A/N: If you've not voted for the new story, please do so. I will tally the votes at six o'clock on Monday, May 28, and then post the results when I post the new chapter. I hope one of the stories gets a landslide, so that I know what y'all really want. -Raye


Chapter Fifty—Preparing

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Quidditch practices were cancelled, since half of the team members had either left the school or had permanent detention. Thus, the Room of Requirement hummed with activity.

Dumbledore stood in front of the DA, hunched over and tired looking. "Tonight, we will be sealing the school," he declared. "All students in first, second, third, fourth, and fifth years must leave on the train. Anyone under the age of sixteen must leave."

Those DA members affected started to grumble. "We want to stay and fight!" someone yelled from the back row.

"Why have you trained us to fight if we can't stay for the fight?" another student cried.

"We trained you to fight so that you can defend yourselves," Harry snapped from behind Dumbledore's right side. "You should be happy that you can go home and defend your families."

Ron shrugged. "If your family wants to come here to fight, and they want to bring you with them, that's perfectly fine with us. But we're not keeping you here to face danger if you're not old enough to make that decision."

"All of those students who must leave, go and pack your things," Dumbledore said gravely. "Instruct others to do the same." The old man turned to Sir Nicholas. "Will you and the other ghosts alert the students as well? Tell them to pack immediately and be ready to leave on a moment's notice."

The ghost bowed. "Yes, headmaster!"


At eleven o'clock that night, the DA members herded the rest of the school up the stairs, into the Room of Requirement, and out the secret door.

Aberforth Dumbledore hid the students in the Hog's Head bar until an Auror came to see them to the train. Kingsley Shacklebolt took the first group, then Nymphadora Lupin, then Fleur and Bill Weasley. They cycled through, taking fifty at a time in the dead of night. Other Aurors that Kingsley had recruited into the Order of the Phoenix patrolled on top and beside the train.

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Minerva, Filius, and Septima checked off students as they left through the secret door.

Dennis and Colin Creevey gave Professor Weasley hell. "We want to stay!" they demanded.

"I'm in the same year as Ginny and Luna!" Colin said vehemently. "I know those two are staying—I'm staying too!"

"And if my brother is staying, then I'm staying!" Dennis declared. "I won't leave him behind and you can't make me!"

Charlie rubbed his forehead and sighed deeply. "I don't know boys…I really don't think you should stay…"

Remus Lupin, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Xenophilius Lovegood, and several other Order members struggled in through the tunnel against the tide of exiting students.

Harry hugged his surrogate family.

"I moved your aunt and uncle and cousin to a safe-house before I came," Remus said. "Dudley is very worried about you."

"He is?" Harry asked blankly.

"Where are Ginny and Ron?" Molly asked, chewing one of her uneven fingernails.

"There's Charlie," Arthur said, craning his neck over the crowd.

"Ginny, Ron, and Lavender are in the hall directing students in."

"Molly, Arthur, why don't we get out of the way?" Remus asked kindly. "How about a nip to the kitchens?"

"Don't leave without us, eh?" George asked from the doorway. He, Fred, and Lee Jordan tumbled out of the tide of the students.

Molly hugged her twins close. Nearly all of her babies would be fighting in this war.

"Midnight is kinda late for a party, Potter." Fred winked from his mother's grip.

"I don't want to know what kind of parties you've been to, Weasley," Harry responded.

Remus nudged Arthur in the ribs and stared at the secret door.

A red-headed man straightened his glasses and stood sheepishly in front of them.

"Percy!" Fred, George, and Molly cried.

Molly flung her arms around her son and sobbed. Now all of her babies were here to fight.

"Better late than never, eh, Perce?" The twins glared at their older brother and simultaneously crossed their arms.

Percy looked at the floor. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have left you all…When I heard a rumor that Aurors were coming to Hogwarts and you weren't at the Burrow or in your apartment at Diagon Alley, I came to Hogsmeade. Students were coming out of that seedy bar in droves."

Harry scowled. If Percy, peon of the Ministry, knew what they were up to, everyone would know.

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Head Girl Granger and Potions Master Snape directed the last few students towards the Room of Requirement. The Slytherin common room and bedrooms were empty. Luna and Filius reported that the Ravenclaw tower was cleared; Neville and Pomona reported the same for the Hufflepuff section of the castle. Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan, and the Patil twins came from the Gryffindor area. Everyone was now on their way out of the castle.

Hagrid, Poppy, and Walter Wrinkle monitored the Snakes. The errant students sat quietly in Wrinkle's Ancient Runes classroom.

Argus Filch carried Mrs. Norris in his arms. He took one last look around the Room of Requirement, at his beloved magical home, before he left. Irma Pince followed.

Harry pressed the red button on his walkie-talkie. "Bring the Snakes," he said. "Over."

Professor Wrinkle responded in the affirmative and led the students to the Room of Requirement. He and Aurora Sinistra marched the students to the train.

The last of the Order members passed through the Hog's Head. Nearly a hundred of them would stay at Hogwarts for the battle they hoped would take place.

By one in the morning, everyone had been quartered safely away on the crimson train. Auror Kingsley boarded the train and bade the sleepy conductor to leave. Four Aurors had been tasked to guard the Snake's compartment.

Aberforth Dumbledore, Albus's brother, locked up the Hog's Head and warded it. Auror Lupin then escorted him back to the castle after he said good bye to his sister Ariana's portrait.


Everyone gathered in the Great Hall. Three quarters of the giant room was filled; pointed hats and swishing robes fluttered in every direction. Dumbledore smiled at the crowd. "Welcome students, current and past!" he said. "I am glad to see you've come for a visit."

Laughs rang out.

"It is very late—please, take your pick of the bedrooms! The Heads of Houses will be at the entrances of the common rooms and will write you down. How nostalgic will it be to sleep in the House you once occupied?" he smiled.

The crowd laughed and milled about the room again. Most of Dumbledore's Army sprinted back to their Houses—they didn't want to sleep in a room full of strangers and had decided that they would all gather together. The Weasleys also decided to stick together and invited Harry and Neville to stay with them.

"But where is a room big enough to house us all?" Arthur asked.

Hermione piped up. "Firenze's classroom on the first floor. You can conjure up some beds—it's quite large."

"Lovely," Molly said. "Come, come," she chirped, one arm around Percy's waist, another around Ginny's.

Ron reluctantly parted from Lavender. Lavender, the Patil twins, and all four of their parents walked up the stairs to the Gyffindor Den together and decided to share a room. Adults and students, bakers and shop-keepers strode every which way through the Great Hall. Hermione and Severus stood together, watching the band of Weasleys find Firenze's room.

"I need to send a letter," Hermione said to Severus. She always had to look up at him; the pitfalls of being short. "Will you go with me to the owlery?"

The professor had his hands clasped behind his back. "I will follow you anywhere you wish me to go," he replied.

Hermione smiled shyly at him. As the two made their way to the marble staircase, her hand brushed hesitantly against his. Severus cast a sideways glance to their hands before he mustered up his courage to twine them. Hermione beamed as she led him to the owlery.


Minerva yawned as she took down names. So many Gryffindors have returned!

Filius and Pomona had similar thoughts. No one even bothered to go down to the dungeons. Even though some Slytherins had returned, they didn't want to venture down into the cold insides of the castle. Snow, ice, and hail rained down upon Hogwarts—Voldemort was not happy and even the Dementors knew it.


Harry and Ginny fell asleep holding hands from their separate cots. Bill hugged his beautiful wife as they slept. Fred and George fell asleep in the same bed, George's foot tapping Fred's ear every once in a while. Lee Jordan slept peacefully in the bed next to theirs. Charlie, Percy, and Neville snored loudly. Molly fell asleep with her head on Arthur's chest. The family was together again.

Xenophilius and Luna fell asleep on the Ravenclaw common room couches. A fire crackled and popped. The house elves kept those in the tower warm, quietly dusting the shelves and layering extra blankets on anyone who looked cold.

Professor Trelawney sucked down another cup of coffee and flitted about the Divination tower. She would not rest easy until all of the magic mirrors had been set up.

Headmaster Dumbledore sat in his bed in the infirmary, staring out at the storm. Poppy stared out the same window. A clock ticked and ticked, the minute hand traveling the same circle.

"Take your rest, Poppy," Dumbledore said in a gravelly voice. "You will need it soon enough."

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"Rita Skeeter?" Severus questioned as Hermione penned her letter against the stone wall in the tower. "Why are you writing to her?"

Hermione smiled up at him mischievously and tied the letter to an owl. "She's going to help us out."

"Is she?"

"She is." Hermione cast an Impervius Charm on the owl's feathers, stroking his back. The barn owl fluttered into the hail, Hermione's missive strapped to his leg.

"Skeeter never struck me as a philanthropist," Severus said as they walked hand in hand down the stairs.

"You forget that I am in possession of her darkest secret," Hermione replied evilly.

Severus grinned at his love. It was cute when she smirked.

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Minerva, Filius, and Pomona met in the Entrance Hall to give the deputy headmistress the lists of new occupants. Hermione overheard their conversation as she and Severus descended the stairs.

"Ravenclaw Tower is full!" Filius squeaked. "Poor Luna and her father have to sleep in the common room!"

Pomona nodded. "Hufflepuff is nearly full as well. Only one bedroom remains empty."

"Gryffindor Tower is completely filled," Minerva remarked. "And Hermione gave her rooms to the Lupins and the Diggorys, and Mad-Eye is sleeping on her couch."

"Where will the Aurors sleep when they return?" Filius asked.

"We can set up a classroom for them. The Muggle Studies room should do nicely," Minerva said smugly, glad that Estrella was gone.

Hermione felt her heart fall. She had forgotten that little act of charity. She had nowhere to sleep tonight.

Severus had overheard the situation as well. He gently pulled Hermione towards the dungeons.

"You're not going to make me sleep in the Slytherin common room, are you?" Hermione asked, chuckling nervously. She had never been in the Slytherin common room but she had always figured there would be a lot of snake statues glaring at her.

"Of course not," he responded.

That left only one other place. Pleasure and pride spread across her body. She had not spent the night in his arms, yet, but she wanted to.

Minerva nodded to Severus as they walked past. Severus nodded back. The head of Gryffindor gave Hermione the look she gave trouble-makers; Hermione remained as blank as possible. When Minerva grinned at her, Hermione looked away, fearing she would blush.

Pomona and Filius stared at Severus's hand wrapped around Miss Granger's. Professor Snape and the Head Girl continued their descent into the dungeons.

Professor Sprout gasped. "So it's true?" she whispered to Minerva.

"Yes," Minerva said, rolling up the parchment. "Severus has found someone to love him."

"And—they're going—down there—together?" Filius squeaked.

Minerva tapped Filius on the nose with the scrolls. "Obviously, Filius. Don't be dense."