"Dammit Remus, I have just as much a right to be involved as anyone else. You cannot keep me locked up here like a child!"
Remus growled at the obstinate woman before him. Nearly all of the Order was already at, or on their way to, Hogwarts. Remus and Mrs Weasley had stayed behind momentarily to reason with Joanna and make her stay behind.
"You are too important" he insisted, placing his hands on her shoulder. She merely glared at him and turned to Mrs Weasley who shook her head sadly. "You will be a direct target."
She snorted and jabbed him in the chest "you were my age when you fought in the war; nobody stopped you or any of the others. Besides, it's not like Harry, Ron, Hermione or Ginny have been made to stay back. "
At that moment there was a commotion in the hallway and Ginny burst into the room, heading straight for her mother. "Why do I have to stay behind? I can fight just as well as they can, I'm just as good, I fought Death Eaters years ago!"
Mrs Weasley sighed and addressed both of the girls stood in front of her with their hands on their hips "both of you are far too precious to fight. Ginny you shouldn't have fought Death Eaters in the first place, let alone now, and Joanna, Remus is right; you will be targeted."
Ginny let out a screech of frustration and slumped into a chair. Joanna bit her tongue to stop her from doing the same and attempted to reason with Mrs Weasley "Mrs Weasley," she said beseechingly, "Harry, Hermione and Ron are out there fighting. They are younger than me and have less insight to the minds of Death Eaters and how they fight. Surely for your logic to apply to me as well, they should be back here? Harry is the biggest target out there, regardless of whether or not I fought. This is a war and we need everyone who can and will fight to be out there doing so."
"No" Remus replied "you're not going and that's final. Everyone else already agreed. Both you and Ginny are to remain here. A patronus will be sent when it is safe."
Once he had finished speaking he led Molly from the room by her arm. The door shut and the girls could hear him locking it as firmly as he could with numerous spells; spells that would take them ages to break.
Joanna sighed and turned to a defeated looking Ginny. "So," she said "how are we getting out of here?"
Ginny shrugged despondently "as if we'd be able to. You heard all the protections Remus put up on the door. We've no chance of breaking all of them."
Joanna paced around the room and leant on the fireplace, trying to think of a way out. Then she realised something; Remus hadn't put any wards on the fireplace!
"Ginny, what rooms at Hogwarts have fireplaces and which one will be most likely to be open to floo right now?"
The younger girl stared at her in confusion until gradual realisation moved over her features "McGonagall" she said after thinking about Joanna's question "it's where the Order were sending new recruits for the battle."
Joanna jumped over the coffee table and pulled Ginny up and around to the fireplace. She grasped around the cubby hole she knew the Floo powder to be kept in and triumphantly seized some, throwing it straight into the fire and pulling Ginny into the green flames with her "Professor McGonagall's office at Hogwarts" she yelled, feeling a tug in her stomach.
As Joanna had expected, McGonagall's office was empty and the sounds of battle were echoing around the ancient castle. She pulled Ginny into a quick hug "stay safe" she urged before leading them out of the office and into the battle ground.
They had just reached the staircase when they heard footsteps. Remus appeared from around the corner, clearly looking for someone. He froze when he saw Joanna crouched down in front of Ginny, shielding her, and her wand stretched out in front of her.
"Joanna?" He said, confusion and then anger flickering across his face, "I told you to stay behind."
She pushed herself up but kept her wand gripped tightly in her hand; ready to use it if need be. "And I told you I wouldn't" she retorted, helping Ginny up without turning around or breaking eye contact with Remus. Remus saw the familiar flash of red hair and groaned.
"Molly's going to kill me" he said as Ginny stepped out to the side and into full view.
Ginny flashed him a quick grin "not if you don't tell her" she said before squeezing Joanna's hand and running off to find the others.
Remus suddenly pulled himself out of his thoughts and grabbed Joanna, pulling her into an alcove, "your father's been seen inside the castle" he told her "he's looking for you."
"Good" Joanna murmured angrily "I'm not scared of him anymore."
He gripped her shoulders and gave her a little shake. When he spoke his voice was wavering "Joanna, don't go looking for your father" he said, begging her, "I understand you want to fight but please don't go looking for the most dangerous person to you."
Joanna nodded mutely and kissed him before slipping out of the alcove, bumping into somebody. She turned around, her wand already up and saw Ron. She smiled and began to lower her wand.
"Joanna" he said slowly, as if he was confused about why she was there.
She went to answer him when Remus pushed her aside and sent Ron flying backwards, crashing to the floor and making him fall unconscious. Joanna turned on Remus "what was that for?" She demanded angrily, hurrying over to Ron's still form. She wiped a small trickle of blood coming from his mouth.
Remus bent down beside her and cast a few diagnostic spells before nodding in satisfaction. "He was under the Imperious" he informed her "as a precaution all of the Order's wands have been trained not to attack other Order members when in the correct owner's hands. I had to use my werewolf strength to get him away from you and knock him out. It's one of the few ways of breaking the Imperious. Whoever cast it will simply think Ron was attacked and move on to someone else."
He turned his attention back to Ron and brought him round. Ron blearily blinked up at them "what's going on?" He asked, "How did I get here?" He stared at Joanna "and when did you get here?"
"You were under the Imperious. I had to knock you unconscious to break it without arousing suspicion. Joanna somehow managed to break herself and Ginny out of headquarters and get here. Ginny has, I am assuming, gone looking for Harry."
Ron paled under his freckles and scrambled to his feet, "mum'll go nuts if anything happens to her" he said, already starting to run down the stairs "I've got to go and find her!"
Slowly, and more wearily, Remus and Joanna also began to descend the stairs, each keeping an eye out for Death Eaters or fellow Order members who needed help.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hermione facing off with Bellatrix. Although Hermione was highly skilled at duelling, barely anyone was an even match for Bellatrix on their own. A plan quickly formulated in Joanna's mind and she ran off to her aunt, calling to her. Bellatrix paused, as did Hermione, confused to see her niece greeting her so freely.
"Well if it isn't daddy's little turncoat" she sneered, flicking her wand between Joanna and Hermione, her eyes following the movement. "Won't he be pleased to know I've found you?"
Joanna scoffed "he'll be more pleased if we've disposed of this mudblood together" she said smoothly, "daddy was always very keen on me to train under you but then our master gave me a mission that I've seen out until the end."
Bellatrix paused and studied Joanna. She felt the familiar probing of her mind being read and forced away anything that would give her away. Instead she focused on her conversations with Voldermort. Bellatrix grinned. "Indeed he would" she said, turning back to Hermione with a glint in her eye.
"On three" Joanna said, drawing her wand. "One," she winked at Hermione whose eyes widened in shock, "two, three!"
Joanna spun on her heel and shot a spell at her aunt, combining it with Hermione's spell. Bellatrix fell to the ground screeching as her feet and clothes burst into flames. "I'll get you for this" she screamed at Joanna's retreating form "you and your werewolf."