Like soldiers.
Like soldiers, like mindless drones the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry marched towards the Great Hall, having been summoned by their headmaster.
They hardly ever saw him, so many of them were curious as to what he would want, except for those who had seen Harry Potter beforehand.
Snape's long cape billowed behind him as he made his way to the front of the hall, the dais completely empty as the Carrows, two death eaters posted to the school by Voldemort should Harry Potter return for his final year, stood behind the headmaster, looking on with deranged smiles.
"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour," Snape began, not needing to speak up in the dead silence of the hall, all the students, the Gryffindors and friends of Harry specifically, with their heads down and eyes on their feet. "It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade. "
And naturally, the entire hall burst into whispers and murmurs.
Ginny, however, only squeezed the hand of the blue-eyed person standing next to her tighter, her heart beating in her throat with nerves.
"Now," Snape said, voice loud enough to be heard over the whispers as he commanded quietly. "Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid Mr Potter, they will be punished, in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be treated as, equally guilty."
He then began to move down from the dais, observing the masses gathered into the four corners of the hall.
"Now then, if anyone here, has any knowledge of Mr Potter's movements this evening, I invite them to step forward... Now."
This time the murmurs and gasps were amplified as Harry Potter himself walked out from next to Ginny, Gryffindor robes disguising the Chosen One.
And the look he gave Snape was one of smugness and of anger.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem headmaster. And I'm afraid it's quite extensive," Harry informed as the doors to the Great Hall opened to reveal the group that walked in.
Dressed in jeans, one of her father's shirts knotted at her waist and one of Fred's jumpers on top, Leona Black walked into the hall, flanked by the twins and the remaining members of the Order: the rest of the Weasley's, Angelina, Remus, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt.
"How dare you stand where he stood?" Harry asked, Fred slipping his hand into Leona's, them being the only two who knew. "Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him! Tell them," he spat.
Snape's only response was to draw his wand, the Carrows behind him repeating the movement as the students gasped, pushing themselves to the walls and McGonagall jumping in front of Harry, her wand pointed at Snape.
The student's gasps couldn't have been louder as the members of the Order, Leona excluded, raised their wands.
And surprisingly McGonagall fired first.
A plume of fire shot from her wand, the headmaster easily blocking it as the students cried out in fear of being hit.
With a loud bang, Leona clapped her hands together once before raising them up high, protective shields forming in front of the students as they began to release themselves from the wall, watching the battle with eager eyes from behind the safety of her shield.
It seems after that first somewhat uncertain attack, McGonagall got her confidence back as she fired column after column of fire, Harry edging backwards to avoid the heat as Snape blocked.
But rather than fight back, he deflected the spell, knocking the Carrows unconscious before he turned into a ball of black smoke that took the Death eaters wands before breaking through the stained-glass windows and vanishing into the night.
"COWARD!" McGonagall called after him, when that man was really anything but.
And the students cheered as Leona dropped her shields and McGonagall relit all the fireplaces in the hall, light finally filling the castle of Hogwarts once more.
But the light didn't last long.
"Potter?" McGonagall asked wearily as Harry was forced to the ground and the enchanted ceiling of the hall began to rumble, the clouds dark with thunder.
And then a girl began to scream.
And then another.
And then Leona.
Her legs gave out almost instantly, Fred and George quick to catch her and settle her in Fred's arms as she held her head in pain, Remus dropping down next to her.
"Fight, Lena, fight," he urged as she fought the force at which Voldemort tried to penetrate her mind.
And then came the voice that everyone could hear.
"I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even think that to fight is wise. But this is folly. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."
And the snake-like voice of the dark lord vanished as the ceiling returned to normal and the fires burned bright, and Leona was helped back up to her feet, Fred with his arm around her.
"What are you waiting for?!" yelled the voice of Pansy Parkinson, as she pointed a manicured finger that bore the Slytherin ring at Harry. "Someone grab him!"
Ginny was first to move.
She'd shed her robes as she stood in front of Harry, gripping the sleeve of his jacket in her hand.
And then Hermione moved.
And the Patil twins.
Cho.
Lavender Brown.
Seamus.
Dean.
Molly.
Remus.
And lastly was Leona, her eyes stormy with anger and power, almost daring Pansy to try and touch her brother.
And as McGonagall looked on with pride, the moment was ruined as Filch camp running into the room holding his cat.
How was that thing even still alive?
"Students out of bed! Students in the corridor!" He yelled as he pushed past them.
"They are supposed to be out of bed you blithering idiot!" McGonagall snapped.
"Oh," Filch said, taken aback. "Sorry, ma'am."
And McGonagall lifted her robes as she walked down from the dais.
"As it happens Mr Filch, your arrival is most opportune. If you would, I would like you please, to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house from the hall," she ordered, pointing her wand at the girl in question and then to the door.
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading them to, ma'am?" Filch asked.
"The dungeons would do," McGonagall answered.
But as everyone cheered, members of the Order, minus Ron and Harry, seemed to understand why McGonagall did that.
Because most of them, if not all, had parents that were death eaters. And she didn't want to have to force them to pick a side, to have to fight their own family should the occasion call for it, and knowing their luck it would.
Harry then gave Ginny's arm an affectionate squeeze before gesturing Leona over to him as he approached McGonagall.
"I presume you have a reason for returning Potter. What is it that you need?" McGonagall asked.
"Time, Professor. As much as you can get me," Harry answered breathlessly.
The elderly witch only nodded.
"Do what you have to do. Miss Black and I will secure the castle," she said, Leona nodding in agreement.
Harry then went to leave, before McGonagall called him back.
"Potter. It's good to see you," she said, and Leona had to smile.
"It's good to see you to Professor."
And Harry walked out of the room as Leona gave Fred a grim look.
Looks like they were going to war.