CHAPTER TEN:

Traitor In Our Midst

(AUTHORS NOTES:OMG.. THANKS TO CHEMICAL77. Your review made me smile! I'm glad you like this so far! And thanks to Nadia141491 for pointing out a boneheaded error in editing on my part.. In one of the previous chapters, I misquoted Harry's birthday.. What I actually meant was that it was ironic that he'd tell Harry about having a half sister on the night he originally LOST his parents, which if memory serves, was in october. Sorry guys, I'm an idiot. But thanks for the reviews you two have really inspired me to keep this one going and maybe I'll FINALLY finish it, after 5 years of it sitting on my computer doing essentially nothing.)

(OTHER AUTHORS NOTES: Harry got the quill punishment first.. So did several others in my version of this. I thought it might be interesting to have the original character be questioned about Dumbledore's Army also, to make it seem a little more realistic. And if she's going to be paired with Neville, it's sort of a bond builder or something. Again, I stress.. Not taking anything away from Harry Potter, just telling the story of my original character at Hogwarts, what she goes through as a result of this war, and her pairing being Neville, who is a front runner in the war, of course, naturally, that will come with consequence. If you don't like, sorry.. No flames, please? As I stated, this story is about 5 years old, I just decided to post what I had and actually work to finishing it. Also, my version is slightly more out of whack.. Events are taking place out of order, I realize this.. I really am trying, I promise. Everything that happened in the book WILL happen, but things will be added to, elaborated on from the point of view of my original character as it effects her personally. I have a GOOD reason for the secret coming out in this book as opposed to the 6th like I'd originally planned. ;p)

The collective group of them sat and stared at their hands and each other in disbelief. Earlier in the night, their secret meeting, the last one before holiday began, it'd been intercepted by Umbridge, they'd all had to suffer consequence. When they found out who'd told on them ultimately, nearly all of them, Harry being the most shocked, had been shocked beyond belief.

He'd trusted her.

Charmaine sighed as she leaned back against Neville and said quietly, " I feel bad for him."

Neville nodded as the twins added in a whisper, " Never thought it'd be her that'd crack. Personally, our bets were on Lavvie."

"Mine too." Charmaine admitted as she added, "Think you know someone.. I mean, yeah, I get that Umbridge was using VeritaSerum. I get that she was putting us all through literal hell.. But Cho?"

Harry sighed as he shrugged and said quietly, "She's really upset about it."

"That doesn't excuse it." Hermione argued as Charmaine rolled her eyes at the outburst but added, "Agreed. Completely." Of course, Hermione's concern was the fate of their classes.. Her concern was her younger half brother. They'd been attempting to bond and get to know one another, and it'd been going alright, so she'd began to feel slightly protective of the younger sibling she never realized she had.

And as a result, he'd sort of told her about how he felt about Cho.

And now, knowing Cho did this, it was a disappointment.

"Let's not focus on it." Harry muttered, disappointed, a little more than angry. "Holidays start tomorrow.. Everyone needs to keep working.. Because tonight won't stop us."

"Where are we going to do it, though?" someone asked as he shrugged and said "I just know that now that she's High Inquisitor of Hogwarts, it's going to be really difficult.. But we'll have to make it work somehow."

They nodded and gradually stood, filtered out of the room. Charmaine sat down next to her brother, said quietly, "The weakness in it disgusts me.. But I suppose it's because of what I live through.. I understand that she probably had no other choice, Harry."

He nodded and then asked quietly, "And you.. What are you doing about going home?"

"I haven't decided.. I sort of have to, if you look at it.. Don't want to, I never want to, really.. But I've got no other choice.. Until Dumbledore and Professor Snape, err, my father.. Until they figure something out, I have to act as if things were normal."

"There's a bus.. If you want to leave, summon it.." Harry said as he added, "Ask it to bring you to the Burrows."

"I couldn't impose.. I'll be fine. Trust me." she said as the siblings stood and Harry said quietly, "Your father he.. He told me to look out for you. And I want to.. So I mean it, if anything happens, leave."

"And go where, Harry.. I barely know your friends, I suppose I could go to my friends, but..." she trailed off as she said quietly, "Are you really alright?"

"Not really, but I'll manage. I shouldn't have been so quick to trust her." he said as he shrugged it off. Charmaine said quietly, "If it helps any.. I think a certain red haired girl fancies you." before stiffly and formally hugging her younger brother and standing, turned to walk out of the room, meeting Neville in the hallway. She sighed as she said quietly, "If this is any indication of what lies ahead of me.. My holiday's already looking to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys." grimly as Neville held her against him and said "Doesn't have to be.. Can't you go to Josie or Mary Beth, Rosa's?"

"They're all going on some ski trip."

"Just don't stay if it.." he started as she looked up at him and said with a slight smile, "I've dealt with it this long. I can deal with it a bit longer." before raising to kiss him as she said quietly, "I'll miss seeing you."

"And I'll miss seeing you too." he said as he smiled, looked down at her. Tomorrow, they'd go back to their homes for the holidays, and now that he knew what she went back to, as her boyfriend, he wasn't entirely thrilled about her going back. Which is probably why, after she was in her dorm, playing some game with her friends, he sought out Harry.

"Something's got to be done. About all of it."

"It does." Harry stated as he said quietly, "I told her to come to the Burrows."

"So did I. Or go to a friends."

"Just don't hurt her, Longbottom." Harry warned as he looked at the taller Gryffindor in complete seriousness. They sat quietly and Neville stated, "Sorry about Cho.. Nobody ever thought she'd be the one to give us away."

"I know. Makes me angry.. But then I remember she had no choice, really. Umbridge was doing anything and everything to get someone to give it up and she finally got what she wanted. But not for long. We'll figure something out, yeah?"

"We could always sneak out to the Forbidden Forest." Neville suggested as Harry shook his head and said bitterly, "Those prats will find out, run back and tell her. I think for now, one of the towers is best."

"It's all about to get worse, isn't it?" Neville mused as Harry nodded and muttered, "That's what I'm afraid of, really."

"Me too."

The two Gryffindors made their way into their shared dorm room, sat up trying to figure out just how much Umbridge was going to wreck while she was High Inquisitor. Because she'd only been so a short time, she'd already banned Quidditch, posted several dozen rules on the wall, and now, their defense classes were discovered.

The grim reality of the situation was beginning to set in amongst the students and the warning the Sorting Hat gave in the beginning was really beginning to make sense to those it hadn't made sense to before. People were dividing, there were still a great many who didn't believe Voldemort was back. But those who did were worried about what was going to happen next, what lie ahead for everyone.

And with Umbridge placed here by the Ministry, how was anyone going to properly defend themselves when things finally got to their breaking point?