Chapter 21: Meeting in the Great Hall
Severus Snape apparated in front of the gates to Hogwarts, just outside the wards and stumbled his way up to the school and Dumbledore's office. He stood before the gargoyle and choked out the password, "chocolate frogs."
He allowed the stairs to take him directly to the headmaster's door, he didn't even get a chance to knock on the door before the voice of Albus Dumbledore called out to him, "Come in, Severus."
The door swung open, permitting him entrance. He dropped carefully into one of the chairs facing the headmaster. "I have new information for you Albus, Voldemort is going after the Grangers and the Weasleys. We must find a way to protect them. We can hide the older members of the families, but what are we to do about the two in this school?"
Albus sighed, "I think that we must do the same for them as we have done with Mr. Potter and Miss. Weasley. I will contact the Grangers and the rest of the Weasley family, they will be well hidden by this evening." He looked searchingly at Severus, "Go and see Madam Pomfrey, she will take care of any injuries that you have. I will be contacting Mr. Potter and Miss. Weasley to let them know of the change of plan." He stood up and walked Severus to the Hospital wing. When he arrived back at his office, he sat down and began writing to Harry and Ginny. He stuck the finished letter into the trunk, waved his wand and walked over to the fireplace. He threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames and shouted, "Order of the Phoenix headquarters."
A few seconds later, he was greeted by the smiling face of Nymphadora Tonks, "What can I do for you Albus?" she asked.
"I must speak to all of the Weasleys, could you please have them meet me in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, tell them to pack enough for a few weeks. I'll open the floo connection in there, so that they can just floo in. I also need you to go and collect Mr. and Mrs. Granger and bring them here. Use a portkey, we don't want them traveling where they can be seen," he told her.
"I'll tell the Weasleys and head over to the Grangers. Is there anything else that I can do for you, Albus?" she asked.
"Before you go to the Grangers, get Remus and Sirius and have them come along. I would like for the three of you to pack a bag, you'll either be staying here at Hogwarts or heading back in time to help protect Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione," he told her.
"We'll be there in less than two hours," she said, pulling back from the fire. "Don't worry Albus, I'll get the Grangers there without a problem." She pulled her head out of the fire and ran for the closest Weasley.
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She ran into the kitchen, breathless. "Molly, Albus needs to see you, Arthur, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie and Percy, he's opening the floo in the Great Hall. I have to collect Remus and Sirius and then go over and get the Grangers. Albus needs to see them too."
Molly looked searchingly at the young Auror, "What does he need to see us about?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, Molly. He told me to tell all of you to pack enough for a few weeks," she said.
Molly covered her mouth with her hand, "I'll go and fetch everyone. Remus and Sirius are in the library, I'll have them come to you," she answered.
"Thank you, Molly. I'll see you at Hogwarts, he's having Remus, Sirius and I come there too," the young Auror said patting the older woman's arm. Molly retreated from the kitchen, in search Fred and George. She could send them to get Percy and Charlie, Bill and Arthur she would floo call at the ministry. She walked to the bottom of the steps, "Fred!! George!!" she shouted. Two red heads appeared at the top of the steps.
"Yes, Mum?" Fred asked, smiling at his mother, then turning and winking at his twin.
"Pack a bag for a few weeks, Albus wants us to meet him at Hogwarts. When you're done packing, Fred, go and fetch Percy. George, you go and fetch Charlie. I'll get your father and Bill, we're flooing to the Great Hall. Tonks, Sirius and Remus are meeting us there with the Grangers," she told them.
The two boys looked at their mother, "What's going on Mum?" George asked.
"I'm not sure," she told him. "Albus told Tonks that we were to meet him in the Great Hall. We'll know what is going on when we get there."
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The Weasleys were sitting in the Great Hall, waiting for Tonks, Remus, Sirius and the Grangers. Albus walked into the room and looked around at the assembled people. "I am sorry that I had to bring you here like this, but Severus brought us upsetting news from Voldemort's camp. He is now targeting your entire family, since he can't get to Ginny. He figures that anyone from your family will be enough incentive to bring Harry out of hiding," he explained to the assembled group. "He is also targeting the Grangers. I will be sending Ron and Hermione into the past with Harry and Ginny, along with four adult volunteers. I want the four students well protected. There is nowhere safer than Hogwarts, so the rest of you are welcome to stay here until the end of the year. Arthur, I have arranged for you to work from here."
Molly looked at the Headmaster, "Who will be going back with my children, and Hermione?" she asked.
Albus looked at her, his blue eyes twinkling, "Molly dear, you forgot about Harry," he told her.
She gave Albus a withering glare, "No, I didn't. I consider Harry one of my children."
With a loud pop, Tonks, Sirius, Remus and the Grangers appeared in the Great Hall, covered in grime, robes smoking in several places. "We got to them just in time Albus, the Death Eaters apparated into the house just as we were about to leave," Remus told him, gently leading Mrs. Granger to a seat at one of the large tables.
"Then we have no time to waste. I will ask for four volunteers to go back in time with Ron and Hermione. Your jobs will be to protect Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. I know that they are very safe with Lily and the marauders, but I would like to have four fully trained wizards or witches to assist, just in case," he explained.
Remus, Sirius and Tonks stepped forward, "The three of us will go, it's my job to protect Harry," Sirius told the headmaster.
Albus smiled at the three, "Good, I will need only one more person to go back with Ron and Hermione."
"I'll go," Charlie said. "I'll be useless here, I might as well go and watch over my brother and sister, Harry and Hermione."
"Very good," Albus said. "You will be leaving in an hour. Bring your bags to my office."
Severus Snape apparated in front of the gates to Hogwarts, just outside the wards and stumbled his way up to the school and Dumbledore's office. He stood before the gargoyle and choked out the password, "chocolate frogs."
He allowed the stairs to take him directly to the headmaster's door, he didn't even get a chance to knock on the door before the voice of Albus Dumbledore called out to him, "Come in, Severus."
The door swung open, permitting him entrance. He dropped carefully into one of the chairs facing the headmaster. "I have new information for you Albus, Voldemort is going after the Grangers and the Weasleys. We must find a way to protect them. We can hide the older members of the families, but what are we to do about the two in this school?"
Albus sighed, "I think that we must do the same for them as we have done with Mr. Potter and Miss. Weasley. I will contact the Grangers and the rest of the Weasley family, they will be well hidden by this evening." He looked searchingly at Severus, "Go and see Madam Pomfrey, she will take care of any injuries that you have. I will be contacting Mr. Potter and Miss. Weasley to let them know of the change of plan." He stood up and walked Severus to the Hospital wing. When he arrived back at his office, he sat down and began writing to Harry and Ginny. He stuck the finished letter into the trunk, waved his wand and walked over to the fireplace. He threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames and shouted, "Order of the Phoenix headquarters."
A few seconds later, he was greeted by the smiling face of Nymphadora Tonks, "What can I do for you Albus?" she asked.
"I must speak to all of the Weasleys, could you please have them meet me in the Great Hall at Hogwarts, tell them to pack enough for a few weeks. I'll open the floo connection in there, so that they can just floo in. I also need you to go and collect Mr. and Mrs. Granger and bring them here. Use a portkey, we don't want them traveling where they can be seen," he told her.
"I'll tell the Weasleys and head over to the Grangers. Is there anything else that I can do for you, Albus?" she asked.
"Before you go to the Grangers, get Remus and Sirius and have them come along. I would like for the three of you to pack a bag, you'll either be staying here at Hogwarts or heading back in time to help protect Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione," he told her.
"We'll be there in less than two hours," she said, pulling back from the fire. "Don't worry Albus, I'll get the Grangers there without a problem." She pulled her head out of the fire and ran for the closest Weasley.
*****************************
She ran into the kitchen, breathless. "Molly, Albus needs to see you, Arthur, Fred, George, Bill, Charlie and Percy, he's opening the floo in the Great Hall. I have to collect Remus and Sirius and then go over and get the Grangers. Albus needs to see them too."
Molly looked searchingly at the young Auror, "What does he need to see us about?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, Molly. He told me to tell all of you to pack enough for a few weeks," she said.
Molly covered her mouth with her hand, "I'll go and fetch everyone. Remus and Sirius are in the library, I'll have them come to you," she answered.
"Thank you, Molly. I'll see you at Hogwarts, he's having Remus, Sirius and I come there too," the young Auror said patting the older woman's arm. Molly retreated from the kitchen, in search Fred and George. She could send them to get Percy and Charlie, Bill and Arthur she would floo call at the ministry. She walked to the bottom of the steps, "Fred!! George!!" she shouted. Two red heads appeared at the top of the steps.
"Yes, Mum?" Fred asked, smiling at his mother, then turning and winking at his twin.
"Pack a bag for a few weeks, Albus wants us to meet him at Hogwarts. When you're done packing, Fred, go and fetch Percy. George, you go and fetch Charlie. I'll get your father and Bill, we're flooing to the Great Hall. Tonks, Sirius and Remus are meeting us there with the Grangers," she told them.
The two boys looked at their mother, "What's going on Mum?" George asked.
"I'm not sure," she told him. "Albus told Tonks that we were to meet him in the Great Hall. We'll know what is going on when we get there."
****************************************
The Weasleys were sitting in the Great Hall, waiting for Tonks, Remus, Sirius and the Grangers. Albus walked into the room and looked around at the assembled people. "I am sorry that I had to bring you here like this, but Severus brought us upsetting news from Voldemort's camp. He is now targeting your entire family, since he can't get to Ginny. He figures that anyone from your family will be enough incentive to bring Harry out of hiding," he explained to the assembled group. "He is also targeting the Grangers. I will be sending Ron and Hermione into the past with Harry and Ginny, along with four adult volunteers. I want the four students well protected. There is nowhere safer than Hogwarts, so the rest of you are welcome to stay here until the end of the year. Arthur, I have arranged for you to work from here."
Molly looked at the Headmaster, "Who will be going back with my children, and Hermione?" she asked.
Albus looked at her, his blue eyes twinkling, "Molly dear, you forgot about Harry," he told her.
She gave Albus a withering glare, "No, I didn't. I consider Harry one of my children."
With a loud pop, Tonks, Sirius, Remus and the Grangers appeared in the Great Hall, covered in grime, robes smoking in several places. "We got to them just in time Albus, the Death Eaters apparated into the house just as we were about to leave," Remus told him, gently leading Mrs. Granger to a seat at one of the large tables.
"Then we have no time to waste. I will ask for four volunteers to go back in time with Ron and Hermione. Your jobs will be to protect Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione. I know that they are very safe with Lily and the marauders, but I would like to have four fully trained wizards or witches to assist, just in case," he explained.
Remus, Sirius and Tonks stepped forward, "The three of us will go, it's my job to protect Harry," Sirius told the headmaster.
Albus smiled at the three, "Good, I will need only one more person to go back with Ron and Hermione."
"I'll go," Charlie said. "I'll be useless here, I might as well go and watch over my brother and sister, Harry and Hermione."
"Very good," Albus said. "You will be leaving in an hour. Bring your bags to my office."