Thanks for all the reviews, folks. Again, please excuse any typos and stuff...
Impossible Feat (cont.)
Neville had been about to go up to the dormitory room when the first explosion rocked the castle.
He dropped his bag and grabbed the banister to keep from falling.
"What the – "
Seamus and Dean appeared at the top of the stairs. "Neville!"
"What just – "
There was a second explosion and Seamus almost toppled down the stairs.
"Bloody Merlin!"
"We're being attacked!" someone screamed. Nearly all the Gryffindors had been in their dormitories; they now came streaming down the stairs and into the common room. Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati converged around Neville.
"Hey!" Dean roared over the din. "Stay calm! Be quiet!"
"Where's Harry?" Lavender asked nervously, scanning the common room. "Hermione wasn't in the dormitory."
"Ron wasn't either," Seamus said, shaking his head. "You don't think – "
A third explosion cut him off. There were more screams.
Nearly Headless Nick suddenly burst into the room through the wall, waving his arms frantically. "All students stay in the common room!" he shouted, his head wobbling precariously on his neck. "Prefects and Heads to the Headmistress' office! Quickly! Hurry!" Finishing his announcement, he disappeared back through the wall.
There was uproar in the common room again.
"Stay here? We can't stay here!"
"It's the safest – "
"We're being attacked!"
"I don't want to die!"
Some of the younger kids started crying.
"Neville!"
Neville spun around to see Colin scramble in through the portrait hole with his brother right on his heels.
"Colin!" Neville said.
"Neville, here's Hermione's coin!" Colin panted, holding out the fake Galleon Hermione used to inform the PA of meetings. "The ghosts are saying that there are Death Gobblers outside!" he whispered. "What do we do?"
"Why are you asking me?" Neville asked bewilderedly. "What am I supposed to do with this?"
"Harry said you'd know," Colin said worriedly. "He said to go to you if anything happened."
"So he's really not here?" Dean asked in dismay.
"Ginny's not here either," Demelza said grimly, joining the group.
"They must have gone to find a Horcrux," Seamus groaned. "Great timing."
Neville took Hermione's coin and clenched his fist around it. "We need to call the PA."
Colin turned white. "But Neville – "
"We should meet in the Great Hall."
"Neville, we can't!" Parvati said in a high voice. "We're not ready!"
"We have to!" Neville said urgently. "This is what we've been working for, isn't it? It's what Harry would do."
Seamus and Dean were the first to nod. "Right," Dean said. "He said we have to protect Hogwarts."
"I'm in," Lavender said. Although her hands were shaking, her gaze was determined.
"So am I," Parvati said.
Demelza and Colin nodded their agreements.
"Good," Neville said. "Then we'll tell everyone" – he tapped Hermione's coin with his wand, nodding in satisfaction as it glowed and reconfigured its numbers – "to meet in the Great Hall."
Demelza's eyes were wide. "Neville – you know how to do the Protean Charm?"
"What?" Neville looked down at the coin. "Oh, um…I guess."
"That's – "
Another forceful explosion shook the floor.
"Never mind that," Dean said grimly. "Someone has to go to Professor McGonagall's office. Both of our prefects aren't here."
"That's right," Lavender groaned. "Ron and Hermione – "
"Dean, Seamus, and I will go," Neville said. "All the other prefects are in the PA too, aren't they? We'll figure out things from there."
Everyone nodded.
"But what about people who aren't in the PA?" Colin asked worriedly.
Neville sighed. "We'll just have to hope that they stay where they are. I'm sure they'll be safe in the common rooms."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Seamus said impatiently. "Let's go!"
"Good luck," Parvati called as the three boys scrambled out of the portrait hole.
–––––––
When they arrived in front of Professor McGonagall's office, the gargoyle guarding the entrance immediately sprang aside. Neville, Dean, and Seamus glanced at each other before rushing up the spiral staircase. They burst through the door to find that most of the Hogwarts staff and the other six prefects had already gathered inside.
Professor Sprout stood up as they stood panting in the doorway. "What are you three doing here?" she asked incredulously.
"Our prefects aren't here," Neville said, looking to Professor McGonagall. The thin line of her mouth told him she knew. "So we came instead."
Blaise and Daphne, the two Slytherin prefects, sidled up to them as they entered the room. Blaise showed Neville his glowing coin.
"We got it," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "We sent everyone to the Great Hall. So did Ernie and Anthony."
Neville nodded.
"Well, now that you're all here…" Professor McGonagall rose from her chair and looked around at the nine students. "I'm sure you have all deduced what is happening. The school is under attack."
No one moved. Neville clenched his fists.
"We've sent messages to the Ministry," Professor McGonagall continued. "They should be sending Aurors within the hour."
"Within the hour?" Seamus exclaimed. "They'll be too late!"
"What more do you expect, Mr. Finnegan?" Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Hogwarts can stand until then. It's protected by more than wards. There are multiple layers of spells that will be triggered by intruders. Even if any of the Death Eaters managed to penetrate these spells, it will only be a handful."
"Yes, but – "
Hagrid's booming voice filled the office, cutting Seamus off.
::They're here!::
"Hagrid!" Neville shouted, leaping to his feet.
Professor Sprout hurried over to the window. When she came back, her face was white.
"Five of them are inside the grounds," she whispered. "They're attacking Hagrid's hut!"
Neville, Dean, and Seamus rushed to the window. Far below, they saw Hagrid's door blast open. Hagrid and Fang charged out toward the five Death Eaters. There were flashes of light and loud bangs. Hagrid lifted one of the Death Eaters off his feet and threw him into another.
"There are more getting through!" Dean cried, pointing down. Three more Death Eaters burst out from the Forbidden Forest and ran toward Hagrid.
"We have to help him!" Neville said, whipping around to face the teachers.
"Mr. Longbottom, are you mad?" Professor Sprout demanded.
"He's right," Dean said forcefully. "We can't let him fight them by himself!"
"You'll get yourselves killed!" Professor McGonagall thundered.
"We'll go," Professor Drake and Professor Blackthorn said, standing up together. "We can hold them off until the Aurors arrive."
"We're going, too," Ernie said adamantly, stepping forward. "We can help." The other prefects nodded their agreement.
"I forbid it," Professor McGonagall said coldly, her eyes flashing. "I will not have – "
"It's what Harry would do," Neville interrupted, gripping his wand tightly. "You can expel us if you want, but you can't stop us. This is our school. We're going to fight."
Before Professor McGonagall could say anything else, Neville led the others out of the office and toward the Great Hall. He heard Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout shouting after them, but it only made him run faster.
"We'll split up," Neville said as he sped down the steps. "Get everyone from Harry's group. I'll take the seventh and sixth years that are willing to fight directly. Dean, you and Seamus take the rest around into the Forbidden Forest. Stay behind the trees and have half of them attack from there. The other half can form shields so that they don't get hit."
"Even the younger ones?" Seamus asked.
Neville shook his head. "No second years. And don't force anyone to come. If they're scared, let them stay."
Dean and Seamus nodded as they sprinted down the last set of stairs to the Great Hall. Luna, Lavender, Parvati, and Colin had been waiting outside; they hastily stood up and rushed up to meet them.
"What's going on?" Colin asked.
"Death Gobblers are attacking Hagrid's hut," Neville said quickly. "I need any willing seventh and sixth years that were in Harry's group to come with me to fight them off. The others from Harry's group should follow Dean and Seamus. Ernie, you and Luna tell John to get everyone else to the Room of Requirement. It might help to find Madam Pomfrey and have some potions on hand. Just in case."
Luna, Lavender, Parvati, Colin, and Ernie nodded, and they all hurried into the Great Hall. The entire PA seemed to have been waiting for them; as soon as the doors opened every last person rose to their feet and crowded around.
Neville took a deep breath. "Hagrid's being attacked even as we speak. There are about eight Death Gobblers outside trying to attack Hogwarts. Any willing seventh or sixth years that were in Harry's group can come with me to fight."
"But you're in charge of Healing!" someone said.
Neville nodded. "I know. But I've got to do this for Harry. I know it's a lot to ask for," he added. "But all of you know what you're capable of. Harry told us to protect Hogwarts, and this is our chance to do it."
"We're in," Colin and Demelza said immediately.
"Same here," Blaise said.
"You're not leaving us behind," said the two other Slytherin seventh years.
"Us too."
"And me."
A total of ten people stepped up to join Neville.
"All right," he said. "The rest of you follow Dean and Seamus. They'll tell you what to do."
Neville turned around and led his group out of the Great Hall. His heart was thundering wildly, and he gripped his wand tighter for reassurance.
It's the right thing.
For Hogwarts.
"Okay," Neville said as he approached the front doors. "The other group will be in the Forbidden Forest. They're going to try to pick off the Death Gobblers from there. Our main goal is to distract the Death Gobblers so they don't find out where the others are hiding."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
They're listening to me. I'm…leading them.
Into what?
Neville shook his head. "Remember what we learned," he said. "Harry's counting on us. Don't try anything reckless and try to help each other out. We don't want anyone to get hurt."
"Don't worry, Neville," Demelza grinned. "We'll show them what Hogwarts students are made of."
"Right," Neville said. He managed to smile back at her before turning to push the doors open. Flashes and bangs were still erupting from Hagrid's hut.
"Let's go!" Neville said, motioning for the others to follow him. He sprinted out toward Hagrid and the nearest Death Gobbler.
Mum…
Dad…
This is for you.
"Expelliarmus!" he roared, jabbing his wand at a Death Gobbler that had stumbled away from Hagrid's swinging fists. His spell hit the masked man in the back and sent him flying into the forest. There was, however, no time to celebrate; the Death Gobbler's fall only alerted his companions to Neville's presence.
"You little – " one of them growled. "Avada Kedavra!"
"Move!" someone howled, bowling into him. Neville gasped as he and his rescuer tumbled out of the way. The Killing Curse harmlessly hit the earth, leaving a smoldering circle of burnt grass.
Neville looked up at his rescuer as he pulled him to his feet. It was Professor Blackthorn.
"If you insist on doing this," Professor Blackthorn warned as he turned away, "do it right."
Do it right.
"Neville, to your left!" Colin's voice shouted. Neville barely raised a shield in time to deflect a Stunner.
"Petrificus Totalus!" he shouted in retaliation. Without waiting to see if he had hit his mark, he dashed to where Demelza and Susan were battling a tall, burly Death Gobbler beside Hagrid's hut.
Susan suddenly fell as the Death Gobbler slashed his wand at her; Demelza yelled as she threw a shield around both of them.
"Stupefy!" Neville shouted.
The Death Gobbler whipped around and blocked Neville's spell. "Avada Ked – "
"Rictusempra!" Susan shouted from the ground.
The Death Gobbler fell to the ground, laughing hysterically.
"Stupefy!" Neville and Demelza said simultaneously.
Neville ran past the frozen Death Gobbler to where Susan knelt beside Hagrid's pumpkin patch, holding her side.
"Are you all right?" Neville asked worriedly. "Here – Tergeo!"
"Thanks," Susan gasped. "I-It's just a small cut. I'll be fine."
"Stay here," Neville told Demelza. "Try and get her back up to the castle if you can."
Demelza nodded as Neville turned back to the fray. Hagrid was in the thick of it, bellowing in rage and brandishing his umbrella at the surrounding Death Gobblers. Professor Blackthorn and Professor Drake were engaged with two others by the forest, and Kevin Entwhistle, Aaron Levy, and Will Laurence were keeping another one busy.
Blaise and Theodore Nott were trying to help up a fallen Tracey Davis when three more Death Gobblers burst onto the scene.
"Blaise!" Neville called. "Watch out!"
Someone suddenly staggered into him, cursing and flailing his arms.
"What – "
Before Neville could react, a pair of hands was wrapped around his throat. "You little weasel!" a voice hissed in his ear. "Die!"
Neville clawed at the throttling hands, his wand forgotten. His vision was already clouding; he choked and spluttered as the hands squeezed tighter.
"GET OFF HIM!"
Neville gasped and fell to his knees as the hands suddenly released him. He looked up to see Hagrid lift his assailant into the air and toss him away like a rag doll.
"Neville – "
"Behind you!" Neville shouted, staring in horror at the three wands pointed at Hagrid's back. "Hagrid, look – "
"Avada Kedavra!"
Time slowed. Neville felt his body go numb as he watched three jets of green light blossom from the Death Gobblers' wands. The spells soared through the air, illuminating the scene all too clearly. Hagrid turned around, his umbrella half-raised –
Time crashed back to normal as the spells slammed into Hagrid's chest.
Tears stung Neville's eyes as he leapt to his feet.
Harry said you'd know. He said to go to you if anything happened.
If anything happened.
Anything
Neville felt more than heard the scream that was ripped from his throat.
HAGRID, NO!
Haha...sorry if that was short. And abrupt. We're working on the next chapter as fast as we can. Meanwhile, you can leave a word or two... :)
