Ginny ended up cancelling our next meeting via the Galleons a few days before the end of term. No one was sure why that was, but there were many disappointed people about this. I knew the three second years were disappointed to miss their first meeting. I figured something must have come up, and they didn't want attention drawn on us.
The Carrows were relentless as the end of term neared, neither showing that they knew or cared that Christmas was approaching. People were still tortured or beaten up. For the first time ever, they didn't even decorate the Great Hall with twelve of Hagrid's giant trees. Often, the teachers decorated the corridors or classrooms with Christmas decorations, or they even let the students do so without punishment. There was nothing anywhere except some DA graffiti that the Carrows or Snape couldn't seem to remove.
Some students did try to decorate the corridors in protest, but the decorations were taken down immediately, and if the perpetrator was caught, they were put in detention.
"Think Slughorn will at least be able to decorate for his Christmas party?" I asked Nick.
"I bet it gets cancelled at the last minute," he said. "Or they crash it. I still can't believe you're taking Gretchen."
"Once you fight with someone, you gain respect for them," I told him. "And she wants to go to make some bloke jealous, so it's not about me anyway. She's using me, not that I care. I don't have anyone I want to take anyway. The one I do isn't here."
"You'd better snog her when this is all over," Nick said. "But what bloke does Gretchen want to make jealous?"
"I don't know," I responded. "I didn't care enough to ask. She's not as bad as she used to be. I don't fancy the girl. We're just hanging out."
All I knew was she'd asked me to take her as a favour to make someone jealous. I hadn't asked questions as I didn't care, but I did respect her enough to take her, even over something silly.
"So no mistletoe snogging?" Nick asked with a smirk.
"No," I answered. "Maybe you should worry about yourself. At least I can get a fake date."
"I don't need a date, and I was considering Luna, but she's going with Neville, believe it or not. I might ask Ginny, but I worry Potter will find out and will kill me. From what she has said, they're only broken up as a technicality."
Though Ginny hadn't told anyone, it did get around, and most people knew why Harry and Ginny had broken up. I respected the bloke a lot, but he certainly wasn't the brightest. Ginny had a target on her back no matter what. They all they'd dated, but even if they hadn't, he was close to her family.
"I doubt he'd care," I said. "I'm sure he has more important things on his mind right now, and he knows she is going to date. It wouldn't mean anything, but you know, she's already in the club."
"Yeah, but so am I," Nick said with a smile. "But, it's why I don't need a date, or you, to bring me."
Slughorn had heard why Nick had stunned Amycus, and he'd admired for him. He'd invited him to join the club almost immediately after, and he suddenly remembered his last name.
"I don't see why you don't just ask her," I said. "She'd probably say yes."
Nick just shrugged and looked away. No matter how old we got, he still got nervous about girls. I almost reminded him we were both going to be of age soon, but I decided against it. He'd figure it out on his own.
On the day of Slughorns Christmas Party, I went down to the Common Room early to search for some of my belongings that I couldn't find upstairs. For some reason unknown to anyone, the Carrows were actually ending the last day of classes early. No one was complaining, but we all did wonder if they were planning something. There was no way they were doing it to be nice to us.
Nick thought this would be a better time to have a DA meeting, but Ginny (who had a date already) had told him she had a bad feeling about it, and it was she'd cancelled. She wouldn't say anymore. This caused us to speculate if she'd overheard something early on. The Carrows had only just announced we'd be ending classes early the other day.
All this was on my mind as I entered the Common Room; it was to hear someone sobbing. I looked around for the source only to find Brenda on her knees on the floor and clutching the Daily Prophet. Immediately I felt scared. Had someone attacked our parents and Ben? Was it published in the Daily Prophet? They'd want to announce something like that in the Daily Prophet as we were a prominent blood traitorous family.
"Brenda? What's going on?" I asked as I knelt beside her in worry. "Are mum and dad-"
"They're fine," Brenda interrupted but then started to sob hard again. "But Kendra, she's gone, and I never got to apologize for any of it. She was such a good friend that I never deserved. And now they're all gone."
I gently took the Daily Prophet from her hands to see if I could find out what she was talking about. It wasn't long before I did. It was on the second page. It showed a recent school picture of Kendra along with a picture of her parents. They'd been found dead in a tent, but it didn't speculate much more except they likely had been there for months.
I felt instant sadness as I'd thought of this. Our parents had offered to help them when Brenda had told them their plans to go into hiding, but they'd turned it down, not wanting to put us at risk. It seemed lately that a lot of murdered people were found camping while on the run. Would we eventually have to go on the run as well? Likely we'd stay with Tasha, but it still unnerved me to think of having to hide out in a tent just to evade Death Eaters. They'd deserved better than that, and so did the others out there.
"I can't believe she's gone," Brenda sobbed. "I kept hoping she'd turn up eventually, but that's never going to happen. I've lost my only friend, and she was my best friend even if I never treated her right."
"She loved you, Brenda," I told her. "She always made excuses for you, even to us she would stick up for you. She understood you, and it's why she stuck by your side. You were obviously a good friend to her if she stuck by your side."
"We were never the same after I was on the Inquisitorial Squad," Brenda said. "I never blamed her, though. She had every right to be angry. She was a better friend than me. I don't care what anyone says. I am going to fight until he is gone," she continued angrily. "I really hope Harry finds him soon. Kendra should be alive and at school for her OWLs. I've been taking it easy in the DA, but not anymore. I want to hurt every Death Eater I can, and I don't care how I do it. Even if I have to use an Unforgivable, they went after my friend, and they're going to regret it."
Before I could say anything, she pulled out of my arms and got up and left. I almost felt scared though I wasn't sure why. All I knew was that Brenda would never be the same again.
Brenda remained quiet for the rest of the day. She normally did sit on her own, but often she would sit with us, or with some younger students she'd befriended through tutoring. Brianne had introduced them, and I had a feeling that she'd done to help Brenda make friends with people outside her year and house. That day, she sat completely on her own hunched over at meals, barely eating them.
Nick had invited her to Slughorn's club out of pity, but she'd turned down in his invitation and then went up to the girl's dorms. I worried about her, but I focused on the one night we might actually be able to have fun. We would be going home the next day, and I would be talking to mum and dad right away. We'd be able to focus on her during the holidays, and we weren't going to let her sit on her own. All of us, even my friends, had agreed to this.
While Gretchen had grown into her looks considerably, she still wasn't someone I was attracted to. However, I could admit that she looked stunning that night. Girls certainly knew what they were doing when it came to dressing up. I just hated how it always made Brianne look so grown up.
Philip looked surprised the most about Gretchen's makeover. He stared at her for so long. I wondered if he was wishing she was going with him. He'd mentioned not too long ago he'd shag her now, which was a surprise to most of us. He'd been so disgusted with Darren over it back in fourth year.
"So who is this bloke you're trying to make jealous?" Nick asked her as we made our way to Slughorn's office. "I dunno why some people do that unless they truly fancy them. You've fancied so many blokes over the years; it's hard to believe you like him that much."
"It's Neville Longbottom," Gretchen responded. "I try so hard to get his attention, but his focus is always either on Luna Lovegood or that Hufflepuff seventh year girl. You know, the pretty blond one?"
"Hannah Abbot?" Nick asked. "Have you seen her lately? The girl has always been cute, but she's blossomed into a beauty, hasn't she?" He added to me.
"She's nothing special," I answered. "Cute, but not cuter than most girls."
I knew who they were talking about, and she was attractive, but there were plenty of attractive girls at Hogwarts. I could understand Neville's attraction to Luna as she'd grown even more beautiful, even with all the odd stuff she wore. She was also one of the purest people I knew. As if Gretchen had a chance. I never understood why she went for blokes way out of her league.
"What is it about you and going for blokes who will never look at you? Lockhart, Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter, Draco Malfoy for some odd reason and now Neville Longbottom."
"Very nice Barry," Gretchen responded good-naturedly.
"Well, you know it's the truth," I said. "You're looking at blokes who are either really picky, too old or are private people. Why not go for blokes who will have you? Neville won't even care that you're there with me."
"You know Malfoy was until the Tri-Wizard Tournament ending," Gretchen said. "And it was more of an attraction. I never agreed with him at all, and if for some weird, he'd wanted me? I'd have said no, and I definitely would now. And why shouldn't Neville notice me? Especially with you? He seems to respect you. They're always asking you for help."
"That's because I'm top of the year, and everyone is looking her a Hermione replacement," I said. "I'm not a Hermione replacement. I can't do half the stuff she can do. He's not going to give a damn that you're there with me. We're in the same house and year; it's likely to happen."
"I read in the Witch Weekly that to make a bloke jealous, you have to find an attractive bloke to date you," Gretchen said. "You're rich, handsome, and smart."
"Nice to know how you choose who you want to date," Nick told her.
"That's not true, and you know it," Gretchen said. "But if Barry can strike up a conversation with him-"
"Oh, hell, no," I said quickly. "I agreed to take you, but I'm not doing that, especially with him of all people! I didn't realize I was going to have to do anything but take you and dance with you."
"Fine," Gretchen said. "But wouldn't it be nice to have some fun?"
"Not when it's pointless drama," I answered.
Nick rolled his eyes at me, and we continued on in silence. If Tasha liked me back, would she go to those lengths just to get me to notice her? I didn't think she would, but then again, hadn't Hermione done that last year? She was the very last person I would think would try to make a bloke jealous.
When we reached the corridor to Slughorn's office, we noticed right away that the music wasn't as loud as the previous year. The three of us exchanged glances before moving on forward. I already worried that it wasn't going to be as fun. Sure enough, when we entered the office it was to see that it was as large as last year, but not as heavily decorated. The Carrow's were standing side by side against the wall, watching the dancing couples.
"Great," Nick said. "Might as well have not come."
"Well, let's just hang out anyway," Gretchen said. "The others will be here soon too."
"It's still not going to be as fun," Nick said.
Many people did arrive, and danced, talked or drank, but everyone was too scared to do much. Philip kept whispering that tonight would be the best night for the DA to do something.
"Maybe that's what they're expecting," Samaira whispered. "There has to be a reason why Ginny just suddenly cancelled. They know or fear something. They wanted us to have one more meeting to at least perfect our patronuses for the holidays."
She wasn't wrong about that, and it had been a worry among a lot of DA members (including us) who'd taken to practicing when they could in private. I knew everyone in my year in Ravenclaw were going home, and I was assuming it was the same in the other houses. We all knew a Dementor attack could happen.
All in all, it wasn't a fun night though we stuck it out to at least have some alcohol. The Carrow's were watching Neville and his friends more, so we were able to get away with drinking a lot. Philip even managed to smuggle a couple of bottles of Firewhiskey under his robes and left without notice, after whispering for us all to meet up in the boy's dorms.
"How much does he expect us to drink?" Katrina asked.
"I don't know, but it will be more fun in the boy's dorms. Let's see if we can smuggle anymore. All eyes are on the Carrow's, and they're looking Longbottom and Ginny," Darren said. "Some people try and grab food, the rest of you, alcohol."
"Lets you and I go for a walk while they do that," Gretchen whispered to me.
Confused, but curious, I took the hand she held out to me and left the office with her. We didn't speak until we were a good way from the corridors.
"I thought we could try a visit to the Room of Requirement before we go back to the Common Room," she told me.
"Er- why?" I asked.
"I was just thinking we could have our own fun Barry," she said to me.
Still confused, I glanced over at her with raised eyebrows and she giggled.
"Oh come on, you're smart, Barry. We've all had a hard time this term. No one is going to miss us," Gretchen said. "Let's go ease some tension."
I glanced at her startled. This was Gretchen! This was the girl who I'd disliked a lot for the last five years. This was the girl who had made fun of my family, Harry Potter, Luna, and countless others. She'd been sorry about it, but given all that, and the fact I wasn't all that attracted to her most of the time, I knew I should say no. However, the other part of me, the part that had wanted to shag a girl since the third year was screaming yes. That part of me drowned out all common sense that told me I should be waiting for Tasha or a girlfriend.
"I mean, if you're not comfortable with that, we don't have to Barry," Gretchen said. "It was just a suggestion, and usually most boys say yes."
I wanted to ask just how many, but I decided this wasn't the best time. She was giving me an out, and yet I didn't want it. I was having a hard time even finding my voice. I'd waited longer than I'd promised my cousins, and I was stressed, and perhaps it could help. So taking a deep breath, I finally nodded nervously.
"Okay," I said in a weak voice.
Gretchen giggled. "You're cute Barry, let's go."
The next day, I didn't talk much on the way home. Everyone else was talking about their holidays; others were happy that we could talk about the Carrow's without fear of punishment. Nick was worried that his parents would want to go into hiding because of the Carrow's behaviour. And Brianne was focused on Brenda. So I was able to get lost into my thoughts without anyone noticing.
I wasn't sure of what to think of the night before. I didn't feel any different even though I was. I would be seventeen in a few days, and all I could think of was the fact that I'd lost my virginity. I was thrilled to know what all the fuss was all about, and it did make me happy when Gretchen had assured me it was great. However, part of me felt regret that I hadn't waited for Tasha.
Gretchen sat across from me, acting as if nothing had happened, which I was thankful for. No one had said much when we'd arrived much later than everyone else. They were too much into the party they'd formed in the Common Room to care about us. All the Ravenclaws had wanted a fun night, and with the Carrow's busy, no one had been worried about being caught.
Nick and Brianne had noticed I was quiet, but besides that, no one noticed that I was different. I was relieved about that. It was nice to have peace again. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice the train slowly stopping. We weren't even close to the station yet. It'd only been two hours into the train ride, and we were in the country.
"Not Dementor's again?" Brenda whispered, speaking for the first time.
"It will be okay," Nick told her. "We all know patronuses now."
"Your crow will protect you," Brianne added to her.
I sat up completely, forgetting the night before momentarily. It couldn't be Dementors again! Why would they be attacking the train? Philip got up to open the door with several people protesting. He stuck his head out the door. I got up as well moments later. What if they needed the DA to fight the Dementors? Several other people were peaking out their compartments as well.
Just as people began to speculate what could be going on, a Death Eater entered our carriage and threw something up in the air. Moments later, we were all engulfed in blackness.
"What's going on?" Gretchen shouted behind me. "Why has it gone all dark?"
"Everyone, just stay where you are," Brenda shouted, getting into prefect.
"She's right," I said. "Don't do anything stupid. We can't see, and we don't know-"
Moments later, we were heard shouting and screaming. Around me, everyone fell quiet. I wanted to go help, but I couldn't see. It was Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder I knew that much, and lumos didn't seem to work in it. I wasn't sure how long it lasted, and it would be a bad idea to go anywhere and hex or jinx anyone.
"Let's just all sit down in the compartment," Brenda said in a shaky voice. "Everyone, please just get back in your compartments until it wears off. It's too dangerous to do anything."
I wasn't sure if the others did as she said, but the rest of us returned to the compartment. No one spoke until a few moments later, the train started to move again, and the air slowly began to clear.
"What do you think happened?" Brianne asked.
"I think they took kids off the train," Philip said seriously. "Why else throw up all that powder? But was it random kids or-"
"Ginny or Neville?" Darren asked.
"Or Luna or any known DA member," Gretchen said. "They must have known where they were sitting before they threw up the powder though. I bet they have kids who are spies and have ways of communicating that kind of thing with them. We're not the only ones who know the Protean Charm after all."
As she said this, I wondered if perhaps the DA had tried to communicate with us. I'd put mine in my trunk, thinking I wouldn't need it. Maybe they knew what happened.
"Does anyone have their DA coin on them?" I asked. "Maybe they communicated something to us."
"I do, but I don't know if I felt it warm up," Philip said, reaching into his pocket. "I was too distracted, but it does feel warm…" He pulled it out and looked at it. As he read the message, his face went pale. "They took Luna."
"What?" Samaira. "What do you mean?"
"I mean it says they found out what compartment they were in, and they took Luna," Philip said. "The writing is tiny, but it says there was nothing they could do about it, and I think that says they were overpowered."
"Let me see," Gretchen said, taking the coin from him. She read over it and nodded. "That's what it says. I can't believe it."
They'd been watching her a lot at school, though. Maybe that was why Ginny had cancelled the DA meeting. From that moment on, all our minds and our conversation was about Luna and if she wouldn't be the last kid they take. Why did they leave Ginny and Neville? I would think they'd want Harry Potter's ex and Weasley more than anything, but they'd left her and the other leader of the DA.
We were still talking about it when we arrived at the station.
"Make sure all of you take care of yourselves," Philip told us. "And I hope I'll see all of you again when we return, and if I don't, I hope it's because you're in hiding."
We all said our goodbyes quickly as the train pulled to a stop. I knew my parents were going to want to take us home immediately, and so would Nick's, so we hugged before we departed the train as well.
Sure enough, since all three of us were together, mum and dad took our hands and immediately took us home without even welcoming us. I felt relief the moment my feet hit the floor, and I smelled our homes familiar scents. It eased my tension even more than the night before had. I dropped my trunk and immediately went over to sit with Ben, who was sitting with Garth.
"You have no idea how much of a relief if it to be back here," I said.
"I'd be okay if we went into hiding," Brianne said and then as if she couldn't hold it in any longer, she burst into tears and hugged mum. Brenda soon followed suit and hugged dad.
"Just what the hell has been going on there?" Garth asked me. "I've heard stories, and I haven't heard from you, and neither have Ralph or Chester. We thought we'd hear from you more."
"It's too risky to send letters," I said. "And you could have sent some."
"We did," Garth said.
"They probably stopped them," mum said. "But please, tell us more about what's going on there. Maybe we will go into hiding if you lot really want to."
"But my OWLs!" Brenda protested. "You can't take me out of school now! You just can't!"
"We'll come to that decision later if none of you want to, we won't," dad told her. "Now, let's all sit down and talk."
I didn't want to go into hiding either. I was going to be of age in a couple of days, and I wanted to be at school for it. I would be allowed to fight no matter what, and I didn't want to sit at home and do nothing. Mum and dad didn't know about Luna yet, though, but I was sure I'd heard her fathers cries for her as we got off the train. So they had to know something else was up besides the girls tears.
"Were your detentions really that bad?" Ben asked.
"You have no idea, mate," I said.
The girls still weren't ready to talk, so as everyone sat down, I began telling them my experience, starting with Amycus Carrow wanting me to torture Brianne, when Nick had stunned Carrow for me to everything else leading up to the end of term. After I told my story, Brianne started hers, but Brenda didn't want to talk at all, and Brianne and I wisely didn't mention Kendra's family and neither did mum or dad.
We didn't mention the DA either for obvious reasons, and I hoped mum, dad, or Garth wouldn't either. Our antics had been published in the Quibbler a few times, so they knew it was back. I was hoping we could get upstairs with Ben and find out anything he knew. I had a feeling mum and dad were officially apart of the Order now too, or one of them were.
"Maybe you shouldn't go back," Garth said. "None of you kids should be at Hogwarts!"
"For the time being, we'd like to stay in the open," dad said.
"But they took a kid off the train!" Ben protested. "What if they want one of them next?"
"They won't go after our family," dad said. "They have no reason to. They have no proof that we're hiding Tasha or anyone else. We've been able to put the protective spells back on our house without them noticing. No one has been here since the summer. I would know immediately the moment the are here again."
"But, won't they be angry that you've put them back up?" Brianne asked.
"Brianne, I'm sure they've told every family not to do it, but they've done it anyway," dad said. "We're not going to take that risk, and I can get the three of you out of that castle in a moment's notice. Don't worry about that. And we're not sending you back on the train ever again. We can get you to Hogsmeade instead. We know a few homeowners who are willing to take care of you three. We just wanted to use them as a last resort, and it's here."
"I take it you two are officially in the Order now then," Brenda said.
"That's not for us to say," mum said. "I'm sure you lot aren't telling us everything. Don't ask us questions, and we won't ask you."
I stared at my mother in shock. She was actually giving us permission to be in the DA, and she knew we couldn't talk about it. That was her way of telling us that. Brianne and Brenda were exchanging glances, and I knew they'd caught that as well.
"So then what can you tell us then?" I asked. "I know we're not getting all the news about the outer Wizarding World."
"Well, there is one thing we are going to show you, and you can tell your friends at school. To be honest, we're surprised that you don't know about it," dad said as he glanced at mum. "Have you heard of something called Potter Watch?"
When we all said no, dad went on to explain it was a secret radio station you could tune into on the wireless at times. They weren't on the air at a certain time or at a certain date. So it was luck if you managed to find them and if you had the right password. Dad summoned the wireless and then sat there to show us how to work it.
He wasn't able to find something, but over the holidays, it would be something we'd tune in to a few times. It was a station that reported what the Daily Prophet didn't publish, and sometimes not even The Quibbler. I was surprised Ginny Weasley didn't know about it as dad suspected her family was apart of it as well.
After not having success the first night, we went upstairs with Ben so we could catch up with on more stuff we didn't tell mum and dad.
"Go meet them up there, Ben, I just need to tell them something," Brenda told Ben.
"Why can't I hear?" He asked her. "I'm eleven now. I am the same age you were when-"
"I don't care!" She said furiously. "Just go! Since I don't want you to hear, you should just leave instead of questioning it. You're eleven; you're not a little kid anymore, so prove it. A grown-up would just do as people asked."
Ben just rolled his eyes. "All you had to do was just say go. I dunno why you need to go into a rant again. I hope you're not turning into your old self again."
He turned and walked off. Brenda glared after him before turning back to us.
"Can you make sure he isn't listening please," Brenda asked mum and dad. "I know Ben will have an extendible ear in his pocket."
"I'll go take him," Garth said. "I am going to get going anyway, and I want to talk to him about something anyway."
Brenda waited until Garth was gone before speaking up again.
"I don't want Ben to know about Kendra's family," she said. "Furthermore, I am not talking about it with anyone. Ben isn't the only person who carries an extendable ear on him. I know all of you have been talking about keeping me company and talking to me about it. I know you and dad were going to bring it up soon, mum. I don't want to talk about it, and I just want to be alone. It doesn't mean I am not okay. I just can't take pity from people. I hate pity and I know you mean well, but it's never made me feel better. Let me come to you."
"Fair enough, but you don't you want Ben to know?" Mum asked. "He'd want to know, I think."
"Because I just don't want him to know," Brenda said. "I think maybe he's even forgotten about her. He never mentions her, and neither do I. I want to keep it that way. He'll just ask well-meaning questions, and I don't want to talk about the death of my friend with my eleven-year-old brother. It's bad enough seeing the kids his age at school going through all that. Lets just- just keep him innocent about certain things. He knows people are dying, but no one close to us until now have."
"But they might," I reminded her. "One of us could go."
"I know, but and if or when that happens, he can face it then. For now, just let him be happy his brother and sisters are home. It's bad enough he knows what is going on at school. Maybe later I'll tell him, but I want it to come from me," Brenda said.
I had a feeling there was more to it than that, but I wasn't going to question her on her choices, and I knew no one else would. After we all agreed, she got up and walked off. As Brianne and I got up as well, mum and dad stopped us.
"Please respect her wishes, but keep an eye out for her," dad told us. "We will as well, and we'll try to stop Ben from instigating things with her."
"Maybe it's best if we let him," I said. "She wants everything to stay the same, and Ben stops, she'll know we said something to him, even if it's not the truth."
"Well, we'll just tell him to stop if he goes to far then," mum said. "He's been turning into a slight bully for some reason. He was doing it to Sam the other day because Sam isn't as smart as him."
"He's always done that," I said. "But I'll see if I can talk to him."
I wondered where he'd picked it up from and if it had been from one of us. Sam was the only other kid he was around, and he was usually a good kid. Perhaps he even remembered Brenda's bullying days. It was often her he bullied the most.
"I think it's what Garth is doing right now," dad said. "Anyway, do be careful about what you tell Ben. He's old enough to hear, but he's also vulnerable to the Death Eaters, and they could try to get information from him. Unfortunately, the three of you have felt the effects of the Cruciatus Curse. You know how hard it is to keep quiet under it."
We promised we'd be careful before hurrying upstairs. We couldn't talk to Ben about the DA as Garth wanted to visit with us for a bit longer, but we had all of the holidays to catch up. I wasn't sure when I'd see Garth again, so I didn't complain and visited with my cousin. He was able to catch us up on Chester and Ralph.
Apparently, the MACUSA was getting ready to send people over to help. Chester and Ralph were part of a group helping to recruit people to come out here. They were helping Canadian's recruit as well. The MACUSA and the Canadian Ministry kept in contact frequently about it. Chester and Ralph were also prepared to come back to help fight if they had to, but apparently they had no plans to move back, even when the war was over.
Our homecoming wasn't as great as I'd hoped, but I still did feel better to be back in the safety of my home.
Mum and dad really did try to make the holidays happy for us, but I knew it was hard for them. It was hard for all of us. Brenda spent most of her time in her room, though at times, she would come out and play games with us if we begged her long enough. We always tried to pick Monopoly as the game could last forever. However, at times it seemed she would purposely lose just so she could leave the game.
I did spend the days leading up to my seventeenth birthday, feeling excited despite the mood of our home. When I woke up on my seventeenth birthday, the first thing I did was reach for my wand so I could use magic without permission for the first time. I was now officially old enough to use magic when I wanted, and in the new term, we were supposed to be learning to apparate. It was another reason I wanted to go back.
I used magic to get ready for everything, including using it to brush my teeth. I knew despite the war that my parents would be celebrating it with me, and I was hoping more than anything that Nick would be there. His parents really weren't letting him or Noah out of their sight from what he'd told me when he floo called the night before. He'd had to beg them just to let him floo call me.
So I didn't have high expectations when I went downstairs. Sure enough, my family was waiting for me, but Nick wasn't there. We did the usual breakfast ritual, and then they gave me my presents. One included a watch that wizards always got on their seventeenth birthday. Wearing that watch truly made me feel like a man. Dad didn't often wear his, but I'd been admiring it since I was a young boy. I couldn't wait until I had my own.
I mentioned this to dad as I gazed at it.
"I seriously considered giving you my own," dad told me. "But I wanted you to have your own. I'd like to think that someday I'll give mine to my oldest grandchild someday instead. Your grandfathers is going to Sam as he is the youngest."
I'd never known that, but I'd also never given grandpa's watch much of a thought either. If anything could change my mood that day was the fact that I could do magic, and I finally had my own watch. I wasn't going to wear it at school. I wasn't even sure of taking it back as I wanted to keep it safe from the Carrow's or others.
"We have another surprise for you," mum told me as I gazed at my watch. "Now that you're seventeen, we can do this undetected. We didn't want to risk before just in case we were still being watched."
"Why what are we doing?" I asked.
"Your dad is going to take you to see Tasha," mum told me.
"We want to go too!" Ben said quickly, and Brianne nodded in agreement.
"You two have the trace on you, and it's Barry's birthday," dad said. "And we're not apparating directly into Jerome's home just in case. We're apparating to a location close by. While they're protected under the Fidelius Charm, Jerome is still very careful about using magic around Tasha just in case. I have a spot I apparate to when I visit them. It's where we are going."
I was hardly listening. I was still in disbelief that we were actually going to see her. I was about to see Tasha for the first time since last summer when the Ministry had fallen. Brianne and Ben no longer protested, but both looked unhappy about this.
"I can't until I know how to do it myself," I told dad as he took hold of my hand. "Believe me; I feel the same way. It will be easier to take you lot to and from school, especially with Ben going next year. My hopes are that the war will be over soon, but I have my doubts."
I didn't want to think too much about the war, even if I knew why Tasha was at the location were going to. I didn't respond as dad turned on the spot. I wondered if I'd be able to do as well as dad could someday. I hated the feeling of it, no longer how convenient it was. My feet hit hard ground moments later, and I was suddenly freezing. I cast a warming charm on myself as I hadn't thought to put on a cloak, I'd just summoned my shoes.
We were at the edge of a snowy forest with absolutely nothing in sight.
"Read this and then burn it while I put this disillusionment charms on us," dad told me, handing me a piece of parchment.
I was about to protest that I could do it myself, but he did to me before I could say anything. I shivered as it felt like a cold egg was going down my back. I read the piece of parchment and then burnt it. As soon as I did, a fair-sized red brick house in the distance suddenly appeared. It was the only house around.
"She's in there, isn't she?" I asked dad, who nodded.
I broke out into a run. I expected dad to call me back, but he didn't say anything. I heard him running behind me to keep up. I didn't stop until I reached the houses yard.
"Don't knock," dad told me as he caught up to me. "There is a certain code we have to use."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You'll see," dad said.
I followed him up the porch, where he walked up to the door. He tapped the door in different spots and a different amount of times with his wand. There was a loud clicking sound, and then the door opened slightly.
"Who has come to visit," a magnified voice asked, causing me to jump.
"It is I, Richard Hoofer, with my eldest son, Barry Hoofer. I am the first person you hexed with the stunner," dad said.
There were a few more loud clicks and then the door opened up all the way. Dad grinned over at me before pushing the door open and entering. I followed behind quickly. The door shut behind us, making the same clicking noise as before after it was shut. Dad and I were in a dark hallway. He led me into a brightly lit small kitchen.
Before I could even more even further in, I heard: "Barry!"
The next moment, Tasha was running to throw her arms around my neck. I hugged her tightly, feeling relieved that I finally had my best friend and the girl I loved in my arms for the first time since the summer. I wasn't sure how long we held onto each other before we parted.
"I can't believe you're here," she said. "I've dreamt of seeing you again almost every night: you and everyone else. You have to tell me what's going on at Hogwarts. I read all the messages, and it doesn't sound good."
I put a finger to my lips and nodded over at dad who was in a whispered conversation with a man who I recognized as my second cousin, Jerome. He looked similar to dad but older for some reason, and he also had a long greying beard.
"Why don't you two go catch up," dad told me. "We can't stay long, Barry. I just wanted you to see Tasha on your birthday."
"Ooh, right, Happy Birthday, Barry! I don't have anything for you but-"
"I don't care about that, I am just glad to see you again," I told her. "Where can we go to talk privately."
'Up in the room I stay in," Tasha told me.
She led me out of the kitchen and into a small living room with two couches and a wireless and three bookshelves full of textbooks. In there, Tasha led me up a narrow flight of stairs.
"I'm surprised he doesn't have a bigger house," I said.
"He has a decent amount of money, but he isn't on the wealthy side of your family, you know," Tasha responded.
"Actually, I don't know much about him or this part of the family," I said. "I barely know my own cousins. I just thought we all had money."
"Nope, this side of the family have never had trust funds, but they do well with money," Tasha said. "Besides, this is a cozy little house. He doesn't have it full of magic anymore because of me, but I guess every room had different magical experiments happening in them. I feel bad that I've had to stop him from working on them, but he's told me not to worry because he volunteered for this, and he'll take more in."
"It'd be tight if we all had to live here," I said.
"But you'd be safe, but I doubt that would happen. You'd be protected at home because only the secret keeper can divulge the secret. The Death Eaters might know the location of your house, but once that charm is cast, your dad himself would have to tell them the address."
Tasha led me into a small pink bedroom. She had several pictures of us and her other friends in various years on the walls or in photo frames on the dresser. There was one of Tasha, Nick and I, which had been taken at Slughorn's party last year framed on the bedside beside her bed. I decided I wasn't even going to tell mention Slughorn's party to her. She didn't need to know about Gretchen. In the picture we had our arms around each other's shoulders with Tasha in the middle, smiling. It was hard to believe that none of us realized that things were only going to get worse.
"Anyway, you do know you can't tell anyone at school about this, right?" Tasha asked me. "You can tell Nick, but that's it."
"I know, but tell me more about what you've been doing," I said to her. "You've likely heard what's going on in the world, right? And how did you get the message to us?"
"Jerome doesn't know too much about the DA and I don't mention it. He just thinks the coin has the Protean Charm on it for me to communicate to my friends. I wrote down the message for him to send, and he apparated into a different location to send it, just in case," Tasha explained. "He'll rarely do magic around me. The Fidilius Charm should protect any magic cast, but he's paranoid anyway. He dated a muggle once, so he knows how to live like one, and I help him with what he doesn't know. We don't get any news here except when your dad sends us messages. Jerome has cut all contact with most people, and he doesn't have any paper deliveries."
"So then what have you been doing?" I asked her.
"Well, he tutors me with all the subjects I'd be taking this year, and he's even been teaching me things they don't teach at Hogwarts, such as wandless magic," Tasha explained. "He said Umbridge was right when she said we could cast the spell if we understand the theory as well. She just taught it to us the wrong way. He's been showing me wand movements and incantations with fake wands. He said with enough practice; I can do it. He's been teaching me to concentrate on non-verbal magic too. He makes exceptions for doing magic when he shows me how to make Potions. He gives me quizzes and essays too just as teachers do. He's an excellent teacher and he always has stories. Tell me about Hogwarts though, please. My life is cushy by the sounds of yours."
I didn't want her to know just how cushy her life really was compared to ours. However, I sat there and gave her every detail of what was going on, including everything we'd been doing in the DA. Tasha was a sworn member by the DA just as any other former DA member, so I could tell her everything.
"It sounds like you lot will be able to fight if you have to, though," Tasha said. "I wish I could be there too."
"No, you don't," I said. "Sometimes, I wish we could go into hiding, but we're staying for Brenda's sake, and I want to learn how to apparate anyway. We should be learning how to next term. So maybe I'll be able to try and visit you sometimes."
"We'll have to be very careful about it, though," Tasha told me. "At least until I am seventeen. I just hope we won't have to still be in hiding by then. I'm glad I am safe, but it gets frustrating because I want to help as well. Now I feel spoiled compared to you lot."
"But you're alive and safe, and not one person will resent the fact that you're safe and cozy," I said. "Kendra's family was found murdered in a tent."
"Your dad told Jerome something about that. They think it's because they used You-Know-Who's name. Sometimes Kendra's father did. The name is taboo now. If you say it, it will break all magical enchantments, and they can track you," Tasha explained.
"Harry Potter uses the name a lot," I said. "I've heard him, and so does Hermione."
"Hopefully, they know about the taboo," Tasha said. "I think they'd have been found by now if they were still using it, and everyone would probably know they'd been found."
"We've all said that too," I said. "But I'll let the DA know when I go back. Maybe Ginny is secretly communicating with them. She can let them know. You know mum and dad basically gave us permission to be in the DA. Mum told us that if we don't ask them questions about the Order, they won't ask us questions about the DA."
"Your dad was telling Jerome that," Tasha said, smiling. "They didn't know I was listening in. Your dad suspects all three of you are in on it, and that Ben knows. Both your mum and dad are proud of all of you and Nick as well. They're glad you're doing something to help yourselves and each other."
"It's not the same there without you, though," I said.
"I think about Hogwarts all the time," Tasha said. "I always think back to the times we'd be hanging out with your cousins in the common room. It was such a different world back then compared to now. At one time, your greatest stress was whether you could get a girlfriend at one time."
I smirked when I thought about our younger selves. Sure, there was always something going on at Hogwarts that we were worried about, but we'd still had our petty stresses and our carefree moments. Even last year, we'd still had some of our innocence.
"I'd give anything to spend a day back when we were first or second years," I said. "Even if it's just for a day. An escape from all of this would be nice."
"First-year before all the mad stuff started to happen," Tasha said. "After that first Halloween, everything changed. Have you heard anything about Luna?"
I shook my head. Dad had been hoping to find out information at the Ministry, but no one talked about it, and he wasn't about to bring it up. As far as anyone was concerned, Luna Lovegood had never disappeared.
"I hope they haven't killed her," Tasha said.
Dad suddenly peeked his head in the door.
"Say your good-byes, Barry, we're going to get going," dad told me. "Maybe next time you can have a longer visit, but we don't want too many magical folk around her."
I felt like they were being overly paranoid, but I didn't say this. I just gave Tasha a long hug before we went downstairs. I couldn't believe I was leaving her again and I didn't know when I'd see her again. It was a great birthday gift, but part of me left feeling very unsatisfied as well.
A/N: If anyone is still reading this far, I know some of you will dislike the fact that Barry slept with Gretchen. It's part of a big brother lecture Barry has with Ben in Ben's story. Ben is different from Barry, and a bit of an idiot when it comes to girls. Barry uses Romilda, Gretchen, and other girls as examples to Ben for why he should be careful. Ben asks Barry for advice in regards to just having casual sex to lose his virginity at a young age, and horrified, Barry tells him absolutely not and then tells him about Gretchen and his regret. Ben ends up doing it anyway but gives him a moment to think back to his big brothers advice and how he should have listened to him. Writing this story, I wanted to change that because now I like the idea of Tasha and Barry losing it to each other eventually. However, I enjoyed writing the scene between Ben and Barry, so I kept it in.