On return to Hogwarts, we discovered that Luna had been taken by Death Eaters for things her father was publishing about Harry. We feared for her safety, but being stuck at Hogwarts meant there was nothing we could do.
Over the holidays, with my parents fussing over me and begging me to keep my head down, I had come to an agreement with myself. Considering all my family had done to contribute to what was happening, no matter how contrite they were, I felt partially responsible. And so I had to make up for it somehow.
So I came up with an idea. I would work to shift as much blame onto me for indiscretions done by friends, and I would take as many punishments as I could. I was pureblood, the name Malfoy still meant something and I had noted that they punished half-bloods more severely than purebloods. They would never go so far as to kill me, or I hoped so, and I knew I could handle the punishments for a good length of time.
When I put my plan into action, nobody was happy.
"What are you doing?" Ginny grabbed my arm and dragged me inside the Room of Requirement after an emergency DA meeting was called, "What were you thinking?"
The room was silent, everyone was staring at me with concern. I straightened myself up, trying to act like I hadn't just about had the life beaten out of me after distracting Alecto from Neville by making a comment about the Dark Lord.
"I thought about it," I said, my voice sounding stronger than I felt, "After all my family has done, this is the least I can do. I might hate Snape, but he doesn't hate me, and he won't see me get too badly hurt. The Carrows know that as well. If I step up and take the blame every time, they have no choice but to go with it. They might take it too far with one of you, but they can't do the same for me. I'm fine."
"You don't know that for sure," Neville said, "You should have just let me take that punishment."
"Neville, I think you've had enough punishments by now," I offered him a small smile, "Don't worry about it. Besides, I'm leader of the DA. It's only right I take the punishment if I've suggested the crime."
"Lyra Malfoy, go to the headmaster's office immediately," Snape's voice boomed through the hallway outside, we all went silent when we heard it.
"Well..." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Snape was about to kill me.
"Don't go, he won't find you here!" Seamus said.
"Look, we thought about this room differently, there's a passage out now!" Parvati Patil crossed the room, signalling to a painting, "Escape that way, you'll be safe. It leads to Hogs Head, we..."
"We spoke with the barman while you were..." Ginny paused, "Its Dumbledore's brother. He's willing to help us, keep us in contact with the Order. He knew about the passage, but didn't think we'd find it."
"Go through there and he'll get you to the Order, you'll be safe from Snape!" Neville concluded.
"I can't stay here forever nor escape. If I don't show up, he'll force one of you to talk," I forced a smile, "I'll be fine. I'll come straight back, I promise. And good thinking, regarding the Order. Let me know the second you make contact, I promise I'll be back soon."
"You've got the DA coin if there is any trouble," Neville said, "Don't hesitate to use it."
"What were you thinking?" Snape asked. It was the second time I'd had that question today.
"The Carrows won't go too far when it comes to punishing me," I said, "You said yourself, you can barely control them. They are more likely to go too far when punishing a random student, they are more careful with me. Despite my family's low position now, they know I am somewhat important to you."
"If you keep it up and it reaches the Dark Lord's ears, he will order your death," he had a pained expression, "I couldn't face that."
"I know a way out, I can escape without you needing to know anything about how it happened. We've used a Fidelius Charm, we're safe," I said, "I have it under control. I won't sit by and let my friends be tortured."
"And I can't sit by and let you be tortured!" He retorted.
"Then do something about it!" I cried, "Stop them from torturing anyone!"
"I can't do that without giving away my true allegiance," he sighed, "Then he'll put someone worse in my place."
"Then let me handle this," I said, "I know what I'm doing. Harry knows what he's doing. It won't be long now, the final battle will be soon."
"I hope you're right," he sighed, "Go back to your friends. Tell them I flew into a rage and threatened you."
"Of course I will, I wouldn't want them to think you cared," I smiled at him.
That evening, we had met in the Room of Requirement again. Forty students, from three houses, all in on the plan devised by Neville and I. We would be vandalising the school again, but on a much larger scale.
We would go in pairs, our faces and robes hidden, maintaining anonymity. I was with Neville, we were taking the Great Hall, while others were split up elsewhere. Some would vandalise, others would keep watch, and we'd use the coins to inform one another if anything bad happened.
Names of students who were not attending this year, Remember Cedric, We Stand With Potter. Those were some of the things the two of us scrawled on the walls of the Great Hall.
We were almost finished when a slow clap began from behind us. I gave Neville a glance as I froze, quickly squeezing the coin in my pocket to inform our friends that the unthinkable had happened - we were caught.
"Out for a little evening vandalism, are we?" Snape asked mockingly, his eyes piercing as we turned.
I gave Neville a sharp look, warning him not to speak. If we didn't speak, Snape wouldn't know who we were and so wouldn't have to take action. If he did speak, Snape would have no choice.
I fumbled in my pocket, narrowing my eyes at Snape as he advanced on us. He raised his wand and Neville flinched beside me, resulting in cold laughter from Snape. He was certainly keeping his act up as an evil Death Eater.
"Longbottom, I see. Your disguises are quite effective," he said silkily, "I can't say I recognise your friend, but I would know that cower anywhere."
I gave Neville another warning glance before moving quickly, throwing Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder at the ground, covering the whole hall in darkness. I grabbed Neville's hand instantly, forcing him into a crouch as I headed for the edge of the room. We felt along the wall, heading towards the double doors - I hoped Snape would work out what we were doing and let us go, but I feared he would think it would make things too obvious. Or maybe he genuinely didn't realise it was me.
"I can hear you moving, you won't get out of here."
A few spells ricocheted against the walls, one hitting Neville on the shoulder. He whimpered with pain, drawing attention to the exact area we were. He gave me a panicked stare, I could just make out his face within the darkness.
"Muffliato," I muttered without hesitation, muffling our movements and allowing us to move forward again, and Neville to curse with pain.
"Ventus," a new voice came, and we were both knocked to the ground by the high winds, "Stupefy!"
I braced myself. Snape couldn't help if the Carrows were here, we really were doomed now. But the spell never hit and a thump came from the other side of the room.
The powder had been dissipated by the high winds, the room filling with light again, and Neville and I looked up to see two DA members, their identities concealed still, standing with their wands raised. I glanced behind me to Snape's unconscious figure, before running towards my two friends.
"Go!" I whisper yelled, "Common rooms, don't stop."
I realised it was Ernie Macmillan and Terry Boot as they nodded at us, running to their respective common rooms. I would need to thank them, but right then Neville and I needed to leg it to Gryffindor Tower. Stealth was the least of our worries.
We made it, Ginny and Seamus waiting for us, already innocently in their pyjamas. They wrenched our own black robes off of us, throwing our pyjamas at us, and nobody relaxed until we were changed and sitting nonchalantly on the sofa. Well, nonchalantly yet still taking deep breaths of air from the sprint we had performed up to the tower.
We had barely been back for half an hour when McGonagall walked in, eyeing us with suspicion as we pretended to be playing a game of Exploding Snap, rather than examining Neville's sprained shoulder.
We all visibly relaxed when we realised it was McGonagall and not the Carrows, but her stern gaze told me it would be equally bad news for us all. Did we drop evidence, showing exactly who it was?
"Mr Filch came to see me a few minutes ago," she spoke, "I do not like to be awakened so early, even less so when it is to tell me my classroom has been vandalised. Apparently, someone had carved the names 'Ron Weasley' and 'Tobias Roberts' into the walls. Nor was mine the only classroom affected."
I feigned surprise, "Really?"
She gazed out the window, "Indeed. Every classroom, and the Great Hall, all with names of students who are not with us this year. Professor Snape claims he came very close to catching the culprits, and has suspicions of who is to blame. He plans to do something about it in the morning."
"And do you know what he's going to do with them?" Neville tried to keep his voice casual, but failed as it cracked near the end.
"I do not think it will be very pleasant, but the specifics, no," she said before frowning at Neville, "How is Quidditch training going, Mr Longbottom?"
"Uh... good?" He frowned, glancing at the rest of us.
"I guessed you were doing something in secret, training of some sort, perhaps the kind that would also have injured your shoulder?" she spoke, nodding at the crudely tied bandage covering it, "I presumed it was Quidditch. Do be careful, Mr Longbottom. Quidditch can be a dangerous sport, and as much as I'd love you on the team, I don't think injuring yourself is the best way forward."
I smiled slightly. McGonagall was offering Neville, the only person who Snape could have claimed to suspect, an alibi.
"Yeah," Neville nodded quickly, catching on after a sharp look from me.
"I will be sure to make note of it," she nodded, turning to leave, the rest of us sharing looks of relief.
The halls were abuzz with the news the next morning, students discussing what had happened, wondering who was responsible. Many knew, of course, but they couldn't throw names out where the Carrows could hear.
I grinned at Neville as we walked into the Great Hall, many people seemed to stare at him with admiration, but my face fell the moment I crossed the threshold. All around me, people stopped talking, conversations trailing to a halt, people freezing before continuing to their seats in silence.
Snape was sat in his usual chair, his eyes burning into me as he saw me. I caught a warning in his eyes, but it was quickly forgotten when I saw the grins of the Carrows and the source of said grins on either side of Snape's chair.
Ginny Weasley and Hannah Abbott.