Chapter 9 Breaking the Anaconda

It took Harry three weeks to find a discrete way to meet with Gawain Robbards. In retrospect, it was unsurprising that the Death Eaters had enacted Anti-Apparition wards around the entire Kingdom of Wales. Still, it was a testament to their dedication to Voldemort.

Harry was in the lobby of the Coalition Headquaters, located in Holyhead, not far from Harpy Stadium, where the team of the same name played. He recalled that the Holyhead Harpies were Ginny's favorite team, and that her dream was to play for them alongside of her idol, Gwenog Jones.

He recognized Kingsley Shacklebolt from the Order, and he recognized him as well. The two struck up a chat while he waited.

"Well, Harry Potter, we have wondered where you were." Kingsley opened the case he was carrying. It contained a bunch of papers.

"I've been busy," Harry fidgeted in the chair. All things considered, being around authority shouldn't be a problem for the Chosen One, but years of the Dursleys were hard to break.

"So we all have, some us more than others. I doubt you know it, but I was appointed Minister of War for the Coalition."

Harry looked at Kingsley, "I don't know much about the Coalition, but I don't know if I like what I hear. Are you guys really killing even the children?"

Kingsley sighed, "It's a job, Harry. You don't have to like it, you just have to do it. Believe me, I'm just as opposed to Gawain's policy as anyone. He's just…well, if you thought your popularity enabled you, you haven't seen anything. Gawain's a war hero, and we haven't struck a truly notable blow. If anything, we've actually driven a number of the Neutrals to the Dark Lord."

"Your policies are not much better than Tom's."

"You are correct," Kingsley ceded as he signed a few papers, "But the policy is extremely popular among the lands within the Coalition. You must remember that our people have suffered greatly under the Dark Lord's rule. There is a large revanchist population amongst those who feel justice was not served in the previous war. If anything, they are thrilled that we are a rebelling government."

"That still doesn't justify the killing." Harry's face was pulled into a carving of disgust.

Kingsley glared at Harry, "The Coalition Guard, our most elite force, is more than triple the size of the Auror Corps alone. We have the forces to fight, so we will fight with whatever means necessary. You're going to have to drop that Dumbledorean attitude, it won't be appreciated around here."

That's right, I may be Dumbledore's man, but why do I conform to his ideology? Even now, the very fiber of my existence tells me to kill my enemy, yet I want to have mercy on them? When they would show me none in return? That nagging part of his mind was really annoying. It always had good points, and it always defied what he wanted to do.

In the end, that small section of his mind would win. He would have to become uncompromising if he wanted to win this war. After all, he wasn't going to kill Voldemort by hugging him, would he?

"Ah, Gawain! There you are. Potter's here for his interview." Kingsley said with a friendly smile. Harry turned to see a rather unassuming looking man walking towards him. Harry wouldn't have noticed him if Kingsley hadn't have said something, despite his red robes.

The man smiled, "Excellent," he stuck his hand out to Harry, "Gawain Robbards, Head of State for the United Coalition of British Magical Resistances. I've seen you before, but I doubt you've see me."

Harry vaguely remembered the man from his hearing, "You were on the panel at my Hearing a couple of years ago, but that's the only time I can remember meeting you."

Gawain's smile held up, "That's fine, I think this world would forget me if I were not so inclined to shout my name from the top of mountains."

Beside him, Kingsley muttered as he worked, "That's the truth there."

"Anyway, come with me. My office is right down the hall. Just got in from training some of the trainees, and we've got some good ones this time." He motioned for Harry to walk ahead of him. It made Harry feel somewhat like a convict.

Gawain followed him in, and motioned for him to sit in the chair directly in front of the large desk within. He pulled a few papers out, "Alright, let's get down to business. Harry Potter: Age Seventeen, born July Thirty-First, Nineteen Eighty. Wants to be an Auror, well, I think we have a solution for that."

Harry smiled, "That's true, and I used to want to be an Auror. However, recent events have caused me to reconsider. Once this is over, I think I might just call it quits on the Dark Wizard Safari."

Gawain gave him an understanding smile, "I can feel you. I've questioned my own path many times. Yet, I stuck it out, and here I am. Still, this is about you, and not me. I apologize for the wait, and for the unfortunate Wards that sprung up a few weeks ago, but I hope you can understand."

Harry laughed, "Gotta love red tape, right?"

"So, you want to join up with us. I think I can arrange it, and it will make garnering support for our initiative easier."

Harry interjected, "I really don't like using my fame, and I don't think it is advisable to try and use me as a poster boy. That's what Scrimgeour did, and we know what happened to him."

"Who said anything about your deeds previously?" Gawain said with a devious smirk, "I'm talking about using your deeds from the current war to inspire a following. Maybe we'll be able to reach into the thick skulls of those English fools who seem so hell-bent on doing nothing, if we use a recognizable figure."

Harry scowled at Gawain, "I don't like it."

"Well, I'm sure we can come up with something. Kingsley said you might have objections with our code. What might they be?"

"I don't want to kill children or any innocents."

Gawain shuffled a few papers around, "There's no such thing as innocence, in this war. Only varying shades of guilt and apathy."

Harry was shell-shocked, Kingsley had said Gawain would be uncompromising, but this? This was tantamount to not caring! Gawain didn't try to justify the policy, like Kingsley had. He just didn't care.

"Surprised, eh? Don't be. I've seen enough people die to Death Eaters to not care about killing them, their wives, or their spawn. To me, they are all the same. They are just wild animals that need to be culled. This will not be a problem, will it?"

There was a slight chill in the air. The question, wasn't really a question. It was more of an order. Even if Harry did have a problem with it, he had better not make it a problem for everyone else.

"The unity of the Coalition is our greatest strength. For once, we present a unified front against the Dark Lord. We possess much greater numbers, and with rigorous training, we will present a superior force and a better soldier than our foe. We've already forced his hand. The new Anti wards are both a curse and a blessing. By stopping our means to attack, he has prevented his own people from attacking."

Harry sat silently as Gawain went off on a tangent about how Voldemort was actually helping them by giving them more time to prepare for the inevitable assault. However, Harry spoke up, "Why not use the Floo system?"

Gawain looked at him, "You think we haven't tried that? The Dark Lord shut down every Floo that isn't to Hogwarts. They've got enough people monitoring it, that it may as well be impossible for you to go anywhere. However, we have considered an aerial assault using brooms. We are very close to the Nimbus Company, after all. It wouldn't be a problem to requisition enough brooms for a significant force."

"Anyway, can we count on your aid for this, Harry? We need to break free from this blockade, and truly bring the hammer down on the enemy."

Harry sighed, "What are our numbers?"

Gawain smiled, "I think you'll like this," and passed him a paper. Harry's eyes bulged. They had roughly two thousand wizards armed and ready for combat? Harry didn't think there were that many wizards in Britain!

"I see you are surprised. It is a nifty trick isn't it? Hiding the extent of our population, even from ourselves. I guess you've been told there's only a few hundred thousand wizards worldwide, right? That's a very wrong estimate, because there hasn't been a true census in centuries. They still use the data from 1776, I think. The ICW decided it to be impractical with the founding of the U.S because so many wizards emigrated there because they disliked the ICW's oppression of their rights. To this day, the United States is one of the only countries in the world that openly defies the ICW. Did you know that Muggles actually know about wizards there? They have shows and everything."

Harry laughed to get Gawain back on topic, "I think we were talking about a break out?"

"Ah, yes. We are planning to force a battle and break through at the Ward points. With your help, we would be more than prepared for the attack."

Harry said, "Alright, I'll join up. When will we attack Hogwarts?"

"Probably as soon as we break free and have a stable foothold. The problem with the Dark Lord's strategy, is that it will only work once. He won't be able to try that again, due to the resources need to do so in the first place."

Gawain handed Harry a map, and pointed at three points on the border, "These points are the center pieces of the Ward Network. They form a triangle. This particular maneuver is called a Devil's Triangle."

"So there won't be any outside communication," Harry looked at the three points, "I think we should either focus exclusively on hitting one point, or we should take them all at once."

"Those were my thoughts." He folded the map up, "I have plans for the assault to begin in approximately two weeks. We've stepped training up on the recruits. As you know, however, no amount of training can prepare you for the real thing."

"That's the truth," Harry huffed, thinking all the times he'd been thrown to the flames.

"Now for your role in the coming battle. You'll be on the frontlines, leading the charge."

Harry smirked, "That's where I like it."

"I'm giving you command of your own squad. In fact, I think I'll give you the squad we just finished training up for the Coalition Guard," He filched out a small badge, "This badge indicates your rank as Squad Captain. You answer to Shack and me. Since you specialize as a free-lancer, you'll be given leave to act as you choose in the course of battle, so long as it does not compromise the overall strategy or endgame."

"Alright," Harry took the small, bronze badge from Robbards. Gawain threw a couple of folders down.

"Your squad. Get to know them, you may end up relying on them to save your life."

Harry nodded and left.

(One Week Later)

Harry was mildly surprised at how well trained his squad was. He barely recognized any of them from Hogwarts, despite the logs saying that Lisa Turpin, Lilith Moon, and Tracy Davis all attended it at some point. The other member, Roy Ferdinand, was a graduate of Llewellyn, which wasn't far from the encampment.

He did remember the Hogwarts trio from the sorting, but that was about all. In drills, he was hard pressed to stop Ferdinand, who was two handfuls on a bad day and near unstoppable on a good day. The problem, of course, was that Ferdinand didn't like the squad dynamic. He was a lone wolf like Harry, and often had trouble obeying orders.

On the other hand, it was like Turpin, Moon, and Davis had worked together all their lives. Between their mixed talents of Healing, Charms, Transfiguration and just good coordination, they could hold their own against both he and Ferdinand together.

However, there was a general animosity between Harry and the women of the group. They all felt like their previous leader, Tracey, got snubbed when Harry came in off the streets and was appointed Captain.

This infuriated Harry to no end, as he found them resisting his orders more fiercely than they fought. Gawain had already shot down their appeal, leaving them with only cold anger and disregard. How could ever learn to trust these people with his life if they only treated him with hostility?

Ferdinand was no better in this regard. He made abundantly clear that he wanted nothing to do with "soldierly camaraderie" and "all that bullshit." He was in it because he wanted to honor the cause his grandparents died fighting for.

Ironic, that one. Isn't that why most of us are fighting Voldemort? Harry raged in his head after another frustrating day. He could only hope that Gawain would move on with the assault as planned; he didn't know what he'd do otherwise. Maybe live battle would temper them a little.

"Captain Potter." Harry jumped. The person behind him chuckled a little, "Robbards is calling a strategic meeting. Get yourself down there. He requested you specifically."

Harry nodded at the messenger, and hustled out of the barracks behind him. He entered the main castle, set slightly away from the encampment. Inside, he ran into some of the other captains.

Gwenog Jones, despite being best known for her Quidditch career, was apparently more than just talk when it came to combat. She was one of the only captains who'd actually fought in the previous war. She had ebony black hair, and looked deceptively young, despite being in her late thirties.

Reginald Veers, on the other hand, looked much older than he was. He had a head of silver hair that would make Dumbledore envious, but he was only in his forties. He was one of Wales' best known duelists, though he was not native even to the British Isles. He may have been older, but he had never fought outside of the dueling ring.

Harry remembered Dawlish, and was quite surprised to see him among the Coalition. In fact, of all the Aurors, Harry was quite sure Dawlish was the surefire one who was actually a dark sympathizer. His overall attitude didn't help this assessment, but he seemed to have thrown his lot in with the Coalition. His medium brown hair reminded Harry of Remus, and he wondered if they might be related.

A door slammed open. Gawain strode in, followed by Kingsley and Rory Hatchel, a brown haired man from North Ireland. "Alright, Gents, the time is rapidly approaching," Gawain said, sitting down in one of the chairs and flicking his wand. A map floated up from the runic array below. Harry smiled he had helped make that.

Three small circles stood out, one in the north, one directly centered, and another in the south. "These are the Death Eater Outposts that are manning the Devil's Triangle. They are commanded by Antonin Dolohov, Xavier Mulciber and Jonathan Avery. Your report, Gwenog?"

She nodded, "My fliers have scouted out the Dark Lord's forces. Assuming he doesn't have reinforcements on immediate standby, there are roughly five hundred wizards split between the three, and there are a comparative amount of Creatures as well."

"What kinds?"

"Mostly Werewolves and small Acromantula. Then again, we have no idea if he has Vampires or any others at his command. However, I believe we can rule out any sort of Giant activity. They're…temperamental at best, and don't handle anxiety well." She replied, fiddling through a few of the papers she'd brought with her.

"Well done." Gawain shuffled a few of his own papers, "Harry, how goes the Runic Armament?"

Harry smirked, this was his little pet project. Applying his new found Understanding of Runes, despite his inability to scribe the runes himself; he could project the ideas to those who could. "Mass production of portable bombs, inscribed on small rocks with varying effects, has already begun. I expect we'll be able to arm the entire Guard with them, and a few select Auror Corps as well. I expect we'll have more available for the battle after next."

"Good. Harry's little Runic Bombs will be doled out as they come available." More paper shuffling, "They'll have a variety of effects, from 'flash bangs' to ice blasts. You can all expect a full complement. Now, Rory, give us your entry strategy."

"No problem," Hatchel smirked, "Alright, basically, the Nimbus boys aren't gonna give us enough brooms, blighters. So, we're gonna have to improvise, and I got a plan. We're gonna airdrop our boys in."

Reginald paled, "Pardon?"

"Ya know, like them Muggle paratroopers. We put levitation charms on them and cancel them once we right above. It's up to our boys to break their momentum. Maybe the youngun can come up with something for that?" He pointed at Harry.

Harry sighed, "The only reason I was able to come up with the Runic bombs was because I had already given the idea some thought. Add to it, the fact that I can't help in the actual production and we might have a problem."

"Disappointing, but I like Rory's idea. I'd like to think that we could count on our men to stop their momentum. I think that's about all for tonight. Dismissed."

(A week later)

It was a cloudy Saturday night, the perfect time for the attack. The Coalition's forces had already been moving to various staging areas prior to the order being given. But said order had finally come down, and Harry found himself just as nervous as his squad.

Since their teamwork was noted; Lisa, Lilith, and Tracey would be the ones maintaining the levitation charms on their drop force. Luckily, they wouldn't have to bring a second attack force. Harry's squad had been selected as one of the Vanguard units; they would remain to help the dropped forces with aerial support.

Harry clipped the magical earring that his liaison had given him on. Not one of his or Gawain's better ideas, but they did the job well enough. A small tassel attached to the clip-on's stub would relay important information across the three battlefields.

Harry also stowed away a small bluestone. One of Gwenog's ideas, it functioned as a warning system if Voldemort was seen. If Voldemort took the field himself, the standing order was to send one volley of organized spells at him, and immediately retreating.

He grabbed his issued Nimbus 2002, a very recently released model, and walked out to meet his squad. He put on his 'soldier' look, one he'd had a lot of practice with after his fourth year.

Most wouldn't recognize the confident stride, the almost arrogant posture, the head held high. and especially not the steel in his green eyes. It was a posture he never wore while at Hogwarts. He only wore it with Ron and Hermione, and only the other Ministry Six members had ever seen glimpses of it.

Nerves still existed, but for one of the only times in his life, he felt like he had purpose. He was born to do this, born to fight Tom Marvolo Riddle and his ilk. He had reconciled the idea that he was, in fact, a freak. If he was a freak, than he would be the type of freak no one could ever forget.

He felt that the problem of his whole life. All his life, he tried to fit in, tried to belong. He finally realized that he could never fit in. He could never belong anywhere. All of this came on the eve of the largest battle of his life, featuring more wizards then he'd ever seen in single place, with greater stakes than he could possibly imagine.

With self-realization, came self-actualization. The idea that he had ambitions, reasons to live on, startled him. He had more than just his quest to defeat Voldemort. His life could be worth more than just having a few kids and starting a family. He knew that heroes were remembered, but legends never died. Could he really become a legend? Only time and his drive would tell.

There was a wisp of wind behind him, and he swore he heard a whisper. He murmured aloud, "Who here could know of the Savior of the Clockwork?"

He got no response, only Tracy asking, "What are you muttering about? If you don't hurry up, we'll all be late."

He only shook his head, and hurried up. He met up with the Shock squad he'd be air dropping, led by Hatchel himself. They all wore the same gear as the rest of his team: Specially designed goggles to block the rushing air and any rain drops, and spell resistant robes. "Alright, Potter. Get us up in the air, and don't drop us till we right on those sorry bastards. Stay as high as you can, but watch out for those owl planes or whatever."

"You mean airplanes? Oh well, let's go. Tracy, Lisa, Lilith, get to work. Roy, you're up point with me. We fly star."

In seconds, they were in the air. It was clunky to maneuver, as one had to anticipate how their "luggage" would carry, what with momentum and all. It was an absolute thrill.

Ten minutes of flight, they were approaching the border. Harry could see the wards from their runic outlines.

From within the clouds, and ignoring the chilly wetness, he could make out small lights below. They were runic lights, indicating where high concentrations were. They were right over a Focus Point. he pressed a hand to his earring, "Potter to Command, we're right over Point Beta. Status?"

"Copy that Potter, we've got all the forces in position, though Team Alpha has to make another pass. They've come in too fast." Gawain's voice replied.

"Waiting for the command."

Rory began counting, "Three!"

Ferdinand called out, "Wands are at the ready!"

"Two!"

Commands from the other teams rang out, the sky full of wizards. It was a sight to see.

"Prepare for descent! Goggles on!" Harry slammed his own pair over his glasses. It was irritating, but he rather not have to squint during the descent.

"One!"

"Let's do this! Drop commences!" Harry shouted. He watched Tracy and the others release their charms. The drop squad began its descent. Most of them pushed forward, increasing their speed. Harry gave the order to do the same.

"Form up! V formation, wands at the ready, be prepared for evasive maneuvers. Remember that we are support! Let's go!"

They began a spiraling descent. He ground his teeth. He was generating a massive amount of force in the spiral. When he released it, he would slingshot out.

He looked out, and rolled to avoid a green light. The night sky was a Christmas tree, filled with green and red lights. Coalition soldiers were dropping like rocks. It was an acknowledged fact that most of the jumpers wouldn't make it to the ground.

A Killer zoomed past, he heard Ferdinand curse, and out of the corner of his eye, saw him corkscrew to avoid. The fire intensified. He had difficulty telling clear air from spell air.

Someone had shot some Fiendfyre into the air. Harry threw an Ice bomb at one of the flaming animals. An explosion, and the air filled with frost, neutralizing the flame. He waived for his squad to follow him, and he flew right into the teeth of the assault.

Finally, the air cleared. He could see hordes of Death Eaters swarming on the ground, firing in the air. He could see some of his men landing, and beginning to storm the area. His ear buzzed, "Point Charlie neutralized. Status report?"

Harry rolled to avoid another Killing curse, "Encountering heavy resistance at Point Beta!"

"Copy that, keep up the good work."

The ground came up fast. He pulled up, and was flying parallel to the earth. He shouted, "See the left flank? We're beginning a strafing run! Use fire bombs!"

He grabbed a bomb from his store. The fire bombs were larger, and created a much bigger explosion; certainly a benefit for large scale crowd control. He threw it out, and felt the blaze of heat on his back. Looking back, he saw a large plum of fire spreading out, with several more joining it. He could hear their screams as the fires consumed them.

He pulled out of the attack run, and immediately noted the smoke in the air. Its acrid taste polluted his mouth, and seeped into his lungs. Visuals were becoming a huge problem. The Night Eye spell was effective, but not as much as Muggle Night Vision, and smoke only made the marginal spell useless.

"Captain Potter, what's your status?"

"I guess you've seen the smoke? We've cleared a large pathway for our droppers but we are running into visual problems."

"Understood. Get as low to the ground as possible, we're already passing this off to the Muggles as a large brush fire."

Closer to the fire is suicide, but it would get us out of the smoke cloud. "Copy that. Potter out."

He shouted at his force, "Reform! Ferdinand! What's Rory's status?"

Roy answered above the roar, "They've broken through, and are routing the enemy. We're almost done here."

"Good. Tracey, what about everyone else?"

"No casualties on our end. Can't say the same for the others." Davis answered with a scowl, which bugged Harry. Was she not happy no one had died?

"Anyway, we had better…" He was cut off by his stone vibrating, "Oh shit."

His earpiece blared, "All forces be aware, the Dark Lord has taken the field approximately half a click away from Point Beta. Repeat, the Dark Lord is on the field."

Great, that means Tom knows where I am. "Retreat! Get everyone the hell out of there!"

"We can't leave Rory and his men!"

His earpiece buzzed, "This is Hatchell! We've got confirmed sight on the Dark Lord Voldemort, he is on us. We are pressing the assault; we must break the Anaconda! All other forces retreat!"

"We can't leave you," Harry shouted as he wheeled his broom around, "No one gets left behind!"

"It is our duty to fight the darkness, and if it means death, then so be it!"

"Potter! Get your ass back together!" It was Lilith, "We're all gonna die if we stay here! Look, the vanguard of the Inner Circle, they're comin' right for us!"

Harry nodded, "Alright, all forces form up on me, we follow Contingency Plan B. Blaze of Glory , all on me now!"

The earpiece buzzed, "Potter, what the fuck are you ordering? This is the Dark Lord we're talking about!"

"Fear is nothing but an illusion! Trust in me, and we will survive!" As he shouted back, he noticed many of the other squads attack Point Beta were flying towards his location, "The eyes of destiny are upon us! Would you falter in her sight?"

"You know, I didn't like you at first, Potter. But I think I do now." Roy yelled, taking up his position as point man. A hundred wizards had now joined him alongside of Harry, "Let's take this to the man!"

"Alright, you know the plan, we're spearheading them! In the name of freedom and liberty, equality and a better future. All forces, CHARGE!" He threw his wand arm forward.

A hundred wizards stormed through the sky, firing spells at the large Death Eater force rallying around their Lord. Harry ground his teeth, reached inside of his robes, and pulled out an Ice bomb. He threw it out. A blast of blue light and a burst of frost told him he had connected.

His wand was aflame with energy, blood rushing through his ears. He could see Voldemort ahead, floating in the air. With a curse, he rolled to avoid an Avada Kedavra. Voldemort smirked, his pale, snake-like figure glimmering even under the dim light of the crescent moon. He slashed his wand in a wave motion.

Great gouts of purple flame burst forth, charging into Harry's men. Harry pulled up, and managed to avoid the flames, but the others were not so lucky. He saw Roy go down in flames. He heard Lisa screaming.

His earpiece buzzed, "Potter, what the fuck are you doing?" It was Rory, and Harry could hear spell fire in the background, "You are supposed to retreat, not charge in like an idiot!"

Harry went to answer, but he heard more shouts and screams, and then silence on the other end. Harry sank his head for a moment, summoning his resolve, "Retreat!"

"That's right, Potter! Fall back like the coward you are!" Bellatrix Lestrange squalled at him from below. He ignored her and sped off with what remained of the attacking force.

(Voldemort)

The Dark Lord Voldemort lighted down on the charred ground. "Status report," he barked at Bella.

She answered, "We lost almost the entire defending force, my lord. Of the commanders, only Dolohov survived, and its touch and go at this point. The binding wards are broken as well, and we don't have the resources to re-deploy them."

"That's irrelevant," He ignored even Bella's look of shock at his reaction, "The point is, we have shaken their confidence. I wonder what will happen to Potter, since his foolhardy charge cost him almost all of his men," Voldemort cackled, "Less really is more, so they say."

"My Lord," Lucius Malfoy dropped to his knees in deference, "We have the official casualty reports. Some six hundred for us, and over eight hundred for the enemy. We've almost taken down full to half their total number."

"It looks as though your gamble paid off, Malfoy. I guess my faith in you, has been rewarded. I expect similar results."

Lucius nodded, and swept back into the crowd of Death Eaters. Voldemort raised his voice, "The time for our total victory has come. We will not be denied by the pretenders."

With that, the entire Death Eater force apparated away.

A/N: Been a longer wait than normal, but I've had a few personal demons to deal with, namely that the very person (a longtime now former friend) who got me into Fanfiction turned on me in real life, but that is in the past. We worked together for a very longtime and I would be remiss if I said that it didn't affect my ability to write