Author's note

Hiya everyone,
Im happy to say that I'm actually working on the next chaper in Who said the dark side was evil? and Resurrection. Then I'd like to whish everyone a very merry christmas and a happy new year! /Witton


Chapter 11

Salazar, followed by Draco, Neville and Ron hurried trough the corridor of the Hogwart's Express, only stopping to make first and second years stay in their compartments. All the time the alarm rang around them, but now the noise was at a bearable level.

"We need to reach the engine wagon and speak with the driver if there is one" Salazar said while navigating around a pair of third years shouting at each other.

When he glanced back to make sure that the other kept up, he growled low when he spotted a very unwelcome person closing in on them from behind.

"Neville! Neville wait! Where are you going and why are you with them?"

Neville groaned but turned around to face the irate witch.

"Hermione it is none of your business. I can go wherever I want on this train with whoever I want." He said not letting go of the other with his gaze.

Hermione huffed and straightened up slightly with a nasty glare at Salazar and Draco.

"Neville don't be stupid. I'm your friend and I just want you safe. You can't trust those two! Malfoy either is a death eater or waiting to become one and Potter stole what should have been your fame and rights." She snarled and took one step closer.

Ron slowly grew red in the face and with clenched hands he shouldered past Draco and stepped in front of Neville.

"That's enough Mione. Can't you see reason? Malfoy seems fine to me and you're wrong about Harry and you know it."

The witch slowly shook her head and patted Ron softly on the arm. While Ron's eyes brightened with hope, Salazar's narrowed. It simply couldn't be that easy. It wasn't.

"I understand Ron, don't worry. I'll find out what spell he's used on you and when I tell professor Dumble…"

"Silencio."

For a moment Hermione seemed to be frozen before she slowly blinked and turned towards Neville, confusion evident on her face. Then her cheeks reddened and her eyes narrow. She started to wave her arms around furiously pointing to her mouth and throat in a demanding way.

"This isn't the time or the place for this. Let's move on. Granger go and find someone to lift the spell for you if you can't manage on your own. I certainly won't do it and don't believe that they will either." Salazar growled and stalked away from the furious girl.

Not caring about the stares from other students or Hermione's frantic waving, Salazar stalked away towards the engine, while muttering about ignorant idiots in parseltongue. He heard how the others scrambled to keep up with him and unconsciously slowed down his pace to match theirs.

"You ok, Harry?" Ron asked while watching him closely.

Salazar nodded, but then sighed when Neville apologized for causing them trouble.

"Don't be stupid Neville. Remember, I'm Harry-bloody-Potter. Trouble just loves me. It's not your fault."

"He's right Longbottom, grow some backbone. My father told me that your parents were fine aurors and I think that if you just gain some self-confidence you'll easily become as good as them. It's in you blood."

A smile spread on Salazar's lips when he heard the young Malfoy try to cheer the other up. Draco still had some work to do. He still sounded somewhat like a pure-blooded spoiled brat, but he was getting better.

Suddenly their way was blocked by two large hulking figures. Salazar growled and drew his wand, but stayed his hand when Draco grabbed his arm and wrenched it down.

"Crabbe, Goyle stand down! I'm in no danger they are friends now. Ok?" Malfoy said and glared at the two.

Crabbe and Goyle glanced at each other for some seconds, and then nodded slowly.

"Ok."

"Good, Crabbe you're paired with Lo-Neville, make sure to have his back covered, Goyle you're with Wea-Ron. I'll go with Harry, he'll need someone to keep him out of trouble."

They both nodded again and then headed Draco's orders and skulked towards their partners' side. Neville and Ron looked a little hesitant, but kept their opinions to themselves. Salazar just smiled, instead of smirking and sent a weak stinging hex towards Draco, who yelped and glared at him.

"Pixie" he said and then continued down the corridor until they reached the train's engine-wagon.

After knocking once, Salazar tried the door and found it to be locked. With low growl he whipped out his wand and cast a powerful unlocking charm on the lock. It unlocked with a low click and then the door soundlessly opened. When they stepped inside they saw the trolley-lady stand beside a man who was tinkering with a lot of different instruments while frantically muttering under his breath. When Salazar cleared his throat, hey both whipped around with their wands drawn.

"Who… wait you're not allowed here! No students in the engine room!"

"Let's not get into that right now. We may not have the time. Why is the alarm sounding?" Salazar said while moving forwards.

He kept his wand hidden in his sleeve, ready to defend himself if needed.

"You…" the man began, but stopped when the woman placed her hands on his arm.

"Dennis… it's true. They have a right to know."

The man looked at her, clearly annoyed, but when she didn't back down he sighed.

"Fine."

Then he turned towards them.

"Well, you wanted to know why the alarm was sounding, right kid? Well there are Death Eaters and dementors on the track. At least twenty of both of them."

Salazar could here how Ron and Draco swore while, Neville let out a small whimper.

"How long until we reach them?" he asked.

"1 hour at the most"

"Can you slow us down, not enough to make them understand that we have sensed them, but enough to give us some more time?"

At this the man turned his eyes towards the roof and stroked his short beard.

"Yeah… I can give us another hour, but why?"

"It will hopefully give us enough time to construct a defence. Do it."

With that Salazar turned around and swiftly left the room.


Salazar hurried down the corridors, trying to construct a plan that wouldn't be totally worthless and that didn't involve him giving away his secret and blast the enemies to hell.

"Harry… Harry! Damn it Potter slow down!" Draco growled and grabbed his arm.

For a moment Salazar struggled against the reflex to curse the blond, before stopping and turning towards him with a weak smile.

"Sorry Dray, I'm just… worried."

"I know and I'm worried to but, Merlin help me, falling into pieces won't help us at all! And don't call me that!"

"Thanks Draco I needed that." He said with a small smile.

Then he turned towards the others.

"Neville, Ron, gather the DA, as many as you can and bring them to where the prefect-meetings are usually being held. Draco, I need you to gather all the prefects and as many fifth, sixth and seventh years as you can. Try to avoid any students that are loyal to Voldemort, if you know any. Bring them to the prefect-room as well."

"What will you do?" Neville asked.

"I'll send a patronus messenger to the school for help and then I'll go with Draco."

Ron and Neville hesitated for a moment before nodding. Then they quickly sprinted down the corridor, followed by their partners. Draco waited at his side until Salazar lifted an eyebrow and looked at him pointedly. With a smirk the slytherin nodded and then elegantly walked down the corridor and disappeared. Salazar sighed and then he focused on a happy memory and swiftly cast the spell with murmured "expecto patronum". Then he gasped and stared at the patronus in front of him. 'Well, that's not good.' Salazar thought as he stared at the silvery basilisk for a moment before banishing it. 'I can't send that to Severus with my message and absolutely not to the old goat…' He closed his eyes and massaged his temples. Somehow it made sense though, that his patronus was a basilisk while Harry's had been a stag, after his father's animagus form. 'I should have seen this coming' he thought and stared down at his wand, silently pondering what to do. 'Perhaps…' While focusing on the message and the person's he wanted it sent to he raised his wand and whispered:

"Avis patroni"

At once a flight of silvery birds appeared out of his wand and flew through a window before heading straight for Hogwarts. Then his attention was caught by a burning sensation on his fingers. With a curse he dropped his smoking wand and stared t his burnt fingers. 'Seems like I have to watch how much power I put in a spell or this one won't hold. I really need another wand.' After sending a wandless cooling charm he gingerly picked up his wand and pocketed it before heading towards the prefect room hoping to find Draco there.


The good news was that Draco was in the prefect room and that he clearly had fulfilled his mission. The bad news was that chaos was reigning in the room and that Draco and Granger was having a loud row in the middle of the crowd.

"No! You slimy snakes should be locked up, while leaving the rest to us honourable students. You'll just give us to your master!" the frizzle haired witch shouted.

"You're a blind idiot Granger! Do you see a tattoo on my arm? I'm not a death eater and neither is every Slytherin!" Draco roared while showing his arm into her face.

"Death eater in training then! Do you really think you can fool anyone with your pathetic excuses?"

Salazar felt how his fraying temper snapped. Seriously how had he ever made friends with her? Oh right troll-wrestling in his first year. Silently he closed the door behind him before clearing his throat and speaking.

"Silence."

Even though he kept his voice low and even, everyone could hear the cold rage in it and fell silent immediately while turning towards him. Stalking forwards, albeit with a feline grace, he kept his gaze locked on his former friend.

"We do not have time for this. The sound you're hearing is the train's wards reacting to a threat. There are death eaters and dementors on the track two hours away from us. We need to come up with a plan of defence. I've sent a patronus message to the school but I'm not sure it will reach them and they might not reach us in time."

Complete silence rested in the compartment, then Granger stepped towards him her cheeks flushing red.

"You! What are you doing here? You're not a prefect! Get out!"

Salazar sighed and silently counted to ten.

"Ms Granger, please desist. This is not the time. Grave danger is ahead of us and if we don't come up with a plan of defence, we're doomed. I'm here since I'm one of those who have faced death eaters and dementors before. Now can we bury the axe for a moment and begin to plan?"

Granger growled, but kept her mouth shut. She knew she would look bad if she continued, but she truly wondered why anybody else didn't object. Couldn't they see that the traitor only tried to steal more fame from Neville, the real boy-who-lived? However, in the corner of her eye she could see how some people didn't look pleased but kept silent. She smiled. At least some people seemed to be able to see the truth.

Salazar let his gaze sweep over the room swiftly, noting in his head which people he would have to keep an eye on. Then he cleared his throat again and waved his wand. A blackboard appeared at his left complete with a floating piece of chalk.

"Now then, we're going to face at least twenty death eaters and twenty dementors, its fully possible that there will be inner circle members among them."

A low mumble spread in the room but died away when Salazar continued.

"Let's worry about them later, first the dementors, how many can cast a corporeal patronus?"

Almost everyone in the DA raised their hands and there were some older students as well. Salazar nodded and silently counted them. Then he waved his wand and fifteen names appeared under the headline 'dementors'.

"You under that headline have the most important task. To keep the dementors away from us and from the train. Remember though facing off against a real dementor makes it harder to cast the spell, but I believe you can do it."

Many of them were pale, but Susan Bones nodded and silently gathered the Patronus Group around her and began laying out a strategy. Salazar smiled and then turned towards the others again.

"As for the death eaters…" he began.

Hermione just couldn't keep silent anymore. Here he was blatantly stealing Neville's glory and taking charge when he clearly only did it for fame. He would get them all killed! She had to do something.

"Why should you lay out the strategy? Everyone knows that I was the one making the plans! Your plans always went south!"

Salazar nearly growled, but managed to keep silent. They didn't have time for this! But before he could answer her with a scathing reply, Neville stepped forward, wand in hand.

"Will you just shut up? I believe in Harry! Without him we would never had come out of the Ministry alive last year!"

"Well, we wouldn't have been there in the first place if it wasn't for him!" She said to Neville.

"Hermione that is enough! He warned us and tried to make us stay but we all choose to go with him!" Ron growled as he moved in front of Salazar shielding him from the irate witch.

"Yeah but if he only had listened…"

"Silencio, expelliarmus, locomotor mortis" Ron growled and then dragged the witch over to the wall and placed her down.

Then he moved to Salazar's side while glaring at anyone daring to move closer to the witch.

"Please continue Harry" Neville said softly while keeping an eye on the raging witch.

Salazar cleared his throat and then turned his gaze away from Granger.

"Well, yeah… er death eaters… first we need two groups here, one working on defence and one on offense."

The words offence and defence appeared on the blackboard as headlines.

"Now, who is willing to take on Eaters head on? Sixth years and seventh years only."

At first few hands rose in the air but as friends turned to each others more and more hands rose. Salazar wasn't surprised when few slytherins wanted to go on the offensive. They probably didn't want to fight their parents if they were there. With a small wave of his wand he swiftly wrote their names under the Offence Group and added his own.

"And now defence?"

The rest of the hands rose, several slytherins included. Salazar swiftly wrote them down. Adding Neville's and Luna's name to the group.

"Wait Harry, why am I in the defence group?" Neville asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Well, someone needs to be in charge of the defence group. I trust you will do a good job and have our backs. Cedric Diggory will lead the Offence group" Salazar said, while turning towards the hufflepuff.

"Will you do it Cedric? Will you lead us against our enemies?"

"I'm honoured Harry of the faith you have in me. I'll do it and I won't let you down."

Salazar nodded and then waved his wand again and the board lengthened. On it the headlines Offensive magic and Defensive magic appeared.

"The offensive group, pay attention! How many of you are proficient in transfiguration?"

Some hands went up.

"Good, here is what I want you guys to do. Transfigure stuff into large animals and send them towards the death eaters, the bigger and meaner the better. I'd like it if some extinct animals appeared like dinosaurs perhaps. Imagine the death eaters running from a tyrannosaurus or a pack of raptors…"

Many people chuckled and there were some pretty vicious grins on some peoples' faces.

"Another useful spell is the 'avis' charm. It summons a flock of birds and if you add 'oppugno' it will cause them to attack a target of your choosing if you simply concentrate on the target when casting the spell." Salazar said briefly while casting the spell to demonstrate. Ron yelped and ran around the room, a flock of pigeons hunting him.

"I imagine that the death eaters will be quite distracted by heaps of birds trying to pick their eyes out and that will give us a chance to take them down" Draco said with a vicious smirk on his face.

Salazar smirked and banished the birds, then yelped when a stinging hex hit him. Neville smirked and twirled his wand between his fingers, silently daring Salazar to say something.

"Now then, the defence group, your task will be to protect us and the train from hostile spells. Use shield charms like 'protego' or transfigure or levitate stuff to take the hits. The most important spells for you to block will be the unforgivables and they will be cast today. "

Silence rested in the compartment, an uncomfortable silence. Many people looked down at the floor or at each other. Some were trembling and a few was crying. The same thing plagued every ones thoughts 'I might not survive'.

"I will not lie to you. What we are about to do is dangerous. There will be injuries and some of us might not join us at Hogwarts tonight."

People whimpered and some threw gazes at the door. But no one moved.

"However, we are the only ones who can protect the children on this train. They look up to us, count on us to protect them and we shall do it."

During his speech Salazar's voice had never risen in volume, but the intensity of his words had increased.

"Today, we shall show our world that we will not take it. We will stand up and fight. Once again shall the four houses of Hogwarts unite and stand together in battle."

A low murmuring had started when people once again looked at each others. But this time no fear was in their gazes. Instead, there was a burning determination a whish to protect in the students eyes.

"Loyal Hufflepuffs, will you stand with us in this fight for our lives and the lives of the children?"

A cheer from all of the hufflepuffs let everyone know that they would indeed stand tall in the face of danger.

"Brave Gryffindors, will you lend us your courage to face our enemies and survive today?"

Shouts of 'hell yeah' and 'of course' rang in the compartment making the growing smile on Salazar's face grow even more.

"Wise Ravenclaws, will you share your wisdom with us to make us creative with our spells on the battlefield?"

The Ravens gave their answer loudly, joining the cheers. The ones who hadn't joined in yet watched their comrades with shining eyes.

"Sly Slytherins, will you lead us to victory with your cunning and watch our backs from the shadows in this clash?"

Draco looked around in the compartment and seeing the other Slytherins nods he turned towards Salazar and smiled.

"The House of Slytherin will stand with the other houses to defend everyone on this train."

At his statement, the cheering and cries rose to a roaring voice, carrying hope and courage to every soul on the express.

"Then let them come and let the battle begin…" Salazar whispered to himself while watching the students with proud and satisfied eyes.


Ah, yes the fight itself is finally coming! I'm a bit nervous though, since I haven't actually written a fight scene before. Well until next time, and don't forget to review! / Witton