PLEASE READ THIS NOTE - I have decided to do a trilogy called "Dark" This
fic is the first part, the next part will be called "The Second Darkness"
and the final part will be called "The Light at the End of the Tunnel." All
three of them will be Harry/Cho.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.
A Candle in the Dark.
Chapter 13: The Final Preparations.
Through a dim red haze, Harry was vaguely aware that the beating had stopped; he weakly heard angry voices and grunts of pain. He felt two people lift him up and half drag, half carry him in what he realised was the direction of the hospital wing. The pain soon stopped as Harry slipped into unconsciousness.
Madam Pomfrey was sitting in her office when she heard angry voices at the door to the hospital wing, she left her office and gasped at the sight that met her eyes, Ron and Ginny were supporting an unconscious Harry who was covered in blood.
"What happened?" she asked horrified.
"Slytherin scum." Growled Ron. Madam Pomfrey indicated that they lie Harry on the nearest bed. When they had done so Madam Pomfrey turned to Cho.
"Miss Chang, could you go fetch the Headmaster?" Cho nodded and sprinted along the many corridors towards Dumbledore's office, tears were forming in her eyes; Harry hadn't spoken to her in the past three days and more than once she wondered if he had stopped loving her, but one thing was certain, she, Cho Chang, had not stopped loving him.
She reached the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office when she realised she didn't know the password, she faintly remembered Harry telling her it a couple of days ago, Fizzing Whizbees? No that wasn't it, then she remembered,
"Chocolate frogs!" she ran up the staircase, tears streaming down her face, she ran through the door of Dumbledore's office. Inside were Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moody.
"Miss Chang! What's wrong?" asked Dumbledore. But Cho couldn't get the words out, she was sobbing too much.
"Its do with Potter, isn't it?" asked Moody gruffly. Cho nodded and managed to choke out two words.
"Hospital Wing." Without another word the three Professors strode out of Dumbledore's office and hurried towards the Hospital Wing.
All three of them gasped loudly when they saw Harry, not one bit of skin could be seen on his face, it was covered in blood from his nose and mouth, Madam Pomfrey lifted up his shirt to reveal a large purple bruise.
"What happened?" asked Professor McGonagall shocked.
"Slytherins started tormenting Harry and when they didn't get a response out of him one of them started hitting and kicking him." Said Ginny sadly.
"This has got to stop or Harry's going to get very seriously hurt." Said Hermione concernedly. Madam Pomfrey was hurrying in and out of her office giving Harry various potions and doing various charms. Cho was standing at the end of Harry's bed looking heartbroken with tears streaming down her face. Eventually Professor McGonagall took he outside.
"What else is wrong." Professor McGonagall asked, she had been a teacher long enough to know when something was troubling a student deeply and she strongly suspected that this had something to do with Harry. At this Cho broke down completely.
"He's stopped loving me, I love him so much it feels like my heart will burst from it, I can't love him enough but he's stopped loving me!" she sobbed loudly, Professor McGonagall, did something extremely rare and became completely un-McGonagall like, she smiled at Cho,
"I have been Harry's head of house for six years and so I know him well, and I can tell you he hasn't stopped loving you."
"How do you know?" asked Cho.
"Because he walks around with a dreamy look on his face, he doesn't concentrate as well when he's in class and the way he looks at you, you are his heart, his soul. He's just having a hard time at the moment." Professor McGonagall stood up straight and her smile vanished,
"Now, stop thinking these silly thoughts and either run along or come back into the Hospital Wing." Cho turned around but as she did so she flashed a grateful smile at Professor McGonagall and could have sworn McGonagall smiled back.
Hermione was the only one who noticed the change in Cho, her walk was calm and she was not so agitated, she had a faint, contented smile and a far-away look in her eyes. Cho moved and stood by the side of his bed.
"Excuse me, Miss Chang." Said Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and gave it a wave over Harry, a second later he woke up. He groaned and tried to sit up but he couldn't because of the bruise on his stomach.
"Hold on Mr Potter." Said Madam Pomfrey, she waved her wand over the bruise and it disappeared instantly.
"What happened?" he asked through clenched teeth, Madam Pomfrey could heal the wounds but the pain lingered for some reason.
"Same old story mate, Slytherins." Said Ron, Harry gave a short laugh.
"Becoming routine, huh?" He said.
"Yep" agreed Ron.
"My daily schedule- get up, have breakfast, get attacked by the Slytherins, lessons, attacked by Slytherins, lunch-"
"Please don't joke about it, it scares me." Said Cho anxiously.
"I'm sorry," said Harry, instantly becoming serious, "I didn't mean to scare you." Cho leaned in and he hugged her tight.
"I hate it when you joke about getting hurt, I love you too much, I don't like it when you get hurt." Said Cho, tears forming in her eyes.
"Shh, it's alright. I'm ok." He hugged her fiercely, not wanting to let her go, only feeling whole when he was holding her; reluctantly he let go of her.
"Who were they?" asked Professor McGonagall. Harry shook his head sadly.
"It doesn't matter, it'll keep happening whatever you do." Said Harry without a trace of fear or remorse, as if he was stating the simple truth and he just had to accept it.
"But they have to be punished!" said Professor McGonagall astonished.
"Professor Dumbledore gave a lot of them two weeks detention and it still keeps happening," Said Harry, "What more can you do?"
"Expulsion, suspension, if we expel or suspend this group it will serve as a warning, as a deterrent to others."
"And you will end up eliminating the House of Slytherin." Said Harry finally.
"He's right you know, Minerva." Growled Moody.
"Now if you don't mind, I would like to speak to Harry alone." Said Dumbledore calmly from the back. Everybody nodded and left, Cho hugged him intensely before leaving. Dumbledore moved a chair to beside Harry's bed.
"I do not want to tell you this in your current state but I feel it is vital that you know as soon as possible."
"Hold on Professor." Interrupted Harry, he got out of bed and looked around on the floor, sure enough there was an extendable ear sliding underneath the door. Grinning to himself Harry pointed his wand at it.
"Diffindo." The extendable ear was split in half. They heard an indignant 'oi!' from outside, Harry and Dumbledore both laughed. Dumbledore stood up and put an imperturbable charm on the door. As he sat down again his face became serious.
As I was saying, Harry, I don't want to tell you this but I feel I have to. I know when Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts." A feeling of dread filled Harry and his throat became dry.
"He is going to attack in two days time. We have two days to prepare for the battle that begins the second war, the battle that could determine the fate of the good side. The side opposed to Voldemort, for, if we lose, then Voldemort will most likely win the war." The feeling of dread intensified and, for one moment, threatened to drown Harry. It passed quickly and Dumbledore continued.
"The ministry is sending some Aurors to help us fight Voldemort and there is to be a meeting in my office in an hours time and I wish you to attend. Just remember Harry; this could be the first and final battle in the war for the good side." And with that the old man turned and swept out of the Hospital Wing. Five minutes later Madam Pomfrey came and told Harry that he could go.
Three quarters of an hour later Harry ran into the common room.
"Ron, Hermione, there's a meeting in Dumbledore's office and I've got to attend so come on." Ron and Hermione stood up and followed him out of the common room.
"If he just wants you to go, then why are we coming as well?" gasped Hermione as they ran along the corridors towards Dumbledore's office.
"I'll explain once we get there." Was all he said. They reached Dumbledore's office. Harry paused before giving the password.
"Indona roba." Ron and Hermione followed his example. With them wearing their DA robes and Ron and Hermione behind him, Ron to his right and Hermione to his left, Harry gave the gargoyle the password and strode into Dumbledore's office. The first thing that struck the people inside was that Harry looked ten years older, a combination of determination etched into his face and his DA robes gave him an impression of being older.
Inside were Dumbledore and all the teachers, and, to Harry's surprise Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and, Ron barely managed to stifle a gasp, Arthur and Molly Weasley and a man Harry didn't recognise. Several eyebrows were raised at the sight of Ron and Hermione. Harry knew he would have to explain.
"Ron and Hermione are the co-founders of the DA, they're my lieutenants, they have a right to know as much as I do. You either have all of us or none of us, the DA are going to be fighting Voldemort in two days time so my lieutenants have a right to hear what is going to be said." Everybody nodded except for Mrs Weasley.
"But you can't fight, I won't allow it, you're too young." She exclaimed.
"But I wasn't too young to rescue Ginny from the basilisk. It is not how old you are; it is the experience you have. Ron, Hermione and I all have experience and we are going to be fighting Voldemort along side you." Harry received several nods of agreement at this
"Ron, you are my son, in will definitely not allow you to fight." continued Mrs Weasley.
"Mum, Ginny will be fighting aswell, you can't stop us, I trust Harry, I trust him with my life, where he goes, I go with him, where he fights, I fight with him, if he dies, I die with him."
"Same with me." Said Hermione. Harry was touched by the support and the words of friends. People looked at the trio curiously, by age they were children, by maturity, they were adults.
"Molly, they have made up their minds and you can't change them." Said Dumbledore calmly. Mrs Weasley nodded but she looked far from happy.
"Harry," continued Dumbledore, "This is Stilas Rackon, he is the head of the Aurors who will be coming to help defend Hogwarts."
"How many Aurors does the ministry have? How many are coming to help?" asked Harry.
"There are about two thousand Aurors in Britain, the ministry can spare eight hundred to help fight." Answered Rackon, his voice deep yet it showed he had confidence in himself and his abilities.
"The Order of the Phoenix will be fighting aswell," Added Lupin, anticipating Harry's next question he continued, "There are about one hundred and fifty people in the Order and about thirty are Aurors."
"The thirty Aurors in the Order, are they part of the eight hundred the ministry are sending?" Harry asked. Lupin shook his head.
"No." He said.
"Right," said Harry, "There are the twenty-one members of Dumbledore's Army who will be fighting so we will have around nine hundred and seventy people to fight. How many is Voldemort going to send?"
"Voldemort is going to send around two thousand Death Eaters." Answered Dumbledore shortly.
"Any Dementors?" asked Harry.
"No" replied Dumbledore. Harry turned to Stilas Rackon.
"What is the tactic of Death Eaters in battle." But Moody interrupted.
"I'm impressed Potter, you're thinking like a leader. You are going to make a fine Auror one day, don't you agree Stilas?" Rackon was looking at Harry curiously.
"I do," He agreed, he paused for a minute before continuing, "They try to overwhelm you with curses, they don't want to give you a chance to fight back." Harry nodded.
"It's obvious what we do then, keep producing shield charms, use their own spells against them."
"I'm glad that you're on our side, not theirs." Said Tonks admiringly. Harry smiled.
"Thanks." He looked at everyone in the room, wondering how many would survive the battle.
"Well, that's all I need to know, so I thank you and goodbye." With that he turned and strode out of Dumbledore's office followed by Ron and Hermione. Nobody spoke for a minute after Harry had left.
"It's strange," said Professor McGonagall wonderingly, but I felt like he had more authority then we did." Nobody spoke, nobody needed to because they all felt the same.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were running back towards the Gryffindor common room to get the coins. They had decided to call a DA meeting right away to discuss what they had heard in Dumbledore's office.
Half an hour later everyone was in the room of requirement looking up at Harry nervously. Harry quickly told them what he had learnt in Dumbledore's office, a minute later the faces that had been a mixture of eagerness and nervousness quickly changed to horror.
"We are going to be outnumbered two to one by Death Eaters!" exclaimed Zacharias Smith in astonishment and dismay. Slowly Harry nodded. He had expected groans but everyone just looked more determined.
"Okay, this is your last chance, if anyone wants to escape from the battle; this is your last chance." Nobody moved.
"Right," Harry began, "There are a couple of things I want to tell you that are very important so listen well. First of all we need to know when Voldemort and his army will arrive. Starting tomorrow we are going to be look-outs. You will be placed in strategic positions around the grounds. If you see them arrive send up blue sparks. The people, who are next to you, but about a hundred metres apart, will send up red sparks, and then the people next to them will send up red sparks, until it gets to the people who are standing outside of the doors will run in and get Dumbledore. Next," Harry sighed, he didn't want to tell them this, "in the battle if Voldemort is there, I am going straight to him and I will fight him. No-one else has to come with me."
"We'll come with you Harry, but why are you going straight to him?" asked Lavender. Harry sighed again; he knew he would have to tell them about the prophecy.
"There is a prophecy made about Voldemort and I, it basically says that either I kill Voldemort or be killed." Gasps of horror went round the room.
"What happens if you are killed?" asked Ron, his voice shaking.
"Then the good side is destroyed forever." Harry said bluntly. More gasps of horror.
"I know I should probably say something inspiring now, something that will urge you on, stop you from giving up hope, but I can't. All I can say is this; Fight well in the battle, fight hard. For it is not only Hogwarts we are fighting for, it is the fate of the wizarding world. We are Dumbledore's Army and, if we have to, we'll go down fighting. Never forget what you are fighting for, never forget that it is good against evil, never forget that you are fighting the forces of darkness and never forget this; united we stand, divided we fall." And thus Harry fell silent after saying this, and the whole of the room was silent, they wouldn't forget what they were fighting for, the forces of hell were about to be unleashed on them and the DA were determined to be found worthy of fighting them.
A/N I'm very sorry! I know I said this chapter would be up on Friday but first I fell ill and then my teachers piled a ton of work on me. Sorry!
I know this chapter is shorter than most of the others but this is only an in between chapter, it's meant to fill you in on the battle. The next chapter is going to be the battle and then there will be the final chapter of this fic. The next part in the trilogy will be up sometime in January. I'll explain why at the end of this fic.
Thanks to all my reviewers so far. Keep reading and reviewing, 'cos I'll keep writing.
Fireboy.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except for the plot.
A Candle in the Dark.
Chapter 13: The Final Preparations.
Through a dim red haze, Harry was vaguely aware that the beating had stopped; he weakly heard angry voices and grunts of pain. He felt two people lift him up and half drag, half carry him in what he realised was the direction of the hospital wing. The pain soon stopped as Harry slipped into unconsciousness.
Madam Pomfrey was sitting in her office when she heard angry voices at the door to the hospital wing, she left her office and gasped at the sight that met her eyes, Ron and Ginny were supporting an unconscious Harry who was covered in blood.
"What happened?" she asked horrified.
"Slytherin scum." Growled Ron. Madam Pomfrey indicated that they lie Harry on the nearest bed. When they had done so Madam Pomfrey turned to Cho.
"Miss Chang, could you go fetch the Headmaster?" Cho nodded and sprinted along the many corridors towards Dumbledore's office, tears were forming in her eyes; Harry hadn't spoken to her in the past three days and more than once she wondered if he had stopped loving her, but one thing was certain, she, Cho Chang, had not stopped loving him.
She reached the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office when she realised she didn't know the password, she faintly remembered Harry telling her it a couple of days ago, Fizzing Whizbees? No that wasn't it, then she remembered,
"Chocolate frogs!" she ran up the staircase, tears streaming down her face, she ran through the door of Dumbledore's office. Inside were Dumbledore, McGonagall and Moody.
"Miss Chang! What's wrong?" asked Dumbledore. But Cho couldn't get the words out, she was sobbing too much.
"Its do with Potter, isn't it?" asked Moody gruffly. Cho nodded and managed to choke out two words.
"Hospital Wing." Without another word the three Professors strode out of Dumbledore's office and hurried towards the Hospital Wing.
All three of them gasped loudly when they saw Harry, not one bit of skin could be seen on his face, it was covered in blood from his nose and mouth, Madam Pomfrey lifted up his shirt to reveal a large purple bruise.
"What happened?" asked Professor McGonagall shocked.
"Slytherins started tormenting Harry and when they didn't get a response out of him one of them started hitting and kicking him." Said Ginny sadly.
"This has got to stop or Harry's going to get very seriously hurt." Said Hermione concernedly. Madam Pomfrey was hurrying in and out of her office giving Harry various potions and doing various charms. Cho was standing at the end of Harry's bed looking heartbroken with tears streaming down her face. Eventually Professor McGonagall took he outside.
"What else is wrong." Professor McGonagall asked, she had been a teacher long enough to know when something was troubling a student deeply and she strongly suspected that this had something to do with Harry. At this Cho broke down completely.
"He's stopped loving me, I love him so much it feels like my heart will burst from it, I can't love him enough but he's stopped loving me!" she sobbed loudly, Professor McGonagall, did something extremely rare and became completely un-McGonagall like, she smiled at Cho,
"I have been Harry's head of house for six years and so I know him well, and I can tell you he hasn't stopped loving you."
"How do you know?" asked Cho.
"Because he walks around with a dreamy look on his face, he doesn't concentrate as well when he's in class and the way he looks at you, you are his heart, his soul. He's just having a hard time at the moment." Professor McGonagall stood up straight and her smile vanished,
"Now, stop thinking these silly thoughts and either run along or come back into the Hospital Wing." Cho turned around but as she did so she flashed a grateful smile at Professor McGonagall and could have sworn McGonagall smiled back.
Hermione was the only one who noticed the change in Cho, her walk was calm and she was not so agitated, she had a faint, contented smile and a far-away look in her eyes. Cho moved and stood by the side of his bed.
"Excuse me, Miss Chang." Said Madam Pomfrey. Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and gave it a wave over Harry, a second later he woke up. He groaned and tried to sit up but he couldn't because of the bruise on his stomach.
"Hold on Mr Potter." Said Madam Pomfrey, she waved her wand over the bruise and it disappeared instantly.
"What happened?" he asked through clenched teeth, Madam Pomfrey could heal the wounds but the pain lingered for some reason.
"Same old story mate, Slytherins." Said Ron, Harry gave a short laugh.
"Becoming routine, huh?" He said.
"Yep" agreed Ron.
"My daily schedule- get up, have breakfast, get attacked by the Slytherins, lessons, attacked by Slytherins, lunch-"
"Please don't joke about it, it scares me." Said Cho anxiously.
"I'm sorry," said Harry, instantly becoming serious, "I didn't mean to scare you." Cho leaned in and he hugged her tight.
"I hate it when you joke about getting hurt, I love you too much, I don't like it when you get hurt." Said Cho, tears forming in her eyes.
"Shh, it's alright. I'm ok." He hugged her fiercely, not wanting to let her go, only feeling whole when he was holding her; reluctantly he let go of her.
"Who were they?" asked Professor McGonagall. Harry shook his head sadly.
"It doesn't matter, it'll keep happening whatever you do." Said Harry without a trace of fear or remorse, as if he was stating the simple truth and he just had to accept it.
"But they have to be punished!" said Professor McGonagall astonished.
"Professor Dumbledore gave a lot of them two weeks detention and it still keeps happening," Said Harry, "What more can you do?"
"Expulsion, suspension, if we expel or suspend this group it will serve as a warning, as a deterrent to others."
"And you will end up eliminating the House of Slytherin." Said Harry finally.
"He's right you know, Minerva." Growled Moody.
"Now if you don't mind, I would like to speak to Harry alone." Said Dumbledore calmly from the back. Everybody nodded and left, Cho hugged him intensely before leaving. Dumbledore moved a chair to beside Harry's bed.
"I do not want to tell you this in your current state but I feel it is vital that you know as soon as possible."
"Hold on Professor." Interrupted Harry, he got out of bed and looked around on the floor, sure enough there was an extendable ear sliding underneath the door. Grinning to himself Harry pointed his wand at it.
"Diffindo." The extendable ear was split in half. They heard an indignant 'oi!' from outside, Harry and Dumbledore both laughed. Dumbledore stood up and put an imperturbable charm on the door. As he sat down again his face became serious.
As I was saying, Harry, I don't want to tell you this but I feel I have to. I know when Voldemort is going to attack Hogwarts." A feeling of dread filled Harry and his throat became dry.
"He is going to attack in two days time. We have two days to prepare for the battle that begins the second war, the battle that could determine the fate of the good side. The side opposed to Voldemort, for, if we lose, then Voldemort will most likely win the war." The feeling of dread intensified and, for one moment, threatened to drown Harry. It passed quickly and Dumbledore continued.
"The ministry is sending some Aurors to help us fight Voldemort and there is to be a meeting in my office in an hours time and I wish you to attend. Just remember Harry; this could be the first and final battle in the war for the good side." And with that the old man turned and swept out of the Hospital Wing. Five minutes later Madam Pomfrey came and told Harry that he could go.
Three quarters of an hour later Harry ran into the common room.
"Ron, Hermione, there's a meeting in Dumbledore's office and I've got to attend so come on." Ron and Hermione stood up and followed him out of the common room.
"If he just wants you to go, then why are we coming as well?" gasped Hermione as they ran along the corridors towards Dumbledore's office.
"I'll explain once we get there." Was all he said. They reached Dumbledore's office. Harry paused before giving the password.
"Indona roba." Ron and Hermione followed his example. With them wearing their DA robes and Ron and Hermione behind him, Ron to his right and Hermione to his left, Harry gave the gargoyle the password and strode into Dumbledore's office. The first thing that struck the people inside was that Harry looked ten years older, a combination of determination etched into his face and his DA robes gave him an impression of being older.
Inside were Dumbledore and all the teachers, and, to Harry's surprise Lupin, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt and, Ron barely managed to stifle a gasp, Arthur and Molly Weasley and a man Harry didn't recognise. Several eyebrows were raised at the sight of Ron and Hermione. Harry knew he would have to explain.
"Ron and Hermione are the co-founders of the DA, they're my lieutenants, they have a right to know as much as I do. You either have all of us or none of us, the DA are going to be fighting Voldemort in two days time so my lieutenants have a right to hear what is going to be said." Everybody nodded except for Mrs Weasley.
"But you can't fight, I won't allow it, you're too young." She exclaimed.
"But I wasn't too young to rescue Ginny from the basilisk. It is not how old you are; it is the experience you have. Ron, Hermione and I all have experience and we are going to be fighting Voldemort along side you." Harry received several nods of agreement at this
"Ron, you are my son, in will definitely not allow you to fight." continued Mrs Weasley.
"Mum, Ginny will be fighting aswell, you can't stop us, I trust Harry, I trust him with my life, where he goes, I go with him, where he fights, I fight with him, if he dies, I die with him."
"Same with me." Said Hermione. Harry was touched by the support and the words of friends. People looked at the trio curiously, by age they were children, by maturity, they were adults.
"Molly, they have made up their minds and you can't change them." Said Dumbledore calmly. Mrs Weasley nodded but she looked far from happy.
"Harry," continued Dumbledore, "This is Stilas Rackon, he is the head of the Aurors who will be coming to help defend Hogwarts."
"How many Aurors does the ministry have? How many are coming to help?" asked Harry.
"There are about two thousand Aurors in Britain, the ministry can spare eight hundred to help fight." Answered Rackon, his voice deep yet it showed he had confidence in himself and his abilities.
"The Order of the Phoenix will be fighting aswell," Added Lupin, anticipating Harry's next question he continued, "There are about one hundred and fifty people in the Order and about thirty are Aurors."
"The thirty Aurors in the Order, are they part of the eight hundred the ministry are sending?" Harry asked. Lupin shook his head.
"No." He said.
"Right," said Harry, "There are the twenty-one members of Dumbledore's Army who will be fighting so we will have around nine hundred and seventy people to fight. How many is Voldemort going to send?"
"Voldemort is going to send around two thousand Death Eaters." Answered Dumbledore shortly.
"Any Dementors?" asked Harry.
"No" replied Dumbledore. Harry turned to Stilas Rackon.
"What is the tactic of Death Eaters in battle." But Moody interrupted.
"I'm impressed Potter, you're thinking like a leader. You are going to make a fine Auror one day, don't you agree Stilas?" Rackon was looking at Harry curiously.
"I do," He agreed, he paused for a minute before continuing, "They try to overwhelm you with curses, they don't want to give you a chance to fight back." Harry nodded.
"It's obvious what we do then, keep producing shield charms, use their own spells against them."
"I'm glad that you're on our side, not theirs." Said Tonks admiringly. Harry smiled.
"Thanks." He looked at everyone in the room, wondering how many would survive the battle.
"Well, that's all I need to know, so I thank you and goodbye." With that he turned and strode out of Dumbledore's office followed by Ron and Hermione. Nobody spoke for a minute after Harry had left.
"It's strange," said Professor McGonagall wonderingly, but I felt like he had more authority then we did." Nobody spoke, nobody needed to because they all felt the same.
Harry, Ron and Hermione were running back towards the Gryffindor common room to get the coins. They had decided to call a DA meeting right away to discuss what they had heard in Dumbledore's office.
Half an hour later everyone was in the room of requirement looking up at Harry nervously. Harry quickly told them what he had learnt in Dumbledore's office, a minute later the faces that had been a mixture of eagerness and nervousness quickly changed to horror.
"We are going to be outnumbered two to one by Death Eaters!" exclaimed Zacharias Smith in astonishment and dismay. Slowly Harry nodded. He had expected groans but everyone just looked more determined.
"Okay, this is your last chance, if anyone wants to escape from the battle; this is your last chance." Nobody moved.
"Right," Harry began, "There are a couple of things I want to tell you that are very important so listen well. First of all we need to know when Voldemort and his army will arrive. Starting tomorrow we are going to be look-outs. You will be placed in strategic positions around the grounds. If you see them arrive send up blue sparks. The people, who are next to you, but about a hundred metres apart, will send up red sparks, and then the people next to them will send up red sparks, until it gets to the people who are standing outside of the doors will run in and get Dumbledore. Next," Harry sighed, he didn't want to tell them this, "in the battle if Voldemort is there, I am going straight to him and I will fight him. No-one else has to come with me."
"We'll come with you Harry, but why are you going straight to him?" asked Lavender. Harry sighed again; he knew he would have to tell them about the prophecy.
"There is a prophecy made about Voldemort and I, it basically says that either I kill Voldemort or be killed." Gasps of horror went round the room.
"What happens if you are killed?" asked Ron, his voice shaking.
"Then the good side is destroyed forever." Harry said bluntly. More gasps of horror.
"I know I should probably say something inspiring now, something that will urge you on, stop you from giving up hope, but I can't. All I can say is this; Fight well in the battle, fight hard. For it is not only Hogwarts we are fighting for, it is the fate of the wizarding world. We are Dumbledore's Army and, if we have to, we'll go down fighting. Never forget what you are fighting for, never forget that it is good against evil, never forget that you are fighting the forces of darkness and never forget this; united we stand, divided we fall." And thus Harry fell silent after saying this, and the whole of the room was silent, they wouldn't forget what they were fighting for, the forces of hell were about to be unleashed on them and the DA were determined to be found worthy of fighting them.
A/N I'm very sorry! I know I said this chapter would be up on Friday but first I fell ill and then my teachers piled a ton of work on me. Sorry!
I know this chapter is shorter than most of the others but this is only an in between chapter, it's meant to fill you in on the battle. The next chapter is going to be the battle and then there will be the final chapter of this fic. The next part in the trilogy will be up sometime in January. I'll explain why at the end of this fic.
Thanks to all my reviewers so far. Keep reading and reviewing, 'cos I'll keep writing.
Fireboy.