Snape and Lily's daughter

Thestrals

Grace quickly went to her dorm to get the Dungbombs to give to Ron.

Her friends were all in the Common Room, thankfully. Grace would ask for their help to get the other Slytherin students to stay in the Common Room.

Grace quickly left the room to hand the bombs to Ron, and then quickly went back inside.

At the entrance, she called her friends, Melia, Megan, Ella and Astoria, plus Blaise and Daphne.

"I really need your help."

"What's up, Grace?" Astoria asked.

"Harry believes that..." she almost mentioned Sirius, but remembered right then that no one knew about Black's situation. "that the Weasleys' father was attacked by Voldemort, but to be sure, we will use one of the fireplaces for him to communicate with someone in the Weasley household."

"What do we need to do?" Ella asked.

"I need your help to keep everyone inside. Especially if someone from the Inquisitorial Squad catches them..."

While Grace and Astoria stood near the entrance to the Cmmon Room, just letting people in, Blaise and Daphne went to entertain the 6th years, while Melia, Ella, and Megan chatted with the other students.

After ten to fifteen minutes had passed, Grace heard a knock on the door to the Common Room entrance.

She opened the door, and saw that it was Ron and Luna, and now Neville and Ginny were with them.

Grace left the Common Room.

"What happened?" Grace asked, worriedly.

"Umbridge found Harry in her room, and even caught Hermione who was guarding the door..."

"Where are they?"

"Harry and Hermione took Umbridge to the Dark Forest." Ron said.

"Let's go, then!" Grace said.

Everyone ran as fast as they could into the forest.

"Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?" Grace heard Hermione say.

"Yeah, we were just wondering that," Grace said, when she got closer to Harry and Hermione.

"So," Ron said. "had any ideas?"

"What've you done with Umbridge?" Ginny asked.

"She got carried away," Harry said. "By a herd of centaurs."

"And they left you behind?" Ginny asked, looking astonished.

"No, they got chased off by Grawp," Harry said.

"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked.

"Hagrid's little brother," Ron said. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-KnowWho got Sirius or — ?"

"Yes," Harry said. "and I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."

Everyone stayed quiet.

"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" Luna said.

"Okay," Harry said irritably. "first of all, 'we' aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so —"

"We've got brooms!" Grace and Ginny said.

"Yeah, but you're not coming," Ron said angrily.

"Excuse me, but Grace and I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!"

"You're too —" Harry began.

"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-KnowWho over the Sorcerer's Stone," Ginny said fiercely.

"Yeah, but —"

"We were all in the D.A. together," Neville said quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real — or was that all just a game or something?"

"No — of course it wasn't —" Harry said impatiently.

"Then we should come too," Grace said simply.

"That's right," Luna said happily.

Harry, Hermione and Ron looked at each other.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Harry said frustratedly, "because we still don't know how to get there —"

"I thought we'd settled that?" Luna said. "We're flying!"

"Look," Ron said. "you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we —"

"There are other ways of flying than with broomsticks," Luna said serenely.

"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?" Ron demanded.

"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly," Luna said. "but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for."

Everyone turned to where Luna was pointing. But no one seemed to see anything but Luna and Harry.

"Yes!" Harry whispered.

"Is it those mad horse things?" Ron said uncertainly.

"Yeah," Harry said.

"How many?"

"Just two."

"Well, we need three," Hermione said.

"Four, Hermione," Ginny said, scowling.

"I think there are six of us, actually," Luna said.

"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" Harry said angrily. "Look, you four, you're not involved in this, you're not —"

Harry stopped as soon as he began to feel his scar hurt.

"Okay, fine, it's your choice," he said. "But unless we can find more thestrals you're not going to be able —"

"Oh, more of them will come," Grace said.

"What makes you think that?" Ron asked.

"Because in case you hadn't noticed, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," Grace said coolly. "and we know Hagrid lures thestrals with raw meat, so that's probably why these two turned up in the first place..."

"Okay, then," Harry said. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you three and she'll attract more thestrals —"

"I'm not staying behind!" Hermione said, furious.

"There's no need," Luna said. "Look, here come more now... You two must really smell..."

"All right," Harry said angrily. "pick one and get on, then."