She sighed and dropped her quill onto the table, finally deciding to give up on McGonagall's essay. Annalise hadn't slept properly in days, and a dull ache was starting just behind her eyes. She rubbed her face and rolled up her parchment, shoving it into her bag just as a student walked up to her.

"Annalise Potter?"

"You're looking at her," She sighed, slinging her bag across her shoulder.

"The Headmaster wants you in his office." It was obvious the boy was a second year. He stood straight, so he wasn't nervous to be around a seventh year like a first year would, but he still looked extremely nervous.

"Do you know what he needs me for?" She asked, stacking her few books and shoving those in her bag as well. She grimaced at the weight placed on her shoulder, but didn't try to lighten it in any way.

The boy shook his head. "No, I was in class and he just told me to find you. But he was serious, and you know how Snape is these days."

Annalise snorted and followed the boy out. "Yeah, I've been in his class for seven straight years. I should know."

They walked down the halls, and up a few flights of stairs. Annalise would have thought that Snape would have taken Dumbledore's old office, but no, he wanted to use one of the larger abandoned classrooms that were down near the dungeons. It suited his personality, in her opinion.

The second year smiled at her as he headed back for the stairs. "Good luck, Potter, I think you'll need it."

"Thanks," She turned towards the door, but then turned back to the retreating boy. "Hey, I never got your name."

"Ethan," He said. "Ethan Chase."

He ran up the stairs and was gone in seconds. Annalise sighed and turned back to the door. Whatever he wants, she thought to herself, he had better make it quick.

She twisted the door handle and walked into the room. She glanced around, but Snape was nowhere to be seen. She shrugged and set her bag down by the door. Annalise turned to the many jars shelved against the wall. She peered into a large jar with a small fish-like creature inside. She reached forward and tapped the jar. It's eyes snapped open and she retracted her hand with a small squeak.

"It would be wise not to touch things that do not belong to you, Miss Potter."

Annalise turned and saw the headmaster sitting at his desk, his fingers folded in front of his chest. "Your brother had the same problem," Snape said in a bored, drawling tone. "It got him into a lot of trouble while he was here."

"Am I here so you can insult Harry to my face or is there an actual reason why you needed me?" It took Annalise a great deal of effort to keep her tone in check but her anger still came through quite clearly.

"Actually, Miss Potter," He stood and took his time to walk around his desk. He leaned against it and folded his hands in front of him. "We have been searching for your brother, but so far we have no leads."

Annalise shrugged as if she didn't care, but he knew better. "I know that you have been in contact with the boy. It would be prudent to tell me what you know."

"I don't know anything," She sneered. "He left me here, when he left, and since I haven't had a single word from my brother."

Snape's jaw tensed and Annalise crossed her arms defiantly over her chest. "It would not be smart to lie, Potter. You know the consequences of those who try to conceal him."

"I don't know anything," She emphasized. Snape crossed the room in an instant, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look up at him. A silent hatred passed between the two and he threw her across the room. She stumbled back into a desk and yelped as pain lanced through her side.

"Get out of my office, now!"

Annalise grabbed her bag and was out in seconds.

Annalise couldn't believe that Snape had physically tried to get her to tell him where Harry was. She would never tell anyone, except for those both she and her brother trusted, which were few.

"He's so stupid!" She hissed aloud.

"Password?" The Fat Lady looked down at Annalise with a sad expectancy.

"Light over darkness."

The Fat Lady smiled and her portrait swung aside like a door with a mind of its own. Annalise stepped through and, in a sudden round of anger, threw her bag at the wall. She heard a small pop as her ink bottle shattered. She walked a small ways forward and collapsed into a chair, rubbing her temples. Her head was throbbing as if it owned a pulse.

"Anna?"

Annalise looked up at Neville, who had just walked into the common area in enough time to see her collapse. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Neville," She told him. "It's just a headache."

He nodded and sat down beside her. Annalise stared at the dying fire mournfully. Neville took her hand in his and she turned her gaze on him. "You look tired," he noted. She shrugged.

"You can't work yourself to death trying to save him, Anna," He said. "You have to worry about yourself, too, sometimes."

"It's worth a shot," She whispered.

Harry hadn't tried to contact her since he had fled to Sirius's house after Bill and Fluer's wedding. Annalise remembered wanting to go with him, but being forced to stay at Hogwarts with the others.

"No, you can't come," he said. "You need to stay here."

"But I want to come with you, I want to be sure that you're safe, Harry."

He shook his head, his green eyes filled with grief. It was only hours before the wedding, and Ginny had attempted to make Annalise look like she was the happy girl she had been a few years go, but the dark circles under her eyes couldn't be disguised.

"I know Anna, but I will try to talk to you as much as I'm able."

"Harry—"

"I can't lose you," he whispered, pulling her into a hug, effectively cutting off her refusal to stay at Hogwarts. "You're my little sister, and the only family I have left. You're safer where you are."

"I'll miss you…"

"I'll miss you too, Anna, but I'll see you again soon."

She leaned against Neville and tried to shut out the memory. If people that didn't know the two had walked in just then, they would have thought they were interrupting a romantic moment. But no, it was anything but. Annalise and Neville had once tried to be something more, but it hadn't worked as well as they had hoped, so they settled on being friends, and over time their bond had grown to one like a brother and sisters.

"Come on," Neville said, wrapping a supportive arm around her waist. "The Carrows know our passoword now, so the DA members are staying in the Room of Requirement."

Annalise nodded and let him guide her down the halls and up the stairs. Her headache was getting worse with every step, and she was beginning to stumble more often.

They stopped in front of a wall, and Neville closed his eyes. A door began to materialize before them. "If you ever come here alone," Neville said as they walked inside. "Just say in your head, I am part of Dumbledore's Army and fight for good, the door will appear."

Annalise nodded. They walked into a large room filled beds and chairs and even hammocks tied way up near the ceiling. "Amazing," Annalise murmured. "Is there enough room for more?"

"For tonight, I was going to let you use my bed. Tomorrow evening we'll have the room expanded and rearranged so we can add another bed."

"Neville, I can't—"

"No, it's okay," He smiled at her. "We have plenty of pillows and blankets, so I can clear a spot on the floor. I'll be fine, it's you that I'm worried about."

They stepped over strewn pillows and books and bags, leading toward an unkempt bed. It was kind of like the canopy beds in the dorm rooms, but smaller, able to hold one or two rather than four or five.

"This is yours, for now. I'll be back, but you can go ahead and try to sleep."

Annalise looked around the room, at all of the sleeping students. Very few were still awake, and the ones that were were attending to each others injuries. She frowned and slowly sat down on her bed. There was nothing that she could do to change her best friend's mind. So, Annalise curled up under the blanket and closed her eyes.

Her heart was beating faster, and her fear was growing, but what did she really have to fear? Although, there was an edge of familiarity that irked her.

Annalise stood in the middle of a clearing, not wearing what she had remembered dressing herself in. She was in a long-sleeved black t-shirt and a pair of denim blue jeans. She was barefoot, however, and her dark red hair fell down to her shoulders.

"Anna?"

She spun around and saw Harry walking into the clearing. Tears welled in her eyes and she ran towards him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and felt his arms around her waist. It was like her mind was playing tricks on her.

"How are you here, Anna?" Harry held her back at arms length.

"I-I don't know," She shook her head, but was too happy about seeing her brother alive and okay to really realize what he was saying. She reached for him again. "I missed you so much."

"Anna," He frowned. "Are you still at Hogwarts?"

She sniffed. "Of course—" She looked around when he gave her a look that said he was sure she wasn't.

"This is a forest along the borders of Ireland. How did you get here Anna? You can't be here!"

Annalise shook her head. "But I am at Hogwarts! I remember falling asleep and—"

"This is a dream," Harry nodded. His eyes seemed to change, his pupils turning to slits and the bright green dulling and beginning to burn a bright red. His skin paled dramatically.

"I'll kill him," Said a voice so cold, Annalise knew it could never belong to her brother. Suddenly, Harry convulsed on himself, his face contorted in agony.

"Harry!"