Chapter 10- The Phoenix Last Message
Mrs Creeveys breath caught in her throat as the cloaked figures walked up the pathway to her front door, the pounding rain obscuring their features. She ran from her kitchen into the adjoining room.
"Run Adamus, they are here" she breathed to the man she found there and turned and strode with quaking limbs back to the front door on which she heard a sharp tapping. Reaching out with her quaking hand she opened the door a fraction.
"What do you want?" she enquired of the three shadowy figures on the other side of the door.
"You filthy muggle, did you really think you would get away with it?" the door blasted open and Mrs Creeveys scream filled the night.
Colin sprinted up to the Gryffindor common room.
"Detritus" he said to the Fat Lady who promptly swung open. Sprinting the rest of the way he rushed over to where he rest of the DA were sat.
"Guys, Snape wants me and Dennis in his office as soon as possible, I think they know" he panted. The others just looked at him in confusion. Before Seamus asked.
"Um Colin……..know what?"
"That Dennis and I are muggle-borns" he said as quietly as possible so that no-one but the DA could hear.
"If you are muggle-born how come you're here?" Neville asked. Seeing that it was going to need a little more explanation Colin sat down.
"Well" he said leaning forward "I was born to two muggles, my Dad was a milk man. A muggle who delivers milk in the mornings." He added for Ginny and Neville who looked confused. "Anyway none of us had any idea about the wizarding world until I turned eleven and the letter came. This kind of freaked Dad out and he left."
"What a jerk" Ginny butted in but Neville stopped her from continuing her rant.
"Anyway that was also the same time we found out that our next door neighbour Adamus Hove, who before we had thought was just crazy, was actually a wizard. He had seen the owl arrive with the letter and so decided he could reveal himself to us. When Dad left he started to help us out as my mum had to work and while I was at Hogwarts Dennis was still young. Anyway one year I came home from school and he was living with us. He married my mum and kinda became our Dad. We didn't mind he's pretty cool but I don't see him much as I'm always at school. Anyway when this all started we hoped that we could pass him off as our real dad which would save us from the Registration Act. And as 'half-bloods' we had to come here…………I guess this means they've got my mum and Adamus doesn't it?" None of them said anything, they had all been thinking the same thing.
"Right" said Neville leaping back into General mode "we'll just have to get you out of here won't we. Colin find Dennis, we'll gather with Luna at the Room of Requirement agreed." The others nodded in agreement and they all went off to their respective tasks.
Ten minutes later and they were standing around the map in their secret base. Colin and Dennis were the last to arrive and were panting heavily.
"Sorry guys" said Colin "but we only just got out in time. Almost as soon as we had left the common room we heard Amycus and McGonagall's voice down the corridor. He was demanding that she let him into Gryffindor tower. We hid in the space behind the tapestry of the third Goblin War and they went past and into the tower. He was probably trying to find us. After that we ran here."
"Right then" Neville said "while we were waiting we have come up with a plan. Last year Harry told Ginny that there is a secret passage from beneath the whomping willow that runs to the Shrieking shack in Hogsmeade. It is our belief that the Carrow's do not know of this passage but that Snape does so it's 50/50 as to whether it is blocked up as we believe Snape doesn't think any of us know that it exists. Are you following this?"
"Uh I think so" Colin said "but how are we suppose to get out to the Willow all the exits from the castle are closed at night."
"Not quite all" it was Seamus who spoke up this time "I had to clean up a classroom for Slughorn last week in detention and the broom cupboard I got the broom from was on the first floor and had a window that hadn't been boarded up. They must have missed it in their sweep of the castle. If we can get you out of there then there is nothing between us and the passage. Well except for the tree but we can find a way around that"
"Ok" said Ginny "have you got your packs with you?"
"Yeah" said Dennis "clothes and blankets. I guess we'll have to find food once we're gone………….I wonder why this place never supplies food?"
"Well we can't help it now" said Colin
"You'll be coming with Luna and me" Seamus told Colin "Ginny and Nev are gonna stay here as if we do get caught we don't want it to be everyone."
"Good luck" Neville said to Colin and Dennis.
"You too" they replied and they left with Seamus and Luna.
And with that Ginny and Neville were on their own. After a few moments staring at the map Neville looked up at his fellow conspirator.
"What are we going to do?" he said.
"About what?" she replied.
"About this. About Everything. We've lost Colin, we have no way of effectively fighting back at the Carrows."
"We did at the Quidditch game" said Ginny.
"Yes but then we had the element of surprise" Neville replied "now they seem more secure and more cruel than ever." Ginny had no answer to this. Neville started to pace up and down whispering under his breath "we need help" over and over. Suddenly a brilliant silver form erupted from the middle of the room knocking Neville and Luna over. When they had gotten over their initial surprise they saw that it was a silver Phoenix that floated above them and from it's mouth issued the voice of Albus Dumbledore.
"Greetings to whatever brave student it was who has activated this message. Do not bother trying to speak to this patronus for whilst I can leave this message here for those I left behind I cannot speak from beyond the grave apart from the portrait in my office of course. I have planted this message here as I am quite positive that I may soon meet my end and that with all likelihood the school will have fallen into undesirable hands or you would not have been able to activate this message. For you see only those who were in this room needing help to protect their fellow students could activate this message. One of my more clever ideas I am sure you will agree. I hope that Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger are not present as I had a rather different mission lined up for them. Whoever you are I have something in my office which will help you in your task I think. I daresay my portrait will be able to tell you more when you get there. Oh and one more thing I think it would be advisable that you wait until the present headmaster or mistress is not there when you go hmmm.
And remember Professor Snape's favourite potion is veritaserum" After that the Phoenix vanished and Ginny and Neville were left in stunned silence. In fact they didn't say anything until Seamus and Luna returned.
"It all went fine" Seamus said as he walked in a cut on his cheek "we managed to stop the damned tree eventually and they got into the tunnel all right."
"What happened with you?" Luna said seeing Ginny and Neville's stunned faces "you haven't been attacked by Fozzit's have you?" Not even bothering to ask what a Fozzit was Ginny launched into their story and by the time she was done Seamus and Luna had excited grins on their faces.
"I wonder what the bit about veritaserum meant" Luna said.
"What's so exciting?" she asked them and Seamus replied.
"We can do it tonight. On the way back we had to hide as Amycus stormed past us ranting about how Snape had only left in charge for one night and two muggle-borns had been allowed to go missing. This is our chance." Ginny looked at Neville with a sudden glee.
"Let's do it" Neville sad and they gathered around the map table to discuss what to do. Within minutes it was planned, Ginny Neville and Luna would break into Snape's office while Seamus would try and draw Amycus, and if she was with him Alecto, to the far side of the school by telling them he had seen Colin there earlier.
"We sorted" Neville said once the three going to the office had struggled into their DA cloaks and masks. The others all nodded and they set off for their different objectives. Neville, Ginny and Luna found no opposition as they wound their way down to where the Headmasters office was located. The area around the gargoyle was deserted.
"Right" Neville said as they got there "what's the password?" Ginny and Neville stared at each other in horror. How had they forgotten about such an integral part of the operation? Neville was about to suggest they turn back when Luna said.
"Veritaserum" and the gargoyle moved out of their way and the moving stairs came into view.
"Luna……how?" Ginny spluttered in disbelief.
"It said it in the message remember. Snape's favourite potion is veritaserum." Luna replied in her usual dreamy tone.
"Luna I could kiss" Neville said "but I won't because we have a job to do."
When they reached the top of the stairs they found the office already lit. Spotting Dumbledore's portrait snoring on the wall Ginny ran over to it.
"Professor wake up" she said "we need to talk to you." The painting Dumbledore shook itself awake and then peered at who was in the room.
"Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood and Mr Longbottom I should have guessed that it was you who receive my message, for that is why you are is it not?"
"Yes sir" Neville said.
"Excellent." The Dumbledore portrait said "The object of which I spoke is in that small bare area of wall to the left of the window there. Simply say Fizzing Whizbees and it will open for you." Neville ran over to the wall in question and sure enough as soon as he spoke those words the wall swung open and inside he found………a crystal ball.
"Um sir there are loads of these in divination and well how is a crystal ball supposed to help us?" he asked.
"Well quite. But this is not in fact a crystal ball it is a bewitched crystal ball. In it you will be able to see any area of the castle that you wish. Except for the Dormitories and Common Rooms of course. I deemed it right to exclude them from the enchantment."
"Awesome." Said Ginny grabbing the orb from Neville.
"It may be prudent to transfigure it into something everyday when you are not using it. A piece of parchment for instance." Dumbledore suggested.
"Good thinking." Said Neville as Luna stepped forward to transfigure the orb.
"I have been known to have my moments Mr Longbottom. And while we are on the subject of transfiguration I would alter your outfits slightly. If anyone comes up those stairs there is no way for you to escape and it would be a terrible shame for Carrow's to find out who is under those charming masks. Also you wouldn't mind taking the sword would you, it belongs with brave Gryffindor's."
"All right" Ginny said and they transfigured their robes into normal school clothes and taking the sword of Gryffindor of it's hanging on the walls.
"Good luck" the old headmaster said "use it wisely. And remember I couldn't be more proud of you."
The three left the office and made their way down the stairs and into the corridor beyond. They were just about to escape into the dark corridor beyond when each of them felt a wand pressed into their backs.
"Busted Longbottom" the silky voice of Severus Snape whispered in Neville's ear.
Five minutes later and Severus Snape was standing in front of the Dumbledore portrait.
"It worked" he said "the Carrows believed that they only took the sword and that the sword was the real deal. The fake is now on it's way to Gringotts."
"Excellent" the old man in the painting replied "I hope they are not too severely punished."
"I wish you would not encourage this Dumbledore. Having them as your personal army running around the castle is making it extremely difficult to protect them. Someone will end up getting killed you mark my words."
"I know, I know" a sad and weary look had crept across the features of Albus Dumbledore and a tear spilled down to the bottom of the frame and disappeared "I wish it had never come to this and I know that it makes your job all the harder. But I couldn't be more proud of them all the same."
As they stumbled weary and broken into the Gryffindor common room several hours later Ginny and Neville were enveloped by a bear hug from Seamus who was waiting for them.
"I was so worried" whispered the young Irishman "I kept em both as long as possible but then Snape turned up and they hurried off. They didn't hurt you too bad did they"
"No" said Ginny putting on a brave face but Seamus could tell she was lying.
"It was worth it though" Neville said his voice hoarse and from his robes he pulled a piece of old parchment which, when he pointed his wand to it, morphed into a bright orb. A smile crept across their faces as they all thought the same thing. The fightback starts here.
Colin Creevey gazed down at the far off shape of Hogwarts castle in the distance. He would be back he thought to himself as he walked over to the still, sleeping form of his brother. He'd be back.