It was dark, everything was quiet. Too quiet. Something was wrong. No one was moving, no one was speaking. It was as if everyone was frozen, listening to something...something he couldn't hear. Suddenly someone, a Hufflepuff, screamed while cowering in the corner. He knew what they were hearing...a horrible hissing voice in their heads. He could hear it, but it did not affect him the way that it did them. His breathing increased, he could feel a familiar sense of panic filling his body. Who would heed the voice's demands? Who would come to his aid? When the voice finished, a Slytherin girl stepped out of the crowd, but only barely, and pointed at him.

"Someone grab him! What are you waiting for?!"

He reached for his wand. Before he could get it, his best friends were in front of him, aiming their wands at the girl. It was clear that they were not going to let that happen. Professor McGonagall watched in slight agony as the students seemed torn between turning the boy in and protecting him. Barely a second had passed and all of Gryffindor house had surrounded the boy, daring anyone to try and touch him. She wanted to smile at this, but her heart was heavy in the moment...her school, her home, and her students were in danger. In the silence that followed, Filch had appeared and she had ordered him to take the Slytherins down to the dungeons, where they were to remain.

The boy left with his friends, knowing that his work had just begun. He walked with his friends, none of them spoke...none of them even looked at each other. The sister held her brother's hand tighter than she ever had before, he could tell she was afraid and felt an overwhelming desire to look out for her. The older brothers watched them both from behind, no one noticing their silent tears or their hands intertwined. They both had the feeling that someone would not make it out of this alive...someone they cherished most. No one went to their dorms in the hour that followed, they were all too scared to find peace. This was a time of war. Some had been prepared for this moment as best they could by the boy they had protected, others were fearing the worst. Some were wishing they had skipped school this year and were home with their parents. As the end of the hour neared, the boy sat with his friends on the stone stairs of the Entrance Hall. They were all covered in cuts, bruises, dirt and blood. The sister was curled up next to her brothers, and none of them spoke.

"It's time."

One of the girls looked up at him and quickly got to her feet, already on the verge of tears.

"I'll go with you."

The boy gently shook his head and took her hands into his own.

"I appreciate the offer...but no. This is something I must do alone."

The girl broke down then and threw her arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder. The boy that had been sitting with her stood up, placing a gentle hand on her back as their friend hugged her tight. When she finally released him, she buried her face in the other boy's shoulder as he eyed their friend carefully.

"Be safe, mate."

"Safe as I can be."

The boy said with a nod before his arms were full of the other girl. She wasn't sobbing but he could tell she was deeply upset and worried. He held her tight...tighter than he did the other one. He placed a gentle kiss on her head, knowing her feelings but not being able to accept them. They all knew who he liked and they had accepted it. He had never gotten the chance to tell the person, and wondered if it was too late. He leaned back to look at the girl in his arms and gave her a small smile before placing his hands on her cheeks.

"It's going to be alright. When I leave out that door, go to Dumbledore's office and use the fireplace. Contact the rest of the Order and tell them we need them here. All of them."

"Even-"

"Yes. ALL of them."

She nodded and he smiled a tiny bit more. He handed her back to her brothers then and stepped back. He eyed the group of Gryffindor's that had gathered during the interactions and nodded to them all. He knew what they were waiting for, he was their leader...they knew he had a message for them and they were right.

"Tonight is the night we've been training for. Tonight we fight, not for ourselves but for our friends, for our school, for our families. Tonight we fight, not as individuals from different houses," He paused here, looking out at the other students who had been gathering around him, "But as students of Hogwarts. Tonight we fight as one! Tonight we are not Gryffindors or Slytherins. Tonight we are not Hufflepuffs or Ravenclaws. Tonight we are an army! We are all family! Let your hearts beat as one! Look out for each other...all of you. The spirit of Hogwarts is strong tonight, the founders are with us all! Be as brave as Godric! Be as wise as Rowena! Be as loyal as Helga! Be as cunning and ruthless as Salazar! Do not give up! WE ARE ONE! Together we will win this war! Protect each other! Stand strong together! Never forget, the founders are with us! Hogwarts is with us!"

He watched them all nod, some clapping. He did not expect cheering, this was not a time for that. This was a time of war, and they needed a strong leader. The Slytherins, who had somehow escaped the dungeons, had been in the crowd as well. Some of them looked ready to flee and avoid the war while others seemed to have taken his message to heart and were prepared to fight. One of these was someone he had never gotten along with...who also happened to be the object of his affection. Little did the boy know, this student had the same feelings towards him. The boy nodded in approval and watched as Ravenclaws began talking with other houses, no doubt trying to plan a strategy for them all to survive. He turned to his friends.

"Go join them. I must go."

He turned to the second girl he had hugged and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Remember what I've said...be strong. Contact the Order. Give them my message."

He turned away then and made his way through the crowd. He left the warmth of the hall and entered the cool evening air. He made his way to the forest, where he was to meet his end. His heart was heavy with all the things he had never gotten to say, the family he never reconnected with, the ones he had never gotten to know. He felt a lump in his throat and, pausing on the edge of the forest, he looked over his shoulder at the magnificent school behind him, her lights shining like beacons of hope in the night.

"Protect them all, mighty Hogwarts. Stand tall, stand strong."

He closed his eyes for a moment before entering the woods, his memories from his first day there filling his mind. As he walked he remembered all the laughs they had shared, the smiles, the exams...he remembered it all. Oh how he would miss it.

A young boy awoke in his bed when his owl began nuzzling his cheek. He gave the bird a gentle pat before sitting up and looking at the time. It was just a little after seven in the morning and he smiled slightly. Checking the date he grinned wide, tomorrow was the day he would be leaving for school. It was the start of his third year and he was excited to see his friends again. As he got dressed his mother came in and kissed his head affectionately, smiling as she looked over his outfit.

"Breakfast is ready, we're going to miss you so much...I might have overdone it a little..."

He chuckled softly at the expression on her face before hugging her tight. As he walked with her down to the dining hall his thoughts turned back to the dream he had the night before. It seemed too real to be just a dream...and he had the strangest feeling...as if he had actually been there. His mother noticed his silence and stopped, turning him to face her.

"Adrian? What is it son, what's wrong?"

The boy looked up at his mother and started to shake his head when he thought better of it and let out a soft sigh. He told her about the dream, what he had seen, what he felt, and everything else. When he finished his mother looked at him curiously before taking his hand and continuing down the stairs.

"It was just a dream sweetheart, try not to dwell on it for too long. Come on, let's go join your father."

The boy nodded and smiled as they entered the dining room. His mother was right, it was just a dream and nothing more. He hugged his father's neck in greeting before walking to his seat. As he sat down, he didn't notice the look his mother gave his father, or his father's return nod. He had no idea that there was something they were not telling him...or that his life was about to change more than he could have ever known. All he knew was that it was morning, he was hungry, and there was a massive amount of food in front of him, just waiting to be devoured.