AN: I had so much fun writing chapter 15 I wanted to attempt to revisit the style. I hope you like this chapter, I'm about half way through with the next one and so far it is pretty epic. I'll give you a hint; the title will be the Imperial March. (Borrowed from one of the most memorable Star Wars themes of all time, thanks) Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter.
Chapter 17
The mood in the Room of Requirement had become very tense. People who were at different points in their lives had each remembered their part in resisting the tyranny of Dolores Umbridge during the year following the Twiwizard Tournament and held onto their enchanted Galleon and looked to it for strength. For some it was a reminder that they were not alone. For others it was a promise to help those in need. For a few it was one of the rare symbols of resistance and something that could be used to generate strength even when the future looked bleak. Whatever the reason for holding onto the coin, all of these people had heeded the call and took it upon themselves to see what they could do to assist in the imminent battle.
Neville Longbottom had made his way over to Harry Potter and had pledged to do anything necessary to help win the upcoming battle. In the time that had passed since he last saw Harry and Hermione he had spent every spare moment in his familial dueling chamber in order to become a force in battle. He had spent hours honing his abilities and refining what Harry had taught him during his fifth year. There was even several occasions before her illness had progressed when he had convinced his gran to train with him. Although the aging witch was years passed her prime she was still a wily and dangerous opponent.
Augusta Longbottem was never one to make half-hearted attempts at anything; during their first training session together she had quite literally wiped the floor with him before having him give her a play by play break down detailing what she did, why it worked, and what he would do to prevent her from being able to do it again in the future. Then she would tell him where she perceived weakness and what she thought he should work on to improve. It was a grueling process, but the longer they trained the better Neville got at dueling. He had finally reached a point where he thought he would be able to overcome the fierce witch when she succumbed to the illness that she had been fighting.
Keeping in mind all that his grandmother had drilled into his head Neville looked at the group that had assembled in the Room of Requirement with a very determined face. Neville saw various looks on the faces of the other people in the room but there were two expressions that were more common than the others: expressions of nervousness from those who had never engaged in battle before and determination from those who had.
Cho Chang was one of the people with a determined look on her face. Her family was being persecuted, as a side-effect of the return of that homicidal maniac known as Lord Voldemort. She had been one of the first people who were forced to bear the burden of his return. Looking back Cho realizes that her "feelings" toward Cedric had been romanticized because of survivor's guilt. She knew that their relationship had had its issues but it is hard to say that a relationship won't have a future when it is never given a chance. Voldemort had took that chance from her; she would do everything in her power to prevent him from taking that from anyone else, especially Harry.
The emotions that had arisen when Cho had hugged Harry had been silenced as the girl prepared herself mentally for what she assumed would be a struggle for life and death. She chanced a look in his direction wondering what he was thinking. As a child her mom had read her stories of the 'great' Harry Potter; as a fifth year she learned that the real Harry could be just as great as his fictionalized character was presented to be. She watched him become the leader and teacher that they needed in a time when they had no one else to turn to. Without asking anything in exchange, he taught them how to defend themselves against the forces of darkness. Now she would use what she had learned to protect him and those that stood with them while resisting the Dark Lord. As she was thinking this thought Cho saw Luna wander into view and felt guilty that she had never spoken on the younger girl's behalf when her things would be hidden throughout Ravenclaw Tower.
Luna Lovegood had slipped into behind her 'Loony' persona when people began arriving at the Room of Requirement. She had done her best to keep herself from relapsing and drawing into herself while on the journey with Harry and Hermione but now, in Hogwarts with the threat of a battle with the most powerful dark wizard of all time looming, she was scared. She had been kidnapped from her house and informed that her dad was seriously wounded while fighting Death Eaters and she had not heard from him since.
Luna thought back to the battle at the Ministry of Magic where she had fought alongside Harry and his friends against the Death Eaters; she knew how powerful they were. Before her kidnapping Luna had done something that she had been putting off for years. Luna went into her late mother's laboratory and delved into her research. If Luna hadn't already decided that she was going to be an Unspeakable in the Department of Mysteries then the information that she had found in her mother's journals would have convinced her. She found spells, some practical, others whimsical, but the most interesting discovery was her mom's work on spell theory. She had compiled volumes detailing how the intentions and convictions of a spell's caster can have dramatic effects on the dynamics of the spell.
Luna looked toward Hermione and wondered if she would someday work up the nerve to tell her friend what she had learned. Luna had long since come to respect the brown-haired Gryffindor girl. Luna had several reasons for respecting Hermione. First, she had heard, as a first-year, comments from her house mates about a Gryffindor girl who was consistently besting their classroom scores. Then she had met the girl and was exposed to her kindness first hand as she used her powers as a Prefect to stop others from bullying the blonde Ravenclaw girl. Third, Hermione had been one of the main initiators of the D.A. and had helped Luna more than once to perfect new spells. Finally, Hermione was important to Harry and Luna held Harry in the absolute highest esteem.
On the other side of the room, Hermione stood with Harry. For the briefest moment when Cho had hugged Harry a green-eyed monster had swelled inside her chest. She knew that the pair had a history and didn't approve of the way the Ravenclaw had rubbed herself against Harry like a cat against a pole. However, Hermione had checked herself with logic and rationalized that Harry would never willingly do anything to hurt her no matter what the temptation. Hermione had to admit that she could understand how Cho could be a temptation. The Ravenclaw was a model of physical perfection; her womanly curves made her Hogwarts robes cling to her body in a way that most witches would die for, years of Quidditch practice had toned her body leaving a perfectly flat stomach and extremely tight core muscles, her smile lit up the room and her deep brown eyes were like pools of chocolate.
Did I just compare Cho's eyes to pools of chocolate? I must be getting more anxious about the battle than I thought. Hermione thought to herself as she turned her gaze to Harry. I will stand by your side to the end, Harry Potter. Don't you think about trying to run off and do anything stupid or I will kill you myself!
Meanwhile near the fireplace, the Hufflepuff trio was in the middle of a strategy session. Ernie McMillan had always had the most spell power of the three but both girls were more accurate spell casters with larger spell repertories. Because of this they decided that the girls would flank Ernie and that he would act as the artillery allowing the girls to be snipers. Each of the three Hufflepuffs received a protective cloak and protective gloves from the Weasley twins. They were absolutely astounded that the two Gryffindor pranksters had been able to create something so impressive. Although they would not be able to protect the wearer from some of the darker curses that Death Eaters were inclined to use, they would do a good job of reducing the casualties from cross fire.
Not far away, the Weasley family had reunited. By this time the Weasley parents had made their way into the castle and had been relieved to find all of their children alive and ready to do their part to defend the magical world from the tyrant Voldemort. The clock that gave the status of each member of the Weasley family had specified that every Weasley had been in Mortal Peril since Harry, Ron, and Hermione's first unsanctioned adventure int eh Ministry of Magic over two years in the past. Molly Weasley's heart would break if anything was to happen to her family but she knew that they had the right to help shape their future. The Weasleys were for the light and would stand by that side without question.
Katie Bell, Alicia Spinnet, and Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor tower's flying vixens, had arrived via Floo right when the crack caused by the protective dome being penetrated had shook the castle. Consequently, their arrival went unnoticed for several minutes until they made their way over to the Weasley clan in a show a support and solidarity. There Alicia Spinnet and Angelina Johnson attatched themselves to Fred and George respectively, leaving Katie Bell as a fifth wheel. Never one to linger in an awkward moment, Katie made her way over to her former team mate and was determined to let him know the effect that the young seeker had upon her life.
"Harry, we're going to win this war," Katie declared to Harry's surprise. "When we were teammates we could always count on our star seeker to save the day regardless of how the rest of the game was doing. Now our seeker has moved onto bigger things but the result will be the same. He can't beat you, Harry. You bring out the best in people; you make them want to be better than they are. You helped me become the chaser I am today and you didn't even realize that you were doing it and you helped everyone in the D.A. get prepared for today by teaching them how to defend themselves. Get out there and be a hero, we are all behind you."
Katie surprised Harry by giving him a kiss on the cheek followed by a sultry smile and an incredibly flirtatious wink. "When this is all over you will have to join me, Alicia, and Angelina at the Hog's Head for drinks. I'm sure that we will need them. Plus, it will give us the opportunity to make up for lost time." Katie adds over her shoulder as she walks away purposefully swaying her hips.
From another part of the room the Patil twins, Lavender Brown, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan were amused to see how flustered Katie was able to get Harry. The group was engaging in playful banter in order to distract themselves from the imminent danger of the situation. They were very nervous now that they were faced with actual combat. In the train, on the way to Hogwarts, when Ginny Weasley had proposed helping defend the castle the answer seemed like a no-brainer. However, now with the Dark Lord bearing down upon them and their mortality more evident than ever before the group was having second thoughts. They would not abandon the cause and leave their fate in the hands of others; they would face their fears and they would fight.