A New Beginning (Sequel to A Different Beginning)

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Attack on Hogwarts

Dear Firefly,

Well, that was quite enlightening. Let me tell you, I think I now know more about your life, sexually, with Harry than I ever needed to know. Just don't give me too many more details! Ha ha, love you, honest.

Okay, so your powers are definitely growing. Fleur understands what you mean by the tension and the need, but she doesn't think she can help you. She says that even she can't control her powers when the connection is that strong. I don't think you're meant to control it. I mean, it's a powerful and strong thing that connects you and Harry. It's not supposed to be controlled. I hope that makes sense.

Well, I'm glad to know that things are going well for you. To answer your other questions, no, Fleur and I were not at the Second Battle of Hogsmeade. We were on a mission for Dumbledore that entailed research of curses and things. We only just got back the day after the battle had happened. So many people lost, children at that. It must have been hard. But Mum tells me you were amazing, out there in the thick of things, tending to wounds and helping as much as you could. I'm quite proud of you.

As to other big news, looks like I am going to make you an auntie, in August, actually. Fleur told me she was pregnant right after we received your letter. I was angry, at first. I mean, of course I want children, but now ... in the middle of this war. I know Lily, Lexy, and Tonks are doing it and so are others. I talked to Mum, and I know I was born during the war but it's still tough. I'm scared, Firefly. But I know that I will do everything in my power to keep my wife and my baby safe.

Love always,
Bill

P.S. Because you're my Firefly, you get dibs on first godmother status. Fleur and I argued but we agreed that Gabby is still too young, maybe the next baby!
P.P.S. Macbeth? I was surprised to see the old code but good job, we should probably be careful what we write.

Ginny put down the letter grinning. It was nice to hear from Bill so soon. She was going to be an aunt again as well, which made her smile. She looked up when Demelza stepped into her dorm.

"Gin, Madam Pomfrey's looking for you. That woman, the one that's staying in Snape's rooms, she went into labour."

Ginny stood up instantly. The last time she had been in a room with Petunia Dursley it had resulted in her fist colliding with Petunia's face. She took a deep breath. "Alright."

She headed down into the common room and over to where Harry was sitting talking to Seamus. He looked over at her when she stood next to him.

"Hey, I thought you were essay writing?"

Ginny took another deep breath. "Petunia's gone into labour. Madam Pomfrey wants me in the hospital wing."

Harry paled slightly. His cousin was going to be born but did it really matter? He was never going to see the kid. "Alright."

"Harry -"

Harry shook his head and took her hand in hers. "Help her, Gin, don't punch her out. I'm fine."

She smiled and kissed him softly. "You're heart is just too big and too good. I'll try to keep my temper in check, but with Snape there ... I can't promise anything."

He grinned. "Understandable."

Ginny nodded at him and headed down to the hospital wing, willing herself to stay in control and to stay focused. Her temper cooled down however when she saw an extremely pale and agitated Snape pacing outside of the hospital wing doors.

"Er, Professor, why are you out here?" Ginny asked.

Snape's eyes met hers. "None of your business, Miss Weasley. Get up to your dormitory."

Ginny's eyebrow rose. "Or not. I'm here to assist Madam Pomfrey with the birthing. So again I ask; why are you out here? Were you kicked out?"

He continued to glare at her for a moment before he nodded. "Yes."

Ginny grinned. "She'll be more comfortable soon and then you'll be able to come back in."

Snape nodded. "Miss Weasley ... Ginny."

"Yes, sir?"

"Petunia, she's ... Poppy's worried about the birthing because she's forty-one years old."

Ginny nodded. "We can handle it, sir."

Then she turned and headed into the hospital room.

Petunia was laying in one of the beds as Madam Pomfrey wiped at her brow. She nodded at Ginny when she came in.

"Good, you got the message. This is going to be a lot more difficult than Mrs. Zabini's, I'm afraid."

"Meaning?" Ginny asked as she washed her hands and headed over to the school matron.

"The baby will have to be turned."

Ginny nodded. She knew that no matter how far modern magical medical discoveries had come that when it came to birth if the baby was the wrong way it still had to go back to the beginning. The baby had to physically be turned, no wands, no magic. "Alright."

Madam Pomfrey forced a steaming potion down Petunia's throat. "That will stop the pain a little."

Petunia nodded her eyes on Ginny. "Can I trust you?"

Ginny sighed. "Yes. I got my rage out last time, at least for now."

Petunia managed a small smile. "I'm glad to hear that, please help my baby survive."

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "It will be fine. You relax now, Mrs. Dursley."

Petunia took a deep breath as Ginny turned to Madam Pomfrey. "What would you like me to do?"

Madam Pomfrey nodded. "I'm going to have you turn the baby. You're a lot smaller than I am. I think you will have an easier time of it. Can you do it?"

Ginny nodded, a little pale. "Yes."

Ginny stationed herself between Petunia's legs as Snape came back into the room. She listened to the matron's instructions and after five minutes of struggling, turned the baby. "I got it!"

Madam Pomfrey let out a sigh of relief. "Excellent. Mrs. Dursley, now you can push."

Within ten more minutes, a tiny baby girl slipped out and into Ginny's arms. Madam Pomfrey allowed for Snape to cut the umbilical cord before Ginny cleaned her up and brought her back to the bed.

"It's a girl."

Petunia smiled down at the little girl. She was beautiful. With big blue eyes and a small tuft of dark black hair, she really didn't look like either one of them, which made Ginny sigh in relief.

Snape nodded. "I have a daughter."

Madam Pomfrey smiled. "Congratulations, Severus. What are you going to name her?"

"Sabrina," Snape murmured.

Petunia smiled. "Sabrina, very pretty."

"Sabrina Petunia Snape?"

Petunia shook her head. "Sabrina Adelia Snape, after your mother. I know she meant a lot to you."

Snape smiled. "Thank you."

He had leaned in to kiss her just as a huge explosion shook the castle.

Ginny's eyes met his, her wand in her hand. "Is he - ?"

Snape shook his head. "I would have known ... I mean, I should have ... let's go."

Dumbledore stepped into the hospital wing then. "The castle's under attack. All of the students who are not in the Order or the DA have been ordered back to their dormitories. Severus, Miss Weasley, I need you out here. Let's go."

Ginny was trembling as she followed Snape and Dumbledore out of the hospital wing. Her eyes widened at the sight before her. It wasn't just Death Eaters that had fought their way into the fold, but Voldemort himself was standing there, in the thick of things, currently dueling with a few professors.

She felt someone grab her hand and she turned to see Harry nod at her. He mouthed 'I love you' before he jumped into the fray, dueling the first Death Eater he came across. Ginny took a deep breath and with her wand steady, joined the fight.

*********

King and Leila rushed into Mira's bedroom when they heard the moans and the small cries. They knew it meant that she was having another nightmare and both of them hated to hear her having them. She woke up quickly once they touched her and she crawled into King's lap, her hand tightly in Leila's.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It's okay, we're here now."

Mira shook her head. "It was different."

Leila brushed the hair out of her daughter's eyes. "Different how, sweetie?"

Mira's eyes met hers. "There was a big castle with lots of students in black robes."

"Hogwarts?" King asked.

Mira nodded. "That's what the bad man called it."

Leila looked at her husband for a moment and he nodded. "Honey, what happened in the castle?"

"The bad man attacked with people in masks. People were dying."

King kissed her temple and ran his hand down the long length of her hair. "Mira, was this just a dream or one of those dreams that you think might be true?"

She pulled back away from him and the whites of her eyes turned black and her voice turned old and wise. "It's happening now."

Leila's eyes met her husband's. "I'll go warn Dumbledore."

Mira shook her head. "It's too late."

********

Sirius finished getting dressed as he kissed Keira and Lexy. "Promise me you'll stay here?"

Lexy rolled her eyes. "I promise. I'm perfectly capable of fighting you know! Just because I'm seven months pregnant doesn't mean I can't fight!" At Sirius' look she sighed. "I promise, I'll be careful and I'll stay here."

Sirius kissed her again before he left and headed downstairs to help. Lexy swore to herself. It wasn't fair that she had to stay up here when she was able to take care of herself. She knew he was just concerned but that didn't matter. She was tired of not being able to do anything. Even though she knew she had to take care of herself and their baby and not to mention the most precious thing in her life, Keira. She turned at the sound of the door opening and her eyes widened when she recognized Dolores Umbridge as she stepped into the room.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lexy demanded.

Umbridge jumped before her beady cold eyes fell upon Lexy. "Well, if it isn't the Ancient Runes Professor. Tell me, did it feel good to know you were shagging a pureblood, something you wouldn't understand since your father was a Mudblood?"

Lexy held her wand steady as she placed a crying Keira in the crib. "I knew you were an evil bitch, but I never thought you would join Voldemort."

Umbridge grinned. "He understands my passion for wanting only the pure to be magical. Filthy half-breeds and half-bloods that roam the earth now-a-days, it's disgusting!"

Lexy kept her wand steady. "I want you to get the hell out of my house before I do something I'm going to regret."

Umbridge gave her one of those falsely sweet smiles and turned her wand on Keira. "Really?"

All of the colour drained from Lexy's face. "Don't you dare bring my daughter into this!"

"No? You don't think that maybe that little half-blood should suffer because of her blood?"

"It's hardly her fault! You stop pointing that wand at my daughter!"

Umbridge grinned. "Or you'll what?"

Lexy lifted her wand and then froze when the next words left Umbridge's mouth.

"Crucio!"

Keira screamed and Lexy dived in front of the crib, grabbing her daughter in her arms and stopping the curse.

"Ooh, brave one. You know what would happen if I tried that curse on you? So far along ... it would be quite a feat."

Lexy was trembling now as Keira still cried loudly. "Da-da! Hurt!" She cried. Lexy kissed her cheeks and her tiny hands, her wand on Umbridge. "Stupefy!"

Umbridge ducked and missed the curse. "Ah, thought you had more in you than that! Just going to stun me?"

"Reducto!" Lexy cried as Umbridge moved and a small hole was blasted in the door.

Umbridge grinned. "Want to play it that way? Reducto!"

Lexy moved just in time as Keira's crib exploded into a million pieces behind her.

"We definitely have some things to work out, Mrs. Black!" Umbridge replied. She pointed her wand at Lexy's stomach. "Avada Ked-oof!"

Sirius had tackled her to the ground from behind, his eyes on his wife and his daughter. "You okay?"

Lexy shook her head as she pointed her wand at the woman. She had hated Umbridge from the beginning. The woman had been rude, racist, and totally hell-bent on getting power, but she had never in her life thought that the woman would turn to Voldemort. Though it did explain a lot in why she denied he was back as it gave him more time to gain power.

"Lex?" Sirius asked, his voice shaky as he noticed that Keira was bleeding.

Lexy kept her wand pointed at Umbridge. Umbridge stood up, her wand pointed at Sirius and Lexy snapped. "Avada Kedavra!"

The jet of green light burst from her wand and hit Umbridge squarely in the chest. She barreled backwards and then collapsed to the ground, dead.

Sirius hurried towards them and scooped them both up into his arms. "Lex -"

"Don't ... she was going to kill you." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Keira ... make sure she's okay." She was crying so hard now that she couldn't see straight.

Sirius took his daughter from her and healed the tiny cuts on her arms and kissed them all better as his daughter finally stopped crying and snuggled into his embrace. "What happened?"

Lexy was sobbing now. "I-I-I killed her."

Sirius pulled his wife close and kissed her cheeks and her temple. "Honey, don't think about that. What did she do?"

"She used the Cruciatus on Keira."

Sirius paled. "What?"

Lexy nodded. "I dived in front and I stopped the worst of the damage but ... she was writhing and screaming."

Sirius kissed his wife's forehead. "The bitch is lucky you got to her first, then. Are you alright?"

She nodded, snuggling into her husband a moment longer. "Yeah. Give me Keira. We'll lock ourselves in the secret room behind the bedroom."

He smiled and kissed her softly before he passed his daughter back. "Good. There's a lot going on downstairs and I need to be down there."

Lexy nodded. "We'll be fine and safe in there. Go help fight."

Sirius kissed her stomach and then his daughter. "I'll be back. Don't come out until I come for you."

Lexy nodded. "I won't. Be safe!" She hurried back into the secret room, still trembling. She had a lot of things to think about anyway.

**********

Blaise had barely made it out of his suite before he had been swept up in duels. He was worried about his son and his wife. He had left them behind to join the fight, but he wasn't sure how well he felt about it. Now he was dueling heavily with two Death Eaters he recognized from the paper as Amycus and Alecto Carrow. He rolled and ducked to avoid a curse from them but it was getting hard to see. Smoke and spells lingered in the air and the smell of blood and broken walls reeked.

Blaise had no idea how many Death Eaters had entered Hogwarts, but he knew the castle was definitely not doing well. He ducked to avoid the Reducto curse just as Draco dived down next to him.

"Hey, do you know how many there are?" Blaise asked as he ducked behind a suit of armour.

Draco joined him behind the armour and shook his head. "Not a clue. But they seem to be all over the entire castle. No one is safe. Where's Daphne?"

"She and Joseph were trying to escape to the Slytherin common room. It's safer there."

Draco nodded. "I'm sure she made it, Blaise."

Blaise nodded and rolled out from his spot again to send a stunning spell at Alecto Carrow. His aim proved true and the man collapsed but six more Death Eaters were making their way towards him. He had a long way to go.

**********

Madam Pomfrey carefully gave Petunia some potions to make her stronger. The birth had been very hard on her, it didn't help that she was now extremely stressed with the battle waging only outside of the door. So far, no one had penetrated the walls of the hospital wing.

"Just take deep, calming breaths, Mrs. Dursley." Madam Pomfrey insisted as she watched Petunia use the bottle to feed young Sabrina. "If you're too stressed or tense Sabrina will know it and she won't eat."

Petunia nodded, her eyes on her daughter. "It sounds like a war out there."

"It is." Madam Pomfrey said simply. "You-Know-Who has breached the castle. Merlin only knows what's going on out there."

Petunia nodded. She finished feeding Sabrina and handed her to the matron. "Can you put her somewhere safe? I don't want her to sleep in here with all of that noise outside."

Madam Pomfrey nodded just as the hospital wing door burst open and Daphne slid inside with Joseph in her arms. She closed the door behind her and quickly locked it.

"Madam Pomfrey, thank Merlin you're here!"

"Daphne Zabini! What on earth are you thinking wandering around those halls with the baby?"

Daphne shook her head. "I was trying to get to the Slytherin Common room. Blaise thought it would be safer. There's no way I can get down there."

She was bleeding from a wound in her side and her entire body was trembling. Madam Pomfrey took Joseph from her. He was only a little over a month old now and she placed him in Petunia's arms. "Hold him for a moment. I have to get her to into a bed."

Once Daphne was settled, Madam Pomfrey took Joseph and Sabrina and she carried them into her own private quarters. She transfigured a table into a crib and placed them in it, locking the door after them.

"The children will be safe in there. Now let me see that wound, Daphne."

Daphne could only nod as the door burst open and Lucius Malfoy stood there along with five other men that none of them recognized.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Daphne's wand was in her hand quickly but not fast enough as she let out a small cry when the matron fell to the ground after the first curse. They were in trouble now.

**********

Harry was standing on the Gryffindor dinner table in the Great Hall as he dueled with Narcissa Malfoy. The woman was taunting him, but he had to admit, from the picture Draco had painted of her as a woman who did everything her husband told her to, she fought well.

"Does it make you feel like a good man to know that you took my pitiful excuse for a son into your home?" Narcissa shrieked.

Harry shrugged as he ducked to avoid a jet of unknown purple light coming from the opposite direction. "No, but it makes me feel good to know that I got him away from you. You certainly didn't deserve him around."

Narcissa glared at him. "You are a spoiled little brat!"

Harry grinned. "Maybe I am!" She ducked to avoid his curse and crashed into Snape.

"Severus! Good, help me destroy this freak for the Dark Lord."

Snape stared at her for a moment, nodding automatically. He was torn over the battle and he knew that tonight was his chance to take the stand, to show exactly the true side he fought for. He wondered if now was the right time, but it was the only chance he was going to get. "Sure, Cissy."

Harry watched Snape carefully but he kept his wand steady. He knew that Dumbledore trusted Snape to be on the good side, but now that Harry was facing the situation, he wasn't so sure. He turned when Lucius stepped up next to him.

"Ah, the Potter brat." His wand pointed at him and Harry was pleased to see that he had yet to get a replacement for the arm his father had cost him. "I should kill you just to get back at your father."

"Lucius, Severus plans to help us."

Lucius grinned. "About time, in my opinion. But Severus, you really missed out on the fun a moment ago. I took a few rookies into the hospital wing with me ... the women there were ... not even a challenge."

Snape paled and punched Lucius in the face.

Narcissa shrieked. "Severus!"

Snape turned his wand on Narcissa now. "Avada Kedavra!"

She collapsed to the ground and Harry's eyes met Snape's. "This one?"

Snape glared at him. "There's somewhere I have to be. Tie him up."

Harry could only nod as he watched Snape hurry through the wand-fire and out of the room.

********

Snape's heart was beating so fast in his chest that he could barely breathe. He slipped into the hospital wing, his heart stopping when he saw that the door was torn off. He walked only half-way into the room before he froze.

They were all dead.

Daphne had a huge wound in her side, gushing blood as she stared blankly ahead. Madam Pomfrey was collapsed on the floor with what looked like her stomach cut open. The site made him sick and he held a hand over his mouth, afraid to look over into the next bed.

There was his Petunia, staring blankly ahead, the sheets covered in blood.

He collapsed to his knees, his entire body shaking as Sirius stepped in behind him.

"Shit," Sirius murmured. He grabbed Snape by the back of his shirt and yanked him to his feet. "I'm sorry, Severus."

Snape glared at him and then he froze, his eyes searching the room. "Sabrina! Where's my baby?"

Sirius' eyes flew around the room before he shook his head. "She's not ... wait, did you hear that?"

Snape shook his head as Sirius rushed across the room and into the Madam Pomfrey's quarters. He smiled when he saw the two babies crying.

"Severus, she's here, come on!"

Snape stepped into the room and his heart stopped. "She's alright?"

Sirius nodded. "Yeah, come on, let's get these two into one of the common rooms, though. They can't stay here."

"Who's going to watch them?"

Sirius sighed. "You're right. Wait, I got it!" He picked up the medical book on the floor and made it into a portkey. "I'm going to take these two to Lex. She's safe."

Snape looked like he wanted to argue and then he nodded. "Okay."

Sirius gave him a small smile. "Don't do anything drastic, Snape, you've got a daughter who needs you now."

Snape only nodded as he watched Sirius disappear with the two babies in his arms. Something drastic ... hadn't he already taken that first step by killing Narcissa? He shook the thought from his head and made his way back out into the battle.

*********

Hermione shrieked as the woman she was dueling suddenly dived at her, teeth bared. She knew the woman was obviously a werewolf but that didn't make her feel any better. The woman was tackled to the ground before she reached her however and Hermione's eyes widened when she recognized the orange and black tiger as he ripped her neck open.

Ron changed back into himself, a little pale. "I didn't ..."

Hermione threw her arms around him. "You saved me. Don't think about it."

Ron only nodded as he was forced to push the thought away, as he found himself dueling with three other people.

Hermione stunned all three of them and pointed. "Ron! Look!"

Ron's eyes followed where she was pointing and his heart stopped. Voldemort and Dumbledore had just crashed through the doors of the Astronomy Tower and were now on the roof. "Dumbledore can handle himself, right?"

Hermione's bottom lip trembled slightly as she watched Harry and James follow them. "I hope so."

********

Harry followed his father up onto the roof of the Astronomy Tower. He had seen Dumbledore fighting Voldemort and he wasn't sure what he felt about it. James grabbed Harry's arm to hold him back as they heard voices.

"Don't move, Harry." He hissed.

Harry could only nod as they listened.

"I find myself once again alone with you, Dumbledore. Doesn't say much about your minions."

Dumbledore's eyes were hard, his wand steady. "They are hardly my minions, Tom, but friends and associates. Something, I'm sure you don't understand."

Voldemort's eyes glistened. "You know what's going to happen tonight."

Dumbledore nodded. "I understand quite a lot. Though, I'll admit, I was surprised by your boldness in coming here tonight."

Voldemort grinned maliciously. "This castle holds filth like I never imagined possible, Dumbledore. It's my duty to come in and destroy as much of it as I can."

"I'm sorry you feel that way, Tom."

Voldemort lifted his wand. "Well, I think it's the end."

Dumbledore's wand whipped fast as he blocked the jet of green light with a stone gargoyle from the top of the castle.

James and Harry made way to step forward just as the door opened and six Death Eaters crashed through along with Remus. Within minutes, their attention was taken from Dumbledore and Voldemort as they concentrated on the battle before them.

Dumbledore however, was still talking calmly and coldly to Voldemort. "Do you really think this is the end, Tom?"

Voldemort grinned. "You may have beaten me in some areas, Dumbledore, but I still managed to kill your brother. Aberforth had some useful information towards the end."

Dumbledore feigned a look of surprise. "Did he?" He dodged the killing curse again, this time with the stone griffin.

"Are we going to play this game again, Dumbledore?" Voldemort asked. "There are only so many statues on this balcony."

Dumbledore nodded. "I suppose." He avoided the curse again, with a stone lion.

Voldemort took a step forward and to Dumbledore's surprise used a summoning charm on him. He ripped the wand from his hand and dropped it to the ground before he took the old man's head in his hands. "Ah, there's the fear."

Dumbledore's eyes met the cold red ones. "I'm not afraid of death, Tom."

Voldemort's eyes glistened. "That's because you always were an old fool." He stepped on Dumbledore's wand and it snapped in half with his foot. He gripped Dumbledore's head a little tighter. "Afraid now, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore simply watched him. "Death is naught but the next great adventure."

Voldemort stared at him for a moment and then in one quick motion, he snapped his neck and he watched as Dumbledore collapsed to the ground. Voldemort kicked the old frail body before his voice rose. "Enough!"

Within seconds, portkeys came out of every Death Eater's pockets and they disappeared.

Harry's eyes widened when he saw the body. "NO!"

James rushed forward as well. Remus was bleeding from so many places he could barely move but he crawled over. James closed his eyes as he took a good look. "He's dead."

"Dumbledore ... can't," Remus murmured.

Harry stared down into the wide blue eyes and before he could stop himself, tears rolled down his cheeks. James pulled him into his arms.

"Shh, Harry, its ..." His eyes sought his old Headmaster and he closed them. "It will be alright."

Harry shook his head as he cuddled into his father's arms. "Dumbledore ... how can we ..."

Remus nodded as he held a hand to his side. "Dumbledore ... would still want us to continue. We're so close, Harry."

Harry nodded, pulling himself from his father's grasp. "We have to see ... everyone else."

James nodded as he wrapped his arm around his friend, "And we have to get Remus to a hospital."

The three of them made their way downstairs, reviewing the damage. Bodies were strewn across the ground, most of them moaning. Holes were blown right out of the castle walls. Harry recognized a lot of the dead Death Eaters as well, but he felt nothing but pity for them. Diana Borderland, the werewolf that refused to listen to Remus; Roger Addison, another werewolf that hurt Remus; Jack Mulciber; Vincent Crabbe; Gregory Goyle; Alecto Carrow; Amycus Carrow; Narcissa Malfoy; Dolores Umbridge; and John Avery Senior.

He closed his eyes and helped his father send Remus to St. Mungo's before they began a body count. The rest of it was a blur.

***********

Everyone took a seat in the Great Hall later on that evening, as McGonagall solemnly made her way to the front. No one spoke, as most knew by now the people who had been lost. It was silence when McGonagall stepped forward.

"It pains me to be the one to tell you of this horrible news." She closed her eyes for a moment, her voice a little shaky. "Tonight, Voldemort and his Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. We fought bravely, but still many lives were lost. I would like for you all to stand and hold up your glasses as I read each name out loud. These people will be missed and loved, and will always be in our hearts. They fought bravely. Remember them: Albus Dumbledore." There was a small gasp from the crowd at his name but no one spoke as McGonagall continued.

"Daphne Zabini."

Harry's eyes met Blaise's from across the room. Joseph was curled up on his shoulder as tears poured from Blaise's eyes.

"Poppy Pomfrey, Petunia Dursley."

Snape was holding a tiny baby in his arms, his eyes dry, but hard and cold.

"Kevin Whiteby, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, and Dedalus Diggle. These people all fought very bravely. They will always hold a place in our hearts." McGonagall took a deep breath before she spoke. "I have other news as well. Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle are actually the ones who allowed Voldemort into the castle. We are still working on trying to figure out how they managed it. They were working for him as was Miss Pansy Parkinson, who has turned up missing. We are now aware of the fact that there are no other Death Eaters in this school and if we become aware that any one of you is following Voldemort, then you shall be expelled immediately."

The room was silent but a lot of people glanced towards the Slytherin table uneasily.

"Now, because of the loss of Professor Dumbledore, I will be filling in as Headmistress until the end of the year. The school will remain open for exams only. Students will be confined to their common rooms. The library will be open as well. Curfew will be eight o'clock for all students. The attack on the castle not only lost us wonderful people, but did a lot of damage to the castle itself, and will need to be repaired. I am stressing the importance of these rules, as an attack like this must not go unwarranted. Now, please return to your dormitories for the evening. Classes will commence first thing in the morning. Goodnight."

Harry took Ginny's hand in his as they headed up to the common room in silence. He felt numb and confused and odd. Hogwarts felt odd without Dumbledore. Ginny seemed to know what he was feeling because she kissed him softly and just nodded. Together they headed to a quiet area of the common room and held each other closely, neither one of them spoke a word.

*********

James stepped into the manor, not in the least surprised to find Lily pacing impatiently. She turned instantly at the sound of the fireplace and her eyes widened. "James?"

He nodded. "It was bad, Lil."

Lily wrapped her arms around him. "Who did we lose?"

"Dumbledore, Poppy, Dedalus ... quite a few students and Petunia."

Lily's eyes met his. "P-P-Petunia?"

James nodded. "She had just given birth to a daughter when the attack hit. Sabrina Adelia Snape, she's healthy and Snape's got her, but Petunia was killed by Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy ..." Lily closed her eyes. "She doesn't even get to ... poor Severus."

James nodded. "I spoke to him after the ... announcements by McGonagall and he found this in Petunia's pocket." James pulled out the letter with her name on it and Lily froze.

"What is it?"

James shook his head. "No idea. He didn't read it and neither have I. She wrote it to you, Lily."

Lily accepted the letter and carefully began to read what was there.

Dear Lily,