Review Responses:
Dark-Lady-Devinity – Glad you liked the first chapter, particularly the Neville and Snape interaction. Thanks for reviewing!
hydraspit – Glad you liked Neville's point of view but I am leaving it for most of the story, I'm going to move between various people's perspectives as it makes it easier to tell this story. Thanks for the review!
Rutu – Yeah, I'm evil aren't I for doing that to Neville! But this is war and I'm determined not to write something where everyone gets their happily ever after, wars are messy and I want to show that. Still I think that is one of the worst things I've ever written about, it was just so mean! Oh the Weasleys will have a very large roll! I love quite a few members of that family and they're here in this chapter. Thanks for the review!
Cooldot – Glad you liked the story's opening chapter, it was rather evil of me but for some reason I wanted to do it. This story will definitely have more action as the war wages, I'm not going to portray war as neat and tidy, it'll get messy and I'm not too fussy about innocent bystanders as you've seen. Snape always rocks and I'm so hoping he's in book six lots! Sorry for the wait for this next chapter but it's longer than the first so hopefully that'll make up for it being late! Thanks for reviewing!
A Subtle ChangeChapter 2
Ronald Weasley looked out of the window at his family fading into the distance as the train drew away from the station. His mother's request that he and his friends not have anything to do with DracoMalfoy was troubling him. Not that he wanted to have anything to do with Malfoy, but there had been something in his mother's tone that had suggested that she was scared for them and, combined with Percy's comment to Hermione that it was not Draco they were worried about but his family and their connections, Ron was sure something had been said to his mum to make her so worried.
"I'm going to find Dean," Ginny piped up suddenly, pulling Ron's attention away from the suburbs of London they were now passing through.
"See you later," he watched her leave, hoping that her presence would not cause any unnecessary pain for Seamus who would undoubtedly be sat with his friend. However, when tact was being shared out amongst his siblings it seemed Ginny had got the lion's share of it so he thought she would probably be able to manage the situation reasonably well.
Harry and Hermione were pulling robes over their clothes and smoothing them down when the door to the carriage opened again and Neville Longbottom appeared in the doorway.
"Hi, mind if we join you?" Ron was momentarily confused at the 'we' until he noticed Neville had gestured to himself and Trevor the toad who was held gently in his hands. "Everywhere else is pretty full," he continued.
"Course you can join us, mate," Ron smiled at him and hoped his tone sounded normal and not as though the only thing going through his head was the newspaper casualty list bearing the names Frank and Alice Longbottom. He had a feeling that was the last thing Neville would want to be thinking about.
Neville sat down gratefully only to find himself being instantly condoled with by Hermione. "Neville," she spoke quietly as though afraid he'd fall apart at a moment's notice, "I just wanted to say, well we read the papers and if there's anything we can do just say so. How are you feeling?"
"Er, I'm coping thanks."
"I'm so sorry about what happened."
Neville managed an awkward smile.
Ron spoke up suddenly as Hermione opened her mouth to speak again. "So Neville, did you read about that Chudley Canons match the other week? We won!"
Neville looked gratefully at Ron, "Yeah, I heard about that. It was a really close match wasn't it?"
"Yeah but we still won, even if it was close!"
Hermione elbowed Ron in the side and looked about to say something else but was cut off by Neville.
"I'll be back in a moment, I think I need a breath of fresh air." Neville walked out of the carriage, closing the door behind him. He walked along to the end of the corridor until he reached the door, the window in the top half of it already rolled down. Leaning against the wall Neville took a deep breath. He'd known this was going to happen, people were bound to ask awkward and pointless questions but that didn't mean he knew how to deal with it. Trevor was still clasped gently between his hands and he stroked his cool skin absently, fighting back the tears threatening to spill.
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As soon as Neville was out of sight down the other end of the corridor, Hermione turned on Ron.
"Ron, how could you be so insensitive?"
Ron looked her in confusion. "What, Hermione?"
"You know what I'm talking about!"
"No I don't, what did I do?"
"Ron!" Hermione hissed, frowning at him, "I think the last thing Neville wants to talk about now is quidditch!"
"No, Hermione," Neville's voice came from the doorway, "The last thing I want to talk about now is my dead parents and how I had to watch somebody kill them. Please don't have a go at Ron under some misapprehension that he's said something wrong, because he hasn't. He's the first person to actually say something right to me since I reached the platform this morning." Neville's voice was quiet but firm as he sat back down.
Hermione looked flustered, "Well, er, sorry, Neville. We should get to the prefect's carriage, Ron!" she grasped Ron by the arm and attempted to pull him to his feet. He remained seated for a minute to illustrate to her how pointless it was her trying to pull him around before standing up and following her out into the corridor.
"See you in a bit," Harry called after them. He looked awkwardly at Neville who was now staring at his mimbulus mimbletonia. Harry glared at the plant, he had not forgotten the embarrassment it had caused him on the last journey to Hogwarts.
Harry though was thankfully spared having to think of something to say as Luna Lovegood wandered idly in. "Oh, hello."
She had addressed her remark to the ceiling so Harry was left to assume she was speaking to them both.
"Hello, Luna. Have a good summer?"
Neville looked up and smiled at her before turning his attention back to the plant.
Luna didn't answer Harry's question, "I thought Ronald Weasley might be in here."
"No, he's at a prefect meeting," Neville told her.
"Oh." She sat down next to Neville and continued to stare at the ceiling.
She looked just as crazy as the first time Harry had met her, her hair was tied back with what looked like a bright purple shoelace and her wand was once again behind her ear. Her large eyes didn't seem to focus on anything.
"That's a toad."
Neville hastily removed Trevor from his position on the seat between him and Luna, "Yes he is." He held onto Trevor protectively and Harry couldn't blame him, there was no knowing what Luna would do.
"What's his name?" she asked.
"Trevor, he was a gift from my great uncle."
"Named after your uncle then?"
"No, my grandfather actually."
Harry raised his eyebrows; Neville had named his toad after his dead grandfather?
Luna simply nodded and stroked Trevor's head with a fingertip, Trevor croaked at her.
Harry had the nasty feeling Luna took this as the toad communicating with her as she nodded her head in Trevor's direction.
She sat quietly for a while, toying with a strand of her hair, "So how long do you think Ron will be?"
"I don't know. What did you want him for?" Harry asked.
"Oh I didn't. I just thought he'd be here."
Another silence fell, Harry was becoming tempted to go and find Ginny and Dean but he was unsure whether Seamus would want to see anyone at the moment so stayed put, staring out of the window and wishing Ron would hurry up and come back so that Luna could get whatever she'd come for and leave again.
"How's the Quibbler doing?" he asked.
"Fine. Dad and I spent the summer searching for the Crumple-Horned Snorkack but we didn't find one, had some near sightings but nothing concrete."
Harry nodded, "Right."
"Don't worry, we'll keep trying. The Quibbler's going to be first with proof for their existence, do you know some silly people don't believe they exist? Don't you hate people like that? People who can't feel, they just think. They think that if you can't verify it in a book it isn't worth believing in."
Harry was oddly reminded of Hermione. "Right, Luna."
The plump witch with the food cart stuck her head around the door, "Anything off the trolley dears?"
The three purchased lunch, Luna also buying a large quantity of liquorice wands, one of which she stuck behind the opposite ear to the one her actual wand was behind.
Lunch was a quiet affair, Neville had said little and Luna seemed disinclined to conversation. Shortly after they'd done eating, Hermione returned with Ron trailing behind looking half asleep.
"Hi guys," Harry was relieved to see them, "How was the prefect meeting?"
"Hello, Ronald!"
"Hi, Luna," Ron sank into the seat next to her. "The meeting was deathly dull, but Katie Bell's the new head girl."
"Ron!" Hermione said, "I thought the meeting was very interesting."
"We could tell that, Hermione, by the way you kept talking, and talking!"
Hermione sniffed and sat down beside Harry, "Hello, Luna, what are you doing here?"
"Going to Hogwarts," Luna replied in her usual dreamy tone, "Why, what are you doing?"
Hermione sighed and snapped, "Never mind."
Luna shifted herself closer to Ron, "Liquorice wand?"
Ron accepted the offered sweet, "Thanks, I haven't had one of these in ages."
"They're my favourite." Luna moved fractionally closer to him and Hermione glared at the girl.
"So Katie's head girl this year?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, some Ravenclaw's head boy. Malfoy didn't manage to disappear over summer either so we're still stuck with him." Ron shrugged as if to say, 'can't have everything'.
"Great, I suppose he's as charming as ever?" Harry responded.
"Absolutely. Had the sense to stay quiet about those students who died over summer though but you should have seen the looks on his and Parkinson's faces it was like they just didn't care!" Hermione put in.
"Doesn't surprise me with those two," Harry replied. "Is there a replacement for Hannah Abbott?"
Ron nodded, "Yeah, Susan Bones. Apparently she only got the letter telling her this morning. Oh and it turns out we know one of the new Gryffindor prefects pretty well!" he grinned.
"Who is it?" Harry asked, curiously.
"Colin Creevey, your favourite!" Ron laughed at Harry's expression.
"Oh brilliant, well at least it might give him something else to do than follow me around with a camera!"
"Yeah, I think mum was quite disappointed Ginny wasn't chosen but she doesn't seem bothered by it in the least. Not that I blame her, who'd want to be a prefect!"
"Ron!" Hermione scolded again.
"I think it gives people a wonderful air of authority." Ron jumped at hearing Luna's voice so close to his ear and realised how near she'd moved to him. She was now gazing up at him with large, pale eyes.
Ron began to edge away before realising he was already on the end of the seat, "Right, well whatever you say, Luna."
"Oh God, look who's coming!" Hermione was looking through the glass window of the carriage door.
"Who…" Ron trailed off as the door opened and the 'who' became self-evident.
"So considerate of you all to sit together like this, makes you so much easier for everyone else to avoid!"
"Sod off, Malfoy," Ron sighed.
"Make me, Weasley," Malfoy drawled in response. "So, how's the wonderboy?" he sneered at Harry.
"How's the convict?" Harry retaliated. "Still in Azkaban I heard."
Malfoy gave him a glare that was a fair imitation of one of Snape's. "At least I have a father Potter!"
"Are we really going to re-hash that one again?" Ron asked in angry disbelief that that insult never seemed to get old according to Malfoy.
Draco didn't seem to be going to deign to respond so Goyle grunted, "You're as stupid as your father, Weasley," surprising everyone in the carriage by proving he could string together that many words in one go.
"Don't talk to him like that!" Luna grabbed her wand from behind her ear and pointed it at Goyle.
He frowned in confusion, "That wand's made of liquorice."
It was true; in her haste to defend Ron, Luna had grabbed the wrong wand and was in fact threatening Goyle with a stick of liquorice. "Is it?" she said in a dreamy tone that Ron was starting to suspect of being merely an act.
"Actually, yes it is…" Hermione began before stopping in shock. Goyle's wand had gone flying from his hand and flew out of the door, he staggered backwards though whether from the spell or in surprise was unclear. Malfoy gave Luna a calculating look before gesturing to Crabbe, "Come on, if Potty and the Weasel have stooped to getting little girls to defend them we're not going to get much in the way of entertainment here."
"Probably not," Luna nodded her head affably.
Malfoy ignored her and left without another word.
"Wow, Luna!" Ron grinned at her, "That was cool!"
Luna beamed at him in pleasure, "Thank you, Ron."
"What did you do!" Hermione asked in shock.
Luna shrugged and took a bite out of her wand, proving that it was indeed a liquorice one, "Witches and wizards can learn to perform certain simple spells without a wand you know, Hermione. The disarming spell isn't that advanced." She sat back and continued to eat the wand. The merest hint of a self-satisfied smile playing around her lips as Hermione gave her an unpleasant look that suggested she did not like being outdone by someone.
The rest of the train journey was relatively quiet, Luna left them just before they reached Hogwarts in order to fetch her things she had left in another carriage and Hermione did not look sorry to see her go.
As they made their way to the carriages they sawLuna patting a thestral on the head, well Ron and Hermione saw her patting the air that they assumed to be a thestral, Harry and Neville watched with interest as the large beast turned it's head towards her and seemed to enjoy the attention. Most of the other Ravenclaws simply rolled their eyes at what they could only see as further proof of her insanity.
The four Gryffindors climbed into a carriage and were soon afforded their first view of the school gates and the castle beyond.
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Seamus Finnegan was about ready to scream. He felt like it had been building up inside him ever since he had been called away from his packing the previous evening by his mother to see a ministry representative with a solemn look on their face stood in their kitchen. His first thought upon hearing the words, "I'm afraid I have some rather distressing news for you," had been for his father. However that fear had instantly been put to rest by the sight of his father's car pulling into the driveway and his dad getting out.
Tom Finnegan was a muggle and even upon finding out he'd married a witch, a shock Seamus sometimes felt his father was still reeling from, he had continued to live with one foot in the muggle world, hence the car. Tom Finnegan drove to work, dressed as a muggle and mostly lived as one, though he had developed a strong liking for quidditch and had been utterly delighted to find out his home country had one of the best teams in the world.
Tom had joined his wife and son in the kitchen, unsurprised to see a strange man in robes with them, he had become accustomed to such things over the years.
The ministry official had continued with what he'd been saying and Seamus suddenly felt like the floor had fallen away beneath him as he had broken the news about Lavender. He had stayed long enough to hear how they had found her, holding her wand as though she had been defending her muggle friends. He could imagine that that had been exactly the sort of thing she would have done, she was a brave girl sometimes. He remembered fondly the time when she had helped them recapture Hagrid's blast ended skrewts, Parvati had run inside along with most of the other students but she had stayed and helped and that had been the moment he'd known he'd wanted to ask her out.
He couldn't listen to anymore from the ministry's representative though and he turned and walked out of the kitchen, past his mother who tried to reach out to him but was held back by his father. His father who somehow always knew when Seamus needed time to himself.
It had been his father who had come to find him later that evening, bringing with him a strong cup of coffee and the same understanding nature he brought to every situation involving his son. He had held him as he cried then handed him the coffee which had helped soothe him.
"You know you don't have to go back tomorrow. We've had a letter from the school, you can start back late if you want to, I think Parvati is and they said a couple of the Hufflepuff students are too."
"Hufflepuff students?" Seamus asked in confusion.
"There were a couple of other casualties from Hogwarts as well, a Hufflepuff called Hannah Abbott and an older Slytherin boy. I don't know what any of the Slytherins are doing but like I said some of the Hufflepuffs are going to start back in a week or so and the headmaster said he thought Parvati would be doing the same."
"I want to go back."
"Are you sure, Seamus, you don't have to just because you think you should."
"I want to go back, dad," he had repeated. Tom Finnegan had merely hugged him in silence and helped to finish his packing. Now that he was approaching the school though Seamus was beginning to wish he had stayed at home. Parvati had indeed failed to return, she had sent him a brief letter asking what he was doing and saying she would be back the next week and hoped to see him then. He had been grateful to hear from her, she had been too caught up in her own grief to ask the stupid questions he'd heard from everyone else about his welfare. It was Lavender who was dead, not him.
He had sat with Dean and Ginny on the journey down and at least they had been thoughtful enough to avoid those questions that were driving Seamus mad. It had been good to see his best friend again but there was something deeply painful about watching his happy reunion with Ginny and remembering that he should have been having a happy reunion with his own girlfriend.
As they climbed out of the carriage he slipped away from the two of them, muttering something about desperately needing the bathroom, and turning away from the crowded Great Hall.
He had wanted to go up to his dormitory but he had no idea what the password was for that year yet so he had wandered aimlessly around the ground floor of the castle until he ran across McGonagall and the new first years.
"Mr Finnegan! You are supposed to be in the Great Hall!" she admonished him gently, "What are you doing wandering around?"
"I didn't feel like food, could you give me the new Gryffindor password please, Professor. I think I need an early night."
Her expression softened, "Of course, Mr Finnegan, but I will send a house elf up with some food, you have to eat. The password's 'curiosity killed the cat' but I'll be changing it before the end of the week, that's the last time I let Professor Snape set the password!"
Seamus nodded gratefully, receiving a few odd looks from the bolder of the new students as he swept past them.
The fat lady seemed somewhat surprised to see him, "You're very early," she commented.
"Curiosity killed the cat."
"Well I only asked!" she looked offended.
"No!" Seamus shook his head in frustration, "It's the new password isn't it?"
"Oh, yes it is, sorry."
Seamus sighed as the portrait swung open and he made his way across the common room and up to his dormitory which now had a small plaque bearing the words, 'sixth year boys'.
He collapsed onto his bed, seeing a plate of sandwiches and a goblet of pumpkin juice on a table nearby. He had convinced himself he wasn't hungry but once he had started he was surprised to see he quickly finished the food, it seemed life really did go on. He kept waiting for it to stop but he still felt hungry, still felt tired, still kept going, life continued, it just seemed to have subtly changed. He lay back on the soft bed and quickly fell asleep, not even waking when the other boys returned later that night and Dean threw a blanket over his friendand pulled his curtains closed.
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Sorry this was late but I'm done with exams now so I'll post again soon, as I'd like to have a fair amount of this up before the release of the sixth book! Next chapter we finally see Percy again.
So, what do you think? I'd love to know so please drop me a review and tell me what you thought.