Disclaimer: I don't own the characters; they are property of JK Rowling.
A/N: Hi to all of you. Here we are once again, with another chapter. So please, leave me a review if you read, that makes me happy. Hope you'll like this!
Chapter Fourteen
"Nearing the Battle"
Next morning, for Harry and the others another school term begun. First lesson was Potions, with the new Professor, after Snape's death. A very young and well-looking woman arrived, named Jane Hopkins, and she showed immediately an instant and radical change of behaviour, compared with the Snape's one, especially toward Harry.
For the first time, Harry enjoyed Potions and his mood was excellent when he entered the Transfiguration Class, where, however, McGonagall treated him with the bigger hate one could imagine. The same for Neville and the other Order of the Shadows members. Yes, even Hermione, who was continuously rebuked by the Professor, even if she was the best witch at Hogwarts.
That was a first, but while once the young witch would have been bothered by that, now she knew there were more important things to care of, especially in that moment.
Then, there was lunch, and the Great Hall was full of harsh comments, when the Order of the Shadows entered, forming a compact group. Harry had decided that nobody of the Order should go alone in the castle, fearing assaults to them. Dumbledore looked them with gravity, but remained silent.
After lunch, there was Care of Magical Creatures, and Hagrid showed them the chimeras, but even Hagrid, who was one of Harry's best friends, couldn't help to be a bit hard with him. At the end of the lesson, however, he invited Harry for a tea, and the boy accepted. While they were drinking, Hagrid spoke, ruffling his hair.
"Harry, sincerely, I don't want to believe to all the things Dumbledore and the Ministry say about you, but this summer you have passed the limit. I didn't think you were responsible for Sirius's death, and remained detached from you last year just because Dumbledore told us to do so, and you know, Dumbledore has always done a lot for me…but now, you have almost destroyed the Order of the Phoenix, Harry, the only organisation which acted to destroy Voldemort and his followers. You destroyed what your parents fought for, Harry. I really don't know what I have to think about you. I thought you were against the Dark side, but now…" the half giant said, shaking his head.
"Hagrid, the Order of the Phoenix blamed me for Sirius's death, and that was unfair. They wasted their time last year controlling me and trying to isolate me from all the people I cared for and that cared for me, instead than controlling Voldemort, and you have seen what has happened. The Ministry…Diagon Alley…St.Mungo's…Hagrid, the prophecy is clear. I have to destroy Voldemort, or to die trying. But for doing this, I need freedom and to feel I'm supported by the people around myself. I can't do that if I feel like I'm walking around guarded like some kind of murderer, and that's what the Order wanted. That's why I had to destroy it. I've a life-or-death battle to win, and they were in my path"
"Harry, I want to explain you, that without a group of people near you, you cannot destroy him, and the Order was this group"
"Hagrid, I do have a group of people with me. People who would never doubt me, and that would support me no matter what. I know they did not understood why we killed all the Order of the Phoenix members this summer, but they fought all the same, because they believe in me. It is the Order of the Shadows that I founded last year"
"The Order of the Shadows? But this name is so dark…" the half giant said, shivering a bit.
"Because our weapons are the dark creatures…" and then Harry explained all the facts to Hagrid, who asked to join the Order, convinced that Harry was on the right side and bored by Dumbledore's inactivity against Voldemort for a whole year.
Then Harry, for safety, put a spell on his friend, that would stop him to reveal all what the boy had said to him. It was not that Harry didn't trust Hagrid, but he had often revealed secrets even not wanting. The half giant simply was not born to keep secrets.
Some days later, Harry tried to regain his place in the Quidditch team, but even if the last captain, Ron, was dead, the new one wasn't friendlier with him. He was Seamus Finnegan, the Head Boy, and one of the strongest opposers of Harry and his Order.
"What you want here, Potter? We don't want you in the squad, so, go away!"
Harry turned, nothing disappointed. He had tried, but actually, he already knew that he would have been rejected. He went to speak a little with his new friend, the Potions Professor; he entered her office, and she was very kind with him. He felt that she could have been useful for the Order, so he asked her to join, but she refused, to not be exposed in first line. Jane said she had lived on her skin Voldemort's first reign of terror, and had not the bravery to challenge the Dark Lord since she had family and little kids. However, she assured to them all the support she could give them from the outside.
Every evening, the Order trained in the Room of Requirements, with Dobby out of it, to control the situation. However, Dumbledore didn't know what they did, or chose to not care of it, so they were never interrupted or in troubles. They practiced a long list of Dark charms, and very powerful Shield Charms, because Harry was sure in the final battle they would need them. In addition, they studied also the recorded habits of the Death Eaters, trying to learn all what was possible on them.
One day, Harry went to the Owlery, to send a letter to the Ringwraiths.
"Dear Ringwraiths,
here, we are training a lot. However
I want to ask you if you have news
about Voldemort's whereabouts. I
remind you that this is a thing of the
utmost importance.
Harry Potter"
Then, almost a week later, he received the answer.
"Our Lord,
we have found his whereabouts, or, at least this is
what we think. I have sent one of us to control
our information, to be sure we are not wrong. I'll
owl you the final reply.
Master Ringwraith"
That evening, however, even if all of the members were used to the others' attacks, something shocking happened. Harry was walking just out of the Head Boy/Girl quarters, when he heard Hermione screaming in pain.
"Please, leave me! Please…I beg you!"
"Shut up, bitch! I cannot kill Potter, but I can at least kill the most important thing for him. He will pay for having joined Voldemort."
Harry entered the room, cutting the portrait that closed it. "Explodere!" he cried, and the picture was destroyed, revealing the entrance. He found Seamus on Hermione, half naked, on the floor. She had wounds on her body, blood dripping from them, but the worst thing was that Seamus was trying to rape her!
"Crucio!" Harry cried, blind for rage.
Seamus fell on the floor in pain, shouting.
"Finnegan, what did you think you were doing? Next time you'll touch her, I'll kill you. Remember that! See what a good end Weasley did," Harry said icily and then he helped Hermione to dress again, and brought her in the Hospital Wing.
It was by now the last Monday on November, and apart for this event, all was calm. However, that morning, the "Daily Prophet" had another shocking new.
"Hogsmeade Destroyed!" was the first page title, and then the article continued. "The village of Hogsmeade, very close to Hogwarts, was attacked yesterday by a great number of Death Eaters. All the shops were destroyed, "Zonko's", "Honeydukes", "Three Broomsticks", "Hog's Head", and even the quite unknown tea room "Mrs. Puddifoot's", often frequented only by couples. The Dark Mark was on most of the houses in the village, and without the Ministry's Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix to protect us, Hogwarts will soon be the next victim of the Dark Lord. So, even if this is hopeless, I want to try one last thing, one plea, to the Boy-Who-Lived. He could be the only hope we may have, if he remembers who he really is. Harry Potter, come back to the Light and save us!"
Harry immediately stood up, and ran to the Owlery.
"Ringwraith,
we are in emergency! We have to
attack, now!! Leave with all the other
Ringwraith, and all the creatures. We
will reach you in the forest near Voldemort's
whereabouts you signalled me as soon as we can.
Not before two weeks and a half, however.
Harry Potter"
Then he sent the letter by Hedwig, asking her to go as fast as she could. He then, ran back to the Great Hall and encountered all the other members out of it. He said only six words.
"The Final battle is at hand"
Two weeks later, the first day of the Christmas holidays, they boarded on the Express to give the impression they were really going home, at Malfoy's castle, as they had declared.
They reached King's Cross some hours later, and then Harry led all of them out of the station as quickly as they could. Then, without caring of being seen by Muggles, they Apparated to the forest near Dover, where the Ringwraith and the Order's Dark Army were waiting them.
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