"Mr. Filch, you can lead the Slytherins to the Seventh Floor, please," Professor McGonagall said, as sternly poised as ever, even in the face of quite probable destruction. My awe of the older woman was overshadowed, however, by the growing realization that I didn't have my wand. "A witch's most prized and valued tool, besides her looks, is her wand," my mother's voice intoned through my mind.
As my House passed the doors of the Great Hall, I turned toward the dungeons. "What are you doing, Astoria?" Daphne hissed anxiously, grabbing the sleeve of my dressing gown.
"I haven't got my wand. I'll meet you in Hogsmeade," I assured my sister.
"Just leave it!" she said, trying to tug me to follow the flow of students that now incorporated many Hufflepuffs.
"I can't Apparate without a wand, and you can't Apparate even with one," I reminded, probably a bit harshly. But I didn't care. I couldn't face whatever was coming without a wand. "I'll meet you in Hogsmeade in fifteen minutes. If I'm not there in fifteen minutes, leave. Side-Along with someone else, Marin or Jocelyn. Find Mason. Just get out of here."
"What will they think when they don't see you there?" she asked quietly, really the quietest I'd ever heard her.
"They will think what they will, regardless of whether they see me there or not," I replied, turning away from her. This time, she let my sleeve slip through her fingers.
It was rough going, fighting to go against the flow of traffic. I was nearly plowed over by Pansy Parkinson, and the sneer on her face made me nearly abandon my wand. Or possibly curse that sneer off the next time I saw her. I knew exactly what she would do the moment she saw them. But I pushed on, anyway. I couldn't just leave my wand. I needed it, as much, if not more, than my left arm.
Soon enough, the emerald and silver and yellow and black blurred into sapphire and bronze. The Ravenclaws gave me puzzled looks, but at least they weren't glaring. The few Gryffindors I passed were arguing quite loudly, insisting that they be allowed to stay. One even tried pointing me out, saying that if I could stay, so could he. Madame Pomfrey quickly squashed that theory, stating that I was a Sixth Year and of age, whereas he was a Third. She then sent him up the stairs, and turned to me. "Miss Greengrass, whatever are you doing down here? I thought-" She cut herself off, but I could fill in the blanks well enough. I knew she had assumed I would be leaving the castle with the rest of my house.
"I am only going back for my wand. I left it in my dormitory," I said loftily, looking down my nose at my (assuredly now) former mentor. I hated myself for it, but it was rather ingrained in me by this time.
"Of course, one mustn't be without a means of protection in times like these," she said kindly, ignoring my snobbery. "Hurry. There isn't much time left before-"
Before the Dark Lord's imposed time limit. "I know. I'll be quick." I then turned away and continued on my way back to the dungeons.
Of course, the Slytherin common room was really rather far from the Great Hall. Before I got there, I heard a boom. Well, I rather felt it, the way it shook Hogwarts to its foundations. Running now, I wasn't sure if I would make it, but I had no choice. I knew there would be many who would use my staying against me, even with my very valid justification, but I had no choice. I would rather lose a limb than face what was coming without a wand.
I was nearly there. The kitchens were right in front of me. Only a few more corridors to go, then I could grab a broom from the common room and make my way to the seventh floor. In my haste, I didn't see her until it was too late. The little girl and I went head over heels, arms and legs flying everywhere.
The tumble was jarring, but not so much as hearing, "Astoria?" in a tiny voice. I jerked to look at the one I'd run over, and was shocked to recognize her.
"Katie? What are you doing here? You should be gone by now." The tiny Hufflepuff First Year was the one I'd been manipulated into tutoring in Transfiguration. I'd tried to dislike her because of her background, I really had, but somehow, she'd wormed her way under or around the walls I kept up around my heart. She was just too tiny, too happy and bubbly, to dislike. And now, seeing her looking completely petrified, nearly broke my hardened heart.
"You're not supposed to be here, either," she pointed out.
"I left my wand in my dormitory. Come on," I said, jumping to my feet and yanking her after me. Running down the halls, I was very nearly dragging her, her short legs no match for my much longer ones. "Now, what are you doing here?"
"I got, huff, lost, huff, when everyone was, huff huff, leaving. Huff huff. I got knocked, huff, over, and, huff, stepped on, huff, so I got out, huff, of the way. Huff, I couldn't, huff, stand up, so, huff, I just curled, huff, up and waited for, huff huff, it to be over, huff. When I couldn't, huff, hear anybody, huff, else, huff, I got up, huff, but I didn't, huff, know where, huff, to go. So I, huff huff, was headed back to, huff, my common room."
Fury like I'd never known filled me, but I didn't know exactly who I was furious with. The thoughtless students who'd knocked Katie over, stepping on her like she was garbage? The Dark Lord, for putting her in danger in the first place? Or Potter, for putting all of us in danger by coming back? Possibly all of the above.
By now, booms were a constant, shaking the castle like a massive, irregular heartbeat. Thankfully, we'd made it to the Slytherin common room, which meant safety for a moment. I looked at the blank wall and said, "Morsmordre." Katie made a frightened squeak, that I ignored. I didn't like the password, either, but it hadn't been up to me.
"Stay here," I told her, once we'd made it to the common room. "I'll be right back with my wand."
"I'm not leaving you," she said, either in bravery or fear, I wasn't sure which. Possibly both.
"Stay here," I repeated, trying to untangle myself from her. "I'll be faster if I don't have to drag you along."
I didn't miss the downcast look on her face, but I told myself it was true as I raced down the hall to my dormitory. We couldn't waste any time, I reasoned, grabbing my wand and shooting back out again. I barely gave Clarice's broom a second glance, knowing I wasn't a good enough flyer to get us both out of the castle safely. And I wasn't about to leave Katie there, no matter what my family would have said about her blood status.
"C'mon," I said, pulling her back to the exit. "We're going to have to be careful now. I don't know if they've made it into the castle, but it will still be dangerous, either way. Stick close to me."
I really didn't have to tell her that, but she clung to me even more. The booms were getting louder, and as we made our way out of the dungeons, we could hear yells, screams. Curses were shouted, and pain was given a voice. Roars of what sounded like giants rang out, and somewhere, manic laughter was magically amplified. A shudder ripped through me. I knew that laughter. I'd heard it in my home.
Katie suddenly stopped, throwing her hands over her ears and screwing her eyes shut. At the next boom and shake, she allowed it to carry her to the ground. Curled up in a tiny ball, she whimpered.
"Katie, get up!" I commanded, channeling my mother at her most imperious. It got the little girl's attention, at least. "We cannot stay here. If those people break into the castle, they will kill you, so we have to leave, right now. Do you understand me?"
It might not have been the most sympathetic of speeches, but it worked. Katie looked at me with those big green eyes, stared for a moment, then nodded. I could almost see her pulling every ounce of courage she had, and it was awe-inspiring. She took my hand and led me back toward the Great Hall. It was probably a dangerous place to head, but it was really the only way up to the seventh floor and freedom.
"Miss Greengrass, what do you think you're doing?" Professor McGonagall screeched, pausing from sending spells outside. "Get yourself and Miss Trent out of here immediately!"
"What do you think I'm trying to do?!" I screamed back, then threw myself over Katie, squashing her a bit, but saving her from the spell that otherwise would have hit her.
The two of us managed to make it to the second floor without any further mishaps or detractions. Still dodging spells, we hurried up to the third floor. "Christopher!" Katie screamed, breaking from my grasp for the first time and running towards a boy hiding behind a statue. Or where a statue had been. Now, there was only the plinth left. He was rather small, but still not small enough to completely hide behind it. He started when Katie called his name, but after a quick glance in our direction, popped up and shot a spell out the broken window in front of him. That's when I recognized him as the Third Year Madame Pomfrey had scolded for trying to stay.
"Katie, get out of here!" he howled, just as the window to the left of us shattered. A quickly thrown Shield charm from me protected all of us, then I grabbed Katie and dragged her to the boy.
"Listen," I told the Gryffindor. "I need to get Katie safely out of the castle, and she's not going to go without her big brother now," I surmised, noting the similarities between the two. It didn't hurt that Katie was forever going on about her fantastic older Gryffindor brother. I then appealed to his sense of chivalry. After all, Gryffindors were supposedly known for that ridiculous trait. "Now, I could really use your help to get her to safety. If the three of us work together, we can get out of here."
"Why should I trust a Slytherin?" he asked, not unkindly. Or unwisely.
"Because I do," Katie said, before I could say anything else. A warm feeling, one I'd never known, filled me, but I refused to dwell on it.
"Can we go?" I asked, more than a bit brusquely. After all, Slytherins aren't really known for being warm and cuddly.
Christopher hesitated for a moment, before nodding sharply. I nodded in return. "Now, I want you both to have your wands out, and Protego on your lips. You both know the spell?" I didn't think there was a way they couldn't not know it, not with the state the school had been in for the past year, but I didn't have the luxury of assuming. When they both nodded, her in trust, him in grim determination, I continued. "Okay, you both be ready to Shield us from anything that comes our way."
"What are you going to do?" Christopher asked the obvious question.
"Don't worry. I'll clear our path." Katie looked a bit frightened at that, but Christopher nodded, grimly tightening his jaw.
I took Katie's hand again, then, making sure Christopher was following, made my way forward. We'd barely made it halfway up the next staircase, however, when the loudest boom so far sounded, followed by a tremendous crack. To my horror, the staircase fell away, sending us tumbling down with it.
"Protego!" was shouted by two voices, at the same time as my "Levicorpus!" Which meant my spell meant to halt our downward progression was shot back at me, sending me flying into the air. I barely had the presence of mind to cast another spell in desperation. Instead of trying to catch Katie and Christopher again, I aimed it at the rubble beneath them, what used to be the stairs. Instantly, what had once been hard and unforgiving was now soft and cushiony. The children nearly bounced off, still protected by their Shield Charms.
Convinced they were safe, I allowed myself to lower to the ground by them. "We'll have to find another way up to the seventh floor," I told them, pulling them up to their feet.
"If you were headed to Hogsmeade, I'm afraid that way is sealed," an elderly witch said, not even pausing in casting spells out the window. "I sealed it after me. We couldn't have any Death Eaters coming in that way, now could we?" she added, taking a moment to rake over my green dressing gown.
A flicker of anger ran over my back at her comment, even if she was right. Who was she to judge? Not to mention she was now the reason I was stuck here with these two children. But I pushed it down. Anger wasn't going to help the situation any. "How am I supposed to get these two out of here, then?" I asked, in as calm a tone as I could muster. After all, a lady never lost her temper.
"The only way out is past them," the old woman said, pointing with her wand toward the Death Eaters on the grounds. "Take them to the Slytherin common room. It'll be the safest place for them." Then she turned back to the fight like she'd never stopped.
Indecision warred in my mind, but a shattering statue in front of us stopped it sharply. The shards were still falling to the ground as I dragged Katie back the way we'd come, her brother following closely. Dodging spells, detritus, and fighters alike, we made our way back to the ground floor. This time, when we passed McGonagall, she simply shoved another Gryffindor my way, a Fourth Year, by the looks of him. "Take care of them, Miss Greengrass," she said, before shooting another spell over our heads.
I grabbed him, shoved Katie's hand into his, and charged him to not let go, and to keep a Shield charm around both of them at all times. "Get to the dungeons," I ordered, grabbing Christopher and sending a Stinging hex at the person coming toward us.
"Miss Greengrass!" McGonagall cried out. "If there are more, I'll send them to you in the Slytherin common room. Stay safe."
I nodded, to let her know I understood, then sprinted after Katie and her accompanying Gryffindor, chivvying them in the direction of my common room. Christopher was keeping his Shield up, as was the other boy, but I couldn't keep one up if I wanted to be able to get people out of our way. I didn't care if they were Death Eaters or defending the castle; if they got between us and our way to safety, or worse, between me and my charges, they got a taste of my wand.
"Miss Greengrass, where are you going?" a squeaky voice asked, startling me. We were just in front of the kitchens, and Professor Flitwick was practically at my elbow. He had several frightened looking younger students with him, with an impressive array of statuary around them, protecting them from any harm.
"I'm taking them to the Slytherin common room. It's the farthest from any entrance, and the last place any… anyone would look for them," I panted, rather out of breath from the fight our trip had turned into.
"Excellent!" he squeaked. "Take them with you!" He gestured toward the other students, who all looked to be no older than Third Years. He then disappeared, before I could make more than a vague protesting sound.
I looked around me, finding myself suddenly surrounded by no less than eight younger students, who all looked up to me like I was some sort of Chosen One. I laughed at my own ridiculous thoughts, a bit hysterically, then said, "Alright, you lot. Stick with me, and wands out. Stun anything that moves, I don't care if it's your dorm mate. Better safe than sorry. If it is your dorm mate, we can drag them along with us."
Thankfully, no one questioned me, and even better, we didn't see anyone else. We made it to the entrance of the Slytherin common room without further incident. Once again, I said the password, then ignored everyone's shudders in favor of herding them into the common room. As the last passed through the doorway, I turned to the statues that had been guarding Professor Flitwick's group. "Don't let anyone in here, anyone at all, except me. And don't let any of them out. Do you understand?" I wasn't sure if it would work, but the statues nodded, then formed rank in front of the entrance, creating a living marble barrier.
I then slipped into my common room and looked at my ragtag band. The Fourth Year McGonagall had shoved at me seemed to be the oldest there, with the majority being what seemed like First Years. I barely had time to wonder what they were doing when a terrible voice slithered into the room, sliding around us with a terrible coldness. The Dark Lord was speaking to Harry Potter.
The moment his first words echoed in and around us, Katie gave a frightened squeak and launched herself into my arms. And then Christopher joined us, followed by everyone else. I was grateful, since their shaking covered up my own.
After the Dark Lord finished telling Harry Potter to give himself up, I disentangled myself gently, or at least as gently as I could, since I wasn't terribly used to physical contact, and began tending to the various cuts and scrapes our little group had sustained.
I got through everyone but the Fourth Year without any major wounds. And he kept pushing the younger ones in front of him, so I thought he was fine. It turned out to be not the case when I finally made him let me examine him. "What happened to you?" I cried, aghast at the blood dripping from his shoulder.
"Um, part of the stairs hit me," he said sheepishly.
"And you didn't tell me? Bloody brave, noble, idiotic Gryffindors," I muttered, sopping up the blood as best I could. After a few moments, I realized he needed much more than just a bandage; the gash was quite deep, and at least five inches long. "Alright, you keep pressure on this," I ordered Christopher, putting his hand where mine had been. "I'm going to get some things to help the brave fool here, and none of you are going to leave this common room. I'll be back as soon as I can."
I Summoned blankets for all of the children before I left and Conjured more wood for the fire. After all, it wouldn't do for any of them to succumb to shock while I was gone. Katie didn't like the idea of me leaving, but she agreed that it was better than the Gryffindor bleeding to death. Leaving the common room, I repeated my orders to both the children and the statues standing guard.
The Dark Lord had given us an hour to "dispose of our dead and treat our injured," as he'd put it, so the castle was quiet as I made my way up to the Great Hall. I'd figured that's where everyone would be congregating, and I was right.
It didn't take long to find Madame Pomfrey among the crowd, but getting to her was another story. When I finally fought my way to her side, I was almost shocked at her disheveled appearance. "Clean hands make for faster recoveries" was what she'd drilled into my head for the first month I'd helped in the Hospital Wing.
"Miss Greengrass? What are you still doing here? Are you hurt? That's far too much blood on your hands," she exclaimed, grabbing them in hers to examine.
"It's not my blood," I assured. "But I do have a boy in desperate need of Essence of Dittany."
"Of course," she replied immediately, handing me a small vial. "Take anything you need," she added, showing her great faith in my abilities. And sobering me a bit more. "Where is the boy?"
"I've taken him to the Slytherin common room, along with several other children. It seemed like the safest place for them."
"Smart thinking. When you've taken care of the boy, would you mind coming back here and helping? We could use all the skilled hands we can get," the nurse said, all the while efficiently wrapping the ankle in front of her.
I hesitated for a moment, begrudging the fact that I was even there, before sighing at the sheer number of people who seemed to need help. "Of course. I'll be back soon."
I headed back to the common room, being stopped by several professors shoving younger students in my direction. Apparently, it was assumed that I would keep them all safe. By the time I made it back, I had doubled the number of my charges. "These can come in, but not back out," I ordered the statues, who nodded, silently moving out of the way for us to enter.
I made quick work of healing my foolish Gryffindor, whose name I learned was Jake, then pulled him, the other Fourth Year, and the three Fifth Years aside. "I'm going to go back and help in the Great Hall, but I need you to stay here with the younger ones, just in case I don't make it back before… before the hour is up. I've made it as hard as I can for anyone else to get in here, but just in case, don't be afraid to use dark spells, because anyone who breaks in won't hesitate to do so. In fact, why don't you help the younger ones practice some curses, whatever you can think of. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"
They all nodded, then the one Ravenclaw girl spoke up. "How will we know it's you at the door, you know, so we don't curse you?"
She had a good point. "We need a password," I mused, "something not obvious."
"How about Pygmy Puff?" Katie suggested innocently, popping up at my elbow.
It was so innocent, I nearly laughed out loud. "Alright, I'll say Pygmy Puff. And if I send someone else in, I'll let them know, too. So if they don't say Pygmy Puff, you curse them immediately. Everyone understand?"
All twenty or so heads nodded in agreement, though they were clearly frightened. My Fourth and Fifth Years each took a couple of younger students and started teaching them more advanced curses. I nodded in grim satisfaction, then headed out again. "Don't let anyone in here if they don't say 'Pygmy Puff'. Keep them safe," I ordered the statues over my shoulder, running back to the Great Hall.
As soon as I got there, a Seventh Year Ravenclaw recognized me from helping him previously in the year and dragged his friend to me. "She's bad, she needs your help," he said urgently.
Slipping into a clinical state was second nature for me after all the time I'd spent in the Hospital Wing with Madame Pomfrey. I treated students and adults alike, and all surprisingly listened to me. Perhaps it was my rather authoritarian tone, but it might have been just the fact that there were so few people who knew what to do. Honestly, Basic Magical Medicine should have been a required course in the Hogwarts program.
After helping more people than I could keep track of, the line finally slowed. And then McGonagall showed up at my elbow. "Miss Greengrass, I greatly appreciate your help today."
Feeling vaguely patronized, I attacked. "I could hardly sit and watch all this suffering around me, now could I?" I asked, with a haughtily raised eyebrow.
Her eyebrow raised in return said what her mouth didn't. There were many who would have expected just that of me, I knew. "Well, thank you just the same. But now I need your help with something else. I tried sending several wounded students to the Slytherin Common Room, but they all came back saying that they couldn't get in, even with the password. Do you know anything about that?"
I smirked. "That's because they didn't know the correct password. To get past the statues, one must say 'Pygmy Puff', then the common room password, then 'Pygmy Puff' again for those inside," I explained.
The Professor's eyes widened, and I could see the pleased, if not somewhat surprised, appreciation. "You always were a clever girl," she replied. "Will you help those who are very injured inside your fortifications?"
"Of course, Professor."
She then magnified her voice to be heard over the general din of distressed people. "Those who are severely injured and those who wish to no longer fight are to follow Miss Greengrass to the Slytherin Common Room. It is the most heavily fortified area of the school, and you will be safe there. Also, those few of you left who are underaged will follow Miss Greengrass. You may not stay here any longer, Mr. Johnson," she said, sternly singling out the very small Gryffindor. "And please come back when you're done, Miss Greengrass," she added at a normal volume. "We still have many who could use such a skilled hand. Not to mention wand."
I soon had my charges following behind me. We had to go at a very slow pace, given the sheer number of stretchers that were floating behind me and people leaning on each other for support. I wanted to go faster, to run, even, since the Dark Lord's promised hour had long since passed. Every moment exposed with all these liabilities made me more anxious.
Finally, I saw my trusty statues, all ten of them still standing in ranks before the Slytherin common room. "Pygmy Puff," I told them, before adding "Morsmordre" for the passageway. Several brightly-colored spells shot out of the open door before I could add another "Pygmy Puff!"
I was torn between annoyance at their over eagerness and pride in their vigilance. In the end, pride won out, but just barely. "Nice spellwork, but you've got to give me a chance to say the password first," I said sternly.
There were a few mumbled "Sorry"s, and more than a few sheepish downcast looks. "Never mind that now," I told them. "We have quite a few new faces, so help them get comfortable. If you need to, go into the rooms for more pillows and blankets, but don't touch any personal objects. You never know what something might do to the unsuspecting stranger." Giving them that reminder seemed like a rather good idea. After all, Slytherins did like to keep their private property private.
After seeing that my old troops were helping the new arrivals settle in, I left once again, but only after giving Katie a rather long hug and convincing her that I would be fine. Of course, there was no way I could know that, but I was fairly certain that she wouldn't have let me go otherwise. Giving the statues my usual warning was rather rote by this time, and the run back to the Great Hall was passed without real thought. There were less people there now, since a good third or more were squashed into my common room. I looked around for something to do, but was distracted by a disbelieving "Tori?"
There had only been one person to ever call me that. I turned to look at my cousin, the ridiculous Ravenclaw who had, predictably, chosen to stay behind and fight. "Terry," I sighed.
"What are you doing here, Tori? Are you alright?" He looked me over, obviously expecting to see some hideous wound. Although, I shouldn't have judged too harshly, since I was doing the same to him.
"I'm fine, show me your arm," I ordered, seeing the blood seeping through his nightshirt. He tried to protest, but when I glared at him, he relented. After all, I looked enough like my mother, and therefore his, to scare him into submission.
I mended the shallow but long scrape in a trice. Sadly, it didn't take long enough to put him off his original question. "What are you doing here, Tori? Why didn't you leave with the others?"
"Why didn't you?" I countered, not feeling particularly cooperative. After all, I'd been woken up after only an hour and a half of sleep, and it was getting close to dawn. I felt I had every right to be tetchy.
"Because I felt like I needed to stay, to fight for what I believe in. And I know you, Tori, that's not why you're here," he pushed.
"I forgot my wand in my common room, and when I retrieved it, the passageway out was closed. Happy?" I ground out.
"So why are you up here now? Why aren't you hiding back in your common room like a good little Slytherin? Like the good daughter you're supposed to be?" Terry asked snidely, suddenly angry.
"First you thought I couldn't be here out of some brave reason, and now that you know that's true, you're angry? You know me, Terry, I'm many things, but bravely stupid has never been one," I hissed.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. That was rude. But really, what are you doing? You know if they see you here, they're going to think-"
"Let them think what they will," I replied, echoing my earlier statement to Daphne. "They already do. And it's my problem, not yours."
"You're my cousin," he reminded. "I care about you. And I don't want you to be hurt for what your parents believe."
"But there's quite the difference between us, Cousin Dear. Whereas your father and brother are Aurors and trying to stop the Dark Lord, my parents are Death Eaters, trying to conquer the world for him. So no matter how this ends, I lose. By staying, I've lost already."
Terry's shocked reply was lost in the sudden sound of the Dark Lord's voice. "Harry Potter is dead. He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman or child, will be slaughtered, as well every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before him, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."
Terry and I looked to each other in horror. It wasn't until I hear he was dead that I realized I had counted on Harry Potter to end this, to finish off the Dark Lord. The entirety of the Great Hall seemed frozen in disbelief for a moment, before, as one, we all rushed out to meet the monster and his army.
"NO!" I had never heard a sound so agonized, and I never would have suspected it to come from McGonagall. But it did. The woman seemed to have aged instantly, looking frail and broken for the first time ever. And of course, Auntie Bella laughed. My godmother laughed to see the other woman's pain. She delighted in tormenting others, always had.
More screams filled the air, but I could only see one doing so. I had always admired Ginny Weasley, though I would deny it to my last breath, for her complete disregard for what others thought of her, her fiery determination to stand for what she believed in, and her passionate caring for those she loved. All were things I wished I could have. But now, hearing the heartbreak in her voice as she saw the boy she loved, dead at the Dark Lord's feet, I could feel no envy.
The Dark Lord spoke again, how Potter had run away, and we should all bow to him. But his words mostly ran through my mind like water would through my fingers. I could feel eyes on me, but with most of the Death Eaters still wearing masks, there was no way I could pinpoint it. And for all of his pretty words, I knew that if the Dark Lord were to win, there would be no forgiveness for me, regardless of reasons. Reasons that were now feeling rather flimsy, anyway.
Neville Longbottom suddenly broke from the ranks and charged. The Dark Lord laughingly Disarmed him in an instant, then proceeded to make an example of him. The foolishly brave boy stood rooted to the ground, as the Sorting Hat was forced onto his head and set alight. Then, hell broke loose and chaos reigned.
Giants stampeded, centaurs charged, and it seemed as if the whole of Hogsmeade village broke onto the Death Eaters' ranks, scattering them into the rest of us. To avoid the giants' feet that were pounding all around us, we all rushed back inside, defenders and Death Eaters alike. Spells were whizzing overhead, though it was impossible to tell who'd fired what. Someone screamed something about Potter, but that, too, was drowned out.
I spun around, not knowing what to do, other than protecting myself, of course. Then, my eyes fell on a Death Eater couple, the ones with their back to each other, protecting each other flawlessly. Where he danced to the left in impeccably polished shoes, dodging a hex, her perfect golden updo had nary a hair out of place as she sent curses at anyone who dared come near either of them. They always knew where the other was and what to do to help them out. And then she caught sight of me.
Though there were twenty feet and numerous people between us, I knew the moment she saw me. Casting a curse that sent everyone separating us flying, she glided across the floor with more grace than a queen. After all, she was Leonora Rowle Greengrass; she was better than royalty.
"Astoria, dear, whatever are you doing here?" Mother asked as calmly as if we were in our drawing room at home, while flicking away people like they were pesky flies if they came too close to us.
I didn't answer. Instead, I straightened my back, lifting my head as she had always instructed. My wand was still in my hand, though I didn't intend to use it. Not on her, not yet.
"We were terribly worried when you didn't show up in Hogsmeade with your sister," she continued, circling me about critically, like she might find fault in the tear in my silk dressing gown, or the dust in my hair. "We thought something dreadful had befallen you, and then imagine your father's surprise when he sees you amongst the little defenders. We knew there had to be some kind of mistake. Surely they were holding you hostage?"
Here she was, giving me an out. I could even tell her the truth, that I'd left my wand, and she might accept it. I might still have my family. But only if they never found out the rest of my activities that night.
"But they weren't holding you hostage, were they?" Mother was now so close that I could feel her hissed breath on the back of my neck. "You've always been weak, Astoria, never able to do what you needed to do! I'm ashamed to call you Daughter."
"That's funny," I said at last. "All my life, all I've ever wanted was to be like you, Mother, to be you. I tried so hard, at not caring about people, at not helping those I could, at being the perfect princess of the House of Greengrass. But I realized something tonight. I'm not like you, and I never want to be. I have spent the entire night saving children, Mudbloods, from the reach of people like you. I've lowered myself to helping to Heal half of the fighters here, getting my hands dirty with other people's blood, and not from killing or torturing them. I helped people, and I'm good at it! And I like it! I will never be like you! I'm ashamed to call myself your daughter!"
"Why, you little, ungrateful, shameful excuse of an offspring!" she spat, angrier than I'd ever seen her. But I wasn't scared. For once in my life, I felt free.
The next several minutes were a blur of dueling with my mother, the woman who'd given birth to me. We were evenly matched, my knowledge of her matching her knowledge of magic. I knew when to duck, or dodge, or Shield myself. But then, I slipped on some of the emeralds spilled from the broken Slytherin hourglass. Taken off-guard, I ended up on the ground, sprawled inelegantly, with my wand thrown several feet away from me. I took a breath, then tilted my head up to look at her. "Go ahead, Mother," I taunted. "Do it. Though, you should be quick about it; Potter's probably nearly killed your precious Dark Lord by now."
The look of fury she gave me should have shook me to my core, but it had no more power over me. I was no longer afraid of her, or of death. Merlin knew I'd cheated it often enough that night. Perhaps it was my time to go.
I watched Mother lift her wand, then start to form the words with her mouth. "Avada Kedavra!" But the green flash never hit me. Instead, I was hit with a Summoning Spell so hard that I shot across the room, knocking a few people over as I went. I finally stopped at Madame Pomfrey's feet. "You've done enough damage to the girl," my mentor said, a ferocity in her voice that I didn't know she'd been capable of. "You'll do no more."
Mother scoffed at the older woman. "What do you know of my daughter?"
"Far more than you do. I know she's kind, though she feels she has to hide it. She wants to help people, and save them if she can. She wants to do good in this world, despite the pain her own family has inflicted on it. She's never subscribed to your pathetic Pureblood views, though she feels she should, just to make you happy. Her favorite subject is Astronomy, because she can look at the stars and feel free of the oppression of her family, even if it is fleeting. Her favorite scent is vanilla, because it reminds her of the old house elf who raised her, even though that was your job. And I know she cried when her cat died, even though she had to hide it from you because she knew you would think it weak," Madame Pomfrey cried passionately.
I was shocked. How did she know all that? But even as I marvelled, I knew. Madame Pomfrey had always been a good listener, able to coax even the most introverted into sharing with her. And I'd spent the better part of the past three years under her wing, learning from her and talking with her. These were the little things that mattered.
Mother looked as shocked as I felt, but shook it off quickly. "It doesn't matter. I'll take care of you, then I'll teach my daughter how a proper daughter behaves."
"I think not!" Madame Pomfrey cried, then sent a curse at her. Mother was surprised at her proficiency, but instinct quickly won out. The two women circled each other, not giving an inch of their ground, with Madame Pomfrey guarding me all the while. But then, a bang sounding like a cannon filled the entry, distracting Mother for the slightest moment, and Madame Pomfrey's curse hit.
Mother froze, then looked to us slowly. She tried to move her arm, but found she couldn't. The pale alabaster of her face solidified, her hair losing its natural luster. Almost before I could blink, she turned to marble, then fell to the ground, shattering.
There was nothing for me to do but stare. Stare at the remains of my mother scattered all along the entrance to my school. My reverie was broken by exultant cheering coming from the Great Hall, followed instantly by a few people fleeing. Among them was my father, who caught my eye for a moment, before continuing on his way toward the grounds. He didn't make it; neither did any of the four other Death Eaters who'd tried to escape.
Madame Pomfrey slowly turned to me, as if not wanting to spook me. "Astoria, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean-"
But I cut her off, surprising both of us when I threw my arms around her, sobbing like a child. The force of my weight on her took us to the ground, but she didn't seem to care when I all but fell on her. She simply held me, making soft, reassuring sounds as she petted my hair.
Our moment didn't last much longer, as we were both needed to help tend to those newly wounded. And then Professor Flitwick came along, asking me to help him into the Slytherin common room, as the statues wouldn't let him in. We rescued my charges, several of whom threw their arms around me in relief. Katie refused to let go, even as we headed back to the Great Hall to celebrate with the others. Once there, everyone joined their friends in cheering the Dark Lord's demise, in Harry Potter's triumph. Even Katie got swept up with her brother and his friends. She dragged me along, though I felt incredibly awkward. Terry found me for a brief moment, hugging me before running off to join his DA friends again in their celebrations.
My emerald dressing gown seemed to stick out in the crowd. The only other spot of green was Draco Malfoy, from where he sat with his parents. They all hunched in on themselves, seeming more out of place than even I felt.
Madame Pomfrey was suddenly at my elbow. "I could use some help over the next few days, watching over all of these patients," she commented softly. "That is, if you'd like to. I understand if you don't."
"Where else would I go?" I replied, equally as soft. Then, with a sad smile to her, I added, "After all, Hogwarts is my only true home."
AN: Hello, lovelies! This is just a little oneshot that grew out of reading several different headcannons. Got to love those, right? Anyway, it was originally going to be an OC, but then I stumbled upon the thought to make it Astoria Greengrass today, and it just fit. And, in case you didn't catch it, her cousin Terry is actually Terry Boot, Ravenclaw member of the DA. It was too perfect to pass up, having his family being Aurors and hers Death Eaters. Of course, her mother would have disowned his mother for working against Voldemort, but in my head, it didn't happen until after the kids had grown up together somewhat.
Anyway, thanks for reading this. If you liked it, please review! And I may or may not do a follow-up of some kind at a later date. Let me know!