Harry Potter and the Unlikely Gryffindor

The fire crackled loudly in the forest night, giving little comfort to the young man poking half-heartedly at the bright embers. Harry had taken first watch, though he knew he was as exhausted as the rest sleeping around the fire. Ron and Hermione were sharing a small blanket from her rucksack, both looking like the perfect picture of serenity. Harry envied them. He could no more find serenity than if he had taken the Draught of Sleep. He felt more like Snape at his right, vainly fighting against inner enemies that never seemed to tire, always attacking at his weakest point, either in sleep, or periods of depression.

Harry reached into his pocket, and pulled out the letter he had been keeping near him since he had received it after his sixth year had ended. He carefully opened it, reading it over and over again in the firelight. The parchment was already yellowing, and was creased so that it crackled pleasantly when its folds were undone. The words still hit him in his gut every time he read it, and now was no exception. His eyes shifted to Snape as he mumbled something incoherently in his sleep, and then settled down again. Harry let out the breath that he had not realized he was holding, closing his eyes slowly in relief.

He did not know if he could ever forgive the former Professor for what he had done, but Harry was beginning to realize that he did not know everything about Severus Snape. Harry read the letter again, but for the first time, letting the words sink into his heart and mind. He finely allowed himself understand. Although he had hated the Death Eater, he understood the man.


Dearest Harry;

If this letter has found its way into your possession, then that would mean that I have left this world. Do not be sad, Harry, nor let anger cause you to lash out at those who would help you. Understand, Harry, that all though what you saw the night of my death smacks of treachery, know that I had commanded Severus to do what needed to be done.

He resisted me, Harry. Know that he threatened to end his own life rather than end mine. But know that if Severus had refused, Harry, then we both would be gone, and you would not have at least one person who understands what it is to stare into the heart of darkness.

I ask you to trust Severus, Harry. Whenever, or if you two meet again.

Keep this letter, Harry. Keep it with you at all times, and never forget my words. I issue one last request of you, Harry. I ask you, as a man, to never forget the love of your friends as you strike out on your own. Never forget the advice of shriveled up old wizards, and never turn away the assistance of those whom I trust.

Remember your lessons, Harry. They will serve you well in these dark times ahead. And know that I am in a better place, where lemon drops and butterbeer are plentiful.

I was honored to have called you my pupil, and my friend.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

P.S. Oh, and would ask Minerva to take my bag of muggle Jelly Beans out of my desk? I have been getting the most peculiar infestation of Sugar Ants, and I have mistaken them a time or two for the beans. They may taste like jelly beans, Harry, but their bite makes one crave all manner of sugary things.


Harry folded the letter up again, slipping it into his pocket just as Severus groaned as he awoke. His watch was just starting, though Harry knew that he would not get much sleep. Severus stifled a yawn behind his fist, and offered Harry his blanket. Shifting closer to the fire, he let his dark eyes linger on the flames for a moment before focusing on the trees surrounding the group.

Harry shifted until he had found a comfortable position, and let his eyes drift closed as he slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep. Harry was unaware, that for the entirety of his shift, Severus kept watch, over him.

****

Slughorn ran as fast as his tiny feet would allow as the walk way began to crumble. His robes threatened to trip him several times as he raced over the wet and slippery stones. Slughorn almost missed the intersection as he swung around to the next walk way which ran perpendicular to the North Wall, and there proceeded to nearly trample Luna Lovegood. The two flattened themselves against opposite sides of the walk way, panting as they came to a stop. The large professor clutched his chest, his wide shoulders rising and falling rapidly as he lifted his head. "Bloody...hell," Horace hoarsely wheezed out. "What in the name of Merlin are you doing here?"

Luna did not acknowledge Slughorn. She was too interested in watching the trails the curses being hurled back and forth left as they zoomed through the air. Luna completely ignored Slughorn's repeated questions, and sprinted off toward what was left of the North wall. She skidded to a halt, grabbing hold of the rough brick of the tower as she peered over the edge. She did not show fear, only mild interest as several of the stones under her fell to the ground under her weight. Horace finely made it to her perch, putting his hand on her shoulder as though he was fearful that she would fall over the edge at the first gust of wind. "Now listen here, girl...wait! Where do you think you're going?" Slughorn could not maintain his grip on her rain slicked clothes, and just watched, clutching to the walkway, as Luna climbed, using the climbing stones to one of the many battlements that dotted the outer walls.

Luna threw her hair out of her face, her large eyes scanning through the darkness. She could only catch teasing glimpses when the lightening illuminated the sky, but she could discern enough. Several giants lay sprawled on the ground in various states of injury. More than a dozen Death Eaters were littered among their larger allies, and among them, in gruesome contrast, were the bodies of children. Most of them would have considered themselves adults well before their sixth year, but they were all still kids. Almost to adulthood, almost grown up. But that was what they would remain...Almost.

Luna dug into the cloth sack she had laid at her feet. It was filled with small vials of dark, tar-like liquid that smelled like blood and brimstone. Luna harrumphed grimly, almost what she would assume Hell smelled like. She hesitated for one final time, watching as the liquid sluggishly made its way to the bottom of the vial. The moment she threw this, the moment it touched flesh, she could not go back. Luna knew well that she may very well be given the Dementor's Kiss for this one act. There was a reason this potion was shoved in the bottom of a closet, in the back of an old dusty book, forgotten. And she decided that she did not care. If it bought her friends enough time to gather themselves and retreat from the school, then even death was worth it.

As she threw that small vial down onto the body of the nearest giant, watching as it woke to its own skin in flames, she hoped the others who had come to destroy, would always be haunted by its screams. She swallowed hard as her face remained an expressionless mask as she watched the fire consume all it touched, illuminating the night in flickering red. Though, as she heard the screams of both giant and man, doubt crept into her heart. Was this really the last resort? Were her actions warranted? How would her friends look at her from now on?

As Luna asked herself these questions, Slughorn stood staring at the carnage unfolding below. The fire spread like a virus, barely warming the first body as it jumped to the next. The air became thick with oily smoke, filling the senses with the smell of burning flesh. But as the sky began to clear, Slughorn noticed something odd about the clouds. And that was when he realized that what he was seeing were not clouds. They were plumes of smoke as high as the skyscrapers in downtown London. And each one originated from one of the small villages that surrounded school grounds, most of them Muggle villages. And it was in this moment that both professor and student realized that this war was much bigger than either of them, bigger than those fighting, bigger than those dying on the school grounds. Victory at all costs was the only option, for if they did not fight there would be no one left to carry the dream.

Luna looked up just as the students started flying off toward the south. She was caught off guard as someone scooped her up off of the battlement and onto a broom. As she rose into the night air, vaguely aware of Slughorn, flying to her left, complaining about the cold, she smiled back into her chauffeur’s face. Neville smiled back, still handsome in his Quidditch uniform, his stringy hair plastered to his forehead as he held onto Luna. His expression, although relieved, carried with it a pained look. Luna saw that some of the rain drops on Neville's face were not rain drops, they were tears. His eyes were red rimmed, his nose was raw and as he sniffled, he pulled Luna closer as though for comfort. And in confirmation that she had not been killed by the evil that was now retreating from where the stone walls of Hogwarts were burning brightly.

The air was thick and wet, limiting how high the students could fly without getting drenched to the bone. They stayed above the tracks that carried the Hogwarts Express, now smoldering in its berth, to and from the school. Along both sides of the rail were small Muggle settlments set off aways from the line. And yet, even here, things were not as they should have been. In random spots within the forests that surrounded the small hamlets and villages, plumes of smoke were making their way lazily to the sky. Far below, in the dim glow just before dawn, homes glowed red against the dark. To the east, and west, new blazes were popping up smoke filling the air like great, dark pillars supporting the sky. The students looked this way and that hoping to offer help, but the fires had been burning for far too long. And what ever hope these villages had was fading in the pre-dawn light.

All the students were exausted, some dozing off on their brooms. But they dared not stop to land, even for a few moments rest. Where those fires were, Death Eaters had been. It was quite possible that those dark wizards were still there, just waiting for another fool to wander into their midst. Murder, it seemed was just entertainment to them. From the time it took for new fires to erupt, those dark wizards seemed to be apparating from place to place, hurling Incendio hexes at the nearest builiding and picking off those Muggles who ran outside into what they thought was safety. The whole scene sobered those flying even though they had been elated at winning the battle for their lives only an hour ago. And despite their lack of sleep they flew on, the cold wet keeping them awake enough to steer their brooms in a straight line.

Lightening flickered in the distant south, signaling the approach of more storms. And just as the group passed through the low clouds above Little Hangleton, the skies seemed to open up pouring a mournful cold rain down on the small town. This seemed to be a blessing since even wizard fires could be put out by water. The blessing was mixed however, the lightening flashing in the sky forced the students down. There was no way to hide themselves any longer since most of the Muggles fighting the fires were out in the streets. The men were carrying long hoses attached to long red vehicles and spraying water into the infernos as fast as they humanly could.

The students landed a ways away from the fire fighters, not wanting to startle the people whom they wanted to help. The light thrown off by the fires set everything in a stark brightness, while throwing the shadows back into pitch blackness. The whole mood was tense as those youngsters slipped their wands out of their robes, their grips slick on the wood yet they held on tightly. Their eyes lingered on the shadws as though expecting a Death Eater to jump out and hex them at any moment. They were cautious around these Muggles. They were quite possibly distraught enough to finger them for the ones who were setting the fires, and so the students walked with caution toward the first of the burning buildings. Those spraying water looked as though they could use a hand, so Neville lifted his wand and shouted, "Aguamenti!"

His voice startled those fighting the fires, and they stared in awe as a jet of water sprouted out from the tip of his wand and into the raging fire. Taking their cue from Neville, the rest of the students, Slughorn included lifted their wands and sent more help as the flames began to die. Though their joy was short lived. The little blond Hufflepuff 7th year, laughing in celebration at their success, fell limply to the ground a mixed look of elation and horror frozen on her round face. "Death Eaters," Slughorn shouted, sending the students scrambeling away from the scene. Perhaps if they spread out they would not present such a tempting target. Slughorn told those fighting the blaze to do the same, and after some protest sent them on their way with a little better understanding of what these people were capable of.

Luna and Neville ran as fast as their legs would carry them only stopping when they needed to catch their breath. The two had ended up in an open square, trees and bushes on the western end hid the opposite street from their view. Every where he looked there were open spaces, open windows and doors. Perfect places to cast the Killing Curse without them knowing it. Their best chance at the moment was just to find a safe spot. No matter what, they could ot take on Death Eaters in such an open place. Especially with so many Muggles around.

The night had become still, the silence broken only by rolling thunder and the soft patter of fat rain drops. The two had found shelter under a small wooden awning. The walls were covered in morning glory vines, and the bench inside was only mildly damp. Still the two hid behind it, holding each other as much for warmth as out of fear. Neville sniffled, wondering if he could cast a Vanishing charm on either of them so they would not have to be in the middle of the horrible situation they had found themselves in. "Neville..." Neville started, trying to get his racing heart back under control.

"Why haven't any Aurors come after us?" Neville's eyebrows rose. Now that he thought about it, no one had come to help them. Not a single person! Why?

"Probably because everyone is in the same situation..." He answered soberly. "There aren't enough Aurors to defend all of England. And I'm not sure anyone else might be fairing any better." As he finished, they were startled by the sound of a twig snapping. Both froze, not daring to make another sound, not even to breathe as they struggled to listen through the heavy rain. Neville inched forward and peered around the awning's walls, his eyes struggeling to see in the darkness.

He pulled his head back in at the last moment, a green trail of energy going through the space his face had occupied not a moment before. Without a single word, he grasped Luna by the wrist and heaved her up bodily. She needed no explination as they both ran across the square, the wet grass threatening to trip them at any moment. Both were seized by their robes, and yanked off their feet, and turned around to the direction they had come. As they watched, a group of no less than three Death Eaters stalked up to them. They seemed to walk as wolves would, taunting their prey before moving in for the kill.

Of the two, only Neville seemed the least bit distressed. Luna, on the other hand, looked as serene as she always had, the corners of her mouth upturned slightly as though they had just met by chance on the street. "Don't worry," she stated simply continuing to smile. "We'll be all right." Neville scoffed as he reached back to try to pry his assailent's fingers open from his robes. Neville tried to bring his wand around, but he couldn't reach into his robes with his arm at the odd angle it was being held and he was having trouble looking for it with his left hand. Just as his hand closed around the handle the three Death Eaters in front of them dropped to the ground, each taken down by three bolts of red light. The wizard holding them went down the same way, sending the two students crashing to the ground.

Neville rolled to his feet, struggeling to push the tail of his robes behind him and clear his vision. He came up, wand pointed at a group of rather oddly dressed wizards. Each had on blue robes with golden braided trim that pinned at their necks and opened at the front. Under this they wore white blouses with long sleeves. Their trousers were of the same design as their robes, making them look almost military. And on each of their tall collars were variations of the Muggle military rank insignias. The highest ranking of them came forward, a wry smile on his long face, and on top of his head was a wide brimmed hat upturned at the sides.

"Who?" Neville tilted his head. These were perhaps the oddest looking wizards he had seen in all his life. He must have looked like a complite idiot because a couple of witches behind the tall wizard in front began to snigger.

"I said, Major Adam Jenkins, U.S. Auror Corps. at your service." The tall gentleman had an accent Neville immediately recodnized. He sounded almost like Hera!

The younger wizard turned to Luna who was standing in front of the Major with a small smile on her face. "How did you know they were coming?"

Luna seemed to find this question incredably funny, because she threw her head back and laughed out loud, making a few of the other Aurors look at her rather oddly. "Because, silly. My mum told me."

****

"Ginny."

"What?"

"I'm cold..."

"Shhh..."

"And I have to pee..."

"Hush, Hera! I think I hear something!"

"I'm still cold."

"Hera! There might be Death Eaters out here!"

"You think they would have a bathroom in their back pockets?"

"Just pee on a bush or something!"

...

"Ow!"

"What is it now?"

"That bush had thorns."

"You know, had this forest indeed been full of Death Eaters, you two would have been caught hours ago." A rather tired, but amused voice laughed into the darkness. "Lumos!" The smiling wizard held his wand high to cast a bright light onto the two young women walking out in the forest alone. Both shielded their eyes as they adjusted to the drastic change in lighting. Ginny brought her arm down, getting a better look at the wizard. Something about his voice sounded awfully familiar.

"Professor Lupin!" The young red-head trotted up to Remus, nearly running the older man over. She encircled his thin, robed frame with her arms in a hug of gratitude. "What are you doing out here alone?" Before Lupin could answer, a second wizard came out of the darkness. He would have been nearly invisible but for the pale skin of his long face. Even out of the bright light, the disdain on his face was evident.

"Remus Lupin is far from alone, Miss Weasley." Ginny's face fell when she spotted Snape slinking out from behind the shadow cast by an oak tree. "You two are certainly loud enough to rouse even I from a deep sleep." Severus folded his arms in his robes, holding them tightly to himself. It was a testament to his control of himself that he did not openly shiver in the chill.

Ginny nearly had her wand up, when Ron came stumbling from behind Severus, rubbing his eyes against Lupin's lit wand. "Oi! What's all that noise about?" He rubbed his eye with the ball of his thumb, looking every bit like a drunk stumbling out of a pub after last call. Was it Ginny's imagination, or was his jaw looking rather...fuzzy?

"Ron!" Ginny exclaimed and nearly knocked her older brother to the ground as she sought to squeeze the life out of him. "We were so worried about you," she started, smoothing out his ruffled hair as their mother would have. If she had been like in mind to her mother, Ginny would have begged to cut his hair. Ron's hair had become unruly, though it no where near resembled Harry's less than two years ago. All the time flying had caused it to stick out this way and that out of his pony tail, giving him the look of a wild bagman. "What have you been doing?" Ginny asked when she was sure she would not burst into laughter at the state her brother was in.

At that point, Ron finely realized who it was speaking to him, and he instantly banished the fog from his mind. "What are you doing out here, Gin-Gin?"

"Me and Hera escaped from where ever it was we were being kept...er, where is Hera?" Ginny paused, looking behind her. "Hera?"

"One second..." Hera sighed as she stepped from behind a maple tree, smoothing down the back of the gown she wore. She squinted her eyes against the light coming from Lupin's wand. "I had to relieve myself," she explained, though she was pointedly not looking at Snape, who had taken a few more steps toward her. He stopped, however, when her face turned a shade toward green as her hand tightened on her wand. She looked as though she was trying not to become sick for what ever reason. She swallowed hard, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked Lupin over. He was a mite too thin for her comfort and she had to wonder if all wizard men had eating disorders. He was handsome in the face, if somewhat raw though his eyes had the look of someone who had seen too much in his lifetime.

"Hera?" Ron started, furrowing his brow as Hera started loosing her nerve again. "You all right?" he asked, but Hera responded by turning a shade greener as she walked past a perplexed Lupin and lowered herself slowly to the cold ground by the fire. Once she was on the ground, she propped her elbows on her knees and lowered her head so that her chin touched her chest. Ginny pulled herself away from Ron and sat down next to Hera, putting a silent hand on the older girl's shoulder. Ron made to follow but Severus placed his hand on the young man's arm, and shook his head. Ginny spoke quietly to Hera, though her only answer was a slow shake of Hera's head. All other communication from Hera stopped as she stared at the ground between her and the fire.

Remus, Snape and Ron sat opposite Hera, across the fire, watching her curiously. Neither dared to say anything more, too afraid that Hera's face would begin to match the putrid mustard green of Ginny's housecoat. Fortunately, Harry and Hermione remained asleep through out the entire exchange, delaying the need for explanations till at least sunrise. Though, now, they were in an entirely different situation. None had expected Hera or Ginny to be the first to find them and the question of what to do now hung like the silence between them.

Though at the moment, divining what was wrong with Hera would have to wait until she was willing to speak,
and that seemed like a slim chance when she laid down with her back turned to the fire, holding herself in a fetal position. Ron opened up Hermione's rucksack and pulled out a couple of biscuits. He offered one to Hera, but thought better of it. If she was indeed sick, then the last thing she needed were old biscuits. They were several days old, dry and slightly squished but they were devoured without question by the youngest Weasley. After all the excitement, she was so hungry that she found herself picking the crumbs off of the front of her housecoat and licking the buttery taste off of her fingers.

Soon, Ginny too was sound asleep, near Harry, beside the fire, leaving the two former professors alone in quiet conversation while Ron tried to go back to sleep himself. Though he found it difficult. The look on his friend's face was enough to put a knot into his stomach. The last time he had seen that kind of look was when Harry came down from the Astronomy tower after Dumbledore was killed. It left Ron wondering what could do that to someone, who on the surface, seemed able to take anything on. Of course, he knew that some of her bravado was an act. No one liked to be seen as weak, and covering up insecurities was sometimes essential just to function.

Ron had learned this the hard way the last seven years. Sometimes his hold on sanity was thinner than a spider's silk thread. If it had not been for his friends, he would have fallen to pieces a long time ago. But with Hera, she still had to fully open up to even her best friends. She still felt like an outsider among outsiders. She knew that she was a part of the world she found herself in, she only had yet to find the niche to fit herself into. But while she was busy finding her place, forces outside were busy trying to pull that world apart. Almost, Ron mused, like coming back home after a long time gone, only to have it burn down the next day.

Ron closed his eyes, trying to get comfortable under the small blanket he shared with Hermione, using her rucksack as a pillow. Now that he laid his head on it, he had to laugh. He had wondered how the biscuits had gotten squished while inside the sack. He had that smile on his face as he finely drifted back to sleep, rolling his head around to fully pulverize any intact biscuits that had yet to be smooshed.

"I take it she does not usually act like this." Lupin ventured after he was sure that Ronald had gone to sleep. He had kept an eye on Snape in the corner of his eye as the Potions Master tried to make it seem that he was not watching Hera. There seemed to be a rather long amount of time between the question and the answer. The dark eyed wizard drew in a breath and blew it out through his hooked nose.

"No," he answered simply, his eyes drifting over to Harry as he half-way sneezed in his sleep. There was another long pause as the Potions Master seemed to take great interest in the palm of his right hand. "I had almost believed, when I had at first seen her, that she was a long lost Weasley." Lupin snorted, laughing softly into his hand, shaking his head.

"What ever had she done to deserve that designation?" Though Lupin silently wondered what could happen that could put someone that interesting into such a state. He could only guess if Hera was asleep since she had not moved since she had laid down.

Lupin's eye brows rose as he watched a genuine smile pull at the corners of Severus' mouth. Apparently, it was something good indeed. "She caught Flitwick with a Levitation charm and bounced the little professor from ceiling to floor several times when she shook her wand in exasperation. I do believe the last time I laughed that hard, was when Sirius tried to hex horns on my head and accidentally caught Lily in the mouth." Severus remembered that happening in his 6th year. The Marauders had spent nearly a month in detention, even on the weekends. The captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team had threatened to hex James inside out if he ever pulled a stunt like that again. It had nearly cost Gryffindor the house cup that year when in James' absence, the team had lost nearly half their games.

Lupin could not help but grin. Those were good memories indeed and to imagine the next generation causing that much merry mayhem lightened his mood considerably. That one little incident was almost worth the month spent cleaning bedpans, without wands, during flu season. There was one thought, however that threatened to remove his jovial smile. What would Voldemort do once he found out that these two had escaped from his grasp? And how had Ginny ended up with the young Malfoy woman to begin with. She was supposed to be at Hogwarts, far from the evil that seemed to be everywhere at once. He watched the young Weasley girl for several minutes, his mouth pulled tight against his teeth. The fire danced shadows on her face in random patterns, making it seem to the Werewolf that Ginny's face was never the same from one moment to the next. She had laid close to where Harry slept, her body curving above his head.

Lupin shook himself out of his musings, pulling the blanket closer to himself as Severus shifted the coals under the logs of wood to keep the fire burning. Judging by how the temperature had dropped, he estimated that dawn was no more than a couple of hours away. When the sun rose and melted the ice on their bones, they would most likely get started back either to Durmstrang, or perhaps to the Ministry itself. Either place was likely as the other to be safe, though from the current events he had 'missed' out on, it was likely that the Ministry would be hostile to them at the moment. Ginny and Hermione might be safest away from that place for the time being, though if they wanted to get in touch with any of the other Aurors not in the order, they would have to go to the Ministry.

Lupin sighed as he played mental tug-of-war with their options. He hated that the Wizengamot had passed this Draconian Marriage Act. It seemed like a ploy by Voldemort, and his followers to make it easier to put themselves back into power again. And too, the kids could not hide forever. They would have to come out sooner or later so they could at least have a fighting chance. Lupin hoped, though, that what ever was ahead was not so harrowing as to mentally damage them. They seemed so in love and happy together...

Lupin stopped himself in mid-thought, his expression turning into a lopsided smirk that would have been at home on Sirius' face. He looked at Ginny and Harry, and then Ron and Hermione, nearly slapping himself on the forehead. He knew then he would do the Marauders proud, and shut that Scrimgeour up for good. He turned to Severus, and explained his plan. This drew a rather low chuckle from the former professor as he harrumphed in approval. "I do believe Sirius would have approved. Though, do you think that the couples would agree?"

Remus had to shrug. Not even he knew how the four would react to his suggestion, but anything was worth a try. It would be a political statement of defiance, and would possibly inspire similar actions from those affected by the recent laws passed by the Ministry. Remus knew that he had to be very careful. Things of this nature were not meant to be rushed into, especially with people so young. Though, he had a feeling that the two couples sleeping close to one another by the fire would agree with him. In order to find happiness, sometimes you had to reach out and grab it yourself. It was exactly what Molly and Arthur had done, and later, Lily and James.

Lupin smiled to himself; he rather liked the sound of Hermione Weasley and Ginny Potter.