「 PROTECT HER 」

THEO STIRRED AWAKE, BLINKING IN the darkness.

It wasn't morning yet but something had woken him up. Instead of trying to go back to sleep, he sat up in bed, a distinct sense of wrongness growing inside him. He looked toward Blaise. He was sleeping, unaware, his arm around Theo's waist. Careful not to disturb him, Theo reached out to push the curtain aside. The others were sleeping and it was silent ...

No.

It was not silent. Faint murmurs reached him when he strained his ears to listen. They were coming from the doorway - the common room. He tried to convince himself that it was just a couple having a fight but when he listened carefully, he could tell there were more voices than two. Far more.

He gently pushed Blaise's arm aside and let his feet fall to the floor. It wasn't that it was uncommon to hear voices from the common room late at night. But there was a certain tension in the way the voices rose and fell and Theo decided he had to check.

Before he could stand, Blaise grabbed his shirt from behind. "What's going on?" he asked groggily.

"I think something's happening," Theo said in a low voice. Blaise was now fully awake and had a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about?"

Theo got to his feet and carelessly put on his shoes. "There are people outside."

As if on cue, someone banged on their door, causing both of them to jump. Then Slughorn's voice floated through the air, amplified. "Come into the common room, everyone. This is an emergency."

Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle peeked their heads out from behind their own curtains, faces drooping. Blaise leapt to his feet and started to rummage through the clothes piled on the floor and on their beds. He threw something warm around Theo's shoulders and put on a nightgown himself. He grabbed Theo by the elbow and dragged him toward the door. "Come on."

Professor Slughorn stood in his nightgown, surrounded by a gaggle of nervous-looking first- and second-years. More people were coming out of the dormitories, paused at the stairs to take in the sight of Slughorn's large form in their cosy common room. Theo and Blaise glanced at each other briefly before making their way to the slowly growing crowd.

Blaise looked around until he found Corben and dragged him toward themselves. He kept a firm grip on his arm like he was afraid he would run away. Corben was perhaps too sleepy to protest.

Slughorn waited until people had stopped coming in from the dormitories. He asked everyone to make sure that all of their roommates were there with them and said, "Form a line. Or two. As many as you need. And follow me to the Great Hall."

A cry of protest rang around the room, reverberating off the low walls. Questions of why and how and what is happening bombarded the Slytherin Head of House until he held up his hand and spoke above all of them. "Everything will be explained once we get there," he said as the mutters began to cease. "Professor McGonagall is there; she will answer all your questions. Now, please. Follow me."

The older students stood aside to let the smaller ones pass. Theo was amongst the last ones to leave. He stood close by Blaise, a nervous thudding inside his chest.

"Do you think this has anything to do with Potter or You-Know-Who?" Theo asked.

"Yes," Blaise said simply.

The Great Hall was filled to the brim with alert but drowsy students in nightgowns. The contrast of the colourful attire to the usual black robes hit Theo's eyes quite strongly. He held Blaise's hands as they made their way to the Slytherin table and sat. Professor McGonagall was at the podium, facing them.

A low, excited mutter erupted around them. Gazes turned toward the Gryffindor table and many were pointing their fingers. Theo followed their eyes and found, sure enough, Harry Potter. Unlike the rest of them, he walked around, glancing at the tables as if looking for something. He was accompanied, as always, by Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

Theo turned back to McGonagall who explained that the castle would need to be evacuated because it would be under attack by You-Know-Who any time soon. When someone demanded to know where Snape was and why she was the one giving orders, she said in a cool voice that Professor Snape has "done a bunk."

Blaise nudged Theo with his elbow. He jutted his chin toward the Ravenclaw table and when Theo followed his gaze, his heart skipped a beat. It was Luna. She sat with her friends, looking serenely up at the podium. Even from afar, she looked weak and dishevelled.

Theo wanted to run to her but kept himself seated.

As McGonagall began to usher the students to evacuate, a cold, high voice sounded. Theo jumped and instinctively grabbed Blaise's hand as students turned their heads and shrieked in horror. The voice seemed to be coming from inside the walls, ringing maliciously in their ears. It was the Dark Lord.

"I know that you are preparing to fight," the voice said. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

Theo's heart thundered inside his chest, but there was silence in the Great Hall now. Everyone listened with bated breath as the voice abused their ears.

"Give me Harry Potter and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded."

"You have until midnight."

Theo slowly let go of Blaise's hand and turned toward Harry Potter at the Gryffindor table. He wasn't the only one. Every eye in the Great Hall held him in its accusatory glare.

Pansy Parkinson rose and held up a shaking arm, screaming, "But he's there! Potter's there. Someone grab him!"

No one made a move to grab Harry Potter. Instead, the scraping of wood against stone was heard as a hundred students rose to their feet as one and stood facing Pansy, wands aloft. Her arm dropped limply by her side as she shrank back in her seat.

Professor McGonagall ordered the Slytherins and all underage students to follow Filch who would take them out of the castle. Theo looked desperately toward the Ravenclaw table but Blaise was already dragging him along with the crowd that moved past the large double doors. Just when he reached the threshold of the Great Hall, Theo dug his heels into the floor and forced themselves to a stop.

Blaise turned to him quizzically. "Theo, what's wrong?"

"I'm going to stay," he said, not feeling as brave as he sounded.

Blaise stared at him for a moment. Then he wrenched themselves away from the pushing crowd and stood at a clearing. He held Theo by the arms. "Are you sure?"

Theo now felt more confident as he nodded. "Luna's here. I have to be with her."

Blaise's expression cracked momentarily. He opened his mouth to speak but he seemed unable to find any words. Theo laid a hand over his chest. "It's okay. Take Corben somewhere safe. I'll be okay."

Blaise held him tighter, pulling him close. "I don't like this."

"I'll be okay," Theo repeated, emphasising the word, making sure it got into Blaise's head. He wanted to kiss him but it would seem awfully like a goodbye. So instead he stood on his toes and wound his arms around his shoulders. They were able to hold each other for only a few seconds before the growing crowd pushed past them, which was now joined by the other three houses. "Go," Theo said firmly and turned his back on Blaise.

It didn't take long for Theo to find Luna. She stood with a small gathering near the Gryffindor table, at the head of which was Professor McGonagall and a large, burly man who was giving instructions in a gravelly voice. He spotted Professor Lupin sitting on the bench, though he was barely recognisable with his tattered clothes and age lines.

Theo felt like an outsider among them. But as he slowly made his way to Luna, he realised no one was really paying attention to him. McGonagall was reprimanding a few underage students who insisted they be allowed to fight when he reached Luna and tapped her on the shoulder. Her face lit up when she saw him.

"Theo! How are you? I've been looking for you."

Theo, for some inexplicable reason, felt shy. "You were?"

"Yes. I kept looking at the Slytherin table." Her eyes flickered down to his chest as her face split into a smile. "You're wearing my shawl."

Theo stared at her in puzzlement before he looked at himself and realised that indeed, he was wearing the shawl she had given him. Blaise had thrown it on him while they were leaving the common room and he hadn't had the chance to check what he was wearing.

"So it seems." He reached out to take it off but Luna stopped him.

"Don't. You're going to need it."

"I might lose it if I'm going to be running around."

Luna wrapped the shawl over his chest. Then she took out her wand and ran the tip over its frayed edges. Theo felt the shawl tighten around his shoulders so it hung behind him like a cloak, keeping him warm. It was magically wound on him so it wouldn't fall off.

"Thanks," he said in wonder. He looked at her smiling face and was immediately washed with guilt. "Luna, I'm - I'm sorry. For what happened to you."

She gave a smile that seemed so bizarre given the situation they were in. "It wasn't your fault."

"But Blaise -"

"It wasn't his fault either."

Theo's eyes widened in surprise. He studied her for a moment, trying to decide whether or not she was joking, but she sounded like she meant it. "Luna -"

"It wasn't," she repeated firmly. "Whatever happened to me, it was all because of Voldemort, and no one else."

Theo was rendered speechless by her conviction. Before he could come up with a response, she faced the front of the crowd again, where the large, burly man was now dividing them up into groups. "Who's that?" Theo asked in a low voice.

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. He's been working with Dumbledore for years on dismantling Voldemort's ranks."

Theo's heart leapt to his throat every time Luna uttered the name but he didn't comment on it. He watched as Kingsley Shacklebolt formed three teams to defend the grounds under the leadership of himself, Arthur Weasley, and Remus Lupin, and three other teams to defend the tallest towers under the leadership of McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout. Theo, along with five other students were assigned to defend the Ravenclaw Tower with Professor Flitwick.

Before they all parted ways, Theo hurried to where Seamus stood speaking with Arthur Weasley - Ron and Ginny Weasley's father. He stood by awkwardly until Seamus noticed him.

A look of disbelief passed over Seamus's face to be quickly replaced with a smile rivalling Luna's as he threw himself at Theo and nearly knocked him over the Gryffindor table. Despite the tensed air descending over them, Theo laughed. Seamus stared at him as though he really couldn't believe his eyes and grinned. "You stayed! You really stayed."

"Of course I did."

"Who are you assigned to?" Seamus asked, looking over his shoulder to check whether his team has left him behind or not.

"Flitwick. Ravenclaw Tower."

"Great. You'll be safe." Seamus laughed a little. "I'll be at the gate, putting up defensive spells."

Someone called Seamus's name and he straightened up. "Uh - I'll see you. Somewhere." He gave Theo a brief hug. "Good luck."

"Stay safe," Theo called after him, but with the speed at which Seamus disappeared with his team, Theo wasn't sure he had heard him.

He returned to his own team and followed Professor Flitwick out of the Great Hall.

When they were just past the threshold, Theo saw Daphne running toward him, panting. She was in her pyjamas like everyone else but had somehow managed to put on a jumper amidst the kerfuffle. Theo wasn't given the chance to greet her properly for, as soon as she reached him, she punched his arm. "Why did you leave without me?" she demanded. "I was looking everywhere for you."

Before Theo could reply, she shook her head. "Never mind. It's not your fault. I was getting Astoria out of the castle. Where are we going?"

Theo explained to her their objective as they climbed up one staircase after another. A small, selfish part of him wished Blaise was there with him. But Theo quickly shut that part down. He did not want Blaise to be there. The castle seemed quiet enough but he could feel the tension bubbling in the distance, ready to erupt at any moment.

When they reached the Ravenclaw Tower, Flitwick stationed them at different positions - in the balcony, by the high windows, over the ledges. Theo stood before an open window, stilling his heart and bracing himself for what was about to come.

"Children, it's time for you to put all your lessons into practice," said Flitwick as he levitated himself to stand on the ledge of one of the windows. "Every defensive spell you can think of - apply it around the castle. Hogwarts needs you. Protect her."

Theo raised his wand and began to mutter spells, watching in immense satisfaction as lights swirled out of the tip of his wand and floated away, meeting the other lights from other wands midair. The lights solidified into a sheet of translucent glass that formed a protective dome around the castle.

"Now we wait," Professor Flitwick said when they had all put their wands down.

They did not have to wait. Time rushed by far too fast and before long, Theo spotted movement along the boundaries of Hogwarts, getting closer and closer. Lights flickered into existence as the Death Eaters marched toward the castle. Theo held his breath and watched in trepidation as they approached. He glanced over at Daphne to find her looking at him too. They held each other's gazes for a moment before turning back to the Death Eaters who had stopped after crossing the Hogwarts grounds halfway.

Theo barely had time to wonder if his father was amongst them when with a deafening crash, the castle flared up into chaos.

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jkr really expects us to believe that none of the slytherins, with their undying loyalty and pride, stayed back to defend their school lmao

i've made my insta account to post all my trash drawings. it's called @nyxtrash and it's still pretty empty, but follow me, if you like *holds alecto's knife to your throat*

(jk you don't have to)

(but please do, i crave validation like theo)