A/N: Parts of this chapter were taken directly from the book as well. The Room of Requirement scene was (I added some of my character's thoughts in of course), and the original source can be found in pages 582-585 and 603-607 of chapter thirty. The gathering in the Great Hall and Voldemort's message was taken from pages 608-611 of chapter thirty-one of the Deathly Hallows. Therefore all of that belongs to J.K.R.
Chapter 7/Gathering Thunder
Easter came and with it the rest of the Weasleys. Apparently the Death Eaters found out that Ron was not sick in bed and so Mr. Weasley, Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny had to go into hiding. They chose Aunt Muriel's.
As much as I was excited about seeing Ginny again, the extra people in the house made it seem smaller. I know slept on the floor while Mrs. Weasley and Ginny shared the bed. Glancing into the boy's room I could see that Mr. Weasley had taken over the bed with Fred on the floor.
Ginny took advantage that we were the only young women in the household and made sure that I stayed close by her side every day. I didn't really mind. Although she still was annoyingly persistent in calling me "Mrs. Weasley" in private. It soon became a habit to roll my eyes, sigh, and insist that I loved the twins only like brothers and nothing more. Ginny then just grinned saucily and changed the subject. She got a kick out of the fact that I was still wearing her old clothes.
Fred and George took the advantage of having their mother living with them once more and started driving her up the walls with their antics. It really was quite amusing to watch and they left me and Ginny in stitches while Mrs. Weasley and Aunt Muriel scolded them in loud tones. Ginny helped in their pranks every now and then. I played along when I had to but mostly left the jokes up to the experts.
One day in June, I was searching in my armoire for something to wear to supper when I discovered the handbag. Mrs. Weasley wanted to do something special, and ordered me to change. I lifted my Yule Ball dress out of the armoire and looked it over. It would need to be cleaned and repaired but I could do that quickly enough. I laid it carefully on the bed and turned to find the shoes. While I was looking I accidentally knocked over Ginny's handbag. Its contents spilled out onto the floor.
Among the handkerchiefs and tubes of lipstick was a shining Galleon. I picked it up but then dropped it when I realized it was warm. I suddenly realized what it was.
"GINNY!" I screamed at the top of my voice. "GET UP HERE NOW!"
I heard the pounding of footsteps and Ginny burst into the room.
"What? What's wrong?"
Fred and George were right behind her. George scratched the hole where his left ear should have been.
"Hey Angie, if you wanted to tell us something, why didn't you call? I don't think the people on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole could hear you."
I didn't have time to give a snappy answer. I held out the Galleon to them with shaking hands. Ginny took it.
"It says that Harry is back and we're going to fight," I said.
Ginny gaped at the Galleon. "I kept it for ever so long hoping . . ."
"Well? What are we standing around here for?" Fred asked loudly.
"But we can't Apparate into Hogwarts," I said. "How are we supposed to get there?"
Ginny grinned. "I know how we can."
She grabbed George's hand and then mine as well. I grabbed Fred's. We looked expectantly at Ginny. She looked back at us. I cleared my throat and stared at her.
"What?" She asked. "Why aren't we Apparating?"
George snickered as Fred rolled his eyes.
"Maybe because we don't know where to Apparate to, Ginny." He sounded almost exasperated.
Ginny flushed red, which made her look like a tomato with hair. "Oh right, I just got so caught up in the moment. . . ." she stood straighter. "Take us to the top room of the Hog's Head Inn."
I blinked. "Are you sure?"
She nodded. "Positive."
I looked at Fred and he shrugged. I nodded firmly. "Right then, hold on tight Ginny."
Turning on the spot I concentrated on the top room of the Hog's Head Inn. The familiar pulling sensation gripped my stomach and before I knew it we had landed in a room with a loud crack. A man stood in front of us and he frowned down in slight distaste.
"More of you, is there? Just what I need when an old dodger is wanting some sleep. Well, out you go then." He gestured to a portrait of a young girl, which hung on the wall. Ginny made her way towards it but Fred, George, and I stayed put. All three of us a bit more than slightly confused.
"Who are you?" I asked.
The old man looked at me with shockingly bright blue eyes. He looked familiar and I realized that he was the barman for the Hog's Head. I also realized that he looked a lot like . . .
"Aberforth," he said. "Aberforth Dumbledore. Now get through that tunnel and I hope I never see you again."
He shuffled off and left me, Fred, and George staring openmouthed after him. Ginny cleared her throat. I turned toward her and saw she was standing in front of an open portrait hole that led into a tunnel. I stepped up to it.
"Where does this go?" I asked as I climbed inside followed closely by Fred and George. Ginny closed the hole and moved past to lead the way.
"The Room of Requirement," she said. "We've been using it to escape from the Carrows and to practice our Defense Against the Dark Arts."
"Who's 'we'?" I asked, walking beside her.
"Neville, Luna, and I. Sometimes others but mostly just us three."
I understood perfectly. Neville, Luna, and Ginny were the only ones who had been checking their Galleon's daily, wondering when the next D.A. meeting would be set. Since Harry wasn't there teach, they had started practicing on their own. I now felt ashamed that I had lost my Galleon. If I had known about this tunnel earlier, I could have helped and practiced myself. I only hoped that I remembered enough spells and charms to fight against Voldemort's army.
"Hey guys! Wait up!" We turned and saw by the light of the lamps on the wall Lee Jordan with Cho Chang right behind him. I yelped in delight and hugged Cho tightly. She returned the greeting happily.
We reached the end of the tunnel and stepped out of another portrait hole into the Room of Requirement, which was full of people. I saw Harry, Ron, and Hermione and almost squealed with joy to see them again. Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Seamus Finnigan and other members of the D.A. were also there.
"Aberforth's getting a bit annoyed," said Fred, raising his hand in answer to several cries of greeting. "He wants a kip, and his bar's been turned into a railway station."
Harry's mouth fell open. Cho smiled at him.
"I got the message," she said, holding up her own fake Galleon, and she walked over to sit beside Michael Corner.
"So what's the plan Harry?" said George.
"There isn't one," said Harry. He looked a bit disoriented and for a moment I felt sorry for him.
"Just going to make it up as we go along, are we? My favorite kind," said Fred. I had to laugh.
"You've got to stop this!" Harry told Neville. "What did you call them all back for? This is insane—"
"We're fighting, aren't we?" said Dean, taking out his fake Galleon. "The message said Harry was back and we were going to fight! I'll have to get a wand, though—"
"You haven't got a wand—" began Seamus.
I didn't hear the rest of his statement for I was concentrating on Ron who had turned suddenly to Harry.
"Why can't they help?"
"What?"
"They can help." He dropped his voice then and I could no longer hear him.
I turned to Luna who had appeared at my side. I smiled at her.
"Hello, Luna. Long time no see."
She gave me a vague smile but her concentration seemed to be elsewhere. I knew this was natural for her and moved on, greeting several people. Seamus seemed particularly glad to see me although I didn't know why. He shook my hand vigorously for at least thirty seconds. I finally got out of him that he was excited to meet me finally after hearing a lot of stories about me from Fred, George, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione. He wondered if I played Quidditch and I had to admit that I wasn't very good. He didn't seem fazed.
"Maybe we could play sometime," he said.
I had to smile at his accent. Most assuredly he was for the Irish International Quidditch team. I nodded.
"I'd like that," I said.
He grinned but just as he was about to say more, Harry cried out and all noise ceased: Fred and George, who had apparently been cracking jokes for the benefit of those nearest, fell silent, and all of them looked alert, excited.
"There's something we need to find," Harry said. "Something—something that'll help us overthrow You-Know-Who. It's here at Hogwarts, but we don't know where. It might have belonged to Ravenclaw. Has anyone heard of an object liked that? Has anyone ever come across something with her eagle on it, for instance?"
He looked hopefully towards me and the little group of Ravenclaws around me, to Padma Patil, Michael, Terry Boot, and Cho, but it was Luna who answered, perched on the arm of Ginny's chair.
"Well, there's her lost diadem. I told you about it, remember, Harry? The lost diadem of Ravenclaw? Daddy's trying to duplicate it."
"Yeah, but the lost diadem," said Michael Corner, rolling his eyes, "is lost, Luna. That's sort of the point."
"When was it lost?" asked Harry.
"Centuries ago, they say," said Cho. Harry looked disappointed. "Professor Flitwick says the diadem vanished with Ravenclaw herself. People have looked, but," she appealed to her fellow Ravenclaws, "nobody's ever found a trace of it, have they?"
We all shook our heads.
"Sorry, but what is a diadem?" asked Ron. I had to roll my eyes.
"It's a kind of crown," said Terry Boot. "Ravenclaw's was supposed to have magical properties, enhance the wisdom of the wearer."
"Yes, Daddy's Wrackspurt siphons—"
Harry cut across Luna. "And none of you have ever seen anything that looks like it?"
We all shook our heads again. Harry looked at Ron and Hermione and all three of them looked terribly disappointed. I felt bad for them. I had no idea what they wanted the diadem for but it seemed important. Cho spoke up again.
"If you'd like to see what the diadem's supposed to look like, I could take you up to our common room and show you, Harry? Ravenclaw's wearing it in her statue."
Harry turned and spoke quietly to Ron and Hermione and Cho got to her feet, she looked excited and I wondered if she still had a crush on Harry even though she was now dating Michael. Harry turned back to us and Cho stepped forward, but Ginny said rather fiercely, "No, Luna will take Harry, won't you Luna?"
"Oooh, yes, I'd like to," said Luna happily, and Cho sat down again, looking disappointed.
"How do we get out?" Harry asked Neville.
"Over here."
He led Harry and Luna to a corner, where a small cupboard opened onto a steep staircase.
I couldn't hear what he was saying to them so I turned back to the others. I spoke with Seamus, Fred, George, and Ron a bit more about Quidditch, then with Ginny and Hermione and Cho about girl things, and I noticed how Ginny was looking at Cho as if the other girl were a disgusting squid or something.
During the time Harry and Luna were gone, Fred and George sent Patronus to the rest of Dumbledore's Army. Soon after Kingsley and Lupin, Oliver Wood and Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet, Bill and Fleur, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arrived via portrait tunnel. Ron and Ginny introduced me to their fellow Gryffindor Quidditch players and the only questions directed to me by Wood was if I like Quidditch, which team I rooted for, and what I thought of Viktor Krum.
It was some time before Harry and Luna came running down the staircase back into the Room of Requirement. He appeared shocked to see us. Lupin went towards him hurriedly.
"Harry, what's happening?" He said, meeting Harry at the foot of the stairs.
"Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school—Snape's run for it—What are you doing here? How did you know?"
"We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army," Fred explained. "You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. led the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed."
"What first, Harry?" called George. "What's going on?"
"They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organized," Harry said. "We're fighting."
There was a great roar and a surge toward the foot of the stairs; Harry was pressed back against the wall, I was jostled rather hard as well, as they ran past him, the mingled members of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, and Harry's old Quidditch team, all with their wands drawn, heading up into the main castle.
"Come on, Luna," Dean called as he passed, holding out his free hand; she took it and followed him back up the stairs.
The crowd was thinning. I noticed that Mrs. Weasley was struggling with Ginny and I joined the group around them. Harry joined also.
"You're underage!" Mrs. Weasley shouted at her daughter as Harry approached. "I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!"
"I won't!"
Ginny's hair flew as she pulled her arm out of her mother's grip.
"I'm in Dumbledore's Army—"
"A teenagers' gang!"
"A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to do!" said Fred and I grinned with pride.
"She's sixteen!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "She's not old enough! What you two were thinking, bringing her with you—"
Fred and George looked slightly ashamed of themselves and I scuffled my feet against the floor.
"Mum's right, Ginny," said Billy gently. "You can't do this. Everyone underage will have to leave, it's only right."
"I can't go home!" Ginny shouted, angry tears sparkling in her eyes. "My whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there along and not knowing and—"
She looked at Harry beseechingly, but he shook his head and she turned away bitterly.
"Fine," she said, staring at the entrance of the tunnel back to the Hog's Head. "I'll say good-bye now, then, and—"
There was a scuffling and a great thump: Someone else had clambered out of the tunnel, overbalanced slightly, and fallen. He pulled himself up on the nearest chair, looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses, and said, "Am I too late? Has it started? I only just found out, so I—I—"
The young man, whom I recognized with a gasp, was Percy. He spluttered into silence. Evidently he had not expected to run into most of his family. There was a long moment of astonishment, broken by Fleur turning to Lupin and saying, in a wildly transparent attempt to break the tension, "So—'ow eez leetle Teddy?"
My eyebrows raised in surprise. So Tonks had had a baby? Interesting . . . Lupin blinked at her, startled. The silence between the Weasleys seemed to be solidifying, like ice. I gulped slightly and stepped closer to Fred and George.
"I—oh yes—he's fine!" Lupin said loudly. "Yes, Tonks is with him—at her mother's—"
Percy and the other Weasleys were still staring at one another, frozen. I remembered how the rift between them had grown larger over the years.
"Here, I've got a picture!" Lupin shouted, pulling a photograph from inside his jacket and showing it to Fleur and Harry. I craned my neck to see but was startled when Percy spoke up.
"I was a fool!" He roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a—a—"
"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," said Fred and even I had to stifle a snicker.
Percy swallowed. "Yes, I was!"
"Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his hand to Percy.
Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. She ran forward, pushed Fred aside, and pulled Percy into a strangling hug, while he patted her on the back, his eyes on his father.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Percy said.
Mr. Weasley blinked rather rapidly, then he too hurried to hug his son. Even I had to hold back tears.
"What mad you see sense, Perce?" inquired George.
"It's been coming on for a while," said Percy, mopping his eyes under his glasses with a corner of his traveling cloak. "But I had to find a way out and it's not so easy at the Ministry, they're imprisoning traitors all the time. I managed to make contact with Aberforth and he tipped me off ten minutes ago that Hogwarts was going to make a fight of it, so here I am."
"Well, we do look to our prefects to take a lead at times such as these," said George in a good imitation of Percy's most pompous manner. This time I did snicker. "Now let's get upstairs and fight, or all the good Death Eaters'll be taken."
I laughed aloud at this and took out my wand, ready to go. Percy was shaking hands with Fleur as they hurried off towards the staircase with Bill, Fred, and George. I followed and chose to ignore Ginny who was trying to sneak out with us.
"Ginny!" barked Mrs. Weasley.
She grimaced and I gave her an apologetic smile as I continued on and she remained behind. Percy turned to me once we were on our way to the Great Hall.
"I've seen you before, haven't I?" He asked, pushing up his glasses.
I nodded. "Yes, I'm Angela Barry, a Ravenclaw."
He shook my hand. "A pleasure to meet you." He glanced at Fred and George. "Are you a sister-in-law too?"
I gave a short laugh. "No, I'm not."
He nodded and we arrived in the Great Hall. Professor McGonagall was speaking as we made our way inside.
" . . . evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."
Fred, George, Percy, Bill, Fleur, and I made our way to the Gryffindor table. I sat with them even though I was a Ravenclaw. I felt the closest to them at the moment than anyone else. Ernie Macmillan stood up at the Hufflepuff table and shouted, "And what if we want to stay and fight?"
There was a smattering of applause. Fred and George whistled.
"If you are of age, you may stay," said Professor McGonagall. Fred and George grinned at me with gleaming eyes.
There were some other questions and then Professor McGonagall said, "We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects—"
But her final words were drowned as a different voice echoed throughout the Hall. It was high, cold, and clear: There was no telling from where it came; it seemed to issue from the walls themselves.
"I know you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. I jumped and grabbed hold of Fred's arm. He looked pale. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."
There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.
"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight."
Silence swallowed us all again. Every head turned, every in the place seemed to have found Harry. He was frozen and I felt sorry for him. I wanted to shout at him to run and hide but no words came out of my mouth. I gripped Fred's arm tighter. Then Pansy stood and shouted for someone to grab Harry.
Before he could speak, there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors, myself included, rose in front of Harry, facing the Slytherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood and then the Ravenclaws. I had never felt so proud of my fellow students then right then, standing with them with our wands out, facing the Slytherins.
"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said Professor McGonagall in a clipped voice. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow."
The Slytherins stood and trooped out of the Hall. Slowly the four tables emptied. However a number of Ravenclaws remained seated and even more Hufflepuffs stayed and half of the Gryffindors remained also. Professor McGonagall had to sort out those who were underage and order them to leave.
Kingsley stepped forward and began to give orders. When he mentioned someone needing to defend the entrances of the passageways into the school, Fred called out that he and George would do it. Kingsley nodded his approval and I silently swore to stick with the twins.
"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!"
Fred and George stood to make their way to the front to choose their fellow defenders. Lee Jordan and Hannah Abbott had already signed up when I got to them.
"I'm coming with you two," I said firmly.
They took one look into my determined face and nodded simultaneously. A few more students joined our group and then together we moved out of the Hall. Fred and George directed some students to different secret passageways and then led about five of us down some hallways until we reached an empty plinth whose statue concealed a secret passageway. Fred held up his hand and seemed to be listening carefully. We all stood still.
He shook his head. "Nothing."
George held out his wand. "And now, we wait."
I sighed. Fred looked over at me. He took my arm and led me slightly away from the others. He was looking at me that way again. I was suddenly afraid. What was he going to do? I rubbed my left ring finger nervously as I looked up into his brown eyes.
"Angie," he said softly, reaching out to smooth back my hair. I shivered inwardly at his touch and then wondered why.
"What is it Fred?" I asked. "Is something wrong?"
He took a deep breath and took up both my hands. My wand pressed into his palm and his pushed against mine. It was smooth and straight and distracted me for a moment when I realized that his resembled mine greatly. What a coincidence. Fred had started speaking so I forced my attention from our wands and looked up at him.
"It's a nice night isn't it?" He asked.
I nodded, confused. "I suppose so."
He looked thoughtful. "Yes, it's a good day to die."
My throat constricted. "You're not going to die." I said firmly, trying to fight the feeling of dread that had just entered my being. This was a war, my brain suddenly realized. People are going to die. But not Fred, I told myself. Absolutely not. "Don't talk like that."
He shrugged. "But if I were to die, I just wanted you to know."
"Know what?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Remember our conversation at Christmas? About whether or not Malfoy would die for you?"
"Yes." I remembered but I didn't know what that had to do with anything.
"Well, I just wanted you to know, that if I die today, I die for you."
I pulled my hands away and pushed him lightly. "No you're not. You'd die for Hogwarts, for all the students."
"But I'll be thinking of you." His face was uncharacteristically solemn.
Before I could think of a reasonable answer, he leaned over and kissed me. Again, it wasn't at all like when Draco kissed me. Again it was soft and sweet. But there was something else there too. Some sort of passion that displayed itself not in aggressiveness or ferocity, but in gentleness. I found myself slowly leaning into the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. His arms encircled my waist and he held me delicately, like a flower.
Then my brain kicked in. I hated it when it did. It screamed at me to stop. I was engaged to Malfoy, this wasn't right! I didn't want to listen but I knew I had to. I pulled away but remained in Fred's arms. A great boom sounded and the floor of the castle shook. Tiny bits of dust rain down on us. Fred brushed his lips across my temple. My chest began to ache. I pushed away, and made myself look into Fred's tender gaze. I shook my head.
"I can't," I whispered even while my heart was crying out in pain. "I'm engaged to Draco. I can't—I—"
Tears trickled out onto my cheeks even as another loud sound emanated through the walls. Fred gently wiped my tears away with his thumb and cradled my cheek in his hand. George called out to us.
"Oi! Fred! Angie! Something's trying to blast through the tunnel on the other side!"
Fred stroked my cheek. "For you," he breathed and pressed his lips against my forehead. I trembled slightly. He turned and raced back to stand by George. He spoke to his twin and suddenly they were both grinning broadly. I could only stand there.
Harry ran past.
"Nice night for it!" Fred shouted as the castle quaked again. I walked back to the group slowly. We turned and faced the statue. It moved aside and suddenly we were surround by Death Eaters. I raised my wand, instinct kicking in.
"Stupefy!" I shouted, and the defenders around me began calling out their own spells and charms. The fight had begun.
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