Chapter Twenty Two

A/N: Feenamon16, the answers to questions two and three of yours are in this very chapter. The first question you asked gave me an idea that I'm not sure if I' going to use or not… and in response to question number four: this story is going to be a two parter with both sixth and seventh year, so you never know what can happen. And "Wayne" yes, it does seem highly unlikely that the professors would not have thought of simply vanishing the portraits. But for the purposes of my story, I'm gonna say they over looked it.

Disclaimer: If I were J.K. Rowling, I would not have allowed our beloved Sirius to be killed…

            "Very good, Anderia!" Harry said, smiling proudly at the second year student who had just managed a perfect Disillusionment Charm, which was far beyond second year skill level.

            To say the very least, Harry was pleased with the progress the students had been making. The seventh year students had come in very handy in teaching all of the younger students. It had been close to a week, and with nothing but training to be done, nearly all students could protect themselves with third or fourth year spells. Harry assured them over and over again that the simple spells they were learning had saved his life in the past and that they could, in fact, save their lives.

            There were only two kinks in Harry's plans. One was the fact the Voldemort had yet to show any signs of attacking the school. The other was that all of the Slytherins had gone missing. It happened after that fateful night in the Great Hall. The next morning, Fred and George had made their way to the Slytherin common room to rouse all the stragglers out to DA training. However, when they got there, they were surprised to find that all the beds were empty and there was not a Slytherin in sight. The only thing that was left, was a cryptic message addressed to Harry:

Mr. Potter-

I hope you don't mind that we took our children on a little outing. A field trip, you might say. But don't worry. We shall return them back to school as soon as possible.

            Harry instantly knew that it was from Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater friends. This meant that they would be seeing Voldemort soon. He just didn't know how soon…

            That Sunday dawned bright and warm. It was the kind of day that one could usually see the students of Hogwarts taking advantage of the grounds. There were usually students studying under a tree, or taking leisurely walks, or even practicing Quidditch. But on this particular Sunday there was no studying. No leisurely walks. No Quidditch practice. Such things were trivial on a Sunday like this. Today was the day… Harry could feel it. He wasn't sure if it was his intuition or his emotional connection with Voldemort, but he knew.

            The students were silent and somber. There was no DA practice. Harry couldn't risk any over exertions.

            Around five o'clock that afternoon, Harry began to worry. He called the remaining students to the Great Hall for a debriefing.

            "All right." he told them. "I know you know the plan, but let's just go over it again, shall we? First and second years, you will all be in the dungeons. June Dearlove and Peter Day (both 7th years) are to guard the dungeon doors. I want them locked into the third one in, that's Snape's office. You two will be standing guard in the second one from the front. Got it?"

            June and Peter nodded.

            "Good. Now, third and fourth years, you know probably about the same as any sixth year, but I still don't want to risk you. You will be locked into the bottom of Ravenclaw Tower. Who do I have guarding you?"

            "Allen Moore and myself." said Wendy Campbell, a very athletic looking seventh year.

            "Right. Okay, fifth, sixth, and seventh years, you will be here, with me. I don't know where he's going to hit or how, but it is anywhere near where the locked up students are, I want them all moved to Dumbledore's office, got it? That is our last resort. If anyone gets hurt, I want you to find your way up there."

            There was a collective nod around the room.

            "Good. Right. Okay then. Let's do it." Harry's heart was beating so hard he was sure everyone in the Great Hall could hear it.

            Slowly, all of the students got into their assigned positions. The first and second years were locked into the deepest dungeon by way of the Colloportus Incantation. As were the third and fourth years into the bottom most chamber of the Ravenclaw Tower. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George, Neville, and Luna, along with the rest of the upper-class students were stationed in the Great Hall, from where they could see the foyer.

            "Everybody ready?" Harry asked, his throat very dry.

            "As ready as I'm going to be." Ron choked.

            All there was left to do was to wait…and wait…and wait… For near two hours they waited. It was two of the longest two hours of their lives.

            Harry sat numbly atop one of the house tables. All he could think of was how he and brought this upon the school. The fighting with Voldemort did not enter his mind. He feared only for the sake of his friends and the students of Hogwarts.

            Ron's eyes were glued to the floor. He couldn't look up. If he looked up he would see Hermione. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to think about her. He didn't want her to be sitting next to him. He wanted her down in the dungeons with the first and second years. He wanted to know that she would be safe.

            Hermione, for once in her life, wasn't thinking. Her mind was frazzled with half ideas and frozen with fear. She didn't know what would happen after the fight… she didn't even know if she'd make it after the fight… What if this was it? What if this was the end… of everything…

            "Harry…" Neville tentatively approached him.

            "Yes?"

            "How long are we going to have to wait here?"

            "You rather he shows up sooner?" Ron asked, his mind not functioning properly due to the circumstances.

            "No. I just can't take it anymore. Waiting here isn't going to make us anymore ready."

            "He's got a point, Harry." Hermione agreed.

            "Well then what would you like to do?"

            "Just… just not this." Neville said, looking a little afraid of Harry at the moment.

            "We don't even know if it's today or not." Ginny added.

            Harry was about to protest and say that he did, if fact, know that Voldemort would be coming with his hoard of death eaters… but he stopped himself. His mind was instantly triggered to last year, with Sirius. His false accusations had led his godfather to be killed… this time he could be putting the whole school at risk…

            "Let them out…" he said quietly. "Let the first, second, third, and fourth years out… the rest of you, do what you want…" Harry's mind was numb. He wanted to not have to think anymore. Slowly he stood up and made his way out of the Great Hall… he needed to be alone.

            Fred and George set to work letting all of the students out of their respective hiding places. The rest of the school just milled about in a daze… still waiting…

            Ron, deciding he could not take being inside the castle any longer, opened the large front doors and let himself out onto the dusky grounds. Hermione saw him leave and, after a moments pause, followed him. Ron heard Hermione following him and kept his pace, walking toward the lake. He wasn't sure he wanted to see her right now…

            "What are you doing out here?" she asked quietly after a few minutes of standing silently.

            "I could ask you the same question."

            "I was following you."

            "Oh… well, I just needed some air."

            "Oh…"

            They stood in silence for a good long while. There really wasn't anything to say. What could have been said, in such a situation? Not knowing what to say, for probably the first time in her life, Hermione slipped her hand into Ron's.

            Ron turned to look at her and gave her a weak smile. Then, before he knew exactly what he was doing, he bent low and barely brushed his lips against hers.

            At that exact moment, a dark shadow fell over the forbidden forest… and it wasn't because of the quickly setting sun…

A/N: What do you guys think? It's all right I think. I know all Ron/Hermione fans are screaming FINALLY! right now. Please, let me know what you think.