In the Jaws of Darkness
Molly Weasley paced back and forth nervously. She glanced at her watch and continued pacing again. Where were they? Where were they?
There was a sudden pop and she turned around, her wand drawn. For a moment she gaped and then raced to his side. The reek of smoke came off of him, his robes were singed and blood caked his face and beard.
"Albus what happened?" Molly cried, her voice cracked with fear. She quickly steered him toward a seat.
"It was a trap." Dumbledore rumbled. His eyes were unfocused and his head lolled upon his shoulders. He looked exhausted and he looked frail. "They destroyed the Ministry and everything in it. It was all a trap." He dropped his head into his hands, Molly gasped. Tears forming.
"What about Author and Percy?" She asked.
"I'm the only one who made it out." Dumbledore said. There was pain and sadness in his voice. "I tried to shield them, but the power from the explosions was too great. I barely even managed to survive."
Molly felt her hands shaking; she gripped them tightly into fists. She couldn't lose control now. Things had to be done. Voldemort had made his move and now he had to be fought. She couldn't let go now. She would grieve later. For now things had to be done. Dumbledore needed her.
"What are we to do now?" She asked, her voice calm.
"We must gather all those we can. Voldemort has attacked Hogwarts and I don't know how long they'll hold."
Molly felt ice growing inside her. Hogwarts? Why would he attack the school? Fear coursed through her. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry! They were all in danger. She felt a solid grip upon her arm.
"We must gather all those that we can first, Molly." Dumbledore said. "We can't rush in their blind, they'll know we're coming and they'll be ready." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have left. They're just students." He muttered.
XXX
Seamus was screaming. Ginny grabbed his robes and pulled him back, she felt the hot spray of something and raised her wand. The werewolf that had attacked him took a swipe at her, Ginny pushed all her anger and hate into the curse and the monster flew back, smashing against the far wall.
"Oh, Ginny. Oh, Ginny." Amanda was crying. She held a wad of bandages against Seamus' chest. Already they were soaked with crimson. "There's just too much. I can't stop it."
Ginny glanced at the solemn faces of the forty students that she was leading to safety. They weren't crying anymore. They weren't panicking. They were like zombies. They just followed her commands unquestioningly and they felt nothing. They were beyond fear and beyond feeling; they were just trying to survive the horror of everything.
"Leave him." Ginny said. She felt a stab of pain. She looked down at the face of one of her friends. She remembered his jokes, his antics, and she felt a wave of despair and pain. She quickly crushed them down. She couldn't feel anything now. She couldn't let herself feel the pain, the hurt, and the fear that coursed through her. She had a mission and she was determined to complete it.
Amanda stared at her with horror in her eyes. She quickly wrapped the bandages around his ruined chest, sobbing as she stood up and walked back to the group. She kept staring at her shaking hands.
"You." Ginny pointed to a forth year student she vaguely recognized from the DA meetings. The boy blinked at her and came forward.
"Yes?" He asked.
"You have your wand?"
"Yes."
"You stand beside me. You attack anything that isn't human or looks like a student. You don't hesitate, you don't second-guess. You just attack. You got it?" Ginny said roughly. She watched the horror on his face, the fear, and the sudden determination. He nodded, gripping his wand tightly. Ginny felt her heart turn to stone; she looked away and started down the hall.
Behind her the line of students began moving, Colin Creevey, bringing up the rear, spared a glance at his friend. He couldn't summon up the sadness and the pain to mourn the lost of another friend. He felt dead inside, as if everything had been scoured away. He watched the light fade from Seamus' eyes and he followed the group. They were what mattered. They had to be taken to safety. They had to get out of the castle.
Down the stairs they went. Ginny smashed another werewolf, a troll was torn apart, and a Death Eater that was too busy torturing a child was destroyed. The boy at her side vanished and was replaced by a sobbing blonde haired girl that seemed to know what she was doing.
Everything felt disjointed. Ginny felt as if she were only seeing clips and moments, she didn't remember the journey down the corridors. The fighting off of monsters. The thinning of their group. She just felt the rage, the anger, and the determination that filled her. Everything that blocked their path was destroyed, everything that halted them was ruined. And she continued forward.
Somehow they got out to the lawns. Her arm hurt and she saw it was covered in blood. The blonde girl was gone and she looked back to see a third of the forty gone. Colin was being dragged by two first years, his robes smoking and his hands burned.
She shook her head and took a deep cleaning breath. They were almost there. They were almost to the forest.
"Come on." Ginny said. She looked at the two students struggling with Colin. She felt a flare of pain. They were being slowed down, but something inside her didn't want more death. She didn't want more people lost along the way. She shoved two larger students to carry him and she moved on.
A giant barreled down upon the group, its huge club lifted high and a crazed rage in its eye. Ginny moved quickly, shattering the ground beneath its feet, then sending its club smashing into a group of redcaps that were on its trail.
The giant raged and roared, then it began screaming. Lightning crackled over its body and a hot stench of burning flesh filled the air. Ginny wrinkled her nose from the smell. She hadn't done that. She looked around and spotted a group of figures racing toward her.
She readied for another attack, but then the incoming group came into focus. She shook her head. Michael. She felt a wave of exhaustion and pain, her knees buckled for a moment. There was a student at her side, gripping her arm and keeping her steady.
She shook off the momentary weakness and pushed down all the sense of fatigue and pain. She couldn't let go now, they still had to get to the forest. "Come on." She said to the kids and they followed her.
"Ginny!" Michael cried, bounding toward her. "How'd you guys get out?" He glanced at the students, at the blood upon their robes, and the haunted expressions upon their faces. "Oh, Jesus. Come on, I've managed to get students heading for the Forbidden Forest. Ironically it's the safest place here." He grabbed her shoulder and steered her toward the dark towering trees.
"Harry and the others are still in there. We can't leave them behind." Ginny said, brushing off his hands.
"What?" Michael asked shocked. "We barely survived the attack upon Ravenclaw Tower and now you want us to go back into the castle?" He didn't sound angry, only weary, as if he didn't have the energy for anger or rage. "Damn it, Ginny. Only ten of the kids managed to get down from the Tower. Luna and Padma couldn't hold them back." Tears ran down his face and he looked at her hopelessly. "T couldn't help them, what can I do to help Harry? He's facing HIM, not monsters and Death Eaters."
Ginny hesitated for a moment. She looked at the students. None of them were strong enough for what needed doing, she looked at Michael's group. They were in the same boat. She quickly recognized a few faces from the DA, but she knew they were not the strongest fighters. Those had all gone with Harry to fight Voldemort.
She glanced back at the castle and back at the students.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She whispered and ordered children toward the forest.
XXX
Snape had fought well. Lucius Malfoy had to give the traitor that. He had fought to the end, taking countless Dark Creatures with him and several Death Eaters. But in the end he had been killed and the House he had protected so bravely fell into Malfoy's hands.
Malfoy looked at the frightened faces of the students that lined the common room of the Slytherin House. He smiled at them and felt them flinch. They knew what was happening outside their house. They could feel the vibrations of the battle, the screams that filled the air, and they saw the charred, broken body of their house head.
"The Dark Lord Voldemort is victorious. Dumbledore is dead. The Ministry is shattered. Potter is in his clutches." Malfoy announced. He could feel the fear, the worry, and the shock that came from them. Dumbledore dead? How could that be? "I give you all a chance now. A chance to join the Dark Lord and become one of his. The Slytherin House had always been a favorite, now is the time you show your true spirit and embrace the new power." Malfoy's cold gaze swept over the gathered students.
"Step forward and join us."
There was a momentary indecision. People looked at one another and then spoke in hushed voices. Suddenly a raven hair girl stepped forward. She sneered at the others and knelt before Malfoy.
"I would be honored to serve the Dark Lord." She said.
"Ah, Miss Bulstrode. Welcome." Malfoy smiled and the girl took a step back.
There was a shuffle as other students pushed forward and mumbled their allegiance to the Dark Lord. All except a handful of students. Malfoy fumed. They should have all came forward, they should have all stood with the Dark Lord.
"Why do you stand there?" Malfoy asked.
A brown haired boy stared at him defiantly. "I choose not to stand with the Dark Lord." He said simply. The others beside him nodded.
"Then you die." Malfoy roared pulling out his wand. "Crucio!"
They screamed until they ran out of breath and they twitched in pain until their bodies couldn't handle it anymore. They died horrible deaths. Malfoy laughed and turned upon the students that had joined him. He glanced at their faces, some held shock, some excitement, but all looked at him in fear.
He scanned the faces, matching names with faces. He had been planning this moment for a while now. The Slytherin House would stand beside the Dark Lord and they would triumph. Now there needed doing a few things. It was one thing to have the entire house join the Dark Lord, but Malfoy would not stand the presence of Mud Bloods.
He had gone over all the records of the students. He had marked down all those that were not suited to stand beside the Dark Lord for the impurity that ran through their veins. They would be culled and Voldemort would have a pure blooded army of young witches and wizards at his side.
XXX
It was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. Nothing this horrible could happen in reality? Could it?
Harry Potter was gripped between two large Death Eaters, while Voldemort, the Dark Lord, fussed with something upon a large slab of stone that had been brought into the Great Hall. He gestured to the two Death Eaters and they dragged Harry forward. He didn't resist, he didn't fight back. His mind was still trying to grasp where he was, he kept hearing screaming, and his eyes wouldn't focus.
"Tie him down." Hissed a voice. Harry was strapped to the stone slab, his back to the stone and he faced outward toward the large doors that allowed entrance into the hall. "You'll want to see this, Potter." The voice said.
"I-I can't. I lost my glasses." Harry mumbled, his mind wouldn't focus. It felt as if he were floating, disconnected from his body. Everything seemed to hurt and it seemed take a lot of effort to concentrate upon moving his limbs. They felt heavy and weak.
"My nemesis." Sneered the voice. Harry felt his head jerked back and he stared into the red eyes of a monster. It's cold breath chilled his skin and it's dry snakelike hands traced his eyes. "How can it be that a child will destroy me? A child that can't even see with out the help of glasses. Oculus Medicor."
Harry felt a terrible burning sensation in his eyes. He screamed out and tried to grab at them, but his arms had been tied back. He heard the snickering of the Death Eaters. Suddenly everything seemed to come together. The screaming, the sobbing, the cruel laughing.
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort. His vision was clear, but he wished it weren't so. He wished he was able to hide behind his bad eyesight. The skull white snake faced monster stood before him. His red eyes glowed in a twisted merriment.
"See. You should thank me for healing your eyesight. Not many wizards can do that. It takes one with great power, great will." Voldemort came close to him, their faces just inches apart. "I gave you back your sight, so you can witness this and despair. Know that I have won and now you will watch all that you love burn and die." He turned around quickly and gestured for the door to open.
Several groups of children began walking into the room. From their tattered robes they were Hogwarts students. They didn't look dazed, hurting, or anything. They were stiff and they were walking in quiet order. Harry realized they were under the Imperius Spell. He recognized many from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, but none from Slytherin. No, wait. Another group of students entered the room; they were lead by Lucius Malfoy.
Malfoy sneered at Harry and bowed before Voldemort who had occupied a large ebon throne decorated with ivory skulls and emerald snakes.
"My Lord. I show to you the loyal recruits for your armies." Malfoy waved the students forward. Many had fear on their faces and many kept glancing at Harry. They muttered their loyalty to Voldemort and quickly got out of his cold, soul searing gaze.
"Begin." Voldemort hissed. An excited murmur filled the Great Hall. The surviving Death Eaters, and to Harry's horror there were plenty, glanced toward Harry and the students, a knowing smile upon their faces.
A woman stepped forward. Harry recognized her as Bellatrix. She smiled at Harry and waved her wand. A small dark haired boy stepped forward. He moved surely and quietly, standing only a few feet from Harry. Suddenly he collapsed into a sobbing mass, clutching an arm and rocking back an forth upon the ground. He had been released form the Imperious Spell.
'What's your name?" Bellatrix asked coldly. The sobbing stopped and the boy looked up at her.
"J-Joshua M-Moore. I-I'm a second year Ravenclaw." He said, he looked pleadingly at Harry. Help me.
Bellatrix smiled coldly, staring at Harry. "Joshua Moore. He dies for you, Potter." She said, and pointed her wand toward the boy. 'Crucio!"
Molly Weasley paced back and forth nervously. She glanced at her watch and continued pacing again. Where were they? Where were they?
There was a sudden pop and she turned around, her wand drawn. For a moment she gaped and then raced to his side. The reek of smoke came off of him, his robes were singed and blood caked his face and beard.
"Albus what happened?" Molly cried, her voice cracked with fear. She quickly steered him toward a seat.
"It was a trap." Dumbledore rumbled. His eyes were unfocused and his head lolled upon his shoulders. He looked exhausted and he looked frail. "They destroyed the Ministry and everything in it. It was all a trap." He dropped his head into his hands, Molly gasped. Tears forming.
"What about Author and Percy?" She asked.
"I'm the only one who made it out." Dumbledore said. There was pain and sadness in his voice. "I tried to shield them, but the power from the explosions was too great. I barely even managed to survive."
Molly felt her hands shaking; she gripped them tightly into fists. She couldn't lose control now. Things had to be done. Voldemort had made his move and now he had to be fought. She couldn't let go now. She would grieve later. For now things had to be done. Dumbledore needed her.
"What are we to do now?" She asked, her voice calm.
"We must gather all those we can. Voldemort has attacked Hogwarts and I don't know how long they'll hold."
Molly felt ice growing inside her. Hogwarts? Why would he attack the school? Fear coursed through her. Ginny, Ron, Hermione, Harry! They were all in danger. She felt a solid grip upon her arm.
"We must gather all those that we can first, Molly." Dumbledore said. "We can't rush in their blind, they'll know we're coming and they'll be ready." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have left. They're just students." He muttered.
XXX
Seamus was screaming. Ginny grabbed his robes and pulled him back, she felt the hot spray of something and raised her wand. The werewolf that had attacked him took a swipe at her, Ginny pushed all her anger and hate into the curse and the monster flew back, smashing against the far wall.
"Oh, Ginny. Oh, Ginny." Amanda was crying. She held a wad of bandages against Seamus' chest. Already they were soaked with crimson. "There's just too much. I can't stop it."
Ginny glanced at the solemn faces of the forty students that she was leading to safety. They weren't crying anymore. They weren't panicking. They were like zombies. They just followed her commands unquestioningly and they felt nothing. They were beyond fear and beyond feeling; they were just trying to survive the horror of everything.
"Leave him." Ginny said. She felt a stab of pain. She looked down at the face of one of her friends. She remembered his jokes, his antics, and she felt a wave of despair and pain. She quickly crushed them down. She couldn't feel anything now. She couldn't let herself feel the pain, the hurt, and the fear that coursed through her. She had a mission and she was determined to complete it.
Amanda stared at her with horror in her eyes. She quickly wrapped the bandages around his ruined chest, sobbing as she stood up and walked back to the group. She kept staring at her shaking hands.
"You." Ginny pointed to a forth year student she vaguely recognized from the DA meetings. The boy blinked at her and came forward.
"Yes?" He asked.
"You have your wand?"
"Yes."
"You stand beside me. You attack anything that isn't human or looks like a student. You don't hesitate, you don't second-guess. You just attack. You got it?" Ginny said roughly. She watched the horror on his face, the fear, and the sudden determination. He nodded, gripping his wand tightly. Ginny felt her heart turn to stone; she looked away and started down the hall.
Behind her the line of students began moving, Colin Creevey, bringing up the rear, spared a glance at his friend. He couldn't summon up the sadness and the pain to mourn the lost of another friend. He felt dead inside, as if everything had been scoured away. He watched the light fade from Seamus' eyes and he followed the group. They were what mattered. They had to be taken to safety. They had to get out of the castle.
Down the stairs they went. Ginny smashed another werewolf, a troll was torn apart, and a Death Eater that was too busy torturing a child was destroyed. The boy at her side vanished and was replaced by a sobbing blonde haired girl that seemed to know what she was doing.
Everything felt disjointed. Ginny felt as if she were only seeing clips and moments, she didn't remember the journey down the corridors. The fighting off of monsters. The thinning of their group. She just felt the rage, the anger, and the determination that filled her. Everything that blocked their path was destroyed, everything that halted them was ruined. And she continued forward.
Somehow they got out to the lawns. Her arm hurt and she saw it was covered in blood. The blonde girl was gone and she looked back to see a third of the forty gone. Colin was being dragged by two first years, his robes smoking and his hands burned.
She shook her head and took a deep cleaning breath. They were almost there. They were almost to the forest.
"Come on." Ginny said. She looked at the two students struggling with Colin. She felt a flare of pain. They were being slowed down, but something inside her didn't want more death. She didn't want more people lost along the way. She shoved two larger students to carry him and she moved on.
A giant barreled down upon the group, its huge club lifted high and a crazed rage in its eye. Ginny moved quickly, shattering the ground beneath its feet, then sending its club smashing into a group of redcaps that were on its trail.
The giant raged and roared, then it began screaming. Lightning crackled over its body and a hot stench of burning flesh filled the air. Ginny wrinkled her nose from the smell. She hadn't done that. She looked around and spotted a group of figures racing toward her.
She readied for another attack, but then the incoming group came into focus. She shook her head. Michael. She felt a wave of exhaustion and pain, her knees buckled for a moment. There was a student at her side, gripping her arm and keeping her steady.
She shook off the momentary weakness and pushed down all the sense of fatigue and pain. She couldn't let go now, they still had to get to the forest. "Come on." She said to the kids and they followed her.
"Ginny!" Michael cried, bounding toward her. "How'd you guys get out?" He glanced at the students, at the blood upon their robes, and the haunted expressions upon their faces. "Oh, Jesus. Come on, I've managed to get students heading for the Forbidden Forest. Ironically it's the safest place here." He grabbed her shoulder and steered her toward the dark towering trees.
"Harry and the others are still in there. We can't leave them behind." Ginny said, brushing off his hands.
"What?" Michael asked shocked. "We barely survived the attack upon Ravenclaw Tower and now you want us to go back into the castle?" He didn't sound angry, only weary, as if he didn't have the energy for anger or rage. "Damn it, Ginny. Only ten of the kids managed to get down from the Tower. Luna and Padma couldn't hold them back." Tears ran down his face and he looked at her hopelessly. "T couldn't help them, what can I do to help Harry? He's facing HIM, not monsters and Death Eaters."
Ginny hesitated for a moment. She looked at the students. None of them were strong enough for what needed doing, she looked at Michael's group. They were in the same boat. She quickly recognized a few faces from the DA, but she knew they were not the strongest fighters. Those had all gone with Harry to fight Voldemort.
She glanced back at the castle and back at the students.
"I'm sorry, Harry." She whispered and ordered children toward the forest.
XXX
Snape had fought well. Lucius Malfoy had to give the traitor that. He had fought to the end, taking countless Dark Creatures with him and several Death Eaters. But in the end he had been killed and the House he had protected so bravely fell into Malfoy's hands.
Malfoy looked at the frightened faces of the students that lined the common room of the Slytherin House. He smiled at them and felt them flinch. They knew what was happening outside their house. They could feel the vibrations of the battle, the screams that filled the air, and they saw the charred, broken body of their house head.
"The Dark Lord Voldemort is victorious. Dumbledore is dead. The Ministry is shattered. Potter is in his clutches." Malfoy announced. He could feel the fear, the worry, and the shock that came from them. Dumbledore dead? How could that be? "I give you all a chance now. A chance to join the Dark Lord and become one of his. The Slytherin House had always been a favorite, now is the time you show your true spirit and embrace the new power." Malfoy's cold gaze swept over the gathered students.
"Step forward and join us."
There was a momentary indecision. People looked at one another and then spoke in hushed voices. Suddenly a raven hair girl stepped forward. She sneered at the others and knelt before Malfoy.
"I would be honored to serve the Dark Lord." She said.
"Ah, Miss Bulstrode. Welcome." Malfoy smiled and the girl took a step back.
There was a shuffle as other students pushed forward and mumbled their allegiance to the Dark Lord. All except a handful of students. Malfoy fumed. They should have all came forward, they should have all stood with the Dark Lord.
"Why do you stand there?" Malfoy asked.
A brown haired boy stared at him defiantly. "I choose not to stand with the Dark Lord." He said simply. The others beside him nodded.
"Then you die." Malfoy roared pulling out his wand. "Crucio!"
They screamed until they ran out of breath and they twitched in pain until their bodies couldn't handle it anymore. They died horrible deaths. Malfoy laughed and turned upon the students that had joined him. He glanced at their faces, some held shock, some excitement, but all looked at him in fear.
He scanned the faces, matching names with faces. He had been planning this moment for a while now. The Slytherin House would stand beside the Dark Lord and they would triumph. Now there needed doing a few things. It was one thing to have the entire house join the Dark Lord, but Malfoy would not stand the presence of Mud Bloods.
He had gone over all the records of the students. He had marked down all those that were not suited to stand beside the Dark Lord for the impurity that ran through their veins. They would be culled and Voldemort would have a pure blooded army of young witches and wizards at his side.
XXX
It was a nightmare. It had to be a nightmare. Nothing this horrible could happen in reality? Could it?
Harry Potter was gripped between two large Death Eaters, while Voldemort, the Dark Lord, fussed with something upon a large slab of stone that had been brought into the Great Hall. He gestured to the two Death Eaters and they dragged Harry forward. He didn't resist, he didn't fight back. His mind was still trying to grasp where he was, he kept hearing screaming, and his eyes wouldn't focus.
"Tie him down." Hissed a voice. Harry was strapped to the stone slab, his back to the stone and he faced outward toward the large doors that allowed entrance into the hall. "You'll want to see this, Potter." The voice said.
"I-I can't. I lost my glasses." Harry mumbled, his mind wouldn't focus. It felt as if he were floating, disconnected from his body. Everything seemed to hurt and it seemed take a lot of effort to concentrate upon moving his limbs. They felt heavy and weak.
"My nemesis." Sneered the voice. Harry felt his head jerked back and he stared into the red eyes of a monster. It's cold breath chilled his skin and it's dry snakelike hands traced his eyes. "How can it be that a child will destroy me? A child that can't even see with out the help of glasses. Oculus Medicor."
Harry felt a terrible burning sensation in his eyes. He screamed out and tried to grab at them, but his arms had been tied back. He heard the snickering of the Death Eaters. Suddenly everything seemed to come together. The screaming, the sobbing, the cruel laughing.
Harry opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort. His vision was clear, but he wished it weren't so. He wished he was able to hide behind his bad eyesight. The skull white snake faced monster stood before him. His red eyes glowed in a twisted merriment.
"See. You should thank me for healing your eyesight. Not many wizards can do that. It takes one with great power, great will." Voldemort came close to him, their faces just inches apart. "I gave you back your sight, so you can witness this and despair. Know that I have won and now you will watch all that you love burn and die." He turned around quickly and gestured for the door to open.
Several groups of children began walking into the room. From their tattered robes they were Hogwarts students. They didn't look dazed, hurting, or anything. They were stiff and they were walking in quiet order. Harry realized they were under the Imperius Spell. He recognized many from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff, but none from Slytherin. No, wait. Another group of students entered the room; they were lead by Lucius Malfoy.
Malfoy sneered at Harry and bowed before Voldemort who had occupied a large ebon throne decorated with ivory skulls and emerald snakes.
"My Lord. I show to you the loyal recruits for your armies." Malfoy waved the students forward. Many had fear on their faces and many kept glancing at Harry. They muttered their loyalty to Voldemort and quickly got out of his cold, soul searing gaze.
"Begin." Voldemort hissed. An excited murmur filled the Great Hall. The surviving Death Eaters, and to Harry's horror there were plenty, glanced toward Harry and the students, a knowing smile upon their faces.
A woman stepped forward. Harry recognized her as Bellatrix. She smiled at Harry and waved her wand. A small dark haired boy stepped forward. He moved surely and quietly, standing only a few feet from Harry. Suddenly he collapsed into a sobbing mass, clutching an arm and rocking back an forth upon the ground. He had been released form the Imperious Spell.
'What's your name?" Bellatrix asked coldly. The sobbing stopped and the boy looked up at her.
"J-Joshua M-Moore. I-I'm a second year Ravenclaw." He said, he looked pleadingly at Harry. Help me.
Bellatrix smiled coldly, staring at Harry. "Joshua Moore. He dies for you, Potter." She said, and pointed her wand toward the boy. 'Crucio!"