In lieu of going to dinner, Harry's four friends had all decided to go to the Library to study, with the desperate hope that by preparing for their exams their minds would be far too occupied to think of their friend, and time would fly by.
They were fools.
Daphne slammed the book she had been not reading, and grabbed two fistfuls of her dark hair, trying desperately not to start sobbing. She felt Tracey's hand on her shoulder, trying to ease her worry. All she could think of was Harry and what he might be encountering. She was getting more and more angry at herself for not even trying to ask if she could accompany them. What made it worse was that she knew she wasn't alone.
"I'm going to kill Dumbledore if anything happens to Harry. If he even catches a stupid cold, I'm going to stick my wand straight up that old codger's…"
"WE GET IT!" Hermione snapped, mirroring Daphne's feeling of helplessness. The bushy haired witch began looking around them, making sure no one was paying attention to their conversation.
"We're all worried about Harry, but we also all knew that this was going to happen. He's been lking about it for weeks. We just have to try our best to remain patient." Daphne could see Hermione's eyes were quite watery, as if she to were fighting the urge to cry in frustration.
"I wish we could have gone with them." Neville whispered. "We should be with him. This doesn't feel right."
"You've been saying that all day." Hermione said, turning to her boyfriend. "Ever since breakfast, you've been saying that you've had a really bad feeling."
"I've noticed that, too." Tracey said, looking at Neville. "You've had this really strange look on your face, and you've been kind of jumpy. It's like you're expecting something to happen."
Neville shrugged, and sat up a bit straighter in his seat.
"I had this weird dream last night, and it's had me kind of anxious all day." He admitted.
"What was it?" Daphne asked, hoping to get her mind off Harry's absence.
"There was fighting. Here at Hogwarts. And this man, who I swear I knew, was cutting down anyone who got in his way to get at me. Like I was his sole focus."
"It's so nice you don't have a persecution complex, or a big head or something, Nev." Tracey smirked.
"What did he look like?" Hermione asked, ignoring Tracey's attempt at a joke. She felt her anxiety over Harry switching to Neville. His look of confused trepidation had her on the edge now.
"I can't remember now. I've been trying, you know, hoping I might recognize him or something. But I just can't. I don't know why, but I can't shake the feeling that something really bad is about to happen."
"Do you think it might be Rudolphus LeStrange?" Tracey asked, closing her own book. "I mean, you did kill his wife. If anyone had a reason to want revenge, it would be him."
Neville looked thoughtful for a moment before he agreed.
"I guess so. And it's not like he can just call me out, and challenge me. He's still wanted by the Ministry." Neville shrugged.
"Ok, we all need to stop this right now." Hermione said. "We're just making things worse. Harry's going to be fine. He and Dumbledore are going to do what they have to do, and they'll come right back, and Daphne will snog his brains out and we'll all laugh about how silly we were being."
"Hermione's right." Tracey nodded firmly. "This isn't doing any of us any good. Harry will be…"
BOOM!
Every voice in the library went quiet as they heard and felt the castle shake under the thunderclap. Every single head turned towards the entrance to the Library, anxiously awaiting for something to come bursting through the doors.
Someone did.
Professor McGonagall, looking terrified, burst in the Library, shouting for Madam Pince to begin helping students get to the emergency exits. The old crone rushed to the Library doors, wand in her hand.
"All students, drop what you are doing and follow me at once."
There were a lot of books dropped, and frightened questions being shouted to McGonagall, who ignored them all, looking at each and every face, searching for someone in particular, it seemed.
Neville had gone very white as he stood up, and unsheathed his wand. He couldn't shake the feeling that the very dream he had just described to his three friends was about to come true, and he was not going to be able to stop it.
Hermione, Tracey, and Daphne followed his example, all taking out their wands, and preparing themselves for a fight. But before they could move, Professor McGonagall had stepped in front of them.
"I have been looking for you four since dinner. You must follow me, and stay close." She said looking at other students who were heading for the exit.
"Professor, what's going on?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking. Neville noticed and glanced at her, and had to smile. Despite her obvious fear, her shoulders were set, and she looked ready for a fight.
"Death Eaters have entered the castle." The stern professor said quickly. "I am to take you four to Professor Dumbledore's office. I don't know what is supposed to happen after that, he would not say."
"But he's gone." Daphne said quickly. "He and Harry left hours ago."
"There is no time to discuss it." McGonagall said, turning on her heel. "Stay close, and keep your wands out."
The four teens didn't try to question the Gryffindor Head of House any further. The Library was now empty, as Madam Pince had hurried them all out and was likely on their way to one of the emergency exits McGonagall had mentioned. With McGonagall leading them, Daphne and the others began making their way towards the Headmaster's office.
Once they had left the Library, they could hear what must be something close to what Hell sounded like. There were screams, and the sounds of fighting somewhere below them. Neville's first urge was to run down the stairs and try and help, but Hermione's hand on his arm kept him at her side.
"Professor, what's happening with all the other students?" Neville asked.
"There are four passages that lead to Hogsmeade, each of them are near one of the school houses. The students are being led to those passages. From there, they will be able to Floo home, or in the case of Muggleborns, to a safe location where there parents may come and get them."
Daphne gave a small sigh. Astoria was likely on her way home now.
McGonagall and her young charges rounded a corner, heading for the stairs, when two Death Eaters appeared at the other end of the corridor. There was hardly time for a breath when McGonagall and the two Death Eaters raised their wands.
"DIFFINDO"
"PROTEGO!"
"CONFUNDUS!"
Both the Death Eater's spells smashed into McGonagall's shield, shattering it. Neville and Tracey rolled from behind the Transfiguration teacher, each blasting the Death Eaters, while Daphne and Hermione helped McGonagall back to her feet. She had stumbled under the force of the Death Eater's spell work.
Neville hit the first Death Eater in the chest with a bludgeoning hex, knocking him twenty feet down the hall to crash into a suit of armor. Tracey only managed to graze the second with a cutting curse, which ripped the man's hood off. The Death Eater didn't stay, and disappeared around the corner, but not before Neville and Tracey got a good look at him.
"GOYLE?" Tracey asked in awe. "Voldemort let Goyle into the Death Eaters?"
"What?" Daphne asked in utter disbelief.
"Then, I guess the one I got would be Crabbe." Neville said, watching them to make sure no one else got the drop on them. "Still, that was a powerful Diffindo he fired," he admitted begrudgingly.
"Indeed, it was. This way." McGonagall said as she began leading them again.
The screams were getting louder as the got to the stairs. McGonagall stopped just short of descending the staircase, trying to decide what the wisest course would be. Dumbledore had been very adamant about what should happen to the four young people she was leading. He wanted them in his office if anything should happen. She was sworn to making sure they arrived safely.
She turned to the four and shook her head. "We're going to have to go another way." She said, and began leading them back the way they had come. The four teens didn't bother trying to ask, but followed their teacher as quickly as she was leading them.
Two long corridors and a staircase later, Neville and the girls found themselves on the fifth floor. McGonagall seemed to be very frightened, as she had gone very pale. They had not met any more resistance, but had heard more than a few explosions during their exodus.
Daphne's head was spinning. There were so many questions to be asked, and she knew that this wasn't the time, nor was she sure that McGonagall had any answers for her. She wished over and over again that Harry were here, or that she knew for sure that her younger sister was safe.
And then it hit her. Or rather, something really solid hit her.
Daphne found herself on her side, with someone's hand in her face. There were squeaks, and groans of pain, as several people tried to get out of the unintentional tangle of bodies on the stone floor.
"Daphne?"
"Tori? Oh, thank the gods!" Daphne said, hugging her younger sister tightly.
"What is going on? Why aren't you three at the emergency exits?" McGonagall asked.
"We got separated from a bunch of other kids that Professor Sprout was leading." Astoria said. "Four Death Eaters blasted apart the Charms corridor, and we had to run the other way."
"Are any of you hurt?" Tracey asked, helping one of the other girls to her feet.
"Gretchen and I are ok, but I think Tabby hurt her leg." Astoria said, pointing to the girl who Neville was helping up.
"Can you walk, Miss Graham?" McGonagall asked. The girl nodded, tears in her hazel eyes.
McGonagall nodded, and beckoned them all to follow her once again. She figured she could make an emergency portkey for the three stragglers once they reached the Headmaster's office. As they hurried along, McGonagall spoke over her shoulder.
"It is imperative that you reach the Headmaster's office. Should we get separated, please do your best to get there at once. The password is Jelly Belly."
"You're not serious." Hermione stared at her favorite teacher. "That's not really the password, is it?"
"You know the Headmaster and his sweet tooth." McGonagall said, waving the students back as she approached another corner. She peered around for a moment, to make sure they were clear, before leading them on.
It was another few minutes of racing down corridors, and halting at corners, bustling down stairs, and through passageways before they confronted anyone again.
Professor McGonagall was starting to feel that they might make it without any further obstruction, when a section of wall just ahead of her blast outward. Dust filled the air, making it very difficult to see anything, much less breath. Neville and the girls fell to the ground instinctively, as they had been training to do since last summer.
It was a good thing, too, because almost at once, several spells shot out of the dust cloud, and passed over their heads. Neville and the others all fired in return, and sought cover. The dust began to clear, mostly do to one of their adversaries, banishing the cloud to get a better view of their opposition.
There were six of them, all adults, given their size. Neville and Hermione were huddled together in a tiny alcove. There was barely room for both of them to squeeze in to keep from being hit by a volley of spells the Death Eaters flung at them. Fortunately, Daphne and McGonagall got their attentions, giving Hermione time to run to where Tracey was keeping the three additions covered behind a large pillar.
Neville was beginning to get angry now. He fired spell after curse after hex, only to have those dammed idiots in black robes duck, weave, and shield themselves. To make things worse, they seemed to be enjoying themselves. It was as if this was some sort of big game to them now.
Two of the Death Eaters were focusing on Hermione and Tracey, as well as the three girls they were trying to protect. The two girls were doing some truly admirable shield work. As one's would break under the onslaught, the other would cast a new one. McGonagall was proving to be a force to be reckoned with, as two of the Death Eaters were struggling to keep the woman pinned down. It was almost artistic the way the woman wove her spells together. It would have been more impressive if she managed to hit one of the blighters.
That left two for Neville and Daphne to contend with.
The corridor was filling with smoke and dust again as spells blasted into walls and the stone floor. There was a shriek of pain, and Neville turned just as Tracey called out Hermione's name. It appeared as if Hermione had been hit by something, and had slumped against Tracey, who couldn't hold her shield up, and keep Hermione from falling to the floor. Fortunately, it appeared that Astoria had gotten a shield up.
Seeing Hermione with her eyes closed, and limp in Tracey's arms was too much for Neville. He leapt out of the alcove he was hiding behind, sending a severing hex at one of the Death Eaters. It connected, taking the man's leg, just below the knee. The Death Eater fell to the floor, screaming it agony, and clutching his bloody stump.
"GET THAT BASTARD!" He screamed to his fellows, who all turned their focus on the last Longbottom. Neville had no time for a follow up curse, and instead conjured a wall of marble as five purple curses streaked towards him. Neville felt his wall shake on their impacts.
"Get Hermione, and let's get out of here!" Neville shouted. Daphne nodded and scrambled towards the fallen witch.
"She was just stunned." Tracey said. "One of those jerks caught us between shields."
Daphne revived her friend, and with Tracey's, help got her on her feet again. Hermione looked shaken, but she took her wand back from Daphne, and they were off again, following McGonagall back the way they'd just come.
Tracey and Neville brought up the rear, making sure that the three younger girls managed to keep up. Neville was about to say something to Tracey, when suddenly the world began spinning, and he felt as if the wind were knocked out of him.
Dust was choking him, and his ears rang loudly. Coughing and spitting, Neville got shakily to his knees, when he felt someone grab him, and haul him up to his feet, before slamming him bodily into a wall.
"I've been looking all over for you, Longbottom." The man snarled, his masked face inches from Neville's. Neville realized suddenly that his wand was no longer in his hand anymore. He had a moment of real panic before his mind pushed away any fear, and he began to assess his situation.
"Lose something?" The man growled, holding up Neville's wand. "So did I. My brother's wife!"
The man took of his mask to reveal a grizzled scarred face. One that Neville recognized at once.
"Oh, Rudolphus is going to owe me big time for not killing you myself." Rabastian LeStrange grinned manically as he once again slammed Neville into the wall.
Neville's head was spinning from being hit against the cold stone of the castle's walls. But he had no trouble realizing he was in a very bad predicament. He was without his wand, but thanks to Mad-Eye's training, he was not without defense. He saw that the other Death Eaters had gone after the others, which left him alone with Rabastian Lestrange. That would make things a lot easier, Neville realized.
While Rabastian was gloating over his success, he failed to notice Neville slipping his hand into his pocket. He had to be as subtle as possible, or this would not go the way he needed it to.
"You know, she squealed like a pig." Neville began to chuckle, hoping to keep his enemy's attention on his face.
"What did you say?" Rabastian's smile melted off his face. "What the fuck did you say you little prick?"
Neville began to chuckle harder as his hand slipped out of his pocket grasping a small dagger.
"I said your sister-in-law squealed like a pig when I stuck her. It was pretty pathetic. Big bad Bellatrix, squealing like a common fat sow."
"I'll show you pathetic, boy." Rabastian snarled, raising Neville's own wand to aim it right into the boy's face. Neville didn't hesitate. There was no inner conflict. Not even a moment to take a breath. Only cold hard survival instinct. Neville clutched the dagger tightly in his hand and shoved it hard and deep into the Death Eater's throat.
Rabastian's eyes bulged as blood began to pour out of the wound onto his robes, and into his lungs. Choking and coughing, Rabastian dropped Neville's wand, and began backing away. Neville bent over to pluck up his wand, keeping his eye on the dying LeStrange. He guessed that he'd managed to cut an artery, given the amount of blood that was spilling from the wound. It was all over in a few seconds. Rabastian LeStrange lay dead, slumped against the wall.
Hearing Death Eaters coming towards him, Neville pocketed the dagger again, and took off in the direction he'd originally been heading in. He had no idea where the others were, so he had to pause a moment to get his bearings, and figure out the quickest way to the Headmaster's office. He knew that's where Hermione would be heading, and he was not about to keeping the love of his life waiting for him any longer than he needed to. And if he happened into anymore of Voldemort's errand boys…
McGonagall had her hands full now. It was taking all of her strength to keep Hermione Granger, easily the most rational young woman she had ever met in all her long years, from running back to where they had lost Neville Longbottom. The girl was frantic, and neither of her two friends could get her to calm down.
"He'll be fine. With you as a girlfriend, I'm sure he knows as many spells as Dumbledore by now. " Tracey kept repeating. But Hermione would only scream and fight against the hands that were pulling her away from her boyfriend. Both Daphne and Tracey were becoming very tired from fighting Hermione down the hall.
"Maybe we should stun her." Astoria suggested, looking very fearful as they moved as quickly as they could through the castle trying to avoid any other Death Eaters.
"Miss Granger, if you do not calm down, I will stun you myself."
"I need to get Neville!" Hermione shouted. "He's hurt, and I need to..."
There was a loud crack, and Hermione t her face stinging from where Daphne had slapped her.
"If you go running back there, you're going to get yourself killed, and Neville would be extremely angry, and wind up getting himself killed. Neville is very powerful, and the only thing on his mind is getting back to you." Daphne shouted at the gob smacked girl before her. "You want to help him, we need to get to Dumbledore's office. That's exactly where he's going, and we don't want to keep him waiting!"
Finally, they had gotten through to the hysterical bookworm. Tears streaming down her face, she nodded slowly, and they were able to move much faster once again.
McGonagall led them up some stairs, hidden behind a large portrait of a one eyed witch, and through a long corridor that looked as if there had been some fighting recently. The Transfiguration teacher was beginning to worry that her fellow teachers were not having an easy time of things, and hoped that they were managing to get students out of the castle. Her momentary lapse in focus cost her.
They rounded a corner, and found themselves standing before a large group of Death Eaters, who were rounding up stray students, and confiscating their wands. There was a strange moment where McGonagall and the teens looked at the Death Eaters, while they stared back, as if everyone's mind took a vacation for a moment. And then, everything speed up.
"RUN!" McGonagall shouted, as the Death Eaters began firing spells. Daphne clutched Hermione's hand, and began leading her away from the battle, looking back to see Tracey clutching Astoria, and running right behind her. The two other girls were keeping pace, as well.
"We've got to get to Dumbledore's office, now!" Daphne screamed as she pulled Hermione back through the passage way they had just come from. When they re-emerged on the fourth floor again, Hermione took the lead, taking Daphne down another set of stairs, and through a series of twists and turns and long corridors. They were sprinting as fast as they could run, not bothering to look back anymore, until they heard another explosion, and several shrieks of terror.
Hermione skidded to a halt, and Daphne nearly fell on her face from her momentum. They turned to see a large chunk of the wall had been blasted apart and there was a huge cloud of dust blocking their view of Tracey, Astoria, and the other girls. They could also hear chunks of rock falling from the ceiling and crashing upon the floor.
"TORI!" Daphne shouted, involuntarily starting to walk back towards the devastation.
"GET GOING!" Tracey's voice shouted to them. "We're right behind you, Just go!"
"We're not leaving without you." Hermione said, beginning to head back for her friend.
"BOMBARDA!" Came an unknown voice, followed by a loud smacking sound.
"GET OUT OF HERE! WE'RE COMING!" Tracey shouted, as someone screamed in pain, and several spells flew through the dust and smoke at them.
"NO!" Daphne screamed, raising her wand.
"DAPHNE, GO!" Astoria screamed from somewhere deep in the rubble and confusion.
Hermione clasped her friend's hand and began dragging her way. Daphne only gave a little resistance before allowing Hermione to lead her on. The two girls ran for all they were worth now, both had tears streaming down their faces now.
They flew through the castle as fast as their feet could carry them, determined to make it to the Headmaster's office, as McGonagall had told them to do.
Hearts pounding, and lungs burning, they took a few hidden passages, slinking carefully in open corridors, and flying down stairs, until they were only two corridors away from their destination. They took a moment to stop and try and catch their breath. Panting, and doubling over, neither of them could remember being this exhausted from running since they had begun their physical training so long ago.
"How far are we?" Daphne asked through gasps of air.
"Not far now." Hermione said, feeling the world spin around her from running.
"Should we wait and see if Tracey and Tori catch up? Should we go back and help them?"
Hermione shook her head emphatically. "If we get caught, they'll just use us to get to Harry. He won't hesitate to come after us, and they'll kill us before he even has a chance to do anything."
Daphne hated to admit it, but her friend was right. Still, her heart broke under the conflict she felt. Her sister, and the girl who'd been her friend for as long as she could remember were likely fighting for their lives. She had every confidence that Tracey, and even Astoria would put up an epic fight, but Daphne had no idea if they would get out of that mess. She wanted to go back and help them, but she knew that Hermione spoke the truth. They were nothing more than bait to get to Harry, and no one could afford for Harry to be killed.
They heard footsteps coming closer and they each tensed up. Both girls clutched their wands tighter, and taking great gulps of air, nodded at each other, and as one, jumped around the corner, prepared to take out any Death Eaters who had dared try and capture them.
"WHOA!" Neville shouted, holding up his hands. "It's me. It's only me." He was quite dirty, and his robe was torn in a few places, and the girls could smell the distinct odor of burnt cloth.
"Neville!" Hermione shouted, jumping into her boyfriend's arms. "I thought…"
"I'm ok, but we need to move. There's a few tossers after me, and they're not far behind."
Daphne grabbed the back of Hermione's robes, and they all began running again. Neville, being the fastest of the three at the moment, led the way, holding two wands. He had snatched one off a Death Eater he had managed to trounce with a rather inventive use of a shrinking spell. He had no idea why that spell popped into his mind, but he knew he would laugh about the incredibly shrinking waist of that man. Thousands of diet jokes kept popping into his mind whenever he thought about it, and he could not stop smiling.
"There!" Hermione shouted as they caught sight of the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office.
"Jelly belly." Daphne said, and the gargoyle leapt aside, allowing them to pass by. The three of them hurled themselves up the stairs and into the office, before collapsing in exhaustion upon the floor.
Fawkes, the Headmaster's phoenix, trilled a soft song, that effectively eased their worries a bit, and helped them to relax enough to take stock of their situation.
"Where's Tracey, and Astoria?" Neville asked, noticing for the first time that they were short a few people. "What happened to McGonagall?"
"We ran into a bunch of those bastards, and she told us to run." Hermione said. "We got separated from Tracey, she told us she would catch up. What happened to you?"
Neville looked at himself and noticed for the first time how he must look. Clothing torn and singed, hands bloody. He looked up at his girlfriend's concerned cinnamon brown eyes, and tried to smile as if he had just come in from a fine walk in the woods.
"I met Rabastian Lestrange. He was a bit upset with me, but I imagine his brother's going to be even more angry with me, especially after he finds his brother. I ran into a few more Death Eaters. One of them was Parkinson."
"Pansy?" Daphne looked up, still breathing hard from all that running.
"She tried to get me in a body bind. In fact, everyone I encountered tried to take me alive. No one threw anything more dangerous than a cutting curse, really."
"What did you do?" Hermione asked, hanging on his every word.
"Well, Pansy's going to have to learn to write left handed, and there's a Death Eater who's going to be envied by any witch on a diet. Other than that, I just ran here."
"What are we supposed to do here?" Daphne said, getting shakily to her feet. She had never been in the Headmaster's office before, and at the moment, it was the last place she wanted to be. She knew it was only a matter of time before they were discovered, and she had no idea if Harry or Dumbledore were on their way back, nor did they have any means to warn them.
All of her worries went out the window when the door burst open, and the three teens brought their wands to bear on the intruders.
"I assure you that we come in peace." Dumbledore sighed, clutching at his chest, and heaving himself towards his desk, nearly knocking Daphne out of his way.
"Where's…" Daphne never finished her question as Harry came in just behind the Headmaster, and grabbed his girlfriend, pulling her tightly to him.
"Please, we have very little time." Dumbledore said, though his voice sounded quite weak. He motioned for the four youngsters to join him on the other side of the desk, before he stumbled over to his familiar's perch.
"Fawkes, It is time, my old friend."
The phoenix gave a soft trill and vanish in a flash of crimson flame. Dumbledore turned back to the four teens, and very clumsily stumbled back to his desk, where he picked up a silver teapot, and handed it to Harry.
"That is a timed portkey. It will take you to a safe house where further instructions await you." He said, struggling to breath.
"You're coming with us." Harry said, handing the portkey to Neville. "We've got to get you help."
Dumbledore shook his head. "My journey is at an end. I am so sorry for everything. It wasn't supposed to happen this way, but fate had other ideas. Remember all you've learned, and trust in each other. I am very, very honored to have known you, Harry."
"Sir?" Harry's voice caught in his throat.
"Harry, it's activating." Daphne said, grabbing his arm.
"Harry, Ask Sirius about his brother." Dumbledore said quickly.
"Sir." Harry said again, looking at the Headmaster, a man whom had done so much to try and redeem himself in the course of the year. His attention was caught by a flurry of movement behind the slowly sinking old man. Dumbledore turned to see what Harry was staring at, as well.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"
Harry had no time to react as he felt Daphne's grip on his arm tighten, and Neville grab the back of his jacket, while something was shoved into his back. He saw the dreaded green light, and then the world spun away.