Chapter Twelve: Desperation and Hope
The preparations for the battle took on the whole week. At Monday and Tuesday the Order members and volunteers of the parents arrived, together with most of the former Seventh Year students. A lot of former Hogwards students and Teachers, like Alastor Moody or Hagrid, who lived in France with Madam Maxine, came back to defend the school, with them some of the students of Harry's year: Padma and Parvati Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchly, all Weasley's except Percy, who couldn't leave his office at the Ministry, Hanna Abbot, Terry Boot from Ravenclaw and all Gryffindor boys, including Neville, who offered to work with Madam Pomfrey, because he wasn't good at battle, but had done a first-aid course over the holidays.
On Wednesday a big conference was held in the great hall, where everybody was sorted into teams:
Healers, Madam Pomfrey as their head, Tactics, Flitwick and Mc Gonagall as their head, together with Dumbledore, who would leave them at the beginning of the battle to protect Harry and fight Voldemort himself. Second Line Fighters: the students and not that advanced fighters, led by Arthur Weasley and Professor Sinistra, Reinforcements and additional forces, led by Professor Vector and Alastor Moody, Aurors of the Ministry, led by Lucius Malfoy, First Line Fighters, the members of The Order of the Phoenix, the advanced Volunteers and other teachers, at their front Albus Dumbledore, Gabriel Mc'Caughn, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy (insisted) and the Boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.
During the next two days the groups prepared for the battle. Healers collected healing herbs, brew medical potions and practised healing-spells, while others transfigured chairs into hospital-beds for the wounded, which might unfortunately be quite a lot, considering the information over the huge amount of evil forces going to be sent to battle.
Fighters of all groups practised in the classrooms and storage-rooms, while the dungeons were changed into headquarters and storages for food and water, as well as for the wounded, who would be brought under the earth, where it would be safer. Nobody knew how long the battle would last in the end, but all tactics were sure it would last for at least a few days, because the forces on both sides were enormous. Deep inside the dungeons, plans were made, emergency tactics discussed and defensive AND offensive measures created. The whole school was as busy as a nest of bees, working here and there, always humming.
~
The evening before the ´Final Day´ was spectacular in its own way. The house-tables on the great hall were arranged as a long row and the people sitting on both sides were chatting rather loudly, until Dumbledore, seated at the head of the table, stood up. The silence was loaded with expectations of the speech, when the headmaster began to talk:
"Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Students and teachers, fighters for the side of peace and light - friends! We will face a great battle tomorrow. The fight will be hard we will have losses, as we have now. Many of our people died in the wars fought against the Dark Lord and some will in near future, but we have the chance to end it all forever!
If we can win the battle, we can stop the killing and misery brought to us and our families and friends. And we will stand up, we will fight and we will take our chance! We are strong, prepared for the last battle, a battle that will decide over the future of the whole Wizarding World and Voldemort will fall, because we will hold together, allies and friends, hand in hand to fight for the victory.
A victory of mind and body and soul. For freedom and peace, a whole, united world, a place for us, for our children and grand-children to live in, peacefully and in light, without fear and doubt, together for a new beginning, a new time, a new age of glory and freedom for everybody!
My friends, let's drink of a glorious and better future!"
People held up their goblets and with determined expressions on their faces they touched glasses and drank of the future.
Draco smiled at Harry sadly, not wanting to think about what might happen. "Hope for the best."
"And prepare for the worst."
"Promise me you won't back down!"
"I'm sorry, I can't, though I'll try my best to defeat him."
"I would die at your side."
"No, you won't! You shouldn't even be in the front line! What made Dumbledore allow you to fight there anyway?!"
"I don't want to live without you - and I will protect you, even if it costs my life! And dare to say anything against that!"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
A noise made them look up from their rather private conversation. It was Bill Weasley, who smiled at them knowingly. "You won't loose each other, Dumbledore and the others are looking after you and even Voldemort won't be able to stop us!"
Harry sighed. "I'm afraid."
"Of not being able to defeat him?"
"No, of opposing him at all. Even if I can kill him, I am afraid."
"Understandable. You two should get to bed - these might be the last peaceful hours for a while."
"You're right. Good night, Bill, greet your family from me, I haven't seen all of them, I have been quite busy."
"Sure, goodnight!"
~
When they entered the bedroom, Draco suddenly pressed Harry against the next wall. The dark-haired snorted. "What the hell are you up to?"
"This might be our last night together!" Draco scowled, but his voice shuddered a bit too much.
"I know, -Draco, whatever happens tomorrow, I love you, more then I ever loved somebody before!"
"I, too. Don't ever leave me, hear you!" he cried. Tears were flowing down his cheeks and he held onto Harry painfully tight.
The dark-haired boy put his arms around the blonde, trying to calm him. When Draco's sobs ended eventually, he seated himself on the side of his bed, the other boy on his lap, smoothing his back lovingly.
Suddenly, Draco turned around and pushed him down, kneeling over Harry. He brushed Harry's lips slightly, nipping at his lower lip, before he kissed him hard and demanding, trying to suck everything out of his boyfriend. Harry moaned loudly, pulling Draco closer to him, tongues battling inside each other's mouths.
Draco pulled back in order to breathe and their eyes met, filled with desire, love and - passion.
Their mouth met hard again, bodies pressing against each other in unbearable heat, pushing into the mattress.
"I want you!" Draco hissed between their kisses, panting heavily, "NOW!"
The preparations for the battle took on the whole week. At Monday and Tuesday the Order members and volunteers of the parents arrived, together with most of the former Seventh Year students. A lot of former Hogwards students and Teachers, like Alastor Moody or Hagrid, who lived in France with Madam Maxine, came back to defend the school, with them some of the students of Harry's year: Padma and Parvati Patil, Justin Finch-Fletchly, all Weasley's except Percy, who couldn't leave his office at the Ministry, Hanna Abbot, Terry Boot from Ravenclaw and all Gryffindor boys, including Neville, who offered to work with Madam Pomfrey, because he wasn't good at battle, but had done a first-aid course over the holidays.
On Wednesday a big conference was held in the great hall, where everybody was sorted into teams:
Healers, Madam Pomfrey as their head, Tactics, Flitwick and Mc Gonagall as their head, together with Dumbledore, who would leave them at the beginning of the battle to protect Harry and fight Voldemort himself. Second Line Fighters: the students and not that advanced fighters, led by Arthur Weasley and Professor Sinistra, Reinforcements and additional forces, led by Professor Vector and Alastor Moody, Aurors of the Ministry, led by Lucius Malfoy, First Line Fighters, the members of The Order of the Phoenix, the advanced Volunteers and other teachers, at their front Albus Dumbledore, Gabriel Mc'Caughn, Severus Snape, Draco Malfoy (insisted) and the Boy-who-lived, Harry Potter.
During the next two days the groups prepared for the battle. Healers collected healing herbs, brew medical potions and practised healing-spells, while others transfigured chairs into hospital-beds for the wounded, which might unfortunately be quite a lot, considering the information over the huge amount of evil forces going to be sent to battle.
Fighters of all groups practised in the classrooms and storage-rooms, while the dungeons were changed into headquarters and storages for food and water, as well as for the wounded, who would be brought under the earth, where it would be safer. Nobody knew how long the battle would last in the end, but all tactics were sure it would last for at least a few days, because the forces on both sides were enormous. Deep inside the dungeons, plans were made, emergency tactics discussed and defensive AND offensive measures created. The whole school was as busy as a nest of bees, working here and there, always humming.
~
The evening before the ´Final Day´ was spectacular in its own way. The house-tables on the great hall were arranged as a long row and the people sitting on both sides were chatting rather loudly, until Dumbledore, seated at the head of the table, stood up. The silence was loaded with expectations of the speech, when the headmaster began to talk:
"Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Students and teachers, fighters for the side of peace and light - friends! We will face a great battle tomorrow. The fight will be hard we will have losses, as we have now. Many of our people died in the wars fought against the Dark Lord and some will in near future, but we have the chance to end it all forever!
If we can win the battle, we can stop the killing and misery brought to us and our families and friends. And we will stand up, we will fight and we will take our chance! We are strong, prepared for the last battle, a battle that will decide over the future of the whole Wizarding World and Voldemort will fall, because we will hold together, allies and friends, hand in hand to fight for the victory.
A victory of mind and body and soul. For freedom and peace, a whole, united world, a place for us, for our children and grand-children to live in, peacefully and in light, without fear and doubt, together for a new beginning, a new time, a new age of glory and freedom for everybody!
My friends, let's drink of a glorious and better future!"
People held up their goblets and with determined expressions on their faces they touched glasses and drank of the future.
Draco smiled at Harry sadly, not wanting to think about what might happen. "Hope for the best."
"And prepare for the worst."
"Promise me you won't back down!"
"I'm sorry, I can't, though I'll try my best to defeat him."
"I would die at your side."
"No, you won't! You shouldn't even be in the front line! What made Dumbledore allow you to fight there anyway?!"
"I don't want to live without you - and I will protect you, even if it costs my life! And dare to say anything against that!"
"I love you."
"I love you too."
A noise made them look up from their rather private conversation. It was Bill Weasley, who smiled at them knowingly. "You won't loose each other, Dumbledore and the others are looking after you and even Voldemort won't be able to stop us!"
Harry sighed. "I'm afraid."
"Of not being able to defeat him?"
"No, of opposing him at all. Even if I can kill him, I am afraid."
"Understandable. You two should get to bed - these might be the last peaceful hours for a while."
"You're right. Good night, Bill, greet your family from me, I haven't seen all of them, I have been quite busy."
"Sure, goodnight!"
~
When they entered the bedroom, Draco suddenly pressed Harry against the next wall. The dark-haired snorted. "What the hell are you up to?"
"This might be our last night together!" Draco scowled, but his voice shuddered a bit too much.
"I know, -Draco, whatever happens tomorrow, I love you, more then I ever loved somebody before!"
"I, too. Don't ever leave me, hear you!" he cried. Tears were flowing down his cheeks and he held onto Harry painfully tight.
The dark-haired boy put his arms around the blonde, trying to calm him. When Draco's sobs ended eventually, he seated himself on the side of his bed, the other boy on his lap, smoothing his back lovingly.
Suddenly, Draco turned around and pushed him down, kneeling over Harry. He brushed Harry's lips slightly, nipping at his lower lip, before he kissed him hard and demanding, trying to suck everything out of his boyfriend. Harry moaned loudly, pulling Draco closer to him, tongues battling inside each other's mouths.
Draco pulled back in order to breathe and their eyes met, filled with desire, love and - passion.
Their mouth met hard again, bodies pressing against each other in unbearable heat, pushing into the mattress.
"I want you!" Draco hissed between their kisses, panting heavily, "NOW!"