Chapter Twenty-Four:
(A/N. Ooo! Yay! I loved writing this chapter! I'm very excited. I hope you like it as well. I'm sorry I ruined the kiss back there but have no fear. All will be well in the end. YAY! So Read and REVIEW. Sadly I have missed 0 days of school for snow. Sniff. K. REVIEW!!!!)
The snow crunched under her feet as Ginny fled. She blinked back tears the that were clouding her vision. She slipped but quickly got up and kept running. She couldn't say exactly what she was running but she knew that is she stopped her world would come crashing down. Soon she saw the doors that would lead inside and she flew toward them but stopped before she reached them, feeling a sharp absence of something followed by an icy hand grabbing the bottom of her spine. She turned slowly and her eyes widened. Gliding toward the school were hundreds of robed men, their masks leering at her. Unable to believe what she saw, Ginny stumbled backwards. Death Eaters. They were quickly surrounding the school, closing in all the while. No one would know about the attack until it was too late, it would be a slaughter. Ginny turned and ran with a new resolve; warn everyone. She yanked the doors open and took the time to force them shut, pulling down the metal barrier and throwing as many locking spells as she knew at the doors. Then she ran up to Dumbledore's office. She remembered when she had overheard Harry making a comment about the password to Dumbledore's office always being a candy, on one of the many occasions that the trio had forgotten she was there. Now was not the time for self-pity, however, and Ginny began to list all the wizarding candies she knew. The sculptor finally moved and the redhead didn't bother to recall which candy was the password. She flew up the stairs and threw open the door to the office.
"Hello, Miss Weasley." Dumbledore said. "If you would be so kind as to wait outside. I'm with Professor McGonagall at the moment."
"No, Professor! He's here!" She cried shaking her head furiously. He sat back in his chair and looked at her through his glasses.
"Who is here?"
"Voldemort!" She screamed, having lost the fear of his name when she had met him in her first year. Why fear a name when you had met the man himself. Better to fear the man then a useless name. "Voldemort and hundreds of Death Eaters are outside!" Dumbledore stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over.
"Oh my." McGonagall gasped standing up as well and clutching her heart. The Headmaster strode out and Ginny hurried to catch up with him. Outside it was chaos. It seemed that Ginny hadn't been the only one to see the Death Eaters striding toward the school. Ginny looked over the crowd and saw the Golden Trio, predictably making their way toward Dumbledore's office.
"Silence!" Dumbledore roared and everyone stopped, looking at the Headmaster expectantly. Dumbledore continued in a much calmer voice. "Prefects, please bring everyone to the Great Hall. Immediately." The houses gathered together, following the prefects toward the Great Hall. She spotted Hermione leading the Gryffindors, Ron and Harry close behind her. Ginny started to follow them, but froze as she remembered that Draco was still outside. She wondered if he would be alright, or if his father would come for him. If Lucius did, whose side would Draco fight for? Ginny couldn't say what would pain her more, his betrayal…or his death; because fighting for the school would surely be his end. She stepped into the Great Hall and stood near a wall breathing heavily. She worried for her family and prayed to someone to save them all.
"Quiet, everyone!" Professor McGonagall barked and the rumble of worried voices ceased.
"Voldemort seems to have found a way to drop our wards. The Death Eaters apparated onto our grounds and performed the Captare spell. This means we are trapped inside the confines of the school grounds by a magical barrier. We cannot apparate out, or fly out, or floo out. We cannot send any messages to anyone for help. Therefore we only have once choice since we cannot flee; to fight. My fellow colleagues and I are going to fight against Voldemort. Now I would not ask you to come with us if I did not think we needed your help. Anyone in 7th or 6th year may come. I will give you a few minutes to decide but you must hurry. Time is of the essence." Dumbledore said. He could have been a great war general, Ginny thought idly. How could anyone not feel inspired. Her chocolate eyes sought out three Gryffindors and her heart clenched as she saw them make their way to the front of the hall where Dumbledore stood. They looked like every bit the heroes they were. Heads high and an aura of power around them. Ginny's eyes scanned over the crowd and she noticed that most of the Slytherins that had ever been accused of being related to Death Eaters were gone. More students joined the Dream Team until there were about fifty students standing ready to risk their lives for the safety of the world.
"The remaining seventh years are in charge. Guard the others as best you can. If you need something, apparate to us." McGonagall said before the teachers and the bravest of the eldest students walked out. Ginny stared after them, wishing she could go with them. Wishing there were time for goodbyes and apologies.
"Oh god, what if they don't come back." She whispered. A reassuring hand fell on her shoulder and she looked up to see Colin smiling at her.
"They'll be back. Doesn't Harry always manage to save the day?" He said wryly. She nodded, unconvinced.
"I hope you're right." She said and then sat down on the stone floor, pulling out her wand and cleaning it absentmindedly with her robes.
"I hope I am too." Time dragged by without any news from outside. Suddenly there was a loud bang from the doors. Instantly worried cries filled the air.
"They're coming!" Ginny saw as panic began to set in. If someone didn't pull them together, they would all die. The ground shook under her feet. There was no way out and if everyone was too filled with terror to fight when the Death Eaters pushed through, all of them would die. Ginny's face set in a stubborn, determined line. She wouldn't allow that to happen. She couldn't allow that to happen. She scrambled onto a table and raised her wand to her throat.
"Sonorus." She muttered the glanced around at the growing pandemonium. Not knowing what to say to pull them together.
"Oi! Listen up!" Colin cried, his voice as magically enhanced as her own. She flashed him a grateful smile.
"Just think, tomorrow the war may be over if we win this. Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for? We have to work together to defeat the Death Eaters. If we don't they win…and we die. But our deaths will be for nothing. Voldemort and his followers will win. We have to stand together and fight against them, so that if we die at least we died saving our families and friends. Are we muggles or are we witches and wizards? Gryffindors, let's use our bravery! Slytherin use your cunning! Ravenclaws, show us your intelligence, and Hufflepuffs…use your…your whatever it is you have." Ginny cried her strong voice hesitating as she tried to remember what Hufflepuff's gift was. Finding that her memory was lacking she continued on, finding that everyone in the hall was listening to her in rapt attention. "Now are we going to let them destroy us, or are we going to fight?"
"Fight!" The people cried and she smiled. She felt the doors bang again, this time with more force and knew they were running out of time.
"Good. Draw your wands and let's do this." She called, jumping down from the table and murmuring the anti-spell to quiet her voice. Ginny gave a small nod of approval when a few boys grabbed some tables and pushed them against the doors, barring the entry.
"That won't hold them for long." Colin muttered standing beside her as she watched the doors bang again.
"No, it won't." She assented quietly. She glanced around again and saw that everyone was facing the door. Etched on every student's face was a look of fierce determination. So when he doors finally blew open that's what the Death Eaters saw. A band of teenagers fighting for the safety of their homes and for humanity.