Gryffindors

"Where's Sarah?" Draco asked his friend. He had not seen her when he went in for breakfast. He also wondered about Snape who had not shown up yet, either. Professor McGonagall walked up. "I must inform you that your House leader is in the hands of Lord Voldemort. We are trying to find him right now." She seemed to say this too plainly, as if it were a lame joke. The Slytherins all looked shocked at the news. And then memories flooded Draco's mind. He began to remember how he often saw her in Snape's office or talking with him. "Professor, where is Sarah?" McGonagall stared at him, and said, "She was taken to the Gryffindor House an hour ago." Draco immediately left the hall and started walking to the tower. He hoped he remembered where it was. A friend had once told him, but he never actually had been there. Thirty minutes must have past before he found the picture of the fat lady - a specific that he remembered. This picture presented a problem, as he could not knock on it. "What's the password?" he asked knowing the answer.

"Why would I tell you?" she responded with a laugh. He pulled out his wand. "You wouldn't dare," she said, a little edgy. He had no more time to waste.

"Reducto," The spell hit the painting with a powerful blast. The Fat Lady let out a scream as the majority of her canvas was being blown to bits. He walked through the now open entrance into the common room. Sarah was sitting in a chair looking very stunned. By the time the Gryffindors noticed him, he had already run to her side. They watched him.

He touched her face; she was trembling and pure white, but she still retained a deep fire in her eyes. "Let's get you out of here," he said. Ron with Hermione came running in with their wands up. Ron looked about ready to explode.

"I came to take her, as she is obviously not welcomed," he said to them. "I mean, being Harry's half sister and all, I thought you'd treat her better." They both stared at him.

"That was a joke," said Ron uncertainly.

"You only wanted it to be. How could brave Potter have a Slytherin sister," he spat. He turned and put his arm around Sarah, and more or less carried her out of the room. He walked to a quiet hallway and sat down with her. If he took her to their common room they'd probably be bombarded with questions. What she needed was quiet. Her stunned face looked up at his. "Are you okay?" he asked in a soft voice.

"My father is dying. My father is Snape," she said. His eyebrows went up.

"Your father is Snape?" he asked suddenly and surprised. She tried to smile and nod.

"He's dying," she repeated as she leaned on his shoulder. And a tear came followed by many more. She did not cry; the tears just seemed to leak out of her blue eyes. She closed them and fell asleep, exhausted. Draco sat there with her absorbing the thought of Snape being Sarah's father, and how that answered several suspicious questions.

She awoke a few minutes later. "I'll be alone, like Harry," she said after a while.

"No," he said, "No you won't... I'll be here." Her heart gave a jolt.

"Thank you," she said smiling and trying to choke back her tears. She started drifting off to sleep again. "I'll kill him; you know I will," she said before she fell asleep. Draco wrapped his arms tighter around her. He knew she meant Voldemort. He only hoped that Snape was still alive, and that Harry would get back for her own sake.

Harry went straight up to Gryffindor tower. He walked into the common room, but she was not there. He saw a third year sitting at a table. He practically shouted at him, "Where is the girl who was here last night?" Harry pointed to the chair he had left her in. The third year seemed a bit shaken up. "I don't know. Some Slytherin came and got her, I think." Harry left. He was furious. He was pretty sure the Slytherin had been Draco. She had been safe here, so why did he take her away? He wandered the castle for a while. And then he came around a corner, and there she was... and there he was. Sarah was sitting on the floor, wrapped up in Draco's arms. She had apparently been crying, but was now fast asleep. At first Draco did not see him. Harry took a loud step forward, which made Draco look up. Harry was about to let out all his anger and hate when a thought hit him. He closed his mouth. Even though it was Draco, he would rather have her be with somebody then alone and crying, for he remembered Ron when Percy died. Harry, taking this point of view, decided it best to wait and have this conversation later. He stared angrily at Draco before he started to leave.

"You left her," mumbled Draco. Harry was a bit shocked by this statement; he turned around.

"I was ordered to go with Dumbledore to find her father," Harry retorted.

"No, I mean, you left her in your common room, left her in a place foreign to her, where she has no one..."

"I was also ordered to take her there," Harry finished.

"You shouldn't have. If you'd have seen the state I found her in when I came for her..." he was cut off.

"How did you get in?" he asked. Tensions were rising. Draco did not answer. "You Gryffindors all think you're so good and brave, but they ignored and sneered at her while she was crying." His voice got progressively louder. Harry didn't know what to say. Was this true? Surely his fellow Gryffindors would've at least watched out for her. He couldn't believe it. He shook his head, and opened his mouth but couldn't come up with any response to this.

"Go ask them… your friends," Draco said.

"We'll finish this later," added Harry who left and went straight to the Great Hall. How could his friends let Draco take her? He was again infuriated as he walked into the hall. Ron and Hermione were sitting at the table. When they saw him, relief spread over their faces, and they ushered him to their table. He sat down, and before he could ask his questions they interrupted him with theirs. "Sarah was in our common room this morning," started Ron.

"What did you do to her?" Harry asked accusingly.

"What do you mean?" they asked.

"I was ordered to take her to our common room to be safe, and next thing I hear a Slytherin took her out."

"It was Draco. He barged in like he owned the place, and basically demanded that he take her," said Ron.

"And you let him?" Harry asked unbelievingly. They looked at him for a moment.

"He said she didn't belong there, in Gryffindor tower, and…" Hermione was cut off.

"And she doesn't," added Ron. Harry narrowed his eyes at Ron. "She's a Slytherin, and there is simply no excuse for her being in our common room."

"Harry,"started Hermione, "Draco said something... is she really your sister?" Ron stifled a disbelieving laugh but they both looked expectantly at him.

"Yes…" he started. Ron's jaw dropped like a brick

"WHAT?" Ron interrupted

"Well I knew you liked her, but it never occurred to me in that way," said Hermione.

Harry knew Ron wouldn't understand, but by the way Hermione looked, she didn't either.

"That's impossible," said Ron.

"I thought it was too," mumbled Harry as he looked away from Ron's astonished stare. For a few minutes, no one said anything; but Harry had to know...

"I was ordered to take her to our common room because I was told she'd be safe there. And then I hear that she was shunned..." Harry said.

"Well, we couldn't exactly invite her in. We didn't know why she was there; you never told us she was your sister," shouted Ron.

"Does it matter so much? She was crying, you should've helped her anyway."

"Harry, she's still a Slytherin. I was glad to see her crying," Ron blurted. Harry pursed his lips. Ron began to regret what he just said. Hermione sat there with her hand over her mouth shocked by their situation.

"Draco was right," Harry finally said. "Don't you see? It doesn't matter whether she's in Slytherin or not. Her father has probably just died. She needed someone, and I thought you would help her. But I was wrong." Hermione's eyes lit up.

"Her father is Snape," she said. Ron and Harry both looked at her.

"What makes you think that?" Harry asked.

"I keep a close watch on things; Snape's been missing, and she had been spending a lot of time with him," she said. "But if she's your sister, then you're kind of related to Snape aren't you?" He was still mad at them and did not want to answer. He gave them both a look of loathing before he left.

As he walked out into the corridor, someone grabbed him around the neck and pulled him into a hug, nearly choking him.

"I'm so glad you made it back okay," Sarah said looking much better than she had earlier. "Is something wrong?" she asked. Harry tried to hide his look of scorn that still lingered on his face.

"Everything," he sighed. "My friends don't understand anything, Draco actually seems to be telling the truth, and… we didn't find Snape." He looked down; he didn't want to see the look on her face. "I'm sorry I took you to the Gryffindor common room."

"You had too," she said.

"I shouldn't have, though. I thought my friends would help you," he said.

"It's all right," she said.

"No it's not!" he said looking up at her. She put her finger to his mouth.

"Shhhh. I'm fine now; it doesn't matter." Her eyes looked very beautiful he noticed.

A few moments later, Dumbledore approached them.

"I believe we have found new clues as to where Severus might be, and I must ask you to accompany me again, Harry," he asked. Harry nodded.

"I will go, too," Sarah stated firmly. All the sweetness that had previously been in her eyes was lost and replaced by revenge.

"I think it best that you stay here," Dumbledore replied.

"I won't take no for an answer. My father is hurt, and I'm going to help him," she paused waiting for an answer, and then continued, "Well if he can go, I can." She nodded towards Harry. Dumbledore studied her for a while.

"Very well. I'll see you first thing in the morning" he said.

"In the morning? Are you crazy? We can't wait that long," she insisted.

"We will," said Dumbledore firmly. As he walked away, Sarah gave Harry an impossible look. Harry shrugged his shoulders. So the rest of that day went by very slowly for Sarah, but it did end finally.

The dawn poked its first rays through her window the next morning, and she jumped out of bed. She waited for an hour before the portrait of Freiga came in and told her to go to the Great Hall. And off she went; on entering the Great Hall she saw Harry was also there along with Dumbledore and McGonagall and a few other people, some of which she recognized from the night she found out her father and been kidnapped.

"All right before we leave," spoke Dumbledore, "I will also say that another person has been kidnapped." Everyone looked at him curiously and some looked nervous. "She is a muggle; her name is Julienne Waters." At first Harry turned red from blushing, but he soon became red from fury. Voldemort had taken almost everything away from him; but he was not going to get away with this. First Percy, then Snape, and now Julie, and she would be the last he told himself.

"What would Lord Voldemort want with kidnapping a muggle girl?" asked McGonagall.

"I'm not sure," was all Dumbledore said. "Now, without further ado, let's..."

"Ramble on!" Sarah yelled rebelliously, and she headed out the door with a surge of violence, and the others followed her.