Harry Potter

The Fight for Survival

By xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related concepts do not belong to me! I am merely borrowing them for my own personal enjoyment. All OC's and anything you dont recognize is copyrighted by me: xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Rating: K

Pairing: Marcus/OC - Fred/OC - Harry/Ginny

Genre: Adventure/Friendship/Romance

Warnings: Please do not flame me for anything.

Summary: In order to deal with the future, one must understand the past. As the final battle approches the safety of Hogwarts is called into question. But as danger looms, the fight for magic...may come with a price.

Author's Note: Chapter dedicated too: Razmend, Matt-hardy-lover-101, BamaRose, Itzkevin97, NewFanFictionFan, Fan of Fics, DJScales and PurpleSunshine56. Thanks for your awesome comments.

Author's Note Two: In response to BamaRose: The end of 'The Fight for Survival' will be different to the cannon 'Half-Blood Prince'. But hopefully everything will work out, and it wont seem choppy or forced.

The Cursed Necklace

"...and then there was another flash of light and I landed on the bed again," Ron grinned, as he sat at the Gryffindor breakfast table the next morning; reaching out into the middle of the table the red head helped himself to some sausages.

Riley, who sat side-by-side with Hermione shook her head in disapprovement "I can't believe you're using spells from a book you were given in Potions," she pointed out, going back to her breakfast "Charlie was right, this is Ginny and the Chamber all over again!"

"I bet Charlie would think its funny," Ron pointed out

Hermione shook her head "Wouldn't bet on it!" she spoke, her voice firm "For once in her life Charlie has some sense to agree with me and Riley on this subject. She may have agreed with you in the past, but given what happened to Ginny..." she trailed off

Ron glared across the table "Don't worry about them Harry," he told his best friend "Their just jealous that the Prince is making you smarter than them! They don't like competition"

"Whatever, Ronald!" Riley growled, rising to her feet and snatching her bag from under the table "In all fairness, if you're going to get into that, we are merely trying to help Harry! After everything he's been through he is going around doing something stupid like this, and following instructions from a book that he barely knows about!" she pointed out, before turning to Hermione "I'll see you in Hogsmeade," and she turned toe before fleeing across to the Slytherin table.

xXxHarryPotterxXx

Charlie shook her head as she listened to Riley recite everything Ron had told her at breakfast "Oh, I say let them get on with it," the Muggleborn Slytherin stated "If Harry wants to be stupid and recite some incantation out of a book, let him! He'll know when he's made a mistake when something goes wrong and he has to explain everything to Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall,"

"When did you become so responsible?" Riley asked

The Slytherin shrugged, as she passed by Filch after he had searched for any hidden objects "They say girls mature faster than boys," she grinned

Draco, Nathan and Blaise glared at her

"I wasnt directing that at you lot," Charlie pointed out "But if you want, we can get into all that"

"No thank you!" the three boys chimed, before walking away.

Charlie smirked and shook her head, as she glanced over her shoulder as Nikki, Marcus and Adrian joined them, flanked by Daphne, Pansy and Millicent.

"Your friend Weasley, doesnt know when to keep his mouth shut, does he?" Millicent asked

"What's he done this time?" Riley asked

Pansy glanced over her shoulder "He just asked Filch why he is checking what students are smuggling out of the castle, as opposed to bringing in"

Riley rolled her eyes "Why doesnt he use his brain for a change?"

"Which one?" Charlie smirked "His brain up there -" she pointed to her head "- doesnt work! The other im not sure about either...and I don't think I want to know!"

Daphne, Millicent and Pansy stared at their friend, as Riley cupped her hand over her mouth and smuggled her giggles effortlessy "Charlie!" the four of the exclaimed. Nikki, meanwhile, was looking beside herself at the comment, while Marcus and Adrian just looked confused.

"Never mind," Charlie shook her head, before grabbing Marcus's hand as they headed towards the gates. "Argh! Its cold out here!" she complained

xXxHarryPotterxXx

The walk into Hogsmeade was not an enjoyable one, the wind blew harshly and by the time they had reached the High Street their faces were raw and numb. Charlie spotted the Three Broomsticks and pointed it out to her friends, before grabbing Riley's arm and making a break for the pub. The two girls skidded to halts outside the door, just as it opened from the inside and Fred Weasley stepped out.

"Little Gem!" he grinned, swooping down and Riley and kissing her deeply

Charlie grimmaced "Ew!" she complained, pushing past the couple and into the warmth of the pub. "Oh..." she grinned, shivering as the cold air rippled through her "Can we stay in here all day?" she questioned, as the door behind her opened.

"If you want too," Marcus answered, walking in behind and wrapping his arms around her waist, as he led her to a nearby table. Since they were meeting the Gryffindors as well as the Slytherin's Charlie suggested putting two tables together so that there would be room for everyone and they wouldnt be crowded around one small booth. "Nikki and Adrian have gone to get drinks, Riley's with Weasley -"

Charlie grinned "Probably mid-makeout," she teased, knocking her head back and dropping it onto his shoulder as she glanced up at him "and Daphne, Millicent and Pansy?"

"Gone to find Draco, Nathan and Blaise" Marcus answered "Your Gryffindor friends were also behind us, I overheard Potter telling the other two he was meeting you here,"

Charlie nodded "I hope Draco, Daphne and the others don't breathe a word about what they are going to hear today," she stated "I promised Professor Dumbledore, I wouldnt tell anyone other than you and Nikki, but its only fair that they know"

"They're your friends," Marcus mumured, brushing his lips against her ear causing her to shiver "You can trust them"

Charlie smirked and nodded in agreement; as the door to the Three Broomsticks opened and Alex Malcolm walked in. He glowered in their direction, before disappearing into the crowd as Nikki, Adrian and Riley returned; the latter pulling Fred along with her.

xXxHarryPotterxXx

Soon once everyone had turned up; the discussion about last night's lesson between Harry, Charlie and Dumbledore began.

"Yeah, but Merope was a witch!" Charlie pointed out, after Harry had explained the memory; and Ron's reaction had been the same as his best friends "you seem to be forgetting that"

Ron looked confused "Not by the way you just explained her," he pointed out "Sounds like a Squib to me"

"If you asked me my opinion, I'd say that Merope's magical powers appeared to their best advantage when she was being terrorized by her faher and brother," Riley inputted, lowering her Butterbeer bottle "Once she was free of their violence and aggression; im sure it was then that she gave full reign to her magic and was finally able to plan her escape from the life she had led for eighteen years"

Hermione glanced at the table top "But how do you think she got away?" she asked "I mean, especially with Tom Riddle Snr, if he was already with someone else, why would he just up and leave with Merope?"

"Again, you keep forgetting she was a witch," Charlie repeated "She could have used anything to her advantage, as long as she had magic on her side"

Harry nodded "There's the Imperious Curse," he suggested

"Nah, I think she'd use something a little more personal," Daphne countered "I mean, its not really love if your forcing someone under the Imperious curse"

Pansy quirked a curious eyebrow "Its not love if your forcing them with the Imperious curse, or not" she pointed out "But what else could she have used?"

"Love potion?" Riley asked, everyone turned in her direction "It would be more romantic than the imperious curse; and it wouldnt be very difficult to slip it to him" she explained

Draco looked confused "So what happened to her father and brother?" he asked

"We can assume that they were killed," Charlie answered "Or died of natural causes. Marvolo was really big on blood purity, I thought he was going to kill Merope when he found out that she was lusting after a Muggle"

"And Merope died, didnt she?" Hermione asked "Didnt Voldemort grow up in an orphange?"

Charlie and Harry nodded "Its a guessing game after this point," the Gryffindor responded "One can only assume that things turned south after a few months..."

"Its not really that hard to figure out," Charle interrupted "I mean, using Voldemort's history, and everything we know about him to this point; its just like a jigsaw puzzle. You just gotta find the right pieces that fit..." she shrugged "We know that Voldemort grew up in an orphange, we also know that Merope died the night her son was born, and we know that Voldemort killed his own father when he was eighteen..."

Nathan turned in the Muggleborn's direction "So what happened in between that time?" he asked

"Between the time that Merope and Tom Riddle Snr married and up to the time she died," Millicent nodded "Why did he leave?"

"If I had to venture a guess," Charlie responded "Merope stopped giving him the love potion after a while; probably thought that he had actually come to love her on his own, or he would stay because she was pregnant with his child" she shrugged "Second guess she got on both, didnt she? Because Tom left her and their baby, never saw her again, and he never bothered to try and find his son after he had been born!"

Riley frowned "Sounds like a dead-beat dad, if you ask me" she mumured

Charlie nodded in agreement, before squeaking and burying her head in her hands as the door to the pub opened once more.

"What is it?" Daphne asked, getting up out of her chair to use the bathroom. She glanced around but so no one of relevance to make Charlie hide

"Slughorn," Charlie said, peering through her fingers "Harry, you can go talk to him!" she prompted the Gryffindor

Harry frowned "Why have I gotta go talk to him?" he asked "He wants you, Riley and I for his collection. Dumbledore wants the three of us to let him collect us, I say the three of us go talk to him"

"No, 'cause he calls me Serenity" Charlie pouted "and besides, he's sitting near Malcolm" she glowered across the room

Riley rolled her eyes "Come on, Malcolm's not going to try anything with all of us here" she pointed out "and besides its for Dumbledore..." she got to her feet along with Harry and held her hand out to her best friend "Charlie, take my hand! I will not let you go, until we're as far away from Malcolm as possible"

"How far?" Charlie asked, reaching out to take Riley's hand and allowing the Gryffindor genius to pull her from her seat "How about Alaska, I hear its very nice this time of year"

"And cold," Ron pointed out

Charlie shrugged "No different to outside then," she pointed, before following Riley and Harry across the room towards Slughorn, trying her best to ignore the burning sensation she was getting as Malcolm stared at her, his eyes never wavering with every step she took. She shifted uncomfortably.

"...A chum of mine was sledging down Claxy Hill," Professor Slughorn was saying to the witch sitting in the booth next to him "We had a very long, homemade Norwegian-style sledge..." he cut off as the three approached his table "Oh, hello..." he grinned

"Hello, sir" Harry greeted, in a very formal tone "Wonderful to see you"

Charlie and Riley exchanged looks as they attempted to surpress grins

"And you," Slughorn responded "and you've brought Miss. Riddle and Miss. Spirit, too, how are you my dears?"

Riley felt Charlie's grasp on her hand tighten "Calm down..." she whispered to her best friend "Excuse me, sir, we'd prefer it if you could called Charlie by her name? Or Miss. Hunter; no one knows about Serenity just yet"

"Why ever not?" Slughorn asked "there is nothing to be ashamed of, so people know you are You-Know-Who's daughter...what's the worst that could happen?"

By now people where turning to stare at the table, Charlie tried her best to shield away from the stare. She didnt want people learning the truth.

"Please, sir," she pleaded

Slughorn sighed "Very well, Miss. Hunter, is it" he nodded

"So, what brings you here?" Harry asked

"The Three Broomsticks and I go way back," Slughorn smiled further than I care to admit. I can remember when it was One Broomstick," he joked

Harry, Charlie and Riley chuckled out of respect.

"Listen," Slughorn started again "in the old days, I used to throw together the occasional supper party, for the select student or two. Would you be game?"

"I'd consider it an honour, sir" Harry nodded, glancing at the girls.

Charlie and Riley remained unmoving.

Harry glared at them.

"Oh," Charlie sighed, and rolled her eyes "Fine. Whatever. What we got to lose?" she asked

"Splendid." Slughorn grinned "Look for my owl"

With a nod the three of them turned and returned to their friends, just as Daphne returned from the bathroom. "Shall we go back to school?" she asked.

The others nodded in agreement and started the long walk back to Hogwarts.

xXxHarryPotterxXx

"...if Dumbledore hadn't asked," Harry was saying, as Charlie and Riley drew ahead of walk with the Slytherins "We wouldnt have bothered"

Ahead of the two groups, walked Katie Bell and her friend Leanne; they seemed to be having an arguement because their voices were carrying back to the students behind them "Its nothing to do with you, Leanne!" Katie was saying

The two groups rounded the corner in the lane, sleet coming down thick and fast. Just as they became level with the end of the High Street, Leanne's scream cut through the icy air. "I warned her!" she cried, turning to those behind her "I warned her not to touch it!"

Katie rose gracefully and spookily into the air, her arms outstretched either side of her body, her hair whipped around her by the fierce wind, but her eyes were closed and her face was expressionless. The Slytherins and Gryffindors all halted in their tracks, watching.

Then six feet above the ground, Katie let out a terrible scream.

Her eyes flew open.

Leanne too started to scream.

Charlie cringed, as she covered her ears with her hands, and turned her bury her face in Marcus's clothes as he held her tightly as if shielding her away from the noise. Then without warning, Kate dropped to the ground, and lay in the snow on her back; her whole body twitching.

Riley stepped forward to see if she was okay, but was stopped by a familiar voice "Don't touch her!" Hagrid had arrived "Get back, all of you!" they stepped back, as he scooped Katie up in his arms, and turned back to those behind him; just as Harry knelt down beside an open package on the ground "Do not touch that, except by the wrappings" Hagrid warned Harry "Do you understand?"

A necklace of blue stones lay in the snow, the wrappings blew over covering it, but Harry pulled them back.

"We best get back to the castle," Nikki instructed, touching Charlie's shoulder "Come now. Professor McGonagall will be looking for you!"

The others nodded and they started the walk once again, towards the catle.

xXxHarryPotterxXx

After arriving at the castle, Charlie, Marcus, Nikki and the four Gryffindors headed up towards McGonagall's office along with Leanne; after sending Daphne, Draco and the others back to the Slytherin common room. Entering the office, Harry set the necklace on the table as McGonagall turned to face Leanne "You're sure Katie did not have this in her possession when she entered the Three Broomsticks?" she questioned

"Its like I said," Leanne answered "She left to go to the loo, and when she came back she had the package. She said it was important that she deliver it."

"Did she say to whom?" McGonagall asked

"To Professor Dumbledore," Leanne answered promptly

Charlie felt her heart stop beating momentarily

"Very well. Thank you, Leanne. You may go" McGonagall nodded. Leanne quickly left as the Transfiguration teacher turned to the sixth years before her "Why is it when something happens it is always you five?" she asked

Ron sighed "Believe me, Professor, I've been asking myself the same question for six years"

Nikki nodded in agreement with the red head

"Oh, Severus" McGonagall sighed in relief, as Snape appeared in the doorway.

Charlie turned to her godfather, as he swept into the room and approaced the necklace. She watched as he waved his wand and the Necklace rose into the air.

"What do you think?" McGonagall asked

"I think Miss Bell is lucky to be alive," Snape answered

Harry stepped forward "She was cursed, wasn't she?" he asked "I know Katie. Off the Quidditch pitch, she wouldn't hurt a fly. If she was delivering that to Dumbledore, she wasn't doing it knowingly"

"Yes, she was cursed" McGonagall nodded

Charlie swallowed hard "It was Malcolm!" she accused "Or Logan as he is going by now! Aaron Logan"

McGonagall paused and turned to her student, as Snape turned and glared at his goddaughter. "That is a very serious accusation, Hunter" McGonagall accused "Do you have evidence that Mr. Logan was anywhere near the Three Broomsticks"

"I saw him," Charlie answered

"Did you see him give the package to Miss Bell?" Snape asked

Charlie glared "No," she answered "You know as well as I do, Professor Snape, that this was no accident!"

The room grew silent, everyone just watching Professor Snape and Charlie as they glared at one another from across the room. The contest was broken, however, when Professor McGonagall spoke. "I suggest you go back to your dormitories" she nodded "all of you"

With a sigh the two groups turn to leave, Charlie being the last to lower her gaze, before she turned toe and left the classroom along with the others.

xXxHarryPotterxXx

Back in the Slytherin common room, Nikki stopped Charlie from heading straight upstairs to her dorm room "You can't go making accusations like that!" she scolded

"It wasnt an accusation!" Charlie defended "It was the truth! I may not have seen Malcolm give Katie anything, but I know that he's behind this!"

Nikki stared at her "How?" she asked

"Everything's pretty much falling into place," Charlie answered "Malcolm's reason to return to school? The disguise? The task he's been given to complete?" she sighed "He's been presented with the task to kill Professor Dumbledore...you heard Leanne, Katie was adimant of delivering the necklace to Dumbledore!"

"That doesnt prove anything," Nikki sighed "it wasnt even a well thought out plan. The necklace didnt even make it within the castle; that doesnt sound like Malcolm to me. Arent his plans usually foolproof?"

Charlie shook her head "No," she answered "He fails in just about every plan he can think of, thats why their not normally his plans; someone makes them for him! He just follow them!"

"But since when has Malcolm been one of the world's great thinkers?" Riley asked, resting on her knees and leaning on the back of the black leather couch, as she watched Nikki and Charlie behind her.

Sadly...no one answered the Gryffindor...that pretty much said the alot.

A/N: Okay...nothing much to say here, except goodnight. I would have had this out earlier, but I had family problems to attend too.

Night

Review (please)

~*Kara*~

All OCs and anything unrecognizable is copyrighted (c) and belongs to xXxKaraBeckerCutterxXx

Chapter updated 29 March 2011 at 03:22am