The Seventh Year

Stresses and Strains

Neville awoke as a cold draft swept through the room. Almost a month had passed since the first D.A. meeting. Before they knew it, mid-October hit them with cool mornings and little rain. The Great Hall was not filled with pumpkin decorations as it had been in the past. Snape nor the Carrows would allow such accessories to render hope to the students.

Their routines had not changed since September. Breakfast and lunch were rarely served; if a meal was provided, it was cold and musty. The students continued to shove food down their robes and bring it to their common rooms for safekeeping. Neville had an odd feeling that the Heads of Houses knew of this, but if they did, it was never reported to the Carrows—he discreetly thanked Professor McGonagall. All she managed was a forced smile in return.

The last thing the students had left to look forward to was dinnertime. Proper food was served so they could fill their starved stomachs. Muggle Studies and D.A.D.A. lessons hadn't changed. Alecto continued her lectures on how Muggle-borns were scum; Amycus began to teach more advanced jinxes and curses after most had mastered the Oppugno jinx.

There were only two significant changes that month: Snape's new decree, allowing all students to read the Daily Prophet, and a news broadcast called Potterwatch.

Luna suspected that Death Eaters had control of the newspaper. However, she was baffled that they hadn't made attempts to seize control of The Quibbler, where Xenophilius Lovegood continued to express his support for Harry.

Ginny constantly tuned in to Potterwatch. It was a radio program founded by their old friend Lee Jordan. The voices of Remus Lupin, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Fred Weasley sounded from the newscast every few nights or so. They shared the truthful news that the Ministry (which was now under Voldemort's control) refused to report and openly opposed the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. Neville and Luna didn't interrupt Ginny as she listened to it during their evening meetings in the Gryffindor common room. They knew she was only listening to see if either her family or Harry turned up dead. After two weeks of listening, it became an unhealthy obsession; that's when Seamus took over and outlined each story's basics for Ginny.

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Leaves began turning warmer colors and started to fall from their branches. It was late-October when certain members of the D.A. noticed the Carrows tailing them. That's when they implemented a lookout system. One member would stand outside the Room of Requirement (out of sight) and let others know if either Carrow sibling was nearby. 

The week before, Seamus had been caught while on lookout duty. He was tortured with the Cruciatus Curse for information. When he didn't give in, they beat him for an hour straight before sending him to the hospital wing to be tended to by Madam Pomfrey.

Several members were alarmed by his torment, but Neville was able to calm his peers by telling them that Harry would come back soon and help overthrow the Carrows. This provided enough hope for them to carry on with their gatherings.

One night while in the Gryffindor common room, Neville said, "I think we should do more graffiti tomorrow. Maybe something like 'Dumbledore's Army, still recruiting!' Snape will have a fit, plus the Carrow will blame us but won't have substantial proof to enact a punishment."

"Neville, they won't care if there's enough evidence to punish you. They'll do it anyway. Besides, you've been in five more detentions, two of which consisted of Crabbe and Goyle beating you 'til you passed out," Ginny mentioned out of worry.

"You think a little fear of detention should stop us?" Neville said passionately. "Ginny, you said it to the D.A. last week! 'Being scared of the Carrows doesn't do us any good. We have to stand up for ourselves and our school.'" She shot him a warning look as he imitated her voice.

Luna, who had remained silent for the past couple of days, quietly said, "I think Neville's right. Doubt shouldn't stop us."

"That settles it then," Neville said, his gaze met Ginny's. "Come on, if we're careful, we won't get caught! We haven't been for the past month! What's wrong with us having one more go?"

"Alright, fine. I'm convinced," she said, rolling her eyes and grinning. With no further discussion, she got up from her seat and left for her dorm, leaving Neville alone with Luna.

When Ginny was gone, her question from September rung in Neville's ears: Do you fancy Luna? It was like a church bell that never stopped clanging. Every time Luna and he were left alone together, the query would creep back into his thoughts. He always ended up making small talk with her instead of addressing it. Today, however, it didn't go as it had the last few times.

"Luna, are you still worried about your father? You know, with what he's writing in The Quibbler and all?" He accidentally let it slip. Merlin's beard, of all the things you could have said to her, you ask about the one thing that actually bothers her! he replied to himself inaudibly.

She did not look up, for she was lost in her own sea of thoughts, fretting about what would happen if Death Eaters did decide to punish her father. She hadn't heard Neville's slip up, and he was glad for it. He noticed her somber mood and forgot all about his feeling for her.

Ginny and he had recently noticed that Luna's mood frequently swung from a content and clever girl to a sad and distant stranger.

"Luna, you alright?" Neville said a little louder, placing a hand on her shoulder. She flinched hard, so he quickly withdrew it. "Hey, you can talk to me. You know that, right?" She nodded but didn't speak. Both remained quiet for a long while before Luna rose from her spot to sit beside him in front of the fireplace.

They sat adjacent to each other; although heat radiated from the flames, they hugged their knees to their chests, for the room was still chilly. Luna pulled her sleeves over her hands and shivered violently. Neville observed this and hastily put his arm around her, pulling her into a hug. She buried her face into Neville's chest, giving him the okay to wrap his other arm around her. He held her tight until the last of the Gryffindors went up the stairs for bed.

"Yeah," she finally answered his question after sitting with him for what felt like ages. "Thanks, Neville, I mean it. I think that the Death Eaters would have already done something to him if they truly wanted to stop him from writing."

Neville's eyes locked with hers, and he nodded, unsure of what to say. Comforting people was never his strong suit, but he desperately wanted to make her feel better for Luna. Before he could say anything, though, she smiled at him and checked the time.

"Oh, I should get going. I'll try to lighten up for tomorrow. See you tomorrow at breakfast!" She disappeared through the portrait hole.

Neville wasn't sure how he felt, so he decided to join Elias Michaels in heading to the boys' dormitories. Perplexed and uncertain of his feelings, he thought sleep would help him sort it out.

He opened the door to his room, only to find Seamus sleeping soundly in his bed. They were the only remaining seventh-year boys. Harry and Ron hadn't been heard from since before the term started, and Dean was on the run because he was a suspected Muggle-born and could not prove his blood status.

A million thoughts were crammed inside Neville's brain, but all he could think of was Luna and her father. He began to drift off as he prayed they would not become the next targets of the Dark Lord.

He dozed into a dreamless sleep.