Incendio

Everyone was waiting for Harry to explain why he had returned. He was arguing that he couldn't tell us what he was doing there. Everyone had assumed it was to fight.

A small sort of Gazette meeting had formed around Samantha as the discussions continued. Ginny was practically sitting on her lap and Luna had perched herself on the arm of their chair.

"What's working for Potterwatch been like?" Ernie asked leaning on the back of the chair, "I bet bloody exciting."

"Traumatizing mostly." Samantha shrugged trying to get the more horrifying things out of her mind.

"I'd expect, sounded bloody horrible." Colin said with pride sitting at her and Ginny's feet. He looked at her the way Fred and George looked at Ginny, like a sister. She missed her real brother desperately, and prayed that she would not see him that evening.

"It would have been easier if I'd had my whole team with me." Samantha chuckled back looking at everyone. She felt reminiscent of when they would have their meetings and share their work. Her leg began to feel numb trying to share the chair with Ginny.

"That's a lovely thought." Luna said softly.

"Okay!" Harry's voice came booming through the room and everyone went silent. He explained that they were looking for something in the castle and it had something to do with Ravenclaw. Ginny volunteered that Luna could take Harry to the Ravenclaw common room and Luna jumped up quickly.

"Thank God for Luna." Ginny whispered to Samantha looking at Cho who had also volunteered to take Harry.

Samantha chuckled a little.

"So what do we do while we wait?" Colin asked.

Samantha shrugged but looked over to the portrait hole where more people were climbing out. Remus and Kingsley both had climbed out now. They waved at Samantha and she waved back.

"Hey Ginny, my leg is asleep, mind if I stand up?" Samantha asked, her leg was tingling now.Ginny and her both stood for a moment out of the chair.

Some of the graduated Gryffindor Quidditch team emerged from the hole and Samantha recognized them. Fred, Lee and George were talking to all of them.

"Is that Wood?" Ginny asked looking over at the team.

Samantha nodded, "Yeah."

"I think I should go say hello to my old team mates." Ginny said walking over to them. Samantha considered going with them, but she didn't know everyone on the team very well.

"Oh Bloody Hell, Dennis shouldn't be here!" Colin exclaimed as his brother emerged from the Portrait Hole. "I'll be right back, I've got to send him home."

He and Ernie went to talk sense into the little fourteen year old.

Honestly, Samantha was just overwhelmed by everyone around her. She knew old faces, she knew new faces, it was insanity to be crammed into a small room with everyone. Samantha felt oddly alone for a moment in the room full of people. She wasn't quite a student anymore and she wasn't an Order Member either. She'd seen so many people in the last year, but she had also felt isolated. The isolation made her mind begin to race. They were probably going to fight in a real battle. A battle where every person in the room could die. She could die.

The thought resinated and floated in her mind for a moment. She'd faced the idea, but it had never been so prevalent before. Had she worked her whole life to die today? She couldn't have. She tried to shake the thought from her mind.

She saw Ginny's mum emerge from the hole and all of the Weasley's followed. She kept looking and waiting, hoping to maybe see her mother. Hoping that if it was the last hours of her life, she'd see her mother at least.

"Yes Ronald that's brilliant." Samantha heard Hermione whisper breaking her scan of the room. Hermione sounded hoarse, like she had been yelling for long periods of time. She and Ron were standing nearby and Samantha tried to hear what they were saying.

"I mean we just have to get to the girl's lavatory." Ron whispered back.

Samantha wrinkled her face, why would they need to go to a girl's lavatory?

"How do we get out of here?" Ron asked Hermione, "Should we ask Neville?"

"We shouldn't, he will ask what we are doing." Hermione whispered.

Ron swore under his breathe, "Too bad Harry took the damn cloak."

Samantha slid over to them, pulling her cloak out of her bag. The two of them stared at her looking exhausted.

"It's not an invisibility cloak, but it does disguise the wearer." Samantha informed as Hermione took the cloak. "And I won't tell anyone."

"Thanks Fyre." Ron said with an approving nod, he started giggling a little, "I really like Potterwatch. Bloody brilliant stuff."

Samantha could feel her cheeks turn red, they'd been listening.

Hermione took Samantha's hand and squeezed it, "Your best work actually."

"Oh hush." Samantha said silencing them, "Now get out of here before someone catches you both."

They both turned to leave and made their way out of the room. She watched them leave, making sure no one else noticed they were going anywhere.

"Where'd they go?" Colin asked behind her.

She turned around quickly. "Where did who go?"

"Hermione and Ron?" Colin asked looking over her shoulder.

"No idea, something about a bathroom?" Samantha didn't lie. "I mean it's odd because isn't there one in here?"

Colin nodded knitting his eyebrows. "Yeah." He shook his head a little. "Well, let's hope they know what they are doing."

"Yeah." Samantha nodded.

Colin changed subjects, "Can I ask you something?"

"Were you really going to make me Editor-In-Chief?" Colin blurted out.

Samantha laughed, "There's about to be a giant battle and that's what you want to know?"

He nodded with a boyish little smile, "Yes, because once we have the school back I want to do a good job next year."

If he needed the confidence she was more than happy to give it to him. Her swirling thoughts hadn't left and if she did die, she knew the Gazette was in good hands.

Samantha put her hand on his shoulder, "Of course my friend. There's no one else who could do it justice I think."

Colin's smile extended and he began shaking slightly, "Wow!"

Harry and Luna came back into the room and everyone again fell silent.

"Voldemort is coming and we are going to fight!" Harry announced and there was a thunderous cheer.

"Samantha." She felt a tap on her shoulder as she waited in line with everyone began to make their way towards the door and to the Great Hall. She turned to see Kingsley looking down at her. "Might I borrow you for a moment? The present members of the Order need to confer on strategy."

"You are a member of the Order of The Pheonix?" Colin asked, bug eyed and in awe.

It was news to Samantha. She stuttered out looking back to Kingsley, "I am?"

Kingsley nodded and Samantha turned back to Colin, pulling her shoulders back, "I am!"

"Wicked." Colin exclaimed.

"Of course she is." Kingsley said putting his hands on Samantha's shoulders and leading her out of line and away from Colin's shocked face.

"When did that happen?" Samantha asked.

Kingsley whispered, "When it was realized that you were the most mature member of Potterwatch."

Samantha should have felt proud, but found herself terrified.

"Alright, I have Miss Fyre here." Kingsley stood behind her with his hands on her shoulders.

They were standing in a circle, Remus, Kingsley, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Fleur, the twins, and several more Aurors she recognized from when they used to roam the castle. One of the Aurors had his hands on Neville's shoulders and had brought him over, another had their hands on Michael Corner's shoulders. They both looked confused as well.

"We have agreed upon who will lead groups then?" Mr. Weasley asked looking at Kingsley. "You, myself and Remus on the grounds?"

"Yes," Kingsley continued. "I will take Hestia as my second."

Hestia, the Auror with her hands on Neville's shoulders nodded.

"I will take Bill as my second." Remus nodded towards Bill Weasley.

Mr. Weasley piped up. "I will have Molly as mine."

"You two will take a group to guard passageways." Kingsley looked at Fred and George. "I have been made aware you know where they all are."

Fred saluted, "Obviously, George is my second."

George joked, "No, you are mine you dolt."

Samantha chuckled a little.

"And we will be proposing this to the Headmistress and the Heads of Houses. I am hoping they will each take groups to the three highest towers." Kingsley said sounding strong in the face of adversity. "With Mr. Longbottom here as Pomona's second, Miss Fyre as Minerva's, and Mr. Corner as Filius' second. I am unsure if Horace will be fighting, so he may pick his own second."

Kingsley released Samantha's shoulders before releasing a Lynx Patronus from his wand and it scampered off, towards the exit. The students still in line watched it in complete awe.

Samantha stood a little straighter and her heart beat out of her chest. They wanted second in commands for the teachers, and they obviously wanted of age students who knew the school.

"Alright you three." Hestia began strongly looking at the three students who were each in shock. "When you reach the Great Hall, you will each go to your assigned person do you understand?"

Samantha nodded as did Neville and Michael. They each began heading towards the exit.

"Can you believe it?" Michael asked quickly while jumping up and down to pump himself up. "We're actually doing this and they made us Order Members? Woah now I'm in the DA and the Order." He began sprinting ahead of them with his arms up and pumping the sky.

"He's really become quite the nutter this year." Neville laughed excitedly as they followed the dwindled line of students out into the halls. "They tortured him a few months back for rescuing the first years who had been chained up in the dungeon. He's brilliant, but possibly mad now."

She should have laughed and said he'd always been mad, but Samantha couldn't get words out. She just nodded. She was officially terrified, her hands were both shaking. Her feet kept moving but her head kept screaming for her to turn around and get right back to the warehouse, lock her door and never leave. Her mind kept spinning again.

She felt a hand on her shaking one, Neville had grabbed it.

"Alright Sam?" He observed, "You are giving on of those looks you always had in potions class."

She nodded before stuttering, "I've got to work on my poker face."

"Too late to take care of it now." He joked before pulling her behind him.

They arrived to the Great Hall and went to the front of the room where the platform with the teachers were. Several of The Order Members had gathered there as well and Michael was waving for them to hurry up.

"Your second I gather?" Professor Flitwick commented to Professor Sprout looking at Neville.

She proudly laughed before putting her arm around Neville and pulled him away. "I needed someone with a brain. We are in charge of the Astronomy Tower with Sybil."

McGonagall was speaking to Kingsley in the center who gave her a brief nod.

She waved her over to her, still as stately and composed as ever she greeted her, "Good to see your face Miss Fyre."

"Good to see you Professor." She nodded back, her hands had begun to shake again.

"We will be overseeing the evacuation and then taking a group up to Gryffindor Tower." McGonagall instructed as more students filed in, "For the evacuation I need you to help me weed out anyone who tries to stay who is under seventeen."

Samantha nodded quickly looking out over the room, but breathed a sigh of relief. Neither Ginny or Colin could fight then. She wouldn't have to worry about them. People were sliding in, she saw Potter running up and down the tables, looking for someone.

"Then when we get up to the Tower, I am placing you in charge of the girl's wing." She nodded at her. "Have someone at each window, and instruct them to give it everything they've got. Don't hold back, no matter who you are against, we duel to the death."

Samantha closed her eyes, hoping Jack wasn't with the Death Eaters, she didn't want to duel her brother.

"We are going to stand our ground and give Potter the time he needs." McGonagall informed her, "We are going to hold Voldemort off."

Samantha laughed a little in awkwardness, "Professor do you remember when you once told me that no one can make powerful witches feel inferior?"

McGonagall smirked crossing her arms, "Yes, Miss Fyre, that included Voldemort."