Call Me Yours
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Sixty-Four: The Second Wizarding War
There is a buzz of activity in the room, as each House stands as a group. There are no seated people. Harry is nowhere to be found. Amycus and Alecto Carrow stand as sinister sentinels at the tall table at the top of the Hall, their eyes sweeping the crowd.
A pale Professor McGonagall and a shrinking Flitwick stand next to each other along the right and left walls, respectively. Slowly, the room goes silent as Snape steps forward. "Many of you are probably wondering why I've called you here. Well, I've just heard that Harry Potter was seen earlier this evening in Hogsmeade."
There is a murmured thrill in the hall. McGonagall's eyes sparkle with curiosity. Snape raises his voice, briefly, to quell the noise in the Hall. "I mention this hoping truth won't be supplanted by rumour."
Y/n held Harry's hand, looking down. "The news does not surprise me or a handful of select staff members. For some time, we have been expecting Mr Potter's return to Hogwarts could even be inevitable." Snape said, looking at his students.
"Over the past few months, I have employed extensive defensive strategies to combat any attempt Mr Potter might make to breach these walls. But understand this. Should anyone attempt to help Mr Potter, that person will be punished in a manner commensurate with their transgression."
While Y/n glanced over at him without being seen, Harry squeezed her hand softly. "Happily, Harry Potter will never again set foot in this castle as long as I am Headmaster at Hogwarts." As applause erupts from the Slytherins, Maisy Reynolds glowers at them. A hand is raised by Snape. After a moment of silence, the room returns to its original state. "Now then. If anyone here knows Mr Potter's movements this evening...I invite them to step forward now."
Snape's eyes rake the Hall. Dead silence. A nervous shift of glances. And then footsteps, people gasp turning to Harry who let go of Y/n's hand. "I think I can help you out with that," he said, "It seems you have a little security problem, despite your elaborate defensive strategies."
Snape stares in stunned disbelief, then his gaze shifts as one by one, others emerge Ron. Hermione, Lupin, Arthur, Molly, Fred, George, Percy, Luna, Dean Thomas, Bill, Fleur, Kingsley Shacklebolt. "And I'm afraid it's rather extensive."
After moving toward Harry, the Carrows halt and look at Snape with uncertainty. The eyes of Harry, which are narrowed by malice, tighten as he looks at Snape. Harry pointed his wand at Snape, and Snape exclaimed, "How dare you!" Harry shouted, "Tell them what happened that night. Tell them what you saw in his eyes, a trusting man...and how you killed him!"
Despite seeing Harry's eyes, Snape can see only his masked face. No longer an ashen ghost, McGonagall stands poised. The hand holding Flitwick's wand twitches. As anticipation builds, the air prickles.
He appears to be retrieving his wand as he does this. A missile is fired at Snape by McGonagall. The spell is parried, and chaos ensues when he sends it around the room. Inspired by Harry and McGonagall, Flitwick and the rest of the staff leap forward.
Despite being outnumbered at the epicentre, Alecto and Amycus Carrow were able to deflect two curses into Snape.
Snape takes the measure of the room and sweeps his wand over his head, reducing the torches that line the wall to smoke and pitching the Hall into total darkness.
Suddenly, a great noise fills the Hall while flying objects streaks past the windows, rattling the panes before flying through them. McGonagall, with her wand, raised high above her head, as the torches come back to life. A bat-like creature can be seen in the moonlight. McGonagall watches the darkness with bitter eyes.
McGonagall screamed, "Coward! Coward! And he didn't even stay to fight!" she turned to Harry. "What are you doing here, which, as you clearly understand, is completely and utterly insane?" She asked Harry.
"A member of the Gryffindor house, Ma'am"
"I thought there might be something involved in that." McGonagall turned to the room with her arms up, trying to calm everyone down. "Alright! Quiet down! Quiet down!" The room quiets. "It would seem that your Headmaster, to use the common phrase, has messed up."
A cheer rises from all Houses save Slytherin, Even McGonagall can't help but smile. Just then, Harry flinches slightly, pressing his fingers to his temple. "Harry..." Y/n said being the only one to notice catching people's attention.
The Hall is filled with a slow rumble. The Enchanted Ceiling appears to be coagulating with dark clouds, as Harry glances up. Like others, McGonagall watches as the clouds shift eerily, like blots of blood.
There is a chill breeze drifting through the room, making the flames in the torches on the walls tremble. Darkness slowly creeps into the Hall. All things are silent when a girl screams, her voice growing louder. It's a fast rush through the crowd as Harry lashes forward, pushing past the students and finding Maisy, cowering on the floor clenched tight, hands over her ears.
There is an air of possessiveness around her. There is a relaxed atmosphere as everyone watches. After some time, Harry starts moving forward, with his fingers pressed against his temples. Meanwhile, someone else in the room screams. Y/n glances at the faces around him
They are all mirror images of Maisy now, grinning in pain. Suddenly, Harry sees a voice booming in his head, warning him. He stares at it, confused, stricken with pain. "Many of you will be tempted to fight, and some may even believe that this is wise. But this is foolish."
For a moment, they stand, looked at each other in silence and then Y/n glanced over at Harry who was looking up. "I'm not trying to harm you. I have great respect for the students of Hogwarts. I was one too once." Voldemort said, "Give me Harry Potter and no one will be hurt. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded."
A moment later, the whisper disappears, bringing those in the hall back into the present atmosphere. Within the Enchanted Ceiling, clouds evaporate above them. Each eye finds Harry like iron filings flaking onto magnets.
There will be silence for a moment. A finger is pointed at Harry by Pansy Parkinson. Instinctively, Y/n steps in front of Harry, drawing her wand as Harry held onto her hand. "But he's there! Potter's there!" she screams. Having gathered in a line, the Gryffindors face the Slytherins, shielding Harry.
Moments later, the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs do the same. Harry's eyes glitter at the sight, moved. Ginny lowers her wand. There was just a burst of noise in the hall as Filch burst into the room. "Students in the corridors! Students out of bed!"
While Mrs Norris wanders through Filch's legs, he comes to a halt. McGonagall said, staring at him. "They're supposed to be up by now!"
"Oh. Sorry, mum." Filch begins to turn away.
"Wait! As it turns out, Mr Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I'd like you to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin House from the Hall."
"Right away." Filch said, before stopping once more, "Er, exactly where is it I'd be leadin' em to, mum?"
After a pause, McGonagall says, "Dungeons will do." The roar of cheers rises again, and McGonagall turns to Harry. Standing straight, jaw firmly in place. "What is it you need?" she asked, "Surely you have an explanation for returning."
"Time. As much as you can give me." Harry said, looking at her and holding on to Y/n's hand.
"I'll secure the castle. You do what needs to be done." McGonagall said clutching her wand tightly.
"Is this possible, Professor?"
McGonagall grinned looking over at Harry, "We teachers are rather good at magic, Potter. We've even been known to turn out a worthwhile witch or wizard on occasion. I think it's time I ask a few of them to take their magic beyond the classroom. What d'you think?"
Neville and Ginny meet with Neville and Harry, while Y/n follows McGonagall's gaze. "I think you're right." He said, McGonagall nods, still sizing up Neville and the others.
Harry turns, starts to exit holding onto Y/n's hand still, "By the way, Potter..." Harry looked back, "It's good to see you."
"You, too, Professor."
Y/n held onto Harry's hand as everyone poured out of the great hall, not wanting to be separated from her no matter what. McGonagall sweeps out of the Great Hall and into the courtyard flanked by Neville and Ginny. Seamus and other DA members followed Flitwick. "Is this okay, Professor? Are you permitting us to do this?" Neville asked.
"That is correct, Longbottom."
He continued, "To blow it up. Boom?"
"Boom."
"Wicked." Neville continued, "Um...exactly how do you propose we do this, Professor?"
"Why don't you confer with Mr Finnegan." McGonagall said, "As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."
Seamus glances back at Neville and Ginny. "I can bring 'er down."
"That's the spirit. Now off you go." Neville, Ginny, Seamus and the DA peel off.
The professors mentioned following Flitwick. "Of course, we will be unable to keep You-Know-Who out forever," Flitwick confessed.
"That doesn't mean we can't hold him up."
"That doesn't mean we can't hold him up. And his name is Voldemort, Filius. You might as well use it. He's going to try to kill you either way." McGonagall stated that McGonagall wheels raises her wand, and points it in the direction of the Great Hall. "Piertotum Locomotor!"
The statues and suits of armour in the corridor come to life as soon as they are positioned on their plinths. Observing the statues parade down, McGonagall and his friends watch. The statues thunder past as McGonagall watches with apparent pleasure as they head toward the viaduct. "Hogwarts is in danger! Stand guard! Do your duty to our school!" he commands.
"I've always wanted to use that spell." Flitwick stands a few yards away, his face grimacing with determination. At the moment, there is a "disturbance" roiling the atmosphere.
McGonagall and other Staff members step forward to assist, wands raised high. Together, they conjure... "Protego Maxima...Finato Duri...Repello Inimicum..."
A magical shield expands ever outward, blooming over the castle grounds, while far below the statues march the length of the viaduct and take their positions along the perimeter, still as sentinels.
A massive, quivering shadow is seen beyond the Shield's reach, drifting toward the castle, small as ants from this vantage point: death eaters, their sheer numbers staggering. A figure emerges in their midst, stepping upon billowing robes, and the figure is swept back, revealing the face of Voldemort.
The staircase is filled with students and staff preparing for battle as scores of their sweep over it. Harry is the first to move, followed by Y/n, Ron, and Hermione. There is a sense of urgency in their words. "Hermione, Harry, and I discussed this. Finding the Horcrux is not really important." Ron said.
"What're you saying?" Harry asked furrowing his eyebrows.
"It's Ron's idea. And it's brilliant." Hermione quickly said, Y/n looked over to Ron, who looked flattered and nodded.
"You destroyed Tom Riddle's Diary with a Basilisk fang, right? Well, we know where we might find one, don't we?" Harry looks at the two of them. Ponders this. Nods.
"That's brilliant," Y/n said, looking over at Ron with a grin that he returned.
"Okay. But take this. That way you can find me when you get back." Harry hands Hermione the Marauders Map, "Y/n you come with me, I don't want to lose you..." Harry continued looking at her, Y/n glanced over to him and nodded squeezing his hand lightly.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked.
He said, "Ravenclaw Common Room. Got to start somewhere." Hermione nodded, put the map inside her beaded bag and they headed off. Ron glances back briefly as they turn the corner, holding Harry's gaze briefly. After that, he disappears.
As Harry and Y/n continue on, "Harry, wait" Y/n said, Harry kept on going holding onto Y/n's hand turning to her while rushing up the marble steps.
"Yes, Y/n?"
"We don't need to go there we have to talk to someone...I've been thinking-"
"Y/n it's not the time..." Harry said, Y/n sighed still holding onto Harry's hand and following him p the steps.
"Harry! Wait! I need to talk to you!" Luna said, rushing through the people. Y/n and Harry glance back, slowing but doesn't break stride. Y/n knew Luna was going to tell him the same thing since Helena Ravenclaw's diadem was their friends' diadem.
"I'm a bit preoccupied right now," Harry mentioned running up the steps holding onto Y/n's hand.
"But you won't find anything where you're going. You're wasting your time." Harry frowns, mildly annoyed, doesn't glance back.
"We'll talk later, Luna."
Y/n let go of Harry's hand causing him to look back at her, "Harry," She strictly said, trying to make him shut up for a second. "Listen to us"
"Y/n, we have to find it"
"Listen to me now, Harry Potter!" Luna yelled at Harry. Harry froze and stared at her. Then he turns. Luna collected herself while Y/n didn't even look shocked but knew he deserved to be yelled at. "Don't you remember what Lavender said about Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem: 'There's not a person alive who's seen it.'"
Harry stares dumbly back, shrugs, "So?" causing his girlfriend to sigh, "We have to someone that is dead Harry..." She explained looking at him.
The disturbed air around Harry makes him stare at her oddly when he becomes aware of it. Then he looks up, and Y/n walks over, breathless at the lights on the shield. She slipped her hand back into Harry's for comfort.
The tiny figure of Flitwick, wand aloft, standing with McGonagall and Sprout. "He's very impressive, isn't he?" Harry starts to respond when he winces, clutches his scar, sees. Voldemort, regarding the castle pityingly as the Hogwarts faithful take their positions.
"They never learn. Such a pity." Voldemort spoke, Voldemort smiles, as if amused. His eyes gleam fiercely. "Begin." Bellatrix raised her arm in signal and the sea of Death Eaters settle, poised and waiting. The air goes still.
"My Lord! Why don't you wait a little longer, please!" Someone said, Voldemort's eyes flickering as he killed the remainder of Thicknesse's sentence before it could escape his throat. A contemptuous look emanates from Bellatrix. As Thicknesse turns away, he looks chilled. Then, as if burying a knife deep in an enemy's heart. Her arm drops when Bellatrix drops it.
Explosions were heard. A blaze of light blazes in the sky and vapours of smoke plummet towards the castle. Harry blinks, looking upward. BOOM! However, for now, the shield holds him in place as the bridge rolls beneath him. Fred and George exit the castle grinning madly as fire fills the sky once more. "Nice night for it!" Fred shouted.
Harry turned to Y/n and Luna. "Okay, Luna. Who've you got in mind?" He asked furrowing his eyebrows.
"Let's talk to Helena herself yeah?" Y/n mentioned with a grin before grabbing Harry's hand and leading him towards the Ravenclaw tower with Luna.
The bombardment above Neville astonishes him as he limps and peers out. Neville peering below Seamus, Seamus said, "There I'm looking for charges on each and every joist.". The trio places "charges" (spells) on key pressure points among the pilings under the direction of Seamus. Seamus gives a thumbs-up and grins, perhaps inordinately, as he answers. "You do know what you're doing, don't you, Seamus?"
Inhale, exhale, shake your head, Neville. Then Neville glances away, peering along the spine of the bridge to where Ginny waits at the far end. "Blimey," he says, glancing back. In his presence, she raises her hand and waves, then goes still, with her hand suspended in the air, looking past Neville as a howl rises through the air like a battle cry.
With Neville also hearing him, our view widens, rises, reveals...On the hill, hundreds of snatchers rolled in an angry wave. "Not good"
Harry is led to a corridor by Luna and Y/n as they climb a shadowy staircase. She explained, "If you're looking for her down there, you'll find her."
"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked turning to Y/n and Luna who both stopped walking.
"Can't...She doesn't like it is with others..." Y/n explained, Luna walked out, as Harry connecting his and Y/n's lips like it would be the last time, that he will ever kiss her.
Her lips melted when he kissed her, and she backed away, staring at him. "I love you," Y/n declared, holding his hand tightly.
"I love you too, Be safe." He said Y/n let go of his hand before rushing out of the room so he could go and find Helena.
Harry walks down the corridor like shadows, streaking across its walls. Toward the horizon, a gauzy shadow flits eerily like a goldfish's fins in the corner. When Harry turns the corner, he sees a beautiful ghost reflected in a veined mirror, she distanced and sad eyes. "It's you..."
Thousands of Snatchers surround the bridge, howling in defence. Another volley of rockets pierces the night sky as Neville stares on in terror, his skin glowing a mysterious red. There is a blue moon. The sun is shining brightly.
The sky shivers in his eyes as the bombs strike the shield and the bombs strike the shield. As he runs into Flitwick's shield with teeth bared, the first Snatcher bounces back flat as his expression changes. He is filled with hope rather than dread.
Y/n walked over to the bridge after slowing down, she and Luna stood next to Ginny and the rest of the group looking out at Luna. One after another, the Snatchers bounce back. A grin blooms on Neville's face. "Ha! Ha!" Scabior stops short, eyeing the area ahead warily.
Neville begins to laugh, in faint disbelief at first, then harder, almost maniacally, consumed by a fear turned to ecstasy. Hoarsely, he bellows at Scabior. "Yeah! You and whose army!" He grins, raises his wand and, fires a shot into the night sky.
"Woah! Easy up there!" Seamus shouted.
Neville looks down, sees Seamus draped in charges, glaring up at him. "Sorry," Neville said rubbing his elbow. "Ow."
In the room, The Grey Lady stares eerily at Harry. Her eyes filled with awe as Harry stared at her. "You are the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw Tower," he said.
Helena flies away from Harry enraged after saying, "I don't know that name.".
"I'm sorry. It's Helena, isn't it? Helena Ravenclaw. Rowena's child. Y/N told me." Harry explained as he jumped up to the railing and looked at her.
"Are you friends with Luna and Y/n?"
"Well...Yes, But I and Y/n are a bit more than friends..." Harry quickly explained, Helena looked and studied the boy.
"Yes, She told me about you..." Helena said, studying Harry with a nod.
"She thought you might be able to aid me," he stated.
"You seek my mother's diadem...correct?"
In a state of shock, Harry stops. "That's exactly right," he replied.
"Y/n and Luna are kind, unlike a lot of people here...but there's something wrong. I can't help you." She begins to drift away. Explosions are heard outside. There is a tremor in the room, Harry looks desperate.
"Wait! Please!" Harry shouted running back over to her and stopping.
"Many have sought my mother's diadem. Its powers are legendary..." Helena continued.
"But I don't care about its powers! Honestly --" Harry repeated, But she is drifting away. Harry watches in desperation. "I don't seek it for myself! You have to believe me!" But she only drifts on. Helplessly, Harry watches her go, then... decides: "I want to destroy it." She stops. Turns. He sees this has hooked her in some way. Begins walking back toward her, nodding. "That's what you want, isn't it, Helena? You want it destroyed."
With a sigh, Helena began to move around the room. "She thought I took it to hurt her," Helena said. "Despite my desire to be like her, who wore it so beautifully, on me... I hated it... the pain I felt... and even now I still feel."
"Tell me where it is, Helena, and I swear to destroy it in honour of your mother". Harry replied.
"When another, a strange boy with a strange name used to swear to destroy it, he did so many years ago."
"Tom Riddle-" Harry answered.
"But he lied."
As Harry explained, "He has lied to a lot of people." Her eyes burned with anger, her face contorting horribly up in the air - he could not help but back up.
"He defiled it! With Dark Magic!" Helena says, staring at her as her eyes drift and her face restructures itself again, vacant but beautiful. "He knows exactly what he did! He knows who he is! He defiled it! With Dark Magic!"
"Yes. That's right. But I can undo that, Helena. I can destroy it once and for all. But only if you tell me where he hid it. You know where he hid it, don't you, Helena? You just have to tell me. Please." Harry took a step forward looking at her, "Trust me."
She looks at him, standing so close now, only inches apart, lost in his eyes for a moment. "Strange... you remind me of him a bit..."
Stung and frazzled, Harry stares at her without any idea what to do. He hears another explosion again, faintly this time, and for a moment he forgets why he's here. He reorients himself as she says: "It's here. In the castle. In that place that all the secrets are buried..." Helena replied, unable to believe what he was hearing. "If you have to ask, you'll never know. If you already know, you need only ask."
The expression on Harry's face changes gradually. He then backs away. He turned and ran out of the room, saying, "Thank you.".
As Harry careens down the staircase, he is buffeted by the chaos around him. During the rush to other parts of the castle, the people are shouting and screaming while Harry careens down the staircase.
Seeing Harry stagger, roaring in agony, his irises redden in the guttering light of the torch on the wall he holds on to. Suddenly, Voldemort draws his Elder Wand and studies it briefly before pulling it out.
Darkness appears on his face as if he is torn between awe and ambivalence. As suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared and he pointed the wand upward. He sweeps his arm out in front of him. Thunder crackles and trembles through the earth. White clouds fill the sky. A few moments later, everything is still and frozen, followed by a crash of sound and fury grounds.
A bleached white face stares up at the sky as Y/n, Luna, Neville looks at the sky. Holding onto Luna's hand, Ginny holds onto her pupil's contract. The flames of the nightscape blaze before Neville's eyes, then shift to the more immediate surroundings. There is no movement from him. Scabior. The Snatchers. Are rising. Moving forward. Toward him. "Not good," Neville muttered.
Neville starts to back up slowly, then turns heel and pelts back up the bridge. Plumes rain down from the sky. Enemy spells skitter at Neville's feet. He looks back, sees Scabior and the others closing like a herd of wildebeests. "Ready!?" Ginny asked.
"Are you bloody joking?!" She lifts her wand, ready to Detonate the spells, when Seamus pops up beside her, a rather maniacal gleam in his eye.
"You got this Neville," Y/n said, sending him a smile.
Neville sets off the charges. Instantly, one bridge section after another EXPLODES, rolling up like a carpet. Snatchers fall from sight, plummeting into the darkness. Neville looks over his shoulder, sees Scabior closing on him, then looks back towards Ginny, and Y/n, who stands frozen, Ginny's wand raised, never fired, looking at Seamus, his face blooming with fanatical ecstasy as he watches the charges detonate.
As Seamus howls with pleasure, Neville, WHEEZING PAINFULLY at this point, glances back and sees that Scabior has closed the distance, is coming fast when Scabior is catapulted into the air. Neville looks momentarily relieved, then realizes, to his evident dismay, that the bridge is falling away with increasing speed. Alarmed, Ginny, Luna and Y/n look to Seamus. "He's good..."
The remainders begin to discharge, tripping off like firecrackers, one section after another vanishing, "Yeah" Y/n uttered trying to agree with Seamus.
Y/n looked at the spot hopefully, Ginny squeezing Ginny's hand as she gasped, Neville had walked out, Seamus frowned and hung for a moment. The time has seemed to pass forever. A last section of the bridge is visible with charred fingertips, then Neville himself, teeth blackened, hair smouldering and scalp smouldering. "Well done, Seamus!" Neville sarcastically exclaimed.
As Neville glowers at him, Y/n reaches out, hoists him onto what's left of the bridge. Neville shakes some ashes from his head and then grins unexpectedly. "Huh?" She asked looking over to Neville furrowing her eyebrows.
"That was kind of exciting." Seamus grins, Ginny shakes her head and Y/n giggled a little.
"Come on then.." Y/n said grabbing onto Neville's hand, Just then, thundering rumbles almost send Neville tumbling off the bridge again. As Y/n steadies him, they all peer into the distance: giant.
"Not good" He muttered.