Hogwarts
The doors to the Great Hall of Hogwarts opened with a clang, claiming the attention of the current Professors on the Main Table. Professor McGonagall, Professor Flickwick and Professor Dumbledore turned to look at the eight teenagers that were now inside the room.
"Ah, if I may ask," Dumbledore said, calmly, titling his head, "Who are you?"
The boy in the middle, with dark messy hair smirked, why, he couldn't be older than sixteen!
"We are the Lightings," he signaled to his group. "I believe you sent for help?"
Professor McGonagall nearly fell from her chair in shock.
"Don't act so surprised, Professor, we have been doing this for years. Nothing new."
Dumbledore cleared his throat, more comfortable with having a reign on the situation, and stood up.
"Alright," he said, holding out a hand, "Please, if you will, follow me."
Harry nodded to his friends as he decided to follow the headmaster. Soon, they arrived at a marble, majestic-looking stone phoenix.
"Mars Bars," Dumbledore told the statue, and then hurried to explain, "A muggle sweet."
Hermione huffed in irritation, fingers tapping against her knee, "We know – what other Mars would it be? It isn't Veronica, she is not a sweet."
Blaise and Draco exchanged amused looks. Harry didn't have a doubt that they were having fun at the other's expense, considering they didn't want to be at the school, at all.
Dumbledore gestured to them to climb on the now open staircase and so they did, after a glance to each other. Behind enemy lines, indeed, considering they had always considered Albus Dumbledore a meddling fool, and a hypocrite.
Said fool's office was nothing short of impressing, though, and Harry felt Hermione's eyes widen at the sight of filled bookshelves adorning the walls, while Luna seemed more interested at the glowing spheres on what looked to be custom-made shelves. There was a large wall behind the headmaster's desk, filled with portraits of the previous headmasters and headmistresses the school had had. The people on them seemed asleep, however, Harry had the nagging feeling they were only pretending, given how 'Dexter Fortescue' opened an eye quickly, had a look at the new arrivals, and then closed it again.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, taking a seat behind his desk and placing his knotted hands above the tips of his beard, "Please, sit down," They stayed standing.
Dumbledore titled his head towards them in a nod.
"I am afraid," he started, "that I can't let you stay and protect the school."
Behind Harry, Draco gave a slight snort.
"I am afraid, Professor," said Hermione, crossing her arms. Harry smirked, knowing this wasn't a fight the headmaster would get to win, "That you will have to let us stay."
"Why is that, Miss..."
"Wind," Hermione replied, using her nickname as her surname, as they had all agreed. "Hermione Wind."
"Miss Wind, why should I let you stay in my school?"
"Well," the bushy haired sixteen year old girl signaled to the bunch of teenagers, "In case you hadn't noticed, we are underage."
"As said on Article 9, clause 101, from the school board, 'all underage magical children under the age of eighteen are welcome to Hogwarts School of witchcraft and wizardry'."
"In other words," Harry interrupted, ignoring Hermione's glare, "You have to let us stay."
Harry knew the others felt as smug as he did when Dumbledore's eyes sparkled less bright than minutes ago. The old man should learn to cope with the fact that he wouldn't always get what he wanted.
"Very well," the aging Professor sighed in defeat. He stood up and made his way towards the Sorting Hat. "Then you are aware of the Sorting –"
"You will find that is not necessary," Neville interrupted Dumbledore's actions.
"We won't stay in the school forever, thank Merlin," Draco said, shuddering at the thought. "This is just what you can call a… temporary solution."
"Besides," Blaise continued, rolling his eyes, "Sometimes we'll have to skip class in order to put up shields and stuff, duh."
"We wouldn't want the School Houses to loose points on our behalf, would we?" Ron intervened.
Albus Dumbledore seemed resigned to the events happening around him.
"I wouldn't worry so much, Professor," Ginny sighed, rolling her beautiful brown eyes.
"We are just here to protect the kids," Luna said brightly, her grey eyes dreamingly vacant.
"And unlike others," Harry finished, crossing his arms, "We tend not to let them down."