The several days that had passed after receiving the incorporeal Patronus from Lupin had gone by at a snail's pace. The anticipation had made it feel even worse, just the knowing that it was going to happen soon made everyone's nerves stand on end.
Ginny had settled in nicely, enjoying the time away from school; Molly had ensured to hover near her at all times, the feeling she held inside when missing her daughter had finally leaked out. I almost felt bad for her, Molly was nearly reaching the point of being overbearing. She could see it in her daughter though, the annoyance that seemed to bubble for a split moment when she had hung around her too long, after last night she had made the effort to attempt to give her daughter some breathing room. Arthur had found it amusing to say the least.
She had given us the rundown of what had been happening at Hogwarts once she settled, the Carrow Twins had attempted to force several of the older years to practice the cruciatus curse on the first years, they had attempted to call it breaking in the new blood, just another way to make their situation sound more believable. A majority of the sixth years had denied their very demand, which as valiant as it sounded only resulted in intense punishment; they had been the testers of the curse instead. Leaving a message to the impressionable first years.
Still, they did not relent.
They bided their time and fought whenever they had been able to, several of them getting sent to detention and punished by their new headmaster Snape.
It felt odd to see the hatred in her eyes when talking about Snape, I had always hoped that the way she talked about how evil he acted wasn't truly Snape. That this was perhaps a facade. A way to get into the deeper ranks of the Death Eaters, or perhaps he had gotten in too deep with them before Dumbledore's death, it was too dangerous for him to leave now. I had decided against bringing up these thoughts to Ginny whenever she angrily ranted about him, I had a feeling it wouldn't help the conversation any, perhaps make it worse. Plus, there was the possibility that I had dreaded that all of what she said was in fact true; the old Potions teacher had gone completely under, becoming one of them. It was an undesirable thought, but the possibility was still there, and shouldn't be overlooked.
My training hadn't stopped either, hell, I had trained twice as hard compared to the past few weeks, doubling my hours in the front yard blasting away the training dummies I had summoned on my own. Arthur had taught me a plenty of spells that he had deemed fine to allow me to continue just practicing on my own, allowing me to sharpen my skills.
I wasn't alone of course.
Fred had joined me throughout the hours I had gone outside, George had spent a majority of his time alone watching the radio attentively, waiting for even a slight semblance of a reveal.
Slowing my breath, a puff of hot air escaped my lips, the cold temperature still clung tightly even as Spring settled in; desperate to stay. Holding my wand steadily forwards, I narrowed my eyes watching as the dummy clunked back up, the harsh ticking sounds clacking as the gears turned against each other.
"Ascendio" I ordered, my wand harshly rising to the sky as the dummy's gears ground as it ripped from the earth and began ascending into the air, twirling gently. Narrowing my eyes I waited for a few moments, until I harshly yanked my wand downward, "Descendo." On command, the Dummy harshly fell to the ground, crumpling in on itself.
Twirling my wand, I casted Reparo, the broken pieces stitching back together.
"I think you've done enough to the poor thing." Fred chuckled, his chin resting in his hands.
"What do you mean?" I turned to him confused, "It's inanimate, it can't feel anything."
He shook his head as he chuckled, pushing himself up on his knees as he carefully walked forwards. "Yes, but you've dented the poor thing on itself and repaired it more times than I can count," His hand rested on my shoulder gently, "I think that's enough practice for now, come, let's go inside and you take a break for the night." he suggested.
I looked at him for a moment, my attention turning back to the fully repaired dummy, "I need to practice though.." I quietly replied.
"You've practice well enough, i'v seen it." He leaned forwards attempting to turn my attention away from the practice dummy.
Lowering my wand, I looked down at my shoes, "Practicing keeps the crawling anxiety at bay." I muttered.
"Sure," he nodded, "It'll do that for a little while, but it's not a permanent solution." He hesitated, "All it's going to do is continue pushing it back, once you let go of the pressure it'll just come swinging back."
I looked away from him, he was right. I know he was. I had known it wasn't a temporary fix, but it felt like the easiest solution, all I would have to do is hold out for a few days, then the battle would commence. Then no more pre war anxiety. Simple enough.
"I just need to keep holding on a little longer," I protested.
"Love," He quietly spoke, his hold still on my wrist. Gently pulling my towards him, he used his other hand to cup my cheek making me look at him, "I'm worried about you,"
"I'm fine, I'll be alright, before we know it the war will start and after that no more anxiety." I waved my hand around dismissively.
"We don't know when the signal will arrive, for all we know it'll be a week from now,maybe several." He released my cheek and flailed the empty hand in the air. "You can't keep pushing yourself to the near breaking point every single day, you don't have to do this on your own; let me help. If something is causing you to be on edge, let me know, I'll do whatever I'm able to help you ease back." His eyebrows creased.
"I have to be ready though..." I quietly said, "I don't feel that I'm ready enough."
"I don't think anyone is ever truly ready for a war." Fred sighed, his eyes closing. The creased worry lines in his forehead relaxed moments later as he opened his eyes once more, "Plus, I feel you're more than ready. If the amount of times you had to repair the bloody thing has any say in such." He chuckled. "The Death Eaters won't know what hit them." he grinned.
"Yeah?" I humored him.
"Obviously," He smirked devilishly, "Your skill has drastically changed compared to the wedding fight this past summer, you'll do fine."
With a sigh of defeat, I dismissed the dummy and shoved my wand in my pocket. "Alright."
"It'll be alright," he pulled me into a tight hug, "before we know it it'll all be over and we'll have a whole life ahead of us, free to do as we please. Heck, maybe we could even get a nice house in a nearby village not too far from Hogsmeade."
"Really?" I asked, my head tilted back to look at him.
"Of course, like the one you stayed in. Well, granted, probably a little bigger." He laughed.
"Probably," I agreed laughing, "You think George will be alright by himself in that apartment." I mused.
"I'm sure he'll manage." He tilted his head side to side. "Come on, let's go inside. Settle down with some snacks or something, it is unbearably cold outside." he gestured to the door.
"It's not too bad," I chuckled.
"You've been outside for a long enough time that you're used to it." He laughed, the two of us now holding our hands together walked towards the door.
We barely made it to the front steps before a white wisp rushed past us and into the house, looking at each other with wide eyes we dashed into the house following after the wisp. It curled into the walk room just inside the front door and dashed into the living room, halting suddenly in front of Arthur and Molly who both sat on the couch with wide and surprised eyes.
Lupin's voice spoke through with a hushed tone, "The time has come, apparate to the Hog's Head Pub in Hogsmeade, there you will meet a contact who will usher you safely into the school. We'll see you there." It did not stay long enough to repeat the sentence, once he finished talking the patronus disappeared, leaving the group of us in silence.
The thudding of footsteps echoed loudly in the house as George fumbled down the steps heavily breathing as he grabbed the doorway, his body lurching forward as the momentum carried his body for a few seconds.
"The" he breathed, "The signal, they did the signal over the radio." He finally let out with uneven breaths, his shoulders raising and lowering quickly.
"We know," Arthur nodded.
"What? How?" he looked at his father confused.
"Lupin sent one as well." Fred noted, his thumb pointing to the now empty air.
"Ah," he noted, "What now?"
"Now, we leave." Arthur stood up from the couch, brushing off his pants. "Go get your sister." he looked at the boys.
Nodding, Fred gave my hand one final squeeze and ran up the stairs with George dashing to the room Ginny had taken as her own. Arthur and Molly looked to one another, worry spread over Molly's face as her hand reached for her husbands'.
"It'll be alright darling, just like old times." he mused.
"I don't want it to be like old times, we lost so much." She worriedly replied, now getting up to stand alongside him.
"We won't, we have a larger group aiding us." He smiled encouragingly.
"Do you think so?" She asked.
"I'm sure the school won't need to be persuaded too hard to help us," I noted, "Especially the other teachers."
"She's right." Arthur pointed out.
"And the children?" Molly questioned. "Will they fight?"
"No, I highly doubt the staff or anyone else will allow any underaged witch or wizard to aid us in the battle. It'll be too dangerous for them." he shook his head.
"Everything will be fine," I spoke, my hands balled into fists, my throat had tightened from the worry; it had taken every fiber of my willpower to not let my anxiety run free, the cup nearly running over.
Noticing my nerves, Arthur's eyebrows creased in concern. The twins and Ginny jogged down the steps moments later meeting us in the living room, now standing in a full circle.
Once everyone gathered together, Arthur nodded and began, "Now, I'm not going to lie and say this will be easy. Battles as big as this is probably going to be are messy, it's not going to be a walk in the park. There is an incredibly high chance that things can and absolutely will get messy. If we're lucky, it'll just be a messy fight. But there is always a chance we're unlucky."
"What happens if we're unlucky?" I asked hesitantly, the answer felt so obvious yet I asked.
"Lets just hope we're lucky." Arthur replied instead, which was enough of an answer to my question. There would be no survival if we lost, not in a world where he reigned in control. "Alright everyone, you heard the patronus. Once we get to the tavern, we stick together, do not go alone anywhere."
With a stiff nod, one by one we all apparated; the solid floor ripping away from underneath me as the world spun around, for a brief moment, the nerves had seemed to whisk away. Perhaps to stay in the small little home they were just moments ago.
Seconds later, the solid ground made contact with my feet once more, grabbing ahold of Fred's hand we squeezed tightly. I had left my bag at home, taking it here wouldn't be of any help and it would be more dangerous to bring it along with me than leave it back there. Plus, leaving it there was almost like a promise to myself, I was going to go back for it, we'd survive. I was sure of it.
Leaning to the side ever so slightly, a gloomy colored bricked tavern loomed over us; a creaking sign hung as it swang in the breeze. A chipped painting of a Boar's head squealing had been placed on top of the sign, weathered from many seasons. Giving each other one last look, Fred gave an encouraging smile and we headed in; the remainder of his family following closely behind. We were a singular unit, one would not go alone anywhere without at least one person at their side.
Honestly I had anticipated the tavern inside to be filled with folk as we gathered inside, it had only been midafternoon when we had left their great-aunt's house so at the very least there should be a few customers; at the lowest one or two. It had been the opposite coming in, the tavern had seemed like a ghost town, not a single person in sight. This had confused me for a moment, though perhaps the owner had closed it for the night? I had never visited this place honestly while heading to Hogsmeade during my annual trips, three broomsticks tended to be the usual gathering place out of habit from the past years growing up in Hogwarts. The animated Boar head had been an amusing experience, its thick furred head turned to us letting out a loud squeal, its snout curling upwards as its tusks bared.
The floorboards creaked under our footsteps as we reached the side of the counter,a tall elderly man stood with his back to us, long gray hair descending down to the middle of his back. Hearing the sound of our footsteps, the man turned around with an empty mug in his hand. With a scowl he looked over our group, his lips pursed angrily pulling at the edges of his long gray beard.
My footsteps had halted for a moment taking in his appearance, nearly taking a double take. I had sworn he looked incredibly close to the likeness of Dumbledore. Too close.
He must have noticed my expression as his face darkened with annoyance. Clearing my throat, I pulled my attention away from him. Clearing his throat, he gestured to the back door and spoke in a gruffed tone. "I suspect you're the Weasley family then?"
"Yes, and I presume you're the owner of the tavern?" Arthur spoke out.
"Correct, follow me." He walked to the back door not waiting for us to follow behind as he pushed the door open.
Rushing hurriedly behind him, the group of us filed in one by one into the cramped back room as the man patiently waited in the back corner of the cluttered room. Piles of crates lay stacked against the walls aligned with stacked chairs. On the far end of the wall a large painting of a young girl in a blue and white dress stood expectantly, her hands clasped together tightly in front of her.
"Thank you for this.." Arthur started, his sentence falling off as he looked at the older man almost expectantly, as if asking for something.
"Aberforth." He answered shortly. "And you're welcome, you're not the first group I've had to smuggle into Hogwarts today."
"Who came before us?" George asked curiously. Molly's face lit up and looked back at him expectantly. Hopeful.
"Aye," He answered, his gaze turning to the painting. "Three younger children, close to her age I'd guess." He pointed towards Ginny.
Molly's face turned to her husband then turned back to Aberforth, "What did they look like? Two boys and a girl? Two brunettes and a redhead? The boys of similar height?" her questions flooding out one after the other.
He tilted his head thinking for a moment before he responded, "Aye, came in about an hour before you did. They were in a mighty hurry it seemed." He sighed.
"Thank Merlin," Molly let out a large sigh as she clung to Arthur.
"Almost there love," Arthur gently patted his wife's hand as he steadied her weight holding her up.
"We're close." She agreed.
"So how exactly do you intend on smuggling us into the school if I might ask?" I interjected, I felt bad for asking so soon after the happy moment the two of them had been sharing at the moment, but we were pressed for time.
"Through the painting." He answered shortly, his hand gesturing to the painting, that now had turned her head to look towards us giving us a pleasant smile.
A moving portrait.
Aberforth waited, almost as if anticipating something to appear from the painting. When nothing happened, he frowned deeply. "Is the boy not coming?" He asked the woman in the painting. Turning her head back to him, she shook her head solemnly, a worried look on her face.
"It seems something has stirred with the school, typically you would have an escort to take you through the tunnels, but it'll have to be just your group for now. Follow straight forwards, do not take any rights or lefts and follow the curve, yah hear?" He explained to the group of us.
"Something happened?" Ginny whispered.
"You don't think?-" George started.
"Enough dawdling, you don't exactly have the time to do that now do you?" He raised an eyebrow expectantly. Taking our silence as an answer, he gestured to the painting as we watched it swing to the left much like a door, behind it revealed a carved out tunnel that stretched far into the darkness.
Giving their thanks, Molly and Arthur walked first one after the other disappearing into the tunnel.
As the others squeezed into the tunnel, remaining last in the line. As Fred crouched into the tunnel, I looked back to the painting and then back at the man.
"She's pretty," I noted.
"She was," He nodded.
"Family?" I asked.
"Don't you have somewhere to go?" He asked in a grumpy tone, his eyes turning to the tunnel as the group slowly walked farther ahead. His eyes narrowed waiting.
"Oh- yes I'm sorry." I quickly apologized and hurried myself into the tunnel, with a soft click the painting closed behind me leaving us alone in the tunnel.
Looking back to the front, I quickly stepped forwards to keep up with the group. The tunnel hadn't been entirely too tall, leaving the majority of the group having to crouch down slightly in order to fit; the twins suffered the majority of it.
We followed the tunnel in silence for what felt like forever, there had been no light in the tunnel so the only guide to our tunnels had been through lumos light; the white light cascaded our shadows stretching them far down the tunnel.
"You know, when that old guy said it was a long tunnel I didn't expect it to be this long." Fred joked.
"Well, we are walking fromHogsmeade to the school, do you remember how long it took back then to walk here?" I retorted back.
"Yes, but at least it was easier to tell how far we were." He sighed heavily.
"We're almost there, you should know these tunnels well enough Fred, we took a lot of these tunnels out of the school." George grinned looking over his shoulder.
"You what?" Molly demanded, her head quickly looking over her shoulder before looking forwards.
"Nothing but harmless fun." Fred grinned.
"We were good, honest." George added.
"I'll be requiring an explanation when this is over, you understand?" She called behind her.
"Yes ma'am." The two spoke in unison.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Finally, we reached the end of the tunnel revealing a large wooden door. Pushing it open, the group of us stepped down and out of the tunnel and walked into what looked like a storage room. Piles of pillows and blankets lay scattered about, books and personal items lay in piles circling different makeshift beds. Lofts and other makeshift beds hung from shelves to make room for others as the floor seemed to be full with several others already.
"This looks like-" I began.
"It's the room of requirement, yeah." Ginny answered, smiling as she looked around the room.
Hearing that, I definitely saw it. It was completely different compared to the training room it had conjured for us back then, though yet again that was the benefit of the Room of Requirement. Not one room was ever the same, it turned into whatever the holders required at the current time. By the look of things, this time it looked like a retreat.
"Some of the students who were against what was going on in the school attempted to stand up to them," Ginny answered my questioned look, "It failed quickly of course, so for our safety we turned to the room of requirement to hide."
"You were in hiding?" I asked, worried.
"When I was here, it wasn't too long that we had hid in here. Though since I've left I'm surprised it's lasted this long." Ginny looked around.
"If you hid here, where is everyone?" Fred leaned forwards.
"I don't know honestly," She pondered, "Maybe everyones been gathered elsewhere? The great hall perhaps?"
"To the great hall then." Arthur nodded.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
The halls were terrifyingly quiet, worse than the days before my graduation. The sickening feeling felt immense, foreign. Like a sickness had begun to seep from the castle's walls. I felt like a stranger, no longer in my old home.
Holding my bicep, I leaned closer to the group as we walked down the hall in silence. Noticing my posture, Fred's arm hooked around my upper torso pulling me tightly against him for a few moments before releasing. Looking down, he gave an encouraging smile and kept close.
It didn't take too long for us to walk down the halls to the Great Hall, the route had been burned in the minds of those who had gone here not too long ago, it felt like ease. The only unfamiliar part of the trip, had been the huddled group of people who stood nervously in the middle of the hall.
Their heads turned to our echoing footsteps as ours halted, that far away the group of them felt unfamiliar, we had no idea whether or not this group was part of the Death Eaters or innocent people. We hung back in anticipation waiting as the group ahead began walking towards us with a quickened pace, with an almost earnest look to it.
As the group got closer, Molly's cry confirmed who the group had been. Rushing forwards, Molly ran and tightly enveloped Ron burying his dirty red hair into her shoulder as she shook weeping. Her son was now finally back in her arms. The year that she had spent worrying over him finally came to an end, he was here, while no longer at home she at the very least knew that he was alive and safe, confirming the notion Aberforth had spoken. Hugging her tightly back, the two of them mumbled unhearable words, though it wasn't too hard to guess what they were talking about. Arthur had joined in on their hug not too much longer, the three of them tightly hugging for several minutes, the twins and Ginny joining in together before pulling away with stiff bodies, another familiar face stepping into the crowd.
Percy.
The twins pulled away from their brother and glared back at Percy, the hesitance brimming in their posture.
They were right to feel such a way, all those years of torment and unreasonable anger from Percy had left the family hurting.
Tonks, Lupin, and Kingsworth looked uncertain at the group as the Weasley's looked to Percy. Molly looked as though she wanted to reach out to her son, it's all she had wanted, the christmas' she had spent without another one of her children had left a small hole, seeing him but not talking for those years was brutal. The twins had been furious with him, angry to see how he had treated their parents all for the sake of getting a job inside of the ministry, a borderline lap dog of the Minister.
"It's good to see you." I whispered, leaning to the three others.
"Likewise." Lupin laughed, "Although it seems that the situation has gotten a little awkward. I wasn't aware how hostile it had been with their family, I heard snidbits but still-"
"Yeah, it's going to be a little rough." I winced.
"It was the same with Ron earlier," Tonks noted, "Though after some talking, the two of them have made a treaty more or less."
"Maybe they'll do the same?" I offered.
"They'll have to, we're running out of time." Lupin sighed.
"Hello mom, dad." Percy was the one to say something, "George, Fred, Ginny." He looked at his siblings.
"What are you doing here?" Fred asked, his eyebrows glaring.
"What do you- oh. I heard that you were all coming here to help and fight," He looked to the ground, "I've been thinking about how horrible I've treated you all for the years, and I feel awful. And I am sorry. Now, I can't expect you to all forgive me right away, but I want to at least start the process." He slowly looked back at them.
Molly was the first to dash forwards, enveloping her arms around Percy tightly and yanked him into a deep hug. "Welcome home," She smiled and leaned back to look up at her son.
So thus, a peace treaty had commenced. The twins weren't too happy about it first, but agreed that it would be better to have him as an ally for now. There would be time for talk later.
"Where to now?" Molly turned to Lupin and the others.
"Everyone's been gathered in the great hall, Snape knows Harry Is here." Hermoine replied.
"It's good to see you dear," Molly smiled, "And if he knows Harry is here, where is he? Why isn't he with you?"
"He went off with the other students." Ron answered.
"Why would he do something so risky and stupid?" Lupin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"He has a plan," Hermione assured, "Let's just go meet them there, he's going to need us."
"She's right, let's move on." Kingsley spoke up, "Stick together everyone. Bill and Fleur will be waiting for us before the door."
"They're here as well?" Arthur asked, "That's good to hear."
Nodding sternly, the group of us made our way down the halls, ready to take on whatever the enemy had in store for the group of us. We were ready.
Clustered in a large group together, we welcomed Bill and Fleur happily as they stood with us before the giant wooden doors. The doors that had welcomed in so many first years as they came to the school for the first time, the doors that had always been open to the school now stood closed.
With our wands at the ready, our group pushed forwards thrusting the doors back open, no longer would the doors of this school be closed for anyone.