Disavowals

Chapter Eighteen - Staccato

Theo was scribbling a reminder to himself about dynamics on his music when the door to the practice room slammed open behind him. He spun around, reaching for his wand. He'd thought no one had noticed him leave the common room -

Terry raised her hands, looking startled. "It's just me."

Theo lowered his wand with a frown. "I thought you were someone else."

"Well I'm not." She was going to break the door one day. "Could you come and help me?"

"With what?" Theo hedged.

"The A string on my cello's gone really out of tune and I can't get it fixed properly." Terry clasped her hands behind her back, looking up at him pleadingly. "Please?"

Theo sighed. He should have just said no. "All right, all right. Where is it?"

"Just the next room," Terry replied. "Thanks so much." Theo followed her out, shaking his head.

"You shouldn't be here by yourself," he scolded her.

"I wasn't. Jake and Alex came, but they left. Anyway, no one knows who I am."

"Don't count on that," Theo said darkly. "Gryffindors. You all think you're bloody invincible."

"At least we're not all like you," Terry sniffed. "Here." She lifted up the 'cello, balancing it on the spike. "I got the other strings okay, I think, but the A's horrible. It sounds like Dad's computer connecting to the Internet."

"The what doing what?" Theo said, plucking the aforementioned string and wincing. "Ouch. That's about a C." He twisted the top peg up gingerly. "Hmm." He plucked it again. "Better."

"A computer," Terry said patiently. "It's like...um...maybe you should ask Anne. Can't you use a spell or something?" She hovered, apparently worried he'd break her precious instrument. The school's precious instrument, to be precise, but as far as Theo knew she was the only one who used it.

"No." Theo reached for the fine-tuning pegs. Might as well check the other strings while he was at it. The D was very flat. "Or rather, I could, but I don't know the spells for a cello, and I'd rather not experiment. There we go."

"Thanks." Terry accepted the cello back. It was taller than her with the spike out. "Eddie used to help me tune my cello at home. He stopped playing the violin ages ago, though."

"Anne didn't?" Theo asked, heading for the door.

"She doesn't like strings." Terry paused. "Er...Theo?"

He stopped in the doorway, turning. "Yes?"

"Oh. Nothing." She grinned. "You don't like listening to me talk lots anyway."

"Of course not," Theo replied, straight-faced. "Utter waste of time."

Terry glanced at him uncertainly, so he smiled and closed the door behind him. Keeping ebullient Terry off-balance was a fine art. He practised assiduously.

She could catch him off-balance, too, though, and she did so quite effectively about twenty minutes later. There was nothing more startling than having a mysterious hand reach around and turn the page on your music just as you were about to, especially when you hadn't heard anyone enter the room. The next notes he played were a horrible muddle.

"Don't do that, Terry," he said in exasperation.

She giggled. "I wanted to see if I could sneak up on you."

"Weren't you practising?" Theo asked pointedly.

"I finished." She shrugged, leaning on the piano. Theo recognised the posture and tone of voice from his two summers with Lucas and Celia. They meant "I'm bored; entertain me."

"I'm sure you have homework," he said, frowning at his music. He had little enough time as it was for this, without Terry hanging around.

"I'll do it later." Terry waved a hand. "It doesn't matter in second year anyway."

Short of bodily throwing her out, she wouldn't leave, and Theo was loath to do that. It was only Terry, after all.

Dear Merlin, I am getting soft.

She listened in silence until the end of the movement, for a wonder, and then said: "Theo, what are you going to do next year?"

The non sequitur made him pause. "What on earth got that into your head?"

Terry shrugged. "I was just sort of thinking about subjects, and what I'm doing next year, and stuff, and how Anne will have NEWTs, and then I wondered what you'd be doing, 'cause you're leaving, and there are all those Death Eaters who want to kill you and stuff."

And stuff. What a myriad of evils gets hidden in the words "and stuff."

Theo pushed the stool back from the piano, stretching his legs. "I don't see that it's any of your business really."

"Is it like a deep dark secret?" Terry inquired.

Theo sighed. "To be honest? More a deep dark mass of confusion."

"But it's March. It's almost the holidays. Don't you have to apply for jobs and things?"

"Not until after the holidays." Thankfully. Theo felt out of place, right now. He was Slytherin, he should know what he wanted to do. But he'd been distracted by the more important goal of not being dead before he left school for too long to have developed clear ideas. He would have to make some decisions during the holidays, before he was lost entirely in exam revision.

If anyone wants to employ a Death Eater's son.

That is, if anyone who isn't secretly a Death Eater does.

"What d'you want to do? I think I'd like to be a teacher here. Or somewhere else. Or make potions, or something. Or astronomy, that's fun too. Being a witch is so much better than being a Muggle. If I was a Muggle I'd probably end up doing something like Mum or Dad, and they have really boring jobs."

"Your mother's a librarian, isn't she?"

"That's right." Terry started to swing idly on the end of the piano, and Theo glared at her. "Sorry. That's boring, though. And Dad's an accountant. I'm not sure exactly what that is, but it sounds awful. All numbers and maths."

"I hate to tell you this," Theo said, "but the wizarding world has accountants, too. Someone has to add up the numbers."

"Oh." Terry looked disconcerted. "Well, I won't be one. Will you?"

"Please, no. You can't get anywhere being an accountant."

"So what do you want to do?"

Theo leant one elbow on the piano, avoiding the keys. "I might apply for a job with Gringotts."

"But banks do numbers."

Theo chuckled. "Not Gringotts. They only employ humans to put up wards and things, because goblins haven't been allowed wands since the last big rebellion. The goblins do everything to do with the actual money."

"That still sounds boring."

"I like it." He'd had to, this year, with all the practice he'd been getting. Besides, goblins wouldn't care what his father had done - or what Theo had done. All they would care about was if he could do his job well.

"Fine, then." Terry flicked her fingers in a you're-stupid-but-I-won't-argue gesture. "Are you going to stay with your aunt and uncle? The nice ones, I mean."

"No." This idea had been forming ever since the letter from his mother. He wasn't much safer at Monique and Callum's than he would be on his own, and they were much less safe than they would be without him. Besides, he wasn't their...their responsibility. "I'm...my mother left me some money. I'm going to get a flat. Share it with someone, I don't know."

"That's a good idea." Terry nodded. "Then if Anne leaves home next year she can flat with you."

"She can what?"

"She's your girlfriend," Terry said pointedly.

Theo glared at her, but a sharp knock on the door saved him from responding. He almost flew out of his seat to open it.

"Oh, Ernie. Is something wrong?"

Ernie Macmillan was standing outside, looking shifty. Theo would not have said that was possible. Ernie was far too open for shiftiness.

"Yes, there is, actually. Something's happened with P - with Harry and his friends. They're at St. Mungo's with Dumbledore. We're meeting in the usual place."

"Now?"

Ernie nodded. "Right now. It's...it's important." He peered over Theo's shoulder. "Your...you'd better come, too, er, Fairleigh."

"But I'm not in the DA," Terry protested. "Never mind. I'm coming."

"Is Anne all right?" Theo asked as they followed Ernie down the corridor. "I-"

"She's fine," Ernie cut in. "We've got to hurry."

Theo frowned. Ernie seemed out of sorts. Something must be badly wrong, and he didn't like to think about the consequences.

"So what happened to Harry Potter?" Terry said, bouncing up. "Is he hurt?"

"I'm not sure what happened exactly," Ernie told her. "Something in the Forbidden Forest. As far as I know, it wasn't him that got injured, it was - it was Ginny Weasley."

Terry gasped. "Oh, no! I like Ginny. She's really nice. I hope she's okay."

"There are enough Weasleys to go around," Theo told her dryly, "but Ginny Weasley's tough. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Ernie looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't. What was the matter?

They passed Justin on the way there, who frowned at them.

"Where's he going?" Theo asked.

"To find some of the others," Ernie said after a moment. "Here we are."

Terry was almost jumping up and down with excitement. "I heard this room is really cool. Dennis Creevy said so."

"Mmm," Ernie replied. "Ah, you made it." The last was addressed to three others who had arrived at much the same time - Susan Bones, Anne, and...Justin?

"I saw you -" Terry began, and Theo felt alarm bells going off in his head. "Macmillan, what on earth -"

A hand between his shoulderblades pushed him into the Room of Requirement. He stumbled on an uneven stone floor. This was not the form it took for their DA meetings. It was a small, cold, stone chamber, featureless except for a fireplace in which sunken orange flames were flickering.

Theo recovered and spun, only to see Anne and Terry shoved in after him.

"Give that back!" Anne was saying indignantly. "You're not Susan!"

"Susan" was pocketing a wand.

"Expelliarmus," said Ernie - who wasn't Ernie - and Theo felt his own wand ripped from his hand.

The ground dropped out from beneath him.

I never guessed. I never thought - stupid, stupid, stupid!

"You're insane, Malfoy," he said in a low voice. Blonde glints were appearing in "Justin's" hair. Stupid, stupid, stupid. "Everyone will know -"

Anne had grabbed Terry's hand and was standing beside him.

"Everyone won't," Malfoy said with a lazy smile. It looked ugly on Justin's face. "Potter really is at St Mungo's. Dumbledore really isn't here. We'll Floo your bodies away and no one will ever know anything."

"Oh, are you using Polyjuice Potion?" Terry interrupted. "Wow. That's really hard. Which recipe did you use? There was one in Most Potente Potions ***Italicize the title but I thought the one in -"

"Shut up, Mudblood, "Ernie" said. Blaise Zabini, Theo would have bet his life on it.

"The school fireplaces need authorisation. You can't use them," Anne said, sounding brittle. Her face was pale. Terry's silence didn't bode well. Theo put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from doing anything stupid.

"The school ones do," Blaise agreed. "This one isn't a school one. It's here because we needed it. And we can use it, because we need to..."

"Are you going to try and kill us?" Terry asked slowly.

"No. We're going to kill you," "Susan" told her. Pansy Parkinson, it looked like, as the potion wore off.

Theo exchanged glances with Anne, drawing closer to her. The other Slytherins - no, the Death Eaters were between them and the door. Which appeared to be locked. Screaming wouldn't help.

We were supposed to be safe at Hogwarts!

So this is how long you can stay lucky. A few months. A little while. Not long enough.

Malfoy raised his wand.

"As your Lord commands, right, Malfoy?" Theo said witheringly. "How pitiful."

"This room gives you what you need?" Terry burst out.

"You obviously need to be taught a lesson," Zabini said. "Crucio."

Terry's scream felt like a knife-blade. Theo found himself charging forward one minute, Anne's words about her brother ringing in his ears - only because you weren't there to do it. The next he was teetering on the brink of a chasm that hadn't been there two seconds ago. He threw his body back, managing to fall on solid ground. The only parts of Malfoy, Zabini and Parkinson visible were their hands, gripping the brink. They could be heard quite clearly.

Where did that come from - the Room of Requirement. We're in the Room of Requirement. It gives you what you need...

Theo pushed himself up, trying not to laugh hysterically. Terry was lying on the ground like a puppet with all her strings cut. He felt sick.

"Terry!" Anne was kneeling next to her. "Terry, are you all right?"

"What do you think?" Terry whispered. She levered herself up slowly. "That hurt."

"Get us out of here, Nott!" Malfoy was yelling indignantly. Theo ignored him.

"I always said your tongue was going to get you in trouble," he told Terry. "No, don't stand up. It'll hurt less if you sit down for a few minutes."

"How do you know?" Anne said sharply, swiping her hair back.

"I remember when my father - when he came back from...from meetings. Sometimes. The Dark Lord doesn't appreciate failures."

"Good." Anne clenched her fists. "He won't appreciate them either."

Theo looked back over his shoulder. One fewer hand was visible. "Out of interest," he said, "did you envisage a bottom to that, or is it just a bottomless pit?"

Anne frowned. "I'm not sure. I just needed them to be stopped, and they were..."

"This is a cool room," Terry said approvingly. Her voice was still weak.

"I don't believe you," Anne said, shaking her head.

"Gryffindors," Theo said sagely, "they're all the same."

Anne's lips quirked. "Apparently."

Terry sniffed at this concerted attack on her House. "So?"

"Do you think we should help them?" Anne added, nodding at the chasm.

"If you don't, you'll regret it!" Pansy Parkinson screeched. Anne looked at Terry, and her lips thinned. "On second thoughts..."

Theo squeezed her shoulder. "They'll keep."

They'd just got Terry to her feet when the door, which Theo realised had been rattling, burst open.

"Be careful, we can't damage school property!" Ernie Macmillan could be heard warning Susan Bones and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who stood in the doorway.

"It's the Room of Requirement, it'll fix itself," Susan was saying. "What on-"

"I knew something was up!" Justin said, nodding to himself. He peered into the chasm. "Something got you down, Malfoy?"

There was silence.

Theo and Anne skirted the pit, Anne guiding Terry with a careful hand.

"Er, Susan, they've still got our wands. Would you mind-" Anne asked politely.

"No problem." The older girl Summoned them quickly. "Accio Anne and Theodore's wands!"

Theo nodded briefly to her as he accepted his. "Thanks."

"Now what's going on here?" Ernie demanded. "Justin came running into the common room with some story about seeing me and you on the fifth floor, and now the Room of Requirement's like this and those three -"

"It's complicated," Anne said. "I need to take Terry to the Hospital Wing."

"I'll be okay," Terry protested.

"You won't." Anne's voice was shaky.

"We'll take care of them," Ernie said firmly, "you three go. I must say, Anne, your sister doesn't look too good."

"The Cruciatus Curse does that to you," Theo noted, smiling grimly when the Hufflepuffs' eyes widened. "Be careful. The Headmaster's not here."

Justin swallowed. "We will be."

*

Madam Pomfrey bustled up as soon as they got to the Hospital Wing, muttering to herself. "Students going to St. Mungo's, what's next? A touch of flu, dear? You look awfully pale - all three of you -"

Terry obliged her by collapsing, her fall stayed only by Anne.

"It was only a few seconds," Anne said, "surely -"

"She's so small, it's bad enough for adults." Theo helped Madam Pomfrey move Terry onto a bed. She did look tiny.

"What's bad enough for adults?" Madam Pomfrey said sharply.

There was a moment's pause. Anne bit her lip. "The Cruciatus Curse."

The Matron gasped. "In Hogwarts? That can't be -"

"We saw it, we heard it, it very well is!" Theo retorted.

Madam Pomfrey was already moving. "All right, then. Are you two hurt?"

They shook their heads. "No? Go and get Professor McGonagall, then. She'll need to deal with this. Miss Fairleigh will be fine with a good rest." Pomfrey looked uncharacteristically angry. "Who did this?"

"One of the Slytherins." Anne sounded tired. "I don't know -" She glanced at Theo.

"Blaise Zabini," Theo said without hesitation. Welcome to Slytherin, just don't trust anyone.

Madam Pomfrey tutted. "How it's come to this, I don't know...well, get along with you."

Anne had to be guided out, looking back at Terry the whole way.

As soon as they were outside, she sank back against the wall, eyes closed. "God, Theo, what am I going to tell my parents? What am I going to tell them?"

Theo laid a hand on her shoulder, as much for his own comfort as for hers. "I don't know."

Anne smiled, sadly. "No. Neither do I. It feels like I'm running and running and things are still catching up to me faster than I can run." She opened her eyes, looking up at him. "I suppose you feel something like that."

"Things...caught up a long time ago. Now I'm just trying to ride the storm out." This time last year he'd felt in control of his life. This time last year he'd thought he could handle whatever was going to happen.

This time last year, he'd been very stupid.

The corridor was empty, so Theo bent down to kiss Anne on the forehead. "Terry will be fine. We'd better go and find McGonagall."

Anne leant into his shoulder. "We should." But it was much easier for Theo to slip his arm around her shoulders and just stand there, pretending the rest of the world didn't exist.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly. "You know that."

"It's not yours."

No. Not really. Sort of.

I don't have the energy to feel guilty about this as well. It's all Malfoy's fault, anyway.

Although I do seem to have the energy to feel guilty about not feeling guilty

Right.

They were separated by the echo of brisk footsteps approaching.

"Right. McGonagall." Anne squared her shoulders. "Let's go."

In fact, they only got about ten feet down the corridor. The footsteps turned out to be those of McGonagall, who was striding towards them looking more like a, well, a Gryffindor, than Theo could ever recall. He suppressed an urge to nip down a side corridor.

"Mr Nott. Miss Fairleigh. Where is Theresa?"

"With Madam Pomfrey, Professor." Anne glanced over her shoulder. "We were being sent to find you."

"Very well. You're both coming with me to my office. Now."

"We haven't done anything wrong -" Theo began.
McGonagall silenced him with a beady stare. "According to Mr Malfoy, Mr Zabini, and Miss Parkinson, neither have they. According to Mr Finch-Fletchley, Miss Bones, and Mr Macmillan, neither have they. A lot have people have not done anything wrong, if I take everyone at their word. Evidently, a great deal of wrong has been done. I intend to find out by whom. Follow me."

"They used an Unforgivable on my sister, Professor," Anne said stonily, folding her arms. "And I'll swear to that by anything you want."

"Miss Fairleigh, I did say that wrongdoing had evidently been committed, did I not? I sincerely doubt that you and Mr Nott are responsible for your sister's injury. For goodness' sake, I'm not sending you to Azkaban." McGonagall did not bother with another command, but simply turned on her heel and headed for her office. Theo and Anne fell in step behind, Anne taking two steps for every one of Theo's to keep up.

"Where's the Headmaster, Professor?" Theo asked. McGonagall did not turn around. "He is due back from St. Mungo's in about fifteen minutes."

"Is it true that Ginny Weasley's been hurt?"

"Who told you that?"

"Blaise Zabini."

There was silence; McGonagall must look intimidating. Several fourth-years heading in the opposite direction blanched when they saw her.

"She will be fine," McGonagall said eventually. "Did Mr Zabini mention how he acquired this information?"

Theo snorted. "He's a Death Eater, of course. Professor."

"That is unproven, as yet."

"What does he have to do, stand up in the Great Hall and -" Anne coughed. "Sorry, Professor."

"I cannot promise you justice for your sister, not these days, Miss Fairleigh." McGonagall's voice was bitter. "But we will try."

*

Anne tried to ignore a spurt of nervousness as they approached McGonagall's office. She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to face the three Slytherins again. Not with Terry lying so pale on that bed in the Hospital Wing. All sound in the world around her still seemed haunted by the echo of her screams. How could she face her mother and father after this? Knowing that, except for Theo's presence in her life, this would not have happened...

No! It was Terry's fault as much as Theo's, speaking out. Mine, letting her go off by herself. Theo was trying to protect her. It wasn't his fault.

But I could be mad at Theo, because he's right here to be mad at.

She glanced sideways - up - at Theo; he caught her gaze, and his lips quirked in a brief, reassuring smile.

Or maybe I couldn't.

No, never Theo's fault.

The door stood a fraction open, and McGonagall sped up. Anne was already walking as fast as she could. They almost ran into the Transfiguration Professor, though, when she stopped dead in the doorway.

"Where are they?" Theo snarled. Anne couldn't see over her teacher's shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked, heart speeding up. Not something else.

McGonagall moved slowly into the room, Anne and Theo following. Anne moved closer to Theo, wishing that she dared grab his hand. It just didn't seem like the place.

The office was indeed occupied, but of the Slytherins, there was no sign. Snape was scowling at the prone form of Susan Bones.

"Enervate," he snarled, pointing his wand at her. Ernie and Justin were rubbing their heads and looking very sorry for themselves indeed.

"Where are they, Severus?" McGonagall said, scanning the office.

"Gone when I arrived." The Potions professor folded his arms. "You left them alone?"

Anne edged round to Susan. "Are you all right?" she whispered.

"Ow. I suppose so." The other girl winced as she moved a little too fast. "Zabini and Malfoy had spare wands. Bastards."

"I'm sorry, Miss Bones?" McGonagall said in a voice like liquid helium.

"Uh, sorry, Professor," Susan said quickly.

"How did they get the jump on you three?" Theo was asking Ernie. "You've bested them before!"

"Really, when was that, Mr Nott?" Snape interposed smoothly, his disagreement with McGonagall forgotten when there were students to bait.

"Nothing very important, sir," Theo said without batting an eyelash. Anne wished she could do that. "Just a small disagreement on the train a couple of years ago. I didn't see it myself."

"I seem to remember a letter from Narcissa Malfoy about that," McGonagall said, eyeing Ernie, Justin and Susan in turn. "I had always assumed...but that's beside the point. What happened here?"

"I was telling Anne, they had spare wands," Susan said, folding her arms around herself. "We thought they were disarmed."

"Very bad form." Ernie frowned. "It's just not done."

"Neither is torturing twelve-year-olds," Anne reminded him, trying to ignore the memories. "In fact, neither is being a Death Eater."

"They'll be long gone by now," Snape said out of the blue. "It only would have taken them a few minutes to leave the grounds, and I know they all had their Apparition licences."

"I underestimated them," McGonagall said, tapping her fingers on her desk. "With Albus not here...odd. I never thought Mr Malfoy would leave the school over anything less than something involving Mr Potter."

"The world doesn't revolve around Potter," Snape and Theo said at the same time, and stared at each other. Anne covered her mouth with her hand.

"But I don't see why they took that chance," Justin said. "I mean, running for it..."

"They knew the jig was up, obviously," Ernie informed him. "They wouldn't have got away with it this time. Not Unforgivables."

"They won't get a pleasant reception, at least." Theo smiled viciously. "Not if I remember what my father said about failing the Dark Lord."

"They won't," Snape agreed. "What's this about Unforgivables?"

"Blaise Zabini used the - the Cruciatus Curse -" Theo seemed to be having as much trouble saying it as Anne did thinking it. He swallowed. "On Terry Fairleigh."

Snape's eyes narrowed. "I see." Anne wished she knew what he was thinking. Terry liked Potions, didn't she? Did that work both ways? She couldn't see how it wouldn't, but Terry was her sister.

"Well." McGonagall drew a deep breath. "All of you are unhurt, I trust. I seem to be saying that far too much, these days." Her lips twisted. "I will ask you to return to your common rooms and say nothing of this to anyone. As soon as the Headmaster gets back, he will wish to speak to you."

"That would be now, Minerva." Anne turned her head to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway. "I have just visited the infirmary. Miss Fairleigh brought me up to date on events in the school during my absence. It seems I only have to leave for a few hours for such things to happen, these days." He frowned. "Where are -"

"They escaped, Headmaster," Snape said sourly. "If they hadn't been left with only other students -"

"Professor, we thought they were unarmed!" Ernie protested indignantly. "They - they cheated."

Dumbledore smiled. "It is something Voldemort's followers do very often, I am afraid. You are sure they are off the grounds?"

"We haven't had time to look, Headmaster," McGonagall told him. "If you think -"

"There is an easier way to do that, I think, Minerva," Dumbledore said gravely.

Susan spoke up. "Harry's map? We've all seen it. That would work."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Secrets are hard to keep in this school."

"Not if you're careful," Anne said thoughtfully. "It has been done, Professor."

"It depends on who you are, I think," Theo said.

"These things do." Dumbledore's eyes travelled over them. "As it occurs...please do as Professor McGonagall has asked, and return to your common rooms. I think I have heard most of what I need to. Oh, and Miss Fairleigh, Mr Nott, could you come to my office at, say, five o'clock? I believe I need to speak to the pair of you further."

"Yes, sir," Anne and Theo chimed, exchanging glances.

What have we done?

Please, let this be the end of it, Anne thought. They're gone. As long as my family are safe...I don't care. They're gone. We're safe here.

And what was the cost of that?

*

Anne arrived at the Hufflepuff common room with the others to find it abuzz with rumour. Oddly enough, absolutely nothing concerning them, apart from Hannah Abbott's comment that she was sure she'd seen Anne going towards the hospital wing with her little sister, was she okay?

Susan Bones laughed bitterly. "Not really, Hannah." Hannah looked confused. "Oh, dear, what happened?"

"I'm afraid we can't say anything, Hannah," Ernie informed her, "but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"Oh." Hannah blinked. "Well, I heard that Harry Potter and his friends went off into the Forbidden Forest - and do you know what happened -"

Anne sought the familiarity of her own year group. Gabby would know all the -

No! No, but the others will know enough.

"Anne, do you know what's going on?" Mai accosted her as soon as she sat down. "I heard that Ginny Weasley got killed!"

"That's not true, don't spread rumours, Mai," Sarah scolded her. "I heard she was taken to St. Mungo's, though. Anne, you look awful. Did you have a fight with someone?"

"Yes," Anne said slowly, "but...I can't talk about it. No, really, Mai, I can't. And no, I wasn't fighting with Theo."

"Oh." Sarah sank back into her seat, looking annoyed. Anne ignored her.

"Was it Terry?" Ellie asked.

Anne bit her lip, not knowing what to say. "I didn't fight with Terry, no. I...please. I can't play Twenty Questions about this."

"That wasn't what I was asking," Ellie corrected her calmly. "Your sister gets into fights a lot more than you. Did she pick the wrong one?"

"Don't, Ellie. I -" Anne couldn't think of anything else to say. She'd run out of time, of words, of everything. Hogsmeade two weeks ago and Terry today. What next? Death Eaters in the cosy Hufflepuff common room?

"Is she all right?" Ellie continued. Mai was clutching her book to her chest.

"It wasn't anything too awful?" she said anxiously. "Not in Hogwarts!"

Sarah abruptly rose from her chair and strode towards the seventh-year prefects, Ernie and Hannah. Clearly she thought other sources of Authority would reveal the truth to her.

"Hogwarts..." Anne curled up in the armchair, not looking at the others, but across the common room. So many people. Were any of them safe? "I think that's...it's an illusion, Mai. Dumbledore's what keeps us safe. Not Hogwarts. Hogwarts is just a fortress." Hogwarts' walls had not done anything, when it came down to it.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mai retorted. "I - sorry, Anne. I'm...nervous."

Nervous. Hah. You've been a bundle of nerves all year, Mai.

It means that anything man can make, he can break...it means that fortresses fall.

"So what do you think has happened to Harry Potter?" Ellie offered. Anne looked back at her. "I don't know. I haven't - I haven't heard anything."

"Nothing?" Mai straightened. "Where have you been? It's all over the school! Harry Potter went into the Forbidden Forest with his friends - Hermione Granger, and the Weasleys, all that lot. Except nobody knows why. All they know is that Ginny Weasley got hurt - really hurt - and something about spiders, Merlin knows why. But Dumbledore headed off to St. Mungo's with them hours ago."

"Brian said he's back," Ellie interjected.

Anne nodded. "He is." And if he'd stayed, would Terry...

Sarah returned, flopping back onto the couch. "Secrets. Hmph. How am I supposed to keep things under control if I don't know what's happening?"

"Ernie and Hannah not saying anything?" Mai frowned. "Anne?"

"Hannah doesn't know anything, and Ernie can't say anything," Anne said quickly. "Okay?"

"We were telling Anne about all the rumours." Ellie shot Sarah a dry glance. "You know more than us about that."

"Oh, yes." Sarah settled back, once more in charge. "We're not to spread rumours. There was an accident, that's all, people going where they shouldn't. McGonagall said it was nothing to worry about."

Mai scoffed. "Accidents don't happen to Harry Potter. Events happen."

"That's not important." Sarah shrugged it off. "We need to keep together, these days, and panic won't help anyone."

Anne rose, unable to sit there a minute longer. She'd start talking. "I'm just...I'm just going to the dorm."

"We won't tell anyone anything," Sarah told her kindly. "You can trust us."

Anne took a deep breath, trying valiantly to not hear Sarah's voice in her ears, from before Christmas. Before Gabby.

You're either part of this House, or you're not!

She wanted to something biting, something Theo would have said in her place. Something like "Can I?" or "Really?" or "That's interesting to hear."

But she was Anne, and saying something like that would have ruined whatever peace Sarah was giving her.

So all she said was "I know," before leaving for the dorm to huddle on her bed, waiting for five o'clock.