Dark Army

While everyone thought they had grasped the deepest secret of the situation and exchanged glances and nods, others had a completely opposite reaction.

Silvia, Hermione, Ginny and even Luna had their faces completely red trying to contain their laughter.

Soisen watched as they slipped behind a pillar and let out a field of silence!

...

-That's... that's exactly what happened! -He confirmed to everyone after a second of hesitation, "It was nothing more than a calculated and extremely delicate distraction, otherwise, things would not have gone as smoothly as they did now.

Heh, Dumbledore was an expert at using others and he sure didn't expect the day would come when he would be the one used.

And Soisen wasn't even the one who raised him as a shield!

What's he going to say?

Nothing?

Then he agrees!

...At the station beyond...

Sneeze!

-Well, who knew that even the dead could sneeze," said Dumbledore as he pulled the soul out of a handkerchief, "Don't you think it's funny, Tom?

...Getting back to the world of the living...

Are there any follow-up plans? -McGonagall asked anxiously.

As Dumbledore's trusted follower, she accepted the revelation more readily because it was certainly something in Albus' style. Now, the most important thing was whether he had left further instructions for this situation.

-Indeed, there is something," Soisen stated without blushing in the slightest, "But only Potter, you and the rest of the teachers can hear it. And no one else can know about it! It's very important.

-Why? -The teachers understood that it must be something delicate, but the students who had gathered in the courtyard were not happy to miss something like this.

-Don't ask me, I don't know what the former headmaster was thinking," he answered them, passing the blame for the matter to Albus without batting an eyelid. Potter is here and Voldemort is gathering his troops outside the castle, we only have a limited time," he said his name because he could already feel their movements in the grounds, "I want half of the teachers to follow me while the other half put protections around the school. Call in reinforcements from the Order of the Phoenix or anyone else who is willing to come who can be trusted. The golems will back you up. Just give me a moment.

Soisen approached the girls and gave them his stock of Felix Felicis, which they had to drink while he was present. He then did the same and felt his luck rise.

-Come on," Soisen motioned for Potter and the teachers to accompany him, "And no flying brooms for the rest of the day! The defenses will no longer ignore them.

POV Voldemort

-Is it true that Potter is back at Hogwarts, Bellatrix? -asked the dark lord as he caressed the Elder Wand in his hands, in a way that made his most loyal follower long to trade places with that piece of wood.

-"No doubt, my lord," the craziest woman in the British magical community nodded flatteringly as her eyes took in the movements of the fingers and shuddered, "The information came from a student inside the castle whose family is being held hostage, I wouldn't play with the lives of their loved ones. The ones left, I mean! -She added amused by her own comment.

-Wonderful. Call Greyback and the others, I want everyone ready to take Hogwarts once and for all, within the hour. Make sure they bring enough cannon fodder this time. I think the unfinished business between Harry and I should be finished today, don't you think so too?

-It will be done in only half an hour, my lord," Bellatrix recklessly cut the time generously given by the dark lord in half without fear of the consequences.

After all, it was the others who would fail if they did not follow her arrangements, she would not lose her master's appreciation for something so banal.

...Twenty-nine minutes later...

Dementors, trolls, werewolves and the entire army of the dark lord was preparing to invade the castle.

Dementors flew impatiently knowing that an all-you-can-eat buffet awaited them, as long as they didn't kill the children, anything was allowed.

That meant they could "kiss" some teachers if they managed to take them down!

Fenrir and his entourage looked impatiently at the lights of the castle. So much young flesh to bite to expand the numbers of their pack....

Trolls: Hit them hard and they'll give us plenty to eat!

The Death Eaters knew there were some special targets whose capture or death equaled rich rewards from their master, but they were also aware of the latest failure and were in no hurry to act.

Soisen looked outside from a turret window and clicked his tongue.

Were it not for Voldemort's presence and his ability to master snakes with Parseltongue, he could release the basilisk directly from the bowels of the castle and let it feast on the entire dark army.

They would end up killing the millenary basilisk once they reacted, but the amount of casualties just from its stare and bites would be high enough to almost decide the battle.

-Is everything clear? he asked once he turned around, to see the professors worried and Potter looking pale-faced.

Knowing that he needs to die at Voldemort's hands at least once to break the connection he's had with the dark lord since he was scarred...it's not easy to take.

Meanwhile, taking advantage of what little time they had at their disposal, they evacuated all the Slytherin and lesser ones just like in the original story.

Surely there were some Slytherin who were unwilling to go against them, but peer pressure is a terrible thing and it was better to "force" them than not be able to do anything.

Members of the Order of the Phoenix and other reinforcements arrived at the castle simultaneously, with Neville's grandmother cursing Soisen for making an old woman's arrival so uncomfortable.

Her words were so creative, Neville had to push her aside for her own safety before Soisen forced her to eat her hat.

The Weasley twins, Arthur, Molly, Percy...all the Weasleys had introduced themselves.

Soisen especially checked to see that the twins would be using the gifts he gave them for today and sighed in relief to see that Fred had it with him.

A few minutes later, the war between the Dark and the Light officially began.