This chapter is dedicated to BlueEyedBabyy for their amazing review, thank you. Also thanks to PSay and Disney-hp-freak.

Preparation

The students were gathered in the Great Hall. McGonagall, the teachers, Harry and most of the Aurors lined up in front of them. James was sitting with other Gryffindors. There was a hushed silence as everyone waited to hear what to do. Finally, with permission from McGonagall, Harry stepped forward to brief everyone.

'Okay, listen up. I do not want anyone to panic. The Aurors are here to protect the school, and the Department of Magical Law Enforcement will arrive shortly. Everyone who is underage or does not wish to fight will be escorted from the school. Those who are seventeen or over and do want to fight will gather in here to be marshalled into position.' Harry stepped back and nodded to McGonagall.

'Right,' she said crisply. 'Underage students please line up in your houses in age order in the Entrance Hall. Your house leaders will take you to the evacuation point, where you will be taken out of the castle by Side-Along-Apparation. Please sort yourselves out now.'

James turned to his friends. 'Are you fighting?'

'Of course,' said Max confidently. 'Come on, we should go see where we're going to be.' As they walked over to the mass of sixth and seventh years, James bumped into Albus and Lily. They were looking angry.

'Why the long faces?' he asked.

'Why do you think?' replied Lily. 'We're not allowed to fight! It's totally unfair, we don't want to be evacuated. We're going to-'

'Er, that's enough Lily, James has to go sort out where he's fighting,' said Albus, dragging Lily away. James frowned as they walked away but shrugged and fought his way through the scrum to his father and the Aurors.

'OKAY!' shouted Harry. 'I want you to split into four equal groups! Stand by the house tables.' there was a racket of people moving around. 'Ravenclaw group will fight in the towers of the school. Hufflepuff group will be in the grounds. Gryffindor in the main body of the school. Slytherin group will split into small groups and fight in between. Got it?' He directed Aurors to each of the groups to sort out smaller details. James realised he was in front of the Ravenclaw table, so would be fighting in the towers.

But there was still about a day until the fighting actually began, and he wanted to do something before then. He shoved his way out of the group and walked over to his father, who looked faintly displeased at him being in the fighters.

'Dad, can i do something exciting before the battle starts. There's a rumour of Aurors heading out into the Death Eater to sabotage them. Can I come?'

'No,' said Harry vehemently. 'You cannot. Those trips are for adult wizards. One's who have left school and qualified as Aurors!' he added as James started to protest. 'Now, for your mother's sake I want you to stay out of the way in the fighting, got it?'

'No way Dad!' cried James. 'I'm not going to hide like some coward! I'm not a baby, Dad!' Harry sighed.

'I can see you aren't going to stay out of the way. I wouldn't have when I was your age – I didn't.'

'Were you my age in the last Battle of Hogwarts?' asked James. Harry nodded.

'Look, James, if you want something to do, why don't you help with sorting out the younger kids? There's going to be duelling practice in here, but I know you don't need that.' James tried not to make a face – sorting the little kids would be tedious. But his Dad had already said he didn't have to stay out of the way in the fighting, so he shrugged and nodded.

'They're in the Room of Requirement – an old passage has opened up leading to Hogsmede.'

'Why can't we just apparate straight out?' asked James.

'The Lestrange Siblings' Army is too close, it would be risky. And we can't lift the enchantment in a part of Hogwarts in case they found it and apparated straight in. So we have to sneak people out through the passage. I've heard it's chaos, and extra pair of hands would really help.' James took the hint and headed up to the third floor.

There was a massive jam of little kids trying to get into the passageway. First and second years were clutching each other and crying, many kids were looking moody about the fact they couldn't stay. James stepped over to a large bunch of fourth years and started chivvying them along.

'OKAY, EVERYBODY FIND A BUDDY,' shouted Victoire, who was in charge of evacuating them. 'AND MAKE A LINE, STANDING NEXT TO YOUR BUDDY.' There was a brief period of shouting as people grabbed each other and got into line. Slowly, pair by pair, the students stepped into the tunnel and disappeared. James stood at the back, picking up stragglers. When the last pair had gone through, Victoire closed the portal and whispered a complicated series of enchantments.

'I have set charms that can detect harming thoughts, so anyone who wants to hurt us will not be able to find the tunnel,' she explained to James as they walked out.

'Sounds good. Where's Remy?' he asked.

'At your grandparents. He'll be safe there. James, you should probably go and help fortify the castle or do some last-minute training,' James nodded and headed off down a shortcut.

As he passed a disused classroom he heard a bang and clatter, as if something big and hard had fallen over. Curious, he poked his head around the door. A group of about fifteen younger students were huddled, looking a bit frightened at James' shocked look. He saw Albus and Lily at the forefront. It was mostly their friends and cousins. He noticed Scorpius lurking in the background and was surprised but impressed.

'What are you still doing here?' he cried. 'You should have left with the others.'

'Oh come on James, as if you wouldn't have done the same thing!' replied Albus.

'Yeah – well,' James realised that his little brother was right. 'Dad's going to go ballistic.'

'Come on James, you have to help us,' said Albus. James looked at them all, and sighed.

'Fine. But stay out of the way, and if you get caught, don't you DARE tell on me, got it?'

'Well, duh,' said Caitlin, Albus's friend. James sighed and shook his head, leaving the room. As he did, he bumped straight into Olivia and Alexia.

'Wow – oh hi guys,' he said, grinning nervously. The girls looked at him with eagle eyes.

'What's going on James?' asked Alexia sharply.

James tried to do a winning grin. 'Nothing! Nothing at all...' They shoved past him and opened the door, looking around at the hiding students.

'ROBBY!' cried Olivia. 'What the hell are you still doing here?' Robby was next to Caitlin. He scowled at his sister and shrugged. 'You'd better keep out of the way of the adults.' They scanned the group.

'Okay, just to make sure you guys don't get killed,' said Alexia. 'I want to enforce some rules. Those aged eleven to thirteen have to stay out of the way, got it? Older ones can do whatever the hell you want.' The youngest kids groaned. 'Right, scram.' They all left the room and James turned to Alexia and Olivia.

'Why were you coming down here in the first place?' he asked.

'We've found out what's going on with the sabotage missions,' explained Olivia. 'And we thought you'd like to see. Victoire said she'd seen you come down here.'

'Right, thanks,' Olivia and Alexia led him down to the grounds and down to a little nook right on the edge of the protective enchantments. It was on the edge of a mountainside, a little bowl surrounded by boulders and fragmented rocks.

'They should be leaving from here. You can hide and sneak along with them. Once you're out of the protective enchantments it's too tricky for them to send you back if you get caught. We can't come, we have to help with the protective enchantments,' said Alexia. 'Max couldn't slip away. We think the Aurors are just going to try and capture as many Death Eaters as possible before being found. They're taking them to Azkaban.'

All three of them turned around as they heard a scuffling behind them. They turned around, and Robby and Albus appeared. 'Did you two follow us?' cried James. The younger boys shrugged.

'Yeah. And we should probably hide – the Aurors aren't far behind us,' said Robby. The girls slipped off and the boys ducked behind a boulder. Soon the Aurors appeared. Their normal red robes had been swapped for black ones. There were about fifteen, and they split into three smaller groups. The kids decided to follow the one which had Harry in it.

They only just got out of the protective enchantments before they closed up again. James nearly jumped out of his skin when he was tapped on the shoulder. He spun around, wand out, and found Lily standing behind them, hands up.

'Don't kill me!' she whispered.

'What the hell?' cried James. 'Lily, go back! We aren't bringing you along.'

'I can't go back, I won't be able to get through the enchantments,' hissed Lily. 'And get off your high horse James, I'm not a baby!'

'Hey, sorry to stop the sibling feud, but we're going to get left behind!' said Robby. Lily gave a smug grin and marched up ahead of them. Albus, however, stopped her, and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak, covering her with it.

'Anything dangerous happens, you get straight out of here, got it?' he said sternly, before grabbing onto her under the Cloak. 'Don't want you slipping off to fight Death Eaters.' James could almost see Lily's Death Glare, and couldn't help smirking.

They quietly followed the Aurors until they came to a camp, lit up by hundreds of campfires. James glanced at his watch, and realised, to his surprise, that it was already half past ten. The camp was mostly made up of thugs, Death Eaters and the odd dark creature wandering around.

The Aurors moved silently through the camp. They surrounded each campfire and knocked out the people sitting around it, before tying them up. Then an Auror would grab them and apparate away, presumably to Azkaban, reappearing a moment later. James stepped over to a campfire to do the same thing. Annoyingly, he had to do all the Apparating as the others were too young. By the time he'd done one campfire he was feeling a bit ill.

They stepped over to the next campfire, but as they did a hand grabbed James by his hair, a meaty arm wrapping around his neck. He gave a strangled yell as he was nearly lifted from the ground. The person seemed to be about two metres tall.

James thrashed against him, trying not to choke, as they others ran back. They pulled out their wands, but as they did so the man let go of James's hair and pulled out a knife. James felt the cold, sharp edge against his throat.

'If yeh try an' shoot me, I'll kill 'im,' snarled the man. 'Now drop them wands!' The kids did so. 'Now, I'll be taking you kids to Trixor and Dorabella. I'm sure they'll be glad for some hostages.'

But as he said this three Aurors stepped into the circle. They froze, shocked, at the sight of James and the man, with the other three standing frozen on the other side of the campfire. They raised their wands to fire, but the man just waved his knife and swung James into the line of fire as if he was just a rag doll.

'Don't even think abou' it,' he growled. Then he jerked, and fell forward onto the ground on top of James. The Aurors stepped forward to help pull the huge man off, and James scrambled up. He turned around and came face to face with his father.

'Hey Dad,' he said weakly.

'What. The. Hell. Are. You. Doing?' said Harry quietly, his voice shaking with anger. 'This is an operation for trained Aurors. And bringing younger kids along too! What were you thinking?'

'Dad, me, Lily and Robby came of our own accord,' said Albus. 'It's not James's fault.'

'Lily?' Harry said, confused, and Albus suddenly realised Lily was still under the Cloak. He winced as she slapped him on the arm. 'You brought her too?'

'Under the Cloak, Dad,' said Lily's voice reluctantly.

'Hey, incoming!' cried a young Auror on the edge of the circle, just before the camp exploded into action as several Death Eaters burst into the scene. The Auror on the edge was blown backwards immediately by a jet of light, and was picked up by his colleague. The other Aurors attacked back, but they were heavily outnumbered.

'RETREAT!' shouted Harry, and the Aurors and kids ran out of the camp, sprinting down the mountainside. There was a yelp as Lily tripped over the Cloak, but James grabbed her and slung her over his shoulder without breaking stride. They reached the enchantments and slipped inside, closing them again just before the leading two thugs got through. They ran into the barrier and collapsed, yelling, as their skin burned and bubbled, turning a bright red.

'Come on, back to the castle,' Harry said, leading them back. When they reached the Entrance Hall the kids tried to slip away, but Harry called them back. 'I can't believe you four put yourselves in danger like that. It was incredibly irresponsible. And what are you three doing here anyway?' he said to Robby, Albus and Lily. 'You should have been evacuated over an hour ago!'

'We stayed behind,' mumbled Lily. Harry sighed, shaking his head, and Lily suddenly burst out: 'Dad, it's not like you wouldn't have done the same! You went and got the Philosopher's Stone, you went into the Chamber of Secrets, you did loads of stuff that was way more dangerous than this!'

'Lily, you are my daughter, I cannot let you put yourself in danger like this! Now, it is too tricky to evacuate you, but I want you to stay in the Room of Requirement. Got it?'

'Yes,' they all said sullenly.

'James, you are in the Astronomy Tower. All of you, go.' They all filed off towards the stairs. When they got to the top James turned to go to the Astronomy Tower, and was surprised when Robby, Albus and Lily followed him.

'James, do you really think we're just going to sit in the Room?' said Albus. 'Come on, let's go to the Astronomy Tower.' James sighed, shaking his head, both exasperated and proud of his siblings. When they reached the Astronomy Tower it was eleven forty-five. The only other people up there were some Hufflepuffs, three people from the MLE and an Auror. They had a spectacular view of the castle and grounds. Robby and Albus stood to his right, and Lily was on his left, leaning over the side of the tower. He absentmindedly pulled her back. They waited silently as the seconds ticked down. Finally, there were twelve chimes as the clock struck midnight. James put his arms around Albus and Lily's shoulders, and they stood together, quietly supporting each other.

There was a flash of light, a streak of green across the sky. Everyone followed it with their eyes. Then it hit the protective enchantments and exploded like a firework. A hundred more jets of light followed it, creating a beautiful, terrifying firework display.

The battle had begun.

So, what do you all think? Good, bad, should be torn apart and burnt? As always, please send a review! Can we try five this time? Just five reviews, that's all I ask for. Don't leave it to the next person.