Madame Pomfrey and Rosie were going over some Gryffindors who had gotten a bit more than tipsy over some Firewhiskey that they had apparently had hidden and had chosen to down that night. Rosie was just administering a Hangover Draught to Becky Wood when a small paper plane spurted into their makeshift Healer's tent. Poppy grabbed it and quickly read over it, "Drop the draught, we have to go. It's Harry!"
With that, Rosie let the girl lay down once more and took off after her superior into the Great Hall. Her eyes immediately landed on the bed in the far corner, where a shock of blond hair was shaking over a strangely still form. Upon arriving at his bedside, Rosie began the diagnostic charms without speaking, noticing the increased brain activity despite being paralysed.
As she worked, she heard Pomfrey begin to administer some small healing spells to deal with the side-affects of his nightmare and Draco begin to recount what had occurred. However, his tale was over soon and she found him simply to be ever-present over her shoulder.
It took well over an hour, but they eventually got Harry to wake, relax, and take his potions. After he had taken all that was appropriate, Draco was with him once more, not only on the bed, but burying his head into the Savior's shoulder, apparently drawing strength from him. It was only after everything had settled that Rosie noticed the charm had worn around them, and several nearby students had woken. She debated whether to silence the area once more, or let the children in on what was going on. Eventually, she decided on the latter and she turned to them directly.
"Professor Potter is currently experiencing some terrible nightmares, as I'm sure many of you have either been victim or witness to since the war. However, his area extremely important, as just like in the war, Harry receives messages in his sleep about events and outcomes. Please, don't worry, he'll be fine. This is all under control," and with her words, many of the younger students went back to sleep. But, alas, they were surrounded by Gryffindor students, and proud Gryffindors like Colin Creevey were much too protective of their Professor to sleep while he was suffering. Rosie sighed and resigned herself to working with Harry to detail his vision.
"Alright, so you say this wasn't tonight, though?" Harry shook his head, "Do you suppose it's in the future?" Harry nodded.
"I don't really know how to explain it except that I could feel what day it was. It...it was the first. Of the year. They're apparently planning on moving the children to a new safehouse. From what I can tell the move will be from 'round Hogsmeade to somewhere about at the Western Isles. I suppose if we were to set up some sort of interception team…"
"But do you know how they are planning to do this?"
"Well, I know that there are many students that still have the trace, so they won't be able to apparate or to floo, so they will likely either be taking seemingly muggle means to transport the students, or they'll be flying. Maybe if we set up two teams, one on the ground watching all transportation leaving Hogsmeade and the other in the sky, we'll be able to at least trail them and fight for the children back."
Rosie nodded and didn't voice her concerns with Harry's plans. Rather, she wrote what she observed in him, set some Dreamless Sleep Potion and some Calming drought on the bed, and left to inform McGonagall. It was time to take action against the kidnappers.
A determined set to her jaw and to her stride, Rosie found herself at the Headmistress's post at the gameskeeper's cottage in what felt like a moment. She knocked a quick rapt of careful knocks and soon she was greeted by Leslye Reyes, Muggle Studies, who let her in after hearing the urgency in her voice.
Upon entering, Rosie took in the rather small room, most furniture vanished besides two queen beds, set side-by-side, opposite the entrance. Leslye walked immediately to the bed on the left and a form stirred, transforming into a groggy-looking McGonagall, who reached for her glasses before acknowledging anyone's presence in the room. "Is something the matter?" she asked, standing, when she noticed the arir around the two women.
"Headmistress," said Miss Gale nervously, "Harry's had a nightmare. It appears this one must have beena vision. The Hufflepuff students are being held somewhere around Hogsmeade, Harry's not sure on that, but he is sure that they are to be moved. It's to go on the First of the Year with all of the group going to the West Isles."
McGonagall stood regally, shoulders set properly behind her and mouth pulled tightly. "Yes, well it seems a meeting with the Heads is in order. Leslye, Rosie, could you gather the four of them for me? Have them meet me in my office in fifteen." The girls nodded eagerly, then ran off from the professor.
Soon enough, they were gathered at the table in the Headmistress's office, sitting as they did the last time they met, and Harry was recounting the nightmare that he had been suffering.
"So, anyways, I saw Locke there and some background people that I vaguely recognized from throughout the years, like at the Quidditch World Series back in 1994 and such. Anyway, at the head of it all was this figure in all black that I could almost swear that I recognized as being Avery...at least from the beard." To this Draco nodded subconsciously, remembering distinctly the pointed facial hair of the deatheater.
"I thought he'd died in the Battle at Hogwarts?"
"Presumably," Harry agreed, "But he may as well have escaped to someplace and been underground since, gathering others that fell like himself."
To this, the Professors steeled and nodded their heads, taking in the seriousness that was the task at hand. Harry and Draco couldn't even reflect on the way that their rings seemed to glow under the bright light that encompassed McGonagall's office. Rather, they were deep in the conversation, attempting to root out a solution of sorts.
They managed to organize a battle-plan. A third of the staff would fly, a third would walk/take carriages, and a third would stay with the children.
Of course, Draco and Harry were the first to be added to the flying group, along with Terri Strom, Arithmancy, and Donald Gardier, Flying. For the foot soldiers, there were Justin Finch-Fletchey, of course, Marietta Edgecomb, Neville Longbottom, Bethesda Babbling, and Leslye Reyes. Staying at Hogwarts with the children would be McGonagall, Filch, Jenny Fiery-gameskeeper, Sinistra-astrology, Sadie Dawn-divinition, and Professor Binns, of course.
Confident in their plans, McGonagall sent everyone back to bed and stayed up for the night watch. The next day they would begin preparations. The children were in danger and Minerva would be having none of that shit, thank you very much.
oOo
Time passed rapidly for the students and teachers at Hogwarts. The student body as well as the staff had been informed of the upcoming battle, and they were all busy readying themselves for it in a passion that hadn't been seen since the fever of the Battle of Hogwarts. McGonagall's brow was almost always knit shut and her lips never quirked past their tight line. War, while something familiar, was never easy. She knew well that training the children to react to signals and to perfectly cast necessary shields was a horrid reality, but she had to face it.
In order to increase the time spent working on the plan ahead, she had been forced to lower the stone guards once again from Hogwart's eaves. The durable soldiers had to be rebuilt after the last battle and she prayed deep within that she would never have to do that work again. Although, she realized, it was better than watching the bodies pile in the Great Hall, where her students currently ate, slept, and lived.
When Wednesday came about, they were ready. Harry believed that the students would be moved during the night, when many people were so transfixed on fireworks that another strange movement in the sky or on the ground would hardly matter. The various groups were perched in place at dusk. The flying team was positioned on top of the Three Broomsticks, under a series of powerful concealment charms, watching carefully for any strange movement outside of their barriers. On the ground, they had split into two groups. Leslye and Justin were positioned at the train station, watching for any unusually large crowds and any people that they recognized or who recognized them. Meanwhile, Marietta, Neville, and Bethesda were at various bus and carriage stops. Everyone was connected by radio, lead by the Headmistress. With all luck, they'd be able to save all of the students today.
It was just after midnight when Draco let out the warning signal, a simple set of blows on the small whistle around his neck. Everyone sprung into action, the two former chasers at the head of the group, easily finding the dark shadows as they moved. Behind them, they heard Terri whisper progress over the radio and received several similar responses from the others.
Their group was chasing down the thestrals and brooms in front of them with quick ease, having some of the best brooms available to a wizard thanks again to Neville's girlfriend-er-fiancee. Either way, they were right at the sides of the dark horse-like creatures. Harry found himself wondering just how long Draco had been able to see them for, but that thought was soon cut off by a shout at his left. He ducked a green streak of magic and began battling against those around him. He noticed that the crowd had about five thestrals surrounding a large, flying carriage in the center. Once he stunned the guy immediately near him, he took the chance to delve into the circle, Draco dropped another guy as he sped towards Harry and soon all of the five protectors were battling against his team members.
Harry made it to the door of the carriage and used a quick alohomora to unlock it, revealing two more guards inside, hiding about two dozen Hufflepuff students. He knocked the two out effortlessly and was soon unlocking the chains holding the students in place and lifting the silencing charms. In just a few moments, they were all free and Harry was glad to see Xavier Nox in the midst of the students. He put Nox in charge of calming the students and headed out of the carriage again, kicking out the two KKK members as he did. He flew to the thestral at the front and attempted communication. Luckily, the horse seemed more inclined to obey Harry and allowed him onto her back.
Thus, Harry was able to steer the carriage back towards Hogwarts. Once it was on track, he went back on his broom, flew to retrieve Nox, and set the boy on the Thestral's back. "Take 'em back to the castle, okay? We'll be right behind you."
With that, Harry sent the load of Hufflepuffs away and went back to his team, sending just Terri back after them. Then, as Draco had spotted another group, he headed off to intercept those students. It was a few hours of this, rescuing teams of a dozen to just three students at a time, before they finally returned home, only Draco and Harry left.
Terri had returned shortly after getting the others to the castle and reported that no one seemed to be charging their front. Then, as Donald had been sent with the next group, he reported that the castle was in Battle. It was only after Harry and Draco had sent the last group off with Terri, Donald already ahead with another group, did they realize they would be returning to more fighting. However, when they returned, the castle was quiet.
The stone soldiers smashed into pebbles or frozen in mid-swing were the only indication that the castle had just been under attack. Malfoy and Potter were greeted by Justin and Neville when they arrived.
Apparently, during the siege, the foot soldiers had returned with two loads of students themselves, to find the castle in battle. They had stayed and fought and drove out the offenders, but not without loss. When Harry and Draco entered the Great Hall, it was like a flashback to the Last Battle, wounded and dead were sprawled on hospital beds in neat lines down the hall, but not nearly as many as once had been.
Among the dead were Donald Gardier, shot out of the sky while defending the last load of students, Aurora Sinistra, who took a killing curse for a seventh year Gryffindor (Vanessa Brook) who had been trying to protect her girlfriend (Pippi Lewett). The girls were ashamed for acting without thinking, as it had cost the astronomy professor her life. Few students were struck thanks to teachers rising at their defence, but Bethany Jacobs, Slytherin prefect, had been killed when she had apparently lost focus during her battle. Later it was revealed that Dayna Reed, another fifth-year Slytherin, had been calling out to her in anguish. The girls had only kissed the first time on Christmas.
Though a much longer list, the wounded were not particularly unwell. Bathesda Babbling, Marietta Edgecomb, and even McGonagall were bedridden for weeks after, all knocked into varying degrees of comatose after a large shockwave-like spell had reverberated through the grounds. Draco, Terri, Leslye, and Jenny Fiery all had to be treated for minor broken bones. Harry had only some minor bruising and cuts from spells that got a bit too close, so he only took moments to recover.
Wounded students included Xavier Nox, Dani Thompson, Olive Chase, Alexander Jett, Dina Raphael, and Emit Flyth, whom all were given concussions and passed out from anywhere between three days and eight; Christopher Mender, Ken Zuniga, and Martin Winters, who had all broken bones; Jamie Darling, Quin Shot, and Natalie Wood had all been cursed minorly; but worst of all were Thomas Alden and Rebecca Adams, whom had tried to intercept the curses tossed at Dani and Xavier respectively and ended up losing their memories of nearly everything after the Second Wizarding War, but Madame Pomfrey insisted that these effects would only be temporary and that we needn't worry too much about teaching them of their past.
Harry spent the night fretting over his boyfriend, who had to wait for his leg to heal properly, as his femur had been split when he was hit by a particularly nasty jinx mid-flight. It was nice, to Harry, to be the caretaker for once. Alas, this battle wouldn't be the end. Harry felt it in his heart as well as in his scar.
Someone was still plotting.
Someone was still out there, trying to get in.
They'd leave them alone for now, sure, but when would they strike again? And how hard? Harry's mind tossed throughout the night, but he couldn't reach any answers. All he knew for certain was that this was just the beginning.