A/N: Here's Part 2! I just wanted to clear up a few things from the last part: according to the Harry Potter wiki, Leanne was a year younger than Katie, and was in Hufflepuff the same year as Justin. I really wanted a somewhat established and recognizable character to go to Beauxbatons with Justin and return to Hogwarts, which is why I finally decided on Leanne. Other than that, I think that's it.

Soon came, much too soon.

Just awoke with a start, just the night after speaking with Leanne by the fire, a searing pain on his inner wrist.

He ripped the burning coin from his skin and immediately grabbed his clothes, changing as quickly as possible and fumbling for the wand under his pillow.

This was it.

Once dressed with wand in hand, Justin dashed through rows of beds to where Geoffrey and Owen slept. He shook the two boys awake.

"Whaz goin' on?" Geoffrey asked as he sat up, dazed and still half asleep.

"Justin?" Owen muttered groggily, rubbing his eyes.

"It happened," Justin explained quickly. "Watch after Luca. This ends tonight."

Both boys straightened up with wide eyes, suddenly very away. "Be careful, Justin," Geoffrey said, concerned.

"You and Leanne push them out of Hogwarts!" Owen added.

"Don't worry. We will," Justin told them. "We'll be back at Hogwarts soon. All of us."

Justin gave each boy a quick hug, and with a whisper of "Good luck," from both, he left the room filled with sleeping boys and ran down the corridor and to the stairs that lead to the commons, which he took two and three at a time.

"Justin!" Leanne called from the bottom of the airy case. "Come on! Let's go find Madame Maxime!"

Justin nodded and they two set off through the Beauxbatons palace.

"I told Geoffrey and Owen we were going. Did you tell Luca?" Justin asked as they ran.

"Yes," she huffed. "I told her that we were going to fight, and that we would come get them when we'd won, so we could finally go home again.

They continued to run through the dark, winding halls, desperately willing their legs to carry them faster and faster. Hogwarts was at battle, possibly right at that very second. Their friends, their teachers, and their school needed them. Two more soldiers could mean the difference between life and death, victory and failure. Their joining the fight at the right time could make all the difference in the world.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of running, they reached the large double doors that lead to the Headmistress's quarters. They'd been taught the path for this exact reason. They had made no secret about their desire to fight.

Justin seized the knocker, which was made from metal vines and flowers, and gave it four quick, loud knocks, in a pattern that Madame Maxime had specified for this particular situation.

It took only a few seconds before Madame Maxime's large form appeared at the door, hair in a nightcap, wrapping a silk robe around her, looking alarmed.

"Monsieur Justin, Mademoiselle Leanne, eez eet time?" she asked.

"Yes, Madame Maxime!" Leanne said quickly. "The fight is starting!"

"Zen ve must get you two back to 'Ogwarts!" Madame Maxime replied. "'Urry, 'urry! To ze fireplace!"

She threw the doors open to let them in. With the flick of her wand, a great crackling, naturally orange fire started within an ornate fireplace on the far wall, throwing the large bedchamber into relief. Madame Maxime grabbed a powder blue pot hanging beside, filled with sparkling, silver powder.

Justin made a grab for the Floo powder, but Leanne grabbed his wrist, stopping him.

"What?" Justin demanded impatiently. Time was of the essence!

"Where do we go?" Leanne asked. "We can't just Floo into Hogwarts! What if we end up in the enemy's fireplace? We have to think this through!"

Justin thought about her words. She was right, of course. Who knew where they would end up? They had to go somewhere safe, somewhere they could get reconvene and get into Hogwarts. Somewhere the DA would expect them to go. They wouldn't have called them back if they hadn't thought of a place for them all to go. There was someplace out there that was perfect to go.

Then it hit him.

"The Hog's Head!" Justin said. "The location of the first DA meeting! I would bet anything that's where they'd want us to go!"

"You're right!" Leanne agreed. She turned to Madame Maxime again, who was still holding the pot, waiting for them to make their decision. "Thank you so much, Madame Maxime. You have been the most gracious host to us."

"We will try are hardest to return," Justin added. "But… if we don't, please know that we could have never made it without your help. We are forever in your debt."

"I could nevair een my life 'ave turned you avay, Monsieur Justin," she said. "You children are very brave for vut you are doing. I vish you ze best ov luck. Please be careful."

"We will, Madame Maxime," Justin told her, taking a handful of the powder from the pot.

"We'll end this war tonight," Leanne said fiercely, taking some Floo powder as well.

"Goodbye, Monsieur Feench-Fletchley. Goodbye, Mademoiselle Spinks."

"Goodbye, Madame Maxime," both said in unison. Then they turned to each other and nodded, stepping forward to the fireplace.

Justin threw his powder into the flames, watching them turn a bright, acid green. "The Hog's Head!" he boomed clearly, stepping into the fireplace and through the Floo network, all the while knowing that one way or another, this war would be over soon.

OoOoO

The Hog's Head was packed with people.

"Great, more kid soldiers," a voice muttered, and the old bartender offered a hand to help Justin and Leanne up from the floor. "I suspect those little coins of yours pulled you out of hiding? I'm a little surprised you used the fireplace. Were you hiding out in someone's basement all this time?"

"Not really," Justin said. "We've been in France. Madame Maxime, the headmistress at Beauxbatons, let us study there in secret."

"Should have stayed put if you ask me," the old man told him. "If I was a smarter mad, I'd sent you lot all back where you came from. But if you little children want to fight, I suppose there's nothing I can do to stop you. I was never as smart as Albus, anyways, so I guess it doesn't really matter, now does it?"

Leanne looked at the bartender, confusion written across her face, and then a spark of recognition. "Are you his brother?" she asked. "Professor Dumbledore's?"

"That I am," he said. "Aberforth Dumbledore, younger brother to the worshiped Albus Dumbledore. Now, you two ought to get out of the way. Might be having more people coming by Floo. If we all survive this, I'm going to strangle Longbottom for causing all this traffic in my pub."

Leanne and Justin looked at each other with surprised smiles. "Neville?" Leanne asked with pleasant shock. "How long have we been away?"

"You'd be surprised with that boy," Aberforth said. "Been fighting this whole year. Hiding out in that funny room for months now, trying to get the Carrows out. Kid nearly died of excitement when Potter showed up here earlier."

"Harry's here?" Justin asked. "You mean, he actually here?"

"He is," Aberforth said. "Got here not fifteen minutes ago. And ever since, there's been a constant stream of people through my pub!" He raised his voice at that last part, directing it at the people that were flooding his pub at this hour of the night. Justin recognized several Order members, Hogsmeade citizens, and former Hogwarts students.

"Sorry, Ab!" several voices called over the crowd.

"Sure you are, you bunch of nutters!" He turned back to Justin and Leanne. "Better get in line, then, you two."

OoOoO

"Justin!" a voice screeched as he climbed through the hole in the wall and into the Room of Requirement. Suddenly, a flash ginger, and Justin felt like he was going to be knocked over as Susan Bones threw her arms around him.

"Oh my god, Justin!" Susan cried, pulling back to look at him. "I'm so happy that you're back! We've all been so worried about you! No one had heard from you in so long!"

Justin pulled her back to him, wanting her as close to him as possible. It had been too long since he'd seen any of his old friends, but he hadn't realized how much he had missed Susan. It was like he'd been holding his breath for the past ten months and he finally had air. Feeling her so close to him was heaven, and he never wanted to let go of the sensation.

"I'm sorry," Justin whispered, stroking her hair lightly. "I wish that I could have said more. We couldn't risk being found."

"Oi, Justin! It's good to see you again, mate!" Ernie said, walking through the crowd to clap him on the back, Hannah hot on his heels.

Justin just barely managed to pull himself away from Susan to properly greet Ernie.

"It's good to be back," Justin told him. "Beauxbatons has been great, but I don't think there's anything quite like Hogwarts."

"We'd thought you were there!" Hannah said. "We figured that you probably wouldn't have gone to Durmstrang, because of their reputation for the Dark Arts, but Beauxbatons has Madame Maxime, and she seemed alright. Did we wake you?"

Justin smiled. "Of course you did! I was fast asleep. Luckily, Leanne was smart enough that before term started, she turned both of our coins into bracelets that we tied to our wrists so we could feel them if we were called in the middle of the night."

Ernie smiled at him. "Well, it's a good thing, too. Wouldn't want to miss the upcoming fight, would you?"

"Never in a million years," Justin replied.

OoOoO

The sound of You-Know-Who's voice filling the vast Great Hall was terrifying.

Screams of terror bounced around the room the entire time he was speaking. Justin had imagined him before, based on Harry's descriptions, but even in all hid imagining, he'd never quite gotten around to the voice. Somehow, Justin thought, if you're close enough to You-Know-Who to hear his voice, you're probably as good as dead anyways. Regardless, he could have never imagined such a voice – high and clear, damn near sociopathic with its ice cold tone which made Justin feel as though he was walking through an arctic waterfall and a ghost at the same time. He was drenched in the feeling of freezing cold and numbing fear.

"You have until midnight."

Everyone stared at Harry, the silence almost as deafening as You-Know-Who's voice. And then it was broken.

"But he's there! Potter's there. Someone grab him!" that Slytherin cow Pansy Parkinson screeched. Anger shot through him, and it seemed that most of his classmates had the same reaction. Every Gryffindor stood simultaneously, and mere seconds later, as Justin decided to stand as well, everyone in both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw stood, facing the Slytherin table in an act of protection and defiance. The Slytherins had nothing to lose. In You-Know-Who's mind, they were loyal to him, and he was most likely right, especially now, hearing Parkinson's proposition. Without even realizing it, Justin had his wand out and ready to send every curse he knew flying in the Slytherins' direction.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said sharply, in the tone she often used when students greatly annoyed her. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filtch. If the rest of your House could follow."

All the Slytherins, looking slightly nervous at the prospect of being cursed by over two hundred people, filed out quickly, leaving no one at their table willing to defend the school. That was probably a good thing, though. The last thing they needed was some idiot Slytherin trying to sabotage their resistance from the inside.

"Ravenclaws, follow on!" McGonagall called. "Then Hufflepuff and Gryffindor!"

The Ravenclaws followed the Slytherins out, though a good half of the upper two classes stayed seated, ready to fight. Almost every seventh year and eligible sixth year Hufflepuff stayed seated, though Justin noted with distain that Zacharias Smith was very quick to exit the Hall. Smith was the kind of person that gave Hufflepuffs a bad name. Half of Gryffindor chose to stay seated, of age or not. It appeared that no one above third year was standing to leave, which made Professor McGonagall extremely frustrated as she tried to sort out those allowed to stay and fight. The tiny Creevey brothers, Colin and Dennis, were both sitting next to each other with defiant looks on their faces. It took McGonagall addressing them personally before they finally stood and followed the rest of their Housemates out of the Hall.

Justin looked at everyone who was seated. He recognized almost everyone who remained. Some he was surprised to see back, like Lisa Turpin, the Muggle-born daughter of a judge, and Alannis Sheppley, who'd been adopted by Muggles and couldn't prove if she had magical parents or not. Neither had been in Dumbledore's Army, so he didn't know how they'd gotten word about the impending battle. He made a mental note to ask them once this was all over.

The remaining Hogwarts professors began to organize to troops, as it were, and Professor McGonagall sent Harry away to search for something that he'd come to the school to find. Justin hoped whatever it was would truly help them win this war. He wanted nothing more than to return to Beauxbatons with Leanne so they could give Luca, Geoffrey, and Owen good news.

OoOoO

Midnight approached quickly, and Justin could hardly believe that an hour ago, he'd been asleep, safe and sound in France. It was one o'clock there. All the students would be asleep at this hour. All except for maybe the three Hogwarts students. Would they be awake, sitting in the Fleur de Lys commons, staring at the fire, waiting for he and Leanne to return? Justin felt sure that had he been left behind at Beauxbatons while someone else fought for his freedom, he would have been unable to sleep. At least they wouldn't have classes in the morning, should the battle rage on through the night. Not that any professor at Beauxbatons would fault them for their inability to focus on course-work. Regardless, Justin was happy that it was Saturday.

He, Leanne, Susan, and a group of about twenty other students, professors, and Order members stood ready with their wands out. Professor Sprout and Neville had gone to grab some of the more dangerous plants from her greenhouse to lobe at the Death Eaters when they approached. Everything was completely silent, expect for the ticking of someone's watch, which seemed unnaturally loud.

The silence was suddenly broken by a quiet, whispered voice, trembling horribly with each word.

"Five."

Oh no.

"Four."

This is it.

"Three."

I don't want to do this

"Two."

Good god, please let everything come out okay.

"One."

Everyone held their breaths. For a long second, it felt as though the world had stopped spinning.

And then came the battle cries from hundreds of Death Eaters, and the battle was officially on.

"Hold your ground everyone!" an Order member yelled over the growing commotion. "Remember yourself! Watch your backs! Duel to kill!"

OoOoO

Whatever preparing they'd done in Dumbledore's Army, none of it seemed to matter anymore. DA meetings – the things meant to ready them for battle – seemed completely and utterly pointless fighting in an actual battle, where there weren't large, fluffy pillows to catch you if you fell, or Harry's encouraging voice telling you to get up and try again. There were no second chances in battle. One mistake could mean death.

OoOoO

"Behind you, Leanne!" Justin shouted, ducking to dodge a spell.

Leanne spun around with lightning fast speed and shot a curse at a Death Eater who was about to attack her. Justin sent a stunning spell at his opponent and dashed to her aid. They pressed their backs together as a team, not allowing anyone to attack the other while their back was turned.

"Susan!" Leanne called out over the commotion. Justin turned just in time to see Susan slide to the ground between a Death Eater's legs to avoid being hit. She kicked him from behind, causing him to fall forwards, where he was hit by accidental friendly fire and crumpled to the ground. She stood quickly, sending a flash of bright teal light over her shoulder and then vaulted herself towards her two allies. Justin and Leanne repositioned themselves to include Susan as they both continued to send spells flying at the Death Eaters, hoping beyond hope that none on their side would get in the line of fire.

Suddenly, right in front of Justin, he saw a young witch that he thought was a waitress at Madam Puddifoot's Tea Shop, take a shot of green light straight to the chest. A shocked look came over her face as the light left her eyes and she fell to the floor, dead.

The suddenness of her death brought Justin to a new thought of mortality. Without even deciding it, he knew this might be his only chance to tell Susan how he felt.

"Susan, I'm not sure if this is the right time for this, but I'm gonna just come out and say it!" he yelled over the sounds of battle. "I'm completely mad about you!"

He looked at her over his shoulder and she just stared at him with a look of pure delight in her blue eyes.

"I'm completely mad about you, too!" she finally cried, flinging herself into his arms.

Justin's lips found hers while he embraced her, and for a minute, it felt like the battle had stopped and the world was standing completely still. They were to only two people on planet earth, and they were happy.

"Oi! Bones, Finch-Fletchley!" someone shouted, pulling them back to the real world, where the battle raged on around them. "It's great that you two finally figured it out and all, but there's a war going on here in case you couldn't tell!" Both looked up to see Anthony Goldstein fighting off two Death Eaters at once.

"Exactly!" Justin called back. "No time like the present!"

But the two released each other and, with a newly renewed sense of fire in his belly, Justin continued to fight back to back with Susan and Leanne.

OoOoO

The battle raged on. Every second seemed to drag as though in slow motion, but the sounds and sights of war seemed to go at double the speed. It was quite the paradox. Justin wasn't sure who was winning. Sometimes, it appeared that they were winning, with their superior knowledge of the castle and the resources it provided. But most of the time the Death Eaters seemed to outnumber the Hogwarts resistance three to one. At some point during the fight, it became impossible for Justin, Leanne, and Susan to fight back to back. Debris fell from crumbling walls and destroyed statues, half-burying the bodies that littered the ground.

Justin was exhausted, but he didn't dare let his guard down. One wrong move could be the end. Hours into the fight, he found himself dueling against two Death Eaters at once.

"Come on, little boy," one of them growled menacingly, sending a beam of green light straight for him, which he just barely managed to dodge. "Don't you want to end this now?"

A flash of rage shot through him. Of course he wanted to end it now! He hadn't spent the last nine months hiding away in France to give up in the middle of battle!

"We will end this!" Justin shouted at him, sending every curse and hex he could think of at the two. "We'll drive you bastards out of Hogwarts!"

Anthony Goldstein finished his own duel, leaving his opponent dead on the floor, and then joined Justin in his fight.

"Nice of you to help out, Goldstein!" Justin called over the sounds of battle.

"Nice of you to pull your lips away from Susan's, Finch-Fletchley!" he laughed back, one of his spells making contact with one of the Death Eaters the pair was fighting just as Justin himself managed to take down the other.

"Well, you know," Justin told him loudly, scanning the room for a new enemy to go after. "I'm kind of been crazy for her since second year. Figured that I might as well tell her now, since there's a chance we both might not come out of this thing!"

Anthony clapped him on the shoulder, a gesture that was almost too real for such an unreal surrounding. "You can't think about stuff like that, Justin!" he replied, almost being drowned out by a nearby wall exploding. "You've got to think like you're gonna come out of –"

He cut off suddenly, his eyes widening with shock. His muscles began to spasm sporadically, and with a horrible, awful sound, he coughed up blood, which sprayed onto Justin's face and clothes. And then he crumpled to the ground, joining the other casualties of war.

Justin stared down at Anthony's body with complete shock for several long seconds. Once again, time seemed to slow down, and the world around him seemed to disappear. But this time it wasn't because he had finally kissed Susan; it was because Anthony was dead. A second ago, he'd been saying that you couldn't think about dying, and then he was dead. The world seemed impossibly unfair.

Anger coursed through Justin's veins, and he ran in the direction the spell had come from, cursing every Death Eater who crossed his path, trying to avenge Anthony, and everyone else who had fallen victim to this fray.

OoOoO

Nothing seemed to be able to stop the fighting. That is, until You-Know-Who's voice filled the castle again.

"You have fought valiantly," his cold, cruel voice said, echoing through the halls, bringing every movement from both Death Eaters and resistance to a halt. "Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery.

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."

Unless you're Muggle-born, Justin thought coolly. Then you can all just go die.

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat, immediately."

The Death Eaters all glanced around at each other, confused. Then, they all began to go, trying to keep the resistance in sight.

"Get them now!" someone roared over the crowed, which was met with many cheers, and the spells began to fly once more.

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

The Death Eaters began to send spells back as they retreated, trying to limit their losses. The Hogwarts resistance followed, continuing to hex and jinx and curse every enemy they could.

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself."

Justin saw one Death Eater – the woman called Bellatrix Lestrange, the one who had tortured Neville's parents into insanity and had killed countless others – lazily walking backwards, sending dramatic spells towards several students. One couldn't dodge in time. She writhed on the floor for a minute before she finally stopped moving.

"I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences.

"Battle hasn't ceased yet, you dolt!" some brave, brave soul shouted.

"You tell 'im, Richie!" someone else yelled.

"Yeah, you tell him, Coote!"

Through the cheers for Richie Coote's brash statement, no one seemed to see Bellatrix Lestrange's face change from one of amusement to one of pure anger. No one but Justin.

This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, –"

"How dare you?" she screeched, wand at the ready.

"– and I shall find you, –"

Thinking quickly, Justin drew his own wand.

"– and I shall punish every last man, –"

"How dare you speak of my Lord in such a way?" Bellatrix continued, though no one seemed to be paying her much attention. She raised her wand in Coote's direction, and Justin vaulted himself across the floor to get in her way.

"–woman –"

"Justin, no!" a voice called out, but it was too late.

"– and child who has tried to conceal you from me."

Justin flung himself in the way of Bellatrix Lestrange's spell, feeling the horrible, agonizing pain coursing through every cell of his body.

"No!" Susan cried again, diving to the floor next to him. She cradled his head gently in her lap, tears filling her eyes. "No, Justin, no! Please don't go! Please don't leave me!" she whimpered, as many jets of light flew over her head, in the direction that Bellatrix had been in just seconds before.

"One hour," You-Know-Who's voice echoed and died, as did the sounds of battle.

"S-su… san," Justin stammered through the convulsions in his muscles.

"What is it, Justin?" she asked, stroking his hair lovingly.

"D-d-don't… f-forget… m... me," he told her weakly. Everything was going fuzzy and the pain was slowly giving way to numbness.

"I couldn't never forget you, Justin," she sobbed, her body heaving with her hysterics.

With his last remaining energy, Justin smiled, letting his eyes close, and with his dying breath, he uttered just two, faint words.

"Thank… you."

A/N: So… yeah. I was pretty much crying the entire time I wrote this, because I knew where it was leading. Of all the characters killed, the only student named was Colin, and it would just be unrealistic if no one else died. Anyways, did anyone else catch the Sweeney Todd reference in there? Probably not, but it make me smile while I was writing it regardless. There's just one more part after this, and it's much shorter than these last two parts. Thank you for reading this story. Part 3 will be out soon. I hope you'll take a moment to review, because I always love to hear your thoughts.