Anywhere but in Between

I only own the plot.

So I haven't done this in a while, but I must now.

Thanks lostinwonderland for your amazing words and compliments. Your reviews have helped me keep this story on track, more than you know. Radpak, your review had me bursting out of my skin. I have never received a higher compliment. AngelicOne, you've stuck with me since the beginning, and I love seeing your reviews pop up on my screen. It's like the weekly phone calls from friends…Jenulus, thanks for your support. I'm glad that you wanted me to come back, it's really only because of you guys that I came back to it at all. HeatherGranger, suckr4romance, ffadix, paulalou…you guys are so consistent with your support of me, reviewing every chapter and telling me specifically what you liked, it's amazing. It's so much more help to me than I can express. Having another pair of eyes on this is really keeping me in check, making this the story that it is. All I'm doing is following all of your advice and encouragement.

So, thank you.

By the way, this story will be this chapter and one more, and that is all. I need to be done by Friday. I will try my utmost best to do that.

Well, we're at the battle, which I have a feeling is going to be harder to write than the last chapter, so let's get on with things.

Chapter 23 – The Battle at Hogwarts

By the time they reached Hogwarts, Ron was gasping for breath and Hermione was holding a stitch in her side. Nevertheless, they ran up the large stone steps to the entrance to the Front Hall and came barreling through the doors at top speed.

Ron came to a screeching halt, however, when he heard the sounds of the students laughing and chattering to each other as they disappeared into various classrooms.

"Hermione," he called back to her, for she had stopped a few feet behind him to try and catch her breath, "what do we do first?"

Hermione pushed herself into an upright position and a look of fierce concentration crossed her face. Ron had seen that look many times before, and it actually made him feel better about the situation. She only got that look when she was searching for the most absolute, most concrete of answers. The hall was now completely silent, signaling that all students were safely in a classroom with a teacher for now.

"Okay, first I think we need to get the students into their common rooms. They're too scattered for anyone to protect them right now. You find Flitwick, Lupin, Snape and Sprout and explain things to them. I'll go find McGonagall and then we can figure things out from there," she said, already moving past him to climb the large staircase before them.

He reached out for her arm and pulled her back to him quickly. "If something happens…"

She threw her arms around him and kissed him quickly, stopping any further conversation.

She broke away quickly, pinning him with an unwavering gaze. "Let's get this done with, so we won't ever have to be worried about being separated again. Deal?"

He nodded, and their hands came apart as she bolted up the staircase.

When Hermione got to the entrance to the Dumbledore's old quarters, she realized with a sinking heart that she didn't know the password. McGonagall must have changed it since Dumbledore's time, and she had no idea as to what it could be.

Grunting in frustration, she began pacing the floor in front of the large stone phoenix guarding the entrance. She didn't have any time to waste. She would have to just start spouting out whatever came to mind.

"Quidditch…Animagus…Transfiguration…House Cup…Gryffindor..." The phoenix remained solid and stationary as Hermione's brain rattled with possibilities. Maybe McGonagall would choose something to honor Dumbledore, but she couldn't wrap her mind around what it could possibly be.

"Albus Dumbledore…Headmaster…Order of the Phoenix…Fawkes…Dumbledore's Army…"

Still nothing. She slapped her hand against the cold stone, praying for something, anything, to help her get inside. Suddenly, she remembered something Harry had told her a very long time ago.

"I swear, the man is completely nutters…brilliant beyond belief, but nutters…he's the most powerful wizard of all time and he turns into a five year old if you wave Lemon Drops under his nose…"

"Lemon Drops!" Hermione shouted, almost desperately. To her immense relief and mild amusement, the phoenix sprang to life and began twisting slowly to reveal a staircase. She wasted no time and jumped on the revolving stones and prayed that the new headmistress was in.

Luck seemed to be with her – she only hoped it would hold out – when she spotted McGonagall sitting behind the large oak desk reviewing some odd looking papers.

"Professor…I mean, Headmistress…" Hermione rasped, still exhausted from all of her running about. McGonagall looked up in shock upon hearing her voice.

"Ms. Granger, what on Earth…"

"There's no time to explain everything," she said, approaching the desk. "All I'm asking is that you trust me enough to act first, and once the students are safe, I'll go into details."

At the mention of her students, McGonagall's worn, tired-looking face tightened into a look of concern. To her credit, however, she didn't question Hermione any further. She simply nodded and with a steady voice asked, "What is it you need me to do?"

"We need to send the students home," Hermione said, starting to pace again. "I'm just not sure how we can do it. The train is too conspicuous, no one can apparate out of the school, the fireplaces…maybe…"

McGonagall rose out of her chair. "At the very least, Ms. Granger, you need to tell me just why we're sending the students home without notifying their parents first."

Hermione stopped pacing long enough to fix McGonagall with a very serious look. "The Death Eaters are expected to attack Hogwarts at any moment. Please," she added, holding up her hand when she saw her old teacher's mouth open in protest. "I'm just asking you to trust me for now. I promise you I'll fill you in later."

McGonagall cleared her throat and a moment later, she put herself into motion. "Fine, this is what we are going to do," she said, grabbing her wand from the edge of the desk and giving Dumbledore's picture a long look before breezing by Hermione. "The students will be notified to go back to their dormitories, and –"

"Ron is already getting the heads of the houses to do that, miss," Hermione interrupted.

"Ah, so the whole gang is here, are they?" she asked, not so much in fond remembrance but almost in a shaken, foreboding way. The last time she had seen them all together, Hermione recalled, was during the last battle of the war. She could understand McGonagall's reservations now.

"Very well, I do believe you were correct before in thinking the fireplaces were the best option for safe and quick delivery of the children," she said, tapping the phoenix to begin their ride back down to the school's level. "I can get notes for each of them to take with them, but here's where you come in Ms. Granger. What exactly should they say?"

Hermione breathed deeply, knowing that a simple, quick answer would be best. "I would just put on the note that the families are to stay inside until further notice from the Ministry of Magic, and to await instructions."

McGonagall broke stride only long enough for Hermione to see the worry cross her face, but in the next instant it was gone, replaced with a look of stern resolution.

"You have quite a bit of explaining to do once the students are seen off," McGonagall said, and Hermione suddenly felt as if she was eleven years old once again, stuck in the bathroom with a troll on Halloween.

"Yes, miss," she said, struggling to keep up with the formidable woman.

Once the last of the students were safely transported home to their families, McGonagall called the entire staff into the Great Hall to listen to Hermione and Ron. Hermione let Ron do most of the talking, seeing as how he knew much more about the intricate details of the months of investigations.

When he had finished, the looks on the faces of those who surrounded him varied between resolution and disbelief.

"How do you know they will attack now?" asked Snape, his lip curling in defiance. Despite his invaluable efforts during the war, he had never come around to completely liking, or trusting any of Harry Potter's cohorts. Ron met his gaze levelly, though, as if realizing that he was now speaking to an equal.

"I don't know for sure, but the woman who was attacked was only let go this morning. Death Eaters don't usually wait around to celebrate and then continue their murderous spree. Besides," he added, "she was let go to give us the warning. They are taunting us, and the game would be so much more fun if innocent children were to die. I'm thinking that they didn't count on us figuring things out right away."

"They didn't count on you figuring it out right away," Hermione said, giving credit where credit was due. Ron smiled at her, and Snape sneered at the two of them.

"If you two are quite finished playing at puppy love, maybe you can explain to us what your next brilliant step is," he snapped, gesturing around the table. "As you can see, we number twelve in all."

Just then, as if knowing exactly when to arrive to make Snape look foolish, the doors to the Great Hall opened and Harry led quite an impressive group of Aurors and ministry officials into the room.

Ron smiled, waving his hand at the incoming crowd. "I believe we number much more than that, Severus."

Hermione turned away to hide the smile that crossed her face at Ron's pointed use of Snape's first name. The smile didn't remain long, however, when her gaze locked on something near the doors. "Look," she said to Ron in a small voice, pointing toward the end of the crowd. "It's your brothers and your parents."

Ron stiffened visibly. The last thing he wanted was his whole family in this place, at this time. He knew it was useless to worry about it, though, seeing as how they were all there for the first war…there was no way they would be absent at this one.

"And Tonks, Shacklebolt, Moony…" Hermione said in awe, her eyes sweeping over the entire remaining group of the original Order.

Once Harry had reached the head table, the members behind him began to fan out, speaking to the teachers in low tones. Ron went over to Harry and Ginny, his eyes full of appreciation.

"I guess you two did some serious convincing," he said, smiling slowly. "We've got to outnumber them at least two to one now."

Harry sighed deeply at Ron's words. "We're going to need it. I forgot how big and spread out this place was."

"So what's the plan?" Ron asked, noticing that the Aurors were conducting a thorough sweep of the room without appearing to move at all.

"Well, Knightly is the Head Auror in my department. People seem to be following his lead. Let's just see what he has to say," Harry suggested, and they all took seats at the nearest table. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley joined them, sitting very close to Ron and Ginny. The twins flanked either side of Hermione, and Bill, Charlie and Fleur surrounded Harry.

Sure enough, Knightly conferred with McGonagall for a while, then addressed the entire group. "From all the intelligence that we were able to gather, the Death Eaters will be on the move shortly. Now that the students are safely removed from the premises, we don't have to concern ourselves with wayward spells or protection and diversions. No doubt the Death Eaters will immediately realize that half their plan is already ruined…to destroy young, innocent lives…but they will regroup and attack whomever they feel is still in the school. Be prepared for division among their ranks. They all know the layout of the school, and where they may lure you. My suggestion would be to contain as much as possible to the ground floor, that way we will be in constant contact with each other."

He paused, looking around at the faces patiently watching him. "I know I don't have to stress to you how important it is that we stop them once and for all. We were foolish enough the first time to allow minor things to fall through the cracks. There will be none of that this time." His voice carried through the hall, deep and penetrating. The look of pure resolve on his face was so fierce, so intimidating, that Ron wondered if the Death Eaters knew what they were getting themselves into.

"Now, I think the best bet would be to post at all the entrances of the school, in large groups, and if there is any sign of them, notify everyone at once. Understood?"

There were many cries of affirmations as people began dispersing throughout the first floor of the school.

Ron didn't have a watch on, but it couldn't have been more than twenty minutes before he heard a loud, booming voice, amplified by the Sonorus charm, shake the stones of the castle.

"They've entered the school through the Astronomy Tower! Top floor!"

There was such a rumble of commotion for the first few seconds after the announcement that Ron's whole body pulsed. In the next instant, however, his instincts took over and he began to run for the staircase, Hermione close behind him.

Another loud voice. "They're breaking through the windows in the West Wing!"

Ron turned and saw half his family stop and change direction. Suddenly a fear unlike he'd ever known grabbed him. "If we get separated for too long, meet in the Great Hall after it's over!" he yelled out, and once he saw them all acknowledge him, he turned and started taking the stairs two at a time, Hermione, Harry and Ginny right behind him.

Ginny could hear the shouts coming from what seemed like all directions around her when they reached the third floor landing. She twisted this way and that, but all she could see were sparks shooting diagonally every which way.

"Over there!" she heard Hermione shout, and she turned to see McGonagall struggling bodily with a man twice her size. Her wand was on the floor near her feet, but the man had a hold of her wrists. Three more Death Eaters were coming closer to join in, wands raised, ready for action.

Hermione sprinted toward them, Ron following closely. Ginny moved to act as well, but at the same moment, a loud bang exploded right behind her, and she swung around quickly to see Harry doubled up and coughing. "Are you alright?" she yelled over the noise of the settling debris. Half the wall behind him was missing.

"Yeah, but where did it come from?" he asked, peering around through the rising dust.

Not a moment later, large ropes wound their way around Harry's torso, and he disappeared swiftly back through the now-gaping hole in the wall.

"Harry!" she screamed, pausing only long enough to grab his wand from where it fell, before running blindly through the darkness of the hole. She couldn't see where she was going, but it didn't matter. She could hear a loud, screeching laugh from somewhere straight in front of her, and she followed it quickly. Her only thoughts were on Harry, praying that he was alright.

There was a stream of light ahead of her and she went toward it relentlessly until the dust cleared and she found herself in the trophy room. Harry was on his knees in the middle of the room, glaring up at Bellatrix Lestrange.

The foul woman had her wand pointed directly at Harry's heart, but she did not look as if she was going to act any time soon. Ginny tried to sneak into the room quietly, but there was too much debris on the floor. Bellatrix didn't take her wand off of Harry, though, as she addressed Ginny.

"Lower your wand, you silly girl. Even if you could curse me, it would only take a second to end his life." Her words were cold, calm and calculated, and they made Ginny's heart pound painfully against her ribcage. Still, she didn't lower her wand.

Harry's eyes held a fire in them she had never seen before. "You murderous piece of filth, do you really think that killing me is going to put an end to all this? There are fifty people waiting to kill you, and you won't escape death this time."

Ginny silently prayed for Harry to shut up, but apparently, he wasn't hearing her mental messages. "So I would suggest you do what you came here to do, which is kill me, so you can go out and meet your own death that much quicker."

Bellatrix laughed in such a cold, detached way that it made Ginny's hand shake from ten feet away.

"I will never understand how you defeated the greatest wizard of all time, Potter. You are so unbelievably ignorant and yet here you are. I'm not going to kill you." Her eyes strayed over to Ginny.

"I'm going to kill her."

"NO!" Harry shouted, straining against his bindings with every ounce of strength he possessed. "I'm the one you want!"

"Too simple," Bellatrix said quietly, her eyes locked with Ginny's. "I don't necessarily want you dead. I want you to suffer."

Harry moaned mournfully, almost knocking himself over with the strength of his struggle. "Please…please…"

Ginny's eyes couldn't see anything but Bellatrix, standing before her with murder in her eyes. She would not go out this way. She would not die in front of Harry, hearing him beg for her life.

She began to back out of the room, thinking that it was the only plausible scenario at the present time. Bellatrix would either try to curse Harry, which she could try and stop, or she would abandon Harry and chase after her.

The plan, however, came to an abrupt halt when she backed into something solid and watched as a hand snatched her wand away. She felt Harry's wand being removed from her waistband, and heard them crash down somewhere across the room.

"I told you I'd see you again."

Ginny's eyes slid closed as Malfoy's breath hit the side of her face. She wanted to haul off and slug him, but now they were utterly defenseless and at the hands of two insane criminals. She had to keep her wits about her.

"Draco, so glad you could join us," Bellatrix sneered. "You're just in time to see me kill Mr. Potter's lady love, right in front of his very eyes."

Harry began to pant from the exertion of trying to break his bindings. "I'm going to kill you, Bellatrix," he snarled, shooting daggers at her from where he knelt.

"Maybe so," she said in a sing-song voice. "But not before your life comes crashing down around you."

"Enough," Malfoy yelled, moving Ginny closer to Harry. Ginny was glad for that, at least. If she was going to die, she wanted to be able to touch Harry one last time. As he forced her to her own knees, Harry tried to move himself in front of her. She put her hands out and stopped him, and at her touch, all the fight left Harry. He shifted his body so he was facing her, and the unbelievable sadness and regret in his eyes was almost her undoing.

She would not cry in front of these monsters. She reached out and touched his cheek, only to feel the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly. His eyes held hers. Neither looked away.

"How very touching," Malfoy spat, raising his own wand. "Bellatrix, I told you that you could have Potter. Weasley is mine."

"Very well Draco," Bellatrix said, sounding almost bored. "But do get on with things. I'm not going to kill him until she is dead. I want him to have his fill of looking on her lifeless body for as long as possible."

Ginny knew that this was the last moment she would spend on this Earth, and she wasn't going to deny herself one last kiss from the man she loved, had loved, since she was a little girl. She leaned forward quickly and captured his mouth with hers, and kissed him with every ounce of love she had within her. She could feel a warmth spreading through her as if she were on fire, and oddly enough, the sensation made her feel illogically calm despite the dire circumstances.

A moment later Malfoy kicked them apart, spewing dark words of hate at her, sending her sprawling away from Harry. She could no longer feel the heat from his body next to hers.

He approached her with deliberate slowness, savoring the moment in his sick, twisted mind. "Say goodbye," he said coldly, raising his wand until it was directly pointed at her heart.

"AVADA…"

"NO!" She heard Harry scream out. "ANDILIUS MORTEGO!"

"KEDAVRA!"

Ginny's eyes were blinded by an explosion of color right before her face. Brilliant red sparks shattered into a million pieces as they collided with a sphere of blue.

The next few moments happened so fast that she didn't know if they were real or not. She was knocked backward so hard that she slammed against the opposite wall, falling very near the wands Malfoy had discarded earlier. She glanced first at Harry, who swayed on his knees before crashing to the floor where he lay, unmoving. She quickly looked over to Malfoy and Bellatrix, who were also on the ground, wandless, and bleeding from scrapes on their faces. Bellatrix also had a large gash across her stomach. Neither seemed to be able to move, whether out of fear, surprise or injury, Ginny couldn't be sure, but she only had mere seconds to act.

She struggled to her feet, grabbing her wand as she moved, and pointed it at Bellatrix first. "Petrificus Totalus!" she yelled, only waiting long enough to watch Bellatrix sieze up and fall backward rigidly before repeating the hex on Malfoy.

Ginny almost couldn't bring herself to look down at Harry. If he was dead…

What had he said to get the killing curse deflected off of her like that? He didn't even have his wand. Then again, she had always known that Harry was more powerful than he realized. Wandless magic was only ever performed by the strongest of wizards, for the purest of intentions. He had saved her, and if he was dead, she didn't know what she would do.

"Harry?" she whispered, sinking to the ground next to him. "Harry, can you hear me? If you can hear me, wake up," she pleaded softly, brushing the hair off his forehead. "Harry…come on, love, we have to get moving. The others will be wondering where we are."

Harry remained motionless, and Ginny's eyes began to sting. "Harry!" she said, more forcefully, shaking his shoulders. "Get up!" She didn't realize she was sobbing until she heard noises coming from behind her. She whirled around, grabbing Harry into her lap as if to protect him, and through her tears she could see Fred and George making their way through the hole.

"Ginny!" Fred exclaimed, starting to rush toward her. He stopped short, however, when he saw Harry lying there in her arms.

"Is he…" George asked quietly, standing rooted to the spot. He couldn't seem to tear his own eyes away from the sight before him.

Ginny shook her head. "I don't know. Help me…"

Fred and George sprung to action at her softly pleading words. Fred made sure Malfoy and Bellatrix were completely secured as George went over to her. He felt for Harry's pulse, but grunted in frustration a moment later.

"My damn hand's shaking too much," he swore.

"We need to get him to the hospital," Fred said, dragging Ginny to her feet against her will. "Things are clear. They're all gone, Ginny," he said, as if the information could make everything better. She nodded mutely, unable to see past the haze in front of her eyes.

Seconds later, Fred was controlling Bellatrix and Malfoy as he magically guided them down the staircase to the first floor, where Aurors immediately took them into custody. Bodies were lying all along the foyer, but upon first glance, they seemed to be mostly Death Eaters.

George was controlling Harry carefully, stepping over debris as he guided him into the Great Hall. The Aurors all stopped what they were doing, and looked mournfully on as the doors slid closed behind them.

The first thing Ginny heard when she entered the Great Hall was her mother's voice crying her name. After that, it was all pretty much a blur until Hermione's voice broke in, loud and clear.

"We need to get him to St. Mungo's now," she said, taking charge of Harry's condition. Ginny couldn't believe her ears. Hermione made it sound as if -

"He's," she whispered, finally finding her voice, "he's alive?"

Hermione's eyes flashed quickly, but the meaning was still clear. Harry was alive, for now, but for how much longer…

"Bring him over to the grate," Hermione barked, following closely behind Bill and Charlie as the carried Harry to the spot where she had pointed. "I'm going to floo ahead with him and get things started. I'll see you all over there."

Ron reached out for her hand quickly, grabbing it tightly within his. His face was eerily still as he looked first at Hermione, then down at Harry's unconscious form. Hermione nodded, apparently understanding whatever it was that Ron was trying to convey to her, and with a shout and a large pop, they were gone.

Well, that's the battle scene. A bit different than I had planned, but once I started, I realized I couldn't do what it was that I wanted to do. Too many characters, too many points of view. I was going to bring Lupin into things, and Neville, even, but it would have gone on forever, and that seemed like a completely different story to me. Maybe if I write another one, I'll get to write what I had originally thought.

I was pleased with most of it, however, but realized yet again how hard it is to write in multi-character. Having to deal with all of the Weasleys, McGonagall, the Aurors, the Order, the four main characters, the teachers…it was too much. I found myself wondering what everyone else was up to, and it completely overwhelmed me. I had to limit it, for my own sake, so I hope you can forgive me.

If I didn't do it this way, there would have been five more chapters to this, and I'm going to be done by Friday so we can all read the book this weekend. You guys probably won't be reading much else, if you're like me, so you won't hear from me for a week or two. Then, I'll be back, with a shorter fic centered on Ron and Hermione alone, most likely. I don't know. I have about three ideas for stories in my head.

As always, thank you for your unfailing support and critiques. Please feel free to let me know what your thoughts were on the battle.

Stay tuned…the last chapter coming soon.