Chapter 13: Chaos ensues.
The last D.A. meeting was scheduled for the day before Christmas holidays were to begin. This was to be a recap of what they had learned. That was until they saw the message posted on the common room's bulletin board.
Attention:
Due to a recent event that is to be taking place on the actual starting date of the Christmas holidays we are moving the departure date up one day. All of your Parents have been notified and will be expecting you. The train will be leaving at 5:00 pm on Thursday and All of you are expected to be on it.
er in the day we can quickly recap it and everyone that's going can get on the train on time." Astra told them."That's a brilliant idea Astra!" Hermione stated pulling out her coin and wand. She tapped the wand to the coin and muttered a spell.
Astra took out her coin and noticed that it now said two o'clock on Thursday. "Well we'd better get packing." Hermione beamed.
"Yeah guess so." Ron muttered. "See you in a bit Harry, Astra." Hermione said running up the stairs to her room.
"So. I assume you have no where to go for the holly recap it and everyone that's going can get on the train on time." Astra told them.
"That's a brilliant idea Astra!" Hermione stated pulling out her coin and wand. She tapped the wand to the coin and muttered a spell.
Astra took out her coin and noticed that it now said two o'clock on Thursday. "Well we'd better get packing." Hermione beamed.
"Yeah guess so." Ron muttered. "See you in a bit Harry, Astra." Hermione said running up the stairs to her room.
"So. I assume you have no where to go for the holidays?" Harry turned to Astra as Ron went to the boy's dormitory. "Well, when your parents are both professors and stay at school. You don't tend to get out much" Astra shrugged. "You?"
"Nah. My aunt and uncle never want me home for the hols." Harry explained. "To tell you the truth they don't want me during the summer either but they don't have much choice on that. Personally if I could choose I wouldn't go back there at all."
"Ah. Well I guess it'll be just you, me, and my pain in the Arse brother." Astra smiled. "Can't be too bad eh?" "Nah. Piece of cake." Harry chuckled.
The parents that had agreed to come and help defend the school kept apparating to Hogsmead all month. They arrived quietly and the teachers had a bit of a job hiding them from the students. But on the day that the students were to depart and return to their homes the teachers figured there was no real reason to hide the parents from the students. The parents that had chosen to come were mostly fathers and they had to explain to their children that their mothers would be picking them up at kings cross. The children were mostly confused but thought it better to not even mention it. Ron's dad had shown up that morning. He walked cheerfully into the great hall and went straight for Dumbledore.
"Ron?" Harry said eyeing Mr. Weasley. "Yeah?" Ron said over a mouthful of food.
"Why is your dad here?" Ron choked on his food.
Hermione rolled her eyes and started to pat him on the back. "Honestly!" She muttered annoyed. "You really need to learn to swallow Ron!"
"Get off!" Ron yelled when he swallowed his food. "Well!" Hermione said huffy. "Next time I'll just let you choke!"
Ron blushed. "Sorry Hermione." He muttered. Just then Ron's dad came up beside him. "Hello! Mind if I sit?" Mr. Weasley said cheerfully.
"What are you doing here dad?" Ron asked. "Now Ron. That's my business." Arthur said eyeing Harry.
Harry blushed under Mr. Weasley's glare. "Harry my boy. How are you?" "I'm doing fine Mr. Weasley." Harry smiled wanly.
"Glad to hear it!" Mr. Weasley then turned to Hermione. "Ah! And Hermione. How is my son treating you?" "Well a side from not being appreciative of some things!" Hermione glared at Ron as he paled. "We're fine."
"Glad to hear it!" he smiled and looked around a bit. His eyes fell on Astra as she sat down beside Harry. "And who is this lovely creature?"
Astra blushed. "Uh... Astra sir." "And your surname? Surly your birth name is not just Astra."
"Snape, Astra Snape sir." She blushed even redder. "Snape? As in Severus Snape?" Arthur looked back at her father.
"Yes. He's my father and that is my mother beside him." She explained. "Oh the order is going to love this!" Arthur gleefully muttered rubbing his hands together.
Harry noticed Mr. Weasley's eyes twinkled mischief as he said that. "You know. I have always wondered where Fred and George got that look from!" Harry chuckled. "Now I know."
"What look?" Arthur feigned surprise. "The mischief look!" Harry laughed.
"Mischief, me?" Arthur joked merrily. "Not Possible." "Dad? Can you tell us anything about what's up?" Ron asked.
"Sorry Ron." Arthur's joking mood disappeared as abruptly as it had come. "Didn't think so." Ron mumbled.
When two o'clock came they all convened in the room of requirement and quickly went over their past charms as a recap. Those that needed help were given it and those that were told to practice longer did. They made plans to convene when they got back from the Christmas holidays. Harry and Astra watched as everyone left for the train. They went back to the tower and waited for the dinner bell to ring. When it never came Harry offered to sneak into the kitchens for something to eat. He figured that they must have forgotten that Astra and Harry were still there. That was exactly what had happened but they were not to know just yet why.
Astra woke with a start as she heard a really loud voice penetrate her room walls. "RELEASE HARRY POTTER TO ME AND YOU SHALL ALL BE ALLOWED TO LIVE!" a high pitched voice screamed. "YOU HAVE THIRTY MINUTES TO COMPLY!"
"What in bloody hell!" Astra cried as she jumped out of her bed. She grabbed her night robe as she ran out of her room. She made her way to the common room while fighting to get her robe on. She had reached the common room just as Harry came running down the steps wand in hand.
"Harry! What's going on?" she gasped in fear. "It's Voldemort!" Harry growled. "He's attacking the school!"
Astra paled "What are we going to do?" she asked in a voice that threatened tears. "We?" he looked at her suspiciously. "You are going to stay here! There is no we in this!"
"You can't leave me here alone Harry!" She sobbed. "Don't cry." He soothed, then sighed. "Alright come on. But stay close to me and if they break through I can get you out of here okay? But you have to stay close."
Astra nodded. Harry and Astra made their way toward the great hall but could get no further that the stair well. They were looking down the stairs in awe at at least a hundred angry looking faces. Astra looked for the familiar faces of her parents in the crowd. She spotted her father first.
"Daddy!" Astra shrieked. Severus whirled around at his daughter's voice. "Astra?" he shouted spotting her. He made his way through the bodies. "What are you doing here?" he scolded her as he reached her.
"Why shouldn't I have been?" she Asked. "Well aside from the obvious. No one told Harry or me that we were also to leave. So we stayed."
"Oh Merlin!" Severus grumbled. He turned to Harry. "Look. You have to get her out of here Potter! If you haven't looked out side, we have an army of Voldemort's followers and they are all after you! I will not let my little girl die because of you!" Severus growled. "So get her out of here!"
"But professor. Just how do you suggest I do that?" Harry protested. Even though he knew of the tunnels under the school, he didn't want Snape knowing that."
At that moment Dumbledore came up behind Snape. "Harry?" Dumbledore looked at them in shock. "Astra? What are you two doing here?"
"No one told them to get on the train." Severus grumbled. "They didn't know that the message applied to them as well. Now we have to figure out how to get them out of here and quickly!"
"What about floo?" some one suggested. Dumbledore shook his head. "I had that disconnected so that no one could floo in or out!" Dumbledore said somberly. "Harry come with me for a moment."
Harry followed. "Harry. Do you still have the marauders map?" Dumbledore asked.
Harry looked at Dumbledore in surprise. "How did you?" he started but Dumbledore held up his hand to silence him. "I have always known Harry. But that is neither here nor there. Harry you and Astra need to get out of here. Take the passage of the one eyed witch and go to the shrieking shack. Hide there until someone comes for you." Harry nodded. "Now go!"
Harry took the key that Dumbledore handed him and grabbed Astra by the arm. He ran for the statue of the one eyed witch. They heard the double doors break open as he said the password and tapped the statue. He shoved Astra into the tunnel and climbed in after her. He dragged her as fast as he could through the tunnel and once they got to the stair case that would lead them into Honeyduke's cellar Harry began climbing. He opened the trap door and held it open for Astra. they snuck up behind the counter and carefully made their way to the door. Harry opened the door and the bells above it chimed loudly. He motioned for Astra to run out the door as he heard the owners coming down the stairs. He had just gotten the door closed and got passed the window as the shop keepers came into view. They continued to run to the shrieking shack and Harry unlocked the door. He set an alarming charm on both the doors and the trap door that he knew led back to Hogwarts from under the whomping willow. He did this to ensure that if anyone had followed them he would have warning. Only then did he stop to catch his breath.
"Harry?" he heard Astra's shaky voice call him. "Do you think that they will be alright?" "I don't know Astra." He said turning to meet her. "I wish I could tell you but I can't."
Astra sat down numbly and brought her knees to her chest. She started to rock back and forth. She finally laid her head on her arms as her grief and fear took hold. Her tiny body shook with sobs. Harry knelt beside her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Astra I'm sure they'll be fine. Your father is the meanest and toughest man I know. Next to him Voldemort mouse. Nothing but old age could kill him. And to tell you the truth I'm not even sure old age could take him!" Astra continued to sob and Harry gave up trying to console her. He sat down and put his around her. She turned into his chest and sobbed until the tears were gone. She then laid her head on his lap and fell asleep. R Severus watched as Harry grabbed his daughter's arm and run in the direction that he assumed Dumbledore had told him. His thoughts were interrupted as the doors to the school burst open. He was too far away to start flinging any spells because he would only hit his friends and allies. He had been separated from Serena when Astra had called him. He now searched the crowd for her. He spotted her and made his way to her side. He was almost there when he watched in horror as Serena was hit with a curse and was knocked back. "No!" Severus yelled as he ran to his wife's side. She was awake and coherent but she couldn't't't move. "My leg!" she gasped in pain. "It's broken!"
"I've got to get you out of here!" Severus stated and put his wand into his pocket. He picked her up and took her into the great hall where Madam Pomfrey was waiting for the injured. He laid her down on a cot and grabbed his wand back out of his pocket. "I've got to go back out there." He simply stated.
Serena nodded. Severus kissed her briefly and ran back into the fray of fighters. The doors shutting behind him. He joined his fellow fighters and started yelling curses at Voldemort's followers. The death eaters he hit looked at him in surprise at first. Then they started to realize that all of the spells he used were not harmful. But they did put a death eater into harms way for a more harmful spell to take them out of the fight. Severus realized that he was putting into their minds the thought of "is he on our side still?" but most of them shrugged it off as him playing part so that Dumbledore wouldn't suspect him of betrayal. That was of course until a death eater was able to get past the fighters and search the school.
"They're all gone!" an angry voice shouted. "All of the students are gone!" The Death eaters all looked at Severus and pointed their wands at him. The fighters around him surrounded to protect.
"I WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS SEVERUS!" Voldemort growled. "You can try!" Severus scoffed.
"You don't just betray your master and live to tell about it!" one of the death eaters shouted "you had better watch your back! You'll never know which one of us it will be!"
Voldemort's followers started to withdraw from the school. "You're a dead man Severus Snape!" a few shouted as they left.
When they were gone Severus turned back to the great hall. He entered and went to Serena's side. "Well, you don't have to worry about me leaving anymore when calls my dear." Severus stated.
Serena shot him an inquiring look. "Why?" "Because they now know that I am no longer loyal to Voldemort." He winced. "I am now a hunted man."
Serena gasped. "Oh no! Severus what are we going to do?" "You are safe my dear." Dumbledore sighed. "It is Severus that is not."
Severus turned to see Albus. "Severus, I suggest you take your family to the order's headquarters." Dumbledore said somberly.
"NO!" Severus growled "I will do anything you ask but that! I will not hide!" "Severus!" Serena gasped.
"No Serena. I am not a coward and I will not hide like one." He turned to her. "If you were to ask me to relinquish my teaching position I would reluctantly do that but I will not cower or hide!"
"Severus. I understand your feelings but you have a family to protect also!" Dumbledore stated annoyed. "You need to think about them."
Severus paled. "Yes Albus." He agreed reluctantly. "I will go to the order's headquarters. But I want Serena and the kids to remain."
"No!" Serena protested. "That is not a good idea." Dumbledore Warned. "Just because Voldemort doesn't know about them yet doesn't mean that he won't find out. Your students that are loyal to him or have parents that are loyal to him will eventually tell him and that alone will put Serena and the children in danger."
"Alright!" Severus growled. "We all go. But who is going to take over the classes?" "I will find someone that is capable of doing an adequate job." Dumbledore assured him. "The most important thing is that you and your family remain safe."
Severus reluctantly agreed. No matter how much he wanted to deny it he had to go into hiding. He had to do this to protect his family. But he would never like it. If he had a choice he would storm into Voldemort's hideout and kill them all. But he would not survive that so it would do him no good.
"Well, time for me to go and get Astra." he grumbled. "Astra?" Serena looked at him in surprise.
"Yes. Harry and Astra didn't get on the train. We found this out just before the fighting began." Dumbledore explained. "I gave them instructions for and they are now hiding in the shrieking shack."
"Is she okay?" Serena looked shaken. "Yes Serena, she is fine." Albus assured her. "Harry more than likely put an alarming charm on all useable entrances to the shack. He will be close enough to those exits just incase one was breeched so that he could use the other one as a means of escape before the invaders could reach them. Harry is a very brave and resourceful boy. He would protect Astra no matter what."
"Alright." Serena sighed. "The last thing I want to request before you go to fetch the kids is to please get me out of this bloody make shift hospital!"
Severus chuckled as Albus smiled. "Your wish is my command." Severus laughed as he picked up Serena and took her to their bedroom. He made sure her leg was propped up on pillows before he kissed her and left to get his daughter.
Astra awoke to a hand on her shoulder. She looked up into her father's eyes. "Hi sweetheart." He smiled. "It's over. Are you ready to come back now?"
Astra nodded groggily. She stood up noticed that Harry was already heading out with Dumbledore. Astra looked around. "Daddy? Where's mom?" she asked.
"She's at the school. She's hurt but okay." He explained. "She just broke her leg. Nothing too serious." "Oh. And Sarul? Nari?"
"You'll see them tomorrow. Now let's get you back to the school and a hot meal." Severus took her by the arm and directed her in the same direction as Harry and Dumbledore.
When they got back to the school Severus steered her into the great hall. It looked like a small version of a war zone. There were a few small tables set up but most of the room was taken by cots full of wounded.
"Who are all these people daddy?" Astra asked confused. "There your fellow students parents that came to help us." He explained.
"Oh." She said simply. "Now, you really need to get some food in you sweet heart." Severus told her while he directed her to a seat and placing a plate of hot food in front of her.
Astra ate hungrily and much to her surprise the plate kept filling itself with food until she had her fill. When she was done she turned to her father. "Can I see mom?" she asked hopefully.
"Sure honey, come on. She's in our family room resting. She's as stubborn as I am and refused to stay in the hospital wing." Her father chuckled.
They went down to the family room and Astra went to the bedroom her parents shared. Her mother was lying on the bed with her foot propped up.
Serena looked up as her daughter entered the room. "Oh honey!" Serena held out her arms towards Astra. "I was so worried about you!"
Astra ran to her mother's arms. "I'm so glad that you and daddy are okay!" she sobbed. "So are we." Serena kissed Astra's head. "I am glad you're okay. When I found out that you were still in the school. Well the worst of possibilities ran through my head. But it is all over now."
"Yes we're all safe." Severus smiled but his thoughts betrayed his true feelings 'we're safe alright!' he thought bitterly 'but for how long?' Severus sat beside his wife and they embraced Astra until they all fell asleep.