Chapter 25 “ Preparation
Mrs. Weasley re-entered the room, slightly out of breath. She placed her hand on her chest, trying to bring her heart rate back to normal.
“Nearly all the members have come and gone with your instructions,” she panted.
“Nearly? Who hasn’t come yet?” Harry asked nervously. He was pacing the floor now, never taking his eyes off Ginny. Hermione and Ron stood beside the couch where Ginny lay. Hermione rested her head on Ron’s shoulder, waiting anxiously for a reply.
“Well…” She lifted her eyes to the ceiling in silent calculation. “Rita hasn’t shown up yet, neither has Josephine, nor Minerva.”
“I wonder what’s taking McGonagall,” Harry murmured more to himself. “I sent Dumbledore for her personally.”
“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Ron consoled automatically.
“Let’s hope,” Harry muttered. He was very torn about leaving Ginny in the state she was in to go fight Voldemort, Snape, Malfoy, and the rest. Voldemort was sure to bring his followers along. He knelt down beside her again and petted her hair lightly.
The room fell dead silent as everyone pondered over the situation. The sun, barely visible through a tiny window in the far left corner, was setting smoothly behind a curtain of clouds. The sky was tinted purple and orange as the moon slowly became more and more visible to the neighbours outside. In the cold, dark room, the air felt ominous and tense. Harry refused to tear his eyes away from Ginny. She looked so peaceful now. He could hear her steady breath, in and out, like the ticking of a clock. He blinked back a lonesome tear.
“She’ll be fine, Harry, don’t worry about her,” Hermione stated firmly.
“Yeah,” he muttered. Just a short while ago he had been so convinced this was true. “I suppose I should go then…”
“No!” Ron and Hermione shouted simultaneously.
“We’ve been though this. It’s too dangerous,” Hermione pleaded.
“What do you mean, dangerous? I’m the only one who has a shot at killing him, and I still need to find one more Horcrux before it can be done! There is no point in standing here waiting for it to fall into my hands.”
“What good will searching for it do?” Mrs. Weasley finally jumped in. “Dumbledore couldn’t find it, Harry, and I don’t want you to get your hopes up over something so ridiculously impossible! Isn’t there some other way you can… he can be killed?”
“No,” Harry shook his head sullenly, “not until the final Horcrux is gone.”
Harry’s attention was suddenly caught on Phineas’ deteriorating frame as Dumbledore appeared anxiously behind Harry’s two best friends. Harry lost his breath at the look of panic on Dumbledore’s face, but Ron and Hermione, who had not noticed him, jumped as he spoke.
“Voldemort is at Hogwarts!” Dumbledore seemed prepared for immediate reaction, but faced only confused expressions.
“Why?” Ron asked simply.
Dumbledore shook his head, displaying the same emotion. “I don’t know, but he’s there “ guarding it, it would appear.”
“But it was evacuated already!” Hermione reasoned. “There should be no one there!”
“Minerva,” Dumbledore closed his eyes slowly, as though too tired to continue.
“What about her?” Harry snapped.
“She didn’t leave.”
~*~
Barely five minutes later, Harry was barking panicked orders once again. The house was in disarray as people ran up and down the stairs in a hurry to gather up what they needed. Dumbledore had explained that McGonagall had no other home to go to when the school closed. She was loyal to the castle and took her responsibilities as Headmistress seriously. Harry listened intently to what his mentor had to say, and he evaluated what to do. He needed her out of there immediately. He didn’t understand Voldemort’s reasons for being there, but he knew McGonagall, as talented as she was, could not defend herself against the Death Eaters. Voldemort was after something far more serious than petty murders.
“Harry,” Dumbledore said as Harry started to rise, “listen to me. Don’t be an unnecessary hero. If you are injured, it is all right to sit it out for a bit. You are incredibly important to us.”
“I know. I’m the only one who can finish this.”
“No, Harry, that’s not why.” Dumbledore motioned for Harry to stay for just a moment longer. “If you and Voldemort were to both die, we would forever feel that we lost the war. Nothing is more important than a pure human life, Harry, remember that. If one person can be saved, it is worth pain, but you must be careful to avoid throwing your life around like a word on the tongue. You only get one chance at life; we all do. Don’t let it be wasted.”
Harry could only nod. He mulled it all over in his head as he descended heavily down the stairs to the kitchen. The person who meant the most to him was lying unconscious in an upstairs room. His family was assembling for war. And he couldn’t help feeling that it was not worth the pain. Voldemort had no right to destroy his life like this “ the lives of so many. Who gave him the power? Who gave him the authority? He just stole it. Cowardly, cruelly. He had no right to steal someone’s life. Not my parents’, not my friends’, not mine.
~*~
“But why is he there?” Ron exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the table around which a few members were hurriedly packing up a few things. “Why on Earth Hogwarts? It makes no sense!”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” Harry ran a hand through his hair and stood up suddenly, blood rushing to his head. “Let’s go.”
“What “ right now?” Ron blurted, rising to meet Harry’s eyes.
One by one, the rest of the people in the room “ Mr. Weasley, Moody, Fred, Bill, Tonks, Charlie, George, Hermione, and three Ministry wizards “ rose with looks of determination on their faces “ like soldiers prepared for battle.
“Come on,” Moody ushered, waving his hands in the direction of the door.
Harry swelled up as each one passed. They were loyal, no doubt about that. When finally Charlie had excited the room, Harry remembered that he was in charge of giving the orders, and he scrambled to catch up with his troops.