ATHENE {remus lupin}

SIXTY FIVE

The shield around Hogwarts lasted only an hour. Molly, Arthur and Athene stood at the top of Ravenclaw tower watching as it came apart in flashes of brilliant blue. It seemed as if thousands of spells had been hitting it from afar, and all they could do was stand and watch, as if waiting for the death eaters to arrive.

"How long 'till they're here?" Athene whispered to the Weasley parents.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak but closed it again as several explosions could be heard.

The three looked down and saw as several people appeared to apparate onto the grounds, she knew that it was death eaters from the darkness that they were shrouded in and the masks that they wore. Athene wondered if Draco or her mother was down there.

"How are they-" She started, wondering how they had managed to apparate into the castle.

"Snape," Arthur replied grimly.

"Does that mean that the shield is down?"

"Maybe not fully, but as good as. It means that the death eaters can get through, and by extension, it means that You-Know-Who has front door access to Hogwarts."

 A crash behind them confirmed their worries, as Athene spun around to see Fenir Greyback and Rookwood smirking at her. She stiffened at the sight of the two, hatred bubbling in her stomach.

"Miss Malfoy," Rookwood purred. "How enchanting to see you again..."

"Lucius will be thrilled," Greyback said with a menacing laugh, "I almost want to call him now..."

Molly begun to fire spells at the two whilst Arthur was engaged with a third death eater. Athene shook her head and pushed her anger to the forefront of her mind and joined Molly. After only a minute of dueling, the two death eaters apparated.

"We should get-"

"To the ground-" Molly shouted to her, watching as spells were hitting the tower. "It could fall!"

Athene nodded and turned and began to spring down the spiral stairs, she passed several dead bodies and scanned each of them to make sure that it wasn't anyone she knew, however despite their lack of familiarity, she felt her breath hitch at every dead Hogwarts student she saw. 

At the bottom, in the courtyard, there were several duels happening. She spotted Ginny Weasley looking around frantically.

"Ginny!" Athene shouted.

The witch rushed to the woman with tears streaming down her face.

"Harry," the girl said, "I can't find him I-"

"Ginny," Athene interrupted, "go to your parents, they're there, go."

"Harry-"

"Ginny, go."

Molly met her daughter and threw her arms around her, "your brothers, any of them, have you seen them?"

Ginny shook her head, sobbing and Molly pulled her into a quick hug. Athene saw a flash of blonde hair and sprinted after it, after all the years she had spent away from him, she still felt drawn to protect her brother. 

Molly Weasley ushered her daughter into the great hall and turned around to find Narcissa Malfoy standing opposite her, breathing heavily.

Molly didn't move when she saw her former friend, Bellatrix Lestrange was dueling Arthur some metres away from her. Narcissa fired a weak curse her way and Molly defended it and shot one back.

"Ciss-" Molly started, but the witch had turned and ran in the direction of her sister, grabbing her and running into the darkness.