True Love Conquers All (sequel to Loving You)

Chapter XXXII {The Houses at Standing}

mist encircles the parapets of the castle itself, barely distinguishable from the Dementors that drift like silent sentinels over the ground. lights glimmer in the castle.

a stream of Hufflepuff students move toward the Great Hall. they walk grimly, their faces blank, as if accustomed to such exercise.

the Ravenclaws walk in lockstep as well. one tiny girl stands out, walking alongside Luna, her bearing more defiant than defeated. the Death Eater chivvying them along eyes her cruelly.

"put a smile on, Miss Reynolds. wouldn't want to have to pay a visit to daddy, again, would you?" Alecto Carrow said. i immidietly recognized him, seeing as they used to baby sit me as a child.

Slytherin house walks in rigid synchronization, backs straight, in perfect rhythm. i catch a sight of Blaise and Goyle. a slight urge in me wanted to go walk with them, stay loyal to my house. but i knew better. i wanted to see Blaise, he was one of my very good friends, but I'm not about to blow our cover.

as the Gryffindor's walk, Harry, Hermione, Ron and i move in their midst, effectively shielded. 

each house stands together as a group, the room buzzing. no one sits. at the Tall Table at the top of the Hall the Carrows stand like sinister sentinels, their eyes raking the crowd. a pang of nerves hits me as i crouch down lower. Professor McGonagall, her face ashen, her bearing reduced, stands along the right wall, while Flitwick stands by the left wall. as Snape enters the room goes slowly quiet. 

"many of you are surely wondering why i have summoned you here at this hour. it has come to my attention that earlier this evening...Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade." Snape says in his monotonous voice

a murmured thrill fills the hall. McGonagall's eyes glisten with curiosity. Snape raises his voice, briefly, to quell the noise in the hall. "i mention this in the hopes that truth will not be supplemented by rumor. for myself and a few select members of the staff this comes as a little surprise. we have, for some time, considered Mr. Potter's return to Hogwarts to be not only possible but inevitable. consequently, in the past several months and under my specific direction, exhaustive defense strategies have been employed to defeat any attempt Mr. Potter might make to breach these walls. but i know this. should anyone--student or staff--attempt to aid Mr. Potter, or the three people with him known as Vanessa Wilde, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, that person will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. rest assured: so long as i am headmaster at Hogwarts, Harry Potter will never again step foot in this castle."

an applause erupts from the Slytherins. at that moment i was ashamed to be apart of them. those filthy little scumba-oh wait Snape is talking.

"now then. if anyone here has knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening...i invite them to step forward now." Snape says

Snape's eyes rake the hall. dead silence. a nervous shift of glances. and then...footsteps

a figure appears in the shadows at the back of the hall. McGonagall's chin rises in disbelief. 

"i think i can help you out with that." Harry says confidently. how the hell had i lost  track of him while Snape was speaking?

i lurch forward to help him but Ron grabs my wrist and yanks me back. giving me a simple shake of the head.

"it would seem that, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster...and I'm afraid its rather extensive." Harry says loudly

one by one, they emerge. this was my call. me, Ron and Hermione straighten up from our crouched-down position and walk standing, proudly, beside Harry. Lupin, Tonks, Arthur, Molly, Fred, George, Percy, Luna, Dean Thomas, Bill, Fleur and Kingsley Shacklebolt stand a foot behind us.

the Carrows, who had been moving towards Harry, falter and turn to Snape with uncertainty. 

"scared?" i shout

the Carrows heads whip around and they stare at me. 

"Vanessa?" Alecto asks with widened eyes

i just give them a wave, smirking.

after a moment of silence and no one moving Harry shouts out. "how dare you stand where he stood?"

Snape watches Harry withdraw his wand and point it at him.

"tell them how it was that night. tell them how you looked him in the eye, a man who trusted you...and killed him. tell them!" Harry shouts

Snape's eyes find Harry's, but his face remains a mask. Snape moves as to retrieve his wand. McGonagall steps forward and sends a volcanic blast at Snape. pivoting, he parries the spell--barely--and sends it ricocheting around the room.

chaos ensues. Flitwick and the rest of of the staff--inspired by Harry and McGonagall--leap forth, wands out. Snape, outnumbered, standing at the epicenter, parries spell after spell with astonishing skill deflecting two of the curses into Alecto and Amyus Carrow. 

Snape takes the measure of the room and sweeps his wand over his head, reducing the torches that line the walls to smoke and pitching the hall into total darkness.

as students scream, a great whooshing sound fills the Hall and some flying thing flickers past the windows, rattling the panes before blasting through them.

instantly, the torches burst back to life and its McGonagall, wand raised, that's done it. in the moonlight, i can see a bat-like creature beating into the light. McGonagall peers bitterly into the darkness.

"coward! coward! and he didn't even stay to fight" McGonagall turns to Harry. "Potter, do you mind telling me what you're doing here, which, i trust you realize, is an act of complete and utter lunacy?" 

"im a Gryffindor." Harry states

"i thought it might have something to do with that." Mcgonagall turns to the room. "all right! settle down! settle down!" 

the room quiets.

"it appears that your headmaster, to use the common phrase, has done a bunk." McGonagall announces

cheers rise from all Houses, save Slytherin, where Pansy Parkinson glowers along with Blaise and Goyle. i let out a little chuckle, not being able to hold it in.