The Lost Witch | Fred Weasley

CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO

Just before Christmas Break, McGonagall let it slip to Sprout while I was walking beside them that she would be on patrol with Flitwick that night.

So, I sent out a message to all the DA members to meet in the Room of Requirement at 4 AM. As I stepped through the door with Ginny in fox form, the room was already packed full. I changed and gathered everyone to sit on the pillows on the floor. "OK, great. We're just waiting for a few more now," I said looking around.

Seamus turned in his seat and looked behind him at the group. "Isn't this everyone?" In response to that, the door opened behind me, and I turned to see Draco, Theo and Blaise walking through.

There was a beat of silence from shock, and then the uproar started.

"What the hell is this?!"

"You invited them?!"

"Are you crazy! They're Death Eaters!"

"SHUT IT!"

Everyone stopped talking. I looked to Ginny and gave her a grateful nod. "Thank you, Sweets." The Slytherins stepped forwards warily, like antelopes close to a herd of lions.

Or, you know, a herd of lions, badgers and crows.

I looked back to the group. "They're here to learn how to fight and protect themselves. Just like you," I told them coolly, daring anyone to object.

Zacharias Smith was the dummy who did, of course. He stood from his seat and walked forwards, standing a few feet away from me.

"If they stay, I go."

I narrowed my eyes at him and took two quick steps, almost nose to nose with him. "Harry put up with your shit way back when. But don't for a second think that I possess his patience. So, you either sit your arse down again or I have no hard feelings about watching you walk out and never coming back."

"But... I mean. Two out of three do have parents who are Death Eaters Allie..." Seamus interjected unsurely. "Yeah? So are my parents. So what?!"

"But you're different," Ernie argued and I felt like exploding. "Why? Because I'm a Gryffindor?" Everyone exchanged glances at that. Seemed like that was what he meant, then. "Well newsflash - when I was sorted in my first year, I was a Slytherin."

No one argued back to that, merely looking surprised. I turned back to Smith. "I don't give a damn what house you belong to or who your friends are. We are at war, and there are only two sides left. No houses, no schoolyard rivalry or petty personal nemesis is more important than staying alive. D'you think a Death Eater's gonna ask you what house you were in before he kills you?"

"Or she," Ginny chimed in. I turned a glare at her, and she raised her hands in surrender. "What? You were being sexist. I had to say something," she defended.

"I'm with Allie," Neville chimed in, smiling at me. "It's not like if you saw a Slytherin fighting a Death Eater you would walk away and let them die." A couple of people nodded at that, and I spotted Blaise, Padma and Susan Bones scowl at Smith. Blaise was with a Gryffindor, and I knew for a fact that both Padma and Susan's ex-girlfriends had been Slytherins.

I turned to everyone again. "Sure, Tom Riddle was a Slytherin, that doesn't make every Slytherin bad. Just like it doesn't make every Gryffindor brave."

"Peter Pettigrew," Ginny muttered and I looked at her, surprised she knew about him. "Who?" Lavender asked; looks of confusion on everyone else's faces.

"Peter Pettigrew was best friends with Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and James Potter. He was also the one who, in the last War, sold out the Potters to You-Know-who, killing Harry's parents. He was a Gryffindor, and he was a coward and a traitor."