Chapter Ten: The Phantom Menace

Luke jumped up on the table in the Gryffindor common room, wand pointed at his sister. She had her own drawn and several first years were white faced as they watched the two siblings stare at each other. Their friends had risen from the sofa they were gathered around with worry etched on their faces. Fred and George gave each other worried glances.

What could have possibly happened to make the two siblings fight?

Finally Luke smirked down at Lydia. "I'll never join you!"

"A pity!" she cried. She lunged forward and the two swung their wands at each other, not casting any spells. Confusion rippled through the room. What were they doing?

Lydia knocked Luke's wand from his hand, sending it flying across the room and clattering to the floor. Luke clutched his hand, falling down on one knee. "There is no escape," Lydia breathed darkly. "Don't make me destroy you." Luke backed away.

"Luke. You do not yet realize your importance, you haven't even begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength we can end this destructive conflict, and bring order to the galaxy!"

"I'll never join you!"

"If you only knew the power of the dark side. Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father," she purred.

"He told me enough! He told me you killed him."

"No. I, am your father."

"NOOO!" Luke howled. He rolled onto his back and with a startled cry landed on the floor with a thud. Katie rushed forward, leaving her friends and homework as they gaped after her.

"Luke!"

"I'm alright! I'm alright," he said sitting up beaming. He looked over at Lydia, who was laughing. "That was fantastic! I've always wanted to try that."

"Mum and dad would have a laugh if they'd seen it," Lydia said, beaming.

"What was that?" Angelina asked, raising her voice. "We thought you were having a go at each other!"

"Ever heard of Star Wars?" Lydia asked as Katie helped Luke to his feet. Angelina looked slightly confused, eying them warily.

"It's something muggle related, right?"

"It's a movie," Hermione pipped up, watching them from the table she shared with Harry and Ron. "A muggle movie, about Jedi's and the force." Lydia snickered, finding it amusing that those words were coming from the girls mouth. Her explanation did nothing, however, to lessen the confusion.

"It's a bit difficult to explain if you haven't seen it," Luke said. "But apparently I'm named after the main character. Mum at least had enough sense not to call Lydia, Leia." Lydia groaned. "That would have been cruel. But Dad wanted her to be called Leia. He sometimes calls her that."

Lydia growled under her breath. "Shut it, Lu."

Luke flashed her a grin. "The main character also has a twin sister, my dad's obsessed with Star Wars." Lydia sighed and went to the sofa, sitting down next to Fred. She rested her head against the back and shut her eyes, unaware of Fred staring at the exposed column of her throat. He chanced a glance at Luke, seeing that Katie had his undivided attention. Fred cleared his throat.

"So, can I see this muggle movie?"

Lydia opened her eyes and flashed him a brilliant smile. "I'd love to."

"Good, cause I want to see this Leia you were almost named after." Lydia huffed, smacking his arm, but still smiled at him. She would never tell him that her middle name was in fact Leia. She would hold onto that until she absolutely couldn't.

"Hey, Heart!" Lydia and Luke turned as the owner of the voice sauntered up the hallway to them. His dark eyes were on Lydia and Luke stiffened from beside her. Lydia's lip curled in a sneer.

"Montague," she hissed.

Students parted, silently watching as the Slytherin stopped before them. He looked them up and down, but he mainly had eyes only for Lydia. His lips parted in a sinister smile, that sent chills running down her spine. He didn't say anything until two more Slytherin joined him, flanking his sides. They were smaller than he was, but no less creepy looking.

"I hear you've had fun in detention with Umbridge," he finally said.

Lydia narrowed her eyes. "Jealous Montague? I didn't know you had a thing for older women." Gasps erupted from the gathered onlookers. Several 'oohs!' from lower years. Montague sneered at her, his nose scrunching with disgust.

"How typical, Heart. It seems your kind always look towards the more filthy side of things."

"My kind?" Lydia snapped. "What exactly are my kind?"

Montague grinned, crossing his arms. "Mudbloods. You'll never be anything but a dirty little mudblood, I'm surprised you can even use a wand." Lydia's blood boiled. She took a step forward, ripping her arm out of Luke's grasp as he tried to stop her.

"Really?" she sneered. "You're one to talk, can't even Apparate yet I here? Probably from all that inbreeding. Its funny that I can do such a simple thing," she looked him up and down and smirked, "while you can't. Apparently blood isn't everything."

Montague looked livid, fists clenching and knuckles turning white. His forearms flexed threateningly, but Lydia remained unfazed.

"Take that back, mudblood."

"Can't take your own medicine, eh?"

"You stupid little-"

"Watch your tongue, Montague," Luke hissed. "It's not my sister you'll have to worry about." Montague looked at Luke.

"So nice to see that you've grown a pair, Heart. I was beginning to think your little mudblood sister was going to be the only fighting. But as I said," he looked at Lydia, "you both are a bunch of worthless mudbloods."

"And you're an inbred imbecile," Lydia replied. "I bet your own inbred father is just the same." Fury swept over Montague's features, and he reached inside his robes drawing his wand. He pointed it at her. She had taken a step back, drawing her own wand. The two stared each other down.

The gathered students began to murmur excitedly.

"Don't talk about my father!"

"Make me!"

"Densaugeo!"

Lydia's eyes widened and a sharp pain blossomed in her mouth as the spell it her. The proximity of the spell caused her to fly off her feet and into the person behind her. Lydia hit the floor with a yell of alarm. She could hear Luke yelling, but she kept her gaze firmly rooted on the stone floor.

Merlin her teeth hurt. She reached up, feeling her mouth, whimpering in alarm. Her teeth! They were growing! Her eyes watered, as the pain built slowly. Another whimper left her mouth.

"You deserve it! Filthy mudblood!" Montague spat as he tried to fight off Luke's punches. The boys were going at each other while students chanted.

He had humiliated her. Lydia didn't dare look up, keeping her eyes firmly rooted on the ground. Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and another whimper tore from her.

"Enough!" came a loud stern voice. Professor Snape.

He approached Montague and Luke, in his billowing black robes, staring coldly at them. His eyes rested briefly on Lydia before he glared at the boys. "If someone would take Miss Heart to the infirmary," he said lowly. Lydia felt someone wrap their arms around hers and pull her to her feet. She didn't raise her eyes to see who it was, but it was hard to ignore that flaming red hair that entered her vision. Ginny.

As Lydia was led away, Snape turned to the boys. "My office. Now."

Ginny entered the common room, looking for her friends. She had left Lydia with Madame Pomfrey. Lydia had refused to let her stay, not even raising her eyes as she told Ginny that she was fine on her own. Ginny hoped Luke didn't get into too much trouble.

It was Montague's fault anyway. But he was Slytherin, and so was Snape. Foul git, he would probably punish Luke the most.

Ginny spotted Fred and George in a corner, showing their skivving snackboxes to eager first years. She rolled her eyes. If only their mum knew. She waved at several house mates she knew, and drew near her brothers. Ginny waited as they passed out the candies and began taking notes as the symptoms began taking effect.

As Fred fed the antidote candies to them George looked up at her.

"Hey, Gin," he greeted with his usual smile. She smiled back. "Want to try some?"

"No thanks, George," she said. He rolled his eyes at her and sighed. "I actually came to tell you-"

"Tell us what?" Fred cut in, a goofy grin on his face. He batted his eyes at her. Ginny frowned at him.

"I came to tell you that Luke and Lydia got into a fight with Montague."

"Blimey! Why didn't you say so sooner!" George leapt to his feet. "We want to see that!"

Ginny bit her lip, brows drawing together. "Actually . . . . it's already over. Luke is with Snape and Montague. He's probably in for a months worth of detentions."

"And Lydia?" Fred asked, no longer smiling.

Ginny shifted uncomfortably. "Well, she and Montague were insulting each other, she said something about his father and Montague lost it. He jinxed her, and then Luke started a fist fight with him."

"Bloody hell," George murmured.

"Are they alright?" asked Fred.

"Luke looks a little banged up . . . Lydia's not feeling too well. Montague used 'densaugeo'. I took her to the infirmary," Ginny said. Fred shot to his feet, heading towards the portrait hole. George went after him, reaching out and stopping him.

"Gred, you know Poppy won't let anyone in now that it's so close to dinner," George said, frowning.

"Yeah, I know that-"

"Doesn't mean we can't sneak in later," George offered with a sly grin. Fred smirked.

"Sounds brilliant," Fred said grinning.

Luke sat heavily on the bench, letting out a sigh. Lee stared at him, open mouthed. Angelina gasped and Alicia's brows rose up into her hairline. Katie covered her mouth, while Fred and George leaned towards him. He hurt, more pointedly his face hurt. His nose throbbed and he rubbed it lightly.

"So, what's the verdict?" Fred asked, eying him carefully.

Luke growled, stabbing a bun with his fork. "Snape gave me three weeks worth of detention. He let Montague off with two," Luke leaned towards them, "I think Montague got two weeks instead of one for calling Lee a mud-"

"Don't say it!" Fred hissed. Luke snapped his jaw shut and glared down at his plate.

"Anyway," he muttered lowly, "Montague's got a lovely gift from me." They looked at him with varying frowns and raised their gazes to the Slytherin table. The burly Slytherin was glaring at the back of Luke's head, his mates talking animatedly beside him while several fussing girls flocked to his side. He was sporting a black eye, and a severely swollen nose, possibly broken. His robes were still disheveled from the fight, and his lip was still bleeding.

"Blimey!" George beamed turning back to Luke, "you gave him a sound beating!"

"And Lydia?" Angelina asked carefully, noting the other twins absence. They all did, but she was the only one to bring it up. Her brown eyes studied Luke carefully, patiently waiting for news of her friend. "George said she was in the infirmary, but Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let me see her."

Luke sighed through his nose, feeling somewhat bare without his sister. He knew she was hurting, the image of her flying through the air and the gasp that escaped her lips as she fell kept replaying in his mind. No one, touched his sister. No one. No one jinxed her either without having to answer to him. He clenched his fists, remembering Montague's words, as he called his sister 'filthy, and worthless'. If Snape hadn't shown up, Luke knew he wouldn't have ended that fight anytime soon.

"She'll be fine, just . . . don't bring it up," he gazed at them, taking in their responses. "He humiliated her. She's not going to let that slide. Plus we have Defense Against the Dark Arts tomorrow, it doesn't matter if Umbridge is there, she will start something if we're not careful." He clenched his jaw, ignoring the pain that shot through his mouth, probably bruised, he mused silently.

"How can you be so sure? What if she just wants to keep everything on the down low?" Alicia asked quietly.

Luke lifted his eyes, giving them all a firm look. "I know my sister, she's not someone to let something like this slide."

Luke turned to his food quietly, eating sparingly, not really hungry. Their parents were going to be thrilled, when they got word of this. But it didn't matter right now, he only hoped that Lydia was okay. He had seen the flash of pain in her eyes and the muffled cries as she stared at the floor. He had realized that she was crying. It was startling. Lydia didn't cry often.

A gentle hand landed on his arm, causing him to look up. Katie was smiling at him, eyes worried. She leaned towards him and rested her head against his shoulder. Her black hair smelled like flowers. Her hand took one of his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"It'll be alright," she murmured quietly so that only he could hear. Luke tilted his head to rest against hers. He hoped that Katie was right. But then again, when was she ever wrong? A tiny smile curled the corners of his lips.

Fred tossed and turned, unable to find sleep. His blue eyes kept landing on his other half, apparently asleep in his own bed, facing away from him. Fred scowled, and rolled over again. It was late, sure. But he wanted to see Lydia. Hadn't George said they were going to go sneak into the infirmary? Bloody git.

George knew he liked her. There had been no hiding it from him, and now Luke suspected him too. Was he that obvious?

Fred tried to use Angelina against George, but his twin had merely smirked. "I'd just like to see you try," he had said. He didn't, knowing that George and Angelina would only laugh off his accusation. She was a very pretty girl, that Angelina. They had been together last year . . . but with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and Cedric Diggory's death, nothing had come of their relationship.

Stop thinking about it, Fred, he growled to himself. He turned, glaring at his twin one more time as his eyelids began to droop with sleep. He heard the door open to the dormitory, and the shuffling of feet followed by a 'thwump', as something hit a mattress. He lifted his head slightly, catching sight of Luke sprawled out in his bed, clothes still on.

What was he up to?

Fred didn't dwell too long on it, drifting to sleep. A soft snore left his mouth as he rolled over and joined his other dorm mates in dreaming.

A bit of jumping around in this chapter. I had a little fun with this, don't be too upset. Actually, since Luke and Lydia are muggleborn their parents would know about Star Wars. I did the math, Star Wars came out before they were born. Plus it was a pretty big hit. It would seem like fate for their parents, who are huge fans, to have twins. Hopefully I got my math right.

Besides, once I told my sister what Luke and Lydia's names were, she was totally like, "Star Wars moment! Please?" And I couldn't resist. So this chapter is sort of my sisters idea. I also wanted to add a fight between them and Montague. He's the bully every kid has in school, and it seemed natural to give them one. Makes the whole experience more real, I think.

Then Fred at the end, couldn't help myself. His thoughts here play majorly into this story. So it won't be the last of this strain of thought. It will be back.

Thanks to all my reviewers! And Readers! Next chapter we get int the Umbridge takeover!

R&R!

~filimeala