𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐬 | l. lovegood

xlv

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 wasted no time arriving at Hogwarts. Dorothea and Luna stayed with them while Snape met with the rest of the school in the Great Hall.

Dorothea's body was trembling in fear. She could sense that something wasn't right. Between the Order showing up and the Dark Lord knowing they were hunting Horcruxes, a battle was sure to take place on these very grounds. It wouldn't be like the times before when it had just been a small group of Death Eaters attacking; it would be the whole army and the Dark Lord.

Maybe Aberforth was right. The majority of the kids at Hogwarts didn't have enough training to fight dark forces, and the Death Eaters outnumbered the Aurors by a landslide.

But Dorothea couldn't think like that. She had to try and find a bright side. It wasn't like they didn't have any chance of winning, right? All that was left to do was destroy the final Horcruxes and You-Know-Who would be killed with no chance of ever returning again.

Unfortunately, it was a lot easier said than done.

Harry walked into the Great Hall, the heads of all the students and professors turning to him. "It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, headmaster. I'm afraid it's quite extensive," he said as the Order and his friends swung open the large double doors and walked in. "How dare you stand where he stood. Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him! Tell them!"

Snape pulled out his wand, but McGonagall was quick to rush in front of Harry, taking out her own wand. She sent a spell flying at him. He deflected it and sent it to knock out the Carrows before wrapping himself in his cloak and taking flight out the window.

"Coward!" McGonagall shouted after him. The hall of students cheered as she lit up the lamps, bringing light to the darkened room.

Harry suddenly collapsed on the floor. One of the younger girl's screamed, and then another. A blood curdling, snake-like voice echoed through the hall. Dorothea clapped her hands to her ears, terror coursing through her.

"I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise, but this is folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."

Silence fell across the hall. Everyone was staring at Harry.

"What are you waiting for?" Pansy spoke up. She pointed a finger at Harry. "Someone grab him!"

Ginny stepped forward to block Harry, Ron and Hermione doing the same. Luna and Dorothea exchanged a glance before joining them, a handful of students following their lead.

"Students out of bed!" Filch yelled as he ran into the Great Hall. "Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!"

"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" McGonagall snapped. Dorothea giggled softly.

"Oh...Sorry, ma'am," Filch apologized, realizing his mistake.

"As it happens, Mr. Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you, please, to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house from the hall."

"Exactly where is it I'll be taking them to, ma'am?" Filch asked.

"The dungeons would do," McGonagall declared, and everyone cheered.

"She's just sending them to their dorms," Dorothea mumbled, knowing that the Slytherin common room was in the dungeons.

Luna noticed Harry leaving the Great Hall as everything turned to chaos. She turned to Dorothea and took her hand. "I need to go help Harry. He has no idea who to go to to find Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem."

Dorothea cupped the side of her face and leaned up to press a gentle kiss to her lips. "Be safe, Lulu."

"You too, little lapine," Luna whispered, kissing her girlfriend one more time before running after Harry.

"Thea." Remus approached the brunette, a stern look on his face.

Dorothea didn't have to ask to know what he was going to say. "I'm not going home," she said before her brother-in-law could tell her to. "My friends are here, Remus. And I understand that Mum is worried about me, but I can handle myself. I won't be the only target. My friends and I, we can protect each other."

"Thea, it's too dangerous," Remus stated. "You need to go home where it's safe."

"Do you know what I've been through these last few months?" Dorothea asked, raising a brow. "I broke into the Ministry of Magic and gave Umbitch a high-five in her face with a chair. I got splinched when we Apparated, survived an attack in Godric's Hollow, went months without enough to eat or drink. I almost got killed by my aunt, broke into her vault in Gringotts, flew on a dragon to the middle of nowhere...If I can survive all that, then I can fight in this battle. Remus, please. You guys need all the help you can get."

Remus sighed softly, a small smile appearing on his lips. "You really are a lot like your sister...but I see so much of Sirius in you, too."

"It's the Black blood in me." Dorothea chuckled sadly, blinking back tears at the mention of her cousin.

"Just promise me you'll be safe," Remus requested. "Stay with the older kids, and at the first sign of trouble, get yourself out, alright?" He held out his pinky to make a pinky promise, but instead, Dorothea hugged him.

"I'm really glad you married my sister," she whispered, shutting her eyes tight.

Remus smiled and hugged her back. "Me too. When all of this is over, we'll be a proper family."

Dorothea smiled softly. "I like the sound of that."