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CHAPTER FORTY-NINE
Ginny had never seen Hogwarts the way it was now. It was as though everyone was expecting a disaster of some sort, a hurricane or an earthquake. Students were trying to remain calm as they were ushered this way and that. Those that had chosen to remain at the school, mostly purebloods or at least from wizarding families, had been sent to their common rooms, watched over by any prefects that were staying. Ginny saw Harry being hugged by his parents and was relieved to see they were safe. Neville was exchanging a few quick words with his own parents nearby.
Colin came over to Ginny. "Some woman named Hestia's taking me and Dennis to get our parents, then we're being taken somewhere secret." He paused. "So I guess we won't be seeing each other for a long time."
Ginny gave him a smile that she hoped came across as reassuring. "Keep safe, Colin."
"You too, Girl Who Lived." He hesitated then gave her a quick hug. "I'll miss you, Ginny."
"Same to you, Colin. Good luck."
Ginny looked around for Hermione and found her in a heated conversation with her two dorm-mates, Parvati and Lavender, along with Parvati's sister Padma. "What do you mean you're staying here?" Hermione demanded.
"I'm not really fit for a life on the run,"Lavender noted.
"You'd rather be in a school run by Voldemort?"
Ginny wasn't sure if she'd ever heard Hermione use Voldemort's name before and saw the other three girls blanch at it. "He's going to want to keep some students around,"Parvati pointed out. "We're the future of the wizarding world, he'll want to teach us the same things he believes."
"And we're clever enough to fake it,"Padma concluded. "For as long as we have to."
Hermione shook her head in dismay. "You'd have to be mad to stay here."
"I'm staying,"piped up Luna, who had done her usual job of sidling up to the conversation unnoticed.
Ginny gasped in shock. "Luna, no! He'll have people like Parkinson with him, people who know that we're friends. You won't be safe here!"
"Well, I won't really be safe anywhere,"Luna observed calmly. "I know people don't think I'm very clever but I think I can do more use here than hiding away."
Ginny grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't get killed,"she said anxiously.
"Why thank you, Ginny. It's very nice of you to want that."
"Any students who are staying, vacate the corridors immediately!"McGonagall called out. "Anyone who has not been given evacuation instructions and intends to evacuate, please report to the nearest staff member!"
Lavender and Parvati headed off in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, and Luna and Padma headed off towards Ravenclaw. Ginny found herself spun round and drawn into a snug clinch. She hadn't realised Harry was there. Neville was cuddling up to Hermione nearby. "What's happened to your parents?"she asked them.
"They're helping out with the evacuation,"Harry replied. "At least, I hope that's what they're doing. Sirius said something about the castle defences…"
Dumbledore came striding through the antechamber towards them. "You four. I have a very special plan in place for you."
Before he could go any further, a short, nearly bald and somewhat shifty looking wizard came pushing through the crowd towards him. "Professor! They're here! Or in Hogsmeade anyway. Death Eaters advancing towards the main entrance. They'll be here in minutes!"
"Thank you, Mundungus,"Dumbledore replied. "Please speak to Minerva. She'll assign you a group of students to evacuate."
Mundungus nodded eagerly. "I'll evacuate with them, Professor. Don't you worry about me."
Dumbledore looked around and caught sight of Flitwick helping to direct students. "Filius, get out of sight."
"Professor!"Flitwick protested.
"I appreciate your dedication, Filius, but you must not be associated with us. I need people I trust to remain here and ensure the safety of as many students as possible. Go to the staff room. Horace and Pamona are getting everyone together there." He turned to Ginny and the others. "I had hoped to escort you personally but it seems my attention is needed elsewhere. Go to the fireplace on the fourth floor. Someone will be waiting for you there."
The journey that followed was bordering on the nightmarish. All order had gone and people were running through the corridors in a panic. Every now and then, the windows were illuminated by explosive spells from outside. Ginny's heart leapt every time she caught a flash of the green of a Killing Curse. Even worse was the occasional scream of pain or fear coming from the school's defenders.
Ginny was in the lead as she, Harry, Hermione and Neville headed towards the fireplace Dumbledore had told them about. She wasn't sure who she expected to find waiting there, but it wasn't who she saw. "Bill?!"
Her oldest brother gave a tight smile of greeting, his pleasure at seeing her again dampened by the situation they were in. "Hi, Gin. You'd better get a move on."
Harry, Hermione and Neville all filed into the fireplace but Ginny wasn't satisfied yet. "What about Fred and George? And Percy? Where are they?"
Bill didn't look directly at her, instead glancing rapidly around where they were standing, as if afraid a swarm of Death Eaters would come charging at them any moment. "Elsewhere in the chain, I expect. There's safehouses set up all over the country, they're probably being sent to one of them."
"But you don't know?" Ginny looked around anxiously. "And what about…"
"Ginny!"Bill interrupted sharply. "I've already seen two members of this family killed trying to get away from somewhere You-Know-Who was attacking. I don't want to see you die too."
It hadn't occurred to Ginny how this might be affecting Bill and she felt a spasm of guilt. Without any more objections, she joined the others in the fireplace. A moment later, Bill used the floo powder and they were away.