𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 | n. tonks

xi

The new year was already off to an eventful start. Just a few days after returning to Hogwarts for the second term, there was a mass break-out of high security prisoners from Azkaban. Anyone, even the Muggles that knew nothing about the magical world, would know that this meant something dangerous was happening.

Hadley was finding it hard to concentrate in her classes knowing that there were Death Eaters on the loose. What if they tried to break into Hogwarts? Would she be able to get a message to Tonks in time for the Order of the Phoenix to arrive to stop them? What if they tried to hurt Ginny? Or Ron, or George, or Fred? Would they be able to defend themselves? Yes, they'd learned a lot from Harry over the last couple months, but how were children meant to protect themselves from adults with years of training in the Dark Arts?

"You're worrying again." Fred gently rubbed the spot between Hadley's eyebrows, and she turned to look at him, blinking herself out of her thoughts. He pulled her hand down from her mouth to stop her from biting her nails.

"There are killers running around, Freddie," Hadley whispered quietly so that hopefully Snape wouldn't hear them. This was meant to be a quiet study hall, not a free period. "Tonks said that the Order is under more stress than ever now that You-Know-Who's top Death Eaters are free again. They outnumber them."

"You don't think they'd come to Hogwarts, do you?" George asked in a whisper from where he sat behind his siblings.

"What do you think?" Angelina scoffed from beside him. "You-Know-Who has been set out on killing a child for 14 years, and nothing's stopped him from coming here before. What's gonna stop him from sending his Death Eaters out to attack us?"

Hearing whispering from two of the desks, Severus Snape looked up from the papers he was grading, his eyes narrowing on the four Gryffindors. He picked up a book and stood up. He walked over to them and wacked each of them on the head.

Hadley groaned quietly. She rubbed the back of her head, glaring at Snape as he walked back to his desk. "That's a bit much," she muttered.

"I'm so glad this is our last year," Angelina mumbled.

"I hate him so much," George whispered.

"We could always sneak him some Puking Pastilles," Fred suggested, shrugging.

"Maybe..." Hadley glanced over at Snape again. He was watching them with a cold look on his face. "But we should probably get back to work so he doesn't hit us again."

"Wait till Hadley's future girlfriend hears about this," Fred whispered to George, who laughed quietly. Hadley glared at them both out of the corner of her eye. "Future wife works, too."

"I hate you both," Hadley grumbled, her cheeks blushing red as she got back to work on her assignment.

─── ⋆·✧·⋆ ───

Harry was teaching them how to conjure a patronus charm during that afternoon's D.A. meeting. He told them to use the happiest memory that they could remember and stay focused.

Hadley used her favourite memory with Fred and George as she attempted to cast the spell. It was the day they got their Hogwarts acceptance letters. They spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon running around the house pretending to cast spells with licorice wands. When they eventually got worn out from all the playing, they sat down in the kitchen for some of their mum's homemade chocolate chip cookies and a glass of chocolate milk. Hadley was as focused as she's ever been in her life, but she couldn't conjure her patronus. Fred and George had already conjured theirs.

"You got it, sis!" George cheered her on.

"We believe in you!" Fred added, clapping.

Hadley took a deep breath. "Expecto patronum!"

Nothing.

She sighed, her shoulders slumping. "I can't do it."

"Yes, you can," Fred said. "We know you can."

"Maybe try a different memory," George suggested.

"What could be happier than the one I'm already using?" Hadley frowned. Her brows pulled together as she thought for a moment. All of her happiest memories were spent with Fred and George...But then she remembered the first time Tonks smiled at her. It was over the summer the night before she returned to Hogwarts for her seventh year. It was the first time Tonks looked at her like she was a friend instead of an immature child she was being forced to babysit. She felt all warm and fuzzy on the inside thinking about it. She took another breath and raised her wand. "Expecto patronum!"

She gasped as a pale blue light came out of the tip of her wand. Her patronus formed the shape of a jackrabbit, and she watched in awe as it hopped around in the air. She smiled when she was pulled into a hug by Fred and George, both of them congratulating her.

But the moment of celebration didn't last long.

The Room of Requirement fell silent when a booming noise was heard, shaking debris down from the ceiling. There was an explosion. Once the dust had cleared, Professor Umbridge was revealed.

"Fuck," Hadley whispered.

"We're busted," the triplets mumbled in unison.

─── ⋆·✧·⋆ ───

Hadley's hand ached as she wrote I must not participate in illicit activities with Umbridge's cursed blood quill for what felt like the thousandth time. She didn't know how long she had been sitting in the Great Hall with the rest of Dumbledore's Army, but it was beginning to feel like they were never getting out of there. Tears burned in her eyes as she exchanged a pained look with George, who sat in front of her.

When they were finally dismissed, Hadley dragged her pointer finger through the blood on her hand. She grinned manically at Umbridge as she took her blood-coated finger and signed her name at the bottom of the sheet of parchment. She licked the blood off her finger before doing the same with the blood on her hand. Umbridge watched her with a horrified look on her face, but Hadley just laughed like a crazy person as Fred and George led her out of the Great Hall.

─── ⋆·✧·⋆ ───

a/n

mad hatter by melanie martinez came on while i was editing, and i feel like that song fits hadley perfectly after that last scene 😂

there are only three chapters left in act i! im gonna try to finish it before i go back to school on tuesday. im so excited to write all the things i have planned for act ii! 

thoughts?