Chapter Thirteen: We Must Unite So We Can Fight

The Death Eaters were out of the Hall faster than any of the students could retaliate. As Kurt knelt next to Blaine who was still clutching his scar, he looked around the room at the distraught witches and wizards. Brittany was crying into Artie's shoulder. Tina and Quinn were whispering to each other. Beiste, Sam and Puck were exchanging ideas quite solemnly at the back of the room. Rachel and Finn had their wands out, ready to fight if the Death Eaters came back – protecting their fellow students, regardless if they could actually cause them harm or not. The teachers all left in a hurry, trying to come up with some form of action against what had just happened. Voldemort had been here, in this very school. And he wanted to kill Blaine. Kurt was having a panic attack in silence as the other two rushed up beside them.

"Oh, Harry!" Rachel cried, throwing herself on the ground with Blaine and Kurt, wrapping her arms around them both. "What are we going to do?"

Blaine stared intently at the floor as though it had some profound answer, but he replied simply, "We're going to deal with them," like it was the only plausible response.

Finn gasped, spewing them all with half-chewed chips. "We're not going to let them kill you for Dumbledore, dude. You're not going to die."

Then Blaine smirked at the three of them with confidence sparkling in his eyes and shrugged. "Who said anything about dying?"

"Harry, what are you planning?" Kurt asked as the four of them ran down the corridors, looking for the teachers. The fact that they were all still wearing dress robes meant no one could run as fast as usual. Rachel had taken off her heels and was sprinting as fast as she could after Kurt and Blaine, who were in the lead. Finn's abnormally tall figure could stride quickly and still keep up with them.

"We need help," Blaine acknowledged, still keeping up a slight jog. "We can't just waltz into their lives and say, 'Hey, you should let Dumbledore go'! I mean, he and I are tight which is why they took him in the first place, but Voldemort's gonna kill me if I don't take this seriously."

"Maybe you shouldn't always announce to the entire school how 'tight' you are with the Headmaster," said Kurt pointedly. "Everyone knows how close you are with the most powerful wizard of our age."

"So who do you think told Voldemort and Quirrell how to do this?" Finn asked.

Rachel rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Draco, of course!"

"But I thought you said he was really nice now!" Blaine exclaimed.

"Well, he is, but I can't help but imagine he mentioned that little fact to his father far before he realized just how evil Lucius is."

Suddenly, something caught Kurt's eye – a short brown robe turning the corner just ahead of them. "Lupin!" he called. "Professor Lupin!" But Sam didn't turn around or acknowledge that Kurt was trying to get his attention. The group picked up their speed and finally caught up with Sam, who they found sitting on a bench just around the corner they'd seen him turn.

"Lupin, we need your hel..." but before Blaine could get his idea out, Sam sighed heavily and wiped his face with his dingy robes.

"Dumbledore's gone!"

"And it's about time, too!" Puck interrupted, wiggling his hips as he walked over to them. "I can run dis school better than he ever could!" He snapped his fingers and shook his head.

Kurt took a deep breath and stared Puck right in the eye. "Professor Umbridge, we need to save Dumbledore."

"What are the three rules I told you at the start of the school year? Granger?"

Puck's strong voice made Rachel jump. She took a step forward and recited by memory: "No boys, unless they're cute; no alcohol, unless there's plenty to go around; and no parties, unless Umbridge is invited."

Blaine, Kurt and Finn exchanged confused glances. "And this is none of those things..." pointed out Finn.

"What the devil is going on here?" said Beiste's drawling voice from just down the corridor.

"Professor," Rachel pleaded. "We need all of you to help us get Dumbledore back."

"You heard them – just hand Harry over and we can get our Headmaster back."

"We are not letting Harry get captured!" Kurt was shouting.

"Got him!" Puck squealed girlishly as he swung a giant butterfly net over his shoulder and brought it down on Blaine, who looked more confused than ever.

Kurt lifted the net's frame so Blaine could scurry out the bottom. "Harry is not going with anyone!" This comment made Puck groan aloud. "We need your wizarding expertise," he used the term hesitantly, "to make Voldemort give Dumbledore back!"

His little inspirational speech made Beiste, Puck and Sam look down at their feet in shame. "I should maybe be grateful for all he's done for me, to help with my condition and all..." Sam nodded, not taking his eyes off his shoes. "I mean, he practically took me off the streets and gave me a place to transform!" He didn't seem to care that his students were listening to every word of this. There were more pressing matters at hand – like the start of an entirely new wizarding war.

"He did give me a job being you childrens' security officer, even if he thought there wasn't gonna be any danger..."

There was silence as everyone looked at Beiste, waiting for her to give some reason as to why she should help save Will Schuester. "What the hell..." she bellowed. "I love him!" No one seemed the least bit surprised in this declaration.

"So, are you with us?" Finn asked, getting very caught up in the moment of unity.

Everyone shouted and thrust their fists into the air, then marched down the corridor toward the Entrance Hall to gather an army for Dumbledore.

As the others took a final walk before the battle, Kurt tugged on Blaine's robes. "Can I talk to you a minute?"

"Yeah, sure Kurt, what's going on?"

"Are you okay? I mean, if I was going to face my worst enemy, I'd be pretty scared."

Blaine paused and took in a deep helping of much needed oxygen. "I'm terrified. But I have you and for that reason, I'm not too worried. As long as you're there with me, I know it can be done."

"You mean me, Ron and Hermione," Kurt said, but it came out as more of a question, so he added, "Right?"

Blaine chuckled a bit and took a step closer to his friend. "No, I mean you, Kurt. You give me this feeling of confidence. That I'm so much more than just the name Harry Potter."

"Well, you a..." Before Kurt was able to reassure Blaine of anything, the boy who called himself Harry planted his lips firmly onto Kurt's. They lingered there for a moment, and then Kurt pulled away. "What was that for?" he asked with a bit of a smile.

Blaine grinned stupidly and wiped his glasses clean of any fog that may have formed. "In case something happens to me, I wanted you to know the answer was always, 'Don't worry – me too'."

Kurt nodded once and his face went stern. "Voldemort is going down."