Soul of the Enemy
By Willow Spirit
Disclaimer: I only own the plot. Everything else belongs to the wonderful J. K. Rowling.
A/N: Thanks for the reviews! It's my birthday today so I felt like working hard to update. And with regards to Remembrance Day (or Vetran's Day) I'd just like to say thank you to everyone who has ever fought for the freedoms that we all enjoy today.
Chapter 28 – Darkness Comes
The next few weeks passed by in a blur and soon everyone at Hogwarts found themselves writing exams in early June. Despite the fact that Death Eater activity was at a record high, the teachers thought it would be best to maintain a bit of normalcy with the students. More than a few people were nervous, as no one seemed to know what Voldemort was planning. Apparently he was keeping many of his Death Eaters in the dark regarding his full plan.
On one particular afternoon, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Alex were all hanging out in the Head Boy's/Head Girl's lounge. Hermione and Ron were trying to work out some last minute details on the fast approaching graduation ceremony and the other three were attempting to study. Suddenly there was a knock at the door, causing everyone in the room to jump. Who would be coming to this room at this time? Everyone was already here.
Hermione slowly got to her feet and walked over to the door. She opened it, only to reveal Professor McGonagall standing on the other side. "Professor!" Hermione sounded mildly surprised to see her Head-of-House before her. "Please come in. What can we do for you?"
McGonagall didn't answer her right away. Instead, she swept into the room and looked critically at the others. "I'm afraid I need to speak to Mr. Potter, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley for a moment…alone," she looked stern but there was an apologetic glint in her eyes. Ginny and Alex simply looked at each other and prepared to leave.
"I think, Professor," Ron looked McGonagall firmly in the eye, "that you should know us well enough by now that we'll just tell them after you leave. It would save us some time if we didn't have to explain everything to them."
All heads turned to McGonagall to see her reaction. Her lips were pursed together in thin, straight line. "Very well, then," she sighed. "I suppose you all have heard that there have been even more conflicts between the Aurors and Death Eaters these past few weeks. We suspected that You-Know-Who has been planning something for a good while now and Professor Snape has confirmed this. Just this afternoon, he has learned that You-Know-Who plans to launch an attack on Hogwarts itself. Given the fact that Professor Trelawney also had another prediction two nights ago, we believe all of this to be accurate information."
The five Gryffindors were equally stunned by the unexpected news. That prediction must have been the one mention in Alex's memory of the future.
"When?" Harry asked softly.
"Tomorrow, at nightfall," McGonagall replied with resentment.
"Tomorrow!" Hermione exclaimed, leaping out of her chair. "But that's too soon. We're still in the middle of exams and…the students. What about the students?"
"That's exactly what Professor Dumbledore and the other head professors were just discussing," McGonagall said. "As far as we're concerned, we will attempt to evacuate all students tonight to a save and secure location."
"Does he know that we know?" Harry's question was very vague but McGonagall seemed to understand.
"Not as far as we know," she sounded relieved. "We think that if he did know, he would not wait for tomorrow. We also believe that he has yet to discover that Professor Snape is a spy for our side."
"Will an evacuation tip him off, though," Ron pointed out. "Won't that tell him that we know his next move? What if he changes his mind, then? Not that that would be a bad thing…"
"That's why we will try to do it during the night," McGonagall explained. "It's the best solution we can come up with at the moment."
"Does that mean we all have to leave?" Ginny asked anxiously.
"I'm afraid so," McGonagall looked at them again with sympathetic eyes. "With the exception of Mr. Potter, who has the option of staying or leaving with the rest of the students."
Harry stood and looked McGonagall squarely in the eye. So it had come to this; a part of Harry always knew that it would. But now that they were finally here, he knew there was only one thing he could do. There was no avoiding it now. "I'm staying," he exhaled loudly. "I think I'm meant to be here when it happens. I have to…I need to do this."
McGonagall obviously understood and gave him a simple nod in return. "Very well, then. Professor Dumbledore will be making an announcement before supper in the Great Hall. All details will be explained then."
"Professor!" Hermione called out as McGonagall turned to leave. "What about graduation? What's going to happen after tomorrow?"
"That will depend on what tomorrow brings," McGonagall responded after a slight pause. "Right now, I would say that any other plans will be either canceled or put on hold…for a while at least." And then she was gone.
"Canceled," Hermione sat back down with a stunned looked. "I can't believe that everything…exams, graduation…everything that we've worked for will all be for nothing."
"Well, I can tell you for damn sure that I'm not leaving tonight," Ron crossed his arms in front of him. "I'm staying with you Harry and there's nothing anyone can do about it."
"I'm staying too," Ginny added defiantly.
"No, you're not," Ron said forcefully. "If Mum were here…"
"Ron, shut up," Ginny hissed at him. "Mum's not here and we are not having this conversation. I am old enough to make my own decisions and I say that I'm staying behind."
"That makes four of us, then," Hermione glanced up with determination.
"Actually, it's five," Alex corrected them. "See, there are five people in the room right now."
"Alex," Harry sighed with exasperation. "You of all people can't stay here. What if you change something?"
"Have you forgotten, Harry?" Alex shook her head. "That's the whole reason I'm here. I need to do my thing after Voldemort dies."
"If he dies…"
"Oh, shove it Harry. I already told you I know you guys can do it. I promise you I won't be in the way. And unlike some people, I'm pretty sure no one will be able to get anything from my mind, not even old Voldie himself."
Harry had to sigh again. He should have expected this from everyone. It was exactly like two years ago and the Department of Mysteries. If that experience taught him anything it was that his friends were very determined. The only thing that stood in their way was the professors. Last time there were no adults to hold them back; they had just gone off on a whim. This time would be different, though.
"We should go talk to Dumbledore," Harry suggested. "If you guys are going to stay, we need to clear it with him first."
"Oh, I definitely want to talk with Dumbledore," Hermione was already halfway to the door. "It's not supposed to happen like this. They can't cancel our graduation just because some stupid Dark Wizard wants to destroy us all. I've put too much time into planning this stuff and if he thinks he can disrupt our lives like this, he's sorely mistaken."
"Dark Wizards, beware," Ron muttered under his breath. "Hermione's on the warpath."
-----
Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Alex all marched their way to Dumbledore's office. No one dared to stop them and everyone nearly scurried to get out of their path. The five Gryffindors made an impressive sight. All were wearing their robes, which were flowing behind them, making them seem larger and powerful. Their huge strides were in perfect unison and they had identical determined glares on their faces.
"Harry!"
The group came to a near simultaneous halt as their heads spun around to see Neville quickly approaching. It looked like he had been running to catch up with them. As soon as he slowed down he noticed the undeniable tension in them all.
"What happened?" Neville began to look extremely worried as he glanced from face to face. "What's wrong?"
"We're going to see Dumbledore," Harry answered softly, then hesitated for a brief moment. He could tell Neville, after all they had been through. "There's going to be an evacuation tonight, but you can't tell anyone about it. Everyone will hear about it later on at supper."
Neville's eyes grew unnaturally wide. "He's coming, isn't he?" was all he said. Harry merely nodded. He knew how difficult this probably would be for Neville. "Is there anything I can do?" Neville offered.
"Not really," Harry shrugged.
"Are you staying?"
"Yeah."
"Are the rest of you?" The others also nodded in response. At that moment, something inexplicable changed in Neville's face. "Then I'm staying too," his eyes flashed with anger. "When you see Dumbledore you can tell him that I'll be staying too. I'm not going to run away from this. I'm going to stay here and fight for my school, for everything else…"
"Neville…" Harry started. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."
"Well I think it is," Neville replied forcefully. "What's the point of all those extra defense classes if we're never going to use them? I know I won't be the only one who'll want to stay. For some of us, this castle is the only place we've got. It means too much to us and we won't let anything happen to it. And we can't let him get away with it. He needs to be stopped."
"We'll see what we can do," Ron offered. "Right now, we'd better get going."
"Right, then," Neville stepped back with a nod. "You'll let us know what's going on?" he asked hopefully.
"Whenever we find out what's happening," Harry agreed.
-----
When the five Gryffindors made it to Dumbledore's staircase, McGonagall was waiting there for them.
"We were wondering when you would make it," she huffed, though they saw the corner of her mouth twitch. "As soon as I returned, everyone agreed that the first thing you five would do would be to come gallivanting over here to protest our decision. Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up and try to change our minds."
Once inside Dumbledore's office they saw that Snape, Flitwick, and Sprout were still there. But the students didn't hesitate as they stood firmly before their professors. Now was not the time to back down and be shy.
"We'll get straight to the point," Harry didn't bother with pleasantries. "I'm sure by now you've guessed that not everyone is happy with this evacuation plan. These four will want to stay as well."
"Impossible!" Flitwick squeak from his chair, while Snape shook his head in disgust and Sprout shook hers in disbelief. Dumbledore and McGonagall were far from surprised.
"I suppose you all plan on being heroes," Snape bit sarcastically. "Do you plan on fighting the Dark Lord by yourselves?"
"Of course not," Ron fumed. "But we just can't sit back and do nothing while our best friend puts his life in danger. Others will want to stay, too, I can guarantee you that."
"And I suppose you have a brilliant plan, some amazing scheme that will stop him in his tracks."
For a brief moment, Ron hesitated. Everyone seemed to take his silence as a negative response. Then Ron opened his mouth. "Actually, I do something that we can do." All eyes turned on Ron. This time there was surprise all around.
"And what exactly do you propose, Mr. Weasley?" Dumbledore said softly and encouragingly. Ron had to swallow to rid his throat of a sudden lump. Then he plunged ahead, detailing the specifics of his idea.
The entire room was still and unmoving as they sat and listened to Ron's voice. The more he explained, the more confident he became. A few minutes later, he paused to take a breath.
"That will never work in a million years," Snape sighed impatiently.
"I have to say, I'm a bit skeptical myself," Sprout agreed.
"When did you come up with this?" McGonagall asked in amazement.
"Less than an hour ago," Ron shrugged. "I started thinking about it when you told us about the evacuation. If I had a few more minutes, I'd have everything planned and figured out."
"And here we thought that only Harry had the good ideas," Ginny mused.
"Not really," Harry muttered. "I'm more of a spontaneous thinker. I work best in the moment, but Ron's the one with strategies."
"I still don't know about this," McGonagall looked worried.
"What other choice do we have?!" Ron exclaimed. "Some of us are not leaving this school. You'd have to hex us and drag us out of here in sacks. Trust me, I've considered everything from safety to the execution."
"And what makes you think it will work?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Because he won't expect it," Ron pointed out. "And neither will any of his Death Eaters. They're so wrapped up in themselves and so convinced of their superiority that they won't even consider this. He'll come and he'll be over-confident. I wouldn't be surprised if he considers this his last big battle on his way to immortality or something like that. He expects to win. He probably figures that Harry's number is up. Harry's had too many lucky breaks and now it's his turn. It's only a matter of time before he wins a round. That's where we'll get him. It'll be perfect, like setting a small trap. He won't see it coming."
"And what about me?" Harry asked, though he pretty much knew the answer. Ron looked at him with serious eyes.
"I think you'll probably be needed elsewhere tomorrow," he said. "How confident are you in your Occlumency skills?"
"I feel good," Harry replied. He made a point last year to learn it inside and out. He felt like he could take on Voldemort and not reveal any important information.
"Great," Ron nodded, apparently satisfied. "I think, though, that the four of us should take some Felix Felicis just in case. You never know what will happen."
"How do you know about Felix Felicis?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.
"I read about it once in this mystery novel," Ron replied vaguely. "And don't look so surprised, Hermione. I do know how to read, you know. I never said I was completely stupid."
Hermione stared at him with her jaw dropped. Where did this come from? All of a sudden he was strategizing and recalling facts from memory. From books, of all things! And then he was talking about the enemy like he was some kind of professional profiler. Was this person really their Ron? If so, what did he do with the old Ron?
"What's Felix…" Ginny whispered to Alex.
"It's a kind of good-luck potion," she whispered back, then spoke in a slightly louder voice. "I won't need any. I'm pretty much an expert at Occlumency myself, though you all probably guessed that already."
"Do you have any in storage, Professor Snape?" Ron turned to the reluctant potions professor, whose eye was twitching in irritation.
"No."
"We'll have to make some tonight then. I think we'll need tomorrow to concentrate on more important things. Could we make some tonight?"
"By 'we', you actually mean myself?"
"I'll help," Hermione volunteered.
"Is this necessary?" McGonagall asked.
"Well, I doubt they would think of using it," Ron reasoned. "Like I said, they're too confident in their abilities. They wouldn't resort to using potions to make themselves faster or stronger. That doesn't mean that some of us can't. It should help keep things safer and under control."
"We're talking about this as if we decided to go through with it," McGonagall said. Ron looked to Dumbledore, who would ultimately have the final say. Dumbledore pressed his fingers together as he collected his thoughts.
"This would be very dangerous," was all he said in a simple tone.
"I know," Ron replied. There was no point in denying it. His plan was a bit risky and someone could potentially get hurt if he wasn't careful.
"There will be many people would oppose this plan."
"Of course."
"The parents…your parents most of all, will not appreciate you doing this."
"I can already hear Mom screaming at me."
"Then I suppose that's all I need to say," Dumbledore said with a knowing smile. "You may have access to any resources you need. Tonight, after supper, you can explain your plan to the other students."
"Alrigh…I…what? The others…?" Ron was dumbfounded. So was everyone else. He glanced at Harry, who merely shrugged. "You mean I have to get up and talk in front of the whole school."
"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore said patiently. "This was your idea and yours alone. If you can't stand the thought of public speaking, then how will you manage to organize your plan and see it through?"
"Sure," Ron suddenly had a huge lump in his throat. "Well…I guess we'd better get going. Lots to do before supper."
When the door closed behind the students, Snape immediately expressed his opinion.
"This is complete madness."
"Perhaps madness is exactly what we need right now," Dumbledore said thoughtfully.
Later on, everyone gathered in the Great Hall for supper. It was a full house that night, due to a notice that had gone around an hour or so ago. There was going to be an important announcement after the meal was over. No one really knew what was happening, expect for Harry and his crew. So naturally the hall was buzzing with speculation, though hardly anyone was actually coming close to the truth.
When the dessert dishes were cleared, Dumbledore stood at the head table and the entire hall became still and silent. After a brief introduction, Dumbledore got to the heart of the matter. Voldemort was coming to the school tomorrow. There will likely be a large battle. The school was now under strict surveillance. No owls were allowed to come and go. All floo networks and fireplaces, save for a few in selected areas, were being shut down. No one was to leave the building without Head of House permission.
Dumbledore delivered all this information so quickly and in such an informal way that it took a while for it all to sink in. Most students were initially confused; others thought it was some kind of joke or maybe a test of some kind. Gradually though, they began to realize what was happening. Fear and panic started growing in the pits of their stomachs. But before that panic had a chance to erupt, Dumbledore announced that Mr. Ronald Weasley had something he wanted say.
Now everyone was confused again. The world was coming to an end and the Head Boy wanted to make a speech. Ron Weasley didn't do public speaking. That was Hermione Granger's department. Ron felt his mouth go dry as everyone turned to stare openly at him. Maybe this is how Harry felt sometimes. Ron cursed himself for ever being jealous of Harry and all the attention he received over the years.
Dumbledore gestured to Ron to approach the head table, where he would be in a better place to address the students. Ron took in a deep breath. He could do this.
He needed to do this.
-----
That evening past by in a flurry of preparations, and the next morning was pretty much the same. Everyone was so busy they barely had a chance to stop and breathe. It wasn't until later on in the afternoon that the five Gryffindors had the opportunity to sit down together for a bite to eat. They congregated in the normally out of bounds teacher's lounge. Today was an exception, considering how everyone was involved in the attack that was supposed to come tonight. They needed to stay close to everything in case something happened suddenly.
"We've been on our feet all day," Ron exhaled loudly as he plopped himself down in a chair.
"Tell me about it," Harry groaned.
"How are things going, Harry?" Hermione asked.
"Not too bad," Harry shrugged. Harry had spent most of the day with the other members of the Order. Dumbledore figured that Harry would probably play an important role in the battle, therefore he should know exactly was their plans and strategies were. "I'm telling you, though, they could have used your help Ron. You should have heard the things some people were suggesting we do."
"Sorry," Ron said. "I was busy with my own strategies, thank you very much. I think I'm starting to regret opening my big mouth."
"Don't be so modest," Alex started passing around plates with sandwiches. "You were wonderful today. I really like your idea. I mean I really, really like it. That idiot Voldie won't know what hit him. He won't see it coming."
"And you're sure you, me and Hermione will have to…" Ginny started a bit uncertainly.
"I guarantee it," Ron answered instead. "Voldemort is going to have every kind of nasty creature imaginable on his side. We need to be prepared."
"Hey, congratulations," Harry gave Ron a half-hearted thumbs up. "You've finally joined the 'Voldemort' club. It only took you your entire life."
"Well, I figured that if he's really coming, then I might as well leave the 'he must be called You-Know-Who' club."
"And it's about time," Ginny rolled her eyes. "I was getting tired of seeing your pale, sickly face every time someone said his name."
"I agree," Hermione nodded.
"Gee, thanks."
A comfortable silence fell over the small group. They continued to munch quietly on their sandwiches as various teachers came in and out of the room. There wasn't much to say, really. They knew each other so well that they didn't have to exchange words in a time like this. So instead they just sat and enjoyed their time together. They knew that at any moment they would be called back to their posts. Harry would go off with the other professors to prepare for the battle, while the others would return to the Great Hall.
All too soon, Professor McGonagall came briskly through the door to the lounge. All heads turned quickly in her direction.
"It's time," she said. Everyone shot up from their seats. They turned to stare at one another.
"I wish all of this had never happened," Harry said abruptly. "I wish we never had to live through times like this."
"'So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide,'" Alex smiled sadly. "'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.'" The others simply stared at her, wondering how on Earth she came up with such words. "Lord of the Rings." Alex shrugged. "It's one of my favourite quotes." Alex glanced at Hermione and gave her a subtle wink. Hermione just shook her head in exasperation. They had more important things to think about. But everyone just stood where they were, not knowing what to say.
"Do we say goodbye?" Ginny asked in a weary tone.
"Absolutely not," Ron insisted. "We'll all live through this."
"We need to have a group hug, though," Hermione smiled slightly. The five teens came together to form a circle with their arms rapped around each other. This would be their last moment together, but hopefully would see each other soon.
"You know, they say you can pick your friends but you can't pick your family," Harry said quietly, looking into the faces around the circle. "But they don't say anything about when your friends are your family."
"Harry," Hermione's eyes started shining with tears.
"I thought we weren't going to say goodbye," Alex said.
"I'm not," Harry replied. "I just want to let you guys know. Sometimes I take for granted the way you're always there for me, no matter what. And I never say 'thank you' enough."
"You never have to," Ron said. "Now let's go put Voldemort away for good."
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A/N: As always, please review. Brownie points to anyone who can identify the Lord of the Rings character who says the line Alex quoted!
Next Chapter: it's the day of destiny...what will happen?