I Still own nothing
A/N: Warning this chapter is dark. People die and bad people do bad things
Chapter 42: A Merry Old Time in Hogwarts
*************Quiddich Pitch, Hogwarts***********************
With their leader running for the school, and their ability to disapparate taken by the renewed Hogwarts wards, the remaining Death Eaters unleashed a torrent of spellfire. A sudden tide of multicolored light snapped outward at the defenders, causing more than one to fall, and for at least three closely packed Hufflepuffs, to fall forever. The dragons that had been Voldemort's backup plan were getting closer by the second and in less than a minute would be in range of the defenders of Hogwarts.
"Cover" Dumbledore shouted, everyone dived behind stands, pillars and in the case of a few, down in the trenches surrounding the Quiddich pitch. Pieces and chunks of the stands flew, as severing charms, reductor curses and the occasional Avada Kedavra whittled away at their protection.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Dumbledore along with Lupin and Tonks crouched behind the Gryffindor stands; Tonks shook her head hard to knock bits of shattered wood from her hair. Dumbledore turned and faced Harry and the rest, a grim look in his eye, "Harry, you, Hermione and Ron take what ever Order members you can and go after him, he's going for the Chamber." Hermione gasped a little but the others just looked stony faced, "Nymphadora, Remus, stay here and help me, we will take care of these. Harry leave the Hufflepuffs and our few Slytherins with me."
'Professor...you'll be outnumbered even worse, there has to be at least seventy five of them left..." Hermione began.
"No he's right love." Harry interrupted. "If we don't stop him, then its over anyway. Professor, we will need the wards back down again." With that Harry stood, still behind the cover of the stands and looked to each side. "Gryffindors, Ravenclaws home in on me" Harry shouted to each side and got nods in return but nothing else, everyone else was busy returning spells as they peaked up around whatever cover they were behind.
"Wait," He turned and in a repeat of earlier tonight, Hermione grabbed his hair and roughly pulled him into a kiss fit to shame the previous one. "Ok let's go and kick their arses."
"Professor, as I remember from my reading, those two black dragons in the lead are particularly sensitive to light." Hermione said with a grim smile as she waved over at the oncoming dragons. Then without another word, she and Harry vanished silently; followed in an instant by a machine gun-like series of CRACKs as two thirds of the Hogwarts defenders vanished with them.
"Dear, as I told Riddle, you are one of my greatest students ever," Dumbledore told the empty space where she had just stood, "On three then Lupin, Tonks, as I provide the light, I believe Reducto blasts to the wings might suffice to bring them down. Well then, three..."
"LUMOS MAXIMA"
"REDUCTO"
Glaring blue spell bolts shot out, the dragon facing Tonks and Lupin fell almost straight from the sky, large holes having been torn in the membranes of the wing. The Dragon that only Dumbledore had fired on was in a flat spin, it's single undamaged wing, though beating frantically, was not able to hold it aloft. Both dragons crashed into the line of Death Eaters, whom were busy sniping at students and other members of the Order, instantly closing the odds, as at least ten were killed outright and several more were knocked unconscious.
**********************Diagon Alley, London***************************
"WE HAVE NO ONE TO SPARE," Amelia Bones screamed at the Minister of Magic, She waved at the devastation, and the heads of the ten or so Giants at were busy smashing businesses, homes, and people. Tiny sparks of light could be seen below, where almost every Auror, and troop she had been able to find were firing frantically at the Giants, though everything was so far bouncing harmlessly off them.
"GODDAMMIT, AMELIA, HE'S AFTER HOGWARTS, THIS IS JUST A DISTRACTION" Arthur replied back, "THERE'S A THOUSAND KIDS THERE." Arthur took that opportunity to fire another spell, himself, at a nearby giant. The red beam of the stunner bounced off but the giant, noticing the sting picked up a chunk of rubble the size of a Volkswagen and flung it at them. They barely dived out of the way as the projectile crashed into the edge of the roof they were on. They crept back up to the edge and saw that the giant had gone on, but down below Arthur saw at least ten cloaked Aurors and twenty or so uniformed troops lying lifeless on the ground.
That didn't even touch the civilians he saw there. The Giants had appeared in the center of the street, right in the middle of the evening post-work Friday rush at Diagon Alley. Hundreds of Wizards and Wizarding families had been there shopping, eating or just having a good time on this pleasant June evening. Not any more. And they were not alone, the Giants seemed the distraction for occasional green bolts that flicked out from hiding to fell Aurors and Ministry troops and any civilians that got in the way. "Amelia," Arthur went on in a somewhat calmer voice, "we have to end this and get to Hogwarts, I'm sure somehow, Voldemort wants us tied up here, after all, how many actual Death Eaters are here, ten or so, I saw McNair for a second, and maybe Tomlimpson, but where are the rest if this is really his target?"
Bones sighed as she glanced once again over the parapet, "I know Arthur, my niece is probably there fighting damn it, but even if we left right now with everyone, I don't have that many left to face a fresh force of His thugs, I brought a hundred men, and I hope I still have..." Amelia never finished her sentence, for at that moment, a green bolt of light shot over the parapet and took her in the head; she dropped, dead, to the roof.
"AMELIA"
*************************DARKNESS***********************************
A thirty something man with shaggy black hair, floated in a sea of blackness. He looked untouched, a wand was still held loosely in his right hand, and one could tell that his normal continuance, at one time, was a bright, mischievous smile. Not today, wherever he was, for thoughts crossed his mind at a furious pace, flashes of a battle underway or soon to be. Then, all at once, his thoughts collapsed into a single, shining memory.
***********************Chapel, Near Godric's Hollow************************
August 5, Seventeen Years Ago
The church was bright and airy, full of life. It was a marked contrast to the war against the darkness, which the majority of the participants this day, fought on a daily basis. In the church pews, several people, odd people, were perched anxiously, including a tall man with long silver-gray hair and beard dressed in bright blue robes and a wizard's hat. A matronly looking woman, dressed in a tartan robe, presumably of a highlands clan, sat next to him, occasionally wiping away a tear. Another couple sat behind that pair, these two looked more or less normal, and they had a baby boy of only a few days, in their loving arms as they sat and watched.
On the other side of the pews, a tall thin man, with a certain air of shagginess about him, sat looking on with a blinding grin. Next to him, sat a small, nervous man, who never could seem to look up at the people standing in front of the church. Behind all of these people, many others sat, in various combinations of robes or muggle dress clothes, all looking up at the front.
In the front of the church, a tolerant looking chaplain glanced out at his odd congregation before he turned his attention back to the people at the front of the church standing with him. A wiry built man with black-rimmed round glasses, and incredibly messy black hair stood looking down at a seeming twin of himself, with the exception of bright green eyes, if he were many years younger and an infant.
Holding the infant, a stunning young woman, with deep red hair and a matching pair of eyes to the little one, rocked him gently back and forth. The third member of that trio, a handsome young man, with longish black hair and deep gray eyes, stood with a huge grin on his face as he looked down on the infant. The preacher turned to the man and with a smile on his face, "Do you, Sirius Augustus Black, in front of God and these witnesses, take Harry James Potter to be your godson, to protect and to provide for him in the event that his parents are not able to, to act as his guardian in their stead, and do you understand that this is a holy obligation, not easily abandoned once accepted?"
In a strong steady voice and looking directly into the eyes of tiny Harry, Sirius replied with a smile, "I do accept this burden."
*************************Darkness****************************
The floating man's eyes snapped open, his gray, fathomless eyes glowing with an inner light, "I'm coming Harry."
Suddenly, the void was empty.
*************************Hogwarts******************************
CRACK, the sound echoed down the ancient halls as twenty-five people dressed in robes and cloaks appeared suddenly in the dimly lit second floor corridor. Harry looked down the halls, each way and saw no one, not yet. "Ok we have to keep them from getting past us, I can feel that Dumbledore has raised the wards again so they can't apparate behind us..."
Ron looked down the corridor, as he fingered his wand, "What about you and Herm, Harry? You can."
"We cheat, Ron" Hermione replied distractedly, not wanting to explain just how they did that trick right now.
Luna turned and looked at a blank section of wall, her face fell, "THEY'RE HERE" She screamed, and suddenly time for explanation was over, as a tide of Death Eaters came around the corner and crashed into them, Voldemort in the middle, not risking his precious hide in the front of the line. "EXPELLIARMUS" Hermione cried, the spell hitting the tightly packed ranks of the Death Eaters and disarming five. They looked stunned, only to be truly stunned as Hermione, Harry, Ron and Luna fired as one. The Death Eaters volleyed back a mix of Avada Kedavras and Reductos and Hermione's heart sunk as she saw Susan Bones fall to a green jet, and huge chucks being blown out of the walls. Michael Corner released a stunner, only to fall next as a severing charm found his leg. Two more students fell to silver arrows from nowhere before everyone reached cover.
Harry quickly stunned three of the Death Eaters. As he watched them fall, with a familiar feeling, time started slowing. He rode the tick of the watch, and without thinking, his right hand wand, his own, slid back into its holster and the sword riding his back came free into his hand. Harry only had eyes for the hooded figure in the center of the pack of Death Eaters, if I can end it...A Death Eater stepped in front of Harry, and with a flick of his wrist, the Death Eater fell back, blood spouting from his chest. Harry stunned another, and body bound a third, all the while edging closer to Voldemort. A fourth Death Eater fell, his hand and wand falling in an opposite direction and Harry was through the outer ring of evil. Behind him he could feel Hermione, and Ron frantically trying to catch up. He could hear the cries of pain, and the sounds of spell fire, but his eyes, blazing blue, stared into the sullen red ones that had haunted his dreams. "So Tom," Harry said mockingly, "you aren't very gracious, I allow you into my home, and you throw all of your minions in my way so I can't properly greet you."
"You will die tonight Potter" Voldemort snarled, "SERPENSORTIA" a huge snake flew past Harry's ear, and as he involuntarily turned to look, Voldemort's hand dove under his cloak and a large, black, evil-looking blade emerged. He snapped it at Harry's turned head, but Harry was faster, the blade of Gryffindor snapped up almost of its own power and blocked the strike. Harry's father's wand, which had been in his left hand, fell to the floor, as Harry had to use both hands to deflect the strike. The pair started circling warily. A Death Eater, came too close to Harry and died in an instant, Harry's attention never wavering from Voldemort.
Behind Harry, Ron and Hermione were fighting for their lives. Ron was now engaged with two Death Eaters and was holding his own. His wand was almost flickering like a hummingbird as he cast and countered spells, but he did not seem in immediate danger. The one in trouble was not Ron, but Hermione. She came through the mob of Death Eaters, just as many falling to her blade or wand as Harry's charge had left in its wake. Her right hand snapped out horizontally, cutting the throat of a Death Eater, she turned with the cut, never seeing the huge snake that in instant had wrapped its coils around her.
Voldemort had summoned Nagini not as a distraction for Harry, though it had almost worked for that, but as a means to attack her. Voldemort had seen her coming up behind Harry, and had acted. The huge snake squeezed her torso, and her sight began to black out. Suddenly, a small ginger streak hurtled though the air, and with a hiss, raked its claws across the head of the huge snake.
Crookshanks stood angrily, his tail flicking back and forth as he eyed the snake that was many times his size. The kneazle looked out of place, yet right at home in this battle, where the tableau he was involved in sat. In the eye of the storm, so to speak, at the edge of the cleared area in which Harry and Voldemort dueled furiously. Hermione saw Harry's eyes flicker over to her and saw him try to get over to her, only to be blocked by Voldemort's flashing blade. "She will die tonight too, Potter, one way or another." Voldemort cackled only to suddenly have no room for words, as Harry's attacks redoubled in a furious attempt to get over to Hermione. Voldemort held him there, barely, but it was no use.
For Hermione had other plans, that centered on a ginger-haired cat. Nagini still held her motionless, more or less, but Crookshanks attack had relaxed him enough, just for a second, to get her right hand free which was all she hopefully needed. I hope this works, Hermione thought, desperately pointing her hand at her familiar, "FAMILIARUS ENGORGIO" She choked out, her vision graying as the snake's efforts redoubled. In front of her, Crookshanks started glowing. As she watched, the kneazle elongated and grew taller, his short muzzle stretched, and his two top fangs extended downward from his upper jaw. In an moment the spell had done it's work, where a twenty pound, two and half foot long kneazle had crouched, a eight foot long, six hundred pound, great cat stood, though still with Crookshanks' markings.
The much larger Crookshanks, twitched his tail once, and bounded at the snake holding Hermione. With exquisite precision, the three-inch long claws of the cat opened huge gashes in the snake, missing her by millimeters. Hissing in pain Nagini released Hermione and sat coiled, her head high like a cobra, her biggest and last mistake. She stuck at Crookshanks, and the cat bounded straight up, twisting in mid-air. He handed on the ground next to the stretched out snake, and without a pause, Crookshanks pounced, his now great jaws grabbing the snake right behind the head. The cat shook his head viciously and with a reverberating SNAP, Nagini died as her spine broke. With an air of utter satisfaction, Crookshanks dropped the snake and padded over to Hermione. She smiled grimly and petted the huge cat, "good boy" Crookshanks rubbed once in response, almost knocking her over, then sprung into the fray of Death Eaters, to the accompaniment of new screams of pain from their masked foes.
Hermione glared down at the huge corpse of the snake, the light from her eyes casting shadows on the wall, with a grimace, she held her hand out at chest height, and as she snapped it into a fist, "INCENDIO". The remains of Nagini erupted into flames, and almost instantly faded to mere ashes. Hermione flung out her other hand and her dropped wand and sword sprung to her, she spun and ran at the duel in the center of the cleared zone.
*************************Hogwarts, Quiddich Pitch**************************
"ALBUS" Remus Lupin snapped as he ducked yet another green spell, "we have to get out of here, we are too outnumbered." As if his words were prophesies, a pair of the three remaining Dragons dove on them, and released massive fireballs, "GET DOWN" Lupin screamed, diving, he took Tonks down to the ground as waves of fire crashed around them. Dumbledore for his part had merely stood. The fire parted, revealing a glowing golden sphere around his body, which dissipated to reveal his unburned form. The dragons veered about toward the castle, and before anyone could do a thing, the third dropped in behind them, and they released three, successive fireballs. The dragon's breath of all three impacted at almost the same point, only few seconds apart, about halfway down the height of Ravenclaw tower. The entire castle seemed to shake, and a huge diagonal crack appeared in the tower. Like an avalanche in some distant mountain, the top of the tower held for a long instant, then the top slid down the crack and fell the hundreds of feet to the ground, shaking the ground and throwing up a cloud of dust, making the night even dimmer.
"NO" Hagrid roared from over to one side, and he smashed at the five Death Eaters that he had been battling with. One fell back, his eyes glassy, his head suddenly misshapen. Two of the others fell back too, Hagrid's hands flashed to his back, drawing his huge crossbow. He shot a fourth in the chest, the bolt went all the way through impaling two more Death Eaters as it flew, and clubbed the fifth with the stock of the weapon. "Those kids," Hagrid bawled as he smashed down one of the Death Eaters that tried to rise, he didn't try again.
A haunting roar echoed over the grounds, and a dark shadow passed over the defenders in an instant. One of the dragons wheeled about only to have a head, twice as big as its own, grasp its neck in its jaws and snap through. The dead dragon spiraled down into the lake, where a gigantic tentacle pulled its remains under. A mammoth dragon appeared in the darkness, gliding though the cloying smoke and dust.
"NORBERT" Hagrid thundered in a mix of shock and awe. Norbert roared his immense roar in response and began dueling the remaining dark dragons. His fireballs however were an eerily glowing blue, each crackling with lighting, instead of the deep red of his opponents. Norbert swooped under a fireball, and returned fire. The crackling bolt hit the opposing Dragon's neck and a horrible resounding POP was heard echoing over the grounds. The dragon fell from the sky, and cart wheeled across the lower field, smashing Hagrid's hut before the trees at the edge of the forest finally stopped it, though several of those broke, before it lay still. The last dark dragon wheeled about, heading for the mountains, and possible escape, but the fact that Norbert was twice as fast as it did not bode well for its future.
Dumbledore had turned and watching the dragon fall from the sky, he noticed a streak of movement and pointed upward, "You got your wish, Remus." Dumbledore shouted over as another fifty wizards and witches alighted on the ground, now surrounding the depleted ranks of the Death Eaters. Kingsley Shaklebolt landed next to Dumbledore, panting heavily.
"We came as soon as we could, Albus, but with the protections up on the school we couldn't apparate here, we felt them drop for a moment, but they came up again." Kingsley shrugged as he pointed his wand at the Death Eaters, now in the center of the pitch, "SONORUS", "THIS IS KINGSLEY SHAKLEBOLT OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC, SURRENDER NOW AND YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED." For a moment, it looked as if the ploy would work, the Death Eaters on the field were now outnumbered and surrounded, especially after half of the number that had remained behind when Voldemort went for the castle, had already fallen, but not everyone had given up.
From the center of the Death Eaters, "AVADA KEDAVRA," a green bolt snapped out and before anyone could move, Kingsley Shaklebolt, veteran of a thousand battles, fell to the ground.
Half a dozen more Kedavras shot out, and Thomas McMillan, Elizabeth Viehl, Robert McBride and Theodore Washington, Aurors and Order members all, gave their lives in defense of the light. With that final, terrible waste of life, Dumbledore waved the rest back.
"ENOUGH" Dumbledore roared, and his eyes blazing, he strode forward at a march, he turned to his right, "ASTRUM DELATARIS" the cloudless sky suddenly grew dark, clouds occluded the moon, and with a thunderous snap twenty bolts of lightning hammered from the heavens incinerating two-dozen Death Eaters. A pair of Death Eaters charged him from the side, one with an axe the other with a short sword in addition to their wands, Dumbledore blocked the axe strike negligently, ducked under the second sword strike, and cut left, then right. The spray of blood from the pair stained his robes for an instant before they cleaned themselves as stepped over the bodies.
"AVADA KEDARVA" a pair of Death Curses shot at Dumbledore's heart, only to howl off into the night, as he was somehow not there when they struck. The horribly glowing white eyes turned to the offenders, "COLLASPUM" instantly another three Death Eaters seemed to shrink, to fold in on themselves, each one's screams fading as they folded themselves into tiny singularities.
A wave of a wand, and five more lost the very air they breathed.
The remaining Death Eaters backed away quickly, they had had enough; one turned, "REDUCTO." The spell blasted a hole in the wall of the Quiddich stadium and the remaining Death Eaters sprinted out into the night under a hail of stunner fire.
Dumbledore saw Lupin turn to run after them, "no Remus. The castle. Now. They won't find safety in the forest this night." And with pronouncement, all of the fifty or so remaining outside defenders turned and ran towards the castle as fast as they could, Dumbledore streaking ahead in a burr of purple robes. Lupin paused for a second and SHIFTED into his werewolf form, the ability to change when he wanted to a gift from one of those witches battling inside, and ran ahead, much faster than a normal human could go. Everyone else followed them as fast as they could only to catch up at the main doors to the pair. Lupin had changed back, he and Dumbledore stood over a pair of Death Eaters, who seemed to be still alive. The group heard a thundering of feet and snapped their wands to point at the corner of the hallway. "NO" Dumbledore thundered as he saw the blond student at the head of the column. The Order members raised their wands quickly as Draco came running up to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore noted with bitter amusement that Draco had shed his Slytherin robes, and was wearing just the jeans and t-shirt that he had undoubtedly had on under them, no doubt in an effort to keep from being mistaken for his former comrades. Draco met Dumbledore's gaze breathlessly, "Professor, the Great Hall, it's collapsed, McGonagall sent us in pursuit of my father, he had about forty Death eaters and about ten or so students, minus the ones we stunned on the way of course. Did they come past here?" Draco added before his adrenaline addled brain caught up to his mouth, "Oh, sorry, right."
"It's fine Draco, Sturgis, take your forces and go to the Great Hall and secure it, Alastor, Tonks, Remus, Draco come with me, I suppose that Harry might want some help by now." Dumbledore ran up the stairs as if he were twenty-four instead of the one hundred and fifty four that his Chocolate Frog Card claimed. The named wizards followed hastily, about half of those that were on the pitch were behind them; the other group ran down the corridor to the Great Hall, to start rescue efforts.
**************************2ND Floor hallway*************************
CLANG, Hermione's sword snapped in at Voldemort's head, he barely blocked that unexpected strike, and then twisting his wrists, he blocked Harry's follow up cut to his midsection. Harry spun and snapped a cut at his head, which was blocked then slashed at his arm. Black blood tainted the Gryffindor blade, and Voldemort suddenly had a flash of panic in his eyes. He jumped back and in an instant, snapped out his wand, and blasted them off their feet; he spun and pointed at the maelstrom between him and his goal. "EXPELLIARMUS" he roared and wizards and witches from both sides went flying like bowling pins. Voldemort ran though the hole he had created in the fighting towards the second floor bathroom and his goal of the Chamber entrance.
"SHIT," Harry roared, and spun to Hermione, "you ok?"
Hermione nodded, "yeah," She looked about and saw Ron still dueling with the two Death Eaters from before. Dropping her sword, she drew her wand with the speed of a striking snake and felled one of the two. Ron instantly seized his advantage and promptly stunned the other. He saw them, and ran over, pausing only a second to punch an inattentive Death Eater in the head, and kick another in the back of the knee, felling both of them, and stunning both before they fell to the ground. "Did you see," she gasped, as she shot another stunner at the attacking Death Eaters, and Harry repeated Voldemort's trick staggering several.
"PROTEGO ENCLOSEUM" Harry snapped and a shining silver hemispheric shield surrounded the three of them.
"Yeah," Ron nodded, and then as he glared around the fight, he saw that thankfully most of the good guys were still kicking. He glanced around, and noticed as well that the number of Death Eaters didn't seem to match the numbers that should be here, "Looks like a lot took off"
Harry nodded grimly, "Ron we..."
"I know mate, go, I swear none of them will get though to help him." For a long tense minute the trio stared at each other, thoughts of the last seven years, flitting across their eyes. Ron turned and charged back into the maelstrom, as he went he jumped into the air, and as he came down he had transformed into his animagus form, the great red tiger. Ripping and tearing until he was next to Luna, who was, along with Ginny, Neville, Seamus, and the Patil twins, blocking the passage. They hadn't been able to stop Voldemort but had dropped enough statues since to provide a barricade. Any Death Eaters behind that barricade were unconscious or dead. A milling mob was still back up the hall a ways, but they didn't seem to want to come close and play.
Mione we need to even the odds a bit first...Hermione nodded grimly, her eyes went unfocused as she concentrated, her lips moved, her wand drew a complex rune in the air. With a sudden CRACK, the floor beneath eight Death Eaters opened, and closed almost as fast, with a wet splat. Harry nodded, stood, cocked an arm, and flung the Gryffindor blade. The sword whirled through the air, spinning and five more Death Eaters fell on its arc back to Harry's hand. "EXPELLIO" The advancing front rank of twenty or so Death Eaters flew backwards into a bank of armor lining a side corridor, which with another wand flick, started attacking their provided victims.
"GET DOWN" They heard Ron scream, and they dropped to their knees and watched as five WWW VeryFangedFrisbees whirled into the second rank of Death Eaters causing another six to go wait for their master in Hell. Harry flung up a shield once more and they glanced back to see Ron waving at them, "GO GODDAMMIT" Ron yelled over the din of battle. Harry turned to meet Hermione's eyes where they crouched under his shield, a hail of spells raining down on them. Their hands met, and they vanished.
Almost as if their disappearance was a signal, the Death Eaters that hadn't wanted to fight decided it was time to come out and play. In a single wave they charged the remaining defenders and the Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, rose to meet them. The wave crashed into the shoals of the impromptu defenses, breaking as if on rocks, and a flurry of spell bolts ripped back and forth.
Ron looked over at the spot where his two best friends had just stood, then back at the Death Eaters. He ducked sideways as a green bolt snapped past his ear. Then out of the corner of his eye, he saw Gretchen Jones and Will Farcastle crumble to the ground, their lifeless eyes staring up at the ancient stones. He swallowed, Go bro, sis, I meant it; Merlin himself isn't going to follow that bastard. Kill the fucker for me. He spun around, his back to a sheltering pillar. "Seamus, Dean" he pointed "Drop back and make barricades at the corner. Pavarti, Padma. Cover them from here. None of these fuckers is going to help their master." The twins nodded, their raven hair bouncing. He watched as Ginny stuck her wand out from cover and shot random stunners, while Neville rolled out under her fire and dropped two more.
"What are you going to be doing?" Luna snapped, as her impediment jinx bounced a Death Eater back several feet. She flicked her wand again, and with a neatly aimed bone loss curse, the Death Eater was on the ground, his legs no longer supporting him.
"Keeping a promise." Ron growled and leapt foreword, SHIFTING in mid air. He came down and bounded forward, his three-inch claws ripping the throat out of a Death Eater. He bounded again, into a knot of four, taking the first down as he landed, SHIFTING back. He snapped a severing charm at the arm swinging a rather nice falchion at his head. He caught the falchion in his left hand as it fell, and sliced it sideways, opening up the chest of the Death Eater on that side. The fourth fell in a flash of red light, and he SHIFTED again, leaping towards a lone Death Eater standing by himself. Suddenly a flash of silver light snapped out and he felt a searing pain in his side and right arm, and could no longer feel his wand hand as he collided with the Death Eater and SHIFTED back to his red-haired form.
Ron lay on his back, white bone gleaming from the effects of the severing charm that had lain open his side and right arm and glared up at the Death Eater he had collided with. The Death Eater laughed as he shot another curse at Ron's right leg, laying it open to match his arm and side. A red pool stared to grow beneath Harry's last knight, and Ron grunted softly as he glared defiance at the Death Eater.
"Stupid fucking blood traitor" Robert McDuff growled as he glared down at Ron, "your whole family will die under the heel of Lord Voldemort, but you won't be alive to see it. AVADA..." But before he could finish the curse a low growl was heard behind him. He spun and a luminescent, white wolf looked up at him, her fangs bared, her ice blue eyes boring into his. She sprung; "urkkk," McDuff fell away, his eyes sightless and looking up at the stone ceiling.
Luna padded over to Ron her white fur, once perfectly spotless, now matted with blood. She SHIFTED and knelt next to Ron. A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye, "REDUCTO," A Death Eater, thinking her distracted fell backwards, his head popped messily like a giant grape. She smiled down at Ron weakly as she snapped a defensive charm up to block several incoming spells. "HELP ME" Luna screamed, and Seamus and Dean who had already been charging forward, unleashed a flurry of spells. They were instantly joined by every other member still standing. The inundation of spellfire drove the Death Eaters back for a bit, and if most of the spells that flew back towards the forces of darkness were not stunners, that time had long since passed anyway.
The boys each grabbed a shoulder one handed, keeping firing off spells with their opposite hands as they pulled Ron backwards. They reached the fallen barricades and chucked Ron behind a statue, and rolled away. Luna tucked in next to Ron and gave him a grim smile. "Idiot."
"Thanks Love." Ron replied painfully, the boys had not been gentle; they hadn't had a choice. He groaned as he looked right and left, the statue was more or less in the center of their line, "Seamus, Dean reductos now" he turned, "Pavarti, Lavender see if you can turn that patch of hall into a swamp or something. Luna."
"Yeah"
"Kiss me." Ron groaned as Luna did just that, and returned to directing the defense, the stones of the castle turning red under him.
*********************
At the far end of the battle, Neville Longbottom was in a fight for his life with Bellatrix Lestrange. He dove sideways, out of the way of a bombarta curse, and hastily deflected a hemorrhage hex.
"Aw once again it's the baby Longbottom, would you like just to die, or would you rather join your parents?" Lestrange cackled in a falsely childish voice. She was almost dancing as she shot lethal spells at Neville. Bellatrix shut up abruptly as she had to hastily deflect a shining silver severing charm and spun behind a statue for cover.
"I'd rather see you join your husband in Hell, I believe that was him that just got crushed by the rather large stone falling on his head" Neville replied calmly, as he saw a huge block of stone dislodge itself from the wall in the wake of a wild Reductor curse, and crush at least ten of the Death Eaters waiting to get into the fight.
"What" she turned and looked, and with a shout of rage she turned back and screamed "Crucio" .
The blast took Neville straight in the chest and a pain unlike any other coursed though his body. Thoughts of his parents lying in St. Mungo's these last sixteen years coursed though his mind along with flashes of stacks of bubble gun rappers in his bed at home. Fighting though the pain, he turned, pointed his wand and forced though gritted teeth, "Petrificus Totalus"
With a shocked expression Lestrange froze solid and toppled backwards. Ginny Weasley, who had noticed what was happening out of the corner of her eye, pointed her wand at Neville and uttered "Finite"
"Thanks, Gin, I owe you" shouted Neville over to her.
"Hon, you already owed me more than you can pay, what's one more" she replied with a grin, as she dodged behind a pillar.
I'm glad I followed Ron and Harry's examples before she got away. Neville thought, as he walked over to the paralyzed Lestrange, spells almost seeming to avoid him of their own free will. Time enough for that later I am in the middle of a wandfight. "You know when I said you could join your husband, Bellatrix, well I lied, I think a much better hell for you is in a hole in Azkaban with your own personal Dementor" And with that pronouncement, he raised his wand to her paralyzed head and muttered "Stupefy". Neville ran back and dove under cover again just in time for a green bolt to miss his head.
A Death Eater had seen her fall however; he pointed his wand at her "Enervate." Bellatrix sprung up and cackled hysterically at Neville, who had seen the action with horrified eyes, "YOU SHOULD HAD KILLED ME WHEN YOU HAD THE CHANCE LITTLE BOY." A sudden blinding flash of light erupted in the dim hallway behind her, blinding almost everyone in the fray. She spun as she heard a low, lethal growl from behind her, "YOU'RE DE...URK" Bellatrix collapsed in a spray of blood, the huge black dog that had ripped her throat out, and almost took her head with it, bounded away, barely dodging the spell bolts of the terrified Death Eaters. Padfoot bounded, once, twice, then over the students barricade, transforming in mid-air and landing in a shoulder roll as a human, wand in hand.
Sirius glanced around at the defenders looking for Harry or at least Ron or Hermione; finally he spotted Ron crouched behind a statue, beside Luna. Ron looked pale, and Sirius barely transformed back from his dog form, could smell his own blood on him. Sirius crawled over to Ron. Seeing Ron's torn right arm, ripped open to the bone, Sirius pointed his wand at the ground, "ferula." A pile of bandages appeared, and Sirius started wrapping Ron's arm.
Ron's eyes flicked in a double take at who was bandaging him, "I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!" Ron snapped, and then let out a moan as Sirius tightened the bandages.
"How did you get this?" Sirius asked as he leaned around the statue and shot off two stunners. Both of his targets fell and he slipped back, "and where the hell is Harry?"
"Got it while I was in tiger form, some damn Death Eater hit me with the edge of a severing charm." Ron gritted, as he pointed his wand around the corner and fired off a spell of his own, left-handed.
"They went off after Voldemort" Luna replied, though exhausted she kept fighting, she snapped off a full body bind on a Death Eater that had jumped over the barricade, he fell to the ground and Sirius stunned him almost absently.
"THEY, and where?" Sirius replied with wide eyes.
"Hermione and Harry" Neville replied, from where he had just crawled over. "I thought you were dead?" He asked in a strangely incurious voice.
"WHERE," Sirius roared.
Ron sighed, "The Chamber entrance, Sirius, Voldemort is going to activate it and cleanse the world of muggles and muggle-borns," Sirius glared, "Moaning Myrtle's," Ron managed and finally passed out from loss of blood. Sirius frowned, turned and SHIFTED, he sprinted down the hall, his four legs eating up ground.
Behind them, Luna bent over Ron, while the ten or so remaining defenders fought on.
*******Moaning Myrtle's Bathroom, The Entrance to the Chamber of Secrets********
SNAP-HISS, SNAP-HISS, A pair of red stunners hammered the back of the open tunnel entrance, but Harry and Hermione's spells missed Voldemort by milliseconds as he dropped into the chamber entrance. As they watched, the bathroom entrance started to close. Neither of them made a conscious decision, they both sprinted and dove through the rapidly closing entrance, the soles of their shoes just barely missing the closing portal.
Just a second too late, a huge dog ran into the room, jumped and crashed into the just-closed portal. Sirius transformed back, "GODDAMMIT" He roared and kicked the pedestal. Angrily he kicked it again, and turned to return to the fighting, where he could at least do some good for someone.
**************************Seventh Floor Hallway***********************
"DAMMIT, GO INSIDE YOUR COMMON ROOM," Severus Snape hissed at the group of terrified Gryffindor girls. Five of the students, a mix of second and third years, had been late to dinner, and now if they were very lucky, would live to see dinner tomorrow. Snape had been up here on an errand for the Order, when he had felt his dark mark burning. The fact that he was now the highest target for the Death Eaters right after Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore had not changed that fact. Snape had been heading down stairs when he ran into a group of twenty Death Eaters coming up to the Gryffindor dorm, for a purpose that he carefully did not think about. He watched with satisfaction as the girls dove into the Gryffindor common room and the Fat Lady closed over the hole.
Fortunately the Death Eaters had not yet spotted him, and they were still as of yet, one floor below, trying to coax a stairwell into returning. He had time to prepare a welcome; quickly he cast a charm on the floor, and on two suits of armor standing to either side of the stairway landing. And then his time ran out, he heard the Death Eaters combine their powers to summon a moving stairwell into connecting the sixth and seventh floors. Quickly he dodged behind a outcropping near the entrance to Gryffindor Tower and waited.
"WHAT THE HELL!" A loud rasp rang out from the Death Eater at the head of the group. Impossibly, it looked as if the stone floor had turned to ankle deep mud. The Death Eaters staggered forward slowly in the mud, a couple fighting their way to the sides of the wall, coincidentally right next the armor suits. SWISH, thump, thump. Without warning the suits had come alive, and swung their still quite sharp swords at the Death Eaters. That pair fell away, blood spurting from their wounds.
With a howl of anger, the lead Death Eaters pointed their wands at the suits; "REDUCTO" The ancient suits shattered, pieces of the armor clattering down. The remaining eighteen or so Death Eaters all turned to either side of the Hall, glaring at the remaining suits as if daring them to act.
They were looking the wrong way, in a swirl of a cape; Snape appeared for just a moment, just long enough to cast a pair of curses. "ASPHYXIATIA, ASPHYXIATIA." He danced to cover on the other side of the hall, just in time to witness the pair of Death Eaters in the lead, turn puce and fall to the floor, dead.
"Who's there?" The new leader of the Death Eaters growled. With a hiss, he swept his mask from his face and threw it too the ground.
"Is that you Hamilton?" Snape asked airily, "did Lucius put you up to this or did you come up with this idea yourself?" Even as he spoke, Snape glanced around the corridor for his next move, ah yes, the ceiling. Crouching, he pointed his wand at the ceiling, "REDUCTO" A bright blue bolt snapped out from his wand and exploded, knocking stones flying. A chunk fell and hit a Death Eater at the rear of the pack, and as they glanced instinctively upward, another two Death Eaters fell, victims to a severing charm and another strangulation curse. Unfortunately for the good guys, the one sided battle was over.
With a sharp command, six of the remaining Death Eaters volleyed reductor curses at Snape's possible hiding places. He dove out from behind a pillar just as it shattered, causing a fist-sized chunk of stone to glance off of his head, opening a five-inch gash. Snape snapped off a severing charm as he dove, slicing off the wand arm of yet another Death Eater, and then his resistance was over. As he landed, three separate Death Eaters screamed, "EXPELLIARMUS." His wand flew across the room well beyond any hope of recovery. Encircled by Death Eaters, disarmed, Snape slowly rose to his feet and glared at the remaining dark wizards.
Hamilton grinned at him, "CRUCIO!" Severus grunted as he fell back to his knees, fighting with all of his willpower to not scream as a thousand hot knives tore at his flesh. As he knelt writhing in pain, Hamilton walked slowly up to Snape, knelt down and placed the tip of his wand behind Snape's right ear. "My master will reward me for this." Hamilton whispered, almost lovingly in Snape's ear.
"Don't you know, Xavier?" Snape grunted out through the pain, "Potter is going to destroy him, and then I bet he and his mudblood will come and visit you." Snape choked out a laugh as Hamilton growled in anger, jumped back, "AVEDA KEDAVRA" in a snap of green light, the potions master of Hogwarts had fallen, redeemed at last.
Fire in their eyes, the Death Eaters, pointed their wands at the Fat Lady, and with another volleyed reductor curse, the portrait exploded, revealing the entrance to Gryffindor tower. From within, frantic cries could be heard as the first of the Death Eaters walked through the unguarded entrance.
******************************HALLWAY**************************
In the hallway the nine remaining defenders stood their ground, crouched behind statues and around corners. Neville, Ginny, Padma, Pavarti, Seamus, Dean, Luna and Dennis Creevy, of all people, were still fighting. Ron was more or less awake, and painfully trying to direct the defense, though by now he couldn't really hold a wand up. The defenders had fought an almost thermopolyian defense, for the cost of their fifteen or so that were dead or wounded in the fight to hold the corridor, almost a hundred of the Death Eaters that had continued to try to charge them lay in the corridor, more than half of those dead. For in the end, stunners had not proven enough as long as other Death Eaters kept reviving their comrades, and reductor and severing charms and other lethal spells had started to fly from the students along with a few toys that the twins had developed for just such a situation. Crookshanks was laying in a corner, panting, he had a broken leg from a reductor, but had managed to maul at least ten Death Eaters before he was forced to retreat, limping to his friends.
The fifty or so Death Eaters that remained were crouched down themselves, but they would eventually wait out the students. Another fifty of their number had spilt off and headed for the upper floors although no one really knew why. The entrance to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw dorms was on the seventh floor though at opposite ends, as was the Room of Requirement but what good would those do? Ginny rolled over on her back, carefully still under the cover of the statues, and glanced over at her brother and her fiancée. Ron had passed out again, and Neville looked drawn. All of them would have looked worried but what was the point, really. I really wish I had a large animagus form about now like Ron. Ginny thought with a twinge of dark humor, as her little tiny cat, wasn't much of a threat. She just shook her head at Crookshanks where he crouched guarding the wounded, he couldn't run, but he'd make the Death Eaters pay for those wounded students when it came to that.
The slap of large paws on the stone floors echoed down the hall and Ginny pointed her wand back down the hall, only to see a huge black dog, hurtling down the corridor. The dog skidded to a halt, transformed in mid skid, and thumped to halt as Sirius' shoulder hit the stature under which Ginny, and now him, were taking cover. "Hi Gin" Sirius said matter-of-factly, "REDUCTO." His spell, carefully aimed at the ceiling above the Death Eaters dropped chucks of stone on their heads, hopefully squashing some more.
Ginny just stared for a second, and wondered idly what else, Hell Hermione and Harry already deflected a Kedavra today and fought Voldie to a draw. "Hi Sirius" Ginny said tiredly.
"Not going to ask why I'm alive?" Sirius quipped as he returned yet another spell.
"Too tired" Ginny replied simply, and then she caught Neville's eyes out of the corner of hers. They were wide and a little shocked, but with happiness, not fear.
"DUMBLEDORE!"
The end was neigh for the Death Eaters, the students had held long enough for Dumbledore to end the fight outside and arrive. The torches in the hall added an eerily backlight to the scene, as his face was in shadow, while his eyes were glowing with a harsh, white light. Dumbledore strode to the center of the hall behind the Death Eaters, and in a voice like the Hammer of Thor, "SURRENDER OR DIE!"
With the words a howling wind swirled up the corridor, bringing with it the smell of blood and other things to the bedraggled students, but they didn't care. In the hall, a clatter of wands fell to the floor, and in a wave Dumbledore summoned them to a small neat pile in front of him. "INCENDIO" the wands burst into flame. "Now not that I don't' trust you," but, with another wave a large cage appeared, and with another, every Death Eater alive was suddenly a small mouse. That was something Ginny's animagus form could take care of. She SHIFTED and along with her familiar, who had appeared suddenly, she herded the mice that tried to get away to the cage, where Moody was levitating them in.
Dumbledore sighed and leaned heavily against a wall, watching with tired eyes Ginny, Spooky and Moody's efforts. He closed his eyes, and without opening them, "Welcome back Sirius."
Lupin's head spun as if on a swivel, and he stared at the bloodstained, tired wizard. He ran the three paces over to him and crushed him in a hug, "How, Sirius, How?" Lupin said as Tonks looked on with a tear in her eye from where she was bandaging a Gryffindor fifth year.
"Don't know Moony, I was in the void one second, I remember seeing Harry's baptismal and where Lily and James named me as godfather, and suddenly I was in the middle of the fight, but I was too late." Sirius growled angrily as he finished.
"Then it is up to them then," Dumbledore replied then opened his eyes; he looked over at his students, with more than one tear in his blue eyes. He was silent as if making a decision, "Alastor, do you mind working for miscreants for a while?" Dumbledore asked mysteriously, and Mad-Eye nodded slowly. "Sirius, Lupin how well do you remember the secrets of this place?" The Marauders looked at each other then back at Dumbledore.
"Well enough," Lupin replied for them both.
"Then go, and here" With a grunt of effort, he summoned the Marauder's map, "Damn strong wards you have there Harry," Dumbledore muttered, than in a normal tone, he continued as he reunited Sirius with the map, " This might help, take Alastor, Tonks, yourselves and whatever students are still in the fight and go and remove whatever Death Eaters you find in my castle, go" As Dumbledore turned and started down the hallway towards the girls bathroom, he saw Madame Pomfrey and Madame Pince come running down the hall, already yelling behind them at the second and third years they had found to help with the wounded.
Sirius smiled grimly as he realized that Dumbledore had not said how he was to remove then, only to do so, he pushed on a well remembered stone, and a passageway appeared in front of him. Sirius ushered his group into the passage, Lupin following after, "Moony want to come out and play?"
Lupin turned and looked back at the dead and wounded students, "Yes Padfoot, I believe that he does," As Sirius watched and the passage closed, Lupin's fangs elongated.
***********************Chamber of Secrets*****************************
With a thump, Harry and Hermione fell to the bottom of the shaft. Their wands were already out, questing, but Voldemort had not stopped to wait. They could hear his wet, slapping footsteps echoing in the corridor as he ran down the corridor to the actual entrance to the chamber itself.
"CRAP," Harry groaned and they took off, Harry heard the steps pause and, "DOWN" he snarled and swept Hermione to the ground with him, crashing into a large shallow pool of lake water. A pair of green bolts snapped through the space their heads had just occupied, they rolled apart and fired stunners in return; but Voldemort was long gone. Hermione swept wet bangs out of her eyes, as she looked forward, her eyes searching for their prey.
From somewhere ahead, they could hear the sound of stone grinding, "he's opening the Chamber," Hermione whispered in Harry's ear. She pushed herself back to her feet and got up and ran.
Harry got up and pelted after her, soon catching up just in time to see the Chamber door seal itself. Harry drew his other wand and spun, to the right side of the door, his back to the wall. On the other side of the heavy stone door, he saw Hermione do the same. His heart sunk when he saw her, but he wasn't about to try and stop her now, instead, he flashed back almost exactly seven years, "Hermione" he said with a tight little grin.
"Harry...you're a great wizard you know." She retorted having read his thoughts. A small, tight smile graced her lips.
"Not as good as you." Harry replied, looking directly at her.
"Me!" Hermione snorted, "Books and cleverness...there are more important things...Harry I love you."
Me too...Love he has to die; it ends tonight one way or another.
I know, Hermione replied sighing audibly.
Harry turned to the door, "OPEN" he murmured, but the word came out in parseltongue. The door ground open, and together they dove in, "AVEDA KEDAVRA" they cried together, and four brilliant bolts of green pierced the gloom.
A/N: Next the duel you've waited seven books for ;-)