Chapter 29 – The Devil's Playground

"Lumos!"

The glow from Harry's wand lit up the deserted kitchen. It seemed like a lifetime ago that Albus Dumbledore had led him into this room for the first time. He could almost see his ten year-old self hesitantly entering through the back door.

He reluctantly dragged himself away and entered the hallway. Making his way down the corridor, he opened the door to Nicholas's study. The room was pitch-black, but he found some candles and lit them.

Most of Harry's lessons had been taken in this room, and he had happy memories of the place. Magic had been a new and wondrous thing to him in those days. Every time he sat with Nicholas he had been exposed to amazing and exciting things; be it learning about some fantastical creature or perfecting a marvellous new spell, he had lapped it up. Now, sitting in the faint light in the deserted house he wondered if it had been worth it, and if he wouldn't have been better off remaining with the Muggles.

He dismissed such gloomy thoughts as worthless. He was what he was, and there was no going back. Rousing himself to action, he moved to Nick's desk and removed his Pensive from one of the drawers. He set it up and carefully removed the vial containing Severus Snape's memory from his pocket. Dropping the contents into the Pensive, he gave it a quick swirl with his wand before plunging into the memory.

Instantly, he found himself in Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. The Headmaster himself was sitting at his desk with Snape on the other side.

"It is a most unfortunately situation," Dumbledore was saying. "If I had had any idea of the hostility Nicholas and Perenelle hold for me then I would never have placed the boy with them permanently."

"You should have left Potter where he was," Snape sneered. "His Uncle maybe a poor excuse for a human being, but he would have at least instilled some discipline into the boy."

"Now, Severus, you are letting your prejudices show," Dumbledore chastised. "No, his Uncle was becoming unhinged. If the boy should die at the man's hands… no, it doesn't bear thinking about. Unfortunately, Harry's terrible physical condition meant I had little choice at the time. What we need to do now is get him back under our control. We need Harry Potter at Hogwarts."

"How will you achieve that? The Flamels are his guardians now, and they seem dead set against it," Snape pointed out. "Frankly, the pair of them are capable of providing an education far beyond what we could achieve here, so you can see their reluctance."

Dumbledore appeared to ponder the matter. "I think we need to emphasize the security aspect of Harry coming to Hogwarts, rather than the educational side. If the Flamels can be convinced he will be safer here, then I'm sure they will relent."

"My understanding was that the Flamels' property was heavily warded. Why would they believe that the boy was at risk?" Snape asked.

"I think we need to introduce an element of danger into Harry's current environment," Dumbledore decided. "Severus, I think it's time that one of Voldemort's old followers discovers the location of the Boy-Who-Lived."

"But isn't that a massive risk? Voldemort's followers will stop at nothing to kill Potter," Snape objected.

"I think the risk is justifiable. I rather suspect that the person I have in mind to receive this information will not be looking to kill Harry immediately. Besides, as you correctly state, the Flamels are well protected. No, just a sighting of a Death Eater near the house should be enough to convince them," Dumbledore reasoned.

"I hope you're right, Albus," Snape said, clearly not convinced.

The scene within the Pensive swirled and changed. Harry found himself looking at a scene nearly identical to the one before. It was clearly a different occasion, however, judging by Snape's distressed state.

"He will kill me next time, Albus. The Dark Lord's patience grows thin," Snape said in a anxious voice. "He needs to be given something useful."

"I think I can provide you with something," Dumbledore assured him. "Tell me, of all the people who have stood against Voldemort, who do you think he considers as the greatest traitor to the pure-blood cause?"

"Potter," Snape snarled.

"You forget Harry is a half-blood," Dumbledore pointed out. "Try again."

Snape looked hesitant for a second. "Black?" he suggested.

"Exactly," Dumbledore confirmed. "Sirius Black dishonoured the noble house of Black in Voldemort's view. His continual aid to the Order is a constant annoyance to the Dark Lord. He would consider Sirius to be a worthy prize."

"You would give him up?" Snape asked in surprise. "Don't get me wrong, if I could give Black to the Dark Lord it would do much to repair my standing with him. I'm just rather startled that you would allow it."

"Sirius has always had a rather unfortunate habit of ignoring the rule book. He takes too many risks and this is regrettably rubbing off on Harry. I no longer consider Black a safe or worthy guardian for him," Dumbledore said.

"So, once again it all comes down to Potter, doesn't it," Snape sneered.

"It always has, Severus," Dumbledore replied.

"How do you propose to do this?" Snape asked after a pause.

"We need to separate him from Harry. Fortunately, young Mr Potter is still recovering from his injuries, so that will not be too hard to do." Dumbledore pondered for a moment. "I think I may suggest to Moody that Sirius would be the perfect person to supervise a little on-the-job training for some of the Order's newest recruits at some remote location. If Voldemort should learn of that location…"

"I understand," Snape confirmed. "May I suggest that the werewolf also accompanies Black? Lupin is equally loyal to the Potter boy, and nearly as much of a troublemaker as his friend."

"Very well," Dumbledore agreed wearily. Snape wore a vindictive smile as he rose from his chair.

Once again the image swirled and Harry found himself following Snape as he exited the Headmaster's office. Although he could only guess, the troubled look on Snape's face suggested that he was looking at a different event then he had just witnessed. Snape had just walked past the Gargoyles guarding the entrance when he encountered Professor McGonagall coming the other way.

"Ah, Severus. Is Albus in?" she asked.

"Yes, I have just spoken with him," Snape replied.

Harry could hear how unsteady the man's voice was and now that he looked at him closer he noticed he was paler than usual.

"Thank you… are you alright, Severus?" McGonagall asked. "You look like you've just had some upsetting news."

"No, I… I'm just on my way to a meeting with… him," Snape replied.

"Ah, I understand," McGonagall said, the anger clear in her voice. "I swear, one day I will hunt down and kill that evil bastard for what he did to poor Harry."

Harry realised that this scene must have taken place shortly after he faked his own death. He felt his heart warmed by the reaction of the stern witch. She must have liked him after all.

"Yes, well…" Snape clearly was less concerned about Harry's apparent demise. "Did you have any luck discovering how Lucius Malfoy managed to get into the castle grounds?"

"No, no I did not," McGonagall replied with a frown. "There's been no apparent breech of the wards and I can detect no forced entry at all. Somehow Malfoy senior managed to waltz into the school completely undetected. It's almost as if the wards had been altered to allow him entry."

"Most strange," Snape agreed. "Hypothetically speaking, who would be able to amend the wards to allow Lucius entry?"

"Why, only myself and the Headmaster," McGonagall replied primly. "Clearly, there must be another explanation; I just have yet to discover it."

"Quite," Snape replied, with a knowing expression on his face. "Well, I must be away. Wish me luck."

Snape briskly walked away leaving a rather confused-looking professor in his wake.

The image swirled and Harry found himself standing back in the study. In stunned disbelief he stumbled to a chair and sat down heavily.

In his wildest dreams he would never have believed Dumbledore was capable of such treachery. To maintain his vision of 'the greater good' the old man was willing to throw away lives like they meant nothing.

The deaths of so many he loved could be placed at Dumbledore's feet: Nick, Perry, Remus, Sirius…and they were only the ones he knew about. Snape was a trusted ally of the Headmaster's yet he had been sacrificed. How many more had died at the old man's whims? Had his parents suffered a similar fate? Had it been Dumbledore's intentions that he would die at Voldemort's hands?

Harry momentarily felt sick. Not only did he have to defeat Voldemort, he now realised he would need to bring down Dumbledore as well. It was just too much for him to do alone; he urgently needed help. But who could he turn to?

In frustration, Harry slammed his fist down on the desk in front of him. He had never felt more alone or angry, even back in his days with the Dursleys. It was ridiculous; here he was, a tremendously skilled magic-user and one of the richest wizards in the world and he was powerless. Of course, he was assuming he was still rich, the Goblins would have heard about his supposed death by now and…

Harry stopped dead. Of course! How could he have been so stupid? Allies were right there waiting for him, even if he would have to pay for them. But would it be enough? A plan began to form in Harry's mind. Maybe it was time to take a leaf from Dumbledore's book. It was time to choose the lesser of two evils, or maybe the lesser of three evils would be a better way to put it. And what he needed right now was a go-between.

Reaching in his pocket, he pulled out his two-way mirror. He tapped the mirror with his wand, hoped Ginny would still be awake. It only took a couple of seconds before Ginny's face appeared.

"Harry!" she exclaimed. "I was so worried. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Ginny," he confirmed, feeling a surge of guilt that he had not contacted his girlfriend earlier. "Sorry I took so long to come back to you. A lot has happened and none of it good."

"Who came to the Shrieking Shack?" she asked.

"Snape. He was meeting Voldemort there. He didn't survive the encounter," Harry explained. "But forget that for the moment. I need your help. I urgently need to speak with someone and I need you to arrange a meeting."

"Who?" Ginny asked in confusion.

"Your brother Bill," Harry said. He grinned at the look of utter shock that appeared onto his girlfriend's face.

Thursday, 5 March 1998

Making sure the hood of his cloak stayed up, Harry squeezed through the small door located at the back of the dark alley. Who knew that Gringotts had a back door?

Contacting Bill Weasley had obviously been a good idea. The man had been surprisingly willing to help and he assumed this was down to Ginny's influence. Bill had fallen over himself to arrange this meeting, and to ensure Harry managed to attend without being seen.

Looking around, Harry saw that he was standing in a cave-like corridor. As he followed behind Bill, he noticed the floor was very gently sloping downwards. The two of them continue walking for a good ten minutes before they reached a junction. Turning left, they soon found themselves in a circular room which was completely bare apart from three doors set into the curving wall. Without hesitation, Bill opened the door on their immediate left and gestured for Harry to enter.

Once inside, Harry found himself in a comfortable office of the type that he would have expected to find in any well-appointed business. A large wooden desk dominated the room and behind it sat the Goblin Rocktooth.

"Greetings, Mr Potter," he said. "May I compliment you on how well you look for someone who is apparently dead."

"I was dead," Harry confirmed, "but I got better."

"Indeed," Rocktooth noted with amusement as Harry slipped into a chair in front of the desk. The goblin peered at him intently. "Ah, all becomes clear. I see you have rid yourself of your unwanted visitor. Very wise; carrying around a piece of someone else's soul can be quite tiresome."

Harry resisted the urge to stare at the Rocktooth. He had underestimated the goblins before and he shouldn't have been surprised they had known he was a Horcrux. A bit of warning would have been nice, but never mind.

"Yeah, it's not really an experience I would recommend," Harry replied, trying to appear nonchalant.

"I imagine. Well, as pleased as I am to see you in such good health, may I enquire why you requested this meeting so urgently?" the goblin asked.

Harry inwardly grinned. He felt it was time to starting handing out a few surprises of his own.

"Basically, I need the goblins' help and I'm prepared to pay for it. This whole conflict is likely to be over in the next few days and I would like your help to ensure that I'm on the winning side." Harry paused to observe the goblin's reaction, which, he was disappointed to note, was minimal.

"Continue," the goblin requested.

"Tomorrow, Voldemort will attack Hogwarts with everything he has. I understand that he has obtained a means to bring down the protective wards of the castle. If he manages to do this it is likely to result in massacre which will probably include Dumbledore himself. I doubt the Ministry would survive the backlash of such an event, either. I intend to ambush Voldemort and destroy him. For that I need to assemble a force capable of taking him on and I don't have long to do it. I therefore request to hire as many goblin fighters as you are willing to provide. As you are aware I have the means to pay for them." Harry took a breath and waited nervously for Rocktooth's response. It came quickly.

"I'm not adverse to you hiring our troops, Mr Potter, and I am aware that you have the means to cover the costs. Unfortunately, in the timeframe you propose, I could only offer you around two hundred warriors. This would be insufficient for your needs," Rocktooth informed him.

"Which leads me onto my second request," Harry replied. "It's not only Voldemort that I have to defeat. Dumbledore's influence needs to be suppressed as well. He seems to think he has the automatic right to govern the Wizarding world as he sees fit. As much as I hate to admit it, it's time for the Ministry to take control again. Is it possible you can arrange for me to speak to Minister Scrimgeour this afternoon?"

This time Rocktooth did look surprised.

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That afternoon

Rufus Scrimgeour stared at Harry intently. He'd initially been irritated by the goblins' request for an urgent audience. After all, the Ministry was on the verge of collapse and he had better things to do. On the other side of the coin, he'd never known a goblin waste anyone's time, so when they said the matter couldn't wait he'd agreed to the meeting. It looked like he'd made the right decision.

"I must say I'm surprised to see you here, Mr Potter. Albus Dumbledore assured me that you had been killed yesterday afternoon. May I ask why you are pretending to be dead?" Scrimgeour had never been one for beating around the bush.

"I would take anything Albus Dumbledore says with a pinch of salt if I were you," Potter said, clearly irritated. "I'm playing dead to stop him interfering with me while I deal with Voldemort."

Scrimgeour raised his eyebrows. His sources had said that there was tension between Potter and Dumbledore, but clearly their relationship had deteriorated even further. Scrimgeour had never trusted Dumbledore much and he resented the man's interference with Ministry matters. Potter, on the other hand, was something of an unknown element. There may be something here that he could use.

"I take it you are unhappy with Dumbledore's influence then?" he asked, testing the waters.

"Unhappy?" Potter snorted. "That doesn't even begin to cover it. But before we get into that, there is important information I need to tell you. Sometime tomorrow, Voldemort will be launching a full scale attack on Hogwarts. As it stands, I believe that attack will be successful."

"What?" Scrimgeour exclaimed. "Hogwarts? Why would he attack there? He's much more likely to attack the Ministry."

"Three reasons," Potter said calmly. "One, as you say, you are expecting him to attack the Ministry so he will do the unexpected. Two, Voldemort believes that there is an object hidden within the castle that is extremely important to him. In fact, the object has been destroyed, but he doesn't know that. Three, he considers Albus Dumbledore to be the main threat to him. Voldemort has stated that he has discovered a means of taking down the wards at Hogwarts. If he can do that, then he will have Dumbledore trapped and heavily outnumbered."

"Alright," Scrimgeour acknowledged, "that sounds plausible. But I will need to see some evidence of this before I commit Ministry resources to defending Hogwarts."

At this, Rocktooth reached into a drawer in his desk and removed a Pensieve. He placed this in front of Scrimgeour without a word.

"I'm afraid this might take a while," Harry said, taking his wand and pointing it at his forehead. "I have rather a lot to show you."

Potter withdrew a long line of silvery, gossamer-fine strands from his head and deposited in the Pensieve. Scrimgeour regarded the young man for a second. He had to admit that he was excited to learn what Potter had to show him. Without further pause for thought, he submerged himself in the boy's memories.

It was some considerable time later when Rufus finally pulled his consciousness from the Pensieve. He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see he'd been in there for nearly an hour. He looked up at Potter and Rocktooth who were both drinking tea. For a second his brain reeled as he tried to process all the information he had seen.

"It's all true?" he questioned the pair. "The prophecy? The Horcruxes? Dumbledore's history?"

"I haven't held anything back," Potter said quietly. "I assume I've no need to tell you how sensitive this information is. You must tell no-one else what you've seen."

"Of course," Scrimgeour snapped. Did Potter think he was stupid? "Are you sure you got all the Horcruxes? I mean, how do we know Voldemort didn't create more?"

"Impossible," Rocktooth interrupted. "My experts are astounded that Voldemort managed to create seven of them in the first place, including Mr Potter here, of course. As you can see from some of the most resent memories, the Dark Lord is barely human anymore and his grip on sanity appears to be slipping. His soul is so fragmented that any further attempt to split it will almost certainly leave him a gibbering wreck."

Scrimgeour glared at the goblin. He had never trusted the little bastards and as far as he was aware they hated all wizards equally. This made him wonder.

"Why are you so keen to help Potter all of a sudden? What's in it for the goblins?" he asked.

"Actually, we have already helped Mr Potter with the destruction of one of the Horcruxes that was stored in the Lestrange woman's vault. All part of the service for one of our best customers." Rocktooth smiled, displaying far too many pointed teeth for Rufus's liking. "But if you ask me why we feel Mr Potter is worthy of our support I have a simple answer. He has no desire for power. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what a rare trait this is in a wizard. We therefore feel we can trust him."

"But why support him at all? Why not just stay neutral?" he pressed.

"Look to history for your answer," Rocktooth replied. "How many centuries have wizards and goblins been in conflict? How much blood has been shed? How many battles fought? But in the last hundred years or so we have had an uneasy peace. Wizards now depend on us for banking and finance. Our mining operations are vital to your wellbeing, as well. On the other hand, you wizards are the main source of income for us goblins. In other words, things are nicely in balance at the moment and we do not wish to see that change."

Scrimgeour nodded before turning to Potter. "If you don't want power, what do you want?"

"Firstly, just to survive," he said frankly. "After that, I want to actually live my life. Thanks to Dumbledore, I had a miserable childhood. From my tenth year onwards I have spent nearly all my time fighting Voldemort's lackeys or training. I just want to be normal for a while; spend time with my girlfriend, travel a bit, just enjoy life for a while."

"And after that? How do I know that after a few years of sitting on your arse that you won't suddenly decide to become the next Dumbledore, or worse, Voldemort?" Scrimgeour asked intently.

"Apart from it's not in my nature? I'm not sure what I can do to convince you as to what I'll be doing to five years' time," Potter said earnestly.

Scrimgeour was ready for this.

"As the sole surviving Potter and as heir to the Black legacy you are entitled to a place on the Wizengamot," he informed the young black-haired wizard.

Potter just looked confused by this information.

"You wish to make him part of the system," Rocktooth commented.

"Exactly," Scrimgeour confirmed. "The Ministry may have many faults and it can be bureaucratic and inefficient at times, but it's still a much better option than the alternatives. As part of the Wizengamot you will be where I can keep an eye on you and eventually you will become a cog in the machine. Maybe even a vital part of the whole thing."

"It didn't work very well for Dumbledore, did it?" Potter pointed out.

"Dumbledore wears too many hats and has his fingers in too many pies. I would expect you to have a seat on the Wizengamot and maybe a Ministry post, but no other position. If you suddenly decide you want to start influencing the education of the Wizarding community or start forming private armies, I'll know it's time to start reeling you in." Scrimgeour stared intently at Potter awaiting his reaction. He was surprised when the young man laughed.

"I've already got a private army," Potter said with a smile. "Three Witches; a blond, a brunette and a red-head. I figured that's all I needed."

Scrimgeour looked at him in confusion. It was obviously some private joke Potter was refereeing to. Fighting down his irritation, he pressed the youth for answer.

"Well? If I'm going to work with you I need to know you'll co-operate with the Ministry."

"As I said, I want to enjoy life for a while. How about I agree to take my place on the Wizengamot within five years?" Potter offered.

"Acceptable," Scrimgeour confirmed. "You're rather young to be taking a seat at the moment, anyway. So what's the plan and what do you need the Ministry to do?"

"Our intelligence suggests Voldemort can muster a force of around three hundred and fifty wizards and witches," Rocktooth informed him. "In addition, we are aware he has managed to bring six giants into the country and, of course, he has the Dementors who recently abandoned their posts on Azkaban."

Potter looked up sharply at this. Scrimgeour mentally cringed that the goblins had become aware that the Dementors had changed sides. He had thought that information had been suppressed.

"Ignoring whatever resistance will come from within Hogwarts, we have agreed to let Mr Potter hire two hundred goblin warriors. If I'd had more time I could have assembled a bigger force, but as it is that will have to do," Rocktooth said with a shrug.

"I'm not sure that will be wise," Scrimgeour said. "The Wizarding population won't look kindly on the Ministry co-operating so closely with goblin troops."

"Think about it this way," Potter suggested. "You can justify the goblin's presence by stating that Voldemort had made a direct threat against Gringotts. That's on top of Voldemort attacking the school. Just think; you'll be saving the public's cash as well as their children. They'll be erecting statues of you for decades if you pull this off."

Scrimgeour nodded. He didn't feel the need to point out that if he didn't pull it off he would become the most hated Minister in history, or more likely dead.

"Very well," he agreed. "The only problem I have is getting sufficient Ministry forces together in time. Do we have any clear idea when Voldemort will attack?"

"Dusk or dawn," Potter said confidently. "He'll need darkness to hide a force that size. He'll also need a large staging area and I'll lay odds he'll use the ForbiddenForest."

"I will arrange for scouts to be posted to give us warning," Rocktooth stated. "There is an ancient treaty between the goblins and the centaurs. They will help us watch for Voldemort's arrival. They may even help us fight. The question now is how many fighters can the Ministry provide?" Scrimgeour sighed; it was time to come clean.

"I'm not sure," he admitted. "The Ministry has been heavily infiltrated by Voldemort's agents. I suspect a large number of officials have been subjected to the Imperius Curse. In an ideal world I could count on around a hundred Aurors and over three hundred DMLE staff, but I'm not sure how many can be trusted at present. The trick will be assembling the force without Voldemort being warned."

"Well, you'll need to figure out a way and soon," Potter insisted. "Recruit Mad-eye Moody to help you. He can spot someone under the Imperius Curse at a hundred yards. I can get in touch with him now if you like?"

"Yes, that's an excellent idea. I've known Moody for years and he'd be perfect to lead an operation like this," Scrimgeour agreed.

"Great," Potter exclaimed. He stood and handed a small mirror to both Scrimgeour and Rocktooth. "Two-way mirrors; these will enable us to stay in contact. Minister, I'm sure you want to get back to the Ministry as soon as possible. We've all got a lot to do and not much time to do it."

"Let's just hope Voldemort chooses dusk to attack," Scrimgeour said as he stood. "If he attacks at dawn I don't think we'll be ready."

The three of them looked at each other in concern. This was going to be a close-run thing.

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Friday, 6 March 1998

Ginny looked nervously round the Great Hall. Tension had been building within her all day and it was now nearly at fever point. She could see Hermione was the same and the bushy haired girl could only push the contents of her dinner around her plate with her fork rather than actually eat it. Only Luna, who had joined them at the Gryffindor table, appeared unconcerned.

Ginny had spoken to Harry just under an hour ago via the two-way mirror. Harry had been immensely relieved that Voldemort had yet to attack. He informed her that the Dark Lord's forces had started to gather and they were being monitored. He had then begged her to be careful before he rang off. Ginny had sat staring at the mirror for nearly five minutes before she willed herself to move. If anything happened to Harry at this point… she just didn't want to think about it.

The three witches had spent most of the day trying to subtly warn anyone they considered trustworthy that something was going to happen that day. She could almost feel the tension in the air and she noticed many of her house-mates kept patting their robes to ensure their wands were easily accessible.

"The Slytherins are up to something," Ron declared, jarring Ginny out of her contemplation. Her brother was one of the people she had shared more information with. He'd been genuinely supportive of her over the last couple of days when he'd thought that Harry had been killed. Once she had told him that Harry was alive and that the castle was about to be attacked, he'd leapt into action, placing warning charms on all the secret entrances to the castle and helping her rally support. It looked like he was itching for a fight.

At Ron's warning, Ginny turned and looked at the Slytherin table. There did indeed seem to be some sort of activity going on over there and several of the older students were huddled together giving furtive glances towards the teachers table.

"Keep an eye on them, but don't do anything unless it's clear their making their move," Ginny urged.

Ron nodded, his eyes never leaving the far table. Ginny looked over to where the teachers sat, seemingly oblivious to the Slytherins glances. Professor Dumbledore sat in the centre with his attention apparently on his pork chops and nothing else.

Without warning, the sound of a large gong rang through the hall. Ginny happened to be looking directly at the Headmaster when this happened and noted the look of shock that appeared on the old man's face. The other teachers also looked up in alarm. Dumbledore rose and quickly walked round the head table.

"Attention, everyone!" he called. "That gong signals a potential attack on the castle. Everyone is to stay here in the hall while the teachers establish what is happening. Prefects are to…" Dumbledore never completed the sentence as several things happened at once.

On the Slytherin table someone shouted 'now!' in a loud voice and a dozen of the older students all pulled out their wands and started hurling curses at the teachers' table. Caught unawares, several teachers were hit, including Professor Sinistra who screamed and clasped her hands to her face, blood dripping between her fingers. The remaining teachers threw themselves under the table trying to find cover.

The Gryffindors, who had been waiting for this, all pulled out their wands and began sending spells at the Slytherin table. They were somewhat hampered by the fact the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws were between them and their targets, but by standing or jumping on the table they were able to get a clear shot. A number of Slytherins fell in the first volley.

Realising they were under fire, the Slytherins reacted with unfortunate speed and soon curses were flying backwards and forwards across the hall. The students caught in the crossfire wisely threw themselves to the floor. On the raised dais, Hagrid, who had been hit several times, overturned the teachers table to provide them with some cover. Several Professors, including McGonagall and Flitwick, had started to return fire at the Slytherins. Dumbledore just stood rooted to the spot, apparently too shocked by the sudden battle to respond.

Ginny crouched down, firing curses as fast as she could. She was taken by surprise when Luna suddenly stood and sprinted forward. The blond witch reached the Hufflepuff table before dropping back down into cover and continuing to hurl spells. Realising what the girl was doing, Ginny threw herself forward and was soon kneeling next to the Ravenclaw girl. Soon, most of the Gryffindor's had joined them. This enabled the previously pinned down Hufflepuffs to join the fight. Ginny was aware of Susan Bones clambering up next to her, screaming her head off as she flung curse after curse at the Slytherins.

"TAKE THAT YOU BASTARD RAPIST," Luna suddenly screamed in triumph. Ginny looked over in time to see Theodore Nott fall with half his face blown away. She felt sick as she realised why her friend had suffered such a change in personality in recent times. Luna had never said a thing.

By this point, several Ravenclaws had managed to crawl out of the line of fire and had joined the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. The weight of fire was simply too much for the Slytherins and they began to fall like dominoes. Ginny vaguely heard someone shouting to cease fire but a red mist had descended before her eyes. Years of fear and hatred had built up in her and now it was being released. She wanted blood.

Eventually, it dawned on her that there was no return fire coming from the Slytherin table. She stopped casting and looked around. The same thought seemed to have occurred to everyone simultaneously, and the hall was suddenly silent apart from a few moans coming from the far side of the room.

After a few moments, an angry looking Professor McGonagall approached the wrecked Slytherin table. She looked about before turning back to the teachers table.

"Poppy, you're needed," she called. Muttered conversation started all around the hall and some of the younger pupils started crying. Ginny stood and walked over to where her Head of House was standing. From here she could see the fate of the Slytherins.

It had been a massacre. The whole place looked like a slaughterhouse and the floor was thick with blood. In horror, Ginny realised most of the younger Slytherins had been caught in the barrage of spells and their small bodies were spread out over the floor. It occurred to her that probably only a small proportion of the House had actually attacked the teachers and the rest had just been caught up in the fight. She felt her stomach churn and she thought she might be sick.

Her thoughts were suddenly distracted by the sound of the gong she had heard earlier. This time it was being beaten at a much more rapid tempo.

"No!" came a loud shout of horror. She, and most of the hall's remaining occupants, turned to the source of the cry. It had come from the Headmaster.

"The castle's wards have been breached!" he cried. "We have enemies within the grounds!"

For a second everyone looked stunned. The battle in the hall had forced out all thoughts of what was happening outside.

"Minerva! Filius! Activate the castle's defences," Dumbledore commanded, his earlier hesitance gone. "Pomona, we need to evacuate the younger pupils."

"How?" Sprout yelled back. "If the outer wall is breached how do we get them out?"

"I know a secret passageway," Ron shouted. "It leads directly to Hogsmeade. They can get out that way!"

"Well done, Mr Weasley," Dumbledore congratulated him. "Show Professor Sprout the passageway's location and help her get the youngsters out. As for the rest of you, anyone who is willing to fight, follow me!"

Ginny glanced over at Hermione and Luna who both had a look of determination on their faces. She joined her friends and three Witches turned and followed the Headmaster out of the hall. She just prayed that Harry would arrive soon.

AN

Yes, I know what you're thinking. Goblin mercenaries: what a massive cliché. If it's any consolation, after I wrote this chapter I repeatedly hit myself over the head with a copy of '1001 fan fiction clichés and how to sneak them into your story with no-one noticing' (for all non-authors out there I should explain you get sent a copy of this book after you post your first story, honest). In my defence, the goblins fitted in sooooo well: Harry had already established a relationship with them and he is as rich as Croesus. It works, damn it!

Just to be clear, Scrimgeour and the Ministry are not white knights in shining armour. They are simply the best of a bad bunch. Faceless bureaucracy can be inefficient, heartless, inflexible and at times mind-bogglingly stupid, but it's rarely actually evil. If Harry wins there will be no massive revolution of the Wizarding world, but maybe he can work for progress from the inside. Assuming he gets past Voldemort and Dumbledore, of course.

Finally, you may think the actions of the Slytherin students were unrealistic, and that they would be committing suicide by attacking the teachers in the Great Hall. In fact, I've modelled their attack very much on the tactics used by Soviet special forces (Spetsnaz to give them their common name) during the cold war. In both the invasion of Czechoslovakia and Afghanistan, small groups of Spetsnaz initiated the fighting by attacking vastly superior forces, normally to capture airports to allow follow on forces to arrive. In this case, the Slytherins (or at least the older pupils) were aware Voldemort would be attacking and they only needed to disrupt the staff from mounting any defence. The Death Eaters would then rapidly relieve them. The Slytherins didn't need to win, just slow the teachers down. Of course it didn't work out that way, but that's the risk they took.

Massive thanks to Arnel for super-speedy beta work. Next up: the final chapter! I can't believe it, it's nearly all over! Sob!