Chapter Seven: The Long Night Begins…
Two days later - on the evening of the first day in November - Harry, Ron, and Hermione found themselves in the midst of a four-way spell battle between them and Professor Moody.
They had done this sort of thing before, in the Room of Requirement, firing spells at each other, whilst conjuring magical defences, ducking and diving behind and around the broken furniture barricades. Usually, Harry and Professor Moody were the last two standing in their training sessions so far – despite Ron's werewolf reflexes and Hermione's resourcefulness. And then Moody would invariable get the better of Harry.
But now, this time, Harry was also becoming faster and more instinctive – thanks to the werewolf blood in him. On this latest occasion, he was able to dodge Moody's binding spells, and Hermione's attempts to magically unbalance him. But before he could pin Hermione down, she conjured a fireball spell, which scared the wolf deep inside Harry. His panic made him run for cover, and he slipped on the floor, where Moody's ice-forming spell had just been cast.
However, with Moody focusing on Harry, Hermione successfully managed to stun Mad Eye, knocking the Auror out of the battle. The blur – and confusion – of all the action allowed Harry to get back up and fire off a jet of water that struck Hermione down. Her wand was separated from her hand – and thus she lost by the rules of the battle.
"Levicorpus!"
Harry yelled as he was swiftly yanked into the air, as if by invisible hands. Before he could perform the counter-spell, Ron had dashed forward and grabbed his friend's wand out of his hand – as Harry turned upside down in mid air. Seconds later, he saw the floor of the chamber zoom away from him – and groaned.
Ron laughed at the sight of the levitating Harry dangling near the ceiling, heels over head. "Got my own back!" He smirked. Harry had tested the same spell against Ron, two years ago.
"Okay!" Harry protested, feeling the blood pound in his head. "Let me down! You do know how, I hope…?"
" 'Course I do!" Ron pointed his wand again at Harry, and barked: "Liberacorpus!"
Harry landed, with moderate speed – forming a undignified heap on the floor. Ron helped him up.
Harry dusted himself down, then smiled and shrugged. "Good work, Ron. You won that battle!"
"Indeed, he did," Moody rumbled from where he'd fallen. "Well done, Master Weasley. And the same to Master Potter and Miss Granger! Now, if someone will assist me back up…"
"Uggh! I'm soaking!" Hermione's grumbling voice joined Moody's. She reached for her dropped wand, and used it to cast a tiny globe of fire to help dry her clothes.
"Sorry, Hermione…!" Harry winked at Ron, who grinned back.
"You see to our teacher, Harry. "I'll help 'Mione to recover."
As the four of them left the Room of Requirement and walked along the corridor back to Moody's office, Professor Slughorn hurried towards them in a laboured run, cheeks puffing on either side of his walrus moustache.
"There you are, Alistor…! Harry me'boy…, Mr (wheeze) Weasley…, Miss (gasp) Granger…"
Moody's magical eye rolled in its leather socket. "Trouble, no doubt! What is it, Horace?"
"My tests on the random samples that Mr Filch took from our pupils…(wheeze) have finally nailed down…what could be responsible for the Blight!" Slughorn panted, slowly getting his composure back.
Mad Eye curled his lip with some satisfaction. "Good! I'd hoped that my suggestion on that score would change our fortunes!"
"What have you discovered, Professor?" asked Hermione. Although there had been no recent deaths from the mysterious Blight, the fear of becoming the next victim still gnawed at the minds of almost everyone within Hogwarts. Only Harry, Ron, and Ginny had any guarantee of being immune to the plague-like menace – and then they were still afraid of losing their friends to the mysterious plague. They had all privately asked themselves who would be next to die…
"I've found a minute strain of a dark liquid inside a chocolate frog!" Slughorn wiped at his shiny forehead with a tissue. "I'd checked against the inventories of the three victims – as well as the written testimonies of their friends. In each case, the deceased – or their roommates – had been to the sweetshop in Hogsmeade, Honeydukes, and bought chocolate sweets from them! It looks like this ingredient had been added to a tiny proportion of the chocolate items for sale."
"And what about the people who run the shop?" Harry put to Slughorn.
"Professor Lupin and his friend – Miss Tonks – are heading for Honeydukes now, to spy on them. The Headmaster has been informed!"
"Then we'd better get over there ourselves," declared Ron. "We could…"
"…be practicing your Auror skills for real," Moody snarled. "Might as well! Let's get moving, then."
But Moody had barely struck down his staff to aid his speed of walking, when a familiar, half-squeaky voice was heard, as its owner scurried along the corridor, half-jumping in agitation.
"Master! Mr Potter, sir!"
Harry rolled his eyes. He'd left his two House Elves – Dobby and Kreacher – in the service of the school's kitchen. The sudden appearance of the tiny, pointy-eared and noisy (if well-meaning) Dobby usually meant something bad was afoot.
Harry remembered now that Kreacher had been jinxed some months ago by the Head Chief, for bad behaviour. The result of this had been that Kreacher could not disapparate or apparate (that is, teleport himself) until he'd learnt his lesson and apologised to the other House Elves in the kitchen. So far, he hadn't.
"What is it, Dobby?" Harry squatted down to address the friendlier House Elf, whose head nowadays barely reached Harry's knee.
"Kreacher, sir! He has been acting in a most fugitive way of late. Oh yes. Coming and going out of the castle, Mr Potter! But, try as he did, he could not evade Dobby's repeated efforts to follow him. Oh no…"
"Get to the point, Dobby!" Ron shifted his weight from one leg to another, as he listened to this exchange.
"Well, Mr Whizzy…"
"Weasley, you nincompoop!!"
"Ron! Let him speak!" Hermione objected.
Ron fell silent, then nodded at Dobby to continue.
"Kreacher's been using a secret tunnel! It goes from Professor Lupin's private rooms, and opens at the other end onto a thicket of bushes, close to Hogsmeade. I followed him, within the last hour, Mr Potter – after having finally learnt the password by hiding close by, when Kreacher went to the secret door within the Professor's rooms."
"Another tunnel? Oh, in Dumbledore's name… I thought all the hidden tunnels had been accounted for!" Slughorn dabbed again at the sweat on his face and forehead.
"Unless this is another of Salazar Slytherin's private little works – like the Chamber of Secrets," Professor Moody snorted. Salazar Slytherin had been the founder of Slytherin School, when Hogwarts had first come into being. "Well – what was the password, elf?"
"Shirt lyne," Dobby announced with a straight face.
Everyone fell silent for a moment – then Hermione stopped counting on her fingers, and gave a yell of excitement as she jumped into the air, hands clapping together. She returned the wide-eyed stares of the others. "It's an anagram!" she explained, pleased with herself. "Of Slytherin!"
Harry patted her shoulder. "Good going, Hermione… So it is Salazar's tunnel! Okay, Dobby. Did you see where Kreacher went, after you followed him to Hogsmeade?"
Dobby was now bounding on the spot in agitation. "Oh yes, sir. His trail led me to the kitchen of Honeydukes. Whilst I hid behind the toffee cauldron, Kreacher was talking with the people there. Two men, and a younger man - and a woman."
"The Balfore family." Slughorn nodded. "The owner has brought over his wife and son, now, to help alongside Balfore's assistant. I've glimpsed them in passing, during my visits to the shop. A quiet, but pleasant, bunch – or so I thought."
"But Kreacher was hugging the woman, sir!" Dobby's wide eyes gazed up at Slughorn's. "She gave him a pair of socks – and he danced with joy, before kissing her shoes. He then said: 'Let me see you without the disguise, mistress – so that I can be sure!' So she took off her ginger wig and make up, to reveal her cropped dark hair. Dobby heard her say that their polyjuice potions were about exhausted – but that their plans would take place tonight, sir!"
"What plans…?" Moody snarled.
"Dobby does not know! But Dobby saw those in Honeydukes gather bottles and other things – then set off outside. One of the men sniffed the air, and headed for the cauldron where Dobby was hiding. Dobby disapparated before he could be seen. Dobby did not likes that man. No, no…"
"What did he look like?" asked a narrow-eyed Moody.
"Big and thin, sir! Black-bearded, and hands with dirty, yellow nails." Dobby shuddered at the image in his memory. "Sharp voice – sparse with words…"
"The assistant was tall and thin – but he was brown-bearded," Slughorn whispered, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "If he was using polyjuice potion as a disguise…"
"Oh, no…" Harry's thin voice trailed off. His face turned white.
"Harry? What is it, mate?" Ron spoke up.
But Slughorn interrupted. "Where did the people from Honeydukes go?" He was now squatted on one knee, prodding Dobby, to gain the House Elf's attention.
"Sir, Dobby was fearful! I apparated outside the shop, in a safe place, to see them head into the secret tunnel. I then sought Harry Potter, straight away!"
"Who are they?" Hermione cast her eyes between the grim-faced Professor Moody and Harry. The latter was twitching uncomfortably.
"Well, as for the assistant…," Harry began. "…going by Ron and Ginny's werewolf lineage, I'd say it was their grandfather…" He stared his friends in the eyes.
"Fenrir Greyback!" Ron snapped his fingers. "It's a party of Death Eaters – disguised by polyjuice potion, and muggle trickery! And going by Kreacher's reactions, Harry, he's no longer tied to your service. He's found…"
"…his former mistress!" Moody spat on the floor. "Bellatrix Lestrange! And the Blackhearts must be in the castle, now! Alert the staff, Horace! And find Professor Lupin. Quickly!"
"Right!" Professor Slughorn turned and ran off as fast as his bulk would allow.
"Ron, fetch your sister, and meet us at Professor Lupin's rooms. Those that used to belong to Professor Snape!" Moody barked. "Potter, Miss Granger! Come with me!"
"Yes, Professor!" Harry and Hermione responded simultaneously. Meanwhile, Ron sprinted off towards Gryffindor Tower.
Moody was already striding off for the nearest moving stairwell. "Lead on, Dobby!" he ordered the House Elf.
Harry whipped out his wand and jogged after the little creature, who was now running along the corridor. Hermione tagged along.
When Dobby, Mad Eye Moody, and his two young trainee Aurors reached the ground floor corridors, en route to the staircase leading down to the rooms held by Professor Lupin, they were greeted by scenes of panic. Madam Pomfrey ran through a doorway which led to the hospital wing, followed closely by Professor McGonnagall, the caretaker Argus Filch, a pupil – a Chinese boy – and another woman. All of them were breathless, and bore expressions of sheer terror.
Checking to see that no one else was coming, McGonnagall slammed the double doors shut, and Filch hurriedly locked them to.
Harry and the final member of the party stared at each other. She tilted her face down at him, as she adjusted her horn-rimmed spectacles – whilst his mind flashed back to his anger at the callous, irresponsible way she had treated him during the time he had been an unwilling contestant in the Tri-Wizard Tournament at Hogwarts, four years ago.
True to form, she was once again wearing a bright outfit – this time a bright blue, one piece skirt and dress. It bore a print design of wands and stars. Her handbag, however, was a garish bright yellow colour.
"You!" Harry felt like growling. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The journalist Rita Skeeter ran her fingers through her ruffled hair, making sure she was presentable, before she deigned to respond to the angry outburst. "Watch your tongue, Harry! I still have work to do for 'The Daily Prophet'. I'm here for the Governors Evening tonight. Then I found out about this…interesting…condition that's killed those poor children. Honestly! It's one disaster after another, at this school…"
"That's enough – you tabloid trash!" Moody called out, as he caught up with the rest of his party, limping with his wooden leg across the ground floor of the castle's main stairwell. "Now, Minerva! What the blazes is going on?"
"The children…" Nurse Pomfrey fought for breath, in order to force out her words. "The ones that died from that…that disease…"
"That thing you called 'The Blight'," Filch added helpfully.
"Yes! What about those kids?" Moody snapped. "We couldn't move them, because their bodies became fused to the mortuary slabs…"
"They've came to life, Alistor!" McGonnagall shrieked. "They're walking – and attacking anyone who they can get their stony hands on!"
"One of them got Mrs Norris!" wailed Filch, referring to his cat. "Master Horrobin changed shape and smothered her!"
"Look out!" Hermione raised her hand, pointing to the wall next to the doors.
Everyone turned. The story surface bulged outwards, and grew a long, grey-brown limb that resembled an arm made of fluid, mud-like earth. Before they could act, the hardening hand at the end snaked around the neck of Rita Skeeter. An instant later, the obnoxious reporter was yanked towards the wall.
"Aaaggghhh!!" She screamed.
"Grab her!" Harry yelled. He and the Chinese pupil then did just that. Seconds later, Hermione came to their aid.
Meanwhilte, a second mud-like arm emerged from the stonework before them and seized Rita's leg. For several moments, the reporter continued to panic as she became the rope in a bizarre tug-of-war. But despite the efforts of her helpers – and the spells unleashed upon the ghastly entity by Professors Moody and McGonnagall – the horrific assailant won. Rita was drawn, face-first, into the liquidifying surface of the wall by the arms embracing her. With a scream that was abruptly cut off, the woman who had caused Harry and Hagrid so much anguish during her visits to the school four years ago, became totally submerged into the fabric of Hogwarts itself – along with the hideous 'arms'. The stonework then turned solid once more.
Madam Pomfrey collapsed upon her knees – too shocked for words.
The Chinese boy who had nearly been dragged in also, by holding onto Rita, quickly back-pedalled from the stonework. Little croaking noises issued from his throat, as he tried to gather his wits.
"Hells bells!" Moody's magical eye scrutinized first the wall before them, then the others in the hallway. "Stand back, everyone! Don't go near anything made of stone!"
"What is it, Professor? What do you see?" Harry asked loudly, his voice carrying above a grinding noise that was now coming from first one wall, then another.
The joint Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher turned direction, in tandem with wherever the source of the noise was. The unknown entity was fast – it practically flowed from wall to wall. But evidently the Auror could see it, thanks to his artificial eye. He kept his wand ready before him, and so did the others, now. Filch, however, having little magical ability, bore no wand – and so kept close to the rest of the company. Dobby, meanwhile – Harry noticed – was shaking with fear, and was keeping mercifully silent.
"Where did that horrible woman go?" Hermione swallowed her fear back.
"My eye tells me she's been left in the wall! She's done for," Moody bristled. "And we'll go the same way, if we're not careful… Quick! Get onto the carpet over here – all of you! I can see that thing below the floor!"
The eight of them – Harry, Hermione, the Chinese pupil, Filch, Moody, McGonnagall, Pomfrey, and Dobby – suddenly realized that they had been standing on a stone floor. Filch yelled as his ankle was seized by another stony arm. He twisted and fell over, and McGonnagall and the oriental boy tried to help him with both brute force and spells fired at the monstrosity. Changing tack, McGonnagall then used a levitation spell to pull the protesting, cantankerous caretaker away from the floor. But still the entity held onto him as its arm lengthened beyond human proportions. Whatever it was, it could alter its solidity from stone to mud-like clay, and back again, within moments. However, most of the party were now standing on the wide hallway carpet – which provided some small comfort of thought.
"Look, Professor Moody - another one!" Harry shouted out a warning as a humanoid shape swiftly emerged, and detached itself from the side of a nearby archway. Within seconds, the creature had assumed the form of a small human – complete with arms, legs, a trunk, a face, and even the impression of hair.
It's like a clay statue – only an animated one…, thought Harry. But it looks like… Like…
"Donna Varner!" Madame Pomfrey wailed, as she gripped the shoulder of Moody's brown leather jacket. "That's how she looked when she came out of the mortuary – along with Aubrey Horrobin and Desmond Troy! They attacked us! Now they're moving faster…"
Harry stared into the stone Donna's eyes, as she – it – lumbered towards the party standing on the carpet. There was no recognition – no emotion – in the face, which looked human, but was as rigid as a clay mask. There was only a mindless desire to seize anything alive, to smother, and to kill…
"Inferi!" hissed Mad Eye. "They're a new breed of undead Inferi!"
"What do we do, Alistor?" asked McGonnagall, panic creeping into her voice. "Our stunning, release, and binding spells have no effect on the one still holding onto Argus!"
As if on cue, the caretaker continued to yell as he bashed his fists against the tendril-like shape now wrapped around his levitated body. Madame Pomfrey was currently using her wand to hold Filch aloft, valiantly resisting the efforts of the Inferious-monstrosity to snatch him away for good.
"Try the Aquamenti spell!" Hermione piped up breathlessly. "If we're dealing with enemies that can change their solidity…"
"…it might turn them into mud quicker than they expect!" Harry caught on.
Moody gave a curt nod. "Harry – you're with me! Fire at Miss Varner."
A moment later, two jets of water shot out from the wands of the Auror and his understudy – striking the face and torso of the Donna-Inferious, just before her hardened outstretched hands could reach them. The undead being was halted in her tracks – then she was sent stumbling, off-balance, as the force of the magical attack was increased. With a ghastly, inhuman wail, the Inferious tried to get back up against the repeated blasts of magically-generated water – then she started to dissolve into mud. The unholy mass oozed into the stonework of the floor, and vanished.
"Yes!!" Harry yelled and punched the air, breaking off his spell. He gasped for breath, feeling drained by the prolonged use of magic. Harry then glanced to his right – the other Inferious was now vanishing into the floor, having been bombarded by water from the wands of Professor McGonnagall, Hermione, and the Chinese lad. Poppy Pomfrey helped a soggy-looking, but relieved, Argus Filch to his feet.
Dobby, meanwhile, had just jumped upon Harry's shoulder – where he now hung on, still trembling with fear.
"Ow! Don't dig into me!" Harry protested. But he was reluctant to push the House Elf back to the floor below. He wasn't sure if it was over…
"Bad, bad Kreacher!" Dobby half-squeaked in his agitation. "He allowed those wicked people into Hogwarts! And that egg – they carried the egg in that box. It was magical, Harry Potter, sir! Oh yes, Dobby could sense it was bad…"
"What egg, Elf?" Moody snapped as he tested the floor with his booted foot.
"Black egg, sir! Like a huge Easter egg. It was just larger than Kreacher. The woman and the others – they handled it most carefully, sir. She said it was about to hatch, ahead of schedule…"
"We need to alert the others!" Madame Pomfrey declared. "Even if those two Inferi are dead, we still need to deal with the others!"
"And there was meant to be a Governors meeting tonight! You know, Alistor – where the Headmaster was going to prevent the Governors from closing the school, due to the Blight! Professor Flitwick was in the Great Hall, with Hagrid and others, ensuring that the preparations were under way," McGonnagall added. "I was called away to the Infirmary by Poppy's request for help, when those bodies started…moving."
"The Governors! They're the intended targets – along with the rest of us!" Harry concluded. Seeing, and hearing, no danger now he stepped off the carpet and ran towards the double doors that led towards the Great Hall. "Come on, everyone! The Death Eaters – we have to stop them!"
The rest of the party nervously left the wide carpet, and hurried after him. They all passed through the open double doors, and entered the corridor before the Hall. Close by was the stairwell that led to the dungeon level. Down below was the Potions classroom, and – further on – the suite of rooms that Professor Lupin had inherited from the departed and deceased Professor Snape.
Harry suddenly halted. Hermione half-crashed into him, missing Dobby.
"Oww! Harry…!" She rubbed her shoulder.
"What is it, Harry?" McGonnagall looked at him, worriedly.
"There's something downstairs…," he muttered, frowning. "It's radiating power… I can sense it – can't anyone else?"
"I'm too scared to feel anything else!" Hermione's timid response came out as a whimper.
"It's your Auror skills…" Moody dropped his voice, "…along with your enhanced senses, Harry." Then, resuming his normal pitch, Mad Eye continued thoughtfully: "It would take great power to animate and control those Inferi. And I suspect that Black Egg is the source of that sorcery. Somehow, the Death Eaters are channeling it…"
He was abruptly interrupted by the doors to the Great Hall being forcibly slammed open before them. Through the gap, a brown-furred man-sized creature flew into the corridor, bounced against the nearest wall, and then dropped to the ground, whining. Moments later, two men and two women ran through the opened doors, screaming. They were dressed for the night to come, in old-fashioned suits and garish-looking evening gowns.
The frightened party ran over to the others – carefully avoiding the stunned wolf man. The sounds of growls, human yells, and fired spells could be heard issuing from out of the Hall.
"Governor Hornbuckle! Deputy Governor Raglan!" McGonnagall hurried over to them. "Are you all right? Where is the Headmaster?"
"Oh, horrible! Werewolves and Death Eaters!" the taller of the two women – the deputy – wailed.
"Wilfreda, please be silent!" The male Head Governor then addressed McGonnagall as he panted for breath. "The Headmaster and the others are fighting Death Eaters! And werewolves are fighting each other! And a ghastly stone child came out of the wall…!!
The werewolf, who had up to this point been lying still, suddenly began to stir and rise upon all fours. Everyone jumped back.
"Kill the beast! Quickly!" the Deputy Governess shrieked.
Harry sniffed and took in the scent of the wolf man. Although his enhanced sense of smell was weaker in his human form, his nose confirmed what the creature's pelt and markings conveyed to his eyes. "I wouldn't kill him! This 'beast' is fighting to save your lives!" he declared. Leaning closer to the werewolf, Harry then asked. "Are you all right, Professor?"
Remus Lupin licked at the slash wounds and bruises that were slowing fading on his battered body. He then returned Harry's gaze, and slowly nodded. He made a gesture with his head towards the hall doors – and bared his teeth, growling.
"Right! Minerva, Poppy – look after Filch, Bai-Wen, and the Governor's party," Moody snapped. "Dobby. You can apparate in Hogwarts – scout around the castle and get the pupils out!"
"Yes, sir!" With a loud pop, Dobby vanished from Harry's shoulders. Mad Eye faced the rest of the group.
"Potter, Granger – you're with me. Let's hit them, Remus!"
The four of them – Auror, two Aurors-in-training, and a fully-furred werewolf – promptly charged into the Great Hall.
Inside, there was panic and confusion. At the far end of the hall, behind the upturned staff table, various teachers – including Professors Sprout and Faroukh Faraday (the new head of Ravenclaw House) – were firing off spells to protect themselves against the Death Eaters present.
Hagrid was on the podium set up for the string quartet that had been due to provide the evening's entertainment. Stepping over the torn body of one player, who had been killed by a werewolf, Hagrid was picking up the Jack O'Lanterns that had, until recently, been floating above the hall as Halloween decorations. The half-giant was now using them as missiles against the Death Eaters, who were presently ducking and diving amongst the broken, magic-scorched, buffet-tables set around the hall floor.
In one corner of the Hall, Harry's eyes found Ron. He was using both hands to hold his shaking wand steadily. A constant ripple of light emanated from it, and bathed the Inferious that Ron was suspending in the air, upside-down. The just-recognisible face of Aubrey Horrobin contorted in agony, and his marble-like arms hung uselessly in the air. In the meantime, Professor Flitwick was standing next to Ron – casting shielding spells to defend them both from the Death Eaters.
"Of course!" Hermione halted as she spied the activity in the corner. She slapped her own forehead, in realisation – wondering why she had not thought of the answer earlier. "Well done, Ron! Separating the Inferi from the ground weakens them! They're being animated from energy transmitted through the stone walls and the floors…! But where's Ginny?"
"There she is!" Harry gestured with his wand towards a russet-furred wolf who was bleeding from slashes to her shoulder and legs, as she circled around both a mangy-brown-furred dog wolf and an injured she-wolf with jet-black colouring. Close by, a man-sized, vicious-looking wolf man with grey and white fur, was nursing an injured paw as he leapt from cover to cover, in order to dodge the crossfire of spells.
The other Death Eaters, clad in ordinary clothing (as far as the wizarding community went) were now visible to Harry – and he stiffened with anger. The first, goth-like, figure – a black-draped woman of around forty, with fuzzy black and white hair, was Bellatrix Lestrange. The murderer of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. She shrieked with crazed delight, as one of her spells sent a thrown pumpkin from Hagrid circling round back to him – like a bizarre, whizzing, boomerang. Struck in the face, Hagrid was knocked off his feet.
"Hahahhahah!!" The second Death Eater – a dark-haired, pug-faced, and plumpish girl of Harry's age, laughed hysterically. Seeing him turning and raising his wand towards her, she ducked behind the upturned table she was using as cover, too overcome with mirth to cast a spell just yet.
It was Pansy Parkinson – one of Draco Malfoy's cronies. The one who'd stolen the Nightshadow crystal, during the battle at the school, in June – before escaping, along with Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and most of the more dangerous Death Eaters, when Voldemort had met his just end.
Harry shot his face towards Ginny. His wolf-maker and the two enemy lupines were furiously fighting it out with another clash of fangs and claws. Blood and fur filled the air around them.
His mate… They were going to kill his Ginny…
"No!" With a piercing cry, Harry led the charge of his party. He leapt high to avoid a firebolt spell unleashed by a startled Bellatrix as she spun round,, her eyes widening. Harry's vision went black and white for a moment, as his anger aroused the beast within him – and Fenrir Greyback, turning to Harry, saw the trainee Auror's eyes glow amber for a second or so. Then Fenrir's crooked smile of understanding was broken, as the Death Eater wolf man was jumped upon by Professor Lupin – who had just dived across the room, from an angle.
Chaos ensued once again. In the midst of the action, as he glimpsed Mad Eye exchange fired spells with Bellatrix, Harry twisted himself round and rolled in between the upturned tables. He came to rest against a fallen suit of armour, close to the three fighting wolves. Ginny was coming off worst, as the others attacked her from near-opposite angles.
"Stupify!" Harry's wand shot hit the enemy werewolf behind Ginny, at close range. The creature was sent flying into the edge of the fireplace along the adjacent wall, knocking the howling beast off balance. Then, seized by the energy of his animal rage, Harry picked the halberd dropped by the broken suit of armour. Ginny, seeing Harry's actions, forced the second opposing werewolf in-between her and her mate, as she and the other female wolf clashed muzzles together in another scrap.
Acting on instinctive timing, Harry clenched his muscles and thrusted the point of the halberd into the back of the black-furred she-werewolf, piercing the rib cage.
With an agonized howl, the beast turned her attention on Harry – and snarled, baring her red-rimmed fangs. But now Ginny had the advantage – and her next, sudden attack bowled the impaled werewolf onto her side. A moment later she had broken the enemy's neck with her strong jaws.
"Well done, Ginny!" Harry dropped his weapon and hurried over to her. He rubbed her russet fur, and Ginny licked his cheek – before quickly cleaning her wounds with her tongue.
"Watch out, Harry!" Startled by the male voice, Harry and Ginny spun round, to see the recovering first werewolf struck by a small firebolt – which caught it off-guard and sent it rolling onto the open fireplace, scattering the lit contents. Within seconds, the werewolf howled as its fur became engulfed by flames. Howling with pain, the creature leapt aside and began rolling on the floor, to extinguish the fire.
"Stupify!" a woman called out. The spell hit the burning werewolf, stunning it. Moments later, the werewolf bayed its last and collapsed, overcome by the fire consuming it.
Harry choked on the odour of burning fur and wolf-flesh. Turning aside, he shot a glance across to the upturned staff table. There, Professors Faraday and Sprout nodded back, pleased at their joint work.
"Thanks!" Harry called out – and Faraday gave a quick smile, before ducking to avoid another spell blast from Bellatrix. She had managed to overcome Professor Moody. The Auror was lying, wounded, on the floor. His wand was out of reach.
A timely glance from Harry revealed to him what was happening with Ron and the Inferious he had been levitating. Ron had just collapsed, drained by his prolonged use of magic to keep the undead travesty of Aubrey Horrobin in the air. Just as the now-descending horror was about to ensnare him, however, Professor Flitwick's repeated disruptor spells finally weakened it to the point of no return. With a ghastly moan, the Inferious was blasted into myriad pieces of blackened rock – each lump smaller than the one counted before.
Hermione…
Harry spun round. His other close friend was still dueling with Pansy Parkinson, exchanging spells. The expressions on the girls' faces chilled Harry. Hermione was frustrated, and now seemed to be conjuring defensive magic as she dodged and ducked from the firebolts and hexes fired at her. Pansy, meanwhile, was enjoying the spectacle of making her opponent fight for her life. Harry noticed that the Slytherin was wearing a black talisman over her dark robes.
"Dance on, Granger!" she laughed. "You can't get the better of me."
Her taunt was answered by a threatening growl from Ginny. The russet wolf leapt towards the young Death Eater.
Pansy's face abruptly turned white at the sight of the oncoming lycanthrope.
"Bellatrix!" she screamed, then turned and bolted for a side door.
Bellatrix Lestrange whipped herself round from her ongoing spell battle with the Hogwarts staff. She too, was wearing a black talisman – similar to Pansy's. She grabbed hold of the fleeing girl, forcing her to stay. Then Bellatrix produced a blue crystal from a pocket and threw it to the floor at her feet, where it shattered. Immediately, flickering ocean-coloured flames sprang up around the two female Death Eaters. Ginny halted her sprint, then – with a snarl – flung herself at a perceived low point in the flames. She howled as she was immediately repelled, in a shower of sparks.
"No!" Harry yelled. He ran over to her.
She got up, twisting her body and giving it a shake. Then Ginny looked up and gave Harry's hand a reassuring lick.
The staff present rose from their defences, and slowly advanced – forming a circle around the enemy. Faraday fired a jet of water from his wand. It changed into vapour as it hit the blue flames. And other spells cast by the others – including Harry – failed to penetrate the flickering wall of unearthly fire.
"An impressive shielding spell, Ms Lestrange!" Flitwick declared, in his half-squeaky voice. "But how long will it last for you and your young companion?"
"Long enough!" Bellatrix retorted, almost shrieking. She gave a crocked smile and pulled out, from a pocket inside her robes, a hand-sized, glowing ball made from pure amethyst.
"Direct the new ones to the Great Hall – now!" she hissed, apparently to the crystal itself, as she held it close to her face with her free hand.
"Best to surrender, Ms Lestrange and Miss Parkinson!" Professor Flitwick advised them. "Fenrir Greyback has been chased out of here by Professor Lupin – and your other werewolves have perished! There have been enough deaths here tonight!"
"It is over – put down your wands!" Professor Sprout added her voice to the headmaster's request.
"Over…?" Bellatrix gave her customary demented cackle. "It is far from over, you insignificant fools!"
As if on cue, a rumble resonated from one of the walls – barely seconds after Bellatrix had fallen silent. Ginny growled, her arrow-shaped ears twitching madly.
Harry cast his eyes around the hall. Both Professor Lupin and Greyback were nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, a groggy-looking Hagrid had pulled himself up from the floor where he'd been laying, after the close encounter with the pumpkin missile.
Everyone turned, panic mounting, as the rumbling increased. Within moments, the other stone walls were groaning and shaking also. Then the floor began to shudder.
Ron picked himself up – fear aiding his recovering, sluggish reactions.
Harry gave Hermione a helping hand up. On one temple she sported a bruise from a hex fired by Pansy.
"Thanks, Harry…" Hermione's expression turned into one of alarm as she looked to one side. "Professor Moody!" she yelled.
The two trainee Aurors assisted their teacher up. He was getting his breath back – but his wooden leg had been struck with a rotting spell, and now it was damaged, thus disabling him.
"What's going on, sir?" gasped Harry, as he froze the effects of the rotting spell with his wand. The wolf in him was silently screaming in his mind. One word, over and over again.
Danger, danger, danger…!
A shape emerged from the end wall, behind the upturned staff table. Like a shark slowly emerging from the ocean in the instant before the water drained off, the thing materialised as the wall bulged out to permit its exit. Then the golem-like, rock form of Donna Varner parted from the stonework, and advanced towards the teachers – eyes vacant, yet seeing, mouth open in silent torment, arms outstretched to extinguish the life of any victim the Inferious could seize.
Seconds later, the other walls – and the floor, too – bulged, before unleashing four more humans who had now become form-shifting, animated grey-brown wraiths of stone. One was a young boy, still wearing Hogwarts school robes – who Harry guessed was Desmond Troy. But now there was also one of the musicians who had previously entered the Great Hall, in order to play. And the lady prising herself from the resealing floor, and turning round to regard those present, was none other than Rita Skeeter – who had last been seen swallowed up by the fabric of the animated walls. Now she was like the other returnees. And like Donna. A living person turned to rock. Hair, skin, glasses, clothes, and all. An undead being, controlled by a powerful force…
"As I fear, Harry…," Moody announced flatly. "It's an ongoing infection!"
"The poison tested on Ron and Ginny…!" Hermione gasped. "If it had not been for…you know what (here, her hand brushed Ginny's fur), they…- they would have died, and become… Become…"
"Stone Inferi!" Moody spat. "And if they pull you into the stonework, they'll pass their fell magic into your suffocated bodies, converting you in minutes!"
Bellatrix and Pansy were still protected within the blue flames surrounding them. Both ladies were now laughing as Professor Flitwick ordered everyone to get out, only to find it was too late. Two more Inferi – apparently pupils dragged to their deaths by the wraiths elsewhere in the castle, were starting to rise from the floor, completing the ring that was closing in around the defenders of Hogwarts. The least brave of those present began to scream.
"Whoops! Soon you will all be suffocated!" Bellatrix mocked them. "Then you will return from the dead as our pets. And you will hunger for your own victims. Ta ta! School's out."
