Incendio

Lee shrugged, "Well it's official your brother hates me."

Samantha walked back to Hogwarts with a defeated looking Lee and both Weasley twins.

"What happened." Samantha asked.

"Unfortunately there isn't much to tell. Your brother never spent any time with that group. Instead it was just him, Pucey and Warrington at Spintwishes just picking up stuff for tomorrow's Slytherin vs Ravenclaw match."

Fred's expression went green, "The conversations really just involved Quidditch and how much your brother wishes you kept better company. Honestly, your brother should get an award for the most creative insults."

"Oh no."

"I think my personal favorite was saying Lovegood was madder than a bag of nifflers." George chuckled.

"No, no, the best was when he called Ginny an Airy-Fairy and hoped that Gryffindor and Slytherin would play again so he could knock her off her broom." Fred gritted his teeth.

Samantha grabbed Lee's hand, he squeezed it softly.

"Actually we're both wrong. The best one was when he called Lee a sheepish little, ba-"

Fred shoved his hand over George's mouth, "There is a lady present."

"Sorry, we didn't find anything else out." Lee apologized.

Samantha shrugged, "It's alright. I appreciate it though."

The foursome began to pass the quidditch pitch.

"Well if you two don't mind, George and I are off to catch the end of Gryffindor's Quidditch practice." Fred waved to his brother.

"Then I suppose you are going to spend time with Angelina?" George shook his head.

"It is Valentine's day after all." Fred laughed.

"How is it I'm the best looking of us, and yet I'm alone for Valentine's day?" George asked as the two began walking towards the pitch.

"So how'd the meeting go?" Lee asked after the twins walked away.

Samantha raised her eyebrows. "Actually kind of amazing. I was really only there to read over Skeeter's shoulders to make sure she was keeping her facts straight. The stuff Harry talked about though."

"Rough?" He asked.

"I can't imagine what he's been through." Samantha shook her head. "I can't tell you much more than that yet, but it's honestly a lot. Wait till you read it."

"Well, I'm sure it will be illuminating." Lee smirked a little and kissed the top of her head. "Are you coming to the game tomorrow?"

Samantha nodded. "Of course. I'm hoping someone knocks my brother off his broom."

"You going with Ginny?"

"No, she's studying all day to make up for practice all day today. I'll probably go with Colin."

"Creevey right?"

"That's the one." She laughed. "Why?"

"Oh, you know." He rubbed his neck. "You two spend a lot of time together."

Samantha suddenly realized, she hoped Lee wasn't jealous of Colin of all people, "He's like the little brother I always wanted."

His shoulders left his ears and he breathed a little softer.

"I'm also going so I can hear the very handsome and funny commentator." Samantha insisted. He smiled at her compliment and the two continued into the castle to have dinner.

The following day at the match, Samantha was cheering on Ravenclaw loudly with Colin and Luna.

"Dad says that after he publishes Harry's interview, he plans to publish your article. As a sort of follow up to how the Ministry is handling the situation." Luna whispered as the game progressed.

Samantha nodded before noticing Marietta sitting with a taller blonde girl a few seats down from them. She waved as Marietta's eyes reached her's. Marietta unenthusiastically waved back and turned back to the blonde girl. The blonde girl turned to look at her and crinkled her nose.

"Have you noticed Marietta acts funny anymore?" Colin asked.

"Well, since the Gazette was banned we don't really have anything in common to discuss." Samantha reminded. "And she's always super nervous at the DA meetings because after the Gazette was banned, her parents told her not to do anything defiant against the Ministry."

"It's also perhaps because she's good friends with Elsie." Luna added. "That's Elsie with her now. Elsie doesn't like Samantha."

"Why?" Colin and Samantha both asked looking back at Luna.

"Well Elsie and Lee went to the Yule ball together last year." Luna started playing with her hair.

It suddenly clicked why Lee had gotten nervous on the train when Luna had mentioned Elsie's name. Samantha was more upset that Elsie didn't like her purely because she was dating Lee. If someone disliked her, it shouldn't be over a guy.

"We do have to see if Davies can even try to get it past Fyre." Lee sounded off loudly interrupting the conversation, "I do have it on excellent authority that he's a tosspot."

Samantha giggled a little knowing he was referring to something she had said.

"But I will be nice to him." Lee insisted before McGonagall could yell at him, "Considering his sister is an excellent kisser."

Samantha felt her cheeks turn red as several people around her turned their faces in her direction, including Elsie's.

This comment resulted in the quaffel being chucked in Lee's direction by Jack.

The next months were impossibly busy for Samantha. When the Quibbler released Harry's story, she held the secret tightly that she'd been involved. The Quibbler was banned from Hogwarts, but everyone seemed to have a copy. Samantha made a little extra money by selling copies that had already been charmed to look like study notes. Homework had become easier. Piggybacking off of what Lee had recommended, she chose to let some of her panic over Potions and Herbology go. She and Lee were still busy with the Rebellion Papers and like everyone else she was always busy with the D.A..

Everyone was very excited that they were starting on Patronus work. It was fun to see what everyone's personality lended their Patronus to be.

She closed her eyes and thought to the memory which she always found the happiest.

There was one that stuck out to her. Her family had gone on a trip together to America to visit family when she was very little. While they were there, they stayed at a Muggle hotel with a small waterpark. One night, they were the only family staying there and they had the whole waterpark to themselves. They spent their time running in the sprinklers and sliding down every slide. Through her parents laughter and her brother's loud cannon balls, Samantha had decided there was no where else in the world she'd ever want to be.

A small silver hedgehog appeared from the tip of her wand. She giggled a little, it was much cuter than she ever imagined her Patronus would be.

"Well, that sure fits you Sam." Neville joked looking at her Patronus while it ran around her feet.

"Why?" Samantha asked watching it.

"It is prickly." Neville observed.

Samantha smirked, she was a bit prickly when provoked. "It won't be very intimidating against a Dementor I reckon. "

Neville and Samantha laughed. Samantha noticed out of the corner of her eye that Lee was scowling slightly at the sound of their laughter. She rolled her eyes, first it was Colin, now it was bloody Longbottom? Neither of them ever had even a slight chance, they were her friends and nothing else.

A small house elf came running into the room. He slammed his head into the wall. Samantha had never seen one in person before. Harry certainly knew him and everyone stood quietly. Harry then began yelling that Umbridge was coming. Samantha like everyone else went running towards the door.

Once she was out in the hallway she began running. It would be impossible to make it to the common rooms in time. It was as if her legs stopped working, they felt like noodles. Everything was becoming blurry. What if they were caught? She had just been in trouble, what if she got expelled? She couldn't get expelled. Her whole world would end if she were expelled. Worse, what if she were forced to have detention with Umbridge again. She couldn't she couldn't do that again. Her breathe quickened and she found she was struggling to breathe. Everything around her was spinning. She felt hands grab both her arms. She was dragged into a small storage closet where she heard a few voices.

"Samantha, come on, beautiful you have to breathe." Lee whispered to her in the dark. She could feel his hands on her face."Please, breathe."

Neville's voice proceeded to ask, "Is she alright?"

"I think Warrington hit her with a Jelly-Legs Jinx." Lee replied. "I saw him round the corner."

"Do you think he followed us?" Neville asked.

"No, I sent a jinx back at him." Lee laughed quietly.

"She's gotta stop hyperventilating, someone will hear her." Dean Thomas' voice sounded.

"Come on Sam." Samantha heard Ginny whisper. "It's going to be ok, breathe please."

Samantha took a deep breathe and she felt air go into her lungs. Her breathe was calming down, her legs were still not exactly working. She tried to adjust her eyes to the dark, she couldn't see who else was in there.

There was a small squeal from behind her when the closet door opened. It sounded like Lavender Brown.

Professor Flitwick looked in and quietly whispered, "Everyone, follow me, quietly."

Everyone who had hidden in the closet followed quietly behind the little professor. Samantha could hardly believe six people hat fit into that closet. Ginny, Lavender, Dean, Samantha, Lee and Neville. Lee was holding her up still, she was breathing better but her legs were still wobbly.

"Hurry now." He whispered leading them to the stairs. "The coast should be clear."

"Thank you professor." Ginny whispered as they began up the moving stairs.

"Who do you think told?" Dean Thomas asked as they all arrived inside of Gryffindor tower. Samantha was quickly seated on a sofa. Thankfully most of the students had made it back. It seemed they were only missing Harry.

"We will know for absolute sure tomorrow." Hermione commented. "They got Harry though."

Harry did arrive back fairly unscathed. He did warn them that Umbridge had a list of everyone's names.

The next morning, a rumor spread like wildfire, that Dumbledore had almost been arrested by Fudge and his Aurors. He supposedly fought them all off, singlehandedly. It was slightly confirmed by the fact that the toad herself was replacing him.

When they discovered who it was, Samantha's heart sank. It had been Marietta. There had been a jinx placed on the paper everyone signed, Marietta now had pimples covering her face in the shape of the word, SNEAK. It was also discovered that Marietta was the one who told on the Hogwarts Gazette as well.

"I should apologize. To Daphne I mean." Colin said sitting next to Samantha at lunch.

Samantha nodded really focusing on her salami sandwich. "You really should."

"She shouldn't have called me what she did, but I will apologize." Colin sat a little straighter. "I'm a better person than that."

"Yes you are." Samantha looked Colin in the eyes. "You are a good wizard."

"Thanks Sam." Colin smiled before kissing her on the cheek and standing up to walk over to the Gryffindor table.

Samantha laughed at his little kiss. She looked over to the door of the Great Hall and noticed Lee was waving her down. She was worried suddenly that he'd seen Colin kiss her cheek.

She stood to see what he was after. "Hey, is everything alright."

"Yeah, the boys are about to set off a bunch of fireworks and I didn't know if you wanted to help." He took her hand.

Samantha couldn't contain her smile. "Of course I do."