𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕱𝖆𝖙𝖊

Snake In Lion's Skin

The cheers only lasted for so long. A deep rumble from the sky made everyone look up. Noticing the enchanted ceiling getting clouded with dark grey hues, grumbling as a few sparks of light lit in them.

Upon the cheers of joy, an ear-piercing scream echoed. Everyone went quiet immediately after this. Harry peered around the great hall in confusion. His eyes scanned the room, but stuck to the large crowd huddled around a corner.

He rushed to the stop, pushing through the growing pile of people who were surrounding the scene. Harry stopped as he saw that it was a girl clutching her ears, screaming her lungs out as if she was going mad. He could only watch for so long until another scream echoed throughout the hall. Although this one was much more familiar.

Harry's own ears began to ring at the mere sound of the painfully familiar voice. The same scream whose he was haunted by for so many years because it was the last memory he had for many of them.

Until last year.

His eyes couldn't distinguish one person from another, his mind only set on desperately finding that one person. His feet sped up at the sight of a redheaded woman sitting on the ground, her hands clutching her ears just like the other girl who Harry had just seen.

"Lily..." James softly whispered, his eyes scanning her with a look of concern. His fingers continued to rub circles on her shoulder as he knelt down to her level. Lily had paused her screaming for a moment, just as Harry reached them, her brows knitted together as she was seemingly concentrating.

James glanced back and noticed Harry standing there with the others now as well. Just as he opened his mouth to say something, a voice echoed in the back of the head. And the by the looks of it, he wasn't the only one. It didn't take much to figure out whose voice this was.

Voldemort.

The voice warned, 'I know that many of you will want to fight. Some of you may even that to fight is wise. But this is falling. Give me Harry Potter. Do this and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You will have one hour...'

The voice faded away just as the cracking from the sky ceiling hushed. Everyone's eyes were on Harry, he looked down, avoiding the eyes as he knew of this fact. As he looked up he noticed that he was the only person standing alone, with the exception of his friends and family being somewhat near him.

The rest of the great hall had surrounded him.

Or moved away from him if you're asking another person.

The tension was so high it was palpable.

"What are you waiting for? Someone grab him!" Many turned to Pansy Parkinson as she yelled the words. Her finger pointing at Harry as she looked around for someone to follow along with her actions.

Regulus stared at the girl, then momentarily turned to Sirius, asking him the one worded question.

"Parkinson?"

With a nod of agreement from his elder brother, he turned back to the girl.

Ginny was first to walk in front of Harry, standing in front of him, protectively. Soon followed by Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Regulus, Ron, Hermione, the rest of Dumbledore's army and the Order.

"Out of bed! Students in the corridor!" Filch came running through the great hall, shrieking out as he held his darling Mrs. Norris in his arms.

McGonagall clutched the sides of her robes as she descended down the few steps which separated students tables and the professors'.