Part 5: United

Harry sat up, staring in wonder. Ancient Magic was so beautiful and pure. A small globe of light shone in his hand, slowly circling, it's light painting itself on the curtains of his four poster bed. The spell was called "The Strength of the Sun", invented by Helga Hufflepuff herself. Harry was amazed by how such a small piece of paper could hold so much power.

"Oi, Ron."

"Yeah." Ron replied from his bed where he was finishing off tomorrows Transfiguration homework without Hermione realising.

"Throw something at my bed."

"…what?" Ron asked moving from his bed to stare at the curtains of Harry's.

"Just do it alright!"

There was a loud bang as the book was bounced off the curtains of Harry's bed and thrown to the other side of the room. Seamus jumped up from where he was sleeping.

"Wot the fuck!"

"Harry, what was that?" Ron asked in amazement.

Pulling back the curtains, Harry grinned at Ron. "My very own sun."

"Albus, have you seen this?" Minerva murmured to the headmaster at the breakfast table.

The recently refurbished Ollivander's had been set fire to. Whilst no one was harmed, terrorist attacks and fear from the public had set Diagon Alley into a panic. Shops had closed down and owners had evacuated the area. Clearly, Death Eaters were on the rampage.

"Hm, yes, that does pose a problem." Dumbledore murmured, as he looked upon the students, many of whom had frowns reading the papers themselves.

"We cannot have the students set in a panic, they will not unite under tense circumstances."

"I know Minerva."

McGonagall pursed her lips at the headmaster and frowned in expectation. "Well, what do we do?"

"I'm afraid, I simply do not know."

"But, Harry, your realise this could mean the school could be attacked next." Hermione said as she followed Harry to Defence Against the Dark Arts.

"Yes, I know, but don't worry, i've got it sorted."

"I'm sure the Ancient wards will be strong enough, but I just don't believe you can get the entire school to do that together."

"Well I'll just have to think of a way then won't I." Harry gritted.

"WILL ALL STUDENTS PLEASE MOVE TO THE MAIN HALL IMMEDIATELY."

"WILL ALL STUDENTS PLEASE MOVE TO THE MAIN HALL IMMEDIATELY"

Draco and Pansy ran up the stair. Another bang and the rumble though the school knocked Pansy of her feet. She made a small yelp in surprise but then Draco helped her up and the Slytherins continued to run from the dungeons.

"Draco, what is it?"

"Death eaters." He spat out in reply, dragging Pansy round the corner to get to the Main Hall.

The pair hit something hard as they turned the corner.

"Ernie!" Draco cried in surprise, helping the Hufflepuff from the floor but fell back down as the castle shook again.

"Nice to see you again." Ernie yelled over the shouts and screams of other students. "Despite the nasty circumstances."

"Yeah, same here. Come on, let's get moving."

The three continued to make their way into the hall. Upon entering they raised their eyebrows at the chaos as students sat where they could. Tables were not laid out and instead pupils sat in their groups as whatever classes they'd just escaped from. The younger students huddled together, uncaring of what House they were in. The three moved towards the nearest group of people in their own year: Terry Boot, Padma Patil and a younger Ravenclaw.

The 6 then sat together, wondering what was going to happen next.

"Severus, have we contacted the Ministry?"

"Yes, they have aurors fighting off the Death Eaters outside, but it is a large area to cover, there's not much they can do."

Albus worked his way through his students, thinking of how he was to calm them. He could not evacuate them from the school, it was too high a possibility they could lose a student. To fight them would mean the teachers would have to momentarily take the wards down to find the Death Eaters.

He felt so trapped. Maybe he was getting old but this was no time to worry about that, he had to care for his pupils. Albus sat at the head table and waited for the rest of the teachers with their students.

Harry knew he had to do something now, but what? Suddenly his idea to protect the wards seemed foolish.

"Harry, we've got to try it now" Ron said.

"Try what?" Dean asked.

"A spell to strengthen the wards." Ron answered.

"Merlin, yeah Harry we need to do it. What is it you've got planned?"

Harry felt his strength slip away as the Gryffindors started murmuring about "the plan". Damn nosy Gryffindors, always looking out for what to do next.

"Look, Ron, we should probably just leave it to Professor Dumbledore to sort it out."

"No, Harry, look at him." Hermione murmured. "I don't think he knows what to do." She sounded genuinely worried and indeed, the headmaster was looking older than ever.

"Okay, this is the spell…" Harry started to the Gryffindors and a few Hufflepuffs listening in.

"Hey, what's going on?" Draco asked the second year Hufflepuff who was scribbling some notes down on a sheet of paper.

"We're writing down our wishes, hopes and dreams." The Hufflepuff nonchalantly answered.

"er…I'm sorry, what?" Pansy spluttered.

"It's Ancient Magic, from Helga Hufflepuff. It's going to protect the wards."

"…right." She answered sending a smirk to the rest of the guys in the group. Draco and Pansy turned their back and moved back into the conversation.

_
"…and then you just focus on all these thought. I know it sounds silly, but really, just focus. Once you've focused all this energy, just…let go." The folded piece of paper in Harry's hand suddenly burst into flames before settling into a smallsun. There was a gasp amongst the crowd of onlookers.

"And this really works?" A Slytherin asked.

"Throw something at me." Harry smirked in reply.

There was a pause, before the Slytherin smirked back and threw his entire bag at Harry. It ricochet off the shield around Harry and flew across the hall, gathering the attention of the rest of the room.

"What is going on here?" Severus Snap asked, appearing from nowhere.

"Er…" Harry murmured.

"Sir, it's a spell to protect the school." Hermione answered. "It's Ancient Magic, from Helga Hufflepuff. It was made for the School's wards but it was never put into practice due to her untimely death."

Snape sneered at the students before him, looking down at the hopeful faces from students from all houses. His eyes landed at the sun in Harry's hands.

"Potter, get up and follow me."

_
"May I have your attention please." The Headmaster calmly spoke and immediately silence fell across the hall. "Our school is suffering the remaining anger of a war that has affected us all. We have been through a lot but most of our pain we have suffered independently. But now is the time for us to band together, to forget our troubles and our past and to focus on our future, our hopes wishes and dreams. The last few remaining death eaters are attacking the wards of the school. Whilst the Hogwarts school wards have remained strong since the school began, they depend on the unity of those within it. The war has separated us and created splits between the Houses, deeper than ever before. You are asked today, to forget your troubles and work together. This is a day that will go down in history. We are asking you to replenish the wards of Hogwarts as her students. So, may I hand your attention over to Mr Harry Potter, who will explain to you our solution."

Harry nervously stepped up to the main table. McGonagall squeezed his shoulder in support. All the teachers had agreed, this should work, but it was down to Harry as to whether the students will do it.

"Er…well, I found this spell, er…Ancient Magic by Helga Hufflepuff…." Harry glanced over the filled hall of expectant teenagers. "You need to write down what you want, what you dream of, what's most important to you. It doesn't matter what it is, you just need to put it down in words, everything you want for your future. Once you've done that, you hold the paper in your hands and just focus on what you've written down. It's difficult to explain, it's about feeling for your magic and what you want. Once you've grasped your magic you send it to the paper and let go. The rest, the teachers will do by writing the Ancient Magic on walls of the castle. And er… that's it."

There was a moment of silence as Harry finished his hurried explanation. Then, a quiet snicker came from the back of the room and soon half the room was laughing.

"Silence!" Albus roared. All laughter stopped. Albus paused, looking upon the students, not knowing what to say.

Harry looked at his lost headmaster.

"Look, guys, I know it's stupid but we need to defend ourselves. The war Is not over yet when we still fight amongst ourselves. This spell is called Strength of the Sun, stupid right, but look at the ceiling, where has our night sky gone." People looked up and all they saw was the dark cloudy night. "We need to fill the sky with our starts. Like this!"

Harry cried out, throwing his own start up to the ceiling. It floated there. A single glowing light. The students looked up in amazement. Hermione stared in wonder at the beauty of the light. With her wish in hand she repeated Harry, and up her sunwent. Soon the rest of the Gryffindors followed and lights were filling the sky.

Harry watched, smiling as Hogwarts wished for what they wanted. He frowned as he caught sight of some Slytherins who were struggling. Crossing the hall, he found Draco and Pansy huddling together.

"You guys alright?" Harry asked with a frown.

"Fuck off Potter." Malfoy retorted.

"No, it's fine." Pansy cried into Malfoy's shoulder.

"What's going on?" Harry asked again.

There was quiet between the two Slytherins. "It's just hard to focus on something to wish for when I know my father is out there trying the break in."

Pansy's father was a death eater. And surely there must be plenty of other students who are all too aware of what could happen is the wards fell. Fear was conquering hope. There was a shudder from the building again and Harry looked up to see a few suns fading.

He stood up again and turned to school. "Guys, I know you're scared. You're worried. But trust me, trust each other. Just think of what we can do with this world. What we can bring to it once all this is over. The aurors will catch the death eaters and we can get on with our lives."

Pansy smiled at Harry. Her face lit up, literally, as a sun formed in her hand. It floated up and joined the others. Soon the teachers had lit theirs. The hall had never been so bright. People watched in awe as one by one the suns joined together in thin threads. They spread out, away from the hall and covered the entirety of Hogwarts. The light filled through the bricks of the school, strengthening them and refurbishing old and crumbling structures. Then there was silence. The students looked around, waiting for…something.

"Minerva, I think someone should get an update from the aurors." Dumbledore murmured. McGonagall quickly left the hall.

"I would just like to say, thank you. Thank you to the students of Hogwarts who have put their hearts into saving the school. Well done everyone."

McGonagall was back in double quick timing. "The aurors have caught 5 of the death eater. Only two escaped but it seems they'd left when the aurors had first arrived."

"In that case, I believe we shall have an early dinner. A feast for us all." Dumbledore smiled.