A/N: This story was written for round 6 of The International Wizarding School Championship Forum.

Words: 900

School: Mahoutokoro

Theme: Wartime Struggles

Main Prompt: [First/Last Line] It was 11 o'clock when time stopped

Additional Prompt: [Word] Hopeless

Year: 3

It was 11 o'clock when time stopped.

Unfortunately, Susan was not a stranger of feeling as if she was standing still in time. Ever since she had entered Hogwarts, it was like it one terrifying event after another.

Dealing with a troll during her first year, petrified students and rumors of Slytherin's Heir the second year, an escaped convict and Dementors the third year, The Triwizard Tournament and Cedric's death her fourth year, Umbridge and her totalitarian grip on Hogwarts the following year, and finally, the death of her Aunt Amelia, the last of Susan's living family this year.

Each time something disturbing had happened, it was like Susan had been dunked underwater. Everything and everyone became foggy and hard to see, except for the one awful thing that remained as sharp and as clear as it could be, despite how horrible it was.

Susan still remembers the icy feeling that had traveled down her spine when Professor Quirrell had run into the Great Hall to warn about the troll. Time had stood still then as if to give the then eleven-year-old a chance to process what was happening before the panic set in.

She still remembers the constant fear and panic that had weighed down her shoulders as she and the rest of her friends walked the corridors. After learning that Justin, one of her closest friends, had been petrified, it was like time slowed to a crawl to give her a chance to deal with the news.

Susan still remembers the sadness that had enveloped her when she saw Harry Potter appear in front of the maze with Cedric's dead body. Time had stood still then, too, like the whole world took a moment to acknowledge the death of her friend and the change the world was starting to go through.

And, as much as she would like to forget, Susan remembers the pain and despair that engulfed her when she learned of her Aunt Amelia's death. It was like time had refused to move forward as it kept her stuck at that moment in time where her aunt's death became real. Stuck at the moment that she had learned that she was left all alone.

So, unfortunately, Susan Bones was well aware of feeling like she was trapped in time.

But as she saw Albus Dumbledore's dead body at the base of the Astronomy Tower with The Dark Mark hanging ominously in the sky. . .

Time stopped, and Susan isn't sure how to get it to start again.

Susan did not like Professor Dumbledore. She had told this to Hannah, Ernie, Justin, and her Aunt Amelia. Her Aunt hadn't like Professor Dumbledore either, and her friends were neutral about him.

Susan hadn't liked Professor Dumbledore, but that didn't mean she didn't respect him. He had done some incredible things in his life.

He had dueled and defeated The Dark Lord Grindelwald.

He had received The Order of Merlin First Class Award.

He had discovered the Twelve Uses of Dragon's Blood.

He became the keeper of a Phoenix.

And most apparent, Dumbledore became Headmaster of Hogwarts, which became one of the safest places in the Wizard World. So safe that people said that the only reason Voldemort never attacked Hogwarts in the First Wizarding War was that Dumbledore was here.

But now he's gone. Dead. Voldemort's Death Eaters killed him inside the very same place that was supposed to be a safe haven from them.

Albus Dumbledore was dead. The one man that Voldemort feared, the one man that could fight him and possibly win, was dead.

The Daily Prophet had been going on and on about Harry Potter being the 'Chosen One,' about how he was going to be the one to end Voldemort's reign of terror.

But Harry was only a teenager. He was the same age as Susan herself. How was he supposed to defeat the greatest Dark Lord since Grindelwald? Sure he had escaped him when he was a baby, but Susan had privately thought his mother must have done something to protect him before she was killed.

Compared to Professor Dumbledore, was Harry Potter suppose to be their only hope?

Hope. . .

Susan hated that word, more so after her Aunt was killed. To hope for something was to set yourself up for disappointment and misery.

Susan had hoped that her friends would remain safe from being petrified, and Justin was attacked. She had hoped that Cedric would be safe during all three Triwizard Tournament tasks, and he was killed. She had hoped that Umbridge would be forced to leave Hogwarts, but she stayed for the whole year, torturing students with a Blood Quill, including some of Susan's friends.

She had hoped that those she loved would be safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and her Aunt was killed by the megalomaniac personally.

Susan has no room left in her to hope for anything anymore. To her, hoping for something wouldn't change anything; it just made bad news seem even more terrible when you had hope for a different outcome.

So Susan didn't hope. She stood with her friends and many others that had come outside and discovered Professor Dumbledore's prone body with the Dark Mark hanging like an executioner's axe in the sky. She clung to her best friends as tightly as she could and waited for time to start back up again.