I never meant to fight during that battle in early May of 1998.

That night started out as any other…dinner in the Great Hall was tense as usual, and Professor Snape sat at the high table with the rest of the teachers. His icy, black eyes searched the room. His greasy black hair hung around his pale face, and his lips were pressed together in a thin, straight line. As he looked down at his plate full of food and picked up his fork, I wondered what was going through his head. I didn’t like the man—no one did, besides the Slytherins, of course.

I took my eyes off of Snape, and looked down at my own food. I, too, picked up my fork and began poking at the piece of chicken and rice on my plate. It all looked delicious, but I didn’t feel hungry that night. I was just tired; a long few weeks of studying did that to all of us.

I glanced over at my friend Bailey. She was in Ravenclaw as well as me, and so far our third year wasn’t going well. We couldn’t wait to get away from Snape, and we were upset when Professor Dumbledore passed away. Now, Bailey had her head in her arms and seemed to be crying. A few days ago she had taken a beating from one of the Carrows…something about ‘harassing’ one of them, but I knew that that accusation was a lie. Bailey would never, ever do something like that. She was scared enough as it was.

Suddenly, our plates full of food had disappeared from the table, and Snape stood and said softly, “Off to bed, and don’t even think about making a sound.� I couldn’t help notice the look on Professor McGonagall’s face as Snape said this…she was clearly disgusted with man as much as we all were. The sound of benches against stone filled the Hall as we stood and walked into the Entrance Hall and towards the staircases.

I felt someone tap my right shoulder as I walked. I turned and saw Bailey smiling at me, her face red and small round tears dripping out of her eyes. Her left cheek had a cut on it, and her forehead was slightly bruised. She also had a scab on her lower lip. “Michael,� she whispered.

“Are you okay?� I asked quietly as we began walking.

Bailey nodded solemnly. “It doesn’t hurt as much anymore,� she answered.

When we got to into Ravenclaw common-room, Bailey and I sat on the large blue sofa next to the window overlooking the mountains surrounding Hogwarts. But instead of looking out the window into the night, I decided to look up at our own ceiling. It was painted like the night sky, with glittering gold stars that actually twinkled and glowed. I loved the common-room, and I felt right at home two years ago when I first arrived here and I still did.

Next, my eyes flickered over to the marble statue of Rowena Ravenclaw. Even though it was very nice looking, I didn’t like it much. I used to think that she actually stared at you as you walked past.

“Is there something on your mind?� asked Bailey quietly. I turned to her bruised face, and examined her straight, light brown that went down to her shoulders.

“Nope,� I said, but my voice quivered and that gave something away. “Who are you more afraid of,� I continued, changing the subject. Bailey leaned forward, interested. “The Carrows, or Snape?�

Her eyebrows came together in disgust—she clearly hated them all. “Er…�

“C’mon, it’s quite an easy question.�

To my surprise, Bailey started to laugh. “Easy question? Are you joking? I loathe the lot of ‘em.�

To my left, a first year yawned and stood, and began making for the stairs up to the dormitories.

“I’m sort of tired, Michael. Can I sleep on it?� she asked.

I nodded and replied, “Sure. Good night.�

Bailey leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. “Good night,� she whispered. She stood up and walked over to the stairs to the girls’ dormitory. Before she disappeared around the corner, she stopped and waved in farewell. I waved back, and stood as well.

My head felt strange when I stood, and I yawned loudly. I was alone in the common-room. A few minutes later, I was in my nightclothes and in bed. I brought the warm sheets to my face, and fell fast asleep.

My eyes shot open to the sound of a loud bang. “What’s that noise?� I asked stupidly, and drew back the curtains of the four-poster bed. The rest of the boys in the dormitory were leaving and heading for the common-room. I stood and ran behind them, trying to keep up. Everyone was wondering the same thing—what’s going on?!
We got down to the common-room, and there in the middle of the room was one of the Carrows, Alecto, lying down apparently unconscious. I turned and saw the girls standing beside us, all wearing their nightclothes and looking sleepy, and my eyes immediately found Bailey. She was dressed in a pink nightgown. She saw Alecto, and her face lit up as if it was Christmas morning. She saw me looking at her, and giggled with delight.

A boy in the front of the little crowd tiptoed towards Alecto carefully. He nudged her in the back and quickly darted away, scared that she would wake up, but she didn’t. He smiled, too. **“I think she might be dead!� he yelped joyfully.
As we all walked towards Alecto, I heard a soft whisper from the corner of the common-room. I turned towards it, but no one was there, and the whispering had stopped.

Bailey walked to me and said happily, “Isn’t this fantastic! Alecto Carrow dead…serves her right for giving me this cut on my cheek!�

There was a sudden knock on the common-room door, and we all looked up towards the noise. Nobody moved. The sound of the eagle door-knocker was heard, and then a rough voice followed.

“It’s Amycus! Amycus Carrow!� whispered a girl. Whispering broke out throughout the common-room as Amycus continued to shout. I looked at Bailey, who suddenly wasn’t as happy as she was before. She grabbed my hand, and we both began to back away from Alecto’s body.

The rest of the Ravenclaws followed our lead, and Bailey whispered, “We should get back to bed. If Amycus gets in here, he’ll think that we killed his sister.� Her face was full of pure worry and anxiety, and I nodded in agreement.

The door leading out of the common-room was now shaking; it was obvious that Amycus was trying to break through it. “I’ll see you later,� I promised Bailey, and we both went our separate ways. A few kids followed me, but most of them stuck around the common-room, curious. But not me. I was terrified of the Carrows, and I wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. I crept up the steps and into the dormitory. I sat on my bed as I heard Professor McGonagall’s voice talking to Amycus.

A few other boys in the dormitory sat on their beds too, but we didn’t say a word. We just stared at each other, until a boy whispered, “I wonder who’s done it.�

“Wasn’t me,� said a curly haired boy on the other side of the room. “But whoever’s done it deserves a medal.�

We were quiet for a few minutes more, and then we heard the rest of the Ravenclaws thundering up the stairs. Their faces showed how scared they were. “Amycus got in—McGonagall let him,� said a sandy haired boy with freckles as he jumped into bed. I quickly got under the covers, as did everyone else, and pulled the sheets over my head in fear.

A long few minutes passed by when the racket in the common-room finally stopped. After that, we just laid there and waited. I wondered about Bailey; was she hiding under the covers too, or sitting on her bed, talking to her friends about the events that had just happened? Or was she sound asleep already?

And then, out of nowhere, someone came rushing into our dormitory. I sat up and saw a prefect. “Get up and put on some decent clothing,� he barked quickly. “And when you are ready, meet down in the common-room. Don’t bring anything with you, just hurry up. We’ll be going down to the Great Hall.�

“Why?� asked the curly haired boy.

“Just do it! Flitwick’s orders.� And with that, he strode from the room, leaving us scared yet confused—and in unison, we all stood and started putting on our clothes.

Ten minutes later, I was strolling down the dark corridors of the school next to Bailey and the rest of Ravenclaw house.

The two of us were walking in the midst of a small crowd of Ravenclaws, all walking quickly behind a few prefects that kept shouting, “Follow me! Stay together!�

“Do you have any idea what’s going on?� asked Bailey anxiously, who had completely changed out of her nightclothes and was now in a pair of jeans and a tank-top, and over that she wore her school robes. I was just wearing a jacket and trousers with a t-shirt underneath.

“No idea, but it must be serious. It looks like the whole school is awake,� I answered. It was true; up ahead, I saw a small group of Hufflepuffs jogging along, trying to keep up with the rest of their house. Teachers were running right and left, making sure there were no stragglers in their midst.

And finally, before I even realized it, we were jostled into the Great Hall. Everyone began to run to their own house tables, and Bailey and I did the same. We got a seat near the back of the room, and once I was seated, I propped up my left arm and rested my head on my left hand. My eyes scanned the room to see what was going on as a bunch of Gryffindors crowded around their house table. Soon, the whole school was in the Great Hall, all of them looking tired but curious. I didn’t see a bit of fear in any of them—they were all just wondering why they were woken up in the middle of the night.

Professor McGonagall stood at the podium in front of the high table. She looked stressed and scared, and at that moment I realized that if she was scared, then we should be, too.

I looked at all of the teachers sitting at the high table—not all of them were there. Where was Snape? Shouldn’t the Headmaster be here in this time of trouble? Then, a thought crossed my mind unexpectedly…was he the one causing the trouble?

I noticed a group of people with the remaining teachers. I knew that they were members of the Order, and then I knew for sure that this was a big deal.

Professor McGonagall began to speak, and the room fell silent. Everyone stared up at her, eager for news. “Excuse me; I need your complete attention. This is very urgent news, and you must listen to me very carefully. Lord—You Know Who is on his way to the school.�

The Hall erupted into petrified screams and shouts and cries. Some began to weep, while others just whispered to each other anxiously. My jaw dropped in shock, and Bailey put her hands over her face. I wasn’t just shocked—I was terrified. I didn’t have time to process this thought, however.

“SILENCE NOW!� shouted McGonagall, her voice loud and clear, and at once everyone was quiet, except for a few first years that were still weeping. “YOU WILL NOT PANIC, IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?� Everyone nodded in response.

“It is also understood that the school must be prepared for a fight. As such, your safety is the most important thing. Therefore, **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 an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point.�

Someone at the Hufflepuff table stood and asked whether or not we were allowed to stay and fight. Bailey straightened herself up, paying more attention and waiting eagerly for McGonagall’s reply. **“If you are of age, you may stay,� was Professor McGonagall’s answer.

More questions were asked, but I ignored them all. What did He Who Must Not Be Named want? Didn’t he know that the Potter kid wasn’t here?

And then, a question was asked by the Slytherin table. **“Where’s Professor Snape?�

**“He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk,� replied McGonagall with a sound of disgust in her voice. For the first time, students in the Hall (except for the Slytherins, of course) all began to laugh in triumph; Bailey and I were one of them.

McGonagall quieted us down and began talking about the protections that had been placed around the school, saying that they were unlikely to hold off He Who Must Not Be Named. She continued to tell us to follow the directions of our prefects, when suddenly something happened. Her loud voice was drowned out by another’s. The voice was so loud that I thought that someone was talking directly into both of my ears.

Students, teachers, and ghosts alike all gasped. Some looked for the source of the voice, while others (like me) screamed in terror. The voice was full of hate and it was high and icy cold.

**“I know that you are preparing to fight…� said the voice of the Dark Lord. The whole school seemed to be vibrating with the sound, as if it were coming from the walls itself. Bailey grabbed my arm and held it tight.

**“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. Give me Harry Potter,� said the voice, “and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.�

He Who Must Not Be Named himself was speaking directly to us, demanding us to hand over the Potter kid. What were we to do? He wasn’t here, didn’t he know that? Didn’t he know that Potter had dropped out of his seventh and final year?

And then, a few heads began to turn towards something. More and more turned, and Bailey and I saw a seventeen year old boy with black untidy hair and round glasses. He had some cuts on his face, but the most important cut of all was the lightning shaped one on the boy’s forehead. Harry Potter had returned to Hogwarts, and just in time.

Whispers were spreading throughout the Hall. And then, an older girl at the Slytherin table stood and screeched, **“He’s there!� She pointed at Harry. **“Potter’s there! Someone, grab him!�

And then, the whole Gryffindor table stood and pointed their wands at the girl, and the Hufflepuffs did, too. Everyone around me stood as well, and so did I. The girl looked around meekly, and then sat back down, defeated. **“Thank you, Miss Parkinson,� said Professor McGonagall, addressing the girl from Slytherin. **“You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch; if the rest of your House could follow, please.�

Every single Slytherin in the room stood without hesitation, and followed a few prefects out of the Hall, whispering to each other anxiously. Not one student in their seventh year stayed—Bailey looked at me furiously. “The nerve of them!� she whispered. “Don’t they realize that the school is under attack? All they care about is themselves!�

**“Ravenclaws, follow on!� shouted Professor McGonagall, and I pushed the bench I was sitting on out of the way and stood. I noticed that not everyone was standing; quite a few seventh years were still sitting, wanting to fight and join the battle. I looked to my side, but Bailey was still sitting.

“Bailey!� I said, and she looked up at me. “Stand up! We have to leave!� I tried to pull her arm, but Bailey wouldn’t budge.

“I—I think I should stay,� she blurted out.

“Are you crazy?� She couldn’t stay—she was too young; she would get killed if she stayed. “McGonagall said that only students that are of age can stay. We have to leave!� I pulled her up, and Bailey looked at me angrily. “Come on,� I said. “The rest of the House is leaving.�

She seemed to relax her shoulders a little, but she still had a sense of rebellion in her eyes. “Okay,� she whispered, and we ran to catch up with the rest of our House. Before we stepped out into the Entrance Hall, I took one last look at the Great Hall. The high ceiling above was littered with stars and clouds, and candles floated above the tables. It was a beautiful sight, and I wondered if I would ever see it again.

Then, I looked down at the people still left in the Great Hall. I noticed that the Gryffindors had been dismissed, yet half of them were still sitting there—many of them underage. Professor McGonagall went over to the table yelling at the underage students to leave, and they reluctantly did. Bailey noticed this, too.

As we walked, I looked at Bailey and took her hand—it was warm and sweaty. “It’ll be okay,� I promised her, but she shook her head gravely.

“It isn’t that,� she said. “So many people will get hurt. It isn’t fair.�

“They’re choosing to stay and fight. They don’t have to if they don’t want to,� I told her. But Bailey just shook her head again.

“Did you see those Gryffindors? They are so brave…I’ve always wished that I was in Gryffindor. I’ve always wanted to be brave like them.� She slipped her hand out of my grip. “I’ve got to go,� she whispered, and before I could stop her, she turned around and began to push her way back to the Great Hall.