From: Potter's Promise: The Three Sieges of Hogwarts

Excerpt from Chapter 2, "The Lost Siege"

"…Despite public knowledge of the three famed sieges of this once-standing citadel, there is a fourth, rumored siege that is said to have occurred near the end of 1997. This siege, however, has inexplicably been omitted from every military record available. All that this author could find are vague and brief references to a "possible" conflict between the then-RNA and Dumbledore's school-citadel…

…Sources indicate that no conflict ever occurred then, however, and so authors have been left to fill the gap of what happened during those eventful days prior to the official start of the Dark Wars…

…and so, despite all these theories of what could have happened at the end of 1997, all this author can say is that all the historical societies have are guesses. Guesses which are, in turn, based on conjecture. And so the question remains, what happened at Hogwarts, at the end of 1997?"

Hogsmeade, Army Headquarters

Harry looked over the document he'd just received from the envoy, scowling at the man. The messenger simply stood impassively as he looked at a point somewhere above Harry's head.

"This is straight from Parliament?" asked Harry for the third time, "You're absolutely sure? If I went there and asked, they wouldn't deny it?"

The messenger simply answered with a "Yes, sir"

Harry's scowl deepened at the confirmation. He let his eyes roam over the message once more.

"…In Accordance with the wishes and Will of Parliament and Her Majesty, respectively, the Royal Northern Army is to retreat from its present location in Hogsmeade to its main base at Godric's Hollow.

Furthermore, on the issue of the 500 imprisoned soldiers of Her Majesty's Royal Army, Her Majesty's government has negotiated a truce with the Ministry of Magic, so as to prevent further losses on part of the magical and Imperial communities. Upon receiving this missive, you are hereby ordered by Her Majesty to call up the Ministry garrison at Hogwarts and ask for the return of the prisoners.

No damage is to be done to Hogwarts.

Furthermore, all Royal detachments are to evacuate the Scottish lands, as per the provisos of the Imperial-Ministry Treaty. As per this proviso of the Imperial-Ministry Treaty, Captain Monck has already been notified of the change in his duties, and is now South Bound for London.

Any future engagements in Scotland against the terrorists known as Death Eaters are to be fought only by Ministry forces, until such a time when said forces are found to be unequal to the task.

Respectfully,

G.C. Tarleton

George C. Tarleton

Secretary of State for Defense"

Harry cursed for what seemed to be the tenth time since he'd received the letter.

Retreat.

The word kept jumping out at him, taunting him with its mere presence. Never in his career had he retreated. Not in his initial assignment in India, where he put down a Dark Wizard terrorist group who were trying to instigate greater Indian-Pakistani violence; Not in Diagon Alley, where his troops had decimated the Death Eaters; Not at Serpent Fortress, where his men had scaled the walls and taken the castle with minimal losses. But now…

Retreat.

Harry cursed again before nodding at the messenger, making the man salute and leave. Harry put his head in his hands as the paper fluttered down onto the table. He stayed quiet for a moment before sighing and looking up at his two senior Majors, both of which knew the reason for the Colonel's irritation.

"Well," he said, looking up at his majors, "Send out the white flag."

Hogwarts Walls

"Rider closing in!"

Shacklebolt peered over the stone defenses of the castle walls in order to see the alleged rider. He was understandably shocked when he saw the man carrying a white flag.

"Hold your fire!" he barked, making the Ministry Aurors rescind their aiming. He quickly made his way down the stone steps, Tonks right behind him, as he made his way to the gates.

"Open them" he told the guards, who nodded and, initiating the security spell they'd imposed on the door, opened up the gate doors.

Shacklebolt strode out of the castle grounds and up to the horseman. "Why are you here, rider?" he asked in his usual calm voice, his eyes betraying no emotion.

The messenger, obviously a man of rank by the way he carried himself, gave Shacklebolt a once-over before nodding. "I am Major John Wolfe, of Her Majesty's Royal Northern Army, Seventy-Ninth Highlander Regiment. I'm here on orders from Sir Harry to initiate the provisos established by the British Empire and the Ministry in their newly signed treaty," he declared.

Shacklebolt nodded. "I am Kinsgley Shacklebolt, Auror and commander of the Hogwarts Ministry garrison," he said, before waving towards Tonks, "And this is my second-in-command, Auror Nymphadora Tonks. We've not heard of any treaty, major. How do we know this is no ploy?"

Wolfe seemed genuinely surprised at the admission. "Your Ministry hasn't informed you yet?" he asked, incredulous. Seeing the blank looks on the Aurors' faces, he decided to elaborate, "Hostilities between the Royal Northern Army and Ministry forces are to cease, under the provision that the five hundred prisoners you are currently holding are returned, full with their equipment," he told them.

"Well, they're in good shape, that's for sure," Shacklebolt told him. "I've ordered them not to be abused or mistreated."

Wolfe bowed his head respectfully at that, "Our thanks, Auror. In return for our prisoners, the Royal Northern Army has been ordered to retre…retire back to our original base in the British Empire. Any further engagements against the terrorists are your responsibility alone," he told Shacklebolt, who paled slightly at the news, but kept his cool.

"Very well, major. I shall have your men out here within the hour. Anything else?" he asked.

Wolfe stayed quiet for a moment before nodding. "One last thing, too. As per our orders, the following notice is to be announced to the entire Hogwarts population and its decree followed to the letter" he announced, retrieving said notice from his coat and handing it over to Tonks, who accepted it politely.

Shacklebolt nodded before looking at the closed notice curiously. "What is it about?" he asked. Wolfe smiled sadly.

"We're asking every Royalist to abandon Hogwarts, Auror."

Headmaster's Office

"They want what?!" demanded McGonagall.

Shacklebolt nodded as he tossed the notice on the Headmaster's desk. "Legal orders, signed by the Imperial Parliament and the Minister, Dumbledore. Every Royalist within the Hogwarts grounds is to leave with the army," he told the aged headmaster.

Dumbledore seemed nonplussed at the announcement, but retained his cool exterior. He steepled his hands in front of him as he leaned on the table with his elbows. Inwardly, however, he cursed. This hadn't been part of the plan! The boy was simply to leave; not take anyone else with him!

"Regardless, I do not think much of our students, if any will leave, my boy. As far as I know, there are no Royalists within these walls," Dumbledore informed the Auror.

Shacklebolt gave Dumbledore a skeptical glance. "Fine. If there aren't, then it won't be a problem to announce this, now will it?" he said, motioning towards the notice.

Dumbledore looked at it contemptuously. "As I said, there are no Royalists in the confines of this school, other than the prisoners. I see of no reason for which I should distress my students with such an announcement."

McGonagall and some of the other teachers, including Snape, seemed to agree. Shacklebolt gave Dumbledore a pleading glance.

"Headmaster, you can't make me go back on my word. I gave Major Wolfe my word on this. That army out there will enforce the law, even if they have to force their way into the Great Hall and announce it themselves. It's better to hold off any conflict and do it ourselves!" he told Dumbledore.

Snape sneered. "Surely, our mighty Ministry garrison can handle a few muggles and squibs," he stated silkily. Tonks glared at him from behind Shacklebolt.

"Unless you recall, Snape, those few muggles and squibs killed over nine hundred Death Eaters up north," riposted Tonks. "Perhaps we should give you to them, see what they'll do to the one who gave the Ministry the necessary portkeys to surprise and apprehend the Royalist garrison…" she suggested, giving him an eerie smile. Snape paled at the implications and shut up quickly, though Dumbledore gave her a chastising look.

"It is not humorous to jest with that sort of thing, Nymphadora," reprimanded Dumbledore, feeling slightly ill from his hypocritical comments. After all, he'd done the same with the RNA."A man's life is no mere commodity, to be bartered away at a whim."

Tonks kept her glare on Snape, "Then the esteemed professor should keep his large nose in his cauldron and keep the affairs of fighting wars to real fighters."

Snape bristled at that, but kept quiet under the headmaster's warning stare.

"Regardless, headmaster, that notice must be announced tonight at the feast," intoned Shacklebolt, smoothly reinserting himself in the conversation. "Else we face rapid escalation of hostilities with the Royal Northern Army."

Dumbledore fingered the notice reluctantly before sighing. He felt some doubt gnaw at his confidence, but he reassured himself that he knew of everything going on in Hogwarts. "Very well. We shall give the announcement out at tonight's dinner. But as I've told you now several times, Kingsley, there are—"

"—No royalists. I understand, headmaster. But, I'd rather go through a bogus declaration than through a battle with a force over sixteen times our size"

That evening, Hogwarts Great Hall

The delivery of the prisoners went off flawlessly, surprising even the Aurors when the prisoners marched out in good order, apparently at peak health. Not knowing about the internal Royalist help, however, the Aurors passed it off as mutual aid amongst prisoners.

All 500 men were given their weapons that had been taken from them. Proudly, they marched out of the gates of Hogwarts to the cheers of the awaiting regiments standing at attention several hundred meters away from the walls, while many Ministry supporters on the walls booed them away. The entire thing was over in half an hour. However, when Harry saw the Ministry supporters jeering at him and his army, he swore that one day he'd personally plant the Union Jack on the highest tower of Hogwarts.

At dinner time, the students all diligently assembled at the Great Hall, as was common tradition. While everyone knew the troops were leaving, the reaction in the Houses were mixed. Slytherin House seemed to regain its former pride and swagger, whereas Hufflepuff House and Gryffindor House seemed a bit more toned down. Ravenclaw House, on the other hand, was split almost equally amongst those in favor of the troops' dismissal and those against it. Most of the ongoing chatter was about the very same thing, too.

However, all quieted down when Dumbledore stood up, a rare thing in mid-term feasts. The aged wizard smiled at his students genuinely, finally happy that the stress of a military occupation was now gone. He cleared his throat as he began his speech,

"My dear students, I trust you have now learned of the leaving of our guests," he started. He was, however, disappointed when only Slytherin House started clapping. Everyone else, minus a few Ravenclaws, seemed to take the news badly. "Yes, yes, I'm sure we're all very glad to see that our friends are now headed off to perform some other great feat for the unity of the Empire."

Many in Gryffindor House looked at the Headmaster with something akin to incredulity. Did he really expect them to hate the garrison? Most of the students had actually made friends with some of the soldiers. Some had even become interested in enlisting.

"However, I must report that prior to their leaving, the Royal Northern Army was poised to attack Hogwarts over the tragic misunderstanding between the Ministry and the local garrison the Royalist forces had left behind," he announced, to no one's shock; although some Slytherins, true actors as they are, gasped loudly at the news. "Yes, tragic, tragic. However, thanks to the timely intervention of cooler minds, the attack has now been stopped and the prisoners, returned."

Again, no one but a few Slytherins showed any reaction to the news. Most were beginning to wonder about the Headmaster's frame of mind, if he truly believed that they were about to openly declare their support for the Ministry, whom nearly everyone viewed as the aggressors.

"However, as per part of the treaty that the Imperial government and the Ministry signed, the following notice was issued to be announced at this present dinner," he announced, summoning the paper from the table to his hand wandlessly, in an effort to draw some support from this show of power. None gasped, to his disappointment. "I will now presently read its contents, so please pay attention," he stated lightly, hoping his tone of voice would make most students dismiss the announcement as trivial. Unfortunately, no one seemed to do so, and all watched him eagerly.

Dumbledore resigned himself and cleared his throat before starting, "Let it be known herewith, that on this day, the present is a valid and legal order from Her Majesty, the Queen, agreed to and ratified by the Imperial Parliament:

"...That all supporters of the British Crown, hereforth known as Royalists, are to evacuate the premises of the educational institution of Hogwarts School of Magic and Wizardry.

That all Royalists are to remove themselves from said institutions with all their worldly possessions, leaving only behind that which cannot be carried in the citizen's hands or trunk.

That all Royalists are to make an Oath of Allegiance to the Crown before departing the precincts from where this notice is announced in order to certify the identities of those patriots who stand for Empire and Common Prosperity.

That all Royalists are to then proceed to the Royal Northern Army Headquarters in the town of Hogsmeade, from where they will be escorted to Royal territories.

That all Royalists, before leaving Hogwarts, publicly swear to never return to Scotland until such day when Crown control is reinstated.

This, by order of Her Majesty, the Queen, and Parliament.

God save the Queen and the British Empire."

If Dumbledore was shocked previously from the lack of support he'd seen from the student body for the removal of the Royal Northern Army, he was dumbfounded by the number of students who, after staying silent for a while, suddenly seemed to rise from their places. He counted nearly an entire year from Gryffindor alone rising to their feet.

To his side, McGonagall gasped loudly as most of her Gryffindor 5th and 6th years rose up from their seats nearly immediately after the proclamation was done, with some tentative 4th and 7th years rising afterwards.

To Dumbledore's other side, he could hear Snape cursing wildly as some Slytherins also stood up, to the shock of their House.

Flitwick and Sprout also seemed somewhat shocked by the amount of Royalists in their Houses, but were nowhere near as overt about it. In fact, they'd suspected quite a bit of Royalism in their Houses since the arrival of the Royal Northern Army, but the sheer physical proof of it was shocking nonetheless.

Dumbledore's fears were quickly rising, but he quashed them quickly as he retained his calm and jovial exterior and addressed one of the Slytherins standing up; after all, maybe this was some mistake.

"Mr. Zabini, may I ask where you are going?" he asked jovially, though his heart was racing.

Blaise looked up at Dumbledore and merely smiled mockingly. "Why, to England, of course."

Dumbledore's fears hit dead-on.

He was losing his students.