Red- James Potter

69"

Weather at Hogwarts had taken a turn for the worst as September had come to the end and October begun. It was a miserable and drizzly day and it matched the feeling within the castle. The Gryffindors read the latest edition of the daily Prophet which had been dropped in-front of them as they ate their breakfast.

Another muggle attack.

This time the family of a muggle born wizard, Steward Ball, who worked at the ministry.

Camilla knew his name. Her father knew him at the ministry. They worked in the department of magic transportation. They had worked across the desk from each other in the broom regulatory office. She remembered her father talking about him fondly, recalling him mention he was a good honest man.

From what Camilla had heard, he sounded a lot like her father and that idea churned her stomach. She wondered if her parents had heard the news yet. They likely had.

As Lily read the headline her face paled and Camilla placed a conforming hand on her knee discreetly under the table.

It seemed every week Muggle-borns and their families were either attacked or going missing.

You couldn't help but wonder who would be next.

James had noticed Camilla's expression from across the table and knocked her foot with hers to check she was alright. She smiled weakly at him reassuringly.

"It's just horrible" Lily said, a slightly shaky sound in her voice

The group around the nodded in agreement. It hadn't been unnoticed by seventh and sixth year students that duelling lessons had been slotted into their timetables this year. It was a clear reminder that once they left Hogwarts, they were all alone, with only themselves to look after them.

Hogwarts was trying to prepare them for graduation... for war.

Camilla had received a letter from Fabian and Gideon on the attack. She had insisted she be kept up to date in the goings on in the order and they had mentioned that the order suspected the culprits. It was the death eaters. Voldemort followers which had seemingly been increasing far more than any order member had ever anticipated.

Her brothers had given Camilla and inkling that their parents, despite their old age, had been approached by Dumbledore and asked for their support in the war. Obviously the Prewett families side if of the war had been drawn a long time ago; along with other pureblood houses such as the Potters, Bones, Weasley's and Longbottom's.
The thought of her parents being involved in it all now made her feel wildly uneasy. Even Molly had mentioned that Dumbledore had paid them a visit at the burrow. She was furious about Dumbledore asking a mother with three small children to swear their loyalty to a side in the war, because it was becoming increasingly obvious- they were losing and people were dying.

The war had slowly crept into the castle over the summer and the divide between certain pureblood families and those of muggle families or mixed blood had become increasingly obvious.

Being head girl, camilla had to use her powers several times a day. She must have given out thousands of detentions and taken away hundreds of house-points off Slytherins who quipped disgusting comments to other students; or whilst breaking up fights in the corridors.

Even the professors were starting to look extremely worn down. Their eyes filled deep with concern and with no solutions to remedy it.

James had seemingly channeled his frustrations about the war into quidditch and team practices were the most gruelling they had been for some while. It was his burning passion to beat the Slytherins in the match this year, just to show them what they were made of. It was a shock to the system to the new beater, Liam Robins, whom seemed particularly shattered from the strenuous training sessions. Camilla couldn't blame James, the Slytherins had been particularly cruel lately but she was more focused about perfecting her wand work; not for her NEWT's but to become a working member of the order of the Phoenix.

Over the summer Camilla had helped Lily with her patronus as James had done with her. Camilla hoped that if her Lily was in need she'd be able to send for help or defend herself. By the end of the summer lily could produce a beautiful proud ram, with elegant curling horns and a proud chest.

It was something small and camilla knew it was stupid to make lily learn it, but it was a comfort to camilla to know Lily could do it. She wouldn't know what to do if anything happened to her.

Lily was far more than capable at defending herself, but she'd bug lily to learn new spells until her last breath. It was something Molly would do for Camilla, she thought.

"I heard McGonagall and Flitwick talking" Mary dropped her voice to a whisper, "They said people at the ministry are thinking about interfering here, at Hogwarts. Says that the ministry thinks Dumbledore's stretched too thin"

Mary looked pale and slightly worried as she finished reading the paper.

"They won't" Sirius said firmly. He was ever so sure of himself

"Dumbledore knows what he's doing" Remus nodded, "He's got a better chance than a one else of keeping the war out of Hogwarts"

"I agree" James nodded, just as firmly as James, "We're going to win this war. We won't let those bastards win". He placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder, sympathetic of the fact that those 'bastards' were in fact his own family.

Camilla and James had returned to their dorm to draw up a new patrols rota. There was a couple of instances where the parings were not working and therefore causing some issues. A sixth year Slytherin had cursed a fifth year Hufflepuff and Camilla felt obliged to step in and rearrange the rota's. James helped and the pair of them sat at the round wooden table beside the fire.

"Are you happy with all of these pairings?" James asked, finishing off the timetable, "Camilla!"

Camilla had been in a world of her own, her thoughts filled with the war, her family, her friends, school.

"Yeah, sorry, yeah it's fine" she nodded, glancing over the parchment.

James looked at her with troubled eyes.

"what's wrong?" he asked with concern

"Just a little bit stressed" she shrugged with a tired smile, "From Quidditch to head duties to NEWT's to the war, there's so much going on in my head"

James frowned, he hated her to see her like that.

He took her hand across the table and gave her hand a squeeze, "I promise everything will be fine" he reassured

"I know it will" She smiled gratefully, "Thank you James"

James just stroked the back of her hand as he held it, letting her know it was no trouble and that he wanted to be there.

Secretly James felt the same, but he was too busy being brave for everyone else than to show it.He thought it would be a nice idea to plan something fun for her to take her mind off things.