I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS IN THAT SERIES BECAUSE THEY ALL BELONG TO J.K. ROWLING!

-Chapter Nine-

Harry came into bed beside Ginny. His wife smiled at him and she put her book down to look at him. It was almost eleven at night. Once Harry was comfortable he turned to her and said, “Albus and Alice will be coming home in tomorrow.”

“I know. It seems weird.” Ginny said, “you know you’re old when almost all of your kids have graduated from Hogwarts.”

Harry chuckled.

“Also, Draco sent us a letter. He wants us to have Scorpius over the summer until Astoria is better. He said that she isn’t getting any worst, but not any better either and he and Astoria don’t want their son to see her in the state that she’d in.” Ginny said.

“It must be really bad.” Harry said.

“I was thinking that he could just share Albus’s room.” Ginny said.

“I was thinking too. Since James is moving out this summer to live with Teddy how would you feel if Albus took James’s old room. If Alice was going to stay here still before working for the ministry maybe she could move into Albus’s old room so that if Lily ever wanted to come back then she could.” Harry explained to her.

“Good idea I guess.” Ginny said and she sighed, “speaking of our daughter, Albus says that Lily hasn’t gotten mail from us for years.”

I raised my eyebrows and gave her a shocked look.

“She has to be lying.” Harry told her.

“Albus said that she seemed pretty serious.” Ginny answered.

“That’s really odd.” Harry said.

“I know what you mean. We’ve sent Lily at least eight letters for over two years. You’d think that she’d get at least one.” Ginny agreed.

“I’ll send a letter to Neville and ask him if there is something going on with the owl post or something.” Harry commented.

Ginny sighed and moved more into her husband. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

“We need to make her seem welcome again.” Harry told his wife.

“I know.” Ginny said, “I now know how my parents felt when Percy left the family for a little bit. I know how Albus, James, and Teddy feel. Being mad at Percy at that time makes me hate myself. I must’ve hurt my parents even more.”

“Don’t hate yourself. Percy was just being stubborn.” Harry said.

“Like me? Harry she gets it from me. Her stubbornest comes from me like how it comes from Percy. She might be determined like you, but she’s stubborn like me.” Ginny commented.

“Percy came around and Lily will too.” Harry said.

“That still won’t take back things that we told her. That was unfair to her.” Ginny said.

“We’ll talk to her.” Harry said.

There was a sudden loud boom and the house shook a little. Harry gripped Ginny tighter and soon there were screams filling the streets. Looking out his window Harry saw bright lights. Both of them got up and Ginny grabbed their wands. As they stood at the window Ginny gave her husband his wand.

“What’s going on?” Ginny asked him.

They both stared out the window to see that their street was on fire. Just a fire itself. The houses all seemed to be okay, but some muggles were outside looking at the fire and screaming.

“What in the world?” Harry asked.

“We better get down there before anyone gets hurt.” Ginny said.

Both of them rushed through their house. Once they were outside Harry saw that the flames were now dancing onto people’s properties and one house beside them was already on fire. There also seemed to be a large wind that was helping the fire travel. As Ginny’s red hair went through the wind Harry gripped her arm.

“I’ll go help the neighbours!” she told him.

Harry watched her put her wand in her pajama pockets to hide it before she ran to the neighbour’s back door. After Harry made sure that she got in safely he began to try and control the fire with his wand, but noticed that it wasn’t really helping. The flames still danced and by now more muggles were noticing.

After a couple of minutes Harry saw Ginny come out with their neighbours. Ginny then ran to him. The flames almost got her, but she made it back to him without harm. She used her wand like her husband to try and control the fire as well, but it was too strong.

“What do you think caused it?” Ginny asked him.

“I don’t know.” Harry called back.

Making sure that the fire stayed away from their house yet trying not to let their neighbours see what they were doing wasn’t easy. The fire was strong. When their neighbours that were in the shelter of the side of their house after Ginny saved them screamed. Ginny looked up to see them pointing at the sky. She dropped her wand and gripped Harry’s arm. Stopping Harry looked over at his wife to see her face that was full or terror.

“Harry!” she cried in a hoarse voice.

He looked up as well. He gasped in surprise and then pulled Ginny closer to him and wrapped her under his arm.

“Go tell the others!” he told her.

“No. I’m going to help you!” Ginny told him.

“No! Tell the others! They need to be warned! We might be attacked!” Harry told her.

She nodded and left his arms to run into the house. Harry stared in amazement and worry as right above the street was a large dark mark in the sky with it moving just like the ones he had thought he’d never see again after the Battle Of Hogwarts.

*

Albus was tired as he was forced through the halls of Hogwarts and to the Great Hall. Scorpius was beside him and he yawned. He finished his last OWL yesterday and he was supposed to go home this afternoon.

“What do you think the professors want to tell us at one in the morning?” Scorpius asked him.

“Beats me, but it better be important.” Albus grumbled.

All of the students were forced into the Great Hall by the Prefects and were seated at their tables. Albus and Scorpius sat down and a couple of seconds later Hugo and his three friends came to sit in front of Albus and asked him, “do you know what this is about?”

“No.” Albus answered.

Albus was surprised to see Alice stumble over to them. She had her one blanket wrapped around her. Since all of the other spots at the table were full Alice walked over to Scorpius. Both Albus and Scorpius looked at her and Alice asked Scorpius, “Can you be my bed for a little bit?”

Both Scorpius and Albus laughed at her. Alice looked at it as a yes and she sat on Scorpius’s left and she leaned against him.

“Why are you so tired?” Albus asked.

“Because I barely got any sleep studying for OWLS so tonight I was going to catch up on my sleep, but then some girls had a bit of a party so I was up till about eleven thirty and we then went to sleep. I’m beat.” Alice answered.

Albus grinned and then looked around to see the teachers at the front of the room. They were all talking. After a couple of minutes every student in the school was in the Great Hall. The teachers stopped talking and Professor Longbottom ordered them to be quiet. Once all of the whispers and muttered and grumbles were gone Professor Longbottom called to them while the teachers stood behind him, “Students of Hogwarts. I am afraid that I have some bad news. Hogwarts is now in lock-down mode. This means that none of you are going home today. In fact nothing except air is getting in or out of the castle grounds.”

The Great Hall immediately irrupted in whispers. Alice actually jumped a little and asked her friends, “did he seriously just say the school is in lock-down mode or am I hearing things?”

“He said it.” Scorpius confirmed.

“Quiet!” Professor Longbottom shouted and waited till the hall was silent again, “We are authorized to do this by the Ministry of Magic. We have already sent letters out to all of your family members.”

“Why?” Hugo shouted from the table.

“Mr. Weasley I suggest that if you listen and not interrupt me then you will find out.” Professor Longbottom said.

The room was silent again.

“I’m afraid to tell you that two hours ago that the dark mark was shown in England.” Professor Longbottom said in a heavy voice.

The hall immediately got loud. Albus looked back at Scorpius and so did Hugo. Alice sat their shocked. Albus felt his heart begin thumping harder than before. Things like this was what sent parents of every student here at Hogwarts panic. Everyone was sure that they were safe and that nothing so dark was ever going to come back again.

“The dark mark?” Alice asked, “That’s the whole thing with the Battle Of Hogwarts right?”

“Yeah.” Albus whispered.

“You don’t think that...” Scorpius didn’t finish.

“No. Of course not. there is no way that he is back.” Albus said.

“QUIET!” Professor Longbottom said.

The hall went quiet immediately. After a couple of seconds Professor Longbottom said, “it’s a precaution. The ministry doesn’t know for certain what is happening, but to keep students safe, they are placing all of you in lock-down here for protection.

“We are also searching all mail to make sure that nothing dangerous comes in or out of the school, but you all are still allowed to contact your family and friends.” Professor Longbottom said, “now you may all go to bed. You will stay at the school like you normally do, but without classes.”

All of the students got up and Scorpius, Alice, and Albus stuck close together.

“Do you think your parents know?” Alice asked them.

“I don’t know. They’ll find out soon enough though.” Albus told them.

Alice put her arm around both of them in comfort. Albus smiled and gave her a one hug back. Scorpius looked over at the Ravenclaw table to see Rose. She was shocked and scared, but it was something more than that. Something was defiantly wrong. Maybe it was this news and her mother’s attack that were apart of it, but Scorpius could tell that there was something else. Something was defiantly scaring Rose.