So Chloe wouldn't be joining her, but that was okay. As long as she was safe, Maddie didn't care who she was safe with. The Hufflepuff was still standing in the line Marchand had directed them in. She thought about the people at the lake. Please be safe. Please be alive. Again, her own bravery was surprising her. She was as calm as she could be, she was ready to fight if need be, and she wasn't even crying.

That is, until...

Maddie heard only faint scratching at first, and then the noise grew...and grew...and grew... "It's them...It's them isn't it?" whispered. She wasn't even sure if any sound had come out her mouth, but she had tried to talk. They were coming whether she wanted them to or not. They weren't just coming, though...they were here. A single tear trickled down her cheek, and then another, and then another after that. She was fighting her tears so badly that she wasn't full on crying. But there were definitely tears coming down her cheeks.

"Ig...," she tried, but her voice got choked up, and she ended up coughing. "Ig--..." She coughed again. "Ignisio Funem!" she finally managed, with a fierceness to her voice. She whipped her wand around, and suddenly, there was a lasso of fire around her.

Nathan could definitely hear them scratching on the doors! Merlin, are they going to force their way in?! He hoped those big giant entrance doors could hold them back a little longer until more help arrives. Standing guard and close near the professors, he wasn't sure if they had enough manpower to fight off these creatures. "Professor, what are the cha...chances we'll live?" he asked, his voice breaking. Damn it! Focus, Nathan! He was not going to die! Not in the hands of these inferis! Nathan pointed his wand at the door, "LUMOS MAXIMA! LUMOS SOLEM!" Nathan read the creatures hated the light and heat. Casting the light charm would render them back. If not, he would use Reducto to blast them into pieces if he had to.

Daisy could hear the sound of wood being clawed apart and it terrified her but she was determined to not let any fear show on her face. She quickly lined up behind Professor Marchand and moved her wand in a whip-like motion around her and Chloe as she firmly said, "Ignisio Funem!" Within seconds, the two students had a fire-lasso encircling them.

Beth had heard the stories of the invading inferi…still, it wasn’t the sound of the nails on the great oak doors that had given them away to her. It was the smell, the smell of rotten flesh could make her nose hairs burn. The sound was torture, utter torture.

”y-you think we’ll die?” Beth’s throat tightened as she looked over to the sixth year boy. ”Hey…Chloe right? I’ll help you try and find your brother after we fight them off…or…get to safety right?” it was time to fight…or at the very least find her friends and run to a higher out of reach location and take up the rear of the fight.

Last defense…a bunch of tiny kids that wouldn’t do much good would it? Where was Daniel? Was he okay – surely he was? WHERE was Quinn though?

Isa was utterly terrified of the creatures and secretly wished that she could be hiding in the common room, but she had a sense of duty to protect her friends and her school. She would never be able to forgive herself if her friends got hurt while she was in the common room. Here she was, staying in the entrance hall to fight off the inferi. Oh Merlin, what was that scratching sound? It had to be the Inferi trying to break in. What had happened to Emmalyn and everyone else by the lake? Rage swept through the hufflepuff at the thought of anything harming her friends. The desire to protect her friends made Isa feel stronger. She was going to burn those Inferi if it was the last thing she did. At the moment it was a very real and frightening possibility that fighting inferi was going to be the last thing she and everyone else here did, but Isa tried to ignore those thoughts and focus only on how she needed to protect her friends. The sixth year Hufflepuff placed herself near Maddie and prepared to blast undead creatures with fire. ”Ignisio funem!” Isa whipped her wand around her to create a fire lasso. ”Maddie… Whatever happens I just want you to know that you are one of the most amazing, brave, inquisitive, spirited Hufflepuffs I know. It takes guts to stand and fight to protect the school and your friends. It’s not just ourselves we’re defending here, it’s everyone here we care about and we have to protect them.” Hopefully that would be somewhat encouraging. It was as much to reassure herself as it was to encourage Maddie.

Daisy heard Isa reassure Maddie to which Daisy's nodded, silently agreeing with her friend. She was silently praying that people who were located in various parts of Hogwarts were okay. Daisy couldn't bear the loss of any of her friends or staff members. She'd rather die than have any of her friends die.

He wanted her to stand too, why did everyone want her to stand, why did they all want to fight. Whatever happened to get the hell out and save yourself....

Wait..

Was that what they were doing, using the smallest as bait so they needed her up so they could run faster then her when those things came in?

No, no, that wasn't it and she had to stop with all the questions in her head. Save all of them for later when the adults saved their lives. Keeping her grip on the professor she just nodded as he said she wasn't alone and slowly got to her feet. She wasn't letting go of his robes anytime soon.

Giving the other professor looks before glancing at the older claw boy and then the rest she gave Maddie a thanks look, though she hadn't taken the offer, but it was Beth she focused on when her brother was mentioned. "You don't think he's out there with them.... doyou?" Gunnar needed to be safe somewhere not out fighting.


"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" The twelve-year-old jumped hearing the noises coming from the door, finally breaking her grip from the Professor's robes she backed herself behind them all to the wall. "They are going to get in, we are all going to die." The people at the lake had to be dead if they were here, they wouldn't have just walked away from them and left them alive. They were doomed, everyone was doomed.

Maddie felt as fierce as a lion with the ring of fire blazing around her. She was content to just stand there, waiting on the moment the doors burst open. But then she overheard the others around her, and she just felt like she needed to boost team morale. They were not going to die. She had to get everybody to stop panicking, though.

Her gaze first traveled to Nathan, an older Slytherin that she had seen in a few classes. What are the chances they'll live? "Our chances are really, really good," she told him, a confident look on her face. And she meant that. If they didn't panic (well, too much), and if enough people cast a fire spell, they had very good chances of making it through this.

Anabeth hadn't been talking directly to her, but Maddie wanted everybody to believe they were not going to die. "Nobody's going to die!" she said. "We've got some really good fire spells in place, and the Inferi can't survive fire. Whatever you do, stay by the fire!" Poor Chloe. She could imagine how the girl felt not knowing where her brother was. Maddie had two siblings, but neither were old enough to come to Hogwarts. "Chloe, there's professors and older students everywhere. I honestly don't know where your brother is, but I believe he's safe! You'll be reunited with really, really soon!"

Her jaw dropped when Isa addressed her. Wow. Those were some powerful words, and despite the tears streaming down Maddie's cheeks, she managed a smile. "Thank you, Isa. We're all brave. It's going to take all of to bring down these guys, but we're going to it!" she said. "Now...let's roast some bones!"

Alright, Jack Skellington. Bring it on.

Gaston nodded in response to Kalen's further instructions to the students. He exchanged a look with his colleague, silently willing him to keep the students alive if he should fall... which at this point was a very real possibility. He managed a small, shaky smile for Kalen and Dorian as they joined the line beside him. Then he heard it... the sound of ominous scratching at the door, like a thousand nails screeching against a chalkboard but worse. His heart leaped into his throat at the sound, and his face went pale, as pale as the creatures he'd seen at the lake, as pale as the creatures that were undoubtedly waiting outside. They were coming...

His thoughts wandered to the people he'd left behind at the lake... Regina, Hirsch, Tristan, Haraldur, Ignatius, all those kids. He thought they would be back by now! Did that mean... were they all dead? Be fore he knew it, his eyes were watering, either from sadness or the fire swirling around him. He blinked, willing the bad thoughts to die. He could look for survivors later. Right now, he had a group of kids still alive to protect, and he would not allow himself to fall apart and frighten them!

Gaston was glad to have Chloe back on her feet. He wrapped a protective arm, the one that wasn't wielding his wand, around her as she clung to his robes, but the poor girl bolted toward the wall the moment the scratching sounds began. He gazed sympathetically at her; he couldn't blame her for running! His bright blue eyes flicked down the line, darting from one face to the next... brave Daisy prepared to fight, poor Maddie trying so hard not to cry. Even Nathan's voice was breaking! He shook his head in reply to the boy's question and the follow-up on from Beth but remained silent. He was afraid his own voice would break if he tried to speak!

Luckily, Maddie answered before he had the chance. He nodded, his eyes flashing with renewed determination. When Isa spoke up, he knew he had to at least try to say something. "None of you are going to die - NOT tonight!" he assured them. The odds of his own survival, however... that was another story. He did not want to die here! He wanted to get back to his wife and child, but he would do what must to get the students out of here alive, even if it meant sacrificing himself to buy them time. He sighed sadly as his mind searched for the right thing to say. He had to choose his next words carefully, so the students wouldn't panic and catch on that he was saying his goodbyes. "I-I'm honored to be your professor, and I can't think of a finer group of people to fight alongside..."

"Hold this line as long as you can, and i-if anything happens to Professor Kennedy and me, get yourselves out of here!" His voice faltered, but his wand arm remained steady as he looked back at the doors, resigned to the fact that he was about to die. His mind wandered back to the blue-eyed baby girl who was probably asleep right now in Hogsmeade, blissfully unaware that her father may never come home. Daddy loves you, Desiree, he thought. Remember that... He thought of the heroes he'd read about in the history books... Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Lily and James Potter... was this how they felt knowing they would leave behind a child?

The scratching and clawing continued. Their movements became more rapid and they dug their fingers in harder and harder. Wood shavings fell on the ground. Slowly but surely, progress was being made. Slowly but surely, one of the Inferi made a tiny hole in the door. They were breaking through.

At the appearance of the tiny hole, a number of Inferi took turns digging at it. Others began to hit the door with all of their might.

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Suddenly a skeletal hand made its way through the door, the hole now large enough for a head to go through. In fact, one of the Inferi stuck its head into the room and let out a loud, horrendous cry.

A pair of Inferi hands pulled their comrade out of the way and more hands started pulling apart the door. They were on the cusp of being able to start pouring inside the castle...

Gunnar had been in the common room finishing up a Potions essay when he saw some strange figures swim past one of the nearby windows. And it hadn't been much longer after that when he heard what he thought sounded like muffled screams coming from outside and some of his housemates coming in and going on about... inferi? The thirteen year old was well aware of what those things were, but were they really attacking Hogwarts?

He figured it would probably be safe in the common room, but he also had a fleeting thought about his sister. Chloe would be even safer in her common room, most likely, if she was there, considering it was one of the highest points of the castle. But he had no way of knowing if she was there or not and he wasn't so sure he could just assume that she was. He needed to make sure.

His wand in head, Gunnar tentatively headed out of the common room but was soon drawn to the entrance hall where there seemed to be plenty of noise and commotion. He wasn't exactly eager to join in a fight or become inferi fodder, but maybe someone would know what was going on or had seen his sister.

And speaking of Chloe, the scream he heard coming from the entrance hall as he stepped inside sounded very familiar. " ....Chloe?!" His eyes scanned the figures already present there until he saw hers being shepherded by Professor Marchand and he rushed over to stand behind them, ducking from the fire lassos people were starting to cast.

His eyes grew large as he turned towards the door, hearing the loud scratching and banging. "Is that...?" He trailed off, already knowing the answer to his question.. and seeing the rotted flesh through a hole in the door. He should have stayed in his common room where it was safe. He could cast Incendio if needed, but as a second year he didn't know anything much stronger or more effective than that.

"Abey! Has anyone seen my cousin Abraham?!"

The seventh year had found her younger siblings first, had made sure they were safe and far away from the dead threatening to harm them. Abraham was still missing, though, and the thought that he might be alone somewhere sent a shiver down her spine. He'd been through enough. This school had put him through enough. She had to find him and so she ran down the staircase, her companion lost along the way, on his own search for his sister, and Junia looked around at the crowd of students as her heart sank. He wasn't there...

Before she could question anyone, make a case to her professor as to why she she should be allowed out into the chaos happening on the grounds, the sounds of the dead filled her ears. It was something she'd never forget and a chill passed over her as their fingers clawed at the door. They were going to get in!

"We can't let them widen that hole!" The Slytherin called out to the others, many of which were younger than her and seemed too shocked to move. "We need to stop them from getting in, okay? Please.." She had people she needed to protect, didn't they know?!

"Incendio tria!" Her spell was aimed at the opening in the door, she felt the power of it pass through her into the wand and out through the tip as the flames emerged. They weren't getting in here, they couldn't...

...and it looked like she couldn't get out.

"I'm sorry professor, I'm sorry" She had seen his face as he turned to look at her when she ran to get away from the door. Tears were pouring down her face now and she was not in anyway able to cast any spells. This was horrible and she wasn't a good witch, she was going to fail school for sure.

"GUNNAR"

Seeing her brother she ran to him and clung to his robes sobbing into his side. "Those things are going to eat us, we are never going to see mom and dad again or Morgan.." Such the positive one that she usually was, she was not having any strength to be that positive now.

Looking towards the door as it got louder she screamed seeing those things coming through the door.

Maddie squeezed her eyes shut. She was still trying to dig deep into the depths of her mind and wake up from the nightmare she was currently having. But she could still hear them. The banging was getting louder and louder and louder. Another tear trickled down her cheek, and she opened her eyes.

...and saw a skeletal hand poking its way through a now open door. She gasped, and ended the spell of fire that was encircling her. "Incendio!" she called out, shooting the fire toward the door. "Incendio!" She then re-cast the lasso of fire around her, surprising herself at how much she'd learn about defense and protection.

It was then that she noticed Gunnar had joined them, causing a previously protected Chloe to now be unprotected. "Chloe! Gunnar!" she called out. "They're coming! Get by someone with fire! Hurry!"

Nettie had to admit she let out a sigh of relief when Gunnar, Chloe's brother, came to join the party. Now she at least knew her friend was with someone she trusted - which hopefully meant she'd be safe. As much as it pained her to think it, she couldn't really worry about anyone else right now. She had to worry about herself...

Especially because it looked like the Inferi were about to bust that door open...

Biting her lip, she took out her wand and gathered close to the professors and the rest of the group. She had nothing more than Incendio up her sleeve when it came to fighting these monsters - but it was better than nothing. Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort with Expelliarmus, after all...

Nathan quickly glanced back at Maddie who reassured him that their chances of coming out alive was pretty big. He hoped she was right. He didn’t want to die here. He had plans to open up a broom-making venture in the future! How was he to face his dad in the heavens if he couldn’t even fight?! Nathan was having none of that. Its time to show these boneheads what he truly made of. Steel.

He heard the younger students screaming, some of them crying behind them. But all he could think about right now, were the counter-attack spells he could throw at these creatures. There was no turning back now. His eyes and wand trained at the entrance door, ready to attack at any given time.

Oh no! Nathan watched in terror as one of them managed fo climb through a hole in the door and suddenly released a terrible cry. For merlin sake, HOGWARTS! Where were all the protective enchantment spells they put on the doors?! Were they not functioning at all?!

“Incendio Tria! Reducto!! He cast with renewed determination.

Those sounds of the students and staff near her seemed to be muffled. Perhaps it was a sign of fear or the fact that Daisy wanted to focus on destroying the Inferi and protecting those around her. As one of the Inferi entered through the hole in the door, Daisy's eyes widened slightly. She aimed her wand at the creature, moved the wand in a downwards slashing motion and bellowed, "Incendio Trio!" She then moved her wand in a whip-like motion as she firmly bellowed, "Lustro Circulus!"

How the other students were so talkative was beyong him. Ok they weren't exactly having basic conversation but they did communicate with each other. Dorian on the other hand had an invisible bubble head charm around him, so to speak. He could not hear anyone except for the Inferi scratching on the door. The sound made him think of nails dragging across a blackboard. Luckily, the Ravenclaw never felt uncomfortable with that sound. It was the thought that blood thirsty monsters were behind that scratching was what made his skin crawl.

His wand hand was still shivering and he his eyes were starting to burn as he focused on the door without blinking to much. He was afraid that they came through the door at the moment he had his eyes closed and it was too late.

And then he saw it, spells were being casted by the others and Dorian gulped. This was it. No time to run away now. He agreed with the seventh year slytherin, what was her name again? Julia? Junia? About needing to protect the door and their spells were only damaging the door making it easier for the inferi to come through. But what choice did they have? Fire spells were the only spells that kept those things at bay for the moment.

Pointing his acacia wand at the door himself, Dorian supported his right wand hand with his left arm to keep the shaking to a mininum and shouted "Incendio Tria!" but except for a blaze of fire, a small puff of smoke came out.

"Not now!" He yelled in panic as he looked with wide eyes away from the door and to his wand. "Incendio Tria!" Perhaps it was his fear that made him so determined but this time the spell worked and the fire flew in the direction where the inferi were.

Gaston looked back at Chloe, the sadness in his eyes quickly turning to shock at her words. There was no need to apologize! She was just frightened and wanted her family;
he understood. He felt the same way. Relief washed over his face the moment Gunnar appeared. At least they knew the boy was safe for now,
and maybe he'd be able to comfort Chloe, as none of them had had much luck. He was about to tell the pair to stay behind the wall of fire when Maddie beat him to it. He nodded. "Stick close to us, and use Incendio if they get near you!"


Gaston forced himself to look back at the door, his eyes wide and his face ghostly white, but the rest of his body remained motionless without so much as a tremor. His heart dropped further with each BANG, every sound a bitter reminder that he was one moment closer to leaving his daughter. Skeletal hands finally made their way through the hole, and then he saw it... a ghastly corpse head peeking through the hole in the door. Its cry sent a chill down his spine as the reality of his impending demise set in. For the first time since he saw the Inferi rise out of the lake, he wanted to break down and weep for the little girl who would grow up without knowing her dad. With his chest tightening under the weight of his overwhelming sadness, he forced a few deep breaths and choked back a sob. His hand tightened around his wand in a vice grip as he flicked his fire lasso toward the Inferius's head. One thought echoed through his mind: hold this line.

Wait, what? Abra was missing?! Gaston turned to Junia, his eyes widening in horror. Before he could ask if she'd talked to any Gryffindors who might've seen him in the common room or instruct her to add a fire lasso to the line of fire he was trying to build, she started telling the others what to do and sending spells toward the door. "That's going to-" he began, but Maddie, Nathan, Daisy, & Dorian were already firing spells too. He set his jaw, biting back his annoyance. The idea behind the wall of fire was that the Inferi wouldn't know they were there until after they stormed the doors, therefore they would be walking into a trap. But so much for having the element of surprise on their side..

Gaston tried to block out his rising frustration. He didn't want to die angry, but the fact was he was angry.. angry that the Inferi now knew they were there and were bound to retaliate against the barrage of spells, angry that he was probably going to die sooner than he thought as a result, but above all, angry that he wouldn't see his daughter grow up. All-consuming rage built inside him until it had nowhere to go but out. He aimed his wand, channeling all that negative energy into a nonverbal Firestorm charm and sent a giant fireball toward the Inferi at the door.

More and more hands clawed and pulled at the wood. They were almost in, but the door still remained an obstacle for them. The hole was not yet big enough for them to squeeze through. Regardless, they were determined to get in. Just a few more minutes...

Suddenly a heap of fire went through the hole and made contact with about four of the Inferi, setting their hands ablaze. It caused those Inferi to jump back and run over the side of the cliff into the water to put an end to the flames. But the other Inferi remained, though they couldn't help but take a several steps back away from the door.

In the casting of a number of fire spells and some not being aimed that well, the wooden door caught fire. The flames and smoke prevented the Inferi from peering into the hall and enlarging the hole they had started making, but it also stopped any humans from seeing them.

The Inferi outside did not move. They were certain the humans wouldn't let their castle be consumed by flames. So they waited, ready to move forward when the opportune moment came.

Junia's thinking was sound as far as she was concerned. Aim for the hole, intend to set the undead on fire, cause the rest of them to either go up in flames too, or back off from the door. Simple and allowing them to keep distance between themselves and those seeking to harm them. It would've worked, too, if only the others had been aiming their spells for the same spot. Instead the seventh year was now looking at the doors she'd entered through every year since she was eleven burn before her eyes and any sense of hope she'd felt was quickly vanishing, being replaced by a very real, very overwhelming sense of dread.

"We have to put it out. If the door turns to ash, we haven't got a chance.." She whispered, looking around for someone with some sense of what they should do next because they certainly didn't have the man power to take them on face-to-face as far as she could tell and she didn't want to. She wanted Abey and the twins and to be safe.

Kalen felt like his blood had turned to ice when he first heard the scratching at the door, and his grip tightened on his wand as he took a breath and wished desperately that this was a dream and he would wake up in his study and have a nice calming cup of Chamomile tea.

But no, this was real and happening right now and Kalen was terrified and really hoping that Tristan was all right and not caught up at the lake with these things. He wouldn’t know what to do if he lost his best friend.

He set his jaw as a hand burst through the door and he nearly found himself gagging at the sight of the Inferi. Merlin!

He raised his wand and sent a non verbal fireball spell at the Inferi, but the kids weren’t exactly aiming well, and so now the door was on fire!

Dear Sweet Merlin, they needed to get that fixed, before it and the castle caught on fire!

He stepped out from the line and moved around the hallway towards the door, if he could get close, he could put it out from the side and hopefully the kids could aim a bit better!

He carefully moved around the students and their flurry of fire spells and crept around the edge of the burning door. He lifted his wand and sent an nonverbal water charm towards the fire.

Daisy then realised that she had been blinded by fear and that the door was ablaze. The young witch had been aiming for the Inferi so she was furious with herself that she had been the cause of the door being on fire.

Daisy aimed her wand at the door and said, "Aguamenti!"

Dorian happened to be looking at Professor Marchand for instructions when he saw the dissapointment in his face. But why he would be , he didn't get. Wasn't this the whole purpose of them firing fire at the inferi? To banish them? Scare them away? But as he looked back at the door his eyes widened when he realised that the door had caught fire.

Soon, there would not be a door left and the Inferi could get inside. Was Hogwarts doom going to be their fault?! Dorian breathed in and out shallowly, trying to focus on what the others were saying. The smoke made it so that he could not see where the inferi were but he doubted it they had left the area.

Suddenly, his face seemed to lit up as a thought came to mind. He wasn't sure if he should voice it though, because even he thought it would be risky but he got the idea after their defence against the dark arts lesson where they had been trapped in a dark room. The lesson in which he had screamed about wanting to be let out....huh, seemed like he had learned something afterall..

He watched how Daisy and Professor Kennedy started using aguamenti on the door and therefore choose to tell Professor Marchand instead. "Professor, im sorry, i know this is a stupid and risky thought but what if we get away from the door and let the inferi inside the hall?" see that was the risky part. "Once most of them are inside we trap them in a ring of fire and...i don't know..run?" could they please run? "Maybe use an dissilusionment charm on all of us as well? We'll not be invisible i know because the dissilusionment charm works more like a camouflage but to a mindless corpse it will probably think we left the hall. Although i doubt that inferi can think that much as they are controlled by powerful dark magic but...." he realised he was rambling again and his ears turned red.

"Sorry, ignore me..." Maybe he should just focus on using aguamenti instead...

They needed protection, but she didn't want to move and she couldn't let go over her brother. This was not fun, not fun at all. Why wasn't this place safer? She loved being here until this. As the fire from everyone's spells started lighting up the castle, literally, she stared at the door as some of those things left her sight and smoke filled the area.

Coughing she screamed seeing water going towards the door, "What are you doing? That is keeping them away. Can't you do some charm or something to keep the fire just at the door? There has to be a way to keep the fire going to hold them back and not burn the castle down. Doors can be replaced."

Did they want everyone to die? Doing away with the fire was going to let those things in.