*Anne's Prov*
The sky is strangely clear when we run to the end of the safety spells. It's a shame how such a beautiful night can be the start of something so horrible. If you think about it, the stars did see some horrible events in their lifetime and still manage to shine so bright for everyone who needs a light.
I grab Ginny's hand, look at her reassuring and concentrating hard on the floors to the Hog's Head. I have to bring us there, no matter how much I don't want to go there.
Not much after, we appear in a familiar room. It isn't as cold as it used to be in there and someone made some furniture changes, but it's still the familiar feeling, still the familiar smell, still the familiar dirt.
"Again? How many more?," a man barks.
"Hello Mister Dumbledore," Ginny greets him.
"Whatever," he mumbles waving her off, but his eyes landing on me.
Through his dirty glasses and bushy hair, you can see very clear and bright blue eyes. It is as if he looks directly into my soul, making it hard for me to look away.
"And who are you?," he asks.
"Anne, Sir."
"Just Anne hu?"
"Anne Storm, Mister Dumbledore," my eyes still don't leave his even when the others appear.
"Is everyone here?," Mister Weasley asks, checking if all of his family members are there.
"Anne?," George steps to my side and looks between me and the old man: "Everything okay?"
Outside you can hear a loud bang and Aberforth finally breaks his staring contact with me.
"For Merlin's sake, how many of you will follow? My pub isn't a train station! I want to sleep!," he moves around.
"There will be a fight in Hogwarts Aberforth," Mrs. Weasley says to the man: "We will just wait for the order to arrive here to speak about the plans."
"Already heard of it, still don't get it. That boy should just leave and bring himself into safety."
"He fights for the higher good!," Ginny states.
"The higher good?," Dumbeldore laughs: "That is just nonsense talking my fool of a brother planted into his head. The only thing that boy will earn from it, will be dying."
"Maybe," I say: "Maybe we all die. But at least we died trying to change something. I'd rather die that way instead of dying like a coward."
"And I thought for a second you would have brains," he turns to me again.
"Never said that I was smart. But I do know a lot more about this matter than you do and Harry is the only one able to stop the Dark Lord on his mighty plans. Without Harry's bravery, we will continue to live life like it is now. Is that really something you want? I don't think so. Otherwise you wouldn't run this pub as we did."
Now there is a certain glimpse in Aberforths eyes the moment the last words left my mouth.
"Follow me, I show you how you get into Hogwarts. But hurry up, we don't have the whole night."
We and the others that appeared follow the man upstairs behind the tilt. I stop in front of the stairs and instead look at the ones that go down. Down there was the dead body of my father.
A cold feeling comes over me and settles inside my chest, daring me to turn around and take all of them with me. In a few hours I might see many more dead bodies. Will this too drag me down as the one of my father? Will I be able to conquer it?
A warm embrace comes from behind and the soft murmur from George in my ear let's all the doubts fade away. We are in this together. We fight together. We will survive even this. I nod at his question and together, with intertwined hands, we go after the others up the stairs.
Aberforth really did make changes to the personal room of my father. The first noticeable thing you see is the big portrait of a young girl smiling at us curiously. She swings open and a secret passage is shown.
Lee, Cho, Luna, Dean all of Dumbledore's army arrived in the pub, even before the order did. We don't have time for massive welcomes and so we simply greet them with a nod. Meanwhile the older wizards and witches stay back to discuss their plans and wait for the rest of the order, we youngsters make our way down the passage.
With held out wands we step out into the room of requirement and are faced with cheers of many many students.
This is incredible.
Neville says something to Harry, who doesn't look amused at our appearance. Neville looks miserable as many other students do. Ginny told us about the punishments, but that they would turn out so severe is beyond my understanding.
As I look around the room, I see the banner of Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. But there aren't any Slytherins in here. I feel my heart sink. This will leave again, a bad light on our reputation.
"I think we should Hurry up, Aberforths getting rather fuzzy about all these people," Fred says while stepping out of the hole.
"What's the plan Harry?," George asks.
"There is no plan," he quickly says.
"No plan? So we make something up while we go? I like those plans the best," Fred cheers.
"No! Neville you need to make this stop;" Harry says to the boy.
"Why? Aren't you here to fight for Hogwarts?," Luna asks.
"No. I-We," he points at Hermione and Ron: "We need to find something for Dumbledore."
"Great, what can we do?," Seamus asks.
"No, we need to do this alone."
There is the start of a disagreement until Ron speaks up: "Why can't they help?"
The boy turns to his two friends and they mumble something between them. The others of us exchange confused glances until Harry finally decided to ask the Ravenclaws about something that belonged Rowena Ravenclaw.
That ended with him and Luna disappearing out of the room to find the Lost Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw.
Hermione and Ron are bombarded with questions about their trip and journey, if it was true that they let a dragon escape from Gringotts and what did they did so far. However, while we were talking Ron suddenly shakes Hermione and mumbles something about a bathroom.
"You are a genius Ron!," Hermione exclaims: "Sorry we need to go! Now."
Neville helps them to get out and we are all left behind confused.
"Great, now: What should we do?," Fred looks around.
"Party time," Lee tries to joke: "The last time so many of us where in one place it was a long time ago. Man I miss parties."
"I miss the simpler times," Terry Boot agrees.
"Well how about dancing until it gets easier?," George looks at me with a slight smirk.
"I was dancing with you once and that was enough. I still can't dance," I shot back, earning a chuckle from him.
"You will dance with me," he says reassured.
"What makes you so confident in that?," I turn to him, raised eyebrows.
"You will dance with me when this is all over, I promise you that," he grins.
Luckily for me the secret passage door swings open and the order comes in, earning a massive cheer from us.
---
*George's Prov*
While we are talking Harry and Luna come back inside the room. He looks surprised about everyone that is in here and tells us that He-who-must-not-be-named will soon be present and we should make ourselves ready for a fight.
That McGonagall awaits us all in the Great Hall. Ginny starts an argument with Mum.
"You are not going to fight!," Mum shouts: "You are still off age! I'm not allowing you to fight, the boys yes, but you are going home!"
"No way!," Ginny screams back and winds herself out of mothers grip: "I am in Dumbledore's Army!"
"A Teenager gang!"
"A Teenager gang that will soon get into a fight many others feared of!," Fred interjected.
"She is sixteen, not old enough! What where you even thinking of dragging her with you!," Mum shouts at us and we both turn a bit red on the cheeks.
We really didn't think about that aspect when we dragged her along into the tunnel. She is so bold and brave that we tend to forget that she is still a child.
"Mum is right," Bill speaks up: "All under age wizards and witches are going home, that's just right."
"I can't go home!," Ginny says close to tears: "My whole family is here and I can't stand being alone at home not knowing what is going on!"
My sister looks over to Harry who just shakes his head and she drops hers in defeat: "Fine."
She walks back to the portrait hole when suddenly someone stumbles out of it. Percy.
He pushes up his glasses and looks around: "Am I too late? Did it already start? I just heard the news and I- I"
He looks around baffled at us. I guess we don't look any better. He really is here.
Fleur tries to make an effort to diffuse the tension and looks at Remus: " 'Ow iz Teddy?"
Lupin who is the only one left in the room besides us blinks a few times before realizing that Fleur asked him a question: "I- oh yes, he is alright. Tonks is with him. They are currently staying at her Mum's house."
We still stare at Percy, unable to believe that he actually showed up.
"I have a picture!," Lupin pulls it out of his coat to show it, but only Fleur and Harry pay attention.
"I was an idiot!," Percy screams so loud that Lupin almost drops his photo: "I was an idiot, a big fat coward! I was an- an-"
"Ministry loving, family disowning, greedy for power dumbass," Fred says.
Percy swallows: "YES THAT'S WHAT I WAS!"
"Well, I couldn't have said it any better," Fred says and offers Percy a hand.
Mum immediately breaks down in tears again and pushes Fred aside to pull Percy into a hug.
I don't get how they can forgive him so easily. For all he did to us. I simply don' get it.
"I'm sorry, Dad," says Percy.
Dad runs over too and hugs him. What is happening? Did they forget what he has done to us? How much sadness he brought our Mum?
"What knocked some sense into you, Perce?," I ask.
"I realized it some time ago, but I needed to find a way to get out of it. That wasn't so easy because the ministry would punish all traitors. I finally managed to get into contact with Aberforth and he gave me the hint that Hogwarts will fight and now I am here!"
"Well we expect from our prefects in times like these that they show a management-personality," I say trying my best to recreate his know-it-all tone: "Now, let us go upstairs and fight, before all the good Death Eaters are gone."
"So you are my sister in law?," Percy looks over at Fleur and shakes her hand while we make our way to the stairs.
"Ginny!," Mum shouts.
She tried to get out of the room again.
"Let her stay in here," Anne offers: "That way she isn't directly in the war zone, but near enough to know when something happens."
"That- That is worth a shot," Mum agrees and Ginny as well, still she doesn't look pleased about the arrangements.
---
We stand behind McGonagall at the teachers table in the Great Hall when she tells the students what is going on. Then we hear Voldemorts voice. He wants Harry. We have half an hour before he will start a fight unless we hand him Harry.
All is going very fast by then. Meanwhile the younger students are lead to the room of requirement to be brought to safety in Aberforth's Pub, the others are stand together around Kingsley to listen to his plan. Fred and I take over the duty to look after the secret passages and surprise every Death Eater that tries to get into Hogwarts that way.
Anne got assigned a small group of students to follow her and Sprout up the Astronomy tower. To place protection spells and keep an overlook over the area.
I follow her up there. We still have a few minutes until midnight. She looks at me surprised when I show up next to her.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with-," I cut her off with kissing her.
She places her arms around my neck and deepens the kiss before letting go: "George, you need to go. You have a duty to fulfill."
"I know. I just wanted to see the place again where we had our first date," I breath out.
Her expression turns annoyed: "That wasn't a date!"
I laugh and kiss her again: "I love you."
"I love you too."
"Storm, we love us all, but there is a war going on. Would be nice of you to lead this group meanwhile I get my plants," Sprout says determined.
Anne kisses me goodbye one last time and I hurry down the stairs with Sprout. When I meet with Fred we split our small group of people up and tell them all we know about the secret passages and how to defend them. We are tricksters. This is what we were born for. Let's fuck this shit up.
---
*Anne's Prov*
I lost track of time or spells I have thrown around. All I know that this is getting intense. The opposite side has giants and spiders and merlin knows what else. The curses they throw around are merciless and not long after I positioned myself on the tower, I was forced to bring my group into safety.
Now I am standing in the hallways and duel two death Eaters. Behind me some curses fly, just millimeters away from my head, beside me and hit one of the students beside me. I cast a safety spell around them to shield them from further danger, but see myself forced to dodge into safety.
I let out a breath and calculate my chances on getting that student out of the way and towards Madame Pomfrey.
"The Slytherin's have it easy," a Hufflepuff beside me chirps up and casts a spell onto a man: "Got themselves into safety and gave up without a fight."
"I wouldn't say it is easy to decide whether or not you fight your own family," I retard and cast quick spells in the way of the nearer coming Death Eaters.
I hit them: "Alright, you take care of that student. Bring him into the Great Hall and please be careful to not get hit further."
The Hufflepuff nods and I run through the corridors, dodging spells and chunks of wall. I have no clear intention of where I am running to, but my feet carry me along. Someone hit me by my side and I feel a stinging pain coming from my rips.
I have no time to check what hit me. I keep going until I run into a Fred, Hannah and Lee.
"Great that you are here," Lee says: "We could need your help. Here."
He passes me some equipment they carry around. The small group of us, positioned ourselves around different entrances to barricade them. Now we stand in front of one and we blow it up before the Death Eaters even could make a step out. Mission accomplished.
"Lee, take Hannah and look for George, his front can need some help as well. Anne and I go and take care of the last entrance on our list," Fred orders and we part ways.
On our way there, we see a struggling Percy and help him out. He then decided to join us in our journey to the last passage.
"You are my other sister in law then?," Percy looks at me and then at Fred.
"I am, watch out," I push Percy aside and we both dodged a very nasty curse, Fred finishes the caster off, we keep running: "I am, but I'm with the other twin. I have taste."
"She clearly hasn't," Fred explains.
"I can see, you two get along very well," Percy says.
"There wouldn't be a day, where I wouldn't be happy to see this maniac," I say sarcastically.
"I can just say the same. Every day I see her, I feel like I die a bit more," Fred nods along.
Percy stops us when two cloaked figures stand in front of us. Spells are casted on each side and we are too busy to block them. One of the cloaked figures then loses their cowl and it turns out to be the minister.
"Oh Minister," Percy says: "Did I tell you that I resign?"
The man throws a spell at the minister and he turns into an animal. I cast a spell at the other one and he collapses.
"Percy- you are joking," Fred laughs: "You are actually jok-"
BANG.
There is this sudden impact of a wall. This weight. The horrible sound of cracking and crashing.
Everything is heavy for a moment. It's dusty, dark and distant. I can hardly hear anything before every sound is coming back at me and my senses are coming to live again. I push away some pieces of the wall I got buried under. My arms have cuts and my hands are bleeding.
However, that is nothing compared to the horrible sound I make out once I am able to sit up. Percy and Ron are kneeling over Fred.
My mind can't comprehend what I am just seeing. Fred is smiling, but bleeding, yet lifeless. He's dead.
Somewhere behind me is Harry shouting at all of us to get away. To get to safety. But my eyes are just darted to the three red heads and my heart is aching with the knowledge that some certain red head will get to see this.
I hear the speed of a curse that just passed me and I snap back into reality. I let out a scream when I see the big tarantula that crawls through the hole. Hermione, Harry and I shout a spell at it and it gets knocked down again. Together we managed to bring Fred, Percy and Ron away from the danger.
Percy is still trying to shield Fred's body from further danger.
I hope George is still alive.
He just has to be.