AN: I hope that you are enjoying the story. The next few chapters take a step back from the action to build the plot; at the very least this story will end up being 16 chapters. So take some time and review, they really make my day.

Chapter 13

It had been many years since the boy named Tom Riddle Jr. had walked the halls of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Since those days the boy had lost his grasp on humanity and transformed into the entity known as Lord Voldemort. Lord Voldemort had gathered his army and was prepared to return to the halls where he had first learned to wield magic.

With an army over 200 strong it will be impossible to advance on the castle without raising the guard of the teachers; however I am positive that Severus and the Carrows will not fail to put an end to any resistance movement that could be an obstacle for the army I have raised. Voldemort thought as he watched while his army assembled within the Forbidden Forest.

In the Room of Requirement Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Luna Lovegood were plotting their next move. Although things had been considerably quieter since the trio had managed to destroy Voldemort's horcruxes the group had not rested on their laurels. Harry had just finished looking over the Marauder's Map one last time before the trio would make a break for Minerva McGonagall's office.

"We need allies, he is building his army," said Harry in response to Harmione's suggestion that they wait until the students get back and use the D.A. coins to get a message out to those they considered trustworthy. At the end of the fifth year, only Neville Longbottom and Luna had heeded the call in their time of distress and Harry wanted to make sure that the castle had considerably more fire-power at its disposal when faced with Voldemort.

"Yes, but we have a lot more at stake being caught sneaking out now than we had in the past," argued a flustered Hermione. "The students arrive tomorrow. It seems out of character for Voldemort to do something as drastic as take over Hogwarts when there won't be anyone around to witness his efforts."

"I agree with Harry, if we don't know when we will be attacked then it would be best to be on guard at all times," added Luna.

"Thanks, Luna. We need McGonagall to alert the Order for us. If she can do that then I'm sure that Hogwarts would allow us the means to get them into the castle," reasoned Harry. As if on cue, a large fireplace appeared on the adjacent wall of the castle. "That's it! Dumbledore had said that help would be given by Hogwarts to those who deserve it. The castle wants us to be prepared; I bet that Order members would be able to Floo in using that fireplace."

"Harry, if that's true then we have absolutely no reason to leave this room. Do you see anyone in professor McGonagall's office besides her?" asked Hermione with a smile.

"Um, no," replied Harry after checking his map.

"Excellent," responded Hermione as she grabbed a pinch of the powder that was hanging next to the fireplace into the flames and called out, "Professor McGonagall's office!"

"Good heavens, dear. You gave me a terrible start," stated Minerva McGonagall as she bent down so that she could be seen through the flames. "You must know the danger of contacting me using this manner."

"Yeah, I considered it for a second before I reached a conclusion that I hope you will agree with. The castle's Floo network is probably monitored, but would a call register as strange if it was made between to rooms inside of the castle?" asked Hermione.

Minerva McGonagall appeared very pensive as she considered Hermione's question. "Surely, you must not mean what I believe that you are implying. However, if you are then I must insist that you tell me what room is connected so that I can assure that the school has not been compromised."

"It's a very special room that gave us the opportunity to band together during our fifth year in order to receive the defensive training that we could not get during that horrible Umbridge's brief stay in the castle," answered Hermione while hoping that her favorite professor would know to which room she was referring. "I'm sure that if you were looking that the room wouldn't want to be found."

"I see, please excuse me. A pressing situation has just come to my attention," McGonagall ended the call.

"You would have done well in Ravenclaw, Hermione," said Luna. "Although, I must admit that those allusions were rather unimaginative."

Hermione had just formulated a response when the door was flung open and professor McGonagall entered before quickly closing the door behind her.

"Professor McGonagall," chorused Harry and Hermione.

"Although I'm extremely pleased to see the three of you alive and unharmed, I must say that nothing good can come of you being in this castle," admonished the Transfiguration professor as she swept Harry and Hermione up into a hug. "If the Carrows or Severus had spotted you coming into the castle then the results would have been disastrous."

"We ran into the Carrows when we arrived; the brother managed to hit Harry with a terrible spell and Hermione was able to hit the other with something just as nasty," reported Luna as if she was mentioning that the sky was blue. "I managed to knock the one who hit Harry out; he's in the cage over there," she said while indicating one of the few items that hadn't been relocated into the wardrobe by the Horcrux induced avalanche of objects.

"What happened to the other Carrow," softly asked the professor.

"She won't be hurting anyone anymore," replied Hermione as she averted her gaze from her favorite professor.

"Don't worry dear, I'm sure that whatever spell you used was appropriate given the severity of the situation that you three have found yourselves in over the past summer," encouraged McGonagall. "By the way, I must say that I am rather to see Luna Lovegood here with you instead of Mr. Weasley."

"Yeah, we kind of had a falling out," Harry replied quickly.

His professor appeared concerned and prompted, "I think that you should tell me what has transpired since you were last in this castle."

"Well, during my sixth year professor Dumbledore was spending time with me in order to teach me about Voldemort. During these sessions it was verified that Voldemort was able to survive our encounter as a baby because he had made horcruxes. When I was a second-year I had unknowingly destroyed one in the Chamber of Secrets. In between my fifth and sixth years Dumbledore managed to destroy another. On the night of Dumbledore's death, he and I went to a cave where Dumbledore suspected that Voldemort had hidden a third horcrux. He drank a potion that robbed him of his senses and when we were finally able to retrieve the locket it turned out that someone had beaten us to it. So Hermione, Ron, and I knew that we had to find the locket. A memory of Horace Slughorn verified that there were seven horcruxes made. Two had been destroyed, one we knew for sure, the other four were thought to be items representative of the founders and Voldemort's snake. We broke into the ministry and managed to get the locket but eventually the task of carrying it became too much for Ron and he left," explained Harry.

"From there Harry and I went to Godric's Hollow and saw the graves of three brothers with a strange symbol carved into the headstone. Seeking more information we went to the one place that we knew we could find answers; the house of Xenophilius Lovegood who wore the symbol during Bill and Fleur's wedding. When we got there we saw Lucius Malfoy and some Death Eaters making off with Luna and knew that we couldn't leave her in their clutches. So we got Mr. Lovegood to cooperate with us by sending the Death Eaters a Patronus offering me in Luna's place then managed to ambush them when they arrived. Then, we used the Imperius Curse on Lucius and had him do the same on the other Death Eaters so that we would have more wands on our side when they took us to the Malfoy Manor to rescue Luna," continued Hermione.

"There we found Luna and Mr. Ollivander, who we were able to rescue. Bellatrix Lestrange let it slip that she had a horcrux in her vault so we went to Gringotts. Since we had Bellatrix with us, the goblins didn't ask questions. Unfortunately, all of the Imperius curses triggered the Thief's Downfall. Quick spell casting from Mr. Ollivander was able to save me, Hermione, Luna, himself, and Bellatrix but the Malfoys and Yaxley weren't so lucky," added Harry before stopping at the look on McGonagall's expression.

Hermione quickly picked up where he left off. "We made it to Bellatrix's vault and found the cup but Mr. Ollivander was adamant that the goblins would be out for our blood. He took us to a cavern that led to a tunnel that he and some others had used in the past to end a goblin rebellion. Hogwarts really needs a better History of Magic teacher…"

Harry cut Hermione off before she could go off on that tangent. "Mr. Ollivander sacrificed himself in order to give us time to escape. We disapparated just outside Hogsmeade and I felt Voldemort's rage at the thought of someone hunting his horcruxes. He also showed me that there was a horcrux here at Hogwarts. We were able to have Dobby bring us to the corridor right outside this room where we met the Carrows."

"Harry was so brave when he jumped in front of that spell to protect Hermione," interjected Luna causing McGonagall to smile.

"When I was hit by that spell I was forced to watch the worst memories of my life while being unable to act. Until Luna destroyed the first of the horcruxes that were in the room; at that moment I was given an instant where I was able to access some of my power and fight against the negative images that I was being forced to watch. Eventually I found myself in the Chamber of Secrets where, instead of a memory, I found an image of Tom Riddle Jr. who I was forced to fight to maintain control of my body. If not for Hermione destroying the other horcrux then I don't think that I would have succeeded but I realized that I needed to protect her and found the power that was buried within me," stated Harry.

"Harry was the horcrux that never should have been," added Hermione making McGonagall gasp. "Instead of splitting his soul into seven parts, Voldemort accidentally separated his soul into eight: the diary, the ring, the locket of Salazar Slytherin, a cup that belonged to Helga Hufflepuff, the diadem of Ravenclaw, his snake Nagini, and Harry were his horcruxes while the last part resides in his body."

"Voldemort has two fragments left and he knows it," said Harry. "He is dangerous and I think that he will be making his move very soon."

"That is certainly a lot to take in," responded McGonagall. She had tears in her eyes as she once again embraces Harry. "You are so young but you have been through so much. I'm glad that you were able to get in touch with me, I will do anything to help you."

"Professor McGonagall, we need you to rally those who are loyal to the light," said Harry. "We have a fireplace that can be used as a Floo. We think that Voldemort is going to try something once the students get here."

"Alright, Potter. I will do what I can. By the way, it's good to have you back," agreed a very proud head of house as she made her way to the exit.

As the door was closing, Harry, Hermione, and Luna were alerted by a flushing sound behind them. Somehow, improbably, there stood Ron Weasley.

AN2: I borrowed the bolded section above from the the decond Deathly Hallow movie. I think that the way Minerva McGonagall was portrayed was excellent. I do not own Harry Potter or that quote.