Dumbledore's Army (D.A.)

Dumbledore's Army, commonly known as the D.A., was a secret student organization founded at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1995. It was created to teach practical Defence Against the Dark Arts in defiance of the Ministry of Magic-appointed High Inquisitor, Dolores Umbridge. Led and taught by Harry Potter, the group played a pivotal role in training young witches and wizards, serving as a key resistance force during the Second Wizarding War and culminating in their participation in the Battle of Hogwarts.

The D.A. was conceived by Hermione Granger in the autumn of 1995. The official Defence Against the Dark Arts curriculum, dictated by Dolores Umbridge, forbade the use of practical magic due to the Ministry of Magic's fear that Albus Dumbledore was training a student army to overthrow them. After a clandestine meeting in the Hog's Head pub in Hogsmeade, twenty-eight students signed a parchment to form a practical study group. Hermione Granger secretly jinxed this list so that any member who betrayed the group would have the word “SNEAK” appear on their face in boils. The group began holding its meetings in the Room of Requirement, a secret room at Hogwarts that provided them with all necessary training equipment. Communication was managed through enchanted fake Galleons, also created by Hermione using a Protean Charm. When Harry Potter updated his coin, the serial numbers on the other coins would change to display the date and time of the next meeting. The D.A. was disbanded in 1996 after its existence was betrayed to Dolores Umbridge by member Marietta Edgecombe. To save Harry Potter and the students from expulsion, Albus Dumbledore took responsibility for the organization, allowing the Ministry of Magic to believe their paranoid fantasies were true. This forced Dumbledore to flee Hogwarts, but protected the students. Despite its official dissolution, the D.A.'s training proved vital. Six members—Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood—fought against Death Eaters at the Battle of the Department of Mysteries. During the Battle of the Astronomy Tower a year later, several members answered the call of the coins to defend the school. In the 1997-1998 school year, the D.A. was secretly revived under the leadership of Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood to resist the brutal regime of Death Eater professors Alecto Carrow and Amycus Carrow. They used the Room of Requirement as a headquarters and refuge for rebellious students. The group's members formed the backbone of the fighting force during the final Battle of Hogwarts, with many former members returning to defend the school against Lord Voldemort.

The primary purpose of Dumbledore's Army was to provide its members with a proper, practical education in defensive magic, which Harry Potter argued was necessary to defend against the return of Lord Voldemort. Their activities consisted entirely of secret training sessions held in the Room of Requirement. Under Harry's tutelage, members learned and practiced a wide variety of defensive and offensive spells, preparing them for real-world combat situations. In its later incarnation, the group's activities expanded to include acts of rebellion and sabotage against the Death Eaters in control of Hogwarts.

As the teacher, Harry Potter structured the lessons to progress from fundamental spells to more advanced magic. The curriculum included:

• Disarming Charm: Expelliarmus, which Harry considered a signature and essential spell.
• Stunning Spell: Stupefy.
• Impediment Jinx: Impedimenta.
• Body-Bind Curse: Petrificus Totalus.
• Reductor Curse: Reducto.
• Shield Charm: Protego.
• Jelly-Legs Jinx: Locomotor Wibbly (mentioned as a practice spell).
• Patronus Charm: The most advanced piece of magic taught. Several members, including Cho Chang, Seamus Finnigan, Ernie Macmillan, Luna Lovegood, Ron Weasley, and Ginny Weasley, successfully produced a corporeal Patronus.

• Enchanted Galleons: A set of fake Galleons enchanted with the Protean Charm by Hermione Granger. They served as the group's secret communication devices.
• The D.A. List: A piece of parchment signed by all original members during the first meeting at the Hog's Head. It was bewitched to permanently brand any traitor with the word “SNEAK”.

The D.A. was led by Harry Potter (teacher), with Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley acting as co-founders. Key members included:

• Gryffindor: Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown, Parvati Patil, Fred Weasley, George Weasley, Lee Jordan, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet.
• Hufflepuff: Ernie Macmillan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Susan Bones, Hannah Abbott, Zacharias Smith.
• Ravenclaw: Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe (betrayer), Luna Lovegood, Anthony Goldstein, Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Padma Patil.

During the 1997-1998 school year, leadership was assumed by Neville Longbottom, Ginny Weasley, and Luna Lovegood.

The name of the organization was a subject of brief debate at its first meeting. Cho Chang initially suggested “Defensive Association,” which was shortened to “D.A.” Ginny Weasley then proposed “Dumbledore's Army,” a name that directly mocked the Ministry of Magic's paranoia that Albus Dumbledore was secretly training his own militia. The members enthusiastically agreed to this defiant and symbolic name.

In the film adaptation of *Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix*, the name is proposed differently. Cho Chang suggests the initials “D.A.” and Ginny Weasley asks if it stands for Defensive Association. Harry Potter, looking at a picture of Albus Dumbledore, confirms it stands for Dumbledore's Army (film). The films also depict the Room of Requirement with magical training dummies and a large mirror wall, features not explicitly detailed in the novel.