A/N: My best friend is writing a spin off to this story. She is writing from the character Lisa. You can find her story under the penname Lisa Morningstar.

3. Road of destruction.

The moon was slowly rising about the magical world, bravely shining down upon the world, as though noting could possibly harm it. I just stared at it, sitting on the edge of my wooden bed. Lisa wouldn't talk to me, due to the fact that Hermione had grounded us. As though she had the right to do such a thing. She wasn't a parent, nor my guardian. Next to that, Lisa and I were both adults, according to wizarding law. We were fully capable to make our own decisions.

But there I was, sitting in my room, like a four-year-old that had stolen a cookie when its mother wasn't looking. Obedience was something that Hermione Granger expected from all young men and women in the house. Disobedience would only earn you punishments, like I was experiencing first hand yet again. I couldn't even remember the first time I had been grounded, but I did recall that I had been partnered with Lisa shortly after that. She was always the calmer one of us and I figured that Hermione thought it might slow me down.

She was worried about me and I knew it. However, that didn't stop me, I just pretended that I didn't know. Until she sat me down in the living room to talk to me, that is. I could remember the conversation like it took place yesterday. I barely was thirteen, but Hermione had explained everything to me like I was an adult. And the truth being told, it had left its impression on me.

"Look at me Sarah," said Hermione Granger and I blew away a stray lock of red hair, before looking at the woman sitting opposite of me. Concern was clouding her hazel coloured eyes and for a moment she didn't say anything. As if her words would leave more of a mark on me when she kept silent for just a little longer.

"Do you want to die Sarah?" she asked me softly and I pressed my lips firmly together. My green eyes were staring in her brown. What if I wanted to die? It wasn't like there was anyone to miss me anymore. Everyone I'd ever care about was dead now. Murdered by a madman. My parents, my grandparents, all my friends. There was no one left in the world I cared about. Stubbornly I crossed my arms but kept looking at Hermione as she continued. "Because if you do want to die, you're going the right way. You are on a road of destruction heading nowhere fast Sarah. Do you realize that?"

I still didn't answer her and Hermione sighed. She leaned towards me and placed her hand on my knee. I jerked it away. I did not recall that I had given her permission to touch me. The young woman's hand hovered for a moment but after a second of five she lowered it and sighed again.

"This didn't only happened to you Sarah. This happened to a lot of other people to. A lot of children have lost everything they have ever known. The past is gone and we can't change it, how bad we may want to. We need to keep going as not to blemish the memories of all those people who didn't make it. Our lives may have been destroyed, but not our spirits.

You still have a decision to make Sarah. Do you keep heading nowhere or do you want to make a difference in the world?"

I still hadn't made my decision but I was still alive. That was saying something. Being partners with Lisa meant that if I got killed, so would she. I didn't want her death on my conscience. I wasn't particularly careful, but careful enough not to get killed. In more ways than one Lisa was the only family I had left. She was my good and bad. My best friend en worst enemy. My protector in many ways and I hoped to be all of that for her to.

"Sarah! Evening class in five, are you coming down?" Ginny's voice broke through my thoughts and I looked at her. She was one of the teachers of the evening classes and managed to make everything very interesting. It was fun to try and guess what she had planned out this time. She was also a bit easier to talk to, being one of the youngest of the teachers. So I felt free to grin as she said: "We'll try to let of some steam. I heard you need to lose some energy!"

So the story of Lisa en my newest scandal was travelling freely around the house. Something that was expected, but not welcomed. Ginny waved at me as though she thought I didn't hear her and said: "Ron is in the classroom already. I'll be there, I just got to badger some of the others into coming. See you there!"

I nodded at her and started to get of the bed. By the time I had reached the door, Ginny had already left. I shook my head and started to head downstairs to the 'family-tree room' where the evening classed were being held. I wasn't particularity enthusiastic that Ginny's older brother would be sitting in. He was Hermione's husband so he was bound to know about her latest escapade already.

And being a man he just loved to lecture women. But Ron didn't even try to lecture me as I walked into the huge room. He just sat in his usual seat, staring at a small group I knew all too well and chose to ignore most of the time. They were about the most annoying and arrogant boy's I had ever met and I certainly didn't enjoy having to work with them. So I said nothing and just sat down in a chair. A scraping sound was audible as I pulled the chair forward slightly and at the sound, the boys their attention was turned to me.

"Oi! Sarah! I heard you tried to pick a fight with two male Deatheaters! If you wanted a man in your bed, all you had to do was ask me!" The leader of the gang shouted and I found myself smile ever so lightly.

"If I wanted a man in my bed Brian, I wouldn't ask you. There isn't a manly thing about you." I answered slowly while looking him straight in the eyes.

"Then you'll need to take a better look," the boy said, making a rude gesture with his body and within a second I stood next to him, slamming his head into the desk. I leaned forward, until my face was just centimetres removes from his and hissed: "I looked and told you exactly what I thought. You are no man, you are a coward!"

"Sarah!" A warning voice sounded trough the classroom and I released Brian's head, without much enthusiasm. I shot a look at Ron, who had stated to rise from his chair and looked at me as though I had stepped in something filthy. I had not. However I did place my hands in something vile. Brian's hair. Before I could say anything however, Ginny came back in the room with a couple of the girls. She places a bag on Ron's desk and started to move the tables to the walls.

"Today we are going to practise Muggle self-defence. You might think it to be totally futile, but there might be a time in space when you've lost your wand and you're despaired for something like this. When you're without any kind of magical defence, this might be your last resort to stay alive," Ginny explained. Her voice sounded calm, but was audible throughout the entire classroom. She leaned against the desk and looked at her students with a small smile on her face.

"For this exercise I need one of the girls to stand, facing the wall. I will give you a Muggle artefact and you will need to defence yourself against what might be coming at you. Now, mind you! This kind of self-defence will only work when you attacker wants to attack you in a physical way and not with curses. This won't stop any hexes and you'd do well to run when your attacker does have a wand and you don't."

A couple of snickers where audible and I smiled. Ginny took in al her students and pointed at me, just as I was wondering where Lisa was. I couldn't discover her anywhere in the room.

"Sarah! If you'd please!" Ginny's voice called and I stepped forward. "I've heard that you were picking a fight with someone very dangerous, so this might be a saver way to let of some steam."

I felt my ears heat up. Ginny was lecturing me and discussing it as a self-defence class! I stepped forward however, without responding and the redhead handed me a grocery bag. Not paper or plastic, but the sturdy kind that were made out of some kind of fabric. It felt heavy and I looked into it. My eyes grew big and I stared at Ginny, who was grinning down at me with a mischievous glitter in her eyes. Cat food?

"Now Sarah, please face the wall and I'll pick someone who'll attack you. The goal of this exercise is to overpower the person who is attacking you with whatever you've got in your hands." There was a small silence as I turned towards to wall and Ginny looked over the group, looking for someone to attack me in the back. She didn't say a name, but it wasn't very hard to guess who wanted to attack me while my back was turned.

I wasn't long before I could feel warm and clammy arms around my waist. Someone was rubbing his hips against my behind, something I did not appreciate. "Did you want your Deatheater to do this Sarah?"

His breath felt warm against my ear. Warm in a way I did not like and that made shivers cascade down my spine. One of his hands found its way down my stomach and without me realizing it, my body came to live.

I elbowed Brian, who else would even consider touching me like that in a classroom?! He uttered a small 'oeff' and stepped back, giving me enough room to bring up my bag. I took a swing and hit the boy on the shoulder with a surprisingly loud 'clank!'

He cringed away and I took another swing, hitting him on the back. I was very bad, but I sort of enjoyed smacking Brian's teeth out. I brought the bag back up again and that was when I saw Lisa being ushered into the classroom by none other than Hermione Granger. Lisa looked very uncomfortable and my arm froze mid swing.

I turned towards them, that being the signal for Brian to at jump me. I landed flat on my back, the bag with cat food landed beside me and a couple of cans rolled away. I gasped for breath and tried to scare away the horrible black stars in my line of sight as Brian pinned my hands above my head. Him being much heavier, I couldn't move so I did the one thing that had saved many women. I jerked up my knee.

Instantly Brian curled up into a little ball and started falling to the side. Every man in the room had made a painful face, but Ginny already was at the boy' side to make him feel a little better. When I looked at him however, it was very clear that he would take his revenge later on. I shrugged and got up, looking over at the door. Hermione was nowhere to be seen, but Lisa was still standing there. She looked like someone had set her grandmother on fire. Something we needed to talk about when this class was over.