AKI--Thanks for all the reviews. I got a lot for last chapter. I am not going to write personal responses, but they are all very much appreciated. Oh, and Sigma 1, I fixed the things in the last chapter, that you pointed out in your review.


Chapter 13

Hogwarts

Raven sucked in a deep breath. She began to whisper her magic words clearly under her breath. She closed her eyes and moved into a meditative state. She brought her arms in an arching curve above her head, were her hands met directly above her head and she brought them down in front of her. A black magical wave began to incase her and the group of people surrounding her. Soon they were all submerged in darkness and Raven found a surprising comfort in it, because it was her territory.

The calm swiftly left her when the when her mind was drawn back to who she was helping, what she was doing, and those she was condemning. No matter how hard Raven tried to rationalize her actions, she was still immerged in feelings of shame and guilt. What she was doing was wrong, way wrong, down-right evil. This was everything she had always fought against, everything she had sworn against ever becoming, yet here she was.

Thinking of her friends, Raven pushed these dispiriting thoughts from her head. She had a lot of practice at this, especially at late. She had long lived in a world were she continually dwelling in a lie. Pretending everything bad just was not their. But like always the time comes when you have to face the truth, and as always, Raven hated those times, most likely because she hated herself when it came to those times. Raven wanted, no, strived to do what is right, but, in times like these, right and wrong is not always so clearly separated as black and white.

The pale teenage girl took one more deep breath before everyone was enveloped in the shadows and began to move slowly toward the school…

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"Turn a little more east," commanded Cyborg, pointing vaguely to the right, while sitting on top of a pterodactyl version of Beast Boy. The green dinosaur changed his direction, followed by Starfire carrying a perturbed Robin, which is not saying much because he is pretty much always perturbed.

"How much further?" called Robin over the wind.

"Just a few more miles," Cyborg yelled back after validating with his sensors. Several minutes of silence followed. The group was rather solemn with the current situation. They were all very worried about losing one of their own. None of them really knew what they were up against.

'I know exactly what she's going threw,' thought Robin to himself. He, himself, had experienced what it was like to have ones friends' lives be on ransom by a villain. At one time he had to choose between crime and his friends' lives and he knew how hard it was.

"We should begin to descend," shouted Cyborg to his airborne friends, freeing Robin from his reflections.

The group landed in a clearing of a rather creepy looking forest. Any of the sparse vegetation on the ground was a sickly brown. The gray trees were twisted in odd ways and cast strange and scary shadows on the packed dirt beneath their feet. The group uneasily moved forward silently in the direction Cyborg led them. The forest let off a great feeling of foreboding danger. Occasionally when a bird screeched without warning the whole group seemed to flinch.

Cyborg stopped walking, "This is approximately where Raven's signal went off." The Titans looked around as expecting to see something tell them what to do next. Robin squatted down to the ground.

"Cy, can I get some light?" suddenly the dank woods were filled with welcomed brightness. "Look," said Robin while pointing in front of them threw some broken underbrush, "Footprints." The others squinted their eyes to see the barely visible tracks on the dusty ground.

The incomplete team continued slowly, this time with Robin, who frequently stopped and checked they were following the right path, in the lead. He was followed by Cyborg, who provided the light easily over their leaders head. Star floated behind them anxiously, adding to the light of Cyborg's and the moon with a Starbolt alight in her hand. Beast Boy followed more slowly behind the others in the shadows. His eyes were tuned to his surroundings. The forest gave him an ominous feeling, so he kept his ears adjusted to nature, hoping that an animal did not sneak up on them…again.

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Harry Potter was having a very bad day, even by his standards. First of all he had awoken late thus missing breakfast and being tardy for his Transfiguration Class. After losing five points for his house, he realized he had left his transfiguration book in his dormitory and had to share Ron's.

In his next class, he had forgotten to study and bombed his quiz. The day did not get any better after that. Harry got sick at lunch and Hermione insisted that he go to the hospital wing, but on the way he met Peeves. After that he felt even worse. So her he was at diner, on edge, just waiting to go to bed and for this terrible day to be finished. So as he picked at his desert thinking that day could not possibly get any worse it did.

With his black robes billowing behind him, Professor Snape rushed up the center aisle of the Great Hall to the faculty table. He had just received horrible news, and he had to tell Dumbledore, who knew some of it already.

He was almost out of breath from running the castle by the time he reached the Headmaster, "Their coming…tonight…now!" The teachers looked anxiously at each other; they had been dreading this for a long time now.

Dumbledore began to speak, "We have to send the students back to their dor-."
He was interrupted by the Potions Master, "There is no time. I have just received word that they are attacking tonight. They'll be here at anytime. We can't risk having the students in the cross fire." Dumbledore nodded and stood to make an announcement. The whole hall went instantly quiet.

Harry had watched the exchange carefully from his seat. He could tell from the dark expressions on the teachers' faces, that it was nothing good. In fact it was the exact opposite. His worst fears were confirmed when Dumbledore spoke, "Will all the faculty and ghosts please make their way to the Entrance Hall. Students, please remain here for your own safety. I am sorry to tell you that the castle is being attacked," worried talking instantly filled the room, but Dumbledore continued over it, "Prefects and Head Boy and Girl are in charge."

The room was in a stunned silence until the door and closed and locked behind their esteemed Headmaster. But when they heard the click of the locked that hall broke into havoc. Ron and Hermione glanced at Harry, waiting for him to say something.

Harry looked seriously at the two who were sitting across from him. He knew this was coming for a long time, even though he would have never admitted it.

"Get the D.A. together. The teachers are gonna need some help," said Harry. Ron and Hermione began to rise, but Hermione was struck with a sudden thought.

"But Dumbledore locked the door."

"Not that door," replied Harry, nodding at the door behind the staff table. They all got up from the table and spread throughout the room. Hermione informed her fellow Gryffindor D.A. members of the plan. Ron went over to the Hufflepuff table whispering to Hannah, Ernie, Justin, and the others about the plan. Harry rounded up the Ravenclaws. In the residing chaos no one noticed the group slipping out.

As the door closed behind the last person, they attention immediately turned to Harry. The group looked at him with anticipation. Truthfully, Harry was not prepared for this and now everyone was looking to him for directions and for leadership. He stood their stunned and silent for a moment. An idea came to him.

"Er- okay. Hufflepuffs, go out this door and take the long way to get at the top of the staircase and balcony above the entrance hall. Fire your spells down from their, but hide behind the banister. Use some charms to disguise yourselves." They group of Hufflepuffs nodded and left threw the door. "Ravenclaws, take the passage way behind the tapestry just down the hall, it will lead you to the opposite side of the entrance hall. A few you can hide behind the tapestry on the other side, the others can hide behind suits of armor. Gryffindors, come with me."

The two other groups left the room quickly and quietly and made their way in different directions. Harry led the Gryffindors down the corridor to the side opposite of were the Ravenclaws would be hiding. Harry put a hand out to stop the others. He snuck down the rest of the hallway and looked around the corner. The teachers were waiting and pacing anxiously, but all their attention was drawn to the door in front of them.

Harry beckoned the group behind him forward. He and Hermione used a spell to make themselves and the other students semi-camouflaged. They were sent out in groups of two, hiding behind tapestries, statues, suits of armor and even in a broom closet. Harry and Hermione were the last two behind the wall.

"Come on," said The-Boy-Who-Lived, "Were going behind the armor closest to the door." The two set off at a quick jog, ducking behind statues were others were hiding along the way. Soon they were crouched behind the base of the suit of armor with baited breath…and not a moment to soon.

Barely a minute after Harry and Hermione became situated did a black aurora raised from the floor and filled the front of the entrance hall. It was nothing like anything that Harry had ever seen before and, judging by her expression, the same went for Hermione. All the sudden the corridor was filled with Death Eaters being lead by Voldemort. Spells, curses, and jinxes began to fly.

Even though the sides were equally matched in numbers, and the D.A. had the surprise attack on their side, their opponents had the obvious advantage. The same black shadow they had entered in was now providing a shield from spells. Harry observed the battle field, wondering what sort of power could do such a thing. His eyes locked on a girl, around the same age as him, standing in the back of the Death Eaters. She was wearing a navy blue cloak and a black leotard, but her face was obscured by a hood. Her hands were held out in front of her as if she was controlling something, and Harry had a crude idea what.

" 'Mione, cover me."

"Harry, Wha-," was all she got to ask before Harry slide out or behind his hiding place, on his side so her could get clear shot. He raised his wand, "STUPIFY!"