Headmistress McGonagall was currently trying to stop everything from falling down around her, there had been numerous inquiries into the disappearance of a Professor, as well as the presence of Voldemort on the grounds, resulting in a dramatic and semi-permanent change to the landscape in an effort to prevent him from entering the school.

The windows were useless, unless one wanted to view a pillar in perfect darkness, and most of the doors were blocked, with the promise that things would return to normal once Voldemort had been stopped.

Not for the first time did she walk over to the window only to be reminded that, unless she wanted to cast some powerful enchantments, they were ultimately pointless.

"You know, Minerva, I have never seen the office looming so dark." A voice behind her sounded, turning around she saw that Professor Dumbledore's portrait had finally woken up.

"Albus, you're finally up. So much has happened in your absence and I don't know how to cope."

"Relax, my dear, take a breath and calm yourself. It has taken me longer to wake up than normal, owing to the fact that I didn't exactly pass on like normal and am able to influence my portrait posthumously, though it took quite some effort to achieve. I know about Gellert and the attack from Voldemort, the stories about Harry Potter are true, he walked back through the veil and journeyed back from the beyond."

"I miss you Albus, so do the students here."

"I do not possess the power that Harry does, or rather did, I was told to duel him for my wand by the entity known as Magic, with the Hallows he became the Master of death. I do not believe that he can do so again, if he dies another time then I believe it will be permanent."

"You believe? You're not certain?"

"I am not certain, but I am hopeful."

"The students go home for Christmas in a week and I am contemplating sending them all home and closing Howard's until the threat of Voldemort is gone."

"I have had the same thought myself, you must not give in to the depression that war spreads."

/_^_^_/

The journey to London took less time than Elias had expected, or rather the time passed by faster than it had any right to. He had grown bored of games and tired of waiting.

"Hello? Elias! We're here." Draco shook Elias' shoulder to alert him to the fact that he had been trying to get his attention for the last two minutes.

"Yeah sorry, I was lost in thought."

"You and me both, Hermione had to shake me back to reality as well. Are you sure you wish to stay with us?"

"I have to fight in this war, there is no way I will be allowed to remain behind."

"Then let's get off the train before it departs with us still on it."

The two left, meeting up with their friends to travel to Nott Manor, taking one last look at the train before they walked through the barrier. Their first step was to board the Knight Bus and ride it, stepping off at the first stop and apparating away to Nott Manor.

/^_^_/

Dear Mr Potter

If it is at all convenient, I shall be stopping by to visit you soon.

Professor Snape

This was the letter Harry had received that morning, which ordinarily wouldn't be so unusual however when he wrote his reply on a fresh piece of parchment, both vanished.

He chalked it up to Snape and his eccentricities and would have happily gone about his day if his Potions Professor didn't materialise in front of him, bypassing all of the wards upon the Manor.

"I appreciate how weird this is, appearing out of nowhere with very little forewarning but I have come to help. I have a few things I must tell you now, before this is over."

"Of course Professor, I'm free to talk."

"I have missed you, though I will deny it if you try to say anything around another person. Your mother visited me last night, at first I thought it was just a dream, now not so much."

"Was she the way you remembered her?"

"What do you mean? She will always be Lily Evans, regardless of anything that occurs. There was one time that I caught her under the effects of Polyjuice Potion, I could tell it was her immediately and helped cover for her."

"What did she say to you?"

"She told me how to find you, that you could tell me what she could not."

"You are aware of prophecy, a course of events that Fate has twisted to play out in a manner of her choosing."

"It was a prophecy that got us into this situation and led to the death of your parents."

"Yes, well, the entity known as Fate is also the woman once known as Lily Potter."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Exactly what I just said, when my Father gave his life to protect my mother and me, a sacrifice that was given up by Lily to protect me, Voldemort told her to stand aside to not get killed, she refused. The magic from two sacrifices and the explosion from the killing curse was enough to literally alter reality, with the previous Fate killing herself due to the botching of the manipulation of the threads of reality. Thus Lily Potter became Fate."

"This is a lot to take in, do you have a brewing laboratory so that I can at least work as I think?"

"It's in the dungeons, ironically enough."

"I'll be there." Snape responded and left, his cloak fluttering behind him.

/_-^_^/

Twenty-four, that was all the men he had left. How could it have gotten to this? Voldemort thought to himself, the anger he felt was now a constant thing, inescapable and all-consuming.

"My Lord? What are your orders?" A Death Eater asked, only to be hit with green light.

"Can't you see that I'm thinking?" He snapped at the dead body, crucioing it for a minute before returning to his thoughts.

Twenty-three, he had lost another man. He looked to identify the fallen man, vanishing his mask to reveal the face of Fenrir Greyback, the only Death Eater who was permitted to ask questions.

"It appears that the late Mr Greyback needs a successor, how about you Gregory Goyle? You were once friends with Potter weren't you?"

"Y-yes my Lord." The scared boy responded.

"Your father once held a position of esteem among my ranks and now you hold the same position."

"Thank y-you my Lord."

"You are all dismissed, though with the war producing so many casualties I have seen fit to provide you all with accommodations here, the front door is locked to prevent any break-ins."

The idea of being locked in a building with the deranged Dark Lord was terrifying to all of the Death Eaters, knowing that he could step into their rooms and kill them at any time.