425 The Battle of Hogwarts Pt. 2

Pansy Parkinson literally recoiled hearing Chris's threat and then there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors had risen from their seats and stood facing, not Harry or Chris, but the Slytherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Chris and Harry, all of them looking toward Pansy instead, and Chris saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from under sleeves. They were all ready to defend Harry. Harry looked a great deal surprised and grateful for this sudden act, but Chris was still angry. She felt her blood boiling even at the thought of someone hurting Harry.

Chris stepped forward through the tactful space left by the other students defending Harry. 

"Listen to me very carefully," Chris's voice rang out more loudly and clearly than anyone else in the room. "If you want to run, then run and save yourself. . ." she was still glaring at Pansy and the Slytherins. "But if you try to sabotage or harm any of us, especially Harry Potter, then Voldemort will be the last of your worries . . . I promise . . . So what is it going to be, Pansy?" 

Chris was practically seething, and Pansy looked terrified.

"You can't - you can't -" Pansy Parkinson tried but nothing else came out of her mouth. She looked around at her fellow Slytherin students but nobody did anything.

"I can't what?" Chris raised an eyebrow at her.

"That's enough, Pansy," Daphne Greengrass spoke from the Slytherin crowd, her eyes on her classmate. "They are giving us a chance to leave. Why do you have to provoke them like that?"

To Chris's mild surprise, many Slytherins murmured their agreement with Daphne. Pansy Parkinson shrank further. 

"Thank you, Miss Greengrass," said Professor McGonagall in a clipped voice. "Miss Parkinson, you will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow."

With the grinding of the benches, Chris heard the sound of the Slytherins trooping out on the other side of the Hall. But Chris wanted to be sure, so she turned to her fellow Gryffindors.

"I need someone to make sure they do leave and don't turn around to sabotage us or anything," Chris glanced at the door, from where the Slytherins disappeared. "Can someone do that?"

It was Percy, who stepped up.

"You are right, Chris. We need to make sure. I will go." Percy immediately turned to follow them.

"Take someone with you," Chris suggested.

"Chris, I'm perfectly capable --" Percy began but a voice cut him off.

"She is not suggesting that considering your capability," An older Ravenclaw student, which Chris once had fought with when she was in her fourth year, appeared behind them. She couldn't remember her name. "In any sort of battle situation, it's good to fight in pairs, it increases the chance of winning and escaping a non-negotiable situation. In any case, she is smart. I will go with you."

Percy exchanged a startled look with his brothers and Chris then nodded at the Ravenclaw girl.

"Be safe," Chris called as they followed the Slytherins, and she turned to the rest of the students that stayed. 

Slowly the four tables emptied. The Slytherin table was completely deserted, but a number of older Ravenclaws remained seated while their fellows filed out; even more, Hufflepuffs stayed behind, and half of Gryffindor remained in their seats, necessitating Professor McGonagall's descent from the teachers' platform to chivvy the underage on their way.

"Absolutely not, Hathway, go! And you, Peakes! Creevey, Miss Weasley, Miss Lovegood, I know you are close with Miss Norton, but I cannot allow you all to stay --" Professor McGonagall looked around as more students of Chris' year stood behind them. "Miss Chambers, Mr. Catterick, you cannot either--"

"Professor, we are trained," said Colin with determination in his eyes.

"No, you should not stay. You are still underage," Professor McGonagall looked tired.

"We are almost of age, Professor," Irene spoke with her completely Prefect charm. "And we are responsible."

"But --"

"Minerva, even if you forcefully make them leave, almost definitely they will sneak back in and fight," Sirius said joining the conversation. ". . . Which will be more dangerous. I think if they stay together, they will be safer."

McGonagall frowned looking at the small crowd building behind Chris. Ginny, Colin, and Luna stood alongside her as Irena, Malvin, Jane, Nora, Adrian, Alex, Elijah, and Danielle looked unmovable behind them.

"But what about your parents?" Professor McGonagall looked furious. "This isn't a game. As a teacher it's my duty to make sure you all are safe, what if something happens to you out here while you are fighting?"

"It can happen anywhere, Professor!" It was Danielle, who shouted, pulling up her robes, she showed her injured and bruised hands, surprising everyone. Her injuries looked old but the scars were there. "It happened to us! I was locked for an entire day, shackled to the floor, remember? Just because I accidentally shot a curse at Alecto, even though I told her it was an accident and that I was scared, I didn't want to hurt the first years."

"Miss Jones, I understand and I tried to --" Professor McGonagall looked taken aback and it was the first time, Chris had seen her look so guilty. Not to mention, Danielle was Chris's roommate for five years, and she never was the confrontational type of person, she always stayed back while the others stood up. Looking at her scars and big dark eyes holding back her tears, Chris wondered how much pain she must have endured.

"I wasn't safe, Professor, and I - we would never be safe if they continue to run the school or the wizarding world," Danielle said bitterly and a tear escaped her eyes. Alex instantly put an arm around her. "So we will fight Professor. We already made that decision a while ago."

Professor pressed her lips in a thin line and for a second Chris thought her lips trembled not because of anger but maybe because of the pain Danielle's words caused her, or perhaps she blamed herself for not protecting her students. Danielle was after all a Gryffindor, a student of her House.

"Please, Professor, we will fight," Malvin said politely.

"I'm proud to see so many students want to fight," said a new voice. "Dumbledore was right, there are many brave students at Hogwarts."

Chris along with others turned around to find a tall but thin man with many battle scars walking up to them with Kingsley. Chris tried to remember where she had seen that man before when Adrian smiled at him, and with a jolt, Chris remembered Adrian's father, the right-hand man of the previous Minister of magic, Rufus Scrimgeour.

"Dad!" Adrian hugged his father and keeping one arm around his son Mr. Rivers nodded at McGonagall and other Order members. 

"Rivers has brought many of the remaining Aurors, who escaped the Dark Lord and Maligno's clutches," Kingsley informed. 

"Great," Professor returned to her previous shelf and looked around. "Then we have a plan. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and I are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers - Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor - where we'll have a good overview and excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile, Remus, Sirius, Arthur, and Kingsley will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize the defense of the entrances or the passageways into the school, I was thinking Aurelia and -"

"Sounds like a job for us," called Fred, indicating himself and George.

"I will take Cedric as well. We will organize the defense with my people," Aurelia stated.

"Good, then divide up the teams," Kingsley said.

"That's good but I would need to know everything happening all over the school," Chris said. She realized she still didn't know where the Keys will help and what will it open and if Malgino targets a specific place of Hogwarts, it could give her the solution. If she needed to find the thing before their defense break then she needed all the advantages. 

"Chris, we can send our Patronus with messages for that if you really want to know that," Remus suggested. 

"No, it will take time," Chris shook her head and turned to her friends. "I have a better idea. Luna, pick a direction you want to go."

"North sounds fun," answered Luna without missing a beat. Nothing could surprise her.

"I will take the West wing," Colin said immediately understanding what Chris wanted to do.

"I will take the East," Ginny confirmed.

"Then I will be at the South Grounds," Chris nodded at her friends. "If anything goes wrong or anything happens, tell me immediately. And do not try to do anything alone. Take a group with you."

"You got it," Colin nodded.

"But how will you contact so fast?" Mrs. Weasley asked Ginny.

Without waiting Ginny showed her, her amulet, and following her Chris, Colin, and Luna did the same. 

"You have communicative amulets," Professor McGonagall looked surprised and impressed.

"So if anything happens tell one of us," Chris told everyone before moving to the next thing. "Adrian?"

Hearing his name, Adrian stepped forward with his usual grin.

"Yes, Ma'am?"

"I need you to make a group to come with me."

"Me?" Adrian looked surprised.

"Yes, I will need backup and --"

"Chris, we can help," Ron interrupted. 

"Yeah, but I need you and Hermione to --" Chris halted and everyone looked at her worried. But she was oblivious as she just spotted the Grey Lady's silvery silhouette floating. "Helena!" 

[To be continued]