The three teenagers started disbelievingly at the intimidating woman, memories flooding back from the ministry of magic the previous year. They were barely able to make out her features from under her black hood.
"What's the matter?" She asked in a menacing tone, weaving in and out of the ghostly bodies of the teachers
"Are you frightened?" Her mock concern traced her voice as she let out a threatening laugh.
"You're not going to get away with this." Snarled Hermione, wand drawn just like Harry and Ron.
"How dare you speak to me, you mudblood!" Bellatrix screamed, infuriated she drew her wand, ready to perform the unforgivable curses on the three. With a powerful movement she brought her wand up past her head. Before she could mutter a word though, Harry, Ron and Hermione had shouted their retaliations.
"STUPIFY!" They screamed in unison, sending a thick red bolt at Bellatrix, who immediately stopped and sunk to the floor.
"Let's go." Harry said to the others, who didn't need telling twice. The pelted down the spiral staircase as fast as their legs would allow and headed out through the abandoned corridors into the great hall where the remaining students were huddled, looking terrified.
"What's wrong?" asked Ron upon seeing Fred and George, who were staying on a visit from their joke shops.
"I don't know." Replied Fred, "but we keep on seeing shapes moving around up there." He pointed to the balcony overlooking the great hall
"Could it have been a ghost?" suggested Harry
"No, they were dark and definitely solid." George said, the most serious Harry had ever seen him.
"They must be here." Said Harry, surveying the balcony
"Who?"
"The death eaters, they've come to finish me off."
"Harry, how are we going to fight them?" asked Hermione, looking into his green eyes
"Same as we always do, improvisation." He said, patting her shoulder for comfort.
Hermione suddenly jumped as though a sharp object had just prodded her.
" That's it!" she said, lowering her voice so that the death eaters could not hear.
She took a galleon out of her pocket, and performed a simple spell on it. The effect was immediate, the members of the DA all reached into their pockets and then at Hermione, understanding that they needed to meet in the room of requirements if they had any hope of saving the school.