"It's him"
"It's Harry Potter"
"He's back"
Harry didn't have time to look back at the students whispering behind his back as he made his way with Professor McGonagall down to the Entrance Hall
"Piertotum Locomotor" McGonagall cried.
Immediately the armored statues situated all over the Hall rose from there positions. Numerous THUDS could be heard as statues jumped from the walls of the halls. Harry stared wide eyed as they didn't seem to stop coming. Some statues were of soldiers, some of animals and beasts of the wizarding world. In different shapes and sizes, the stone faced statues came and stood in front of their Headmistress, awaiting orders.
"Hogwarts is threatened" shouted the Professor, "Man the boundaries, protect us, do your duty to our school!"
The horde of statues stampeded past Harry, all eager to do the duty they were created for. The statues marched out of the castle in their ranks, to go and stand on the bridge, waiting for their enemies to strike.
The professor finally turned to face him, "Now Potter, you had better return to your friends and gather them towards the Great Hall. I shall rouse whomever else I can find. Make haste!"
As his transfiguration professor scurried off into the castle, Harry too began to dash towards the place where all of his trusted friends lay waiting for him.
Ignoring the passing looks and comments, Harry climbed up the stairs he was all too familiar with. Through the rotating pathways and the fake steps Harry surged upwards, his path doing nothing but reminding him of his love for his school and reinforcing his resolve to fight to protect it.
As Harry reached the seventh floor landing, he dashed towards the place he spent so much of his fifth year in.
He screeched to a halt though, when he saw that in front of the Room of Requirement a large gathering of people that previously were not present in the castle stand there in deep discussion.
"Harry" Ron said as he noticed him walking towards the group, "Mate, how did it go? Did you find out where it is?"
Harry shook his head, "No one has seen it in far too long. Even Flitwick doesn't have a clue about the bloody diadem's whereabouts. But that's not the worst of it"
Harry turned towards the rest of the gathered group. Kingsley and Lupin stood in the front, clear leaders established in the group. Behind him stood many that Harry had not seen in a long time. Harry's entire Quidditch team stood there with fierce determination in their eyes.
"We tried to gather as many people as we could, mate" Fred said as he stood there next to his entire family, "We gathered the entire Dumbledore's Army and from there alerted the Order. We wanted to be ready for anything that could happen"
"Well that's good I guess" Harry said, "Because I have bad news. Voldemort is coming"
There was an immediate drop in everyone's expression. A frightened glint entered the eyes of Mrs. Weasley as she snuck glances at all of her brood. A steely gaze was fixed on the face of Kingsley. Everyone gathered knew that this was the endgame. There was no more planning and missions to hide behind. No more use of secret headquarters. There was only the battle to be fought. There was now only war.
"Professor McGonagall requests those who are fighting to gather in the Great Hall" Harry said as he made his way into the Room of Requirement to make the exact same address to all students waiting there.
As Harry followed the students moving out of the Room, he overheard a conversation happening between one mother and daughter.
"….I will absolutely not allow that to happen Ginny!" Mrs. Weasley screeched.
"Mum" Ginny replied, "You can't honestly expect me to abandon everyone here and sit in Hogsmeade waiting to see what happens!"
Both mother and daughter looked up to see that Harry was walking towards them.
"Mrs. Weasley" Harry said, "you are needed in the Great Hall"
"Harry…"
"Please Mrs. Weasley" Harry interrupted, "Let me speak to Ginny. The rest of your family needs you"
The Weasley matriarch sighed and gave one last pleading look towards Ginny before rushing off to be with her family.
"Ginny…." Harry started as he turned towards the youngest Weasley child.
"Don't even try Harry" Ginny said sharply, "You know me well enough to know that there is no way I will sit on the sidelines while the rest of my family risks their lives to stop those lunatics"
"Ginny" Harry pleaded, 'Please try and understand. You are still not of age…."
"Don't give me that utter barmy Harry Potter!" Ginny shouted, "You are no more than a year older than me, and neither are half the other students staying back to protect the school"
"You don't understand the significance one year can have Ginny!" Harry retorted, "All of those students staying back no the consequences of staying back. They've all accepted the possibility of what may befall them"
Oh! And did you understand the consequences of facing Quirrell in your first year?" Ginny said, "Or when you faced the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets? What about when you faced him in that graveyard? Or any of the thousand other dangerous situations you've put yourself through these past seven years? Because my age is greater now than yours in all of those situations!"
"I'm different Ginny!" Harry screamed, "For Merlin's sake, I've had a target on my back ever since I was a little child. But you aren't Ginny. You aren't involved in this. You have the chance to escape this madness!"
"I'm not involved in this?" Ginny asked incredulously, "I've been involved in this war ever since I was born. I was involved ever since Riddle possessed me in my first year. When I joined you to the Ministry of Magic to help save Sirius. I've been involved in this ever since I was given the name Weasley – England's most famous blood traitors! So, don't you tell me I'm not involved in this. We fought side by side together two years ago against those Death Eaters"
"But those were Death Eaters Ginny" Harry argued, "Don't you understand? This is not just Death Eaters. Voldemort himself is coming for this. He is nothing like his followers. Please understand this Ginny. Please save yourself"
"I'm a better fighter than half the seventh years that are going to be fighting out there. You know that I could help more than many out there!" Ginny shouted, "You have no right to keep me out of this"
"Please think about this carefully Ginny" Harry said, "There are too many people that would be affected by your death"
"And no one will be affected by yours?" she screamed, "You are far more important than me Harry! What would Ron and Hermione feel? What about the rest of my family…"
That's it. Don't you get it?" Harry asked, "Family! I don't have family Ginny. But you do! Your family could never stand to see you die. I could never stand to see you die!"
"Harry, I…." Ginny stuttered as her voice quieted down
"Ginny" Harry said softly, "I may be important because of my status. But you…. you're important because you are far more loved by those you are surrounded by"
Ginny's eyes turned misty as tears began to glisten in the corners of her eyes.
"I told you last year why we could not be together, Ginny" Harry continued softly, "It was for your safety. Not because I stopped loving you"
She looked up at him, tears freely pouring from her eyes as she crashed into him and hugged the life out of him.
Harry stood there stroking her back, "This war has taken too much from me. I lost my parents, my childhood, Sirius and now Hedwig. I will not let that maniac take you from me. I can't lose you too"
He cupped Ginny's face and lowered his face onto hers as he kissed her gently. Both of them, standing there trying to transmit every bit of passion and fear they had to one another.
They broke apart minutes later and pressed their foreheads against the other's.
"Promise me you won't die Harry" Ginny whispered, "Promise me that you'll come back to me"
"I promise Ginny" Harry replied.
They joined together once again in a soft kiss before Ginny separated herself from Harry, turned her back on him and walked out of the portrait.
Harry stood there, watching as the portrait of Ariana closed, leaving a last image of Ginny staring longingly at him.
He stood there for a few moments in the silence with his eyes closed.
Once he opened them, he turned around and strode towards the Great Hall, determination flaring in his green eyes. He just found another reason to end the bastard who had messed with his life.
Voldemort better watch out for he was in for a hell of a ride.