Here's the next chapter up for you, don't forget to read and review; especially on my one shot "Finally' ;) which I would appreciate.
SEVERUS SNAPE CONFIRMED AS HOGWARTS HEADMASTER
Carina stared at the title and dropped her forehead onto the table with a weary groan.
"Of course," she mumbled. "Of course."
The others had crowded around her, peering over her shoulders at the newspaper, which now lay discarded on the table. There was no picture presented of Snape, but Hermione leaned closer to read, "Severus Snape, long-standing Potions master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and wizardry, was today appointed headmaster in the most important of several staffing changes at the ancient school. Following the resignation of the previous Muggle Studies teacher, Alecto Carrow will take over the post while her brother, Amycus, fills the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. 'I welcome the opportunity to uphold our finest Wizarding traditions and values...like committing murder and cutting off people's ears, I suppose! Snape, headmaster! Snape in Dumbledore's study…Merlin's pants!" she shrieked, making both Harry and Ron jump. She leapt up from the table and hurtled from the room, shouting as she went, "I'll be back in a minute!"
Carina slowly lifted her head and stared after the other girl, an amused snort escaping her. "Merlin's pants?" She shook her head as the boys engaged in their own conversation and pulled a bowl of soup in front of her; she was no longer afraid it may be poisoned, because ever since she had given him the locket, Kreacher's attitude improved dramatically. The kitchen now sparkled, and his cooking was as good as she had ever tasted.
As she listened with half an ear to the boys, she carefully ate her soup and then leaned back in her chair when Hermione came skidding in, panting. "I remembered this."
She was carrying the framed portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, Carina's great-great-great grandfather, and stuffed it into her bag with a bit of trouble.
"Why take him?" Ron frowned. "I don't get it."
"Snape could be having him spy on us," Hermione explained a bit impatiently, sitting down and pulling her own bowl of soup toward her. "Now all he'll see is the inside of my bag."
"Oh." The redhead did seem impressed, however. "Good thinking!"
"Thank you." The girl smiled, and Carina pushed her coffee aside, suddenly not very thirsty anymore. "Did anything happen today, Harry?"
"Nothing," said Harry. "Watched the Ministry entrance for seven hours. No sign of her. Saw your dad though, Ron. He looks fine."
Ron nodded in appreciation. They'd agreed that it was far too dangerous to try and communicate with Mr. Weasley while he walked in and out of the Ministry, because he was always surrounded by other Ministry workers. It was, however, reassuring to catch these glimpses of him, even if he did look very strained and anxious. That was to be expected, though, because of everything happening at the moment.
"Dad always told us most Ministry people use the Floo Network to get to work," Ron informed. "That's why we haven't seen Umbridge. She'd never walk, she'd think she's too important."
"And what about that funny old witch and that little wizard in the navy robes?" inquired Hermione.
"Oh yeah, the bloke from Magical Maintenance."
"How do you know he works for Magical Maintenance?" Hermione paused, spoon suspended in midair.
"Dad said everyone from Magical Maintenance wears navy blue robes."
"But you never told us that!"
Hermione dropped her spoon and pulled toward her the sheaf of notes and maps that she and Ron had been examining when Harry had entered the kitchen.
"There's nothing in here about navy blue robes, nothing!" she said, flipping feverishly through the pages. Carina suddenly snatched them all away and slid them to the other end of the table, out of the other teen's reach. "Carina!"
"Eat," the raven haired girl told her firmly. "Stressing won't help."
"It has to be in there, Carina! We need to know—" Hermione had not seen Carina twitch her fingers, nor see the spoon loaded with soup float toward her mouth until it was directly inside it. With a scowl, she swallowed the soup and grabbed the spoon. "Ha ha. Very funny."
Carina leaned back in her chair again and held up a hand, wiggling her fingers as she raised her brows in challenge. The message was clear: Eat, or I'll feed you myself.
The brunette rolled her eyes and got another spoonful of soup, before returning to her conversation with Ron, who continued as if nothing had happened by saying, "Well, does it really matter?"
"Of course it matters! If we're going to get into the Ministry and not give ourselves away when they're bound to be on the lookout for intruders, every little thing matters! We've been over this so many times—I mean, what's the point of all these reconnaissance trips if you aren't even bothering to tell us—"
"—blimey, Hermione, I forget one little thing—
"—you do realize, don't you, that there's probably no more dangerous place in the whole world for us to be right now than the Ministry?"
Carina hid a smile at their bickering.
"I think we should do it tomorrow," said Harry.
Hermione stopped dead, her jaw hanging; Ron choked a little over his soup.
"Tomorrow?" she repeated. "You aren't serious. That's mad!"
"I am. Stalking the ministry entrance everyday isn't going to help us any. We need the locket now, if it's even there, because Umbridge might have chucked it away because it doesn't open…"
"Or she did and she's possessed," Ron leaned forward.
"Then let's hope it kills her," interrupted Carina, crossing her arms. She did not look at Ron, but at Harry as she spoke. "It'd save us a lot of trouble. I doubt she'd have just thrown it away—she probably kept it so that people will think she's rich. If we get in there and get it, we can find a way to destroy it and that'll be one more down."
"We know everything important," Harry turned his attention to Hermione, nodding along with Carina. "Everything we need to get in there. We know where Umbridge's office is, or close to it, and we can use those funny tokens they use to get in, and if the plans go well…"
Carina could see that Ron and Hermione were scared, and Harry did not look all that confident himself. But, she herself was not bothered by it. She knew what their chances were and, if she had her way, they would not be captured even if they were found out. She was already tired of sitting in the house and waiting, and she could not do with another three months of just planning and scoping out the ministry; she would go stir crazy. Though, her months here had improved—Hermione had moved into Carina's room to curb her nightmares, and it had definitely helped. Plus, it made her feel content, waking with them tangled together, no matter how often they slept on opposite sides of the large bed.
She shook her head. But that's besides the point. I'll go mad holed up in here an longer...now I know how dad felt.
"Hermione's a muggleborn," Ron was saying as she tuned back in. "She should stay behind. Carina, too, so there's less a chance of us getting caught…"
Carina scowled at him, baring her teeth. "Are you saying I'll get us caught?"
"No," he quickly corrected. "Just that it might be easier if it's just the two of us…"
"You'll mess everything up on your own."
"If anything, it should be Harry staying behind, with Voldemort after him," Hermione cut in, seeming a bit irritated with Ron.
"Fine, I'll stay here," said Harry, rolling his eyes. "Let me know if you ever defeat Voldemort, will you?"
Despite the tension, this caused Hermione and Ron to laugh, but she and Hermione noticed the way his hand had shot to his scar, and the way he attempted to brush it off by swiping his fringe aside. However, he rushed out the room with the excuse of going to the bathroom. They followed quickly a few minutes after when the screaming started.
Carina did not comment, except to tell Harry to stop being stupid and to simply tell them what he had seen. Which, he did, and it wasn't very pretty, and the Gregorovitch issue...that was a problem.
Needless to say, they did not go to bed until very late that night, after they had gone over the plan so thoroughly that they could all recite it perfectly before they all retired to their rooms.
Harry headed straight for Sirius's, where he had taken to sleeping after awhile; Ron headed for his own, and Carina and Hermione to theirs.
Carina leaned back into the pillows, exhausted. She peered over at Hermione, who was curled on her side, and paused. "Hermione?"
"Yes?" mumbled the other girl in reply, turning to face her.
"We'll be alright, you know."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. I do." Carina let out a breath, and then noticed how close the other girl had gotten. Hermione was fairly close now, and while the bed may be large, it was not so monstrous that there was always at least two feet between them; now, it was more like half a foot. "I miss Luna."
And she did. She missed her quirky blonde friend more than anything and wished she could contact her somehow...perhaps she could send a patronus and hope it found her when she was alone? She had not seen Luna in months.
Honestly, it would be amazing if she were here. Hermione is brilliant, but Luna has this odd knack for noticing things other people miss, even the most intelligent or clever ones. She'd be a good help, but I suppose she's better off at Hogwarts….or, I hope.
"I know," Hermione yawned, but she spoke softly, "And I'm sure she misses you, too. But I'm glad you're with us."
"Yeah?" Her heart pounded.
"Yes." Another yawn. "You'll be a great help. I'd rather you here than anyone else. And, I'm sorry. You know, for not being a better friend." The bookworm was obviously fighting off sleep as she spoke, eyelids fluttering. "I'm here now…"
Her eyes shut, and Carina could have sighed with relief as she willed her fast beating heart to still. Perhaps it was time to chance it. If her luck was good, then the patronus would reach Luna and the others at Gryffindor tower just fine, and no death eaters or Snape would hear it; well, or Slytherins.
Carefully, Carina slipped from the bed and made her way to the window, sliding it open and resting her palms on the sill as she breathed in the cool night air.
Should she do this? Was it worth it? It could potentially get them caught out, and she definitely didn't want that...but she did want to get a message to Luna, and the Death Eaters weren't watching the house at this particular moment…
"Expecto Patronum," she whispered, and the wolf glided from the tip of her wand and ran around the room for a moment, before halting before her. She concentrated hard as she spoke, trying to will her words to be spoken from it's mouth, to let it know what she wanted it to do. The words got stuck in her throat—she could not think of anything to say, nothing that would hold any significant meaning to any of them. She closed her eyes, and then she opened them again. "Be brave."
The wolf seemed to sense that she was finished and loped out the window, out into the night and, hopefully, to Hogwarts.
Carina gingerly put her wand on the nightstand alongside her holster and climbed back into bed, feeling Hermione shift closer and into her side, seeking warmth. Her heart fluttered, and the raven haired girl finally closed her eyes and allowed sleep to overcome her.
~~~xxx~~~
Luna Lovegood sat in her dorm, alone. It was her first night back at Hogwarts, and Harry, Ron, Hermione and Carina were nowhere to be seen. She knew why, of course—it had something to do with that mission from Dumbledore Carina had sworn not to tell even Luna, and that was why. So, when they had disapparated away the day of the wedding, the blonde had not been surprised not to see them on the train. And, honestly, neither were Neville and Ginny.
The Carrows were professors, Snape was headmaster, and torture was now very much on the table for punishment; Hogwarts had changed, and Luna knew that things were going to be very different. She knew that they would need to hold down the fort here, if anything. But, not knowing….it was killing her.
She could not stand not knowing how Carina was doing, or where she was, but there had never been any agitation brewing inside her, and she didn't quite know why. Perhaps it was because there was nothing to worry about?
She perched lightly on her bed, staring about the empty room—she had not followed her roommates to the feast. Instead, she had chosen to stay up here and think, away from the chaos that was sure to begin soon.
I suppose she must be alright, but I can't help thinking she might have gotten captured, or maybe killed. I worry too much, perhaps, but she means quite a lot to me and I don't want any harm to befall her.
The blonde let out a gentle breath, so unlike the heavy or drawn out ones Carina herself puffed out. She missed her friend already, missed watching the raven hair curl around her shoulders when she was angry, or how gray eyes could exhibit so much emotion at once; she missed the sheer protectiveness, and speaking to her, missed how Carina would glance over at her occasionally and quirk a brow, crooked smile forming on her lips.
She missed it all, but there was nothing she could do now.
An almost transparent blue light filled the room, and through the window came bounding in a patronus-a wolf patronus. It circled her playfully, tongue lolling out, before it stopped before her and opened it's mouth, an all too familiar, though grave, voice spilling out.
Out of it's mouth came only two words: "Be brave."
And then, the wolf was gone, leaving a Luna sitting alone in the dark of her room with only her wand for light. After a few moments, a small smile made it's way onto her lips, and she thought of her new professors and what they stood for.
Be brave, indeed. She could do that.
~~~xxx~~~
The next morning found Carina sitting on the kitchen counter, sipping coffee as Hermione hurried about making some more. She had not told the other girl about what had transpired last night, and did not intend to just yet. Maybe sometime later, when they were all safe…
"The plan?" Hermione was asking the boys. "What are we going to do?"
"I figured we could use polyjuice somehow," supplied Harry, accepting his breakfast from Kreacher. "Impersonate some ministry officials…"
"Yeah?" said Ron skeptically around a mouthful of food, causing the other boy to scowl slightly. "And how're we gonna do that? Walk up to them and ask if we can have any hairs?"
Harry directed a pointed look at Carina, who rolled her eyes and set her coffee down, hopping nimbly from the counter; she silently made her way over to the table and slammed a hard fist down upon it, making Ron jump.
"Thank you," the dark haired boy nodded. "And actually, no. I was thinking more along the lines of: we sneak up behind them, knock them out, and take their things. It sounds relatively simple, and we just have to hide them afterward. They'll be fine, even."
"Harry—" began Hermione.
"I like this idea," remarked Carina, leaning back against the counter.
"Carina!"
"It's war." The raven haired girl tugged at the brunette's hair. "We need to move now, or it'll never end."
"But robbing people—"
"—is just what we'll have to do," Carina finished calmly. "And you'll have to accept that."
Hermione sighed, but nevertheless nodded, and the other girl inwardly cheered in triumph when she noticed how quickly her friend had settled down. Ron was never able to do that—if anything, he always riled her up further.
Point, me. A smirk crossed Carina's face as she pushed off the counter and snatched up a piece of bacon from said boy's plate, ignoring his protest.
"Everyone agrees, then?" Harry inquired, glancing about between them. When the other three teens nodded, a satisfied smile crossed his face. "Good. Let's get on that polyjuice, then. Hermione, have you…?"
"Of course," the bookworm nodded as though mildly offended, and dug around in her beaded bag until she pulled out a few vials with liquid inside. "Here we go."
As she distributed them between the others, Ron asked, "Are we going today?"
"Yes," Carina answered for Harry, who had been about to speak but did not get the chance. A thrill shot through her—she was finally going to get out and do something! "We go today."
And, amazingly, no one questioned her.