Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

“We have a little time while the emperors decide to which precise lions we shall be fed, though I note it's one of the lions who seems to be helping set the menu, so we will see, won't we, whether that improves or worsens matters. So hard to tell in this entire endeavor, charmed or damned or both as it may be. But the best laid plans, yes, they do fall, don't they? This isn't how we'd thought it would go, but it's all the same in the end.

Bella horrida bella. Buying time isn't that vast a shift in tactics, but just because we're not making a suicide stand by intent this time doesn't mean that it won't turn out as such in practice, particularly if we let ourselves be thrown off our game. Mater memento mori! But for the love of Merlin, not too much, I would request.

Certainly, it will be a consuming matter to some degree, it can't fail to be what with persistence of being such a powerful drive in even the lowest of...nevermind. But as we've discussed before, though never with such immediate relevance, the most certain way to prolong your own survival is not to allow yourselves to be distracted for the desire of same. Hold to your spellwork, keep your minds on your wands, not your immortal souls, and you're likely to postpone the answers to those deeper philosophical questions for another day, or at least a few more hours.

We're bringing an extraordinary arsenal onto this field of combat, employing spells and spellcraft not seen in often hundreds, even thousands of years, and we are further girded with the element of surprise, as they will not be expecting the ferocity of scholars, nor the genius of youth, and the combination, yes, I think the combination may be, when meted by our fellows from other Houses, formidable enough to purchase the time that our esteemed Chosen One needs from us.

The only other thing I would request that you keep to heart on the field is that although the chain of command is indeed vital, you should not be too afraid to act on your own autonomy. I can't be everywhere at once, and if you note an opportunity, a tactical advantage, a weakness in their offense or our defense...well, I not only authorize, but encourage you to act.

Still not...no, he's still not done. Given that we've a few more minutes, I would encourage you to not only make any ultimate preparations physically, but mentally. Review your most personally proficient and keenest wandcraft, settle your minds - nothing to fear, really, of that undiscovered country, and most means of magical mortality are refreshingly quick-acting - and then, yes, well, I will be calling you back, and we'll be off from there. We'll be making history tonight, if nothing else. Si monumentum requiris circumspice.”

thanfiction

“I've never done this before, but tonight we're all going to do a lot of things that none of us have ever done before and I suppose as your Lieutenant it is my place to say something... We're all going to die tonight. You know that. I know that. It's why we're here. If you have second thoughts - if you're afraid - if you need to cry - if you don't want to be here - it's too late for that. You had months. You had your chance. We are in this, from this moment on, together. We are all each other has. We are going to show the world tonight that sometimes you must sacrifice for what is right. We're going to show the world that Cedric was not a fluke... that he was one of us. You know what they call us. You've all heard the names - puffs, duffers... that we're a leftover House. But you all know as well as I that that's not true. You know what we stand for, and tonight that is what we are going to do. We are going stand. Gryffindor will go charging to the front, and we will stand. You will see spells from Ravenclaw that will blow your minds, and we will stand. Voldemort is going to throw everything he has to offer at us, and we will stand. You will see hell tonight, and we will stand. We will stand to the last man, the last woman, the last child. We will stand to the last spell, the last drop of blood, the last breath. We will stand together and we will fall together; but we will not fall broken, and we will not fall in vain, because we will have stood for something, and when we fall we will still stand for that... for the yellow and black, and for every soul that we can protect and for every soul that we have failed to. For Cedric's memory and for those who have not yet been born, we will stand; and for all those who will not stand, we will fall, Hufflepuff and proud. I don't know how long I'll last out there... you all know that, well, we're used for what we are and I'm not likely to be put somewhere pretty, but if you look to me, no matter how long I'm there, you will see me stand for you - and after I fall, I expect that you will stand for me.”