Hogwarts hadn't been the same since professor Dumbledore's death. Snape was the new headmaster, and although almost the whole school hated him, he and the Carrows were in charge. Those who didn't obey their new rules were punished severely, and tonight, it seemed like the punishment was taken to a whole new level.
I wasn't sure what was going on, all I knew was that Harry Potter had returned to the school for an unapparent reason, and Voldemort and the Death Eaters were on their way. A battle was coming, that was sure. Students and teachers alike were running through the corridors, preparing themselves, barking orders at statues, ghosts and fellow wizards and witches. Under aged pupils were being escorted away from the castle. I saw some of my fellow Gryffindors standing in a corner, discussing something. I walked over to them and saw that my best friend, Declan, was among the group. For a moment, I was amazed by how beautiful he looked in his Ravenclaw jumper. He saw me approaching. 'Diana!', he called. I quickened my pace. 'Bloody hell,' he sighed, 'Look at that.' I looked in the direction Declan was looking in and immediately saw what he meant. The courtyard of the castle was filled with statues and suits of armour, all lined up, like an army. It was a magnificent, but terrifying sight. 'You think those'll hold You Know Who and his army off, though?' a Hufflepuff girl asked us. 'I don't think that's the intention… I think they're just there to win us some time.' Declan answered.
Suddenly, dozens of students ran down the stairs towards the Great Hall. 'What's going on?' I asked one of them. He turned around and I immediately recognized him as Neville Longbottom, another Gryffindor student. 'They're comin'! You Know Who and his army, they're almost here. Hey, good luck, Diana.' he said, breathlessly. I frowned, surprised that he knew my name. I'd never really talked to him, but he always seemed nice. 'Yeah, you, too, Neville.' Declan and I joined the group. The Great Hall, which was usually warm and cosy, was eerie and despite the amount of people in it, also quite quiet. I saw Harry Potter, with his two friends, Ron and Hermione, cross the Hall. People all around him started whispering, looking at him with curious eyes. None of us really knew what was going on. We would all fight against You Know Who, that was clear, but why now? Why here? Nobody I knew could answer that question. I'm not sure Harry Potter himself could.
Suddenly a cold voice echoed through the castle. 'I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers at Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood.' Everyone in the Great Hall was silent. It was a loud kind of silence. 'Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.' My eyes automatically sought the Chosen One. He was standing frozen, as terrified as the rest. My heart suddenly ached for him. He was my age and there was so much weight on his shoulders. How brave he must be. It did not once cross my mind to give in to the order of Lord Voldemort, which was why I was so surprised when the voice of a Slytherin girl broke the silence. 'But he's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!' At once, all the Gryffindors, including Declan and I, rose up to face the Syltherins. Then the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws also rose to face the students in green and black. The Slytherins were escorted away by Mr Filch.
The tension was immense, in quarter of an hour, the battle would begin. Everybody knew that there was a fair chance they wouldn't see the daylight of the next day. A warm hand grabbed mine and I looked up, surprised to see Declan staring into my eyes fiercely. My heart skipped a beat and I scolded myself for being so childish at such a time. 'Diana, if anything happens-' 'Don't say that!' 'Listen to me, if anything happens…' Apparently Declan felt that words didn't suffice, for he leaned in and kissed me as if we'd never see each other again, which was entirely possible.