Chapter XI – The Final Battle
Over the next week, several people came in with suggestions about the plan, most were minor and some got incorporated in, others were rejected. Only one was important; the twins mentioned communication in case something went wrong and everyone had to be quickly notified that the plan needed to be adjusted.
They got more Muggle phones for everyone and charmed the battery cases so they would continue to work around magic. Each phone's memory was programmed with the number for everyone else so if anyone needed help during the battle, or had to send a warning, it could be done quickly and easily.
At eight Monday morning, the six teens were at the breakfast table in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place; but nobody was eating, everyone was too nervous. Just before they had to leave for the twins' shop at nine, Ginny kissed Harry and said, "I didn't sleep well last night, I'm going to try and get some rest; call me as soon as you can, and take care of yourself."
Harry said, "I'll be fine, everything is set and I'll be back here before you know it. You have the doctor's number programmed into your phone, so call him immediately if you have to."
He turned and said, "Dobby, stay with Ginny, don't let her go up or down the steps alone."
Dobby said, "Dobby will take care of Mistress, Master does not have to worry."
The five teens flued to the twins' shop where everyone else was to meet before half nine. Harry spoke to everyone as in pairs, they left for their assigned positions. Each pair phoned into Harry so he knew they reached their post.
Neville reported he and Luna had no problems closing all their assigned flues and were at the entrance of Knockturn Alley.
Ron reported he and Hermione also had no problems closing flues and were on the roof of Madam Malkin's ready to go.
James reported in ready for him and Bill.
Tonks called ready for her and Remus; Mr. Weasley for him and Molly, and Fleur reported ready for her and Kingsley.
It was ten minutes before ten when Harry, still in the second floor room at the shop told the twins, "Everyone is set, good luck."
He went downstairs and said to Angelina, Katie, and Lee, "I know we've kept you guys in the dark about this operation; that wasn't because we didn't trust you. It's just that 'You Know Who'". He stopped and thought, "I might as well just say the name now, I am trying to get him to come here anyway."
He continued out loud, "Voldemort can read minds, the fewer people that knew our plans, the less the chance that he could pull the information from someone's mind. In the next hour, the shop and you three may be attacked by a load of Death Eaters. It's important that Fred and George are protected; they're watching my back and if Death Eaters get behind me, it could mean losing the battle and the war. I know you'll do your best."
He walked out into the street and saw the Death Eater watching the shop look straight at him. Harry was ready to cast a shield, but didn't have to; the man disapparated, Harry assumed to report to Voldemort.
Following the plan, Harry started walking slowly toward Gringotts waiting for a group of Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself to arrive.
Ginny tossed and turned in her bed for ten minutes; she was uncomfortable and couldn't get to sleep even though she was tired from not sleeping well last night. She was having more false labor pains, or what Hermione called, 'Braxton Hicks Contractions'. She had several bad nights in the past two weeks because of them.
When they had returned to London from the states, Hermione, knowing Ginny was going to have the baby in a few months, started researching everything about pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
When Harry and Ron were at Hogwarts looking for the last Horcrux, Hermione had give Ginny a compressed class from the notes she had made. This false labor was normal and nothing to worry about. Hermione said they would get stronger as Ginny got closer to her due date, but these last night and now were getting really strong, and longer lasting too.
She decided to go over to the training house, make a cup of tea, and watch the security telly of Diagon Alley that the twins had set up months ago before they were hurt and had to go to the states.
She had discussed doing that with Harry; but he told her she shouldn't. Watching the battle from a distance on the poor quality security set would only make her more nervous. She couldn't do anything about what she would see; and the extra stress wouldn't help her or the baby.
She told him she wouldn't; but now she changed her mind. She had to see what Harry was doing and that he was alright.
She started down the steps and got to the middle of the flight of steps between the third and second floor when she felt her water break and she got the strongest contraction yet. It forced her to sit down on the step and groan. She called, "Dobby, I need you."
Dobby appeared a second later and said, "What can Dobby do for Mistress?"
Ginny said, "The baby is coming, I have to call the doctor but I left my phone in the bedroom. Please get it and bring it to me; I'm going to get down to the kitchen and eventually across to the training house to meet the doctor."
Dobby disappeared, and before Ginny got down to the second floor, he reappeared with the phone. Ginny pressed the programmed number for the doctor and the phone began to ring.
It rang five times before a woman's voice came on and said, "Dr. O'Donnell's office."
Ginny said, "This is Ginny Potter, my water broke and I've started having contractions. The doctor said to call and he would come to my house with his wife to deliver my baby."
The woman said, "The doctor doesn't deliver babies at home; you should come to either York Hospital or Nuffield Health York Hospital; whichever you made previous arrangements with."
Ginny said, "I made arrangements for the doctor to come to my house; let me speak to him, tell him my name is Ginny Potter."
There was a ten-second silence and the woman said, "I don't have a Ginny Potter listed as one of the doctor's patients. Are you sure you called the right doctor?"
Ginny felt another stronger contraction coming on and yelled, "Aha, yes, I called the right doctor; the number is programmed into my phone. Just tell him it's Ginny Potter and he'll speak to me."
The woman said, "The doctor isn't in the office; I can leave him a message."
The contraction eased off and Ginny said, "He told me I could always reach him at this number; I'm in labor, I can't wait for him to get a message. Can't you call him at home or wherever he is?"
The woman said, "The doctor normally has calls to this number forwarded to his location and answers promptly; but he is in the operating room at Nuffield Health York Hospital doing a C-section on a patient having twins and can't be reached until the babies are delivered and the mother closed."
Ginny asked, "How long will that take?"
The woman said, "I don't know when the operation started, so I have no way of knowing how long the doctor will be tied up."
Ginny said, "Well, leave him a message that Ginny Potter is in labor and he needs to come as soon as he can."
The woman said, "I will leave the message; but don't worry; labor can go on for hours, even days. I'm sure the doctor will return your call as soon as he can."
Another contraction started and Ginny yelled again, "Wonderful, that's all I need, hours or days of these pains."
After hanging up, Ginny thought, "How long have I been in labor? Hermione said I should note the time they started and also keep track of how close the contractions are coming."
She said, "Dobby, I'm having trouble walking, take me to the training house security room so I can watch what's happening in Diagon Alley while I wait for the doctor. Then bring my watch from the table near my bed so I can time my contractions; finally, make me a cup of the herbal tea, you know the one I mean, the one that relaxes me."
Dobby did all these things then said, "Mistress will not worry, Dobby will stay with you. Dobby will not let anything happen to Mistress or the little Master who is coming."
It was half nine now, Ginny sipped the tea and watched the security telly; but nothing was happening in Diagon Alley yet.
Harry was nearing Gringotts when a couple of dozen Death Eaters Apparated about fifty yards behind him near the twins' shop and another couple of dozen appeared another thirty yards in front of him not far from Gringotts.
Harry thought quickly, "No sign of Voldemort yet, and less than half of the Death Eaters James said were available." I'll have t wait a little longer; if I send the signal to spring the trap now we'll miss getting most of them."
He held up an arm in each direction and opened two alternate dimensions hoping to use the strategy he showed to the students at the Salem Institute for when you're between enemies in a narrow street.
Neither group of Death Eaters started firing curses; instead, they began moving cautiously toward him as if they suspected a trap. Harry hoped none of his friends would lose patience and attack before he was ready.
Under disillusionment charm, Luna and Neville were watching the entrance to Knockturn Alley waiting. They saw twenty Death Eaters led by Lucius Malfoy come out into Diagon Alley; Neville whispered, "Shouldn't we do something?"
Luna answered in another whisper, "No, Harry hasn't signaled. He wants to get enough Death Eaters here to make the trap worthwhile. Only then does he want us to stop any reinforcements."
At the Leakey Cauldron, another thirty Death Eaters had flued in. All the normal customers had cleared out when the first few arrived and the pub was now filled with the masked, black robed figures waiting for Bellatrix to order them out into the alley.
Harry kept his alternate dimensions open and began to move slowly in the direction of Gringotts. He had only ten more yards to the bank's steps when Voldemort Apparated in standing in front of the nearest group of Death Eaters.
Voldemort said, "Harry Potter, we meet again."
Harry answered, "Yes, but this will be the last time we meet; it's time to end it."
Voldemort answered, "You sound confident. Considering my followers are all around you, I would think you have a surprise planned for me."
Harry said, "My followers are here also."
Voldemort laughed, then said, "How many? The entire Order of the Phoenix numbers only twenty-five members. Perhaps you have a few more of your friends; I have more than a hundred of my Death Eaters. What chance do you think you stand?"
Harry said, "We'll see, won't we."
He dropped one alternate dimension, fired green sparks into the air, and reestablished his alternate dimension before Voldemort fired his first killing curse. The curse passed into Harry's one open dimension and out the other killing a Death Eater in the group behind Harry.
Fleur, Kingsley, Arthur, and Molly were all nervous waiting for Bill's red sparks that signaled the trap was set before they fired into the Death Eaters.
Luna cast the magic suppressing curse over the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Neville was ready, but waiting for the signal to fire lightning bolts into the backs of the Death Eaters that had come our moments before.
Tonks and Remus came out and with no opposition at their end of the alley; they quickly walked over to join Neville and Luna.
Bill had cast the first set of anti-apparation and anti-Portkey wards and was already moving to the location to cast his second set.
At the Leaky Cauldron side, Hermione did her first set of wards and with Ron was near the spot to start her second set.
When she heard the noise after Voldemort fired the first curse, Bellatrix started with her group out the archway that led into Diagon Alley. When McGonagall and Flitwick saw the numbers, they phoned the twins.
Fred answered and McGonagall said, "About thirty came through the arch and are headed your way. We'll let them pass and then hit them from the rear as that get near you."
Fred said, "We're ready, none of the other groups are close to us now, they all moved toward Gringotts. We'll hit your group when they get in range."
George yelled downstairs, "Hey you lot, thirty Death Eaters headed this way; be ready with grenades."
Ginny timed her contractions at less than five minutes apart and lasting more than thirty seconds each. According to what Hermione told her, that shouldn't be until she was well into labor; she wondered whether she was in labor since last night not realizing it.
She thought, "Where is that stupid doctor; it had been more than an hour since she called him."
The whole time, she had been watching the screen that showed the twins' shop as her friends came out to take their positions for the battle. Two by two they left, she felt so helpless sitting there. She knew she was in labor and couldn't do anything to help them; but in the back of her mind she desperately want to do something.
By the time she saw Harry come out at ten, she was having trouble keeping her eyes on the screen. The contractions were very strong and painful. Dobby had placed sparing pads of the floor for her to lie on; she had to get off the chair, it hurt too much to sit during a contraction.
Between contractions, she saw Harry walk out of the view of the camera and she knew she wouldn't be able to see him again until he got near the next camera in front of Gringotts. She was about to switch to the other camera when she saw a couple of dozen Death Eaters appear where Harry had just been. She switched cameras to see how far Harry had moved; but instead of Harry, she saw dozens more Death Eaters waiting near Gringotts.
Another contraction hit her and she stopped watching the screen as she breathe through the contraction.
After firing three curses, all of which just bypassed Harry, Voldemort stopped to think. If he couldn't hit Harry, he would go after Harry's friends and force Harry to defend them. He fired a blasting curse a Fortescue's from where he saw Arthur and Molly watching. The Blasting curse hit without damage.
James had placed unbreakable charms on all the storefronts where they planned to station people. The charms would withstand two or three Blasting curses before giving out; it would give the people inside a chance to get out because all the stores they were using had back doors that opened to a service corridor used for deliveries.
Voldemort fired another Blasting curse that the store; it collapsed James protection, but did no damage to the building. Infuriated, Voldemort fired at Shivlescripts were Fleur could be seen and his curse again rebounded.
Harry knew he had to engage Voldemort before he could kill Harry's friends; but with groups of Death Eaters in front and behind him, it was all Harry could do to maintain his alternate dimensions and protect himself. He hoped Bill and Hermione would finish their wards quickly so they could start firing down on the Death Eaters from the rooftops.
Bill finished his fourth position wards and James said, "Can you ward Knockturn Alley without my backup? Harry needs help now."
Bill answered, "No problem, no Death Eaters got up here, I'll be done in another three minutes and join you. Fire the red sparks for me while I ward Knockturn Alley then go help Harry."
James got to the edge of the store top overlooking where Harry stood in time to see Voldemort shoot the Blasting curse at Shivlescripts. He fired the red sparks; but he was too far from the Death Eaters to make lightning effectively against them. He jumped down three feet over to the next roof, ran across, and jumped again to the roof directly above the Death Eaters firing at Harry.
Leaning over slightly, James fired bolt down, then again, and again. A dozen Death Eaters were hit and lying dead in the street. Others, frightened by the accompanying thunder, were looking up to see if nature itself had attacked them.
On the other side of the street, Hermione heard James' thunder; she was just finishing her last positions wards and realized what was happening. She said, "Ron, Harry must be in trouble down in the street, I can finish the wards alone, see you can help him by firing down at the Death Eaters."
Rom moved to the edge of the roof and yelled back, "Harry's trapped between two groups, James is helping with the group on our left; I need to move right to get to the other group."
They were on the twins' roof, so Ron ran across two roofs toward Gringotts and shot lightning down on the group of Death Eaters that had originally Apparated in near the shop and had followed Harry toward Gringotts.
This group had stopped moving when James first lightning burst sounded in front of them; it made them sitting ducks for Ron's lightning. He fired once killing three and his second burst got three more. By then, Hermione had finished her wards and joined him; she fired twice in quick succession killing several more Death Eaters.
In the second floor window of their shop, the twins heard the running on the roof and saw the lightning blasts seconds later. They knew it was Ron and Hermione, and the more distant lightning had to be James.
George said, "Fred, how about if we let this group McGonagall called about go a little past us before we start throwing grenades and setting off mines?"
Fred said, "I was thinking the same thing; that might drive them toward Ron and Hermione's lightning instead of coming in here after us and destroying the shop."
George added, "And it may keep them from heading back at McGonagall and Flitwick to try and escape after we start hitting them."
That group led by Bellatrix had just reached the area of the shop. Other than shooting some destructive spells into a shop occasionally, they had met no resistance and were still confident. As the last few got even with the shop, Fred set off a chain of six mines. The blasts killed several Death Eaters and the knockout gas dropped several others.
George threw half a dozen grenades at the rear of the group; they only killed two, but the Phoenix Flames from the grenades caused the others to hurry forward to where the lightning strikes were waiting for them.
Just then, Fred said, "Georgie, look; McGonagall and Flitwick are coming, they left their post."
Fred grabbed the phone and called McGonagall; when she answered, he asked, "Why are you here? Why did you leave your post?"
She answered, "We're following the Death Eaters that came from the Leakey Cauldron so we can help fight."
Fred said, "You're supposed to be watching for any more Death Eaters sneaking in. With nobody watching, another hundred may be on their way and we have no way of knowing."
McGonagall asked, "Are you okay here; can you handle them?"
Fred said, "We're fine, we need you to be sure there are no others coming."
McGonagall said, "We'll get right back and check; stay on this Muggle thing with me, it will only take a minute for us to get back to Ellyops."
As Fred listened on the phone, George set off three more mines that kept the Death Eaters that tried moving back from Ron and Hermione's lightning. Then Fred heard McGonagall say, "There are about twenty-five Aurors here; they're coming through the arch into the alley right now."
Fred asked, "Do you recognize any of them? Can you tell if they're friendly or are they ministry hacks controlled by Voldemort?"
McGonagall said, "Wait a minute." After a few seconds she said, "I see Priestly, he's one of them that Snape called to patrol the castle when Harry and the others were there a few weeks ago. And I see Greenmorre, he was with Priestly. They're on Voldemort's side."
Fred said, "Alright, we'll prepare for them; you stay there and let us know if any more arrive."
Fred yelled downstairs, "Hey, more bad guy coming through; watch the doors."
George yelled, "Watch the flue to; this new group came from the ministry and must have come by flue to the Leaky Cauldron. If the people at the ministry checked, they'll know our flue is the only other one open."
When Neville sent his first burst of lightning into the backs of the Death Eaters that came from Knockturn Alley, the ones not hit jumped away from the thunder. Neville's second blast kept them moving toward Gringotts.
Remus asked, "Do you or Luna need help here?"
Neville said, "No, we've got Knockturn Alley bottled up; you two can keep pushing them toward Harry."
Neville returned to Luna who was still guarding the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Luna said, "I can see a lot of people moving around down there; they seemed to be confused."
Neville said, "Their magic isn't working; they're scared and not sure if they should try and come to help Voldemort if they have no magic."
Luna said, "I was thinking, if they do try and come this way, instead of using lightning, why not open alternate dimensions and let the walk right into nothingness. Lightning will scare them and they'll just go back and maybe escape through the open flues down there."
Neville said, "Luna, you're brilliant, the two of us can cover the whole width of the alley; they won't know what's happening to them."
In the training house, Ginny's contractions were now three minutes apart and lasting a full minute. She was having trouble concentrating; she gave up watching the scene from Diagon Alley. As much as she wanted to see what was happening to Harry, she had her own problem right now.
She knew something was wrong with her labor; it was almost eleven, less than two hours since she felt the first big contractions and she could feel the baby was almost there.
The doctor, Hermione, even the woman on the phone said labor, especially for the first baby, would last many hours, maybe days.
Remembering Hermione's detailed description of how a birth proceeded; she slipped off her maternity pants and knickers and called, "Dobby, you're going to have to help me deliver the baby if the doctor doesn't get here soon."
Dobby said, "Mistress, Dobby knows nothing about how a baby is born."
Ginny felt a contraction coming and yelled, "Don't give me any grief now Dobby; you'll help me or else."
Dobby looked at her and disappeared. Ginny struggled through the contraction, and as it faded she yelled, "Dobby, when this baby is born I'm going to kill you."
She barely finished the words when Dobby reappeared holding the hand of another elf. He said, "Mistress, this is Mimsey. Mimsey has helped deliver more than a hundred babies; she will help you."
Ginny looked at the little elf and thought, "A lot of Pureblood families use elves to care for babies and children; but she didn't know they helped deliver babies too."
Ginny said, "Mimsey, I think there's something wrong; I've only been in labor two hours and I can feel the baby coming."
Mimsey said, "Little red haired Mistress should not worry, Mimsey knows what to do. First I check you and the little one."
Mimsey placed her hand on Ginny's lower abdomen and said, "Yes, Mistress is open wide, good.
Mistress will please spread her legs apart so Mimsey can feel the baby."
As Ginny spread her legs, Dobby turned green and walked to the next room. Mimsey said, "Mistress must relax, Mimsey must feel for the baby."
Ginny felt Mimsey push her tiny into her; it didn't hurt compared to the labor pains, but it was embarrassing.
Mimsey said, "Good, the baby's head is almost there. Mistress must now push when her next squeezing comes."
Ginny understood what the elf meant, and when she felt the next contraction start, she took a deep breath, contracted her muscles, and started to push on the baby.
In Fortescue's ice cream store, Arthur Weasley said, "Molly, we have to get out the back; one more Blasting curse will blow the front in and probably kill us."
Mrs. Weasley said, "We can leave Harry unsupported, he's counting on us to help drive the Death Eaters up the steps to Gringotts. James said his strengthening charm could take three hits like that."
Mr. Weasley said, "Three hits from a Death Eater, that was Voldemort casting those blasters, James' charm is gone. If he hits us again we're dead and we can't help Harry if we're dead. We can go out the back, through the service corridor, and get into another store. We can help Harry from there."
Voldemort was furious, after three curses had passed by Harry leaving him unhurt, and two Blasting curses left the ice cream store undamaged, and two other blasters at Shivlescripts didn't damage that store either, he was beginning to wonder if Potter and his people were actually a threat to him. Then the lightning bolts began to hit and kill his followers.
The Weasleys were barely out the back door when Voldemort turned back to the ice cream shop and blew the entire front of the store in. I made him feel better; at least he managed to make a curse do some damage.
With the Death Eaters on both sides now starting to panic as James, Ron, and Hermione's lightning was raining down, Harry was able to move to the steps of Gringotts.
He kept one alternate dimension open for protection and with the other hand started throwing stunner. He didn't want to use lightning and scare the Death Eaters back; he wanted to draw them to him and the Goblin troops waiting in the bank. The lightning from the rooftops was certainly helping as the Death Eaters tried to get as far from it as they could.
Up the street toward the twins' shop, Harry could see another group of Death Eaters coming his way as Explosions he thought to be mines and grenades went off behind them.
On his left, a smaller group came from the direction of Knockturn alley. Harry hoped Luna, Neville, Remus, and Tonks were driving them; not that they were dead because the Death Eaters overwhelmed them.
Walking up the steps backward, one at a time, Harry stopped when he reached the top step. He did a Sonorus charm on his voice and yelled, "What's the matter Tom, me and my friends stronger than you thought."
Voldemort reached his limit, he yelled, "He is mine to kill, surround him so he cannot flee into the bank."
Death Eaters from both sides began slowly moving up the steps to try and get behind and around Harry. They left an opening between Harry and Voldemort. Voldemort now also slowly walked up toward Harry.
The twenty-five so-called Aurors that were actually Voldemort's ministry minions were coming from the Leaky Cauldron and reached the twins' shop. Fred and George had already agreed to do the same thing as they did to the last group, let them pass, then drive them toward Gringotts. The group was in front of the shop when curses sounded from the first floor.
Angelina, Katie, and Lee were peeking out the windows at the crowd in the street when they heard a whoosh, someone was fluing in. All three whirled and cast stunners at the figure coming from the fireplace.
The group walking by stopped and turned toward shop. George yelled down the stairs, "What in Merlin's name was that; the group outside are coming this way now."
Angelina yelled back up, "Someone came through the flue and we stunned him before we saw he's an Auror."
George responded, "He's not an Auror, just dressed like one, stun anyone coming through the flue, except if Ginny decides to come help us of course; nobody else that will help us will be coming through."
There was an explosion and flash of a Phoenix grenade just outside the door as Fred tossed one out the window into the group headed to the shop. A number of curses came back, some at the window where Fred had just ducked; others came through the front door.
Just as Katie and Lee shot stunners back out the front door, another man in Auror robes came through the flue and Angelina stunned him before he could move. Fred and George tossed two more grenades out the second floor window and screams returned, but no more curses.
Fred took the chance of peeking out the window; a dozen charred bodies lay in the street, some still burning. All the living Death Eaters had retreated, some back toward the Leakey Cauldron, some toward Gringotts.
At Gringotts, Harry and Voldemort faced each other ten feet apart; Harry said, "What the matter Tom, me and my friend tougher than you figured?"
Voldemort yelled, "He's mine, surround him so he cannot escape."
Death Eaters had finally moved all the way up the sides of the bank steps and got behind Harry. When he was surrounded, Voldemort cast a killing curse at Harry; he sidestepped it and it hit the bank near the front doors. Harry cast a spell back at Voldemort and the fight was on.
With their backs to the bank, the Death Eaters watching Harry and Voldemort didn't see fifty Goblin troops in full armor come out behind them. Sharptooth yelled, "Grashkak" (Gobbledgook for attack) and in seconds, fifty Death Eaters were dead.
When the other Death Eaters saw the Goblins, they ran down the sides of the steps and back into the street, avoiding the area where Harry and Voldemort were fighting. The Goblins pursued them and fighting was going on all over.
On the roofs, James, Ron, and Hermione had stopped firing lightning when the Death Eaters move out of range; now they couldn't restart because friends and foe were mixed together. James yelled across the street, "We're not doing any good up here; the roofs are warded and safe, we need to get down where we can help."
Ron and Hermione ran to the twins' shop and climbed down to meet Fred and George. They quickly told them the situation up the street at Gringotts and went down to the first floor. Angelina and Lee were watching the flue, Katie the door. On the floor stunned and tied up were five men in Auror robes.
Ron asked, "Is the street clear here so we can get out safely? The main fight is near Gringotts and we need to get there."
Katie said, "The street is empty right now, only bodies nearby."
Ron and Hermione headed out and toward Gringotts.
Molly and Arthur Weasley barely made the service corridor when the store behind them blew in. They found Fleur and Kingsley coming from Shivlescripts to meet them.
Kingsley said, "Voldemort blasted our shop twice and we had to get out; we never even got off a single spell to help Harry. We're planning to find another way to get back to the street so we can help."
Arthur said, "The same thing happened to us; I think Flourish and Blots has a back service door we can use to get to the street."
They ran up the service corridor, found the door and reached the front door of the bookstore. They saw in the street a mob of Death Eaters and Goblins fighting. Death Eaters were rapidly casting curses, most of which seemed to just fade away before reaching the Goblins, some were bouncing off the Goblin armor, occasionally a curse would hit and the Goblin fell.
The Goblins seemed to be depending on their swords and knives; moving in close they were hacking and stabbing at the Death Eaters. Many more Death Eaters than Goblins seemed to be falling.
Kingsley, Fleur, Arthur, and Molly first looked for Harry, but couldn't see him with the mob in the way so they went out to join the fighting.
At the entrance to Knockturn Alley, Luna and Neville hid behind some crates before each opened an alternate dimension aimed down the alley; they waited.
In the alley, more than seventy of Voldemort's followers, mostly young recently recruited thugs, had arrived through the five open flues since the orders to attack in Diagon Alley had come. They were frustrated because they couldn't understand why their magic wasn't working. None would take the lead to move out into Diagon Alley proper.
Finally, several of Voldemort's older and more loyal people arrived and took command. They could hear the noise from the fighting and finally organized the others.
One man dressed as an Auror yelled, "I don't know why our magic isn't working, but you can hear by the sounds of battle that magic is working out there. Our orders are to attack in Diagon Alley; unless you want to face the Dark Lord's wrath when this is over, follow me."
He ran up toward Diagon Alley and dozens of others, afraid of what would happen if they didn't follow him, ran behind him. He ran right into Luna and Neville's alternate dimensions and shrank into nothingness. A dozen others, too close and running to fast to stop, had the same thing happen to them. Several others that tried to stop couldn't because they were being pushed by those farther back that couldn't see what was happening.
Eventually they others did get stopped; Luna and Neville fired lightning down at the killing a few more, the rest retreated back down Knockturn Alley.
Ginny was exhausted from pushing as the last contraction ended; but the pain was much less now. She heard Mimsey say, "Dobby, Mimsey will need a sharp knife and a pan of warm water soon; get them now. Mistress, the little one's head is free and his body will soon follow; one more push during the next squeezing and you work will be done."
Dobby disappeared and a minute later returned with the knife and water. Ginny felt a contraction starting and pushed; she felt the baby slide out and heard a baby cry. Mimsey said, "Mistress can rest, you have a healthy boy. Mimsey will care for him until Mistress has passed the remaining parts."
Mimsey had just cut the umbilical cord and was still washing James Sirius when the doctor and his wife popped in by Portkey. Neither had ever seen a house elf before; the wife screamed and the doctor froze watching a strange creature holding a baby.
Not even knowing if the creatures could speak or understand him, the doctor yelled, "Don't hurt that baby."
The doctor lunged to grab the baby, but before he reached Mimsey, Dobby snapped his fingers and the doctor and his wife were frozen in place. Dobby said, "You will not hurt the little Master."
Ginny gathered enough strength to say, "Well, it's about time you got here; better late than never. Mimsey, finish with James Sirius; Dobby, free the doctor and his wife, but don't let them near Mimsey and James Sirius until I can explain things to them."
Dobby snapped his fingers again to free them then said, "You will listen to Mistress and not hurt little Master."
The doctor said, "Mrs. Potter, what is happening here?"
Ginny answered, "When I went into labor and you didn't come when I called, Dobby and Mimsey had to help me deliver the baby. I still need you to help; you should check me and the baby."
Finally the doctor's wife spoke, "What are these creatures; will they hurt the baby?"
The doctor move to check Ginny and she said, "They're house elves, I trust them with my life and with James Sirius. They would never do anything to hurt us. Mimsey has delivered over a hundred babies."
The doctor said, "Mrs. Potter, all the afterbirth is out and you will be fine with a little rest; I'll check the baby now if you will tell, ah, its Mimsey correct, tell her to let me."
Ginny said, "Mimsey, I know you have checked James Sirius and I trust you; but it is the doctor's job to deliver babies and I want you to let him do his job. Please give him the baby."
Mimsey walked over to the doctor and handed the baby over; his wife joined him and after a few minutes, the doctor said, "Everything checks out, the baby looks to be perfectly fine.
Mimsey, you did excellent work helping your Mistress."
Mimsey said, "Mistress is not mine, I am a Hogwarts elf; I came to help because Dobby did not know how and asked Mimsey to come. No elf can refuse to help a human."
The doctor's wife said, "Mimsey, I know you did a good job; but I can't believe over a hundred women allowed an elf to deliver their babies rather than going to a human doctor."
Mimsey said, "Mimsey never helped with a human baby before; Mimsey helped over a hundred Hogwarts elf mothers have little one. This is Mimsey's first human little one; but it is not different, the mother does all of the work."
Ginny tried not to react to that news; when Dobby had told her Mimsey had delivered a hundred babies, Ginny just assumed they were human. Well, everything worked out fine; she wondered if she should tell Harry, she knew she could never tell Hermione or Ron.
The doctor said, "I'm sorry I was late, such a short labor is odd; but I should have realized it was possible that since the baby grew so fast, it might be born fast too.
With you and the baby healthy, I assume you'll stay here and not go to a hospital now. Isn't Mr. Potter or you friend Hermione here, why were you left alone? Do you want me and my wife to help get you and the baby up to your bedroom, or will the elves do that too."
Ginny pointed to the security telly and said, "My husband and friends are tied up trying to stop a homicidal maniac from killing people. I'm sure they'll be home soon; until then Dobby will stay with us."
The doctor and his wife looked at the fighting shown on the telly and she said, "You mean that's not a movie; that's a real fight happening right now?"
Ginny looked at the screen for the first time since she went into heavy labor; it was now showing Harry and Voldemort casting curses at each other on the steps of Gringotts.
The doctor and his wife knew of magic since he worked with Walking Doe years ago; but neither had seen a magical fight or curses being cast like that.
The doctor said, "That's your husband isn't it; and they're trying to kill each other."
Ginny said, "Yes, that's the reason I've been seeing you in secret and why we asked you to come here to deliver the baby instead of me going to a hospital.
It will be over in a few minutes and Harry will be back here with me."
With the fighting still going on in street, Harry and Voldemort continued to fight on the steps of Gringotts. Neither could hit the other until Voldemort blasted the step at Harry's feet; the step crumbled and Harry fell to the ground.
Voldemort cast another killing curse at Harry; he knew he couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way, so he held out his arm to open and alternate dimension to absorb the curse. Instead, the sword of Gryffindor appeared in his hand; the killing curse hit the Goblin made blade and reflected off the shiny surface.
Voldemort didn't have the time to react; his own reflected curse hit him and he fell, rolling down the steps all the way to the street.
All the fighting stopped for a second as Death Eaters, Goblins, and wizards looked at Voldemort's body. The Goblins recovered first, and returned to slashing and stabbing the horrified Death Eaters. Many fell before the others began to flee.
Lucius Malfoy was the first to try and disapparate, when he found out he couldn't he pulled a medallion hanging around his neck; it must be a Portkey, but when he found it didn't work he simply began to run.
Some ran toward the Leakey Cauldron, right to where Ron and Hermione were waiting to cast lightning. Some ran toward Knockturn Alley right at James; some went into stores, possibly hoping to find an open flue. Some threw down their wands and surrendered.
Lucius ran right at Ron firing curses that were harmlessly absorbed by Hermione's alternate dimension. At ten feet, Ron fired lightning, which blasted Malfoy backward, dead before he hit the ground.
Like Malfoy, Bellatrix tried to disapparate, then to use a Portkey before she ran. Harry saw her and went after her; she killed Sirius and he wasn't going to let her escape. As she got close to Knockturn Alley, Harry began firing curses to try and stop her.
Alerted by the noise from Harry's curses, Neville turned to see who was firing spells behind him. He recognized her; she didn't stop, but as she looked back at Harry, she ran right into Neville's lightning.
Gradually the noise in the street died down and the few Death Eaters still alive were tied up. Harry asked Neville and Luna to stay and guard the entrance to Knockturn Alley while he returned to Gringotts.
He met James, Ron, and Hermione there; Sharptooth also came over. The Goblin said, "Lord Potter, a great victory for all of us; would you like my troops to help search for Death Eaters trying to escape?"
Harry said, "Sharptooth, I see your knife found many enemies. Yes, I could use your help; all the shops must be searched and Knockturn Alley to. If your troops do the shops here, my friends and I will take care of Knockturn Alley."
Sharptooth turned to a nearby Goblin, waved his hand, Pointed and said, "Benk cradim miskash; godabin quakgaun." (Search all the shops; take no prisoners.)
Harry led James, Ron, and Hermione to meet up with Luna and Neville. By then, Bill, Fleur, Kingsley, and Tonks followed; Kingsley asked, "Voldemort is dead; what are we doing here?"
Pointing to Knockturn Alley, Harry said, "There are loads of Death Eaters still down there; the Goblins will search the stores up here, but I don't want all these others to escape and start over with a new leader."
Bill asked, "How do we do this?'
Harry said, "Luna and Neville can hold alternate dimensions open and we all walk behind them down the alley; when we get to a shop we stop, clear the shop, then move to the next until all shops are clear. We have to move soon, the open flues down there are letting them escape."
Harry's phone rang, he pulled it from his pocket and said hello. He listened for a minute and said, "I'll be right there."
Hermione asked, "Anything wrong."
Harry was grinning, he said, "Ginny had the baby, she said she and the baby are both fine; but she wants to know when I'll be home."
Everyone started to congratulate him and he continued, "She said she saw the fight with Voldemort on the security telly in the training house so she knows I'm not busy anymore.
Kingsley, you have the most experience with this type of thing, take charge and everyone be careful. I'm going to see my wife and son."
With the anti- Apparation and anti-Portkey wards still in place, Harry had to walk all the way back to the Leakey Cauldron to Apparate home. On the way, he was stopped by all his friends and took time to tell the Weasleys about the baby. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came back to Grimmauld Place with him to see their grandson.
It was late that night before the clean up was done and everyone else was able to come see Ginny and the baby.