Disclaimer: I own nothing relating to Harry Potter I only own the characters that if you looked in the book you would never find. Everything Harry Potter related belongs to J.K. Rowling.

As he arrived at Platform 9 ¾ Theo looked around for his friends. His father had stayed long enough to help him get a trolley and then returned to the manor. Theo was pissed. His father had always been the rather absent type but after Theo had first introduced him to his friends it had grown far more pronounced. Now the two rarely saw each other except for meals and trips to both Diagon Alley and the Platform.

Sighing, when he couldn't find his friends Theo climbed on the train to try to find a compartment. After he located a suitably empty one he began to put his trunk up grunting with the effort. Then he heard his name. He turned around only to be tackled with a hug. He saw enough of the dirty blonde hair to know it was Emilia.

"Hey Emilia," he said.

She didn't respond for a moment and just kept her face buried in his robes.

When she finally did respond she looked up and said, "I heard your dad vouched for me at the ministry. How did you manage to convince him to do that?"

Theo cracked a smile and said, "I can be very persuasive."

The pair then noticed that they still had their arms around each other and pulled apart blushing.

"Want to sit down?" Theo asked.

She nodded, and he helped her put her trunk up.

As the pair sat down the door burst open and in ran their friends, Timmy, Kylie, and Jakub. Theo smiled and he and Emilia greeted their friends excitedly. The group had been unable to meet up over the summer as they could never get out to the orphanage to meet up with Emilia. As he greeted his friends and slapped Timmy a high five he noticed something.

"Where's Johnny?" he asked Timmy.

As he asked Timmy's face fell, "He's dead," was his short response.

As Timmy told the story Theo was horrified, Death Eaters had come to Timmy's house over the summer searching for Harry Potter. Johnny had tried to force them out and they had killed them. In a rage of anger and fear Timmy had taken his beater's bat and beaten the Death Eater to death after his colleague had disapparated. After that his family went into hiding.

Johnny was Timmy's older brother, a fifth year who had been a member of Harry Potter's Dumbledore's Army. He and Timmy had been very close and Timmy was clearly devastated by the loss. As he told the story Kylie gave him a hug. She understood what it was like to lose a family member to Voldemort as her aunt was killed in a muggle baiting by the Death Eaters early the year before.

Jakub looked at Timmy and said, "So you killed a Death Eater, I have to say mate that's wicked even considering the circumstances."

Emilia and Kylie both slapped him. Timmy however gave Jakub a small smile.

"It wasn't fun to kill someone," he said, "However, I am glad I was able to avenge my brother and make at least a small dent in You-Know-Who's army."

"I'm sorry mate," Theo said giving Timmy an awkward bro-hug. "I know you guys were close."

Timmy thanked him and buried his face into Kylie giving Theo the sneaking suspicion he had let his tough guy act fall and he had succumbed to tears.

As the journey progressed the group gradually fell back into their old routine talking and trying to laugh and joke as they approached Hogwarts. Unfortunately the discussion turned to the new headmaster and the mood turned somber.

"Do you think Snape actually killed Dumbledore, I mean he was your head of house for the last two years so what do you think?" Kylie asked Theo.

"I don't know," Theo said, "I mean he was a bit of a git but I'm not sure he had it in him to kill someone. But at the same time he just disappeared after the battle."

"Also Harry said he did it so I believe him," Timmy added.

"For now we should try not to worry about it because he can't kill students at Hogwarts it would raise to much suspicion," said Emilia.

"Yeah," Jakub agreed, "besides we're giving him hell either way so does it matter?"

"Yes it matter you gumby," exclaimed Kylie, "If he actually killed Dumbledore he'll have no problem at least torturing an insolent third year that keeps pranking him!"

"Just don't do anything too bad mate," said Theo.

"Yeah we actually enjoy having you around," Timmy agreed.

"Anyways," Emilia said, " I see the station let's go"

As they stepped out of the compartment and walked towards the platform a short stumpy man stopped them.

"Slytherins are the first to the carriages this year," he said.

"They're with me," Theo said.

"No they aren't," the man replied angrily, "Now get off the train or it will be a months detentions."

Not wanting to get in trouble Theo shot his friends an apologetic glance and stepped off the train. After he found a carriage with several quiet Slytherin second years he began to angrily glare at the stumpy man's back. He didn't like the way this year was shaping up with his friends being deemed unworthy. As he thought this the carriage passed several dementors and Theo not having time to think of something happy saw his worst fear.

He stood in the Hogwarts Great Hall, glancing around he saw the dead bodies of students littering the floor. Glancing down he saw the worst thing he'd ever seen, his friends dead and unmoving. Jakub lay spread eagle on the floor with his face oddly blank. He was never that still and his face never that empty. Beside him was his cousin Kylie. Her beautiful features were mauled and bloody and she lay unmoving. Looking around Theo saw Fenrir Greyback licking his lips and Theo knew without a doubt he was responsible for his friend's death. As he went to curse Greyback Theo saw Timmy, his one of his best friends, lying on the ground it was obvious he had attacked Greyback, probably shortly after he killed Kylie. Then came the sight that hurt the most. He saw Lord Voldemort standing over Emilia, his best friend, she had been disarmed but was still alive. Then he was outside his body and he saw Voldemort turn to him. Then the Dark Lord spoke, "Kill her Theo, you know the spell."

Then Theo saw himself raise his wand. He knew what would happen next and he tried to scream, "NO DON'T, PLEASE STOP!" but he couldn't find his voice.

As he was forced to watch Theo saw Emilia look at him in fear as he saw himself smile sadistically and say the words, "Avada Kedavra!"

There was a flash of green light followed by a rushing noise and Emilia lay dead with her last expression of betrayal permanently etched on her face.

"NO!" Theo tried to scream but he still had no voice.

Back in the carriage Theo wrenched himself from the scene breathing hard and clammy with sweat. It did not appear the others in the Carriage had noticed his momentary lapse as they all looked to be battling their own demons. Still breathing hard Theo thought about the nightmarish vision he had just seen. It was his deepest fear that in the end he wouldn't be there to help his friends or worse do what he just saw and actively betray them. As he walked into the Great Hall and took a seat at the Slytherin table Theo knew he would have to tell Emilia about what he saw. "Tonight, I'll do it tonight," he promised himself.

As the rest of the school filed into the hall to start the feast he caught Emilia's eye and mouthed, "We need to talk."

She nodded once in acceptance and sat down.

After the sorting, which Theo payed no attention to, Snape rose to speak. And as he spoke Theo was certain the next year was going to be beyond difficult, especially for his friends.