Story: The Titans of Secrets
Chapter Twenty One: Falling For The Plan

"Ready?"

"At your command, Miss."

"Teleport us!" Darkness surrounded her vision before she started blinking rapidly due to the sensitive light. When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she looked around and nodded at her partner. "Constant Vigilance, Shade. Call me if you spot something suspicious." Shade nodded and they each took off with their broomsticks to their spots.

After almost ten minutes of waiting without any movement, Dragonfly circled the air in hopes to find Confusion or 16. She sighed when she found no traces. Just when she was about to resume her place on top of Flourish and Blotts, she saw a blue robed figure cross the street to an alleyway. Without a second thought, she sent a signal to Shade and mounted her broomstick.

Grazing the air above the robed figure, she came to a stop in front of him, wand pointed dangerously. The man's eyes widened and he immediately put his hands up in surrender. "I am a messenger from DMLE, here to convey an emergency SOS to the aurors and the hit wizards! I have nothing to do with the attacks!" he exclaimed and showed her his identity card just as Shade landed behind him.

"I'm sorry," Dragonfly apologized and Shade looked at her quizzically. "What's the emergency? We are part of the team as well."

"Hogwarts is under attack."

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Dragonfly and Shade teleported back to Hogwarts to see a huge chaos taking place right in front of their eyes. The atmosphere was rapidly changing. The sky was orange with dull, rainbearing clouds scattered around the infinite space. Several students were hurrying past each other into the castle and several others were shouting for their siblings and friends. The staff were scattered, some concentrating on putting up the defense.

"It was a ploy as I suspected!" Shade urged. Dragonfly's mind had long since gone mute. She had committed yet another big mistake which cost the life of the residents of Hogwarts. "Miss Fly! DRAGONFLY!" Shade's constant shouts pulled her back to the reality and she bit back the tears forming in her eyes and shook her head hopelessly. His face turned worried.

"You have got to stop this, Shade. I'm not fit for this job. I'm sorry. . . I should have listened to you. . . Someone else will replace me. I'm sorry!" she apologized before mounting her broom and flying away from the shouting Unspeakable. She could still hear his agonized bellows of her name, calling her back desperately but she could not muster up the courage to go back and help him. She knew she'd fail again. What kind of a Gryffindor am I?

When Dragonfly got into the seventh year girls' dorms, she quickly detransformed and ran out to find another worthy witch who would make a better Unspeakable than her.

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Ginny ran through the incoming crowds, elbowing her way through the underttering people. With beads of sweat flowing down her forehead, she ran down the Marble Staircase and to the Hogwarts grounds, her eyes seeking untammable bushy hair.

Upon reaching the grounds, she started shouting out for her best friend. A first year fell down on his way into the castle so she helped him stand up. She urged the boy to leave as a loud rumble was heard.

"CAREFUL!" a loud shriek alerted her and before she could turn around she was pushed to the ground, a heavy weight on her back. She tried to squirm away before she saw a cloaked hand. The weight lifted off her and she got up gingerly to look into the green eyes of Shade; she could see the despair in them. She wheeled around to see the place where she was standing, just a few seconds ago, to see that a huge crater had been burnt into the flat, grassy land. "Are you alright?" Shade asked. Ginny nodded.

"T-thanks!"

"I should thank you for saving that first year. Get to safety if you are underage, go!" he ordered before scampering away to the place where several of the staffs stood.

She got up quickly and resumed her search. After a few long minutes of squinting and dashing, she finally found the trademark bushy hair of her best friend. "HERMIONE GRANGER!" she shouted. Hermione looked around in search of her voice and Ginny waved her hand to catch her attention. They elbowed their way through the crowd and finally got to each other, panting and sweating.

"Ginny! It – was – a ploy!" she exclaimed in between breaths. Ginny bit her lip and nodded.

"That's why I am here. Silencio!" A silencing charm appeared like a bubble over them. When Ginny was sure there was no possibility of being eavesdropped on, she spoke in a dull tone. "Take this headband and transform into your enigmatic personality. Shade needs you!" She removed her Unspeakable accessory and proffered it to her best friend.

"No way, Ginny! I can't use it. It's rightfully yours!" Ginny shook her head negatively. "Did Shade ask you to give this to me?" Hermione probed. She received the same response. "Then why. . .?"

"I am not a capable Unspeakable. I don't have that foresight that you and Shade possess. He'll be better off without me. . ." Ginny whispered, looking down at the reflection of herself on the silver hairband. Hermione placed her hands on Ginny's shoulders.

"Everyone makes mistakes, Ginny but a good leader always tries and never gives up. Believing in yourself is much more important than every other thing. You are special, that's why you were chosen. Shade needs you. Hogwarts needs you!" Hermione comforted. Ginny looked unsurely at her. "Really. Go now, he looks rather worn out without a company."

Ginny's eyes searched for the familiar figure of her partner; he was erecting a shield whilst simultaneously guiding a pack of students. Ginny could see how much he was struggling: and she came to a conclusion. The redhead nodded at Hermione and with steely determination, ran to find a safe place to reprise her enigmatic life as Dragonfly. . .

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"NO! NOT THAT ONE! THE OTHER ONE!" She heard Shade shouting. Thankfully, the grounds was half empty by then helping her to run to him. Carefully, she determined the shields surrounding the castle as she approached her partner.

"They might not stand a vigorous fire. Do we know what or who's on the other side, Headmaster?" she asked. Dumbledore looked at her.

"I've heard that a pack of trolls, giants and some men are trying to bring down Hogwarts's defenses for the purpose of the entry of their chieftain. The aurors and hit wizards have been summoned," the aged Headmaster supplied. Dragonfly nodded and looked at Shade who was looking at her in surprise. She shrugged before looking over the horizon.

"Have you closed all the ways in and out?"

"The Floo network has been sealed and the anti-Apparition charms are in place, as stronger as ever but we don't know about the other secrets of Hogwarts, do we?" Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his eye.

"Albus!" The three of them turned around to face Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor. "All the students are locked in their common rooms. Thought I ought to let you know."

"Yes, good."

"But there's a problem left for us to solve," she said nervously. She pointed her hand at the shields which were now flashing. "They might not stand the attack." Dumbledore hummed thoughtfully.

"We need to set up reinforcements and vacate the students," Shade proposed.

"But vacate to which place and how? We cannot foolishly open the floo network and most of the population cannot Apparate, not even without the anti-Apparition charms!" McGonagall exclaimed impatiently.

"Hogsmeade?"

"No, we can't! What if Confusion has placed some more soldiers there?" Dragonfly asked before walking forwards to stare at the huge silhouettes of trolls and giants. What was strange was that some dispersed to walk towards the Forbidden Forest. She narrowed her eyes. "We must devise a proper plan. I need all of the staff for this. Is it possible, sir?"

"That can be done. Minerva, let the Prefects and the Heads deal with the students. Ghosts can help them as well. Send a patronus to the others," Dumbledore ordered and McGonagall nodded before leaving the scene. Then he turned to Dragonfly.

"What's next?" Shade asked.

Dragonfly smiled smugly. "We plot."

There ends the chapter. Your thoughts on it? Let me know in the comments!

Thank you for reading!

Miyoko x