A/N I am ready and willing to flogged for my delay. All I can do is offer my sincerest apologies for the time this has taken to get up. I hope that you will find the chapter worth the wait and enjoy it!
All is JKR's except for the little that is mine.
Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione hovered in the air, staring out at the Dark Mark. It seem like nobody was yet aware of its presence.
"What building is it over?" asked Hermione anxiously.
"I'm not sure," Harry replied. "I have to go check it out!"
"No!" Ginny said, grabbing his arm. "Find Dumbledore. He can alert the Order."
"I need to help!" Harry insisted, pulling away.
"Listen," Ron said. "You can't be much help on your own. We have to tell Dumbledore."
"Harry," added Hermione, "we're running out of time!"
"Fine," Harry said distractedly. "We'll get Dumbledore first. Quick!"
They rushed to the ground, depositing their broomsticks at the door, then continued on their way.
"Droo-Droobles Gum!" Harry panted when they arrived, breathless, at the gargoyle guarding the door. He sprang aside and the students ran up the rotating staircase, ending at the doorway. Harry rapped on it continuously.
"Professor!" he called out. "Professor Dumbledore!"
The door opened to reveal Dumbledore, standing with McGonagall.
"Harry! What is it? What's happened?"
"It's the Dark Mark, sir! Over Hogsmeade!"
McGonagall's hand flew to her heart. "Are you sure, Mr. Potter?"
"We're positive, Professor!" said Hermione as Ron and Ginny nodded.
"We don't know what it's over, but it's definitely there!"
Dumbledore and McGonagall looked grave. "As we discussed Minerva," he said, quietly.
"Of course, Albus." McGonagall hurried from the room, glancing at the students as she left. The look on her face was one of sheer terror.
"Fawkes!" called Dumbledore, and the brilliant red bird disappeared with a flash.
"Now, children," the Headmaster said, "Please stay in the school. Be wary and call the DA to attention on this matter."
"You would have us all fight?" Hermione gasped. "But sir, that's-"
"No, Miss Granger, as I've said before I do not wish you to fight, however if the danger comes to the school, it is better to be ready than caught off guard. I repeat," he said looking at Harry. "Stay in the school." He began to exit, but Ginny called out.
"Which teacher will be left to protect the school?"
"Professor Snape!" Dumbledore said, then headed down the staircase.
"What!" If Dumbledore heard Harry's outburst, he didn't acknowledge it.
"What is he thinking?" Harry said, running to the window. The students outside had noticed the Mark at last. Snape was rounding them up, ushering them back towards the school. At one point, he grabbed his left arm compulsively.
"How can he possible leave Snape alone here with us?"
"Think, Harry!" Hermione said. "Snape's a spy for our side! It would be a dead giveaway if he were to march down there beside Dumbledore and begin fighting Voldemort's followers. Anyway, I'm not sure that Dumbledore trusts him entirely. He wouldn't knowingly give him the chance to show his true colors in a situation like this!"
"Harry," said Ron. "You have to alert the DA."
Ginny pulled him away from the window. "Come on. You've done all that you can do here. Let's go."
Harry allowed himself to be lead out of the office. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a golden coin and tapped it with his wand.
"We need to get to the Room of Requirement."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
By the time the four arrived, the DA had also gathered. Cho ran up to Harry, followed by Kyla.
"We saw it!" Cho exclaimed. "The Dark Mark!"
"What's going on?" added Kyla.
"Listen everyone!" called Harry. "We haven't much time. As you know, the Dark Mark has been set over Hogsmeade. That means that the Death Eaters have attacked and someone has been killed."
A couple of the DA memebers clamped their hands over their mouths, horrified.
"Who?" Luna asked, her eyes wide.
"We don't know," Ginny replied. "But all the teachers have gone to help."
"Except for Snape," added Hermione.
"I think it's now," Harry interrupted. "This is the moment we've been training and preparing for."
"What do we do?" asked Michael Corner from the back.
"We keep a look out," Harry said. "We station ourselves around the school and make sure that nobody is where they shouldn't be. If something is out of place, we can alert the others. Hermione has updated my coin. I can change it now, without my wand and yours will register my exact position."
"How do we alert each other?" Neville asked. "The coins?"
"They only work on way," Ginny explained. "Only through Harry's coin."
"Dobby," Hermione whispered.
"What?" Ron asked.
"The house-elves! We can summon them back and forth and send messages!"
"Doesn't that represent something that you're strongly opposed to, Hermione?"
"Honestly Ronald, this is a war!"
"Great idea, Hermione," interrupted Harry. "Alright everyone, split into pairs and scatter about the school. Send reports every five minutes by house-elf on what's happened, and sooner if anything is out of place."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
An hour has passed in which the watchers found nothing. Harry was starting to worry about the teachers and Order members in Hogsmeade. He checked the grounds on the Marauder's Map frequently, hoping to see them returning. All the students were in their common rooms with the exception of the DA.
Miraculously, Snape had not discovered the members of the DA. Cho and Kyla had been tailing him, sending advanced warnings to anyone in his path.
"Harry," GInny said quietly from beside him. "What do you think is happening down there?"
"I don't know," he replied, glancing at the Marauder's Map again. "It's taking too long, whatever it is."
There was another long silence which Ginny again broke.
"Harry," she said uncertainly. "I'm. . .I'm scared."
He looked over at her. Ginny sat against the statue of the one-eyed witch, her knees clutched to her chest and her eyes big and full of tears.
"It's alright," he said, pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her. "I'll keep you safe."
"And who will keep you safe?" she asked. "I'm not afraid for me. It's you. I don't know what I would do without you."
"I'll be fine," Harry said, hugging her closely.
With a sudden crack, a stout young house-elf appeared.
"What is it Bobbin?" Harry asked as Ginny swiftly wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Please sir," squeaked Bobbin, bowing low. "Master Neville and Miss Luna wand you to join them in the dungeons. They've found something, or rather someone."
Harry pulled Ginny up from the floor and they hurried away from their post.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"What is it Neville?" Harry asked as he and Ginny came skidding to a halt.
"We found him sneaking around the hallways," Neville explained, leading them down the corridor. "Luna got him with the Full Body Bind."
"Who?" Ginny asked as they turned the corner.
"Malfoy," Harry said, poisonously, looking at the figure lying still upon the ground, Luna standing over him.
"What was he doing?" Ginny asked.
Neville shrugged. "You'd have to ask him."
Harry nodded. "Let him loose," he said to Luna.
"What?"
"It'll be okay," Harry assured her.
"Whatever you say." Luna pointed her wand, muttered the countercurse and Malfoy sprang to life once more.
"Incarcerous," Harry said, and ropes twisted around Malfoy's body.
"Wait until-" Harry cut him.
"Your father hears about this, we know. Honestly, Malfoy, can't you think of a better line? Or, do you honestly need your father to fight your battles for you?"
Malfoy smirked. "At least I don't use MudBloods, Blood Traitors, Squibs and Idiots!" he snarled, indicating Ginny, Neville, and Luna.
"I believe it was the "Squib and Idiot" who caught you," Neville said loftily as Ginny bristled.
"That's right, Malfoy. You don't see us lying on the ground, all tied up, do you." Luna sounded jubilant.
"And you a pureblood," finished Ginny, scathingly.
"You can't stop Him," Malfoy said. "The Dark Lord is more powerful than any of you. He'll destroy Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, and even the famous Harry Potter."
Harry leaned down so that his face was inches from Malfoy's.
"Maybe so," he said intensely. "But you're not going to be there to see it and you'll never share his glory."
He stood up again. "Did you get his wand?"
Neville nodded and held it out. Harry accepted the thin piece of wood, turning it slowly in his hand before pointing it between Malfoy's eyes.
"Pity," he said. "I'm sure you could have been great."
"What are you going to do with me?" There was an edge of fear in Malfoy's voice. His gaze didn't leave the tip of his wand, pointed at him.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to do something that a foul git like you could never understand."
Malfoy's eyes grew wide.
"It would be just to hurt you, to give you pain, and to make you suffer for all that you've done. It might even be fun." Harry sighed and pulled the wand back.
"But it wouldn't be right. No, Malfoy, I'm going to show you compassion."
Harry took the wand and snapped it into two pieces, then ignoring Malfoy's protests, he passed the bits to Luna.
"Dispose of this," he said. "Put him back in the body bind, then resume your post. We'll let Dumbledore deal with him later."
Luna nodded and Harry and Ginny walked away.
"I'm proud of you," Ginny said as they ascended the stair case leading from the dungeons.
"I've got bigger issues to deal with now than that loathsome creature," he responded angrily.
Before Ginny could answer, they ran into Ron and Hermione.
"Anything new?" asked Ron.
"We caught Malfoy ferreting around but it's been dealt with," Ginny replied.
"Have you been watching the map?" questioned Hermione.
Harry clapped his hand to his forehead. "I left it at our post!" Raising his wand, he cried out, "Accio map!"
A moment later, it flew into his hand.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," he said, tapping the map. Lines started to sprawl over the parchment and tiny dots representing people appeared.
"The Creeveys are still in the North Tower," Ron said pointing. "Cho and Kyla are tailing Snape near Dumbledore's office."
Ginny's eye caught movement in the lower right corner of the map. She gripped Harry's arm.
"Thatr passage," she said urgently. "Where does it lead to? It just goes right off the edge!"
"Hogsmeade," Harry replied. "Through the cellar of Honeydukes. . ." He trailed off, looking at closer at the cluster of dots. At its head was. . .
"Pettigrew," he said angrily. "That little rat showed them the entrance!"
"Hogsmeade wasn't the target!" Hermione said, her eyes wide. "It was just a lure to get the teachers out of the school!
"This is it!" Harry said. "It's time to show them what Dumbledore's Army is made of!" He called out and three house-elves appeared. "Get the rest of the DA and tell them the time has come!" The three elves bowed and disappeared. Harry looked back at his friends, a fighting fire shining in his eyes.
"Harry," Ron said uncertainly. "Harry, we're. . ." he gulped and then clenched his fists. "We're here with you."
"Until the end," Hermione added.
Ginny said nothing but she gripped his hand tightly.
Harry swallowed back his emotion, nodding to them.
"Come on," he said. "At most, we have ten minutes to organize this."
I must say, I rather enjoyed what I did to Malfoy.
Again, my apologies to you. I promise you that I will complete this story. I will not abandon it. And now, the spoiler that I must give.
"Dumbledore trusted you!" shrieked Ginny.
"Dumbledore likes to put his faith in hopeless causes. He thinks he can save everyone."
; )