Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters but I do own this particular plot.

Harry Potter and the Last Stand

Chapter Six

Over the next few months, the DA met regularly. Harry was now captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team so he could set the dates for practices and the dates for meetings around each other, so long as he had the practice dates of the other teams. Luckily the captains of the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw teams were also members of the DA and Draco had quit his house team. After all, he was an unofficial Gryffindor now.

The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher still hadn't shown up. Harry was beginning to suspect that McGonagall hadn't been able to find anybody to take the post after everything that had happened to the previous teachers.

There had been one Quidditch match, Slytherin against Ravenclaw. Ravenclaw had won by three hundred and fifty to ten. It was the biggest win in Hogwarts history and the DA had celebrated late into the night.

Even though everything was going well in school, with Quidditch and the DA, and Harry had had no nightmares recently, Harry was starting to feel uneasy. He had a feeling that something was going to happen. Soon. And it wasn't going to be good. He had a feeling that the DA was going to get the chance to test their newfound skills sooner than expected. Luckily the DA was already on advanced spells and enchantments, so they knew a lot.

Harry tried to put these feelings to the back of his mind after discussing them with Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Draco. He decided not to bother McGonagall with them, as he wasn't sure what they meant. But he had also decided to push the DA more, just in case.

At the moment, Harry, Draco and the other Gryffindors were sitting in the Great Hall, eating their breakfast. Tonight was supposed to be the last meeting of the DA for the week. Harry had decided that they would go over everything they had learned over the last few months, make sure they remembered everything. Hermione thought this was a very good idea, but Harry had only said it to stop her worrying. Because Harry had a feeling there wasn't going to be a meeting tonight.

Harry looked up as a single owl fluttered into the hall, looking extremely tired, like it was on its last legs, ready to die. It landed in front of Harry and dropped a letter in front of him. Hermione quickly scooped the owl into her arms and handed it to a younger girl, telling her to take the owl to the Care of Magical Teachers professor straight away.

Harry opened the letter.

Harry,

Can't say much. Need you all to be ready. Attack tonight. McGonagall knows. Stay away from Slytherins. Keep an eye on Draco. Start approx. midnight at the school. Death Eaters and V. Be careful, good luck and see you soon.

Remus

Harry quickly showed the letter to his friends, that uneasy feeling inside of him growing by the second as he eyed the Slytherins across the hall. Hermione looked up sharply after reading Lupins' note. 'Do you think this is it?' she asked quietly, sounding frightened.

Harry nodded sharply. 'Yes I do. The final battle.' Harry looked around at the other students, all of them oblivious to the note he had just read. 'Get the DA together,' he told them before leaving the hall, letter in hand and Draco right behind him.

'What are we going to do?' Draco asked, nervously.

'We're going to miss all of today's lessons and get ready.' Harry stopped and looked at his boyfriend. 'It'll be okay,' he told him, quietly, reassuringly. 'I promise.'

Draco nodded, not looking convinced. The two boys entered the Room of Requirement and sat down on the floor to wait for the other members of the DA. After ten minutes everyone had arrived after getting Hermione's message through their coins.

'What's going on?' Neville asked as he entered last with Luna.

'Okay, everyone, listen up, this is important,' Harry yelled over the chatter of the other students. Everybody fell silent at Harry's commanding voice, wondering why they had been asked to meet just before class was due to begin. 'We won't be attending classes today..' Harry could not carry on talking as almost everybody in the room had started talking again. Finally Hermione yelled at them all to shut up so that Harry could continue.

'I've just received a letter off of Remus Lupin. Some of you will remember him from when he taught here a few years ago.' The older students nodded, recognising the werewolfs' name. 'He told me that there is an attack planned for tonight. Here at the school. And it won't only be the Death Eaters present. This is it, people. What we've all been training for.' Harry looked around at the people sitting and standing in front of him. Every single one of them was shocked and frightened. 'You have a choice. You can stay here today and get ready for the fight. Or you can go to classes as normal and keep out of the way when the time comes. But I have to warn you, if this turns out anything like last time, you won't be able to hide for long. They will find you. It's your choice. I'll give you all half an hour to think it over.'

Harry sat on the floor next to Draco as everybody else started talking it through with each other. He ignored what they were saying and just watched their faces, trying to work out what they were actually thinking.

'You okay?' Draco asked quietly, wrapping his arm around Harry's waist.

Harry nodded slightly, but it was obvious that he was lying to make the other teen feel better. Harry realised it hadn't worked when he looked Draco in the face. 'This is it, isn't it?' Harry said, but Draco just looked confused. 'The prophecy. Did you ever hear it? Or did anyone ever tell you what it said?'

'No. Why?' Draco asked still confused as to where Harry was going with this.

'It was about me and Voldermort, obviously.' Harry looked down for a second. 'It said that neither can live while the other survives.'

'What does that mean?'

'It means that if I don't kill Voldermort, then he'll kill me.' Harry sighed and looked over at his friends. Hermione was talking to Neville and Luna, who Harry had no doubt would be sticking around to help. Ron was talking to Ginny. Again Harry was sure they weren't going anywhere. He sighed again. 'It's not fair. This fight was meant for me. But it wasn't meant for them. They shouldn't have to make this choice.'

'But that's just it, Harry. It's their choice to make.' Draco watched Harry closely. 'You never had a choice in any of this. That's what's not fair. At least they get to choose what they do.'

Harry nodded. 'But they still shouldn't have to. They could get killed. Or at least seriously injured.' Harry looked around at the other students again. He stopped at a group of first years standing in a corner. At eleven years old they shouldn't have to be making this choice. At least Harry and his friends were all seventeen or sixteen. Harry sighed again. 'It's not fair,' he said again, quietly shaking his head.

'It'll be okay,' Draco told him, trying to sound reassuring, but failing miserably.

'Will it?' Harry asked. 'I'm not so sure anymore. Look at them,' he said, gesturing towards the first years. 'They're eleven years old. Why should they have to deal with all of this?'

'Harry, what were you doing in your first year?' Draco asked, smiling slightly.

'Trying to get used to being a wizard, learning and...oh. Fighting Voldermort.' Harry grinned slightly. 'But it doesn't mean that they have to as well. When I faced him for the first time, it was different. He was weak. He had to live in somebody else's body. And then he was just a memory in second year. They were easy.' Harry looked at his boyfriend, clearly scared. 'But when I faced him after the Triwizard Tournament...he was so strong. And our wands are bretheren. They don't work properly against each other.'

'Isn't that why you've been learning wandless magic?' Draco asked.

'Yeah,' Harry nodded. 'It's just that I don't think I can do it. You know, actually kill someone. Even if it is Voldermort.'

'Of course you can do it,' Draco reassured. 'You have me with you. And I will give you all the magic and courage that you need.' Draco kissed Harry lightly on his forehead. 'I promise.'

'Thankyou. But what if it isn't enough?' Harry asked, desperately.

This time, Draco didn't have an answer.

'Harry,' Hermione called, walking over to them. 'The half an hour is up.'

Harry nodded and stood up. 'Okay everyone, listen up. I want everyone who has decided to stay and fight to stand to the right of the room. All of those who have decided not to fight, go to the left.'

Harry stood silently, not watching the students as they moved around the room. When the movement had stopped, Harry looked up. Most of the students were on the right of the room, with a handful on the left. 'Okay, those of you on the left,' Harry pointed, noticing that they were mostly first years, 'you can go to class. Everybody else, we'll get started.'

As a small group left the room, the others started practising a few simple hexes. They were going to start going over the more advanced hexes later. Harry had asked McGonagall about the unforgiveable curses recently, and had been told that they could practice them on spiders as they would more than likely need them against the Death Eaters, and definitely against Voldermort. That's what they were going to do later, but he hadn't told anybody yet.

A.N: Please review! You know you want to.