The Unwilling Forlorn Hope
Ginny Weasley couldn't help but beam as she left the Room of Requirement to sprint after Neville's Grandmother and Tonks. She felt herself bouncing on the balls of her feet as her legs, unbeknownst to her, carried her along a lengthy corridor. Trotting past a ruined palisade, she suddenly took note of how the castle around her appeared – she was horrified that Hogwarts could achieve such an appearance of dilapidation at all, yet alone in this short space of time. She realised that she would have remained oblivious to any noise or damage unless the Room of Requirement itself was affected – perhaps not even then. It was just unreal to her, that a place she had often known as home had come to this; it wiped the grin from her lightly-freckled face and leadened her steps, so that she looked utterly miserable by the time she caught up to the two other women.
"What's up?" said Tonks, seemingly surprised at Ginny's expression "I'd have thought you'd be pleased to leave that dingy little room."
"I am, it's just..." Ginny struggled to remain steady as she continued to survey the blasted ramparts of the castle, at the holes torn through the battlements she wished had never been called to serve their purpose. Tonks followed her teary gaze through the remains of a window, biting her lip as she now noticed the flashes of green and red that illuminated the once verdant lawn beside the Black Lake. The Deatheaters were ominously approaching, advancing relentlessly through the lines of the Hogwartian defenders, who had been scattered by the opposing ranks.
"I know, I know" She whispered, clasping her hands softly around Ginnys shoulders, in an attempt to try and comfort the younger, pale-faced girl. "Everything'll soon be back to normal once the battle's over. Do you want to go back to..."
"No!" exclaimed Ginny, red hair flying, "I want to fight, I want to end this, I want to help!" She had regained almost all of her former composure, straightening her back and forcing a harder expression on her tear-streaked visage.
By this time Mrs Longbottom, who had walked off ahead, had heard the commotion and waddled back over to them, surprisingly agile as she traversed the masonry and shards of glass that now adorned the passage floor.
"Now this will never do!" She shrieked shrilly, jabbing the tip of her knarled walking stick towards Ginny's chest, and demanding silence from both of them. "This is not the time for being molly-coddled, young lady!"Ginny frowned at the old woman for the misuse of her mother's name.
"That's exactly what they want, isn't it? If they break us up on the inside first, it'll be far easier for them to break us up on the outside later. I learned that after those maggot-ridden sons of bitches took my Frank away from me – don't give 'em what they want, they won't like that, I can tell you!"
By the end of her tirade, her voice had dropped from one of anger to one of extreme deviousness, enhanced by the malicious, toothy smirk which now crossed her lined face. Ginny, who was slightly in shock, had completely withdrawn from any melancholy she was feeling before, and couldn't help but smile back at the wistful, if mad, old woman before her. She looked at Tonks, who mirrored Ginny's expression back from within a frame of stark purple hair.
"That's the spirit!" barked Augusta, who now seemed to be bringing to bear the charisma of a woman half her age. She whipped a stubby, pale wand from her sleeve, as if drawing a rapier, and held it marginally above her head, so that the tip was almost in line with the head of the stuffed vulture perched askew on the rim of her hat. "So then, my dears, what's the plan of attack?"
Ginny and Tonks looked dumbstruck at the woman, and exchanged glances of equal bewilderment and wonder. In the momentary silence that ensued, the corridor began to fill with a thickening wall of dust; evidently a section of the wall ahead had thrown away by a curse, or something far more deadly.
Mrs Longbottom began to wheeze slightly as the air was gradually filled, but she retained her proud posture despite her now weakened form. "Well" she said calmly, seemly oblivious to her worsening physical state, "as nobody seems to have any better ideas, I think it would be wise to evacuate this part of the school before we all inhale half of it, no? Besides, I have a certain grandson to find."
By this point she had begun coughing with increasing violence, and Tonks had darted forward to help as her entire bodyweight was now on her walking stick. Ginny was uncertain of what to do.
"I'll go and get help" she said, finally.
"You'll do not such thing!" Augusta rasped between chokes, "just a little bronchitis is all, nothing to worry about, had it since I was a girl." She had made an extreme effort to stop choking now, but her body visibly shook in protest as it expressed its desire to continue emptying her lungs.
"We could go into the grounds" suggested Tonks, who called over Mrs Longbottoms hunched frame.
"That's crazy!" Ginny replied "How could a schoolgirl, a young mother and an old woman stand up to whatever's out there?"
"Less of the old, thank you." Blurted Augusta, very pointed, without looking up. She had starting coughing again.
"Oi!" Said Tonks, in mock offense "I've fought Deatheaters loads of times, just because I have a baby now doesn't mean I suddenly become incapable."
"I've fought them too" Ginny retorted, rather defensively. Then, in a softer tone, she said "...it's not you I'm worried about." She gestured towards Tonks' stomach, where a bump had been until very recently. Tonks, in return, looked sheepish and cast her head downwards towards Mrs Longbottom, who was still wretching and choking.
A moment later a shuffling, clattering sound echoed faintly around the corner from which they themselves had recently come.
"Hey, did you hear that? Maybe they can help us move her safely!" Ginny squeaked excitedly at Tonks, who had just looked up from tending the hunched old woman, evidently hearing the noise as well.
"Probably..." She replied, heartened "...sounds like a lot of them too!" She had leapt up from Augusta's side to stand by Ginny, in anticipation for a group of capable students, possibly even a teacher, to come thundering around the corner on the hunt for Deatheaters.
Astonishment flooded the faces of the two women as, contrary to what they had expected, a group of artificial entities rounded the turn into the corridor. A glittering, elegant suit of armour strode forward, with a two-handed Claymore sword propped against its shoulder with its left gauntlet gripping the pommel. Its free arm swung by its side and kept pace with the speed of the marching brigade. Behind it half a dozen more clanking figures lumbered in ranks of two, dull compared to their gleaming patriarch, bearing a collection of weapons ranging from lethal-looking axes to heavy crossbows to wicked halberds, as well as a shield apiece. At their flanks trotted a pair of granite lions, which Ginny recognised from either side of the fireplace in Gryffindor common room, and a massive sandstone badger that was presumably from near the Hufflepuff dormitories.
Ginny looked back a Tonks in surprise, her mouth agape, as she sought instruction from the older woman, eyes probing. Tonks simply returned her look of bewilderment, which seemed to be amplified by Ginny's expectation of advice. Ginny's shock turned to exasperation as she realised that Tonks was going to be of little help here. Mustering the courage as the procession drew closer, she jumped out from the side of the passageway, so that her body prevented the parade from advancing any further.
"Wait!"
Her voice faltered slightly as she realised how much taller each of the adamantine figures stood above her . A split second passed when they didn't respond and she contemplated that they didn't hear her, didn't care to stop, or even that they were mundane, mindless automatons incapable recognising her request. 'What if they can't tell the difference between friend and foe, what if they think we're Deatheaters, what if they try to kill us, what if...' She prepared to throw herself to one side of the corridor to avoid them, to fight even.
At that very instant, the leading cuirassier looked slightly down the elongated snout of its visor for the source of the commotion, and seemed to double-take upon noticing Ginny and the other women. It quickly raised its free hand to an upright position at shoulder height, with the palm facing forwards, indicating for the contingent to halt. The procession came to a clattering stop as soldier and animal alike came to a rest behind their commander. Of the first suit, which occupied Ginnys entire attention, the bright steel of the body was fluted delicately and trimmed with ornate brass at the edges, unlike the more clunky, dully figures behind it. She waited, with both patience and petrifaction, as it appeared to consider her for a few seconds – what she waited for she didn't know herself. It lowered its dominating right arm, and Ginny was afraid that the cavalcade would then recommence its journey regardless of the minor obstruction.
The figure instead nodded; a curt, emotionless gesture of respect that implied a necessary courtesy rather than a real token of friendliness. Its subordinates, apparently mimicking their leader, lowered their weapons and saluted her in turn; the three beasts bowed their fierce heads forwards, each extending one foreleg to lower their bodies yet further, before the entire group quietly stood at ease and waited for more refined instructions from her.
Ginny whipped around and looked back at Tonks and Mrs Longbottom for something, anything even, which could serve as inspiration for an imperative. All the while she imagined the precise, elongated vision-slits of helmets and elliptical, penetrating eyes of the statues boring into her, waiting for her to explain why the need for them here was greater than their participation at the obvious emergency to which they were previously heading. Ginny stood quite still, fearing the response if her own was inadequate...
My first ever fanfiction. Comments, criticisms, points for improvement, and any sorts of civil and constructive feedback are welcome. Look out for later chapters as well. I hope you enjoyed it thus far!