In The End

Chapter 38 - Snape

Author's note: I'm back! :D sorry for not updating in a while, been really busy with life -_- anyway, really feeling it so I might finished the story VERY soon :D enjoy!

Eliza looked around, taking in the scene as they entered the crowded Gryffindor common room. It was no longer situated in the tower, but rather nearer to the basement level.

There were hammocks strung up everywhere, most probably where the Gryffindors slept, and one boy sat at a desk covered in papers, talking into a radio of some sort, apparently checking the weather report.

"Wendy!" Luna said cheerfully, walking towards Eliza to give her a comforting hug.

Luna tried not to look too surprised by Eliza's split lip and bruised body. The Carrows felt that it was necessary for Eliza to be beaten physically before experiencing the Cruciatus curse, so that the torture would feel worse as her injuries would strain.

Even now, as she hugged Luna back, she could feel a dull ache in her ribs where Amycus had kicked her.

"What you did was amazing. None of us had the courage to stand up to them further than refusing to participate." Luna said gently.

"You know, for a Ravenclaw, you sure have the bravery of a Gryffindor." Seamus Finnigan said, standing beside Neville.

"Uh, thanks." Eliza replied.

She wasn't used to being spoken to so openly at school. So this is what it's like to not be a Slytherin, she thought to herself.

"Oh, uh, Neville, I actually came here for you. Dumbledore's sister wants to speak to you." Seamus said, pointing towards a painting of a pretty girl with long hair, waving at him.

"Thanks Seamus. I'll be right back." He said, marching away.

Luna and Eliza began to converse with Seamus, Luna and Seamus doing most of the talking. Eliza was just happy to be included at all. It wasn't until a few minutes later, that Neville returned, coming out of a tunnel behind the painting.

"Hey, listen up you lot. I brought you a surprise." Neville said, grinning.

"Not more of Abeforth's coconut milk. It will be a surprise if we can digest it." Seamus said.

Neville only grinned wider and stepped aside to reveal Harry, Ron and Hermione. It didn't take long for everyone to stand up and begin to clap and cheer at the arrival of the golden trio.

When the crowd quietened down, Harry cleared his throat.

"Okay, there's something we need to find. Something hidden here in the castle, and it may help us defeat You Know Who." Harry said.

"Alright. What is it?" Neville asked.

"We don't know." Harry replied.

"Where is it?"

"We don't know that either. I realise that's not much to go on." Harry said.

"That's nothing to go on." Seamus replied.

"I think it has something to do with Ravenclaw." Harry began.

Eliza stopped listening after that. She wanted to help, really she did. But she couldn't stop thinking about Draco. If Harry had returned to Hogwarts, the Deatheaters wouldn't be far behind...

Luna, on the other hand, had a brilliant idea. She had remembered speaking with The Grey Lady many times, and recalled something she once mentioned about her mother, Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Well there's Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem." Luna piped up.

"Bloody hell, here we go." Ron mumbled.

Luna then went on to explain what the diadem was, and helped them all come up with a plan to find it. Eliza was still lost in her own world, thinking about what she would do when she saw Draco again.

However, Eliza's attention was captured when Ginny Weasley entered the room and announced that Snape knew about Harry's presence, as he was spotted in Hogsmeade on the way in.

The room was aflutter with conversations as people found Harry a robe to wear, and Hermione, Ron and Neville went to get more people from the tunnel.

Soon after, all the students were called to the Great Hall. Eliza felt ominous as the students marched along in dead straight lines in complete silence. All of this new discipline was unfamiliar to her.

When they got to the Great Hall, the students all lined up in rows according to their house. Eliza wasn't used to being with Ravenclaws instead of the Slytherins.

After a while, Snape walked silently to the front, and turned to face the school. The Carrows stood beside him, sneering at the students before them, especially when their eyes landed on Eliza.

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour." Snape began.

The hall was eerily silent.

"It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade."

The school began to whisper frantically, many only hearing this news for the first time.

"Now, should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression, furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events who fails to come forward, will be treated as equally guilty." Snape looked around the hall with his beady black eyes as he began to walk along the aisle in the middle of the rows of students.

"Now then, if anyone here has any knowledge of Mr Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward, now." He said, stopping beside the Gryffindors.

There was complete silence... until Harry stepped out, and the hall buzzed with surprise.

"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem Headmaster. I'm afraid it's quite extensive... How dare you stand where he stood!" Harry said emotionally, as a group of members from the Order came in through the double doors behind him.

"Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him! Tell them!" He shouted angrily.

Snape pulled out his wand, causing everyone to gasp, but before he could cast a spell McGonagall stood in front of Harry. McGonagall began shooting spells at Snape, which he easily deflected.

Snape then disappeared into a cloud of black smoke and escaped through the window, causing the students to applaud victoriously.

It was then that the crowd all heard the girls start to scream shrilly. Voldemort began to speak to everyone in their minds. The sound of his raspy voice chilled Eliza to the bone.

"Give me Harry Potter."

Everyone was silent.

"What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" Pansy Parkinson shouted.

Eliza was fuming. She couldn't believe the nerve of her. She never liked that bitch anyway. It was then that Ginny and Hermione stepped in front of Harry.

Soon the Order members followed, and so did Eliza. She was hand-in-hand with Luna.

When Filch came running in, and McGonagall told him to escort all of the Slytherins into the dungeons, Eliza couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them.

The truth was, she couldn't blame them for not wanting to fight. Many of their parents were deatheaters. What were they supposed to do, fight their families? She might have been in the same boat if she had just waited for uncle Walden instead of following him down Knockturn Alley...