"You know, that's about the fifth time you've counted through your things- The number of supplies almost definitely has not changed in the past three minutes." Theo commented dryly as I once more checked over my list of potions, tools, and bandages, all neatly organized and re-organized into easily accessible drawers and pockets, the most important being kept in the tool-like belt I kept tied around my hips.
"I just want to be prepared."
"Well, you're making me anxious. And annoyed." He grumbled, but handed me the small jar of anti-swelling paste when I held my hand out for it. I shrugged, sliding it into it's new place on the shelf.
"Well, deal with it." I said firmly, stepping back to take a good look at the supplies. I wasn't even sure how often I'd have access to them, how often I'd be able to duck in here and take what I needed. But just looking at them, knowing that if I pushed they were accessible, was comforting in someway. Theo sighed, leaning back against the wall of the Room and watching me carefully.
"It's almost as if you're preparing for something, you know. Gearing up. Getting ready."
"Well, one always has to be ready." I mumbled, but Theo didn't look even half convinced.
"No. Something's coming." He said it nonchalantly, and I half expected him to be idly examining his nails when I turned to frown at him. Instead though he merely stared back at me, unfazed but intent. I frowned.
"You can't tell anyone. If you share those suspicions, you'll get everyone riled up and it'll be harder to help people." I told him, moving back to my shelves to reorganize the few books I had, preferring to put them back into order by subject rather than name.
"How long?" Theo's voice was quiet, and I sighed.
"I'm not sure exactly. But by tonight."
"Tonight?" Theo questioned, voice rising a little in pitch. I managed a small nod, pushing a book into place.
"Almost definitely."
"And you really think you shouldn't tell anyone, shouldn't alert them-"
"Causing panic might result in more tragedies than are already to be expected tonight." I said, turning my head to glare at him. My voice had dropped to a whisper, but remained sharp. "We need people thinking with their heads now. We need everyone to stay as calm as possible. So don't you go off-"
"I won't." Theo interrupted me. His tone was serious, as was his expression. "You're right. Telling them now would only freak them out- And last thing we need is a bunch of panicky Ravenclaws on our hands."
"You've got that right." I muttered, pleased when the books were finally lined up to my current approval. With my mood, I wasn't sure how I'd feel about them in a few minutes. But for now, they were perfect. Theo sighed, falling back into the cot I tried to save exclusively for the injured and unconscious. He narrowed his eyes.
"Do I live?"
"What?" I asked in surprise, eyebrows rising. He shrugged, looking over at me curiously.
"You heard me. Do I live or die- You've got to know." He said, obviously not put off by the wary scowl I gave him. Truth was, I didn't know. Nothing I had ever read mentioned it, and if it had, I didn't remember. Uneasily, I wondered how much I didn't remember. But I didn't want to tell him that. Instead, I fell back on my usual answer.
"If I tell you, it could change things." I said. "If I say you live, you could get cocky and end up getting yourself killed. If I tell you you die, how do you think that might affect your fighting abilities?" I questioned. Theo frowned, shrugging lightly.
"I don't really care at this point."
"Oh, stop that." I tutted, picking up a roll of gauze from one of the opened draws for the sole purpose of chucking it at his head. It bounced off easily, but his nose crinkled up in protest.
"What? It's true. I've got no fortune, and almost certainly now that I've joined you lot, no real future. As if anyone is going to want to hire a Death Eater's son."
"A Death Eater's son who turned and now helps the Order." I corrected gently, and Theo scoffed.
"I do not help the Order of the Phoenix." He said. I shrugged.
"You help me, so you help the Order." I said it firmly. "You're under my protection, I guess you could say. You and Blaise both."
"I feel coddled- You're coddling me. I'm down right smothered."
"All with the deepest affection, I assure you." I promised with a wry smile. It fell though slightly, turning into a frown. "Don't do anything stupid though. The Order trusts you on my word. Anything you do that's stupid falls on my head."
"Have I ever been known to do stupid things?" Theo snorted, ignoring my pointed look. "The stupidest thing I've done is piss off the Carrows- And that was for your sake, mind you."
I nodded slowly. "Fair. But still be careful. If anything were to happen to you, I know quite a few people who would be rather upset. A certain pretty blonde in particular."
"Yes, I'm sure Malfoy would be quite devastated." Theo agreed somberly, the gloomy expression turning into an amused grin as I chucked another roll of gauze at his face.
_
Besides annoying Theo and shuffling healing items around, I tried to put a purpose into everything I did.
I knew that the time Ariana would come to fetch us would be later, that everything wouldn't begin to build till the evening. But I also knew that I should be ready for it as best as I could be, and took what time I had.
When I dressed, I dressed purposefully into clothes that would be practical in the midst of a battle- a light sweater, worn jeans and boots that had seen better days, but would stay on my feet in the thick of it. Practicality was my best friend- That, and the muffin I had managed to grab from the newest basket we had retrieved from the pub. I munched on it slowly as I sat in front of the radio, tinkering with it.
While we couldn't listen to Potterwatch twenty-four-seven, we kept an ear out for muggle stations, knowing what they took as natural disasters and accidents were more than likely the actions of Death Eaters, Dementors and other such things. It was a bit depressing, and morbidly amusing at times when they'd blame the destruction of a muggle cabin on an earthquake rather than what probably had been giants.
"By the time this war is over, London might be rubble." Neville said with a sigh as the broadcast ended. No one disagreed, and I only grimaced. The rubble was going to be a lot closer to home than that. I leant back in my chair, kicking my feet up onto to the table and pushing back so the two front legs of the chair rose up off the ground.
"It better not be. Lily wants a flat there." Lavender chimed from where she sat on the floor by the radio, cross-legged as she worked on knitting what appeared to be a scarf. It had gone to be several squares longer than one would expect though, and I was starting to wonder if she merely continued knitting for something to do rather than to make something.
"I do." I agreed with a small nod. "It would definitely put off my plans if any future potential flats are destroyed."
"And then where we would hot chocolate movie nights?" She teased. I chuckled quietly, nodding in agreement. From where he was leaning against the wall, Theo rose his eyebrows, watching amusedly.
"Hot chocolate movie nights? Am I invited?"
"If you can behave yourself." I said wryly. Theo considered this, and nodded once.
"Fair."
"It'll be fun, if we're not all sick of each other by the time we're out of the room." Lavender said cheerfully, and that time everyone murmured together in quiet agreement. Kicking my feet off the table, I let the chair slam back down onto four legs before I stood up, stretching my arms over my head in an attempt to get rid of the soreness in my shoulders.
"Anybody want to practice?" I questioned, not at all surprised when Theo lifted his hand, already pulling himself up from the ground.
"If you think you can handle it." He added as he walked past me towards the main floor of the Room. I scoffed, rolled my shoulders again for good measure, then marched after him.
"Don't try too hard Nott- Exerting yourself now might not be wise." I warned, and Theo nodded knowingly. I wanted practice, preparation- Not a full on fight. There'd be enough of that tonight.
"How come you and Neville never practice together?" Lavender questioned from where she watched us, the first spell having been sent from Theo.
"We did, but we got to know each other's skills too well- There were no surprises. We couldn't challenge each other to learn." I told her, ducking another spell sent from Theo and rising to frown at him. "Unfair!"
"Pay attention!" He insisted, side stepping the answering spell I sent back at him. Lavender nodded slowly, lips pursed.
"Ah. I get what you mean." She said, scooting over a little as Neville approached, leaving Blaise to survey the map on his own.
"Who means what?" Neville asked as he dropped down to sit next to her, cringing sympathetically when I managed to knock Theo down to the ground.
"You two are too used to each other to fight." Lavender told him. "While Theo's more of a surprise- And a challenge, as well." She added, sounding a little amused as Theo managed to trip me up, and I landed back on my arm with a loud crack that made me cry out.
"Theo! Damnit!" I groaned, eyes watering as I cradled my arm, pain running up from my surely broken bone. Theo swore, moving forward as Neville had already reached me, using my good arm to pull me carefully up to a sitting position.
"That was an accident." Theo promised, brows furrowed. "I thought you were a lot better at falling than you apparently are."
"Not the time, Nott." I mumbled, leaning into Neville's side with a pout. I looked up at my best friend hopefully. "How good are you at mending broken bones?"
"Healing has never really been my specialty." Neville said apologetically. "Maybe Lavender? Or Blaise?"
"Or Theo?" Theo suggested snidely, looking rather put out when both Neville and I turned to him in surprise. He shrugged. "What?"
"If you screw up my arm, Theo-" I said warningly, but he merely waved me away.
"Blame it on yourself, then, because I learned from you. Now hold still, if you keep shielding your arm I can't do much about it." He chastised. With a deep breath I let go of it, leaning back into Neville. It wasn't that I didn't trust Theo- clearly I did- but part of me did wonder how hard it would be to fight in a battle with only one useful arm. Neville squeezed my shoulder reassuringly when the bone of my arm mended with a quiet crack, and then the pain was gone, leaving only a slight tenderness behind. I looked up at Theo in surprise.
"You didn't break me."
"The surprise is really flattering. Thanks." He said sourly. I rolled my eyes, reaching over and giving him a small shove.
"I never realized you were paying attention when I was healing with someone- Not outside of Blaise."
"It's boring in here." Theo shrugged. "It was either that or stare at a wall. Admittedly, I did do quite a bite of wall-staring, but it couldn't last forever. You were the next best option."
My lips pulled up into a wry smile. "Good to know."
_
I hadn't expected to speak with Severus today, but I guess it could be considered lucky that the opportunity came anyway.
It was definitely lucky I had been the one watching the map when he began approaching the Room, his steps refreshing every few seconds and appearing closer and closer, and it left me with the ability to time when to meet him. With Neville resting, Lavender fully-involved in her knitting and Blaise and Theo's utter disinterest, I was free to step out of the Room, to peek out and watch with wide eyes as my godfather made his way to me.
"I expected you to see me coming. Fortunate I was right. Follow me." He ordered briskly before he turned on his heel. I frowned, peeking back at the room. Both Lavender and Neville weren't aware, but Blaise had lifted his head and was watching me carefully.
"I'll be back." I said, not waiting to see if he replied before I hurried down the hall and stepping into pace with Severus. I didn't have time to open my mouth and ask what he needed me for before he cracked a disillusionment charm over my head. I frowned slightly a that feeling, a little put off by his brisk manner.
"Fortunate you were right it was me- If my friends had seen you coming, it surely would not have gone well." I muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing."
The rest of the walk was quiet, and even though I wasn't entirely visible, I couldn't but feel anxious as we passed other students and professors on our way. At one point I could even hear Alecto's voice, bouncing off the walls and echoing down to us, but by the time she would've gotten anywhere close to where we were we were already climbing up the stairs to the headmaster's office, and when we arrived, Severus charmed the door shut behind us.
"So, what's this about?" I asked curiously, lifting my wand over my head and doing away with the disillusionment charm myself. Severus gestured for me to sit, and, slightly amused at the familiarity of the gesture, I did so, curling up in the leather chair. He didn't sit though, walking past his desk to go stand by the wide window.
"Your cousin broke into Gringotts this morning."
"I'm aware." I said dryly. "That was always going to happen."
"Where are they headed to next?"
"You want to know?" My surprise was real; Severus was normally so adamant on not knowing the future unless it was crucial. He didn't reply though, and I took it as my cue to answer. "They're going to Hogsmeade... and then they'll be here."
"So I'm right in believing that this war will come to a head tonight, among the halls of this castle."
"You're not wrong." I said with a sigh. Severus didn't say anything, didn't do anything for a moment, just stared out the window. I wondered if that was all he had wanted of me, and why we couldn't have had this conversation back in the damn hallway because there would almost definitely be less questions to answer upon my return back if that had been the case. But then he moved, looking to me over his shoulder.
"I want you to leave."
"I'm sorry, what?" My eyebrows rose, surprise flooding my features as Severus turned away from the window.
"You're more use alive than dead. I want you to leave the castle." He said it quietly. "You've never had any real experience in a battle before, and if anyone gets distracted trying to protect you from yourself, how might that end? It is better to have you safe and alive and out of the way."
"You're doubting me." I said it slowly, my eyes narrowing at the thought. "I don't appreciate that, Severus."
"I am only telling you what we both know. It is better-"
"I don't care. You expect to be able to just send me away? To hide me from everything until it's all over? Because that's been done before. But I was younger then. I couldn't tell anyone to stuff it, like I'm telling you now. Because I am not leaving my friends- Especially not now! Not tonight!" I hissed. "Tonight is why I was even brought here, Severus! Tonight has been the point of my existence."
"You have been a puppet to Albus Dumbledore-"
"And so have you! But I'm certainly not about to become a puppet to you too- You don't control me, Severus!" I snapped, rising up from my chair. I couldn't stand how he looked down at me. His expression was unreadable, unfazed, and I grit my teeth. "You can't protect me from what I don't want to be protected from."
"I'm your godfather. Your protection is the one thing I owe to your father. I have not been able to do so in past months, but now I must do what I can." He said tiredly, looking almost regretful. "Please forgive me."
"Forgive you?" I questioned warily, when I saw his wand raise.
"Stupefy!"
"Protego!" I said it quickly, the shield rising just in time to deflect the red light. I watched as it made the shield spell shimmer under it's weight before it vanished, and I enjoyed the vaguely surprised look that had appeared on Severus's expression, his eyebrows raised.
"You have been practicing."
"I'm not stupid, Severus." I said in a quiet tone, watching as his image wavered when the shield rippled. "Now will you get this stupid idea of trying to protect me out of your head, when I am more than capable of doing so myself."
"You merely deflected a stunning spell-"
"Well if that's we're gaging abilities off of, it's rather sad you were only able to come up with a stunning spell." I told him, dropping the shield when I finally felt he wasn't going to attempt to stun me again. And if he did try, I trusted my reflexes. "Now can we talk about this like the civilized people we are, or are you going to take a cheap shot at me again?"
If he considered the latter, it was only briefly, and he stepped down from the window to sit as his desk, the passivity and perhaps mild interest returning to his expression. I sat down slowly myself, not feeling the slightest bit bad for keeping my wand in my hand as I settled across from him, crossing my legs. Letting out a deep breath, I made an attempt to smile.
"Now, is there anything else you'd like to know about tonight?"
_
Severus remained well-behaved for the rest of the afternoon, and I was glad to be able to enjoy some time with my godfather before everything truly went to hell.
The conversation remained civil, small talk but enjoyable. I talked about living in the Room, and the annoyance of having shared it with only boys until only just recently. Severus spoke of the outside, the things I couldn't see- What glimpses of the Order he got, of how the rest of the world was holding up. It was different, but it was nice, and mostly it was needed.
It was hard though, too. To look at Severus and wonder what chance I possibly had of getting to the shrieking shack in time, what chance I had of doing anything to slow the bleeding or stop the venom while staying out of the way of Harry and the others. Part of me was doubtful I could do anything, and when I realized this, I think Severus had noticed too, because when my voice had become tight he had stopped speaking and just let me sit, pretending to glance at the papers on his desk while giving me the moment to compose myself again.
Saying goodbye was the hardest. But it was getting dark, and Harry and the others would be arriving soon, and I had to be there. I had a job to do, and so did Severus. So I rose up, ignoring Severus's wave of a dismissal to cross behind his desk and force him into a hug. It was a slightly off angle, being that he was sitting and I had to nearly double over to properly wrap my arms around his neck, but when he stood it was better, and I hid my face in the black of his robes. Tear stains didn't show on black, I learned then.
"You're being ridiculous." Severus had muttered under his breath, but his arms around me were a little tighter than any hug he had given me before, and I was sure then that his whole 'protecting me' stint was about more than just a obligation to my father. He wanted my safety, too. And I wasn't giving it to him. I couldn't.
"You're the best godfather ever." I said quietly, whispering it into the air behind him. His hands tightened.
"It's been an honor." Severus said quietly, and that brought on a whole new wave of tears because I knew that was the closest I was ever going to get to any verbal form of affection. Because that was how Severus was, and I sighed as I finally let go, hands buzzing with the knowledge that that could be the last time I ever got to hug my godfather.
We didn't bother with goodbyes- After reapplying the disillusionment charm myself, I left, turning my back on the headmaster's office and heading down the staircase with my shoulders squared, chin high and tears no one could see running down my cheeks.
Now, before entering the Room, I checked myself one last time for tears before I removed the charm and entered, trying to prepare for the surely loads of questions I'd be getting. I didn't get any, though.
Instead, I entered the Room to find a lot of noise and a lot of movement, and my cousin standing in the center of it all.
I had no problem moving through the crowd that had gathered, people parting for me and allowing me to make my way. It was surreal, seeing him and the others again- Instantly my previous gloomy mood dissipated, even if just for the moment.
"Harry!" I said joyfully, pleased when his arms were already outstretched and allowed me to all but jump on him, arms thrown around his neck. "You're here! You're really, really here."
"Just for a moment- I was trying to tell the others-"
"The D.A are on their way." Neville said quickly as he came to stand beside us, his eyes bright. I smiled, heart racing at the idea of seeing my friends again, my family. So soon. Harry nodded, a little wide-eyed.
"You called them?" He asked, and Neville nodded, raising up a fake Galleon.
"Of course. If we're going to fight, they should be here. We'll need them."
"We're not- We're here looking for something."
My smile fell then, eyes widening. "Yeah, about that, Harry-"
But before I could speak I was interrupted by another loud cry.
"Luna! Dean!" I heard the names before I saw the faces, but the surprise was still on my features even when I turned and saw them climbing through the portrait hole. Some of the students broke way to rush them, leaving me a moment to properly greet my cousin and friends.
"It's been too long." I said, hugging Ron tightly before moving to Hermione. The hugs were tight, the greetings warm, and it was almost too easy to forget about what was to come. Even easier when I got to Luna, hugging her tightly.
"I am so sorry, Luna. I should've been there with you when they grabbed you." I said as I pulled away, to look back at blue eyes that bore no resentment or bitterness.
"Then they would've gotten you too. Besides, I met some friends. I was alright." She said as she reached up, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear in a fond manner. "I see you've finally stopped using the polyjuice potion."
"I spilt it." I told her sheepishly, and Luna chuckled, a soft light sound that was heart warming to hear.
"Well, it's nice to see your eyes again." She said kindly, and then stepped past me, walking away from where everyone had gathered. I frowned, wondering what exactly she was up to when I noticed the Theo in the shadows of the Room, watching with warm eyes as Luna approached him. I smiled lightly, but not wanting to pry, turned away just as they reached out for each other. Thankfully, the only other person who seemed to notice was Neville, who appeared a little bewildered before he shook his head and turned his attention back to the trio as well.
"We're just here to find something, then we're going-" Harry was in the middle of saying, looking a little taken aback by the large amount of students that watched him expectantly.
"You're just going to leave us here then? Like this?" Michael asked, brows furrowed. Harry grimaced, and Ron waved Michael off, shaking his head quickly.
"No, not really, once we take care of You-know-who then all of this will be over-"
"I thought we were going to fight?" Seamus butted in, frowning as he watched my cousin. "That you were coming, and that we were finally going fight back."
"Yes, but first-
"Harry, I should probably talk to you." I interrupted quickly, ignoring the bewildered look he gave me. "Like, right now. Please."
My cousin hesitated for a moment, apparently debating if it would be easier to talk to me or explain to the others why they weren't staying. Finally, he nodded.
"Alright." He agreed, and I smiled gratefully as Hermione and Ron took on the loads of questions, ranging from 'Well what can we do to help?' and 'Did you really fly on a dragon?'
I led Harry to a quieter section of the Room, making sure no eyes or ears were focused on us before I spoke, fingers playing absent-mindedly with my bracelet in an anxious manner. "What you're looking for, Harry, the horcruxe? It's Ravenclaw's Diadem."
"Ravenclaw's- How do you know?"
I had the decency to look a little sheepish. "Because I destroyed it during fifth year."
I was met with wide eyes and a slightly agape mouth, prompting me to lift up and gently close it shut for him. Taking his moment of stillness, I brushed what dirt I could off of his sweater.
"It's kind of a long story- But what matters is that it's gone, it doesn't exist anymore. What does exist is Nagini, and the Carrows, and You-Know-Who, and they all need to be stopped tonight, otherwise I don't know how this will all end." I said, biting down on my lip with a frown. "Stop staring, Harry, you're worrying me."
"You destroyed a horcruxe in fifth year?" He managed finally, the words coming out slow. "How?"
"I was stupid and stubborn, and if I try really hard my parstletongue is pretty butchered but passable." I said quickly, cringing a little at the memory. "But diadem or not, you're meant to be in the castle tonight, Harry."
"But if we're not looking for the diadem, then what? Just wait for him to show up?" Harry hissed with a frown. I pursed my lips, frowning a little at the idea before another thought occurred to me, and I grinned.
"I was thinking maybe we could prompt him to arrive."
"Oh? And you think that's a good idea?" He said, clearly insinuating that he did not. I shrugged.
"It's better than anything else I can think- We'll be on our own turf, we'll be as prepared as we can possibly ever be." I said, however weakly. "It's our best chance if we end it tonight. If this war goes on any further, Harry, I don't know what will happen."
He nodded, not looking at all happy. "What do you propose then?"
"Well, if it's going to be our turf, we need to have control over it. Which means-"
"Snape and the Carrows." He said slowly, nodding. "We need to get them out."
"They can't fight all of us at once." I said quietly. "And I'd like a shot at Alecto Carrow."
"I can think of someone I'd like a good shot at as well." Harry said, his tone grim. I managed to force my lips to pull up, knowing very well who he meant when the commotion started up again, and I turned in time to see three redheads coming out of the portrait, followed by Lee Jordan and Cho Chang.
"Merlin, don't tell me we're late?" George asked loudly, straightening out the front of his robes as he came to stand beside his twin and sister. I beamed, not even bothering to glance back at Harry before I ran forward, all but shoving everyone else aside to get to Ginny.
"Ginny!" I said happily, nearly knocking us both over with the weight that came from me crashing into her.
"Lily!" She cried back, her voice warm if not slightly out of breath. "You're you again!"
"I was only ever me." I teased as I let go, pleased when she rolled her eyes in exasperation. I was quick to move out of her way though, having a feeling that I wasn't the only Potter she was interested in seeing, and George was already reaching out for me anyway, his smile kind and eyes bright.
"You look well." He said fondly, hugging me to his chest in a manner that I was sure was intended to make me lose breath.
"So do you." I chuckled lightly when he let me go. Fred was just as warm in reception, nearly picking me up off of my feet. It was harder to keep my tone light with him though, to hide the panic in my eyes. I did hug him a little tighter though, not caring if my intentions were misinterpreted or not by prying eyes as I leant up to press a kiss to his cheek. He seemed a tad surprised at my warmth, but if he suspected anything, he didn't show it.
"Does the Order know?" I asked curiously then, looking between the two twins. "They need to know- We need them here."
"Sirius was the first one we contacted before we left." George promised with a small nod. "They should be right behind us."
"Thank Merlin." I breathed, nodding. "Alright- Go say hi to everyone. You're basically celebrities now, thanks to Potterwatch."
"We were celebrities long before that, you know." Fred waved me off, but his grin was teasing as he made his way down the platform. I shook my head, then followed after. Harry appeared to be in discussion with Neville, having moved up to the map platform. By them was Ron and Hermione, as well as, to my surprise, Blaise, who appeared just as invested as the others.
Then again, he had just as much a reason to fight as the rest of us.
"So, what's the plan?" I asked as I stepped up onto the platform, trying to not feel too crowded in. It was hard though, with so many people on the platform- Fred and George had joined quickly, peering down at the map with impressed expressions. Harry pulled his eyes away from the map to look at me, eyebrow raised.
"Well, you suggested focusing on the Carrows."
_
It was hard to stand by Harry's side when I was opposing my godfather. But Severus did an excellent job of appearing passive, even spiteful, and it made it easier to keep my eyes hard and shoulders squared. We had been making our way down the hallway, towards the Great Hall when we had been cut off by not just Severus, but as well as the Carrows on either side of him. Even I had been surprised.
"Give up now, Potter, and perhaps we will be more lenient to your friends." Severus's voice was cool, and I scowled. Leniency wasn't a word the Carrows were familiar with, and Severus knew that. He was aware he wasn't giving us any other option than to fight, and I knew him well enough to know his wand was already drawn, hidden in one of the dark sleeves of his robes.
"Lenient, is it? Like you were with Dumbledore?" Harry's voice dripped with sarcasm and disdain. "How generous of you."
"That's enough, Potter- Come with us, or your cousin'll be the first to get it!" Amycus snapped, raising his wand at me and appearing undeterred when the three others with us- Ron, Hermione and Neville- raised their wands at him in response.
"Only first after you, Amycus." I said, gripping the wooden wand in my hand tightly for my own reassurance. I could move fast enough to stop anything he threw at me. So focused on him though, I hadn't noticed the footsteps coming our way until it was too late.
"What is going- Potter?!" McGonagall had entered the hallway, wide eyed. We noticed her the same time the Carrows did, and several things happened at once.
Alecto lunged forward, wand pointed at Minerva- "Avada K-"
"Stupefy!" I threw the spell, stunning Alecto the same time McGonagall stepped protectively in front of Harry, her wand drawn and pointed at Severus. Neville, Ron and Hermione all had wands trained on Amycus, and with some anxiety I pointed my own at Severus as well, unwilling to break appearances.
"You done enough harm to this school, Severus. You will do no more! Not tonight, and not ever again!" McGonagall said sharply. Severus had his wand drawn, and perhaps to anyone else he seemed bored. I could see the displeasure pulling at his lips, glinting in his eyes. He didn't want to face off Minerva.
"Minerva..." He said quietly, but McGonagall had had it, and despite the circumstance I was in awe as McGonagall wordlessly sent a red spell flying towards the Headmaster, easily deflected and landing solidly in the chest of Amycus Carrow, who collapsed in a pile not too far from his sister.
The duel itself was silent- A series of spells, back and forth- Red, orange, blue- But never green, to my relief. But Severus was losing track, losing room as he was pressed back down the corridor. When he managed to block Minerva's knives he used the pause between her counter-attack to escape, and my chest tightened as the glass from the broken window fell to my feet, Severus taking off into the night.
"Since when can he fly?" Neville spat out, and I let out a sigh.
"Who cares- Let's get the Carrows taken care of, shall we? We've got work to do." I said, clapping him on the shoulder before walking back towards where the Carrows had been left at the mouth of the corridor. It was a simple spell to tie them up, to shove them in an abandoned classroom and lock the door. And this far into the castle, it would surely be awhile before anyone even thought of them again.
"Potters! What are you doing here?" McGonagall was on us quickly, hair beginning to fall from her normally tightly-wound hair. Both Harry and I turned to her, eyebrows raised.
"Well, I've been in the castle for months." I said slowly, "And Harry's here on Dumbledore's orders."
"Dumbledore?" McGonagall said. Harry shot me a look, but nodded.
"Yeah." He said, then added, "Hi, Professor."
McGonagall blinked at him, then shook her head. "Well, Potters, if you're here, I expect it won't be long till others are as well- Sent who you can to the Great Hall, if you will. And whatever you're here for, I advise you do it!" She said as she marched past us. She made it only a few steps before she turned back, and nodded briefly, "But it is good to see you both."
"Good to see you too, professor." Harry said, and McGonagall nodded briefly before continuing on her way, sending patronuses for Flitwick, Slughorn, and Sprout the meanwhile. With a deep breath, I turned back to the others, our small group circling up.
"What's the plan?" Ron asked, looking back and forth between Harry and I. I glanced at Hermione, biting down on my lip.
"You have the cup?" I asked carefully, and Hermione nodded.
"Of course."
"You need to destroy it- Obviously, sorry, I know you know that." I said at the trio's annoyed look. Hermione made a face, brows furrowed.
"We don't have the sword-"
"The basilisk though." Ron interrupted, eyebrows raised. "The skeleton should still be there, shouldn't it?"
"Go." I urged, giving my cousin a small shove. "Go get the teeth, get rid of the cup- And for the love of Merlin, be careful! Neville and I will rally the troops." I said with a weak smile, and the trio nodded before they were gone, off on their own mission once again. Letting out a deep breath, Neville and I exchanged weary looks before we were back on our way towards the Room of Requirement.
"I hate running!" I swore as I ripped open the door to the Room, not even half inside before I was engulfed in a pair of arms.
"Who the hel- Oh!" My alarm turned into glee as I realized it was Sirius, grey eyes bright and arms warm. I all but slammed back into him, wrapping my arms around his back and not caring if I broke his ribs.
"Missed you too." He managed in a strained voice, but his tone was fond. I hide my face in his shoulder, looking up only when I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was to my glee and mild horror that I saw Tonks smiling at me.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" I cried, letting go of Sirius only to latch onto Tonks. Her hair was bubblegum again, eyes bright and smile bright. She squeezed my shoulders tightly, wiping away the tears that had fallen from my eyes in a moment of total happiness.
"I came to visit my baby's godmother, of course." She teased, and it took me a moment, but when I realized it, I gasped.
"No!"
"Yes!" She chuckled, obviously amused by my pink cheeks.
"No, Tonks! Oh- I've missed you so much!" I said, sniffling. "Where's your husband?"
"I'm here." Remus chimed in, appearing behind Tonks's shoulder and smiling warmly at me. I felt a warmth in my heart, strange and deep and big- My family was here. My family was in danger. I was in danger. But my family was with me. I took a deep breath as I hugged Remus.
"How's Caiden- Teddy? How's my godson?" I asked, stepping back slightly so I could smile at him through teary eyes.
"Caiden's well- He and Teddy are with Andromeda. Though, I'm sure, you had some idea of that." He said knowingly, and I smiled, shrugging.
"I hold my cards very closely to my chest, Remus." I teased. "Merlin, I've missed you- You've all made me cry, you bastards!" I complained as I wiped at my eyes, glad I hadn't let Lavender force makeup onto me earlier in the day. "Merlin- There's so many people! So many- What the hell is going on over there?!"
My joy was interrupted by the sounds of struggle, and I pushed through the tiny crowd- pausing only now and then to say a quick 'hello!' to an old familiar face or two- before I got to the brawl and frowned. Theo was on the ground, bruise already darkening on his eye as Blaise and Luna both stood over him, the latter with her wand pointed at his attacker.
"That's enough." I said sharply, feeling like a parent scolding her toddlers. "What's going on?"
"He's talking about leaving us!" Seamus said angrily from where he stood, now with Dean by his side and Lavender with a hand on his shoulder. "We took him in, and he's ready to abandon us now that shit's getting real!"
"You moron! I said that if I was smart I'd be leaving! Not that I was going to!" Theo spat, hissing as he gently prodded the skin Seamus had managed to hit. "Merlin, Finnegan, have some faith- And less of a hair-trigger temper!"
Seamus blew out a large puff of hair, looking less than happy about being called out, but nodded. "Fine, Nott- But I've got my eye on you."
"If you were smart, you'd keep your eye on yourself!" Theo scoffed, letting Blaise help him to his feet. Luna at some point at stowed her wand away again, a small frown pulling at her lips as she reached up, gently taking Theo's face in her hands.
"That's going to swell." She murmured as she examined it. Theo waved her off, giving his head a small shake.
"It's fine- I've had worse."
"Maybe, but you'll need both eyes tonight." I said, nose crinkled. "I'll need bruise paste. Maybe- Fred! George!"
"You called?" It was Fred that answered, sliding out of the group of people. I grimaced.
"You wouldn't happen to have bruise paste on you, would you?"
"On a night like tonight? Of course I do." He scoffed, reaching into his robe pocket and pulling out a small tube. I smiled gratefully, taking it when he offered and turning back to Theo. It was a poor attempt to dab it, Theo cringing at every move I made. Frowning, I gave in with a sigh and handed the tube off to Luna.
"He won't stay still for me- You try, and at worst, have Blaise hold him down." I advised. Luna nodded, eyes glinting with good-natured amusement.
"I'm sure that won't be necessary." She said, but I could still hear Theo complaining as I left, wanting to rejoin my family. They were talking with the Weasley's, whom had arrived sometime during the skirmish with Theo and Seamus.
Mrs. Weasley was exceedingly pleased to catch sight of me, pulling me into a bone-crushing huff for at least two minutes before she saw fit to let go. It was a quick 'hello' to the rest of the Weasley's before we were moving again, heading down towards the Great Halls upon a call from Michael Corner. McGonagall was gathering everyone, preparing to evacuate the younger students, organize the older ones and plan with Order members.
Though I wanted to be with my family, there were three people in particular I needed to find first. I tracked them down in the fray of people as we entered the Great Hall, pulling them aside and talking firmly until I felt my words had fully sunken in.
"You leave, and you don't look back- These kids are your priority. You get them to the safe house, and you stay there. All of you. If something happens here, they'll need you. Do you understand?" I said firmly, not feeling the slightest bit guilty about staring down Colin Creevey. He only nodded though, a determined fire in his eyes.
"Of course. We've got the kids, Lily- They'll be well looked after."
"I know they will." I said, managing a small smile. "Now go sit down and listen to McGonagall- Listen!" I stressed as Holly, Nigel and Colin walked off, talking rapidly. Rolling my eyes, I moved to sit, pleased when I managed to find myself a seat beside Blaise and Theo, whom had sat with the other students in our group at the Gryffindor table. The adults had moved up to join McGonagall, talking in a buzzing, hushed whisper.
"How's the bruise doing?" I asks quietly over the hum of the hall, and Theo snorted.
"It's gone- Lovegood's a lot gentler than you are." He muttered, swearing when I elbowed him in the ribs and turned my attention to my surroundings instead. The place was buzzing with gossip. Some students had seen the trio, it seemed, and were alive with excitement. Others, most clothed in silver and green, whispered in fear, eyes wide as they took in the Order members and the prospect of a battle.
The buzzing did not lessen when the trio reentered the room, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table. They were too far down for me to speak to them, but Harry managed a weak smile in my direction, so I figured all had gone well. I waved, smiling back, when the buzzing all seemed to stop at once.
Everything stopped at once.
And something very, very horrible started.
""I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.""
There was a brief moment of silence that followed, and in that moment of silence, there was Theo.
"Well, if that isn't the biggest load of hippogriff shit ever, call me Godric Gryffindor and stick a sword in my hand."
And then the yelling began.
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Thanks for being so patient all!
Clearly, Voldemort's 'speech' is taken from the book- Therefore, I don't own it in anyway. That belongs to J.K Rowling. As do all of the character's(Spare my Lily and Caiden). WHOO. Gotta get that disclaimer on at some point, it's been awhile.
But also, keep in mind, that while it's J.K Rowling's world, this is my story. Not everything is going to be the same. Things change, and that includes some aspects of the battle. Which could be good, could be bad, we will have to wait and see, friends!
ANYWAY, the next chapter should be up soon- School is crazy, so my schedule's been a bit frantic, but this story is SUPER important to me and so are all of you guys and I want to keep you happy! As it is, this chapter is 2,000 words more than what I usually post. So I hope that makes up for the time gap.
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter- I know it could possibly seem as a let down since we haven't gotten to the actual battle yet BUT there is a lot of ground to cover and I want to give what's to come it's fair share of time. Also want to know your opinion of maybe some one shots i'll be coming up with soon- Some Luna/Theo centered?
As usual, let me know what you did think of the chapter by voting, commenting,or typing off a quick message! I always enjoy hearing what you have to say. A lot of you make my day with your comments! No lie.
Luv ya'll,
-Lily