Hallowed
Chapter Twelve: Resistance


"P-Potter…" At the moment, it was all she could manage as Professor McGonagall took Harry's offered arm. Her eyes traveled from him to who he assumed was Luna behind him for a moment, but then her gaze settled back on him. Harry's attention was drawn to Luna for a moment as wel at her next words, however.

"The others should know what happened here. I'll be back down in a bit." Harry watched Luna move up the stairs toward the dormitories of the older Ravenclaws, and when he heard a door close shortly after, he turned back.

"We don't have much time." Harry said quickly. "Are you alright?"

"Never mind that…" Still shaking slightly due to the aftereffects of the correctly named "torture" curse, Minerva's expression was one of concern as she spoke. "You used an unforgivable curse… Why?"

"He spat in your face." Harry said flatly as he glared at the still unmoving body of Amycus Carrow. "Then he had the nerve to use that curse on you."

"I… I don't know what to say." It was odd. Harry had never seen her without a comment ready or a well-placed sarcastic quip before, and for a split second he found he was quite pleased with himself. He snapped out of it quickly though at her next words. "I cannot describe the risk you took by returning here. I presume there was a reason."

"That." Harry pointed from his kneeling position toward the sculpture of Rowena Ravenclaw. "I need to find it… Any ideas?"

"The diadem of Ravenclaw…"

"It's the last one I need to find aside from the snake." Harry nodded as he rose from his position on the floor. Offering her his arm again, he could still feel a dull ache when it was strained from the wound made by Bellatrix' dagger. When they were both standing again, she called him on it.

"Your forearm."

"It's nothing." He shook it off, but he knew he wasn't going to be so lucky, so he went into a brief explanation. "It will heal in time. Bellatrix Lestrange missed her intended target." That seemed to do for now as McGonagall nodded sharply before returning to a previous topic.

"The diadem of Ravenclaw has been lost for centuries, No one alive has seen it."

"No one alive…" For some reason, that struck Harry hard. He thought of Hogwarts and of his years here. "No one alive… Wait, what about the ghosts; the Grey Lady, Helena Ravenclaw?"

"It's possible. The diadem was her mother's." Minerva thought aloud as Harry retrieved her wand from the floor. When he handed it back to her, she pointed it at Amycus and Alecto. Immediately, thick cords came from its tip and bound the brother and sister together. Once that was done, she placed a silencing charm on them. "That will keep those two out of the way, or at least for the moment." She then cast the patronus charm and five silver tabby cats appeared and vanished from sight as they left the Ravenclaw common room.

"Where are they going?"

"Alerting the staff. If I heard correctly, Alecto touched her mark and summoned him here. The castle will be under siege soon enough, and I need the heads of house to be prepared. The younger students must be protected." At that point, Luna came back downstairs and joined them. She picked up Harry's invisibility cloak from the floor and handed it to him.

"They're ready."

"Right, there is no point in remaining here any longer." Professor McGonagall kept her wand out as she prepared to open the door that led out into the corridor. Seeing Harry and Luna disappear beneath the cloak, she shook her head. "I should have known that was how you were getting around undetected."

"You knew?" Harry asked from his place beside her. He had thought that only Dumbledore had known about the cloak.

"I knew they existed." His professor left it at that, and Harry made a wild guess at what she meant.

"He has the elder wand." Harry emphasized the word "He" so as to make the meaning clear. "Took it from Dumbledore's body nearly a week ago."

"How do you know this?" Clearly, he had been right in how she meant her statement.

"It's complicated." Harry said as he moved for the door. "No time to explain just now, though." McGonagall nodded and headed out into the corridor first with Harry and Luna behind her. The silence around them was almost ear-splitting. Even when Harry had been roaming the castle at night, he had never seen or heard it quite this empty. There was usually a ghost, Filch, Mrs. Norris, or even Peeves moving about, but tonight, there was nothing. Harry, while they had stopped near a bend in the corridor, pulled out the marauders' map and was checking the passages and corridors ahead. All was clear on the second floor below, but as they moved past the defense classroom, Harry heard movement from the corridor beyond. He wasn't the only one; Professor McGonagall had reached out carefully and took his shoulder. Even with his invisibility cloak on, she seemed to have known he had been beside her. Glancing down at the map, Harry saw just who was coming toward them. "Snape." He just barely whispered so that she could hear.

Waiting only a few seconds more, they saw Severus Snape round the corner. Fully dressed in his typical billowing black robes, he too had his wand out. When the professors' eyes met, Harry noted that there was no professional courtesy between them anymore. Snape's retained their usual coldness while McGonagall's flashed dangerously in the torchlight. Harry also noted that neither had made a move to lower their wands. Still a few yards apart, they almost looked to be squaring off; or at least sizing each other up, but when Snape spoke, his tone was smooth but still frigid.

"I wonder…" He started with an almost sarcastic air. "What could have drawn you from your bed at this late hour, Minerva."

"Amycus Carrow's shouting." She answered just as coldly. "Angry that he could not enter Ravenclaw Tower."

"Indeed." Snape's eyes wandered the corridor beside her, and Harry was thankful that he had been practicing at occlumency over the summer. He had a bad feeling that Snape was searching for something. "Tell me, where are Amycus and Alecto?"

"I was forced to allow Mr. Carrow into Ravenclaw Tower, and he had a bit of an argument with his sister. The last I saw of them, they were leaving for the dungeons." Minerva answered with an even but distasteful tone. Harry had to admit that what she said was believable.

"I see." Snape said silkily, but his eyes were now focused on his colleague. "And have you, by chance, seen or heard anything from Harry Potter this evening?" There it was again, that sneer that almost certainly meant he was using legilimency.

"I have not, Severus." Her tone was icy now as she took a step forward. "The last I heard was from the Carrows speaking of his possible capture at the hands of Fenrir Greyback nearly two weeks ago." Harry was satisfied to see Snape look slightly taken aback at this news. What she said next changed that shock into anger. "And I trust you know by now that using legilimency would be a colossal waste of your time. Suffice it to say you are not the only skilled occlumens in this castle."

"Do not protect him, Minerva." Snape's words came out in a growl as he took a step forward as well. "The consequences of your actions would be severe should you attempt to keep him from the Dark Lord."

"Only a coward would depend on such a creature to ensure his victory." Minerva glared daggers at Snape as she continued. "Dark Lord indeed; torturing students, enlisting the service of rabid beasts such as Fenrir Greyback, killing entire families in search of the slightest victory…"

Snape said nothing, but as Professor McGonagall finished that last part with gritted teeth, he sent a spell toward her which she deflected. From that point on, she was silent; using one of the torches on the wall to create a ring of fire that she flourished like a burning lasso and sent it toward Snape. He quickly turned it into a snake that rose and prepared to strike her. With a harsh flick of her wand, Minerva vanished the large serpent; smoke remaining in its wake, which she transfigured into a swarm of razor sharp daggers that went hurtling toward the headmaster. Snape reacted just in time by diving behind a suit of armor and forcing it to take the damage for him. When McGonagall raised her wand again, she was surprised to see the suit of armor that Snape had hidden behind twist to grab him. Not daring to look away, she sent the daggers that hadn't hit the armor's chestplate back around to attack again. This time, they were set ablaze by Snape and sent after her, but were instantly dissolved into icy mist as someone moved just past Harry and stood at McGonagall's right.

"It ends here, Severus." Madam Hooch stood with her wand pointed directly at Snape; hawk-like eyes gleaming in the firelight. "You'll be vastly outnumbered soon enough."

"How did you-"

"Unregistered animagi can get away with just about anything." Harry watched Snape's anger growing. "I've been here well on nearly three months now."

From behind them came the sound of two people running. Harry turned his head just enough to keep an eye on what was going on ahead but still get a good view from behind; Professors Filius Flitwick and Pomona Sprout were racing up the corridor to meet them. The charms professor was drawing his wand while Professor Sprout already had hers out and was pointing it at Snape. When the headmaster saw two of the other heads of house coming to assist his opposition, he darted out from behind the remains of the suit of armor and bolted. This left McGonagall, Hooch, Sprout, and Flitwick to go tearing after him. Harry managed a look at Luna and pocketed the marauders' map quickly. Once done, he handed her the cup with Hufflepuff's badger engraved on it.

"Get back to the room of requirement and let the others know what's going on. So far, it looks like your path is clear. Then get this to Hermione and Ron; remind them that once I find the diadem, I'll need something to destroy it with." Luna nodded and darted out from under the cloak to take a passage not far from their position that would lead her to the fifth floor. This left Harry to head after the teachers and find out what became of Snape before he started his search for the Grey Lady. Following the sounds of spells and shouting, he saw the teachers chase Snape into one of the other classrooms. He also saw Horace Slughorn rushing to join them. It made sense that McGonagall would involve the other heads of house and any other allied staff. Harry did have to wonder though; where did that fifth patronus go?

"Coward!" Harry had just entered the classroom and was watching as Snape was hurled through a window and sent flying off into the snowy night; Minerva glaring after him. "Coward!" Eyes lingering on the broken window for a second more, she turned back to the staff that had followed her into the classroom. "Well," She addressed them all in something of a pleased but frustrated tone. "It seems our headmaster has, to turn a muggle phrase, done a bunk."

"Coward indeed." Sprout muttered as she stared at the place where Severus Snape had "flown" from the classroom. "Must have learned that from his master."

"Merlin's beard…" Slughorn, who was now staring between the other teachers in bewilderment. "What brought this on, Minerva?"

"A sudden arrival." Crossing the room, Professor McGonagall searched it with her eyes but didn't seem to find what she was looking for. "Potter, I assume you're here."

"Impressive duel, Professor." Harry decided on using her formal title due to present company as he revealed himself. Slughorn's jaw dropped while Professor Sprout let out a slight gasp in surprise.

"As it happens, it was most opportune, given the circumstances."

"Harry?!" Slughorn, who had managed to close his mouth finally, looked from him to Minerva. "How… What are you…"

"I have to find something here in the castle;" Harry answered Slughorn while also speaking to the other professors. "Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem."

"Ravenclaw's diadem…" Professor Flitwick had spoken up with a slight squeak of interest in his voice. "It has been lost for centuries."

"Which is why he will need to find the Grey Lady." McGonagall nodded as she finished Filius' thought. "Rolanda."

"I know where she usually spends her time." Madam Hooch said quietly while flicking her wand absently.

"Right then." McGonagall's tone quickly took on its usual businesslike sharpness. "Pomona, Horace, Filius; go to your houses and wake the students. Have them in the great hall within a quarter of an hour's time. I will do the same for Gryffindor. We will need to sort out how we will protect the younger students and the castle as a whole. I should tell you this;" She paused as the others turned back to look at her. "Alecto Carrow managed to touch her mark while in Ravenclaw Tower earlier this evening. We are on borrowed time." She turned to the flying instructor and Harry again; addressing them as the three heads of house nodded at their instructions and were leaving. "At least find out where it is hidden, then join us in the hall."

"Got it." The pair nodded and left with the acting headmistress for the grand staircase. This would lead her toward the seventh floor and the other two down toward the dungeons. Harry could see Professor Flitwick heading back toward Ravenclaw Tower while Slughorn and Sprout were heading for the staircase as well.

"They're coming, Rolanda." There was an odd note in Minerva's voice now as she, Madam Hooch, and Harry moved swiftly along the corridor behind Professors Sprout and Slughorn. "We will need every possible defense in place."

"I was thinking along the same lines." Hooch said with a slight upward curve to her lips. "The grounds can defend themselves, given the right provocation, but in the air…"

"Something like a wizarding airstrike?" Harry suggested. This left the flying instructor nodding.

"Exactly." She thought for a moment as they neared the staircase. "Possibly involving bludgers."

"You would bring quidditch into this…" Neither Rolanda or Harry could miss the amusement in the headmistress' tone.

"Charm a bludger the right way, and they'll go after the death eaters like a pack of mad dogs." When they finally reached the stairs, they had to wait for them to stop shifting. Madam Hooch took the time to finish her thought with a grin. "Potter's got experience with that."

"Don't remind me. Damned thing broke my arm."

The stairs had finally stopped moving and Harry, Madam Hooch, and Professors Sprout and Slughorn headed down while McGonagall headed up toward Gryffindor Tower. The further he went down, the more tension built within him. She had been right; they were on borrowed time. Voldemort would have his forces here soon enough, and no one in the castle was really prepared. When they reached the entrance hall, Sprout headed toward the kitchens while Harry and Rolanda headed with Slughorn down toward the dungeons. They split off from him, and Harry could recognize the corridor they were on. It was the same one that he, Ron, and Hermione had veered off on when attending Sir Nicholas' "Deathday" party back in second year. Lost in thought of that corridor with its blue flamed black candles, Harry almost missed what the flying instructor said.

"I'll give you some advice on how to handle the "Grey Lady", Potter." Madam Hooch had stopped near a bend in the corridor that led to the dungeon where he might find the Gray Lady. "Do not address her by that name. She takes offense to it."

"Her real name is Helena, isn't it?" Harry made sure he was correct before venturing forward.

"Yes, Helena Ravenclaw. She's Rowena's daughter. Personally, I'd start off the conversation by mentioning that you want to destroy the diadem and why."

"Why is that?"

"If you ask her outright to assist in finding the diadem, I'd say it's a safe bet she'll assume you want it for personal gain, just like the others who have asked before."

"You've talked to her about this, haven't you?"

"Not in detail. It was a very limited conversation… a long time ago." Madam Hooch said flatly. "She isn't the most social about this; I'll just tell you that. Good luck."

"Thanks." Harry went around the bend and headed into the dungeon. Cramped with shelves, old desks, and large amounts of old books that had either been confiscated or just left here, he looked around the torch-lit room for any sign of the pearly figure that he hoped was the Gray Lady. He weaved through shelves and around the desks but didn't see her at all. Only when he came to the back of the room where a small line of bookshelves stood loaded with spellbooks did he finally find her. While approaching, he saw her silver eyes land on him.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Harry began as he made his way toward the pearly figure of the young woman. "But do you mind if I have a word with you?"

"You have come all this way to find me." She said in a hollow and slightly echoing voice. "Would it not be a waste if you didn't?"

"You're Helena Ravenclaw, aren't you?" Knowing the answer already, Harry wasn't sure why he asked. It seemed to do him some good however, seeing as the woman before him nodded smoothly. "Do you mind if I call you that? I suppose being called the "Grey Lady" isn't pleasant."

"I was Helena Ravenclaw while I lived." The ghost answered in that same hollow tone. "I do not prefer the nickname given by students here. You are kind to ask if I would speak with you."

"I know the feeling of people wanting to talk when I only wish to be left alone." It was true. He had felt that way after Cedric and Sirius had died, along with other times in his life. Even when Dumbledore had been killed, he hadn't wanted to take that walk with Rufus Scrimgeour, but he had. "This may be an unpleasant subject, but…" He hesitated and remembered what Madam Hooch had suggested. "I've come back here to destroy your mother's diadem." He saw her recoil slightly at the mention of it and hastened to explain. "Please, I don't want it for myself. I need to completely destroy it."

"Another sought to destroy the diadem years ago." Helena said bitterly as she turned away from him. "He lied."

"He's lied to many people." Harry began, but he was cut off quickly.

"I know what he's done! I know who he is!" Her voice echoed throughout the chamber they were in, and Harry couldn't help but feel as if an icy hand had just wrapped its fingers around his chest. "He defiled it with dark magic!"

"He did worse than that." Harry said; his voice was slightly weaker than he would have liked. "He murdered and concealed part of his soul within it. That's why I need to destroy it, Helena. I need that part of him gone so that all of this can end."

"He found it where I hid it centuries ago." This wasn't completely expected, but Harry listened regardless. "When I was alive, I attended this school, was sorted into my mother's house, and was seen only as "Rowena's daughter"." The pearly ghost finally turned back to Harry. "I was angry; bitter at the fact that I was considered nothing compared to my mother. One day, I ran away; taking the diadem with me to Albania." At this point, her tone changed to one of regret. "My mother… She concealed the loss from the others; made it seem as if she was still in possession of the diadem. I wanted to become more cleaver, wiser… She hid the thievery and my betrayal."

"You hid the diadem in Albania?" Harry asked; he remembered hearing that people had thought Voldemort had spent vast amounts of time hiding in the forests of that very country. "Did you ever return it?"

"No." Shaking her head, Helena turned away from Harry again. "My mother became fatally ill, and she was in hopes of seeing me again She sent the Baron to find me, but when he did, I refused to go with him. He did not tell me why he had come; only that I should return with him." Finally, when she did turn back around, Harry couldn't really read her expression. "He flew into a rage and I was murdered at his hand. He regretted his actions instantly; having harboured feelings for me that I never returned. He killed himself."

"The Bloody Baron…" Harry had to take a moment to wrap his mnd around this. "He killed you and then himself?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." Harry knew that this was probably the last thing she wanted to hear, so he clarified. "I'm sorry that you went through that; both then and now." Changing direction, he decided to try to get the current whereabouts of the diadem. "Do you know where it is now?"

"I know where he hid it."

"Please, tell me." Harry looked directly at her as he continued talking; his green eyes meeting her silver ones. "Help me destroy it, Helena; help me destroy him."

"It's here in the castle;" Helena said this after considering Harry for a moment. "In the place where everything is hidden." At Harry's look of slight confusion, she added with the faintest smile. "If you must ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask."

It hit him; the room of requirement, where he and Ginny had hidden his potions book that had once belonged to Snape the previous year. He had seen many things in there: the vanishing cabinet, several items of rubbish, banned spellbooks, and a rusted looking tiara that had been placed on the knobbly head of a statue. Looking to the ghost ahead of him again, Harry couldn't help but show his appreciation with a warm smile. "Thank you, Helena."

Harry left the dungeon quickly in an attempt to get back up to the great hall. He could hear feet pounding above him as many made their way down the staircases toward the entrance hall. The roar of chattering met his ears, but what he hadn't expected was the silver flash that moved quickly past him as he opened the door that led to the entrance hall. The thing had gone right through him and when he felt the icy effect, he could only assume it had been the ghost he had just spoken with. Getting across the entrance hall before the crowd made it down, Harry entered the great hall to find it full of his fellow Gryffindors and those who had been in the room of Requirement before. He also saw new faces: Fred, George, Molly, Arthur, Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and even Percy Weasley were standing huddled with Ron, Ginny, and Hermione in a corner talking. Remus and Tonks were speaking in low voices with Kingsley Shacklebolt, and even Aberforth Dumbledore and Augusta Longbottom were nearby. There were also other members of the Order that Harry recognized and those that he didn't. Alastor Moody was having a word with Poppy Pomfrey in the corner near the teachers' table. As Harry walked through the hall however, he heard someone call his name. He then heard the footsteps of others coming to join him.

"Potter, I assume you know where it is, then."

"I do." He nodded as he approached Minerva McGonagall, who stood at the center of the teachers' table. "I found out just now."

"Good. Now to figure out what to do with the underage students…" The headmistress cast her eyes over the hall and stopped when she saw the doors opening again. A mass of students and the other three heads of house were entering quickly. Organizing their students as they normally would have been in the hall, they called for silence and the entire room's low hum of conversation died down to a few select whispers. Harry stepped back to where he knew Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were waiting while McGonagall addressed the hall. "I know that many of you will have questions as to what is about to occur here this evening." She said in a clear and level tone. "There is no time to answer any of them. Suffice it to say that as of this evening, Hogwarts is no longer safe." Harry had heard that from Albus Dumbledore in his second year, and although he new it to be true, the thought still worried him. "With that in mind, all students under the age of sixteen will be escorted from the hall so that they may be evacuated to a safer location. Anyone that Is at least sixteen years of age may choose to remain." This didn't seem to make matters easier. Anyone could tell that McGonagall wasn't happy with students of any age staying and aiding in the war effort.

"Where shall we send them, Minerva?" Slughorn's question was one Harry had anticipated, "There's no safe place within the castle."

"Take them back through to my pub." Aberforth Dumbledore had spoken out from his place with Augusta Longbottom. "I'll have them stay in the inn until it is safe to move them through the floo."

"Shouldn't take too long for that." Kingsley Shacklebolt said quickly. "The Ministry will act soon enough and no one will be monitoring the network when the fighting begins."

"It's settled then." McGonagall said with an ounce of relief in her voice. "Aberforth will lead them out of here." The younger students, some protesting, were silenced by a loud bang issuing from her wand as she addressed them with a deadly serious afterthought. "I will have as little loss of life as possible this night. Now, go." Turning back to the other teachers as Aberforth led the younger students away toward the seventh floor with Neville showing the way, Minerva eyed them all. "Now, we will need to secure the castle. Take your positions. The rest of you," She addressed the remaining students and Order members in the hall. "Organize yourselves and prepare for the worst."

Seeing a flurry of movement around him, Harry could see most of the adults murmuring to themselves while some of the students looked around confused. He chose to leave the hall and look out at the grounds, where McGonagall and Sprout were headed. He was passed by Professor Flitwick, who was taking a position near the base of one of the nearby towers. The charms professor stopped just short of the other two teachers as Horace Slughorn, Poppy Pomfrey, and Madam Hooch stepped outside of the entrance hall as well to take up predetermined positions in the castle's immediate grounds.

"You know that nothing we do will keep out You Know Who indefinitely." Flitwick said as he withdrew his wand again.

"That does not mean we cannot delay him." McGonagall said defiantly. "And his name is Voldemort. Filius, you might as well use it; he's going to try to kill you either way." Harry was half stunned at the fact that she had used his name. He had never heard her refer to him like that, but then again, there wasn't much opportunity as of late. Stepping to her left, he watched as she faced the castle and raised both hands into the air. In a clear and almost ringing voice in the stillness, she spoke. "Piertotum Locomotor!"

Harry couldn't believe what he was seeing. From the open doors that led into the entrance hall to the statues that were carved into the stone exterior, all of them were animating and dropping down to the ground. The winged boars at the distant gates were flapping their wings, and even suits of armor were clanging as they dropped from their pedestals. Stone sculptures were leaving the castle's walls and awaiting orders while suits of armor, smaller sculptures, and the like were waiting in the entrance hall nearby. Several other thumps and bangs could be heard from the castle's upper floors. Once there were a fair few of the larger statues on the grounds, Professor McGonagall spoke again.

"Hogwarts is threatened! Man the boundaries, protectors. Do your duty to this castle!" She then pointed her wand straight up in the air and began muttering an incantation over and over while wisps of silver flew from her wand tip. "Protego Maxima Fianto Duri Repello Inimicum!" She continued to repeat it, and Harry could see the same jets of silver coming from several locations. Apparently Professors Sprout, Slughorn, Flitwick, Madam Hooch, and other staff members were using the same spell. Following where the wands were pointed, Harry saw a silver mass forming high above the highest point on the Astronomy tower. When It really started taking shape, he was amazed; the silver mass was leaking down to form a dome-like shield over the castle, and it was expanding into the grounds.

"When I was younger, I always wanted to use that spell…" Harry had been watching as the dome-like shield charm had sealed around the outskirts of Hogwarts' grounds, and hadn't noticed that the witch beside him had stopped muttering the incantation for it. When he turned to look at her again, he saw that Alastor Moody and Molly Weasley had joined them. When McGonagall spoke again, there was a weariness that Harry never would have thought to hear in her tone. "Now that the time has come for it, I regret ever thinking it." Other students, present and former, had started coming out onto the grounds with the shield charm fully in place. Among them were Ginny, Seamus, Neville, and the entire quidditch team Harry had started off on in his first year. There were others from different houses coming outside as well. The headmistress surprised most by turning to Neville. "Destroy the bridge."

"Hang on…" Neville blinked in slight confusion. "I don't understand….You're actually giving us permission to do this; to blow it up?"

"That is correct, Longbottom."

"But how do I do that?"

"I suggest you confer with Mr. Finnegan." At this next comment, Harry had to really work to suppress a snort of laughter along with the others. "If memory serves, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."

"I can bring it down." Seamus volunteered, and the other students grinned.

"That's the spirit." Madam Hooch said as she rejoined them. "Now, I need competent flyers with good aim."

"Thinking of hit-and-run bombing tactics, are you?" Charlie asked and he was given a sharp nod in response. "Count me in." There was a murmur of agreement, and the Weasleys as a whole were given a sharp and warning look by Molly, but in the end she nodded her approval.

"Good then. Search the broomshed and find the best models you can get your hands on." The flying instructor said as she replaced her wand in her sleeve. "And meet me on the flying pitch." At this point, anyone with a history on their house quidditch teams stepped forward and began heading for the broomshed. Ginny paused and looked back to Harry before calling after George.

"I'll catch you all up." She said as she doubled back and looked Harry over before speaking with him. "Harry, Ron and Hermione said they'd meet you in the entrance hall. They wanted me to pass that along."

"Thanks." Harry had begun to wonder just why they weren't out there on the front lawn. Whatever they were doing, he hoped it had to do with the horcruxes. He had a plan if they didn't, but that would take time that he didn't quite have. He saw Ginny coming toward him, and instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her while she did the same to him. "Fly safe." He said as they prepared to pull away.

"You keep yourself safe." Ginny responded with a nod and a smile. "Didn't spend all this time contemplating our relationship just to have it snatched, did I?" This left Harry slightly stunned. It was true that he hadn't truly wanted to break it off with Ginny over the summer, and he had thought that he was only half doing it at the time. Hearing this made his heart soar.

"I S'pose not." He grinned, and she hugged him tighter. This was met with wolf whistles from Fred and George; the twins had hung back, half knowing what was going to happen.

"I'll kill them." Ginny muttered before kissing Harry on the cheek and tearing off after her brothers. From there on, everyone could hear her shouting at them. "Keep dogging me about that and I'll hex you into the next century!"

Harry had no sooner grinned at Ginny's threats to her brothers, when the doors to the castle opened again. This time, Argus Filch came out and was wheezing heavily. He was followed by Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin. The latter two looked a lot better for wear. Kingsley spoke while Filch's jaws worked in contempt. Harry imagined that seeing all of these students out of bed was really a shock to him.

"The Order is moving to positions around the castle. Remus and I will handle this side." He indicated just past the flying pitch. "I'll suggest sending a few more wands that way."

"It is the quality of a wand's conviction that will guarantee success, not the number of followers." Remus said quietly. "Those determined will find a way." No sooner had the words left his mouth when everything went silent. Professors, students, and Order members all paused in their movement. Harry could hear faint whispering as if it were coming from the darkest corners of his mind, but the voice echoed and grew in volume as the silence continued. Finally, the whisper was deafening; as if someone had used a powerful "Sonorus" charm to magnify it. He could feel his scar prickling as it spoke.

"I know that some of you wish to fight…" The ear-splitting whispers of Lord Voldemort filtered through the grounds. "And many believe that to fight is wise, but this is a folly. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts castle untouched." At this point, people were looking at each other and back at Harry while the whispers faded, but it seemed Voldemort was not finished with his demands. "Give me Harry Potter, and you shall be rewarded…"