Disclaimer: Harry and his friends are the creation of JK Rowling... I bet you didn't need to be reminded of that fact!

Chapter Three. Weapon of Choice

Harry turned his head slightly and the frame of Professor Snape became visible. He struggled to keep the scowl off his face.

"What's happening?" Harry asked. Being greeted at Hogwarts by Professor Snape gave Harry the strangest feeling of foreboding.

"Stop asking useless question Potter and get inside," Snape snapped harshly.

Harry stood slowly averting his eyes away from Snape and brushed himself off. He was aware of the dark malevolent eyes of the professor watching him like a hawk. However Harry turned and without another word, he ascended the stairs of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Snape followed dangerously close to his heels.

Harry stopped and glanced back at Snape, as he reached the Entrance Hall. "What am I doing here?" he insisted.
Snape's thin lips curled in disdain as he pushed Harry lightly. "Keep moving Potter."
Harry sighed heavily but refused to take Snape's bait.

It was a few weeks yet to the start of term so Harry was surprised when he saw a few familiar faces wavering about near the door to the Great Hall. Harry stopped himself from glancing questioningly to Snape. After all the professor had quite clearly communicated he was not happy to alleviate any of Harry's unhealthy curiosity.

As Snape closed the heavy oaken doors behind him, Harry contented himself with marking out Ron and Hermoine and walking over to them. They both were sitting rather uncomfortably at the Gryffindor table and even at a distance Harry could see they weren't talking all that much.

"Hey guys…" Harry had managed to approach them without either of them realising he was there.
"Harry…!" Hermoine wrapped her arms around Harry's neck. But realising what she was doing released Harry like he was a hot potato.
"How's your summer?" Ron asked.

'Typical,' Harry thought, 'They all know my summer holidays are the worse on the planet… but they still ask.'

"Okay…" Harry said, "I contented myself with counting dots on my ceiling at night, panting the fence, weeding the garden and dodging Dudley's rather large fist…Nothing really out of the ordinary…"

Harry stopped suddenly wondering why both Hermoine and Ron were looking past him.

"I would leave you three here to exchange sob stories… but we have business to attend to…" Snape said. Apparently he had approached Harry unheard as he had made his sarcastic list of enjoyable activities during the summer vacation period.

Harry blushed barely able to contain his embarrassment. He had a fleeting feeling of annoyance as he saw Ron struggling not to giggle at him. But that was soon forgotten however.

The Great Hall was silent and Harry could not help but notice how many students were actually here already before the start of term. And all of them were watching Harry and Snape avidly.

"You will all be staying in the Great Hall to sleep… No one… I repeat no one." Snape looked meaningfully at Harry. "Is to leave this room…Goodnight."

With his simple speech over Snape crossed the room and left the Hall.

"What was all that about?" Harry asked bewildered.
"Haven't you heard?" Ron inquired incredulously, "Don't you read the Daily Prophet."
Harry snorted, last year the wizarding newspaper had caused him loads of trouble. "I don't read that trash Ron."

"Now that it has come out that he is back," Hermoine glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice for dramatics. Despite themselves both Ron and Harry lent forward to hear what Hermoine had to say. "He is attacking everywhere. Every new day heralds news that someone else has been murdered – or worse."

Harry audibly gulped. He had no qualms in thinking he knew what 'worse' signified.
"His counting down to his final attack…" Ron muttered.

It took all Harry's self control to stop himself from reeling over. The final attack… a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. His best friends all looked slightly worried at his reaction. And no wander he hadn't told them about the prophecy….yet…

"Harry are you okay?" Neville Longbottom asked. He had been sitting a few places down playing wizarding chess with Dean Thomas. Thomas of course was winning by miles.

"Yeah sure… just…" Harry looked around disconcerted, "Why are we all here?"
"Safest place in the wizarding world…surprised they didn't collect you earlier," Luna said breezily as she came to look at Dean and Neville's game.

"Speaking of which, Snape was livid earlier," Dean said looking up from the chessboard, "What did you do?"

Harry shrugged. "I went for a walk…"
Hermione gasped her hands shot up to her mouth.
"What's the big deal… I wanted – no I was desperate for some fresh air away from the Dursley's…" Harry said defensively.
"Don't blame you mate…" Ron said patting Harry's elbow.
"But it was very dangerous," Hermione insisted, "And wasn't very wise."
Harry grinned sadly and shook his head, "Hermione, when have I ever been wise?"
Hermione did not dignify Harry's response with an answer.

Harry was lying in a makeshift bed on the hard stone floor of the Great Hall.
"Ron….psst…"
Ron rolled over nosily.
"Ron…hey.. Ron… psst.."
"What…" Ron answered grumpily.

Finally, he could ask the question that had been plaguing him for the last five minutes. "Where's Dumbledore?"
Ron turned over and glared at Harry. "Is that it?"
"Whadda mean is that it?"
"You woke me up to ask me that!"
"Yeah… well… just answer."
"I dunno." Ron slumped back into his blankets. "Probably London or something like that…Go back to sleep…"

Five dreary minutes past and Harry contented himself with instead of counting little holes in the ceiling… counting the dimming candles on the roof…

He needed to do something. There was absolutely no way he was going to sit in the school like a sitting duck and wait for Lord Voldemort come to him. He tossed and turned. What could he possibly do against a wizard like Voldemort? His estimate… zilch…nada…nil…nothing!

Harry knew he had to find a way to defeat the dark lord. Looking about him he saw all the other gathered students sleeping peacefully and felt a pang of responsibility. Damn Dumbledore, he should have never allowed it to come to this.

Not only was he responsible for keeping himself and loved ones alive, but he was also in avertedly responsible for saving the world. He sighed and rolled over…

A conversation he remembered having almost a year ago crept into his mind.

"What's he after apart from followers?"
"Stuff he can only get by stealth…"
"Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time…"
"When he was powerful before."
"Yes."
"Like what kind of weapon? Something worse than the Avada Kedavra -?"

That was it! How had he missed it? He need a weapon… something that Voldemort could not possess. But where on earth in Hogwarts could he find such a weapon?

Again the idea was so very simple and practical. The Room of Requirement!

Harry flipped off his blankets ever so carefully and crept to the main door of the Great Hall. Making sure as he did so to jump lightly over the sleeping students that were dotted around the floor.

"…Harry…"

Harry jumped and turned around and came face to face guiltily with Hermione.

"What do you think you are doing?" Hermione demanded her voice was a little too high, "Professor Snape said no one was to leave…especially you…"
"…Yeah…" added a sleepy voice, Neville had awoken and looked groggily up from his pillow. "Remember last time…"

"Yes…" Harry snapped thoroughly annoyed. "I remember last time…" He turned stubbornly back to Hermione who was tapping her foot on the stone floor.
"Look I thought the Room of Requirement might give us something we could use against Voldemort."

"Of all the stupid…" Hermione stopped suddenly and glanced quizzically at Harry.
"It's so crazy it might just work," Ron said jumping up out of bed (one of the very few times Harry had seen him do this).
"I don't know…" Hermione said in her I'm-not-so-sure-about-this-idea voice.

"We're desperate right," Neville said, surprising them all including himself by speaking, "The castle could be attacked at any moment according to Professor McGonagall…"

"Great," Harry beamed, as if it all had been decided, "Don't tell anyone where I have gone." And he turned back towards the door.

"Are you crazy mate?" Ron's voice stopped Harry dead. "We're coming with you."

Harry glanced at Ron's resolute face and beamed, Neville nodded nervously and but on his fluffy slippers and Hermione sighed heavily, "Oh well if we must. But is only going to end in tears… " If only she knew…!

Harry glanced once more around the room at the scattered bodies of students sleeping peacefully and then turned to his friends.

"Right let's go and rescue the world!"

If only Harry knew that his last glance would be the last he would see of some of the Hogwarts students.

If only…