"Now."
Remus handed everyone the Floo Powder pot, one by one they stepped inside, spoke clearly their destination and became consumed by green flames.
Selena, Fleur, Bill and George had went before Sarah, Fred right after.
They were all now gathered in McGonagall's office at Hogwarts. Almost all the Floo Powder networks were being surveilled except hers. The perks of being Minerva McGonagall, Sarah found out, was being able to divert away the Minsitry's controls.
They had waited until Shacklebolt had been warned about a Harry Potter sighting. His bonds to the Minsirry still kept him in the loop of everything that happened, which kept the Order informed.
"Miss McCauley," McGonagall jumped up and brought her into her arms, "I heard about what happened in August, thank Godric—"
"I'm okay, thank you, Professor," Sarah lingered for a second more before pulling away. She had missed her dearly but now was not a time for reconnecting.
There were a few other people that arrived into the fireplace, McGonagall had been expecting other allies, apparently.
The green flames dissipated and a flash of blond hair caught Sarah's eyes. "Alex?"
Her voice was uncertain, wobbling, she didn't believe it was in fact him until he dusted off the soot from his clothes and turned to them. Suddenly her mind went back to hearing about his father on the radio, the hell he must have been through and he still ended up here with them. She felt her eyes fill with tears before she hurried to hug him, it wasn't a time for reconnecting but she could take a second. He was with a couple more students, old friends that had been Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl like them. Shacklebolt nodded at them all, giving them acknowledgement and through that, Sarah understood they must have been recent or discreet additions to the Order while she was missing.
She squeezed Alexander tightly before letting go and let Selena greet him, too, by then McGonagall had opened the door to her office and glanced both ways before facing them again sternly.
"Keep your heads down, I've been summoned along with the entire school in the Great Hall. Don't do anything haste," she warned and gestured for them to follow her.
They kept their steps light, and at McGonagall's instructions, stopped around a corner. They saw the whole Gryffindor house and Slytherin pass them. Sarah caught the red of Ginny's hair, tied up in a high ponytail. She wished she could give her a tight hug, tell her how incredibly brave she is for going back to Hogwarts this year and that she is sorry she hasn't been there for her lately.
She saw Neville, walking with his chin high and back straight, the proud and strong son of Alice and Frank Longbottom, marching towards battle bravely. There was something morose about them all, about Hogwarts in general. It no longer being nor feeling like a home to anyone but a tastefully, at times, decorated prison. Steps pacing synchronically, dark robes walking in packs like soldiers, brain-washed and defeated soldiers. Or so the Headmaster and his acolytes would like to believe.
Seamus and Dean were the last in line, they both dropped two piles of long black robes matching with theirs without sparing them a glance, acting as swiftly and as naturally as possible. It had been impressive, really. Sarah wouldn't have thought they could even see them into their hideout.
They hurried to put them the cloaks on, threw the hood over their heads and formed a group as well, letting the Ravenclaw house pass them. Sarah could have sworn some had recognized the twins and Harry when they walked past them, but none said a word. It was reassuring to know they had other allies.
At the last second, Harry hurried to join the group, aligning perfectly with the Ravenclaws. It was an impulsive decision, dramatic, but they couldn't object, not now. He did often resort to theatrics, George thought fondly, glancing at Selena.
"Wait until the doors close, mister Potter might have risked it, but you certainly shall not," McGonagall whispered and headed towards the Great Hall. "Stand ready," was the last thing she told them before the tall doors closed on her. They had to wait for the go ahead, for whatever sign would come from Harry inside. They'll recognize it.
Strangely, the walls weren't charmed, the talks inside the Great Hall were very much audible to the lot of them, pressed onto the brick wall along the doors, almost like someone had conveniently neglected to do it. Was Snape that stupid? Was he that naive? Why did Sarah find it hard to believe they had managed to enter Hogwarts so easily without him knowing?
They all heard loud steps marching through the Hall, she could picture clearly Snape's robe fluttering behind him.
"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour," his voice resonated as he spoke distinctly. "It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted at Hogsmeade."
Whispers, more like loud mutterings, erupted, it made Snape raise his voice slightly, "Now."
"Should anyone, student or staff, attempt to aid mister Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgressions. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events who fails to come forward, will be treated as e-qu-ally guilty."
"Why does he always take an obscene amount of time to get out one word randomly?" hushed Fred that was instantly hit in the shoulder by Selena and Sarah, both wearing a scolding look.
They ignored his eye-roll and pressed their ear against the wall to continue listening in to Snape's speech.
"If anyone here has any knowledge of Mister Potter movements this evening, I invite them to step forward. Now."
There was a long silence before any noise had been heard, a silence that beat at Sarah's heart harder and faster with each second. The appointed time of their entrance only becoming more imminent.
When they heard Harry's voice, no one had waited to hear what he was saying, they didn't have any more time to lose. Sarah and Remus looked at each other on opposite sides of the doors and gestured for the people next to them to walk in.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, headmaster." Harry was standing in the middle of the room who had been emptied completely, only students separated by houses, Harry amid them all. How's that for poetic?
They didn't need their robes anymore, as soon as they walked inside, the members of the Order discarded of them on the floor, coming face to face with their fight. This was it. The fight, the war. The end.
"And I'm afraid it's quite extensive."
Everyone had turned to them flabbergasted. Fearful, hopeful, proud or angry, on every person's face was written the question: do I run or do I fight? The next minutes will tell.
"How dare you stand where he stood? Tell them how it happened that night," bellowed Harry infuriated at Snape. "Tell them how you looked them in the eye, a man who trusted you, and killed him. Tell them."
Snape brandished his wand from under his robes, flipping the front part over his shoulder. The second he made his sudden movement, McGonagall stepped in between him and Harry, getting everyone to run sideways, toward the walls, away from what appeared to be a duel between incredibly skilled and powerful witch and wizard.
And there it was again, Sarah saw it. That slight hesitation which had happened that night at the Astronomy tower, the twitch ever so light that indicated he didn't want to do this. But that couldn't be right.
McGonagall didn't waste any time, flames flew out of her wand, which Snape blocked, he blocked every single one and didn't fire back one. He sent them towards the Carrow siblings behind him and Disapparated from the Great Hall.
"Coward!" shouted McGonagall.
"That he is," mumbled Ron, shooting dark glares at the window.
It was like they'd breathed again, the children before them. That's how happy they were, hugging each other because the threat and evil they'd endured was gone. For a second.
Sarah noticed Harry's smile falter as he fell to the ground, his dizziness transmitting to her as well, it made the hairs on the back of her neck rise and herself shiver. Fred caught her arm before she lost balance.
A terrified shout resonated through the ceilings, a little girl had crawled into a corner and was covering her ears while she screamed, followed by a few others, Padma, Cho, Lavender, some boys from Slytherin and Ravenclaw Sarah didn't recognize.
That's when she heard it, they all heard it. She instantly covered her ears as well, but it vain, Voldemort's hissing was penetrating their eardrums wherever they were, whoever they were.
"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
It left the entire school shaking. No one had experienced such a thing, having someone invade your mind this way, although Sarah reckoned this must be something that happened often to Harry, and she suddenly felt a great deal of respect for him for going through that and still being sane.
"What are you waiting for?" Pansy yelped, pointing her finger at Harry, "Someone grab him!" Some people around her, her friends, particularly Crabbe and Goyle, and around the room shifted like they were about to latch onto Harry.
In a split second, Ginny stepped in first in front of Harry, followed by everyone from the Order and Harry's friends still at Hogwarts.
"There's no way in hell that's happening," Sarah glared at her, her wand at the ready in case Pansy or any of her friends decided to act on their stupid thoughts.
There was a beautiful moment where it was clear who was on Harry's side for the fight, who will follow him into battle. It felt empowering, to stand with such brave people next to each other, their convictions righteous and strong.
But of course, as good things must come to an end, Filch's voice echoed as he struggled to run with his cat in his arms, shouting over and over again as he split up the previously well assembled and united front to protect Harry. "Students out of bed! Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!"
"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" McGonagall reprimanded him shrilly.
"Oh," he nodded awkwardly, "Sorry M'am."
"As it happens, Mr Filch, your arrival is most opportune," McGonagall spoke determinedly. "If you would, I would like you, please, to lead miss Parkinson as well as mister Crabbe, mister Goyle, and every other person who has shown intent on acting despicably moments earlier, from the hall." She had throughly spotted those people and Filch gathered them, there were a great deal of Slytherins, friends of Draco and Pansy's, and a few other people in other houses.
"Exactly where is it I'll be leading them to, M'am?"
"The dungeons will do."
Fred and Sarah's jaws dropped as they looked at each other in astonishment, to see McGonagall clearly take sides and imprison actual students after years of they wishing she would. The pair exchanged a look with George and Selena, then discreetly fist-bumped behind their backs as a celebration for this microscopical triumph, somehow feeling avenged over all the comments and crass moves those people had made throughout their years at school.
"Alright, come on!" Filch ushered them away as the Order gathered around Shacklebolt and Remus, waiting to hear instructions and executing their battle plans decided last evening.
"Does everyone have their spare wand?" Remus' eyes scanned over everyone to see them nodding, some patting the pockets to indicate where they had tucked it.
"As we discussed," Shacklebolt started, "Now in action, you will need to think on your feet and make snap decisions. Fleur, Bill, you will join Molly, Arthur and the teachers to set up the force field, win as much time as we can. Make it as strong as possible, guard the main floor. You, youngsters," he pointed at the young adults, them being Sarah, Fred, George and Selena, "Follow me, Tonks and Remus up on the towers, we'll guard the upper stories. Let's not waste any more time, move!" He clapped his hands, shouting the last words, "Move! Move!"
Complete panic stirred into Hogwarts, the young students were all rushing into the same direction but Sarah didn't have time to ask where they will be hidden. She was running up the corridors with her team, suddenly being struck by the fact Hermione and Ron weren't with them anymore. Where could they have gone?
She bumped into someone, it made her snap out of her thoughts and turn to apologize, "So sorry, Luna." She was about to start running again to catch up with the rest but Luna seized her wrist then released it, like she was panicked but didn't want it to show for more than a second. "Have you seen Harry?"
"Um-" Sarah shook her head, looking nervously at the people she was supposed to follow. They were three stories up by now. "I think I saw him running toward that hallway," she pointed up to her left, generally the path known for leading toward the Ravenclaw common room. She was about to run up when the white-haired girl stopped her again.
"Wait," breathed Luna, climbing up some stairs to catch Sarah's line of sight. "He's looking in the wrong place but he won't listen to me."
"Shout at him," Sarah suggested forcefully and grabbed Luna by the shoulders so she could continue her way up the stairs, "Shout at him and he'll listen to you!" She yelled out from the distance, "And be careful, alright!?"
She noticed a small nod from Luna before each continued their way. Sarah ran at full speed over the staircases. The floors trembled periodically a few times, it sounded something like rock falling to the ground, rhythmic marching echoing through the halls. Sarah was getting short of breath, there was a story left until she reached the towers and she let out a silent laugh, McGonagall must have used that spell she often found herself rambling about.
As she shook her head, she happened to notice a little girl, couldn't be older than twelve was crawled up into a corner and crying, every other student was too panicked to even look anywhere else aside from ahead of them.
Sarah rushed towards her and knelt to level with her, "Hey, are you hurt?"
The little girl shook her head but covered her ears instantly, she was probably afraid to hear Voldemort's hissing again. "I tripped but I can't get up," she whimpered, her chin quivering as she brought her knees closer to her chest, hiding her face with her hands.
"What's your name?"
"Ally," the girl started crying, Sarah grabbed her arms to get her to look at her.
"Ally, there is something really dangerous going on and we need to fight. I have been told to go up and guard the castle upstairs, I need you to do something for me," Sarah quickly reached behind her neck and unclasped one of her necklaces. "This is an extremely powerful jewel, but since I'm not strong enough to guard the castle and take care of it, I need someone brave and strong to keep it safe for me. Can I trust you with it?"
Ally nodded eagerly and lent out her hand for Sarah to drop the star-shaped ruby necklace. She normally never would have parted with it, but this little girl needed a purpose and to be reassured. She could only think of the countless times that necklace had reassured her and now it needed to serve another person.
"You're a soldier, now, do you know what that means?"
She shook her head. Sarah kept being pushed to every side by people's feet, they would have walked all over Ally without even looking back. Panic did that to people, especially in groups. It turned them hysteric.
"It means you need to stand up and be brave," Sarah gripped onto the wall so she could stand, didn't wait for Ally to wake up from her trance, she propped her up without a warning, desperate to catch up with Fred and the others, and enforce the resistance to their appointed area.
"I will need that necklace back, though, be sure to stay safe and bring it to me when everything's over. My name is Sarah."
She caught someone's wrist just as they were passing by, "Where's everyone running towards?"
"Aberforth's."
The boy she asked had said that matter-of-factly, and Sarah pretended she knew who that was, or what that was. "You need to take her with you and," she rethought her statement before telling it and turned to look at Ally, "You need to keep him safe, okay?"
"Okay," Ally nodded, finally up and about.
"You take care of her or I'll kill you," she whispered threateningly to the boy. His face had dropped, now clearly scared of her and she quickly tried to retrace her steps, "No, not kill you, I'm sorry, I meant I'll get mad- Ugh- I really don't have time for this right now."
She stared at him irascibly, "Just take her with you to Aberforth's." Before he could even react, she shoved him away and continued running, rolling her eyes at herself and that whole interaction.
A quick glance to the side walls made Sarah notice the paintings were all deserted, even they were afraid and retreating. What was that saying about their cause? About their fight? Were they wrong to keep doing it? No, of course not. It is never the time to announce defeat, if there was such a thing, she wouldn't have made it this far.
Just keep running, keep breathing, a few more steps, Sarah, come on.
She had finally reached it, she had stepped into the trenches, her wand out of its holster and her heart full of fear, courage and conviction. As long as they had something to fight for, nothing was lost.
When she finally appeared, she heard a loud gasp followed by a scowl, "Bloody hell! Where were you!?"
It was Fred, of course, he even made Remus flinch with the shrillness of his voice.
Sarah reached for her hair tie, letting her hair fall down her back before gathering it all again to twist it into a more secure bun while she spoke. "Actually, I bumped into Voldemort and we sat down, and had a cup of tea. During our diplomatic exchange on world hunger and the state of this decade's economy, I asked him 'Hey, would you consider calling off the attack and go home?' which he declined at first, but I think I made some pretty compelling arguments in our favor-"
"Are you done?" Fred interrupted her and raised an eyebrow pointedly.
She pursed her lips, feeling her cheeks heat up from the exhilarating feeling she had whenever he made that face, trying to act like he didn't want to laugh. "Yeah."
"It's no time to joke," George chided with a head shake, he and Fred making their way outdoors through the stone arcade.
"Seriously, Sarah." Even Selena was giving her that disapproving look, feigned of course, which made her roll her eyes as she followed them, took position next to Fred.
He could have let the joke go on if it weren't for the fact they were about to enter a battle, so when she arrived to his side, he glanced at her and shook his head fondly, "You smug pain in the arse."
Just so he could see that signature eye roll and grimace of hers, fueling him for the battle, actually for the rest of his life.
Shacklebolt had peeped his head outside, he was not done distributing duties, Dead Thomas was tailing him as he made his way through the slender wooden overpasses. "Dean, tell Professor McGonagall Remus, Tonks and I will protect this side of the castle. Maybe have her send us another person or two."
From this high, the forest and the lake looked almost normal. For a split second, one might believe the world wasn't about to blow up in flames. One just might.
Not long after Kingsley's command, Alexander arrived to hold up the front with them. He sent a small nod to his friends before taking a place next to Selena.
As assigned, threads of protective enchantments were shooting out of each person's wand on the ground. Bright and glowing magical cords tying together into the sky, diffracting into a shielding sphere, covering all Hogwarts.
"How long will it last?" Sarah asked Remus, standing to her left next to Tonks.
"It depends of the intensity at which it is attacked," he spoke as he eyed it carefully, some spots still merging, fusing together. "Worst case scenario? Twenty minutes."
She didn't answer that, she gulped instead, her forearms resting on the stone pillar in front of her, much like everybody around the tower. Fred took her hand in his, and set a kiss on its back, silently acknowledging the deeply troubling situation they were in. He didn't want to say just in case, but he thought it, she knew he did, and he knew she did as well.
There were some good fifteen minutes where nothing had happened, where everyone was silent, staring out in anticipation and in fright. They were afraid to break it, as if a sole whisper will lead their enemies towards them.
Sarah dwelled on the view. Extrapolated, it was her favorite place in the world. Presently, she wanted to fight for it. Hold on to it and defend it with her life, because he had no right no march in here and take it away. Under a manufactured name with nothing but hatred and fear on his side. They had so much more, it had to weigh more against him.
"They're here," Shacklebolt informed them grimly.
To adjust to the darkness, Sarah squinted her eyes, her vision coming into focus after taking a closer look. "We're surrounded," she gasped, her chest tightening in terror, she gave a sudden and tight squeeze to Fred's hand without meaning to. He responded with a gentle flex but it didn't help either of them.
In that short second, the Death Eaters facing them raised their wands and started shooting out counter spells, bringing down the shield inch by inch. But it didn't go down without a fight. It was shaking, exploding, holding up with all its might.
"We're outnumbered," Selena observed horrified. She tucked her black hair behind her ears, the shorter strands that had escaped her braid. Her gaze directed towards the wooden bridge that Neville, Ginny, Seamus and other seventh years were guarding. There were hundreds of Snatchers, hundreds of Death Eaters.
"We have enough fighters. Dumbledore's Army, Aurors, the Order, Hogwarts teachers, Thestrals, Centaurs, we have enough fighters," Tonks asserted, something about her tone made it sound like she was also trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince the others.
"It is the quality of one's convictions that determine success, not the number of followers," said Remus.
"Who said that?" Shacklebolt inquired.
"Me."
Sarah sighed loudly while turning towards her godfather, not needing a word to understand each other. He gave her a reassuring nod, and both redirected their attention towards the forcefield. It had shattered in some places, it was slowly going down.
"You okay, Freddie?" George asked, keeping his eyes up.
Both were blurry-eyed, tears threatening to fall any second as Fred nodded in response, "Yeah."
George nudged his arm softly, both managed a small smile at the contact, "Me, too."
"You?" his head turned to Selena then to Sarah a couple times so they'd understand he was asking them.
"Okay," the two girls nodded, their voices not much more determined than the twins'.
"What did you say the worst case scenario was, Remus?" Sarah asked again, seeing as the shield's destruction was advancing at a larger speed than she had anticipated.
"Twenty minutes."
"And how far along are we, now?"
A pause followed her question, most likely while Remus checked his watch, "Ten minutes."
"Eleven more minutes and we beat the odds, right?" suggested Fred nervously.
"Even ten minutes and one second will do it, I think," George chimed in.
"One second," repeated Fred, fiddling with his wand in his hands.
"Do you remember the first time we saw this place?" murmured Sarah, her throat closing up at the thought. "The first time we walked these halls, that rush when we got sorted into Gryffindor, casted a spell for the first time. Wide-eyed, ignorant and innocent, well, some us anyway," she side-eyed George and Fred, somehow making them smile sadly.
None lasted, though, they faltered back into worry, rightfully so, all their eyes glued to the crumbling shield above their heads.
Selena snorted softly, "What did we know?"
"Nothing," whimpered Fred.
George breathed out shakily, "We still don't."
"We really don't, do we?" said Sarah, a tear rolling down her cheek, that she wiped away with the black sleeve of her jumper. She felt heavy from the bitterness of protecting what she cared about so ardently, yet feeling she was standing at a precipice. She either let go of it and lived with the consequences, or died with it. Neither sounded like great options but she was willing to follow the latter.
The quality of one's convictions determines the success. Remus' words once again being her voice of reason and what drove her. That was what united them right now. They believed in good, in Harry, in themselves. And they were prepared to go down with that belief.
But it had marked the end of something. The end of an era, the end of their youth, they didn't know what yet, but a powerful spell hit their first line of defense and that was it. It was down, it was fizzling, almost destroyed. It looked like it was shedding tears, apologizing for not keeping them at bay for longer, for giving in, for giving up. But it was their turn to fight.
"Get into position," ordered Remus, shooting a last look at everyone else before taking on his.
That meant they had to stand several feet apart, circle around the tower, possibly not see each other until the end of the fight.
Before splitting up, Fred pulled Sarah into his arms, brought her into a short but fierce kiss by the nape of her neck, "Please be careful. I don't want to lose you again, once was enough, alright? I love you."
She nodded, reached up to peck his lips once again, spoke through a ragged breath, praying to God this wouldn't be the last time she heard that or got to say it back. "I promise. I love you."
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AN
Watching the Deathly Hallows part 2 to get the visuals and some dialogues over and over again gives me such anxiety because I always have the outcome of the Battle of Hogwarts in mind. I'm really trying to make these chapters last, I love writing them so much.
Anyway, I can't wait for you to read the next chapters.
Lots of love,
s