Chapter 11: Preparing for War

*Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any characters therein

"It's happening..."

"He's lost it!"

"Are those children?!"

"She's got... Oh, no! Someone get the Pride!"

"Here! Use my frame! Hurry!"

Break

Harry sat on the floor playing with a few magical toys with Draco and the other children that lived within the Den. Since his third year, after Harry had become both the Magical heir to Slytherin by defeating Tom Riddle's Diary and the keeper of Gryffindor's Sword, he had smuggled in magical orphans off the streets and into the castle. He had always seemed to have a mysterious helper in his quest to help these young innocents. No harm had ever come to them from the malicious eyes that would harm them within her walls, and he hoped none ever would.

Dumbledore had lost any way to find out about the orphans when the portraits decided they would spy on him instead of for him, though he did not know that this was the case. The Headmaster's portraits fed him false information—the Slytherin Headmasters in particular took pleasure in the chance to use their cunning natures once more.

Now, Harry was glad to have the children all together and safe, but he still had a feeling in the back of his mind that the peace would not last the night. He remembered a time when he was split, stuck between protecting the students and caring for the shelter he and Heather had set up in London. It had been a few years ago, but Harry had finally been able to find and hire a married couple, the man a Muggle-born and the woman a squib. They now looked after those in London, while Harry led the Pride.

True to form, a pounding knock sounded against the door, and it opened before anyone could answer showing a panicked Hermione. She ran in breathless, her brown eyes wide with fear.

Harry saw the look in her eyes and was on his feet instantly, eyes only for Hermione and silently demanding her to inform him of the situation. The girl seemed as if Voldemort himself had entered Hogwarts with a horde of Death Eaters. The men didn't know how much worse it actually was.

"Cat, Coot…escaped….hatchlings…..danger," the girl panted before nearly collapsing with fear, exhaustion and no small bit of pain.

Harry caught her quickly, his face eerily blank and a cold fury in his emerald eyes as he lifted the girl effortlessly in his arms. "Tinker, Winky," he called out in a gentle but serious tone.

With a soft 'pop' the house elves appeared before Harry, giving the teen a deep bow of respect, "What can Winky and Tinker be doings for Master Harry?" Winky squeaked as she looked at the girl in Harry's arms worriedly.

"Tinker, please take Hermione down to the Hospital Room. Set her on one of the beds, then please get Heather from the Ravenclaw dorms. Winky darling, would you mind terribly watching the hatchlings here," Harry asked in a gentle tone that belied his fierce, furious features.

The elf Tinker seemed to know better than to argue and quickly, with surprising strength, lifted the teenaged girl and popped away once again. Winky would never say no to watching over the lion cubs, and Harry knew that. It was her favorite duty. "Yes, Master Harry, Winky bes happy to watch little ones."

Harry thanked her then spun and walked toward one of the bookshelves before seeming to walk through it. After a few minutes Harry strode out in a pair of tight leather pants tucked into a pair of zip-up, knee-high leather boots with a sleeveless black top that seemed to be made of some sort of reptile skin and a part of his chest, outlining his chiseled muscles. On his back were twin blades and a pair of daggers rested in his boots. On each thigh was a holster; the right was a gun, the left a back up wand, and his own wand strapped to his wrist.

Harry's emerald eyes were set and he strode over to the children and cast a few wandless wards making sure they were keyed into his, Lucius and Severus's magical signature. Every child but Draco ignored the goings on, quite used to such occurrences. Harry moved to him, giving him a hug and a short "Be good for Winky, we shall return soon, little Dragon," before striding out of the small room into the Gryffindor Common Room.

Severus and Lucius exchanged a look before rushing after the teen, worried about what was coming and what the teen planned to do about the situation. They were shocked to see Neville standing by the portrait hole with Colin and Dennis Creevey waiting for their orders with a panting, but hard eyed Lavender Brown.

All of the boys dressed similarly to Harry, with only their weapons varied. Neville wore a long sword across his back; Colin multiple Sais, and Dennis wore a pair of gauntlets and steel-toed boots obviously for hand-to-hand which frankly shocked the two Slytherin. By the set of his shirt he was concealing multiple weapons.

"Lav, report," Harry barked as he transferred a few items to Colin.

"Patrol. Portraits informed us Dumbledore and McGonagall have a new crystal, blood red. They've waylaid Slytherin and Hufflepuff first years from the halls on their way to the Astronomy Tower for class. Hermione engaged for extraction with her team. Ginny got all but two Hufflepuffs extracted and into their common room. The wards there protect them, and she is standing guard, disillusioned. Prefects have been alerted and are on the move. Cat and Coot are moving towards the Entrance Hall...and possibly the Great Hall with the remaining students."

"At ease, Lav. Go to the Hospital Room and check on Hermione. She was hit. Send a Patronus if necessary. Gather the 6th year president and secretary. You three are in charge of the Den until we return." Lavender nodded and rushed off, worried about her alpha.

"Formation, boys. Neville you come high, I want Dumbledore and McGonagall down and out as fast as possible. Dennis stay close to me, you and I are on extraction. We're going to get the hatchlings out of range for Neville to do his part. Colin, we're counting on your distractions: make them big and make them noticeable but keep the castle standing. Everyone got their orders?" Harry was quick and efficient as he stood before them looking them over and fixing a bit of their gear where it had been thrown on half-haphazardly.

"No," Severus said in a silky drawl, his onyx eyes hard. No one messed with his snakes.

Lucius was equally determined; these children were fighting a war that should never have been theirs to fight. Harry turned to them while Neville and the two Creevey boys exchanged looks before snickering behind their hands. These men were in for it! No one stood up to Harry when he was in his "General mode." Sharp jade eyes bore into the two older Slytherins filling both of them with horror at the atrocities the teen had obviously experienced to gain such a world-weary look, but it also shot a shock of desire down Severus' spine and made him want to take the man before him there and then. For in this light, with this power swirling around him, Harry was indeed the man he had always destined to be, the protector his nature would always make him.

"You two will tell the other teachers to keep their students locked safely in their Common Rooms until further notice," Harry said in a cool tone that left no room for argument, but in a moment of pure Gryffindor stubbornness, the two men argued.

"I will not be relegated to a messenger boy while you four go and wage a war against the most powerful wizard of our time!" Lucius roared, his silver-blue eyes blazing. Severus' own eyes were two hard, endless tunnels of darkness at the order Harry had given them. Neville and the two boys winced; oh these two were digging their graves deeper and deeper by the minute.

The snarl that escaped Harry's throat reverberated throughout the room and, unknown to the two Slytherin men, the entire castle. A whispering voice filled their ears, and they turned to see a small girl, maybe twelve, standing at the couches in the room. Her black hair was straight and sleek as it fell of her face, hiding her from the gazes boring into her as she spoke. "It's useless to fight him, you know…He's been doing these things much longer than you can imagine, stopping all the rapes and abuse from older kids with us little ones. Plus you're only endangering those children more by arguing…"

The darker of the men felt shock shoot through him at the words. Severus had indeed noticed how much safer the castle had become in recent years, but she couldn't possibly mean that these Gryffindors had been the ones stopping it…right?

Severus was frozen in his shock as revelations hit him hard. Not only had this teenager suffered for the good of the Wizarding World, but now sacrificed himself for the good of the students of Hogwarts as well! That should have been the teachers' job and he felt no small amount of disgust for himself for not noticing it sooner. A soft but calloused hand distracted him on his cheek. His onyx eyes met jade green that sent multiple shocks through his system and left him confused at what he wanted to do.

"Please," Harry whispered. "I need to know you and Lucius are safe to care for Draco. I have very few people left to view as father figures, don't make Draco go through what I did," the teen's voice was soft, his emerald eyes filled with a soul-deep, heart wrenching sorrow as his gaze met Lucius'. When his eyes met Severus' once more the words fled, but his eyes spoke of a need not for another father figure, but for something much deeper.

Severus couldn't pull his eyes away and Lucius stood to the side feeling as if his heart had just been ripped from his chest. This boy, no, the man before him had been through such pain and horror and yet he still had the strength to care and think of others; Harry Potter was truly one of a kind was the thought running through both men's heads.

But they were torn.

Did they sit back and allow these students to handle the problems or did they force their hand? Finally Severus came to a decision, he would trust Harry to know what he was doing and he would do what he could to assist in any way he can.

"We won't get in the way but don't expect us to hide away as you four fight. We will keep our distance and help from the shadows," Severus compromised in a silky tone, eyes saying that that was all the ground he was willing to give.

Part of Lucius wanted to argue with his childhood friend; he didn't want these boys to do anymore for such an ungrateful bunch, but he knew his arguments would fall on deaf ears and hurt more than help. With an aggravated sigh Lucius nodded, standing strongly beside his friend and brother. Harry stared them down for a moment more before he pulled his wand.

"Visu Captae," he enchanted.

Harry gave a small nod of acquiescence as the charm Colin had created sunk into a button on each of their robes. Then a devilish smirk came to his face as he turned back to the portrait hole. His eyes glinted with a dangerous light, pupils slitting.

"Time to hunt," he drawled, before striding through the portrait hole with the others close behind.

Thanks for reading!

A/N: Translation: visu captae = View captured. I know, I know, bless me and my google translate skills.