(3) Morning Assault
Like a knife, Harry's scar suddenly woke him from a sound sleep. He fell off the bed while rubbing his festering scar/ "Harry! Harry, what is it?! Ron stood over him. Before Harry could answer, Hermione's & Merida's voice sailed up to them from the door of the boys dormitory.
"Hey you guys, get up! The castle is under attack!"
"Might want to get your invisibility cloak, Harry!" Hermione added.
"WHAT?!" Ron & Harry called out together. "Under att---?!" A beam of a curse shot through the window, shattering it to shards. Ron & Harry dived out of the way. Harry crawled over to his trunk & pulled out his cloak as Ron bounded down the steps to the two girls. "Hey wait up! Harry is getting his cloak!"
The four of them headed out the portrait. Students ran to the Great Hall, but Harry, Ron, Hermione & Merida ran down the corridor at the side & cautiously peered out the window. It was early morning & the sun's first rays cast a pink light over the ground. Harry looked towards the forest where four figures were duelling each other; two on one side & two on the other. One was Dumbledore but Harry couldn't see the other three. What he did notice was that Dumbledore & his helper were being pushed back into the forest edge as they duelled. "Come on!" Harry yelped. "We gotta help them!" They four of them ran back the way they came & headed for the main corridor & the doors to outside. As they neared the forest, they slowed down & hid behind some trees. "It's Snape with Dumbledore!" Harry said & then tried to suppress his giggles. Merida noticed why he was laughing & slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound. There stood Snape, beside Dumbledore, battling it out & drenched in water! "Fine night to pick for playing a prank on him, Merida!" Harry scolded softly. "He didn't even have time to change into dry robes!" Harry suppressed a snort.
"How was I supposed to know we'd get attacked at 6 in the morning?" Merida defended. "But this is no time to act silly! Let's split up & see if we can trap those two!"
"Who are they anyway?" Ron asked.
"Death Eaters!" Hermione answered. "It's Lucius Malfoy & Bellatrix Black! Well, at least these two are anyway!"
"What do you mean "these two"? Harry asked. "Are you saying there are more?"
"Yes, maybe three or four more!" Hermione looked back towards the castle where spells could be seen shooting out from multiple wands in all directions.
"OK, let's split up!" Harry said. "Dumbledore & Snape are getting pushed in- --Merida? What's wrong with you?"
"It's my first real encounter with Voldomort & his kind &---uh---one other thing!" Merida said. "I know about that spidery lair in this forest!" Ron perked up & he & Merida exchanged a quick glance at each other.
"Harry....?!" Ron whined.
"Oh be quiet!" Harry retorted, rolling his eyes. "Besides, we aren't going in that far! I don't think we'll see any giant spiders today!" The four of them split up & headed into the forest after the Death Eaters, Dumbledore & Snape. Harry threw on his cloak & walked right up to Malfoy. He jinxed Malfoy with a leg-locker curse & tried not to laugh at him hopping all over the place! Dumbledore & Snape exchanged questioning glances as to who sent that spell! Ron threw a cheerful charm from his hideout in the trees&7 Bellatrix burst out laughing. Hermione did the same to Malfoy.
"Sir, I think Mr. Potter & his friends are with us!" Snape told Dumbledore. "Shall I take 5 points each for coming out here & entering the forest?"
"Nonsense!" Dumbledore declared. "If it weren't for them, we'd be stuck out here all day---EXITOS MALFOY!!!" Malfoy was thrown back several feet & collapsed in a heap.
"I will go after Miss Black!" Snape said. "She's not much to handle. See you back at the castle!"
Meanwhile, Merida was also following after Miss Black. Merida was running so fast that she didn't see where she was going. Suddenly, she tripped over something & went sprawling into the bushes. Snape didn't notice as he sped past after Bellatrix. They duelled for awhile but Bellatrix could see she was beginning to lose & decided to leave while she still had the chance but not with out getting the final word or spell. "We know she's here, Severus! Hogwarts can't hide her forever!" She then hit the Professor with a spell unknown to him & fled.
Back at the castle, Dumbledore & the other teachers managed to expel the other Death Eaters. It was getting late into the morning, but still Professor Snape & Merida had yet to return.
Like a knife, Harry's scar suddenly woke him from a sound sleep. He fell off the bed while rubbing his festering scar/ "Harry! Harry, what is it?! Ron stood over him. Before Harry could answer, Hermione's & Merida's voice sailed up to them from the door of the boys dormitory.
"Hey you guys, get up! The castle is under attack!"
"Might want to get your invisibility cloak, Harry!" Hermione added.
"WHAT?!" Ron & Harry called out together. "Under att---?!" A beam of a curse shot through the window, shattering it to shards. Ron & Harry dived out of the way. Harry crawled over to his trunk & pulled out his cloak as Ron bounded down the steps to the two girls. "Hey wait up! Harry is getting his cloak!"
The four of them headed out the portrait. Students ran to the Great Hall, but Harry, Ron, Hermione & Merida ran down the corridor at the side & cautiously peered out the window. It was early morning & the sun's first rays cast a pink light over the ground. Harry looked towards the forest where four figures were duelling each other; two on one side & two on the other. One was Dumbledore but Harry couldn't see the other three. What he did notice was that Dumbledore & his helper were being pushed back into the forest edge as they duelled. "Come on!" Harry yelped. "We gotta help them!" They four of them ran back the way they came & headed for the main corridor & the doors to outside. As they neared the forest, they slowed down & hid behind some trees. "It's Snape with Dumbledore!" Harry said & then tried to suppress his giggles. Merida noticed why he was laughing & slapped her hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound. There stood Snape, beside Dumbledore, battling it out & drenched in water! "Fine night to pick for playing a prank on him, Merida!" Harry scolded softly. "He didn't even have time to change into dry robes!" Harry suppressed a snort.
"How was I supposed to know we'd get attacked at 6 in the morning?" Merida defended. "But this is no time to act silly! Let's split up & see if we can trap those two!"
"Who are they anyway?" Ron asked.
"Death Eaters!" Hermione answered. "It's Lucius Malfoy & Bellatrix Black! Well, at least these two are anyway!"
"What do you mean "these two"? Harry asked. "Are you saying there are more?"
"Yes, maybe three or four more!" Hermione looked back towards the castle where spells could be seen shooting out from multiple wands in all directions.
"OK, let's split up!" Harry said. "Dumbledore & Snape are getting pushed in- --Merida? What's wrong with you?"
"It's my first real encounter with Voldomort & his kind &---uh---one other thing!" Merida said. "I know about that spidery lair in this forest!" Ron perked up & he & Merida exchanged a quick glance at each other.
"Harry....?!" Ron whined.
"Oh be quiet!" Harry retorted, rolling his eyes. "Besides, we aren't going in that far! I don't think we'll see any giant spiders today!" The four of them split up & headed into the forest after the Death Eaters, Dumbledore & Snape. Harry threw on his cloak & walked right up to Malfoy. He jinxed Malfoy with a leg-locker curse & tried not to laugh at him hopping all over the place! Dumbledore & Snape exchanged questioning glances as to who sent that spell! Ron threw a cheerful charm from his hideout in the trees&7 Bellatrix burst out laughing. Hermione did the same to Malfoy.
"Sir, I think Mr. Potter & his friends are with us!" Snape told Dumbledore. "Shall I take 5 points each for coming out here & entering the forest?"
"Nonsense!" Dumbledore declared. "If it weren't for them, we'd be stuck out here all day---EXITOS MALFOY!!!" Malfoy was thrown back several feet & collapsed in a heap.
"I will go after Miss Black!" Snape said. "She's not much to handle. See you back at the castle!"
Meanwhile, Merida was also following after Miss Black. Merida was running so fast that she didn't see where she was going. Suddenly, she tripped over something & went sprawling into the bushes. Snape didn't notice as he sped past after Bellatrix. They duelled for awhile but Bellatrix could see she was beginning to lose & decided to leave while she still had the chance but not with out getting the final word or spell. "We know she's here, Severus! Hogwarts can't hide her forever!" She then hit the Professor with a spell unknown to him & fled.
Back at the castle, Dumbledore & the other teachers managed to expel the other Death Eaters. It was getting late into the morning, but still Professor Snape & Merida had yet to return.