"Come on, we have to move before we get crushed," said a harassed 6th year Ravenclaw by the name of Allison Green. Allison and her best-friend, 6th year Ravenclaw Jimmy Towns, joined the crowd of students shoving each other into the Entrance Hall. "What are we gonna do? Stay and fight or leave?" Jimmy asked.
"We fight, of course!" Allison said shrilly. "Didn't you hear what He said? He'll leave Hogwarts alone as long as Potter gives himself over before hand, and I'm pretty sure that Potter isn't going to give up that easily." Jimmy stared. "I mean, this is Hogwarts we're talking about, Jimmy!" she said.
"All right, you've got a point. Are we going to help McGonagall protect the castle or what?" Jimmy asked, and Allison pulled out her wand from her pocket. "Of course, Jims, but first I need to go up to the Common Room and put my things in a safe place. I've wasted a lot of Galleons on this stuff and a bunch of good-for-nothing Death Eater's aren't going to make it go to waste,"
Jimmy nodded, "Okay, meet me in the courtyard!" and they went their separate ways. Allison ran up the Grand Staircase, packed with students, teachers, and members of the Order. In all her 6 years at Hogwarts, Allison had never once realized just how massive Hogwarts really was; she soon found herself turning corners, running through tapestries and doorways, up and down a hoard of staircases. Finally she found the entrance to Ravenclaw tower and began to climb her way through the sea of students, when a low rumble made everyone scream.
Looking out of the nearest window, she noticed a bubble like structure descending upon the castle. Lights shimmered, lighting up the scene beyond: about 2 dozen statues where lining up at the castle's boundaries, and multi-colored flashes of light issued from some of the battlements. Allison continued her journey up to the Ravenclaw Common Room, but upon arriving at the entrance, she found that the regular door was gone; just a big hole in the wall.
"Hey Lizzie, what's going on? Where's the Knocker?" Allison asked a curly haired blonde girl who had just scrambled out of the common room. "I don't even know, one minute Michael and I were arguing with it about the riddle it told us, and the next moment it was just gone. Poof! Like that." Lizzie said. "I guess it must have disappeared when Michael told it that Hogwarts was going to be under siege soon. Anyway, I need to get downstairs, see you later!" and with that, Lizzie ran down the staircase.
Allison made her way into the Common Room, which was full of shouting students. Passing by fellow sixth year Johnny Staples, who was looking thoroughly distressed, she ran up the Girls Dormitory staircase. A faint light blue color was shining in through the windows of the staircase, and if Hogwarts hadn't been preparing for battle, Allison might have just sat down, relaxed, and read a book.
She entered the sixth year girls' dormitory and found the other girl's where here too: Rachel Carpio, Zimmy Rancel, Sarah Beth Berry, and Lilian Rosich. "Allison, there you are! I was just talking to the other girls, you know, and I think it would be a good idea to transfigure our things, right? Like pieces of rubble, you know? That way, they won't get destroyed during battle, if there even is one. That's why I took the liberty of using a Vanishing charm and sending our things to the broom cupboard on the Fourth floor," said Zimmy as soon as she spotted Allison.
"WHAT? Great, just bloody great. I fought my way up here to be told that my stuff is floors below? Dammit, why couldn't anyone have send word or something? Christ, now I have to go all the way down there again! " Allisonthought furiously. By the looks of the other girls faces, they came up here for the exact same reason.
"Oh," was all she could say. Rachel opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by a sudden loud BANG; running to the nearest window, they all saw what seemed to be a million little train headlights heading towards the castle. They looked as if they would penetrate the castle, but then they hit the protective barrier around the castle; they hit the barrier simultaneously, and an otherworldly sound filled the night. Zimmy completely lost her head, and Allison was the first one running down the staircase.
Running out of the Common Room and Ravenclaw Tower in a matter of seconds, she was dashing through the sea of panicking students that had flooded the Grand Staircase. Coming to an abrupt stop at the stop of the top of the fifth floor, they heard a deafening sound of what sounded like a bomb exploding. Looking out of a nearby window, Allison saw that the shield around Hogwarts had broken; the battle had begun. "MOVE, MOVE!" she screamed and attempted to resume her way down to the courtyard.
Muffled bangs from the battle outside drowned out all the shouting in the Grand Staircase, flashes of light came in through the windows. Finally reaching the first floor corridor, Allison ran at breakneck speeds towards the staircase that would lead her to the Entrance Hall and beyond. There was a sudden boom and a wall just a few feet in-front of her exploded; Allison was thrown back and bits of rock and stone came crashing down upon her.
Getting to her feet, she noticed a tall, hooded Death Eater sending Killing curses all over the place. She raised her wand and yelled "STUPEFY!", grinning when her spell hit the intruder and seeing it fall over.
Turning a corner and running down the stairs full of duelers, she entered the Entrance Courtyard, which was apocalyptic. Flashes of light, screams, shouts, curses filled the air. Allison looked for Jimmy, not seeing the curly blonde haired boy anywhere.
Lights flew everywhere. Allison blocked a few that were headed her way, a severing charm missed her throat by just a few inches, she turned around and saw three Death Eaters coming at her; she ran from her pursuers and sent stunning spells behind her shoulder, smirking slightly as she heard two thunks behind her.
She jumped behind a pile of rubble as a green jet of light blasted apart one of the courtyards pillars. She kneeled down, waiting for just the right moment. Not yet, she told herself. Cautiously peering around the rubble, she saw the Death Eater that had evaded being hit by her jinx creeping up on an unsuspecting girl. "The hell you're not! IMPEDIMENTA!" she screamed. The Death Eater was thrown forward in a flash of white light and moved no more.
Allison turned and her heart stopped. Jimmy was just a few away, locked in fierce combat with a Snatcher. Balls of light flew from their wands, each blocking it with a shield charm. It was hard to tell who was casting what. Allison ran forward, sending multiple hexes as she ran. One of the Snatcher's jinxes hit Jimmy squarely on the shoulder, throwing him off his feet. Allison sent yet another hex, but this time it made contact. The snatcher fell down and began to shrivel up like a raisin.
Allison turned to see if her best-friend was okay, but he was gone.
"JIMMY!" She yelled and began to turn on the spot, looking everywhere for him. "Allison!" She heard someone yell her name. She turned around and saw Paula, a 7th year Ravenclaw whom she had grown close to since her second year at Hogwarts.
"Paula! Are you alright?" Allison asked, seeing as Paula was bruised up, disheveled, and had numerous cuts on her face.
"Never better!" She said, grinning broadly. Allison saw several missing teeth. "Just showing these Death Eater idiots whose boss!"
"Have you seen Jimmy?" asked Allison. Paula's grin faded, and Allison feared the worst.
"Not since the battle started, no. I saw him out here earlier, when the Death Eater's were attempting to breakdown the protection. He said he was waiting for you," Paula said. "However, I think I did see him in the Great Hall when I made my way down here a few minutes ago,"
Thanking Merlin that they were near the entrance to the Entrance Hall, Allison ran up the steps, Paula following suit. A sudden boom made the ground shake beneath them, and a colossal implosion made most of the Entrance Hall's ceiling rain down upon them. Paula shrieked and Allison moved hastily of the way as an arch crashed upon the floor. Black clouds of smoke came flying in through the hole of what was left of the Entrance Hall.
"Paula! Paula, where are you?" Allison screamed. She fired a blasting curse at a Death Eater who was getting too close for comfort, and that's when she heard it; a faint gurgling sound coming from behind a huge slab of stone to her left. She crawled over the slimy ground and peered behind it.
Paula laid there, a sharp piece of rock embedded deeply in her chest. Blood poured from her mouth and throat, as she grasped for Allison's hand. Allison grabbed her hand, and Paula became still.
Tears fell slowly from Allison's face, the sounds of the furious battle still raging on behind her.