June 25th.

"What can we do?" is what James asks immediately.

"One of you needs to go to check on Remus and Peter to make sure they're still there. The other should go to the girls' dormitory and make sure everyone's safe there, too. I'll go find Ginger," Anna directs, head clearing.

Without waiting for a response, she sprints off, well aware she's about to go into the Snake Den.

Which is why, as Annalee Fawley is not stupid, she casts a disillusionment charm.

"Facta, non verba," she whispers to the portrait keeping the dungeons safe from outsiders.

The words mean deeds, not words. This was the motto of Elizabeth Burke, a particularly nasty pureblood supremacist/headmaster. As expected, the portrait swings open to the common room.

She takes a minute to bask in the glory of being back in the dungeons, then sprints up to her dorm.

Repeatedly, she knocks on the door. You can't open the door from the outside at night.

After almost two whole minutes, Ginger groans as she opens the door, "For the love of Godric, what?"

Without wasting another second, Anna pushes Ginger back inside the dorm and slams the door behind her. She takes off the disillusionment charm.

"Hey, Ginge," she smirks.

Ginger gasps and gives her a hug. Anna explains the situation.

"Wesley is... missing?" Ginger asks quietly.

In recent months, it had been discovered that Wes, Ginger, Emma, Gracie, and Hallie were a friend group. Reportedly, the tension between Wesley and Emma was... catastrophic.

"Yeah. We've got to find him," the blonde agrees. The two Slytherins sprint back to the common room.

Inside, there are now at total of four people. Lily, Marlene, James, and Sirius. All pacing and conversing quietly.

"What's wrong?" Ginger asks abruptly when they get in.

Sirius looks over and sees Anna, then starts smiling like an idiot again. Lily and Marlene wrap Anna and Ginger in a group hug.

"Oh, Merlin, I missed you," Lily and Marlene breathe in unison.

Anna pulls away, "What's wrong?"

"Laura's missing," Sirius explains, reaching for her hand and grasping it tightly.

"Shit," Ginger curses not-so-under-her-breath.

"How do we find her?" Anna persists, holding Sirius's hand with both of hers now.

"Ow," Black mutters, as his hand is turning white from how hard she's squeezing.

"Sorry," she whispers back, loosening her grip. Louder, she adds, "Lily, I need to know something."

"Anything."

"Are Emma's boots still in the dorm? This is incredibly important," Anna asks, thinking of the charm bracelet.

She'd added two extra charms that have the St. Mungo's logo on it. Then, she spelled one so that it would, if the wearer were in danger, would cast a shield that will last at least three minutes. The other is activated by that one and produces a portkey which transports to the Gryffindor common room, which works for only one person, one time.

"Be right back," the Gryffindor says quickly, then runs up the stairs to find the boots aren't there. "The boots are missing."

Anna grins, "Then she'll be okay. For now, we need to find her."

As if on cue, a letter is dropped on the couch by an owl (who promptly flies away).

𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺𝘳'𝘴 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘦
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘢, 𝘚𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘻𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥
𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦.

It's Tom's handwriting.

"It says 'any'," Lily speculates. "That implies that there are more than the two people."

"Who else could it be?" Sirius ponders, genuine confusion written across his face. "We checked the boys' and girls' dormitory. And no one else at Ilvermorny really worked for Fawley. No offense, Sullivan. No one in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff will qualify as someone in the same rank as Emma or Wesley. As for Andy, Ted, or Dora, they're in hiding and only Dumbledore and Anna are secret keepers."

"Dory or Regulus," Anna blurts. "Oh, bloody fucking hell."

Sirius's lips purse, "If that monster has my brother."

"I'm not your brother anymore, Sirius," a new voice declares. Regulus.

Anna rounds on Sirius. "What?!" she roars.

Regulus's eyes widen, unaware of the fact that Anna isn't, you know, dead.

"I'm disowned," he admits. "I didn't want to worry you."

"When?" she hisses. "How long have you been lying to me?"

"Omitting the truth," he corrects. "And since Christmas."

"The bloody day after I saw you?"

James interjects, "You saw her in December and didn't tell any of us?"

"Yes, I told him not to. I would've gotten in trouble. Very sorry," Anna substitutes. "Back to you, you bloody buffoon! Why would you get yourself disowned?"

Regulus says in irritation, "I told him to run away because he chose to tell my parents that you didn't deserve to die. You are apparently not dead and none of you seem surprised, so you can imagine my confusion."

"We faked my death," Anna supplies. "And nice to see you, Reg. Wait... shit, if you're here then does that mean that Dorothy's missing?"

"It's incredible to see you, too, Anne. Anyways, that's why I came here," Regulus admits. "But if it's the Dark Lord, he won't harm Dory. Or at least I don't think."

"I'm not so sure," Sirius warns. "Right now, he has Emma and Wesley. Wesley is a pureblood but Emma's a half-blood, right, Sullivan?"

"Yeah," Ginger nods.

"Who are Emma and Wesley?" Regulus asks.

Sirius groans, "Emma is Laura and Wesley's Fawley's friend from Ilvermorny, where she's been for the past six months."

"Got it."

"We've got to get going. But we can't all go," Anna points out. "Regulus, you can't go for the sake of pureblood politics. Obviously, I am. Ginger is going. One of the boys and either Lily or Marlene."

In unison, all four of the people in question say, "I'll go."

"What a surprise," Regulus and Anna mutter in unison.

"I'm going," Sirius insists. "I'm not letting my girlfriend go alone."

"Fine," James grumbles.

They all turn to Marlene and Lily who are locked in an intense staring contest.

Marlene blinks.

At the same time she groans, "Ugh!", Lily exclaims, "Yes!"

"It's settled, then. Ginger, Sirius, Lily, and I will go. You all wait here. If we're not back by sunrise, find Dumbles. I've alerted him that a student is missing, but I'm sure he'll be contacting the Ilvermorny headmaster. Plus, we have a location. He doesn't. Let's go," Anna announces.

Using the Gryffindor fire, they floo to the Cave, praying it's connected to the network.

It is.

When the four appear, the cave is dark and dank, leaving much room for shivering.

"We'll find them, don't worry," Sirius whispers.

Anna nods warily. "Let's get to it. Split up. Me and Ginger; Lils and Siri."

"Why?" Sirius interrupts. "It's better if we stick together."

"There are three people in here. Tom only wants one of us for now. By being with me, you're in danger. You two have to find Wes, we'll find Emma and Dory. I suspect Emma's in the most danger and Ginger knows Emma best. I have to be the one to find Emma, because she has something I need. And Tom's not stupid enough to put them all together," Anna reasons. "No time to argue. Let's get going. Floo back when you get your people, no matter what. Promise?"

Anna grabs Ginger's hand and they run off in one direction, Lily and Sirius in the other.

What happens next really couldn't have been helped. After all, who are four teens in the face of a murderer?

They are nothing.

Sirius and Lily find Wesley quickly. He's unconscious. They take him back to Hogwarts and the dorm room, waiting anxiously.

When Wes wakes, he jolts, glancing around.

"Where the fuck am I?" he asks in irritation.

The others are arguing quietly.

"We should go back," Sirius insists.

"Anna told us not to," Lily argues.

Wes clears his throat and everyone looks over. Slowly, he repeats, "Where... the... fuck... am I?"

"Morning," Lily beams. "Lily Evans. You're Wesley, yeah?"

This time, he says quickly, "I repeat: Where the fuck am I?"

"It's almost like he's friends with Sullivan," James snickers, despite the tense mood.

Sirius shoves him, "You're in the Gryffindor common room. You were captured by Voldemort. Dammit, Reg, if you're going to be an arse, just leave."

Regulus is busy arguing with Marlene over whether or not they should go back for her.

"You know what, brother, I can't even believe you're not halfway back to Switzerland by now-"

"-I thought we already covered that we're not brothers anymore," Sirius sneers back, leaping over and away from Wes.

Regulus growls, "It's not my fault you miss your little girlfriend. I mean, if she dies today, you won't even have to have a funeral."

"Whoa!" James jumps. "Way too far, Regulus. You know I don't like you, mate, but way too bloody far."

"Can someone please tell me what the fucking shit is happening?" Wes interrupts. "And why we're making threats?"

"Petrificus totalus!" Sirius exclaims, wand aimed towards Regulus.

He easily blocks it, eyes narrowed.

As if a sports announcer, Marlene leans into Wes's ear, "And what you see here is Sirius bloody Black and his little brother arguing because they both miss their girlfriends. I'm Marlene, by the way. Seestern, if you've read Annie's letters."

"Oh," Wes nods in comprehension. "I understand now. Where are Em and Ginger? I thought they both would be here."

Taking a deep breath, Marlene begins, "Laur- Emma is in a little bit of trouble. Ginge and Annie are still saving her and a girl named Dorothy Hawkins. Dorothy used to be Anna's best friend until they broke up over political differences. Dorothy and Regulus, Sirius's little brother, are dating," Marlene explains gently. "Sirius gets stressed out when he doesn't know if Anna's okay. Believe me, he can be a bit of a wreck. That combined with talking to his brother for the first time since he left home is leaving him a bit worse than normal. As for Reggie, say what you will about him - and there's a lot to say, he loves Dory very much. He wants to go over there and save them, but that would basically be getting himself killed. And yeah, that's us."

"Nice to meet you," Wesley says warily. "I think."

"Nice to meet you, too," James adds. "James Potter, I'm sure Anna's told you all about me."

"The one called Prongs that's obsessed with the redhead best friend, right?"

Lily grins, "I'm the redhead best friend."

James frowns.

That's when there's a whoosh! and two people slip out of the fire. Seconds later, another one appears in the middle of the room, the charm bracelet in hand.

"She's gone," she mumbles. She would've fallen to the floor, but James catches her. "He's killed her."

O N E H O U R E A R L I E R

"This way," says Ginger, seeing a light in one of the crevices of the cave network.

Sure enough, there are two cages with one person each inside.

Dorothy says immediately, "You shouldn't be here, Annalee."

"And I should?" Ginger grumbles.

Had it been any other time, Anna would have laughed.

Instead, she asks Emma and Dorothy, "Are you two alright? Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Dorothy assures her. "He cursed Emma, though. I don't think she can move."

"Anna!" Tom's voice rattles the cave. "So glad you could join my little party. And you brought a friend. Ms. Sullivan, do you know that I know your dad? Very good friend of mine."

Everything goes quiet as Emma and Anna observe the fire in Ginger's eyes when she says, "My dad would never join the likes of you. He is a good person."

In a cruel turn of events, Voldemort clicks his tongue, "Was. Was a good person."

"You're lying," Ginger shoots back, walking slowly over to where Emma is, clutching her bleeding legs.

"Oh, how you wish. I figured he should be punished for marrying your werewolf of a mother," he taunts. "Now back to our main event. Anna, as you chose to play with death, you are now forced to choose who else dies. You can save two people here, including yourself. Who do you choose? Converse."

Anna makes eye contact with Emma who gestures to her hand discreetly, two glowing charms safely rest in her palm.

Unfortunately, Emma tosses them to Dorothy.

Stupid, stupid martyr Gryffindors.

At least Tom didn't see.

"I will," Anna says quickly. "I'm supposed to be dead, anyway."

"I'll die," Emma volunteers. "Leave me here."

"No," Ginger is quick to say. "I'll die. I'm not leaving either of you here."

Dorothy seems to understand the bracelet (she would've recognized the charm had it not been added by someone else) as she says, "I will. I'm going to either be a Death Eater and be killed by one of you, or die here. There's no point to it being any other way."

"Good point," Tom muses. "And, for the fun of it, I'll throw in that Dorothy was the one to tell me about Jason, I believe his name is."

The betrayal on Anna's face tells all. But, by saying this, it gives Tom probable cause to believe that Anna would really say:

"Fine. Dorothy and I will stay. Ginge, take Emma back to the floo."

"No!" Emma exclaims. "I did this for a reason. I knew what I was getting into. Plus, I'm going to die, no matter what. I've lost enough blood that I'll pass out soon. You and Ginger leave."

"I can't do that," Anna and Ginger say in unison.

"You have to. It's done. Riddle, we've made our decision."

"Fine," Tom sneers. "Good to know you'll kill your friends." As if for fun, he adds, "Flippendo."

Annalee flies backwards, hitting her head hard enough for it to start bleeding.

"Go, Anna," Emma yells.

In a burst of adrenaline, Anna grabs Ginger's arm before she can object and they sprint away, yelling into the fire, "Hogwarts, Gryffindor common room."

Before they leave, they see in the distance two green lights. One of a shield, one of a yell of, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Then, another yell in irritation, presumably Dorothy's disappearance.

Anna and Ginger reappear in the middle of the common room with a whoosh! Seconds later, another girl appears in the middle of the room, the charm bracelet in hand.

"She's gone," Emma chokes out, almost collapsing to the floor had it not been for James rushing to her aid. "He's killed her. He killed Dorothy."

A/N Sorry this was kind of a cringy chapter, but I swear I tried. Lastly, I hope you didn't see that final twist coming!

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