Late February 1998
The news of the teachers' departure spread panic through the school for many different reasons.
The fifth year students were almost in hysterics about the idea of preparing for their OWLs without any teachers.
The seventh year students had to face preparing for the NEWTs and tutoring the younger years, and the three remaining competent teachers (i.e. not Trelawney) spend many hours that first week helping them work out 'teaching schedules' that would double as their own revision notes.
"It's ridiculous," Aurora fumed, pacing around Addie's office. "This is a bloody school, not the auror corps. Do you believe any of that crap about You-Know-Who not attacking Harry Potter yet?"
Addie snorted. "Not in the slightest. Just leave everything to me, Aurora. If he does turn up, we'll be ready … Well, as ready as we can be."
"But we'll be alone!"
"No, we won't," Addie told her firmly. "There are people who did not go with them. It will be fine."
Aurora sighed. "I hope you're right."
In the Room of Requirement, the New Marauders – as they had come to be known – were having a meeting, putting the finishing touches on their escape plan.
After much deliberation, they had made the decision to use the same portrait to guard the tunnel through to the Hog's Head, but with a different password.
"How about 'desperate times call for desperate measures'?" Ginny suggested.
"Too long," Susan said. "I like 'Marauders Forever'."
"'Safety'," Draco said. "Then they won't realise what it is. We can just use it in a sentence. Speaking of, what are we going to do about the students with the Mark? Do we make them leave?"
"We can't make them leave," Hermione said. "I'm going to send a couple of house-elves with the students, with orders to knock out anyone who's causing trouble, especially with the Mark. They won't concern themselves with elves; they never do. Are we agreed on 'Safety' then?"
Everyone nodded and Hermione tapped the frame with her wand. The tunnel led to another portrait in room 8 of the Hog's Head, a portrait of a young girl.
None of them knew who the girl was – questioning Abeforth led only to a sad expression on the old man's face and they relented immediately.
At Ravenscroft Manor, they were also preparing for war, but their preparations were much more obvious.
Amelia, Augusta, Alice and Frank had moved across to Potter Manor, leaving the Black property empty, but not for long.
The first floor had been cleared of stud walls entirely, leaving one huge open-plan room, which was filled with hospital beds. The walls were filled with vials of healing potions and bandages and other medical supplies, and Jen was in the process of conjuring curtains to separate the cots.
Andromeda had been given a two-way mirror and was standing ready; she would man the infirmary along with Luna, Daphne and the students they had been training. Alice was a trained auror, but she and Frank had agreed that they didn't want to put Neville in the position of losing them both – and she was better at healing spells – so she would also help in the infirmary.
Downstairs, Sirius was busy in the ballroom. Using a list of students Addie had given them, he had conjured enough sleeping bags for everyone in the lower four years, plus extras, just in case.
Slowly by surely, the room turned into a giant common room, with small tables with chess and gobstone sets, shelves of books transported from the Potter Manor library (no one wanted to take a chance on the books in the Ravenscroft library – it was still a Black property after all), and several wizarding wireless sets and charmed CD players.
After just a moment's hesitation, Sirius waved his wand once more and the colours on the wall changed to gold, red, blue, bronze, black, yellow, green and silver.
"Not bad," Remus commented from behind him. "But …" He flicked his own wand, and the colours settled into slightly more harmonious decorations.
"Show off," Sirius muttered, turning his back on the ballroom. "Where have you been?"
"Out in The Shack," Remus explained.
The Shack was a large broom-shed in the hidden grounds of Ravenscroft Manor. Since there was no way into those grounds without using the transport stone in the kitchen, and that was under its own Fidelius, there was no way for Voldemort to find it, which made it perfect for what they wanted it for.
Remus had spent the last few days enlarging the interior until it was big enough to fit over 300 small cells, each separated by Silencing and Shield Charms.
Since Dobby and Winky would be busy, Jen had hired two new house-elves to man the prison and make sure that any Death Eaters that arrived were disarmed and separated.
"Done?" Jen asked from the stairs.
Both men turned to face her, identical frowns on their faces.
"Jen, I wish you'd leave these things to us," Remus said, more out of obligation than anything else.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Once again, gentlemen, I am pregnant, not paralysed. I am not made of glass and I am perfectly capable of performing simple spells."
"They are not simple spells," Sirius protested.
Remus chuckled. "You forget, Padfoot, that you're talking to the most powerful witch of our generation. They are simple to her."
Jen smiled, a hint of a blush gracing her cheeks. "Why, thank you, love. Is the prison ready for me to charm the Portkeys?"
"Ready and waiting," Remus said. "Just …"
"Be careful and don't overdo it," Jen finished with a sigh. "I know."
Harry's whistle cut through the Room of Requirement and the Defence Association fell silent.
"Alright, listen up. I know many of you share our concerns that Riddle will take the opportunity to attack while Dumbledore's gone. There's nothing we can do about that. What we can do is make damn sure we win."
Hermione opened a box and lifted out a small round disk. "These were sent by Harry's godmother this morning. They're Portkeys, but they're not for you. You take out a Death Eater in battle, simple slap one on him or here, press the button in the middle, and they'll get taken to a specially designed prison far away from here until the Ministry gets their act together. You will get several each; if you can make sure a Death Eater won't get up again, please do."
"Where are our healers?" Daphne asked, watching several hands rise across the room. "I know you're not as confident in duelling, which means that we'll need you to come with Luna and I to accompany the younger years and stick around in the hospital for when people start appearing. Everyone still have their Portkeys?"
There was a flurry of nods.
"Good," Harry said grimly. "Marauders together."
"Marauders forever!" The DA responded.
As they filed out, Harry turned to the others. "We're not ready."
"We're as ready as we'll ever be," Susan pointed out. "There's not much else we can do. Do we know which way Voldemort's likely to come from?"
"Well, he's got three options," Draco said. "Through Hogsmeade from the west, the moors from the east or the forest from the south."
"You don't think he'll apparate directly in front of the gates then?" Ginny asked.
"He can't," Hermione said. "I've extended the anti-apparition wards as far as I can without claiming the ownership."
"Even if you hadn't, I doubt he'd take the chance of being surprised," Draco added. "He'll want to be able to see what they're up against. I think the moors are more likely. He does still have to break through part of the forest, but it's just dense trees; there's nothing in there, really, not like he'd have to deal with if he came through the Forbidden Forest. And Hogsmeade would attract too much attention. Are you going to claim the castle?"
"I will," Hermione said. "I don't want him to have time to work around that."
"What about fliers?" Cedric asked. "Would they fly in?"
"Wards won't let them," Hermione said. "It's plausible that they will have fliers, but so will we … Although will we use those given the Dementors?"
"They can all cast a Patronus," Ron said, looking grim, "and they all know the risks, but I don't know if we'll run with them."
"Are we completely on our own?" Daphne asked.
"Well, the remaining teachers, obviously," Harry said. "I'm quite glad Hagrid's with the Order, at least we know he's safe."
"Why is he with the Order?" Draco asked. "I can't imagine he'd be much help."
It was not said with any malice, and Harry just shrugged. "Apparently Dumbledore 'thinks' a creature might be guarding the Horcrux."
"We can get hold of most of my brothers," Ron said. "Except Percy, the git. And Angie and Alicia have lines to Oliver, so he might bring some people."
"And the Marauders," Hermione added. "And Frank, Augusta and possibly Amelia."
"We should at least try to contact the Ministry," Susan said. "Whether we think they'll listen or not."
"What about the Order?" Daphne asked. "Is there a way we can contact them?"
Hermione smirked. "Fawkes?"
The phoenix appeared in a burst of flame and swooped around the room, before settling on Hermione's shoulder.
"Of course," Susan breathed, stroking the bird's feathers gently. "He's tied to the school, not the Dumbledore."
"You'll take a message to Dumbledore for us, won't you?" Hermione asked.
Fawkes trilled and bobbed his head.
"You know, I'm still having trouble believing it," Cedric commented. "I'm with you all the way when it comes to Dumbledore being a manipulative git, but I can't believe he'd abandon the school thinking that Voldemort would attack."
"I don't think he does," Hermione said. "I think he genuinely believes that Voldemort won't make the final push until Harry's of age, but I think he thinks there will be an attack – not a large one, just one we can afford to concede. He wants us – or rather, Harry – to realise that he needs Dumbledore around to win the war. Right?"
Fawkes trilled affirmatively again, but with a look on his face that could only have been described as a pout.
"He's not listening to you, is he?" Harry murmured. "Still wants to get his 'weapon' back under control?"
Fawkes trilled a third time and hopped from Hermione's shoulder to Harry's, rubbing his face against his cheek, singing a few notes apologetically.
"I know," Harry sighed. "It's not your fault, Fawkes. As long as the school's safe. We'll fix it."
April 19th 1998
The next two months passed quietly and without incident.
Every evening, Addie, Charity and Aurora held extra classes for OWL and NEWT students who needed the support, but, amazingly, the tutoring/revision plan actually seemed to be working.
"We shouldn't be surprised," Addie commented at dinner, one Tuesday evening. "Dumbledore's not stupid enough to leave them high-and-dry – there'd be too much trouble with the Ministry."
"True," Aurora conceded. "How's Jennifer, by the way? She must be due soon."
Addie nodded. "Five weeks."
"Do they know what they're having?" Charity asked.
"Not yet," Addie answered. "They've decided to wait and …" She trailed off, as the noise in the Great Hall abruptly fell away.
A graceful Patronus in the shape of a panther (or maybe a leopard, Addie couldn't quite tell given that it was pure silver) had just sprung through the doors.
Daphne's voice erupted from its mouth. "This is not a drill. Repeat: this is not a drill. Riddle's just appeared at the south side of the Forest with at least 100 Death Eaters."