CHAPTER TWO

Three months later- beginning of summer term.

It was a beautiful day. One of those rare perfect days, where the sun is high in the sky without a cloud to be seen but it's not to hot and there is a gentle breeze to keep the midges away.

Most of the students were taking advantage of the weekend weather after a busy first week back at school; enjoying the family day that had nearly every wizarding family buzzing around the castle. Lilly and April we're sprawled on the grass, Lilly surrounded by half marked tests she really couldn't be bothered with.

"Give them all a B- and be done with it." April joked

She sat up and shielded her eyes from the sun; glaring at her sister. She watched Damien splashing in the water. Four year old Thorbjorn was collecting 'grass to feed the giant squid' or so he was saying. Eighteen month old Helena was balanced on Damien's hip, burying her head in her fathers arm when the water splashed her.

"They're so perfect." April said glancing over, "Well they should be being my niece and nephew." She grinned "When are we getting number three?"

Lilly rolled her eyes, "Not yet. We're going to talk about it during the summer holidays. Damien said the other day he wants to aim for a dozen!" Lilly laughed and flopped back down.

"It's getting cold." April sat up suddenly, "Charlie!"

Charlie came over and helped April up, "Are you OK?"

April shook her head. Lilly stood up as well bunching the papers around her, "It is getting cold."

They looked up at once to the quickly darkening sky.

"This is not normal." Charlie said.

"Get everyone inside. Now." Said Lilly.

April and Charlie started gathering the students inside. Lilly went over and took Thorbjorn's hand,

"Come on sweetie time to go inside."

Damien waded out of the water and took his wife's free hand. They'd just gotten inside when the door blew shut behind them with an icy cold wind.

"Everyone into the great hall. Elves will you please check all the students are here. Prefects please go and empty the dorms I want everyone sitting at their tables." Narcissa instructed.

Lilly and April sat the children down at the family table with Damien before taking their places at the staff table.

"Everyone is here Missy Narcissa." Kreacher said worriedly, "Missy I does not want to speak outs of turn….but it feels like the bad ones."

Narcissa nodded, "Thank you Kreacher. I know." She gave him the best smile she could manage.

The castle shook badly. Dust rained down from the walls but that wasn't what was the most terrifying.

The whole room, the whole castle was suddenly hit with the weight of disppear. It filled everyone with a sense of dread and empty sadness. Lilly looked up through the clear glass ceiling to see hundreds of black shadowy Dementors descending on the castle.

"Lilly, Charlie." April whispered.

Lilly stood up and wrapped her sister in a hug, trying to pull her face away from the glass roof.

"Narcissa, change how the ceiling looks. NOW!" Lilly told her.

Narcissa slowly took out her wand and changed the ceiling; it turned a murky blank grey but at least the Dementors weren't visible.

For two days they lived in the great hall. The house elves brought food but even they were starting to suffer and the sandwiches started to grow more and more scarce and plain. Kreacher had informed Narcissa that Winky and several other house elves were stopping working and instead drinking a lot of drinking butter beer and were unfit for work.

April sat huddled in Charlie's arms next to Lilly and the family. Lilly was holding a tissue to her nose. It was her fifth nosebleed since the Dementors attacked. She looked over to where the Malfoys were curled up in the corner. Lucius couldn't cope. His mind had gone straight back to his time in Azkaban and was clutching physically and emotionally to his family.

"This can't go on forever." Lilly said throwing away the tissue.

"What do they want?" April whispered.

"You know what they want." Lilly spat with gritted teeth, "We pissed them off. I got a letter the other day that said they'd just finished forcing them out of Azkaban." Thorbjorn crawled up on to her lap and wrapped his little arm around his sister.

"I love you." Lilly said to him, kissing him on the forehead, "And you." she kissed Helena who finally asleep.

She reached out her arm and pulled April into the hug. Thorbjorn shifted over so he could snuggle with his aunty as well. Lilly slowly shifted so both her children were on April.

The ceiling kept showing patches of Dementors where Narcissa was struggling to keep them covered. Everyone was suffering it wouldn't be long before the castle couldn't hold them out any longer. Hogwarts was a powerful building but it had it's limits.

"April….I love you." Lilly smiled.

"I love you too Lilly." April managed to force out a smile.

"I'm sorry." Lilly said as she stood up quickly and darted her way through the crowds of people to the door. April called after her but she couldn't get up with the children on her lap, Damien was in a similar position. It only took them less than a minute to shift the children to the floor but that was enough.

Charlie managed to catch up with her at the door, "Where are you going?" he demanded grabbing her arm and spinning her round.

Lilly sighed, "Charlie, they are NEVER going to stop. They will suck everyone of us dry. My children, April! But maybe, just maybe I can give them something that will make them go away."

Charlie let go of her and took a step back, "No. No way! You can't. We'll fight this together."

"We're not fighting Charlie! We're waiting and sitting. Yeah we could fight and I don't think for a second all of them would walk, float...whatever away from this but there's a good chance neither would everyone in here." She took a small step back so she was in the doorway.

"That's not the point. You can't just sacrifice yourself. I wont let you."

Lilly smiled at him sadly. "Forever the Gryffindor, but it's to late." Lilly waved her hand and Charlie saw the faint shimmer of a force field in the doorway.

"Lilly don't….please." April said pressed up against the force field.

"Look after her Charlie and the kids. I love you. All of you."

April sunk to the floor, every fibre of Lilly's being begged for her to let the force field down and wrap her sister in a hug. She turned away quickly as she saw her children coming up. She closed her eyes as she heard Lucius's voice gently guide the children away.