Part Two: Chapter Eighteen

"And then she said that muggles are vicious, like animals, and that they are the reason witches and wizards have to hide their magic!" Abby was explaining her first muggle studies class to some of the people in the DA. It was now taught by Alecto Carrow, Amycus' sister. Danielle hated to see her sister so upset about what the death eater had told her. The prejudice back in the states against non-magical people wasn't as prominent as it was in Europe. Abby hadn't really been exposed to it much until now.

"It's not true," Neville pats Abby on the back. He and the other Gryffindors had already become attached to the girl, and treated her like their own sister. "Muggles aren't bad at all! You like Hermione right? Both her parents are muggles!"

"It's true Abbs," Ginny even had a pet name for Abby now. "My father loves muggles."

"Yeah! My dad IS a muggle!" Seamus furrows his eyebrows in anger. "This is ridiculous! We need to do something! I've had enough of this practicing in secret! I want to put it to use!"

Danielle and Seamus were no longer speaking to each other because of their argument at the first DA meeting. Danielle understood why he was upset with her though. He had packed up the courage to talk to her and try to get to know her the year before, and she had turned around and helped a death eater fulfill his duties to Voldemort. Of course, Seamus didn't know the details of that, but Danielle had spent a large amount of time the previous year with Draco, whom most people in the school despised. She'd also spent the summer at his house, allowing her to know certain death eaters personally and to be given special privileges because of her connection with the Malfoys. So yes, it did make sense that he would be a little irritated with her, but Danielle wished he would just try to understand her circumstances. He couldn't though. To Seamus, she had chosen a mean, terrible, Slytherin boy over him.

"Ginny and I have been discussing something," Tracy announces to the DA in response to Seamus' plea for action. "It's dangerous though, and I don't know what will happen to us if we're caught."

"What is it?" Cho asks curiously as murmurs of excitement spread through the group.

"At the beginning of the summer, the minister of magic came to my house before he was killed by the death eaters." Ginny explains, "He had come over because Dumbledore had left Harry a few things in his will."

"I didn't know Dumbledore was that close to Harry," Hannah Abbot from Hufflepuff gasps.

"They were very close," Tracy confirms, "Harry and Dumbledore worked together all last year to try to figure out a way to stop you-know-who."

"Were they successful?" Parvati, the twin from Gryffindor asks eagerly.

"Well, everything they did together was sort of kept a secret," Tracy answers honestly, "What I can tell you, is that Harry does have some idea of what he needs to do. And he's working on it right now."

"So what did Dumbledore leave him, then?" Cho questions anxiously.

"The sword of Godric Gryffindor," Ginny announces and gasps could be heard all around the room.

"The founder of Gryffindor house?" Seamus asks in shock, "I didn't know he had a sword."

"He did! I've read about it!" Terry Boot from Ravenclaw pipes in with a grin.

"Didn't Harry use it to kill the Basilisk in the chamber of secrets?" Parvati asks curiously.

"He did," Neville confirms before looking to Tracy and Ginny, "But why would Dumbledore leave the sword to Harry?"

"We think that the sword may be able to help Harry defeat you-know-who somehow," Tracy explains.

"But the sword belongs to the school," Terry Boot adds in again, "not Dumbledore."

"You're right," Tracy nods, "the minister told Harry that he couldn't have the sword for that exact reason."

"So, where is the sword now?" Padma, the twin from Ravenclaw asks in concern.

"We believe it's still hanging up in Dumbledore's old office," Tracy tells them all.

"So what's the plan?" Seamus asks.

"The plan," Ginny smirks, "is to go in and steal it."

The room immediately erupted into chaos. There was much to be discussed if this plan was actually going to work. Tracy hadn't been kidding when she told them all that it would be dangerous. It was not going to be easy breaking into Snape's office to get the sword. Everyone seemed eager to do it though, even knowing that the consequences could be severe if they were to get caught.


It was lunch time in the great hall and as always, everyone was completely silent. Danielle looked over at Tracy who was giving her a look that meant 'are you sure you should do this?' Danielle takes a deep breath before standing up on her seat and then stepping up onto the Ravenclaw table. People were immediately looking up at her like she was nuts. Whatever, the DA had decided that a distraction was needed in order to lure Snape and the Carrows away from the headmaster's office so that they could get the sword. Danielle had volunteered herself for two reasons. One, she wanted Ginny and the others to trust her more and two, she thought her engagement to Draco might get her out of punishment again. Danielle tried not to think of how uncertain the world 'might' was.

"You again?" Amycus Carrow frowns and takes a few steps towards Danielle. Blaise met Danielle's eyes from over at the Slytherin table and he shook his head. Well, Danielle didn't even take orders from her own fiancé so what hope did Blaise really have? "What are you doing you stupid girl? Get down this instant!"

Danielle reached into her pocket to grab the instant darkness powder that Ginny had given her. It was something that Fred and George had invented for their joke shop. Danielle pulled the black rock out of her pocket and held it out in front of her. Amycus narrowed his eyes and Danielle saw his sister, Alecto, making her way over now. Danielle threw the rock on the ground then and the great hall was instantly filled with dark smoke. It was so thick and black that you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

Danielle jumped off the table and ran as fast as she could in the direction of the exit. She was glad when she found the handle and slipped out into the entrance hall without tripping and falling at all. Now that she was out in the entrance hall, Danielle held her wand up in the air and did a spell to create a loud explosion. Danielle heard Snape yell to the Carrows that Danielle was outside now. Danielle waited till she saw the Carrows and Snape coming out of the great hall before taking off again into the dungeons. She needed to get them as far away from the headmaster's office which was on the third floor as possible. They ran after her shouting at her to stop. She didn't, of course.

Meanwhile, in the great hall, Tracy and Luna were sneaking over to the Gryffindor table through the darkness. It took them a minute but they finally found Ginny and Neville. They decided that only the four of them should try to steal the sword. They didn't want to get anyone else in the DA in trouble if they didn't have to.

Tracy led the others toward the entrance of the great hall. The instant darkness powder was already fading so it was a bit easier to see. She pushed the door open a crack just in time to see Snape and the Carrows run after Danielle into the dungeons. She gestured for the others to follow her out. They go as quickly as possible to the gargoyle that marked the entrance to Snape's office.

"We don't know the password," Neville says once they get to their destination. "What do we do?"

"Slytherin!" Ginny says to the gargoyle but it doesn't budge. "Dark Lord! Death Eater! Half blood prince!" She rattles off several other possible passwords.

"We're wasting time," Luna says quietly as they continue looking up at the entrance.

"We're here to steal the sword of Godric Gryffindor!" Tracy suddenly says and to everyone's surprise the Gargoyle moves to allow them to pass.

"Sometimes I think this castle has a mind of its own," Ginny whispers to the others as they climb up the stairs.

Back in the dungeons, Danielle was running out of places to go. She knew Snape and the others would catch her eventually. It was part of the plan. Even if she did escape now, it wasn't as if she could leave Hogwarts.

"Professor Snape!"

Danielle swore under her breath as she turned around to see Pansy Parkinson running up. She had never been more annoyed with the Slytherin girl as she was now.

"That's HEADMASTER Snape," Alecto corrected her with a sneer.

"What is it Ms. Parkinson?" Snape asks sounding annoyed. "You know you are breaking the rules by being out of the great hall at this time."

"Ross, Longbottom, Lovegood, and the Weasley girl just broke into your office!" Pansy tells him before sending a victorious smirk over at Danielle who instantly knows she's in huge trouble. Snape lets out an irritated sigh before gesturing to the Carrows to follow him up to his office. Amycus flicks his wand at Danielle and her arms are instantly bound behind her. "You're coming with us," He says and grabs her by the shoulder to drag her along. They lead Danielle quickly out of the dungeons and up to the third floor just in time to see Tracy and the others emerge carrying the huge ruby encrusted sword.

"Going somewhere?" Snape says in his usual monotone. Danielle thought she heard a hint of amusement in his voice though. Wasn't he supposed to be angry or something? Alecto steps forward and snatches the sword out of Neville's hands.

"What were you planning on doing with this?" She snarls and points her wand between the four DA members.

"That sword doesn't belong to you!" Ginny yells and clutches her fist around her wand.

"I'll let the two of you deal with those four," Snape tells the Carrows as he gestures to Luna, Tracy, Neville, and Ginny. He then takes the sword for himself and points to Danielle. "You can come with me."

Another flick of his wand and Amycus had Tracy, Luna, Ginny, and Neville's hands bound behind their backs as well. "Let's take a walk." He sneers and proceeds to lead the four away with his sister in toe.

Snape waves his hand at Danielle, indicating that she should go into his office. Danielle knew it was best to do everything Snape told her to do at this point. She wondered what the Carrows were going to do to her friends, and why they were being punished separately.

"What were you thinking?" Snape snaps as soon as the door was shut. Danielle hadn't expected a question like that. It stumped her.

"I don't know?" she says it as a question.

"Oh really?" Snape frowns and steps closer to Danielle. "I think you were trying to distract me so that those other brats could get into my office."

"It does seem like that," Danielle nods as she tries to think of something to say, "but it was just a coincidence. Why would I ever help them?

"I'm not an idiot Ms. Emmings." Snape drones on. "Weasley, Longbottom, and Lovegood? All of them were members of Dumbledore's Army a few years ago. And I know that you and Ms. Ross are friends. The timing of your ridiculous behavior earlier was not a coincidence." Danielle didn't know what else to say. If she opened her mouth she was just going to say something sarcastic and that wasn't going to help her.

"Tell me what they were going to do with the sword!" Snape commands again.

"I don't know what they were going to do with it." Danielle says confidently.

"Ms. Emmings, you do realize how unpleasant your life will become if the Malfoy's find out that you were helping these people don't you?" Snape asks and Danielle wonders why he would even care. "If you don't tell me what you know than I will be forced to bring them here. The Malfoy's are a very proud family and after an embarrassment like this I can promise you that they will not go lightly on you."

Danielle decides not to respond again. What was she supposed to say?

"Perhaps the Carrows have had more luck getting answers out of your friends," Snape says and grabs Danielle by the arm and drags her out of the office.