Incendio

Chapter 21: A Placeholder

Samantha didn't sleep that night. She just stayed awake sitting in her bed, gripping the Quibbler to her chest. She feared her expulsion the moment Umbridge was found. She was still worried for her friends and her brother.

The next morning, Samantha crept out of Gryffindor tower. She arrived at the Hospital Wing. She was greeted by Madam Pomfrey who looked to be in a tizzy.

"Six students last night, six more arriving in a few hours." She was whispering to herself before Samantha had the chance to ask about her brother. She looked up to see Samantha, "Oh my, what ails you child? Please tell me it is nothing serious, I have plenty of trouble right now."

"I'm here to see my brother, Jack Fyre." Samantha mentioned softly.

"Oh, of course you are." Madam Pomfrey nodded, "Only a few moments, he needs his rest. Two stunning spells to the chest within an hour, not healthy for the heart you know?"

Samantha walked silently looking for her brother.

He was sitting up in his bed, reading a book. As Samantha came closer, his book was revealed to be The Quibbler. The rest of the High Inquisitorial Squad it seemed had been excused.

"Sammy!" He cried as she reached him and he pulled her in for a hug. "Are you ok? You made it back to the dorm safely?"

"Jack, I was here to check on you, not the other way around."

"I worried you would have gone with those crazy kids to the Ministry." Jack revealed, "I overheard them as they left. I would have followed and found a way to help them, but that Longbottom kid hit me pretty hard. I mean it was also my fault that I leaned into it and I wasn't holding him incredibly tight. When did that oaf learn to stun so well? "

Samantha laughed, "Same place I did."

"Oh in that army thing?" Jack rolled his eyes.

Samantha nodded.

"They certainly worked well together, I was trying to stun Pucey so he'd let go of the Lovegood girl, but Weasley beat me to it. He hit him with an Impediment Jinx, a good one at that."

Samantha smiled. "He's good at those."

"Your article is pretty nice." Jack said in a surprisingly complimentary tone. "It's how you should have been writing for years."

"Thanks Jack. I think I'll be expelled over it." She almost laughed.

"I doubt it, I wager the parents will be sending in letters to the school already." He smirked. "You and your delinquent can celebrate."

Samantha rolled her eyes.

"It's not that I don't like him." Jack shifted, "It's just that I see things like this," Jack held up The Quibbler, "And I worry he will hold you back."

Samantha sat there silently, she hadn't thought about it that way before. She wasn't sure what to do about Lee after school ended. He was an adult, he had his internship and she still had two years left of Hogwarts. It was a bit precarious to think about and she'd been avoiding the issue.

"Alright you two." Madam Pomfrey came and whisked Samantha away. "Off to breakfast young lady. We have incoming patients and they will need silence."

Samantha went to the Great Hall for breakfast. Nearly everyone was reading the Quibbler. Samantha sat down and began eating her breakfast porridge. She felt a few people pat her on the back.

"Sam!" Luna came running through the hall and sat herself directly beside her,

"What?" Samantha asked excitedly.  She noticed Luna's face was scratched up a fair bit."Are you ok?"