My return to school after that week's leave did not go as I expected at all.

I returned to find Hogwarts in utter chaos, much to my shock.

Swarms of black cloaked people flooded the school and it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were Death Eaters. Unforgivable curses were flying in the air, the students and teachers were trying to defend themselves and the school but the Dark Mark above the school marked our fate.

I almost got hit by an Unforgivable right as I stepped out of the fireplace in Floo Room designed for the teachers, confused initially at what had just happened.

But desperate times call for desperate measures and leaving my trunk as well as the other luggage, I brandished my wand, ready to take those Death Eaters head-on.

I had a lot of questions but there was no time for me to find the answers. However, some of them were answered when I briefly crossed paths with Professor McGonagall.

While I helped her fend off the Death Eaters, she told me that Headmaster Dumbledore wasn't in the school at the moment and had taken Harry with him. Taking advantage of his absence, the Death Eaters had broken into the castle.

It seemed impossible because Hogwarts was so well protected. But then Sirius had once broken into Hogwarts, perhaps the Death Eaters had found a way too.

No matter what the case, it couldn't have been possible without an inside help. And thinking about who they could have on their side to help them enter, my mind flickered only to Draco and Snape.

They were both Death Eaters, they had to follow Voldemort's orders. Either both or one of them had helped the Death Eaters enter.

However, there was no time to form assumptions about what could have happened, it was time to act and defend. Professor McGonagall tasked me to take the younger students to the safety of their common rooms while the rest of them fought the Death Eaters.

I knew the weight and responsibility over my shoulders so instead of staying there at the frontlines, I followed her order and began to round up the terrified young students hiding in the corners. Some of them were injured and some were too traumatized to speak.

I found Colin Creevey helping his brother Dennis who had a bleeding arm. I took them and the others I could find right then to the nearest and safest common room; the Hufflepuffs' abode.

It would be stupid if I decided to drop off each child in his or her own common room. It wasn't safe and there were chances of getting hit by an Unforgivable. So the safest option right then was to hide them underground, where the Death Eaters wouldn't find them.

"You all must stay here until the Professors come and tell you it's safe to leave," I told them, knowing they were confused and had to be guided.

They were all very scared too and deep down, I was also terrified. The whole school was fighting against that evil darkness that enveloped Hogwarts but there were too many of them and each using far more dangerous spells than any of were taught in our Defense class.

We needed help or else we would lose.

Thinking about help, my mind flickered to something I should have thought of earlier.

The Order of the Phoenix. Of course, they would come for help when I called them. I must call them and there was only one way to do so. If I could send my Patronus to them, they would come over to help us.

However, I hadn't considered how hard it would be to cast a Patronus charm after all I had been through in the past year.

No happy thought or memory came to mind and without it, I couldn't cast my Patronus.

"Miss Weasley, a few of our housemates are still outside," a scared Hufflepuff second year called me, shaking me out of my thoughts.

"My sister is out there too."

"They were hiding under the stairs on the first floor. Please save them."

I knew they would panic if I didn't do something. So I spoke up, "Alright. I'll bring them all here. Until then, none of you leave this place, okay?"

They nodded their head in a promise so I stepped out of the common room to bring the other students to safety.

But first, I had to alert the Order as it would take them time to reach us.

I focused on the blurry memories I had and tried to cast the spell.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Only a silvery wisp escaped the tip of my wand.

I focused harder, all the faces that had made me happy in the past flickering before my eyes. Mum, Dad, my siblings, my friends, the Marauders; James, Remus and Sirius...

Taking a deep breath, I tried again, "Expecto Patronum!"

The sound of flapping wings made me open my eyes that I had squeezed shut tightly. The silver Thunderbird Patronus encircled me and I conveyed the message I had to send to the Order.

It flapped its giant wings and flew out the castle with my message.

Seeing that silver light and the Patronus, the students hiding nearby came to me. I told them to go to the Hufflepuff common room while I would find the others.

Dodging the deadly curses and erecting a shield charm, I set out on my quest to find the remaining students.

At that moment, there were no houses separating us. We were all as one right then, fighting to stay alive.

I had just sent another group to the Gryffindor common room that was close by when I spotted two Ravenclaws crouching in fear under the stairs. I had to get them out.

But before I could get to them, I was tackled to the ground and a sharp pain shot up my arm. When I spun around instinctively to see who had attacked me, I saw that I was pinned down by sharp claw-like hands and a strong smell engulfed me.

My hand struggled to reach my wand so that I could fight back. But the face in front of me chilled me to the bone.

I was trapped by none other than Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf who served Voldemort and was responsible for causing Moony's lycanthropy as well.

"What a treat to be able to cut you up tonight," he sneered, his pointed canines making him look even more dangerous than the wolf form I had seen Moony in. "It's always more fun to tear apart the pretty ones."

It wasn't a full moon yet but Greyback's ravenous black eyes, pointed teeth and sharp claws made him look no less than a beast.

A beast with no conscience, ready to tear apart its prey.

I just hope my Patronus reaches the Order and they come for help soon. Or else, I would end up being that monster's dinner.

***