"Ready for our shift in the tunnels?" Neville wondered once he reached Briar's makeshift bed on the floor.

She propped herself up on her elbows and gave him a beaming smile. She replied easily, "Yes, just a second. Let me get my shoes on. Did Ginny and Luna just get back?"

The first year Slytherin who had been laying on the cot beside Briar looked at her with round eyes, so Briar leaned down and whispered to him, "I'll have my friend Luna come lay with you, alright? Maybe she can tell you a nice story."

He nodded with his bottom lip quivering, so Briar ran a hand over his long hair before she stumbled from under the covers. Briar caught Luna's attention before they left, and she whispered to her, "Would you mind lying beside the first year I was next to before? He's scared and just likes hearing happy stories."

Luna's eyes drifted over to the shivering first year, and she gave Briar a single nod. She hummed, "Of course." Luna trotted over to the boy without another word, and Briar's stiff shoulders uncoiled slightly at the hopeful smile on the boy's face when Luna lowered herself down beside him.

"Ready, Briar?" wondered Neville with his wand drawn and ready for their shift in the tunnels.

She nodded and followed him to the exit they had discovered to be connected to the Room of Requirement. They climbed inside the tunnel together and began their search of the tunnels.

Briar and Neville simultaneously whispered, "Lumos" with their wands drawn in the dark tunnel to light their way. Briar swept her wand across the space before them and scanned for any sign of intruders, but she grinned when she found none. She and Neville continued padding along the tunnels, but Briar cringed when a mouse skittered across the floor in front of them.

She grunted, "I do not like it when things like those jump out at us."

Neville let out a cute giggle before he pointed out, "I know...but there is one good thing about tunnel duty."

With an eyebrow raised, Briar turned to Neville and trailed, "Which is...?"

Neville and Briar came to a stop near the exit to Hogsmeade. Briar looked up at him, still amazed after all these years that Neville had grown to be so much taller than her. She scanned his dirty and wounded face as she waited for his response.

He dropped a hand onto her cheek and splayed his fingers out on her skin with a thumb tucked under her chin. His voice was breathy as he murmured, "The privacy..."

His face dipped down towards Briar's. Upon feeling his warm breath fanning her face, her eyes fluttered closed, and she pushed herself up onto her toes to meet his lips halfway. She inhaled his scent as they kissed, and she basked in the overwhelming scent of vanilla and fresh leaves that she had long ago associated with Neville.

Neville had happily sighed into their kiss, only to be interrupted by the distant sound of voices. The two sprang apart, and Briar couldn't help but grumble, "So much for privacy."

The two of them moved closer to the sound of voices with coiled shoulders and worried glances. The voices were coming from behind the exit to Hogsmeade. Was Aberforth in trouble?

The portrait swung open, and the trio appeared in its place. Neville immediately cheered, "I knew you'd come! I told them all! Harry Potter would never abandon Hogwarts!"

Briar squeezed his hand and beamed up at him. Neville's excitement was practically exuding out of him, and his huge smile was nearly cracking his face.

Harry jumped into the tunnel and crushed both Neville and Briar into a hug. Neville had happily squeezed Harry back, but Briar became stiff and only gave Harry a few pats on the back.

Once he pulled away, Hermione and Ron jumped into the tunnel as well. Briar gave Hermione a stiff hug, but Ron and Briar just exchanged solemn nods. Even though the red-haired boy had annoyed Briar on numerous occasions, he at least never tried to give her a hug, and for that, she was immensely grateful.

Briar and Neville led the trio back to the Room of Requirement to a chorus of cheers from the students. Everyone was thrilled to see the trio and Harry especially. As everyone began to crowd around them, Nigel got on the radio and cheered, "Lightning has struck! Lightning has struck!"

Finally, there was a semblance of hope in a time when their lives had only continued to get bleaker.

-

Briar was holding the hand of the terrified first year Slytherin boy from before. They were all being brought into the Great Hall now because Snape knew about Harry being spotted in Hogsmeade.

The next few moments seemed to pass by in a blur as Snape threatened the student body if anyone knew of Harry's whereabouts, but Briar gripped the young boy's hand discreetly and lifted her chin higher when Snape's eyes fell on her. She would never break, no matter what he tried to do to her, and she could tell from the defeated look in his eyes that he knew this.

Harry emerged from the shadows, and chaos soon ensued when McGonagall and the members of the Order of the Phoenix all stood up for Harry. Once Snape left though, Voldemort's sickening voice rang out in everyone's mind, asking for Harry Potter to be delivered in place of any harm done to the students.

From a few paces away, Pansy looked down at the terrified first year Slytherin girl beside her who had begun to softly cry, and Briar knew Pansy's rage was about to get her in trouble. Briar moved forward in an attempt to stop Pansy from saying something regrettable, but it was too late.

"Why would we let so many of us die for one person? For Potter?" Pansy sneered angrily in the silence that followed. "Just give him up!"

The members of the Order positioned themselves around Harry, and a pit formed in Briar's stomach when she saw the look on McGonagall's face.

Filch came running into the Great Hall at this moment, blabbering about students being out of bed, and McGonagall practically rolled her eyes at this. She decided, "If you would, I'd like you to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house from the Hall."

"Where exactly is it I'd be leadin' em to, mam?"

"The dungeons should do," McGonagall remarked, and Briar's world tipped upside down. How could her beloved Professor have said such a thing?

All of Slytherin house was led forcefully away from the Great Hall, and Briar called out for Neville, but she was pushed through the crowd down to the dungeons by professors and angry students alike.

The hatred of her house was pressing down all around her, and she wanted to scream. How could they be doing this? After everything that had happened, how could they turn on the student body so easily?

Even if Pansy shouldn't have said it, she was trying to protect the students at this school. Why were all of them being hated and punished for her foolish statement of concern?

The first year boy from before cried out for Briar as he was being shoved away in the chaos, but she managed to grab onto him and sweep him into her side once again. When the students were all shoved into the dungeons and locked away inside, Briar yelled, "Stop this! This is cruel! It's inhumane! Let us out!"

Filch and the others left without hearing their cries, and Briar panicked.

Their wands wouldn't work in here.

———