A/N: I think I will attempt a rewrite of my deleted story The Scorpion King, with a fine tuned version more consistent with what we saw in CC.
"I still say this is bloody suicide," Neville whispered as he and Ginny crept along the dark, empty Gryffindor common room. Outside the window, which allowed a small bit of moonlight in the otherwise pitch black Gryffindor Tower, the vague outlines of several Dementors could be seen hovering over the lake. "We're Gryffindors, but we're not suicidal!"
"Shh," his friend and fellow Dumbledore's Amry leader Ginny Weasley said as she put a finger to her lips. "We can't back out now, Luna's expecting us at Snape's office. We can't let her deal with the Carrows alone!"
"Yeah, you're right," Neville grumbled as the two kept on. There was really no point in being particularly stealthy when they were in the confines of their own common room. Nobody from Gryffindor House, or Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw for that matter, was going to rat them out to the Voldemort supporting Carrows or the murderer Snape. Nobody cared anymore about House Points or the Cup. Even the younger years knew full well how high the stakes were and how great of an enemy Dumbledore's Army was preparing to fight against.
The Slytherins on the other hand were a completely different story.
Even the Fat Lady remained completely silent in the interest of Ginny and Neville as they snuck along the corridor. "Harry's cloak would come in real handy now," Neville muttered.
"Or maybe the Map so we could make sure Luna made it all right," Ginny added, "I have a Bat Bogey hex ready for the first one we see patrolling. As long as they don't kill us, we're good. They're not going to want to waste any pure blood."
"I guess you're right," Neville replied, his nerves only slightly alleviated.
"Stop!" Ginny froze as a ghostly form floated by, appearing from the intersecting corridor that led towards Ravenclaw tower, which was located on the western wing of the castle.
Neither Gryffindor dared exhale as the spirit floated closer. It soon became apparent that the nighttime wanderer was their own ghost, Nearly Headless Nick.
Upon seeing the two rooted, terrified teenagers, Nick put a transparent finger to his lips and said, "Miss Lovegood's all safe, I managed to distract Peeves on the eastern wing, that way Filch won't be anywhere near?"
"Thanks Nick," Neville sighed, thoroughly relieved.
"What about the teachers?" Ginny asked the partially decapitated Gryffindor ghost.
"I'm sure I saw Professor Flitwick walking by, and he must have seen Miss Luna strolling along," Nick replied, "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about with Snape out of the castle. I've got the Friar looking after her too."
"All right Nick, you've been a great help," Ginny whispered, "We owe you."
"Nonsense, a Gryffindor's always got to help another Gryffindor," Nick replied, "And Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs too, of course," he added quickly before floating out of sight.
"All right, just as we planned," Ginny said to Neville. Even the paintings were in on it, not making a sound as the two crept along towards the staircase where Luna was due to meet them.
A distant crash could be heard from the Great Hall, presumably whatever distraction Peeves was causing. Shouting and the sound of hexes in the distance confirmed this.
"Nothing to do with us," Neville muttered, "she should be coming along soon."
For several painful minutes, the two waited at the foot of the staircase for a lone, lithe figure to emerge from the arched corridor.
As they waited, Ginny's thoughts wandered, not for the first time, to their three bravest friends and the truest Gryffindors in Dumbledore's Army, who now wandered the magical world on whatever quest Ron and Hermione were following Harry on.
For a moment, Ginny felt slightly guilty that the first face that came into her mind was Harry rather than her brother Ron, but the guilt died down as she wondered whether Harry, despite breaking up with her, now thought about her as he hid wherever he was.
Maybe she was being selfish, with so much more at risk than their teenage relationship, but the worries and questions still flowed through her mind. She knew what stakes Harry was facing, what he was doomed to face, but Ginny could not help but wonder whether she remained in the thoughts and heart of the Chosen One.
As Ginny continued to ponder, Neville suddenly squeezed her arm as another figure emerged from the shadows of night.
A shout of "PEEVES!" could be heard from below as Nearly Headless Nick laughed at Amycus Carrow's attempts to catch the poltergeist. In the Great Hall, Dungbombs were going off one by one as the ghosts worked to help distract Alecto, Amycus and Filch.
"Luna!" Ginny whispered as he beckoned her over to the staircase.
Luna tiptoed over to her two best friends. "I still can't believe we're doing this," she whispered, "I've been spending too much time with you Gryffindors."
"We can't back out now," Neville replied, "All the ghosts and portraits are on our side."
"All right, let's go," Ginny said.
The three of them moved up the staircase which led towards the headmaster's office. Though it looked exactly the same on the outside, a grim, forbidding shadow had been cast over it without the protection of Dumbledore and a known Death Eater living inside.
When they reached the entrance, they were predictably greeted by the stone eagle that served as a barrier to the spiral staircase leading into the headmaster's office. All three of them had been in there before, captured by Umbridge's Inquisitorial Squad and Ginny after being rescued from the Chamber of Secret.
"Psst!" a voice whispered from the wall opposite the sealed entrance.
The startled Ginny pulled out her wand, but it was the figure of the late Armando Dippet, who had moved from his own portrait into that of the sleeping Sir Cadogan.
"The password is Cervidae," Dippet whispered to Ginny, Neville and Luna. The elderly wizard winked at the three youngsters and disappeared into the painting.
"Thanks," Neville said after him.
Luna repeated the word, "Cervidae," to the eagle, and with a creak, the sculpture shifted to reveal the staircase that lead into the forbidden room where Professor Snape resided.
"No turning back now," Ginny said, and led the way up into Snape's office.
"It was the sword we were going for, right?" Neville asked her as they entered the dark room.
"We'd better be careful it isn't filled with..." Luna began, but before she could say whatever superstitious object or creature the sword could
be filled with, the entire offfice suddenly lit up and several wands were pointed at the trio.
"Caught in the act!" Pansy Parkinson exclaimed gleefully.
"You gonna die for this," Crabbe gloated as he leered at the three would be vandals with eager anticipation.
Automatically, Ginny, Neville and Luna went for their wands, but Blaise Zabini said, "Don't even try. You blood traitors are outnumbered."
"We gonna Cruciate them now?" Goyle asked, "Warm them up for the Carrows?"
"No, they're going to get worse than that," Theodore Nott replied, "Snape's going to give them to the Dark Lord for this, won't he?"
Their initial shock and fear being replaced by anger and determinatin, the three leaders of the new Dumbledore's Army looked at each other in agreement. There was no escape for them, but they all knew one thing, without having to say it: they would not die as prisoners of Voldemort. They would go down fighting.
Ginny went first, aiming her infamous Bat Bogey Hex at Parkinson.
As Neville aimed a spell at Zabini, Crabbe and Goyle simultaneously let out a loud bellow.
"CRUCIO!"
All three were blasted with intense pain as they were overtaken by the Cruciatus curse, determined not to give their Slytherin captors the pleasure of hearing them scream.
As Luna, Ginny and Neville tried their best to remain strong despite the excruciating physical torture ravaging their bodies, a loud voice boomed, "STOP!" and the spells were retracted at once.
In a mixture amazement and hate, the three looked up towards the fireplace from which Snape had just emerged. He was glaring at them with rage, then turned to the Slytherins.
"We got them, Headmaster," Nott said proudly, "Weasley over there tried to do one of her hexes, but we were too fast for her."
"Very well, Nott," Snape replied in his cold, indifferent voice, "All of you are dismissed. Your work is done. Except you, Crabbe."
The Slytherins shuffled towards the spiral staircase, looking back with sadistic pleasure at the captured students. Crabbe looked questioningly at Snape as the Headmaster turned his wand on the trio.
"Crabbe, I want you to go fetch Hagrid, and have him come here. There's no need to mention this to the Carrows, I shall deal with these three myself."
Crabbe nodded his big troll head and swaggered out.
Snape regarded the troublemakers coldly, pacing the room like a vulture.
"So, the three of you thought you would rally the school against me and break into my office."
Ginny, Neville and Luna exchanged defiant looks, knowing there was nothing to lose now.
"The Wrackspurts are going to get you for this!"
"You lying, murdering DEATH EATER!"
"You bloody snake bastard, you're never going to get away with this!"
"Harry's going to win, and you're going to die, you old bat!"
It felt particularly good for Neville to shout such abuse at the man who had made his life at Hogwarts a living hell for the last six years.
Snape, uncharacteristically, took in their bashing in silence and without interrupting them. When the three had finally exhausted their vocal chords, he at last spoke.
"This misdemeanor, as you know, cannot go unpunished. You will all..."
"What are you gonna do, have us Cruciated again?"
"SHUT UP! You will all face nightly detention for three days, and two hundred points will be taken from Gryffindor, and one hundred from Ravenclaw."
"Taking points away! What else is new?"
Footsteps came trudging up the spiral staircase and the massive figure of Rubeus Hagrid appeared in the headmaster's office.
"Whaddaya want, Snape?" Hagrid asked in a tired, defeated voice. He had two very noticeable black eyes, one on each side.
"I'd expect you to treat your employer with more respect, Hagrid. I'm putting these three in detention with you. Take them to the Forbidden Forest. I believe our supply of unicorn blood is low again?"
"That's all yer doing to em?" Hagrid asked suspiciously, "What's yer boss gonna say?"
"I was not aware that was any of your business!" Snape replied, clearly losing his patience, "Theu will go with you at this hour, eleven o clock, tonight and the next two nights until three in the morning. Take Lovegood and Longbottom now. Miss Weasley will join you shortly."
Sadly and defeatedly, Luna and Neville made way to follow Hagrid out of the office. Ginny remained where she was, her hand drifting to her wand before she saw Snape's still trained on her.
"Miss Weasley, I know Longbottom and Lovegood haven't the brains to concoct such an elaborate and audacious stunt. I assume you were the ringleader, then?"
"Everything we've ever said about you is true, and worse!" Ginny fired back, unafraid of the threatening man before her, "Do what you will to me, Harry will defeat you in the end!"
Snape stroked his greasy chin in contemplation. "I see you have the fiery spirit of a Gryffindor and friend of Potter." He bent down slightly and to Ginny's repulsion, gazed straight into her eyes, then flinched in disappointment as if he was expecting to see something there and didn't.
"Along with the revoking of your house points and detentions, I am taking your Hogsmeade privileges away for the year," Snape informed the furious girl, "Let that teach you not to try and undermine authority again. Begone, and catch up to Hagrid and the others."
Ginny gave one last scathing look at Snape before exiting. It was only when she'd caught up to the others and was deep into the Forest that she paused to wonder why Snape's punishment for the three of them had been so light.
The question swiftly drifted out of her mind, however, as it ultimately didn't matter. Snape would get what was coming to him anyway.
