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Let the Horcrux hunting begin!

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Part 11

September 1

Start of Lily's Sixth Year

Platform 9 ¾

"Ginevra Weasley."

The Death Eater stared at the redhead with uninterested eyes. "Blood status?"

Ginny wrinkled her nose in distaste. Why should that matter? "Pureblood."

"Blood traitor," he hissed, the bored look replaced with disgust.

"Death Eater," Ginny returned, her glare equally as vicious.

The Death Eater waved her away. "Next."

Ginny pushed his trolley past the Death Eater's table. She walked down the platform, eyeing the line of Death Eaters that stood guard along the platform. Ginny boarded the train under the watchful eye of the Death Eaters.

The girl started to move down the train as it picked up speed. Ginny pulled open a door, and a head of short brown hair hair flew out.

"Ginny!" Neville Longbottom breathed, obviously relieved to see her.

"Neville," Ginny sighed in relief. She had been scared that she would open the door to a compartment full of Slytherins. Ginny followed the Seventh Year into the compartment, closing the door behind him. Not two minutes after Ginny sat down, the door started to open again, and Ginny stood once more.

"Lily," Ginny cried as soon as the black haired girl appeared in the door. Ginny barreled into her. "Dad told me you'd be back this year."

"Ginny!" Lily hugged the redhead. "Not just me." She stepped back, revealing Percy, Annabeth (who clung to each other like they were going to disappear), Nico, and another blond boy that Ginny didn't know.

"Percy! Annabeth! Nico! You're back too?" she asked, stepping aside to let them in. Stupid question, she thought the moment she asked it. Of course they're back, they're right here.

They nodded. The blond stuck his hand out, accompanied with a brilliant, nearly blindingly white smile. "Will Solace."

Ginny accepted the hand. "Ginny, nice to meet you. I assume you go to their school?"

The blond nodded. "I'm Nico's year."

"Lily." Neville stood up.

"Neville."

Ginny shifted uncomfortably as Lily stared at Neville. According to Ron, they had only realized they might-kinda-like each other one night an entire year ago, and neither was sure how they were supposed to feel now.

"Hi," Lily ventured.

Neville cleared his throat. "Er, yeah, um, welcome back."

Nodding and offering a half smile at him, Lily joined the group in the compartment they had claimed as their own.

"Heard Snape's headmaster now," Seamus told her, after nodding his greetings.

"Snape?" she asked, surprised and worried.

"Yeah," Neville confirmed.

"That bloody bat," she muttered under her breath. Ginny shared a grimace with her.

"But that's not the worst of it," Seamus continued. "The Carrows are teachin' this year."

"The Carrows?" Lily asked. "Aren't they Death Eaters?"

Neville nodded grimly.

"My father's protesting against it in the Quibbler," Luna remarked, holding up a copy of the magazine.

Lily nodded, her expression thoughtful. "That's good." She glanced around the compartment, a frown appearing on her face. Ginny knew who she was looking for.

"Harry's not here," Ginny said before Lily could ask. Ginny however, forgot how quick Lily was.

Lily rolled her eyes. "I know that. He'd be mental to come to school with Mr. Moldyshorts calling all the shots. Hermione too, if what I've been hearing about muggle-borns is true. I'd assume they're hiding."

Ginny shared a glance with Luna. The two had been at the Weasley house when the Death Eaters attacked Bill and Fleur's wedding, and they both knew that their friends weren't just hiding. They were on a quest, searching for something. They just didn't know what that something was.

"Yeah," Neville agreed, speaking for the pair of girls when he noticed the discomfort.

Lily glanced between them, sensing that something was off, but not pushing it any farther. "I was just checking to see if Ron was gone, too. Because if he's gone, then that means the entire wizarding world has gone to—" Lily choked on her words.

"Hell," Seamus supplied. Lily winced, almost imperceptibly, shutting her eyes and clenching her hands into fists. As quickly as the expression of anxiety and fear flashed across her entire body, it was gone, replaced with a wave of concern as she glanced at Nico, who was talking to Will animatedly (since when did Nico talk?) and at Percy and Annabeth, who were hugging each other tightly, not paying attention the rest of the compartment.

Ginny reached over and wrapped her arms around Lily. "They're going to come back. We just have to be there for them when they do."

"That, unfortunately, entails staying alive," Lily muttered sarcastically. Ginny laughed. She had missed sarcastic, fiery Lily, but the way she winced when Seamus finished her sentence hadn't gone unnoticed by her.

The quiet lull that soon settled over the compartment was broken when the Patil twins suddenly appeared in their compartment. "Did you see them? The Death Eaters?"

Ginny glanced at them. "Of course we saw them, Pavarti."

"But do you know what that means?" Padma asked.

Ginny frowned, unsure, but Lily answered for her. "It means they're keeping tabs on us. They know exactly who is on this train."

"And therefore whose going to Hogwarts," Neville finished. He closed his eyes. The Patil twins cast worried looks at the group, before finding their own compartment.

"So—what're we gonna do?" Seamus asked.

"Jump out the train window?" Lily replied sarcastically.

Ginny smirked, though the expression quickly disappeared. She thought for a moment. "I don't know." If the Death Eaters were monitoring Hogwarts this closely, it would be almost impossible to do anything to help Harry. It would, in fact, be more than almost impossible. It would be impossible. Unless, that is, they had a large group of organized people that met at a secret location that couldn't be discovered. And the only time they had ever done something like that was when Harry was at Hogwarts leading them in the D.A.

"Ginny." Lily was staring out the window.

"What?" Ginny almost jumped as Lily's voice brought her out of her thoughts.

"Look." Lily pointed to the black clouds in the sky.

"Death Eaters," Ginny muttered. She sucked in a gasp of air, hoping that no one would be taken, or worse, killed.

The train screeched to a halt.

"This cannot be good," Neville groaned.

"Whaddya reckon they're here for?" Seamus asked.

"Tea and crumpets," Ginny said sarcastically. In all honestly, Ginny hoped that they actually were stopping by for tea and crumpets, though she knew it was a long shot. People who set your house on fire aren't likely to want to have tea with you six months later.

"What do you think, Seamus?" Lily responded. "They're looking for him. For Harry."

There was a silence as the wizards let that knowledge sink in. Of course they would be looking for Harry. Undesirable Number 1. There were notices littered everywhere, in Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, and even in King's Cross Station—in places muggles wouldn't look, of course. Ginny shuddered every time she saw the posters. Even if she wanted to see Harry's face everyday, she'd prefer not to see them on wanted posters.

The compartment door slammed open. The group stared at the Death Eaters, half scared, half defiant. Ginny tried to calm her breathing as she glared. She recognized the Death Eater that stood in the doorway. He had been at Bill and Fleur's wedding, and had held her father back as they wrecked the tent he had spent hours decorating.

Neville stood. Lily flinched as he did, almost placing her hand on Neville's arm, but chose instead to stand with him. Neville jerked his chin at them. "Hey losers. He isn't here."

The Death Eater growled, a scowl overtaking his face. He covered the ground between them in a single step, shoving Neville roughly back into his seat, and pulling out his wand. "What do you know?" he hissed.

Lily stepped in between the two, protecting Neville with her body. "Leave him alone."

Ginny started to worry. The Death Eater started to laugh. "What's your girlfriend gonna do, eh?" he said mockingly. "Bat her eyelashes?"

In a single motion, swift and brutal, Lily disarmed the Death Eater without raising her wand. She had his arm in a grip tight enough to cut off circulation, and she was slowly pressing harder. "What about break your arm?"

"Lily?" Ginny whispered, unsure of what had overtaken her friend.

Lily glanced up at her, and Ginny shrunk back into her seat. The fire in Lily's eyes was unlike anything Ginny had ever seen. They had a broken quality to them, but also a ferocious sense of love and protection. Ginny didn't have a clue as to how Lily pulled it off and managed to look so utterly terrifying, but she did.

The second Death Eater entered the compartment, evidently coming to investigate what was taking his companion so long. At the sight of him unarmed and at the mercy of a student, the Death Eater whipped out his wand, ordering Lily to let him go.

Lily growled right back at the Death Eater, staring him down. Ginny almost thought the second Death Eater would back off when Annabeth stepped forward, placing her hand on Lily's arm. "Lily. Choose your battles."

Ginny watched as Lily lowered her eyes, emotions flying across her face, and released the man. She pressed her hands to her ears, and her lips moved, mouthing silent words. Her eyes were clenched shut, and Ginny wanted nothing more than to be able to help.

Determined to leave with some sense of accomplishment, the second Death Eater marched over to where Luna was sitting. He plucked the Quibbler out of Luna's hands. "These," he growled, "are full of nonsense." The magazine was crumpled into a ball, and stowed into the Death Eater's robes before the pair slammed the compartment door shut and left.

Luna was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Hogwarts has changed."

o.O.o

The train pulled into Hogsmeade with a low hiss, letting off steam. Students filed out of the cars under the watchful eye of Death Eaters. Ginny led her friends towards one of the carriages, not noticing when Annabeth dropped suddenly.

She had been talking to Will, who apparently was a healer, about her ankle and, for some reason, bubble wrap (some muggle thing Ginny's dad couldn't wait to get his hands on) when her legs gave out suddenly. Annabeth got up immediately, brushing it off, but a funny look came over her eyes when Percy put her arm around her shoulder. The look mirrored the one in Percy's eyes, making Annabeth grip her boyfriend tighter. Lily waved the wizards ahead before beginning to whisper with the Americans.

"Do you think something big happened in America over the summer?" Neville asked.

"It's got to be. But I don't understand why and how." Ginny furrowed her brow. "Do you think she's hiding something?" What would Lily have to hide? Why would Lily have to hide? Neville had told her that she left in the middle of the year to go help Percy, who had suddenly gone missing due to another war in America. But now, Percy was back, as was Lily, and neither Ginny nor Neville could understand why she couldn't tell them what happened.

The pair passed a Death Eater whose eyes followed them as they walked.

"Honestly, I couldn't care less if she was hiding an elephant. Let's focus on the problem at hand, shall we?" Neville hissed, nodding towards the Death Eaters.

Ginny's eyes flickered to the Death Eaters, seeing Neville's point. "Alright."

Lily helped Annabeth climb into the carriage before joining Ginny, Neville, Seamus, and Luna herself.

"What was that?" Ginny asked as the carriages rattled forward, her curiosity getting the best of her. Neville nudged Ginny, reminding her of their agreement they made three minutes ago. Ginny nudged back, giving Neville a look that said 'Do what I say and I won't hurt you.'

Lily shook her head. "Summer injury," she said, accompanied with a look that said she wouldn't say anymore than that. "Where was Hagrid this year?"

Ginny frowned, but pushed it aside, filing the topic away as something to discuss later. "He wasn't on the platform," Ginny responded, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Hagrid was a constant in Harry's life, as Ginny had been told many times before, and if Hagrid was gone, that only solidified the fact that Harry was gone, and nothing would ever be the same.

"I know," Lily said, "so where is he?"

"My guess is that he's hiding. You-Know-Who has never been kind to half-giants," Ginny said.

"The poor first years," Lily breathed. "Weren't they taken by a Death Eater? They must be terrified."

"That's an understatement," Seamus said. "Bein' forced to go here, then being bombarded with Death Eaters? 'They must be terrified' is an understatement if I ever heard one!"

A ring of Dementors lined the entrance to school. The air grew colder and colder, and Ginny started to feel like they were done for, as though they had already lost.

It's just the Dementors, she told herself, drawing her jacket around herself. It's not real.

But it all seemed quite real to Lily.

When they passed under the Dementors, Lily screamed. Percy and Annabeth both whimpered and clung to the other tighter, and Nico flinched, burying his head in Will's chest, but Lily fell out of her seat.

She started to shove at the air, pushing away things that weren't there. Her eyes weren't focused on anything, and they looked even more broken than before. "Get off, get off, get off!" she screamed.

Her screams chilled Ginny to the bone. She couldn't imagine what Lily had to go through to get full-on flashbacks when they got close to a Dementor. She shivered.

The Dementors crowded closer towards the carriage, converging on it, making Lily's screams get louder.

"Ginny," Luna said, staring at the cloud of misery approaching them. "Patronus charm."

The redhead tore her eyes away from her friend to nod at the Ravenclaw. "Expecto Patronum!" she shouted. Her silvery horse leapt from her wand, charging at the Dementors. It was soon joined by Luna's hare and Neville's mismashed, unformed patronus that looked vaguely like an owl. The Dementors hissed at the magic, but scattered, returning to their posts.

Ginny turned back to the occupants of the carriage. Seamus looked rattled, but otherwise okay. Percy and Annabeth looked fairly normal, but Ginny noticed how tight they were gripping the other's hand. Will was sitting alone on the bench, watching Nico calm Lily down.

Nico had Lily's wrists in his hands. "Look at me, Lily, we're here, we're fine!"

"No, no!" Lily shrieked. "It's not real, it's not real, I'm still there, you're dead, stop lying!"

Ginny squeezed her eyes shut, trying to blink away the tears. It nearly broke Ginny to see her friend like that.

"Can I try?" Neville asked softly. Ginny opened her eyes in time to see Nico rejoin Will on the bench, and to see Neville wrap his arms around the flailing witch.

Lily shook, but her screams quieted to small whispers. "Not real, not real, not real," she mumbled to herself as she sank into Neville's arms. They stayed like that for a few more moments before Lily cleared her throat. She untangled herself from Neville, letting him sit back down.

"Lily?" Annabeth asked, searching her with her eyes.

Lily swallowed. "You okay?" Even after what happened to her, Lily still put others before herself. It still amazed Ginny that Lily wasn't a Hufflepuff.

Annabeth nodded, the two sisters communicating on the 'sister frequency' Ginny used to communicate with Lily on.

Lily faced the rest of the carriage. "I'm good," she reassured them. "That one wasn't as bad as the others, trust me." She laughed darkly. Lily sat back down, this time beside Neville. She laid her head on his shoulder, letting him wrap his arm around her shoulders. Judging from the smile on Lily's face, she was quite content even after an episode like the one she just had.

The thestrals forged ahead for a few more steps as a comfortable silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the whispered, seemingly happy, conversation between Lily and Neville. Eventually, the carriages slowed to a halt. The wizards glanced at each other, before climbing out of the carriage and heading along the familiar path to a Hogwarts they no longer recognized.

o.O.o

The entire student body of Hogwarts was silent. There were shared glances, and silent conversations, but most of the attention was focused on the three Death Eaters in the front of the hall and on the Death Eaters blocking every exit out of the hall. The feast, normally a joyous occasion of reunions, was reduced suspenseful and terrifying moments.

Snape's march to the podium where Dumbledore once stood was a long one. The eyes of hundreds followed him. "Welcome," he drawled, "back to Hogwarts. I am Professor Snape, your headmaster this year." Cold eyes swept over the student body. In a single flick of his wand, the doors of the Great Hall opened. First Years, homeschooled wizards, and a single American trickled in, following Professor McGonagall obediently. Murmurs and gasps ran through the hall as the Will and the other wizards entered.

As the students quieted, the Sorting Hat was placed on its customary stool, and started to sing.

Changes in the home

Beware the ones who you call friends

Betrayal and death to come with the ones who roam.

A—

"Silencio." Snape's wand was stowed back in his robes. "I hardly think meaningless singing is necessary." He nodded to Professor McGonagall, who frowned, but opened the parchment and began to read names nonetheless.

"Alves, Rupert!" A timid boy stepped forward, perching on the edge of the stool.

"Slytherin," was whispered out. The Slytherins clapped politely as their new housemate joined them.

"Averford, Dorothy!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" the Sorting Hat roared. The table cheered, ignoring the glares it received not only from the Slytherin table as usual, but from Snape and the Carrows as well.

Once Evan Zelvers was sorted into Ravenclaw, Snape stood again. "This year, there will be more wizards and one more American joining us once more. I expect that they will be treated the same as your fellow classmates." The snake glared at the Gryffindor table, his gaze lingering on Ginny.

"Biroft, Michael, Year Three!"

The hat was silent for exactly two seconds. "Hufflepuff!"

Ginny leaned towards Lily as they sorted Lucia Cartsworth, a fifth year, into Ravenclaw. "What were you and Neville talking about on the carriage?"

Lily glanced at her friend, a smile overtaking her face and a blush covering her cheeks. "Did Ron tell you what happened the night before I left?"

"Yeah," Ginny responded. She was beginning to see where this was going.

"Green, Annamae, Year Six!" McGonagall called.

A girl with curly brown hair stepped forward, glaring at Snape.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat roared.

Lily and Ginny cheered along with their housemates before returning to their conversation.

"We decided what we were going to do about it," Lily continued, "and we're going to Hogsmeade together next time there's a trip."

Ginny gasped. The entire Gryffindor house had thought the two should hook up for as long as Ginny had started to gossip. Finally, finally, they were together. It only took a couple wars for that idiot witch to realize she liked the possibly-more-of-an-idiot wizard. A smile started to creep onto Ginny's face when she suddenly remembered something, and swore.

Lily's face fell. "I thought you'd be happy."

Ginny waved her off. "Of course I'm happy for you, the entire house will be, we've been waiting for you to get together since your third year. It's just that I made a bet with Luna. I said you'd get together at graduation, but she said you'd get together at the start of your seventh year. You just lost me ten Sickles."

Lily held her hands up in mock surrender. "My bad," she said sarcastically. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the sorting as Clark Shives was sorted into Hufflepuff.

"Solace, Will, Year Five!"

The hat didn't even need a second to decide. "Gryffindor!"

"No surprise there," Neville whispered. "Another American for Gryffindor."

Snape's lip curled in disgust as Will joined the red and gold table.

Ginny watched as Nico made room for Will to squeeze in beside him, noting the closeness the two of them seemed to have. "Are those two dating?" she whispered to Lily.

"Yeah," Lily said. "Happened last summer."

"Among other things," Ginny hinted.

Lily stiffened. "I'll tell you and Neville later." She clenched her jaw, staring at her lap and refusing to say anything else.

As Ezra Zacharias joined the Gryffindor table, Snape swept towards the podium, his robes billowing behind him. "Well. Now that we have finished with that nonsense, I believe it is necessary to highlight a few new rules."

Lily glanced at Ginny, and she returned the look. Rules were normally touched upon after the feast.

"Due to the unfortunate lack of students this year, Sixth and Seventh Year students will be taking classes together, as will First and Second Years, and Third and Fourth. Fifth Years will be taking O.W.L. specific classes. To help with the influx of students per classroom, we have added some new staff members. I am pleased to introduce Professor Alecto Carrow as the new Muggle Studies teacher, and Professor Amycus Carrow as the new Dark Arts teacher, both of which are now mandatory subjects. Professors Carrow and Carrow will also be handling discipline this year. I will be reinstating the Inquisitorial Squad as well. Those on the squad will be allowed to take away house points and hand out detentions as they see fit. Should a student resist one or both of those punishments, a member of the Inquisitorial Squad may use magic to forcibly make them comply. Members of the squad will be handpicked by Saturday afternoon."

The Great Hall broke out in whispers.

"Did he say Dark Arts? Is that replacing-"

Ginny choked. This was worse that Umbridge.

"But those Carrows don't know when to stop! How can-"

It was as if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was the real headmaster of Hogwarts, not Snape. Ginny shuddered at the thought.

"The Inquisitorial Squad?! That was-"

Having Snape as headmaster was eons better than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

Snape's sneer cut through the chatter. "The Great Hall is no longer a place to chat and mingle."

Immediate silence fell.

"Neither are corridors or classrooms. Voices will be kept at a whisper, if it is so necessary to speak. From now on, students will be taken from class to class by a chaperone. If you so dearly wish chat with your friends, chat in your common room or during the allotted hours. Curfew will be strictly enforced. All students should be in their respective common rooms by no later than ten o'clock. The hours between four and ten will be the hours in which you are free to visit the library or work wherever you desire to work with whomever you desire to work."

Ginny glared at Snape. He couldn't possibly be allowed to instate all of these rules on them! Then again, the Ministry was now run by Lord Voldemort.

"I expect all previous rules of Hogwarts to be obeyed alongside the new ones. Hogwarts will no longer tolerate any inferiority of any kind. Failure to pass a test or turn in an assignment will result in detention. Failure to show up to any sort of appointment, whether it be a meal, class, or detention, will result in detention. Insubordination of any nature will receive punishment as the Professors in charge of discipline see fit."

Snape's terms were steep. They got hours of freedom, quite literally.

"Any new rules will be posted on the bulletin board in each common room and announced in the morning at breakfast." With that sharp note, Snape abruptly ended his speech. He waved his wand in a no-nonsense manner, conjuring up plates and platters filled with food. No one moved to touch the food except the Slytherin table.

"Suddenly, I'm not hungry," Lily whispered.

o.O.o

Each and every student that wasn't a Slytherin was forced into neat lines of four, and made to march down the corridors, lead by a Death Eater. The Gryffindor house marched to their dorms in worried silence, just as they had been ordered to. The Fat Lady didn't bother to ask for the password when the Death Eater approached her, she just swung her portrait open.

The very first thing the students noticed when they got back was that their dorms had changed. Instead of the cozy rooms with comfy beds for each student, there were barracks. One for the boys, and one for the girls. The First Years had the beds closest to the door, while the Seventh Years got the ones in the back. Their trunks, which someone had obviously gone through, sat at the foot of each bunk bed, one floating on top of the other.

Lily swore the moment she was out of earshot from the First Years. "Hogwarts is becoming a military school."

Ginny stopped short. "Is it really? Are we going to be forced to his...his army?"

"Hades," Lily muttered. "I hope not."

Ginny sat on a lower bunk, and deftly changed into her nightgown. "I'd rather deal with all of this tomorrow. I'm going to sleep."

"We all should, Ginny, but these problems won't go away with a good night's sleep."

Ginny buried her head under the pillows. "I can try, can't I?" Ginny wished that she could be eleven again, old enough to go to Hogwarts, but young enough to be able to wish away her problems.

Shaking her head, Lily climbed onto the bunk above Ginny.

Annabeth approached the bed beside Lily on shaky legs. "Our dorms are separate."

Lavender Brown called Annabeth over. "Annabeth! Your trunk is over here!"

The blonde glanced at Lavender and nodded. She reached up and grabbed Lily's hand urgently. "Lily, I can't get to Percy."

Ginny frowned. She knew that the two were dating, but was it really necessary to have total access to each other? Unless this was connected to Lily's episode during the carriage ride. If Annabeth depended on Percy to prevent that from happening, then it would make sense for Annabeth to panic. "Yes you can," Ginny said, propping herself up on her elbows.

Annabeth looked at her, fighting tears. Lily swung her head down, hanging half off the bed and upside to listen to Ginny.

"You can go into his dorm but he can't come in here. Just like it's always been." Girls were, after all, more trustworthy.

"You'll be fine," Lily said, trying to sound reassuring. She'd be fine, but Lily wasn't too sure about the rest of them.