A/N: Well, I promised that there would only be a few parts left, but already things
are taking more time than I thought. Still, there should only be two parts left. I
wanted to post something because I'm writing more slowly.

Also, I was a little distracted when I wrote this and as a result it seems choppy. If
anyone has any suggestions, I would be ever so grateful!

Title: Minnaloushe part 13

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Same as before.

It had been an exhausting second week of March. Spells had been cast into the early
hours of the morning and classes had become more difficult to manage because of the now
improving weather. All the snow had melted, and the ground was beginning to thaw. It
was an early spring. As a result of the changing weather, students were distracted in class,
there was a flu epidemic running through the school that kept the faculty busy, and more
students were twisting ankles and spraining wrists because of the slick, muddy ground outside.

It was no wonder that Snape slept soundly. It was early Saturday morning, and Snape
decided before he went to sleep that he would skip breakfast and sleep as long as his body
required. Shadow had taken up position in her customary spot, curled up in a ball around
his feet.

They were both deep in slumber when Snape shot upright, eyes wide and gasping. The
movement sent Shadow off the edge of the bed, yowling in protest. A strange, disturbing
feeling had woken Snape. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end, and it felt l
ike tiny needles had imbedded themselves all down his spine. He could hear and urgent,
high-pitched whistling in the back of his mind.

The dark magic detector!> He thought.

"Damnit!" He growled. This had better be some stupid student thinking that they were
being clever or intimidating; a student that was about to get him or herself expelled.

Shadow, quickly sensing her human's distressed state, realized that this was no time to
complain about being kicked out of bed. She sat quietly out of the way as Snape flew out
of bed, hastily threw on the robe he wore the previous day, and grabbed his wand from his
bedside table. He didn't even bother to shut his door properly as he rushed out of his chambers.

Through the dungeon hallways and up the winding stair case he ran. What was going
on? Seconds after leaving the dungeon, he nearly ran into McGonagall, who had also been
alerted to the presence of dark magic. Her face was pinched with worry. "Do you know
what's going on, Severus?" Snape shook his head.

At that very moment, a sound like thunder shook the floor they stood on. At the same
time, the whistling is Snape's head crescendoed into an earsplitting shriek. Both teachers
covered their ears in a futile attempt to block the sound. "Reducto!" They shouted, and
the whistling stopped.

It was clear to them both now that this was not the act of some foolish child who had
snuck into the restricted section to play with forbidden magic. Dark magic this powerful could
only be performed by a powerful wizard, or many adequate ones. The Death Eaters were here.
But why?

"My God!" McGonagall whispered. "The children!"

Snape and McGonagall both looked at each other for one brief moment, concern and fear
for the students mirrored in each other's faces. Then they took off madly, down the corridor
towards the main entrance. Shortly before they reached the impressive front door, they met
with Dumbledore.

"Severus...?"

Snape shook his head, answering the unspoken question. He couldn't give the headmaster
any answers.

"We need to proceed carefully. We don't know what we're dealing with here." Snape
and McGonagall nodded at Dumbledore's advice. He was always right. He was always calm
and level headed. Snape wondered if Dumbledore might have even suspected that whatever
was happening would. The witch and the two wizards passed through the last corridor to the
main entrance.

Outside, there seemed to be an unending series of explosions. One after the other, they
rattled the glass in the windows and sent shivers through the walls. Several students, whose
sleep had been disturbed by the commotion outside, were lining the entrance hall and the staircases
that led away from it. They huddled and whispered and looked to the teachers that had just arrived.

Dunderheads, the lot of them!> Snape thought. They're putting themselves in danger and
creating a distraction for us.>

"Go back to your common rooms, now! " He snapped. "Lock the portraits and don't let
anyone in or out until we say so!" Most of the students withdrew. A few lingered, obviously
not convinced of the teachers' ability to handle the situation. Snape wasn't certain he disagreed
with them. One dark look sent even the bravest students back to their houses though.

As the students were leaving, other teachers began to arrive. The noise outside was increasing
and the doors began to shudder. Dumbledore thought it best not to waste anymore time.

"Teachers! We are under attack by dark wizards. They have caught us unprepared, but that
won't stop us from prevailing! They want a fight? Well then let us make it on our terms!"

Every teacher there pulled out their wands and held them at the ready. Dumbledore nodded,
proud of their willingness to fight, and sent a charm to open the massive oak doors.

No one was prepared for what lay outside. There must have been over 75 Death Eaters
waiting for them. They stood, unified, forming lines and ranks like one might expect from a
muggle military unit. Snape was only aware of 22 current members of Voldemort's army.
The small band of sixteen teachers were outnumbered over four to one.

Professor Flitwick, who had come up from behind Snape and now stood beside him asked
in a small voice "What happens now?"