Aria Black and the Battle for Hogwarts

No Hope

Neville is the only leader of DA left. I have to protect him from the Carrows. To talk to him, I take the train to Hogwarts.

He's at the station by himself when I arrive.

"Aria?" He says, confused.

I usher him onto the train without a word. We find an empty compartment.

"Neville," I say. "You are so brave."

He scratches the back of his neck. "I wouldn't call it brave, exactly. I'm just doing what Dumbledore would have wanted."

I smile. "I'll be there for you, Neville."

Neville shakes his head ferociously. "No!" He exclaims. "It'll just get you fired. Don't defend me. Please! Hogwarts needs you."

The door slides open. Seamus Finnegan, dirt-faced and stout; Lavender Brown, her long and curly dirty blonde hair no longer in a flamboyant bow; and the Patil twins, Pavarti, looking defeated and solemn, and Padma, determined and angry; stand behind it.

"I hope we aren't interrupting." Padma says. "But we REALLY need a compartment. Crabbe and Goyle are looking for us."

"I said we could take 'em, but they didn't want to." Seamus says, crisp Irish accent rolling off his tongue.

Pavarti rolls her eyes. "You can't just go beating people up, Seamus. That's what they do, not us."

Seamus is about to say something back, but I put a hand up. "Why doesn't everyone sit down? I'll tell you about my Easter break and you lot can tell me about yours."

They all agree, and sit down. "Tonks and Remus had a baby." Everyone gasps.

"Was is a boy or a girl?" Pavarti asks, brightening.

I smile. "Boy. They called him Teddy Lupin."

"Teddy's an adorable name." Lavender gushes. "Was he the cutest thing ever?"

I nod. "His skin was so soft, and his hands were so tiny!"

I really don't wish to discuss the rest of it, because I don't want to endanger them with the secret of who is doing Potterwatch. Also, if the Death Eaters find out that I have a watch showing Fred and George's locations, I'll be killed, and so will they.

"What did you lot do?" I ask.

"My break was boring." says Lavender sadly.

"We didn't do anything at all." Padma says, looking at her twin.

Seamus shrugs. "I watched a Quidditch match that me uncle played in. Bad match though, the other team's Seeker caught the Snitch in four minutes. Nasty bugger, real cocky."

Neville looks around. "Nothing happened." He says quietly, looking down at his shoes. "I haven't even heard from Ginny."

I sigh. "She can't talk to anyone." I tell him. "She'd risk your safety, and that's the last thing she wants to do."

***

If possible, everything at Hogwarts seems darker. Over the next few days, I notice the immense changes. The hallways are not full of anyone. When someone IS there, they are solemn and quiet.

Yesterday, Neville got sentenced to a month of torture detentions. He told the Carrows that the students would never stop fighting. Alecto had smiled and said, "They will without their leader". Since then the DA has completely stopped their open rebellion. They are barely doing things in secret now.

In the courtyard, a crowd of people are gathered. Neville stands, wand out, and pointed at the Carrows.

"Don't come any closer." He warns them.

Amycus and Alecto are grinning madly. "I know how we can stop this rebellion." Amycus says. "A little Adava Kedavra, perhaps?"

Neville keeps his face neutral. "You can't kill a student in front of this many witnesses." He says ferociously. "I WON'T back down."

I hide behind Terry Boot, his tall frame shielding me from the Carrow's view. I take my wand out, eyes still on the scene.

"You are afraid, boy." Alecto cackles. "Admit it."

"I'm not afraid." Neville tells her. "Expelliarmus!"

The crowd forms a pathway for him, and he races off. Someone stuns Amycus and Alecto (totally NOT me), and we all clear the area. Oh, Neville, stay safe.

***

A worrisome two hours later, Hannah comes in to tell me that Neville is safe and in the Room of Requirement. They tried to go after his grandmother, but Augusta fought back so hard, that Dawlish is in the hospital!

Neville is fine when I go see him, and he's proud of his Gran. He hasn't found a way to get food yet, so we will all do some thinking, I guess.

"Thanks Aria." Neville says as I'm about to leave.

I turn around in shock. "Why?"

"For not saying anything to the Carrows. Now you can help people, and I'm alright! Win-win!"

I roll my eyes playfully. "If we can get you food."