"When you outnumber the enemy ten to one, surround him. When you outnumber him five to one, attack him. If your numbers are double his, divide him. If you're equally matched, have a good plan to engage him in battle. If you are weaker in number, be ready to pull back. If your army is weaker in all respects, you must try to elude him, since a small force is easily taken by one more powerful that fights daringly."
Sun Tzu, The Art of War
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter – just writing for my own pleasure.
Chapter 1
Gray clouds were gathering on an already darkening sky. The sun was about to set and a feeling of gloom had descended upon Hogwarts. The tension was thick in the air; thick enough that Harry imagined he could reach out with his hand and touch it. The tension was pregnant with expectation. And fear of what was about to happen; of what seemed all but unavoidable. An eerie quiet had settled on the castle grounds.
To Harry it had become increasingly clear that the situation was desperate and that it was merely a matter of time before the Death Eaters attacked Hogwarts. Voldemort had delivered his ultimatum on handing over Harry and it was only half an hour to midnight. He knew that he had to act quickly; for all of them to survive the coming storm.
"Professor McGonagall, please!", he pleaded with his former head of house, a hint of desperation in his voice. He winced slightly as soon as he had spoken. To his own ears he sounded pathetic, like that of a boy and not of the man he felt he had become. No one gave any sign to have noticed, with all eyes fixed on Harry and the Professor.
They all stood in the Great Hall where they had just witnessed the unbendable Professor of Transfiguration and Deputy Headmistress, with the aid of Professors Flitwick and Sprout, fight off Snape, who had eventually fled through the window. Snape must have learned more than just a few tricks from his master, given how he gracefully flew over the castle grounds. It was almost beautiful to behold somehow, yet in a sordid way. Harry promised himself never to underestimate the disgraced former professor. A traitor to be sure, but a dangerous one. For the millionth time he wished he hadn't stopped Sirius from killing the other traitor; the pathetic Wormtail.
Harry brought himself back from his musings and looked at his old Head of House. McGonagall's countenance projected a sternness that was all too familiar to a couple of generations of Hogwarts students. Her face gave enough hints at her displeasure, at least to those who knew her well, that he didn't need to hear her say it to know that she was disappointed and that she disapproved.
"Just listen to me..," he continued, not waiting for her to respond. "We cannot win this fight, we must pull back and regroup!".
McGonagall fixed her piercing eyes on him and gave him a hard look; her disappointment becoming blatantly obvious.
"While I'm pleased you care so much for our safety, I do believe that it is time for Gryffindor courage and this is the safest place in magical Britain!", she responded with what seemed like feigned enthusiasm. Some of the Gryffindor students cheered, but they were few and easily outnumbered.
"Besides, I do believe you shall find that we, the professors, are rather good at magic and we're not about to give up Hogwarts to that man."
Harry wanted to roll his eyes, although he didn't think McGonagall would take kindly to such antics. This was taking too long, the deadline was due in just half an hour and the evacuation needed to take place immediately, without any further delay.
"Professor, just listen to me! We are vastly outnumbered, unprepared and most of us here are students", he tried again, words coming out of his mouth much louder and forcefully than before.
"Trust me, we are not ready to fight him yet. Not here, not now. That's what he wants us to do and it would be foolish to give him what he wants."
He paused briefly to look around at the gathered students. His voice had carried across the Great Hall, and all eyes were fixed upon him. Eyes that betrayed their fear. He needed to project determination and give them some hope, however small.
"He has chosen this battlefield, not us," he went on, leaving no room for confusion as to whom he referred to. "He comes prepared for battle while we are not. There will be a time for Gryffindor courage and sense of honor, but today we must show Slytherin cunning and live to fight another day. Unless you have full control over the wards of the castle and can lock it down completely, then we have no choice."
Thank Hermione and her need to commit the entire Hogwarts: A History to memory for that piece of information. Only the Headmaster could lock down Hogwarts so completely that no army could breach its walls. But Dumbledore was gone and Snape had been the last Headmaster. He had no idea if Professor McGonagall had already assumed control over the wards and knew how to enact their full protection. He had no idea in what shape the wards were after Snape's tenure as Headmaster. Perhaps they were all but gone. Tom would have prepared for this too. He always seemed to do.
When you're fighting a losing game; when check-mate is bound to occur within just a few quick moves, the honorable way was perhaps to let the game run its course. But the Slytherin way, and only sensible recourse, was to flip the board, especially when so much was at stake. Besides, I'm nowhere near ready to face him, Harry thought to himself while trying to gauge the effect of his verbal onslaught. Judging by the thoughtful look McGonagall gave him, it was as if she was seeing him for the very first time. She seemed to waver in her determination. Perhaps this would be the first time she decided to listen to him. And maybe pigs could fly, he thought wryly.
He hesitated for a moment, rubbing his scar that had flared up in pain again, before he added what he knew was a gross exaggeration, if not an outright lie.
"Plans have already been put in place to fight this war, but staying here to fight and die will gain us nothing. We can defeat him, but not like this. Professor Dumbledore instructed me on how to win this war."
Harry saw that he had truly caught her attention now. The Great Hall waited in absolute silence for her decision. Professor McGonagall just kept her eyes locked on Harry, as if trying to solve a suddenly fascinating puzzle. The sound of nervous feet trampling around could be heard behind them until suddenly the quiet was broken.
First Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat, and looked like she wanted to say something. Probably something about how he should trust the adults to handle the situation; that he was too young. Arthur, the twins, Kingsley and Remus stood beside her sporting looks of concern of their own. However, before she had the chance, a clear voice came from behind them.
"Harry speaks the truth".
Susan wore a faint blush on her cheeks, but a look of stubborn determination in her eyes. Harry remembered that she had lost her aunt, Amelia Bones, the head of the DMLE, not that long ago.
"The Ministry has already fallen and we cannot face them in open battle," she continued, seeming to gain in confidence as she spoke.
A few murmurs of assent rose among the gathered students. Most looked ill at the very idea of taking up wands against the Dark Lord's army. They had all heard the whispers of Dementors and Werewolves joining his cause, and he knew from experience that most of them were still too afraid to even mention the name of the Dark Lord. He would have to break that fear. It was too potent a weapon in the enemy's hands. If they fought like this, half the battle would have been lost before it even started.
Susan's words seemed to have stirred them up and before Professor McGonagall had a chance to speak up again, Neville spoke up as well, his voice loud and confident.
"I'm with you Harry... We're all with you. House Longbottom stands with House Potter and will follow your lead wherever you go. Until the end."
Neville's face was grim, the gash on his cheek clearly visible and one of his eyes yellow and purple. His robes too had definitely seen better days. They hung singed and tattered. There was not a hint of a smile on his normally so friendly and open face.
Harry gave him a surprised look. He would never have expected this from the shy boy, but it seemed that this past year had changed not only him, Hermione and Ron, but also others. Perhaps more so.
More voices rose among the students, all voicing their assent. The DA members and the Gryffindors were at the forefront, displaying an almost Hufflepuff sense of loyalty. Harry almost felt embarrassed, but he had no time to think about it any further.
Professor McGonagall gave her students a look of pure disbelief. Perhaps she could sense the mood in the room, where those most likely to stay and fight would rather follow Harry's plan, whatever it was, while the majority of the students looked like they wished they were elsewhere. Some of the Slytherins wore smirks that spoke of their eager anticipation of what was about to happen.
They have no idea how much they will suffer when the Dark Lord finally takes over, Harry thought to himself, but they will know soon enough. He almost pitied the fools.
Yet, he knew for certain that some within the Slytherin ranks were perfectly able to picture the horrors of Magical Britain ruled by the Dark Lord. They understood that they had everything to lose in such a scenario. Being pureblood would only delay the inevitable subjugation. He intended to reach out to them in due time. He would need them.
"There is only one problem, Mr. Potter", McGonagall said, defeat evident in her voice. It seemed like the air had gone out of her. "We don't have a way out", she finished with a heavy sigh.
Upon hearing her words some of the younger students broke down in tears. Looks of panic could be seen on most faces; the sound of hushed whispers growing.
"Professor, Neville knows the way out. Trust me, and trust Neville. We can get everyone to Hogsmeade and if need be we'll fight our way out from there", he heard himself answer.
The confidence in his voice was a poor reflection of his true feelings. They had barely escaped the Death Eaters' stationed there as it was. Maybe they were still searching for them. He decided to not dwell on that. He couldn't do everything or account for every possibility. At least not on such short notice. Like a true Gryffindor he had come to Hogwarts, without much of a plan. Scratch that – with no plan besides finding the remaining Horcrux. Godric would be proud.
"Very well, Mr. Potter," she finally said. "Professors Slughorn and Sinistra, please see to the evacuation immediately. The rest of the adults here will help you. Prefects, please make sure everyone is accounted for. Neville, please lead the way. In the meanwhile, Professor Flitwick and I will see to our defenses in order to buy us some more time," she continued, her voice firm again. Being in command came as naturally to her as breathing.
Harry heaved a sigh of relief as the professors and prefects set to work counting and sorting the students. He had feared it would take a lot more to convince her, but now he could finally turn to other matters. There was still a Horcrux somewhere in Hogwarts and this might be his last chance to find it. But time was running out and he had no idea where to begin his search for it.
"Hermione, Ron!", he called out, his eyes scanning the room in search for them. He soon found them engaged in a heated discussion as he hurried to join up with them.
"I meant it," he heard Neville say assertively, "we will not stand aside and leave this fight to you!".
He could see the others nodding their assent. They fell quiet as soon as they noticed Harry's presence. He quickly realized that any argument at this point would be futile. He said nothing as he looked each one of them in the eyes, searching for... something.
He had already heard how they had suffered under the Carrows and each one met his eyes with unwavering looks of their own. Neville, Luna, Cho, Seamus, Hannah, Dean, Susan, Justin and several others all sported grim faces that revealed that they were ready for whatever was coming, that they trusted him to take charge. Fools they were. He couldn't even take care of himself – he had Hermione for that – and much less others. He didn't let those thoughts show on his face though. He owed them that at least.
He nodded slowly, seeing that Hermione and Ron were both shockingly enough looking to him to make the decision. "Good", he said simply. "We're glad to have you".
Smiles broke out on the gathered remnants of Dumbledore's Army. They looked eager. If only they knew, Harry thought with a heavy heart, wishing fervently that he wouldn't lead them to an early grave. No time to dwell on that either. Meanwhile he felt his scar burning with an intensity that almost made his eyes water.
"So this is what we will do", he began. "Neville, lead them all to the Room of Requirement and keep the room under your control. We will need to make our own escape as soon as we find the thing that Voldemort hid in the castle. But we don't have much time."
They all nodded, having heard of their search for an object hidden earlier as they made their way into the castle.
"The rest of us we'll spread out in pairs... we don't know exactly what it is we're looking for but as we said, it's the key to defeating Voldemort", he continued, trying to fight off the tiredness in his voice. "All we know for sure is that it's valuable, perhaps Rowena Raveclaw's lost diadem as Luna suggested earlier, and it will likely have an evil feel to it as you approach it. Be very careful though, this thing can really mess with your head..." His voice trailed off when his memories surfaced. "It can make you believe that your friends are your enemies..", Ron looked slightly guilty upon hearing that, "..and it's near indestructible. If we find it, we'll simply have to take it with us and leave as soon as possible, but beware of possibly dangerous protection spells on it."
Everyone nodded their understanding. He wasn't used to taking charge like this, as normally it was what Hermione did. She did most of the thinking in their little group of reckless Gryffindors. But everyone looked to him and he realized that more than ever before, this was his fight and therefore his responsibility.
Hermione however, looked at him with evident approval as if confirming something for herself, before she spoke up.
"As Harry said, we don't have much time," she cast a quick tempus, "we will give it perhaps 25 minutes, but that's cutting it close. So even if you haven't found anything, make sure to be at the Room of Requirement in 25 minutes from now", she finished, worry returning to her face. The same look he had seen for over a year. She is probably already thinking of a hundred different ways in which this could go wrong, Harry thought.
"Alright everyone, let's move out!", Harry said, dismissing everybody. He turned around and saw how the rest of the students had sorted themselves into their Houses, with the Slytherins standing somewhat apart from everybody else. He saw Malfoy's pale face, with Crabbe and Goyle standing close to him. He saw Nott and Blaise, neither looking excited or troubled by recent events. They have probably withdrawn deep behind their Occlumency shields to avoid displaying their emotions, he guessed. He needed to watch out for those two. He continued his search until he saw her long, blonde hair. Right at that moment she turned around and her eyes found his. Daphne. He gave her a slight nod which she discreetly returned. He hadn't spoken to her for more than a year and he missed their long, yet secretly-held discussions on the magical world; the intensity in her voice when she made her points; the sound of her laughter when he said something ignorant or when he tried to be funny. His heart ached to hear it again.
He was pulled from his thoughts as the Slytherins' turn to march out began. The DA members had already divided themselves up into pairs, conferring quietly between themselves, and he quickly discovered that only he, Hermione and Ron remained. He signaled to them to remain behind as the others left.
"So", he said, "that leaves only the three of us. Any ideas?" he asked.
Hermione hesitated for a brief moment, as if trying to reach a decision, before she cast a quick anti-listening ward. When she was sure of their privacy, she spoke up.
"Yes, Ron and I will try to enter the Chamber of Secrets in order to take another tooth from the Basilisk. He is sure he can imitate the sound you made when you opened it".
Ron didn't look like he was sure of anything of the sort, but he gave them a brief, hesitant nod.
"We will need it to deal with Helga Hufflepuff's cup and this last Horcrux, whatever and wherever it is," she continued.
"Alright," Harry answered as he forced down his doubt in their plan. "No matter what, don't be late. And if I'm not there on time, you continue without me."
"Harry, no!" Hermione burst out, fear and worry apparent in her eyes. "We're not leaving you!"
"Don't you worry about me, Hermione. I know this castle better than almost anyone and I have my cloak and the map. I'll be fine," he tried to reassure her. He wasn't about to leave before he got the last horcrux. Everything hinged upon it.
"If I'm not there, I'm leaving the responsibility for the DA to you. Bring them somewhere safe until I find you," he added firmly.
Both Hermione's and Ron's eyes widened in surprise at hearing him issue commands, but eventually they both nodded in acceptance.
Good, he thought. They will simply have to get used to it or I'll hear no end of arguments once I start to reveal my plans. Besides, in times of crisis, everyone wished for someone to step up.
While Ron and Hermione headed to the Chamber of Secrets, Harry pondered his next step. He knew instinctively that the last object was Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem. In fact, the way that Alecto Carrow was waiting for him in the Ravenclaw common room, Voldemort must have known he would begin his search there – meaning that Luna's theory that it was the lost diadem of Ravenclaw was most likely true. But how did he go about to find it? Where could Voldemort have hidden it? How could he have found it when it was lost for such a long time?
Harry racked his brain, but he couldn't come up with anything. Who might know the answer? Suddenly it dawned on him that the Ravenclaw ghost might know something.
He spotted Near-Headless Nick not far away and saw the other House ghosts hovering above their respective houses. He called out to her.
"Gray Lady! Gray Lady, please! I need to talk to you!"
Far across the Great Hall he could see that she gave him a curious look before she started to drift away, apparently shying away from the attention. Perhaps because they didn't share Houses, he surmised.
He started to run after her, shouting to her to wait, as she flew through the wall leading out to the Entrance Hall outside. When he reached the Entrance Hall there was no sign of her at all.
"Damn!" he cursed, disappointment welling up in him. He would never find that slippery ghost who passed through walls as if they weren't there. And for her, they weren't.
"Think, Harry!" he admonished himself quietly. "You don't have Hermione here to figure it out for you, just think for once!"
He was just about to sit down to think as he saw long lines of suits of armor come marching through the corridor. He simply stared at them in bafflement as they passed him and continued to the heavy front door of the castle. The suits of armor passed without a sound other than their heavy footsteps on the stone floor and the clinking of metal. It was like an army of ghosts clad in metal. Right then the reality of the situation truly hit home. Hogwarts was really under attack! The only place where he truly felt at home was now under attack.
Anger rose within him, yet after a few brief moments he managed to fight it down. Clear your thoughts.
Filled with curiosity, he quickly followed the suits of armor to the front door and once there he peeked out, seeing to his amazement how a large translucent dome had been raised over Hogwarts. Flitwick, he realized, having spotted the tiny professor pointing his wand to the sky as he chanted spells, over and over.
As impressive as that magic was – and Harry was well and truly impressed by magic far greater than any he could manage himself – he understood it was just a matter of time before the Death Eaters would break through. Voldemort would not be held back by anything the professors did, of that he was certain. But if that was so, how could he possibly face the Dark Lord himself?
Despair threatened to overcome him as he merely stood there, staring at the dome and the darkness that surrounded it. If he tried hard enough, he could see dark shapes moving about far beyond the dome Flitwick had conjured. Suddenly he was more convinced than ever that he had made the right call by urging the professors to evacuate. Voldemort had been prepared for this and had gathered his forces at a really short notice. Overwhelming forces, he realized, as he saw huge shapes on the horizon. Giants!
Suddenly he could hear a lone howl in the far distance; a sound that chilled his bones. Werewolf!
It was quickly taken up by others, as the dark sky filled with their inhuman voices. How could they have transformed if there wasn't a full moon? Something must have forced their transformation. And that was a dangerous weapon in the hands of the enemy.
He could hear the anger in their howls and it made his blood curdle to think of these bloodthirsty beasts unleashed among the students of Hogwarts. He vowed to cut them all to pieces if they ever tried.
Thinking of the students, he fervently hoped they had made it out of the castle and that no nasty surprises awaited them in Hogsmeade. He also hoped that Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth, was alright. Thinking of Dumbledore made him all of a sudden reach a startling conclusion. Voldemort must have hidden the horcrux when he applied for a job at Hogwarts!
He ran into the castle again, thoughts running even quicker through his head. He stopped in the Entrance Hall, not knowing where to go. Where could Voldemort have hidden it that made him think it was going to remain hidden and safe? Where would Harry himself have hidden something in the castle? In the Chamber of Secrets? No, he quickly realized. Although it would have been an excellent hiding place, accessible only to parselmouths as it was, it was very unlikely that Voldemort have managed to go all the way there on his way to Dumbledore's office. Then where?
If Harry needed to hide something, then ...
Suddenly all the pieces fell in place. The Room of Requirement, of course! No teacher or student likely knew of its existence until Dobby had helped him find it back in fifth year. Yet, Malfoy had known to use it for bringing Death Eaters into the castle the previous year.
Just how had Malfoy known?
Harry didn't think that Malfoy realized what the room was when he joined Umbridge in her pursuit of the DA as they were practicing in the room. Voldemort might have told him!
He knew that his logic wasn't foolproof; there may in fact have been other ways for Malfoy to find the room. Perhaps he had stumbled upon it himself. But somehow Harry knew that it made sense that Voldemort had used the room, not expecting anyone to find it there. After all, the room, even if discovered by accident, would only present itself to them in accordance with their own desires and needs. You had to need to find the place where things were hidden, that's assuming you knew there was something hidden in the first place, or else you would never find it. It was simply brilliant!
He began running through the castle. The lanterns on the walls lit up the now empty and quiet castle. As he ran up the stairs he could hear the faint sound of explosions coming from the castle grounds. They must have begun the attack, trying to bring the dome down, he realized.
He finally made it to the sixth floor and as he reached the corridor with the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, he saw that the door to the Room of Requirement was indeed there.
Neville must still be there, allowing the door to remain visible, he thought.
He quickly opened the door and stepped inside.
As he closed the door behind him he saw Neville sitting watch over Draco Malfoy, who was disarmed and bound by thick ropes.
"Caught him trying to sneak back into the castle," Neville said grimly in greeting, as he saw Harry's questioning look. Looking grim seemed to be Neville's default face these days. He held Malfoy's wand in one hand, his own in the other hand while twirling it around in his fingers lazily.
"Well, well, well." Harry began once he recovered from the surprise.
"Isn't it our favorite junior Death Eater?" he continued as he walked up to the bound young man. How he hated that little prick. Ever since first year.
Malfoy's face grew pale upon hearing Harry's mocking voice. He must have remembered how Harry had used a very dark and lethal curse on him that almost claimed his life. It would have, if Snape hadn't been there.
He seemed to gather his courage however.
"I didn't tell them it was you!" Malfoy told him with a scowl, referring to how Bellatrix had brought Draco in front of Harry at the Malfoy Manor not so long ago. Bellatrix hadn't dared to summon Voldemort unless she was sure it was really him, and with his disfigured face it had been really hard to tell. But Malfoy had known.
Malfoy continued; his voice full of indignation, "They had you, and you would have been dead by now if I hadn't helped you."
Harry felt a tinge of embarrassment when he heard this. Upon seeing the face of his tormentor for all these years, he had momentarily forgotten that he did in fact owe Malfoy his life.
I'll be buggered, owing my life to Malfoy of all people!
"You're right, and I am truly grateful… and sorry." Harry finally said.
He gave him a regretful smile as he stunned Malfoy with another fast flick of his wand.
"Blimey, Harry," Neville exclaimed, a touch of awe in his voice. "That was a spell you cast without even a whisper!"
"You pick up a few things when you're on the run," Harry answered vaguely. There was no time for idle chatter however. They had work to do.
"Why don't you bring him to Hogsmeade and wait for me there? I'll be with you as soon as I can. Just have some things to do and I need to find Ron and Hermione as well," he told Neville.
Neville looked at him for a moment before he shrugged. He cast the levitation charm on Malfoy's unconscious body with a softly spoken incantation, as he began to float him towards the passage to Hogsmeade. Harry was somewhat surprised at the magical control Neville showed. He half-expected him to botch the whole thing and drop Malfoy on his head – not that Harry would have minded all that much – even after seeing how he had improved in their DA meetings.
When Neville was gone, Harry turned his attention to the room he now controlled. How to get it to reveal the Horcrux?, he thought furiously.
He tried to focus on his need for the room to reveal the diadem, but nothing happened. He tried to make the room reveal all its hidden objects, yet still nothing. The room just looked exactly the same as when he entered.
Frustrated, he sent an over-powered bludgeoner into the wall, yelling the incantation loudly. There was a loud noise and he was almost afraid the wall would crumble, but the wall appeared unharmed.
Once again, use your head, Harry. Don't be a stupid Gryffindor for once!
He stopped briefly to consider the situation. The room simply didn't respond to him. He got an idea and imagined that he really needed a chair to sit on, and just as soon as he finished that thought, a chair identical to the ones in the Gryffindor common room appeared next to him. He stared at it for a moment. Clearly he could still affect the room with his desires.
Finally he decided that maybe he couldn't fully change the room from within and needed to imagine it full of hidden things from outside. Perhaps this change was more fundamental to the room and could only be done from outside?
Hermione probably knows and can explain it to me, he thought amusedly. She always seemed to know the answer, bless her soul.
Just as he turned around to go to the door, he saw it swung open and in stepped two students he could have sworn had left with the rest of the Slytherins. Both faces looked at him with cruel grins, wands pointing at him.
Crabbe and Goyle!
Only his quick reflexes saved him as he heard two Stupefies and saw their wands light up with stunning spells coming his way. He dove to the side, rolled around and got back to his feet. With his wand already in hand he immediately cast a shield that protected him from their follow-up stunners. He darted further back into the room, casting a stunner of his own, and saw that Crabbe and Goyle had barely moved. They just stood there in the exact same spot while continuing to cast spells at him. Always move your feet, Moody had taught him.
Beaters are simply too damn slow.
He recalled how he had evaded them numerous times on the Quidditch field and felt his confidence rise somewhat. While they were two against one, he had been in worse situations. But just like these previous times, he felt the adrenaline course through his veins and instinct took over.
Meanwhile, Crabbe must have managed to shake off the surprise at Harry's quick reaction, and cast a protego of his own that protected them from Harry's return stunner. They stepped into the room and began to spread out on both sides.
"Potter! Give up already!" Crabbe called out as he continued circling Harry to his left.
"The Dark Lord is here and he will reward us for bringing you to him," Goyle continued gleefully to Harry's right.
Both sported identical triumphant smiles.
Harry wondered briefly if it may have been the longest sentence he'd ever heard coming from Goyle's mouth. No matter.
He didn't bother with a reply, but quickly dove to his right as another of Crabbe's stunners passed over his head. He got back to his feet, coming up much closer to Goyle and fired off a stunner that hit the surprised Slytherin straight in his chest, violently throwing him backwards until he landed with a thud. Momentarily shocked by the result, he realized that he must have put more power into that stunner than he intended.
Harry turned around and threw up a quick protego that intercepted a sickly-looking yellow spell from Crabbe that he didn't recognize, while summoning Goyle's wand from the unconscious boy with his other hand.
With one of his opponents now neutralized, Harry knew the odds were now in his favor. Crabbe on his own should have no chance against him.
After a year on the run, and every year before that always on the defensive, always trying to evade and escape, it felt good to fight back properly, with no intention of seeking escape. Even if it was only against the likes of Crabbe and Goyle.
With a wand in each hand, Harry smirked at Crabbe.
"Did you really think I would come peacefully?" he asked with a smirk. Seeing the scowl on Crabbe's face caused him to smile further. He felt in control of the situation which was a strange feeling indeed.
Once again Crabbe flicked his wand and yelled out "CRUCIO!", but fortunately for Harry, his aim was off and the spell missed him by several inches.
Now full of anger at the attempt to torture him, Harry put a lot of power into another stunner that made a heavy impact on Crabbe's shield; causing the shield to shatter, yet leaving Crabbe unharmed, if a bit shaken. He could see that his remaining opponent didn't look so confident anymore.
Yet, in the end he didn't have much time to gloat as Crabbe suddenly yelled "FIENDFYRE!" and unleashed what Harry could have sworn was a fire demon from hell; wild flames rose with a roar that appeared to take the shape of a bear that immediately started to grow while it seemed to struggle to shake off the spell that controlled it.
Harry watched with a stunned expression as the bear-like fire-creature first morphed into a wolf, then a dragon and burned with an intensity that almost made him want to avert his eyes just to avoid looking at it.
With a deafening roar the near shapeless dragon launched against him, incredibly hot flames threatening to burn him to a cinder, and he barely got his shield up in time.
The once again shapeless flames reached the shield and threw itself against it. Harry, whose shield buckled under the pressure, strained to keep his shield up against the onslaught. He felt despair creeping up within. The fire simply kept growing in size and intensity as Crabbe fed it more magic; even as he seemed to struggle to control it, and it might soon overcome Harry's simple Protego, however much magic he put into it.
He pushed and strained, yet the pressure continued to grow while the heat intensified at an alarming rate. Sweat was pouring down his brow and he started to feel exhaustion from the relentless battle against the fire creature.
Realizing that he was fighting a losing battle, he began to look around for the door. If he could only reach it, he thought with growing desperation.
In the corner of his eye he saw that Crabbe wore an expression that betrayed his own shock and growing horror at what he had unleashed. It was obvious that Crabbe was struggling with all his might to keep the fire under control, and Harry had a sinking feeling that they were both well and truly doomed.
As the pressure grew to a truly momentous strength, it all seemed to happen at once. He heard Crabbe release a shriek of pure terror, and Harry instinctively understood that Crabbe had finally lost the battle of control against his summoned fire-demon. Suddenly he felt the pressure on his shield disappear. Looking up once again, he watched in horror as the fire now launched itself on Crabbe who was immediately consumed by its terrible flames. Yet, the flames didn't go out, or even lessen from what he could tell, when the wizard who cast the spell succumbed to the monster he had wrought. It seemed to have taken on a life of its own.
Acting now on instinct, Harry rushed to the still open door and threw himself out the corridor, the fire creature fast on his heels. With a last desperate push of his magic, not even knowing what he did, he managed to close the door behind him just as the deafening inferno within reached it.
Exhausted, Harry simply laid there on the floor panting. Merlin's balls, he thought. That was way too close.
Too close for Goyle, he realized. Goyle, whom he had all but forgotten, had been taken out by Harry's stunner just before Crabbe panicked and cast that devastating spell. Harry had no idea what it was the idiot had unleashed, but the Slytherin had paid for his mistake with his own life. It wasn't a way to die that Harry would wish upon anyone, but at least it had been quick. Much as he tried, he couldn't summon much regret for either Crabbe or Goyle. They had wanted to deliver him to Voldermort; to a certain death. They had looked gleeful when they informed him. No, he would not dwell upon their deaths, but would harden his heart.
Still panting slightly, he tried to sit up. He felt his legs shake with the adrenaline and he wasn't sure if they would support him just yet.
What in the name of Merlin do I do now?
END OF CHAPTER 1
Author's note:
This is my first attempt at writing my own fanfic. The observant reader will have noted that the events at Hogwarts, before this story commenced, are not exactly portrayed as in the books. McGonagall doesn't know there's a way out through the RoR until Harry tells her in the Ravenclaw common room, but here this conversation takes place in the Great Hall after Snape is ousted. It's intentional. It's also ridiculous to think that Harry after 6 years at Hogwarts doesn't know who the Ravenclaw Ghost is. Harry will also come off as somewhat different from canon; the way I think he would have naturally progressed following his 6th year. More Slytherin. Any other (mostly minor) changes is explained as the story moves forward.