carrow. | Deceased | |
| Stanley Ingham | Unsigned member and like Antoine Mathers was a muggle-born. However, Ginny Weasley's uncle vouched for him and pretended that Stanley was his son. He had attended a few meetings in the 1995-1996 school year and fought in the Battle of Hogwarts which he survived. | Alive | |
|
Zacharias Smith |
Signed member, attended meetings. Deserted before the Battle of Hogwarts. | Unknown (Defected) | |
| Flora Carrow † | Slytherin | Unsigned member who came to the Room of Requirement for protection against her father and her aunt, the Carrows, who were running the school during the 1997-1998 school year. Not many trusted her at first, but she fought bravely during the Battle of Hogwarts and in doing so saved Stanley Ingham's life. | Deceased |