PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

110 || The Battle of Hogwarts

The Great Hall was packed with terrified students. Some wore travelling cloaks, others wore dressing gowns, but the same fearful expression was painted on all of their faces. Several of the younger students had even been reduced to tears. Every eye was fixed upon Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the top of the Hall. Behind her stood the remaining teachers and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had arrived to fight.

Katie was about to take a seat with Draco at the Slytherin table when she spotted Harry skirting around the edges of the room. Telling Draco that she would be right back, she made her way over to Harry.

"Harry," she began, her voice quavering. "Harry, I — I've got to tell you something."

The nervousness of her voice seemed to worry Harry. He frowned at her.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Katie was overcome with the urge to cry — she could feel tears bubbling up inside her eyes, but she pulled herself together and, taking a deep breath, she confessed.

"It was me," she said. "I told him about the Horcruxes."

Harry blinked at her. "What?"

"I'm sorry!" she cried. "He — he was using the Cruciatus Curse on Draco — I couldn't stand — I had to tell him — I had to help!" she continued to ramble until Harry firmly grabbed her hands and shook her.

"It's fine." he told her. She stared at him like he had gone mad.

"Harry, have you lost it?"

Harry shook his head. "He would have found out anyway, after we broke into Gringotts. And, hey, if it makes you feel better, if it was me, and he was torturing Ginny, I would have cracked too."

Katie offered Harry a gentle smile, which he returned. She had never really stopped to appreciate Harry's kindness and morality — these were traits that people often overlooked, but in that moment, she had never appreciated them more. The two of them fell into silence to listen to McGonagall's speech.

"...evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey," she was explaining to the Hall at large. "Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your house and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point."

Ernie Macmillan stood up at the Hufflepuff table and shouted, "And what if we want to stay and fight?"

There was a roar of applause.

"If you are of age, you may stay," Professor McGonagall replied.

"What about our things?" a girl called from the Ravenclaw table. "Our trunks? Our owls?"

"We have no time to collect possessions," McGonagall said. "The important thing is that we get you out of here safely."

Katie and Harry started moving along the Gryffindor table in search of Ron and Hermione. Many heads turned to face Harry and a great deal of whispering broke out in his wake.

"We have already placed protection around the castle," McGonagall went on, "but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your prefects—"

But her final words were drowned out as a different voice echoed throughout the Great Hall. It was high, cold and clear, and it seemed to be coming from within the walls. Katie recognised the voice of her father immediately.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."