Moving On

I dropped my fork onto my plate and winced at the loud noise. Like everyone around me needed any more reason to look at me. They were doing it anyway, and I was tired of it. Couldn't they just see that I wanted to be left alone? That I just wanted to do what I had to and then disappear? A third-year Hufflepuff squeaked as I turned and caught her openly staring.

Apparently they didn't get it.

That was it; I couldn't sit in there anymore.

When I think about my life
I wonder if I will survive
To live to be 25

Or will I just fall?

I walked out of the Great Hall and headed towards the Gryffindor Common room to get ready for the DA meeting that night. Normally, I just went straight to the Room of Requirement, but today's meeting was going to be different.

Yesterday, the Death Eaters had launched no less than five full-scale attacks on various communities around the world. Not only Aurors and Wizarding families had fallen, but Muggles as well. Now, everyone knew what they were up against, and seemed more willing to fight than ever before. I'm not so sure if that's a good thing or not. I just don't know if they're all ready for this, it's not like this war can be taken lightly.

I don't want to lose anymore people. I can't lose anymore people.

Like all my friends,

They just keep dying.
People round me,

Always crying.
In this place I like to call my home.

The school was in complete shock over the attacks, almost everyone had lost someone close to them.

And as for me. Well I was in shock too. A lot of the Aurors who'd died where Order members, people I'd grown close to these past few years.

Charlie.

Tonks.

Mad-Eye.

And the worst... Dumbledore.

It was too much. With everyone dying, what is it that we're fighting for anymore?

Not everyone knows that everybody goes to a better place.
Not everybody knows that everyone could be living their last days.

But I guess we've got to keep fighting. Not matter what.

But the hard times will come,

And we'll keep moving on.
We're moving on.
Keep moving on.

I don't want to keep this up. It's too hard.

But I have to. It's like I'm just being pushed through this life that I have no control over.

Twenty sets of eyes followed me as I hurriedly walked out of the common room. I knew I'd see them all in a few minutes again.

I'd actually thought of canceling for today. I wasn't sure how many would be up for it. That was until I woke up.

All day, people kept telling me they would be there for the meeting. I guess... if they still feel like there's something out there that's worth all of this... At least I can help make sure they're prepared.

Life. Hope. Truth. Trust.
Faith. Pride. Love. Lust.
All make up the things we've lost
but things we've gained we'll take with us.

I pushed my way through the throng of students waiting outside the Room of Requirement. Usually, people just go ahead and get a spot inside, but I'd stuck a note on the door this time. I wanted to make sure that I was the first in, that way the room would give me what I needed for tonight's meeting. Which was different today than it usually was.

I walked to the front of the room and sat down. It was perfect for what I wanted today. The room was larger, although that could have been simply to accommodate the throngs of people flowing through the door. It looked like the entire school had showed up.

It was going to be an interesting meeting.

The rest of the room was different too. There were a lot of practice dummies that the students were looking at with interest. A few seemed to realize that, if they were going to be using the dummies, then it was probably because the new spells were too risky to practice on each other.

I actually let a smile cross my face for a moment. They were right.

And all I have are these two hands
To make myself a better man.

I only hoped that what I had planned would work they way I wanted it to. They had to be ready. The Death Eaters wouldn't go easy on them because they were young.

I wonder if I'll ever see the end of this.

The Minister had finally gotten around to asking other countries for help, but it was too late. Even if the other Ministries had offered their assistance, there were just too few Aurors.

So who did the world turn to? Me.

And all this rain it keeps on falling
On my head and now I'm calling
Out to someone else to help me
Make it through.

I looked towards the door, people were still pouring in. It was actually quite incredible. If only this had happened last month.

Before the Hogsmeade attack.

Before Hogwarts lost twenty of its students.

Not everyone knows, but everybody goes to a better place.
Not everyone knows that everybody could be living their last days.

I surveyed the crowd as the door finally shut. Everyone was looking at me anxiously, waiting for what I would say.

What could I say? I'm sorry?

Yeah, because that would completely cover all of the crap I'm feeling right now.

But the hard times will come,

And we'll keep moving on.
We're moving on.
Keep moving on.

But they were here for something, and they looked to me to give it to them. I suppose you've got to have something, right? I just wish it wasn't me.

Life. Hope. Truth. Trust.
Faith. Pride. Love. Lust.
Pain. Hate. Lies. Guilt.
Laugh. Cry. Live. Die.

I often wonder what they'd do if I stopped. If I just gave up. If tomorrow morning, the Wizarding world woke to a world without me, without someone to look towards. What would they do then?

Someone in the back coughed. I looked up from the floor I hadn't realized I was staring at and came face to face with the last person I'd expected.

Draco Malfoy.

I almost hexed him. And then I remembered. His mother had died yesterday as well. Reports were that she'd tried to stop Lucius from participating, and he killed her.

I guess that's why Malfoy was here. Funny, I'd thought he'd already gotten the mark.

He smirked. At least some things were still normal. I had a feeling Draco would die with that smirk on his face. As if reading my thoughts, he pushed up his sleeves and showed me his bare arms. Behind him, others did the same. That's when I noticed the, rather large, group of Slytherins in attendance.

Well, I knew this meeting was going to be different.

Some friends become enemies
some friends become your family.

I nodded to Malfoy to show he could stay. It wouldn't do anyone any good to show distrust, especially when the Slytherins could be a great asset to our side. I just hoped no one tried to kill them tonight.

I pushed off of the desk I had been leaning on and summoned a dummy to me. Without speaking, I quickly fired off a few curses. I heard a few gasps, mainly from the Ravenclaws, who had done their homework, and some from the Slytherins, who had been around dark curses all their lives.

I shrugged it off. The Death Eaters were going to use them, and so was I. I saw no reason in avoiding them, and I hoped no one else would. They should at least be familiar with the Dark Arts, it would give them a better understanding of how to defend themselves. And that's what this group was all about after all...

Make the best with what you're given
This ain't dying, this is living!

I silently split them into smaller groups and had them start practicing various spells on the dummies. Not the dark curses, it didn't look like anyone was quite ready for those. Except maybe a few of the Slytherins.

I wandered around the room to see how the students were doing. The practice and regular meetings had paid off unbelievably. In one corner of the room, the first and second years perfected their disarming and shield charms. The third and fourth years were working on the simple dueling charms and some curses, while the fifth and sixth years went for the more advanced ones. The seventh years practiced all of those, and their Patroni as well.

I noticed a new Patronus among the now-familiar ones. It was hard to miss really, a dragon that big. I followed its flight path as it returned to its caster. Malfoy again. I should have known. At least he seemed to be working at it; maybe he was actually serious about this.

Said we're movin on
And we got nothing to prove
To anyone
Cause we'll get through
We're movin on

After two hours of practicing, I watched the group file out of the room. The looks on their faces conveyed not only their grief, but their determination as well.

Life. Hope. Truth. Trust.
Faith. Pride. Love. Lust.
Pain. Hate. Lies. Guilt.
Laugh. Cry. Live. Die.

I took a last look around the room. One corner was filled with a strange looking pile of debris. I walked over to it and laughed out loud when I realized what it was.

The curses had completely decimated the dummies. For some reason, I couldn't stop laughing. I heard a shuffling from behind me.

"Harry?" It was Hermione.

"You alright, mate?" For some reason, Ron's comment made me laugh harder. They used to ask me that when I wouldn't talk all day. And now they ask me the same thing when I laugh.

For some reason, I find that funny.

The only thing I could do was point at the dummies. A smile crossed Hermione's face as Ron started laughing with me.

A small group of other students from our year joined us back in the room.

"What have we here, Potter?" The familiar drawl came from the Slytherin. Malfoy pushed his way to the front of the group.

I pointed again. The confused look on the blonde's face was replaced first by one of understanding, and then a smile.

I began laughing again. I realized it was the first time I'd ever seen him smile. For some reason, that seemed funny too.

I couldn't tell you why.

Some friends become enemies

Maybe I'd finally cracked.

Some friends become your family.

Or maybe something else had happened when I saw those dummies.

Make the best with what you're given

Maybe I realized that this wasn't a waste of time. The Death Eaters had a new adversary to deal with now.

One with strength, and purpose, and courage.

One that wouldn't go down with out a fight.

This ain't dying, this is living!