Couldn't leave you all there... that would have sucked... I had to make sure you got at least one more update tonight.
Thanks to Kerreb7 for the review - sorry for making you cry though :( If it helps I was almost crying here too. She really was like my favourite character... other than James and Lily and Sirius and Marlene and maybe Alice...
Chapter 76:
The teachers gradually joined the fight against the death eaters. Professor McGonagall ran to James to help him. He looked like he was about to pass out. She put an arm around him before casting a cracker jinx. The conjured wizard crackers exploded in the death eater's face. "Flipendo!" McGonagall called, still supporting James' weight. James' head began to fall as he started to lose consciousness at the pain. He briefly caught sight of people running up to the castle. Bellatrix screamed, "The aurors are here!" She made to run, hitting Sirius with a curse. Harry recognised those purple flames. He made to call Sirius and warn him but Sirius never heard him. Sirius fell to the ground as the curse hit him square in the chest. In seconds he was out cold. Several of the death eater's were running for their brooms but the Hogwarts professors took advantage of their destraction, stunning them.
The aurors ran up the stairs to the astronomy tower. Charlus automatically searched for James amongst the crowd before going to apprehend the death eaters. "Did any get away?" Charlus asked.
"No," Albus replied. "When they saw you coming they tried to escape but my staff stunned them."
Charlus nodded. He looked over to the wall where Holly's body lay and a tear fell from his eye, "she was a good one." He turned to the room at large and called the aurors towards himself.
"I have jobs for each team so listen up…" Charlus demanded. There was complete silence as they awaited their task.
"Bradshaw's team!" Charlus called. A strong looking auror stepped forward, "can you arrange for these criminals to be taken to Azkaban?"
"Yes sir," Bradshaw nodded, "what about the younger ones?"
Charlus looked at the school aged death eaters, "I don't know." He turned to Dumbledore, "Albus is there a classroom near your study that we can use as a holding room?"
"There is… there's an old charms room."
"Very well… leave them here for now Bradshaw."
The wizard nodded again before rushing off. His team following behind him. "Byars!"
"Yes sir," a young witch answered.
"Can you and your team take the Slytherins to the class room that…?"
"Professor Flitwick will show you the way," Dumbledore finished for his friend. The witch nodded before directing her team towards the Slytherins.
"I need to inform Holly's family," Charlus frowned. "Wood!"
There were two last teams waiting to be despatched. "Wood – your team will join Bradshaw's team for now. You're with me." The wizard nodded before sending his team to assist with the deportation of the death eaters. "Finally Dodson – can you and your team return to the ministry. I need a press release prepared. I also need you to brief the minister."
The blonde haired witch nodded. "Keep Holly's name out of the paper for now."
"Yes sir," Dodson sighed.
"This is why I prefer my job – teachers could you please take our students to the hospital wing," Dumbledore smiled. "There aren't as many of them, you see."
Charlus laughed slightly before turning to Wood, "can you take Holly's body to her chambers here and then meet me at the hospital wing." The wizard nodded before kneeling to pick the dead witch up off the floor.
Professor McGonagall half carried James down the corridor and into the hospital wing. "I wish you'd let me carry you, James."
"No professor – I can do it," James replied.
"I know – but you don't have to," James saw tears running down her face. They took longer than most to make it to the hospital wing. She quickly helped him into a bed – magically changing his clothing. "Pomfrey!" She called the nurse. Madam Pomfrey came over to them, "James, I'm going to leave you with Madam Pomfrey – I need to check on the others."
"Don't worry professor I'll be fine," James laughed, although his laughter was short lived as it was too painful.
"Oh dear – you weren't half hit with it were you," Pomfrey frowned as she inspected his injuries.
"How are my friends?" James asked, trying to sit up.
"Stay still dear or you'll make it worse…"
"How are my friends?" James asked again.
"They are very shaken up but… you've given me enough practice these last two years. I can heal them. I promise."
McGonagall made her way from bed to bed. Alice Prewett was ok but she was in shock but Mary Macdonald was giving Alice a tonic to calm her nerves. Her injuries were relatively minor. That worried McGonagall even more. The girl was exhausted and not just from duelling for a long time. No she was tired from the emotional and physical drain caused by an unforgivable curse. These young children would survive. They may not even scar but the psychological reprecusions would affect them for years. McGonagall sighed as she moved on to the next bed, Sirius Black. The boy was asleep. He had dark marks under his eyes from the different curses he'd received. Mary looked at him, "Madam Pomfrey has just healed the worst – she can't do anything more until he has slept."
McGonagall nodded before stopping at the next bed, Peter Pettigrew. "He was stunned a few times and they used the cruciatus curse on all of them… but he'll be ok after a good sleep," Mary explained.
"You – you've been working with Poppy all night?" McGonagall asked.
"Yes, professor… I warned her they were coming, after I told you teachers."
McGonagall leant forward and kissed the girl on the forhead, "thank you. Will you tell me about the rest?"
Mary nodded. They walked to the next bed, Marlene McKinnon. "Marley was badly injured. Peter said that she was ridiculous… she was like lightning. Total auror in the making. She was hit by several curses at the same time – the resulting effect was awful but the healers from St Mungo's came and put her right…"
"How did they get here so fast?"
"We wrote to them as soon as I told Pomfrey. They arrived just in time. They said that if they had of waited any longer that she wouldn't have made it."
McGonagall felt more tears on her skin; she didn't really think she could cry this much in one night. They continued to the next bed; Lily Evans. "They really hurt Lily. She was hit by so many curses that none of the healers could understand how she walked in here without help. Pomfrey thinks it was the adrenaline… she was just in shock. She kept asking for James… we had to put her to sleep. We dealt with most of her injuries but some of them will take time."
They walked passed a sleeping James to the bed on his other side. "Remus was hit by the cruciatus curse a lot but other than that he seems ok."
McGonagall nodded before stepping towards the last bed. "Kate on the other was completely unhurt except for a cut on her cheek. She's just sleeping it off."
McGonagall smiled at the small bit of good news.
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Next Chapter(s)...
1. Recovery time in the Hospital Wing...
2. Holly's parents...
3. The Daily Prophet...
4. Something terrible...
5. The end of year feast... exams?