A Young Wizard's Journey - Order of The Phoenix

Dumbledore's Apprentice

'Well... that's... a lot,' said Ron a bit lamely.

'How do you think I feel?' said Y/N, running his hand through Hermione's hair, who was stretched out in his lap, 'I'm the one who just went through it all.'

It had only been a few hours since Y/N's return. The three of them, Harry, and Ginny were sprawled out across the grounds. Whilst the sun wasn't blazing, it was still present, and they knew they were the least likely to be disturbed out here.

The hum and buzz of the article was still fluttering throughout the school, causing the Common Room to turn into a safe place for people to question Y/N and Harry. Whilst the two of them were out on the grounds, however, the chance of being overheard was high enough for students to not risk it. So, whilst the two of them still drew curious eyes, no one approached them.

'Do you really believe him though?' asked Ginny. 'I mean, he spoke all the time as if he knew everything that was going on, and now we find out it was all just a ruse?'

'I don't know what to believe,' said Y/N. 'I imagine I may find some extra clues when checking over that tomb, but he certainly didn't seem like he was lying. It may well have all been an act.'

'That was a lot of what he did,' said Hermione. 'Lying about who was where, acting as if more was going on than actually was, false bravado.'

Ginny looked as though she didn't quite believe Hermione and honestly neither did Y/N. It was a safe bet to assume that all of Snow's words in the tomb could be taken at face value, but everything he'd said hinted at least, to something more, this didn't quite feel over just yet.

'Surprised you managed to beat him,' said Harry. 'No offence to you of course, but Snow always seemed like the untouchable one, the only one you didn't find last year, you know?'

'He was definitely weakened,' said Y/N. 'I've improved since then anyway and it looks as though he's only gotten weaker. I learn as much as you guys do during the D.A. meetings and get to practice. Snow's curse was evidently affecting him more than he wanted to let on.'

'Suppose that's two down now?' asked Ginny, 'Snow and Daughtery.'

'I refuse to believe Daughtery is staying down,' said Y/N with a deep sigh. 'I disgraced her before her Dark Lord, broke her arm, and she practically had me beaten before that. She lost her Dominator status because of me. There's no chance she's leaving this buried where it is. And besides, after that breakout, only more have joined the list.'

'And... you're not bothered that you killed him?' asked Ron quietly.

'Of course I am,' said Y/N. 'I'll never forget his face, but it needed to be done. Leaving him alive was too risky, he was too far gone. And besides, from what Maria and Dumbledore told me he didn't have long left anyway.'

'Reckon you're going to tell the D.A. about this?' asked Harry.

'Not a chance,' said Y/N. 'Maybe one day, once they're ready to hear it, but I don't want to halt this momentum they've got. Hearing that one's gone down already may slow a couple of them. I am not taking that chance. You've seen how good Neville's getting.'

'It's quite scary, to be honest,' said Ron. 'He looks possessed throughout the classes.'

'Good,' said Y/N. 'We need that kind of energy and emotion, that's what will give us the edge over the Death Eaters.'

It was a very similar feeling to after he'd lost Ves. The entire school was still moving around as normal, loudly talking about classes and exams when Umbridge was around and pretty much everything else when she wasn't. But Y/N couldn't stop thinking about his recent run-in.