Great Hall by teachers and prefects.

“That was Potter!”

“Harry Potter!”

“It was him, I swear, I just saw him!”

“But Harry did not look back, and at last they reached the entrance to the Room of

Requirement, Harry leaned against the enchanted wall, which opened to admit them, and

He and Luna sped back down the steep staircase.

“Wh--?”

As the room came into view, Harry slipped down a few stairs in shock. It was

Packed, far more crowded than when he had last been in there. Kingsley and Lupin were

Looking up at him, as were Oliver Wood, Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson and Alicia

Spinnet, Bill and Fleur, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

“Harry, what's happening?” said Lupin, meeting him at the foot of the stairs.

“Voldemort's on his way, they're barricading he school---Snape's run for it---What

are you doing here? How did you know?

“We sent messages to the rest of Dumbledore's Army,” Fred explained. “You

couldn't expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the D.A. let the Order of the Phoenix

know, and it all kind of snowballed.”

“What first, Harry?” called George. “What's going on?”

“They're evacuating the younger kids and everyone's meeting in the Great Hall to

get organized,” Harry said. “We're fighting.”

There was a great roar and a surge toward the stairs, he was pressed back against

He wall as they ran past hi, the mingled members of the Order of the Phoenix,

Dumbledore's Army, and Harry's old Quidditch team, all with their wands drawn,

Heading up into the main castle.

“Come on, Luna,” Dean called as he passed, holding out his free hand, she took it

And followed him back up the stairs.

The crowd was thinning. Only a little knot of people remained below in the

Room of Requirement, and Harry joine3d them. Mrs. Weasley was struggling with

Ginny. Around them stood Lupin, Fred, George, Bill and Fleur.

“You're underage!” Mrs. Weasley shouted at her daughter as Harry approached

“I won't permit it! The boys, yes, but you, you've got to go home!”

“I won't!”

“Ginny's hair flew as she pulled her arm out of her mother's grip.

“I'm in Dumbledore's Army---”

“A teenagers' gang!”

“A teenagers' gang that's about to take him on, which no one else has dared to

do!” said Fred.

“She's sixteen!” shouted Mrs. Weasley. “She's not old enough! What you two

were thinking bringing her with you—-”

Fred and George looked slightly ashamed of themselves.

Mom's right, Ginny,” said Bill gently. “You can't do this. Everyone underage

will have to leave, it's only right.”

“I can't go home!” Ginny shouted, angry tears sparkling in her eyes. “my whole

family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing and --”

Her eyes met Harry's for the first time. She looked at him beseechingly, but he

Shook his head and she turned away bitterly.

“Fine,” she said, staring at the entrance to the tunnel back to the Hog's Head. “I'll

say good-by now, then, and---”

There was a scuffling and a great thump. Someone else had clambered out of the

Tunnel, overbalanced slightly, and fallen. He pulled himself up no the nearest chair,

looked around through lopsided horn-rimmed glasses, and said, “Am I too late? Has it

started. I only just found out, so I --- I ---”

Percy spluttered into silence. Evidently he had not expected to run into most of

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 641