December came by rather quickly, and Samuel and I had become old news. The gash in my leg had healed, but I was still terrified. It turned out that Samuel had escaped the aurors and had run off somewhere. No one knows where, and I know he wants to hurt me and take Matilda away from me.
All of a sudden, a snowball hit me in the back. I was standing by the lake in the middle of a snow ball war apparently. I turned around to see scared third years staring at me. Without showing any emotion, I picked up some snow and shaped it into a ball. I threw it into their midst, which started the battle again. All of us were soon covered with snow from head to toe.
"Professor Lechen!" Minerva shouted as she walked to where I was in the grounds.
"Yes?" I said as I walked towards her. The battle immediately stopped. I felt like a student who had just gotten in trouble.
"Stop messing around and go do the paperwork I asked you to do!"
"I did it. You weren't in there, so I set it on your desk." as I said this, I saw the color in her face disappear and felt the color in mine disappear. The papers that have all the information about the Order and its members, were missing. Samuel and some other formal Death Eaters could have taken them.
"Oh crud!" I exclaimed as I started running towards the castle. They couldn't be stolen, they couldn't have! Could they have been stolen? No, Death Eaters wouldn't have been able to get in. Somehow Samuel had gotten in…
"Severus!" I yelled when I got to the castle. He was standing in the enterence. "Have you seen the Order papers?" I asked.
"Why yes. I saw one of the house elves giving it to an owl. She said she was told to mail it to Harry Potter."
"Thanks Sev!" I said as Minerva came up to us.
"So?" she asked.
"A House Elf mailed it already." I said. "Thanks for getting me. I lost track of time and have a class in 10 minutes."
The rest of December went by very quickly. Before I knew it, Christmas break had started and only about 30 teachers and students remained at Hogwarts.
"I'm grateful for this much needed break." Ginny said at the breakfast after almost everyone had left. She was also going to be leaving later that day.
"Same." I said. I was looking around the Great Hall, astonished at the beautiful 12 ginormous Christmas trees that were in there. They were truly breathtaking.
"It is a relief not having annoying children around." Severus said in his lazy drawl.
"I agree, Severus, that it is a relief not having annoying children in your lap that you have to feed and wrestle into clothes every morning." I said with a smirk as I played with Matilda on my lap.
"All the reasons." Severus said, returning the smirk.
"Will you two be quiet?" Ginny said, sounding very annoyed.
"What for?" I asked.
"I want to hear how quiet the Great Hall is when no one's talking!"
When we shut up, it was quiet, alright. Too quiet for the Great Hall. It was a spooky silence that no one wanted to ruin, except my joyful Matilda. She was babbling more than before.
"Um, Samanthera?" Hagrid asked from the seat across from me. The five tables had been replaced by one long table with chairs on both sides.
"Yes Hagrid?" I asked. Wonder what he wants.
"Mayba could ya teach me some o' the spells I didn't learn." He murmured. I couldn't see his face, due to his beard, but I bet he was blushing.
"Sure. Stop at my classroom at two tomorrow. That okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Samanthera." Hagrid said. He was one of the only ones still alive that still called me Samanthera instead of Sam.
"Your welcome. I hope you don't mind that Matilda will be there." I said. Ginny would have gone home for the break by then, so I would have the office all to myself. "If you excuse me, I have to go talk to Minerva." After I had picked up Matilda from my lap and sad goodbye to Hagrid, I started heading towards Minerva's office.
"Come in." she said when I knocked on the door.
"Minerva." I said. She looked up from the papers she was writing on.
"Hello Sam. State your business, I'm busy." She said, looking back down at her papers.
"I was curious if my mom could come here for Christmas."
"Didn't you say your mom is a muggle?"
I sighed before continuing. "Don't tell anyone this, okay." Minerva nodded, so I continued "She doesn't like to admit it, but she's a squib. She doesn't like me telling others." I muttered.
"Oh." She said sounding a little shocked. "Well, I'll think about it. Best be on your way now."
"Goodbye Minerva." I said as I walked out door. That had gone smoother than expected. I went to my quarters, grabbed my broom, and said goodbye and merry Christmas to Ginny. I headed out to the grounds and took off with Matilda in my arms. The few students that were outside stared in amazement at my flying skills. Well, I was a Quidditch champion back in my day. Man that makes me sound old. I did a loop the loop for them before heading to my mum's house.
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"Hello Sammy!" my mother called as I landed in her yard.
"Hello mum!" I said as she hugged Matilda and me.
"How are some of my two favorite girls?"
"Perfect mum." I said laughing. My mother is 86 and is as youthful as a 15 year old.
"Hi Sam." My brother, Richard, said as he pulled me into a hug.
"Hey Richey! This is Matilda." He hadn't seen me since before Matilda was born, so I had to introduce her to him.
"Vicky, Ivy, Hannah, Thomas, David, Nathan, Alexandro, Brian, and Sarah are all here."
"Couldn't you have just said all of them are here?" I said, teasingly punching him in the arm. I was a little scared to go inside because Vicky, David, Hannah, and Brian followed the same path as my stupid father.
"Hey Sam! How's Matil?" Ivy asked. She and I were always close, even though she's the second oldest.
"Great, you?" I asked. The night went on and my siblings behaved themselves. Vicky was acting a little weird the entire time, but I ignored it. After I had been there almost six hours, I headed outside for some fresh air.
"Hello Sam. How's Samuel?" Vicky asked. She had followed me outside and her pale skin and wide blue eyes glowed in the moonlight.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"You know, Matilda's father?" she said smirking, her eyes flickering to the small, innocent child in my arms.
"Hello, Samanthera." Said that evil voice from behind me. I turned around to find Samuel. Pain flashed through me. I fell to the ground. I heard screaming. I felt Vicky's hands try to grab Matilda out of my arms. I refused to let her take my baby girl.
"Sam!" I heard someone shout. The pain stopped and when I stood up, more death eaters had arrived. Some members of the Order had shown up and were fighting the others. Good thing my mum lives in a wizard populated town. I quickly joined the fight, protecting my Matilda with all I got. I blasted as many of the death eaters as I could. Some of them apparated away as others fell. Soon, Order members outnumbered the death eaters three to one.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Stupefy!"
"Expelliarmus!"
The fighting went on, and spells rang out in the crisp, night air, until, at last, all the death eaters had been caught or had apparated away.
"Samanthera! Are you and Matilda okay?" my mother asked as she came running up to me. I'm glad she wasn't hurt, due to the fact she can't defend herself.
"Yes, mum, I'm okay." I said, hugging the older woman. She was a tight hugger. The rest of my family came up and hugged me. All except for Vicky, who had been captured by the Order. Samuel, however, had gotten away.
"Professor Lechen." Minerva said as she came up behind me. "Your duties are needed at Hogwarts." When she noticed my large family. "Mrs. Lechen, Sam said you would like to come for dinner?" my mum nodded, "You are invited, and same with the rest of you. The more the merrier!"
"We'll be happy to come!" my mum said. "Well, not all of us." She added as tears came to her eyes and she looked at Vicky.
"Take care mum." I whispered in her ear as I hugged her. "Bye everyone!" Minerva, Matilda, and I held hands as we apparated away to Hogwarts.
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"Who was that girl your mum was staring at?" Minerva asked as we walked through the doors into Hogwarts.
"My sister Vicky. She and three other of my siblings followed my dad as their leader."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Not your fault, so don't apologize." I said, smirking at the old woman.
"But, it's just-"
"After Rich, Ivy Sarah, Nathan, Thomas, Alexandro, and me joined the Order?"
"Yeah. Miss Terras, shouldn't you be in bed." Minerva's voice went from sympathetic to strict teacher rather quickly.
"I was sent to look for you two. While you guys were gone, some Order members showed up, including Harry Potter." the tall fifth year Hufflepuff said.
"Thank you, Emily." I said as I ran to the Great Hall, still holding Matilda. I got there rather quickly.
"Sam! Glad you're safe!" Remus said as he hugged me.
"How's Tonks and Teddy?" I asked.
"They're great. Couldn't make though."
"What's the meeting about?" I asked.
"The Death Eaters are rising." Remus said in a whisper.
"So that's what happened tonight?"
"I'm afraid so. Samuel is up in the ranks, so they really wanted to get Matilda from you."
"Attention!" Harry yelled over the chatter of 100+ people. Everyone instantly became quiet. "Students please return to your dorms." When the students were all gone, he continued. "Earlier this evening, we found out that Ron Weasly was under the imperious curse. When given a powerful truth potion he confessed everything. I'm afraid that the Death Eaters have created their own organization. They tried to attack Sam Lechen and Matilda at her mother's house. Many of them were captured."
Murmurs rose from the people around me. Harry, who was standing on a broom flying above everyone, was looking down on me with carrying eyes. I could feel other people's eyes on me too. I wanted to run to my room and cry.
"We will fight as much as possible. Those who are new to the Order and no one else knows it, do not tell anyone. We will fight them and win."
"How come we just found out about? Wouldn't the Death Eaters do stuff to muggles that would get on the Daily Profit?" Hermione asked from somewhere in the huge crowd.
"They have people in the Ministry that are keeping things quiet." Harry responded. The rest of the meeting went on. We now had about 100 people in the Order, so giving out duties took a while. I was told to stay at Hogwarts with the other teachers. It was the safest place for Matilda to be with her mad father on the loose.
When the meeting ended, Poppy insisted on checking those who had been fighting for injuries. If any of us had injuries that were bad enough to need Poppy's skills, we would've know. People were coming up to me and giving me hugs, making sure I knew I wasn't alone. I just wanted to be alone! Well, alone with my Matilda.
"Are you all right, Sam?" Severus asked from behind me. I turned around, nodded, and hugged him. I had tears going down my cheeks. Samuel was going to try to hurt Matilda!
"Here," he said in his comforting, lazy drawl, "I'll take you to your room."
The people remaining in the Great Hall were wandering when Severus and Sam would realize their feelings for the other one. Except for Harry, who was wandering when Sam would notice him.
"Thanks Sev." I said when we reached my rooms.
"Your welcome, Sam. I am truly sorry that vial human being tried to attack you."
"I've never heard you say the words 'I'm sorry' before! I was beginning to think you didn't know how to."
"Whenever I show any kindness, you go after me for it." He said, smirking.
"Night Sev."
"Night Sam."
I went into my home and put Matilda to bed. I then laid on my bed, crying, until I fell asleep from exhaustion.
Author's Note: Pretty please with cherries and bananas on top, comment! Sorry for any grammar or spelling errors. I don't have anyone check through it, so my mistakes are my own. Please tell me if you find a mistake; I will update the chapter with the error fixed as soon as possible! (: