Signs of Life



A shock wave rippled through the air as the last bits of broken rock hit the ground, stunning everyone within five miles. The healers, had they come to try to aid the wounded, wouldn't have been able to distinguish the bodies from the rubble and the torn up ground. Of course, they would have been wasting their time, because none of the wounded survived the energy drain that hit when what had been for centuries was no more.

It was days before there was any sign of life for miles. And when it first came, it was in the form of a large brown fuzzy something, covered with dust, that appeared to have poked up from the center of the rubble. It poked up, turned quickly, and disappeared directly back to where it had come from. A passerby would have put it off as just a small animal ducking out of its burrow.

Hermione's voice echoed down the tunnel. "It's clear. There is nothing out there. Hogwarts is totally demolished, and there is nothing besides trees standing for miles." Her task finished, she slid back down the pipe. Sirius caught her at the bottom, and set her on the ground. "They're all dead. I'm not sure there's anyone alive who wasn't down here with us. The only living thing left out there was the forest, and maybe the lake creatures."

"It'll be all right," he reassured her, arm around her shoulder as they walked back to break the news to the rest of the group. "It can't be that bad. There must be someone else alive out there. If all of them were dead, don't you think we would be too?"

"I guess so." She began to sniffle. "Sirius, did you, did you feel it, when it came down?"

"Did I feel what?" he asked, even though he knew what she had meant.

"It's hard to describe. I guess, even though it didn't make any sense, and I had no way of knowing, I knew that Hogwarts was gone. I could feel, inside of me, that it wasn't there anymore."

"Yes, I did. I didn't listen, because I didn't want to believe it. Because if it's really gone, and everyone who was out there was dead, then it's over. If that's real, then we lost."

"If what's real?"Asherah Luæe, a Ravenclaw sixth year who was on the shorter side stepped in.

"I'd rather tell everyone about it together," Hermione offered her a hand.

"Bad news?"

"We'll see." Sirius closed the conversation, and they continued back through the chamber, to where the main group was.

Coupled with Hermione's discoveries, it was a discouraging sight. Besides the three of them, there were about three dozen or so left, all down in the Chamber of Secrets, miles below the lake. Dumbledore had been preparing it since Harry found it in his second year, so it could be used as a shelter, should there ever be a need. It had been built entirely separately from the castle, which was why it was still there. It was a lucky thing too, because if the Chamber of Secrets had been destroyed, the whole lake would have gone with it, destroying much of the surrounding area. But then, Dumbledore hadn't ever really expected that the attack they couldn't resist would be on Hogwarts itself.

And it had been too much for him when the school was attacked. It built a little connection with all who entered its grounds, which built the longer they stayed, and he had been there for most of his hundred-fifty some years. So when they destroyed the school, his connection had been too strong, and eventually the school that had been his life and his love was his death. And he had been the most powerful wizard in the world. Many of the men on the battlefield, already weak and wounded, had died with the severing of a much smaller connection. And those in the Chamber had felt it, just felt it, and known deep in their hearts that what they had once known would never return to how it had been.

"Severus, would you gather everyone up?" Sirius asked, once they had returned to the main chamber.

"Of course." In a few minutes, their small group was all together.

"Hi, everyone. I've just gotten back. I went above, or at least far enough above to see out," Hermione addressed the crowd, which had formed a ring about her.

"What did you see?" various voices prompted her. "What's left?"

"I'm afraid I have bad news for you. Hogwarts Castle is gone."

"Impossible," Colin Creevey's voice shouted from out of the crowd.

"And what of the soldiers?" Dennis piped up. "Have the healers come yet?"

"Listen to me. All of us knew Hogwarts was gone. We may not have wanted to believe it, but I know there is not one of us here who didn't feel something inside them disappear when it fell. And it has left a hole deep inside each of us." After an emotional moment, she continued. "But that hole must be filled, if we are to continue. And it can be filled, not with the reconstruction of our beloved school, but with its essence. The essence of Hogwarts, what made it mean so much to each of us, was not the building, but with the people inside. We must bond together, and fill that void with each other, so that we may be complete, and able to continue. Hogwarts will never be truly gone, for it lives on inside each of us."

"But the soldiers! What about the soldiers?" Dennis pressed her.

She just shook her head.

"You mean-" she interrupted him with a nod.

"I'm sorry, Dennis." He ran to her side, and hid his tears in the black fabric of her robes.

The crowd began dispersing, to discuss the tragic discovery with each other, and do their private grieving for those who wouldn't be coming home. "Severus, could I talk to you for a minute? Dennis, I'm sitting down, that was a bit of a climb."

She took a seat on the floor, leaning against a pillar, and Dennis adjusted to crying into her lap. She fluffed his hair with one hand as Snape came to join her.

"What is it, Hermione?"

"I need to know what we have left down here. The supplies weren't made to last forever, but I've been too busy to go through them. Could you inventory them for me?"

"Of course. I know this hasn't been easy on you, accepting so much responsibility. Remember, though, Dumbledore was insistent that you were the right person for the job. He chose you as Head Girl, knowing full well what that job might turn into this year." He stood, and began making his way to begin the task.

She caught his hand as he stood up. "Wait, Severus."

"Yes?"

"Thank you. Whatever it was that made you stay, thank you. We couldn't do this without you."

He gave that a nod of acknowledgment and pulled his hand away. After he left, Asherah came over and kneeled beside her.

"Hermione? What are we going to do now? I mean, we've only been down here for a few days, but we can't just stay here forever. We might as well have been up there."

"Hush. I don't ever want to hear you say that. It's clear out there, so tomorrow we can begin hunting through for anything left that will be useful. Since we were down here, we are alive. We're the last hope. No one out there will dare fight against Voldemort after he's destroyed Hogwarts. To them, there's nothing to be gained by resistance. We are the only ones left who will fight, who can fight."

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Would you mind being a pillow? I think Dennis fell asleep, but I still have some more work to do." Her request was punctuated by a yawn.

"I think you need the nap. Have you gotten any sleep since Harry sent us down here?"

"I'll be all right. I need to go around and get a list of who all is here, and what year they were. We have to know our weapons."

"I'll do it, but only if you promise to stay here and sleep. You won't be any good if you don't get some rest."

"Fine, fine. Just get it finished quickly, don't let me sleep too long, okay?"

"Of course." She removed her cloak and bundled it behind Hermione's head. By the time she stood up, Hermione was out.



A/N: Hey everyone. I've decided to do all the authors' notes for this story at the bottom, because the chapters need the drama that comes from being straight out. It kind of dulls them to read through my babble first. I suppose this isn't what you were expecting. Well, tough, because if all goes well it will continue not being what you were expecting. The story is still dedicated to St. Louis Boy and

Marienkäfer, without whom I may have never discovered fan fiction. This was my first ever fan fic idea. The chapter, on the other hand, is dedicated to Jenie, one of my betas, and the brain mother (?) of Asherah.



Disclaimer: All things recognized from the Harry Potter books belong to someone else (namely J.K. Rowling, Scholastic, and Bloomsbury).



Claimer: All things not recognized from those sources mentioned above belong to me. Asherah is sort of half-mine, half-Jenie's (not like that, sickos). Ask (and wait for me to grant permission) before borrowing.



Thanks to-

Jenie and energy, who beta for me, and are amazing.

Storm Witch RD/Green Eyed Lady, who keeps up my morale and original ideas, helping them actually appear here.

energy (again), who was my first reviewer, and a great encouragement.

aqualaria, who was (probably is, but I haven't heard from her since I posted chapter 1) incredibly sweet.

Candy McFierson, who has a great name and is complimentary (as in giving of compliments, not like the airline peanuts) to the point of wonderfulness.

Jenie, I'm beginning to answer your questions. Just wait, and the rest will come. (And I have the whole hope of the future thing). And thanks for Asherah, it was nice to be able to get the beginnings of the plot down without having to worry about creating someone for myself.

Everyone else who actually gets this far, because even if you don't review (not that I don't want you to, mind) I like being able to share my ideas and writings with people.