A/N I just want to apologize profusely for how long it's taken me to update. There is just too much going on in my life, and I'm working on way to many writing projects….and yeah. Hopefully that will never happen again. But here's chapter twelve. Enjoy!
Chapter 12
McGonagall's nightmares were never mentioned again, but it didn't surprise Harry or Hermione to see the Headmaster leaving her rooms at dawn. School went on as usual, or as usual as it could, in the middle of a war zone.
Three months went by and Harry had all but forgotten about Snape's warnings, nothing had happened. Then, the night of the Halloween Feast an owl swooped in and dropped a letter on Dumbledore's plate. The Headmaster paled and stood. McGonagall took the letter and scanned it quickly. She began shaking. "The Ministry is under attack." Dumbledore told them softly. "I am going to help. Prefects please lead the students back to the common rooms. Everyone stay together!"
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran through the crowds toward the head table. "I want you all to stay here." Dumbledore told them. He held up a hand before they could protest. "This may be what Severus was talking about. I'll need you to help protect the school."
"I'll need Poppy here Albus. Just in case." McGonagall reminded him.
"Then you'll need a mediwitch out on the field Professor." Hermione reminded him. "I can go."
Dumbledore sighed, he didn't want any of his students out in the battlefield, but it looked as if he didn't have any choice. "Very well Ms. Granger. We need to leave immediately." Harry and Ron both wished her good luck and watched nervously as she followed the headmaster out the door.
"Potter, do you think you and Weasley could please go make sure all the students are secure in their common rooms?" McGonagall asked, giving them a task to keep their minds off their friend. Harry nodded, and he and Ron took one more look at the side door Hermione had left through before heading out the front doors toward the dormitories.
They were halfway to the Hufflepuff common room, having already checked Slytherin, when the first hints of the attack shook the castle. Ron and Harry shared a nervous look before running to a window. There was an army of trolls outside, pounding at the castle walls, a group of death-eaters trying to burn down the doors, the dementors were milling around as well, waiting to be let in.
The doors to the entrance hall caught fire, and a huge chuck of rock fell from one of the front walls. "Come one Ron!" Harry yelled. They ran toward the great hall, wands at the ready. All the professors were still inside the hall, which, being farther away from the front entrance than the classrooms and dormitories wasn't shaking badly at all. "Professor! The school is under attack!"
McGonagall turned sharply from giving instructions to the other House Heads. She and Snape looked particularly worried as the two breathless students stopped in front of them. "Trolls are beating away at the castle walls; they've already gotten a huge chunk out. The death-eaters have caught the front doors on fire, and there are dementors out there as well."
"Some one has to go after Albus." Snape said quietly.
"You won't make it." Ron informed him. "Judging by the way this castle's shaking, we're all but surrounded, and you'll never get out of the wards undetected."
Snape sighed in frustration, but accepted that Ron knew what he was talking about. After all, he'd proved in his first year that he was very adept at strategy.
"Maybe we can still alert the headmaster." Said a quiet voice from the back of the group.
McGonagall bristled as they all turned toward Professor Sinistra. "You were wrong Serena, it won't work."
Sinistra shrugged delicately. "Maybe I was wrong, but that doesn't change the facts Minerva. You were able to contact him when he needed you. We need him now. If he doesn't come back, there may not be anything left of Hogwarts for him to return to."
"We'll never be able to hold them back long enough anyway." Snape reminded them.
"Yes we can." Poppy said. "We can hold them back, but Serena is right, Minerva, you have to try. After all, I think this counts as a crisis."
"Every other time, I was asleep."
"Hogwarts has magic within it none of us understands." Hooch pushed. "And that spell is tied directly to the school. If we do the spell first, who knows what magic we'll tap into."
"We have to try." Sinistra added. The three professors looked at the Deputy Headmistress.
Minerva sighed. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my bravery and my leadership, all the gifts of Godric Gryffindor himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Lion, in times of great peril, find allies in my call, for I command the animals and their aid do I guarantee. I Minerva Anne McGonagall pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you."
Poppy stepped forward next and took her friend's right hand. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my knowledge and my learning, all the gifts of Rowena Ravenclaw herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Raven, in times of need, find shelter under my wings. I Poppy Evangeline Pomfrey pledge my body, my soul, my heart and my talents to you."
Serena smiled softly in encouragement as she took Poppy's hand in her own. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my cunning and my ability to succeed, all the gifts of Salazar Slytherin himself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Serpent, in times of trouble, find protection behind me, for I will strike down your enemies. I Serena Ophelia Sinistra pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you."
Last, Helena took both Serena and Minerva's hands, squeezing them gently in comfort. "From the corner of the square I come to the circle, my willingness to do and my loyalty, all the gifts of Helena Hufflepuff herself, I bring to put at your disposal. I am the Badger, in times of cold, find warmth within my coat. I Helena Australita Hooch pledge my body, my soul, my heart, and my talents to you."
Thunder rolled over head and the Great Hall shook. "Help us." Sinistra whispered to the winds.
A great glow started to grow around them and spread until all the castle was encased in a glittering dome. The shaking stopped. When Ron and Harry looked outside, the death-eaters, dementors and trolls had been forced outside the dome. The beat one it and struck it with curses, but the shield held. Although judging by hissing behind him, each hit was felt by one or all of the casters, and so the spell would only last as long as they could withstand the attacks.
"Albus." McGonagall whispered. Suddenly she lost consciousness and slumped down. Poppy and Helena tightened their grip on her hands and they all sat down.
Minerva had left the Great Hall, her body was flying forward at great speeds. Suddenly she stopped. When she opened her eyes she was in front of the ministry. There were bodies on the ground, mostly injured, a very few dead. It was hardly as bad as the letter had said. Voldemort had counted on Fudge panicking and the Minister had played right into his hands. She saw Hermione walking among the injured bandaging their injuries. And Dumbledore was on the steps of the building talking to Arthur Weasley. "Albus!"
He turned around and walked quickly over to her. "Minerva what are you doing here?" He asked sharply.
"I'm not here." She told him. "But this was a diversion. Hogwarts is under attack. We used the circle spell to create a shield, but I don't know how long we can hold it."
He nodded sharply. "I'll be right there."
Her body faded from view and Dumbledore turned back to a very confused Arthur Weasley. "The school is under attack. Please accompany Hermione back."
"What about the school wards?"
"Minerva can't activate the more active ones unless I'm dead." And within moments he apparated away, and right into the Great Hall.
"How did you apparate in here?" Several people exclaimed as he appeared.
"You're connected to Minerva." Sinistra told him. She had never let go of the theory that her dear friend and the headmaster were soul mates and had done a lot of research into the area. "It supercedes your ability to apparate where you will. She's in trouble and your goal was to help her, so you were pulled right to her side."
"Shouldn't she be awake?" He asked worriedly as he began to activate the stronger wards.
"All four of us are weak from holding the shield." Pomfrey soothed him. "She used the spell to do two things, it took a lot out of her. She'll be fine. We'd know if something was wrong."
"You can drop the shield now." He told them.
They let go of each other's hands and helped to lay Minerva on the floor. "They're leaving! The trolls, the death-eaters, and the dementors!" Ron announced from where he and Harry were keeping look out at the window.
"It's over." Dumbledore assured them all.