Disclaimer: I wrote this when I was 12 to 13 in 2003. Harry Potter is hereby © to J.K. Rowling. Everything else is © to me, or its respective owners.
Chapter Eleven: Confusion and Death
Whispers rang out through the room, and then quickly died away, eager, but afraid to know what Dumbledore was going to say.
"A few hours ago, over twenty muggle families were murdered. Several Death Eaters were responsible. But also, Voldemort attacked St. Mungo's, and killed everyone. He also had a few Death Eaters with him…Rochelle, the angel of darkness attacked over seventy wizarding families, leaving no one alive. Cianna Kelsey is now being controlled by the Imperius Curse, and she attacked the Ministry of Magic this evening. Lucius Malfoy was accompanying her, and half of the Ministry was brutally slaughtered. Every auror was either killed or injured. Voldemort's army of Death Eaters grows larger. He is getting more followers every day. His army is up to at least two hundred already. But the real threat is this school. Voldemort has his eye on Hogwarts. Many powerful witches and wizards reside in this very room. They are the one's that will help bring Voldemort to his downfall…Voldemort wishes to kill these gifted members of our magical community. We cannot let this happen. Therefore, I am forced to shorten the school year for the very first time. The exams shall be taken in March, and the school year will end on the last day of April. Please stay alert and keep your guard…now, I believe I have delayed you all from your feast long enough, so tuck in." Dumbledore said.
Once he had said his final words, the golden plates and goblets filled before them with food. The news was so shocking, that no one really ate much during dinner. Harry scarcely ate anything.
"Please Harry, you have to eat. It isn't good for you to not eat! Please, eat something!" Hermione stated.
Harry did eventually eat, but he didn't feel hungry anymore…his hunger had evaporated…along with his happiness. Voldemort and his followers had killed so many innocent people today. And it was all because he had been born. It was his fault that all these deaths were happening…and he would be the one to stop it. It was his responsibility. He caused this mess, and he was going to put an end to it before it could get any worse. He was deep in thought, Dumbledore's words still fresh in his mind and ringing throughout his brain. He didn't even realize that the feast had ended, and Cho was trying to get his attention. He felt ice flowing through his veins. He felt completely numb. Paralyzed. He was staring moodily at his now empty and sparkling clean plate. Footsteps approached and only then did he look up. Towering above him he saw none other than Albus Dumbledore. The headmaster took a seat across from him and surveyed him through his half-moon spectacles.
"Harry, I know this new information is difficult to process, and I also know that you must be thinking that this is all your fault. It isn't your fault or mine. It is no one's fault. Tom Riddle merely became the way he is now because he was destined for a life of bloodshed and destruction. But Harry, you are also destined. Destined for a life of peace and light. Cho is destined to guide you, Akira was destined to succumb to the dark, but survived with her belief in her family and hope in the light. Whitney is destined to bring peace, Tom is destined to bring calm, Draco is destined to turn the Death Eaters back to the light, Alyssia is destined to bring harmony, Hermione is destined to be the bringer of knowledge and love, Ronald is destined to a life of riches that don't exist only in gold, Liam is destined for a life of happiness. You all are the hope of the worlds. Muggle and Wizard alike. You are the most powerful and skilled witches and wizards of your year. There will be a time when you will all have to fight and show Voldemort the ways of the light, that day is both far but very near. But until that day comes, stay alert and out of trouble. Now I advise that you all get to bed." Dumbledore explained.
He walked away, leaving the others to dwell on the new information that they had just learned. They did as Dumbledore had advised and went to their common rooms and up to bed.
For the next couple of days everyone was just letting the information sink in. Classes were the same old thing, because teachers were trying to keep everyone calm 'just in case anything unexpectedly or something occurred.' they had said. The Head Boys and Girls were asked to watch the first and second years and help them if they were scared. Things were starting to get back to normal. The next day in the common room Harry was reading the events calendar and saw that there was going to be a Hogsmeade trip. He called everyone over there and they read the message together.
"'This Saturday, January 23, There will be a Hogsmeade trip. This will be for third year and above. NO EXCEPTIONS!! In light of current events, every student must be in a group of 10. This group must be in company of a professor at all times. Please come to Professor Dumbledore and select your teacher. Thank you for accepting these rules.'"
"Well what teacher do you want?" Harry asked Cho.
"How about Dumbledore?" Cho suggested.
"That's a good idea!" Hermione agreed.
"But who will be in our group?" Ron asked.
"Well me and Cho, you and Hermione, Akira and Liam, Whitney and Tom, and Alyssia and Draco." Harry explained.
"Sounds good…How about me, Hermione, and Akira go talk to Whitney and Alyssia, and then you and Ron go talk to Tom and Draco and make sure they like everything and meet us at the steps to Dumbledore's office. Then we can ask him to be our to be our professor assistant." Cho explained.
"Ok let's do it!" Ron replied.
They got to the Slytherin Common room and said the visitor password. After they were in they found who they were looking for right off the bat. They all went to Dumbledore's office. Cho called Lumé to take a message to Dumbledore saying they were down there and to let them up. In four minutes they were all in his office.
"So what brings everyone here today?" asked Dumbledore.
"We have come to ask you something, sir." Draco replied.
"Alright, go ahead." Dumbledore said.
"We were wondering if you would go with our group to Hogsmeade this Saturday." Whitney explained.
"Especially since we have a lot to look after in our group. Cho and Whitney are pregnant. So that's four lives." Tom explained.
"I would be honored to go with you, so I will of course go with you. Now what do you want your group to be called?" Dumbledore asked.
"Let's think about that for a minute…" Cho said.
"Alright." Dumbledore said.
They huddled and finally thought of the perfect name.
"Professor I think we have it…" Tom said.
"We want to be called Team Hope." Whitney said very quietly.
"That's a very good name, especially since everyone in this room has a prophecy to live out. We already know Cho's, Harry's, and Akira's but everyone else's starts this year. Be careful this year and watch your backs. See you on Saturday." Dumbledore said brightly.
They all walked to the Library talking about what prophesies they each had.
Time passed quicker than ever…it was Hogsmeade weekend before they even knew it. Dumbledore was waiting for them in the entrance hall, and when they approached, the headmaster beamed at them. The eleven of them walked down the long, winding, cobblestone road to the village. Little houses and thatch roofs appeared over the crest of the hill. They were there. Hogsmeade. Only now…it was…quiet…and it just gave them an eerie feeling in the pit of their stomach. Harry glanced at Dumbledore and noticed that he looked very grim, and the usual twinkle in his blue eyes weren't there.
"Er…Professor? What happened to the village?" Cho asked.
"It appears that Voldemort has been trying to get into Hogwarts yet again. But the villagers of Hogsmeade delayed him and fought back, their shops either burned, or completely destroyed. I'm sure that many brave witches and wizards fought and died gloriously in battle for keeping the peace in our world…may god rest their souls…" Dumbledore muttered.
They were passing a shrub when it rustled, and a hooded figure stumbled out of it. Dumbledore and the others raised their wands and the hooded figure removed his hood and stood up. They were looking right into the eyes of Severus Snape.
"Professor Snape! We thought you were dead!" Whitney, Draco, Alyssia, and Tom exclaimed in surprise.
"Severus, what has happened?" Dumbledore asked.
"Headmaster, Voldemort most definitely has his eye on the school. And this lot…but please, you must assemble a defense line! He's going to attack! And soon! But you must not let the members of the Light Defense go into the front lines and go into combat. That is exactly what Voldemort wants. He wants to lure them out of the school and into his clutches to his old home where he will fight them all to the death!" Snape replied.
"So you've been alive all this time?! Professor Dumbledore told us that you were killed!" Ron said.
"Weasley, quiet. I've been on an important mission spying for Dumbledore. I was almost found out, so I had to run. Now all of you, keep this day secret. You never met me or saw me here at this very place. I'm dead. And you can't care less about me. Because if you disclose any information that I am alive, Voldemort will come after me. He thinks I'm dead also. So do the Death Eaters at his side. I've been hiding in the shadows of buildings or trees where ever they have their meetings. Last night I was sighted, but no one knew who I was. But I ran for it. And I'm here now, and I must return to the countryside to the Riddle mansion. Voldemort and his Death Eaters, every single one, is appearing there in five days to discuss their plans to break into the school. I personally should like to be there to know of their plans beforehand so I can alert the school before it is too late. I must get going!" Snape said, running off.
"Light Defense?" Whitney wondered.
"That is what you all are. You all make up the Light Defense League. You all have many extraordinary powers, even if you may not think it, but it resides within you, and it is only an ability that not many have…" Dumbledore answered.
"What kind of power?" Alyssia asked.
"I'll show you later…but first I must find Mr. Chang to explain it…" Dumbledore said, falling silent.
"What do you mean?!" Akira demanded.
Tai came walking by, with Angela, Alicia, Katherine, Nick, Kira, and a few other students with him.
"Mr. Chang!" Dumbledore called.
"Yes?" Tai asked.
"Come here a moment. I have received a disturbing message from our messenger." Dumbledore answered.
Tai became serious.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Voldemort plans to attack the Light Defense. And unfortunately let it slip about their powers, and now they are all wondering…I was hoping you could give them a demonstration. I will take your group temporarily, if you'd like." Dumbledore said.
"You mean, the Protection of Light Amulet?" Tai asked.
Dumbledore nodded. Tai's group looked extremely confused.
"Cho, Harry, you still have those amulets from last year?" Tai wondered.
The two of them nodded.
"Well, let me borrow them for a minute…" Tai said.
Cho and Harry put the two amulets into Tai's hand. Tai took the two amulets and said an incantation and the two amulets joined. The amulet was a beautiful silvery-white orb attached to a beautiful gold chain. It glowed and shot beams of white light into the sky. Everyone looked at the sky in awe, like it was some type of fireworks show. Tai gave the amulet to Dumbledore, and closed his eyes, his hands folded in prayer.
"I wish…I wish I had wings…" He whispered.
His words echoed and reechoed several times, his voice louder and louder each time. The ground shook, and the sky seemed to fall. He yelled, and threw his arms out to his sides. The back of his shirt tore and large, elegant, silver angel wings sprouted from his back.