I'm back! A little recap if it's been a while and you don't remember this story:

(Cursed Child) Draco travels back in time to see his late wife Astoria again, but messes up and gets stuck in his 3rd year body.

He befriends Neville, Astoria, Theodore Nott, the Greengrass sisters, and later also Sirius, Harry and Hermione.

He helps Neville heal his parents.

His parents disown him.

He and Harry destroy some Horcruxes.

Voldemort is back and catches Harry and Draco. They escape, but he kills Cassius Warrington, who had ended up in the Triwizard Tournament instead of Cedric.

Harry, Draco and Dumbledore go after the ring – which possesses Dumbledore. He later fights Snape. All of this leads to Draco being captured by Death Eaters and Snape, under Dumbledore's orders, erases his memories.

Everyone is back at Hogwarts with a reset Draco.

They manage to get Draco back on their side, even though he still does not remember a thing.

After the Order attacked and failed to kill Voldemort, he now resides at Hogwarts.

Which leads us to the present…

Read, enjoy and review!

"Please welcome Lord Voldemort."

Snape's words echoed through the Hall, sending a shiver down Astoria's spine. The room seemed to freeze, an unnatural stillness settling over it. No one moved. No one spoke. Even the air felt heavy, suffocating in its silence.

Astoria's chest tightened. For a while, she did not even dare to breathe. She took a step back. Then another. Her heart pounded, a wild rhythm in her ears as instinct took over. She spun on her heel and fled, her footsteps echoing against the stone floors as she dashed out of the Hall.

A decent amount of distance away from the Hall, she slowed to a stop, her breath coming in ragged gasps. Her hand trembled as she pulled out her wand. It had never fully worked yet, but just moments ago, Draco had chosen to return to them. He had chosen to fight with them. And he had chosen her. And she had felt happy. She had felt hope. And if Draco could return to them, then anything was possible. It was all of this that she now filled her mind and soul with. She gripped her wand tighter, letting the hope spread through every inch of her body. The warmth of it steadied her, quieted the fear gnawing at the edges of her thoughts.

"Expecto Patronum!"

And out of the end of her wand burst, not a shapeless cloud of mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. An owl, she realized after a second. A beautiful, majestic owl. Astoria's breath caught for an entirely different reason now, a soft laugh escaping her as she watched the bird. The form did not surprise her. It felt more like meeting an old friend rather than a stranger; her soul recognizing itself in the sight before her. The owl circled her a few times, before it landed on her arm. Astoria's heart swelled.

She recovered her senses. "Find Dumbledore! Tell him that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is at the school. Go!"

And with those parting words and a powerful beat of its wings, the bird took off.

But a knot of doubt twisted in her stomach. What if it wasn't enough? The ambush had failed. Dumbledore might not even be alive. She swallowed, her resolve hardening.

"Expecto Patronum!" she cried again, her voice more confident now. Another silver owl burst from her wand, taking flight in search of Sirius. Then a third, this one for Harry.

"There you are!" came a voice from behind her. She turned to find Neville approaching, Draco trailing just behind him.

"He gave a speech," Draco explained quietly, his eyes dark with something unreadable. "Then we were dismissed. Told to go back to class, as if nothing had happened."

Astoria shook her head, disbelief tightening her chest. "We can't. We'd be sitting ducks."

Neville nodded, his expression grim. "We know. We told the others that we'll be in the Room of Requirement."

"Good." Astoria nodded. "Let's go. I've sent for help. The Order is on its way. I hope."

Together, they made their way to the Room of Requirement. When they entered, the room had transformed into a massive, cozy space—a cross between a lavish treehouse and a ship's cabin. Bright tapestries representing all four houses adorned the walls, and hammocks swung gently from the ceiling. Bookshelves bulged with dusty volumes, and broomsticks stood propped against the walls like silent sentinels. In the corner, a large wooden wireless crackled softly.

Soon, their resistance group began to gather.

The room buzzed with nervous energy. Rigid postures, frantic whispers, and pacing feet betrayed the fear hanging in the air.

"What do we do? What do we do?" a younger member kept asking Neville, hopping from foot to foot like the floor was on fire.

"Everyone, calm down!" Neville called, his voice firm, cutting through the noise. He stood in their midst, assuming leadership naturally.

"Calm down? We're all going to die!" someone shouted from the back, their voice cracking.

"Reinforcement is on the way," Neville replied calmly. "Until they arrive, we prepare. And for those who are too young or unwilling to fight, we know a safe way out of here. Those who are able and willing to fight will prepare to do so. This is our school – let's defend it!"

"What about Malfoy?" Seamus cut in, his gaze narrowing toward Draco, who stood awkwardly at the edge of the group.

"He's on our side," Astoria said before anyone could jump to conclusions. "We can trust him. And we need every ally we can get."

Seamus didn't look convinced, but after a tense moment of glaring, he dropped his gaze, mumbling something under his breath. The tension between Draco and the others was palpable, the weight of mistrust hanging thick in the air.

Astoria smiled reassuringly at Draco, who seemed a little lost amongst what had until recently been his enemies. She moved a little closer to him and took his hand in hers, at which some of the tension in his posture eased and he allowed himself to smile at her.

"How do we get everyone who wants out without tipping off the Death Eaters?" Ginny asked, her brow furrowed.

Nevilled sighed, rubbing his temples. "That is a good question. We don't want any Death Eaters to know what's going on. And any students on their side could be problematic, too. If they catch wind of our plans, we're finished."

"Is there any way we can separate them?" asked Seamus.

"Ask the wannabe Death Eaters to kindly step outside for a few minutes?" Lavender suggested, a bitter laugh following her remark. "I don't think they'd listen to us. And we'd still have to get them past the teachers."

"Oh, I got it!" Angelina suddenly perked up. "Hold on! Remember the twins' birthday prank?"

"Where you made us invisible and had us believe we had erased ourselves from existence?" asked George, smiling wistfully. "How could we forget. Best birthday gift ever."

Draco leaned closer to Astoria, whispering into her ear, "Did that really happen?"

Astoria chuckled. "It was your idea." And what a brilliant idea it had been. It was a fond memory that she had used in the past to work on her Patronus charm. The loss of Draco had hindered the memory from reaching its full potential, but perhaps now it would work.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "More fun for some of us than for others. But can't we use that charm again?"

"I was one of the ones putting the charm on your PJs," said Lee Jordan. "I still remember how to do that. We could enchant some blankets, make makeshift invisibility cloaks."

"That could work," nodded Neville. "We can smuggle them through the castle like that, but that still leaves the problem of how to get to them and talk to them without anyone noticing."

"Perhaps," mused Jeremy, the Slytherin who had stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas and had been recruited by Theo afterwards, "we can use another one of your pranks. Just a few months ago you turned all Slytherins into ferrets – thanks for that, by the way. Can't you do that again?"

"Good thinking," said Fred, "But the house-elves won't cooperate after that stunt."

"Besides," added George, "putting stuff into food would be rather indiscriminate. We want something too specific for that."

Draco cleared his throat. "I have an idea."

All eyes turned to him, the room falling silent.

"I could just walk into Slytherin after dinner and tell everyone that the Dark Lord wants to see everyone willing to become a Death Eater and old enough to do so in the Great Hall. Then you just talk to those who stay behind."

Neville thought this over, then smiled at him. "Brilliant."

"That's an awful lot of trust to put in someone who just switched sides today," Seamus said coldly. "How do we know you won't sell us out the moment you're out of sight?"

Astoria could see a lot of the others nodding at what he had said.

Astoria's grip on Draco's hand tightened, her eyes flashing with anger. "We can trust him."

"No offense," said Lavender, "but I'm not sure if you can judge this objectively."

Astoria glowered at her, her frustration mounting.

"He used to be one of us before," said Fred. "Why can't you believe that he is one of us now?"

"He has fought Death Eaters multiple times already," added George.

"That was before," said Terry Boot. "I don't doubt that he was one of us back then. But that changed. He's part of the Inquisitorial Squad now."

"He used the Cruciatus on me," added Padma. "Just last week."

The room grew tense again, everyone's distrust piling up. Astoria could feel it pressing in on them like a storm cloud. Frustration started to build within her. Everything they said was true. There was no rational argument that she could offer that would sway them. She looked desperately at Neville, but his face mirrored her own helplessness and frustration. It was Neville who had told their group at the beginning of the year that they could no longer trust Draco. They had believed Neville. And Draco had proven him right every day of the school year.

"You're right," Draco said quietly, surprising everyone. Astoria turned toward him, wide-eyed.

He met her gaze and gave her hand a gentle squeeze before addressing the room. "I did what I did not because I enjoyed it, but because I saw no other way to survive. I knew it was wrong, and I did it anyway. I understand that you don't trust me. I would not trust myself either if I were you. But I don't have to go on my own. Jeremy or Tracey could join me – I had no idea they were part of your group. I would never have guessed. I doubt anyone else knows. They can keep an eye on me. Or they can go without me."

Terry looked at Draco, then at Jeremy and Tracey, who both nodded their consent. Finally, he relented. "If they join you, I'm on board."

"Same here," agreed Lavender.

"Great," said Neville. "Draco, Jeremy and Tracey – you take care of Slytherin. Just ask if you need others to help you. I'm sure Daphne and Theo will also want to help you. I'll take care of Gryffindor. I'll think of something to tell them. Maybe I'll tell them that Death Eaters are marking volunteers in the Great Hall or something."

"We'll help," said Fred and George in unison.

"I'll cover Hufflepuff," Cedric volunteered.

"Great," said Astoria. "I'll take care of Ravenclaw."

"I'll go with you!" Luna chimed in brightly.

Neville nodded, a plan finally falling into place. "Make sure you all have healing potions. We have plenty, and something tells me we're going to need them."

As the group dispersed to prepare, Astoria turned to Draco, her voice soft but full of admiration. "That was brave of you," she whispered. She hoped he knew that by that she meant everything. Changing sides when he had so much to lose. Speaking up in a room full of people who did not trust him. Suggesting a plan that was brilliant but also dangerous. Everything.

He smiled at her, the tension easing from his face. "You make being brave very easy."

Once Draco stood in front of all the Slytherins in the common room, a cold realization settled in his gut. He had made a giant mistake. An oversight that would doom their plan. Possibly get all of them killed. Pansy.

His gaze flicked to her. She was watching him, her face unreadable. Jeremy and Tracey stood beside him, oblivious to the ticking time bomb that might shatter their plan. There was no turning back now, no way to fix this. The others were already in position, counting on him. Draco swallowed his doubt. He would see this through, even if it meant using a Confundus Charm on her. Or maybe even an Imperius Curse, if he could manage one. He wondered if his new friends would object to that.

"The Dark Lord calls for his most loyal followers," Draco said, his voice steady, betraying none of his inner turmoil. "Everyone of age and willing to fight for the Cause—meet in the Great Hall."

"And he asked you to deliver the news?" an older Slytherin scoffed, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. Draco could feel the doubt spreading through the room.

"Of course not," replied Draco evenly, "Snape was on his way here to deliver the news. When he saw me, he delegated the task."

Tracey chimed in without missing a beat. "It's true. I saw it happen. And we all know how busy Snape is right now."

The Slytherin who had voiced his doubt seemed undeterred, his attention still set on Draco. "Funny how none of the blood traitors showed up to class today… And I haven't seen you all day either."

Draco's stomach clenched. He knows. His hand twitched toward his wand, preparing for the worst.

"I have," said Pansy, and Draco could feel his heart skip a beat. He froze, his hand hovering near his wand, but Pansy continued, her tone even, detached. "He was in the Hospital Wing. Even before the Dark Lord arrived."

Draco's jaw dropped and he stared at Pansy, who was holding his gaze without any sign of emotion. He took a deep breath to get his own emotions under control, and then said, "Yeah, I've had a headache. It's better now, which is why I came back."

Goyle, simple as always, grunted. "Why're we even talkin' 'bout this? Let's just go."

The first emotion that this statement evoked was gratefulness. The second, guilt. Goyle believed him. And trusted him. And he would pay for it. Because the thing Goyle as well as Crabbe and Pansy had been most scared of was true. He was turning his back on them, sacrificing one set of friends for another.

Crabbe and Goyle were heading for the door and were soon followed by others.

"You're not going?" Draco asked Pansy, who had not moved. No one else seemed to pay them any attention.

Pansy shook her head slowly. "Don't. I'm not stupid, you know. Whatever it is that you are planning, I'm not going to fall for it."

"But you are also not going to stop me?" Draco asked, his voice tinged with surprise. Perhaps he ought to thank her for supporting him in front of the others, but he could not bring himself to do so.

Pansy laughed bitterly. "What's the point? I've lost already… Now… I just want this to be over… for things to go back to the way they were. Without all the drama." She paused, looking away for a moment, before adding in a quieter tone, "And if I tell the others what you're really doing, the Dark Lord will kill you. If you're lucky, that is. I've never wanted to see you hurt, Draco. I only ever wanted what was best for you."

Draco wasn't sure if that last part was true, but he knew that Pansy wasn't lying – she believed what she was saying. "This is what is best for me. Stay here, don't tell anyone, and you will survive this day unharmed."

Pansy nodded, but her face remained stony. She wasn't happy, but she wasn't going to fight him either.

"You comin' or what?" yelled Crabbe from the door.

Draco looked at Pansy one last time. A flood of conflicting emotions surged through him—anger, guilt, and the crushing weight of responsibility. She had tried to kill Astoria. She had stopped him from regaining his memories. Astoria had said that she belonged into Azkaban, and she wasn't wrong. At the very least, Draco thought, Pansy needed a mind healer. But she would get out of this, unscathed. Many would probably lose their lives this day, but Pansy, who had lied, and tortured, and almost killed… she would get away without as much as a scratch. It was ridiculous. It wasn't fair.

But it didn't matter. Draco turned around and followed his housemates. He would let Pansy leave with the others.

As he walked, a cold realization gripped him. He was betraying his oldest friends. And in the end, he might have to do the same to his parents.

"Alright, alright," started Theo, once the last wannabe Death Eater had left the room, "I know you are all a little bummed because the others have an evening program, and you don't. But don't fret – we have arranged alternative plans."

"All of you," Daphne continued, stepping up next to Theo, "have chosen to stay here, for reasons which are your own. Perhaps you simply do not want to fight. Perhaps you are too young. Or perhaps you simply do not believe in the cause of our wonderful surprise house guest. Whatever your reasons are, we are here to offer you an out."

A young girl stepped forward; her wand drawn. "We're not blood-traitors like you."

"I did not suggest so," said Daphne. "Nor am I telling you to become one. But you are what - twelve? How many spells have you learned so far? How many of them are offensive or defensive?"

The girl's hand sank to her side but kept holding on to her wand.

"We all know that it is only a question of time before a battle breaks out," Theo continued, "and we don't want you to get hurt. You have stayed here because you either cannot or do not want to fight. Our friends are waiting outside with invisibility cloaks. We will help you get to Hogsmeade. You will be granted sanctuary there, no matter which side you are on."

"Oh, thank Merlin," Millicent muttered.

"You're one of them?" hissed the little girl, glaring at Millicent.

Millicent met her glare. "I don't want to die. And I don't want to kill anyone, either. Why should I stay here? To hide and possibly die anyway? No thanks!"

"We could tell the Dark Lord what you're doing," a wary third-year boy said, his eyes darting to Millicent. "He'd protect us."

"We cannot stop you if you choose to do that," Daphne said, even though it was a lie. The ones remaining were either too young to pose a real threat to them or were, for whatever reason, unwilling to fight. "Just know that by doing so, you are not doing yourselves any favors. You would solely put yourselves and those too young or unwilling to fight in danger. We are not getting you out of here to get rid of you. We are trying to help you. This does not improve our chances of winning. It simply improves your chances of surviving this day. Your Dark Lord will be out there fighting. He won't be able to keep an eye out for you." Not that he would, she added mentally.

"And if we do want to fight?" an older Slytherin girl asked.

Theo grinned. "Then you are welcome to join us."

"D'ya reckon we'll be marked?" Goyle asked.

"Possibly," Draco replied. Goyle continued to talk to him, but his mind was elsewhere. The last few hours had been a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, and the weight of his choices pressed heavily on him. He had switched sides—an act that nearly paralyzed him with fear.

The Dark Lord was in the castle. If he read Draco's mind, it would be over. And that was if Draco was lucky. The Dark Lord's punishments often made death seem merciful. Draco had seen it firsthand, heard prisoners beg for a quick Avada Kedavra in his own home. Their pleas, however, had only ever led to the opposite result. If Draco stayed at the school, if he fought, then he would certainly face a similar fate.

Then, of course, there were his parents. If Draco was able to avoid the Dark Lord, they most certainly wouldn't be. And even if He did not kill them… They were on opposite sides now. They couldn't all win.

His father was going to hate him, of that much Draco was certain. The Dark Lord was in the building, which meant that there was a good chance of his father being there as well.

Switching sides had never been a rational decision, not for him. It went against every self-preservation instinct he had – and as a Slytherin, he definitely did not lack those instincts. But it was done. There was no going back now.

"We're here," Jeremy said, snapping Draco from his thoughts. They stood before the doors to the Great Hall. Jeremy's eyes locked on Draco's, waiting for the signal.

Draco gave a single nod.

Jeremy threw open the doors, and the Slytherins filed inside, one after another. Once the last one had passed, Jeremy tossed some Instant Darkness Powder from Fred and George's Peruvian imports behind them and slammed the door shut.

Tracey flicked her wand at the door.

"Locking charm?" Draco asked, intrigued by the unfamiliar wand movement.

"Too easy to break. It's a Permanent Sticking Charm," she replied. "That should keep them busy."

"Not forever," Draco said. "We should hurry."

"Just a second." Jeremy rummaged through his pockets and pulled out a green box with a red label on it. He put it on the ground. "The twins have given me this. They call it a Portable Swamp – it's supposed to create a large-scale flood to whatever area it is released in…" He kneeled down and tapped the box with his wand. "So – run!"

"Mission accomplished," said a grinning Fred and George when they all arrived back in the Room of Requirement.

"I second that," said Astoria. "Ravenclaw is now a Death Eater-free zone."

"There were more interested in joining their ranks than I had expected," said Luna frowning.

Cedric nodded. "Same for Hufflepuff. And here I thought I knew the people I lived with."

"What did you do with them?" asked Draco, curious to find out how the others had dealt with their enemies.

"We locked them into an empty classroom," replied Luna.

Astoria laughed. "Filled with a whole bunch of unleashed Care of Magical Creatures books. And some Fanged Frisbees."

Seamus laughed. "Aerodynamic scales on the alligator top, and serrated edges perfect for slicing!"

"Precisely," replied Fred and George in unison. "And banned by Filch since '94."

Angelina glowered at them. "For good reason."

"Where there any Death Eater sympathizers in your house?" asked Luna.

"Not many," replied George.

"But there were some. Which are now neatly locked in a cage," continued Fred.

"A… cage?" repeated Draco.

"We let ourselves be inspired by you. And Jeremy's suggestion earlier, bringing back one of our classics."

"They are much easier to handle as ferrets."

Draco could only stare at them. Were they talking about the time Mad Eye Moody had turned him into a ferret? How did they know about that? He had learned that Moody had never taught Defense, even though he remembered otherwise. In any case, it had been traumatic. Even more so when it had happened a second time just a couple of months ago.

"You can't leave them like that forever," interjected Ginny.

The twins just shrugged their shoulders. "The cage is pretty big, and we gave them food and water. They should be fine. How'd the swamp work out, Jay?"

"Brilliant," replied Jeremy. "They'll need a boat to get out of the Great Hall."

"Oh wow, you all were creative," said Cedric. "All I did was use Expelliarmus." He held up his hand with about ten wands in it.

Everyone looked at each other and burst into laughter.

"Where are Neville, Theo and Daphne?" asked Tracey.

"They are playing the tour guides for those not fighting," explained Astoria. "They took them through the tunnel to Hogsmeade. They should- oh, here they are!"

The door swung open, and the Room of Requirement descended into madness.

TBC

I am back! I spent my birthday (March 17th) in London and watched the Cursed Child. That inspired me to keep writing this story – although as is not unusual for me, I started writing a scene several chapters in the future, instead of continuing where I left of, and then decided to only start publishing these few final chapters once everything is finished, thus this being published way way way after my birthday.

Anyhow, I abandoned that plan as well. There is way more story left than the 5 chapters I had in mind. But I do have quite a lot written already now and I usually use the last quarter of the year to finish what's left on my to do lists/NY resolutions.

I can promise a couple of chapters in the near future. I've also moved countries (back to my home town), am currently living with my parents and looking for a job, while also having signed up for some university classes while I'm job hunting – so basically, I'm in the same situation as I was when I started writing this. It's not ideal for me personally, but it's pretty nice writing-wise.

Anyhow – what did you think of the chapter? You probably hate me for letting Pansy off the hook. I was thinking about it, but ultimately this made the most sense to me. Life's not always fair, I guess.

I'd love to hear what you think! Let me know in a review!