I throw the paper away from me in disgust. How could someone do that to a person, much less a child? I've seen some fucked up things in my life, being a member of the demented house of Black tends to grant that privilege to you, but still…to do that to a person is horrible.

"Bad news?" James asks, raising an eyebrow. His other eyebrow joins the first when he watches me light the Daily Prophet on fire. "I'm guessing that's a yes."

"More news about the Death Eater pieces of scum," I say. I can't get across the level of disgust I feel properly, "I'm not sure who is worse though. The Death Eaters for doing it, or the paper for printing it."

James shakes his head, "Is it about the Massacre in-"

A scream sounds throughout the Hall, and the both of us quickly turn in the direction. At the Hufflepuff table, a girl with brown hair was crying. In her hand was the paper, and her friends were watching with worry.

"Candiace Aplebins, isn't her family from that town?" James asks.

"I think so." I frown, "How many does that make now?"

"Forty, I think," James says, "Though to be honest, I lost count after twenty seven."

I nod. "I'm surprised that Dumbledore hasn't cancelled the Hogsmead visit that's coming up."

James shrugs, "I think he wants to keep things as normal as possible for the students. I'll admit, it works rather well for the younger years, but I've had a lot of the older years come and ask for help with dueling."

"Why?"

"Just in case there's an attack like on the train."

No one had heard about the attack where Lily had been taken and the rest of us had followed her. No one asked any questions about it or about the aftermath. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good because it doesn't bring attention to the…problems…that came from that fight. Bad because many people assume that Hogsmead isn't going to be attacked. And with the way that the weather has been improving lately, I can't help but to worry if there's going to be a larger attack on the little village.

~*~Ann's POV~*~

I walk into the Hog's Head and look around for a moment, ignoring the water dripping from my hair. Sure enough, he's seated at the bar, a glass of Firewhiskey in front of him. Sitting next to him, I flag down the bartender and order the same thing. I think about what he could be feeling and I keep coming up short of what must be going through Sirius's mind right now. He saw one of his friends die. Granted, it wasn't a Marauder, but it was still one of his classmates and peers. The only reason that I know he saw was the look of utter and complete shock on his face in the middle of the fight, and now with his look of total numbness now.

"Sirius," I begin, "McGonagall has noticed that you're missing. James and Remus are asking for you up at the hospital wing."

"I don't care," he mutters, "Let them call and let her look. I don't care."

"Come on. You don't mean that."

"Prove it."

"Sirius-"

"Don't! Don't even start!" he growls, "You have no idea what I'm thinking or feeling right now!"

I take a sip of my Firewhiskey, "You're right. I don't. I've never seen one of my year mates killed right in front of me. But I would rather see them killed than tortured."

He stays silent.

"You want to talk about it?"

"NO! Just leave me alone! I don't want to talk!" he shouts.

"Fine," I mutter, lowering my voice.

Meanwhile the only thing I can think of is how this would affect Sirius, the Marauders, and the rest of the school. The moral of the entire school is going to drop even more. It doesn't help that attacks have been happening outside of school even more than in previous years. Everything is escalating and there's nothing that we can do about it. The only thing that we can do is hope and pray and work on our magic.

Tipping back the rest of my drink, I pat him on the back and give the bartender a meaningful glance. He nods and corks the rest of the bottle. I tip him highly, and then leave the bar and Sirius and head back up to the school through the side streets of Hogsmead. Yet even these areas are almost ruined by the destruction caused by the Death Eaters. They had attacked in the middle of a Hogsmead visit, right in the middle of the day, ensuring that they had the best chance of gaining the most casualties and most injuries. That's why Remus and James were in the Hospital wing. The five of us, Sirius, Remus, James, Lily and me, were in the Three Broomsticks when it happened. It was our stop for lunch and we were talking about the Quidditch match coming up when we heard the screams. Almost instantly Remus, Sirius and myself launched toward the door, the teachers telling us to stay inside, telling us that they would deal with it. We ignored them. James and Lily worked at appperating people right up to the boundary where the Hogwarts wards took effect and gave them a push toward the school while Madam Rosemerta and one of her patrons were flooing people to Hogwarts.

I'm shaken from my thoughts by a cry in the night. Looking around I see one of the houses that was practically destroyed by the death eaters. Waiting a moment, I hear a scream and rush toward the dilapidated building.

I run out into the street and turn toward where the screams are coming from. Almost all I can see are people in black cloaks. Death Eaters. More than I have ever seen and they all are coming this way, firing spells out at random and attacking innocents. Letting out a snarl, I charge right at the mass. The thought that I could die only crosses my mind once before I banish it and attack the nearest Death Eater, who is currently torturing a third year.

"What the hell?"

"Hell? You wish!" I snarl, "Ossavitro!"

It doesn't hit me that I just used Dark Magic right off the bat. All I notice is the look of intense pain on his face before a random spell hits him, killing him. I race to the third year and pick up the child. He's breathing, but barely. I run him to a fifth year.

"Quick, take him to the Three Broomsticks and floo to the hospital wing!" I shout. The kid, who looks terrified, nods. Grabbing the younger year, the fifth year takes off running and disappears into the pub. I turn back to the battle and start firing off spells.

Reaching the house I use revelare humana to see that whoever it is, is in the northern part of the rubble. I move around the rubble and then begin to levitate pieces of rubble from the top of the pile to the side, knowing that it all could collapse at any time. Once I've got a good portion of it away I light my wand.

"Hey! Who's in here?" I shout.

There's a sniffle, "Marybelle."

"Alright Marybelle, can you see the light from my wand?" I ask.

"Barely." Comes her reply.

"Ok, let me know when you can clearly see it." I cast a spell to keep some lumos orbs hanging in the air and start to remove more rubble. It takes another five minutes of work, and by this time I can feel my brow starting to sweat from the entire day's exertion.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I dodge the spell and turn to the Death Eater who fired it. He's giving me a look as though to say 'What are you going to do about it?' I grit my teeth together and quickly fire a couple of spells at him, before having to dodge another one of the robed jackwagon's attacks. I notice that they all are really starting to swarm now, that they all are pushing in around those of us fighting. Letting out another snarl, I flick my wand and just use whatever I have in my arsenal to get rid of them.

"Susicitatio umbra! Peonapectus pectoris! Umbra proeliator! Ignis!" I call, casting each spell quickly and either at the Death Eaters or in the surrounding area. The moment that the shadows have been animated and the shade warriors have been created I command them to attack the Death Eaters and manage to turn my attention to other business.

"I can see it!" the gleeful shout reaches my ears and I focus on finding the girls exact location.

"Ok, I'm going to move the light, if it gets dimmer tell me 'colder'. If it gets brighter tell me 'hotter'. Alright?"

"Ok!"

I start moving the light and listen to her responses.

"Colder. Hotter. Hotter. Hotter. Colder. Hotter. Hotter. Hotter! It's right in front of me!"

Nodding I move so that I'm right by the light and start physically burrowing into the debris. Finally I feel just cool air and I assume that I've hit a pocket in the debris. I twist my body and work the rubble so that it ends up creating a weird reinforced sort of tunnel.

"Do you see my hands?"

"Yes."

"Ok, grab onto them."

I feel tiny hands grab my own and I start to carefully pull her out.

Remus and Sirius are fighting back to back in the middle of the street and I am about to join them when someone casts fire in my way. Turning around I see a line of five Death Eaters looking at me, the middle one with their wand out. Narrowing my eyes I scan the Death Eaters quickly, trying to figure out what is going on with them. The one in the middle seems to be the strongest, or at least the one who has the least injuries. The one on the far right is keeping their weight off their left leg and the person right next to them is holding their arm at a weird angle. Meanwhile the Death Eater on the far left has their head tilted slightly to favor one ear. The person right next to them, at first, doesn't seem to have anything wrong, but then I notice that their breathing is irregular. Sneering, I adjust my grim on my wand.

"Ok, who wants to be the first to die?" I ask.

"Little Anna couldn't kill anyone! She doesn't have the guts to!" The middle Death Eater yells, her voice sing song-y. I recognize it as being Bellatrix's voice. The odd thought that she's married now crosses my mind and I ignore it.

"If you think so Bellabitch," I call back, knowing that my nickname for her will piss her off more than anything else. Well, excepting Sirius calling her Trixie.

Once she's out I look her over really quick, noticing that she has some really bad scrapes and cuts. Her right thigh has a gouge in it and I start to really worry. How long has she been trapped here bleeding like that?

Her eyes look at me with worry, "You aren't going to hurt me are you?"

I shake my head, "No, no I'm not. Come on, I'll take you up to Hogwarts."

Adjusting my grip on the small child, I start walking toward the castle when she turns pale and starts to cough. That isn't what worries me, it's when she starts coughing up blood that I start to panic and take off at a sprint.

Bellatrix pulls off her mask and sneers at me, "As if you could take on five of us at once."

"Fine, try me then," I growl, taking up a dueling position. Bellatrix seems to smile at this and takes up a similar position, her Death Eater guard moving so that I'm surrounded. I count to five and start blocking and absorbing spells. I can feel myself backing up into the heat of the fire. I see a house collapse on the people inside, yells and screams tearing into the air. A small figure is floating in the air, spinning around like a top. I glare at the Death Eaters before flicking my wand, using silent magic to ward them off as I work my way to the child.

The girl in my arms coughs again, more blood coming up, and she gives a light groan.

"It's ok," I say, voice purposefully calm, "It's alright. We're almost there."

The child stops spinning just to start doing cartwheels in the air. The screams echo through the air, sending chills down my spine.

I nearly fall from the speed that I'm traveling, feet flying over the ground, trying to catch up with the momentum. I don't dare apperate with her, not without knowing how it will affect her wounds.

"Impedimenda!" Bellatrix laughs as I fall forward, "So you want to get to the kiddie?"

Breath comes in and out. Faster and harsher.

"Avada Kedavra!" The green light hits the kid. The screaming stops, but the corps keeps spinning, "Oopsies."

I finally reach the lawn of the school and charge up the steps, holding the barely breathing girl and ignoring the pain in my body.

"What's wrong little Annalisa? Want to kill me?" Bellatrix asks, her voice in mock concern.

As I enter the hall, the few professors standing around, dinner had just finished apparently, stop and stare at me as I rush past, heading toward the Hospital wing.

She smirks, eyes dancing insanely, "Come on wittle Annawisa, pway with me!" Bellatrix cackles.

I reach the doors of the hospital wing. Luckily they're open so I run right in.

A heartbeat. A moment.

"MADAM POMFREY!"

Giving no warning, spells and curses start to fly at the witch, and her smile falters. She throws up a shield, but watches in horror as it starts to crack under the consistent barrage of attack.

The nurse comes running out, directing me where to place the young girl, who has become almost as pale as the sheets she is on. Only the blood which spatters around her mouth where she's been coughing shows any color.

I slowly divide my focus enough so that I'm able to attack her friends. They drop quickly, their preexisting injuries being too much for them to withstand. When it's just Bellatrix and me, I smile at her and tilt my head. She relaxes slightly, thinking that I am about to go off into some speech about how she's cornered, but when I send more spellwork at her, she snarls and throws up half a shield before apperating away.

I run after her for a moment, "Coward!"

Turning back toward the fight, I work my way to Sirius and Remus, both of whom look like they've seen better days.

Madam Pomfrey bustles around the bed, muttering incantations and different spells, watching as Marybelle's body glows with different colors, showing what and where her injuries are located. She starts working on healing the most severe injuries when Marybelle's whole body glows white. My heart lurches and I watch in panic as the mediwitch turned school nurse starts to work as fast as she can.

Reaching two of my best friends I throw up a shield between Sirius and an incoming spell. He sees me and nods his thanks before adjusting so that the three of us can stand back to back, forming an odd sort of triangle. That's when the ground explodes, throwing each of us in a different direction.

I watch as the pale color seems to grab more and more onto the little girl on the bed. Pomfrey now looks worried and she keeps working, trying hard to keep the girl alive. After what seems like ages, the white glow, along with all the other ones surrounding the child just vanish. Madam Pomfrey sags and lets out a sigh. As she walks past me she places a hand on my shoulder.

"You tried, Ann." She uses my first name for the first, and probably last, time ever.

Gritting my teeth as my back hits the cobbled wall, I fall to the ground and curl into a ball, protecting my head from the stone falling on top of me, listening to the terror going on around the town when it just stops. A loud crack sounds and when I unbury myself, the Death Eaters have left. As quickly as they appeared, they left, leaving the rest of us to try and work through what happened. As I shuffle out of the debris, some of the Death Eaters had given one last blast and had knocked over some walls, trees, and broken a bunch of glass, I start to feel small pains. Every part of me hurts, but luckily I don't have any broken bones this time. Crawling out of the rubble, I start to help with the cleanup, pulling people out of the rock, and carrying them over to either the carriages or the floo stations that had been set up.

I walk out of the hospital wing, my thoughts and emotions swirling around in my head, taking over everything. Including my control. I walk without paying attention to where I'm going. I don't even pay attention to when I hear someone call my name. When I find myself at the bottom of the Astronomy tower, I glance up before climbing to the top and standing outside in the night air. I breathe in and out for a moment before just letting out a yell. I can feel the last of my control snap, allowing my anger, fear, frustration, and all those other pent up feelings to direct my magic.

/*/ Lily's POV /*/

I reach the top of the Astronomy tower right as Ann gives an extremely loud yell. I feel my heart skip a beat at the emotion in it, the throaty way it sounds, reaching from her very core. But what I hear pales in comparison to what I see.

Ann is standing in the center of the landing and the air around her is whipping around in some unseen vortex. I step closer to her, and I feel the wind whip at me. Her skin seems to radiate this almost black light. The wind gains enough momentum in the little bubble around her that she seems to lift for a moment before everything suddenly stops and she falls to the ground, crashing to her knees.

"Ann!" I shout, running to her and kneeling next to her, "What's wrong?"

She looks at me, her eyes oddly devoid of anything. "What isn't wrong?" she asks, her voice low and gravelly, "What in this fucked up world isn't wrong? The whole place has gone to hades, and there's nothing I can do about it."

I open my mouth and then close it. I can't think of anything to say for her. Any of the words that I would have told someone else to calm them down fly from my mind. So I do the one thing that I can. I pull her into a hug.

Ann starts talking gibberish between her laughter. I realise that this is probably her way of breaking down and just hold her closer.

"And I tried to talk to Sirius, but he's losing it. We're all losing it," she mutters, "I don't know what to do. I used so much…so much that I never thought I would…and yet…then as I was coming back there was a girl…she'd been trapped and was injured…she died in the Hospital Wing. I couldn't help her." Another round of laughter, "Oh Morgana, I couldn't help her. Just like the other kids. And to think that there are so many dead. Do you think their parents care? I think they do."

I pull her up and start to walk back to Gryffindor Tower with Ann following, entirely too docile for my comfort. She keeps up her line of gibberish and giggles. Admittedly, her reaction kind of freaks me out, but then again, I have never seen her break down before. I don't think any of us have. I know no one here has seen her cry, except for maybe her brother. I'm also worried about Sirius. No one had seen him since dinner, and he hadn't eaten much then, and if Ann says he's losing it, then she's obviously seen him at some point. The fact that Ann didn't manage to get him to follow her back to school worries me.

Once we're in the tower, I lead her into our dorm, by now she's silent, staring ahead with an almost unblinking gaze, her eyes completely silver-grey in color. Once in the dorm, she takes over, walking to her bed and just laying on it, her eyes trained on the ceiling. I frown as I turn down the lights, wondering if we'll all ever be able to laugh again.

~*~ Ann's POV~*~

Blood is running everywhere. Debris and cries of pain and terror. My reactions are too slow. They die. All of them. They die no matter what I do. Sirius. Remus. James. Peter. Lily. Rowan. Regulus. All of them. They die. No matter what I cannot save them. Cannot help them. And laughter surrounds me. Cold. High. Terrible. Spells, hexes, curses, and other things hit me. Pain. Everywhere. They all die. They…all…DIE!

~*~AG~*~

I shoot up in bed, barely managing to catch the scream in my throat. I place a hand on my head, trying to drive away the headache and the images that my nightmare had brought on. Stumbling out of bed, I manage to make my way downstairs and sit in front of the fire place. As I stare at the darkened pit, I can't help but to feel that we're at the edge of something much worse than people think we are. I can't help but to feel as though there are some missing pieces to this puzzle. And as I sit in the dark, I can't help but to remember my nightmare and the entire situation which is now my life. Rowan and I are homeless right now. James offered to owl his parents, but I don't want to intrude. Even with as much as Mr. and Mrs. Potter enjoy taking in strays, Sirius's words, not mine, I think taking in two more teens is more than what the Potters would be bargaining for. And added onto that, I've been accepted into the Auror's accelerated training program, which means I have to take the written exam for it after my NEWTs so that I can get into the practical training.

Curling into a ball, I entwine my hands in my hair and try to control my thoughts before they get away from me again. I cannot afford to lose control. Taking deep breaths, I summon the box of cigarettes from my dorm and sit on the window sill, lighting one and holding onto the smoke for a long while until letting it out in a slow breath. I watch it drift out the window and along the air in mild curiosity.

"I thought that you'd stopped the last time McGonagall caught you."

Glancing toward the voice, I shrug. Sirius sits on the space left on the sill and snags a cigarette, lighting it with the flame produced from the snap of his fingers. Moony had taught them that trick, though Peter never really got a hold of it and James is better at wind styled attacks if he ever tries elemental magic.

"She doesn't scare me anymore."

"Did she honestly ever?"

"Yes."

The two of us sit in silence. I can tell from the way he keeps rubbing the back of the neck that he had woken up from a bad dream as well. It's just like I know he can tell the same about me. Neither of us needs to say anything. What could we say? We both saw Death today.

AN/ Hey everyone! Ok, so I've had a couple of reviews lately ask if Ann and Sirius are going to get together. I will repeat what I've said before. Not in this story, simply because then it will be entirely too long and I will become fed up with it. As it is, Breaking Glass is coming to an end and that will be the end of my 'Glass' series. I'd thought about making a third which detailed the time between graduation and Halloween of 1981, but I have another idea for that. If/when I publish chapters showing Ann/Sirius, or Ann/?, or Sirius/? (Cause I love how everyone assumed that Ann and Sirius are getting together as I don't recall ever saying that those two would be another couple outside of James and Lily.) there will be a note either on my author page or in the current fic that I'm publishing. Anyway, now that I'm rambling, I ask that you review and let me know what you think!