A War of Nerves

CHAPTER 16: Interlude

Morgan, the twins, and Brigid had left Hogwarts. Goodbyes were said as well as jokes and well wishes. Draco and Morgan parted as friends, only friends. On retrospect, Morgan had discovered it wouldn't have worked anyway. He was still a boy in her eyes, and she was too much of a woman. But their friendship was strong as stainless steal. Harry and Ginny were sad to see them all go, as well as Ron. Ron had been quite taken by Brigid, but it would never be, he loved Hermione and that was that.

Lily and Snape had left hiding. After many conversations, they agreed to keep their relationship professional. But that didn't stop them from sleeping together every day and night until they had to leave. It was shameless and they both knew it. But they also knew it wouldn't work. It wasn't the age, it wasn't the distance, and it wasn't the personalities. It was that they couldn't be together. Lily had made the choice. Snape had suspected many things, but he believed her when she said she would be around anymore.

Hermione welcomed Gabrielle to the New Years Party. They quickly became friends and Gabrielle was accepted by Morgan, the twins and Brigid easily. As the rest of the year progressed, Gabrielle became part of the group. Hermione was satisfied with her relationship with Viktor. But as the days progressed, she felt like she was missing something; something very important, though she didn't know what exactly. So she ignored it. Morgan took up the battle again on seducing Sirius Black, though it wasn't looking too much in her favor. Brigid was given a mission, find and kill Walden Mcnair. He had been discovered at a scene of a thirty Muggle slaughter. He had escaped the MOM Aurors, but he didn't escape Brigid's deadly blade.

When Lily returned, there were tears, but eventually things settled down. Harry and Ginny confronted her about when she came from and she confessed to everything, then Obliviated them.

The Gryffindors beat Slytherin in the final Quidditch game of the season at the end of January, and took the House Cup with a clean sweep. The team named Ginny Weasley captain for the next year and Lily and Ron were the MVPs. School went on as normal. People fretted about OWLs and NEWTs and graduation and what the hell was going on outside Hogwarts. No one was quite willing to admit they would miss the safe walls of Hogwarts.

Harry and Ginny's love grew for each other and eventually they notified everyone of their engagement. The event ended in Ron giving Harry a black eye, Lily giving Ron a black eye, and a detention for Ginny because she gave Ron another right in front of a teacher, Snape of all people. After that there was some tension, then things returned to normal after Fred and George settled Ron down a bit during a Hogsmeade visit.

But tensions were growing elsewhere. Muggle slaughtering were growing more frequent. Four in all, raising the death toll to one hundred seven total. Mcnair had been assassinated, the Bludstrodes had been sent to Azkaban along with the Notts, the Dolohovs, and Goyles. The Slytherins were more openly against Muggle-borns, feeling confident enough to insult them even in front of teachers, start fights and through curses in the direction of Muggle-borns. Voldemort had almost figured out the Time Turner that he stole from Lily during her capture and his number of supporters was growing rapidly. Fear was spread throughout Europe and it was reaching the rest of the world. It was felt as far as Tokyo at the Hiroshima School of Witchcraft and Wizardry when Voldemort used hit and run tactics to take down a group of rebels.

It looked like things were dark, dark as times in the past, and there was nothing any one could do about it. There were many casualties. The Boots, Terry's parents, were killed, along with Thomas Dean's parents, and the Patils. Times were sad in the Gryffindor house, sad and dark.

Word of rebellion was traveling; rumors from the West, from Salem's. The graduating class was one larger than most. People scoffed, calling them children. Not merely children though, highly gifted children trained for one purpose, kill Voldemort. The wizarding world was given hope, for it was said Dumbledore would make a last stand against Voldemort, and that Harry would be there to help him.

In the spring another slaughtering occurred. Twenty-three deaths in all, though this one was in America, just outside of Austin, Texas. Whispers of a final battle were heard all over the wizarding world, and the Muggles were kept in the dark the whole time.

It was a good day to be outside in Massachusetts. The skies were clear, and the wind was just slightly cool, giving you the feeling of being clean all over when you inhaled deep enough. Yes, it was a nice day to be outside, and for thirty-two young men and women, and nice day to graduate. Unfortunately, it was also a good day for the first battle for the freedom of all peoples, Muggle and Wizard. It was a good day for dying.