Chapter 26
Sonora was in the dungeons when she heard it. She'd lingered back behind Severus that morning, telling him she'd be upstairs in a few and not to wait for her, you big idiot. After all, the amount of loving 'activity' that had gone on the previous night, it was no surprise she was a bit, ah, behind this morning.
And so she'd been sitting on the bed, finishing the last of the complicated hair charms she wore to keep that long mass tied up securely when she heard it. A long, shrill shriek that echoed around the stone walls. Sonora instinctively ducked, not knowing why. Something about that sound… it was familiar and terrifying…
And then the castle shook. It shook. Sonora gave a shriek of her own and grabbed hastily for her cane and started hobbling out of the room as fast as possible. Merlin, this was it, wasn't it? she thought frantically. Severus, where was Severus? She had to find him, had to protect him from all those Death Eaters who would want his head…
Some part of her rational brain caught up with her another moment later, and she turned quickly and awkwardly, stumbling a bit. The potions. She needed the potions. A flick of her wand and she was off again, the crate of vials following her as she hobbled down the long stone hallways. She could hear the sounds of voices above her as she grabbed the banister and forced herself as quickly as possible up the stairs. Scared, nervous voices, all at a controlled murmur.
She was breathing hard when she finally got to the Great Hall. Sure enough, she found a crowd. The headmaster was speaking to staff, and there was a mass of students, all older students, gathered around the Gryffindor table.
"Attention," a magnified voice rang out. "Listen up, people, this is it." Sonora was still feeling weak as she peered and finally spotted the young Mr. Potter as he climbed up on the table top. "Right, here's the assignments."
A flick of his wand sent some kind of plan spinning into the air and Sonora thought she caught Dumbledore waving his hand at it as well. The plan shimmered and then expanded until Sonora could read clearly from where she was.
"Seventh years, here, here and here," Mr. Potter was saying, pointing. "You're grouped by houses, go with your house colors. Sixth years, here. Fifth and fourth years, all houses, up on the towers. You're shooting from the top down. And don't argue, that's where we need you, not because I'm putting anyone down. The younger kids are taken care of already. Teachers," he swiveled toward the teachers standing around Dumbledore, "We need you out front with the seventh and sixth years. If you're standing here," he swung back to the students, "It's because you're trusted. Take a good look. We have the students who we think are on Voldemort's side contained," there was a collective shudder at the name, "but there's no guarantee that they won't get out. Watch your backs, people."
Sonora forced her vocal chords to work. This was what she'd come for, after all. "Harry!" she called, raising her voices as much as possible. The boy must have the ears of a cat, she thought as he swung toward her.
"Professor?" he said, looking a bit impatient.
She sent the crate toward him and the table. "This is for the students here. A protection from the crucio, however temporary." Mr. Potter's face lightened a bit as he glanced down. "A swallow each should do," she called. "Get it passed out and quickly."
"Right then, pass it around, people, don't take more than a swallow," Harry was saying as vials started spinning out of the crate. Sonora was distracted, however, as she scanned the teachers, looking for Severus. Where was he?
She saw Dumbledore, McGonagall, Sprout… she even saw Hagrid. But nowhere did she see the dark head of her man. She was feeling that faintness still from her run/stumble up the stairs, and her leg was aching. And now her heart was pounding more as she began to fear for her husband's safety.
"Once you've gotten your dose, get to your place," came Harry's voice again, sounding a bit tinny in her ears. "We don't have a lot of time, people, move, move…"
Sonora sank back against the wall, her heart beating quickly, and hand finding its way to clutch the pendant she wore about her neck. It was her little piece of Severus… surely he would find his way to her and be ok…
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Ginny had gotten her swallow of the sickly sweet potion and was clutching her wand nervously as she and the other sixth years made their way toward the front doors. Their task was to protect the entrance. The seventh years and teaches were to spread out to their assigned positions on the grounds and try to pin the Death Eaters down. As far as Hermione had been able to figure, the only weak point in Hogwarts defenses was the entrance gates. The walls about the castle, she'd explained, were made of more than stone. There were some kind of ancient guarding charm on them that it was thought went all the way back to Merlin. But the gate was something the Founders had put together, and that meant it was possible Voldemort could break it.
And so they were all hoping to funnel the Death Eaters in toward the castle and surround them. Ginny shuddered as they neared the entrance. She wondered if the teachers had managed to get word to the aurors; surely that amount of magic they'd felt only minutes before would have alerted the people in Hogsmead? The Ministry? Someone?
Cara was striding along in front of the sixth years, looking pale but very determined. They hadn't seen hide or hair of Draco, or Snape, for that matter, since Harry'd made his announcement. A blast of cold air came rushing in as Cara and some Ravenclaw boy pushed the doors open wide, and Ginny had to blink the sudden sting in her eyes away. She heard gasps around her and squinted off in the distance.
She saw the smoke rising beyond the trees, in the direction of Hogsmead, and her heart fell. All the people who lived there… that probably meant the aurors were there, and if Voldemort had already moved on to take on Hogwarts, it probably meant there wouldn't be much help left from that quarter. She swallowed. It was up to them.
"Right, let's spread out, don't double layer, folks, you don't want to catch any of your own side's fire in the back by accident," Cara was yelling as she gestured to the rest of them. Ginny followed almost blindly, her mind already darting to a more important thought. Where was Harry?
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Harry's heart was pounding so hard, he was afraid someone would hear it. Ron and Hermione weren't back yet from making sure all the common rooms were secured; they were supposed to join him in his position near the front gates. They'd insisted on being right beside him, despite everything he'd tried to say. Nothing had swayed their minds.
Neville and Seamus were crouched opposite him, a good hundred yards away. Harry could sense them rather than see them. Last he'd seen of Neville, the other boy had been sickly pale and shaking just a bit. He hoped Neville managed to find all that courage he'd been showing the past week or so. The habits of a lifetime were hard to break.
Draco was supposed to be with the two Gryffindors, but there'd been no sign yet. For the hundredth time in the last few minutes, Harry worried that there was war within Hogwarts walls, and that Draco was caught in it. Hell, he was worrying about the Slytherin prat's safety? This war WAS screwed up.
His mind went to Ginny. He knew where she was supposed to be, and had no doubt that she was waiting, wand in hand for whatever was coming. Stay safe, he thought silently.
It was all he had time for, because then there was a wave of power that swept over him, knocking him backward on his rear end and sending an explosion of pain through his head. The gate exploded inward and the air was filled with dust and rubble. A piece slammed into the side of Harry's head, grazing his skull. The blow seemed to knock the pain inside away, at least. Harry could think past the bleeding wound, and forced himself to his feet.
As he did, black robbed figures began to appear from the cloud of dust. Shit, Harry thought, and raised his wand.
"Stupify!" he shouted, and the battle was on.
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Draco was herding the last four young Slytherins out of the 'back door' when Snape appeared.
"Professor?" Draco started, before he was interrupted.
"Move, quickly," Snape hissed in a soft voice at the children. The frightened first years scampered rapidly in the direction he pointed. "We have a proble…" Snape began in a low voice before there was a bolt of sizzling yellow light and he whirled and ducked. Draco instinctively followed suit, slamming the door behind him shut and muttering the strongest locking spell he knew.
"Protego," Snape hissed as a shield was thrown up between the two of them and whoever was firing curses.
There was a shrill laugh. "You damned traitors! You think we wouldn't know what was going on?" Draco recognized the voice. Pansy. That damned little bitch, she'd been just waiting to corner him, hadn't she? She'd never forgiven his defection from the Dark Side, and therefore her loss of his influence and control back in fifth year. He'd thought she'd been content to lay misery on his shoulders while under probation and then pretend he no longer existed. Apparently he'd been wrong.
He peered around Snape's dark, crouched form. The Potion Master was muttering spells under his breath as he held the shield steady. Draco saw Pansy, robbed in black, and a wave of fellow students behind her.
"We can't hold them all off with a shield," Draco said softly to the man next to him.
"I know," Snape said grimly. "Are you ready?"
Draco tightened his grip on his wand, muscles coiled tight in anticipation. "Ready," he said. And Snape dropped the shield.
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AN: Horrible! I'm horrible!! (evil laughter) But I DID make sure you got a new chapter before Thanksgiving.
AND I'm doing individual reviews…
Wyadra – I've always thought that dear old Tom has quite an ego. After all, he decided to give himself a title, didn't he? Resurrected himself from nearly dead? Wants to take over the world? Lol. At any rate, Voldemort seems to me to be the kind of person who believes no one can stand in his way, and wants the rest of the world to believe that as well. Hence my interpretation of his attack on Hogsmead and Hogwarts.
Treck – Ack! No shooting allowed.
MrsSakuraPotter – Yes. I AM trying to give you a heart attack. Did I succeed this time around? Lol.
Blucandy – Strangly, I'm intimidated… (giving worried glance)
Moonglaze – Bwahahahaha…
Social-flutterby – Why no explicit sex? It depends on the mood I'm in when I'm writing, and the mood of the scene I'm writing. That particular encounter between Harry and Ginny was as much about emotional support as it was about sex, and so to my mind the kiss was more important. Not that I don't like a good lusty bout of you-know-what… (evil chuckle)
Nymp23 – Thank you! That's quite a statement, I'll endeavor to keep up to your standards.
Ariana15 – Ok, now make with the massage! (wiggling fingers demandingly)
Lirael Goldenhand – Yes, well, my K-2 kids are doing a little show called How the Penguins Saved Christmas. I've been living with wannabe penguins since October, and we're FINALLY approaching showtime. Anywhoo…
Firenze – You busy little bee, you… you must have too much spare time.
Ferggirl99 – Don't worry, your Ronniekins (rolling eyes) gets plenty of credit. But right now he's off trying to make sure the little kids don't get creamed and still get back to save Harry's butt (or so he thinks). Now get off YOUR butt and review, damn you.
quirkygrl – Can I have Bill Weasley, with dark chocolate, to go? And yes, I'll take a extra side of strawberries…
Juliet's rose, volleypickle16, Sibling Creature, MusicMonkey88, final fantasy freak 199, mary-v, sugarbaby, Lady of Masbolle, Jennifer Cole, Silver Warrior, Hermey, Shahrezad1, ll4ever, RealityIntrovert, hplover, Maddie, LOTRFREAK77, highbrass, GoldenWing, PlatyPunk, alfvos, foxyginny, Scarlett71177, obsessed87, Barbelibou, Athena88, mysticruby, arios, James And Lily4eva – I love all my reviewers!! And this little teaser is meant to make you suffer over the holidays. I'll warn you, because of said penguins (see response to Lirael Goldenhand…) I might be a tad busy the next two weeks. I'll make every effort to alleviate your white-knuckle suspense, however… heh heh heh…