Harry paced back and forth along the front of the staff table in the Great Hall. Its ceiling was dark, showing the storm passing over Scotland, great heaps of snow descending upon its grounds. Sitting beside McGonagall was King Ragnok proudly displaying his families golden armor, his large battleaxe placed on the table in front of him. Harry kept his hands clasped behind his back as he moved back and forth in deep thought. The Hall was empty save for the teachers and a few goblins that stood watch.
Goblins along with aurors were now patrolling the halls of Hogwarts, along with standing watch over its ramparts and scouring the nearby lands for any massing threats. So far, no patrols had reported any sign of armies ready to attack from either Voldemort or Dumbledore. Harry didn't expect any attacks on the castle anyways, at least not for awhile.
More goblins had been placed in contingency around Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, and all forces could move quickly to each location if either were attacked. Each band of goblins were linked with a hit wizard team carrying ropes that could quickly be made into portkeys and transfer them anywhere.
Norbert kept to the grounds of Hogwarts, choosing to fly around the southern hills and over the forbidden forest, stretching his great wings more than he ever had before. Charlie and the other dragon tamers who had followed the great dragon to England had also taken up residence in Hogwarts or Hogsmeade, staying close by to help Hagrid. Hagrid was beyond ecstatic to have his baby back home as he liked to call it, but it was quite clear he didn't really know how to care for it properly.
The newspapers were constantly talking about the sudden new alliance between goblins and wizards in the fight against the Death Eaters and Voldemort. Such news was the beginning of bringing the goblins and wizards closer together and Harry and Ragnok had hopes such a closeness would remain long after the war.
Due to the acquiring of the new ally, it was Fudge who was reaping the benefit in the press' eyes, but Harry didn't mind. As long as the people were further protected, he didn't care who got credit for the work. With Olaf still gone and out of contact, Harry could only hope that the reinforcements of the goblins will indeed be enough to turn the tide of the war in Britain.
"When will he attack?" Minerva asked. She always placed the students first and her greatest fear was an attack on the school.
"If he will attack, either of them. Things are quiet at the moment." Ragnok responded, taking a bite out of a loaf of bread. Things had been completely still, as if the war had just up and left the country. The appearance of Dumbledore had stopped Voldemort from making more moves on the people of Britain, and the news of the goblins choosing sides had completely ceased the war altogether. Three weeks had passed with no attacks on any villages or other places.
This stalemate couldn't last long however. Soon things would begin once again, and when they did begin, it would be a far more deadly war. Now everyone understood the stakes and all the players. With Olaf seemingly gone, most likely taking his chance and running away with his freedom, Harry had his dragon, the goblins, and the ministries of the world at his backing. Dumbledore had his vikings and giants, Voldemort with his Death Eaters, dementors, and giant contingent as well as rumors of him aligning himself with werewolf packs. The pieces were laid out on the board for all to see, and now all that remained was how each person moved their forces.
"Do you think You-Know-Who left?" Sprout asked with a hint of hope in her voice. Harry looked sadly at the older professor and shook his head solemnly.
"It's just the calm before the storm I'm afraid." Harry replied in a whisper, voicing his own suspicions as to what was happening.
–
Harry sat down alone, a rare thing for him, in the library. He turned the pages in his Anybook, learning more about older, darker spells. His knowledge of the unknown spells of the world had grown vastly, and now he found himself one of the more learned wizards in the world. The downtime in the last several weeks had given him much time to study, to learn and bring himself up to the same level of his enemies. He knew that he was still at a disadvantage in terms of experience, but he hoped to even the playing field when it came to knowledge at least.
His reading was interrupted by the appearance of ethereal beauty. Fleur sat down in the seat opposite of him and placed an old textbook on the table and began to turn its pages. Dust flew from the old tome yet she hardly noticed, just as she didn't notice Harry's soft eyes admiring her beauty. Even in this seemingly normal and unromantic place, she was perfect to him. And yes she was veela, he knew all too well that she was veela, having the mark upon his right breast that forever glowed blue to remind him who Fleur was. Still, her beauty took his breath away each time he saw her, and it wasn't from the allure.
As he looked at her, he knew why he loved her. It wasn't the natural beauty, the perfect face and dazzling eyes, the unblemished skin and slender build. It was the book that she read, or more importantly what that book meant, why she was reading it, what it meant to her. The books title was Agesti's Darkest Places, a book about locations tied to dark magic. She had hope, a fools hope, yet hope still, that she would uncover a possible location for his enemies. He loved her most of all for her unrelenting attitude, something that would push him to seek out something greater inside himself, something he never knew was in him. She could see him when no else understood him, and he trusted her to guide him forward.
"What are looking at?" Fleur asked after she caught onto Harry's gaze. She glanced innocently behind herself but only saw a bookshelf.
Harry shook his head and offered her a soft smile, "Just watching you."
A small smile formed on her perfect pink lips, "Why?"
"You're beautiful, you know that?" Fleur chuckled at his words, shaking her head.
"You are very 'andsome yourself." Harry chuckled this time and finished with a sigh, a sadness overcoming him which she picked up on. "Whats wrong?"
He sat silently for a moment and closed his book, "Lately I can't help but feel overwhelmed, feel like I want to run away from everything, just leave it all behind."
Fleur reached across the table and placed her soft hand in his and squeezed it, "It's okay for you to feel like that. It's natural for you to feel that stress and anxiety."
Harry slowly nodded his head and stayed silent, he looked out a nearby window and watched the Hogwarts grounds. Snow had come to the Scottish castle and the Black Lake was now covered in ice, several of the muggleborn students ice-skating on its surface. He briefly saw Hedwig and Fawkes racing across the skies, playing as they usually did.
"You need a break 'Arry. Being in this castle is stressing you out." Fleur said when he had stayed quiet. He looked at her with raised eyebrows, wondering where she was taking that statement. "Come with me." Fleur didn't bother to wait for his response and took his hand, jerking him upwards and leading him from the library after they had gathered their books.
Together they walked to the Headmistress' office and the stone gargoyle slid to the side to let them pass, not bothering to wait for a password from either of them. "What are-"
"Shhh." She cut him off, leading him up the stairs. She knocked on the door and the sound of 'enter' was heard. The both of them walked into Minerva's office and found her sitting on the opposite side of her desk peering at several parchments with a quill in hand. She had her glasses on the tip of her nose and seemed to be in study of whatever words were before her.
"What can I do for you two?" Minerva asked without looking up from the parchment. Fleur approached the desk and Harry followed, taking a seat in one of the plush chairs that was placed in front of her desk. The office had changed a lot from when Dumbledore had left. Gone were the many trinkets, many things used to once spy on Harry and his stay with the Dursleys. Gone was Fawkes' podium, gone was the pensieve, gone was the vast library, now all belonging to Harry and placed in storage at Grimmauld Place.
Harry looked at Fleur with confusion, waiting for her to answer, "I was wondering if we could go 'ome for the weekend. 'Arry 'as been stressed and needs the break." This caused Minerva to peer up from her parchments, her beady eyes looking over her glasses.
"Is that so?" She asked Harry more than Fleur.
"Err." Fleur nudged him softly in the ribs, "Yes, I could use a break."
Minerva took her glasses off and rubbed her tired eyes. "God knows you've earned it. Where will you go?"
"Our 'ome." Fleur responded, offering nothing more. It was still a well kept secret as to where exactly their home was. Minerva knew better than to pry further.
"Very well. Return Sunday evening, I want to see your faces at the feast." Both Harry and Fleur smiled at the permission they received and offered many thanks to their headmistress before leaving. They left the headmistress' office with smiles and Harry looked happier and less stressed than he had been in the last several weeks.
"I'll get my things and meet you 'ere in an 'our?" Fleur asked as they walked along the hallway, towards the moving staircases.
"Things?" He asked, turning to her abruptly with a mischievous smile. He then planted his lips on hers and kissed her fervently. "What do you need really?" He asked after breaking the kiss. She was too dazed by the sudden passion in his kiss to offer any other words, and in a second, they both disappeared in a flash of fire as Fawkes transported them to Annecy.
–
"Fleur!" Gabbi cried out upon seeing her favorite and only sister. She hardly noticed that Fleur was wearing only a bedsheet when she rushed over to her and wrapped her small arms around her sister. Appoline was much more alert to her eldest daughters lack of clothing and couldn't help but chuckle. Fleur's silver hair was a mess, its normal perfect straightness was all over the place and her pale skin was rose in color instead.
Fleur planted a kiss on the top of her growing sisters forehead, hugging her tightly for she missed her greatly. "Mama, how are you?" Fleur asked, looking up to see her mother in the doorway.
Appoline smiled and walked into her daughters home, shutting the door behind her. "I'm good as is your father. He will be here after work. Where's Harry?" This question caught hold of the little veela and she broke the hug from Fleur and looked around wildly.
"E's still sleeping. It's been a stressful couple of weeks for 'im." Fleur said with a solemn sigh which Appoline understood all too well. Her husband was in a constant state of stress and pressure and often he was kicked to the ground because of it and it was her job to help him back to his feet.
"Can I wake him!" Gabbi asked with a mischief she had never seen in her sister before. Clearly Harry and Sirius' influence was taking its toll and the boys would soon reap what they sowed. Andrew Davis was becoming quite the prankster within the castle, often being used by Sirius to prank his students who had gotten into trouble in his class. She feared for the future professors of Hogwarts when they would have to deal with him, and possibly Gabbrielle who now wished to go to Hogwarts instead of Beauxbatons.
Gabbi didn't wait for a response and rushed up the stairs of the town house. "How is he, truly." Appoline asked seriously once Gabbi had disappeared upstairs.
Fleur sighed again and took a seat on a nearby sofa in the den room. "Tired." Appoline took a seat opposite her daughter and reached over and took her hand, squeezing it gently.
"I don't blame him. He has the world on his shoulders." The two women sat in silence and soon they heard a squeal followed by childish laughter. The laughter continued downstairs and Gabbi reappeared on top of Harry's shoulders with Fawkes on top of Gabbi's head.
"A pleasure to see you Appoline." Harry said with a refreshed smile upon his face. Months of stress that had been etched onto his face had disappeared overnight and he looked just as lively as when Appoline had first met him, yet despite the refreshed state, a newfound wisdom was behind his eyes, a wisdom that would never go away.
"A pleasure as always Harry." Appoline responded. She stood up and kissed Harry on the forehead before retaking her seat. Harry slowly set Gabbi onto the floor and took a seat next to Fleur and Gabbi quickly climbed into his lap and rested her head against his chest.
"So what are we doing today?" Appoline asked with a joyful smile, clapping her hands together. Both teenagers glanced at one another and it was Fleur that responded for them.
"It's not too cold out, we could go to the lake?" The other three merely shrugged, not having a better idea and they wrapped themselves in warmer clothing before stepping into the cold air. Annecy was relatively protected from the harsh winters, but it still got relatively cold and snow sometimes fell upon the small town.
The four of them headed for the docks where a boat awaited them, one that Fleur had bought just for this occasion. On the outside it looked like an old fishing boat that didn't belong on the lake anymore, but inside, much like a magical tent, it was large and rich. It descended under the lake and one could see into the water, catching the occasional fish that swam by.
The decks were warmed by magic and one could stay outside and observe even in the dead of winter. A full kitchen was in the lower decks and Dobby had appeared once they stepped onto the ship, recognizing that Harry might be needing his assistance.
The ship kicked off the dock and self-propelled into the middle of the lake. They played games on board the ship and ate a feast that Dobby had made for them, relaxing in the company of one another. These times were rare and they made the most of it, telling stories of the last several months. They stayed away from Harry's battles and dealings with war, instead focusing on the the going-ons of Hogwarts. Gabrielle was particularly interested in Hogwarts since she was wanting to go their instead of Beauxbatons.
Soon it was time for them to head back to shore. They had eaten their fill and complemented the chef, Dobby looked ready to cry at the praise and he popped away before tears fell. They walked back through the lightly snow covered streets and made it into the town house. Harry entered first, a habit he had gotten into, and upon entering, he felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck and whipped out his wand while placing his other hand on Fleurs shoulder, stopping her from entering the house.
"No need for that." Harry heard a rasp voice coming from the dark and he recognized it immediately. Sebastien appeared from the shadows and stood in the hallway with a smirk on his face. Harry lowered his wand and stepped into the house. "Though I do commend you for the caution."
Harry walked over to Sebastien and shook his hand, "I almost took your head off."
Sebastien chuckled, "You may be Britain's Chosen Son, but it wouldn't be so easy to take me."
Harry chuckled himself and stepped to the side to allow Fleur to greet her father. They all settled into the den and Dobby provided drinks for all of them. "The South Africans are thinking about joining the fight." Sebastien said once the conversation about school had died. Both Appoline and Fleur groaned, shaking their heads at the two men.
"Really? When did this come about?" Harry asked, ignoring the two women. Gabbi listened intently to them. She wasn't quite old enough to understand everything going on, but she was fascinated by it nonetheless.
"Just a few days ago. They saw Ghana support us and don't want to be left out."
Harry nodded his head slowly, "Whatever gets their support I don't care. We need the help. I fear what is to come."
An intense silence fell on everyone in the room as they all briefly imagined Harry's own fears as if his images were projected onto them. They all saw a shadowed man sitting upon a golden throne, children bowing before it and cloaked men standing around them with their wands pointed inwards. A great flash of green brought them out of the sudden trance. They all looked around stunned at one another, their eyes falling to Harry who looked ghostly pale for a moment.
Sebastien was the first to break the silence, "What the hell?" He breathed out, sweat upon his brow. Harry glanced at Fleur and Appoline who looked just as tired and out of breath as Sebastien. Gabbi who sat in his lap was shivering slightly and Harry wrapped his arms around her protectively. She responded to his touch and burrowed herself into his chest.
"Harry?" Appoline asked, looking at him inquisitively.
Harry could only shrug, "I-I don't know. I'm just as shocked that all of you saw that."
"How did you do that?" Sebastien asked.
"I'm not sure." Harry responded weakly.
"Whatever that was-" He stopped mid-sentence when a high-pitched whine sounded from his pocket. He pulled out a small whistle that was blowing all on its own. Appoline immediately looked concerned, knowing what that whistle meant. "I have to go." Sebastien said, standing up quickly.
"But you just got here." Fleur said sadly. He gave her a sad smile and was about to say something else when Harry felt an intense burning on his left breast. His eyes immediately caught Harry's and both men knew something serious was happening. Fleur also caught Harry's sudden change of demeanor and understood what it meant. "Be careful." She leaned over and placed a kiss on Harry's lips.
Harry stood up, setting Gabbi on the couch behind him after placing a kiss of his own on her forehead. "I'm sure its nothing." He said, offering a weak smile to Fleur who looked at him concernedly. "I'll see you in a few." With that, Harry pressed his Yew wand into his Haunt tattoo and disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. Sebastien kissed his wife on the cheek and hugged both Fleur and Gabrielle before stepping into the floo and disappearing in a flash of green fire.
–
Harry appeared in a wisp of black smoke, completely cloaked in black save for his dark green mask that showed blue and gold designs. Gone was his green basilisk jacket and black cargo pants, now he wore black Horntail dragon armor and pants with gloves and boots to match. They weren't as strong as the basilisk armor, but they were far more easy to maneuver in, something Harry found he needed more than actual protection.
As soon as he appeared, he scanned his surroundings, both wands ready to be let loose on his enemies. He found Specter and the rest of Ghost squad waiting for him in a wheat field. The night sky was occasionally lit up by a blast of fire and other spells that sailed high over their intended targets.
"Death Eaters are leading a joint assault, with dementors and giants backing them, werewolves are also present. The students are the priority, get to the school first and get them out." Specter said quickly when Harry appeared. Harry turned to look at the battlefield he was called to and found himself in southern France, not too far away from where he had just been.
A beautiful building stood in an open grass field that was surrounded by wheat fields and thick, dark forest. The building was large and beautiful, a palace with intricate gardens that stretched hundreds of meters behind the building. It was several stories high and all along the walls were stained glass windows showing images of wizards doing great deeds. He could see in the front of the building, stone giants battling the Death Eaters and with each blast of light a piece of them was obliterated. It was clear they couldn't last long in a fight and was more of a means to create time rather than actually defend the school.
Shouts of panic were heard above the blasts that impacted with the stone giants and an anger swelled within Harry when he recognized just what school this was. A large blue flag waved in the night sky, illuminated by the full moon, its golden crest of two wands behind a sun showed clear as day. Beauxbatons was under attack. It seemed Voldemort thought Hogwarts to too easily defended and now preyed upon schoolchildren of a different country.
"Move quickly. Harry press the attack and let us slip into the palace." Harry nodded his head and placed his mask over his face. He then charged out of the wheat field and headed down the small hill into the heat of battle. As he sprinted towards the enemy, he saw several professors fighting off the Death Eaters, their white masks glowing in the moonlight. Dementors moved ethereally over the grass fields, obscuring vision with the mist that trailed behind them. Through the mist he saw werewolves charge the field, one of them leaping high into the air and taking a professor by surprise. Harry quickly took aim while still at full sprint and sent a large silver spear through the air. The werewolf was thrown back into the mist, a howl of pain echoing above the battle as the spear connected with its chest.
Several giants were already on the east side of the building carrying trees they had torn from their roots and were battering them against the stone walls. He saw a few spells bounce harmlessly off their thick magic resistant hides as several of the older students tried to defend their school.
Harry sent a blast of white light that pierced the night sky, forcing those in front of him to shield their eyes. He followed that up with blue lightning that shot from his yew wand and connected with a charging werewolf who tried to leap on another unsuspecting teacher. The lightning bounced from one werewolf to another and soon, it had down seven of the charging werewolves, their bodies sizzling on the field.
Passing all around his body and over his shoulders, several spells whizzed by him as the Ghosts charged into battle and turned towards the school. Several of the Death Eaters who were caught in battle with the professors were taken by surprise and downed easily. Harry sent his patronus into the sky, and whether it was the adrenalin he now felt, or what his power could now create, a midnight black Haunt shot from his wand, and where it recently looked exactly like his patronus, now it was only a shadow that somehow was even darker than the night.
Haunt sped towards the dementors who descended on the school and leaped into their midst, sending them fleeing. One of them who had been feeding off the soul of a professor was bitten in the neck by the shadow Haunt and burst into smoke, a high-pitched wail sounding from the creature just before it died, its cloak falling to the grass with smoke rising from it.
Harry stepped into battle and used his wands to great effect, his arms moving in a blur, all kinds of colors jetting from his wands, striking those before him. Death Eaters and werewolves alike were blasted away, incinerated, and decapitated with Harry's quick motions. He cut through the battlefield like a hot knife through butter, and quickly his enemies fled before him. Harry quickly caught sight of the giants now being battled by someone who knew what they were doing, one of them felled by several arrows to its throat.
A crack of lighting lit up the night sky and smashed into the field only a few meters from Harry. Suddenly a figure shrouded in black appeared from the spot the lightning struck. When Harry's eyes readjusted to the dark light, he saw the pale, snake like figure of Voldemort, his gold hand glinting brightly under the moonlight with his yew wand in it. When he appeared, the Death Eaters, dementors, and werwolves rallied and charged back into battle. The giants continued to wail on the palace walls while the students desperately tried to defend against them.
"I was hoping to find you here Potter." Voldemort hissed. The two of them began to circle one another, ignoring the rest of the battle for the moment.
"Well I'm here Riddle. Should we end this?"
Voldemort smiled and flicked his wand, a jet of black hurled towards Harry who easily batted it away. "Nothing would please me more." Tom responded. Harry sent his own chain of spells at Voldemort and all were deflected or evaded by Voldemort. Spell after spell they exchanged with one another, all meant to kill, and none broke through their shields. The energy from their spells began to create a wall of smoke and heat, pure magic, around them as they dueled.
A sudden flash of gold lit both Voldemort's and Harry's eyes briefly, forcing them to look away from their duel and at the newcomers to the battle. Dumbledore, in his silver cloak, appeared at the front of a formation of three hundred vikings, all clad in silver mail and leather armor. Both Harry and Voldemort had stopped their duel completely and stared in wonder at the army before them, taken in by its vastness and sudden appearance.
The vikings suddenly cried out in deep voices and smashed their spears into their shields, causing a boom to echo across the field that caught the attention of everyone. Even the dementors stopped from their feasting and looked to the vikings who stood ready to charge.
All of the air was sucked out of the area when a loud blast from a horn sounded by the lead viking, a man taller than the rest wearing thick horned armor that was black as night, a bear cloak upon his shoulders. The vikings responded with another deep cry and all at once charged the field of battle, their spears and swords held before them, ready to strike down any foe in their wake.
Harry hardly noticed Dumbledore approach him and Voldemort on the field of battle, his interest in the charging vikings being too great. Just as the vikings were about to charge head long into the ranks of dementors, werewolves, Death Eaters, and giants who had turned to fight, a second flash of gold lit up the sky.
This light took Dumbledore by surprise and he stopped walking to watch what occurred next. Ranks upon ranks of goblins, resplendent in their iron armor, led by the golden king Ragnok at its front, appeared on the field of battle. They stood on top of the small hill Harry had run down to join the beginning of the battle. The vikings stopped mid-charge to gaze at the new army that stood proud. One viking who had strayed too close to a dementor shrieked in surprise as he was picked up and his soul was sucked from his body.
This shriek brought everyone from their stunned state and the battle commenced one again. Half of the viking forces charged into the dementor and werewolf ranks, the other half turned to fight the incoming goblins.
The goblins in perfect uniform, lowered their spears and with one horn blast, charged down the hill and swallowed the vikings. A great flurry of steel and iron turned to blurs as the vikings, being much stronger and bigger than their enemy, wreaked havoc on the lines. Goblins were hurled through the air as the great axes of the vikings connected with the iron armor the goblins wore. Still though, the goblins were skilled soldiers and surrounded the vikings, hacking and slashing at their legs, bringing them down to eye level then finishing them off one by one.
Dumbledore looked on in anger as half his force was decimated in a matter of minutes. He turned his attention to the boy that spurned him and sent a jet of blue that hurled across the field. It was increasingly becoming clear that his return to England would not be one of triumph, but of conquest, and it started with that boy. Harry side-stepped the spell and unleashed his full arsenal of spells onto Dumbledore. Voldemort understanding what was going on, began to press his attack onto Harry as well. The two older wizards were for the moment momentarily aligned, anger bringing them together. They had been swiftly defeated in battle by a mere boy, and they would exact their revenge quickly. Both wanted him dead, but for different reasons, and for this moment they found common purpose.
The vikings fought a losing battle against the well disciplined forces of the goblins, their spears too long, and their armor too thick. Ragnok fought proudly on the front lines, his golden armor forever a shining light to his forces to press the attack. The giants brought by Dumbledore began to fight the other giants who turned their attentions from the school, already several dead. Their battle caused devastation across the field, their large feet stamping on anyone who got to close. The dementors fought anyone nearby, even occasionally feasting on their allied werewolves, but due to the vikings weapons, their numbers quickly dwindled and fleeing was the better option for them.
Just as they were about to leave the field of battle, a shriek sounded from the heavens above. Werewolves, dementors, and Death Eaters alike stopped cold at the sound, something all had heard, and all feared. The great red dragon, Norbert, crested the night sky and soared above the battlefield. He roared with fury and breathed a hail of fire down onto the ranks of werewolves and dementors, incinerating them on the spot. The goblins pushed forward as Ragnok brought a horn to his lips and its great deep sound echoed through the hills. Working as one, they slowly pushed across the field, killing anything not friend in front of them. It wasn't long until what remained of the werewolves, dementors, giants, and Death Eaters had fled. The vikings were soon to follow, taken wholly by surprise and suffering many casualties, their large captain blasting his horn and fleeing into the woods.
All of this went unnoticed by the three leaders that battled amidst everything. None payed attention to who was winning the battle, all their focus was on their own private one.
Harry was under attack from both wizards, their full efforts on him. He quickly found himself overwhelmed. He never had prepared for both great wizards to align against him in a battle. Both his wands were working desperately to keep him safe and the heat from them began to turn to steam. He continuously moved out of the way of all kinds of dark spells, and whenever he could, attacked, but found his attacks worthless. He had no time to surmount an actual attack and was constantly on the defensive.
A purple spell headed towards him from Dumbledore and he dodged it, but was then taken surprise in his exhaustion by one of Voldemort's spells that connected with his thigh. He felt a million daggers stab into his leg all at once and he was thrown into the air, his Holly wand flying from his grasp. He just managed to roll to the side as a burst of fire hit where he landed.
Harry shielded himself from both of Dumbledore's and Voldemort's attacks, but his shield was quickly failing against their onslaught. He glanced past his foes and saw that Norbert had entered the fray and many a foe were being burned upon the battlefield. A calmness settled over him, thinking his job was done, that Voldemort and Dumbledore were finished. Harry felt his shield break and saw a black spell he knew meant death hurling towards him.
Just before the spell reached him, a stone shield surrounded him, the black spell breaking upon it like water. Quickly, the rock shield dissolved and Harry saw Sebastien charge the field with many aurors from all nations behind him. The night sky lit up like fireworks and both great wizards were forced to flee. Dumbledore and Voldemort disappeared with a flash of light, activating portkeys designed to cut through all wards. Norbert barely missed Voldemort with his great jaw and let out a roar in anger.
Harry breathed out a sigh of relief, and collapsed fully onto the grass in exhaustion. Appearing above him was Sebastien who looked upon him with a smile. "Hell of a day."
Harry only grunted in response, eliciting a chuckle from Sebastien. He was then helped to his feet and Harry then looked upon the battlefield. Bodies littered the grass fields and the actual palace that acted as a school was in ruins. Fires were still blazing within the palace and where the giants had attacked, only rubble remained. Students began to pour out of the palace along with the few professors that remained. The goblins stood stoically outside in neatly filed ranks while Ragnok moved up and down their lines, individually inspecting each goblin warrior. The aurors who had answered the call this evening began rushing into the palace to search for survivors and students too scared to move from their hiding spots.
Sebastien helped Harry to his feet, the pain in his leg making it difficult to walk. They inspected the vikings who lay dead on the battlefield along with black cloaks that still simmered. Men also lay upon the grass, in black cloaks with white masks and blue professor cloaks of the school. Goblin medics moved through the field, tending to who they could and Ragnok had a place designated for his wounded and dead. He looked at his dead with sadness, a short tear falling from his eye. Norbert roared once more and took his place on the highest tower of the palace, standing guard for all.
A bright flash of lighting illuminated the sky and was quickly followed by a deep thunder that echoed along the hills. Rain began to patter the grounds and set a somber mood on everyone, as if the weather herself set out to remind everyone of the loss of life on this evening.
Harry stepped into the palace and found it in ruin. Fire had wrecked havoc in the palace halls and several bodies were littered within it, young students too soon taken from this world. His eyes however quickly fell upon a sight he never thought he would see. Around two cloaked bodies were Ghosts, their masks all placed above their heads, revealing their faces to all. At their feet were the bodies, their black cloaks still around them and their masks obscuring their faces.
"How?" Harry asked as he approached slowly and looked over the golden masked Ghost and his oldest friend. Shadow and Specter had both fallen this evening, going out like the soldiers they were.
"They went to save first years from the giants in the early stages of the battle." Reaper said solemnly. The remaining Ghosts looked at their leaders sadly, tears escaping each of their normally stoic eyes. Harry collapsed to his knees and looked upon the two Ghosts, his mind swirling, thoughts of revenge entering them.
Banshee reached down and pulled off the gold mask that was still caked with blood and handed it to Harry. "This is yours now." Harry looked at the gold mask and then at the other Ghosts who stared back at him. He wanted to refuse the mask, refuse the responsibility, but when he looked at his comrades, he saw a determination he never had seen before, an anger never revealed, a thirst for death that could never be satiated. They now looked to him to lead them, and he wasn't going to deny them their revenge, their lust for blood by refusing the gold mask.
Harry took the mask, slipped off his green one, and placed the gold one upon his face. "We have much work to do." Harry said. He then flashed away in a fiery storm and the remaining Ghosts disappeared in wisps of blacks smoke.