Chapter Twenty Nine
A loud banging jerked Elaine awake and she grabbed for her wand, Severus doing the same beside her before they both realized it was Bill knocking urgently on the door. "What's happening?" she questioned as she opened it, seeing his face.
"Harry's at Hogwarts. They're barricading the school, you-know-who is coming. Luna and Dean are already there."
Elaine and Severus shared a quick look, but Elaine knew there was no doubt they were both going. But Bill looked hesitant.
"Severus, I think you should stay here," he said quietly.
"Like hell," Severus growled, brushing past Bill. "We are flooing to Hogsmead and going through from there?"
"Yes, but-"
"Excellent," Elaine interrupted. She knew - and was willing to bet Bill knew too - that there was no changing Severus's mind on this matter. Bill heaved a sigh, but they all - Bill, Severus, Fleur, Elaine- gathered around the fireplace. "Hog's Head?" Bill nodded sharply. And they they were through, landing in the middle of a large crowd which grew quiet once they realized who had joined them.
Severus and Elaine faced two dozen wands pointed directly at them, Elaine was sad to see Molly's was one of them, an indescribable look on her pale face.
Bill landed behind them, and he called for peace. "Snape and Davies are on our side," he said, the crowd erupting at his words. "We don't have time for this now!" he snapped. "Harry himself agreed, so it's done. They're here to help."
Fred and George pushed their way through the crowd and Elaine eyed them warily. "I reckon we need everyone we can get, hey Fred?" George stated, and his twin nodded eagerly, giving Elaine a grin.
And so they joined the others going through the passageway to Hogwarts, Aberforth Dumbledore giving them one last farewell before he was gone.
They arrived in the room of requirement to silence as everyone spotted them. But they stood there maybe a moment before the door swung open and Harry and Luna entered.
"Harry, what's happening?" Elaine questioned, stepping forward. Harry eyed her, then the others, looking surprised to see so many people there.
"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school - Carrow's fled for it - what are you doing here? How did you know?" He looked over at Severus. "Is it safe for you to be here?"
"No," the ex headmaster said with a wry half smile. "Chances are I'll be attacked on sight."
"Same is true for any of us," Bill commented.
"Luna sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's army," Fred explained with a shrug. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed."
"What's first, Harry?" Elaine questioned. "Is there a plan?"
"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry said. "We're fighting."
The majority of the group left, leaving the Weasleys, Elaine, her father, and Severus standing with Harry.
Molly was pleading for Ginny to go. "You're underage," she was saying. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"
"Harry," Elaine said as her brother passed. He stopped, looking at her. "Severus is in the most danger here next to you," she said calmly, and Severus shot her a look but she continued. "He's a traitor, so the dark lord's army will be after him, but unless you say something, so will our side."
"I've let McGonagall know," he said quietly to them. "Once we get in the great hall we'll say a word. We don't need you in unnecessary danger, Pr- Severus." The two wizards looked at each other before Severus held out a hand and Harry accepted it. A thump made them all freeze, and they turned to see someone else had come out of the tunnel and had fallen.
"Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I - I -"
Elaine exchanged a glance with Harry as they both recognized the new figure. Last she had heard, though, Percy Weasley had been on the minister's side and hadn't believed the dark lord was back.
"So - 'ow eez leetle Teddy?" Fleur said after it was clear Percy had nothing else to say.
"I'm going to go to the great hall," Elaine said quickly to Severus, who nodded and they bid goodbye to Harry and left. Elaine pulled Severus into one of the empty classrooms and just looked at him for a second before kissing him hard.
He took a small step back, looking into her eyes. "We will survive this," he said firmly. "And when we do, by Merlin you will be my wife. Do you understand?"
"I do," Elaine whispered, kissing him again. "You will be my husband, and we'll have children, and we'll be happy."
"I cannot convince you to leave?" Severus asked her quietly.
Elaine smiled up at him. "Can I convince you?" He shook his head once, and Elaine let out a laugh. "That's what I thought." They stood there for another long moment. "Are you ready for this?"
"Never."
"Good. Let's go."
They met Harry outside, who gave them a strange look. "I thought you headed to the great hall already?" He questioned.
"We're heading that way," Elaine said, taking Severus's hand in hers. "We just had some things to work through first."
The great hall was filled with students in their dressing gowns and disheveled cloaks, with Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the front of the hall. She spotted Harry, Elaine, and Severus enter, but she did not acknowledge them, instead concentrating on what she'd been saying.
"...when I give the word, you will organize your House and take charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."
Elaine was making her way to the side where Remus and the others were standing, as one of the Hufflepuffs stood up. "And what if we want to stay and fight?" This was met with applause, and it took Minerva a moment to recover, as if she hadn't expected this question to be asked.
"If you are of age, you may stay," she said finally. Her eyes met Harry's, and Elaine knew this broke the woman's heart. Hogwarts students were her own children, and to send them off to fight - it would break anyone.
People had started to notice Harry, and whispers swept through the hall as he passed them. He'd almost reached where McGonagall stood when a different voice echoed through the hall. Elaine felt Severus freeze beside her as screams errupted.
"I know that you are preparing to fight. Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood." Elaine scoffed. "Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
The hall was silent. Elaine and Harry's eyes met, and she had a few seconds to wonder if any of the students would actually attempt to follow the command when a Slytherin girl Elaine recognized as Pansy Parkinson rose from her seat.
"But he's there. Potter's there! Someone grab him!"
But what the girl had attempted to accomplish, who knew; but three of the four houses stood and faced the Slytherin table, standing in between them and Harry. Elaine felt tears rise up at the loyalty they showed, and Severus's hand in hers tightened. She risked looking over at him and his eyes met hers. This would mean lives lost, they both knew, more than needed, but each death would be one step closer to the dark lord's own. It was a horrible way of looking at things, they were both aware, but it was the way things were.
The hall was emptying, all of the underaged students being led out. Kingsley stepped forward onto where Minerva had been standing. "We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers - Ravenclaw, Astronomy, Gryffindor- where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work -"
"The clock tower?" Severus called, and to Kingsley's credit, he only had a brief flicker of surprise in his eyes. "It is high enough ground as well."
"You can take a team there?" Kingsley questioned, and Severus nodded shortly. "Excellent. Remus, Arthur, and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize defense of the entrances of the passageways into the school-"
"Sounds like a job for us," Fred called, gesturing to himself and George. Kingsley nodded approval.
"I will join them," Elaine said.
"Good. Good. All right, leaders up here and we'll divide the troops!"
Elaine turned to Severus. "You will live for me, understand?" She told him, her breathing tight as she thought of what she would do if she were to lose him. He nodded, wrapping her into his arms.
"And you live for me," He breathed, before releasing her and joining the others on the platform. Elaine watched him go, letting a small sob escape before she took a settling breath. Fred wrapped an arm around her as he rejoined her.
"Long time no see, eh Evans?" he asked with a grin. She let out a small laugh, her eyes still following Severus. Fred followed her gaze. "Ol' Snape will be fine. Come on." He led her away to where George and a group of students were standing. "All right lot! Evans, Forge and I will be running this shindig here. There are many, many passages out of Hogwarts-"
"And we have to block them all off!" George finished. "Let's go!"
