Mine

[47]

I stood in the Great Hall assembled in a group with my fellow Slytherins, Blaise by my side.  We'd whispered to each other on the walk to the Great Hall, but now that we were here, we were silent.  In fact, silence took over the entire Hall.  Every house was assembled in a quadrant, perfectly lined up.  We were all in our school robes.  I looked to Blaise, fear and confusion radiating in both my eyes and on my face.  His expression matched mine, but neither one of us dared to speak.

Finally, Headmaster Severus Snape spoke up, "Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour. It's came to my attention that earlier this evening Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade. Now... should anyone, student, or staff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally guilty. No one?"

My breath hitched in my throat as my eyes widened, staring to my left at Blaise in such surprise I wouldn't be surprised if they popped right out of their sockets.  Harry Potter had returned?  He was nearby?  Was Hermione with him? All of these thoughts flicked through my brain, and frantically at that.

Suddenly a voice sounded, and as a person stepped out of the Gryffindor grouping, hushed gasps and whispers filled the room, but the resounding voice of Harry Potter stood out among all the voices. "It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster. How dare you stand where he stood! Tell them how it happened that night. How you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him."

Just after Harry had begun accusing Snape, and before Snape could react, the doors to the Great Hall flew open and in walked the remaining members of the Order, my parents, Hermione, and Ron included.  My brain didn't have time to process this, my feet were leading me out of the Slytherin quadrant and I was running past Harry and directly into my best friend's arms.

Hermione hugged me back tightly, and I could feel tears pricking my eyes as I squeezed her tightly.  She was here.  She was okay.  She gave me a meaningful look, her eyes telling me how happy she was to see me despite the grim expression her face wore.  I reluctantly released her from my grip, being pushed aside and into the arms of my father.  He pushed me between himself and my mother, and I removed my wand from my Slytherin robe to hold it before me like the other members of the Order.

Once my eyes finally tore away from Hermione and back towards the scene before me, I realized that McGonagall was shooting spells at Snape while he blocked them.  And then, Snape had thrown himself out through the window, and the Great Hall had arisen in excited shouts and words that I couldn't comprehend.

I rushed towards Hermione once again, taking her face in my hands.  "You're okay." I said, the tears beginning to fall down my cheeks.

"I'm okay." She said back, smiling at me.  "And you're okay."

"I've fucking missed you." I said as my arms wrapped around her in a tight hug once again.  Suddenly shrieking sounded throughout the Great Hall and I released her from my grip, once again, turning to look around myself with wide eyes.

And then I heard it.  The undeniable hisses of the one and only Voldemort.  "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 none shall 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."

"Well, someone grab him!" I heard the undeniable voice of my cousin shriek.  I turned towards the section of the Great Hall that housed the Slytherins, disbelief running through my veins.  I shouldn't have even been surprised that she'd act in such a way, but yet, I still was.  In the most desperate of times, she still proved herself to be truly against us all.