Wanting to kill something or someone wasn't new. Rage was common enough for a pretty boy in an orphanage, for a boy with no family in Slytherin's House. Tom took a deep breath. He was well used to masking his feelings. He had learned to manage his natural responses.

The others were not used to it. They were milling about the rooms with no purpose, creatures of impotence and wrath. Watching Longbottom throw curses at a practice dummy was disturbing. The boy was affable and kind. He was not meant for this.

"That curse Potter used, it's meant to kill." Luna stared out the window. "It was cold. He should be cold. He shouldn't be cosseted while Hermione is punished, but he will be."

Tom nodded. He'd drawn the same conclusion. This world was a haven for Dumbledore's set.

"We need to do something." Greg growled. "It's not right. They hurt her, and it isn't fucking right."

Tom shook his head, and repressed his urges again. Hermione wouldn't want him to lead her little group on a murderous spree. She wouldn't care that they wanted him to lead them. Trying to adhere to her moral strictures was complicated. He hadn't had enough time to figure out how strongly she held her various convictions or where she might be flexible.

Was there enough wiggle room for him to get some needed revenge?

The others would let him. They were lost to their emotions. They needed something to do.

Dumbledore had sent him back to their undisguised dormitory as soon as the old man had entered the infirmary again. He'd known it was coming, but he'd stood and stared at the old wizard, lost in his desire to cast every hex he knew. Severus Snape had pushed him lightly to start him walking.

Leaving her there had been difficult, but Snape seemed capable enough. She was safe. He knew it, but intellect didn't relieve his anxiety.

He needed to do something.

"We need to fix up her room." Luna jumped up and headed toward Hermione's bedroom. "She likes it tidy but only gets time to clean it once in a long while."

Tom followed the group into a utilitarian nightmare. There were none of the personal touches he expected. It was a place to sleep, nothing more.

"See?" Luna looked at him. The blonde clearly wanted him to understand something. He glanced around the room and frowned.

"She doesn't keep personal items out?" He cocked his head.

"She doesn't invest in places." Luna frowned.

"The common room is inviting enough." Tom rubbed the back of his neck.

James glared at the silvery doe standing next to his bed. The loud screech was his wife's clever addition, a long distance way to torture him. He flopped onto his back and shoved the body next to his. If he was going to have to live through her diatribe, Pads would as well.

"I'm too tired, Prongs." Sirius mumbled. "Later, yeah?"

"Get your lazy arse up." James sat up. "The wife has sent a message."

"What were the two of you thinking?" The doe seemed to grow brighter as it spoke. Both men shaded their eyes with their hands. "You taught him some advanced cutting curse, and he bloody well used it. On a girl. In a bloody duel. The damn thing sliced through her enchanted dragon hide armor. What in hell were you thinking?"

"As a long distance harangue, it lacks a certain punch." Sirius frowned and rubbed his eyes with the backs of his hands. "Why is Harry using advanced spells in a duel? I thought the dueling club was kept to stunners and minor hexes and jinxes."

Another silver doe ran into the room. This one was glowing brighter than the last. James fought the urge to scream as it bleated out its alarm.

"That's just vindictive, that is." Sirius rubbed his temples.

"Her emergency contact is Severus Snape." The doe spoke with Lily's voice. "He's with her now. I'd bet the Potter rubies he goes after Peter and tries to get Harry expelled. Get your arses up here. Now."

"She's such a dear." Sirius grimaced. "I'm so glad she lives in the wild north most of the time."

"You didn't notice then?" James rubbed the back of his neck and glanced toward his lover. "She didn't pretend we'd be sleeping separately. She's more than a bit angry."

"Well, dealing with the greasy git will do that." Sirius waved his hand and summoned his dragon hide trousers. "We can see Harry again and visit Wormtail. It's not all bad."

"Don't start something with Lily." James sighed and yanked up his pants and denims. "She's been sad lately."

"Wormy carrying tales?" Sirius arched a brow.

"I do talk to her. She is my wife." James yanked a grey cashmere jumper from the chest of drawers and yanked it over his head. "She's the mother of my heir."

"I love Lily." Sirius frowned down at their tousled bedsheets. "I just don't fancy sharing."

Her room was comfortably decorated now. There was a mobile made of crystal flowers that splashed colors on the walls. Green cotton sheets were folded neatly under a floral duvet. The book cases were still stuffed, but pictures were framed and scattered along with odd trinkets making the books seem secondary. This was the room of a young woman.

"Dumbledore won't see her in this room. It's camouflage." Luna grinned. "He will see just what we want him to see. A girl in a bad situation struggling to make a life for herself and her friends."

"Not a real threat." Longbottom grinned. "Not with that picture of Crookshanks dressed as the muggle's Father Christmas."

"It's cute." Millie crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the others. "We need to scatter some study materials around the main rooms, and toss some weird notes in the bin."

"I should do it." Neville shrugged. "Dumbledore and my family think I'm just a bit more than a squib. They would expect to find evidence of my issues."

"I'm with you." Greg nodded. "Father still thinks I'm cheating to get my grades. Proud of it, too."

"He thinks you're cheating and he's proud?" Neville shook his head.

"It's a Slytherin thing." Millie chuckled.

"You would think I'd have adapted by now." Neville frowned.

"Why would you? We don't think that way." Luna smirked. "We aren't members of those houses. We're ouroboros. Which brings us to the next situation. We need to teach Tom how to deal with the nonsense tomorrow will bring."

"You showed off a great deal of power." Greg frowned. "You'll have admirers."

"I don't see the problem." Tom looked to Luna. She seemed to know more than the others.

"If they see us as we are, the battle will never end." Luna shrugged. "They'll challenge us again and again."

"An inconvenience." Tom waved his hand dismissively.

"We need them to see us as insignificant. We can be talented, but not superlative. Not yet." Luna sighed. "It's annoying as a nargle infestation, but there it is. Pretend you didn't know what you were doing. It was some weird thing that just happened. They'll want to believe it, so they will."