𝘋𝘈𝘕𝘊𝘐𝘕𝘎 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏 𝘖𝘜𝘙 𝘏𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘚 𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘋/𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘦 (English version)

Chapter 60

Christmas wasn't that far off, even if it didn't feel like it.

Sarah was sitting cross-legged on her bed, while Ginny sat across from her with her arms folded.
She watched her with amused impatience as Sarah fiddled with the radio, trying to tune it to the right frequency. The signal was distorted, a constant buzzing noise broken by sharp bursts of static.

"Stupid radio," Sarah muttered, frowning. "I know how this works! Come on!" With a frustrated gesture, she slapped the device. Ginny raised a hand to her mouth to stifle a laugh, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Sarah tried again, gripping her wand tightly as if it might help improve the reception. For a brief moment, the static broke, and a muffled but clear voice came through.

"... but don't be afraid, friends and listeners, we're still here. We're not stopping, we're not giving up. This is Potterwatch, the voice of the resistance!"
Sarah flinched and jumped to her feet, tossing the radio onto the bed. "I did it!"

Ginny rolled her eyes with a smile and picked up the device more gently. "Shh!" she signaled her to be quiet, turning up the volume slightly.

The voice of River—Lee Jordan—filled the room with his usual energy, though there was a note of tension behind the bravado. "And as always, we're joined by our usual guests. I'll hand things over to Romulus, who has some news to share."

A bit of crackling, then the warm, familiar voice of Remus Lupin took over the transmission.
"Thank you, River. Today, I want to talk about hope."
Sarah smiled softly. Her beloved godfather hadn't changed one bit. She placed her wand on the nightstand and moved to sit next to Ginny on the bed, both of them leaning forward to listen more closely.

"We all know what's happening. We know Hogwarts is no longer safe, the streets aren't safe, the Ministry has fallen. But what I want to tell you, what I want to remind you, is that terror cannot extinguish courage. That fear cannot silence resistance. That Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley are out there, and we are with them."

Sarah nodded, instinctively reaching for Ginny's hand, squeezing it tightly. Ginny squeezed back, eyes still fixed on the radio.

Remus continued, his tone darker now. "I'll pass things over to Rapier before I read the names of the fallen in recent days."
Then Fred Weasley's unmistakable voice rang out, full of his usual sarcasm.
"Let's not forget one thing: if there's something Death Eaters hate more than Harry Potter, it's that we're here, mocking them."
There were stifled laughs from the speakers, and Sarah couldn't help but smile.
"But back to business: Hogwarts. We're not blind, we know what's going on inside the walls of what used to be the safest place in the world. The Carrows, their punishments, the atmosphere... To all of you listening from school, I have only one thing to say: resist. And make a mess. A lot of it. In fact, loads of it."

Sarah lowered her gaze, a faint smile on her lips. Fred. Only he could turn resistance into an act of organized chaos.
A soft cough cut through the moment. "Don't follow his advice," Remus chimed in, trying to suppress a smile. He cleared his throat before continuing in a graver tone.

"I'll now read the names of the fallen: Edgar Vance, Jonas Halloway, Arthur 'Artie' Fenwick, Cassia Rowle, Bea Travers..."

Sarah stopped listening. The names went on, one after the other, and she remained still, eyes staring blankly into space, her chest tight with sorrow. Each name was a life cut short, a loss added to countless others. She felt a hollow ache in her stomach, a wave of helplessness that pinned her in place.

Ginny squeezed her hand, and Sarah clung to that simple gesture. The war was real, the pain undeniable. But in that room, with Potterwatch reminding them they weren't alone, for a moment, hope still felt possible.
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