Dolores defeated
McGonagall was hurrying through Hogwarts corridors. She had received a message from Dumbledore and was walking as fast as possible towards his office. If there hadn't been students on the way, she would have probably run.
It's not that the message was alarmist, but it lacked the usual pleasant tone. And that alone was enough to let her know that the news she was about to receive would maybe be one of the worst of her life. She met the professors Flitwick and Sprout in front of the Gargoyle. It seemed that all the Heads of Hogwarts House had been summoned. Her nervosity rose a little.
Snape was already in the office and nodded towards his three colleagues. The Headmaster was behind his desk. His eyes had lost their usual twinkling and his face was grave. When the door closed, he took a deep breath and bluntly delivered the news.
'As I am speaking to you, Lord Voldemort his gathering his forces to advance on Hogwarts.' The Professor Flitwick refrained an exclamation and Sprout put her hand in front of her mouth with a horrified look. Minerva blinked but didn't move an inch. As for Snape, it seemed he had been petrified on the spot. That is why his Mark had been burning more than usual.
'I have sent a message to the Minister, though he didn't reply favorably to it. Therefore, I am afraid we shall be on our own to defend the school.' Dumbledore briefly closed his eyes and continued. 'I understand that you would prefer to leave. I am going repeat the same message to the other professors in a few minutes and I am going to give them the same option.'
He looked in turn at his colleagues. They all had a defiant expression on their face and Dumbledore smiled inwardly. He had expected no less from the four professors.
'We have to evacuate the students,' declared Minerva with urgency.
'I agree with you Minerva,' replied Dumbledore calmly. 'Pomona, Filius, I'd like you to organize and supervise the evacuation of all the students. I cannot tell you how much time we have but we can expect hostilities to begin tomorrow.'
'The students will be on the train tomorrow morning first hour,' replied Flitwick with an assured tone. He glanced at Sprout who nodded with confidence.
'Excellent,' said Dumbledore. 'Minerva, the members of the Order will arrive no later than tonight. I want you to make the arrangements to make sure they will be received in the best possible way. Severus I would like to come with me as I will need your help to reinforce the wards of the castle.'
'What about Umbridge,' intervened suddenly Snape with a disgusted face.
'I will deal with her in time,' replied Dumbledore peacefully. 'I have reached out to the Ministry as long as I could, and I believe the time for politeness has passed. Our school is in great danger, and I intend to do everything in my power to protect it.'
A wave of approving murmurs spread through the portraits and Minerva refrained a smile of victory. If she was fast enough, she could maybe witness the delightful exchange between Albus and Dolores. A glance towards her colleagues informed her she wasn't the only one to think this.
Ron and Hermione were leaving the Great Hall when they saw a group of professors heading hastily towards the Gargoyle leading to Dumbledore's office. They exchanged a look and tried to follow them from a distance to gather some information. All they got was Trelawney confirming with the other professors, they had all received the same message. This wasn't much. As they were watching the teachers going through the hidden way, they heard a very familiar footstep behind them and turned towards the giant figure that had appeared in the corridor.
'Hagrid!' Exclaimed Hermione while running to him.
'Yeh shouldn't be here,' replied Hagrid with an unusual grave face.
'What's going on in there?' Asked Ron with a low voice.
''Tis none of your business,' said Hagrid decided to not let any information slip. 'Yeh should go to yer dorm now.'
And before the two students could add anything, he passed through them to reach the Gargoyle.
'Well, that's odd,' said Ron with a puzzled face.
'Not odd,' corrected Hermione while frowning, 'concerning. Something terrible is happening.'
As she was finishing her sentence, they heard the voice of Minerva McGonagall echoing through the corridors of Hogwarts.
'All the students are required to join their common room immediately and wait for the Head of their house here.'
Ron looked at Hermione. He didn't need her to explain her reasoning. The last time they had heard such a message, his sister had been kidnapped in the Chamber of Secret and the school had been about to be evacuated.
'He is coming here,' he muttered suddenly.
'What are you saying?' Asked Hermione trying to hide her high-pitched tone.
They were joining the mass of students heading towards the stairs.
'I had never thought I would ever be the one to explain,' said Ron with a crisped smile. Hermione glared at him. 'I bet you that whatever Harry was up to, he succeeded. And now V… You-Know-Who is coming to get him. Remember he warned us this would happen.'
'You're right,' said Hermione thinking as fast as she could.
They were trying to keep their voices as low as possible, but with the chaos surrounding them, no one would have heard them anyway.
'We can't leave the school,' she finally whispered. 'We have to warn the others!'
'I agree with you,' replied Ron. He pulled his magical Galleon out and proceeded to plan an emergency meeting with the Hogwarts Army members in an hour. Once this was done, he nodded towards Hermione. They had arrived in their common room.
As expected, McGonagall soon joined them to announce that, for reasons she had to keep concealed, they all were to take the train back to London in the morning and were therefore required to pack their belongings. Her face was so stern that very few were those who tried to question this decision. In a deadly silence, the students deserted the common room towards their dorm.
Ron arrived near his bed and glanced at Harry's one with a heavy heart. Wherever his mate was, he really hoped he was alright.
Since the students had the evening to prepare their baggages, they had the authorization to wander through the castle to retrieve everything they might have left in the classrooms or library. Everyone had the obligation to be back in their common room by ten.
Ron waited for Hermione and they both departed for the Room of the Requirements. They thought the corridors would have been filled with running students, but it was strangely calm.
'I really hope I am wrong,' muttered Ron with a livid face.
Hermione didn't answer. Her face was tensed, and she never felt so nervous in her life. To say that two hours ago her only concern had been the O.W.L.s.
The training room was already filled when they arrived. Everyone was silent and the faces were anxious.
'Do you know what's happening?' Blurted one of the Crivey brothers as soon as the door closed behind them.
'Merely guesses,' replied Hermione quickly.
The members naturally regrouped around their two leaders.
'He is coming here, isn't it?' Asked brutally William.
'We believe that whatever Harry did after he left Hogwarts triggered Voldemort,' said Hermione with a loud voice to cover the rising whispers, 'Before he left, he warned us that if he succeeded, Voldemort would come for him and that, therefore, Hogwarts would be in danger.'
'And what did he do exactly?' Asked a Ravenclaw with defiance.
'He didn't tell us what it was obviously,' replied Ron a bit annoyed. 'He knew Hermione and I would be the first questioned after his departure. However, we think he… kind of weakened him.'
He glanced towards Hermione who nodded concernedly.
'But Harry isn't at Hogwarts anymore!' Intervened Cho. 'I would have expected You-Know-Who to be aware of this!'
'For us, Hogwarts is like our second home,' said Hermione with a heavy voice. 'For Harry it is his only home. Voldemort knows it… Oh come on you all! It is about time we stop being afraid of pronouncing his name! Don't you know that the fear of a name only increases the fear of the thing itself?'
'It is the darkest wizards of all times,' whimpered Ernie McMillan.
'And in few hours, he will be knocking on Hogwarts Gate and you can be sure he won't hesitate to kill you should you be on his way,' said William with a drawling voice. The whole situation seemed to annoy him more than it frightened him.
'So, what do we do?' Asked Fred abruptly cutting any attempt to debate what William had just said.
'Well, that's obvious, isn't it?' Said the now very familiar dreamy voice. The group turned towards Luna who was smiling peacefully. 'We are Hogwarts Army. What does an army when it is attacked?'
'Now we're talking!' Said Georges while rubbing his hands.
'You're crazy!' Exclaimed Michael Corner. 'It is V…V.. Damn it! It is Voldemort we are talking about! You can't expect him to show up alone at Dumbledore's school! This is war!' He had tried to conceal the growing panic in his voice.
'Look we are not going to force anyone to do anything against their will!' Said Hermione while raising an appeasing hand. She was happy she had managed to tame her high-pitched tone. She had a plan and her confidence was back. 'The train departs tomorrow morning and if you want to take it, go! No one here will resent you for this!' She stared at the crowd with a strong look. 'What we managed to do together during the last four month it's… amazing really. But the harsh reality of facing danger… we can't imagine what it is! It's frightening and I can understand those who will choose to stay safe.'
'Are you going to stay here?' Asked William.
Hermione took a deep breath.
'Yes. I am scared like I have never been in my life, but I will stay. Hogwarts deserves to be defended… Harry deserves to have friends standing besides him.'
'I'll stay too,' added Ron. 'Like Hermione, I don't know what'll come to us. But if there is a chance to end everything, then I am willing to take it!'
'Ah Fred… He is finally becoming a man.'
'Yes Georges, those tiny things… They grow up so fast!'
'Oh, shut up you two!' Said Ginny while rolling her eyes. 'I'll stay too and don't you say anything about it!' She added quickly while raising a threatening finger in the direction of her brothers.
Fred and Georges raised their hands innocently.
Soon the room was filled with noise as everyone rushed to add that they too would stay.
'So,' finally said William with a loud voice to cover the voices, 'what's the plan?'
'We go back to our common rooms, and we pack like we were told to,' answered Hermione with a sparkle in her eyes. 'We meet tomorrow morning in this Room, and we hide.'
'How long will we need to hide?' Asked Ernie McMillan.
'I don't think we will have to wait for long,' replied Ron. 'We saw the professors heading towards Dumbledore's office. It didn't look good.'
'Besides,' added Hermione with a smile, 'however long we need to wait, I am sure the room will provide.'
Several heads nodded enthusiastically. The Room had never let them down. It was like Hogwarts was encouraging them to resist.
As they were heading towards their respective common room, they heard voices echoing from the entrance Hall. The hurried towards it to discover a very red Umbridge screaming against a smiling and serene Dumbledore. McGonagall and Snape were standing on the other side of the room. They both looked delighted with what was happening.
'You have no power in this school!' Shouted Umbridge, 'I am the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts! You can't dismiss me!'
'My dear Dolores,' replied Dumbledore who seemed to be greatly enjoying himself. 'I am afraid that I still have the power to send the students home if I consider their safety here is compromised. And as I already explained it to you, I am not dismissing you from your position at Hogwarts, no.' He smiled. 'As you have already so kindly explained it to me, this power remains with the Minister. I am simply forbidding you access to this school.'
'This is unacceptable! When Cornelius will learn about this…'
'By all means, tell him,' cut Dumbledore off while looking most pleased by her suggestion. 'I would be very grateful if you could come back with him as soon as possible.'
Umbridge seemed on the verge of having a stroke. She slowly pulled her wand.
'I shall have none of this,' she said slowly, detaching each word. 'You clearly have lost your mind and I will have order here!'
'Are you really threatening me in my own school?' Asked Dumbledore while looking at her above his half moon shaped glasses. 'I am sure you can choose a wiser option.'
Dumbledore's tone was calm, and his hands were crossed in front of him. However, the atmosphere suddenly became much heavier. For a moment it seemed that Umbridge's figure was getting crushed under the imposing Headmaster. She blinked and cleared her throat, realising against who she had drawn her wand.
'I'll come back,' she said with the silkiest voice she could manage.
Dumbledore didn't answer and watched her walk straight through the main door. It was too much for Fred and Georges who started to clap their hands and cheer. Soon the other students joined, and the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts disappeared into the night under the cheering and taunts of the small crowd of student that had assisted to the scene.
