Elysia

Chapter Five ~ 400

I leaned out of the doorway slowly, looking from side to side to see if the coast was clear. Whispering to my wand, "Give us cover" I watched a bluish path sprout from the stone floor all the way for the portrait. Neville stood on the opposite side of the path as we ushered the students into the portal.

"Go, go, go!" we hissed, our wands at the ready.

One hundred and eighty six Hogwarts refugees leaped through the portrait and into the Garden, but two days after Neville and I reopened it. Already the atmosphere was more cheerful between the entire dorm as we planned the trip. When Neville and I were the last two remaining we held hands and jumped together.

 The sound of children’s laughter was infectious, and soon I found my feet hurriedly running as we played tag. I could have sworn that the sound of happiness brought the sunshine out for a few moments; and when it came we all paused and watched in awe.

And in that frozen moment I was tagged by Jae, now limping but healed, and immediately the game restarted. I didn't honestly think I was even capable of giggling like this, but the sound bubbled out of my mouth like boiling water and the warmth of that water spread through my veins.

All too soon the sun sunk below the horizon of Hogwarts, and we made our retreat to the ever-expanding Dorm. A pool had been added to it, as well as three house emblems emblazoned on the floor of the Dorm's sleeping ward. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff; the united houses of Hogwarts.

As much as I detested the absence of any Slytherin students in my Dorm, Ginny reported that no Slytherins were harmed in any classes, meaning that there was no reason to allow them into the Dorm and risk them tell. Part of me understood that she had never forgiven the group of Slytherins who had thwarted the original DA.

With one hundred and eighty six students in the dorm, we were very close to having a third the school safe in less than two months. The Carrow's were furious, but they had reduced their punishments as they realised that each injured student disappeared.

Ginny had urged me to accept nothing less than severe injuries, now that we were so perilously close to overstepping our safety; but I couldn't. Dumbledore never said to play it safe, he said to protect his students and I was doing just that. Meanwhile, Neville was so worried about the silver-haired prophecy that I wished I had never told him.

I could see it in his eyes, he didn't know whether to keep his distance or crowd me. I wished that I could assure him that it wasn't me in that damned prophecy; but part of me was furious that he doubted us. I knew that we'd never part, but now he was treating me like I'd leave him any day now.

And I also knew that this anger was making the prophecy come true, and I wanted to suddenly wipe it away but it was all too much. I couldn't have him doubting us when he was all that I had left. Viperous was with Fred right now; I'd bet, planning a wedding or buying a house or something.

No, I suppose they weren't. With the Order's lack of help I kept returning to the idea that they were living their lives as if nothing had happened, but that couldn't be true. There wasn't any sense in us waiting around for help to come, though, we had to be our own.

"Come on, guys, time for bed!" I called out in the archway that separated the hospital ward from the dorm.

The slow trickle of students emerging from the showers freshly cleaned and dress in their pyjamas pressed me to check on the patients. There were now only forty nine injured kids, some just about ready to move to the dorm. Nev stood in the corner brewing more healing potions with his newly accessed plants from the garden.

Sneaking up behind him I watched his intent eyes as he tended almost tenderly to the little roots and leaves. My lips parted to speak, but instead I turned and returned to my quarters silently. As the weather grew cooler my simple black quilt had grown thicker, and the fire was now burning at all times.