Time was running out and every second counted. Severus Snape walked purposefully through the castle, his emotions tempered by his ironclad self-control. He lifted the sleeve of his frock coat and lightly brushed the Dark Mark.

Within seconds, the Carrow siblings emerged from the shadows. Alecto's beady eyes gleamed with malice, while Amycus's brutal features twisted into a smirk.

"Did you call, Headmaster?" - Amycus drawled, dripping false respect.

Snape grimaced but wasted no time in returning the sarcasm.

"Wake up all the students," -he ordered, his voice low and icy. -"Every last one of them. Assemble them in the Great Hall immediately."

Alecto narrowed her eyes.

"All of them? Even the youngest? What's the point..."

"Don't ask me questions," -Snape interrupted, his tone cutting through the air like a blade. -"The Dark Lord is on his way, and I will not allow him to find this school in chaos. Every student must be accounted for. Every eye must be on the alert. Potter is here, and he must be found before our Master reaches the castle."

Amycus snorted, crossing his arms.

"And what makes you think the brats will help us find him? They won't lift a finger..."

"Your opinion is completely irrelevant," -Snape replied as he took an intimidating step towards Amycus and glared at him. - "You will do as you are told or suffer the consequences. Go, now!"

They both ran in opposite directions and Snape headed towards the first floor. Distant shouts, footsteps and doors opening and closing echoed through the halls as the Carrows began their task.

He reached the doors of the Great Hall, which swung open before him, revealing the enormous, candlelit room. With a flick of his wand, the long tables of the house were pushed aside, leaving a large space that was slowly filling with the growing crowd.

He took his place at the front of the hall, hands clasped behind his back, his expression unreadable. The Carrows would soon have the entire school assembled, and then the real work would begin. Every pair of eyes in the castle would be searching for Harry Potter, but Snape seemed to pay no mind to the terrified students entering, his gaze fixed on the enchanted ceiling that reflected the pitch-black night sky and that ominous blood moon.

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

Laurel stared transfixed as Neville Longbottom emerged from the hole behind Ariana's portrait, his familiar features lit up with a warm, relaxed smile. She felt a strange, uncomfortable heat rise to her cheeks as she remembered that awkward Christmas kiss. A pang of indignation and embarrassment lodged in her chest as she watched the boy hug Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Hello, Laurel!" -he greeted her cheerfully with a wave of his hand, as if the past few months had never happened.

Laurel's lips parted slightly, but she didn't respond. Instead, she stared at him, her thoughts swirling with doubt. Was this really the same Neville who had helped her with the potion? That Neville had seemed so focused and serious, but the boy standing before her radiated a youthful naivety that had nothing to do with the Neville who had tried to kiss her.

She had already suspected it. The possibility that Severus had been using Polyjuice Potion to impersonate Neville lingered in her mind.

She had no proof, other than the note in Severus's familiar handwriting, but the oddities she'd noticed had eaten away at her. How else could she explain the strange discrepancies between the Neville she'd worked with and the one standing before her now, smiling as if the past few months had been nothing more than a dream?

Seeing him, so relaxed, so seemingly oblivious to her, unsettled her more than she cared to admit. Her gaze lingered on his face, searching for any telltale sign, any confirmation of her theory, but the boy's candid face revealed nothing.

Laurel's gaze followed the young wizards as they spoke and made their way through the open portrait. She took a tentative step forward, almost out of inertia, but Remus's voice stopped her.

"Fellas, wait, I'll call for reinforcements, Harry, you can't enter the castle without protection. The Order must know you're trying to get into Hogwarts. Aberforth, we'll use the inn as an apparition point for the others, I hope you don't mind..."

"Wow! It's time to face the Death Eaters at last!" -Neville exclaimed excitedly. - "Laurel, are you coming with us? We need all the help we can get."

"Laurel is staying," -Remus replied quickly. - "It'll be dangerous, and I don't want him to find out she's at Hogwarts."

"Ah, but she's been inside the school before." -Neville laughed at Remus. - "She stole Godric's sword from Snape's office. Or at least she tried to."

"You did what?!"

Laurel stiffened at Neville's words and shot him a sharp, admonishing look, but he just continued to grin shamelessly.

"For the record," -she said through gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, -"I didn't try to steal the sword. I succeeded. I just didn't get very far before..." -Her voice faltered and trailed off as she avoided eye contact with the others.

"That's enough," -Harry interrupted sharply. - "I don't have time for this. Let her come. She'll prove where her loyalty truly lies."

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

The Great Hall was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustle of robes and the occasional shuffle of nervous feet. The students stood, separated by houses, most not daring to look up ahead. Severus Snape stood tall, his black robes sweeping the floor as he walked slowly, his dark eyes scanning the crowd like a predator stalking its prey.

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour," -Snape began, his voice calm and silky, but with a dangerous tone that made the students stiffen. - "It's come to my attention that earlier this evening, Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade".

A wave of murmurs spread through the hall, but Snape's gaze sharpened, and the murmurs died instantly.

"Now, should anyone, student or staff," -he paused, his eyes darting to the professors standing against a wall - "attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events who fails to come forward will be treated as equally guilty".

He resumed his slow, deliberate pacing, his shoes clicking softly against the stone floor. The students watched him warily, their breaths held as if even the slightest sound might draw his attention. He stopped abruptly, turning to face the crowd once more.

"Now then," - he said in a near whisper, - "if anyone here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening, I invite you to come forward," -his eyes scanned the room, lingering on certain faces as if challenging them to speak. - "Now."

The silence that followed was stifling. No one moved. No one spoke. The nervousness in the room was palpable. Snape's lips curved into a slight, humourless smile, as if he had expected nothing less.

Then, from the Gryffindor group, a firm, clear voice broke the silence.

"It seems despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, you still have a bit of a security problem, Headmaster."

Every head in the room turned toward the source of the voice. Gasps echoed through the hall as Harry Potter stepped forward, his wand in hand, his green eyes blazing with defiance. The students stared in shock, some whispering his name in disbelief, others shrinking back as if unsure whether he was real or a specter.

Snape's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as they locked onto Harry. For a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath.

"I'm afraid it's quite extensive," -Harry added.

Before Snape could react, the doors to the Great Hall swung open with a loud bang, and several members of the Order of the Phoenix poured in, wands drawn.

It was magnetic, immediate. His eyes flew to her the moment she set foot in the Great Hall, drawn to her presence as if by an invisible force. But Laurel avoided his gaze, her small figure half-hidden behind the other members of the Order, hunched over herself, as if trying to disappear.

"How dare you stand where he stood?! Tell them how it happened that night. Tell them how you look him in the eye, a man that trusted you, and killed him. Tell them!"

His blood ran cold. Snape could feel something in his chest snap as he forced himself to turn his attention back to Harry. Those words shattered his soul, and the constant sense of guilt raged violently. He could feel the virulent hatred, disgust, and repulsion of every gaze in the room upon him, but it was Laurel's sad gaze that haunted him.

He had always known this moment would come, the moment when she would see him as everyone else did, as the murderer, the traitor, the Death Eater who had killed Dumbledore. He wanted to scream, to tell them the whole truth: that he had executed Dumbledore because he had asked him to, because it was the only way to protect Draco, the only way to spare the old wizard a slow, agonizing death. Snape felt his throat burn as he swallowed back the pain of the unspoken words, but he had to stick to the plan, he had to buy time.

He pointed his wand at Harry out of obligation, knowing he had to keep up the facade for longer, to wait for Voldemort to bring his snake Nagini to the castle. The students gasped as Professor McGonagall came to Harry's defence.

With a sweeping motion, McGonagall sent a shimmering cascade of razor-sharp daggers towards Snape, but he merely waved his wand half-heartedly, deflecting the daggers as they scattered into embers before disappearing entirely. But McGonagall did not give up; another sharp flick of her wrist and the embers reignited, swirling together in a firestorm. The flames twisted, shifting and taking shape: bees, hundreds of them, their wings buzzing like a raging tempest as they rushed towards him in a fiery swarm.

"Sev..."

Laurel stifled a shriek, sensing that this must be the end of it, and took an instinctive step forward, only to be stopped by Tonks, but Snape reacted by casting a shield charm so strong that the floor of the Great Hall shook. The fiery bees crashed into the invisible barrier, their tiny bodies bursting into a cloud of ash. The shield glowed briefly before dissipating, leaving Snape standing tall. Laurel felt the air leave her lungs as she saw Snape's eyes fixating on her intensely, but there was no time to scream at him to stop.

Without missing a beat, Snape raised his wand and the enchanted candles lighting the Great Hall went out, plunging the room into darkness. The students cried out in alarm as glowing snakes of light emerged from the shadows. Their huge, luminous bodies slithered towards McGonagall at an alarming speed, attempting to wrap themselves around her legs.

A burst of blue light shot out from the side: Flitwick had joined the fight, his wand raised and his small body brimming with pure energy. A bolt of green light followed: Professor Sprout, her expression fierce, sent a cascade of thorny vines towards Snape.

The snakes vanished. Snape spun on his heel, flicking his wand so fast it was barely visible, stopping each spell effortlessly. But instead of counterattacking his fellow professors, he redirected the force of the counterspell back at the Carrow siblings. A bolt of crimson light struck Amycus squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling to the ground. Alecto barely had time to scream before a second wave of energy hit her, knocking her unconscious.

With one last movement, Snape waved his cloak, and his body seemed to become ethereal, floating in the darkness of the room. The students let out a surprised yelp as they watched him turn into watery shadows and leap through one of the windows.

"Coward!" -McGonagall shouted angrily as she ran towards the shattered window only to see his figure disappear into the darkness of the night.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, an explosion of cheers erupted throughout the Great Hall

"He's gone! Snape's gone!" -someone shouted, their voice echoing over the noise.

"That's it! We're going to take back our school!" -Neville exclaimed, raising his wand in glee.

Laurel didn't join in the celebration. She walked slowly to the window from which Snape had jumped, her brow furrowed. The night wind blew through the opening, blowing her hair and cooling her skin, but she barely noticed. Her eyes scanned the distance, as if she expected to see some sign of him. Snape had fled, yes, but not like a coward. She had seen it in his eyes, in the way he moved, in the precision with which he had deflected each attack without causing any real harm. Laurel knew of the curses he was capable of throwing and could tell that he had never actually intended to attack McGonagall. Laurel felt her pulse quicken as she realized something didn't quite fit.

Had he gone to meet Voldemort?

Before she could think any further, a terrible feeling of panic swept through Hogwarts like a gale. A collective gasp suddenly filled the hall, and then the torches relit with a strange greenish glow.

The castle seemed to shake. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through Harry's scar, forcing him to clutch his forehead.

Then, it happened:

A cold, shrill voice filled the air, echoing through the Great Hall as if it came from everywhere and nowhere at once. It was a voice that sent shivers down every spine, a hissing, evil voice.

"I know that many of you will want to fight"

The students cried out as Lord Voldemort's voice reverberated as if he were standing among them.

"Some of you may even think that to fight is wise," -he continued, mockingly. - "but it is foolish. Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."

Silence swallowed the crowd again. All heads turned, all eyes converged on Harry, and he froze. Then someone shouted from the Slytherin group, and Harry recognized Pansy Parkinson, who raised a shaking hand and shouted:

"He's there! Potter's there! Someone grab him!"

Harry didn't have time to react, because suddenly he found himself surrounded by a whirlwind: the Gryffindor students faced the Slytherins, then the Hufflepuffs, and almost at the same time the Ravenclaws, all protecting Harry, their drawn wands pointed at Pansy.

Professor Slughorn stepped forward, his chubby face pale and his moustache twitching slightly, but he still moved with unexpected speed, facing his Slytherin students:

"Miss Parkinson," -Slughorn said in the firmest voice he could muster, - "this is neither the time nor the place for such outbursts."

Pansy hesitated. Her mouth opened as if to argue, but under the strict gaze of her Head of House she decided to remain silent. The other Slytherins shifted uncomfortably, but no one else spoke.

McGonagall seized the moment.

"Thank you, Horace," -she said briskly before turning to the rest of the room. - "We have no time to waste. If Voldemort thinks he can just walk in here and demand a sacrifice, he is sorely mistaken. The time has come for Slytherin House to decide who they want to be loyal to. Whoever is of age and wants to stay to defend Hogwarts can do so, the rest will be evacuated."

A murmur ran through the Slytherin group. Some exchanged uncertain glances before a handful of students stepped forward, standing beside Slughorn.

"Very well," -McGonagall said. - "Mr. Filch, organize the evacuation. Filius, Pomona, reinforce the entrances. We must block all possible entrances and exits from the castle."

Flitwick nodded determinedly, while Sprout's expression hardened

"I'll take the greenhouses and reinforce the underground tunnels."

"I'll start placing the protective spells."

"Excellent. Remus, Arthur..." -McGonagall turned to the newly arrived Order members, - "gather those willing to fight. We need a defense along every corridor, every courtyard."

Tonks stepped forward, determination shining in her eyes.

"What if He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tries to break in himself?"

McGonagall's lips tightened, turning her gaze back to Harry.

"I just need time to search the castle, Professor. I must find what Dumbledore asked me to find."

"Very well, Potter. We will delay Voldemort and his army as much as we can."

Harry nodded and ran out of the Great Hall with Ron and Hermione following. Laurel walked over to the other Order members when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder.

"Laurel, you should go back to the Hog's Head."

Laurel turned to see Tonks standing beside her, her heart-shaped face drawn with worry. The woman's hair was a dull shade of brown, as if the stress of the moment had drained her of her usual vitality.

"Excuse me?" -Laurel frowned.

"Look, I saw how Snape's escape affected you," -she said uncomfortably. -"Besides, you have no magic, and this is going to be dangerous. You'll be safer at the inn..."

"And you think you should be here?" -Laurel snapped, cutting her off. She took a step closer, lowering her voice so the others wouldn't hear. - "You have a baby, Tonks. Teddy needs his mother. What are you doing here, charging into battle?"

Tonks flinched, but her jaw clenched stubbornly.

"Because I am an Auror, and it is my duty to fight the Death Eaters. This is my fight."

"And it is not mine? I have been here suffering this war as much as you have! I have lost people too, and I..." -she hesitated, looking away for a brief moment before finishing, - "... can't just run and hide."

Before Tonks could respond, Professor McGonagall stepped between them.

"Enough," -she said firmly, her piercing gaze shifting from one woman to the next. -"Each of you has a reason for being here tonight. Laurel, I know you feel guilty about Severus' actions, and you want to prove your loyalty to the cause."

Laurel blinked in surprise.

McGonagall turned to Tonks, her expression softer now.

"And you, Nymphadora, are here because you cannot stand by while others fight for your son's future. That is a mother's love, and it is as strong as any spell. You are both here to protect Hogwarts and Harry."

Tonks gulped and nodded, -"Be careful, Laurel."

She glanced at the Akardos before turning and running towards Lupin, who was talking to a group of students. Laurel exhaled slowly, suddenly feeling out of place.

"It's true, what can I do here?" -she muttered bitterly to herself. -"I have no wand, no spells to cast. I'll just get in the way."

"You doubt yourself, Laurel."

The younger woman crossed her arms.

"Tonks is right, I have no magic. I'm just... here."

McGonagall didn't respond immediately. Instead, she raised her wand and spoke in an authoritative voice:

"Piertotum Locomotor!"

A tremor ran through the castle. An ancient, deep magic awoke, surging through the very stone.

Around them, the statues lining the halls began to move. Suits of armor creaked as they straightened, drawing their weapons. Stone sentries turned their heads, their glowing eyes coming to life. A large, burly knight near the entrance raised his massive sword, advancing with thunderous strides.

Laurel watched, stunned, as Hogwarts itself prepared for war.

McGonagall lowered her wand and, without hesitation, walked over to one of the now-animated suits of armor. She pulled a heavy axe from its belt, its steel edge glinting in the flickering torchlight.

Then, she turned and handed it to Laurel.

"You say you have no magic?" -McGonagall said firmly. - "You have a reason to fight, and that's enough."

Laurel stared at the weapon in shock, its weight settling in her hands. The polished handle felt cold beneath her fingers.

Maybe she didn't have a wand.

But that didn't mean she was helpless.