Chapter 6
Two weeks later the saw the group of teenagers change almost unrecognisably, both mentally and physically. They became the Guardians. They could perform the three hours of torture set them by Sirius almost without a break, and were constantly improving their times on the course. They had learn to cast spells at full gallop, also working at night to hone their skills. Their battle skills had increased greatly, and there were some, including Harry, who Master Prenshaw struggled to down. Their knowledge of hexes and curses was incredible, and all were comfortable using Magi Hawk. They had moved on to identification spells in skills, and treating knife wounds in healing. They could defend almost any tactical position they were set, though only Ron was able to break through the defences set by Dumbledore. One of the most physically changed was Harry, who had grown a startling inch in lust two weeks, and had filled out considerably. He had also changed his glasses for contact lenses, with the help of Sirius and Snape, who Harry was pleased to note, were getting on much better. Week three saw several changes in their training. The one that the Guardians had been looking forward to the most was the start of knife training in addition to hand-to-hand combat. Some were soon having second thoughts when Master Prenshaw announced that they must practice target throws every day, which meant they had to stay up even later. Probably the most important thing, however, was the marking. All the Guardians had a silver flame magically tattooed onto the back of their hands. They were told they could be used to contact each other easily. They would also be used to signal emergency meetings. They also finished their work on apparation in Skills. Professor Cors had been putting a lot of pressure on the group about the importance of this, and of the mastering of the patronus spell. They were soon to find out the reason for all the pressure. They had worked hard all week, and were just finishing their work late on Saturday evening when they felt the flame burn. They made there way quickly to the Meeting Room, where they were met by Dumbledore. Once they were seated, he spoke. 'This is the first test. It is a simulation. We know the location of a Death Eater stronghold. You will attack the house, disabling or capturing everyone you find. You will be opposed by approximately forty Death Eaters. No staffs. You will start the attack at dawn. Harry will lead you. Good luck.' Then he left, leaving a very worried Harry, and some very confused Guardians. After a few minutes of chatter, Harry decided that he had better do something. 'Right, listen up all of you. Ron, take Ben and Ric, start working on an attack plan with the blueprints. Hermione and Ack, use the maps and work on transport and retreat possibilities. Gin and Katie, you're the best healers, I'm sure Dr Kerr will give you what you need.' They left quickly. 'Will and Jam, can you go and get enough wakefulness potion for all of us, and some invisibility potion. Dean and Seamus, stay here. Everyone else, go and get kitted up, then relax in the rooms until I call you. Trousers, shirts, hooded cloaks, boots, wand with holster, and all knives; wrist, boot and leg. Also a dose of healer.' Harry paused. Had he forgotten anything? 'All right, that's it.' The group left quietly, and Harry nodded to Dean and Seamus, and then turned to Ron. 'Have you got anything yet?' 'Yeah, but I'm afraid it's a bit complicated. To start with we need four small teams, one to deal with each of the sentries. Then they join up to form two groups of six each. There is a side door on both sides of the house. Though they'll almost certainly be guarded, a group of six should have no problems. The eight get in, then get control of three or four connecting rooms. They harass the D.E's as much as possible. That should weaken the guard on the front entrance, which we charge with the rest of the group. However I think 24 on 40 is going to be too much.' Ron spoke fast, but calmly. 'Then what do we do?' 'Well, Ric had the idea of sending four of us up to the front at the very beginning, and fire a few curses, making as much noise as possible. That should draw out, say, ten D.E's, who follow them 100 yards into the woods. We then surround them, and they'll be out before they know what's hit 'em.' 'What if the four get captured?' 'The info says the D.E's don't have brooms. If the four use horses, there's no way they'll be caught.' 'And if they don't take the bait?' 'We send eight down the front, and the other four go from the roof. There's no windows at the back of the place, and they should be able to get up undetected. They go in through the skylark, and take the upper floor. There should be only two guards upstairs, probably one at each end of the main corridor.' Said Ron pointing. 'And the horses?' 'It's surrounded by woods, they'll stay where they're put.' 'All right, sounds good, we'll go with it. Can you get me copies of the area each group needs to know.' Ron nodded, and Harry turned to Dean and Seamus. You two 'll lead groups 2 and 3. Go over the plans know so you know them properly. He turned to Hermione. 'Done?' 'Yes, we think so. Since Ron wants four on Horseback, it's better if we all go that way. It's only about an hour's hard ride away, so it'll work. We leave the horses a couple of k away, and go in by foot. If we make a bad retreat, we split and regroup close to the horses at a certain time. If not, we go straight there, with a rearguard of eight, preferably the best disapparaters. We take their horses, and they hold the D.E's until we get away, then disapperate to Hogsmeade.' 'Sounds good.' When the group leaders get here you'll need to brief them on that.' 'Fine.' Just at that moment Ginny and Katie returned. 'Did you get everything you needed?' He asked 'Yeah, we should be fine.' 'Good. You had better go and get ready then, the others 'll tell you what you need. Oh, and Gin, could you bring back the kit for us lot?' 'Sure, I won't be long.' Harry looked at the watches they had all been given. It was midnight.
After Ginny had returned, and Harry and the others had changed and were ready, he spoke into his mark and called Zab (Blaise Zabini) and Cott (O.C.) to the Meeting Room. They, along with Seamus and Dean, were then briefed by Ron and Hermione on the plans until they knew them perfectly. Meanwhile Harry had been working on who would go in which group. When they had been briefed, he told them what he had decided. 'Group 1 is Zab, with Jam, Matt, and Ben. Group 2 is Dean, with Angela 2IC, Mal, Hannah, Ric, and Hermione. Group 3 is Seamus, with Will 2IC, Ack, Terry, Katie and Ron. Group 5 is Cott, Sea, Cheeps, and Phil. I'll lead Group 4, with Gin as 2IC. OK?' He glanced at Ron and Hermione, but they just nodded. 'Good. Go and brief your teams, one room each, and we meat in the Entrance Hall at one-thirty. Hermione and Ron, issue the maps and plans to IC's and 2IC's. IC's make sure everyone's had a hot drink and something to eat. Any problems? Ok then, oh, get the wakefulness potion of Will, and group 5, also some invisibility potion. Lets go!'
Sorry to leave a bit of a cliff-hanger but it was getting a bit long. Next chapter is about the attack, should be up in a few days. Any reviews?
Two weeks later the saw the group of teenagers change almost unrecognisably, both mentally and physically. They became the Guardians. They could perform the three hours of torture set them by Sirius almost without a break, and were constantly improving their times on the course. They had learn to cast spells at full gallop, also working at night to hone their skills. Their battle skills had increased greatly, and there were some, including Harry, who Master Prenshaw struggled to down. Their knowledge of hexes and curses was incredible, and all were comfortable using Magi Hawk. They had moved on to identification spells in skills, and treating knife wounds in healing. They could defend almost any tactical position they were set, though only Ron was able to break through the defences set by Dumbledore. One of the most physically changed was Harry, who had grown a startling inch in lust two weeks, and had filled out considerably. He had also changed his glasses for contact lenses, with the help of Sirius and Snape, who Harry was pleased to note, were getting on much better. Week three saw several changes in their training. The one that the Guardians had been looking forward to the most was the start of knife training in addition to hand-to-hand combat. Some were soon having second thoughts when Master Prenshaw announced that they must practice target throws every day, which meant they had to stay up even later. Probably the most important thing, however, was the marking. All the Guardians had a silver flame magically tattooed onto the back of their hands. They were told they could be used to contact each other easily. They would also be used to signal emergency meetings. They also finished their work on apparation in Skills. Professor Cors had been putting a lot of pressure on the group about the importance of this, and of the mastering of the patronus spell. They were soon to find out the reason for all the pressure. They had worked hard all week, and were just finishing their work late on Saturday evening when they felt the flame burn. They made there way quickly to the Meeting Room, where they were met by Dumbledore. Once they were seated, he spoke. 'This is the first test. It is a simulation. We know the location of a Death Eater stronghold. You will attack the house, disabling or capturing everyone you find. You will be opposed by approximately forty Death Eaters. No staffs. You will start the attack at dawn. Harry will lead you. Good luck.' Then he left, leaving a very worried Harry, and some very confused Guardians. After a few minutes of chatter, Harry decided that he had better do something. 'Right, listen up all of you. Ron, take Ben and Ric, start working on an attack plan with the blueprints. Hermione and Ack, use the maps and work on transport and retreat possibilities. Gin and Katie, you're the best healers, I'm sure Dr Kerr will give you what you need.' They left quickly. 'Will and Jam, can you go and get enough wakefulness potion for all of us, and some invisibility potion. Dean and Seamus, stay here. Everyone else, go and get kitted up, then relax in the rooms until I call you. Trousers, shirts, hooded cloaks, boots, wand with holster, and all knives; wrist, boot and leg. Also a dose of healer.' Harry paused. Had he forgotten anything? 'All right, that's it.' The group left quietly, and Harry nodded to Dean and Seamus, and then turned to Ron. 'Have you got anything yet?' 'Yeah, but I'm afraid it's a bit complicated. To start with we need four small teams, one to deal with each of the sentries. Then they join up to form two groups of six each. There is a side door on both sides of the house. Though they'll almost certainly be guarded, a group of six should have no problems. The eight get in, then get control of three or four connecting rooms. They harass the D.E's as much as possible. That should weaken the guard on the front entrance, which we charge with the rest of the group. However I think 24 on 40 is going to be too much.' Ron spoke fast, but calmly. 'Then what do we do?' 'Well, Ric had the idea of sending four of us up to the front at the very beginning, and fire a few curses, making as much noise as possible. That should draw out, say, ten D.E's, who follow them 100 yards into the woods. We then surround them, and they'll be out before they know what's hit 'em.' 'What if the four get captured?' 'The info says the D.E's don't have brooms. If the four use horses, there's no way they'll be caught.' 'And if they don't take the bait?' 'We send eight down the front, and the other four go from the roof. There's no windows at the back of the place, and they should be able to get up undetected. They go in through the skylark, and take the upper floor. There should be only two guards upstairs, probably one at each end of the main corridor.' Said Ron pointing. 'And the horses?' 'It's surrounded by woods, they'll stay where they're put.' 'All right, sounds good, we'll go with it. Can you get me copies of the area each group needs to know.' Ron nodded, and Harry turned to Dean and Seamus. You two 'll lead groups 2 and 3. Go over the plans know so you know them properly. He turned to Hermione. 'Done?' 'Yes, we think so. Since Ron wants four on Horseback, it's better if we all go that way. It's only about an hour's hard ride away, so it'll work. We leave the horses a couple of k away, and go in by foot. If we make a bad retreat, we split and regroup close to the horses at a certain time. If not, we go straight there, with a rearguard of eight, preferably the best disapparaters. We take their horses, and they hold the D.E's until we get away, then disapperate to Hogsmeade.' 'Sounds good.' When the group leaders get here you'll need to brief them on that.' 'Fine.' Just at that moment Ginny and Katie returned. 'Did you get everything you needed?' He asked 'Yeah, we should be fine.' 'Good. You had better go and get ready then, the others 'll tell you what you need. Oh, and Gin, could you bring back the kit for us lot?' 'Sure, I won't be long.' Harry looked at the watches they had all been given. It was midnight.
After Ginny had returned, and Harry and the others had changed and were ready, he spoke into his mark and called Zab (Blaise Zabini) and Cott (O.C.) to the Meeting Room. They, along with Seamus and Dean, were then briefed by Ron and Hermione on the plans until they knew them perfectly. Meanwhile Harry had been working on who would go in which group. When they had been briefed, he told them what he had decided. 'Group 1 is Zab, with Jam, Matt, and Ben. Group 2 is Dean, with Angela 2IC, Mal, Hannah, Ric, and Hermione. Group 3 is Seamus, with Will 2IC, Ack, Terry, Katie and Ron. Group 5 is Cott, Sea, Cheeps, and Phil. I'll lead Group 4, with Gin as 2IC. OK?' He glanced at Ron and Hermione, but they just nodded. 'Good. Go and brief your teams, one room each, and we meat in the Entrance Hall at one-thirty. Hermione and Ron, issue the maps and plans to IC's and 2IC's. IC's make sure everyone's had a hot drink and something to eat. Any problems? Ok then, oh, get the wakefulness potion of Will, and group 5, also some invisibility potion. Lets go!'
Sorry to leave a bit of a cliff-hanger but it was getting a bit long. Next chapter is about the attack, should be up in a few days. Any reviews?