91-92 SS/PS; 92-93 COS; 93-94 POA; 94-95 GOF; 95-96 OotP;
96-97 6th year; 97-98 7th year
Spring, 1997 – End of Harry Potter's 6th Year at Hogwarts.
Due to the burial of the information by Fudge for the year following his return, Lord Voldemort was able to regain a strong foundation of power.
In the second year- even after acknowledgment the old Death Eaters began to practice atrocities on muggle and wizard families that Fudge managed to keep out of the press until the cover-ups grew too numerous that a reformed Rita Skeeter blew the whistle.
Unfortunately, due to her pervious exaggerations, no one believed the threat was as great as she made it out to be. She was found murdered in her office a month later, all her files burnt by magic.
Hogsmede was attacked during a visitation weekend, before the Christmas holidays at Hogwarts in the winter of 1996. Professor Flitwick was in the Three Broomsticks, and heroically held off the death-eaters, giving the students and other customers inside a chance to escape through the secret tunnel in the basement, guided by Lupin, Harry, Hermione and Ron Weasley.
Lupin, who was again teaching at Hogwarts, reveiled that he and his friends had discovered the tunnel while still a student at Hogwarts. Flitwick was killed, along with two other professors and several inhabitants of the town.
Lory, who had been teaching and tutoring at Hogwarts for 12 years was nominated by the other heads of households and faculty to be elevated to a full professorship, and become the new Head of Ravenclaw house during the Spring term. Many parents began to pull their students out of Hogwarts, but the threat to the wizard world increased, and the students returned after Easter with many requests pouring in for the students to be allowed to stay during the summer.
Dumbledore tried to keep things as normalized as possible for the students, despite his increased involvement with fighting the Death-eaters and Lord Voldemort. During that summer, there were rumors that the Giants were beginning to make trouble in the north, and two unsussessful attacks were made against Hogwarts and the Ministry. A Yule Ball and feast were again held for the many students remaining over Christmas.
There were increasing rumors of a threat against Hogwarts. Fudge was asked for ministry help to reinforce the school, but Dumbeldores refusal to allow dementores back on the grounds angered Fudge to the breaking point and prevented any further ministry support. A freed Lucious Malfoy again tried to have Dumbledore removed as headmaster, but the rest of the govenors refused to give into him.
Finally, in the spring of 1997, Voldemort staged a massive and successful attack against Hogwarts.
I slipped my robe, shoes, and socks off and stepped into the quiet waters of the lake. It was fresh. It was cold.
It was clean.
I stood in the shallows and watched the mist over the water in the early morning light. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon. It looked to be one of the rare beautiful spring mornings. I rinsed the soot and blood off my hands and face.
It had been a long night.
Those of us that were left were all waiting in silence.
The mists began to lift, and the full extent of the damage began to make itself apparent. The forest was still smoldering, the stadium and other outbuildings were leveled, and the castle had been nearly destroyed, and there was a thick column of smoke rising from the direction of Hogsmeade.
I turned away from the lake back towards our makeshift camp. The students I could see were all staring in numb shock at the castle. I felt anger rising. They were supposed to be safe and protected here. We took the chance that the death-eaters wouldn't attack their own children, and we were wrong. I suppose they were still safest here. We got most the remaining students out on the brooms, as the founders had originally planned.
Which is more then we can say for most of the staff.
Dumbledore was dead.
I splashed some more water on my face. I heard the sound of an owl making it's way towards me. I had an owl treat in my hand before it fully came into view. It was Hedwig, her snowy coloring easy to see in the morning light and gray soot that still filled the air. She settled herself on my gauntlet, drooping a little as if she understood what was happening. I had sent her for a Daily Prophet before the sun came up. I stilled myself before unfolding the paper, knowing what I was going to find.
"Wizard World In Panic" The main headline practically screamed out. The article below had been contributed by one of the journalists that have been embedded with us since the siege on the wizard world began.
"Muggles watched as riots of wizards take to streets as the news of Professor Albus Dumbledore's death reached the public..." I skimmed the article further. "... The remaining Hogworts staff did get the majority of students out, but many were lost as two of the dormitory towers collapsed, and more when the great hall fell..." The last line of the article read, "The wizard world is left without hope, as Harry Potter is counted among the missing. No doubt, he died bravely." I re-rolled the paper, gave it back to Hedwig and had her take it to the other professors.
I left the water, put my shoes back on, and walked back uphill towards the infirmary tent. A girl I recognized through the soot as Hermione Granger stopped me. Her arm was in a sling, and her cat was walking beside her. I remember seeing her wrench Ron away from the collapsing towers and onto her broom yelling all the while at him that Ginny was already out.
"How's Ron?" I asked quietly.
"He's with Ginny and Neville. Hagrid sent me. Professor McGonagall is asking for you."
"Of course, thanks." She looked like she was about to say something else, but started walking with me toward the tent. "What is it Hermione?"
"Have you found him?" I guessed she meant Harry.
"Not yet. That Fidelius Charm is working against us, but we'll find him." We walked the rest of the way in silence. The students and few remaining staff we passed were in shock, looked lost, or utterly without hope. The house elves moved among them, distributing food and drink. We reached the tent; I stepped through the flap while Hermione went back to her tent area. Professors Snape, and Sprout were already there with Madame Pomphry.
I sat down beside them near Professor McGonagall who was speaking quietly.
"If ever there was a time to use it, it is now." She gestured at the newspaper. She looked at me sharply in spite of her numerous injuries. We all had been told there was nothing we could do but keep her comfortable.
"But which one of us? Finnagan, where were you last night? What orders did he give you?"
"After I got the brooms to the great hall, and led the Ravenclaw students out, I was sent to help Hagrid and Charlie Weasly evacuate the forest and fight the fires the death eaters had started, why?" Snape and McGonagall exchanged a look. McGonagall spoke quietly.
"This is important, Lori, you were NOT in the castle at all last night, you were with Charlie and Hagrid?" I nodded my affirmative. I felt my eyes widen in surprise as she reached under her robes and pulled out a fine gold chain with a miniature hourglass attached to it. "You are going to have to be the one to use this, then."
"Professor?" I always wondered what happened to the time-turner Hermionie had used a couple of years ago.
"I'm dying, Lori. And the others were around Dumbledore off and on throughout the night." She started coughing, blood showing at the side of her mouth. Snape shushed her, while Sprout ordered her to lay still and continued the explanation.
"We could run into ourselves. Our world needs Dumbledore, even now more then ever. The decision to use the time turner should be made by all the heads of the households, and ideally the one to use it should be one of us. That leaves you left, as head of Ravenclaw." Sprout dabbed at the tears that welled up in her eyes, unable to continue. Any mention of Professor Flitwick did that do her.
Snape took the time turner from McGonagall and placed it over my head, looking at me with the question in his remaining eye. There really was no other choice.
"Twelve turns should be sufficient to return you to dinner last night, before we got the owl back during evening tea. We think the professor died in the great hall with the last of the students when the ceiling finally collapsed. None of us were there to be sure he got on his broom. Stay by his side, keep him safe, and get him out of the castle. If you can also get the other students out, do it." His voice was rougher then usual this morning through the scarring of his throat.
"One last thing," McGonagall spoke, again coughing a little. "This is going to be a major event to change, and a lot of time. We have no idea how you will get back here and replace yourself. Or if you even can."
"I understand. Lay still, Professor. Conserve your strength." I stood up, and Madame Pomphry came and took my place.
"Good luck, Professor Finnigan." She said quietly.
I nodded, not trusting my voice. I took the miniature hourglass and turned it over 12 times. The world dissolved around me, moving backwards quickly through the hours I would give anything not to relive.
When the world stopped spinning, I was again standing beside the lake. It was just coming on towards sunset, and the students were inside eating dinner. I quickly ran to my office in the broom shed tucking the time-turner into my robes. The only way I could conceivably pull this off would be to use my old invisibility cloak, and to grab a broom.
The cloak was going to be destroyed in the fire that would happen in the shed anyway so this was not a big piece of history to change. I know I have about one hour to get into position in the castle before the gates fully lock for the night, and another hour beyond that before the message would arrive.
I looked at the 'Hall of Broom History' that Madame Hooch and I worked on so hard together. I remembered that no one would be in the broom barn ever again, that the fire had jumped from the forest to the stadium, to the shed. There was a set-spell that she and I cast, so in case of fire we could still save these brooms. It's a small change, but worth it to me to save something Hogwart's history.
I tapped the first case with my wand to open it. I tapped my wand twice upon the oldest broom in residence and all the brooms vanished from their cases. I could retrieve them from my home workshop whenever I was able. The whole process took less then a minute, just as it was designed.
There was one other thing I realized I could do that might make a slight difference later. I magic opened all the doors on the second floor, and moved the stored racing brooms down to the first floor, and set the main barn door slightly ajar. Brooms arriving faster would get more of the students out of the castle before the whole thing came down, and get more of the brooms into the air before the shed caught on fire.
Knowing I could have difficulties if the Firebolt and Artemis brooms I called for Charlie and Myself didn't arrive, I grabbed my Silver Arrow II from its holder. I wrapped the cloak around me, and flew to the castle. I still had a half hour left before lockout.
Under the cloak, I snuck into the great hall as Professor Trelawney made her dramatic entrance during dessert. She was running, and had all the way from her tower. Hands tearing threw her hair and tears running freely down her face to mix with the blood from the scratches she had gouged into her skin.
"I saw it! It! Ashes! Ashes and dust! All, All is lost! Fly, you must fly away from here! They're coming! They're on their way now!" Snape, from the end of the head table was the first to reach her. Trying to hold her arms to her sides to keep her from further hurting herself.
Trelawney struggled violently in his arms kicking and screaming incoherently about the need to get away. Would that we had listened. But Trelawney was our Cassandra, a prophetess who would never be believed when she told the truth. Dumbledore cast a spell of sleep on her. All eyes were on him.
"Prefects, please lead your houses back to the dormitories. The rest of you, please adjourn with me to discuss this."
The students filed past me. As the Gryffindors passed, I took one last look at Harry Potter as he talked with his friends, rubbing his forehead. I was tempted to follow and protect him, but my assignment was Dumbledore.
While the sound of footsteps would still cover mine, I ran the length of the hall to follow the teachers to the parlor off of the great hall. I tried to yawn quietly as I watched the debate between the professors, the ghosts, and the head boy and girl. Finally, two owls were sent and they left. I knew once the return owl returned from the ministry, Dumbledore would send the household professors to the dormitories to tell the students to throw a few small things into their backpacks and go to the great hall to quickly evacuate the castle.
I lay on one of the couches conserving energy, making sure that the door was open for me to hear what was going on. I might have dozed a little when I heard the doors to the hall burst open. I risked a looked out of my hiding place.
Professor Dumbledore was the first person back in the great hall carrying Fawkes, I heard him directing Dobby who the head of the house elves, to quickly pack all the non-perishable food in the kitchen, fill some water barrels and get the elves out into hiding on the grounds around the lake. The elf snapped his fingers and disappeared presumably to the kitchens. I joined him not long after with the Ravenclaw students following behind me. We watched him direct Fawkes to carry the sorting hat out to the grounds beyond the lake and wait there for him in hiding.
Most of the Ravenclaw students had cleverly decided early in the year to have an emergency pack of clothes, small keep-sakes and photos, dry food, and water ready to grab-and-go and left with wands and cloaks. When the word came to evacuate the castle, they helped the few who hadn't done this with quick-packing a few belongings and leaving the rest behind. No Ravenclaw was left behind in the tower, which as one of the tallest was the first to crumble in a blast that shook the castle right after we reached the great stairs.
I watched myself help Professor Dumbledore blast out all the windows of the hall, clear the glass, and call the brooms. The Ravenclaw students were the first to leave the hall en masse as the rest of the students began to pour in. To save brooms for the students arriving later they rode out two on a broom. Other students shared brooms some did not. Many of the houses Quidditch players flew past on their own personal brooms, wands at the ready to defend their schoolmates as they left. We heard and felt the second rumble shake the castle.
No Gryffindors had arrived yet. Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, where everything was moving quickly, but not fast enough.
The Slytherin students were the next large group to arrive, looking overly calm but still very frightened under the circumstances. Most of them were carrying brooms and flew out without a backwards glance. Dumbledore directed Myself, Snape and Professor Sprout who arrived with the Hufflepuff's to guard the students as they exited. We left on the student brooms.
I flew back in a few minutes later just as the first of the Gryffindors arrived. I recognized two as Ginny and Charley Weasley nearly carrying Professor McGonagall.
Madame Pomfrey and Professor Sinistra also arrived levitating a large chest marked INFIRMERY. Poppy quickly conjured a stretcher and directed them to place Professor McGonagall on it. Ginny and Neville flew the broomsticks that guided her out to the grounds another Gryffindor helped Sinistra guide the medicine chest. As she flew out, she called out that the owls had been released.
"We were attacked, Professor." One of the students, I think possibly Seamus Finnigan told Dumbledore. "They were after Harry. They blasted out the windows of his dorm room, and I think he was placed under the imperius curse. He fought it, but there was more then one voice that cursed him. He told us to run. But last I saw he was on his Firebolt flying away from the castle. That was when they blasted the tower down around us. McGonagall got buried by part of the masonry, we got her out, and the rest are still helping to guide the others out the new exit Hermione blasted for us." Dumbledore caught a broom and handed it to him, voicelessly telling him to follow the others.
"Dumbledore, they've set the forest on fire- Hagrid is working to stop the fire and evacuate the creatures, but needs help," I reported. Snape and Sprout flew back and reported that the Death-eaters had surrounded the area and were launching cannonball-like masses of energy at the castle itself. Dumbledore looked like he was thinking quickly.
"Sprout, gather the first year students and any others not able to work and have them help Poppy set up an infirmary tent away from the burning areas. Charlie, go take some of the 2nd and third year students to help Hagrid, and get the fires under control. Lori, round up some of these brooms and get them over to Gryffindor tower then work with the 4th and 5th years to keep the death eaters away from the forest, especially from the unicorns. Fight the fires, as you're able. Snape, organize the sixth and seventh years to protect the grounds and the students unable to help." As we left, I looked back once. Dumbledore stood like a beacon of calm near the windows still directing the students out and telling them their various assignments. Another blast rocked the castle. From my hiding place I saw the damage the hall pillars were already showing.
I realized a very significant change occurred. There were enough brooms to round up and take to the tower. This would get many of the Gryffindors out before it came down in a few minutes.
Gryffindor students continued to trickle in painfully small groups mixing with the Hufflepuffs and Slytherins still grabbing brooms. I knew Dumbledore wouldn't leave until he was sure the last of the students were well away from the castle. Another loud crash sounded of stone against stone shaking of the castle, this one enough to send Dumbledore to the floor. He stood up, brushed himself off, looked at the pillars with a worried expression as another small group of students ran to the hall, joining the queue of those grabbing brooms and flew out.
I knew from before that shaking blast was the remainder of the Ravenclaw tower falling, taking part of the surrounding castle with it, and trapping more Gryffindor students under the masonry.
Hermione and Ron flew with me to get students still on the grounds to help dig out the students caught in the rubble while I rounded up those who would be with me defending the forest. Charlie and I would notice the fire had jumped to the broom barn, and the array of brooms smoldering on the ground like tinder twigs. But we'd pause long enough to retrieve my Firebolt for him, and my Silver Arrow I for me for greater maneuverability through the forest.
Ron took over the broom I was riding so He and Hermione weren't riding double. In flight, she told me that several groups were already out, and trying to get to the great hall. I passed this information onto Snape as he flew back to the hall. Guessing the Gryffindor prefect was with Snape, I left Hermione and Ron in charge of working at the tower, and flew to defend the forest and keep the fires from spreading further not to return to the castle until dawn.
I flew out of my hiding place, out the window, threw off the cloak and flew back into the hall after Snape left the third time.
"Lori, what are you doing back here?" Dumbledore spoke sharply. He looked at me over his spectacles. It was perhaps the first time I'd ever tried lying to him. And I still couldn't do it.
"The other professors sent me back. To protect you." He looked at me with his sad eyes, nodded, and let me stay. More brooms were still arriving for the waiting students. I sent out another broom call, this time for the ones that would be lying abandoned on the grounds from the students unable to fly further tonight due to shock and was rewarded a few minutes later as a new cadre of brooms flew through the windows.
The last of the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors in the hall flew out. We heard an odd crunching sound, and some plaster fell from the ceiling. I caught one of the racing brooms as it came through the window, recognizing it as a Slytherin Quidditch team broom. I was now holding two brooms in one hand, and my wand in the other.
Another group of Gryffindors came through the doors. Calling out there were still two groups behind them. The next group confirmed there was one group left and that some of the stairways had collapsed which was part of what was taking so long.
More masonry fell from the ceiling into the empty hall. Dumbledore pointed his wand up to reinforce the arches. There was a loud explosion to the side and hideous laughter as the entire west wall of the hall blasted in. Without thinking I pushed Dumbledore towards the south windows behind the think wood of the head table. We saw the final group of students reach the hall. Dumbledore continued to levitate the ceiling up as I directed the last of the brooms across the hall to them to speed up the process. They flew out through the opening in the wall riding double.
I put my Silver Arrow II into Dumbledor's hands and told it to fly, mounting the Slytherin's broom wand at ready to protect him. Just as we cleared the rubble, there was a great shaking and the great hall fell.
In the weak moonlight, I saw the hooded, masked, and cloaked figures of the death-eaters flying off into the night. The grounds lit up strangely by the green light of a giant dark mark mixing with brilliant orange from the flames. We saw the fire raging unchecked in the Quidditch stadium and other outbuildings. The smoke was obscuring most of the castle's damage.
Dumbledore and I flew down to the infirmary tent. He checked on McGonagall, who I already knew had suffered massive trauma and was bleeding internally. Dumbledore called Fawkes to him, who arrived still carrying the sorting hat. Fawkes stood near her, tears dripping from his eyes onto the wounds. Her breathing seemed to get a little easier. We sat in silence, watching for further signs of her condition improving. Finally, Dumbledore stood up, and motioned for me to follow him out of the tent.
"Please Explain. Why didn't you follow the orders I gave?" His voice held no inflection, no judgment. I took the time turner out from my robes. "Ah. You didn't. You are still off helping Hagrid and Charlie. Why did the others send you back?"
"As I said before, to protect you and save over a quarter of the students." He looked at me, waiting for further information. I squared my shoulders before I continued.
"Most of the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students died when the tower and hall collapsed. The brooms originally didn't arrive fast enough before the shed caught on fire. And there's more." I took a deep breath of the smoky air.
"You died when the hall collapsed, Professor, and it was like a catalyst. The wizard world lost its remaining hope and in panic started rioting and fully exposed our world to the Muggles. All the heads of households agreed to send me back, since I wasn't near the castle the whole night. I won't even be back on the main grounds until closer to sunrise. I may still need to be sent back 12 hours with the time turner, with the instructions to guard you, and try to save the students that were with you in the hall when it collapsed." He looked in the direction of the castle.
"And Harry Potter?"
"Because of the Fidelius Charm, we were unable to track him without you. But they didn't kill him outright in the tower, and who knows what they want him for next. You being able to call Fawkes to Minerva's side may have also saved his and her life. Hagrid found Fawkes on the grounds after sunrise, newly dead without a mark on him, next to a molten piece of metal, and a pile of ashes of leather scraps, that we could only guess was the sword and sorting hat. He was inconsolable."
We stood in silence. Dumbledore looked from the castle, to the glow of the fire from the stadium and forest a myriad of emotions warring across his face and eyes.
"Too much has now changed, the moment you were sent back from will never happen. In saving me, you may have doomed yourself, Lory." I nodded mutely. "Someday, the wizarding world- all of you, will have to learn to go on without me. I can not be around forever." I started to interrupt him, but he spoke first. "Be at peace, I have said and accepted it."
The remaining hours passed slowly, Dumbledore and Fawkes seeing to the hurts of those arriving in the infirmary tent. Finally the students fighting to save the magical creatures flew in and landed I stepped off to the side as I watched myself dismount. I also saw the look of confusion that the Silver Arrow II was propped up beside the door. It was eerie watching Dumbledore talk to my other self and explain what happened. My other self shook her head with disbelief. Looked down at her hands and walked to the lake. I followed behind her at a discrete distance.
I slipped my robe, shoes, and socks off and stepped into the quiet waters of the lake. It was fresh. It was cold.
It was clean.
I stood in the shallows and watched the mist over the water in the early morning light. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon. It looked to be one of the rare beautiful spring mornings. I rinsed the soot and blood off my hands and face.
It had been a long night.
Those of us that were left were all waiting in silence.
The mists began to lift, and the full extent of the damage began to make itself apparent. The forest was still smoldering, the stadium and other outbuildings were leveled, and the castle had been nearly destroyed, and there was a thick column of smoke rising from the direction of Hogsmeade.
I turned away from the lake back towards our makeshift camp. The students I could see were all staring in numb shock at the castle. I felt anger rising. They were supposed to be safe and protected here. We took the chance that the death-eaters wouldn't attack their own children, and we were wrong. I suppose they were still safest here. We got most the remaining students out on the brooms, as the founders had originally planned.
Then I saw an odd sight through the early morning sun. A figure of myself walking towards me. Dumbledore told me what had happened with the time turner, I guess this is just before where it all started.
She looked at me with eyes that were bloodshot and hands that were shaking. She stumbled and fell on the sand, collapsing in silent sobs and shaking with exhaustion. As I've often wished someone would do for me, I took her in my arms and rocked her tenderly. As the sun peeked over the horizon, she began to lose substance like the mists that were still burning away. I felt a flood of memories that were and were not my own flood into me. Although it would never happen, I would not forget that other future.
I splashed some more water on my face. I heard the sound of an owl making it's way towards me. I had an owl treat in my hand before it fully came into view. It was Hedwig, her snowy coloring easy to see in the morning light and gray soot that still filled the air. She settled herself on my gauntlet, drooping a little as if she understood what was happening. I had sent her for a Daily Prophet before the sun came up. I stilled myself before unfolding the paper, not knowing what I was going to find.
"Wizarding world in shock and rage at the destruction of Hogwarts." The main headline practically screamed out. The article below had been contributed by one of the journalists that have been embedded with us since the siege on the wizard world began.
I couldn't make myself read the rest, and carried Hedwig to the teachers to deliver the news to them.
We would rebuild.
And we will strike back.
And this time, we will not let Voldemort get away to come back a third time.