Harry Potter and the Year of Surprises by erinpotter

The Dark Mark

Not Mine

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‘Yeah.’ Harry agreed.

‘But wait, what's that?’ Ron pointed out. He could see something hovering over the front doors. It was a large green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

‘IT'S THE FUCKING DARK MARK!’ Draco screamed. ‘We have to get up there. Now! What is my dad’s there. He’ll kill Dumbledore, everyone! And what about Voldemort! God, Harry! This is it!’ 

‘Wow, slow down, Draco. Have you ever heard any plans about this, ever?’

‘Nope, I'm sure of it. I swear. Honestly.’ 

‘Okay, we believe you.’ Ron said. ‘Harry? Have you still got your invisibility cloak?’

‘Yeah, it's in the passageway. Come on. We have to get up there.’

They ran into Honeydukes without giving the shopkeeper an explanation and ran into the passageway. Harry grabbed the cloak and the Marauders Map. He scanned it quickly.

‘Lucius Malfoy, MacNair, Pettigrew…shit…Tom Riddle.’

‘Oh holy fuck. We have to help them. Hermione and Ginny are there!’ Ron said, hysterically, but obviously trying to keep calm.

‘Yeah, I know. Look, there’s no one on the floor where we get out, so we’ll be fine. Hermione and Ginny are in our common room. They mustn’t know what's going on. Neville’s in there, too. Maybe they do know and are waiting for us. No matter. Voldemort is in the prefects’ bathroom with Dumbledore and Malfoy and the gang have all the Gryffindors in the great hall. We need to go and help.’

‘Yeah, come on.’ Draco whispered.

They made their way out of the tunnel and tiptoed quickly, but awkwardly to the head pupils’ common room. They walked in and we’re faced with three wands in their faces.

‘It's only us.’ Harry whispered, scared to talk aloud.

‘Swear?’ Ginny whispered back.

‘Yes, I swear. Look, we have to go and help them. Voldemort and Dumbledore are alone together, duelling, presumably, and all the Gryffindors are in the great hall, I think they’re trapped.’

‘Oh my God, we’re going to help.’ Hermione said, standing up.

‘Yeah, hold on. No one has dropped off the map so they’re not dead. Ginny, get to Grimmauld Place and tell the Order. We need to have back-up. Don’t come back without them because we’ll be gone from here. Go!’ 

Ginny obediently took some floo powder and made her way to the Order Headquarters. 

‘Now, Draco,’ Harry said, turning to him. ‘Do you wanna fight with us?’

Draco stood up, defiant. ‘Of course I do.’

‘Okay, remember everyone will still think you are each other, so really, act like it. We don’t want any complications. Is everyone else ready?’ You four are heading to the great hall. I'm going to the bathroom to Voldemort.’

‘Harry, not without us…’ Hermione wailed.

‘Yes, Hermione. I have to do it alone. And besides, the rest of the school needs you. He’s got all of Gryffindor and the first year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuffs. Go on. Remember to put shield charms around you. The largest ones you can manage. Oh my God! I've just had a brainwave. Ron, Hermione. You two turn invisible. You too, Draco. And Neville, you pretend to join the death eaters! They’ll expect it!’

‘Yeah good idea, Harry! But what do we do whilst invisible?’ Hermione said.

‘Well, hurt, harm and destroy all the death eaters you can and have shield charms around everyone. They’ve got the teachers trapped in there too, so free them first. I think that’s all. Let’s go!’

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco all made themselves invisible and wandered through the corridors, Neville still being a Draco-lookalike. 

Harry said goodbye to them and wished them luck when they reached his destination. He blessed himself and made to open the door, when it opened for him.

‘Come in, Potter. We’ve been expecting you.’

*

Ron, Hermione, Draco and Neville made their way to the great hall, and Ron, Hermione and Neville slipped in when Neville made his way in.

‘Evening Draco!’ Lucius said as he embraced Neville. ‘Happy to see me free again?’

‘Well done, father. Very proud of you. Well, what do we have here, and why the hell did you keep it a secret? I've missed out on half the fun!’

‘Sorry son, but the Dark Lord’s orders are not to be questioned.’ 

‘Yes, father.’

Draco observed Neville. He was doing a pretty good impression. 

‘So, what are we doing with these disgusting half-bloods, mudbloods and blood traitors? Torture?’

‘We are to leave them; the Dark Lord has left his orders.’ MacNair warned, as if Neville was going to perform the cruciatus curse on McGonagall.

‘Where’s the fun in that? And, er, why is Severus tied up?’

Neville kept up a great impression of Draco, until the rest of them had untied the teachers and knocked out a few of the minor death eaters near the back. Then Pettigrew noticed.

‘Why is Belleview on the floor, and Patton?’

‘Shut up Worm- no, wait. They are on the floor.’ Lucius snapped.

The teachers chose that moment to strike. 

‘Expelliarmus!’

‘Stupefy!’

‘Impedimenta!’

‘Sectumsempra!’

Snape, McGonagall, Binns, Hagrid, Sprout and all the other teachers were charging at the death eaters, wands drawn. The death eaters were in shock. 

Lucius sent dark spells flying, one almost hit Ron, but he didn’t get anyone. Hermione, Ron and Draco had each put the strongest spells on themselves and the other pupils, who they were busy freeing at the moment. Once the students were free, they too charged at Voldemort's supporters. 

There was a full blown war in the great hall, with an even number on each side. The teachers were screaming for the students to go back to their dorms, but no one was moving. Hermione took it upon herself. The younger students were just causing havoc and getting in the older pupils’ and teachers’ way. She magicked them all into a big group and levitated them upstairs to the Gryffindor common room. She then, resumed her tactic of sneaking up on people and cursing them. The closer you are, the stronger the spell. Ron and Draco were shooting spell after spell at Lucius, but he was avoiding them pretty well. 

Draco sent a spell shooting at him. A big mistake, because it was a very powerful spell his father had made up himself. 

‘Draco!’ he said, turning to Neville, who was shooting spells to deliberately miss. ‘Did you shoot the invidious spell at me?’

Neville stupidly shook his head.

‘No.’

‘Well then who did? Have you taught it to anyone?’

‘No! What I meant was, I tried to hit the giant and I missed…sorry.’

‘Don’t let it happen again, Draco. Do you want me to die?’ he said, dodging a poor spell which came from the pink umbrella.

‘No, father.’ Neville whispered, sending a stunning spell into the distance.

‘Draco, what has happened to your aim? The targets are right there, to the left! Not to the right!’

‘Sorry father.’