Twilight

Twilight

L.S. Song

Chapter Three - Phoenix in Action

'...Diagon Alley... under siege...' Remus fainted.

The house was in an uproar. Harry had yelled for the Weasleys and the Grangers, who were trying the best they could to heal Remus. Harry tried to use floo powder to get to Hogwarts but it was blocked. Harry was desperate. He needed to contact Dumbledore. Just when he was about to floo to Hogsmeade then run up to Hogwarts, Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix appeared. It must've sensed that an Order member was in distress and came to see what was going on. Harry quickly scribbled a note to Dumbledore.

Prof,

Remus hurt, Diagon Alley under siege. Hurry.

HP

The phoenix took the letter from Harry's hand and erupted in flames, returning to Dumbledore.

Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Fred, and George Weasley immediately flooed to Diagon Alley, to join the Aurors already there.

Molly Weasley, with the help of Hermione and Ginny, was healing Remus, who had been hit in the chest with an arrow charm. The arrow had already been taken out; they were cleaning the wound and resealing it. Remus lay there, out cold. Harry and Ron were left there standing, useless to anyone. Frustrated, Harry decided he had enough. Motioning to Ron, he walked to the fireplace, threw a handful of floo powder into the flames, and yelled DIAGON ALLEY!

As usual, Harry felt like he was being sucked down a giant plughole, spinning around. He finally came out of the fireplace at the other end of Diagon Alley, dusting off his robes. Harry did not wait for Ron, as he kicked the door to the abandoned Leaky Cauldron open, and flew out into the streets.

It was absolute chaos. Harry had often wondered what a massive wizard war would look like, and it seemed like he was getting a small sample of it now. Aurors and ministry members held the eastern side of Diagon Alley, whilst Dark wizards were taking over from the western side. Harry thought that Diagon Alley had looked bad a few days ago, but now it was horrible. The once smooth pavement was now smashed, and shops were burning down. Harry saw six redheaded men sending jets of light simultaneously towards the Dark wizards, and Harry rushed to join them, crying out "IMPEDIMENTA!" as soon as he reached the front lines of the battle.

No one had time to tell Harry off for being there, everyone was too busy sending off curses. Harry barely noticed that Ron had come up behind them.

"STUPEFY!" roared the Weasley men and Harry. Five out of the eight curses thrown found their target.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" screamed the dark wizards back. Six Aurors fell, dead.

"FLIPENDO!" yelled Bill and Charlie Weasley. Two Dark Wizards, one of them a Death Eater, flew backwards, crashing into the apothecary, landing in barrels of frogspawn.

Harry ran into the fray, yelling stunning spells, until a jet of silver light hit him.

Harry crumpled, hit by a knockout spell.

The next thing he heard was a wizard yell, "ENNERVATE!" and he snapped awake. He tested all body parts; everything seemed to be okay...

Harry jumped up and immediately returned to his position next to the Weasleys.

Harry saw, in the midst of the Dark wizards' ranks, a pale blonde boy whose mask had fallen off. Draco Malfoy.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" yelled Draco.

An Auror collapsed, dead.

Harry had had enough. "CONJUNCTIVITUS!" Harry roared.

Draco clutched at his eyes. Harry knew his curse had hit its target. Draco Malfoy would not be seeing anything anytime soon, maybe not for the rest of his life.

With a hideous shriek, Draco fell to the floor, his wand snapping. Harry, satisfied, turned around and launched a series of curses.

"EXPELLIARMUS!"

"STUPEFY!"

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

"DIFFINDO!"

Unfortunately for Harry, the only curse that met it's target was the severing curse, and all it managed to do was severely embarrass Lucius Malfoy as his more private body parts were shown when the severing charm ripped his robes open. Ron let out a groan.

"Man I did NOT need to see that... Harry!!!"

As Harry flashed Ron a grin, a cold sense of foreboding shook Harry. Only one thing could do that. Dementors.

They came pouring into Diagon Alley, making many of the Aurors and Ministry officials fall, trembling, as the worst experiences of their lives started to replay themselves. It became apparent to Harry that not many people could make a Patronus here. Five or six clouds of misty grey flew out of wands half-heartedly. Dark wizards were advancing. Harry whipped out his wand, thought of a world where he could live happily ever after with his friends, a world free of Voldemort, where all the people he loved were alive and happy, and bellowed, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

The silver stag erupted out of his wand, furiously repelling the dementors, attacking in a pure animalistic rage. It was not enough however; one stag could not overcome a hundred dementors. All the people that could still move ran.

Harry Potter stood alone, watching his Patronus beat back Dementors. He yelled, "Multiplicus Serpensortia!" Fifteen giant cobras flew out of his wand. Harry hissed, "ATTACK!"

It was no use. Eventually the Dementors and the Dark wizards had pushed to within ten feet of Harry.

All seemed to be lost as the wizards of the light trembled before the Dementors, when Albus Dumbledore appeared, with Fawkes by his side.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" roared Dumbledore, and five phoenixes flew out of his wand, assisting the lone stag. It seemed that Dumbledore's arrival, and Fawkes' phoenix song spurred on the Aurors, as they stormed into action, sending off multiple hexes, as the Dementors were pushed back by the patroni, the curses hit the dark wizards. Dark wizards that had not been hit shook in fear. Harry had read about how the phoenix song had different effects on different people, and he saw it visibly now. Aurors charged headfirst, whilst Death Eaters and other dark wizards ran away.

Seeing that their battle was lost, the dark wizards grabbed their associates and apparated out.

The dementors had no such luck. Between Dumbledore and Harry's patroni, the dementors were soon forced into a tight circle.

"What do we do with them?!" asked Harry.

There was no mercy in Dumbledore's voice as he said, "Vanquish them."

"But professor... isn't it... I don't know how to!"

For a response, Harry saw Dumbledore draw himself up to his full height, and bellow, "MAXIMUS VANQUISHO!"

In a flash of pure white light, the dementors let out an otherworldly wail, and were no more.

Harry studied his Headmaster's eyes. There was no mercy, no twinkle of benevolence. There was blue fire, hate for the dementors. Harry now fully understood why Dumbledore was pronounced as the greatest wizard in the world.

"You shouldn't have come Harry." Dumbledore sighed, pocketing his wand.

Harry said nothing, but observed the damage done to Diagon Alley. Shops were smoking, and the once smooth street was blasted to bits. It would take a long time to fix. Many wizards, including the Weasleys, were running around casting extinguishing spells.

"It is a good thing that you did though, if you had not, then the Dementors would have overrun the ministry wizards, and Diagon Alley would be under the control of Voldemort. He didn't even manage to take it during the first war. You and Ronald have proven yourselves today, you are worthy of being in the Order."

Harry still stood wordlessly.

"I must go sort things out with the ministry. Please return to HQ, and stay there until September 1^st."

"Draco Malfoy, sir. Will he be punished for his involvement with the Dark wizards, and casting the killing curse?" asked Harry, finally speaking up.

"Draco Malfoy will be expelled, and probably sent to Azkaban. We have captured Draco, we have eyewitnesses that he used the Killing Curse - he was writhing on the ground when we found him clutching his eyes for some reason when we caught him, but his father apparently escaped our clutches. I'm afraid I must leave, Harry. There are a lot of things to sort out."

With that, Dumbledore Apparated away.

The Weasleys and Harry returned to Grimmauld Place dirtied, tired and bloodied. Mrs. Weasley had immediately shrieked at Ron and Harry for leaving so abruptly, but calmed down when Mr. Weasley told Mrs. Weasley on how Harry had saved the day, and how Ron had saved Harry (So that's who revived me! thought Harry.) and Mrs. Weasley was beaming. Hermione and Ginny were not as easily swayed.

"We stay here being MEDIWIZARDS and you two witness a real wizard battle?! Professor Binns had just asked for an essay on the most recent battle for holiday work... you two have a full account now! It's not fair!" exclaimed Hermione, her complaints revolving around schoolwork as usual.

Ginny's reaction was strange.

She drew Harry aside, and with a hurt expression in her eyes asked very nicely, "Why didn't you bring me?"

"Hermione and Mrs. Weasley needed you there, Gin. Remus was hurt pretty badly..."

"Rubbish. I wasn't doing anything and you know it."

"Ginny..."

"Don't Ginny me, tell me why you automatically ask Ron to go with you? Is it because he's your better friend? Is it because he's male, some kind of sexist thing? Are you afraid little Ginny's going to snap like a twig if she enters one little duel? Remember, you're not the only person that survived Voldemort, I'm not absolutely hopeless. Colin sure treats me like an equal, why can't you? I thought we were a team Harry, the four of us, Luna and Neville..."

"You're right. I'm sorry," Harry said emotionlessly, and walked off.

Why was she so emotional about this? Was she jealous of Ron? Strange. He, Harry, didn't give half a thought to it, just motioned to Ron because it was natural. It wasn't as if he had insulted her or anything, she was busy helping to heal Remus... and why did she have to mention Colin? Deciding that he would never understand girls, Harry took a shower, then shut himself in his room, promptly falling asleep, and not waking up until dinner. It was not until he woke up did he realize that Ginny's words almost mirrored his own a few years ago.

The next morning, the Daily Prophet arrived.

Battle of Diagon Alley - Defeat of Dark Forces

Dark wizards and witches alike assaulted Diagon Alley yesterday. Ministry officials and Aurors held Diagon Alley strong, but were steadily being pushed backwards, as they were outnumbered. Rumors say that Remus Lupin, ex-professor werewolf at Hogwarts had ran out of battle clutching a bleeding hole in his chest and flooed away, alerting Albus Dumbledore. Somehow, Harry Potter received this news, along with fellow student Ronald Weasley, they charged into battle. When the dementors of Azkaban came, it was Harry Potter yet again that saved many lives. With an unbelievably powerful Patronus, he held back the Dementors long enough for Albus Dumbledore to arrive on to the scene, and save the day. Once again, we as citizens of the wizarding world must thank Harry Potter. However, Harry Potter alone did not win the battle, as his fellow student revived him when a knockout spell cast by one dark witch or wizard unknown hit him, causing him to fall into the middle of the battle, unconscious. Needless to say, had he been left there, he would've been killed. Let us raise out glasses to the Boy-who-Lived, and the boy who saved him.

This article was written by Rita Skeeter.

For a detailed description of the battle, and background information about Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley turn to page 8. For information on all Aurors and ministry representatives present, turn to pages 9 and 10.

"Well that's new, Skeeter actually saying something positive... Good job Hermione," Harry said, folding the paper, and giving it to Ron, returning to his meal.

Harry did not notice two girls looking very left out leave the kitchen.

The final weeks of the summer vacation passed quickly, and before Harry knew it, it was time to say goodbye to the Weasleys and Grimmauld Place. Packing his trunk, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny portkeyed to King's Cross station.

Making their way to platform 9¾, the four friends met up with Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, and Colin Creevey, along with Dennis, who tagged along behind his brother. Harry saw Colin greet Ginny with a kiss and a few whispered words that made Ginny turn red. Harry suddenly had a strong feeling of hate for the boy that held him in such high regards, since when had Colin changed, anyways? Looking away from Ginny and Colin, he saw Neville and Luna holding hands, walking to the invisible barrier, and disappearing. Neville and Luna? Harry never saw THAT coming... Walking towards the barrier, Ron and Hermione were half-heartedly striking up a conversation with little Dennis Creevey. At least something looks normal, thought Harry.

Wow, for once they all forgot about the Boy-who-Lived, thought Harry, as he walked through the barrier alone. Harry went to the prefects compartments up front, and was greeted by Professor Dumbledore himself. Harry waited until Hermione had come and sat down next to him.

"Reckon we'll have to make a speech, Mione?"

"Honestly Harry, aren't you ever going to read Hogwarts, a History? Of course we have to, I've been spending the last week making up a speech."

"But... I didn't know... could you make a joint speech with me?"

"Sure, if you want to talk about how the famous Boy-who-Lived is suitable to be Head Girl." Hermione smirked.

"Urgh..."

Dumbledore stood. Harry noticed that the room was now full of prefects.

"Welcome prefects. I won't keep you long, as I'm sure you all want to catch up with your friends. I present to you your Head Boy and Head Girl, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who will go over your responsibilities as Head Boy and Head Girl. You will listen to them as you would me," said Dumbledore, and portkeying back to Hogwarts, probably to prepare for the arrival.

Hermione stood, dragging Harry up with her.

"Prefects of Hogwarts..." started Hermione.

It was a very long and very dull speech. Harry had switched his mind to thinking about Quidditch when Hermione slapped him on the arm.

"What?" Harry whispered.

"I'm done, its your turn."

Harry straightened up. "I'm no good with speeches like Hermione here." There were sniggers in the crowd at this. "I just want to inform say that you prefects will be vital to the security of the school, we will rely on your honesty and ability. Your task will be to stop dangerous deeds, and to be a role model to younger students." Ron yawned loudly in the crowd, and received a death glare from Harry in return. "Anyway, good luck, and don't let us down. Dismissed."

Harry watched as people filed out of the compartment, until it was just Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Colin and Luna there.

Harry watched spitefully as Ginny cuddled up to Colin. Did she not remember what happened this summer? Nothing did happen this summer though; it's just you that thinks so, said the pesky voice. Whatever Harry did think, he wanted to grab Colin's stupid camera and stuff it down his throat - but that would look conspicuous.

Now wasn't the time for an internal battle, Harry decided, and joined the conversation.

"Hermione's speech nearly killed us... could you have made that speech ANY longer?" said Ron.

"Well at least I covered what needed to be covered, which is more than I could say for SOMEONE..." replied Hermione scathingly, sending a look in Harry's direction.

"Well it wouldn't do me any good to repeat what you said, now would it?" said Harry.

"Yeah, that and because you don't know anything about the duties of a prefect!" laughed Ron.

"True... true."

Hermione smacked Harry playfully, which in turn he fell over playfully, crushing Hermione's feet under his elbow.

Hermione yelped, and Ron rolled his eyes.

"Exploding snap, anyone?"

Harry watched Hagrid and the first years get into little boats, for the traditional trip to Hogwarts by the lake, whilst Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny shared a warm carriage pulled by thestrals.

It had become a very chilly night, and the four friends were thankful that they didn't have to go on those tiny boats, where it would be freezing.

"There it is!" yelled Ginny.

Hogwarts - one of the only places where Harry felt at home. Over the years, he had gotten to know and love every corridor at Hogwarts, yet he often found new surprises. The castle of Hogwarts was purely magical. (A/N: Pardon the pun, couldn't think of anything else)

Harry led the way into the castle, where they all sat down at the Gryffindor table, and awaited the arrival of the first years.

"Come on, come on!" groaned Ron, clutching at his stomach.

Harry smiled. Some things would never change.

The first years, led by Professor McGonagall, walked through the doors to the Great Hall. Harry noticed that there were a lot more foreign students than he was used to seeing.

Hermione, who had obviously been thinking the same thing, whispered, "With Dumbledore AND you here, parents obviously think this is the safest place to be... which it probably is."

Conversation was pulled to a stop as the Sorting ceremony began - the Sorting Hat finished its song.

Harry counted the new students. There were 16 new Gryffindors, 24 new Hufflepuffs, 20 new Ravenclaws, and just 2 new Slytherins. Dumbledore looked worried. The two Slytherins were welcomed warmly at their table, but received glares from everyone else in the hall.

Dumbledore stood, and the hall fell silent.

"Welcome students, to another year at Hogwarts. As you all know, the wizarding world is in chaos. Yet we must not allow that to control us, or Lord Voldemort." Gasps and a shriek from a 2^nd year Hufflepuff were heard.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and continued. "Or Lord Voldemort has already won. Quidditch, and trips to Hogsmeade will be continued, but for safety purposes, only fifth years and above may visit Hogsmeade. This year, we have a new club at Hogwarts, inspired by an underground club founded by our current Head Boy and Head Girl. This year, Alastor Moody will teach a select few the arts of dueling - both with wands and with swords. You know who you are already, as your letters would have told you to buy the necessary equipment. Now, before I let you all fill your stomachs, as I'm sure you're all desperate to do, our caretaker, Mr. Filch has added another two hundred and four items that are forbidden in Hogwarts. You may see the list outside his office."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny sniggered. "Fred and George have been doing well, eh?"

"Now, tuck in!" said Dumbledore with a twinkle in his eye, as masses of food appeared in front of the students and staff.

After a massive feast, Harry and Hermione bid good-bye to Ron, Ginny, Neville and Colin, and went to the Head Boy and Head Girl dorms, where a portrait of a bearded man asked, "Password?"

"Err... Hermione? Do you know?"

"Honestly! Beauty Rest!"

The portrait swung open, and Harry entered.

Harry's first reaction was, "Wow."

Their shared common room was about half the size of the Gryffindor common room, with a large sofa in front of the fireplace, and two desks, which were labeled H. J. Potter and H. A. Granger.

Harry laughed. "Hermione, you never told me your initials were HAG!"

Hermione turned crimson, and said, "Well... which room do you want?" The common room linked to two staircases, supposedly to each person's room. Harry took the left staircase, and went up to his room. There was a private bathroom linking to the room, and a drawer for his clothes and trunk. Harry forgot that he lent Hermione his book on curses, which he planned to read a bit before going to bed, so he went up to her dormitory. When Harry knocked on the door lightly and received no response, he opened the door a crack. Harry chuckled lightly to himself. Inside, was his best friend Hermione polishing her Head Girl badge fervently like he had seen Percy do four years ago.