Chapter 54: McGonagall's Charms.

Harry left the dungeon and ran as quickly as he could to the headmistresses office. She was waiting at the bottom of the stairs for him, the coin glowing brightly in her hand.

"What is going on?" she asked the fear was prominent in her eyes.

"I am going to Godric's Hollow tonight. There is no stopping the evening that have been put into motion. I have no choice I have to do this now." Harry said, "it can't be stopped."

"Why then, are you wasting time?" She asked, "Quickly come with me," she said and rushed passed him and up the stairs of the dark castle.

McGonagall reached the portrait of the fat lady before Harry and whispered the password, preceded him into the common room.

There in the entrance stood Professor Beck and an army of students, not only Gryffindors but students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff as well.

"What is going on?" one girl yelled from Ravenclaw.

"Is it true that students from our houses are all in great danger?" another student yelled.

"Yes it is true," Harry said as he walked into the middle of the room.

"Well then we have no time to loose," Beck said.

"I see that you are all ready to fight," McGonagall said as she walked into the center of the room and addressed the crowds of students, "but you cannot all go to Godric's Hollow. You must know that and accept the fact that we will need you here. All of you willing to fight will be asked to fight. All those who do not wish to fight return to your common rooms and stay where it is safe."

There was no protests from the students and none went to leave. They knew what was coming, they had known about it for a very long time and they had been preparing themselves for this moment for just as long. There wasn't a fear in the room but a sense of pride and duty. Everyone knew that it was for each other that they would be fighting.

"We do," Neville said as he stepped forward, "but we are all ready to fight for what is right. I stand here ready to do this for my parents."

There was a cheer that rose from the crowd of students.

"And so we are all ready to do as Dumbledore has ordered," He added and the students around him nodded in agreement.

McGonagall looked up to the portrait that hung over the common room fire, "and what are your orders?" she asked Dumbledore.

"I am sure you know what they are Minerva, we have discussed the plan many times," he answered, his eyes sparkling from behind his half moon spectacles.

"Alright then," Minerva said as she looked to the crowd of students, "you, the senior most students of the Dumbledore's army are to go to Godric's Hollow. The rest of you will take up positions around the castle to protect the people within it. There will be battle on many fronts and there is no need to sugar coat anything anymore. It will be bloody and it will be fierce but we must work together to protect what this castle and what wizards and witches all over the world have been fighting years for. We are at war once again," She said and turned to Professor Beck, "you professor will take the lead with the castle defenses. The senior students follow me," she said and hurried out of the portrait hole.

The students she had addressed followed her closely. They could hear Beck shouting orders and incantations at the students and soon the booming sounds of foot steps could be heard in many of the corridors.

Harry, Ron and Hermione, followed by Neville, Luna and Ginny as well as a few other original members of the DA followed Mcgonagall down through the castle. In the entrance hall they stopped. There at the base of the stairs were gathered the Order of the Phoenix as well as the rest of the Professors.

"Professors, you will be needed hear at the school. Please find professor Beck and get to work. Conjure any protective spells you can think of to hold of the darkness. They will not hold forever but they have to work for now," McGonagall ordered.

Flitwick, Tonks, Sprout and Hagrid ran off in different directions of the school to find whoever they could on the faculty to put them on their guard.

"They rest of you are to go to Godric's Hollow," McGonagall said to the assembly in the entrance hall.

"Wait," Harry yelled before she pushed open the doors, "there are three students, Raelyn of Ravenclaw, Allisonelle of Hufflepuff and Brindalette of Gryffindor, who have gone to the Malfoy mansion to dispose of Narcissa Malfoy and the child she is carrying," He said as silence fell in the entrance hall.

"How is that possible?" Remus asked as he staired at Harry.

"They are the group known as R.A.B it is their innicials and they are under the command of Hecate. They have gone alone with the orders to kill Narcissa and with the knowledge that they will be dying themselves tonight. Shouldn't someone go with them?" he asked.

"Yes," McGonagall said as she scanned the room, "Alister, you will take most of the order, with the exceptions of Remus and the Weasleys to the Malfoy mansion. I believe it is there that you will find Voldemort," she said.

They nodded their agreement and ran out the large oak double doors.

"As for you," She said as she looked to the DA, "it won't be long before Voldemort is aware of what is going on, if he is not already aware of tonight's events. You must get yourselves to Godric's hollow as quickly as possible and do what you need to do. Fight together and get out as quickly as you can. The protections of this castle cannot help you when you are away and so I tell you, you must return swiftly," she said, "do you have everything you need?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione said as she rushed forward and began to hand out what looked like small crystal balls, "these are concealment charms that I have been working on with Professor McGonagall," she said as they began to be passed out, "when they are broken they will either conceal you within a glass bubble or they will obstruct people from around you. The charm doesn't last long but they will help you. And Harry, I took the liberty of bringing you this," she said as she pulled from beneath her robes the Invisibility Cloak and the Sword of Godric Gryffindor.

"Thank you," Harry said as he took the sword and stuffed the cloak into his pocket.

"Good, we must go," McGonagall said and stepped passed them out the large oak doors of the castle.

The cold winter air was sharp on their faces as they followed her to the gates that lead into Hogsmead, "listen, and listen well," she said as she turned and looked at the young people gathered around her, "the charms of Hogwarts will fail the moment you step beyond these gates. You must go fast and you must stick together. All I can give you is this," she said and pulled her wand from within the folds of her robe.

She waved her wand in a way that they had never been taught before and without words the gates of Hogwarts castle opened not on the village of Hogsmead but on the dark edge of an unfamiliar town. The students looked at the new village with puzzlement but Harry recognized at once the church and the grave yard before them.

"Go quickly," she said to them, "Hermione knows what to do to get you home."

"You will stay here with the castle?" Harry ordered more then asked.

"It is my duty to protect this school with my life and so I must stay," she answered, "now go!"

And with that the DA ran through the gates of Hogwarts and into the Village of Godric's Hollow and out of McGonagall's sight.