She rounded on the students and went into lecture mode "Well, I don't know what you lot were thinking wandering around the castle at this time of night. You've had your Heads of House in a real panic. Rest assured, you will be severing detention for this. Now come on. Off we go."
Harry began walking without a fuss and, after sharing a look with the others, Katie bowed her head and followed on, Luna behind her with Natalie at her side and Pansy and Astoria bringing up the rear.
They hadn't gone very far when Moody's magical eye spun around to look through the back of his head and saw the threat. He turned and blocked the first few spells, but with thirty wands aimed at him he was only going to last a few moments before hitting the ground.
Harry instinctively spun around and grabbed Natalie, dragging her to the floor as Katie did the same for Luna and Pansy for Astoria.
In no time at all, McGonagall, Bill and Tonks joined Moody on the floor.
Harry looked up and saw the group of people running towards them. He raised his wand and fired a stunning spell that was easily deflected. A moment later he was disarmed and many hands were pulling him and the girls to their feet.
"Get off them!" he shouted, reaching out to grab Luna out of their clutches.
An arm wrapped around him and a female voice said into his ear "Calm down Harry. We're here to help you."
Harry rounded on the woman, took one look at her and spat "Who the hell are you?"
Worst fears confirmed, Amelia gestured to Savage for him and two others to get the six students out of there.
The girls allowed themselves to be escorted offsite without a fuss, but Harry was rather vocal in his displeasure.
Dumbledore had seen the whole thing on the map and, with a sinking feeling he knew that his time was almost up. Despite his best efforts, news of what had transpired at Hogwarts over the last day or so had obviously reached the outside world and the Ministry had decided to take action.
His actions had been a gamble, and Dumbledore knew that he had just lost.
Amelia Bones and her team had just taken down four of his best wands and "rescued" six of his students near the front gates of the school.
A team being led by Rufus Scrimgeour were just approaching the main viaduct that led to the Entrance Courtyard and Gawain Rhobards was just leading his team onto the covered bridge.
Nearly one hundred wizards and witches, made up of a combination of Aurors, Hit Wizards, Law Enforcement Officers and even Unspeakables were now moments away from storming the castle.
If he allowed them in of course.
He drew his wand and incanted "Colloportus totalem."
Around the school every door and window that led outside swung shut and locked securely.
Satisfied that they would be held off for quite a while, Dumbledore retreated to his office to gather his things. Once he was inside the office he checked one of the many silver instruments that sat upon one of his tables. After a quick examination he confirmed that the tracking charms the he had placed upon the boy the previous evening had already been discovered and removed.
Harry Potter had been moved beyond his grasp, and without Harry Potter his latest actions were all for nothing. Worse, the Order had now been compromised.
Dumbledore was well aware that his actions could see him placed in Azkaban by overzealous Ministry officials, but Azkaban was not somewhere that Dumbledore intended to go.
It was time to leave.
The front doors of Hogwarts castle creaked and groaned under the strain that they were being put under. Upon finding all points of entry to the castle to be locked, Madam Bones had ordered for the doors to be broken down. As such, three doors were now being put under immense strain by the wands of the Ministry wizards gathered outside. Amelia's team was attempting to get in through the door near the Herbology Greenhouses, Rhobards' team was working on the door that stood at the foot of the Clock Tower and Scrimgeour's team was blasting away at the front doors.
With a crack the doors to the Clock Tower finally gave way. A few moments later the door near the Greenhouses went the same way and two of the three teams stormed the castle.
Dumbledore saw this on the map, and watched as Rhobards' team encountered Kingsley and Mundungus. Both men were taken down easily.
For a moment, Dumbledore considered bringing the statues and suits of armour within the school to life and have them confront the raiders, but ultimately decided against it. He shrunk his gathered belongings, stowed them away in one pocket, put his wand in the other and called for Fawkes.
The Phoenix launched itself off of his perch and soared towards Dumbledore. Clasping onto the collar of Dumbledore's robes, the Phoenix disappeared in a flash of flame, taking his passenger with him.
In his haste to leave, Dumbledore forgot to take one important item with him.
The team led by Scrimgeour finally brought down the front doors to the castle and they stormed in. Any member of staff or member of the Order of the Phoenix found within was quickly brought down and arrested.
Amelia's team were the first to locate the students imprisoned in classroom 7B and Scrimgeour's team were the ones to gain access to Dumbledore's office.
Scrimgeour looked about the office, his feelings a mixture of anger and dismay. Dumbledore was gone.
He was just about to order his group to leave the office when one of the Law Enforcement Officers drew his attention to the Headmaster's desk.
The Head Auror approached and picked up the piece of parchment that lay there. It was a map of Hogwarts, one that showed the location of everyone within the castle.
Dumbledore had witnessed their every move and escaped with ease.
When this got out, the press would have a field day.
.....
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