Ch 12 The Conversation and the Attack
Harry followed Dumbledore into his office to find it transformed with a hospital style bed in the center. Ginny was lying atop the bed, breathing hard.
"Harry!" Ginny said.
"Ginny" Harry practically shrieked, running towards her. "My god what happened?"
"I could use that information myself" Ginny said to Dumbledore, hugging Harry close.
"All in good time, Ginny." The headmaster said "You seem to be suffering from Du-cha-un."
"Du-cha-what-now?" Harry interrupted.
"Calm Harry, the name is as ancient as the aliment. It basically means that you, Ginny, have interrupted a rivalry of someone you love. By using Love to banish Mr. Malfoy you interfered in there rivalry which has been so-far untouched. It is unpredictable but it appears that Mr. Potter has formed a rivalry with Mr. Malfoy."
"I think I understand" said Ginny.
"I don't" Harry stated bluntly.
"I am sure you will figure it out with Mrs. Weasley's help. But for now I suggest you both go back to your common room. I believe you will be alone, not that you will mind I'm sure.
As they made there way back to the common room they stopped to figure out exactly what Dumbledore had meant.
"I think that he said something about a rivalry" Ginny said.
"I have a rivalry with Malfoy what a surprise" Harry remarked, sarcastically.
"I think it's deeper that that." Said Ginny thoughtfully. "Maybe it's..."
Boom. An explosion rocked the castle.
"What the Hell?" Harry asked, running to the corridor window. Ginny beat him to it but stepped back as if she'd been hit in the gut. When Harry looked over her shoulder he understood why. There was a large flame coming from the center of Hogsmead.
Harry started transfixed out window. Until Ginny lightly toughed his arm.
"We should find Dumbledore" she said.
"Your right" he responded simply.
Ginny led the way back to Dumbledore's office.
Upon knocking on his door they were immediately beckoned in. Standing in the comfortable little room were Professors Snape, McGonagall and Flitwick, as well as none other than Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom.
"Harry" Neville acknowledged him, in an unusually serious voice. Harry noticed that Neville's robes were done up wrong and that he was holding Luna's hand, but didn't want to finish that train of thought.
"Harry this is serious" the Headmaster informed him gravely "Hogsmead is under attack."
"Not 10 minutes ago" Professor McGonagall took over the story "An elite team of Aurors attacked a camp of Death Eaters in the hills. They found not a handful but an Army, having been discovered, they carried out an attack on Hogsmead. We have this information courtesy of..."
"Me" Tonks said stepping out of the fireplace. "What was left of the Auror team has just tried to free the hostages and..."
"Hostages!?" Harry demanded.
"Quiet, Dumbledore needs this information." Snape said, but without his usual venom.
"They only succeeded in adding to the number of hostages and wounded."
"This is an attempt to take over Hogwarts isn't it?" Ginny asked.
"Your very observant Mrs. Weasley" Professor Flitwick piped up "15 points to Gryffindor, and another 15 when and if we defeat this army."
Harry scar burned and he screemed in pain. Ginny rushed to his side and helped to keep him from falling over.
"He knows about the attack and he's not Happy"
"He must not have ordered the attack." Tonks said "I say that we should..."
"Professor I have a plan"
"Go ahead Mr. Longbottom" Dumbledore said. The rest of the room stared at Neville in shock.