"Me too." Kiss. "We've have to go."

She nods - checks she has the Marauder's Map - and, "I'll see you at the end."

And then she's off - Sirius and Malcolm, too, to their own stations.

She, Fay, and Bellatrix should also get moving.

Bellatrix says her own soft goodbye to Elodie, then -

Yeah. She's ready.

Down toward the Great Hall, as the castle shakes more and more...

Seems to be pretty serious about this assault.

Yeah.

They're launching return attacks, but - mostly from the artillery or from wards. Gormlaith will hopefully be able to rip through the attackers' back rows once Anathema gets to the Chamber. Individual defenders can't do much offensively just yet, though.

Still, they can do some to prepare. Transmute and animate defensive statues, spreading them out on rows on the grounds to join the more permanent protections. Make sure anyone out on the grounds when the attack began gets inside the castle. Activate runic traps. Block entrances and exits - there's a lot, even with the ground through third floor windows having been previously turned to stone, and the more they can handle themselves the better off Anathema will be. Block entrances and exits within Hogwarts, too, creating multiple shells within the castle as non-combatants fall back to the interior and down - ideally, they force it so the only entrances to the castle are higher up, forcing attackers to navigate through as much of the castle as possible, creating more opportunities to strike back.

The intense despairing cloud from the Dementors starts concentrating. Fay summons her Patronus, a fierce, blazing dragon, and has it circle the edge of the wards, darting in and out to harass the Dementors - trying to push them back into the non-Dementor attackers - from the angry, shrill screams, the Thestrals had the same idea.

Ellie has her tiger Patronus assist in the same way, between blocking off hallways and reinforcing walls.

Another explosion, loud, the ground heaving under them -

The outer line of wards fails. The Dementors press in, lines opening in their ranks for dark-cloaked wizards - incredibly difficult to see - who set to work on the inner, weaker lines. There's little flares from farther in, a few of their runic traps being preemptively destroyed.

She pulls her Patronus back, to try to stem a breach.

Fay's turns out to be able to breathe a dense mist over the Dementors if she's angry enough. 

The siege wears on. They have some successes - some losses -

Anathema reports early on that she's being prevented somehow from influencing the ground past Hogwarts' wards. They won't be able to trivially evacuate, though she's bring the most vulnerable noncombatants into the Chamber anyways. She sends out Gormlaith through the Lake, and the basilisk rips a deadly path through the attackers until she's wounded enough she's forced to retreat; the mer people cover her, preventing the Death Eaters from pursuing her into the Lake.

The Death Eaters force their way closer in steps and jerks. They successfully get a few runed projectiles through, destroying a handful of towers, collapsing some of Hogwarts' upper walls or tearing through bits of roof. The causality reports aren't reaching Ellie's group, but -

There must be some. 

They bring the Death Eaters to a bloody standstill a single defensive ring from Hogwarts' walls. 

It's past dawn, but there's a dense, thick cloud preventing any but the weakest light. Many defenders are shaking, the Dementors close and hungry, even with Cheering Charms and chocolate and a wall of Patronuses.

And Voldemort speaks, voice rolling over the castle, clearly audible to everyone within -

"You have no more ability to get food. No more ability to get supplies. You cannot kill my Dementors. You cannot turn us aside."

"I demand one thing only, and then I will pull back this siege."

"I want Ellie Potter turned over to me, alive. You have until nightfall before I resume my attack. If I must take her myself, then every single being or creature in this castle will be given to my Dementors. If at any time she is given to me, I will withdraw."

...Oh no.

...Fay pulls Ellie aside. They were in an empty stretch, not in sight of anyone. 

She makes them less in sight of anyone who might get ideas, and she wraps Ellie in a tight hug. "I won't let him have you," she says, voice soft and intense. 

"I don't want him to get me." Hug.

"But if. We can't get out."

"...There's other ways."

"We'll spend some of this grace period trying to throw him back, and - "

Squeeze. "I have contingency measures for this. It'll be okay."

Tight hug.

She strokes Ellie's hair.

"...I love you."

"I swear, by every principle that has ever guided me, that I will protect you. That I will turn my mind, my body, my heart, my magic, and all else I am to your ends. You have my fealty. I do not care what befalls me should I break my word. I care only that you live and thrive."

There's an odd feeling in the air. A feeling almost of binding. A rhythm to the words, the magic, and a warm hum in Ellie's chest.

"Fay..."

She kisses Ellie's forehead.

She leans into the kiss.

Deep breath.

(She... Doesn't want Ellie to stop her - )

(She wants to say goodbye.)

"I've been using the resurrection stone to speak to Lily. Your mother. We found - something of a way, around the restrictions on her."

"The ritual she used to disembody Voldemort when he tried to kill you is modifiable and repeatable. Strengthening it will destroy the horcrux in you, without harming you, and - given the right conditions, that destruction will echo across to Voldemort himself, harming or outright killing him. The protection on you would be far stronger than it is now. It - should keep you from dying in almost all circumstances, especially with the Hallows."

A tighter squeeze.

"I couldn't - find another way. I'm sorry. I love you."

"What are you saying? Fay-"

"Ellie."

"I've known for a while I'd rather die than let him hurt you."

"I'll sacrifice myself, like Lily did. It'll solve this, as much as possible. You - don't have to do anything."

"I'll be with you, always, some part, but - "

"I."

"Wanted to say goodbye."

"I love you, Fay."

Her wand drops into her hand-

-and she casts a silent stunning spell.

"But you're an idiot. And not allowed to die just yet."

She searches through Fay's pockets, takes the wand and the stone, gets her cloak out and pulls it over herself.

She flips open the communication locket. "Anathema?"