To Thwart The Darkness {Book 3}

Going Home For Easter

Another chapter! Because I'm feeling nice. 

Hogwarts

It had been a few weeks since the Astronomy Tower incident, and Jason was feeling slightly better. He still had to do Will's homework, but he made more of an effort now to learn about the magic world. He spent most afternoons in the library with Neville, where they studied a little bit and planned DA pranks a lot. This was the main reason Jason was feeling better; he finally felt like he was doing something worthwhile. He was fighting back against the Carrows in his own way.

"So if we mix the jellybeans and the gummy bears," Jason was saying to Neville as they walked back up the stairs after one of their study sessions, "then the icing will harden?"

"Yes," Neville nodded. It was a stupid code they'd made up (which worked until they got confused) so they wouldn't be overheard in the hallways. No one could say they heard that Jason Grace and Neville Longbottom were planning to coat the door to the Carrow's office in quick-drying glue, if all they actually heard was their plan to decorate a cake.

"Okay. So that will mean—" Jason stopped and smiled. He gave a little wave to someone on a staircase below them, then turned back to Neville. "—the cake won't move."

"Who was that?" Neville asked, leaning over the railing. But all he could see was a red-head Slytherin on her way down to the dungeons.

"Just a friend," Jason shrugged.

"What's her name?"

"I have no idea."

A few minutes later, they made it to the. Gryffindor tower. The Fat Lady portrait swung open and they first thing they heard was Ginny.

"She's so overprotective!" She was saying, relatively loudly, considering it was so late at night and they had to be quiet.

"Who?" Jason asked, setting down his satchel next to Piper's chair, where she'd passed out. He pressed a quick kiss on her forehead and moved her ink pot back onto the table so it wouldn't spill over her four-page essay that rested on her lap.

"My mum," Ginny sighed, slumping further into the red, cushioned chair near the fireplace.

Nico was crouched over his own essay, the parchment sprawled out over the carpet. Neville almost stepped on one of the pages, but Nico was up in a flash, knife out, and Neville jumped back with a yelp.

"What does she want?" Jason asked, gently pushing Nico's blade down to a safer position, where it wasn't going to take out Neville's eye.

"To keep me home after Easter holidays," Ginny grumbled. "She doesn't want me going back to school."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Jason asked. "You get to stay home! Relax, and not worry about," he waved his hands around, "all this.'

"She's also offered to take you guys as well," Ginny said. "Not you, Neville. Sorry. You'd need permission from your grandma."

Hope grew in Jason's chest. "Really?"

"Yeah. But it's so stupid! She just doesn't understand..."

Jason stopped listening. They could get out of this place. No more anxiety. No more torture from the Carrows. Just peace at the Burrow. They could play Quidditch, feast on Mrs Weasley's excellent cooking, play around.

He couldn't wait.

---

"I'm not going."

"But Will—"

"I can't just leave this Hospital Wing, Jason. It's the only place people can get fixed up. I can't leave."

Jason watched helplessly as Will threw his coat over his Camp T-shirt. Nico sat on the bed, frowning. Jason had brought up Mrs Weasley's offer as soon as they'd all woken up, but Will had immediately shut him down.

"Come on," Will said, "we'll be late for breakfast."

Jason could see where Will was coming from. He just wished that he wasn't so selfless. Couldn't he think about himself for one minute? Will looked like he hadn't slept in years, even though he'd gone to bed early the night before.

"I'm not going if Will's not," Nico finally said after Will left.

"I just—"

"I know." Nico fell back onto his unmade bed. "I want to leave, but someone needs to keep an eye on him."

Jason frowned and busied himself with the buttons on his coat.

"You can go alone, if you want."

No he couldn't. Cause that would make him feel like a jerk. What kind of friend would leave his friends at a time like this?

"No. It's fine." Jason stood up. "Come on, we don't want to keep everyone waiting long."

"Just give me a minute."

"Don't go back to sleep!"

Nico groaned and turned over. "It's too early to get up."

Jason rummaged around in Nico's suitcase and threw a shirt and jeans at his head.

"It's eight o'clock. Will, Seamus and Neville are already downstairs. Piper and Ginny might already be down at the Great Hall. Get up."

"Fine," Nico whined and rolled off the bed.