"Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts."
"Hogwarts?"
"Hogwarts!" Sirius's portrait snapped at Snape. Snape sneered, and turned to the group of Order members surrounding him.
"So, what's the plan of attack?"
"Well, we need to get in, of course!" Rebecca Black slammed a hand on the table. "There must be some secret passages?"
"Hmm. I wouldn't try using the one leading from Honeydukes, or the one from behind the mirror. Those lead straight inside the castle, they'll be watched. No, the best one to use would be the Whomping Willow."
"Won't that be watched too?" asked Harry.
"Not as much, but yes. We'll need a distraction."
"And that," Remus clasped his hands together in a business like way. "Is where Lucius comes in."
Malfoy, who had been dragged along, looked up, his gaunt face a picture of shock. "M-me?"
"And how," said Rebecca slowly, "is that going to work?"
"No! No!" Malfoy pulled against the cuffs binding him to the chair. "I'm not helping you!"
"Oh?" Remus turned to him slowly. "We were under the impression you were, in exchange for freedom?"
"Well- I- I never said anything about doing missions for you- I mean- come on…" he looked around the room desperately, pale eyes darting from one person to the next.
But no-one seemed to care about Malfoy's protests. "So, how's this going to work?"
*
Harry proudly pulled on his Order of the Phoenix duelling cloak, tucking his wand safely in one of the pockets. He glanced at the flaming phoenix symbol on his belt. He had taken the vow of allegiance, and he, Ron and Hermione were now officially part of the Order. And now, they were going to break the captive muggleborns free, perhaps fighting a couple of Death Eaters along the way.
"You look great, kiddo," Sirius grinned, looking at Harry's Order robes from his picture. "Just like your dad."
"Thanks, Sirius," Harry grinned back.
He walked down the hallway to check on Hermione, who looked nervouse but determined, and Ron, who was almost bouncing off the walls with pent-up energy. He then went to check on Ginny, who was also going. He found her in her room, getting ready, Draco watching her sourly. They seemed to be having a disagreement.
"…Look, I'm going, ok, Draco?" said Ginny irritably.
"Its way too dangerous!" snarled Malfoy.
"I can look after myself! Tell him Harry!" Harry blinked as Ginny suddenly rounded on him.
"Well, I guess it's true. She's a good fighter, Malfoy; I'd be more worried for the poor bloke her wand's directed at."
Ginny smirked at Malfoy triumphantly, and he glared at her and Harry, stumped.
"Well- well if you're going off to do something stupid, I'm going to go and be stupid with you!" he announced, folding his arms.
Ginny's smirk faded. "Oh no, Draco, I know how you feel about fighting them."
"Yeah, well, that was before I had you." He flushed, and glanced at Harry, embarrassed.
Harry rolled his eyes." "Oh, don't mind me. Pretend I don't exist, like you did when you were proposing to her." Malfoy stared at his feet.
"Draco…" Ginny wrapped her arms around him.
"Please, Gin, not in front of Pot-" But Harry was already walking towards the door.
"Get a room!" he called.
"We have. You're in it." But Harry waited outside the room, until Malfoy stepped out.
"I want to talk to you," he said, pulling Malfoy aside. He knew it wasn't really his place, more like Ron's or Mr. Weasley's, but as they didn't know… "How far," he murmured quietly, "are you willing to go to protect Ginny in this war?"
Malfoy shifted uncomfortably, looking very embarrassed.
"For goodness sakes Malfoy, spit it out!"
Malfoy glared coolly at Harry, still looking embarrassed. "I'd die for her," he admitted proudly, then wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Oh. I sound like a Gryffindor. How horrible…" He walked away, shaking his head. Harry stared after him. He sounded sincere. Perhaps he could accept Ginny and Malfoy after all… eventually.
"Harry," Ron's voice floated into his brain. "We're going soon."
"Right," said Harry. Butterflies were growing in his stomach.
"Lets go, Harry! Let's save the muggleborns!" Ron, whose eyes were bright, was brimming with excitement. He ran off, and Harry followed him, shaking his head at his friend's excitation.
*
Harry had followed the tunnel leading from the Shrieking Shack and poked his head through the hole in the Whomping Willow, shivering with adrenaline. There was the castle, invisible to anyone who hadn't been told by Voldemort, standing in all its sinister glory.
He ducked back inside, so Mr. Weasley could have a look. Harry felt his wrist being squeezed softly and looked down to see Hermione peering worriedly into his eyes, silently asking for confidence. He gave her a reassuring smile, and put an arm around her waist.
"We'll be fine," he whispered into her hair. She nodded, hugging him possessively.
"Oh, yes, there are Death Eaters there," said Mr. Weasley, wincing as he said Death Eaters. He was obviously trying to not think of Percy. "Where's our Distraction?"
Lucius Malfoy looked in an extremely foul temper. He stood with Snape, glaring at everyone exceptionally evilly. He was wearing an expression that clearly said he wished everyone would die a very painful death.
"Come along, Lucius," said Snape, and he led him away. Malfoy shot Harry a savage sneer, before following.
*
"Come along, Lucius," Lucius mimicked as they came out the Shrieking Shack. "Yeesh, Snape, you sound like my father."
"Mm, isn't that tragic," muttered Snape lazily as he took Lucius's shoulder.
"I can apperate myself!" Lucius snarled. Severus raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, you think I'm letting you get away that easily?" And he began apperating them to Hogwarts front gates. However, mid-apperation, Lucius raised a fist and punched Snape in the stomach. As they landed, Snape fell to the ground, groaning, and Lucius started apperating away with a smirk.
"Funiculus incantartem!"
Something pulled him back, and he landed on his back on the forest floor. He looked to see a thin black cord had wound around his ankle, attached to Snape's wand. Now both men were lying on the floor, glaring menacingly at each other.
"Do you know what this is? It's an eternal cord. It means you're bound to me, and if you do something I don't like…" Lucius jumped as a small fiery shock ran up his leg. Snape slowly stood up, and Lucius did the same.
"Who did you learn that from?" Lucius stared at the cord.
"Miss Black."
"Getting friendly with her, aren't you?" For some odd reason, Snape flushed. "Whatever. Let me go."
"No."
"Let me go."
"No."
"Oh, come on, Severus. I am not doing this for the Order. You know I only came so I could get my wife."
"And what were you planning on doing when you got her?"
"I don't know, immigrate probably. I'm at my wit's end with this war. Yes, we'd go to France, the name Malfoy could be passed off as French."
"But then, however would you be able to pay me back?"
"Pay you… back?" Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"I've done a lot for your family, Malfoy." Snape was slowly advancing on him, wand raised. "I promised your wife I'd aid your son in his mission. I restored Narcissa back to health when she was ill. I helped Draco run away. I saved his life when he cut his Dark Mark off."
"Yes, and I'm eternally grateful. Now will you please let me go?!"
Severus smirked. "Don't be silly, Malfoy, this is your chance to repay me."
Lucius looked from him to the cord to the castle. "Aww!" he whined. "Can't I just tie your laces; stop you breaking your neck?"
"Very amusing Lucius, but no."
Lucius paced in a circle, his scowl deepening. "How could you do this to me? I've got you out of tricky situations, allowed you into my home, treated you like a family member on occasions…"
Severus frowned. "Lucius, this is for your own good as well as mine," he said gently. "If you do this, you'll have less chance of going to jail, and you won't have to immigrate. You wouldn't be able to do that anyway, I don't think Draco wants to go anywhere. You don't want to be on the run from the Order forever, do you?"
"And how do you know the Order's going to win, Severus? How do you know it's not the wrong side?"
"It's not," said Snape with grim confidence.
Lucius glared at the cord around his ankle. "Fine," he said sourly, "I'll go." He turned to leave.
"Wait! It has to look believable!" Lucius froze as Snape mussed up his hair a bit and put some leaves in it. He then scratched his cheek with a twig and put some mud on his robes. "A masterpiece." Severus folded his arms. Lucius twitched angrily. "What? It has to look believable."
Malfoy swore at him and turned to the gates.
*
"Ok," Remus breathed, "Ok, here he comes."
Harry watched from their hidey-hole as a figure with long white-blonde hair strutted up the path leading to the castle. Mr. Malfoy seemed to be wiping leaves out his hair.
Suddenly, Harry noticed another figure with long blonde hair had appeared at Hogwarts' gates. He pulled out the omnoculars he had saved from fourth year (he had thought they would come in useful, and had taken them just in case). The figure was Mrs. Malfoy, and now she was running towards her husband. Harry heard Draco groan as his mother shot towards his father, kissing him fiercely.
Several other Death Eaters had come to see him, and Malfoy looked distinctly embarrassed. He made up for it by waving his hands about, probably telling some boastful story of how he escaped. He then pointed in the direction opposite the Whomping Willow, and though Harry couldn't hear him he knew he was telling them that there were Order members trying to get in there.
"Okay," Remus whispered. "They're falling for it. Let's go." In groups of three, half of the Order ran stealthily to the castle wall. They were under the Disillusionment Charm, so they were almost invisible in the dark. Harry pressed his back against the cold stone wall. He could see someone had grafitied a glowing green Dark Mark on the wall, it's eyes beaming like search lights, and he lowered himself so he could crawl in the mulchy grass to avoid breaking the beam.
He looked around for others. The Disillusionment Charm was powerful; the only way he could tell there were people with him was Hermione's soft breathing on his shoulder. He suddenly caught sight of a tiny red light, and followed it. He could just make out Mr. Weasley's figure by a window.
"Through here," he whispered, and they clambered through the window, welcoming the warmth instead of the cool night air.
"Right, I think that's everyone." Mr. Weasley took off the charm and counted everyone's heads. "Right, we search the castle in groups of five. If anyone sees a Death Eater, silence them, then stun them. If there's serious trouble push your belts and someone'll come. Let's move."
Harry, Ron and Hermione, now joined by Remus and Tonks, scattered along the halls, cautious for any Death Eaters. They first went to the Dungeons, which was the most obvious place in Harry's opinion.
There were indeed people there. They blinked and squinted as Harry shone his wand over them, as though they hadn't seen light for days. They were unhealthy looking, with sunken eyes, straggly hair and sallow, pale skin. Many of them bore marks of being beaten.
"Harry Potter?" said one of them, a middle-aged man with a puffed-up purple eye. Many of the people started chattering excitedly, crowding around them. There was Colin and Dennis Creevey, looking very thin, Percy's friend Penelopy Clearwater, her face scattered with cuts, and Dean Thomas, who roared with delight upon seeing his classmates. There were about 50 people crammed into the Dungeon, adults and children alike.
"Have you come to get us out?" a little boy tugged on Hermione's robe. She looked down at him, nodding and smiling tearfully. She then looked around at the gaunt, pale faces that were peering at them hopefully. Harry knew she mst have been feeling terrible. All these people were being abused beacause of their heritage, yet they had the same birth kind as her…
"Mel Gower!" Remus had recognised one of the people.
"Remus!" he whispered horsely, "I'm so glad you've come! It's been… nightmarish!" He coughed wheezily into his fist, and Harry saw there was a purple hand-shaped bruise on his wrist. "Some of us have been stuck here for months! They don't feed us properly… and they beat us, sometimes to death." He indicated something in the very far end of the dungeons, where no-one was. Harry's stomach turned to mush as he saw there was a row of deceased people, layed out respectfully. He felt sick. It was like a concentration camp.
"Well, we're getting you out of here," said Tonks, and pulled a pile of wands from her robe, and began handing them out.
People's faces lit up as they got their hands on wands, and Remus, Tonks and Hermione led groups of five people at a time out, back to the Whomping Willow, where the rest of the people were waiting.
"You two, go and search some more. There'll be others in other rooms," said Remus.
Harry and Ron trooped along the castle, checking more rooms. It was only in Gryffindor tower they found more people. They were in marginally better condition, as the tower had windows, and it wasn't as cramped, but they still looked malnourished.
They led the people to the Whomping Willow, where they could get food and proper health care. Harry was thinking that the mission was going well, when he felt a funny humming feeling in his waist.
"The belts!" said Ron, lifting his robe to reveal the flashing belt.
Harry took a sharp intake of breath, then held his wand flat in his palm. "Point me," he whispered.
They followed Harry's wand's directions, speeding back up to the castle, until their eyes were met with a light so bright it could have rivalled the aurora borealis.
"Harry!" Hermione pulled him aside, dodging a curse. "Ron! The Death Eaters have seen us!"
Harry peered through the bright array of lights, to see they were being caused by Death Eaters and Order members shooting spells at each other with such ferocity it unnerved Harry.
There was Bellatrix Lestrange, deulling Molly Weasley and Neville Longbottom, Dolohov, casting the cruciatus curse on Rebecca Black, before being paralyzed by Snape, Rookwood, who was being attacked by Lupin, Greyback, who was trying to bite Professor Flitwick, but had just been knocked out by Bill Weasley, and unknown Death Eater, who was duelling Kingsley Shackelbolt, and many more.
Portraits were being knocked off walls, suites of armors being destroyed, the carpet was being shredded, and part of the ceiling collapsed on Yaxley's head. Harry winced as he saw Mundngus Fletcher fall down dead, and saw that Fred Weasley's leg had been snapped in three places, so it was sticking out at a jaunty angle. Lucius Malfoy was skulking along in the shadows, trying not to be seen, and Vincent Crabbe's arms had been charmed into snakes.
"Move!" yelled Hermione at Ron, as something large and glowing shot towards him. She shot a spell at a Death Eater, causing him to be trapped in a suite of armor.
"Hermione! We need backup! Get anyone and everyone you can!" screamed Tonks, as more Death Eaters started pouring in. Harry and Ron threw curse after curse at them, and Hermione ran out to get moere people to fight.
Fizzing, whirring, cackling and crackling from the curses filled Harry's ears, along with the mingled yells and screams from the people fighting and the thunder of footsteps. It seemed every single Death Eater and Order member was shooting spells and fighting, everywhere you looked there was duelling. It wasn't just along one corridor: soon, people were upstairs and downstairs, darting in and out of classrooms, shooting jets of light just visible outside in the grounds, leaving trails of destruction wherever they went.
Hermione soon returned with half an army of Order members, captured muggleborns, and people who just wanted to help fight. With a frightening roar they charged in, brandishing their wands and jumping on Death Eaters, screaming curses.
Harry felt exhausted. He was panting, sweat rolling down his cheeks, as he sent Alecto Carrow soaring through the air. It was worse than the battle of Hogsmeade. With a plunge of dread in his stomach, he wandered how many more people had to be killed, injured or hurt before it all ended.
*
Hermione looked left and then right gingerly. No-one was noticing her, they were all too busy duelling, but she wasn't concerned about that at the moment. There were some creatures who weren't duelling, who were totally defencless. House-elves.
She snuk along until she came to the portrait of the fruit bowl, and tickled the pear with her little finger. It giggled and squirmed like a faceless green baby, before the painting opened and permited her entry.
There were no lights on in the kitchen, but through the dark a hundred pairs of orb-like eyes stared at her in fear and fascination.
"Right, everyone out! You might not know this, but there's a war going on up there!" she announced. None of the elves moved.
Hermione noticed they were all huddled up together, hugging and comforting each other. They kept glancing up fearfully, and most of them were quivering violently. They were curled up together, tears shining in some of their eyes. Apparently they did know there was a battle going on, and they were terrified to death.
"Well come on!" Hermione shouted desperately, but that only scared them more. She lowered her voice. "You're in danger here." She could hear shouting and footsteps from up the hall.
"Miss is right!" said an elf with about a thousand hats, all towered on top of each other. Hermione recognised it as Dobby.
None of the elves moved, until one nervously stood up. "Mistress Lestrange has told us we must stay here at all costs, no matter how danger-y it is being."
"Mistress Lestrange? Look, forget her! Your lives are in danger, if someone comes down here they could accidentaly hit you with a spell! You're in the middle of a war, You have to leave!"
"Mistress said no."
The fighting people were getting closer. Spells were ricocheting off the walls, they could hit an elf easily… a small elf hugged itself to a bigger one. Hermione looked at the small creatures helplessly. Why were they so stubbornly suicidal? Why couldn't they understand they didn't have to do as humans told them all the time.
"We must go! It's not safe for an elf!" Dobby squeaked, stamping his foot.
"No, Dobby. Bellatrix Lestrange is in charge of Hogwarts now. If she is saying something, we is doing it." The elf glared at Dobby, and several others nodded reluctantly. "Even if it means we is dying, we is good house-elves."
"No," said Hermione weakly, kneeling so she was eye-level with them. "It doesn't mean you're bad elves if you save yourselves. And what about each other? Are you just going to let your friends die?" The house-elves glanced nervousley at each other, fear written across their faces. "House-elves have as much right to live as humans do. You can't just let yourselves die because someone told you to. It doesn't make you bad elves to save each other, and whoever says it dose is a bad human. Why should you be pushed around? You don't deserve to die, you've done nothing wrong."
There was silence. Brown, blue and green elf eyes stared at her, thinking. Then, a small elf stepped foreward. It was Winky.
"Miss is right," Winky squeaked, and vanished. They all looked at each other, gawping in shock, but then Hermione watched in delight as another apparated away, then another and another, until, gradually, they had all gone. Hermione sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank you, Miss! Thank you for saving my friends!" Dobby's hat's quivered. He was overjoyed.
Hermione smiled. "You'd better be going too, Dobby."
"Oh, no, Miss. Dobby is fighting with you, Miss. Dobby is kicking some arse!"
Hermione struggled to keep a straight face.
"You're a brave little elf, Dobby. Just be careful, ok?"
Dobby shreiked with joy, then hugged her around the knees. "Oh, Miss is valiant and noble and just! Harry Potter is lucky to have such a ladyfriend as his Hermy Granger!"
"Oh! No, Harry's not my-" But Dobby had already zoomed off, leaving a beet-red Hermione with her thoughts.
*
Arthur raced behind the Death Eater, following his trailing cloak.
"Crucio!" spat the Death Eater, but fortunately Arthur dodged it.
"Expelliarmus!" He roared, and the man's wand cannoned into the air, spinning around until it landed with a smack in Arthur's palm. He glanced at it, then did a double take. He recognised this wand, it had been his brother Bilius's before he died, then it had been passed along to… No…
Slowly, he looked up at the Death Eater. He was just standing there, calm and cool as ice. Dread intoxiating his veins, Arthur took a terrified step towards him. The man did nothing, but stared at him through eyes concealed behind a mask. He walked tensely up to him, then raised an outstretched hand. His whole arm trembling, his fingers curled around the edge of the mask. He swallowed, and slowly, painfully slowly, removed the mask. His breath caught in his throat.
It was Percy.
"NOOO!"Arthur fell on his knees in front of his son, clutching his head and shaking with dry sobs. "Percy…" he whispered, looking at Percy's blank face. "How could you?"
"I'm sorry, Father," he said, his voice oddly emotionless. "It's your own fault. You should have given me more support."
Arthur gave a choked gasp and crawled backwards, not believing his ears. Percy was staring straight ahead, not once looking at Arthur, but his blue eyes were glazed over, his face completely and utterly expressionless. He was like one of those muggle robots, completely uncaring, appearing to have no independent thought.
Arthur shakily stood up. Something was not right, aside from the obviouse. His behaviour was strange, his voice was odd, it was as though he was being controlled…
Fuming, Arthur raised his wand, so it was pointing in his son's face, milimeters from his nose. Glaring mercilessly, he took a breath, ready to curse this unforgiving Death Eater that had replaced his son…
"Confringo!" He jerked his wand out of Percy's face, aiming over his shoulder at the concealed Death Eater who had him under the imperious curse. The blasting curse sent him flying, and Percy collapsed forewards, Arthur catching him.
"Dad?" Percy whispered, staring at his Death Eater robes in shock. "What am I doing?"
"It's ok, you were under the imperious."
"Oh, oh Merlin, Dad!" Percy's eye's widened in horror. "What've I done? Who've I killed?"
"Shh, no. It couln't be helped." Arthur put a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. Percy backed away, looking scared of himself.
"Oh man! I'm a murderer!" He fell to his knees.
"No, you're not!" Arthur squatted down next to Percy. "you just… You got too important in the Ministry. Look, what matters is that you're yourself now. It wasn't your fault."
"I should have listened to you," Percy whispered. "Dad, I am so, so sorry."
Arthur swallowed, tears forming in his eyes. He had waited so long to hear that. He should have been berating his son for being too hot-headed to listen. He should have been lecturing him on the importance of listening to his parents. Instead, he smiled weakly and said, "You're forgiven, Perce."
*
Neville adjusted his earmuffs, and chucked another mandrake at the group of Death Eaters. Adreneline was rushing through his body, and he gave the thumbs up to Proffessor Sprout. He checked the basket, frowning. There were no mandrakes left, so it was safe to take off the earmuffs. As he did so, he heard a scream.
He looked around. Ginny Weasley had just cursed Rabastan Lestrange, causing him to writhe as his face erupted in fat purple boils. She grinned at him triumphantly, before turning around, bumping into Rodolphus Lestrange.
"Whaddid you do to my brother, wench?" he spat, grabbing her by the arms and lifting her off the ground.
"Hey! Leave her alone!" Neville yelled. Lestrange shot a spell at Neville, and he found himself bound to the spot. He grinned nastily, and turned back to Ginny, who was lashing out furiously at him, but had no effect.
"GET OFF HER!" came a roar, and Neville was shocked to see Draco Malfoy jump on him. Lestrange was a lot bigger than him, however, and shoved him to the floor.
"Hey, I know you! You're that nephew of mine."
"Yeah, you were a pretty crap uncle, being in Azkaban most of my life, and all," Malfoy drawled.
"Cheeky little-" He shoved Ginny at another Death Eater, who held her still. "How would you like a taste of my wand?"
"Malfoy! Get away from him, he's dangerous!" Neville shouted.
"You know him, huh, Longbottom? Well, here's a treat, why don't you watch me teach him a lesson? I can use the same tecniques I and my wife used on your parents. Crucio!"
Neville stared in horror as Malfoy screamed in agony. Malfoy was one of his least favorite people, but he'd never wish this on him. And the way he wa writhing made Neville think… was that how his parents had been when the Lestranges tortured them to insanity? Was Rodolphus smiling the same way as he had when he had crucio'ed the Longbottoms? Had Alice been screaming the same way Ginny was when she watched her husband turn insane? If this carried on, would Malfoy become mentally incapacitated too?!
He wouldn't wish that on anyone.
Freeing himself, he shot the first curse that came into his head, all his anger and fury towards the Lestranges concentrated into this one spell. A powerful jet of purple light hit Lestrange square in the chest, and he fell down, landing oddly on his neck with a sickening crack, and moved no more. The Death Eater holding Ginny scampered away, scared, and she flung herself onto Malfoy's chest.
"Draco!" She put a hand on Malfoy's sweat-covered brow, as he breathed harshly. "Wow, Neville, that was scary!"
Neville gave a forced smile and looked down at Malfoy, who was now groaning.
"Still a brainless oaf, am I, Malfoy?" he whispered. "Still all those things you said I was?" Malfoy avoided his eye, looking slightly ashamed. Ginny hadn't heard.
"Are you feeling ok?" she asked tenderly.
"No… my head… soldier down!" he groaned. "I need you to nurse me back to health."
Ginny rolled her eyes and grinned.
"Um, hello? Is something going on between you two?" Neville looked from him to her suspitiously. Ginny with Malfoy? Eww...
Malfoy's and Ginny's eyes trailed to each other. "Um…no…"
"Uh, um, Malfoy, is that you? I thought it was Ron…"
"Ugh, Weasley, get off me!" Neville shook his head at their pathetic attemps to convince him.
"Look, Neville, please don't say anything, not yet."
"But you're with Malfoy? Eww, Ginny, how could you?"
"I'm right here you know!" said Malfoy indignantly.
"Neville, please! We don't want anyone to know." She looked at him with pleading round eyes. He hated it when girls did that, he couldn't say no.
"I'll try not. But I can't promise something won't slip."
"Thanks Neville," Ginny gave him a grateful smile.
"You know, that part where you said you mistook me for your brother was quite offensive," Malfoy muttered. Ginny just rolled her eyes.
"But-but how did you two get… uh, close?" Neville looked from Malfoy to Ginny uncomfortably.
"I'll explain later," Ginny smiled weakly, before helping Malfoy to his feet and then shooting a vibrant orange spell at a Death Eater over his shoulder. Malfoy watched her with the air of someone appriciating fine art, before raising his wand to help her. Neville took one final glance at Rodolphus Lestrange, and helped them too.
*
"Harry!" Ron dived on top of him, pulling Harry to the floor as a shimmering beam of yellow light shot over their heads, bright against the dark sky. The battle had been taken outside.
"Wow!" Harry wiped his brow. "Thanks, Ron!"
"Just looking out for you, mate!" Ron shot him a rougeish grin, before they both got back into the action, shooting spells and firing curses.
"Expecto patronum!" Harry's stag pranced majestically at an array of dementors, scattering them like a bowling ball scatters pins. It soared up to join a silver doe, and they drove the dementors upwards.
The Death Eaters had also called for backup, and had arranged for a swarm of dementors, werewolves, and even three giants, but the Order had more people, as anyone who wanted to fight Voldemort had been recruited, bought as many weapons as they could, and come to fight. Many were on the backs of hypogriffs or thestrals, if they could see them, and one of these was Luna.
Her thestral knocked a werewolf unconcious with one of its great, bat-like wings, and landed with a squark.
"Luna! Look out!" Harry yelled. A burly, wide Death Eater had shot a crackling green curse at her, which split the air with it's firework-like noise.
"LUNA!" Ron knocked her off her thestral, effectively getting in the way of the curse. It hit him directly in the left eye.
"Ron!" Harry and Luna yelled, as he rolled on the floor, howling in agony. Harry jumped over a fallen tree trunk, and slammed himself on the ground where Ron was screeching. He was clutching his eye franticly, the other one wet with tears.
"Ron, Ron, let me look…" Harry gently pried Ron's hand away. He felt sick as he saw his friend's eye. The spell seemed to have melted the eyeball in it's socket, and green liquid oozed from the wound revoltingly.
"Oh my- What's that?!" someone screamed.
Harry tore his gaze away from his friend's face and looked to the sky. He froze.
Something, something black, bat-like and fast moving was rocketing through the sky towards them. It was leaving a blazing green streak imprinted against the sky, cutting through the dark. It soared to them at an alarming rate, and people were screaming: it was like a torpedo. It was like a meteorite. It was like something that would cause a genecide. It was Voldemort.
His robes were billowing behind him, his skeletal face still in concentraition. Suddenly he stopped in mid air, floating to the floor, his robes falling around him gracefully. No body moved, no body dared even breathe, they were all waiting, watching, and Voldemort watched them back through his scorching, fearsome scarlet eyes.
Somebody lost their nerve and dropped their wand.
"Avada kedavra!" Proffessor Pomona Sprout fell to the ground, dead.
The atmosphere was thick enough to cut. Everyone watched with baited breath as Voldemort took one long step, his trailing cloak rustling the grass behind him.
"Harry Potter!" Voldemort's cool, high voice slashed through the compressing silence, reaching everyone's ears. Harry stepped out, bracing himself for whatever Voldemort would throw at him.
But all he did was say this: "You will meet me in one hour at the top of the Astronomy tower. If you do not come, I will find you, and I will kill you. Remember, just one hour."
*
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