Disclaimer:
Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 110: Under Attack
Hogwarts, moments before the attack.
Albus Dumbledore was sitting at the professors' table inside the school's main hall.
Around him were some of the other professors who had decided to stay here to help protect Hogwarts, like Professor Flitwick, McGonagall, and Hagrid.
Two members of the Order of the Phoenix were also present: Hestia Jones and Nymphadora Tonks.
"I'm worried, Albus. I have tried three times, and there is no response." McGonagall placed her hands on the table.
"Perhaps I should go take a look," suggested Hestia. "If they are under attack… we need t—"
"The House of Black is very well protected," Dumbledore interrupted her. "And it is not going to be his highest priority. I know him… I know the Dark Lord. After securing his power over the Ministry, his next step will be coming here. He has always wanted Hogwarts, but was too afraid to come here in person."
"But we don't know how long that would take," Tonks said. "There are no signs of any Death Eater in the proximity of the school. I'm more worried about my cousin Sirius and the Weasley family. They won't be able to put up much of a fight if they are assaulted by a large group of those masked bastards."
Dumbledore seemed to consider her words for a moment before turning to Hestia. "What about Harry? Any news on him?"
By this point, they all knew that Harry had finally woken up after spending almost forty hours inside Lady Rose's shop. However, his whereabouts after that were still unknown.
"Nothing yet," McGonagall said.
"Aren't you putting too much attention on Mister Potter?" Professor Sinistra said. "I mean, I know the boy is a talented wizard, but what can he do against that monster? As far as I am concerned, Mr. Dumbledore is the only one who can put up a fight."
The Headmaster shook his head. "You are giving me too much credit, Sinistra… against the Voldemort of the past, yes… I may be able to put up a good fight. But now that he has that magical hat, the level of threat that he possesses has increased significantly. At this point, there is only one individual who could face him and have a good chance at winning."
"Harry Potter has already lost against the Dark Lord before. That is the sole reason he even got the hat." Tonks was not going to forget about that night. Her mentor, Alastor Moody, had to sacrifice his own life so they could escape.
"What makes you think he now has a chance?"
"The power He knows not…" Dumbledore muttered softly.
"The what?" Professor Flitwick was sitting close by but couldn't quite hear it clearly.
Dumbledore sighed. It was too late to inform the rest of them about the prophecy. But there were many things they didn't know. "The case of Harry Potter is not that simple. His magical abilities could be something beyond our imagination, and he has only begun to scratch the surface. The reason for his defeat at the hands of Voldemort had more to do with his own personal issues and mental stability. If he has managed to solve those issues, then… the scope of his magical potential is nearly unlimited."
However, if Harry had not managed to surpass his issues, then there would be no hope for any of them. But Dumbledore preferred not to say this to the others.
The professors looked at each other, still unsure about this. In their view, Harry was just a very talented young wizard. It was obvious that the Headmaster knew something more he wasn't telling.
"In any case," Hestia continued, "I should go take a look at the House of Black. Make sure everything is okay and find the reason for their lack of response. I'm very worried about them…"
Dumbledore nodded. "Very well. Take Tonks with you. And send us a message as soon as—" He suddenly froze mid-sentence.
"Headmaster? What is it?" Sinistra asked.
"Professor, are you okay?" Hagrid looked at him with concern in his eyes.
"Intruders!" McGonagall suddenly stood up. As the vice-headmistress, she was also connected to Hogwarts' wards. She did not have as much authority as the Headmaster, but she would still receive a warning if any hostile forces tried to attack the wards and break inside the castle.
"He is here." Dumbledore rose up. "Voldemort has finally come to take Hogwarts." There was a hint of fury beneath his half-moon spectacles.
"Headmaster!"
"Enemies at the gates!"
"We are under attack!" Three of the four Hogwarts ghosts appeared in the hall, announcing the incoming threat.
"What do we do?" Flitwick asked.
"Is there someone we can call?" Sinistra added.
They knew that calling the Ministry of Magic was pointless. By this point, whatever was left of the Auror Department was under the control of the Dark Lord.
Those who had refused to join him were currently locked in Azkaban or dead.
"There is no one left to call," Tonks said. If they couldn't contact the Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, then this meant that they were completely alone.
"She is right," Dumbledore said in a solemn tone. "No reinforcements are coming to our aid. However… Hogwarts is not so easy to take by force." He glanced at McGonagall. "Activate all our defenses. We are putting the castle on full alert."
McGonagall moved to the middle of the Great Hall, pulled her wand, and held it in the air. "Piertotum Locomotor!"
A loud rumble could be heard coming from other parts of the castle.
"Wake up and defend the castle! Destroy the invaders!" She ordered all the animated golems and suits of armor that had just come to life.
"Fawkes," Dumbledore called for his phoenix, who appeared at his side. "Take me to the highest tower. I need to see with my own eyes what we are dealing with."