A/N: Thank you very much for your positive comments. It's great motivation. Reviews are very much appreciated. Here's the next chapter; I hope you enjoy it.
We followed the other students from the Room of Requirement and emerged into the seventh floor corridor. I looked over at the others and watched their faces as they reacted to the castle. I didn't want to miss anything, not even the most insignificant of details. I'd imagined countless times what it would feel like to finally be able to show them the real me—the Bella that was strong and powerful, as opposed to the meek little creature they were used to.
During my time at Hogwarts, I had been anything but that. I was respected amongst my friends for my Quidditch skills and my involvement with the DA. Due to my strong friendship with Fred and George, I'd also been known to partake in a few of their schemes, like the time I had helped them place their portable swamps in our mutinous efforts against Dolores Umbridge. My involvement in various Weasley antics consequently earned me a bit of a reputation, though it wasn't quite as infamous as my comrades.
I had always striven hard to expand my knowledge of magic because, understandably, I loved it so completely. When I had been forced to limit the amount I performed after moving to Forks, however, it was no wonder why I had developed my image as the fragile, shy girl. For six years I had been living outside Muggle society; upon returning to it, I was extremely cautious in order to prevent provoking suspicion—maybe a little too cautious. In addition, my absence from that world had also meant that I was initially a little socially awkward. When my friends were discussing their favourite TV programmes, for example, I couldn't keep up with the topic. My own interests and theirs were worlds apart.
I wondered what Edward would think when he fully discovered what I was like in my natural environment. Would he be disappointed?
When we reached the edge of the corridor, we filed through the doorway and out onto the Grand Staircase. I heard Esme gasp and had the pleasure of seeing Rosalie's eyes practically pop out of her head. Carlisle's eyes, too, were wide, and Emmett's mouth was hanging open.
"Damn!" Jasper mouthed as he leant over the railing to peer down the levels. "How big is this place, Bella?"
"We're on the seventh floor at the moment. You should see it from the outside. And the grounds are pretty extensive. We have a forest right next door that houses all sorts of magical creatures."
"Like unicorns?" Rosalie asked, unable to mask her excitement.
I nodded and smiled at her as we began to descend the stairs.
"Bella?"
"Yes, Carlisle?"
"Are those people in the pictures actually moving?"
I laughed loudly this time. After everything he'd seen, this surprised him?
"Yes, they are," I told him, pointing to the picture of the Fat Lady as we arrived at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. "This is the portrait that guards the way into Gryffindor. You need a password to enter." I waved my hand at the Fat Lady, thankful that the faces of the Cullens were in my line of sight.
"Hello, Dear," she said.
"Hello!" I replied, "It's been a while since I last saw you. It's good to be back!"
The vampires stood as rigid as statues. I kept my face straight, but only just; internally, I was roaring with laughter.
"There's talk about the castle that a battle is about to take place. Is it true?"
"Yes, it is. Some of us will be staying to defend the school. The underaged and the Slytherins will be leaving. Feel free to boo the Slytherins as they make their way out. I'm sure no one will complain."
"I'll bear that in mind, Dear."
"Bye," I said as I turned and began descending again.
"This is all entirely impossible, Bella," said Edward. "You were just talking to a painting!"
"Naturally, it would have been rude to ignore her."
"But … you … she …" And then he shook his head and gave up, seeming to accept the impossible and my unquestionable logic.
We finally reached the bottom of the staircase and turned into the Great Hall. Once again, the Cullens froze, their eyes assaulted by what must have been to them an incredible sight. The enchanted ceiling was dark and scattered with stars. Hundreds of tiny candles were suspended in mid air, though their flames were small enough that their glow did not dim the starry view. The torches hanging in brackets on the walls of the Great Hall, however, provided enough light to see by. I would have liked to have spent longer appreciating the sight, but there were more important matters to attend to.
I led my family to the Gryffindor table. We sat down half way up: Jasper, Alice, Edward, and myself on one side, the four remaining vampires seated on the other.
I pointed out the school ghosts, and was again met by seven pairs of golden eyes that were wide with disbelief.
"Just assume that every supernatural being you've ever heard of is real, and you'll be fine," I suggested. I gave what I hoped was an encouraging smile, and then turned my head to face the raised platform, waiting for the assembly to begin.
Meanwhile, the younger students began filing into the Hall. Some were draped in travelling cloaks, but most were wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns.
"Mermaids?" Esme said, a bright look in her eyes.
"Huh?"
"Mermaids," she repeated. "Are they real?"
"Oh right," I answered, pulling myself together. "Yes, they are. There are some living in the lake outside. It's also the home of the Giant Squid." If it hadn't been Esme who had asked the question, they probably would have assumed I was using sarcasm. That was usually reserved for her children though, so they accepted my words.
"Wow," Alice whispered. "I want to meet one."
"They're not what you'd expect mermaids to be like. They're far from beautiful. Actually they're a little scary, and pretty vicious at times."
"What about goblins?" asked Jasper.
"They exist too. They usually deal with treasure. They look after Gringotts, the wizard bank."
"Elves?" asked Emmett.
"Yep. There are house-elves lurking all over the castle."
"Phoenixes? You mentioned an Order of the Phoenix earlier," Carlisle pointed out.
"I did. And, yes, they do exist. Dumbledore had one called Fawkes, but it left after he died." I pointed to Firenze as he entered the Hall. "Look, there's Firenze. He shares the Divination classes with Professor Trelawney. There are other centaurs living in the For—"
"Excuse me," a voice interjected from my right. I looked over to see a small boy—probably a first year—peering in our direction. He was huddled amongst a crowd of children of similar ages, and was wearing an expression of excitement and fascination, as were a few of his friends. Others appeared slightly nervous, but curious nonetheless.
"Yes?" I asked politely.
"We've heard … Someone said and we were wondering … Are you …" He looked into the faces of my family, his eyes eventually settling on Emmett. A wide grin spread across his face as he continued in hushed tones, "Are you really vampires? Everyone is saying that you are. They're saying you're a family of friendly non-human eating vampires and that you've come to help defend the school! Is it true? "
"Er … Yes, we're here to do whatever we can to help," said Carlisle, who was obviously a little unsure of how to respond, unused to admitting the details of his species and family so openly.
The little boy turned back in on his friends, shortly after which quiet, little giggles could be heard spilling from the group.
Having realised that the vampires were friendly, the rest of the children seemed to become more confident. They leaned down the table to get a better look, and one even scooted down so that he was sat only a yard away from Emmett, who looked surprised that the youngsters seemed to find him less imposing than fully-grown adults usually did. The rest followed the boy's lead and shuffled closer.
"How strong are you? I've heard that vampires are super strong! And lightning quick!"
Slow smiles began creeping onto the faces of the Cullens; evidently the freedom of not having to hide their true identity was just as enjoyable and liberating for them as it was for me. I smiled, content in the knowledge that I had finally been able to give them something they could appreciate. I just wished I could have introduced them to my world under better circumstances.
"You could say we're pretty strong," Emmett grinned. "We fight bears and mountain lions with our bare hands. We can bite through any substance in the world, and crush metal to dust with minimum effort."
"Wow!" the kids chorused, each of them transfixed on Emmett, who looked elated at the fact that he was receiving such a positive reaction.
"Here, show us," said a cute little brunette with thick hair that fell in tight ringlets about her tanned face. She handed Emmett one of the gold candelabras that stood lining the table.
Emmett was about to perform the trick when a boy interrupted, "No wait! I think you should do it," he said, pointing at Alice and grinning with a smile that touched his eyes. "You're the smallest, so it'll be way more impressive if you can crush it."
Alice laughed and took the candelabra as Emmett handed it to her. She broke the thick bottom stand off with no more effort than a human would when breaking up a bar of chocolate, before handing the larger section to her husband. The eyes of the children went wide as she closed her fingers around the gold object, grinning as she did so. When she opened her palm again, the block had turned to dust. Alice brought her hand to her lips and blew. The dust flew into the air and began falling in swirls, glittering as it caught the amber light of the torches. As the glitter hit the table, the children seemed to exit their trance, and all broke out with happy laughs and grateful cheers. The giggling was infectious, and it was little more than a second before we were all grinning and laughing together.
"Alright, now it's your turn," I said, smiling at the children. "My friends only just learned about witches and wizards today, so I'm sure they'll be impressed by anything you can show them. Who wants to fix the candelabra?"
"I'll do it!" said the boy who had initiated the conversation. "I remember this one!"
He pulled his wand from his pocket and pointed it at the broken object still held in Jasper's alabaster hand. As he shouted out the spell 'Reparo', I smiled and winked at Edward whose lips twitched in response. The sparkling grains flew up from the table and reconnected themselves, leaving the golden object as good as new.
The Cullens and I cheered and clapped; by this point, my family had already witnessed magic far more advanced than a simple repairing charm, but they were all eager to praise the child. I suspected that this was partly due to the fact that any magic to them at the moment was impressive, however simple, and partly because they were appreciative of little boys trusting and accepting attitude. I cheered because I too was grateful for his behaviour towards my family, and I genuinely like him for it.
The boy was obviously satisfied with our reactions and impressed by his handiwork. He looked up at Rosalie, who had clapped and cheered the loudest, and gave her a cheeky smile. She looked at him lovingly and beamed, but her joy visibly turned to horror as a pearly body floated down to fill the space between me and the youngster.
"Well, hello there, Miss Swan!" said Nearly-Headless Nick, "It's good to see you're back for the fight! It is only to be expected of a Gryffindor, after all."
"Hello, Sir Nicholas," I replied. "It's good to be back."
"And this must be the family I've been hearing about. Angelina Johnson tells me you're engaged. Is this the strapping young lad, here?" he questioned, indicating Edward, who look slightly disturbed at being addressed as such by a dead man.
"Yes," I giggled.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, young man, and the same goes for the rest of your family." He bowed and lifted his partially severed head, tilting it to the side in what was evidently intended as a polite and welcoming gesture.
I studied the faces of the Cullens and distinctly saw Jasper give a very uncharacteristic gulp. His jaw was tight and his eyes were rivalling golf balls in size. I shook with laughter and did my very best to suppress the tears that were forming at the corners of my eyes. He threw me a look that clearly said 'carry on and I swear I will eat you', but it only made things worse and I had to press my face into Edward's shoulder to prevent myself from bursting into hysterics and offending the Gryffindor ghost. He did have a tendency to be a little temperamental, after all.
Edward straightened up and addressed the ghost. I imagine he thought that it was unacceptable for a vampire to demonstrate discomfort, whilst surrounded by children and adults alike who seemed to have no problem with the idea of taking part in lengthy conversations with transparent individuals.
"Thank you," he answered politely, though a little stiffly. "It is very nice to meet you, Sir Nicholas. My family and I have every intention of doing our best to protect the school and its students."
"Well said, boy! Well said! We'll give those disgraceful excuses for wizards a fight to remember. Welcome to the fold!"
Nick floated off then in the direction of the Fat Friar, who was huddled amongst the Hufflepuffs. Edward's posture relaxed slightly, before going rigid again in the next second. His fists clenched and he growled. It was virtually silent amongst the loud voices filling the hall, but it was terrifying all the same.
"Edward?" Jasper said, more alert than ever as he tasted his brother's mood.
"He's here," he snarled. I knew who he was referring to before he said the name. I stopped breathing. "Voldemort is here. He's outside with the Death Eaters. There are dozens of them … Bella?"
I cast my eyes up to his face, but couldn't bring myself to speak.
"His face … Why does he look like that? Why is his face so … snake-like?"
I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes, forcing myself to concentrate on Edward's question. "I have no idea. I don't know what he looked like before he tried to kill Harry. I assume that whatever happened that night mangled his face beyond recognition. Either that, or the act of mutilating his soul repeatedly has had a direct effect on his body."
Edward stared at me silently as he considered my theory. It was so quick that I was unsure whether it had happened at all, but I thought I saw his eyes flash with pain, and I prayed that he wasn't applying my words to explain his own physical transformation.
Suddenly, the bustling noise echoing throughout the Great Hall diminished as Professor McGonagall walked to the front of the platform and called for silence.
"I'm sure the news has reached you all by now," she called. "Hogwarts is about to undergo a siege that will be led by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He and his supporters have already succeeded in infiltrating the Ministry and, therefore, we cannot expect any call for aid to be answered by our 'leaders'—" she said the term mockingly, as if finding it ridiculous, "—in our hour of greatest need. I and the other Professors, along with the Order of the Phoenix, will remain behind to hold off the attack.
"You, on the other hand, are to go to the Room of Requirement situated on the seventh-floor corridor, where you will be led from the school. The evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your house and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."
"And what if we want to stay and fight?" shouted Ernie Macmillan from over at the Hufflepuff table.
Professor McGonagall continued her speech, informing everyone that those of age would be allowed to stay behind. I caught sight of Harry heading along the tables as I listened, and looked at Edward questioningly.
"He's searching for Ron and Hermione," he explained. "He doesn't know they went to the Chamber of Secrets."
"Do they have the Basilisk fangs yet?" I whispered.
"Yes. They've only just cut them from the snake. Ron is telling Hermione she should do it. He destroyed the locket, and Harry destroyed the diary. She … The Horcrux is doing something. It's torturing her."
"Torturing! What do you—"
"Not physically. Mentally. It's projecting images of Ron and Harry dead. It's talking to her, telling her that if they stay and fight, her friends will die. It's telling her that …"
Edward sucked in a shallow breath and held it. I felt my pulse quicken and my breathing accelerate. I gripped his hand as the adrenaline coursed through my body. Instantly, his face broke into a breathtaking smile.
"She's done it!" he whispered suddenly. "She's destroyed the goblet!"
"That leaves only the diadem, if that really is the missing Horcrux, and the snake!" Alice chipped in.
I was about to smile with the knowledge that we were one step closer to ridding the world of Voldemort forever, but my momentary happiness was eradicated as a high, cold voice drowned out that of my old Transfiguration professor.
"I know you are preparing to fight."
Screams of terror erupted throughout the Great Hall. Like the students, a few of the Cullens began looking around for the source.
"He's still outside," Edward said.
"He's using the Sonorous spell." I whispered.
"Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."
Everyone sat in silence now, absolutely petrified.
"Give me Harry Potter," the voice went on, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you shall be rewarded.
"You have until midnight."
Not one individual spoke in the issuing seconds. All attention was focused on Harry. I scanned my eyes over the faces of the students, and despite the fear that was still dominating their features, I glimpsed little indicators that told me they would not desert our friend. Some directed tiny smiles of encouragement and reassurance at him; others sent brief nods his way to convey they were still his.
Voldemort's words had achieved the opposite effect of that he had intended. Instead of crumbling our resistance, they only strengthened it, welding our allegiance and uniting us against our common enemy.
The first test of our reinforced loyalty came when a voice from the Slytherin table broke the silence.
"But he's there!" Pansy Parkinson screamed, raising a hand and pointing at Harry, "Potter's there! Someone grab him!"
I felt rage flare inside me, clawing at my gut like a monster trying to break free. Before I knew what I was doing, I was on my feet with my wand stretched out in front of me, the tip aimed at the girl stood facing the other three houses of Hogwarts.
In my periphery, I saw that others had reacted in the same instant with the same fluid movements. I kept my eyes fixed on Parkinson, noting the way in which her eyes popped as they travelled the length of the Hall. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs stood behind must have followed the example set by the Gryffindors. Once again we were united against Slytherin. It reminded me of the times we had done so when playing for the Quidditch Cup.
I felt Edward's arm brush against mine as he stood up and leaned forwards, a low growl vibrating through his torso. The rest of the Cullens followed suit. I smiled with satisfaction as the eyes of the Slytherins zeroed in on my family. Pansy glanced at Edward and went rigid, before instinctually taking a step back.
"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," Professor McGonagall said curtly. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your house could follow."
The Slytherins eagerly made their way from the Hall, the underaged Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and Gryffindors following closely behind them.
I returned to my seat, as did the rest of those who were staying behind, to await further instruction. Edward sat down beside me, and I turned my face to his, confused at first at the expressions he and his family held as they regarded me. I paid the closest attention to Edward's, realising that it was overflowing with both sheer awe and absolute pride.
"Bella," he murmured in an astounded voice, "that was incredible. The way you reacted … it was …"
"I reacted no differently to anyone else," I shrugged.
"That didn't make it any less impressive," added Jasper. "Quite the opposite, actually. The emotion that swept the room in that first second was unbelievable. It almost knocked me off my seat. I've never felt anything like it!"
"The sight alone was inspiring." Carlisle said. "I've never seen such a breath-taking display of unity. You're certainly full of surprises today, Bella."
I beamed at him. "You've seen nothing yet."
Their eyebrows shot up again and each of them grinned, before Emmett broke the silence with a resounding laugh.
"I guess there was more than one meaning behind your Patronus, after all," he boomed. "And to think we all thought you a lamb!"
As our quiet laughter ended, I caught sight of Harry. The Cullens followed my gaze and stared at him. He met them with a grateful smile, and I guessed that he was remembering how a group of strangers had proved their willingness to protect him. He motioned with his head for us to move down the table. I smiled happily and led the Cullens towards the remaining Gryffindors, all of whom received us with friendly faces.
Kingsley then took the platform and began handing out posts. It was decided that a group of students would accompany Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall, each of whom would take one of the three highest towers—the Ravenclaw tower, the Astronomy tower, and the Gryffindor tower—where they would be the most likely to hit the enemy targets attempting to penetrate the school. Lupin, Mr Weasley and Kingsley would take a group of students into the grounds to duel the Death Eaters and creatures lurking there.
Kingsley then turned his attention to selecting someone who could organise the defence of the entrances into the school, for which Fred and George volunteered. They, along with the other leaders, took to the platform and began dividing us all into groups.
"Bella," Fred called, "We'll take you and the Cullens. If Harry is going to be searching the castle for something, we need strong and able fighters to defend it until he's found … well whatever it is he's looking for. Is that ok with you?" he finished, glancing around at my family. We all nodded our approval.
When each of the leaders had assemble their teams, they led us out of the Great Hall.
"Wood, Angelina, Katie, and Lee: you're on Team Vampire and are to cover the entrance to the clock tower," said George, looking at his old Quidditch companions before addressing all of us. "The tower is a bit exposed so you'll need to spread out. We'll need some of you to defend the entrance in the courtyard, and then there will need to be at least two of you holding the separate floors. If old Voldy has taught his pets his skills, they might be able to fly up the levels once they've penetrated McGonagall and Flitwick's defences."
When the twins had finished dividing us and assigning us our positions, they gave us their departing, morale-boosting speech.
"Good luck, wizards, witches, and vampires," said George.
"We know you'll do us proud and defend the school to the best of your ability," continued Fred.
"It has been an honour to share our troublemaking teenage years here with you at Hogwarts …"
"And it is honour to stand with you against You-Know-Who tonight. Now, Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and friends of Hogwarts, take your positions …"
George and Fred raised their wands in the air, shouting in unison, "AND GIVE THEM HELL!"
The crowd cheered and stomped their feet, wands raised in a final display of allegiance, before we all went our separate ways in the direction of our posts.
My friends and I led the Cullens up a flight of stairs and through a set of corridors. When we reached our destination, the vampires gasped aloud as they took in the sight.
Our position halfway up the tower would usually have provided me with a spectacular view of the stone courtyard leading out onto the covered bridge, beyond which was Hagrid's hut and the sinister Forbidden Forest. It was too dark for me to see, but I knew the limited light would not hinder the perfect vision of the Cullens.
"Lumos Maxima!" I exclaimed, casting a ball of brilliant white light into the air outside to illuminate the surrounding area.
We each took our places then. Wood went to guard the entrance on the ground level with Emmett and Jasper; Carlisle, Rosalie and Angelina took the first floor; I took the next with Edward and Esme; and the top floor was covered by Alice, Katie and Lee.
There were five minutes left until midnight, so all that was left to do was wait. I looked over at Edward and Esme, both of them wearing expressions of extreme concentration.
My family had only been at Hogwarts for an hour. In that time alone they had been shown more kindness and acceptance than they ever had in the Muggle world. As I looked out onto the grounds and awaited the coming tempest, I knew they would do everything in their power to protect the school and the people who called it home. They'd finally experienced what it felt like to be truly liberated, and I realised then that, tonight, perhaps it wasn't just wizards and witches who would be battling for the continuance of freedom.