𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 || H.P

𝟔𝟕

The number of members in our army had decreased significantly. Including Luna, who no one wanted to explain to me. She just disappeared, apparently. If she were dead, we would know, I hoped. Whether they decided coming back was too risky, or experienced a different fate, the members who have returned lost their usual stamina.

I could say the same for myself. I realized that learning to protect ourselves is only a mere prevention, not a cure. Harry is working on our cure. Whatever he's doing out there, he has a plan.

Ginny was ecstatic one day in the Gryffindor common room. It was a drastic shift from the past few weeks. "Alicia, do you remember when the minister came to visit that one time during summer holiday? And you had to hide up in your room until he was gone?"

I was still confused with her enthusiasm. "Sure..."

"Well, over holiday, mum made us clean up the house. Under all the clutter, I found this!" She handed me a note. "It's from the minister! Dumbledore's Will!"

'Herein is set forth the Last Will and Testament of Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. First, to Ronald Bilius Weasley, I leave my Deluminator, a device of my own making, in hope that—when things seem most dark— it will show him the light.'

'To Miss Hermione Jean Granger, I leave my copy of The Tales of Beedle and Bard, in hope that she will find it entertaining and instructive.'

"A children's book?" Neville said, looking over my shoulder. "How strange."

'To Harry James Potter, I leave the snitch he caught in his first Quidditch match at Hogwarts and the Sword of Gryffindor, as a reminder of the rewards of perseverance and skill, and that help is wherever he needs it to be.' 

"Blimey!" Seamus exclaimed. "Harry owns the Sword of Gryffindor?"

"Yes, but he never got it. Only the snitch," Ginny added.

"That's right!" I said. "I remember seeing it in Snape's office."

"Why?" Dean asked.

Ginny shrugged. "I dunno. But it's his, and we have to get it to him."

This is one step in the right direction.

"But how could we possibly get to it?" Neville asked.

"It's in the Headmaster's office," Seamus said, and then looked at me. "You're head girl. Just ask for it."

I scrunched up my face. "A slytherin with the Sword of Gryffindor?"

"Snape would favor you over all of us combined."

I shook my head. "I don't reckon he likes me much either."

"Let's steal it!" Ginny promptly stood up from the couch. "Alicia can keep guard. No one will suspect a thing!"

"Stealing from Snape?" Neville was aghast. "You're mad!"

"C'mon. Ron and Harry have done it loads of times!"

"It really isn't the worst idea," I spoke.

Seamus laughed. "And how do you suggest we get this sword to Harry? Send it by owl?"

Dean sighed. "I know this one patronus trick. It's really advanced, but we can manage."

I raised my eyebrows and nodded. Neville still seemed weary, but cooled up a bit. "Alright. We're stealing from the Headmaster, then. Great."

Seamus shook his head. "I have a feeling this is all going to go terribly wrong."
-

A gargoyle was definitely not the best resting spot. It was too tall and much too creepy in the dark. I resorted to sitting on the ground, with my wand clutched in my hand.

It was taking a while for them to get back, I noticed. I was almost bored-

Crash.

Bang.

Screams.

"Alicia!" Ginny, Neville, Dean, and Seamus came running out from the office, stumbling between each other and panicking. "We broke it!"

"You broke the sword?!" I said in a hushed yell.

"No!" Neville was panting. "The glass! It's everywhere!"

"I told you lot this would go wrong!"

"Okay! Stop yelling!" I tried to calm them down. "Maybe nobody heard. We can fix it."

Dean was shaking and went eerily silent. "Guys, walk away, slowly."

I heard it too. Footsteps, getting closer with each second. "Run-"

A wand light was flickered onto all of us, and Snape's face appeared, as grim and as pale as ever. He didn't have any expression really, but if he drew his wand any lower, we would see his pajamas. "Children. What are you doing out of bed?" He seemed awfully calm.

No one spoke, so I did. "Ah! Yes, sir, I caught these three running along the corridors during my rounds."

Ginny looked at me with betrayal, so I added, "I will be escorting them back to their common room immediately, so sorry for the disruption-"

"Don't lie, Shallow." He started towards the stairs and I panicked.

"Oh, Sir-"

And then I saw it, and he did as well. Glass, everywhere, and the sword was still hung perfectly on the wall.

Snape stared at it with no expression, and then turned to us.

Think about his pajamas!

"Miss Shallow, did you assist these children with an attempt to steal from my office?"

Be discrete. Sometimes discrete means telling the truth.

Neville started, "No, Sir-"

"Yes. I did." I tried to keep as calm as possible. "It was foolish, and will never happen, again. I apologize."

Snape blinked and looked at the three behind me. "Detention with the Carrows. Saturday. And fifty points from Gryffindor! Get out!"

Ginny, Neville, Dean, and Seamus started to scurry away. I started backing away as well until Snape called me back. "Shallow. Stay."

"Yes, Sir?" I asked politely.

"Clean this up."

I hesitantly brought my wand up to the mess, following his orders and murmuring a small incantation to bind the pieces together. "If you would reason with me, Sir, we were just readying our defenses."

He was unimpressed.

"You can imagine what it's like, being a child in the middle of all this. You've been there yourself, haven't you? We can make some rash decisions."

Perhaps it was my imagination, or maybe his features had started to shift.

I finished binding the glass, and it looked as if it hadn't been touched. "Some of those decisions can make the difference between life and death. Just like you protect your fighter, we have to protect ours."

Snape dropped his gaze, almost attempting to regain his dry expression. "Detention, Miss Shallow, with the rest of your lot."