Summary: They won, that was never in question. However, one might ask just how it was done. Loyalties and secrets are revealed as the world realizes just how little they actually know.
December 12
"You've seen how this ends, Luna"
"Then you already know why I'm here. Once you decided on your path, I did my own."
"I will die here-"
"-As shall I. We are one of the only two of our kind to emerge within one hundred years of each other. The only two ever in the same generation. She blessed you so I would be standing here today. I was born to stand here with you, in the present."
"If I told you to leave or asked you to reconsider would you?"
"I'm done living for the future and your done living for the past."
Silence…
"I've never felt so alive or at ease before, Luna. Everything has come down to this."
"Everything is coming down to this."
"Are we making a mistake? Should I have alerted them?"
"This is a slaughter and you have too many human emothions. You know very well that if the had come, they would have been killed. You would have died sad then, at least this way you die proud. I am the only one physically able and trained to assist you."
"Thank You for believing me."
"I will always stand with you, Harry."
It was an hour and a half since, what would later be named, the Battle of Hogwarts had end that Albus Dumbledore began to feel amiss. An uneasy feeling had begun churning in his stomach when he noticed the heavy air and ominous being settled over the Great Hall. He paused mid-conversation with Fillius to look out among the hall, briefly noting that Severus and Minerva had done the same.
The Great Hall was packed with many children as it usually was, however the four house tables had long since been banished and replaced with a crude looking (still comfortable, mind you) sitting room. Armchairs, sofas, and beanbag chairs laid scattered in groups throughout. Odd to his eyes, but the truth; the students sat mixed together, houses and years no longer stood separate. Quiet conversations filled the room as they mingled amongst themselves, no doubt conversing about the battle that had just occurred. More towards the front of the room several rows of tables were filled with all different humans and non-humans that normally would never sit together, let alone be together in the school.
Dozens of Aurors of all different ranks and divisions were freely conversing with the werewolf packs and vampire coven that had appeared to their aid in battle, The house elves (who had saved hundreds today) had prepared a lavish meal that no one had yet received. The smell teased his senses. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
When he realized Severus had since half the hall, Albus knew that perhaps he would be able to find out what was off… Speaking of Severus, how was poor Draco making out? Having to go against one's own father to the death might be a trifle traumatic! 'Hmm… hes not with Blaise and the Slyth/claw group… Maybe he was with young Mr. Potter?' Another few moments of scanning the room and he returned his attention to Fillius.
"-Terribly sorry to go abstract, but do you recall if Mr. Potter was released from the infirmary?"
Before the charms professor could even think of a response, Minerva had jumped in. Her nerves were probably prickling as well. "Harry was never signed into the infirmary. I would know, I checlked and pulled everyones file. He was never there." Her brow furrowed and then her face was horror stricken as she realized the possible implications of her words.
When the doors to the hall swung open and Severus held a struggling Hermione Granger in his grasp, the Headmasters heart sank. Looking into the frantic eyes of Severus he allowed himself to close his eyes. "What have you done, Harry?"
It took no more than realizing that Harry and his closest friends weren't in the room to send him him running out the side doors. He ignored the silence around him as he headed to the only place that he could think of that they could be. Severus didn't remember how long it took to get there or exactly when he arriged, but sure enough he found himself standing outside of the Room of Requirement and he would never forget the power he could feel dripping from that room.
The very essence of Hogwarts filled him as he pushed open its lithe door and stepped inside. Immediently his mind filled with memories and feelings that weren't his ow. He quickly occluded his mind as not to be overcome by (at the time) trivial matters. Thoughts that weren't his own and weren't wanted had no place in his head. The room was all white. It was constructed to be about the size of his potions cabinet. The walls were a white tile and the ground a white carpet. Even the ceiling was white.
In the very center of the small room sat a sole member of the Golden Trio. Hermione Granger, who he had not seen since the joyous cries as the Death Eaters retreated hours before, sat alone. She sat with her knees tucked underneath her in silence with a framed photo that he couldn't quite see in her lap, hands caressing it as she gazed upon its image. "Ms. Granger, why are you not in the Great Hall with the rest of your peers?"
When the professors stern voice reached her she spoke, but refused to meet his gaze. "I don't know how you missed it. This whole time, under your noses… I guess you should be proud your weapon ended up performing so well." The bushy haired blond laughd sadly to herself for several moments before Severus regained the ability to speak. What was that 'Know-It-All' going off about? He knew who she meant when she said weapon.
"What are you getting at Ms. Granger? You are playing a very serious game right now." He took an intimidating step foreward despite the feeling of his stomach dropping. "Where is Mr. Potter?" His body was stiff, she knew something.
Hermione wearily looked up at him, for the first time meeting his eyes. "You have never cared before, sir, but if you really want to know, we took steps to ensure that once it started we would end it. Our side couldn't take anymore abuse. We would have fallen! Harry and Luna… they will finish it this time and we did. His battle just ended and soon the world will know the outcome." The normally well-spoken girl was mixing up all her tenses, was she cursed?
"-Legamins!"
`~`~`~`~`~Memory~`~`~`~`~`
"How can you ask me to accept that?" a raging Hermione shouted, pushing the fairy like girl she was arguing with into the stones of the cold dungeon wall. The girl crashed into the wall with a slight bang as her head narrowly missed slamming into a protruding stone.
"I know you have understood,-" the girl began before she was harshly silenced.
"-I cannot fight with what you know. I just want to know why you would tell me that I am going to be the wardholder if things go wrong? If you think something might go wrong I should be there to help!"
Luna sighed and reached a pale hand to caress the older girls cheek. "You need to trust Harry and I. And I don't think something will go wrong, I know it will. With your help at the battleground itself we would have no one to tie the wards to once Harry is weakened. The second attack is a slaughter. We have enough time to prevent it, but you need to trust me. If you do not, the outcome we all desire will not come to play." Her emerald green eyes locked with Hermiones blue.
"I'm scared, I don't want to lose you, either of you."
"Then you have to trust me," it was whispered and the only thing Severus could hear as he was violently pushed from his students mind.
~`~`~`~End~`~`~`~
How did she push him from her mind? You had to be trained in the fine are of Occlumency in order to even hope to accomplish such a thing! His Legemincy skill was not lacking, he was a master of the art.
"Stay out of my head, Professor." The previously lethargic girl now glared at him. What wasn't he putting together? What didn't he know? "There is nothing there that I wish to share."
Albus would fix this.
End! So how did you guys like chapter 1? Was it alright? I hope so, I'm not a very good writer, but this idea just popped into my head and has since been writing itself on the page. Review =)