Dumbledore’s eyes grew wide, as he stood at the still empty lawn. “Start fighting. Hex the area outside of the door! Now!” he shouted, and there was a was a disarray of curses flying out of the door. Most being blocked by an invisible shield.
Then there was this cold and sudden voice. Hermione shivered as soon as she heard it, and Ron gave a small squeak.
“Dumbledore, your attempts are idle. Not even full grown adults can defeat me, what makes you think that little school children can?” the cold voice asked loudly, echoing in the hall - the source still unknown.
“You have always underestimated the power of those determined to protect what they love, Tom. Last time it cost you fifteen years of powerless suffering," Dumbledore replied.* Ron could only imagine the face that Voldemort gave Dumbledore at that come back. If not for the events that were occurring, he would have laughed at the comment.
Hermione looked over to where Dumbledore was staring. It seemed there was an invisible person standing in front of the staff line, and down a little ways from her. It frightened her to know that Voldemort stood so close. She was watching Dumbledore closely and what happened next scared all of the students to the point that it started the real war of Hogwarts.
Dumbledore was squinting as if he could no longer could see where Voldemort was. Hermione gasped, and then there was this cold ringing around the hall, “Avada Kedavra." There were shrieks ringing through the hall, as Dumbledore slumped over and fell to the ground following the flash of green. There was cawing of Fawkes as it tried to cry on Dumbledore in no avail. Suddenly, all of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort himself appeared. Hundreds upon hundreds of evil witches and wizards cloaked unveiled themselves. The Entrance Hall was silent, no one talked, no one hexed, and no one cursed the Death Eaters, they were pure shocked at it all.
Lord Voldemort spoke up, turning towards the Slytherin corner, and then to Severus Snape, “If you remove your students, Severus, and they help us in this fight, then I am sure I can pardon them from the awful death that awaits them.”
Professor Snape went really white, as he replied, “You should have never threatened Hogwarts, Voldemort.” He started the curses back up, this time shouting Crucio, one of the three unforgivable curses.
Lord Voldemort’s face went blank as he fought back by killing any nearby students, and as many house elves as possible.
The Death Eaters piled in front of him protecting him from any major harm. Hermione was now right there, part of the staff that was continuing to fall. Professor McGonagall with tears streaming down her face was shouting the unforgivable curses too. Hermione started to stun people but she knew that wouldn’t last long.
Ron was pale and shaking nearly as bad as Neville had before Dumbledore died. He was trying as hard as he could to disarm people. Hermione looked back at them and had a small idea. She was stunning people running up to them, and stealing there wands, as much risk as it was to get as close to the Death Eaters as she was. They were now a mingled mess, the Death Eaters spread all over the Entrance Hall, leaving a path of dead people. Draco Malfoy had pulled his hood up over his head, and joined the Death Eater side, along with his friends Goyle and Crabbe. Ron disarmed them immediately. They were thrown back against a group of Slytherin girls who were trying to enlarge the teeth of one Death Eater that was near by.
One by one, the students and the Death Eaters fell. Tears were streaming down the face of Hermione as she struggled to throw a punch at one Death Eater, having her wand fallen to the ground. Ron picked it up for her and disarmed the guy she was trying to fight off, and handed her wand back.
The cold voice rose again from all of the shouts. “Where is Harry?” the voice bellowed.
The silence of the common room was broken by the faint screams that could be heard far below them. However, they knew nothing about what was happening, or what Voldemort was doing. Harry’s patience was wearing out; he wanted to help fight, he wanted to know what was happening. This was worse than before he went to go stay with the Order of the Phoenix before his fifth year. He wanted to be able to do something. Lavender kept the line flowing, and by the end of the girls line, every second year girl was crying. She stood in the middle of the stair way frustrated at her ill attempts to sooth them. “Enough! You will not be killed! You will be perfectly fine up here. What are the chances of them being let in through the Fat Lady? What are the chances of that? If you don’t stop your crying, I will kill you myself! Girls, we need to stand tall and strong. Be happy that you are not fighting down there below. Be happy you are in the safety of the Gryffindor House. You were sorted into this house because you were brave! This is the time to make Godric proud!” she shouted. Even the boys heard her, and they all stood a little straighter when she walked up their stairs to inspect on how they were holding up.
Harry still paced back and forth feeling useless. Parvati continued to sob but only let tears falls after hearing what Lavender had to say.
Hermione shivered as she heard Voldemort’s voice ask for Harry. Ron looked up at her, and then ran to the stairs, to McGonagall. “What should I do?” he asked her.
“Go to Dumbledore’s office. The Order is there; tell them to get down here this very instant. Leave someone up there to guard Harry though, and stay with him, Ron,” she bellowed between “Crucio” and “Expelliarmus.” Ron ran out of the battle hugged Ginny as quickly as he could and ran out of the mess. He ran away from it. He got away with his life, but what about the dead fourth year he passed along the way? Why was Harry getting treated special? Why wasn’t he able to escape this mayhem before it started? Why didn’t Hogwarts shut down?
Ron ran through the corridors, looking behind him to make sure he wasn’t being followed, and then up the stairs to the Fat Lady where she quickly let him through the portrait.
Hermione watched as Ron ran away from this evil. Hermione looked back and she was face to face with Lord Voldemort. With a small gasp, she quickly was disarmed by another Death Eater. “Well, well, Potter’s girlfriend may know.”
Draco could be heard shouting from one of the stair cases, “Granger is a filthy little Mudblood.” Ginny looked over at him, punched him, and disarmed him all within seconds and quickly moved on to the two oafs Crabbe and Goyle who were standing behind him, but she was hit with a stunner.
“A Mudblood goes out with Potter?” drawled the cold voice of Lord Voldemort. She did everything to hold back the tears and to look strong, but it was a messy attempt. He gave a cold hearted laugh, as he began to speak again. “Tell me then, Granger, and I will not hurt you. Where is Potter? Why is he hiding from me again?” he asked her. Hermione looked down at her feet, and then back up at those evil eyes of Voldemort. She said nothing. She wouldn’t tell. She would have to be tortured.
“You think you’re just as strong as Potter don’t you?” he asked.
Author's Note:*Huge thanks to Masked One on MNff forums for creatnig a more Dumbledore-like response.