Disclaimer: I don't own most of the characters, if I did Ron and Hermione would already be together.
CHAPTER 11-WAR COMES TO HOGWARTS
Warning alarms rang out throughout the castle and grounds. Hagrid could be seen racing out of the woods in a mad dash towards the back gates. Harry and Ginny instantly broke off the kiss but from the look in her eyes Harry knew that she had both liked the kiss and longed to continue. Rather than speak Harry took a hold of her hand and the two quickly began to race back towards what they hoped was the relative safety of the castle. They had just slipped into the castle and slammed the doors shut behind them when the battle firmly commenced.
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Hermione and Ron had almost made it back to their head suite when the first alarm had rung out through the cold winter air. At first neither one was quite sure exactly what was happening. Ron guessed that perhaps Hagrid had stepped on something like a tack. Hermione was quick to downplay any chance of that and she hurriedly informed him otherwise. They thought about rushing off to find Harry and Ginny and make sure that they were safe but in a stroke of genius Ron stated that they had forgotten their wands in the suite. After retrieving their wands and a few specialties they raced back towards the back gate, hoping that Harry and Ginny would soon meet them, hoping that they weren't to late.
"Harry," Hermione exclaimed with a mostly frantic but more than a bit relieved tone to her voice as she and Ron rounded a corner and caught sight of Harry and Ginny racing up some steps.
"Ron, Hermione are you guys okay," Harry shouted back with a very serious look on his face as he and Ginny finished racing up the stairs and came up to stand on the same level that Ron and Hermione were.
"So far, but Harry…this is it isn't it, he's really here," Hermione replied with a relieved smile on her face at first before her expression fell as the full weight of the situation at hand hit her.
"Looks like it," Harry softly said back with a deadly serious look on his face as all of the color that had been in his cheeks moments before instantly drained out.
"What do we do now," Ginny asked with a very hurried and scared look in her eyes though she kept the emotion out of her voice as she turned to Harry first and then to Ron and Hermione.
"We have to find Dumbledore and the other teachers, they'll know what to do," Harry replied with a very nervous and serious expression on his face as he gave Ginny's hand a hard squeeze of support.
"They'd better, wait…what about the Order, Lupin and the others won't even know until it's to late," Ron started to say with a relieved half smile on his face before a troubling thought occurred to him.
"Some of them are here already Ron, and the rest can just apparate close enough and go from there, trust me…there'll be an army of aurors here in no time," Hermione replied with an anxious look in her eyes as she let go of Ron's hand, glad that Ginny and Harry hadn't noticed.
"Well we can't wait for them here, come on," Harry shot back with a determined and impatient expression on his face before took off back up the steps that Ron and Hermione had just run down, heading for the main hall. Ginny immediately took off after him and soon disappeared around a corner. Ron grumbled unhappily under his breath before he started to take off after them but only got a few steps away before he realized that Hermione wasn't following him. Almost on a dime he stopped running, turned around, and hurried back to her side.
"What are you doing Hermione, come on," Ron started to demand with a very serious look on his face before she raised her head up to look at him with tears forming in her eyes.
"It's all happening so fast, I thought we'd have more time, what if," Hermione started to stutter out with an absolutely terrified look in her eyes before Ron took hold of her arms and shook her a bit.
"We knew this could happen Hermione, we hoped that it wouldn't come to this but it was always a possibility," Ron snapped back with a hurried and impatient tone to his voice as he wanted desperately to be racing off after Harry and Ginny but knew that he had to settle this first.
"But this is the end, one way or another this is the," Hermione started to argue with a very honest look of concern in her eyes as she looked up at Ron before he leaned down and kissed her with as much love and passion as he could muster.
"No, this is not the end, I won't let it be," Ron stated back to Hermione with a very firm and determined tone to his voice and look in his eyes after breaking the kiss.
"Me either, but just so you know, you do anything stupid like jumping in front of a spell meant for me and I'll hex you," Hermione said back with a now equally determined and serious look on her face before she stood up on her tiptoes and gave Ron a powerful kiss back. When she broke the kiss she flashed a smile his way and then raced off after Harry and Ginny. Moments later Ron let out a frustrated and confused growl and then took off after Hermione.
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"Minerva, are all of the students accounted for," Dumbledore asked with a very impatient and hurried look on his face as the students in the immediate area as well as several aurors and members of the Order of The Phoenix were busy clearing the tables out of the main hall.
"Almost Albus, the Weasley's, Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger are unaccounted for," McGonagall answered with a very concerned and apprehensive expression on her face as she wrung her hands in frustration before one of the side doors burst open and Harry and Ginny flew in.
"Professor, Voldemort and the Death Eaters are," Harry started to exclaim with an exasperated look on his face as he stopped to try and catch his breath before Dumbledore waived him off.
"Yes Harry we know, are the four of you alright," Dumbledore interjected with a very serious, but underneath very relieved, look in his eyes before he patted Harry on the shoulder.
"Yes sir, Ron and Hermione should be right behind us," Ginny added with a grim look on her face as she had also stopped to catch her breath, gesturing back towards the door that they had both just run through.
"Well we'll just have to fill them in when they arrive," Dumbledore started to say with a very serious sigh as he half turned around before Ron and Hermione burst into the room, with Hermione almost completely out of breath.
"We're here," Ron announced with what little breath he had left as he turned around and shut the door behind them while Hermione plopped down onto one of the few benches that was still left standing.
"Thank Merlin…that's everyone Albus, we should get them to the room of requirement now, we can't wait," McGonagall stated with a sigh of relief before her expression grew very serious as she spoke.
"The room of requirement," Ginny exclaimed with a confused and surprised look on her face as she quickly looked to Dumbledore before turning back to Harry, silently asking him with her gaze what they were talking about.
"Why would we go there, there's no telling what," Hermione started to ask with a very curious and deep in thought expression on her face as she took a step away from Ron and looked up at McGonagall.
"Precisely Ms. Granger, were the battle between Mr. Potter and Lord Voldemort to take place there then any damage would be limited to that room and anything that Harry could need would come to him, it's the safest place," McGonagall replied with a calm mask on her face though her eyes told the true story of concern and nervousness.
"What about the rest of us, I'm not going to let Harry fight alone," Ron declared with a very serious and determined look on his face as he stepped up in between Dumbledore and McGonagall and almost dared them to tell him no.
"Of course not Mr. Weasley, the three of you will be taken to the room of requirement before Miss Weasley will follow us back here, if all goes well," McGonagall started to say with a very serious look on her face before a second set of alarms rang out, signaling that the first group of death eaters had entered the school grounds.
"I'm going with Harry, wherever he goes I go," Ginny declared with a very certain and determined frown on her face as she whirled around on Dumbledore and McGonagall, hoping to get across to them her ardent intention of going everywhere Harry went until it was all over.
"Ginny," Ron started to grumble back with a scared and anxious expression on his face as he reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder before she jerked away.
"Don't say it Ron, I'm not to young, I'm almost as old as you are and I can cast a better bat bogey hex than anyone here, I'm not some child that you can just leave behind," Ginny exclaimed with a very angry and scared silly look in her eyes as she got up in Ron's face and dared him to argue with her.
"You are correct Miss Weasley, you are not to young, however for us to be successful in this endeavor we are going to need someone that we can trust absolutely to watch our backs and if necessary run to the others and alert them if anything happens," Dumbledore replied with a very wise look on his face as he turned to Ginny and laid a hand on her shoulder. She looked all flushed and ready to fight but try as she might she couldn't stay angry at Dumbledore for long.
"Fine…but if you…don't go and do something stupid like getting yourself killed okay, you either," Ginny grumbled out softly with a sad and defeated look on her face as her shoulders slumped and she knew that she had lost before she made sure that she got in one last word to Harry. As she was almost done speaking her gaze shifted to Ron and she copied her declaration to him, insanely dreading the thought of having to be the one to tell their mother that he was dead. She started to speak again but this time to Hermione but the older young woman silenced her with a nod of her head and a warm hug.
"Be safe Ginny," Ron said softly with a scared tone to his voice, one that made both Weasley's shiver, before he gave Ginny a bone-crushing hug, one that he was glad to feel returned with an equal fervor. Hermione looked like she was going to say something as tears started to spring up to her eyes but she recovered quickly and launched herself at Ginny, giving her a hug that was almost as powerful as Ron's.
"We should go Harry, it won't be long now," Dumbledore finally said softly with an unhappy tone to his voice as Harry could tell that he didn't like being the one that had to break up the good feelings.
"Right…guess it's now or never," Harry said softly after taking a deep breath before he gave Ginny one last meaningful look, which she clearly understood that he not only meant to make it through the fight alive but that he wanted to see her after it was all said and done, and then marched calmly out of the main hall and started off towards the room of requirement.
"Always has to be first," Ron grumbled weakly in protest before he couldn't help but smile widely and pat Ginny on the shoulder before he started off after Harry.
"We should go now, we need to give Harry as much time to prepare as possible if he hopes to defeat Voldemort tonight," McGonagall said softly with a very serious look on her face before she ushered Ginny and Hermione out of the main hall and into the hallway outside, heading them all towards the room of requirement.
"Whoever would have thought that it would end like this…eh Tom," Dumbledore whispered very softly, almost to himself, with a slightly sarcastic tone to his voice before he smirked at the thought and then walked out of the main hall.
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"Never thought that it would all end here," Ron stated with a less than happy frown on his face as he carefully picked his way through the room of requirement. Before entering Harry had made his choice and the room had configured itself to look oddly a lot like the chamber of secrets where he had fought the basilisk. Though he had been with Harry at the time Ron had never actually seen the chamber for himself, remarking that he didn't quite like it upon getting his first glimpse. Hermione could only softly say that it was big as her eyes had grown large while taking it all in.
"Oh Ron don't be silly, it's not all going to end here, Harry will win and we'll have the rest of our lives to be together," Hermione replied softly at first almost in a scolding way before she put a little to much emotion into the last bit. She blushed furiously and turned away as Harry whipped his head around and looked her way with a confused look on his face as he had understood that there was much more to her words than appeared so outwardly, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what. He tried to look to Ron but the redhead had also turned away, this time staring down at his feet, but Harry could have sworn that both of his ears were bright red.
"Er…Hermione's right, at least I hope she's right…when has she ever been wrong before," Harry stammered out with an unsure smile on his face at first before he tried to lighten the mood up a bit, much to his chagrin.
"Well there was that time with who wanted the sorcerer's stone in first year, then there was the," Ron started to chime in with a slightly amused smirk on his face as he began to gleefully list off the number of times that Hermione had been wrong before she let out an impatient sigh, walked over to him, and smacked him hard on the back of his head. "Hey…what was that for," Ron exclaimed with a slightly pained grimace on his face as he reached up and began to gingerly rub the spot on the back of his head where Hermione had smacked him.
"For being such a prat," Hermione stated plainly before she turned away and hurried over to hug Harry. "We're with you Harry, all the way to the end, don't forget that, Voldemort may be powerful but you have something that he doesn't, a power that he can't hope to compete with," Hermione added with a very sincere and honest tone to her voice and look in her eyes as she hugged Harry tightly before Ron jumped in with a quick hug.
"Meaning," Harry asked with a confused and unsure frown on his face, as he wasn't completely sure exactly what power he had over Voldemort.
"Love Harry, Voldemort can't understand love…not real love, he's to sick and twisted inside to understand it," Ron interjected with a calm and almost sage like look in his eyes as he answered Harry's question. Had Harry been looking at his two best friends at that moment he would have seen the look of love and pride that Hermione sent Ron's way, and that the look was equally returned.
"Okay…you two had better hide, there should be just enough room up there beside the waterfall, you'll be able to see everything from there, if anything happens," Harry stumbled out softly in reply at first before he grew resolved and pointed at the high up waterfall as he explained the rest.
"They won't know what hit em," Ron said with a very serious and determined tone to his voice before he laid his hand flat on Hermione's back and the two hurriedly raced towards the waterfall. Harry didn't see how they got up there but did check one last time that they had made it as he waved up at them and they waved back.
"This is all happening to fast, I didn't have time to set up any of the new spells and," Hermione started to babble once she and Ron had gotten to the waterfall and Ron had sat back down after waving at Harry. Ron rolled his eyes and smiled before he leaned over and cut Hermione off with a soft kiss.
"Easy Mione, you did the best that you could, we didn't know when he was coming…it won't do anyone, least of all Harry, any good to second guess yourself now," Ron whispered softly to Hermione as he reached up and gently caressed her left cheek with the thumb of his right hand.
"I know, it's just that I don't like being surprised, Ron…you have to promise me something," Hermione softly mumbled out with a down look on her face before she raised her gaze up to meet Ron's.
"Anything," Ron replied with a very honest and concerned look on his face, as he looked deep into her eyes in an effort to try and figure out what she meant.
"You have to promise me that you won't do something stupid like leap in front of a spell that's meant for me or Harry," Hermione started to explain with a very serious and scared look on her face before Ron spoke up.
"But," Ron grumbled with a argumentative look in his eyes as he started to rise up to his knees but Hermione pulled him back down as she spoke.
"But nothing Ron, I would die if something happened to you, and what would I tell Harry if you died and I fell to pieces, it took us six years to get here Ron, I don't…can't lose you," Hermione declared with a very serious look on her face at first before her resolve quickly broke down and tears came to her eyes.
"I will, but only if you promise to do the same, I love you Hermione," Ron said back with a very heartfelt look of concern on his face as he reached out and pulled Hermione closer to him.
"I love you to," Hermione whispered back with a very scared look in her eyes as they began to tear up before the embraced in a passionate kiss and waited for the inevitable.
END OF CHAPTER 11
Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reading this chapter, as always reviews are appreciated and always welcome. If you have any questions feel free to use my forum to ask them and I'll answer them. Anyway in this chapter Ginny and Harry finally kiss but then the alarms go off telling everyone that Voldemort and his followers are on their way. It's a magical alarm kind of like radar. Ron and Hermione were off to spend a little time together, probably snogging, when the alarms sounded. Dumbledore and McGonagall cleared out the main hall so that whatever battle happened there they wouldn't be falling over the tables and chairs. I chose the chamber of secrets for what Harry would configure the room of requirement as because he knew it well enough and it would be big enough so that he would have room to maneuver and have plenty of places for Ron and Hermione to hide. I'm hopeful that when the seventh book comes out Ron and Hermione will be together from the beginning, with us seeing how they get together and then later on some quiet time for just the two, I think that it's deserved that the two get at least a little, though perhaps they'd keep it from Harry. They wouldn't want to flaunt their relationship in front of Ginny and Harry given their circumstances. About the movies to me they're trying to blur the fact that Ron fancies Hermione and she fancies him right back by putting some Harry/Hermione-esque bits in there as well as some Viktor/Hermione bits. Though in the end we all know that it'll be Ron/Hermione. I just hope that it doesn't get all jammed into the last few minutes of the book and film. So in closing thanks to everyone for reading and reviews are appreciated.