All characters depicter here belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the pleasure of writing this particular story.

Help Arrives

Hermione, Ginny and I could do nothing but stare at the scene before us. We all understood then why they'd sent us to our common rooms.

The air in the Great Hall was thick with panic and pain. Several people had been burned. There was a student who appeared to be missing an arm. There was blood everywhere and students were crying as professors went around, helping where they could, and comforting others. Healing spells gave the air an orange tinge and left a strange odour behind. It was chaos.

Harry and Ron had made it about halfway across the room before stopping to try to help a little girl. She was crying, tears streaked her dirty face. She appeared to be calling out for somebody, over and over. Harry sat her down in a chair and tried to calm her.

I looked around again and realised that there were people who didn't appear to be injured at all. Most of them were walking around in a daze, or were crying hysterically.

"Come on," I said to Ginny and Hermione.

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked.

"To see if we can help."

We started toward Harry and Ron. I could see Sirius coming toward us from the other way.

"You lot have to leave," he said urgently.

"Sirius, we-" Harry started.

"No, you have to go. You don't need to see this."
"Sirius, we can help. We're at war," Hermione said angrily. "We're going to see it sooner or later."

Sirius stared at her but didn't reply.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked instead.

"Fleur's sister goes to Beauxbatons," Ron answered, his face pale. "She would have started this year."

"Fleur, Bill's girlfriend?"

Ginny and Ron both nodded. Sirius paled slightly and looked around.

"Does she look like Fleur?"

"Yes," Harry answered. "Same hair, same eyes. You'll know who she is instantly."
Sirius shook his head. "They all look the same. Filthy. It's hard to tell who is injured and who is covered in mud. I'll keep an eye out for her." He turned to the rest of us. "I want-"

He was cut off when a boy who was standing not too far away started to retch. Sirius hurried over to him, his face pale and sad.

"Get to your common room!" he called over his shoulder. "I don't want you in here."

"We have to find Professor McGonagall," Harry said. "See if we can use her fire."
Her fire?

"I think we should see if we can help," I repeated.

"What can we do?" Ron demanded, turning to me. "We can't heal them."

"They don't all need healing, Ron!" Hermione hissed. "Not everyone is hurt. Some people just need to be comforted."
"Again, what do you think we can do?"
"We can talk to them," Ginny said quietly. "Just try to calm them down."
"I've an idea," Harry said suddenly. "Come on."
He led the way back toward the door, careful to not bump anybody. I looked around again as we left the Great Hall. The absolute despair in the room made me want to weep.

We followed Harry through a set of doors right outside the kitchen, down a staircase and toward a giant picture of a fruit bowl. I looked around as we moved toward it. It appeared to be a dead end, but I had learned quickly in my time at Hogwarts that things were not always as they seemed.

I was right. Harry reached up and tickled the pear in the painting. It started to giggle and quickly turned into a giant silver door handle. Harry grabbed it and pulled.

I gasped as we entered an enormous room that was obviously the Hogwarts kitchens. There were small creatures scurrying everywhere. I gasped again as one launched itself at Harry, squealing in a very high, squeaky voice.

"Harry Potter!"

Harry grunted when the creature struck him round the middle, hugging him tight. He grinned down at it. The creature had large, protruding green eyes and flat, bat-like ears. It wore a maroon sweater over what looked like bicycle pants and mismatched socks. It also had a tea cosy on his head. I couldn't help but smile at its odd clothes.

"Hi Dobby." He turned to me. "Dobby, this is my cousin, Julianne. Jules, this is Dobby. He's a house elf."
I stared at the house elf. So this was what Hermione was trying to free.

The house elf bowed low to me and moved forward to take my hand.

"Harry Potter's cousin! Dobby is very pleased to meet you, miss!"

I laughed. "I'm happy to meet you too, Dobby."

"Dobby is wondering what he may do for Harry Potter and his friends?"

Harry nodded. "Dobby, one of the other wizarding schools was attacked by Lord Voldemort, and-"
"Say not the name sir!" Dobby interrupted, his hands tugging at his ears.

Harry waved his hand impatiently. "Sorry. Anyway, there are students from that school here; some are injured but many aren't. We thought we'd see if you would send up some food and some drinks."
I stared at Harry, surprised. It was an excellent idea. What did most people do when someone was upset? Offered a drink or something to eat.

"Of course, sir! Dobby will do what he can!"

Some of the other house elves had gathered round as Harry had spoken and were nodding enthusiastically. They'd already jumped into action and were pulling out hams and turkeys and pitchers full of water and juice and tea…any sort of drink you'd want.

"May Dobby help in some other way?"

"Not unless you can help with injuries," Ron answered.

"Dobby and Winky and maybe some others could help, sir."

"Thank you, Dobby. Come up with us and we'll find out if you can help."

Dobby's eyes lit up and he followed us out of the kitchen. We hurried back up to the Great Hall. Dobby pulled off his tea cosy as we entered. He stared around.

"Oh, sirs, misses. Dobby had no idea…no idea what the damage would be."

His great big green eyes welled up with tears as he followed us toward Professor McGonagall. Sirius caught sight of us and started our way again.

"I told you to go to the Gryffindor common room," he said, annoyed.

"And we told you we can help!" Hermione replied.

"Enough," Professor McGonagall said. She looked worn out. "What can I do for you?"

"We came to see if we could help," Harry answered. He indicated Dobby. "We've just been to the kitchen and the house elves are going to send up some food and drinks. Dobby wishes to offer his service up here. He also said that other house elves would be willing to help."

McGonagall and Sirius both stared at Harry, surprise etched on their features. Sirius cleared his throat.

"I never thought to ask the house elves for help, or to offer food and drink," he said slowly. "That's a good idea. People might calm down a little."

"Can you heal?" McGonagall asked Dobby. He nodded slowly.

"Minor injuries, Professor. Nothing too big, Dobby is afraid. Scrapes, small burns. Dobby can also help to calm the students."

Professor McGonagall smiled and nodded. She appeared to be trying to keep tears at bay.

"Dobby, please round up all the house elves who are willing to help. This isn't an order, but a request. They do not have to help if they don't wish to."

Dobby smiled slowly. "They would be happy to, Professor." He nodded at Professor McGonagall and vanished with a crack like a whip.

"Now what can we do?" Ron asked.

Sirius and McGonagall both shook their heads.

"Nothing. I want you to go back to your dormitories," McGonagall answered.

Harry stared at them indignantly.

"We're not children, we can help. Hermione and I are Head Girl and Head Boy. Ginny and Ron are more than capable magically and Jules could help somehow as well."
I nodded. "I used to volunteer as a candy striper. I can help to calm some people down at least."

McGonagall shook her head again.

"I appreciate the offers and I know that, as Head Boy and Head Girl, it is your duty to assist the Professors when needed, but what we need is for you to return to your dormitories. We don't want to put any of our own students at risk."

Harry stared at her, understanding dawning on his face.

"You think some of them might be spies?"

"I did not say that, Mr Potter."

Harry's jaw clenched but he didn't push the subject.

"May we use your fire then, Professor McGonagall?" Hermione asked. "Ron's brother is dating Fleur Delacour and her younger sister was…is…a student at Beauxbatons."

Professor McGonagall's jaw dropped. She nodded.

"Of course you may! I haven't seen her sister yet, but I'll watch for her. I only hope…" Professor McGonagall didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to.

We hurried back out of the Great Hall toward the Transfiguration class room.

"What do you mean use her fire?" I asked.

"You'll see," Harry answered, pulling the door open. "Colloportus."

The door sealed with a squelching noise and the rest of them made their way to the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office. I followed curiously.

"Do you want to do it, Ron?"

Ron nodded and moved forward, taking a pinch of glittering powder from the pot on the mantle of the fireplace. He got down on his knees and stuck his head in the empty fireplace. He dropped the powder.

"Gringotts Wizard Bank!" he yelled. I let out a shout as green flames erupted in the fireplace and started to lick at Ron's ears.

"What on earth?" I exclaimed.

"Floo Powder," Harry explained. "It's a quick way to travel and a way to communicate. Ron's head will appear in a fire at Gringotts Wizard Bank, where both Bill and Fleur work and he'll be able to tell them. Hopefully."

It was odd to look at the fireplace and see someone with their head stuck in it. His head still appeared to be attached to his shoulders, so it was a little strange to imagine that it was in a fireplace miles and miles away.

"This is a bit surreal," I admitted. Harry grinned.

"You get used to it."

Ron lurched suddenly. Ginny yelped and grabbed him by the arm, Hermione on the other side. He pulled back, his head coming out of the fire.

"What happened?"

"Bill grabbed me, trying to make me explain. I just told Fleur that Beauxbatons had been destroyed and that we hadn't seen her sister. I told her she could come here if she wanted. Then he grabbed me and demanded to know what happened and if Gabrielle had died."

We made our way out of the room and walked to the Entrance Hall.

"They'll be here any minute," Ron said. "We might as well wait for them."

Sure enough, by the time we reached the Entrance Hall, Bill and a woman with waist length white blonde hair had burst through the front doors, looking frantic. I couldn't help but stare at her; she was the most beautiful person I'd ever seen, even with tears running down her face and her eyes red and puffy.

"Ron! 'Arry!" she cried, rushing toward us. She started to cry again. "Gabrielle! Is she…is she…" She didn't finish her sentence.

"We don't know," Hermione answered, her voice breaking. She moved forward and took Fleur's hands. "We looked for her, but everyone is covered in mud, it's impossible to tell who is who."

I was still staring at Fleur. Her hair seemed familiar somehow.

"Are zey in zere?" Fleur asked hysterically. She barely waited for Harry's nod before turning and bolting into the Great Hall. We could hear her calling for her sister.

"Look, Ron, I'm sorry I grabbed you before. I panicked. Thank you for calling us, I really do appreciate it," Bill said awkwardly.

"It was nothing," Ron answered, nodding at his brother. "I knew Fleur would want to know, and I figured it would be best if you came with her. Keep her calm enough to Apparate, so she didn't end up Splinching herself."

Bill nodded. "I am going to go see if I can help with injuries. Where are you supposed to be?"

Ron grinned. "We're supposed to be in our dormitory, Bighead Boy."

Bill smiled sadly. "You should go Floo Mum and Dad. Tell them what's happened here. Do you think we need some help?"

Harry nodded. "It's bad, Bill."

"Floo the twins as well then. Maybe try Charlie. I'm sure you won't get him, but it never hurts to try. But the twins could, and I'm sure they will, be able to help. They could leave Lee or Angelina in charge of the store."

Bill turned and entered the Great Hall. We watched him stop and stare around, shock etched in his features. He squared his shoulders and disappeared into the room. Harry turned to the rest of us.

"Come on, you heard what he said. We should go Floo Arthur at least, though I'm sure Dumbledore already has."

We made our way back to Professor McGonagall's office. I leaned against her desk while both Ron and Harry stuck their heads in the fireplace.

"Is he going to come after Hogwarts?" I asked quietly. Hermione sighed.

"He will at some point. Whether it will be while we are still here remains to be seen."
"He has to know that it's Harry's last year," Ginny said. "Why would he come after Harry now? In a few months, Harry will be out of school and out from under Dumbledore's protection."
Hermione shook her head. "No he won't. Harry will never be out from underneath Dumbledore's protection. Think about it. Once this year is over, Harry will be moving into…Sirius' house. Who is the Secret Keeper? Dumbledore."
"What about the family protection…thing?" Ginny asked.

"Family protection?" I repeated.

Hermione nodded. "There's a spell or…something that keeps him safe while he is in the care of his aunt. She is his last blood relative. I'm not sure how it works, really."

"She's not."

"What?"

"She's not his last blood relative. I am a blood relative of Harry's as well."

Both Ginny and Hermione stared at me.

"You're right," Hermione said slowly. "I wonder what that will do to the protection Harry has."

"It shouldn't do a thing," Ginny answered. "She was a blood relative before we knew of her, and it didn't make a bit of difference."

"I wonder if I could do the same thing Harry's aunt does with that charm…does she just have to be in the same house? Because I could do that. I will be living with Remus, I assume…I hope, anyway…and he said that Harry would be moving in with him once he leaves school."

"We'll have to bring it up to Dumbledore," Ginny said. "That would be good, to have him still protected."

Hermione nodded fervently, turning to look in Harry's direction.

"I feel bad for him," she whispered to Ginny and I. "It's amazing that he's sane, really, when you consider everything he's been through."

Ginny and I agreed with Hermione. Ron pulled his head out of the fireplace and stood, dusting himself off.

"Dad is on his way but he's going to Floo Mum and everyone else first. He said he's going to bring several people from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and some Aurors with him. He wants to increase the security around Hogwarts."

Ginny nodded. I felt her shiver slightly.

"Does he think we need it?" Hermione asked quietly.

Ron nodded. "He said there is not a doubt in his mind that Hogwarts is on his list and we very well might be next. He said that all the recent attacks until this one appear to be indirectly connected to Harry."

He glanced nervously at Hermione as he said this, but she nodded in agreement.

"I don't blame Harry, Ron. It isn't his fault and it doesn't change the way I feel toward him. He's one of my best friends and I stand by that. How come he's still talking to your dad?"
"Dad wanted to speak to him. Harry was trying to figure out why Lord V…V…You-Know-Who went after Beauxbatons."

"It's sort of obvious," Hermione pointed out. "They're our closest ally."

Ron nodded. "That's what I said."

"But Harry blames himself."

We turned to look at Ginny, but her eyes were fixed on Harry. She hadn't been asking a question.

"Yes, he does." Ron sighed. "He feels responsible. You know that."

Ginny nodded, her eyes still on Harry. He was climbing out of the fireplace now but his back was still to us. Finally he sighed and turned. He looked as though he had the weight of the entire world resting on his shoulders. It occurred to me later, after I'd gone to bed, that he did have the weight of the entire world resting on his shoulders. Our safety and survival ultimately rested on his young shoulders. I could not help but weep for Harry that night.

"Your mum and dad are coming. He said for us to go to our dormitory. Since we've alerted everyone we needed to, I suppose we might as well do as we're told."

"Why didn't Beauxbatons fight back?" I asked quietly. "It has to be as big as Hogwarts. Why didn't they fight back? How did he even find it? Remus told me that Hogwarts is hidden, so wouldn't that school be as well?"

"I'm sure Voldemort has Death Eaters that went to that school," Hermione answered slowly. "If they were taken by surprise…The students are just children, really. What chance to they have against full grown wizards that are intent on destroying them? What chance would we have?"

"We have Dumbledore," Harry retorted, shooting a glare in Hermione's direction.

Nobody said anything else as we headed toward the Gryffindor common room. Harry nodded to each of us and disappeared up the stairs to his dormitory. I sighed as I plopped in an armchair, trying to ignore the chattering students. I didn't feel like listening to the rumours that were sure to be floating around. Ron and Ginny sat in chairs around me, while Hermione sat on the floor and started digging through her bag.

"Damn," she muttered. Ron, who had been sitting back with his eyes closed, sat up and arched an eyebrow at Hermione.

"I know that wasn't you that just uttered that curse word."

Hermione paused long enough to shoot a glare at Ron and then went back to rummaging through her bag.

"What are you looking for?" Ginny asked.

"My quill," Hermione growled. "It's not in here. I had four in here, and they're all gone."

I raised my eyebrows. "Somebody stealing them?"

"Why would somebody steal a quill?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, it was just a suggestion."

Hermione let out another growl and flipped her bag over, spilling the contents on the floor. Rolls of parchment scattered in every direction, and several books fell with a dull thud.

"Why do you need a quill anyway?"

"So we can do some brainstorming."

"Well, here," Ginny said, holding out her quill. "Use mine."

Hermione sighed and started packing her things back into her bag. She tucked it under a chair and took Ginny's quill, rolling out her parchment as she did so.

"It's just odd that four quills have gone missing from my bag that is always with me is all. I'm glad I didn't have my eagle feather quill in there."

She dipped the quill in the ink and wrote something on the parchment. She looked up at the three of us.

"Harry mentioned the crystals. I have my doubts that they'll work, and when the time comes we have to be absolutely positive that the spell will work because we can not challenge the most powerful Dark wizard ever with a spell that we're not sure of. We have to succeed because if we don't, we're all dead."

"I don't think the crystals are a bad idea," Ginny said quietly. "I think if we could find something to magnify, they could help us. Just magnifying the Stunning Spell might help. If we could Stun Lord Voldemort…"

"And then what? Harry uses the Killing Curse while he's down? Would that even work?" Ron demanded, his head propped up on his hand. "I agree with Harry; it's got to be that we're looking for something so big when really we should be looking for something small. It's going to be a simple curse or hex that brings him down, you mark my words."

Hermione sighed as she wrote a few words on the parchment.

"I don't completely disagree with you, Ron, but I think it's going to be something a little bigger than a simple hex. That would just be…too easy."

"I say we head to the library," I suggested. Ron groaned at me. "Well, it's really all we have. There has to be something in there that will help us. There's all those books in the Restricted Section, maybe if we looked at all of them…Harry, Remus and I looked at a few of them, but there are so many more."

"Those books are dangerous," Ron started to protest.

"Ron, do you really think they'd keep a book that could burn your eyes out in a school?" Ginny snapped. "Use your head."

"Anyway," Ron continued, ignoring Ginny, "we need a note from a professor. Who would we get one from?"

Hermione and I looked at each other and then back to Ron.

"Are you being thick on purpose?" Ginny demanded. "We have Remus and Sirius on our side, not to mention Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore are as anxious as we are to end this. There is no doubt that we could get a note."

"Do you think we'd be allowed to go to the library?" Ron asked. "Professor McGonagall was quite insistent that we come back here."
Hermione nodded, tapping the quill against the tip of her nose thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely sure that she trusts everyone in the Great Hall. I can't really say I blame her though. Who knows if it's a student or if it's somebody hiding in Polyjuice Potion."

She frowned, standing suddenly, dropping the quill on the parchment. She spun on her heel and ran up the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Ron, Ginny and I stared at each other and then raced after her. We entered just as Hermione said something about a map.

"Hermione, what do you think I'm doing?" Harry asked exasperatedly, holding up the same ancient bit of parchment I'd seen the night we'd gone to the Forbidden Forest. He set the parchment on his bed so we could see it too. "On top of looking for Gabrielle, I'm also looking for Voldemort or Death Eaters."

Hermione sat on the bed and peered down at the parchment, her eyes scanning all over it.

"Did you find Gabrielle?" Ginny asked.

Harry shook his head.

"No, but it's hard to keep it straight on here. I thought it would be easier to find her here than actually being in the Great Hall, but because this is a smaller area it's worse. There's so many names jumbled into the one area that they keep running into one big mess. Add in that everybody is moving, so I've got absolute every student in the school showing on here."

I moved forward to see the parchment. I was shocked to find a complete map of Hogwarts. I leaned in and lifted it off the bed to get a better look.

"Where did you get this?" I asked, staring at the parchment. It was hard to make anything out because of all the black dots moving all over it, but there was no doubt that it was a map of Hogwarts. I stared at the words across the top. "Moony and Padfoot and Prongs? As in Remus and Sirius and James?"

Harry grinned as he took the map back from me. "As in Remus and Sirius and my dad, yes. I got the map from Fred and George in our third year and then found out that the three of them, plus another wizard, wrote this map when they were in school." Harry's eyes flashed when he mentioned the other wizard. He obviously felt the same way about him that Remus and Sirius did.

Hermione took the map from Harry again. Finally she sighed, setting it down. She stood, indicating for us to do the same. She pointed her wand at it.

"Engorgio!"

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Harry admitted as the map started to expand. Hermione kept her wand on it until it was hanging over the sides of Harry's bed.

"I think that will do," she muttered, sticking her wand back into her pocket and carefully lifting the parchment. She grabbed the roll of Spellotape that Harry held out and tacked the map on the wall between Harry and Ron's bed.

"Brilliant," Ginny enthused, grinning at Hermione. Hermione smiled back, standing back to get a better look at the map. I could not see any sign of a 'Gabrielle Delacour' anywhere. The name Delacour kept catching my eye, but each time it was Fleur.

"I don't see Gabrielle," Hermione whispered. "But I don't see any Death Eaters…at least that we know of, anyway…or Voldemort either."

Harry turned to her, a slight smirk on his face.

"You're not actually looking for the name Voldemort, are you?"

Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

"Well, yes, I was."

Harry shook his head. "Look for Tom Riddle. That's his real name, and that's what will come up on here. Tom Riddle or Tom Marvolo Riddle."

Our eyes immediately turned back to the map, carefully scanning it. Even with it being enlarged, there were still too many people on there to find anything for sure.

We stood there staring at it for several minutes before Harry finally nodded.

"He's not here. We're safe for now."

He reached up to take the map off the wall, carefully rolling it. We followed him as he passed us.

"Where are we going?" Ron asked.

"To give this to Dumbledore. He needs it more than we do."

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Sorry everyone =). I just couldn't resist April Fools. No, I'm not really pulling my story. Here is the next chapter. Happy April Fools!