The Brightest Black - A Dramione Fanfic

For Hogwarts!

Hermione ushered in the last student and then turned to check to make sure no more students were on the other side of the barrels. There were no more students so she nodded in satisfaction and turned back to Amelia Schroeder, the Head Girl.

"That's the last of them."

"Good. We don't want anyone getting hurt."

Hermione nodded in agreement and pulled the door most of the way shut. She'd wait a few minutes and then slip back out when no one was looking.

The Hufflepuff Common room was a very cozy place, even with every available surface holding students. She wasn't sure if it was just her imagination or not, but it seemed as if the room felt no discomfort at holding twice as many students as it should. Perhaps Helga Hufflepuff had known that an underground common room could be a bunker of sorts if Hogwarts was attacked - something not unheard of a thousand years ago. She'd certainly made it much harder to get into than any of the other common rooms.

She leaned casually by the entrance and watched Schroder go to speak with the other prefects. Of course Neville was missing, but the others all had very serious and determined expressions on their faces. Even Thomas Criston, the most incompetent prefect in all of Hogwarts, seemed to take the situation very seriously.

She waited another moment, checked around the room to ensure that no one was paying attention, and slowly pulled the entrance open.

She was just about to slip through the opening when a drawling voice drew her attention.

"Off to play hero, Black?"

How had she not noticed Mclaggen and Creevy sitting right by the door?

"A notice-me not charm," Creevy supplied with a brilliant smile. Apparently he knew she'd be wondering how they snuck up on her.

"No, I'm not off to play hero. I'm off to make sure my friends - who are trapped out there with the Death Eaters - are safe. And I'm seventeen, Mcgonagall can't stop me. Nor can you."

Mclaggen snorted, "I don't plan to stop you. Hell, I want to help you. If we don't get this all settled tonight then we'll have trouble with our classes and I refuse to ruin my second chance. I plan to be an auror, you know, like your father."

She stared at Mclaggen for a moment and then turned her attention to Creevy. "And you?"

He grinned and held up his camera, "Harry Potter is going to be fighting You-Know-Who! Just think of the picture opportunities!"

She had no words for that reason, though she did understand just how important pictures could be. Still, Creevy was only a fifth-year. He couldn't be seventeen. He didn't know enough to protect himself and he was a muggle-born. He'd be dead as soon as a Death Eater looked at him.

"No, Creevy, I can't allow you to come." She turned to address Mclaggen. "I won't argue about you coming, but there is no way I'll let Creevy come. He's underage and doesn't have near enough training."

"But-" Creevy started before being cut-off by Mclaggen. "You're right, but if you don't let him go with me he'll come out anyways. He's a Gryffindor through and through."

Hermione scowled.

"Who's a Gryffindor through and through?"

Apparently they had drawn attention, at least from their fellow Gryffindors. Dean had walked up with Seamus, Lavender, and Padma. As well as a few of the seventh-year Gryffindors that Hermione really didn't know well.

Creevy shot Dean a brilliant smile, "I'm a Gryffindor through and through!"

"Yep, Creevy is the most Gryffindorish of our year," Michael Phelps, the fifth-year Gryffindor prefect, asserted.