Chapter Forty-Two: War Eternal

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. The underlined portions are taken directly from the novel; I do not own those parts. They belong to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: This fanfiction is going to be different from my other stories. This picks up where "The Heart of Everything" and "The Heart of Everything: Shallow Bay" left off. The time in the books also changes. So, pay attention the time, so you don't get confused. Some of the chapters are other Marcus Flint/Katie Bell stories, just with more changes and deleted scenes added.

Time: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Genre: Romance, Drama, and Friendship

Rating: PG-13

Marcus blinked at his father. "Are you sure?"
Brad nodded. "I wish it wasn't."

Marcus looked down at his hands. How could this had happened so quickly?

"They say that Harry Potter has returned to Hogwarts."
Katie nodded, but Marcus didn't move a muscle. That sounded about like Potter to him. Showing up at the last minutes, getting them involved in a major battle, and walking away as the hero. He always did this and thought that everyone was doing it for him, when they weren't.

"What do you we?" Katie asked slowly.

"We have to go help or everyone will be killed. They don't have a chance. Think about it, a bunch of school kids against the Dark Army, it's just not going to end well for the kids."
Katie got to her feet. "Well, I guess we're get ready." She padded out of the room.

Marcus kicked his blankets off and grabbed his wand off the stand.

"Are you okay?" Brad asked as he sat down on the corner of the bed.

"I'm fine." Marcus got out of bed and hunted for some clothes. He couldn't remember where the last pair of jeans he had worn were.
"No, you're not."
Found them...He bent down to pick them up, trying to hid the wincing. His dad's hand appeared and the next thing Marcus knew the jeans were in his hands.

"You don't have to go if you don't want. No one would blame you if you sat this one."
"I'm sick of sitting on the sidelines." Marcus stripped off his sweats and pulled on the jeans.

"Marcus."
"What?"
"They almost killed you. You didn't see yourself when I got you. You were dying." Brad's voice caught. "If they see you there, they will make sure that they finish the job."

Marcus exchanged his T-shirt for a long sleeve black one. "Then, I'll just make sure that they don't see me." Now, where were his boots? He knew that he had seen them earlier, but just couldn't remember where.

Brad groaned. "Marcus!"

"You don't want me to go." Ah, there were. He reached under the bed and pulled them out.

"No, I don't. I supposed that's not going to do any good with you."

"Nope."

"Just don't get killed."

Marcus laced his boots up. He didn't know what to say to his father. This wasn't only a physical war, but an internal one and it would never end.

"And don't shave. It'll help cover you up a little."

Marcus smirked as his father left the room. He slowly got to his feet and followed in suit. He found them all gathered around the large dining room table, the children not in sight nor was Jenna. He crept in beside Katie, who put her hand around his waist, and studied the map. It took him awhile to realize that that this was Hogwarts.

"We'll go in through the Hogshead and end up somewhere around here," Jasmine said as she pointed to a blank spot on the map.

Marcus frowned. He had heard of an invisible room at Hogwarts, but never knew where it was.

Katie moved Jasmine's finger a little further left. "It'll be more like around here somewhere."

Jasmine nodded.

"The Hogshead knows that we are coming and there's really nothing further to discuss. We can't make battle plans until we see for sure what we are up against, if it's anything." Brad picked his wand off the table. "Let's go."

Everyone filed out of the room.

Jenna was standing at the bottom of the stairs with Emily in her arms and the girls peering around her legs. Nobody said a word as they walked by. Nobody really knew what to say. Demi held the front door open and allowed everyone to walk by her; she never took her eyes off of her children.

Outside they formed a circle, while Jasmine pulled out the chest. She looked at everyone in the circle. "If you have decided that you don't want to go, no one would blame you for backing out."
No one moved.

"Okay."
Marcus reached out of put his hand on top of Katie's, which was on the chest. He didn't look here in the eye because he knew that she would be pleading him not to go. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea for him to go, maybe they were right. No, he couldn't pull his hand off that chest.

He felt the pull at his stomach and soon Canada disappeared. The next time he opened his eyes, he was in the grimy layout of the Hogshead. He had never been here before because of rumours he had heard at Hogwarts and now he could see that they were true.

The old bartender nodded at them from behind the bar. "Hogwarts?"

Jasmine nodded. "Yeah."

The bartender nodded toward a painting. "Go through there."

"Thanks."

The bartender just grunted.

"Maybe that's why he doesn't get much business," Marcus muttered to Katie.

Katie gave him a look. "Be nice."
Jasmine stepped in the painting and disappeared. Brad, Demi, and Nathanial followed in suit.

Katie turned and kissed Marcus. "Ready?"

Marcus nodded. "Yeah."

Gripping hands, they climbed into the painting. Marcus stared at the brick surrounding them. He thought he knew where most of the secret passages were at Hogwarts, but he guessed not. This one was new to him.

The next thing Marcus knew was that they were climbing through a hole in the wall. Marcus blinked as he stared at the room. Multicoloured hammocks lined the walls, different coloured tapestry hangings of the house colours lined the walls. He noted the absence of Slytherin and allowed his eyes to take in the bulging bookcases and someone screaming into a wireless in the corner.

Katie presented someone with her coin. "We got the message."
Harry Potter turned around and stared at them all. Marcus could feel everyone's eyes on him and he quickly looked around.

Potter smiled and pulled Katie into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you." He nodded to the rest of them. He didn't seem all that happy to see them though.

Katie grabbed Marcus's hand and pulled over to where Fred, George, and the rest of the Weasleys were standing.

"Well, look who's not dead after all," Fred said to Marcus.

"Darn, I was hoping to get a cut in your money," George added.

"I just you'll have to wait a little longer," Marcus said smiling. He nodded to Potter. "What's his problem?"

"He's just mad that Neville over there put out a call to everyone," Fred answered.

Katie frowned. "Did he think that he could fight this by himself?"
"Something like that."

They group in the centre of the room was arguing about something, something about Potter nod having a wand, not having a plan, and all of that stuff. Marcus watched Potter's movements. He was hiding something. The way that he was clinging to Ron and Hermione. Fred and George started making jokes that made no sense over the noise.

"Okay!" Potter called and all the noise ceased.

Marcus noticed how everyone in the room looked alert, excited, no one looked one bit afraid of what was waiting for them.

"There's something we need to find," Harry said. "Something-something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object like that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?" (Rowling 583)

Marcus watched as Potter's attention turned to small group of Ravenclaws. Some girl with blond hair opened her mouth and mentioned something about a lost diadem. Cho Chang, who he remembered from his seventh year, brought up the fact that no one had seen it since the days of Ravenclaw herself. Why were they wasting their time trying to find something that hadn't been seen for a thousand years?

Marcus did see the disappointment on Potter's face. People were starting to talk again around Marcus, so he couldn't hear what was being said between the two. The next thing he knew Cho and Potter where on the move. No, wait, Potter and the blond girl were on the move.

Hermione sent sparks up with her wand that ended with a loud boom. "Everyone! Shut it!"

Much to Marcus's surprise, everyone in the room fell into silence and turned their attention to Hermione.

"Now, while Harry is looking for the diadem, we must prepare for battle. There is no question about it, there is going to be a battle here. If you don't wish to be improved, no one will blame you for walking away. This is going to be a fight to the death. Before you make decision, think about your families, those you love, your friends, and everyone around you. This is a never ending war! It's a war that is supposed to break you! This ends tonight! This is the path to the end of it all!" Hermione stepped back. "Eh, how was that?"

"Nicely down!" Fred whistled.

Hermione nodded. "Um, thanks?"

Fred smiled. "Anytime, I've got your back."
Remus appeared behind Hermione. "We need to alert the castle. There's hundreds of underage wizards."

"What about the staff?" Hermione asked.

"They may not know."

"Right." Hermione looked out at the crowd. "Those who are of age, go wake the teachers who are in your house. Tell them what's going on. Stay alert and don't put your wands down!"

"Who's going to take Slytherin?" Remus asked.

Hermione nodded to Marcus. "You're a Slytherin. What about your parents?"

"Ravenclaw," Jasmine said.

"Slytherin," Brad answered.

"They you go." Hermione said. "Now, everyone go! Only two per house goes!"
Marcus followed his dad out of the room, both of them keeping to the shadows. Marcus pointed his wand around the first corner, peered slowly out, and when he saw that no one was coming, motioned his dad forward. Brad moved forward and repeated the same movement for Marcus.

Once they back together, Brad looked at Marcus. "You're going to have to help me with the staff. It's been a few years since I've been here."
"More than a few." Marcus peered down another hall. Still nothing. He darted across and looked back. Everything was still clear.

Brad darted across. "What is that supposed to mean?" he whispered.

"Nothing."

"Stop."
"Huh?"
Brad shoved them both in a small broom closet and shut the door them. Outside, Marcus could here footsteps and cursing. He put his hand over his mouth, but there was nothing he could do to silence his rapidly beating heart. Brad tightened his hold on his wand and stared though a small crack. Suddenly, there was nothing.

Brad looked back at Marcus, but didn't say a word. Both of them stared wide-eyed at each other. They had heard that Death Eaters were teaching at Hogwarts, but weren't sure how many. If the Death Eaters in the castle were on the move, how long would it be before they realized that they were under attack?
Brad ease out of the broom closet, looked around, then motioned for Marcus to follow. They crept along the hall and slowly made their way down several flights of stairs. One thing was for certain, it was going to be a very long night.