Harry, Ron and Hermione left Great Hall to take pensieve from headmasters office as a part of defense plan against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. They left loud voices behind as they were walking around debris from different destroyed things.
"Blimley, Harry, I though you will get up and go to You-Know-Who from that meeting." Said Ron with his best how-can-you-be-that-stupid face while holding Hermione's hand.
"Did you seen my armor?" Creaked helmet lying on the floor.
"One is lying there under the stairs," said Harry and waved with his hand uncertainly.
"Thanks!" Replied helmet sarcastically as they moved along.
"You could say that people do that and animals too." Said Hermione. "Also many people did this for us too. Dobby, for example."
"Yeah, you are right, Dobby saved us and I will never forget it. But this is different," Ron squeezed her hand more and continued, "just walk there and let kill myself."
"But this is what Dobby did."
"No, it is not, he tried to save us, but did not go there to die."
"He did go there despite he knew he can easily die. It's same."
"So you think You-Know-Who will not kill Harry, if he went there?" Ron stopped before broken window and looked to Forbidden Forest.
"Come on," said Harry impatiently and entered next stairs.
"I'm just saying that people do that kind of things, even animals. Did you know that pregnant wild horse will leave the herd, when time comes, to stop herd from defending foal from predators and die needlessly? If foal is healthy and no attack happens, mare will quickly find her herd and join them again, but she is not risking herd members while giving birth."
Ron's eyes were suddenly big and his voice unnaturally high: "When time will come and you have to give birth to child, you will leave us to the wild to give birth alone, so we are safe?" Hermione blushed, Ron too, and they were holding hands and didn't say anything for a while.
Hermione spoke first: "I was just trying to say... that it's natural to defend your friends even when you die in the process. Not like everybody will do it, but it is sort of thing which animals do and ..."
"And Dumbledore would say, there is powerful magic in that, my mother did that for me, my father too, Sirius died fighting for me, Dobby and Remus and Tonks... and I don't see that magic." Said Harry quietly. "Anyway, we are here, let's try, Lemon Sherbet?"
Gargoyle was looking at Harry and his companions without any movement.
"Snape was Headmaster, right?" Said Hermione.
"So what could the password be?" though Ron aloud.
"Dark lord!"
Gargoyle did not budge.
"Magic is Might!" Tried Hermione.
"Gigantic bat! Snivellus! Greasy head!" Shot Harry.
"No, imagine he will ask someone to use such password."
"Half-blood Prince," tried Hermione.
"Good one," smiled Ron.
"We should have asked professor McGonnagal," said Hermione, "we can always return to Great Hall and ask her."
"No, Hermione, we don't have time for that. Do you know how to send message with Patronus?" Asked Harry hopefully.
"Sorry."
"Ok, do you have any ideas? Ron?"
"Elf!"
"What? I can't imagine Snape using that password."
"Elf can surely get there and take what we needed."
"But Dobby is dead."
"Don't you know any other elves?"
"Do you think it's a good idea?" Asked Harry and did not wait for reply: "Kreacher!"
Crack! And elf appeared, bowed and asked: "What do you wish, master?"
"Could you bring me a pensieve from Headmasters office?"
"Yes, master."
There was another crack, Harry looked at Hermione and Ron holding hands and his mind returned to their blushing faces moments ago, he smiled slightly and said: "Already planning children?" They blushed again and looked away.
Then there was another crack and house-elf appeared with rune covered basin from headmaster's office.
"Thank you Kreacher, you are lifesaver," said Harry.
"Yeah, good job there," said Ron.
"Sorry that we have left you at Grimmaulds place," said Harry but Kreacher bowed his ears twitching and was gone with muttered: "At your service."
Hermione's "Locomotor pensieve" did the trick and Ron (We should make him to bring it there for us! Ouch! What?) with Harry were walking beside Hermione with wand in hand and pensieve flying before her to the main Hogwarths gate.
"I don't want to go to him and die, Ron." Said Harry after a while trying to translate his thoughts to words: "It's just,... I don't want him to attack you... or others. I even didn't like it when he killed Snape. I have to stop that torturing and killing..."
"Yeah, we all are trying to stop it, mate. You know, you don't have to do it alone. We are with you." Said Ron.
"And that means a lot... You know, it was really hard when you left us. Sorry to bring it now."
"But we need to know, what is driving Death Eaters," spoke Hermione looking back at them, "Why are they serving him? Blood purity? Fear for themselves their relatives? Do they want just feel superior, so they curse the muggles?" She stopped talking to take in breath.
"You don't give easy questions, Hermione." Said Ron weakly. She continued without looking back at him.
"I think those who were joining him, knew that blood purity campaign is only a way to let them use power of magic against other people. To feel superior to them. But now they should know that their own power over other people comes with his power over their lives. And he don't hesitate to torture or kill them, whenever he want. Without good reason. Do they like it? Thrill of the moment?"
"Or they are imperiused," grimaced Ron.
"It's sick," said Harry, "why want to work with someone who likes torturing like Bellatrix Black! She will never withdraw her support for Voldemort."
"Yes, you are right, she never will," agreed Hermione. "But there are others, who are not there to torture other but simply because of fear. We can show them, that there is other option. That they can choose."
"Ok," said Harry finally, "we can try, but we should not be surprised if it will not work."
They silently made it down the last stairs to the Hogwarts main gate and met with professor McGonnagal, professor Flitwick and George Weasley who was standing slightly away from others and was looking downwards.
"Good job, you three, five points to Griffindoor. Now let's see..." said briskly McGonnagal as Hermione levitated pensieve before her. Quick spell later and memories from pensieve were stored into the glass phials and then went away, somewhere under her cloak.
"Now come over here, one by one and think about Snape's death, try to view it within your head, try to remember every detail and I will try to extract the memory. Come first, Harry."
Frayed white threads of memories were flowing around for a moment until they were stored into the pensieve. Professors went inside the pensieve to check memories and in the end chosen Hermione's as hers was most complete and detailed. Meanwhile Harry, Ron and Hermione were asking George about making his magic.
"So, how do you plan to protect the pensieve?" Asked Hermione curiously.
"I'm just thinking about it, you know it's not easy to do this quickly, with no time to experiment."
"But your fireworks were great," objected Ron forcefully.
"Right, we all liked them very much, how Stupefy made them duplicate," agreed Harry quickly.
"Thanks, that was initially Fred's idea," smiled George sadly which was followed by a short time of uncomfortable silence.
"It's not so easy, because pensieve is magical artifact and it is hard to change it magically. I will need to weave protection around the object. I think he will not use basic Reductor curse or something similar. There will be something much more nasty, to show his power. Also it will be strong spell. What we need is to transform destructive power of that spell to our gain."
"Could it be Fyendfire? Or some snake spell? Or something dark or combination?" Contemplated Harry.
"It is hard to guess, but not impossible. I think we need to make a little gamble. This is 'Dodge mirror'," said George and out of nowhere took out something which was looking like decorated window frame and moved it before him.
"You look like Hogwarts portrait, hanging on the wall and forever making jokes on little first-years," hinted Ron.
"Try to stun me," asked George.
"What?"
"Imagine you are mislead first-year who wants vengeance on me due to missed lesson with Snape."
"Nobody wants vengeance for that!"
"Stop talking and just hex me!"
"I don't want to not hex you, you are my brother!" Cried Ron crossly.
"I somehow remember you did that before, little bro. Many times."
"But, that was..."
"I'll do it," said Harry and in one smooth movement he pointed Draco's wand at George and sent Expelliarmus. He spectaculary missed.
"Oh my, not very good at aiming, aren't you?" Grinned George at his final Hogwarths year DADA instructor.
Harry retaliated with two stunning and two disarming spells in quick succession, but he had missed again and lowered his wand.
"How are you doing it?"
"You see how quickly you can discover something is not all right," said George instead of answering his question, "Dodge mirror can redirect spell aside, but will not redirect large area spell like firewall. So I suggest we put pensieve behind Dodge mirror, hide the frame and concentrate on protection against area spells and defending ourselves. Firing from greater distance can make them believe longer, that they have only missed and and there is no other problem."
"You have impressed me again," said Hermione in her school mode, "I always tell Ron that you could have better marks at school, only if you wanted."
"We wouldn't take that glory from you," George bowed mocking her, but his grin faded after that. There was no Fred, no we, only George.
"Now we just need some protection from area spells," said Harry before Ron could open his mouth a say something like - hey, that is my girlfriend.
"And that is, where I can help, " said small professor Flitwick with his squeaky voice.
They charmed pensieve to show large image of it's content a speak with booming voice with Sonorus like spell. Then they moved it in front of main Hogwarths gate, put George's mirror before it and cast variety of area protection spells.
"Thanks for a good job," squeaked professor Flitwick, "time is almost up."
"Bloody hell, ready to go under the cloak?" Asked Ron looking at Harry.
"Watch your language," said Hermione standing beside him.
"That will be very dangerous journey, Mr. Weasley, are you sure you want to take it?" Asked professor McGonnagal seriously. "No I'm not, professor," replied Ron, "but somebody has to do it or plan will not work."
McGonnagall just pressed her lips together staring at him in her hard way, but didn't try to persuade him.
"Mr. Potter we will need you here." She said simply when Harry tried to join Ron. Harry stopped half way and looked back at McGonnagal trying to find right words to say.
"Voldemort has to see you with us. He was hiding until now and he wants you. We can't send you to him. You are his victory price and we need you to be visibly here. We need you, to talk to him. Persuade him to stay. Then we will be able to catch them in the middle."
Harry was still struggling with it even if he knew, she was right. He can't send Ron to the enemy lines alone, it was wrong. He have to go with him. He can't send his mate there alone.
"She is right." Hermione was as always with head of her house, "We will go together, he will look at you and he will not see us."
"No," said Ron, "You don't have to, one is enough."
"No, don't leave me behind, let me go with you," she smiled and kissed him briefly.
"I ... just want you to be ... safe." Replied Ron touching her cheek with his fingers.
Harry didn't know what to do, he wanted to go with Ron and Hermione to help them, but he knew McGonnagal was right. He was needed here. They all wanted to break Voldemort's power and they couldn't live peacefully until then. His heart ached when he imagined, he is going to see them lying dead beside Fred, Tonks and Moony. No, he can't let that happen. And no, he can't switch with them or protect them. There was only one thing to do.
Harry stepped to Ron and Hermione, took out his father's Invisibility cloak and offered it to Ron.
"You know, ... it can hide you from Death."
Ron took the cloak looking at delicate fabric and said: "Thanks mate, good luck to you."
"Yeah, be careful and good luck," said Harry hugged them quickly and then stepped back to McGonnagal.
"Good luck," said others as Ron and Hermione vanished under the cloak. Harry felt like they vanished forever and he will not see them again. Voldemort was waiting and Death stood behind him.