Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 37: A Night of Fire
******************************Riddle Mansion*****************************
"You summoned us, my Lord?" Bellatrix asked, her eyes downcast as she, Lucius, McNair, Rodolphus, and Xavier bowed to him. Voldemort turned in his chair as Pettigrew placed a goblet of a slightly smoking liquid on a small table at his elbow. Wormtail bowed and scampered to join the rest of the Death Eater elite.

"Yes, Bella, I have." Voldemort reached into the depths of his robes and pulled a sheet of parchment from them. His pupils narrowed to tiny lines as his eyes grew brighter, their blood-red glow coloring the faces of his disciplines. "One of our agents within Hogwarts found this list a while ago and thought it might be of interest." Voldemort chuckled as he flung the parchment to Bellatrix; it fluttered open as it crossed the several feet to her hands, enough to read the heading, "Dumbledore's Army."

*********************Dover, England**************************

March 30, 2006
9:00 pm

"Seline, did you pick up any butterbeer?" Elliot Abbot shouted as he passed into the kitchen, pulling off an old comfortable robe that he had worn out into the field. He had just returned from the seashore, where he along with three other wizards from the Office of the Control of Magical Creatures had had to work on keeping Nessie's big brother Bob hidden from the Muggles, he had been called in since he lived near the incident. The kelpie had a lair somewhere in the white, chalk cliffs and had taken recently to trying to make it into Muggle photos like his little sister.

A soft laugh came from the front room, where Seline was playing a game of exploding snap with Hannah's younger sister Lisa. Lisa was about to start Hogwarts in the fall, just like her bigger sis whom she idolized. She even had taken to wearing a WWW shirt that her sister had given her of two wizards standing in front of the school looking up at a dragon, the dragon wore a shirt that had the letters DA on it, but when Seline had curiously asked Hannah about it, she had said she had no idea if it meant anything. "Sure hun, in the icebox."

"Thanks..." But before he could go on, a loud knock was heard from the hall door. "I wonder who that could be." He muttered as he walked to the front hallway and to the entrance door. With the hand that held his butterbeer, he pulled open the curtain to see who it was this late at night. He never noticed the bottle shattering as it hit the floor; his brain only registered the hood and the mask, "SELINE, GET LISA OUT NOW!!!!!!" He turned to run back as the door exploded behind him, and a dark cloaked figure strode through the gap...a distant CRACK answered his prayers, right before a flash of green lit the room.

*************************Diagon Alley, London****************************
10:15 pm

A young, vibrant woman steeped out of the back alley behind the Leaky Caldron. Her crimson and gold Gryffindor Lions jumper identified her as a current or former Gryffindor student. With a flourish, she turned and walked down the street, heading for the Weasley Twins' store, where she was supposed to meet the twins along with Alicia, Angelina and Lee for a night out. Between her professional Quiddich play and occasional assignments for the Order of the Phoenix, she hadn't had a night out in a while. As she passed Knockturn Alley she shivered a bit and wrapped her cloak, more firmly about herself.

She did not see the dark shadow that detached itself from the alley in her wake, nor did she feel a jolt of cold as another and another followed. Finally as she reached #93 she smiled and not paying attention to the closed sign that hung in the window she opened the door and went on in. A bell rang as the door opened.

"OI KATIE" Fred yelled as he turned from placing something on a shelf. He motioned toward the other end of the shop where George and the rest were playing a game of Wizard Chess, but it must have been one of the special sets, as everyone except Angelina was laughing as a tiny knight jumped off the board and started chasing her. Fred turned to walk over to the game, picking up several butterbeers from behind the counter by their necks, when the entry bell rang again. Fred started to turn back, "Sorry mate we're.... OH BLOODY HELL."

The first green bolt snapped out and impacted Katie in the center of the back. She fell lifelessly to the floor as Fred rolled behind the counter. The first Death Eater in was followed immediately by two more. Fred grinned darkly as he pressed a button under the counter and a pair of Very Fanged Frisbees bulleted out and seconds later; there was once again only one whole Death Eater, and four halves of two more. A stunner ricocheted off a hastily erected shield as George got in the act. The girls started firing as well, but four more Death Eaters, came in behind the cover of their compatriot's shield. And at least ten more could be seen through the windows to the alley. Behind the counter, and across the way, crouched behind a set of shelves with the girls, the twins shared an identical frown and a slow, sad nod. George eased his wand out from behind the counter, but instead of pointing it at the Death Eaters, he pointed it at the body of their friend. "Envesco" The body vanished and George nodded once more.

The girls kept up a furious counterfire while the boys pointed their wands straight up, "DELAYUS MOMENTA SURPRISE" behind the counter and behind the shelf, both twins hit small knots in the wood floor and trapdoors snapped open and closed, dropping the four away, on giant versions of the Gryffindor girls dorm stairs when a boy tried to get up them.

Back in the shop the rest of the Death Eaters crowded into the shop. The leader whipped off his mask to reveal the face of Mulciber, one of the Death Eaters that had been at the battle of the Department of Mysteries. All was quiet, then BANG. A single wizbang erupted in the middle of the room, instantly drawing a hand with a single finger extended. The hand was immediately replaced with a fiery 5...4...all eleven or so of the remaining Death Eaters turned to try to escape or apparate out, but to their horror, they couldn't...3...2...1

A tower of fire lit the night, wards channeling the explosion upward and away from any other shops.

*********************Pendle Hill, Lancashire***********************

"Bloody old bat isn't here." A hooded man snarled as he came out of a neat white house. He waved at the house with his wand and muttered another imprecation.

"It does not matter, though I would have liked my return to this house to be marked with the cries of another Longbottom. Burn it down, she would not have lasted as long as Frank or Alice anyway. Not nearly as much fun." Bellatrix vanished with a CRACK, as the Death Eater returned to the house, "Morsmordre" A sickly-green skull appeared over the house as the Death Eaters touched the dry timbers of the house with their wands, "INCENDIO" Flames erupted instantly in the house as the Death Eaters vanished.

**************************London**********************************

"Beth did you see the latest letter from Justin. It's just so cool for an OWL to deliver the mail. I wish we could send all of our mail that way." Bethany Finch-Fletchley turned from her computer in the corner of the living room and rolled her eyes at her husband. She laughed inwardly at her husband of twenty years as he sat down to read the parchment from their son.

"Yeah Van I did." She turned back to the paper she was grading, from one of her primary school students, still shaking her head. On the telley, a newscaster came on, taking about a mysterious fire that had appeared in the night sky in downtown London, that firefighters had not been able to find a source for. A soft RING sounded through the house, "I wander who that could be at this hour, Van can you get the door?" Her husband sat, not moving except for his eyes watching the moving picture Justin had included with the letter showing himself in a group of about thirty other teens his age.

All of the teens were dressed similarly, in black robes over school uniforms, only the trim differed, some sapphire, some ruby, some amethyst, and two lone kids in the middle with robes trimmed with emerald. Justin was in the picture laughing at something a quite messy, black haired young man said down near the center of the picture. RING. "Van..." She rolled her eyes again as she got up to go to the door. She opened the door to find a tall, thin man, with piercing gray eyes, a long thin face, and hair so pale as to almost be translucent.

"Mrs. Finch-Fletchley?" The man asked in a drawling voice, similar to those she had heard on the telley on specials about the Royals. She nodded. "Mother of Justin...a student at Hogwarts?" She automatically nodded before her brain caught up.

"Wha...Justin goes to a boarding school." She tried to object, with the standard lie of muggle parents.

He smiled cruelly, "I know better muggle, CRUCIO" Her scream pierced the darkness. Van jumped up at her scream and ran to the front door. Without warning, a shaft of jade punctured the night next to Malfoy's ear. Even under the Cruciatus, Bethany's screams redoubled. "Finite" and did not stop when Malfoy lifted the curse and walked calmly away. At the bottom of the stairs he stopped and looked back. "When Dumbledore comes in response to our attack on one of his mudbloods, tell him. Tell him, he will pray for death before we let him die."

A putrid green skull floated over the house as Malfoy and a single masked accomplice vanished. Bethany jumped as the CRACK echoed out, as she cradled her husband's lifeless body.

*************************Ottery, St. Catchpole************************

"ARTHUR" Molly screamed from her place at the kitchen window, in response her husband and Bill came running into the room. She waved a hand out at the window a sullen glow lit the horizon, "Isn't that the about where the Lovegood's house is?"

"Yes Molly," Arthur snapped and led the three of them out the door. Unnoticed behind them, right as the door slammed closed, the grandfather clock let out a KA-CHUNK as the hands representing Fred and George snapped to mortal peril. As they turned to look at the fire, a horrible klaxon erupted, the sound coming from nowhere, as ten Death Eaters appeared from out of the woods. A green bolt snapped past Arthur's ear, blowing a chunk out of the wall of the Burrow as he swept Molly to the ground.

That was as close as the Death Eaters got however, with the sound of a loud, continuous CRACK that lasted a good thirty seconds, twenty Aurors appeared on the lawn, to join the five permanently stationed here. A sudden torrent of green and red spells shot out from the newcomers' wands, and the assault died a hundred meters from any target.

*****************************Hogwarts********************************

"BLOODY HELL" Harry snarled as pain seared his scar, almost as if a hot poker had been held to his forehead. The emotion, the dark happiness of his foe was staggering as he looked up to see Crookshanks jump up and hiss at the air. An instant later, Hermione came running up the stairs, a tired, pained look in her eyes. She mutely shook her head as she dropped down on the couch next to him. The flare of fire that lit the room a moment later was somehow, not a surprise, but merely a dark confirmation. Harry summoned his trainers with a flick of a wand, laced them and stood up. Without a word, he led her out down the stairs, out the portrait hole, and through the castle to the second floor entrance of Dumbledore's office.

The Gargoyle did not even wait, but stepped aside as they approached. The old oak door stood closed, its griffin knocker gleaming in the torchlight. Several voices were heard from in the room, they stopped abruptly as Harry knocked and entered.

There was no twinkle in Dumbledore's eye as he swiveled to regard them. He just nodded and waved towards the crowd standing or sitting in front of his desk. Mad-Eye stood with Tonks, Lupin and McGonagall, each looking nervous, as if they all had been called for something, they knew was bad and were waiting for the other shoe to fall. Harry walked over to the wall near a tall, glass-fronted bookcase and leaned against it, Hermione perched next to him and absently petted Fawkes as he settled next to the pair.

Mad-Eye's eye spun to glare at them, he nodded, and Dumbledore took a deep breath. "Tonight, Death Eaters have struck at several sites in Britain and abroad. Their targets all appear to be the parents of students, former students or a combination thereof." Harry glanced over at Lupin who had grabbed, Tonks shoulder, and hung on Dumbledore's words like a wolf being told its pack had been slaughtered. Dumbledore's eyes scanned the room, but did not quite meet those of any of the people present. His words seemed to hang in the silence of the room as not a device was stirring, nor was a painting conversing. Every sentient or quasi-sentient in the room was waiting. "There does seem to be a connection, in their choice of targets...all of those targeted tonight, were original members of the DA or the parents of those original members." If a pin had been dropped in the room it would have sounded like an anvil. No one seemed to be able to speak, until...

"How many?" Harry asked softly, his whisper audible in every part of the round room.

"Several...and we are not sure yet, how many. I have sent Order members or Arthur has sent Aurors to every house or location of the parents or former students if they have already left Hogwarts."

Hermione eyes flicked over to Harry, and back to Dumbledore, "how many...Albus?" She asked softly, flatly. McGonagall hissed under her breath at the implied disrespect, but he waved her down.

"So far, we have heard of attacks in Dover, Lancashire, London and...Ottery St. Catchpole." The last site escaped as every head snapped to his. Dumbledore shook his head, "The Burrow is safe; the upgraded defenses were adequate for now. Miss Lovegood's home however was destroyed. Her father was working at the time, so he is safe as well. Mister Longbottom's home also found the same fate, though luckily, in that case also, his grandmother was staying with his Aunt. Miss Chang was attacked at the Auror Academy in London, she was injured slightly; however she managed to fight off the attacker, a Death Eater that had infiltrated her class."

Harry's head dropped as he listened, knowing that those had been the warm ups, he was right. "For the rest, that we know of right now, we were not so lucky. Miss Abbot's father was killed buying time for her mother and sister to escape. They are both here now. Mr. Finch-Fletchley's father was also killed and his mother was subjected to the Cruciatus Curse. Even though she is a muggle, I have had her taken to St. Mungo's." Harry's face was lifeless as he heard the news. His hand dropped to his wand, fingers absently tapping it as he waited for the rest. "Katie Bell was killed at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in Diagon Alley. However there as was the case at the Burrow, Voldemort's forces took heavy losses, it seems Fred and George had a surprise waiting for unexpected guests. The store was utterly destroyed, but they lessened Voldemort's forces by perhaps as many as twenty, though no number of Death Eaters is worth a single one of those we lost tonight."

As expected this last thought did not placate Harry, his eyes grew dark and troubled, even more than they had been at the start of the recounting. He turned to Hermione, their eyes met, and the sparkle was gone in her eyes as well, the pair of them looked dull and lifeless. He slid noiselessly to the floor, she following as if they were connected. No one else moved, and it was probably lucky for Snape that he wasn't here, as a comment would probably have gotten him killed. My fault, my fault, my fault...

No Harry...its mine, I came up with the idea...Hermione's lip quivered as she looked at him.

Hermione, they followed me. Katie, Justin... hell even Cho. And what about those parents, who asked them to fight?

Who asked mine? Her thoughts snapped back, her heart sunk even lower as he flinched, his eyes dropping from hers. Oh, Merlin Harry...Love, I'm sorry, I didn't mean it.

It's ok, you're right. Harry sighed as he looked down at his hands. They were twisting together, his knuckles going white with suppressed anger.

Reaching over, Hermione grabbed his hands with hers, quieting their movement. She left one hand on his while the other gently pried his eyes back to hers. No I am not...you are about the only person I'd ever admit that to, you know that right? Harry's lips quirked for an instant before he sighed once more and dropped his head to hers, foreheads touching, you know, who is responsible. Tom Riddle, not Harry Potter.

Honestly, I'm not either. Harry nodded slightly, and standing, pulled them both to their feet. He took her hand and headed for the door to the office. Fawkes trilled as he fluttered over to Dumbledore. Every eye, magical and real, tracked them as they crossed to the door. Without a word or a gesture to the rest, Hermione reached out and tried to turn the knob; it would not yield.

Without turning around Harry spoke to the door, "I am not fifteen any longer, Grandfather." Water would have frozen at the temperature of his words. "You know we can open this door, though it might cost you the door."

"Where are you going, Harry?" Dumbledore asked softly.

"We are going to end this, just the two of us. I'd go alone, but she'd follow me anyway." Harry replied.

"That is what he wants Harry..." McGonagall interjected, "to have you walk into his hands. To have both of you walk into his clutches."

Lupin turned and looked at him pleadingly, "Harry, I lost your..."

Harry closed his eyes as he interrupted, still not turning to face the rest of them, "Moony, as much as I would love for them to be alive, we are not the reincarnations of James and Lily, they proved they couldn't stand toe to toe with Riddle. We can. We're the only ones who can. Let's go Hermione." She opened the door, and a shining, shimmering field filled the doorway, a tentative touch proved that it was impassible.

With a snarl Harry spun back to Dumbledore to see that the wizard was now standing, his eyes lit white. "Let. Us. Go. Dumbledore."

"No" Dumbledore replied simply. Harry shook his head, took a breath, and the room suddenly crackled with power. His shining blue eyes glared at the old wizard as neither moved. Hermione eased closer to Harry and looked over the room, she had yet to call on her powers, but every wizard and witch in the room, could feel she was but a heartbeat away from doing so. Lupin started towards Harry, but stopped at a gesture from Dumbledore and moved back to where Tonks was standing with Mad-Eye and McGonagall, that older pair, was barely breathing.

"I will fight you." Harry stated softly, his face stony. Hermione's eyes flicked to his face, and the smallest of nods graced her neck. The room grew cold, and Fawkes vanished in a flare of fire.

"Hermione stop him," McGonagall cried desperately as she looked between the two, the very air was shimmering between them, like the haze above a asphalt road on a hot summer's day.

"No." Hermione replied, "I won't, we're in this together, no matter what." McGonagall swallowed hard at that response from her Head Girl. With a snap, Hermione's magic came to her call. Loose pages started ruffling around the room as a wind from out of nowhere arrived. Hermione's illuminated eyes met Harry's with a small, sad smile. You know, this might be enough to get us expelled.

Harry's continuance never changed as he continued to stare down perhaps the most powerful light wizard in the world, yeah, sorry about that, Mione. Neither Harry, nor Hermione, nor Dumbledore had drawn a wand as of yet, but hands hovered near sheaths and pockets and spells quivered on lips unspoken.

The lines were drawn, the silence deafening, when Dumbledore shook his head tiredly and sank to his chair once more, his eyes fading to their normal light blue. "Fine, go then, however I will ask one thing."

"What?" Harry said as the field in the open door vanished, revealing the waiting room and staircase outside.

"If after what I say to you now, you still think we should end it tonight, I will call the full Order and we will all go." Dumbledore's quiet pronouncement shocked the other elder wizards and witches in the room. Lupin smiled darkly as he pulled Tonks close to him. He shook his head down at her as she looked up at him questioningly. Dumbledore looked over at Mad-Eye while the grizzled Auror pulled a wand from his robes, speaking into it softly, a soft voice came back and he nodded. "Alastor has just alerted them, Harry, they will go." The soft light in the room, from the various torches, candles and lamps lit his craggy face as he looked at his Head Students, his eyes dark with emotion.

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but was immediately interrupted by the thunder of footsteps on the stairs, as Snape ran up them and into the office, "What is the meaning of this Dumbledore, challenging the Dark Lord at his..." Snape stopped as he scanned the room. He spotted Harry and Hermione near the door, and in a sneer, erased any progress the three might have had towards reconciling their differences. "Oh, I see... Potter has decided that he must rush forth once again into a trap, just because some muggles got..." Brown eyes, flashed blue and Snape briefly resembled the young Snape from his memories of James responding to an insult to Lily. This of course, was an instant before Hermione's arm completed its arc and he crashed through the cabinet Dumbledore held his pensive in.

Snape crawled from the wreckage of the cabinet and stood, brushing himself off. He glared at Hermione, and in one quick movement started for his wand...a blur met the eyes of the majority of the watchers, as Hermione MOVED, the tip of her wand suddenly dimpling the skin behind Snape's right ear at about the same time his hand touched the hilt of his. Harry still stood in the middle of the room, his hands resting on the hilts of his wands. His eyes were slightly unfocused as he kept everyone else in the room in his sight. Hermione's voice was cold as a glacier as she stood next to the greasy-haired one, "so...Snivellus, it's all right for Muggles to get killed or tortured as long as no wizards are..."

"Hermione, he didn't mean it like that" McGonagall cried, her burr making the words almost incomprehensible. Dumbledore still sat at his desk, almost as if it were a child's interruption in a story and he patiently waited to continue. Lupin and Tonks seemed glued to Snape's retort, if any, as if his words would decide something for them. Mad-Eye took a sip from his hip flask, his motions slow.

But before Snape could say a word, four new sets of footsteps thundered up Dumbledore's stairs. Ron, Luna, Ginny and Neville stormed into the room, all four in field gear under cloaks. "We're here Mad-Eye..." Instantly the four saw Hermione's wand to Snape's head, Harry's hands on his ready to draw, and they snapped theirs up as well. Luna and Ginny's at Snape, Ron and Neville's not quite covering the other five people in the room. Ron glanced back at Harry, and in a voice that still managed to hold some humor, "So Harry, care to explain, why the six of us are about to get expelled or in Azkaban, just curious actually mate."

Luna looked a back at Ron and smiled at him, "I think he really does have Nargles in his hair." Her expression turned serious, her eyes gained focus, "Harry are we leaving...or fighting?"

Despite the wand still to his head, Snape goggled, "You children would fight all of us and Dumbledore?"

"Yes" Ginny, Luna and Neville said as one. Ron just nodded while the other two had already given their opinion on that subject.

But Dumbledore, as was often the case had other ideas. "Actually no, Severus, they are not. I am not about to fight my own students...or family." Despite the situation Harry's heart smiled inside. "However, I am concerned about your statements. Severus. They seemed to indicate an intolerance that you had claimed to renounce...Please Hermione." Hermione glowered for a moment, but eventually lowered her wand and crossed back to Harry.

"Granger is the one who had her wand to my head...Sir" Snape bit out the last word, with just about the same feeling as almost the entire castle had for him.

Dumbledore did not move, only turned his head slightly so he could look directly into his Professor's eyes over the tops of his glasses. "Severus, the only reason she did," his tone dark. "Was that she is younger than me, and therefore quicker. Many of my closest friends have been muggles or muggle-borns. They seem to have a more open mind...as a rule, no offence to the others in the room." Dumbledore added, still not dropping his gaze. "For many years I have guarded your secrets Severus, I have lied for you, I have withheld information, and I have watched you torment those close to me. All the while, I have watched you transfer a feud you have held in your heart from one generation to another. Severus, it was not James' fault that your sister died, or that Lily did."
Not a word was spoken by anyone in the room. The rest of the students lowered their wands as well, but no one, who had drawn one had yet to sheath them.

"It was James who was responsible for covering her, she was working with them after all."

"She was an Auror lad, she knew the risks." Mad-Eye said as his eye spun to view Snape. "And James did not abandon her, I was the one who came after them, I found him battling six Death Eaters. And he DIED before he let Voldemort in the damn house to kill Lily." Harry's expression grew darker. His emotions raged enough to cause Hermione to wince as her free hand dropped to his arm, grabbing his wrist, just in case.

Snape looked at Alastor in amazement, his mouth opening to snarl a response, when Harry finally spoke for the first time since the remainder of the Marauders had come at Moody's call. "Personally, I would like an explanation." Harry's gaze flicked to Dumbledore then back to Snape. "And I will have one, however, that is not the original reason we were here. We were discussing why that we, or rather Hermione and I, should not go and end this war this evening one way or the other."

Ron looked at Harry, a shocked look on his face. "What happened Harry? And you know you aren't going without me." A corner of Harry's lip twitched, he sighed and nodded, and his expression fell once more to the 'I've seen too damn much,' Harry face that all his friends knew and detested.

"Voldemort stuck this evening Ron. Death Eaters tortured Justin's mum and killed his dad, Hannah's dad was killed, and..."

"What Harry?" Ron asked grimly, his heart in his throat.

"Neville...Luna" both of them spun to Harry, eyes wide. "Death Eaters attacked your homes, but your Gran, Neville and your dad, Luna are ok." The expression on Neville's face flashed through horror, to relief. Luna flung herself into Ron shoulder, crying softly as Ron held her tight and muttered a few words in her ear, she nodded, still crying, and he looked back to Harry.

"That's not all is it?"

"No, Ron. They struck at the twins shop in Diagon Alley; they took a whole bunch out with the surprise package. But Katie was killed before they set it off. They are fine along with Angelina and Alicia." Ron's expression had passed through emotions: horror, shock, joy, and finally settled to a low simmering anger.

"Let's go then Harry." Ron replied flatly, resolutely and turned to the door, an oddly normal expression on Luna's face as she fell in step with him, the tracks of tears still visible on her face.

"Wait, Ron," Harry said as he returned to looking at Dumbledore. "Dumbledore claims that he has a reason why I." He gave his friend the tiniest of sad smiles; "why we shouldn't return the favor tonight. Lets hear why. But first, I assume that you have taken all of the graduated Order members into protection and their families?"

"Yes Harry, I sent that missive before you and Hermione even came to my office," A flash of fire and a crimson and gold bird stood on Dumbledore's desk amidst the parchments, a couple smoking, two notes in his beak. Dumbledore read them and a visible shudder of relief passed his shoulders. "Most all of the DA members that had graduated have been notified and are being protected. The families of those still in school are on their way here. Minerva, please tell Mr. Filch that we will need temporary guest quarters prepared for the night, post-haste." McGonagall looked askance at him, but eventually nodded and left. Dumbledore watched her leave then, with a sigh, pulled his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Replacing them he explained, "The reason that I am against counterattacking tonight, is there is really only one place we can strike, and I am afraid we have no advantages there."

"Would you rather Voldemort attack here?" Hermione replied though almost more thoughtful than angry. Ron suddenly looked as if he were playing a chess game in his head and he nodded at Harry, though bitterly.

"Unfortunately he's right Harry, we really only have Riddle Manor to strike at, well maybe Malfoy Manor or a couple of other known safe houses, it's a trap Harry. Mind, I will go if you want, but..." Ron shrugged, and Harry nodded.

"Its amazing, Weasley can use his brain." Snape cackled, but any further words were stopped suddenly as Luna's wand rose again and his mouth snapped open and closed without any sound.

"That will be enough Severus, Oh, Miss Lovegood, I am afraid that I will have to give you a night's detention with me for that, come see me tomorrow night." Luna nodded at Dumbledore but she didn't look ashamed but rather pleased. Dumbledore waved a wand and the silencing charm lifted from Snape, "Please Severus, do not make me practice a silencing charm...As to the other, yes Harry, Ron has stated my fear, our only real target in response would be Riddle house, which is where he will have concentrated his forces, ready for you. None of us could hope to go in there alone and win. Even with your assistance, probably even with all of your assistances, we could not win. We do not have the time to ready a force large enough to take Tom on in his lair. Not before others could warn him."

Dumbledore looked at Hermione, and nodded to her, "And yes, Hermione, in many ways I would prefer Tom to strike here. In fact if it were not for the danger to the students, and if we had prior warning, we could lure him in here and smash his forces on the defenses of the castle, and if it were not for the other, much greater danger." Dumbledore did not elaborate, most of those in the room knew the reason, and those who didn't would probably find out. Snape however didn't know, and no one was much inclined to fill him in. "I had hoped to hold out until at least the summer, when we could have struck at our leisure without prying eyes to inform him we where coming."

Dumbledore looked about the room and his eyes settled on Luna, he frowned but his eyes flicked to Harry then back to Luna, "Harry there is a way to tell if it is a trap, and if they are waiting for us."

Harry, Ron and Hermione's gaze met, and as one, "NO." Harry waved his friends to silence, as Ron moved protectively towards Luna, "No," Harry said calmly, slightly dangerously, as he and Hermione moved between Luna and Dumbledore. At that moment McGonagall came back up the stairs having found Filch right outside in the corridor.

"Albus, the accommodations are..." She broke off and looked about the room and saw how the others were packing around Luna. "What the bloody hell is going on now?" She snapped, and suddenly, like a balloon popping, slightly insane laughter filled the room, first from Luna, then an instant later from Ginny and Ron.

Harry bit back a dark chuckle as he sighed heavily, he sighed again and regarded Dumbledore, "Its too dangerous, we had this discussion already. YOU agreed to that yourself." I'll be damned if I let Luna get hurt over my desire for vengeance. Hermione cocked an eyebrow at him, and he nodded, shrugging.

"There is a way...if she and the rest of you are willing." Dumbledore insisted softly. At their disbelief he stood, and walked over to the flaxen haired girl, "I agree that Miss Lovegood, using her talents without support would be quite dangerous for her...but not if we go along for the ride as they say."

Hermione's and a brief millisecond later, Harry's mind solved the riddle, she beat him to the punch however "that's dark magic." Her expression was a tad shocked, though nowhere near where it would have been a mere two years ago, "you can't be serious."

"Partially correct, Hermione" Dumbledore gave her a smile, almost as if she were in class, "as it was used against you and Harry, it is the darkest of magic, draining the life-forces of your followers to attack others. However like many dark spells, the original intention has been twisted. The spell was originally to be to used to provide for the safety of Clairvoyants on extended visions, to provide strength and a touch of protection...I dare say that you know the incantation?" Hermione nodded slowly, reluctantly, as she looked over at Luna.

"Luna, you don't have to, you just got out of the infirmary just for that very thing." Harry said softly, but Luna just shook her head slowly and gave them a small, wry smile.

She backed into Ron's arms as she replied, "its ok, Harry, Ronald will be there with me, all of you." Harry sighed and looked over at Hermione, he nodded and without anther word Ginny and Neville crowded close as Luna buried her head in Ron's chest. Hermione waved her wand in a large circle over the heads of the six of them; a glowing, white ring of light followed her wand. Golden light escaped from beneath Luna's closed lids, as Ron lowered his chin to the top of her head and the faintest of glows could be seen in his suddenly sightless eyes in the dim room.

*************************Little Hangleton*********************************

In a dark cemetery that one of their number had visited before, ghosts appeared, but not normal ghosts, but ghosts of animals, some of which had never been in England naturally. Suddenly a large spectral tiger and a dark lion prowled the alleys between the headstones. A large, immaterial bear followed the pair while to the front a small cat prowled between the stones, and a large raptor swept here and there on the nights winds, both of them as ghostly as the bear, or the two big cats. Centered between the two big cats, almost like they were an animal honor guard, a white wolf padded, her nose twitching. The lion looked over at the tiger, and with a nod of Harry's great, shaggy head the six of them swept off in formation.

They prowled the night, stopping suddenly as the animagi; or rather the projections of the animagi detected the fifty or so Death Eaters lurking inside a clump of woods. They were waiting, and looking intently at the grounds, obviously waiting to ambush an attack. Harry carefully led them away from the Death Eaters, but it was quickly obvious that they could not see them. Emboldened, Harry led the rest about the grounds of Voldemort's lair, all of them, continuing to pack around Luna, just in case. Another three groups of Death Eaters waited, each group blind to the spies in their midst. Eventually Harry crept up to the house, and stretched out his senses, but he had been correct in his original assumption. The eyes of his lion form looked over at Luna's slightly glowing ones, the white fur of her form, even whiter in this projection. He motioned with his head, and she flicked her ears and nodded in response.

In a sudden rush like a portkey trip gone mad, they were back.

************************Headmaster's office***********************

Sight returned to Harry's eyes and he quivered a bit on his feet as he turned to Dumbledore, noting out of the corner of his eye, Ron catching Luna as her knees failed her for a second as the trip caught up with her. "You were right, it was a trap." Harry looked apologetic, "He wasn't there though."

"Fits his pattern, Lad" Alastor said softly, "He never did like to risk his precious skin."

"Yes Harry, I am afraid that was my supposition as well. Tom meant to have his forces exhaust you and I am sure, your friends and myself as well before he came out himself. And in fact, I doubt that Luna would have been able to project herself and the rest of you undetected if he had been present." Dumbledore did not look pleased with himself at being correct, more ambivalent. "Harry, Hermione, Ron, all of you." Dumbledore looked at the group of teens, and then over at Tonks and Lupin and back at Harry, skipping over the defiant scowl of Snape as he stood with his arms crossed. "If you would, I would like you to help with those we will soon have arriving. Harry, Hermione, please coordinate the prefects and yourself showing the parents where to stay." Harry nodded, not terribly pleased, but it was something to do. "Ron, Tonks Lupin and Alastor, I would appreciate it, if you could look over the security arrangements for the school, Alastor if there are wards or protections that I need to actuate, let me know. Minerva, I think it might be appropriate for the house elves to have something laid on in case the new arrivals are needing sustenance, or comfort." Orders received, the occupants of the room started for the door, all except Snape, who suddenly found himself unable to move. "Severus, I would like to speak to you..." The oak door closed behind them.

***********************Headmaster's Office************************

Severus Snape slammed the old oak door as he left, a dark thoughtful look on his face. Dumbledore nodded, hopeful that this was a sign of moderation from the Potions Professor towards Harry. He had had hopes for eventual reconciliation after Harry had led basically his entire family into Voldemort's lair but it seemed his hopes still had not borne much fruit as tonight's events proved. Snape, while somewhat tempering his attitude in public towards Harry, still seemed to feel no compunction to do so in private in front of members of the Order. And while, even Harry would privately admit to Snape being on the side of the angels and would trust him to fight against Voldemort, the last seven years of mutual antagonism had yet to fade, and would erupt at the worst times.

"Well, Albus, that did not go well." A soft baritone came from the air, seemingly out of nowhere. The voice was similar to Harry's but different, and the accent, was as well. Dumbledore looked up as a pair of translucent figures passed through his walls and stopped in front of his desk. The witch and wizard were both dressed in old, definitely period robes. The wizard's was open to reveal a pair of decrepit leather breaches, under a linen shirt. A bejeweled sword rode his left hip, a wand his right. A neatly trimmed, raven goatee surrounded his slightly grinning lips, while a much less bedraggled by time, version of the sorting hat covered a matching shock of long, black hair, that was barely pulled back into a tail. As the pair passed in front of the chairs they grew solid, their colors true, and they sat.

The witch of the pair rolled her eyes at her companion, and pulled a matching sheathed sword out and set it on the floor. Her outfit was similar to his, though slightly less decrepit; she absently brushed a stray brunette curl behind one ear as she looked about the office. "Honestly Albus, I do like what you have done to the place, much better than Salazar wanted to do to it. All that green..."

"I thought you liked green, my dear..." A pair of grass green eyes smiled.

"Only you, love."

"Not that I would presume to interrupt...why have such august presences as yourselves joined me this evening?" Dumbledore did not look taken aback by the sudden presence of two of Hogwarts founders in his office at almost midnight, or rather their shadows; it was Hogwarts after all.

"We came to discuss our line, or rather lines, after Rowena looked forward and transferred her powers into a muggle line." Godric looked over at her with a slight grin.

"It seemed rather incestuous if I didn't love." She replied, a matching grin on her lips.

"Uh, Hem," The two shadows looked at Dumbledore, "Since I am headmaster, I will admit I am somewhat curious, should I expect a visit from your counterparts as well?"

"No, I am afraid not," Rowena replied, "Helga never imbued the castle with enough of her presence to manifest herself, and I am afraid that Salazar's shadow was expelled long ago. You know the reason why." She paused and looked over at Godric, who just waved at Dumbledore, yielding the floor to her as it were. "You know, unlike that Trelwaney woman whom you had teaching, I was an actual, true seer, I could look forward at will."

Dumbledore nodded, "Yes I knew, however she has made a few predictions."

"True, and the fate of our Heirs still awaits the outcome of that, even when I was alive however, I would not have been allowed to foresee the outcome of those events. Sorry." Rowena grimaced, "Albus, I know you would anyway, but it is imperative that you do everything in your power to make sure they survive. There is another evil about, one that predates Tom Riddle. They are the ones who inspired Salazar to build his chamber."

"Then you know, the greater powers that the chamber possesses? Is there a way to destroy it, I confess I have not been able to do, and I do not want Harry to try to force entry again." Dumbledore inquired eagerly, but his hopes were dashed.

"No I am afraid not." Godric shook his head sadly. "I...we tried when we where still whole, not merely shadows of ourselves, but the chamber eluded us even then, and I dare say it has gotten more powerful over the last thousand years, it would have adsorbed a great deal of magic, being at this school."

"So the battle will begin here then?"

"Yes Albus, and we actually came to give you a message."

"And that would be?"

"Be ready, the end may not be the end. There are others waiting for the darkness to fall." Rowena shrugged. "There is no more that we are allowed to share to you, I am sorry Albus."

*************************Hogwarts, Great Hall**************************

Flashbacks of third year raced through Harry's mind as he looked over the families crowded into the Great Hall. He watched moodily as Hermione summoned a pile of sleeping bags for some of the smaller children of the displaced families, Lisa Abbott among them as Fred and George entertained them with a selection of tricks. The twins had come to Hogwarts with Angelina and Alicia, bearing the body of Katie Bell. She would be laid to rest two days hence. Unfortunately she was not the only former student to fall tonight. Five more precious Aurors had died in London, each one an honor graduate of Hogwarts, each one dead in their own homes.

Harry smiled down at a little girl who ran past him from the direction of the door, running over to her father who tried to look happy for her. He walked over to Neville, who was sitting with his grandmother as she drank a cup of tea. "Hello, Mrs. Longbottom" Harry said, approaching the pair. "Is there anything we can get for you?" Neville looked up at him with a grim, half-smile. He was still wearing his Order gear, though with his cloak off.

"No dear." Mrs. Longbottom replied, patting his arm, "you and Dumbledore and Miss Granger and all the rest have done more than you should for an old lady."

"I beg to differ ma'am, however I need..." Harry nodded to her, and continued on, noticing Pavarti and Padma with a dark-haired woman who must be their mother, and Lavender and her father talking softly nearby. McGonagall had sent for all the students whose families were spending the night at Hogwarts before new secure quarters could be arranged. Ron stopped to talk to the girls for a second, before joining his brothers. The remaining Weasleys and Mr. Lovegood were at the Burrow. While it wasn't as secure as Hogwarts, Arthur was still the Minister of Magic and a substantial guard of Aurors was in place there. Hogwarts on the other hand, was bare of Aurors except for Tonks and Mad-Eye. Lupin was, of course, equivalent to an Auror in experience, training and skills as well, but every adult soul that had taken refuge here tonight, knew that the true protection for them and the castle had just entered the room.

Dumbledore strode in the room, occasionally stopping to talk to various parents and children, but his course in the main was unerringly towards Harry. As Dumbledore finished speaking to one last parent and joined Harry, Ron came up as well. Dumbledore nodded at the pair, "Miss Granger, if I could have a word with you three." Hermione finished with the kids and came over. Dumbledore silently led the group over to a quiet corner of the room, "Harry, Hermione," Dumbledore said lowly, "if you would please have the rest of the prefects take shifts throughout the night, that would be excellent." The pair nodded, "Ronald, I have a special project for you." Dumbledore looked at him directly, seriously, "if by some chance, this is actually a scheme by Riddle to concentrate us in one place for an attack, I would like you to come up with a plan for the evacuation of the younger students and our guests."

Ron looked gulped a little, but nodded. "Ok, I'll come up with something, however Professor, wouldn't you be better at it than I, or Harry or Hermione."

Dumbledore smiled at him for an instant, before the sight of the refugees drove that expression from his face. He shook his head, "They will have enough to do, and I trust your skills, Ronald. Please keep in mind the children and the elder witches and wizards. Now if you will excuse me, I have to go make my rounds."

Ron nodded, as Dumbledore left, for a moment, his face was blank, and then with a sudden rush, he knew what to do. "Harry, Hermione, when you assign prefects for tonight, make sure that they know the secret passage at the back of the room. I'll set up something there." He looked around and frowned, "You guys know that if they attack and get in the school, we're buggered right?"

********************Astronomy Tower, Hogwarts**********************

March 31, 2006

2:15 am

"Here" Ron said softly as he exited the door to the roof of the tower and sat down next to Harry and Hermione. Both of them had their backs to the low wall around the roof, as they sat on the old stone floor of the turret. A millennia's worth of cushioning charms had softened the stones from untold numbers of students "visiting" the tower. Ron watched as Luna followed him out of the doorway, with a softly clanking sack in her hand. He sat six vials of an orange potion in front of Harry with a small shrug, "fresh from the twins." Thousands of stars and a bright, full moon were visible tonight, casting everything and everyone in a soft blue light. Ron took a bottle from Harry and took a deep drink.

Luna sat down next to Ron and leaned on his shoulder with a soft sigh. "Here." She whispered as she took a slightly glowing green bottle from the bag and handed it to her fiancée.

"Oh hell no," Hermione whispered sharply as she took a sip from a bottle she was sharing with Harry. She frowned... "Not yet." Luna's blue eyes regarded her for a long moment, before she nodded and put it aside. Instead she took the bottle of Odgen's Ron handed her and took a shot. "Luna..." Hermione asked, concern flavoring her tone, "should you be drinking, so soon after using your powers?"

Luna shrugged and took another drink, she glanced over at her friend, "I don't know Hermione." She replied, her voice curiously sober, "I guess I don't have a house anymore, do I. And Daddy and I got off easy, I guess..." Ron pulled her into his lap and hugged her back against him. She didn't cry the tears had passed earlier. Hermione mouthed "sorry", Luna shrugged at her, the transgression already forgiven.

Harry looked at his friends, or rather family, and groaned lowly, "The rest of the Prefects have their assignments, Ron?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

"I saw Filch on the way up here." Ron muttered conversationally. He peered at the label on the bottle he was holding as if it held some divine secret; he shrugged and took a drink.

"Oh?" Hermione asked politely.

"Yeah...told him to go to hell, and his damn cat too." Ron shrugged as he took a shot of whiskey. "Probably got detention, or expelled or something."

"I'll miss you." Hermione replied, quietly.

"Thanks, sis." Ron looked around, "were Ginny and Neville coming? And come to think of it, why aren't there any students up here...it's a nice night?"

"We ran them off...we are the Head Students." Harry said with a carefully practiced Percy voice that caused Ron to spew his mouthful of Whiskey all over the stones.

With a sigh, Ron raised his bottle, "to Percy, a git, an arsehole...and a brother." With a slow nod, Harry and Hermione each took a drink to Percy.

At that moment, Ginny and Neville both arrived. Ginny looked rather flushed, and Neville's hair was almost as messy as Harry's, which caused Ron to regard her with a gimlet eye, before mutely indicating a patch of floor. Neville sat, with his back against the center, raised section of the turret, and Ginny curled up between his legs, her back to his chest. With a sharp gesture she waved at Ron, he dug in the bag Luna had brought and tossed them a bottle as well. She took a sip and handed the bottle over her shoulder to Neville who took a rather larger sip.

"Harry?" Ginny said softly.

"Yeah?"

"Would you have really fought Dumbledore?"

"Yeah."

"Ok," She took another sip, "we've been at the top of this tower too damn much, Harry." The tiny redhead said softly. She looked the rest of the new Marauders, and raised her bottle, "Ernie and Zach." Six sets of lips tasted firewhiskey as they drank to the first of the DA to fall.

Over the next two hours, many more toasts to fallen friends, a few enemies, and those caught in the crossfire were drunk; Katie, the parents from tonight, the poor muggles caught in the crossfire, the wards of wizards and witches at St. Mungo's living out the rest of their days with no souls, no thoughts. Until finally the last cards were dropped, with a odd look on his face, Harry looked down at his bottle and raised it shakily, "T.t..to Sirius...the scariest puppy I've ever seen." Hermione gave him a small smile as she toasted to Harry's godfather.

She turned and looked into Harry's eyes, "To James and Lily...they gave all to hold back the darkness, for a little while longer." Hermione whispered. "to give me...everything." She bit her lip as her eyes never left his. Harry didn't speak for a long moment, then without warning, he pulled her in close.

"To...Roger and J..Jane, for bringing the light into my darkness." Harry breathed, his lips next to her ear. Almost instantly he could feel her tears soaking his shirt, and his gaze grew hazy as tears clouded his vision as well.

Soon after those words were spoken, silence reigned. And ten minutes later, none were awake on the tower. Neville had passed out sometime in the middle of the toasting and was already gone. Ginny had slipped away to sleep soon after. Ron had stayed with the others until Sirius' toast then with a sudden snore, he was gone. Of course the fact that for at least one toast, he might have chugged the whole fifth instead of taking a drink might have something to do with that state. Luna as usual was weird, she never really looked drunk until, all at once as she noticed Ron passed out, she lay down on top of him and passed out instantly. Only Harry and Hermione had heard the last two toasts, and as soon as he had uttered the last words, Harry had snuggled down against the wall and closed his eyes.

Another two hours passed until the first rays of the morning sun, poked incessantly at Harry and Hermione's eyeballs. Harry groaned as he opened his eyes, to find Hermione snuggled up under his chin. Feeling around on the ground next to him, Harry found his glasses and slipped them on. Glancing down, he saw a pair of bloodshot amber eyes looking up at him. "You look like shit love." Hermione whispered.

"Thanks, Mione." Harry replied, sarcastically, "g'eroff" he muttered, and with a muffled "umpf" Hermione slid off his chest as he levered himself to his feet, instantly the world spun, and as he was at the highest point in the castle...that wasn't so good. Harry suddenly turned a light shade of green, and just barely managed to reach the edge of the parapet and lean over the side before it escaped. His face hung out over the grounds as he gasped for breath. A small hand started rubbing small, comforting circles on his back and he closed his eyes gratefully.

"Here, Harry" Hermione murmured as she handed him a bright orange vial of potion. With a pained smile, Harry took the vial and drank it in one gulp. Shuddering at the taste, he took two deep breaths and suddenly the world was steady once more and his vision was clear, well as clear as it ever got.

"Thank you Hermione...for everything." Harry said as she flowed into his arms. She granted him a small, half-smile as he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Think we should wake them?" Harry asked, indicating their friends with a free hand. Ron was lying on his back near the door to the tower, with Luna lying on top of him like a pale-haired blanket. Ron's face was invisible under a cloud of dirty-blond hair, and for a brief instant Harry was wondering if he were breathing, but after a long, shuddering snore came from under the covering of Luna's hair, he figured Ron was ok.

Several feet away, Neville was lying on his back, his mouth hanging slackly open in his sleep. Ginny had sometime during the night transformed into her kneazle form and was currently curled up as a fire-red kneazle on Neville's chest. "No, they're ok." Hermione replied back softly. She turned and looked out over the grounds, Harry's arms still around her waist from behind, providing warmth and security. They stood there at the parapet, at the wall for a long few minutes, watching the sun fully crest the mountains surrounding the castle, watching the light of day replace the shadows of night.

A/N Ok, the last scene was one of my infamous DVD edition scenes, added post production, I hope I cut it off at a good spot. Since this is another long chapter, it might be a bit before another makes it up, especially after the multiple chapters up this weekend.

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