Title: As the Sky Lit Up Bright Red and Green
Team: Caerphilly Catapults
Position: Chaser 1
Round: Daily Prophet Time Turner competition
Prompt: Set in 2nd May, 1998
Additional Prompts used: NA
April Madness: number 10
Prompt: [colour] bright red
Bejewelled II: Tree Agate
Prompt: [spell] Protego
Break a Leg: number 26 Those you've known
Prompt: [lyric] "Those you've known and lost still walk behind you." Used as inspiration for the story
Geek Gaming Pride: number 5 Crash Bandicoot
Prompt: [item] mask
Gotta Catch Em All: fighting number 6 Mienfoo
Prompt: [theme] death
Additional prompt: story must include a battle of some kind
Gather Your Party: Paladin number 6
Prompt: [word] safe
Scamander's Case: marmite, female
Prompt: [word] explosion
Easter Special: Egg hunt number 1 Great Hall
Prompt: [character] a canon Professor
Writing club: would you rather number 10; days of the month number 28; colour theory number 14; Hogwarts library number 7
Prompt: be completely free or be completely safe; write about a hero; [action] hiding; [genre] suspense
Word count: 1349
Betas: Rose
A/N warnings: description of on-screen deaths and violence
Those you've known and lost still walk behind you.
The great battle for the wizarding world was about to begin and it was to take place here, at Hogwarts, one of the, if not the, most magical places in Wizarding Britain. They were making a stand against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. The teachers, the DA, the Order of the Phoenix and other assorted adults, whose lives Harry had in some way touched, and earned their respect and their loyalty. The school was being evacuated. Anyone who was under age was being escorted from the castle to safety. Except if they failed, would it really be safe? Would anywhere be safe after this if Harry failed? Those choosing to stand and fight were few in number compared with the army that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named would surely have in tow with the Ministry of Magic under his control. McGonagall was not allowing those who were under-age to stay and fight. That was understandable; many of the students were too young; they didn't know enough magic to help or to protect themselves. But those who were sixteen, who were almost of age could be of help. They could help make a stand against the ultimate evil and stand up for what was right. It wasn't as though all those of age were in their seventh year. Many of his fellow sixth-year Gryffindors were already seventeen and they were staying to fight. So why couldn't he? It was why he had returned to Hogwarts when the DA had been alerted that they were going to fight. It was why he was here!
The Slytherin table was already completely deserted. None of them had chosen to stay and fight for what was right. There were a few Ravenclaws still seated at their table and several more Hufflepuffs. But Colin was pleased to see that around half of Gryffindor house had remained behind in support of Harry. Professor McGonagall had now descended from the teachers' platform and was chivvying along the younger students of Gryffindor house. Despite her insistence that they must leave and get to safety, Colin could see the pride in her eyes that so many of them wanted to stay and fight. She had reached him and Jimmy Peakes, who had flown with Harry in the Gryffindor Quidditch team last school year. He was a couple of years younger than Colin and it was right that McGonagall should send him to safety.
"But, Professor," Peakes protested. "I want to fight. To help Harry. Please?"
"And me, Professor," Colin interjected. "I'm almost of age. My birthday is later this month! I can fight. I want to fight! It's why I came back when the DA was called."
He could see the pride in McGonagall's eyes at his words. The immense pride she had in her House and the (sometimes reckless) bravery that resided in them all. He thought that she might relent to his request. Not to Peakes's, but to his. He had a valid point after all. If this battle were happening on the second of June rather than the second of May there would be no question of his being able to remain. He would be of age then, so what difference did less than a month make? It was unlikely that by turning seventeen he would somehow attain markedly better magical skill than he currently possessed. She had to concede, surely.
"Absolutely not, Creevey, go! And you, Peakes!"
Peakes got up and left. He knew it had been unlikely he would have been allowed to stay, but Colin was not about to be so easily dismissed.
"Professor, if this battle were happening a month later you would have no right to send me away! I would be of age then. What difference does that month make?"
"No, Creevey. You are not of age. We cannot ask those underage to stay and fight."
"But you're not asking. I'm telling you I want to fight!"
"I'm sorry, Creevey, no and that's my final word on the matter. Go! Now!"
Colin reluctantly got to his feet and followed the other underage Gryffindors out the hall as slowly as he dared. Behind him on the raised platform, the slow sonorous voice of a member of the Order of the Phoenix could be heard addressing all those who were getting ready to fight.
"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast! A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick…"
The door of the Great Hall closed behind Colin and he could hear no more of what was being planned. He trudged slowly up the stairs, dragging his feet, following the other Gryffindors who were being led to safety. His heart was heavy. He was being forced to leave when he could be of help. Wasn't this what the DA had been preparing for in Colin's fourth year? Wasn't this what Harry had taught them for? Was that to be a waste of his time? Of Harry's time?
No!
Colin was not going to run and hide like Slytherin house. He was a Gryffindor! And Gryffindors were courageous and brave and determined. He was staying to fight. He slowed his pace and allowed the rest of the Gryffindors to disappear out of sight before he turned around and made his way back downstairs towards the Great Hall. He crouched in the shadows of the staircase waiting for a group of resistance fighters to come out; and he would follow. He didn't have to wait long until his old teacher, Professor Lupin, emerged from the Great Hall with a small group of students and made their way out into the grounds. Colin followed them out into the dark where it would be much harder to spot who wasn't meant to have remained behind.
It was long before they were engaged in full out war. All over the grounds there were bursts of bright green and red light from spells from both sides. The other side was aiming to kill. There were shrieks and explosions and cries of pain filling the night air. It was a terrifying sight. Colin fired off several stunning jinxes at a group of approaching Death Eaters and watched as one of his spells made contact and a Death Eater crumpled to the ground in a heap. The ground shook and Colin leapt aside, doing a commando roll across the grass, narrowly avoiding being squashed by the giant foot of Grawp as he thundered past, swinging a stone gargoyle and roaring in displeasure. There was a sickening crunch and a hastily stifled cry of pain as the stone gargoyle made contact with an advancing Death Eater, dislodging his mask which landed at Colin's feet while the Death Eater flew at least thirty feet through the air before landing in a mangled heap on the grass, unmoving. Colin having just got to his feet, fired another stunning jinx straight into the masked face of another Death Eater who collapsed on the ground, his mask askew, before Grawp came barrelling back in his direction and once more Colin was force to dive out of the way to avoid being trampled. The stunned Death Eater was not so lucky and he was crushed beneath the giant's foot. Turning away from the sight, Colin found himself face to face with another Death Eater who relentlessly fired jinx after jinx at him. Colin didn't have time to react with any retaliating jinxes of his own. It was all he could do to keep casting shield charms between himself and the barrage of jinxes being fired at him. The jets of bright red light exploding noisily off his shield charm.
"Expelliarmus," Colin cried and watched, elated, as the wand soared out of his attacker's hand while the green light of the last spell his attacker had cast hit him square in the chest and he crumpled to the ground, dead. The ghost of the delighted expression at the disarming of the Death Eater still frozen on his face.