'Over here.'
Neville led Luna and Harry to the wardrobe-like exit door.
'It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it. Only trouble is, we never know exactly where we're going to end up when we go out. Be careful, Harry, they're always patrolling the corridors at night.'
'No problem,' said Harry. 'See you in a bit.' The pair shot up the staircase and out of sight. Neville turned back to the people in the Room again.
'Is Harry OK?' he asked Ron and Hermione quietly.
Ron made a strange movement between and shrug and a nod, before Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and began talking to him hastily. Everyone else broke into loud conversations and Neville heard the same questions crop up in all of them: What was Harry doing? Why was he looking for Ravenclaw's diadem?
'Neville – um, Ron and I need to go too,' said Hermione, pulling Ron over to the exit.
'But – you – what are we s'posed to do, just sit here and wait?'
'Mate, get as many people as you can in here, OK?' Ron said. 'Just in – in case You-Know-Who finds out what's going on, OK?'
Neville couldn't be bothered to argue any more.
'OK ... so where're you going, anyway?'
'Um, bathroom,' muttered Hermione distractedly, yanking Ron forward.
'Bathroom?' Neville repeated blankly, but Ron and Hermione were already through the cupboard and away.
'Neville, what's going on? Where did Ron just go?' Fred asked, only just realising.
'Bathroom, apparently.'
Fred, George and Ginny looked just as confused as Neville did.
'Right ... we need to get as many people in here as possible – can you see if Angelina, Katie and the rest of the older students have got their coins still?' Neville asked the twins. 'On second thoughts, send a message to every DA member, I'm bound to forget some people.' He turned to Ginny. 'You told Ab to alert the Order, right?' She nodded, while Fred and George dug out their fake Galleons and began sending messages.
'Good,' said Neville. 'I've got a feeling You-Know-Who might be coming soon – Ron gave it away when he said he might come here, because Harry probably saw it.'
Neville had barely finished talking when a large group of people walked in: his old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, a bald, black wizard Neville recognised from the fight at the Ministry two years ago, followed by Ron's parents and what must have been one of his older brothers, who was hand in hand with a beautiful girl, who, with a jolt, Neville remembered from the Triwizard Tournament, and had no idea it was her whom Ron's brother had married. They all stumbled in, gazing round at the room they didn't recognise.
'Fred – George – Ginny,' said Ron's brother, briefly hugging each in turn. 'What's going on, we haven't heard anything –'
'That Hog's Head barman just told us to come here –'
'Harry's not here, is he?'
'Harry is here,' said Neville, approaching the members of the Order but talking mainly to Lupin.
'Neville, it's you! Harry's here, you say?'
'Yes, he left for the Ravenclaw common room just now. I think we'll have to wait in here for him to come back, see what the next plan is.'
'OK, OK ...' Lupin took a seat, while Mr and Mrs Weasley embraced their sons and daughter, squabbling over them. 'What are you all dong in here, then?' Lupin asked, gazing at all the students, evidently recognising some of them from his year of teaching even with their horrific injuries.
'We're Dumbledore's Army, Professor,' Parvati said.
'Please, call me Remus, it's been too long since I taught,' said Lupin with a dry chuckle. 'Dumbledore's Army, eh?'
'So saying,' said Ernie casually. 'You're all part of the Order of Phoenix I take it?'
'That's right,' Lupin answered. 'This is Kingsley Shacklebolt,' he continued, indicating the black wizard, who nodded, 'Molly and Arthur Weasley, Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour.' They each smiled as their name was called out.
Noises and movement came from the tunnel again, which hadn't bothered to close. With more enthusiastic greetings from the Gryffindors, particularly Fred, George and Lee Jordan, the old Quidditch team entered, looking both apprehensive and happy. Angelina ran up to Lee with spontaneous enthusiasm and, in front of the whole DA and Order, kissed him on the lips, and they swayed slightly, while many of the students cheered and wolf-whistled. Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell and Oliver Wood greeted everyone warmly. Then a few more students toppled in: Colin and Dennis Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and the rest of all the Muggle-borns that had been banished from Hogwarts at the start of the year.
'Good to see you!' George exclaimed after hugging Alicia.
'Great to be back!' replied Angelina, still in Lee's arms. The Room had again expanded itself to make space for the dozen or so new arrivals.
At that moment, a thundering noise could be heard from the exit door and Lupin swiftly got up and rushed over to the door. Harry and Luna had returned.
'Harry, what's happening?' Lupin asked and everyone fell silent to hear Harry's answer.
'Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading the school – Snape's run for it –' One down, two to go, thought Neville '– What are you doing here? How did you know?'
'We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army,' said Fred. 'You couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the DA let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed.'
'What first, Harry? What's going on?' asked the other twin, and the attention of everyone was sharper than a needle again.
'They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to get organised. We're fighting.'
Harry's last word acted like a trigger; before Neville had realised, everyone was charging to the door where Harry stood, brandishing wands and giving a war-like roar. Neville saw Dean grab Luna's hand and tug her along with the rest of them, as she hadn't realised everyone had just vanished up the stairs.
Neville was caught in the huge bulk of students and they flowed like a river down the corridors and stairs. Everyone was tripping over each other's feet but they somehow kept together, as one, until they smashed through the oak doors of the Great Hall. The benches were still out, but nobody was sitting down and the enchanted ceiling was black and starry; Neville had completely lost track of time, but it must have been late evening at the least.
The chatter was deafening. Neville supposed that all the Hogwarts students had returned, whether, pure-blood, half-blood or Muggle-born. Nearly all of them had their wands out, prepared to fight. Even now, Neville thought with a shudder, Voldemort might be on his way, or even standing at the gates ...
All the teachers, led by Professor McGonagall strode into the Hall, cutting a path through the mass of students and reaching the podium at the back where the staff table would usually be.
'Your attention, please!' Professor McGonagall called loudly, and it took nearly ten seconds for the noise to die down completely. 'We need you all seated by houses, so you must take seats at your house tables before further instruction. Quickly!' she added sharply as everyone simply stood there. Neville clambered past everyone and slotted into the Gryffindor table with the rest of the house, the noise level rising again. Even the ghosts had joined the Hall. The rest of the staff had lined up solidly on either side of McGonagall, staring down at them all, but with a hint of fear in all their faces. The Carrows as well as Snape were now absent.
'As an aside, all of last year's prefects will return to their duties this evening and, I daresay, from hereon. For all of those who have not yet heard,' Professor McGonagall continued, as the Hall gradually returned to silence, 'He Who Must Not Be Named is approaching the school as I speak – however,' she had to raise her voice slightly as anxious muttering and even screams of fear broke out among the students. 'However – those who are too young will be led to safety at an evacuation point on the seventh floor corridor. Evacuation will be overseen by Mr Filch and Madam Pomfrey. Prefects, when I give the word, you will organise your house and take your charges, in an orderly fashion, to the evacuation point.'
At this point, Ernie stood up and asked loudly, 'And what if we want to fight?' Seamus amongst many other students cheered and clapped encouragingly.
'If you are of age, you may stay,' McGonagall said.
'What about our things?' asked a Ravenclaw girl. 'Our trunks, our owls?'
'We have no time to collect possessions,' said McGonagall firmly. 'The important thing is to get you out of here safely.'
'Where's Professor Snape?' shouted a Slytherin.
'He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk,' Professor McGonagall replied, and Neville cheered along with the others. She stepped down from the podium as a great movement took place in the Hall; the scraping of benches as students got up and the new, excited babble filled the Hall. But even above all the noise, a new voice spoke, a voice that Neville didn't recognise, a voice that was high and cold and seemed to echo all around them.
'I know that you are preparing to fight.'
Although Neville had never heard this voice before, he knew there was only one wizard to whom it must belong. Many of the students jumped or screamed in fright.
'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.'
The silence now was deafening, possibly louder than the voice that had caused it.
'Give me Harry Potter, and none shall be harmed,' continued Voldemort's voice, colder and sharper than a shard of ice. 'Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight.'