A/N: Ok, sorry, I lied. I went out to dinner and went to watch the Ring
with a couple people last night instead of writing, but... I'm gonna make
it up! So, we were just seeing the horrible plot laid out by Voldemort and
how unprepared the Good Guys are at the moment. Sigh... I hope they figure
it out soon!
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Albus talked to Harry aside from the rest of the group. "Harry, the student body looks up to you. You have more of an ability to speak to them as an equal than I do. I don't want my presence to change anyone's mind, so I'm going to ask you and Ms. Granger to speak to the student body for me. Inform them of the plan to evacuate and the plan to allow the older students the option of leaving, or staying to fight. I will speak to the staff personally, then we shall carry out the plan."
Harry nodded, gulping back the bit of fear he had of speaking to all the students of Hogwarts.
"I will call a meeting in the Great Hall immediately." Albus straightened himself and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry. We will come out of this, perhaps not unscathed, but we will rejoice when it is over."
Harry raised his head with a renewed sense of confidence and courage. He and Hermione walked from the staff room to the Great Hall, hearing Dumbledore project his voice across the entire castle, calling a meeting for the entire student body. The two of them walked up to the Head Table, where Dumbledore and McGonagall usually sat. They waited until it looked as though the entire Hall was filled.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
"Professors," Albus started, then realized it was the wrong way to go. "Friends, we have reached a terrible place in the history of this school. We are soon to be flung into an attack of the caliber that this castle has never seen. Lord Voldemort has indeed risen again, and he is said to be on his way to attack. He will not spare any of us, and will not let up until one side or the other is destroyed. We must ensure that it is not the side of Good that is destroyed. If this school were to fall, the rest of the wizarding world will not be far behind. He will attack us with his Death Eaters and monstrous beasts. We only have ourselves, some of the braver students, and our friends who will be joining us from the Ministry and others who decided to come to our aid. Our first duty will be to evacuate the students from this school. Heads of Houses will appoint the most trustworthy student from each house to lead the students away. Mr. Potter has been kind enough to inform me of a secret tunnel that leads from the halls of Hogwarts directly to Hogsmeade where the students will take a Portkey, or the Hogwarts Express away."
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Hermione, in the manner of the Deputy Headmistress, tapped a fork on a glass to get the students' attention. Harry climbed up to stand on the table. There was a murmur as everybody in the room realized that Dumbledore was not standing there. "Sonorus," Harry said, pointing his wand at his throat.
"Students of Hogwarts," Harry said, his voice filling the very corners of the room. "Professor Dumbledore has asked me to come to you to inform you of the grave peril that the school is in. Vol- You-Know-Who has risen again. He is building an army to come to Hogwarts with the intention of destroying everything, and everyone, within its walls." There was a loud murmur, and a few shouts, coming from the majority of the room. A section of Slytherin was strangely quiet, as Hermione noticed. "All students who have not yet reached their fifth year will be evacuated. All students fifth year and above who choose to leave, will be evacuated as well. Any fifth year or above who chooses to stand against the coming storm with me, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore, and the rest of the staff are welcome to do so." He let the commotion die down again before resuming. "It is an important decision for you to make, but it must be made quickly. For those of you who will be evacuated, you will meet your Heads of Houses on the third floor next to the one-eyed witch. There, you will enter a tunnel that will lead you to the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Once in Hogsmeade, there are several Portkeys and the Hogwarts Express to take you home. We must hurry as there is not much time left, so, in a calm orderly fashion... don't make Hermione jinx you," he added with a grin, "those of you wishing to stay, please make your way up to the Head Table. The rest of you quickly, but calmly make your way up to the third floor, and Merlin be with you." He pointed his wand and whispered, "Quietus," so that his voice would return to normal.
There was an eerie calm about the crowd as the students stood and, amazingly, calmly walked to the Head Table or out of the room. The majority of the seventh years, about half of the sixth years, and about a quarter of the fifth years stood before Harry and Hermione, willing to stay and risk their lives for the school. Hermione eyed the group of Slytherins standing near the back. They had been the same ones who had stayed quiet with the news that Voldemort had risen again.
"I will need to go make my report to Professor Dumbledore. Thank you for joining us in this fight. For now, Hermione is going to quickly go over some curses and hexes that we will be using to fight against the Death Eaters. Use anything that you think will help, even as simple as Expelliarmus, Petrificus Totalus, Wingardium Leviosa, or even Obliviate. Perhaps we can make some of them forget that they are fighting us," he grinned. It didn't seem that many of the students appreciated his sense of humor at the moment.
Harry looked over the students, most with a look of false bravado on their faces, some openly frightened, making a count before turning and leaving. Hermione instantly started teaching about the relatively easy curses and hexes that the students may or may not have remembered, or even learned. Among them were Homorphus (which would turn a werewolf back to its human form, or keep a werewolf in its human form), the Reductor Curse, used to blast solid objects away, and Relashio, which would shoot a jet of fiery sparks.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick met their students in the hall of the third floor. Minerva had already opened the secret passage and they each appointed someone from each House to lead the students away. Minerva smiled grimly when she realized that the oldest Gryffindor student to be fleeing was Dennis Creevey, a fourth year student, brother of Colin. She appointed him Gryffindor's leader. He took great pride in the title and couldn't wait to tell his brother when he saw him again.
Snape put Millicent Bulstrode, a seventh year Slytherin in charge of his house. Sprout told Sally Ann Perks, also a seventh year, from Hufflepuff to watch her students. Flitwick placed his trust in Lisa Turpin, a seventh year from Ravenclaw.
Lisa and Sally Ann were to lead the pack of students while Dennis and Millicent brought up the rear to watch for stragglers.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Voldemort looked at his Death Eaters. He had over one hundred at his command now. The twenty in his inner circle had 'recruited' some and others who were not in the inner circle returned as they heard of the coming war. All were hooded, those in his inner circle had grotesque white masks on. "My Death Eaters! My sources inform me that Dumbledore is picking up the pace on his plans. We will form our army in Hogsmeade, just south of the gates of Hogwarts. We will begin our assault there, waiting for our beast of the darkness to join us. Apparate to Hogsmeade, destroy the village, and let us begin our attack under the sign of the Dark Mark!" The Death Eaters shouted a great cheer before Apparating to Hogsmeade to begin the attack.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
A/N: Grr... why'd he have to go and do that? Darned Voldemort... spoiling my plans. I wonder if he can read my mind... hmmm... Well, we'll have to see what happens next. Sorry about this chapter by the way, there were a lot of speeches given, and not a whole lot of action, but hey, you can't have it all all the time. Review! I'll probably have chapter seven up before the end of tonight!!
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Albus talked to Harry aside from the rest of the group. "Harry, the student body looks up to you. You have more of an ability to speak to them as an equal than I do. I don't want my presence to change anyone's mind, so I'm going to ask you and Ms. Granger to speak to the student body for me. Inform them of the plan to evacuate and the plan to allow the older students the option of leaving, or staying to fight. I will speak to the staff personally, then we shall carry out the plan."
Harry nodded, gulping back the bit of fear he had of speaking to all the students of Hogwarts.
"I will call a meeting in the Great Hall immediately." Albus straightened himself and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't worry. We will come out of this, perhaps not unscathed, but we will rejoice when it is over."
Harry raised his head with a renewed sense of confidence and courage. He and Hermione walked from the staff room to the Great Hall, hearing Dumbledore project his voice across the entire castle, calling a meeting for the entire student body. The two of them walked up to the Head Table, where Dumbledore and McGonagall usually sat. They waited until it looked as though the entire Hall was filled.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
"Professors," Albus started, then realized it was the wrong way to go. "Friends, we have reached a terrible place in the history of this school. We are soon to be flung into an attack of the caliber that this castle has never seen. Lord Voldemort has indeed risen again, and he is said to be on his way to attack. He will not spare any of us, and will not let up until one side or the other is destroyed. We must ensure that it is not the side of Good that is destroyed. If this school were to fall, the rest of the wizarding world will not be far behind. He will attack us with his Death Eaters and monstrous beasts. We only have ourselves, some of the braver students, and our friends who will be joining us from the Ministry and others who decided to come to our aid. Our first duty will be to evacuate the students from this school. Heads of Houses will appoint the most trustworthy student from each house to lead the students away. Mr. Potter has been kind enough to inform me of a secret tunnel that leads from the halls of Hogwarts directly to Hogsmeade where the students will take a Portkey, or the Hogwarts Express away."
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Hermione, in the manner of the Deputy Headmistress, tapped a fork on a glass to get the students' attention. Harry climbed up to stand on the table. There was a murmur as everybody in the room realized that Dumbledore was not standing there. "Sonorus," Harry said, pointing his wand at his throat.
"Students of Hogwarts," Harry said, his voice filling the very corners of the room. "Professor Dumbledore has asked me to come to you to inform you of the grave peril that the school is in. Vol- You-Know-Who has risen again. He is building an army to come to Hogwarts with the intention of destroying everything, and everyone, within its walls." There was a loud murmur, and a few shouts, coming from the majority of the room. A section of Slytherin was strangely quiet, as Hermione noticed. "All students who have not yet reached their fifth year will be evacuated. All students fifth year and above who choose to leave, will be evacuated as well. Any fifth year or above who chooses to stand against the coming storm with me, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore, and the rest of the staff are welcome to do so." He let the commotion die down again before resuming. "It is an important decision for you to make, but it must be made quickly. For those of you who will be evacuated, you will meet your Heads of Houses on the third floor next to the one-eyed witch. There, you will enter a tunnel that will lead you to the cellar of Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Once in Hogsmeade, there are several Portkeys and the Hogwarts Express to take you home. We must hurry as there is not much time left, so, in a calm orderly fashion... don't make Hermione jinx you," he added with a grin, "those of you wishing to stay, please make your way up to the Head Table. The rest of you quickly, but calmly make your way up to the third floor, and Merlin be with you." He pointed his wand and whispered, "Quietus," so that his voice would return to normal.
There was an eerie calm about the crowd as the students stood and, amazingly, calmly walked to the Head Table or out of the room. The majority of the seventh years, about half of the sixth years, and about a quarter of the fifth years stood before Harry and Hermione, willing to stay and risk their lives for the school. Hermione eyed the group of Slytherins standing near the back. They had been the same ones who had stayed quiet with the news that Voldemort had risen again.
"I will need to go make my report to Professor Dumbledore. Thank you for joining us in this fight. For now, Hermione is going to quickly go over some curses and hexes that we will be using to fight against the Death Eaters. Use anything that you think will help, even as simple as Expelliarmus, Petrificus Totalus, Wingardium Leviosa, or even Obliviate. Perhaps we can make some of them forget that they are fighting us," he grinned. It didn't seem that many of the students appreciated his sense of humor at the moment.
Harry looked over the students, most with a look of false bravado on their faces, some openly frightened, making a count before turning and leaving. Hermione instantly started teaching about the relatively easy curses and hexes that the students may or may not have remembered, or even learned. Among them were Homorphus (which would turn a werewolf back to its human form, or keep a werewolf in its human form), the Reductor Curse, used to blast solid objects away, and Relashio, which would shoot a jet of fiery sparks.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Professors McGonagall, Snape, Sprout, and Flitwick met their students in the hall of the third floor. Minerva had already opened the secret passage and they each appointed someone from each House to lead the students away. Minerva smiled grimly when she realized that the oldest Gryffindor student to be fleeing was Dennis Creevey, a fourth year student, brother of Colin. She appointed him Gryffindor's leader. He took great pride in the title and couldn't wait to tell his brother when he saw him again.
Snape put Millicent Bulstrode, a seventh year Slytherin in charge of his house. Sprout told Sally Ann Perks, also a seventh year, from Hufflepuff to watch her students. Flitwick placed his trust in Lisa Turpin, a seventh year from Ravenclaw.
Lisa and Sally Ann were to lead the pack of students while Dennis and Millicent brought up the rear to watch for stragglers.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
Voldemort looked at his Death Eaters. He had over one hundred at his command now. The twenty in his inner circle had 'recruited' some and others who were not in the inner circle returned as they heard of the coming war. All were hooded, those in his inner circle had grotesque white masks on. "My Death Eaters! My sources inform me that Dumbledore is picking up the pace on his plans. We will form our army in Hogsmeade, just south of the gates of Hogwarts. We will begin our assault there, waiting for our beast of the darkness to join us. Apparate to Hogsmeade, destroy the village, and let us begin our attack under the sign of the Dark Mark!" The Death Eaters shouted a great cheer before Apparating to Hogsmeade to begin the attack.
* ** *** **** *** ** *
A/N: Grr... why'd he have to go and do that? Darned Voldemort... spoiling my plans. I wonder if he can read my mind... hmmm... Well, we'll have to see what happens next. Sorry about this chapter by the way, there were a lot of speeches given, and not a whole lot of action, but hey, you can't have it all all the time. Review! I'll probably have chapter seven up before the end of tonight!!