JTBJAB - Meteroid Beater

All the Hogwarts students sat in the Great Hall eating their lunch. The Carrows were marching up and down the rows between the houses, their wands drawn and their eyes narrowed in suspicion. The students were barely speaking; the whispered odd exchange was treated with glares and nudges from others in their house. Headmaster Snape had stopped eating at the school meals, instead choosing to watch over his school, his eyes sharp and a scowl plastered on his stern face.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Neville, we're very lucky Snape didn't punish us!"

"It wasn't my fault! I'm not even sure what happened; I know I wrote it down properly... I even used..." He looked around nervously. "I'll tell you after dinner."

Once the food was vanished and Snape rose to his feet, the students began filing out for their afternoon classes. Ginny smiled at Neville and nodded as they passed through the ornate doorway and went their separate ways.

***

Ginny clenched her fists till she worried her wand would break; her eyes narrowed as Harper crouched, and her gaze flickered over with distaste to Professor Amycus Carrow.

Ever since the Carrows had arrived, nobody had felt safe – except perhaps those in Slytherin, but even they avoided the Death Eaters as much as possible.

"Imperio!"

Ginny danced out of the way, diving across the duelling platform before rolling up onto her feet. "Stupefy!"

"Miss Weasley, fifty points from Gryffindor! I don't believe first-year spells were what I asked you to use." Amycus leered. "I will not warn you again!"

***

Neville relaxed. McGonagall's lessons were one of the few that were almost like the old days, the days when Dumbledore kept everyone feeling safe, even if it was only a cover for what was really going on.

Hogwarts just wasn't Hogwarts anymore. And with the absence of three good friends as well as many others, the small joy that lessons brought had been narrowed down in focus.

He carefully rubbed the Galleon between his fingers. It was his one connection to the so called Golden Trio and his lifeline for being able to continue on with his studies: Hermione. She couldn't speak often for obvious reasons, and as far as he could make out, neither Harry nor Ron knew that she did so. She never spoke of what they were doing or where they were, but he did know they moved a lot and that it was difficult for them.

He found it hard to take in that they were out there doing what they could, and he was stuck inside Hogwarts being controlled by the very creation that they were fighting against. But Hermione always made him rethink that. "You're the next generation, Neville. You'll be one of the few to help rebuild our world once this is all over. You need your qualifications and you need to stay studying. You've got the DA to think about."

So he'd been carefully building it up, taking in new members after carefully carrying through tests and retests... they trusted no-one. Luna had been his saving grace there; with logic and knowledge she'd devised a contract which bound tighter than Hermione's had, and Ginny's spell work was more subtle than the 'Sneak' punishment. They'd only witnessed it once, and that had been enough to still any others that were scared into telling.

Nobody liked the idea of their bones slowly dissolving.

***

It was six in the morning and so cold his breath was visible before him, but he ignored it and cast a light warming spell before he started off on his jog around the lake. Hermione was right, he was the next generation to help rebuild their world, and yet first there was a war to win. A war that he would participate in. A war that would mean he could avenge his mother and father, make them proud of him and his achievements. And he would need to be fit and at his best.

Smirking, he pushed himself onwards. It was going to be hard work, but the rewards would definitely be worth it.

***

The Carrows were tightening their hold on the student body, and Snape was finding it hard pressed to deal with them. If only the idiots would just do as they were told! He now spent each evening redirecting students' detentions away from the more dangerous tasks and onto something more menial; but there were only so many cauldrons that needed cleaning or animals that had to be dealt with. He'd even had the Owlery cleaned twice, and it now gleamed.

With a suffering sigh, he decided he would have to be happy with the small successes he had had, such as with Slughorn and his damned fake ingredient. He had made sure that the small resistance group had the correct ingredients and had reinforced the wards around the Room of Requirement. He might not like what they were doing, but he was not about to let the Carrows destroy everything. Besides, there was no way he was going to leave their make-shift laboratory as it was; they at least now had the right ingredients even if it wasn't really suitable for a first year to brew in.

***

"So you've been using the coin all this time and didn't think to tell me?" Ginny stood in front of Neville, her hands on her hips and her face red and pinched. "I could have spoken to my brother... I could have told Mum they were okay. I would have known that they were all okay."

"I'm sorry. I made the decision to keep it to myself." He gulped. "It may seem like a bad choice, but I was trying to protect everyone. What if I kept up an ongoing conversation and then somebody stole it or I lost it. Her reply could be discovered!"

"But –"

Neville narrowed his eyes and pushed himself up off the bench he had been seated on. "I refuse to be yelled at for something that is this stupid. Your brother and Harry don't know she's using it! You know they'd only use it to send silly, pointless messages, and that could cost them dearly." Looking down at Ginny now, he registered her look of surprise. "She made sure I didn't quit. That I didn't let it all go to waste."

"What?"

Neville sighed and crossed his arms, dropping his gaze so he wasn't watching her. "I've thought so much about how much easier it would be to just go home and leave this place. But I can't do it. Hermione made me see that."

"I see."

"You can speak to her as well, you know." He straightened his back just a little more, rolling his shoulders back. "I have to send a message at least once a day just to say I haven't lost it, and if I don't, then she won't use it or use any for that matter."

***

Neville has changed, and right in front of my eyes too. It's like he suddenly realised that with everything going on out there, someone like me or even Professor Snape... we're nothing.

He stood up to me and not many people do that. But he did share his secret and let me in on it all. I'm so glad that I got to send a message... school is definitely not the same without them.

Hermione has only sent me one message, and that was to talk about some strange dreams she's been having... and in all honesty I would believe they were some form of premonition. Snape has been so off lately and our detentions... other students must have noticed that they are not nearly as bad as people claim when they are first given them.

It seems slightly odd, that's all. Even if it is just a coincidence that just as Hermione starts having these weird dreams about talking to Snape, the Death Eaters go quiet on their activity. That our detentions are tamer than first expected and he seems almost protective over us all.

Very strange.

***

Hermione waited till the boys were asleep in their bunk before pulling out the Galleon that had been warming in her pocket. The frown of confusion was quickly replaced with a smile as she settled down on her watch to reply to an old friend's query.

She preferred to take the night-watch because if she wasn't working she would be awake anyway and it gave her ample time to check in with Neville and maybe send a message or two.

Even without seeing him she knew that he had been doing a lot of growing-up in the last few months. His replies were quite vague in detail where the school was concerned, but then she supposed with Professor Snape as Headmaster anything could be happening.

Rolling her eyes as the snoring competition between Harry and Ron started, she smiled and tapped the gold Galleon with her wand as she sent her reply.

***

AN: This week has been an interesting one and I hope everyone is enjoying both reading and taking part! :D Good luck to everyone!

~jtbjab/madamsnape

Meteoroid Beater