PIE.

Disclaimer: I own pie. I do not own Harry Potter.

War

Leigh Ann Nelson
March 3, 1996, 10:35 a.m.
Meeting Room

"There's still a lot to talk about. Don't any of you move quite yet."

I groaned and put my face in my hands, trying not to put my elbows on the table. The other officers at the table did the same, the older ones keeping their cool, the younger ones yawning and trying not to nod off. We'd been up since five thirty, trying to keep our eyes open.

The talk had started off simple enough. We had to create a new watch schedule because two of or Naval Officers had gotten sick. Great. Wonderful. Why were we up at five thirty for a watch shift? Next, the talk went to the topic of building a new set of classrooms for potions and finish part of the greenhouse that had been burned down a few weeks ago. And then he started talking about trivial things like cafeteria food and restrictions on electronics. God, I don't remember these things being so boring last year. Oh, wait, I didn't do these last year.

Let's just say that it had been a long morning.

Then the General kept talking about defenses—what the Navy had to do to defend the waters, what the Air Force had to do to protect the air. A dark cloud fell over the room as he talked about the death of Marie Lingham and the student who died in the fire. I felt a slight panic start in my heart. Everything just keeps getting worse.

Suddenly the door got knocked, making everyone give a thankful breath. Maybe we would finally be allowed out of that dark, depressing meeting! The General gave a 'thank goodness' sigh and opened the magically-locked door. "Everyone, this is Joshua Gloria, from the Wizarding Capitol. Joshua, these are my officers."

Joshua was a good-looking Mexican man, a little taller than Viktor. He had deep hazel eyes and a white smile that made his eyes twinkle. His skin was like cinnamon and his hair was a light chocolate brown. "You forget that I went to school here, General." He walked in as if he had been in that room many times before. The way he held himself, the way he walked, told me that he was a very confident man.

The General just grunted. He looked a lot older with all of the attacks, his hair falling out faster than normal. The winkles around his face were sagging, probably from all of his lost weight. "I remember all my students. If you wouldn't mind, Joshua, I'd like you to debrief my officers."

The man nodded, his face suddenly serious. He looked out at us across the room. The thirteen of us were very hesitant, not quite sure why someone from the government was at our school. I had a very bad feeling about this.

"My name is Special Agent Joshua Gloria. I work for your government. I'm here to investigate the appearance of these masked hoodlums and put a stop to it." I instantly knew that I wouldn't like this guy. "As we've figured, these attacks are just students who want to end the school year with a prank. It has merely gone too far."

I stood up, not bothering with formalities. "If you would let me speak, Sir."

He raised one chocolate-colored eyebrow. "Ah, Nelson. I've worked with your mother. I'm sure that this will be an earful."

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I was just going to inform you of what I know, Special Agent." He obviously had no clue what was going on here. I'd been kidnapped by these bastards, I knew what they were like. I knew a lot about them, other than what they were really after. They'd kept asking me about what I knew, but I hadn't known anything.

"Speak freely, Lieutenant, even though I know you already will."

Ugh, the nerve! "Listen, you—"

"Leigh Ann, stand down," the General growled, his ice blue eyes glaring into me from the side.

I had to take a deep breath to calm down. "Apologies, sir. I need to tell the Special Agent of what I know. These aren't just some masked hoodlums. The Wizarding Ku Klux Klan is back."

The Special Agent put his hands on the table, leaning over it as I was. His eyes held something a little sinister. "That's a serious accusation, Nelson."

"It's true. You can't just stand there and say that this is nothing, Gloria!"

His honey-colored eyes narrowed evilly at me. "Stand down."

He was telling me to stand down? "No, you listen to me. I've seen what these bastards can do. They're crazy and self-righteous and intent on destroying muggle-borns and half-bloods."

The last person I wanted to talk stood up, looking at me with blue eyes as icy as a North wind. "Leigh Ann, we know what happened to you, it was a shame, but—"

"Alana O'Malley, sit your ass down," I growled, glaring daggers at her impotent form. I was ready to tear her throat out. "You have no idea what they put me through. You weren't there. You have no clue what those bastards are planning."

She at least had the brains to appear embarrassed. I still wanted to rip her eyes out. Joshua, standing across the table from me, watched our spat with amusement. "Leigh Ann, perhaps you are too close to the mission to be a part of this."

"To be a part of what? There's going to be a war going on, and you're all idiots if you don't see it!"

His eyes glittered menacingly. "I see how this is going to be."

1:04 p.m.
Hallways

I bitterly scratched at my head as I walked the halls of the deserted school. I missed the sound of children's laughter. I missed the loud, obnoxious voices of my friends. They were either still in the meeting room, or they were Muggle, and their parents h ad taken them out of school.

I can't believe that man kicked me out of my own meeting! I thought, scowling at the floor. Something wasn't right about that guy. He rubbed me the wrong way. I made a mental note to send a message to my mother and ask about him.

One thing I'd heard, though, before the General had "asked" me to leave, was pretty important. Apparently the school was staying open all summer as a "refugee" camp for Muggles. It had amazing fortification. No Dark Wizard was going to get through our walls. I knew that it would help a little, even if this man would be a pain in my side. The General was there for me, and I had the support of a lot of people in the school.

Sigh.

The Academy was going to be a "base of operations" for one of the biggest battles in centuries. I was just alone in thinking it, though. No one saw this war but me.

Sighing once more, I turned into the woman's restroom and screamed at what I saw.

Viktor Krum
March 3, 11:46 p.m.
Officer's Quarters

He looked at her, small, vulnerable in the bed. She was lying on her side, like always, one hand beneath the pillow and one over it. Her legs were always wrapped around a pillow and her blankets only ever covered her feet unless they were both in the same bed. He tried to keep her covered, but she tended to kick off the covers at night.

Viktor gently sat down on the bed, trying not to disturb her. He hadn't been back to her room in weeks, only seeing her in class and between classes when he wasn't "away." She still hadn't looked at him like she used to. There'd always been desire underneath her calm facade, but now...there was nothing but contempt and hurt.

Leigh Ann was breathing softly, her hair loose about her face. Viktor had to wipe back a strand of hair that had fallen onto her forehead. He wanted to lie down beside her, like he usually did, but it seemed as if she would push him away in her sleep.

Sighing, he made to get up, but her hand caught his. "Get in this bed, Krum."

Viktor raised an eyebrow at her tone but obliged, kicking his shoes off and throwing his shirt away, already in his sleeping pants. The second he was under the covers, she snuggled into his warmth, still half asleep, and laid her head on his chest. He wanted to apologize for everything, but he knew that she would just get mad at him. "Leahn..."

"I lost a little girl today," she said softly, apparently wide awake. Her eyes were staring at the far wall, not bothering to look up at him. Her forehead had worried creases in it.

He hadn't heard anything about this. Being a teacher, he'd expected to hear everything about this rebellion that was going on. Apparently this wasn't the case. "Vhat?"

"Kylee Johanson, age twelve, First Year Air Force." Her voice was void of all emotions, but, when he looked down, he saw tears in her eyes. "I found her hanging from the rafters in the girl's bathroom this morning. She didn't weigh enough for the noose to snap her neck, so she suffocated to death. The bastards probably enjoyed watching her struggle and die."

So much hatred, so much death, he thought, running his hand down her side. He wondered if she was still mad at him. Obviously there were other things on her mind. "You found who did this?"

Leigh Ann shook her head. Her fingers were drawing shapes on his chest, her nails gently going through the light hair there. "No. They're the same ones who burned down the medicine ward. The same ones who scared the hell out of all the muggle-borns on Halloween." She sighed and stretched, looking at the clock beside the bed. It read 3:49 AM in bright green letters, so she laid back down on his chest and finally looked up at him. "Could you...stay here with me? Just for tonight? I keep having these nightmares, and being the one to find her today...or yesterday, I guess.."

He met her gaze strongly, wondering if she would turn away first or continue looking at him with that Nelson stubbornness. She didn't turn away until he answered, "Of course." The tension instantly left her body and she sagged back against him, practically asleep. "But...you are not mad at me?"

"I've realized, seeing all of this meaningless destruction and death...watching those Russian bastards brand the back of your neck...that we may never live to see our wedding. We may never see tomorrow. I could wake up and find that the next teacher's funeral is for you, and I can't stand that." Her hazel eyes met his, and for once, he could see straight into his soul. "I want to be with you when I can, Viktor. And, even though you've made some hideous mistakes already, I know that this is your first time being engaged, too. I love you, and I don't want to loose you."

Viktor smiled down to her and leaned down to kiss those beautiful lips. "I vill protect you."

"Well, protect me a little less, okay? I'm a big girl."

He gave a 'humph' of amusement and pulled the blankets up higher, shushing her and telling her to go to sleep. She obliged very happily.

Sorry it's short, folks! Things get pretty heated up in the next few chapters. I can't write as scarily as JK, but I'm trying to make the Circle seem like a real threat. It's probably not working, right?