Edgar's eyes skim through the Daily Prophet, looking but not really reading. He knows what the headlines say by now: Another family has been lost to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named cause. Muggle-borns are advised to seek safety. Since his fifth year, that's all the papers have been reporting – the everlasting fight against evil that the light can never seem to win.

"Edgar," his mother calls to him, pulling him away from his thoughts. "Dinner time."

He puts the paper down and sits at the table. The same old discussion happens, and he finds himself sick of the routine. Some part of him always has known he wants the heart-stopping, earth-shattering adrenalin type of adventure. He can't stand to be passive when he knows he could be doing something to help the better cause.

However, the other part of him – the part that's the reason he's a Hufflepuff – is frightened beyond measure. He's barely seventeen with a promising future ahead of him. There's a high chance of him being tortured or murdered for fighting against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.

But so many people he knows, cares about, are fighting for their right to live. Standing by is just as bad as empowering him and he just can't do it.

"What's going on in your mind, Edgar?" his brother, Milton, asks. "You're awfully quiet tonight."

"The war," he answers. "And how I'm going to fight in it." But there's absolutely no mistaking his shaky voice. He's still scared, but there's no way he's going to let the evil take over his life.

The dinner table is silent at his declaration. "No," his mother finally answers. "I won't allow it!" Her voice is firm but Edgar doesn't care. His father looks at him with pride in his eyes.

His sister looks at him with wide eyes full of fear – fear that he's going to die, that he's going to be tortured – and asks him, "You do know there is a very high chance of you being murdered, don't you?"

He nods fiercely. "I know. But others are out there already, risking their lives for the sake of the Muggle-borns and Muggles. I can't exactly be expected to sit around idly as everyone I know is being murdered or tortured for standing up for something they believe in."

"You're too young," his mother argues. And she's right; seventeen is too young to making life and death decisions. But he has already made his decision. He's going to fight no matter what his family says.

"I'm legally an adult," he reminds her. He's been waiting since the day he turned seventeen– less than two weeks previous – to be able to make that remark. "I can make this decision for myself."

"You could die out there."

"I'm fully aware of that. But I believe in our cause. I believe we can win. I want to contribute. If I don't, I might as well be siding with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. And I can't and won't do that," he growls passionately. He's never been this determined on anything else in his life and his family knows that.

His mother looks at him with tears streaming from her blue eyes, "And what happens if you die, Edgar. How do you think it will make us feel? What are we supposed to do if you get yourself killed?"

"Then remember I fought for the right thing even when I knew it would lead to my death; that I cared about something and someone other than myself for once in my life. Remember that it's what I believed in. Remember me as being brave enough to stand against evil when almost no-one else would. That's what you should do if I were to die," he replies.

"Please, Edgar," his sister says, as she throws herself towards him. "Just don't get yourself killed."

He pulls his sister to his chest, stroking her blonde hair. "I will try not to get killed. I promise." But his promise does nothing to calm his family. They all know that he'll probably get killed fighting against such a large enemy, but he's just too loyal to his friends to care about himself.

Tomorrow, he will go to Dumbledore about joining the Order of the Phoenix. Tomorrow, he will become an ally to the right side. Tomorrow, he will be fighting for his life. But for tonight, he spends the evening with his family, soaking up the last bit of innocence that he has left.

A/n – So this was written for the First War competition over at HPFC, where I had to describe an event that took place during the war with my character, Edgar Bones. This is set a year before the Potter's are killed.

Edgar is seventeen – as said above. His sister, Amelia, is sixteen. And their brother, Milton, is nineteen.

And a huge thanks to Someone aka Me for beta-ing this for me.