The enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall was dark and scattered with stars, and below it, the four long House tables were lined with disheveled students, some in traveling cloaks, others in dressing gowns. Here and there shone the pearly white figures of the school ghosts. Every eye, living and dead was fixed upon Professor McGonagall, who was speaking from the raised platform at the top of the Hall. Behind her stood the remaining teaches, including the palomino centaur, Firenze, and the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had arrived to fight.

"...evacuation will be overseen by Mr. Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organize your House and take your charges in orderly fashion to the evacuation point."

Many of the students looked petrified. However, Ernie Macmillan stood up at the Hufflepuff table and shouted; "And what if we want to stay and fight?"

There was a smattering of applause.

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

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

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

"Where's Professor Snape?" shouted a girl from the Slytherin table.

"He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk," replied Professor McGonagall and a great cheer erupted from the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws.

"We have already placed protection around the castle," Professor McGonagall was saying, "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 as a different voice echoed throughout the Hall. It was high, cold, and clear. There was no telling from where it came. It seemed to issue from the walls themselves. Like the monster it had once commanded, it might have lain dormant there for centuries.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "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."

There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and they shall not be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded."

"You have until midnight."

The silence swallowed them all again. Every head turned, every eye in the place seemed to have found Harry, to hold him forever in the glare of thousands of invisible beams. Then a figure rose from the Slytherin table and he recognized Pansy Parkinson as she raised a shaking arm and screamed, "But he's there! Potter's there. Someone grab him!"

Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. The Gryffindors in front of him had risen and stood facing, not Harry, but the Slytherins. Then the Hufflepuffs stood, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Harry, all of them looking toward Pansy instead, and Harry, awestruck and overwhelmed, saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from undersleeves.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said Professor McGonagall in a clipped voice. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow... Unless..." She paused for a moment. "... Those of age would like to stay a fight for Hogwarts."

There was silence throughout the hall as all eyes had turned into the Slytherin table. Nobody moved.

McGonagall opened her mouth once more but was cut off by a figure rising upwards from the Slytherin table. Tori's eyes widened to see it was Dove.

Dove got out of her seat slowly, walking to the other side of the hall. "I will stay and fight for Hogwarts." She told McGonagall firmly. McGonagall nodded once as Dove turned back to her table.

A few others had risen from their spots and proceeded to join Dove on the other side of the hall. Tori could see McGonagall was trying not to smile.

"Very well then, the rest of you. Follow Mr. Filch." Tori heard the grinding of the benches and then the sound of the Slytherins trooping out on the other side of the Hall.

"Ravenclaws, follow on!" cried Professor McGonagall.

Slowly the four tables emptied. Tori stood next to the Gryffindor table as Dove approached her slowly. The seventeen-year-old was clearly fighting with herself whenever to say something. She decided she should.

"Victoria... I'm sorry."

"For?" Tori asked, crossing her arms and a smile playing at her lips. Dove noticed, and shrugged.

"For being a major arse."

"And?"

"...and treating you how I shouldn't have. I was stupid, and angry at you for leaving, and angry at Mother and Father for the things they would say about you... but it doesn't matter. I'm sorry, I really am."

"Well, that's one way to say it." Tori nodded, grinning. She could see Fred and George watching her out of the corner of her eye.

"I can't imagine I'm forgiven," Dove said as she glanced along with the Gryffindor table.

"You're not," Tori replied, noticing Dove's figure shrink a bit. "Not yet. But... it's something we'll figure out once this is all over."

Dove smiled, suddenly wrapping her arms tightly around her sister. Tori wasn't expecting it, but she patted Dove on the back before leaning into the hug.

A number of older Ravenclaws remained seated while their fellows filed out; even more, Hufflepuffs stayed behind, the few Slytherins and half of Gryffindor remained in their seats, necessitating Professor McGonagall's descent from the teachers' platform to chivvy the underage on their way.

"Absolutely not, Creevey, go! And you, Peakes!"

Kingsley had stepped forward on the raised platform to address those who had remained behind.

"We've only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast. A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts and the Order of the Phoenix. Professors Flitwick, Sprout, and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest towers— Ravenclaw, Astronomy, and Gryffindor— where they'll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells. Meanwhile Remus"— he indicated Lupin— "Arthur"— he pointed toward Arthur, sitting at the Gryffindor table— and I will take groups into the grounds. We'll need somebody to organize a defense of the entrances or the passageways into the school—"

"Sounds like a job for us," called Fred, indicating himself Tori, and George, and Kingsley nodded his approval.

"All right, leaders up here and we'll divide up the troops!"

"Victoria..." Dove began, but Tori grabbed her arm. "You're staying with me, alright?"

Dove nodded and followed after her sister. Several other students wanting to help out followed the twins through the school where Fred began directing them into positions.

"You three, take the one eye witch passageway, here's what you're going to do..."

They gave out instructions before rushing off towards each location. The halls were filled with students, young and old, trying to get through to places or collect whatever they needed to survive. Tori grabbed a hold of Fred's hand as they slipped through the large crowds.

They had reached their destination moments after and immediately began to get people into places. No one seemed to disagree with anything they said, mainly because they knew out of all the people, the trio knew these passageways the best.

Tori drew out her wand, pointing it at the state in front of the passageway and murmuring to herself before joining the twins near one of the balconies overlooking the grounds of the school.

Tori could hear the whispers of the students behind them as they all stared upwards at the sky. A large white shield had been carded over Hogwarts for extra protection. But Tori already knew that wouldn't be enough.

"You okay, Freddie?" George asked, glancing at his twin as the three of them looked to the sky. Fred nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "Yeah."

"What about you Tori?"

"I'm okay."

"Me too." George grinned, bumping Fred with his elbow.

"Hey, George, down this way," Lee called, from inside the castle. "We need to double-check that angle will work."

George swiftly nodded, running back down the corridor.

"You nervous?" Fred asked Tori, who raised an eyebrow at him. "Me? Nervous?" She joked, causing both of them to laugh before Tori shook her head.

"Honestly? I'm terrified." She admitted, clutching her wand. She stared back up at the sky, the large shield illuminating their faces.

"Are you with me?" Fred asked, holding his hand out to her. Tori glanced at it with a smile.

"Always." And she grabbed his hand.

Together they filled a corner with the students left standing next to a large passageway with their wands drawn.

"I'll head down to the one-eyed witch passageway to make sure everything's good there," George told Fred and Tori, who nodded.

"Be careful." Fred reminded his brother, giving him a sideways hug. Tori wrapped her arms around him, patting him on the back.

"Careful is my middle name."

"Pretty sure it's Fabian." and the three of them laughed.

Once George had left, the castle began to shake. Tori grabbed Fred and Dove, pulling them downwards. "We stun them as soon as they come out," Tori shouted to them and the others crouched down waiting.

Everyone nodded. Harry had just hurtled around a corner, glancing at them all.

"Nice night for it!" Fred shouted as the castle quaked again, and Harry sprinted by. Almost as soon as Harry had ran by, loud voices began to ring throughout the passageway.

Fred gestured for everyone to be quiet as the castle ground shook once more. The group stayed crouching down, all silently listening to the voices inside the tunnel.

When the passageway opened, nearly hundreds of spells and jinxes of all sorts were cast. Whoever was inside, clearly wasn't expecting it because they had no time to cast a shielding charm.

The castle immediately went to chaos from there. Death Eaters appeared left and right, casting curses and bringing down chunks of the walls.

It was no doubt an immediate battleground. Tori's heart was pounding as she stood with her sister. They both stunned a Death Eater, sending them through a window.

Tori turned to Dove in surprise. "That was a wicked stun."

Dove shrugged, hiding a proud smile. "I've always been good was Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Stupefy! Ha! Take that!" Fred's voice echoed through the hall.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Tori chuckled, cursing a Death Eater behind her. "Are you kidding?" Fred shouted, "I've never felt more alive! I see why you wanted to become an Auror!"

Tori's laugh was quickly cut off when she flew backward from a stun.

"Incendio!" Dove cast a large fire towards Tori's attacker while she was helped up by Fred.

Tori and Fred huddled behind a fallen pillar, catching their breaths when Percy came running towards them.

"I've just spoken to Professor McGonagall!" Percy yelled over the sounds of crashes, ducking down next to them. "There's a group of fifth years trapped in a corridor on the seventh floor!"

"Dove!" Tori shouted, turning to see her sister and Hannah Abbot crouched down next to them. "You and Hannah go and get those fifth years out of there!"

"I'm not leaving you!" Dove shouted back, covering her face as dust from broken walls flew towards them.

"You have too! I'll be okay, but they won't if you don't get there in time."

"Take a left and there's a small stairwell that can take you that way, go straight ahead and you'll find several others. It's the fastest way to go." Fred told both of the girls, who nodded.

Dove shouted something to Tori, but it was drowned out by the sound of jinx's hitting the windows. The glass shattered and Tori stood up, casting a large umbrella-like charm to shield themselves.

She jumped back into battle, using anything she could find upon the floor to shoot at the Death Eaters. Tori bumped backward into someone, turning to see it was Fred. The two grinned at each other, working almost perfectly in sync as they battle Death Eaters.

Every duck they made together, making sure the other was well and okay. "Down!" Tori screamed, blocking a yellow light away from Fred. She paused, taking control of whatever jinx it was, and pushing it back to its original owner. "Godric, I love you." Fred grinned. Q
When Percy appeared next to them, they all three proceeded to duel widely.

Jets of light flew in every direction and the man dueling Percy backed off, fast: Then his hood slipped and they saw a high forehead and streaked hair.

"Hello, Minister!" bellowed Percy, sending a neat jinx straight at Thicknesse, who dropped his wand and clawed at the front of his robes, apparently in awful discomfort. "Did I mention I'm resigning?"

"You're joking, Perce!" shouted Fred as the Death Eater he was battling collapsed under the weight of three separate Stunning Spells. Thicknesse had fallen to the ground with tiny spikes erupting all over him; he seemed to be turning into some form of sea urchin. Fred and Tori looked at Percy with glee.

"I've don't think I've ever heard you joke... let alone crack a smile." Tori teased, casting a jelly leg jinx upon her Death Eater.

"You actually are joking, Perce... I don't think I've heard you joke since you were—"

BAM.

The air exploded.

Tori felt herself flying through the air but she never seemed to fall. She could hear the distant sounds of screams and yells from above her, but could not make out who they were for or what they were saying.

She floated there, feeling practically nothing. The only thing she could make out was the squeezing of her hand.