Chapter Twenty One The Last Battle Cry
Rats in the thousands ran the halls, stopping here and there to sniff or lick or chew on the fallen combatants. Several Dark wizards still held off the attackers in parts of the castle but it was clear that they were losing ground. The stones were stained with blood and different types of gruesome deitrus and it seemed like there was nothing that would ever wash the walls clean again.
Lanterns flickered and hallways grew dark with the Dementors that still searched for wizards to feed on. Shadows grew into vampires that crawled along ceilings and watched for single warriors to attack. Amazingly, the school was cleansing itself. Where there was some incredibly dark loathsome creature lurking there was also a niche that appeared suddenly and walled them up. The nightmares that were the Inferi , the dreadful masses of dead corpses that never seemed to never end, suddenly did. They collapsed into filthy empty rags and the bodies sank through the floors, or turned to dust and blew away.
And the dawn came, with an eerie kind of glow in the East and turned into a brilliant light that seemed to try and find a way through the depressive fog and vapors and smoke from a smoldering forest fire. The light suddenly broke through and shown on a swan with her mate, taking to the waters of the lake and behind her, her brood swam diligently in a line. The bodies that floated on the surface were across the lake and were, even now, being fished out or allowed to be taken to the depths by the mermen.
Remus Lupin stood on the banks of the lake and took in his first fresh breath of air coming in over the mountains and surveyed the area. He stared at the castle walls, stained with scorch marks and parts crumpled into broken rubble here and wondered what was happening inside. McGonagall had long ago taken the castle as her venue and he had covered the grounds.
Arthur Weasley walked towards him. He looked exhausted, his face blackened with smoke and limping. Molly followed behind. Her head was bent and she walked like an old woman. They were just now coming away from the borders and the road to Hogsmeade.
"What do you say Arthur?" Remus asked. "Are we finished here?"
The red-headed man stopped and looked up and nodded. "Yes, Remus. Many of them went into the forest and haven't been seen again. It's unlikely they will be. You go in too far and matters are taken care of by the ones that live there."
Remus nodded. "Have you seen any of your children yet?" He knew that the Weasley's greatest concern now was finding out about their family.
Arthur nodded in response but continued to frown and glanced at his wife covertly. "Charlie's got a dragon over yonder. He and some of the boys are going to take it back to Romania. Bill and Fleur are alright. I haven't seen the twins or Ron. And..." he stopped and looked at Molly again. "We got notice that Ginny was removed from St. Mungo's. She's disappeared again. We don't know anything else."
Lupin took in a deep breath and sighed heavily. He feared the worst for Ron and Hermione knowing that they would probably be dead. He also thought it very likely that Ginny had been kidnapped once again, he didn't know for what purposes. There were many dead. He looked around at the bodies that covered the grounds and felt pain in his own heart. He wanted to believe that Tonks was still alive. He also knew her well enough to know that she charged in courageously without thought to her own safety and welfare.
"If they are alive, we will find them," he finally said then looked once again at the castle. "You know if Voldemort isn't dead then our battle may be won but the war is not over."
Arthur nodded and glanced over his shoulder in the same direction. At that moment a man rushed up. Arthur knew him. "What is it Jenks?" The look on the man's face told stories.
"One of your boys..." the man gasped. "He's dead. They have him over by the entrance."
Molly's fist went to her mouth as she shrieked and she hurried after the man. Arthur stayed behind for a minute and turned to Remus. "Bound to happen," he shook his head. "Probably Ron. He wasn't as skilled...as...the others." His voice broke into a sob and he held it back.
Remus clapped him on the back and said, "Let's go and find out."
Arthur nodded and asked, "Are you going into the school? Are you going after HIM?"
"If he's not already dead Arthur," Lupin replied looking up at the towers as he walked, "then someone has to try and stop him."
"What about the prophecy?" Arthur said. "I say Harry and Snape last night."
Lupin shook his head and answered. "I don't think Harry made it. He didn't really have a chance. If the prophecy was correct anyway. You can't rely on that stuff." Lupin wiped at his own face where he found an unusual wetness on his cheeks. It surprised him that it was his own tears. They walked up to the main entrance, stepping over bodies as they went. They nodded at wizards and witches sitting in the grass, propped against walls as they rested and tried to pull themselves together. Some were wounded or hurt and others moved among them correcting some of the worst damage with spells and potions and carrying some off.
They heard Molly's cries among the cries of the wounded and those of others grieving. Lupin warily looked for the dark blue robe that Tonks had worn the night before. His eyes drifted to the body that Molly cradled. It was to large for that of her youngest son, Ron. He walked over and stood over them and Arthur knelt down beside his wife. It was Percy Weasley.
A voice spoke above the din. It was a young woman about the same age. "He stormed the gate right alongside McGonagall," she said. There were dried tears on her face. "I was beside him.
Lupin nodded sympathetically, "Penelope isn't?" he asked.
She nodded. "We were friends, Percy and I." She looked at Molly who had quieted enough to listen. "He said if he didn't make it to tell you that he loved you all. That he loved you and he was sorry."
Molly stared at her and then looked into her dead son's face and wailed. Arthur knelt beside her and sobbed silently.
--
"I think I hear my mother's voice," Ron said staring up into Hermione's face.
She nodded and her own tears washed down her cheeks. "I hear her too." She held his head in her lap and watched as the Madam Pomphrey examined Ron's body and touched it here and there.
The Hogwarts school nurse had been very busy through the night and looked the worse for it. She smiled at Hermione and patted Ron's face tenderly. "You rest here. You're going to be very sore and in bed for a month but you will survive. Now I must move on."
Hermione watched her struggle to her feet and move on to the next victim that was on the tower wall.
"I wonder if he made it?" Ron said quietly. he was staring up at a patch of blue in the sky.
Hermione knew he was talking about.
--
Harry reached for the wand, turned and pointed it, shouting "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
A small band of people headed by Minerva McGonagal came charging up the hallway.
Snape cried out, "ACCIO WAND," and yanked Bellatrix Lestrange off her feet by her ankles.
Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and shouted, "AVADA KEDAVRA!" just as a sword was shoved through his chest from behind. He looked down and reached for it with his free hand.
The green flashing light from the killing curses flew out and struck him and he flew back against the wall. The other green sizzling light hit Harry squarely in the center and he also went flying back and rolled for twenty meters before coming to a rest.
McGonagall cried out, "NO!"
Someone said, "ASOLVO." and a figure appeared.
A door formed in the wall, open and allowing in a brilliant sunlight. A magnificent Phoenix soared through it. Fawkes circled, picked up the limp body of Harry and clutched the shoulder of Severus Snape, lifting them both up easily. It flew out the door before anyone could move.
Neville turned on Bellatrix Lestrange and stuck his wand in her face. "Move and I'll kill you," he said.
--
The centaurs looked up into the clearing sky and walked through still smoldering branches. A small portion of the forest was burned but it would recover in time. They were among the few that saw the Phoenix flying high overhead carrying the two figures.
"And so it is done," One said and turned to melt into the greenery of the forest. The others followed.
--
Then beat the drums over him, play the fife merrily,
Sound the death march as you carry him along,
Take him to the churchyard and,
Throw the earth over him,
For he's a young sailor cut down in his prime.
(song, Streets of Laredo)
--
Harry woke. He stared dumbly into the face of a friend.
"You are awake I see," Hagrid said and smiled.
"Yes," Harry mumbled. I'm alive, he thought. I am alive. HOW can that be?
"Good, good," Hagrid nodded. "If you kin sit up I have a spot of soup fer ya."
Harry shouldered his way up the pillow and accepted his glasses. He gawked around and accepted the spoonful of soup that Hagrid tipped into his mouth. He brushed the rest away. "Hagrid where am I?"
"You're at Godric's Hollow," Hagrid said. "This is your mum and dad's place."
"But...but," Harry gurgled rubbing his hands frantically over his chest. "I was hit. He used the killing curse. It struck me!"
Hagrid smiled and nodded. "Thas right Harry. Dumbledore said he couldn't kill ya. Your the boy who lived aren't ya! Sumpthin about yer mum's wand." His furry eyebrows came together as if trying to remember. "Anyway Harry, you did it! You killed You-Know-Who!"
"But..." Harry shook his head in bewilderment.
A deep voice interrupted him, "If you are well enough to get up perhaps you should do so now." It was Snape.
Harry looked at him and then at Hagrid and saw the half giant's face fall.
"Is it time?" he asked and Snape nodded in response. He stood in the doorway of the room for a moment and then left.
"What?" Harry asked. "What is it?"
"Best find out fer yerself Harry," Hagrid pulled back the covers. "I'll help ya." He helped Harry stay on his feet and put his arms through a dressing gown and then helped him limp down the hallway. A room filled with butter-yellow light opened up on the hall and Hagrid guided him to the door.
Harry squinted and saw a bed and a figure lying on it. Snape was kneeling over it and straightened when he entered. Laying on the bed, hair sprayed out over the crisp white pillow, was Albus Dumbledore. Harry could tell instantly that the man was dying. Fawkes sat on a perch by the open window and turned as Harry entered the room; he walked with assistance to the bedside and sat down.
"Professor," Harry said softly.
"My dear boy. I tried to prepare you for the eventuality of my death, but I'm afraid it was still very shocking." Dumbledore said and smiled. He reached out slowly to pat his hand. "I'm afraid that this time it is inevitable. There is no turning back."
"No," Harry argued, shaking his head. "No, you can't. "I'm not ready."
Dumbledore nodded. "I understand Harry. But I'm homeward bound and it is time. I am pleased to see you one more time."
Harry's thoughts were jumbled. He couldn't understand how he had managed to survive, how they had killed Voldemort, how his friend could be dead, resurrected and then die again. He sat silently, his sorrow filling him.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and then opened them. " I was swinging in a hammock one day, Harry. I fell asleep and I dreamed a dream that I thought had come true. Such a day it was." The blue eyes turned to him and then glanced over his shoulder at Snape and Dumbledore whispered, "I hope you will forgive me for the things I have done wrong to both of you. Know that I love you with all my heart."
Harry listened tongue-tied and saddened. He squeezed the hand that had fallen into his own and he looked down at it until he felt the life leave it. He looked up and saw Dumbledore's eyes closed as if he were sleeping, and then the chest rose and fell and stopped.
Fawkes stretched his wings, flapped and soared out the window into the sunshine.