Bill Apparated into Hogsmeade just outside the Three Broomsticks. He was running a few minutes behind the scheduled meeting time, so it was likely that he was the last person to arrive. Remus and Tonks were generally prompt people.

Sure enough, the pair of them were standing just down the road, looking as if they were having a chat of some kind. Tonks seemed to be doing most of the talking while Remus nodded his head every couple of seconds; he was the first to notice Bill approaching, calling out almost immediately, "Bill."

Bill mustered a polite grin as he approached, offering up a lazy, "Good evening," before casting his gaze upwards for a brief moment to take in the dusky looking sky with its blues deepening into darker purples. "Lovely night for an indoor watch, huh?"

Both Remus and Tonks cracked small smiles, though no time was wasted for the three of them to begin their walk up the path to the castle. Bill asked if anyone else would be joining them, to which Remus claimed that he didn't think so.

"It's only the three of us," he added, the forest leaves crunching under his feet as they walked. "Though obviously the professors are also there. They have their school duties to attend to, but they're around if necessary."

Bill mulled on that thought for a moment before asking, "Does anyone know what this is about?" He looked from Remus to Tonks, suddenly feeling as if something was different. This didn't feel like a typical watch.

Tonks shrugged. "Dumbledore hasn't said anything specific, but there was something in his tone when organized this. I feel like he fears something is happening or being planned."

"There can only be so many missed opportunities," Remus added, looking over at Bill. "After what happened with Katie Bell and that necklace, and then again with your brother. It's inevitable something else is in the works."

Bill hummed. That in itself wasn't particularly news—they were all aware something else was always in the works–-he was just curious if Dumbledore had specific reason to believe something was happening soon.

"He'll brief us when we get in the castle," Tonks said, suddenly producing her wand and casting a Patronus. The large, wolf-like animal immediately carried up the path, disappearing out of sight just as she added, "That'll let Hagrid know to meet us at the gate."

"When did your Patronus change?" Bill asked, gesturing to where the form had been moments before.

He'd seen her cast her wolf-like Patronus a handful of times in the last year or so, though it hadn't occurred to him until this moment that she'd used to have another one. He wasn't entirely sure how he remembered that her Patronus used to be much smaller—a rabbit or something like that—but he did. Perhaps he'd seen it around school back when they'd been younger, seeing as Tonks had always been very talented. He'd run into her working with professors on advanced magic for independent study every now and then, much like he had.

But he was positive her Patronous used to be smaller.

"It changed a year or so ago," Tonks said without any hesitation, immediately looking at him rather pointedly. Or rather, when he glanced at her, it wasn't at him she was looking at all. She was looking past him to Remus on his other side.

Bill looked opposite to Remus, but he was keeping his eyes on the path in a way that almost felt like he was purposely trying to have no part in the conversation.

"Right…" Bill said slowly as he began to realize, forcing a smile and suddenly feeling as if he stepped into something he probably shouldn't have. "Anyway…"

He should have known better; there had been rumors for ages now that there was something going on between the pair of them. Or rather, something wasn't going on. Bill had to admit Tonks had always been a bit brighter in Remus' presence; she'd even dimmed entirely—to the point of depression—once he'd run off to go underground with the werewolves.

Fleur had mentioned to him not long that Tonks had all but admitted to her she was in love with Remus, though Tonks had never said his name specifically—Fleur only assumed. Then there was the way his mother was always trying to bring the two of them together, though never able to pull it off because one was always busy. He'd overheard her once telling his father that Remus was just being "ridiculous" to which his father had responded, "You can't make things happen for people, Molly. Only they can."

The clues were all there, and they'd been there for a while, but Bill just chose to play dumb because it wasn't his business to gossip and speculate something that may or may not even be true. But even he had to admit, the Patronus having changed to a bloody wolf was a hard sign to ignore. He wasn't sure why he hadn't figured that out sooner.

They walked the remaining minutes with Bill talking casually about the wedding and how everything was nearly ready. Thankfully once they'd reached the gates to the castle, Hagrid was already standing there ready to let them in. Bill was happy to have a new person around to change the dynamic.

"Professor McGonagall will be expectin' ya at the front doors," Hagrid told them, walking them across the grounds toward the courtyard that led into the castle.

"Not Dumbledore?" Tonks asked.

"Dumbledore's a busy man," Hagrid said, as if that explained things. Truthfully it did, but Tonks wasn't wrong to ask. The handful of times they'd had to do this, Dumbledore had always been the one to meet them.

Professor McGonagall was there at the front of the school waiting, thanking Hagrid for escorting them before ushering them into the castle and off to her office. She waited until they were all inside with the door shut to give them an explanation of the night's events.

"Professor Dumbledore has canceled all Prefect rounds this evening since you will be here," she explained. "And all detentions or late night activity has also been suspended. That means everyone is to be in their respective common rooms by 10 p.m., no exceptions."

Tonks had taken the nearest chair, while Bill found himself leaned up the wall. Remus was standing dead center in the room watching McGonagall as she moved around behind her desk.

She was watching a nearby clock. "Professor Dumbledore said he would be departing around sundown, which is within the next few minutes."

"Do we know where he's going?" Remus asked.

She shook her head. "We do not. Only that it is important that he gets there tonight."

Remus and Tonks exchanged looks; Bill found himself watching his old Transfiguration professor move around when a sudden knock on the door grabbed her attention. Professor McGonagall immediately swept herself across the room to personally answer. It was clear that she was trying to draw as little attention to the visitors in her office as possible; she opened the door only slightly in order to peer out.

However, she quickly stepped away to reveal Professor Dumbledore himself now entering. He smiled politely around the room, apologizing for not being able to greet them personally, but he'd been detained in a meeting in his office until this very moment.

"I've come to inform you that I am leaving," he said, looking specifically at Professor McGonagall. "In my absence, you are, of course, in charge."

McGonagall nodded resolutely.

Dumbledore looked around the room. "I appreciate you all coming. I'd like it if all of you focus your energies on patrolling the corridors this evening."

"Albus," said Remus, his arms crossed over his chest. "We've heard from Minerva that you've asked everyone to be back in their common rooms by ten. Is this just an over precaution or is there a possibility you suspect something may occur tonight?"

Dumbledore pondered that for a moment before he glanced from Remus to Tonks to Bill, before going back to Remus. "Can it not be both?"

No one seemed to know what to say to that, which allowed Dumbledore to continue. "I must always assume something will happen when I am not present. The school is most vulnerable once I've left, and I suspect my movements are being monitored."

"By You-Know-Who or someone else?" Bill asked.

Dumbledore chuckled. "Oh, several people, I would assume. I certainly have made an enemy or two in my day. As I've learned this year with multiple attempts on my life, there is always someone ready and waiting for the right opportunity.

"But it is not me I am concerned about, it is the school. It is why I need the Order here in order to help ensure the students' safety in the event that someone decides to seize the opportunity in my absence."

"But," Bill said slowly, trying to make sense of something. "Sir, if it's you they're after, then shouldn't you be the one in need of extra protection? What do they want with the school when you're not here?"

"To get to Harry?" Remus suggested. "Without Dumbledore to offer extra protection, it would be easier to access him."

"But they have countless other opportunities—easier opportunities—to get to Harry," Bill said. "Term is days from being over. It's a lot easier to get him at the Burrow, for example."

Remus couldn't seem to argue that, though Tonks chimed in with, "Remember they can't get him at his aunt and uncle's—"

"His family's protection is only good for another month," Remus said. "When he turns seventeen, then that magic and his trace will wear off and he has no added protection—"

Dumbledore suddenly cleared his throat, which prompted everyone to be silent and look at him.

"Anyone intending to breach the castle would be doing so to prove that they can. Voldemort wants nothing more than to demonstrate his power—that he can infiltrate even the safest of places, such as Hogwarts; that nothing is beyond his control. When I am present, he knows that it is more difficult, but he will take every opportunity to try. It is why I believe he has made so many attempts on my life. He aims to take this school either in my absence or my death. Death would obviously be preferred."

That last part hung heavily in the air. No one said anything.

"May I ask where you're going?" Remus suddenly said. "Or why it's important that it happens tonight?"

Dumbledore offered a polite smile. "You may ask, but I reserve the right not to answer."

Bill cracked a small smile, though he could also sympathize with Remus' frustration. It was sometimes difficult getting a decent picture of what was even happening when you were only allowed to know half-truths.

"Albus, if something were to happen to you," Remus argued. "If Voldemort's intel is so good that he may already know you'll be away from Hogwarts, perhaps he already knows where you are going. You shouldn't go alone."

"Oh, I won't be alone," Dumbledore said. "Harry will be accompanying me."

Eyes grew wide around the room; an audible gasp came out of McGonagall's mouth. It was Remus who mumbled rather befuddled, "You're taking Harry?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Harry and I have been working toward this moment all year, and we're on a bit of a deadline so It cannot wait any longer. That is why tonight is so important."

Remus now looked a bit panicked. "Is it dangerous?"

Dumbledore seemed unperturbed by the question. "I don't find much to be dangerous these days."

"You may not, Albus," McGonagall said rather bluntly, "but for Harry, it's a different story."

"Unfortunately Minerva, it's the same story for all of these days," he offered. "It is simply the times we live in."

"But if something were to happen to you," Remus said, his face screwed up in confusion, "then Harry would be…" He stared at Dumbledore. "Albus, let me come as well. I can help to—

"That isn't necessary, Remus," Dumbledore said, his tone polite but also curt. "I am confident that Harry and I can handle the task at hand this evening."

Remus didn't look as if he appreciated that answer at all. His expression was distressed. "Plenty of capable wizards have gone into situations that they felt they could handle. Turns out they couldn't. And they were much older than an underage, sixteen year-old-wizard."

"Remus, you said it yourself that Harry will be of age in a month's time."

"Does it make him any less underage tonight?"

There was a silent staring contest of sorts then, though it was clear to Bill that Dumbledore was not going to lose it. He suddenly wondered if he'd ever lost one of these…

"Remus, if you choose to remember anything I've ever said to you, let it be what I told you and Kingsley when we last spoke. Do you remember what I said?"

Remus said nothing, though that looked more due to him being irritated than any lack of remembering.

"Harry is the best choice we have. Trust him."

Remus didn't immediately have anything to say to that. He looked away and was now staring across the room at something unknown. Bill saw Tonks watching him closely; Dumbledore was checking the clock, clearly ready to take his leave.

Before he did though, he did offer, "But if you would like some solace in knowing the whereabouts of where I intend to take Harry—in the event we do not return after the allotted few hours I suspect it will take—I have left the location in the first drawer of my desk in my office."

Remus turned back around, pulling a face. "In your office that no one can access once you're away? Albus, what good is that if no one can get to where you left the information until it's too late?"

"Because it would only need to be accessed if I were to meet my demise," Dumbledore said. "And in the event that I do, the power of the office would transfer to the interim Headmaster."

He turned and let his eyes settle on McGonagall, who didn't seem the least bit surprised to hear that fact, though she did look as if she didn't want to hear it.

"If I have not returned by midnight, and if Professor McGonagall can now access the Headmaster's office, then may I suggest that you send out a search party." He paused. "Though I am also not concerned that it will come to that. Harry and I will be back shortly."

Dumbledore turned toward the door. "With that, I must leave you, for I am to meet Harry in the Entrance Hall and I would hate to keep him waiting." He smiled and offered a nod to excuse himself. "I wish everyone a very quiet evening."

He was gone after that, leaving in his wake an uneasy and confused sort of silence, mostly driven by Remus' demeanor. He was pacing a bit down, looking very wound up. Tonks had stood to speak to him, her voice barely above a whisper when she said, "You know you have to trust him…"

Bill looked over and caught McGonagall's eye. She too seemed distracted, but she hid it better than Remus did. She quickly nodded her head as if ready to move forward and not dwell on things she couldn't control. It was her who said, "Here's hoping for just that. A quiet evening."

It seemed it was a going to be a rather quiet night; one that Bill actually found himself rather bored by.

He, Remus, and Tonks had split up to take different parts of the castle, and with everyone retired for the evening, only Peeves the Poltergeist was making any real noise. Bill had spotted him just outside the Great Hall about a half an hour prior, following around Nearly Headless Nick as he attempted to have a conversation with the Fat Friar. Peeves seemed to be trying to irritate them with all sorts of obnoxious noises, though they seemed to be doing a good job ignoring him.

The corridors were otherwise quiet though; all the secret entrances of the school secured and looking deserted. Bill had taken to chatting with some of the portraits from time to time, some of whom seemed to remember him and wanted to hear everything he'd been up to since leaving school. Nearly Headless Nick—after having shaken Peeves—had found him as well and regaled him with several tales about his attempts to still join the Headless Hunt. He'd been at that since Bill was a kid—and likely longer. Perhaps he really should take the hint…

But walking around Hogwarts was always a bit of a trip down memory lane for him. He'd had a great time at school, and wouldn't have changed a thing about the way he'd done things. Passing the Great Hall, he could see the Gryffindor Table—scanning for his favorite spots to sit, even if they did change every year as he got older. He could remember how he and his friends would sit around having the sort of discussions that really hadn't been that significant, but they also were some of the most important ones he'd ever had. Those teenage chats that meant nothing and everything at the same exact time.

He'd always been fairly popular, but he was also the type to have a hundred friends, but no real best friend. Not that he didn't have mates he wasn't very close to and could talk and laugh with, but he wasn't like Ron who'd met Harry on day one and the pair became like brothers.

For him, he'd had his friends and they'd all had a great time while living within these walls, but they'd all drifted apart over time. If he saw any of them on the street, he'd greet them fondly, but he also never felt particularly inclined to look any of them up after moving back from Egypt.

Because prior to Fleur, he'd always been a detached sort of person—living in the moment, trying to avoid major commitments or relationships, always on the move. He had enough friends and girlfriends over the years to lose count, but there had never been that significant of a connection with most of them.

Even his longest relationship here at school—a girl who he had just been reminded of as he passed a broom cupboard the two of them liked to mess around in occasionally—was never that deep. He liked her and they dated for months, but he'd never thought about bringing her to the Burrow to properly meet the folks or anything. He'd never even once considered not going to Egypt and staying behind with her. He just never had that type of closeness with people. Not until recently.

Someone would probably attribute it to him growing up sheltered as a child of a war, especially seeing as Charlie turned out fairly similar, but Bill never considered it a bad thing. Even as a teenager, he'd never wanted those inseparably friendships—he'd been genuinely happy with what he had. It allowed him the ability to not get attached and focus on all of the things he was interested in; it allowed him to make plans to move away without feeling the least bit sad about leaving people.

He'd had a great life and no regrets. And while he was a very different person now—settled down, ready to marry the person he wanted to commit to—it was a nice bit of nostalgia to return to the castle and see the places he'd formed so many memories.

He'd ask his first girlfriend out right over there by that portrait outside the Charms' room. He'd watched Charlie try to curse some Slytherin Beater for some nasty foul that didn't get called right down that Transfiguration corridor. He'd run into a very young Percy down the same corridor, having got lost on his first day of classes and working himself up into a panic that he'd be late and upset the professor. He'd raced his mates up these stairs to Gryffindor Tower a thousand times. He'd flirted with many girls on his way down these stairs to meals in the Great Hall. He'd dashed down that corridor toward the library as a Prefect, anxious for his O.W.L.s, and then done it again as Head Boy anxious for his N.E.W.T.s.

Walking through this place was almost like walking through a scrapbook of his youth. There was nowhere he could look without seeing something that sparked a memory.

"Wotcher, Bill!" he suddenly heard Tonks call out from a stairway above where he was standing. When he glanced up, he saw her peering down; likely just as happy to see something other than a portrait or a suit of armor as he was.

He jogged up to meet her, noticing she'd moved off the stairs into the nearest corridor, where she had apparently found Remus emerging and headed toward the stairs himself. The three of them converged.

"What time is it?" Remus asked impatiently, his face serious.

Bill checked his watch, informing him that it was eleven-thirty. With no sighting of Dumbledore, he suddenly understood why Remus seemed on edge. Dumbledore had said it himself that he expected him and Harry to be back by midnight.

"Where are they?" Remus muttered.

"It's not midnight yet," Tonks offered, laying a reassuring hand on his arm.

Remus didn't even appear to hear her. His eyes were down the stairs and his voice was low when he said, "Perhaps Minerva should see if she can access the Headmaster's office..."

"Give it until midnight like Dumbledore asked," Tonks offered.

"They could be dead already!" Remus snapped. "And we're wasting precious time—!"

"Or they could be fine," Bill said, feeling the need to try and calm Remus down. "Dumbledore is the most powerful wizard on the planet right now. If we're going to give anyone the benefit of the doubt, it's him."

Remus clearly wasn't interested in anything either he or Tonks had to say. He bounced anxiously on the spot, looking as if he needed to probably punch something or run a mile or find some other constructive way to burn his energy.

Tonks sighed, looking as though Remus' anxiousness was making her anxious. "I'm going to do another pass-by of the various hidden exits of the castle. I'm sure—"

She stopped speaking at a sudden banging noise that appeared from floors above their heads, somewhere in the vicinity of the seventh-floor corridor. It caused all three of them to look up, with Remus asking what that was.

"Peeves?" Bill offered.

Remus didn't seem so sure, especially once Tonks said, "I think I hear voices."

She did. Bill could hear them too. Faint and faraway, but if they could hear them here on the stairwell, that meant they were loud on the seventh-floor. Tonks had opened her mouth to speak again, when a distant scream carried from up above. There was no question about that.

Without a word, Tonks was off in a flash up the stairs, with both he and Remus on her tail. There was definitely a manic commotion coming from the left side of the corridor, and the moment they reached where the stairs met the corridor, they were greeted by a completely frazzled and somewhat panicked Ron, Ginny, and their friend, Neville Longbottom. All three were now blinking furiously, as if they were adjusting to the light or had something in their eyes.

"What are you three—?" Tonks began to ask, though she was immediately cut off by three separate voices shouting back at her something about Draco Malfoy, Death Eaters, and Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder.

"Alright, slow down!" Remus said, trying to gain control of the situation. "What is—?"

"No time to slow down!" Neville suddenly shouted. "Death Eaters just ambushed us in the corridor! They're in the castle!"

"What?" Bill asked, looking down the corridor for himself, but only seeing…darkness. It was unusually dark down there. Tonks was already stepping ahead, her wand drawn as if to inspect the situation.

"What do you mean 'Death Eaters' in the castle?" Remus asked. "You saw Death Eaters?"

"We didn't see anything!" Ginny said. "Draco Malfoy made sure of that thanks to the Darkness Powder!"

"What does that…?"

"Malfoy has somehow managed to help his Death Eater mates break into the castle!" Ron yelled. "They came in through the Room of Requirement, which the three of us were watching because Harry told us he thought Malfoy was up to something!"

"Because he was!" Neville shouted.

"Malfoy must have suspected someone was onto him," Ginny added. "Because when he emerged and saw us, he threw some of that bloody powder that blinded us all! He had his own way around it and was able to guide the Death Eaters through the blackness, but none of us could see a thing! It's why we couldn't stop them for fear of cursing each other!"

"What the hell…?" Bill said, seeing that Tonks had already doubled back claiming the powder still had a dark stranglehold on the corridor and that there was no visibility down there.

"You're sure there are Death Eaters here?" Remus asked, looking at the group of them.

Three different variations of "Yes!" came back at him, all before Tonks asked if they knew which way the Death Eaters had gone. Ron mentioned hearing their voices going left out of the Room of Requirement, which meant they'd likely have headed in the direction toward the Astronomy Tower.

"We need to go," Tonks said urgently, immediately conjuring a Patronus with her wand. for the second time that night. Her wolf-like animal suddenly barreled down the stairs as she added, "That'll alert McGonagall."

Remus was already dashing in the opposite direction of the corridor, Tonks rushing after him. Bill made to run as well, but his protective instincts were suddenly on getting his kid brother and sister back to Gryffindor Tower first.

Before he could even suggest that to them though, Ron had run after Remus and Tonks with his wand out. Neville was barely a step behind him, his wand also drawn and ready.

"No!" Bill shouted, managing to get Ginny by the arm before she also took off. "No! You need to get back to Gryffindor Tower now!" He shouted after his brother, "Ron! You can't—!"

But he and Neville showed no signs of stopping. Ginny was already tugging her arm out of his grasp and muttering, "Let me go!"

"Ginny, you need to get out of here! This is dangerous!"

"I can—" She yanked his arm away, "handle it!" She started dashing after the rest of them. Over her shoulder she called, "You'd be of better use helping me and Ron instead of trying to stop us!"

"Ginny! No—" He trailed off into a defeated sounding, "Fuck…"!"

This would have been a lot easier to process if he didn't have to worry about his younger siblings being murdered in plain sight.

But there was no further time to waste if Death Eaters truly had infiltrated the school and they were headed straight toward them. He ran with his wand raised in the direction everyone disappeared off to, a million thoughts now running through his mind. What did the Death Eaters want? How many were there? How had they got into the castle? Where were they going? Where was Dumbledore? What was happening?

As he came to the turn in the corridor that forked off toward the Astronomy Tower, he came up the rear to the sounds of shouting. A female voice called out, "Where did you come from?" and another yelled, "They've got reinforcements!"

Moments later a loudly yelled "Avada Kedavra" echoed through the open corridor. Green light flashed and Bill made a point to throw himself against the nearest wall. In a panic he scanned the scene for Ron and Ginny, hoping with all hope that they hadn't met their end on the other side of that spell, though as far as he could tell, no bodies hit the floor.

He started hurling his own curses, though it was next to impossible to tell what curses and jinxes were bouncing around this corridor. He counted at least six Death Eaters, the only one he recognized immediately being Bellatrix Lestrange. Her high pitched, painfully shrill laugh echoing in the corridor as she fired off curse after curse, Remus deflecting each and every one while Tonks fought with two Death Eaters on her own.

Another Death Eater was now making a mad dash down the corridor toward the Astronomy Tower, and Bill fired off several Impedimentia Jinxes to keep him from moving forward. None seem to catch because the Death Eater made it to the stairs, just as Bill heard a holler from nearby, only to see Neville crumble to the floor courtesy of a spell cast by a tall and skinny Death Eater.

Ron turned to yell, "Neville!" but in the split second that he looked away, Bill could see another Death Eater advancing on him with his wand pointed and taking advantage of his attention being elsewhere. Bill immediately charged, pointing his wand and cursing the Death Eater, who he now identified as Rowle, so fiercely that he blew back him at least ten feet before watching him slam into a nearby wall.

Ron threw him a quick look of appreciation, to which Bill snapped, "Focus!" despite not heeding his own advice. He immediately turned and looked for Ginny, hoping that she was alright. He found her currently locked in a duel with one of the Death Eaters Tonks had been fighting with moments earlier. This one, a female, had broken away and was now hurling jinx after jinx at her, though to her credit Ginny seemed to be dodging all of them.

He felt a surge of white hot anger pulse through him; a protective urge unlike anything he'd ever felt before at the idea that someone was attacking his family. He'd started hurling curses at this Death Eater, trying not to hit his sister and yelling, "Ginny! Get down!" but he'd been so focused on helping her, he let his own guard down.

Something—someone—had slammed into him from the side, knocking him straight down and pinning him to the ground. It had been so hard, he'd had the wind knocked out of him; his head had hit the stone floor so painfully it left him barely able to see straight. His brain was begging his eyes to focus as the one of the most putrid smells that he'd ever had the displeasure of experiencing filled his nostrils. He could barely breathe; he could barely see; his head was spinning; he couldn't move or reach his wand because whoever was still on top of him was laughing and putting all of their weight on him. He'd never felt so uncomfortable or helpless in his life.

But none of that would compare to what happened next. Teeth or claws, he couldn't tell which were now tearing repeatedly into his face. He could feel each and every slash, the next more painful than the last. He yelled out, but only got a mouth full of his own blood that made his voice come out as nothing more than a gurgle. The pain was so excruciating that his body struggled to handle it. His brain had stopped begging him to focus and was now begging him to give in and make it stop.

And at some point it must have decided to do just that; it had enough. It couldn't take it anymore.

Everything went black.