Author's Note: Sorry about how depressing the 1st chapter was, but it needed to be in there. I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please Read and Review!
~*~Chapter 2 - Battle Call~*~
The sun rose brightly outside and the rays entered the bedroom window. Harry shifted and felt something tickling his face. He shook his head slightly trying to get it to stop. But it wouldn't go away, instead it became something with a rough surface. He shook his head again and heard a muffled giggle. Confused he opened his eyes and jerked back as he saw the face of a cat. "Crookshanks?" he mumbled when he recognized the ginger cat. "What are you doing here?" He heard another giggle as he put on his glasses and looked around.
Hermione.
"I should have known," he said with a tired smile. "When did you get here?"
She returned the smile "I've been here since about ten this morning."
Harry frowned and looked over at his clock. Damn, he thought. It was already almost two in the afternoon. "Why'd you let me sleep in so late?"
"Well, Remus and I have both tried several times each to wake you with no luck. That's when Crookshanks decided to volunteer." She said as she pulled the cat out of Harry's face.
Harry shook the sleep from his mind and sat up, leaning against the headboard. He rolled his head to get the kink out of his neck then looked up at her. He motioned for her to sit down, which she did. As she took her seat at the opposite end of the bed, Harry looked his friend over. "How has your summer been so far?" he asked.
Hermione shrugged lightly "Fairly boring, actually. The main reason I'm here right now is because Mum and Dad are planning another trip to France and are leaving in two days time. They are kind of afraid to take me out of the country, but didn't want to leave me alone either. I told them what happened last term at the Ministry. They understood that I was needed here more than I was needed in France." When she finished her explanation she looked at Harry. "What about you? How have you been doing Harry?"
It was Harry's turn to shrug, "It's been alright. I was only at the Dursleys' for a week and a half before I came here. Not that I was particularly looking forward to returning to this place."
Hermione looked at him in concern "How are you dealing?"
Harry smiled weakly, "Better, I'm handling it all much better than I was when I first arrived. No one else was really here. Everyone was busy on assignments, so it was Kreature, Buckbeak, and myself. When Remus returned from his assignment a week later, he found me locked in the room with Buckbeak. I was still wearing the same thing I had been wearing when they left me here, I hadn't eaten anything, and I'd barely slept. He literally dragged me down the stairs and into the kitchen and threatened to force feed me if I didn't eat." Harry chuckled lightly.
"After I ate, we talked about Sirius's death. I was comfortable talking to him about it, because he'd lost Sirius too. He was the closest to Sirius. He went back out a week later on assignment, once he knew I would take care of myself, once he knew I was all right. Other that Remus, I've only really spoken with Dumbledore and now you. But, yeah, I'm doing better" He said.
Hermione looked him over for a minute, she knew that wasn't all to be said but she let it go, happy to know he was at least dealing. "Good Harry, I'm really glad to hear that." She smiled "Now, get your lazy bum out of bed, Remus is making lunch." She said as she carried Crookshanks out of the room closing the door with a snap behind her.
A few minutes later, once he was dressed, he slipped silently down the stairs to avoid waking Mrs. Black's portrait and into the kitchen. Remus looked up from his conversation with Hermione, "Well, well, well, look who finally decided to join us," he teased. Harry smiled, "Sorry I slept so long, I didn't get to sleep until late." Remus simply nodded and returned to his conversation.
After lunch, the three were still talking, Harry had joined in the conversation some time ago. The topic of discussion? The war and Voldemort. And it seemed that he knew he was the topic of the conversation because Harry felt his scar begin to burn. Not as bad as it had several times before, but it burned nonetheless. Harry frowned slightly, what was causing the burning this time?
"Something's not right"
"Pardon?" Remus said looking at Harry with a confused expression. "Are you alright, Harry?"
Harry looked at his former Professor and blinked, "Remus, something's not right. I don't know what, but I've got a bad feeling that something is very wrong."
Remus and Hermione exchanged concerned glances and as Remus opened his mouth to respond to Harry he was interrupted--
"Remus!" called a voice from the fireplace. The three turned to see who was calling. They found the head of Minerva McGonagall surrounded by green flames, panic evident in her expression.
"Minerva, What is it?" Remus asked worriedly.
"You three are needed at once at Hogwarts," she said.
"Minerva, what's going on?" Remus asked again, voice quaking.
"Death Eaters, Remus, Death Eaters along with Giants, Dementors, and Trolls. Hogwarts is under attack!" she said very quickly.
"My god," Remus gaped as he and Hermione glanced at Harry. "Hermione, Harry lets go. Minerva, step back."
McGonagall did as Remus bid. The three checked to be sure they had their wands, and then one by one they stepped through the green flames and were standing before the panicked Professor.
Once they were all three there, She quickly led them from the room, which Harry recognized as the Room of Requirement, and toward the Entrance Hall. "The dementors have been surrounding the gates since last evening, they never made a threat until about five minutes ago when the trolls, giants, and the Death Eaters arrived. Albus is at the gates with the other members of the Order trying to hold them back." she said as they pulled out their wands and exited the castle.
"Remus?" Harry asked quietly. When Remus acknowledged him, Harry continued, "D-Do you think that this-that this is it?"
Remus didn't have to ask for clarification. He knew Harry was asking if it was the final battle, Harry had shared the prophecy with him when they were talking about what happened in the Department of Mysteries. "I don't know, Harry. I really don't know. It very well could be." Remus sighed.
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