TIMES OF TRIAL
Disclaimer: None of the characters, places, objects etc. that you recognise belong to me. They are mot likely the property of one JK Rowling.
Summery: This story is and will probably always be centred on Minerva McGonagall and the other professors at Hogwarts. It is set in Harry's fifth year and the dream-team will likely appear however. The rating may be subject to change but all reviews are welcome.
A/N: Well, another chapter and another change of POV. Hope this isn't to confusing but if you get lost e-mail me (voyager_obsessive@yahoo.co.uk) and I'll try and clear it up for you. Mucho thanks to my all-new beta GEM hope you can see the difference now that she's had a go at my grammar *smile* I think that's about it for now, but as always - please review.
******
"Hagrid." Minerva said trying to sound friendly while the familiar note
of authority resonated through the single word. "Would you please slow down and
say that all again. I didn't catch a word of it last time." The groundskeeper
was obviously anxious to pass his information on to her but his laboured
breathing and generally worked up state made him impossible to decipher.
"Death Eaters! Flyin' this way, straight at the cast'le they are!" She could
feel herself blanche. This was the news she had been trying to convince herself
wasn't coming her way as she dashed across the field.
"How long?" She asked possibly the most important of all the questions spinning
around her head. Priorities.
"No' tha' long. Maybe five minutes, ten if yer lucky." She turned and looked
up at the professors' box and quickly caught Serverus's eye. He seemed to
understand what she tried to convey with only her eyes as he swept round and
down onto pitch level gesturing for the others to follow.
"How many?" Running through possibilities the Deputy Headmistress was beginning
to feel that they were going to be very limited in their choice of actions.
"For'ay or so best guess."
"Damn." She said quietly. Not one to cuss usually this was a sign that she was
getting worked up. She took a calming breath before Snape arrived and he was
filled in.
"I take it you didn't know about..." She trailed off as he shook his head. At
one point she would have never trusted his word but now she knew him far better
than that. In any case there would be time for that discussion later.
"We'll never get the students all back into the castle and in their common rooms
before they get here." He said quietly echoing her earlier thoughts.
"So we'll have to defend them here."
"We're out-numbered, if it comes to hand to hand combat." He countered as they
bounced ideas and observations off of one another.
"And there's bound to be casualties even if we get the older students to help."
"What we need is a shield. A charm large enough to protect the entire stadium."
She snapped her head up at him only to find his eyes widening as well.
"Are you thinking what I am?" She asked cryptically. Could they really pull
this off?
"There are enough of us." He replied. "Though I think we would have to take
centre stage." She nodded her agreement.
"It's the only way." She told him reassuring herself, as well as her colleague.
He nodded again. "Hagrid. I need you to go up to the castle. You should be
able to get in through the kitchen door easily enough. Ask the house-elves to
baton down the hatches then I need you to send owls to Professor Dumbledore and
the Ministry telling them what's happening and asking for their immediate
assistance."
"Yes Professor." He said and she noted the look of pride in his eyes. "And
good luck ter ye'"
"Thank you." She replied and turned to her other colleagues who instantly paid
attention. Telling them what she knew didn't take long and thankfully nobody
objected to the planned course of action when she told them, or at least no one
spoke out against it.
"MG?" The games' mistress asked once she was done. "How about a couple of us
stay out, keep an eye on the students. You know?" She should have thought of
that. Lupin volunteered to stay with Xiomara so that was that.
"I would suggest that those who teach wand based principles form the outer ring
as that'll help balance the flow of energy." Suggested Flitwick who was the
charms teacher after all. Again she agreed and soon they were all away
preparing themselves, or in Xi and Remus's case, the pupils. It didn't take
long for the two of them to pick the shielding charm they would use. She knew
it and had used it in the past but it was notoriously difficult to maintain when
used to protect more than one person. She took a moment to close her eyes and
start to focus.
"Minerva?" His voice was quiet and missing its usual acerbic edge.
"Yes?" She turned to see him looking at the ground. When he did look up she
saw a rare unguarded reflection through his eyes.
"This will work, won't it?"
"It had better." She told him placing what she hoped would be a re-assuring
hand on his arm.
"Ever the ridiculously brave and optimistic Gryffindor." He scoffed but she
knew that he didn't mean it harshly.
"And I would never suggest that you are anything but the finest example of a
sly, calculating Slytherin?" She asked the corner of her mouth twitching
upwards. This had its desired affect as he flashed her an even more rare smile.
"We better get going." He said as they both switched back to the previous
seriousness.
Minerva was almost knocked over as the initial threads of energy connected
with them but it was comforting to feel Serverus use her as an anchor as they
both leaned back ever so slightly. She was the one to count to three when they
both called "Conducto." After which she was filled with the most amazing sense
of power. It was as if every cell in her body was vibrating with the energy of
it all. But after that it was much harder to differentiate between who did or
thought what. She knew it was necessary for the conduits in this form of magic
to be able to communicate closely but she hadn't expected this kind of
connection. With her eyes closed she could still see all around her. But it
wasn't just all around her; it was all around them. They waited for a few
precious moments feeling the flow even out until it had hit something close to a
constant. Then without hesitation or consultation they both spoke again.
"Incommendatus ancilious." She felt the tug of the shield on her energy reserve
and she concentrated on channelling the incoming power to the outgoing drain.
Then they pushed. She could feel the resistance of the magic but they kept on
going until all of a sudden she seemed to know that they had gone far enough.
All she was aware of was the man behind her, with her, and the barrier. It
wasn't long before she felt something pushing back, then something else. Behind
closed lids she could see the pulsing of the energy around her, she could see
the entire perimeter and those who were firing curses and hexes at their
handiwork. They were unorganised, un-regimented. One would fire a particularly
strong curse and she would simply move her hand in their direction increasing
the flow of energy in that direction. It was as if it was all happening in slow
motion This went on for a time, though she wasn't sure how long, and she
quickly learned what incantations the shield could deal with without
reinforcement and which required her entire concentration. Suddenly there was a
flurry of activity to one side, keeping her feet planted firmly where they were,
she twisted her upperbody to meet the attack. As the charm was hit by a series
of strong curses Minerva tried to identify them, for no discernible reason, but
she thought that both the Cruciatus curse and Avada Kedavra were amongst them.
This was different. A co-ordinated attack on a small area. She couldn't dwell
on that as she put all her effort into preventing any of them breaking through.
She felt Serverus's support as she made sure that there were no other
unforgivables about to be thrown in from another direction. Then there was a
tug; something was pulling at her wand. She tried to grasp it tighter but she
knew that she wasn't going to win. She had to make a decision. She couldn't
fight both these battles at once and Serverus was being kept occupied from the
other side. Her decision was made for her when there was another fierce tug and
her wand flew out of her hand the force pulling her to her knees. For an
instant everything returned to normal. She could hear the clamour of the
students and the bright light of the sky almost blinded her but she was still in
control. She could still feel the flow of energy through her. Keeping her
hands directed at the area that was still being attacked she pushed herself back
up on to her feet. Steadying herself against Snapes' back, she closed her eyes
and once more was thrust back into her role. It took everything in her power to
stay in control, to not get carried away. She spread her attention as well as
she could around the perimeter as their attack seemed to solidify and they
became a cohesive fighting unit. Just as she felt that she was about to loose
her hold of the situation the pushing began to falter. After what must have
been a moment or two they became aware of something closer. She couldn't focus
on it but...
"...arrived...they've been taken care of. Dumbledore.... just a few more
minutes...make sure ...all gone." Lupin. It was Remus. Just a few more
minutes. She was fairly certain that these weren't her own thoughts but she
couldn't be sure. She could barely maintain the initial energy output to ensure
the shield stayed in place as she put her all behind it preventing it from
shrinking back. Then it was collapsing. Not in a manic fashion though, they
were drawing it in carefully. Serverus was ending it. There was a short surge
of energy before the quiet buzz she had become accustomed to disappeared.
Slowly she opened her eyes and managed to identify Albus among the auroras
before the world began to swim in front of her.
Disclaimer: None of the characters, places, objects etc. that you recognise belong to me. They are mot likely the property of one JK Rowling.
Summery: This story is and will probably always be centred on Minerva McGonagall and the other professors at Hogwarts. It is set in Harry's fifth year and the dream-team will likely appear however. The rating may be subject to change but all reviews are welcome.
A/N: Well, another chapter and another change of POV. Hope this isn't to confusing but if you get lost e-mail me (voyager_obsessive@yahoo.co.uk) and I'll try and clear it up for you. Mucho thanks to my all-new beta GEM hope you can see the difference now that she's had a go at my grammar *smile* I think that's about it for now, but as always - please review.
******
"Hagrid." Minerva said trying to sound friendly while the familiar note
of authority resonated through the single word. "Would you please slow down and
say that all again. I didn't catch a word of it last time." The groundskeeper
was obviously anxious to pass his information on to her but his laboured
breathing and generally worked up state made him impossible to decipher.
"Death Eaters! Flyin' this way, straight at the cast'le they are!" She could
feel herself blanche. This was the news she had been trying to convince herself
wasn't coming her way as she dashed across the field.
"How long?" She asked possibly the most important of all the questions spinning
around her head. Priorities.
"No' tha' long. Maybe five minutes, ten if yer lucky." She turned and looked
up at the professors' box and quickly caught Serverus's eye. He seemed to
understand what she tried to convey with only her eyes as he swept round and
down onto pitch level gesturing for the others to follow.
"How many?" Running through possibilities the Deputy Headmistress was beginning
to feel that they were going to be very limited in their choice of actions.
"For'ay or so best guess."
"Damn." She said quietly. Not one to cuss usually this was a sign that she was
getting worked up. She took a calming breath before Snape arrived and he was
filled in.
"I take it you didn't know about..." She trailed off as he shook his head. At
one point she would have never trusted his word but now she knew him far better
than that. In any case there would be time for that discussion later.
"We'll never get the students all back into the castle and in their common rooms
before they get here." He said quietly echoing her earlier thoughts.
"So we'll have to defend them here."
"We're out-numbered, if it comes to hand to hand combat." He countered as they
bounced ideas and observations off of one another.
"And there's bound to be casualties even if we get the older students to help."
"What we need is a shield. A charm large enough to protect the entire stadium."
She snapped her head up at him only to find his eyes widening as well.
"Are you thinking what I am?" She asked cryptically. Could they really pull
this off?
"There are enough of us." He replied. "Though I think we would have to take
centre stage." She nodded her agreement.
"It's the only way." She told him reassuring herself, as well as her colleague.
He nodded again. "Hagrid. I need you to go up to the castle. You should be
able to get in through the kitchen door easily enough. Ask the house-elves to
baton down the hatches then I need you to send owls to Professor Dumbledore and
the Ministry telling them what's happening and asking for their immediate
assistance."
"Yes Professor." He said and she noted the look of pride in his eyes. "And
good luck ter ye'"
"Thank you." She replied and turned to her other colleagues who instantly paid
attention. Telling them what she knew didn't take long and thankfully nobody
objected to the planned course of action when she told them, or at least no one
spoke out against it.
"MG?" The games' mistress asked once she was done. "How about a couple of us
stay out, keep an eye on the students. You know?" She should have thought of
that. Lupin volunteered to stay with Xiomara so that was that.
"I would suggest that those who teach wand based principles form the outer ring
as that'll help balance the flow of energy." Suggested Flitwick who was the
charms teacher after all. Again she agreed and soon they were all away
preparing themselves, or in Xi and Remus's case, the pupils. It didn't take
long for the two of them to pick the shielding charm they would use. She knew
it and had used it in the past but it was notoriously difficult to maintain when
used to protect more than one person. She took a moment to close her eyes and
start to focus.
"Minerva?" His voice was quiet and missing its usual acerbic edge.
"Yes?" She turned to see him looking at the ground. When he did look up she
saw a rare unguarded reflection through his eyes.
"This will work, won't it?"
"It had better." She told him placing what she hoped would be a re-assuring
hand on his arm.
"Ever the ridiculously brave and optimistic Gryffindor." He scoffed but she
knew that he didn't mean it harshly.
"And I would never suggest that you are anything but the finest example of a
sly, calculating Slytherin?" She asked the corner of her mouth twitching
upwards. This had its desired affect as he flashed her an even more rare smile.
"We better get going." He said as they both switched back to the previous
seriousness.
Minerva was almost knocked over as the initial threads of energy connected
with them but it was comforting to feel Serverus use her as an anchor as they
both leaned back ever so slightly. She was the one to count to three when they
both called "Conducto." After which she was filled with the most amazing sense
of power. It was as if every cell in her body was vibrating with the energy of
it all. But after that it was much harder to differentiate between who did or
thought what. She knew it was necessary for the conduits in this form of magic
to be able to communicate closely but she hadn't expected this kind of
connection. With her eyes closed she could still see all around her. But it
wasn't just all around her; it was all around them. They waited for a few
precious moments feeling the flow even out until it had hit something close to a
constant. Then without hesitation or consultation they both spoke again.
"Incommendatus ancilious." She felt the tug of the shield on her energy reserve
and she concentrated on channelling the incoming power to the outgoing drain.
Then they pushed. She could feel the resistance of the magic but they kept on
going until all of a sudden she seemed to know that they had gone far enough.
All she was aware of was the man behind her, with her, and the barrier. It
wasn't long before she felt something pushing back, then something else. Behind
closed lids she could see the pulsing of the energy around her, she could see
the entire perimeter and those who were firing curses and hexes at their
handiwork. They were unorganised, un-regimented. One would fire a particularly
strong curse and she would simply move her hand in their direction increasing
the flow of energy in that direction. It was as if it was all happening in slow
motion This went on for a time, though she wasn't sure how long, and she
quickly learned what incantations the shield could deal with without
reinforcement and which required her entire concentration. Suddenly there was a
flurry of activity to one side, keeping her feet planted firmly where they were,
she twisted her upperbody to meet the attack. As the charm was hit by a series
of strong curses Minerva tried to identify them, for no discernible reason, but
she thought that both the Cruciatus curse and Avada Kedavra were amongst them.
This was different. A co-ordinated attack on a small area. She couldn't dwell
on that as she put all her effort into preventing any of them breaking through.
She felt Serverus's support as she made sure that there were no other
unforgivables about to be thrown in from another direction. Then there was a
tug; something was pulling at her wand. She tried to grasp it tighter but she
knew that she wasn't going to win. She had to make a decision. She couldn't
fight both these battles at once and Serverus was being kept occupied from the
other side. Her decision was made for her when there was another fierce tug and
her wand flew out of her hand the force pulling her to her knees. For an
instant everything returned to normal. She could hear the clamour of the
students and the bright light of the sky almost blinded her but she was still in
control. She could still feel the flow of energy through her. Keeping her
hands directed at the area that was still being attacked she pushed herself back
up on to her feet. Steadying herself against Snapes' back, she closed her eyes
and once more was thrust back into her role. It took everything in her power to
stay in control, to not get carried away. She spread her attention as well as
she could around the perimeter as their attack seemed to solidify and they
became a cohesive fighting unit. Just as she felt that she was about to loose
her hold of the situation the pushing began to falter. After what must have
been a moment or two they became aware of something closer. She couldn't focus
on it but...
"...arrived...they've been taken care of. Dumbledore.... just a few more
minutes...make sure ...all gone." Lupin. It was Remus. Just a few more
minutes. She was fairly certain that these weren't her own thoughts but she
couldn't be sure. She could barely maintain the initial energy output to ensure
the shield stayed in place as she put her all behind it preventing it from
shrinking back. Then it was collapsing. Not in a manic fashion though, they
were drawing it in carefully. Serverus was ending it. There was a short surge
of energy before the quiet buzz she had become accustomed to disappeared.
Slowly she opened her eyes and managed to identify Albus among the auroras
before the world began to swim in front of her.