First Place - Angst

It took Severus a few moments to orient himself when he appeared in the entrance hall with the rest of the staff and a large number of students. He was even more thankful than before that Harry had written to the Flamels, as Remus was studying his map closely only a second after they all appeared and pointing things out to Albus.

"Hogwarts woke up," Harry explained to the inquisitive students. Albus and Remus were the only ones not shocked at Harry's declaration, though Severus hid his surprise well. There was silence in the hall and Harry continued, "The castle has always been somewhat aware, and she's been doing more lately. She knows we're under attack, and decided to make sure we're ready."

The look in Harry's eye was something Severus had only seen in person once through a mind clouded with pain and fear, but in Harry's memories several times. This was the side of Harry that came out when he faced overwhelming odds with only his wand to back him up. This was what the hat saw when it placed Harry in Gryffindor.

"You're not alone tonight," Severus stepped to his son and whispered. Harry looked back up at him and his eyes glinted, his mouth forming a small wry grin.

"Look here," Remus moved his finger in an arc that encompassed Hogsmeade. "The wards have expanded. Someone needs to get to the village and warn them not to try apparating. Anyone who does will get splinched."

There was a collective flinch at the thought. Splinching and the reversal process were both very painful. Dumbledore gestured and the Ancient Runes professor headed towards the doors, but they wouldn't open. Harry joined them then, "Use the passage to Honeydukes."

The entire staff looked at Harry with raised eyebrows. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled guiltily. Remus just chuckled and gave the man directions. He nodded and changed direction, a student following him. Severus recognized that it was Seamus Finnigan. He must have been familiar with that particular passage. Ginny Weasley whistled two notes and Finnigan paused. She tossed him something with the skill of a Chaser. He grinned and then ran to catch up with the professor.

"Wheezes," Harry nodded in approval and the joined the staff in studying the map, "booby traps."

"They'll come down here," Filius traced a few lines with his wand and they appeared on the map in shimmering silver.

"We're not enough," Harry looked up and said suddenly. "Albus, you need to contact the Order."

Albus shook his head, "They can not get here quickly enough. No one can enter through my fire and Hogsmeade will be the first place taken... and they cannot apparate there."

"I need fireplaces that the Order of the Phoenix and the Aurors can arrive through," Harry announced loudly, not looking at anyone in particular.

Severus gave his son an odd look, "Harry..."

"I wasn't talking to the headmaster," Harry had a glint in his eye as he gestured and Severus gasped along with the rest of the staff. The walls of the entrance hall were suddenly rearranging portraits and sprouting large fireplaces. All it needed was an inappropriate fountain and it would be the Ministry Atrium. "I told you she woke up. Hogwarts is really like one big Room of Requirements. I think that room is the only one that remained awake while the rest of the castle went dormant hundreds of years ago."

"Minerva," Albus started giving orders, "alert the Order, Filius, the Ministry."

Harry gave Severus a sharp look, "I might need some Replenisher. I have to go contact some people."

"Harry...," Severus began to admonish, but he saw the hard look in his son's eyes and just nodded.

"Poppy get your wing ready," Albus continued his orders. "You may be busy tonight and tomorrow."

Poppy headed towards her domain and Severus saw a group of fifteen students following her, directed there by Granger. They had to be the students taking the magical medicine course. Harry disappeared.

"Hermione and Ginny are dividing us up, but they need to know what we're doing," Ron Weasley joined the staff and Remus instantly began discussing battle strategy with him. Ron's chess face was in place and Severus was glad he had brought the young Weasley to the staff chess group. The seventeen year old was having no trouble discussing strategy with his professors.

"Most of them are under Imperious," Remus informed the gathered professors and a few students. "That's what the green indicates." He looked over his audience quickly. "Macmillan, Bones, and Turpin, start up a list. We need to have the names of everyone under Imperious for the Ministry when this is all over."

The boy nodded and conjured up some parchment and a quill and began writing as the girls read names off the map. Severus saw them tap each green dot after it was announced and they changed to a darker green. If the dots moved around they would know who they had already identified.

"They most likely won't attack until morning," Ron did not look at anyone specific while he spoke, like he was just thinking aloud.

"What makes you say that?" Severus knew that tone from Dumbledore. He was not disagreeing but looking for reasoning to back up the statement.

Ron looked up, startled, and Severus knew the redhead hadn't meant to speak. He swallowed and gestured at the map, "They're one large group now. It would be impractical to attack like that." He marked several spots on the map. "Think of it like a chess board, with Hogwarts as the king. Over the next few hours he'll position his pieces, splitting them into groups to surround us. Then he'll attack when he can cause the most chaos."

"Breakfast," Severus nodded at the redhead's statement, and saw others doing the same. Ron's confidence visibly went up a few notches. "Post would be arriving, everyone just waking, and when the attack hit, the staff would be too busy protecting the students to form any useful resistance."

Minerva and Filius returned then, "The common room entrances are gone."

"The windows too," Remus indicated something on the map, then changed the view. "Look here."

Severus saw a flare of green in his peripheral vision but ignored it. He wondered why Albus didn't go over to the fireplaces. Severus kept his attention on the map. There was a group of students that looked to be pacing in a dungeon room that Severus knew for certain was entirely empty. As he scanned the names he saw that almost all of them were Slytherins, Pansy Parkinson, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Millicent Bulstrode, and many others. They were the Voldemort supporters amongst the student body.

"At least there are no professors there," Severus mumbled.

Albus twinkled, "Why Severus, don't you trust your colleagues?"

Severus was not the only staff member who snorted, but no one dignified the remark with any other response. Over the past seven years at least two Death Eaters had been employed by Hogwarts. He turned to look at the fireplace and saw a seventh year Gryffindor stationed at each one, directing the Aurors, hit wizards, and Order members who were arriving.

Hermione physically moved the Auror in full battle dress out of the arrival zone, "Head into the great hall. We have food there and Ginny is conducting drills."

The Auror was most likely shocked into compliance. His battle dress didn't faze Granger at all, though it was usually enough to intimidate hardened wizards and witches. Aurors who knew they were going into battle wore robes in a deep blue that were designed to allow the greatest flexibility of movement and were especially charmed to blend into their surroundings.

Over that was armor made from dragon hide and charmed to deflect curses. A broom was strapped to his back and there were several other weapons on his person. Hermione had learned long ago that appearances could be deceiving... in their first year when they discovered it was Quirrell and not Severus who was trying to kill Harry.

"Gran!" Longbottom's voice carried, and not the quaking stutter that Severus was accustomed to hearing. By all appearances the boy's grandmother was equally surprised at his self-assurance. "Head up to the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey will need your help there."

Wilhelmina complied, but not before she shot a raised eyebrow at Albus, who just smiled vaguely and twinkled.

"Dobby!" The voice that called out was Dean Thomas. Severus only vaguely knew the boy who was standing next to Kingsley Shacklebolt with one finger raised. "Just a moment sir." Kingsley quirked an eyebrow. The house elf popped into the hall. "Go to Gryffindor Dobby, and bring back the box under my bed."

Dobby popped away and was back within seconds with a rather large box, "Here you are sir! The house elves are ready sir!"

"Albus?" Severus questioned the headmaster. They were the only two staff members watching the spectacle. The others were pouring over the map and making plans.

"I believe the DA is living up to its name Severus," Albus replied and began humming a tune. He wandered off towards the great hall. Severus just shook his head.

Dean Thomas pulled what looked like a bracelet out of the box and showed Kingsley how it stretched, then slipped it onto his wrist, "We need word activated Portkeys for the hospital wing and St. Mungo's. Everyone wears one on their wrist and has a few more for injured Death Eaters. And an Auror should probably go to St. Mungo's and alert them that we'll be sending Death Eaters and other injuries their way."

Severus was impressed at the idea, and so was Kingsley by the looks of things. The Auror nodded and took the box, "I'll get a team working on it."

"Sir?" Severus turned and saw Malfoy, Nott, Davis, and the Zabinis standing behind him.

"Yes?" He was glad some of his Slytherins were there, and hoped there were more in the great hall. He didn't want them fighting, but he wanted the school to see they were not all evil dark wizards.

"Where's Harry?" Nott questioned. The five of them looked a little uncomfortable.

"He stepped out for a bit," Severus responded vaguely and noted the confusion his statement caused with a smirk. "Zabini, go up to the hospital wing and fetch some Replenisher. If Poppy questions you just tell her it is for Harry."

The Italian boy gave him a curious look but obeyed immediately. Severus was about to question his Slytherins when a commotion at one of the fireplaces distracted him. Six people loaded with large bags and brooms had come tumbling out of one fireplace.

"Fred! George!" Seamus Finnigan came running into the entrance hall. "You brought supplies?"

The Weasley twins nodded together and the former Gryffindor quidditch team held up their bags. Severus wasn't sure which twin spoke, "Just about emptied the store."

"Excellent," Finnigan grinned widely and then turned to Ron and the professors. "Professor Milton stayed in Hogsmeade. A whole bunch of people got splinched trying to get in, and they all have these ugly matching tattoos... those that have arms anyway. Have any Aurors arrived yet?"

"Great hall," Parvati Patil gestured. "They're the ones with the fancy robes."

Finnigan nodded and bounced away while the Hogwarts graduates joined Severus and his Slytherins. Moments later the Irish boy returned with several Aurors and set off for Hogsmeade again but stopped and got some more supplies from the Weasleys.

Oliver Wood set his bags down, "Where's Harry?"

"The question of the day," Davis muttered. Zabini returned then and handed a vial to Severus, who tucked it in his robes. Severus was surprised when the boy slipped an arm around Davis's waist.

"He'll be back shortly," Severus told them.

"Great," Katie Bell put her bags with Wood's. "We're his backup."

"With us," Malfoy asserted, his grey eyes like steel.

The two groups sized each other up, Gryffindor and Slytherin, and Severus prepared himself for breaking up a fight, but it never came. The Weasley twins exchanged glances which only they could decipher, "Great. Load up," one of them gestured at the bags. "We've got plenty here for causing distractions."

The other twin made his way towards his little brother, "Oi! Ronniekins!"

Ron just rolled his eyes, "Freddy-weddy."

"We come bearing gifts!" Fred Weasley did not react to his childhood pet name being used.

Ron just nodded, "Bring them to Ginny. She's organizing in the great hall."

"You heard the man!" George Weasley announced. One bag of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes was left for the Slytherins who were picking through it with extreme caution and the others were hoisted to distribute in the hall.

None of them got more than a few steps when Harry appeared and stumbled towards Severus. He looked exhausted, like he had run a marathon and then dueled with Dumbledore, both after not sleeping for over a week. The last most likely was a factor. Severus handed him the vial of Replenisher which he took with a grateful look and swallowed in one pull.

"Thanks," Harry brightened up and his eyes almost literally glowed. Severus was reminded of Albus for just a moment but Albus twinkled, where Harry sparkled, outshining the older wizard significantly. Severus wondered just how easily Harry had bested Albus, how powerful his son really was, "I needed that."

"Harold James Potter, did you just apparate into Hogwarts?" Hermione half-questioned half-accused Harry. She had paused in directing the people arriving at her fireplace and one arriving Auror crashed into a Hit Wizard, causing them both to tumble to the floor in an embarrassed and undignified heap.

"Erm," Severus saw that every eye in the entrance hall was suddenly on Harry, who was stammering out a response, "kind of 'Mione, but not really. Think about it... and don't say a word."

Her eyes focused on something not there, then widened in realization, "Oh!"

"I'll explain sometime," Harry shrugged at the crowd. "How are we doing?"

"Where have you been?" Severus asked, and saw that the self-appointed Harry Potter backup team had the same question by the way they looked at him for an answer.

"London, Romania, Algeria, Congo, India, China, Siberia, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Brazil, and back here," Harry ticked off his stops on his fingers while his friends gaped at him. The Slytherins were a bit more dignified in their shock.

"The dragon preserves," a Weasley twin, once they moved Severus lost track of which one was which, commented and nodded.

Harry nodded, "and your store and St. Mungo's. I notified the healers. People will believe anything I say now." Harry snorted and shook his head, a move echoed by the Slytherins in the hall.

The other twin grinned, "Are they coming?"

Harry nodded and looked at his watch, "Some. The first batch will be here around seven." At the looks of disbelief he smirked, "Dragons are fast flyers, like phoenixes. They're bringing some of the handlers with them."

There was a momentary slip in Harry's bright, determined exterior but Severus was sure he was the only one who caught it. He brushed it off the same as Harry did. Now was not the time to focus on that. Harry walked over to the group around the map and tapped Ron on the shoulder, the Slytherins and his former quidditch team behind him.

Ron put an arm over Harry's shoulders and Harry tensed but didn't pull away. Severus gritted his teeth in anger. Harry had made so much progress, only to have it ripped away. He had a score of his own to settle that day. Lucius, Avery, and McNair, men who had once been his friends were going to pay dearly.

"We reckon they're going to group at these points," Ron explained to Harry, "and move in following these possible routes. They think the wards are over one hundred yards closer to the castle than they are now so they'll run into trouble long before they're ready for it." Ron grinned maliciously.

Harry nodded and the adults all watched the two friends conferring, "Put me against this group here." Harry put a finger on the map firmly. "That will lead back to Voldemort."

"Can't you just, you know, pop back there?" Ron gave Harry a perplexed look. "Anyway, are you sure he'll be there?"

Severus agreed to some extent. He didn't want Harry going up against Voldemort alone, and he certainly didn't want Harry to tire himself fighting Death Eaters first. Harry hadn't told him his plan to fight Voldemort, but Severus knew there was one by the way Harry had reacted to learning the killing curse.

"He'll stay behind, right Dad?" Harry turned his head to look over his shoulder at Severus.

Severus snorted and nodded, "He won't join the battle until he is assured of victory, or until he becomes a deciding factor in success."

"I have to fight my way to him Ron," Harry said, actually to all of them and not just the youngest male Weasley. "For one, we can't give away that we know where he is... and Albus has to get to him first."

"Then... you know what you're going to do?" Alicia Spinnett said solemnly.

Harry spun as if noticing for the first time the ten people standing behind him. He must have been completely blocking his senses, "What are you all doing here?"

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "Does imminent attack by a dark lord and his army of minions sound familiar to you Harry?"

"That's not what I meant Draco and you know it," Harry said disparagingly, but the animosity and irritation were no longer there.

"Are you two friends?" one of the Weasley twins asked in mock horror.

Remus shook his head and chuckled while still looking over the map and discussing the arrangement of their own troops. The look Harry and Malfoy exchanged was almost enough to start Severus laughing, but the mood around him was anything but lighthearted.

"I decided not to side with Voldemort," Malfoy said derisively and crossed his arms over his chest. "I didn't apply for sainthood." The Weasley twins snickered and the other former Gryffindors looked skeptical. "Anyway Potter, we're your backup."

"Like hell you are!" Harry's eyes were almost flashing with anger.

"Look Harry," one of the twins said bluntly, much more seriously than anyone was used to the two of them talking.

"...everyone here will be fighting."

"So you can just accept that we'll be keeping the DE's off your back while you fight old Voldie..."

"...or you can try to stop us and we'll follow you anyway."

Harry looked back and forth between the twins, and then at the other identical looks of determination on the faces of the other former Gryffindors and current Slytherins. He swallowed hard and nodded. Severus knew exactly what he was thinking. If these people were following Harry they would be in the most dangerous part of the fight, and the odds were that some of them would die.

"I...," Harry looked around at them all. "I have to get some time alone. Dad?"

Severus nodded and followed Harry towards their quarters in the staff wing. Harry didn't need to give the password to open the door, as it opened on its own. The castle had been doing things like that for Harry for a while, Severus realized in retrospect. They walked inside and Harry closed the door, then turned to him.

"I need you to do something for me," Harry looked at him beseechingly.

Severus raised his eyebrows, "Of course."

"Don't follow me in the battle," Harry said firmly, though his eyes were showing an uneasy fear. "You wouldn't let me work at getting rid of the Mark, and I can't fight you if he gets to you."

Severus hugged Harry tightly and felt his hug returned, even if Harry's muscles were all tensed. Harry was still dangerously thin, despite the potion being slipped to him in his food and drinks. A tear or two leaked out against his will, "I swear to you Harry, I will not put myself in a position for Voldemort to use me against you again."

"Thank you Dad," Harry gripped him tighter for just a moment and then stepped away from the hug. "Can I be alone for a bit? I'll be down in a few hours."

Severus placed a kiss on top of Harry's head, "I love you son."

"I love you too Dad."

He left, knowing that those words might have been their final goodbyes. In the great hall the students, Order members, and Aurors were mingling. They were eating, working on spells, and just talking. There was one corner where an Auror was staring in amazement at the number of students who could cast a corporeal Patronus. The silvery menagerie cavorted around the hall.

Severus saw his Slytherins, more than just the four, talking with Mad-Eye Moody, the paranoid old retired Auror grinning grimly and demonstrating a wand movement. Severus recognized the particularly harsh curse. The Weasley twins were going around the room with their little sister and distributing their wares.

The suspicious looks he was used to from Aurors were gone as Severus joined the others in preparation for battle against his former Master.

He joined Moody and his Slytherins first and their discussion on curses and how to block them, then made the rounds as the other staff members were doing. Though Remus was supposedly the faculty advisor to the DA none of them really knew just how much these students had learned on their own. Severus was impressed by their attitude, and he could see the Aurors and hit wizards were almost in shock at the skills of the Hogwarts students.

Finding the Key - Chapter 45

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