Chapter 36

Lord Voldemort paced slightly in front of his throne. His mind raced with dark thoughts, and the only noise in the room was the soft rustling of cloth as he glided back and forth.

It was almost time. This war was going to come to an end, and he was going to rule the wizarding world. He loved fighting and war. Bringing death was what he does best, but after the death of most of his inner circle he wanted to end this war as soon as he could. But he would do it in the bloodiest way possible. He would strike fast and hard. He would strike the heart of the wizarding world, and where did the wizarding world keep their hearts?

Hogwarts.

Harry sat with his arms wrapped around a trembling Luna. His touch would never be as comforting as Luna deserved but at the moment he was all she had. Both her parents were dead and she was now a ward of Hogwarts. Dumbledore would be her guardian until someone else applied for the position.

It had been four days since her father had been murdered, and Luna was finally coming to understand what life would be like as an orphan. She felt terribly alone and only allowed Harry to hold her. Few of her other friends had seen her, but she would be starting school again the next day.

Harry wasn't going to leave her side.

Albus Dumbledore sat with a bag open on his desk. He had just received it from Sirius Black and so far he was sourly disappointed. There were dark objects in it, yes, but they weren't what he was looking for. So far he had found common dark objects that were banned by the Ministry. They were nothing to really worry about, just discarded objects placed in a vault when they were no longer needed.

With a sign he set the bag aflame.

He left the room just before the bag let out a piercing wail.

The Great Hall was silent as the castle wards groaned.

The night had started out normal. Children were talking about upcoming exams, and laughing with friends when a shudder rocked the school.

The Headmaster had jumped to his feet with surprising speed for someone his age, and commanded the students to be silent. Speaking swiftly to the other professors he had all the children move away from the doors, and he sent a patronus to the Ministry and the Order.

Hopefully help would arrive soon.

Harry and Luna were crouched in an alcove when Hogwarts shuddered and groaned. With a muffled curse Harry pushed Luna farther behind him.

Harry felt the wards shatter underneath a great pressure, and the front doors banged open. Panic and hatred boiled inside of the ghost child, and without a second thought Harry dove through the wall with Luna in his arms. He would take her somewhere safe. Her safety was all that mattered.

The Dark Lord cackled with glee as he snapped the wards around the ancient school. The dome like structure that was invisible to the eye fell, and with a roar his Death Eaters swarmed forward. It was time for the war to end, and he wasn't going to lose.

His familiar lay across his shoulders as he glided across the grounds towards his first home.

Luna was afraid. She had been sitting with Harry when a large group of nargles rudely interrupted. They had no business being at Hogwarts. Harry had left her in a classroom so that he could check the surrounding area for other threats. She was placed under a desk and told not move, and that he would be back soon.

She didn't want to sit here. The people in the school were the same ones from Diagon Alley. They killed good people for fun, and they wouldn't think twice about killing the students. She had to do something.

With that thought, Luna ignored Harry's order and raced out of the classroom door.

Sirius Black, along with other members of the Order, swarmed the Death Eaters like angry bees, pushing them back and out of the castle. On all sides of him, friends and enemies alike fell from each other's wands. Screams of pain and rage echoed down the halls and blood slicked the floors.

Peeves floated through the halls bombarding the Death Eaters with anything he could find, and large suits of armor sprung to life and stabbed those stupid enough to come into arms reach. The paintings either ran like chickens without heads or yelled encouragement to the side they wanted to win.

The fight was completely overwhelming and the majority of it took place on the grounds in front of the great fortress. The students had been locked into the Great Hall along most of the teachers. As Sirius dodged a killing curse he prayed that Harry was in the Great Hall with all the others.

But he doubted that he was.

Harry rushed through the Halls like a bat out of hell. Luna was missing. He had left the room for two minutes and she had left. Growling in fear and anger Harry had raced out of the door to find her. That had been five minutes ago, and with each passing second he become more hysterical in his search.

Where is she?

Sorry for the long wait. I've been really busy and every time I sit down to write this I get distracted. This chapter is pretty short because it's not the entire ending battle scene. That will come soon. This story is quickly coming to a close and I hope you message me about the people you want to see die (good and bad).

I'm warning you now, a lot of people are going to die. The next chapter is going to be really dark and I myself will probably cry while I'm writing it.

Please check out my story Nox and I hope you review.