Okayy, Rach... Here's your summary:

Alicia and Firenze are recapping everything dramatic that's happened to them, by pretending that they're talking about other people... It's sort of their way of getting straight to the point. And I can't tell about the 'scare' yet!


Chapter Eighteen: Taking Charge

“You think?” He repeated, making me frown at him.

“Out of all of everything we just listed, you only repeat the word think?”

“It is you- you never think” He said plainly, touching my cheek lightly.

“Is that a compliment?” I frowned again, making him chuckle.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you!” He said, hugging me tightly. Instead of releasing me, he pulled me onto his back and joined the teachers at the High Table, who suddenly started to recognise me.

“Alicia!” I turned automatically at my name to find professors Vector and Sinistra staring at me with shocked expressions.

“Hey, it’s nice to be back” I said, giving a little wave. “Okay, so, what do we do?” I asked, resting my chin on Firenze’s shoulder.

“We go against everything I have ever taught you” Firenze replied, glancing back at me. “We fight against your vision, and make sure we change it”

“I’m thinking that’s slightly easier said than done” I muttered darkly and he jolted me a little. “Hey! What was that for?” I demanded, clutching his shoulders and frowning.

“For being negative” He scolded. “You have not told Jamie about your vision or your thoughts”

“Why would I do that?” I said, rolling my eyes. “The way we’ve been fighting lately, you’d think it was Jasmine and me” He made an amused sound that mixed with something sour, and I moved on quickly. “He’d probably lock me in one of the dungeons to keep me from danger”

“It would stop the vision, I guess” Firenze said, sounding like I’d just given him a good idea.

“No, it wouldn’t” I countered in a sing song voice. “I’d end up killing myself just for the sake of it”

“Hilarious, young one” He said dryly. “I see your humour has improved”

“You bet!” I said cheerfully, grinning fakely. “I’m a great big bundle of joy after ten months in a tent in the middle of nowhere!” A block of red caught my attention then, and I glanced at the door. “They took their time!” I slid gracefully to floor and skipped forwards. “Save my seat!” I called over my shoulder, getting a chuckle in response.

“There you are!” Bill caught me up in a breath-taking hug as I stopped beside him, beaming. “We thought you’d already done a runner”

“Correction- you all thought” Jamie said, coming up behind me as Bill set me down. “I told them you’d be with Firenze”

“I’ve just met up with him, actually” I said, spinning and kissing him quickly and Bill laughed while Fleur swooped in for a hug. “I was rounding up the Gryffindors” I motioned to them grandly, curtsying when they clapped. “Thank you, thank you, you’re too kind! So, where’s Percy hiding?”

“I also told them that they couldn’t hide things, but do they listen?” Jamie said, smiling smugly at Bill, kissing my temple and then turning to face the doors. “PERCE! I FOUND HER!” I saw several red-heads streak towards me and I darted behind Bill, who tried to push me away quickly, but they crashed into him.

“How old are all of you again?” Sean said, following the sound of laughter and appearing with the other adults and Firenze.

“I’m not sure about the others, but Alicia is eighteen going on six”

“No fair, Firenze!” I scowled as everyone laughed. I crossed my arms over my chest and looked pointedly in the other direction, dropping to the floor and grinning. “You can’t prove it!” I said in a childish tone, which made them laugh harder.

“If we’re quite finished, Miss Daniels” I stood quickly, smiling innocently at McGonagall’s stern look. “Thank you. I assume you’re going to join us for the briefing?” She said, turning to look at the adults.

“We think we should join the children, seeing as they’re so immature” Bill said, glancing at his uncle, who nodded.

“Bit hard, really, seeing as I’m at the briefing, too” I said, sniffing at their surprised looks. “I’m the Seer, remember?” They shrugged and moved away to sit at the Gryffindor table.

“It shall begin shortly, Alicia” McGonagall said, her voice stern still. “Be quick” She nodded to the older Weasleys, and then turned away.

“Be quick… Okay, I can do that” I hugged Percy tightly, making him wince. “Glad to see you’ve come to your senses”

“It was bound to happen at some point, right?” He said, smiling slightly.

“At least it happened” I shot at him before I let go. “Well, if you spread that hug round, I think that counts as quick” I gripped Firenze’s forearm and let him hoist me onto his back. “Okay, who’s coming- wait, where’s Ginny?”

“Room of Requirement still” Remus said, taking my outstretched hand and kissing it. “My Lady”

“Funny” I said, rolling my eyes. “I would say hello, but you left Tonks at her mother’s”

“To look after Teddy” He countered, which I waved away absently.

“Whatever… As I was saying, who’s coming with me?” Jamie went to take my hand for me to pull him up by I glared at him. “No, you’re helping Harry, Ron and Hermione. Somebody else?” Nobody said anything, making me shrug. “Okay, just me then. I’ll see you and Kingsley up front” I said to Remus, who nodded as Firenze set off.

“Quicker than I thought you’d be” McGonagall said as I jumped to the floor beside her. Remus and Kingsley joined us after a few minutes of teacher’s gawking at me and then we launched into a very quick plan-making meeting.

“Quiet!” The four house tables fell silent as McGonagall stepped forwards. “As you may have seen, a few people have joined us, including a few familiar faces” She waved vaguely to the Gryffindor table and to the members of the Order that mingled with the teachers. Several people caught sight of my fake Mark, which was still on my arm, and started whispering.

“Sorry! I forgot about that” I tapped it absently, making it wipe itself off. “Now shut up”

“Thank you, Miss Daniels” McGonagall shot at me before turning to address the school again. “They’ve joined us because we are preparing to barricade the school against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named-” Again, whispering broke out throughout the tables. “We have agreed that it would be safer to evacuate all students from the school. Alicia?”

“The evacuation point is up on the seventh floor, opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy trying to teach trolls ballet. Dumbledore’s Army has made sure the evacuation point remains open, so if you get separated from your house, you know where to go” I said loudly, pulling my long black hair up into a high ponytail with the same piece of scarlet ribbon I used for breaking into Gringotts. “I’ve explained everything to our lookout, so she’s waiting for the first group of students. Unfortunately, we haven’t got people to Apparate you out once you’re on the other side, so you need to group up with someone can” I said, watching as Harry appeared in the doorway, his eyes falling on me.

“The 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” McGonagall continued.

‘You okay?’ He looked lost as my thoughts echoed in his head.

‘He’s at the gates’ That cheerful thought-message had my hair turning a sickly green. I nodded absently and Harry began skirting the walls, glancing round at the petrified students.

“And what if we want to stay and fight?” Ernie Macmillan shouted as he stood up at the Hufflepuff table. McGonagall went to answer, but I touched her arm, stepping forwards again.

“He’s one of ours” I muttered and she nodded, letting me take the floor once more. “The DA members are expected to do their part, naturally, but if you are of age, you can stay” That news was met with a smattering of applause and the twins chanting ‘DA, DA,DA’ over and over.

“What about our things?” A girl called from the Ravenclaw table. “Our trunks, our owls?”

“There’s no time for possessions” I answered sharply, making the adults glance at me nervously. “The important thing is getting you lot out safely”

“Where’s professor Snape?” I didn’t answer the Slytherin girl at first, letting a bitter look of disappointment fall across my face.

“He has, to use the common phrase, done a bunk” McGonagall replied, her words being followed by a load cheer from the other tables.

“He’ll be doing more than bunking off if I get him in range again” I said, over the noise, making the professor nod in agreement. I noticed that Harry had started to draw attention to himself then, catching the faces that turned towards him and the whispers that broke out every few feet.

“You can’t take Snape, Alicia” Remus said calmly, causing McGonagall to glance at him.

“She almost had him a few times tonight” She shot at him. “Due to people getting in the way and his knack of being able to slip away, he still lives” Remus gave me a shocked look, and I waved my bow at him, which was already notched with a waiting arrow and held in my hand.

“I don’t mean to brag, but I can hit a moving target from twenty seven feet away, in the dark” I said, smiling slightly. “The Centaurs don’t call me Huntress for nothing”

“She is lethal with a longbow” Firenze chimed in as the noise died down.

“We have already placed protection around the castle, but it is unlikely to hold for very long unless we reinforce it. I must ask you, therefore, to move quickly and calmly, and do as your-”

“WAIT!” I screamed, cutting her off and running to the nearest wall, pressing my hand against it as an uneasy prickling falling over my skin, making it twitch uncomfortably.

“I know you are preparing to fight” Loud enough to drown out the startled screams, Voldemort’s voice echoed through the room, seeping out the walls themselves. “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” I raised my bow uselessly, aiming at the ceiling as I locked eyes with first Jamie, and then Harry, in the pressing silence. “Give me Harry Potter, and Alicia Daniels, and none shall be harmed. Give them to me, and I shall the school untouched. Give them to me, and you shall be rewarded. You have until midnight” Silence fell over the Hall again, more pronounced than ever.

“But they’re there! Someone grab them!” Pansy yelled, rising from the Slytherin table and alternating pointing between us. Firenze forced my bow to the side and down before I could take aim, un-notching the arrow just in case, while the other three houses stood to defend Harry.

“Thank you, Miss Parkinson” McGonagall said, her words clipped short. “You will leave the Hall first with Mr Filch. If the rest of your house could follow”

“Wait” I called, glaring at the Slytherin. “Jamie, throw something when I say so” I saw him stand and snatch something off Fred. “If any of you try to fight against us while inside this castle, know how quickly I will kill you” I said, my quiet threat echoing in the silence. “Now” Jamie launched an apple into the air, and with blinding movements, I notched an arrow, aimed and released. There was a collective gasp as the arrow pierced the apple, pulling it through the air and pinning it to the door on the other side of the room. “Think yourselves warned”

“You may leave now” McGonagall said, not attempting to lighten my threat, but making it heavier by watching the retreating Slytherins carefully. “Good shot” She added, glancing at me briefly. I nodded in thanks as a couple of teachers whispered frantically behind us. “Ravenclaws, follow on!” She cried and I scrambled for the Gryffindor table quickly.

“You’re scary, did you know that?” George said, giving me a weak smile.

“That’s with a bad hand, too” I said, grinning and holding out my hand as evidence. “I sort of tripped and put my hand through a glass door in the Ravenclaw Common Room” I added quickly, catching the look on Jamie’s face. “I’m only here for a few seconds, then Kingsley will want me back up there-” As I said it, his smooth voice travelled over the sound of the leaving Hufflepuffs.

“Alicia!”

“Hold your Hippogriffs!” I yelled at him, rolling my eyes. “As I was saying, you need to get going, don’t you?” I said meaningfully to Jamie and Harry. “And where are Ron and Hermione?”

“That, is a good question” Harry muttered, glancing at me as I made an annoyed sound.

“For Merlin’s sake! We don’t have time to play games!” I snapped, frowning at the ceiling.

“Alicia!”

“I know!” I yelled, scowling in Kingsley’s direction. “Well, there’s no point crying over spilt potion, is there? Go and find them, then get busy! I’ll be a half-thought away, okay?” I said, backing away slowly as McGonagall came down to move along the younger Gryffindors who had stayed in their seats. “Dennis! There’s no way you’re staying!” I snapped, pulling him to his feet and giving him a little push towards the door. “I love you, be careful, don’t die, and all that” I continued, watching Jamie.

“Alicia!”

I blew kisses to them and turned, storming through the crowd. “Don’t get your wand in a knot, Kingsley! I’m coming, aren’t I?” I shouted and several people laughed. “See? I’m here, now! I have priorities, you know!” I snapped, waving my ring in Kingsley’s face erratically. There was still a fair amount of noise in the Hall, making me sigh in frustration. “Do I have to do everything round here, now?” I muttered, making Remus try to stifle a laugh. “HEY! Listen up!” The room fell silent immediately. “Shall I talk for you?”

“We’ve only got half an hour until midnight, so we need to act fast!” Kingsley said, stepping forwards as Remus pulled me into a headlock. “A battle plan has been agreed between the teachers of Hogwarts, the Order of the Phoenix, and Dumbledore’s Army. Professors Flitwick, Sprout and McGonagall are going to take groups of fighters up to the three highest Towers- Ravenclaw, Astronomy and Gryffindor- where they’ll have a good overview, excellent positions from which to work spells”

“Meanwhile, Remus- who’s an idiot” I said, pushing him off me and pointing to him. “Arthur” Uncle Arthur gave a little wave from the Gryffindor table. “Kingsley” I jerked my head towards him as I stepped up beside him. “Firenze and I will take groups into the grounds. We’ll need two very important twins to organise defence of the entrances of the passageways into the school”

“Consider it done” Fred said, giving me a wicked grin.

“And, as a few last minute extras, I want all those who were on the Quidditch teams on brooms for an aerial attack” I saw Oliver Wood receive a high-five from Angelina across the table. “And I want the DA to spread out through the groups evenly, which is about everything”

“All right, leaders up here and we’ll divide the troops!”

“No matter what, I want Luna!” I added, making the blonde laugh.

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