Incendio

Part 5: Samantha Fyre and The Infamous Article

"A dragon came flying out of Gringotts bank this morning." A man with wrinkles and shaggy hair practically shouted in the The Leaky Cauldron.

"Not a dragon surely?" A woman wearing a large brimmed hat beside him asked.

"It was a dragon. Looked to be carrying people." The man took a drink.

"What people?" Samantha asked looking up from her own drink. She had heard there was some kind of breakout at Gringotts. It was risky to be in Diagon Alley where so many people knew her, but she had a feeling this was a really good story.

"I heard it was Harry Potter." The woman responded, "Real trouble for the Ministry if it was."

"What happened to the dragon?" Samantha asked.

"Flew off towards the countryside." The man admitted looking out the window. "I expect it'll be caught."

Samantha nodded before finishing her drink and leaving the pub. She wondered how hard it would be to get a hold of Charlie Weasley or Kai Jones.

She Apparated back to the warehouse, her reports in her hand. The dragon escaping Gringotts had been a great scoop. Fred and Genevieve were both in the kitchen, laughing heartily and cooking something that smelled incredible.

Samantha breathed in the smell as she sat down at the table, "Oh that smells amazing."

"It's Blackberry pie and some tarts for desert tonight. Hopefully, it tastes as amazing as it smells." Genevieve remarked back before looking Samantha over. She wrinkled her nose in a way that deeply reminded Samantha of when she hated her. "You smell awful Samantha."

Samantha grumbled, "It happens when you've spent three days with no where to wash."

"Well, go wash up." Fred motioned at her, "We have a guest coming for tea tonight."

"Who?" Samantha asked slowly pulling herself up from the chair.

"A guest." Fred insisted, "Let us have our surprises."

"Hey, do you know how to get ahold of Charlie or his team?" Samantha asked Fred.

"Yeah, why?"

"There is a Dragon roaming the English Countryside."

Fred wiped his hands on his apron. "I'll get ahold of him immediately, but go shower before our guest gets here."

Lee said coming into the kitchen, "How do you know there's a dragon in the countryside Beautiful?"

She handed him her notes before non verbally summoning clean clothes for herself, "Harry rode a bloody dragon out of Gringotts!"

"We will need to do an early broadcast. We can't use that kind of magic this evening after our guest arrives." Lee replied.

Samantha realized whoever was coming was underage.

"You will be excited I promise." Genevieve promised. "It was all Lee's idea though."

Lee smiled at Genevieve and their eyes met. Genevieve almost dropped the bowl she was stirring when he smiled at her. Samantha suspected Genevieve had forgotten what it was like to be with men who weren't horrible.

Samantha went and showered. She put on her old favorite Hogwarts shirt and combed her hair. She was in a decent mood today. She went into her room after Lee said he wasn't doing the broadcast for another hour. She planned to nap a little while, if they had company that night she didn't want someone to tell her how tired she looked.

She climbed in bed after pulling her DA coin from her bedside table, today it still read: Safe

With Artie on her chest she watched the little puff roll around as she slipped into a dreamless sleep.

She heard a crash of thunder and rain patting against the tin roof.

"Sam." She also heard a familiar whisper.

"Wake up Sam."

Samantha opened her eyes to see a familiar pair of bright brown eyes looking back at her.

"Ginny!" Samantha whispered hoarsely noticing her best friend had crawled into bed next to her.

"George just brought me for a few days, I've been going mad at my Great Aunt Muriel's."

Samantha heard a second set of cooing and she noticed Ginny had brought Arnold, her Pigmy Puff. They were rolling on the floor together and bouncing around.

"I think Arnold missed Artie." Ginny observed. Samantha couldn't help but feel grateful, Ginny looked healthy and unharmed.

Samantha laughed, "I missed you."

Ginny smiled, "And I you. Hogwarts has been so different."

"I know." Samantha said with her heart in her throat, "I'm just glad you are safe. I was worried you would look horrible."

"No." Ginny rolled her eyes, "They aren't really cutting up the girls as much. As if our only purpose is to look beautiful to make Death Eater babies."

"Oh Gin."

"I didn't think it was really true, then I saw Genevieve downstairs. Poor thing." Ginny continued. "I mean, I used to wish her a retched fate at school, but I never imagined something so horrible."

Samantha smiled just happy to pretend she was at Hogwarts eating sweets with her friend late at night, "She's doing well with us though."

"I noticed, she seems happy here." Ginny observed.

"She's due in July and Tonks keeps sending her all kinds of things to help her pregnancy." Samantha smiled.

"Did you see the picture of Baby Teddy?" Ginny asked with a wide smiled.

"Yes, Remus showed us last week." Samantha piped up, the little boy had bright bubble gum pink hair and no signs of being a werewolf.

Ginny blushed a bit, "They asked me to be his Godmother. Can you imagine?"

Samantha laughed, "Well if I had a baby, you'd be first in line." Samantha realized she'd never thought about that before. She'd never thought about settling down or getting married really. Lately, she hadn't thought about anything but surviving another day.

Ginny smiled but looked like she was having similar thoughts. "It's strange isn't it?"

"What?" Samantha asked.

"That it's only been months since things changed and yet it feels like a lifetime." Ginny observed calmly. "You've clearly been off doing fantastic things. Whenever we listen to Potterwatch I can't help but imagine you there, being the amazing journalist we all knew you'd be."

Samantha rolled her eyes, "It's not been all that exciting Ginny."

"I've never known you to be modest Sam." She punched her arm gently.

"I'm not being modest." Samantha rubbed her arm.

"Was the dragon story true? The one Lee told on the show?" Ginny asked, "They finished the broadcast before I came in, but I heard it all."

"That tosser did the show already?" Samantha asked feeling cheated.

"Yeah, he said you'd been asleep for two hours." Ginny explained slightly. "Genevieve said you'd been gone three days straight with no sleep so they wanted you to rest in your own bed. They said you push yourself into exhaustion before you actually sleep. Lee said they find you sleeping in the oddest of places."

Samantha rolled onto her back and put her hands on her face, "A few months ago, I fell asleep on my typewriter."

Ginny laughed with a melody in her voice. She laughed like a woman, and less like a little girl.

"I've fallen asleep at the table." Samantha laughed along, "Right into Fred's fish pie."

Ginny continued laughing before laying onto her back. Samantha laughed, wondering if she'd changed physically as much as Ginny had. Ginny sounded and acted like a grown up person, like someone she almost wouldn't have recognized. She kept listing more places where she'd passed out just to hear her friend's laughter.

Ginny stopped her laughter and added one more place to the list, "On someone's shoulder?"

Samantha tilted her head and stopped laughing, "Who told you that?"

"Oh well no one, but your reaction means it happened." Ginny smirked and Samantha saw her childish essence return. "His did too. I asked him how he spent Christmas Eve, and he wouldn't stop blushing."

Samantha shook her head but smiled a little, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You know you don't have to be embarrassed." Ginny laughed more, "If anyone in Hogwarts deserved a good snog, it's certainly Neville."

Samantha coughed, "Where'd you hear we snogged?"

"Well, he's never said it, but we all just assumed."Ginny continued, "He wouldn't always tell us when he was meeting you, but we always knew after he did. He'd always get a bit louder when it came to telling the Carrows off. He'd say it was just because it gave hope to stand up to the Carrows in front of everyone. We all thought his confidence was just because he was finally getting a good snog."

Samantha's smile faded. "Well I hate to break it to you, we've never kissed."

Ginny rolled over and looked at her, "Never?"

Samantha shook her head, "Nope. Unfortunately the only person I've snogged is downstairs absolutely besotted by my pregnant ex-rival, who is technically still married to a Death Eater. Is it odd I couldn't be happier about it?"

Ginny rolled her eyes, "You've always been odd."

"Honestly, I'm worried about Neville and the DA. He's been in hiding lately, a lot of the DA are." Samantha admitted uncomfortably, "I've seen him twice since we started Potterwatch back up, they all seem pretty restless."

"Mum wouldn't let me go back. She said it's too dangerous now that everyone knows Ron is traveling with Harry." Ginny shook her head, her eyes darting when she said Harry's name. "I should've known the Ghoul in the attic wouldn't last forever."

"How'd you get to come here?" Samantha asked. "I'm sure your mom wasn't a fan."

"She doesn't know." Ginny made an impish look that seemed remarkably like Fred and George. "She won't be happy when she finds out."

A knock came at the door, "Hey if you both are done laughing like little school girls, food is on the table." Fred sounded in.

There was quite a feast set before all of them. Fish and chips with a tomato and cucumber salad. Blackberry pie and treacle tarts for desert. Samantha could feel her stomach growling as she sat beside Ginny to enjoy.

"Good surprise?" Lee asked looking between them.

Samantha nodded joyfully.

"Good, she's been utterly miserable without you." Lee joked with a wink at Ginny.

"It's nice to see you both are still friends after all these years." Genevieve commented looking down at her fish, "You both used to be thick as thieves in school."

"Well, you know us Weasleys," George chimed in.

"We find a pal we like and we don't have the energy to make new ones." Fred continued.

"Which is why we were both born together!" George said patting Fred on the back.

"It's because this one needed two best friends to keep him on the right path." Fred insisted pointing at Lee, "Without us, where would you even be?"

"Probably in less trouble." George whispered making Samantha almost spit out her food, "But that wouldn't be any fun at all."

"Coo, Coo, Coo!" Sounded from above in Samantha's room.

"Did you two leave your Pygmy Puffs alone up there?" George asked with bug eyes.

Samantha and Ginny shrugged and nodded as the cooing got louder.

Fred chuckled uncontrollably, "Well if you two don't want more Pygmy Puffs I'd separate them."

"What does that mean?" Samantha asked scrunching her face.

"Well when a Mommy Pygmy puff." George picked up one hand.

"And a Daddy Pygmy Puff," Lee picked up his hand and touched George's hand, "love each other very much."

"They don't even have to like each other really." Genevieve interjected casually.

"They do this beautiful, wonderful ac-" Fred didn't get to finish his words and the two girls were racing up the stairs to get their Puffs apart.

They were laughing and thankful they weren't accidentally establishing a breeding center. The puffs were just taking turns flinging themselves off of Samantha's dresser onto her bed.

Samantha grabbed Artie off of her dresser revealing her DA coin. It had changed, it no longer read: SAFE

Instead it flashed to read: Hogwarts - Harry Potter - Fighting For School - Apparate To Hogshead INN

Samantha nearly fell backwards. "Ginny!"

Ginny pulled her coin out of her pocket. It was reading the same thing. They both frantically ran down the stairs. They asked the twins and Lee to check their coins as well. They all read the same thing.

Lee darted to his equipment and recorded a loop. "All members of The Order, The DA, or really anyone willing to fight, Harry is at Hogwarts! Apparate into the Hogshead Inn."

"Why do you think they said for us to meet at the Hogshead do you suppose?" Fred asked, "There aren't any passageways out of there."

"Yes there are." Ginny chuckled, "Room of requirement made one for Neville."

"Why would Neville need a passageway to there of all places, there are better places to get a drink?" George asked.

"To get food of course." Fred insisted, "You know magic can't conjure food and if he's been in hiding he needs food."

Samantha finished lacing her trainers and stood up, "You lot ready?"

Everyone but Genevieve left a few moments later and Apparated to the Hogshead. She said she would keep everything safe while they were gone. It was too dangerous for her in her condition.

"Good thing, I restocked, should have known you were coming." Aberforth called from behind the bar as Samantha appeared in the pub. "Hop back there and get yourself a drink before you go off galavanting with the rest of them."

Samantha jumped behind the bar and grabbed herself a bottle of white rat whiskey and poured herself a glass. Her friends stared at her slightly confused, except Ginny who seemed to think it was amusing.

"Come here quite often Sam?" George asked with a chuckle.

Samantha shrugged ignoring George, "Ya'll want some?" She took a drink.

They heard a crack beside the door, Colin and Cho both appeared. He had apparently Side-Apparated with her, Samantha remembered he had lived close to Cho. She spared no moments and hugged Colin around the neck. He held her tightly around the waist before quickly letting go. He looked older, like worry had made him finally fit his age.

"Sam!" He looked at her and his eyes darted below her eyes, "You look tired."

"You look old!" Samantha responded with a chuckle.

"Are most of your reunions like this?" Aberforth inquired before showing them all up the stairs to the open portrait, "Get on in there."

Lee had already climbed in with the twins and reached his hand out for her and Ginny.

They followed the long winding passageway until it came out to the other side. The room looked like the bow of a ship with cots hanging from the ceiling.

Samantha climbed out of the portrait hole closely behind Lee who helped her down. There was a large group of students standing before them. Harry, Hermione and Ron were at the center. By the way Harry stared at Ginny, Samantha knew he was happiest to see her.

Samantha looked up and noticed nearly everyone she'd been to school with. They looked worn and quite tired. She was relieved to soon find Luna's embrace and almost cried seeing she was alive.

Neville was standing across from Harry on the other end of the room. Their eyes met and she could see a smile grow on his face. He waved a little and she waved back.