Fate Set Right

Chapter 61

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October 1, 1997

The Room of Requirement was quickly becoming a haven most hadn't expected to find. It had started with the original DA group, when Ginny sent out a message through the quills to get them to show up and sign the new contract. Since the quills were too nice to throw away, everyone in the castle had shown up.

At first, non-Gryffindors eyed Aurora with suspicion and wariness. But all it took was her healing their wounds and offering potions she'd take a sip of first to earn their trust. It was desperate times and the students needed some relief. Leo had also learned a few healing spells as well, though his wandwork and magical core weren't quite ready for the spells his sister cast.

When Slytherins started to find their way to them, albeit in much smaller numbers, established trust was required.

"We need something," Aurora huffed. "Something that lets everyone know what they need to know without us saying it."

"You mean... let them in on the truth. About your dad?" Ginny asked.

"Considering what you need to do? Yes, we need to. Gin...."

"No, I get it. You don't need to explain it," Ginny replied.

Neville tapped his quill against his knee as he sat sideways in his chair. He looked at the three girls and Theo, all sitting around a table at the front of the room, then behind him at the others. They were whispering, despite the constant reassurance that the room was safe.

Utterly safe. Carrow-proof. No one loyal to them or the Dark Lord were allowed to enter. Those were the stipulations requested when they'd asked for the door to appear. As long as someone was in the room, it would continue to abide by those stipulations. And the best part was, the room didn't care if a person was a student or not.

The black dog that everyone had seen wandering the grounds in the last month lay in front of the fire, head on his paws, sound asleep. He was the keeper of the room as far as anyone was concerned, and while it had never really been part of Sirius' plan, he'd gladly taken it on. Better than Hagrid constantly trying to coax him to his hut with various unknown meats.

"Wh—" Neville started, frowning. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.

"Starting to look like a fish, Longbottom," Theo taunted. "Just say what you're thinking and be done with it. I promise, no one will think less of you. It's impossible."

"Theo," Ginny chided.

"That wasn't very nice," Luna said in her normal dreamy tone. "Neville is one of the bravest and fiercest among us. He'll be considered a hero when all this is over."

Theo snorted. "I'm sure you think that, Lovegood. And maybe you're right. But right now, he's being a dunce."

"I think we need something that shows how we're all being punished. Rory's so certain he's sending people where he does on purpose."

"He is," she said firmly. "He's certainly not authorizing the injuries we're seeing."

Neville frowned. When Theo looked at him in boredom, waving his hand as if he were asking Neville to continue, Neville rose jerkily, moving to the wall and closing his eyes as he placed his hands on the stone. Slowly, a tapestry began to unravel from the ceiling. The room, which had been abuzz with voices, was suddenly very quiet.

As the tapestry unraveled, it became apparent that it was a chart. The four house colors showed up at random. Aurora noticed that the listings were infractions, punishments, and who'd assigned them.