The Hogwarts Games: War Torn

Chapter 4: Lily

"We need to talk," Mr. Malfoy said to the adults, "Get the children out of here."

"No!" I retorted angrily.

"Lily," Mum replied warningly, "Do as we say. All of you kids, go somewhere else."

"We know what's going on," Albus interjected, "We know what you've been talking about. And what use is hiding it from us? If we're going to be a part of this war, at least let us know what we're up against."

The adults exchanged worried, apprehensive faces.

"There you go again!" Fred threw his hands up indignantly, "You act like we can't handle it! You try to shield us from the truth! Just tell us."

Aunt and Ron sighed, "Rose and Hugo, you can stay."

My mother nodded towards Albus and I. The others have their children permission as well. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy did so grudgingly.

"So," Professor Longbottom began with us gathered around the table, "we are currently in a war."

Hugo huffed and said, "Yes, we know that much, Neville."

"Hugo," Aunt Hermione said, glaring at him, "it's Professor Longbottom to you."

"He's not even a professor anymore!"

"Then Mr. Longbottom."

"No, no," Neville replied, waving his hand dismissively, "Neville is fine."

"Don't patronize him, Neville."

"Anyway, the war is, what you might call, unbalanced. The other side is winning," Neville stated.

"Heliopaths," Luna said in a dreamy voice, "Let's use heliopaths."

Everyone starred at her. She tapped her head in thought and muttered, "Oh, but that wouldn't work. How could we get them? We can't infiltrate the Ministry."

"Our only choice is to engage in battle," Uncle Percy stated.

"Battle, yes. But how? What's our strategy?" Hermione asked, "The Death Eaters outnumber both the DA and the Order."

"You've got to use stealth," Rose suggested, "Stealth, strength, and numbers."

The DA and Order starred at her. She continued on, oblivious to this, "You can sneak yourselves inside Hogwarts but can't risk a full scale battle. The most you can hope for so far is to take out as many Death Eaters as possible and enough to weaken them."

Uncle Percy, looking intrigued, said, "Go on."

"This is ridiculous! You honestly can't listen to a thirteen year old! She's a child," Mr. Malfoy growled.

"And what's wrong with that?" Ron retorted, "She's a brilliant child. Maybe you can't handle the fact that a child has a good plan and you don't."

Mr. Malfoy angrily opened his mouth to reply but his wife hushed him, "Draco."

He huffed but said nothing more than, "Go on, Weasley."

Rose gave him a ferocious glare and replied, "It's Rose, Malfoy. Anyway, you'd have to sneak yourselves into Hogwarts, most likely with Polyjuice Potion. Not too many can go, I'd say at most would be five or six. But then you'd need people to be distractions."

"It might work," Hermione murmured.

"We've just got to work it out a bit and decide who's going," Malfoy said.

"How about us?" Albus offered.

Mum immediately shook her head, "No, absolutely not. It's one thing to be at the meetings, but you're not not taking part in some undercover attack. It's—"

"Dangerous, I know," Albus finished in exasperation, "But hasn't Dad done more when he was our age? Hasn't he started as nothing more than what we are now? If he can do it, why not us?"

Mum opened her mouth to retort but closed it because it was obvious Albus's argument was hard to counter.

"I offer myself to help with this," Albus announced, making himself as tall as possible, "I can be a distraction. Please, let me do this, Mum."

She and Albus seemed to be engaged in an intense starring contest until she finally gave in grudgingly. "Someone's going to come with you, though."

"I'll do it," Luna offered, "We're all wanted. So Albus can show himself somewhere in Hogsmeade. And I'll show myself somewhere else in Hogsmeade. And maybe a bit more people would come in handy. But we'll have to be fast or else we're going to be caught."

"And," I chimed in, "You'll need someone familiar with how Hogwarts is now. I can do it!"

Mum closed her eyes in deep thought and silently nodded, "You're both so stubborn."

"I want to help," Scorpius piped up, "Let me help!"

Malfoy reacted instantly, "No, there is no way you're doing this, Scorpius."

"But, Dad, I've got to, please," Scorpius pleaded with desperation in his voice.

"This is not your war," Malfoy retorted angrily.

"Yes, it is! I want to help," Scorpius shouted.

"No, you don't! This isn't about you wanting to do what's right! You want to play the hero to make up for the fact that you got the Potter's friends and family killed," Malfoy yelled at his son and instantly regretted it, "Wait— Scorpius, I'm sorry. That came out wrong—"

"Then how was it supposed to come out?" Scorpius said with a wavering voice and hot, angry tears in his eyes, "That I'm a murderer? A killer with no morality?"

Mrs. Malfoy started forward, "No—"

But Scorpius had pushed past his father and ran out the door. Hermione tried to follow him, pushing her way through the room. She too ran out the door, calling, "Scorpius!"

Mr. Malfoy began to follow when Uncle Ron stepped in his way, "I think you've done enough damage."

Malfoy growled at him, "And what's that supposed to mean, Weasley?"

"Oh, I don't know," Ron started sarcastically, "Perhaps the fact that you made your son feel like a murderer. All he did was for you! And this is how you repay him? He didn't want to play the spy, he didn't want them to die! It was killing him inside. Couldn't you see that? We've been telling him we don't blame him but he was never convinced. All he did was for you, Malfoy!"

Before Malfoy could reply, Aunt Hermione ran back inside, shouting hysterically, "They took him! He's gone!"

"Took who, Granger?" Malfoy demanded with panic in his voice.

Hermione didn't bother correcting him before saying, "Scorpius! I tried to stop them but there were too many! The Death Eaters took Scorpius!"