Harry Potter and the Dance of Death

by Wakefan

Harry is destined to stop Voldemort and his followers from corrupting and overrunning the wizarding world. Unfortunately, the Horcrux in his head is working against him. His friends and family are heavily impacted by its influence. Harry is on a long path of power and mastery. Powerful!Harry, Lily finds a way to live on, Casting Shadows Prequel.

51. Chapter 51 Always

Let me start by saying I wasn't able to wrap the story up with this chapter. That's not completely true, I actually did manage to write a 10K work wrap up. But while giving it the final review before sending to my Beta Reader, I realised it was not particularly good. It felt rushed and lacked depth. After working on the story for nearly two years, I didn't want to short-change the ending. So, this is the 'ALMOST' ending. I am 100% certain I will end this story next chapter and it will be a significantly better ending than the one I originally wrote. For what it's worth, the re-writing more than doubled the word count on this part of the outline. Based on this chapter alone, I am glad I ate a little crow and broke it up over two last chapters. This is good chapter at 13K words and I like the way it turned out. Add in a few good battle scenes… I'm happy with this one. I hope you all enjoy.

JKRowling owns Harry Potter

FASA Games owns Earthdawn.

Special thanks to my Beta Reader, the 'Just William' for the excellent feedback and diligent work in making the story better.

—DoD—

Chapter 51: Always

Hogwarts

Room of Requirement

May 2

Harry, Bill, and Draco met with Aberforth Dumbledore and learned of a secret way into Hogwarts used during the first war. It was behind a portrait of a young girl and supposedly led to the Room of Requirement. Curiously, only the painting itself could open the portal. It took a good twenty to thirty minutes of walking through a narrow tunnel filled with cobwebs, but they finally reached the end and exited out into the Room of Requirement. The three slowly entered the room and looked about.

Draco shook his head, "Am I the only one that's bothered by the fact that we just travelled from the basement of a Hogsmeade Inn to the seventh floor of Hogwarts via an underground tunnel? Right through the wards preventing Apparition and Portkeys? This makes no sense…"

Harry snickered at Draco's sarcastic wit. The tunnel had obviously been magical and Dumbledore must have somehow designed it. Not only did they rise up a good 500 feet higher than Hogsmeade, but to come out of a wall in the middle of a castle? Best not to dwell on it - he had another concern now. He held up his hand and gripped his thorn wand.

"We're not alone", he whispered.

A different voice said, "Who's there?"

Harry glanced to his right and saw Neville Longbottom walking out from behind a wardrobe. He looked pretty rough… like he'd gone a few rounds with the Whomping Willow and a razor blade. Neville was holding his wand out in a defensive posture. Three others were backing him up. Just the way Harry had helped train them.

Bill held up his hands, "Easy, Neville. We're just here to collect… something." It was clear from the look on the students faced that his vague statement had aroused suspicion.

With a flick of Harry's thorn wand, Neville's cherry wand flew out of his hand and into Harry's. The other three students looked prepared to begin casting curses. Harry knew he didn't have time for this.

He casually said, "None of that, please. Everyone just calm down."

The other three students were Seamus Finnegan, Ernie McMillian, and Padma Patil. Harry hoped he wouldn't have to stun them. They seemed to be on edge and ready for a fight. Good for them, but not in this situation.

Neville peered at Harry's distinctive thorn covered wand. "The wand looks right…" Neville gathered his courage and asked, "What was the first accident I had in potions class?"

Harry thought about it… "I have no idea, but you can't really hold that against me. To be fair, you melted dozens of cauldrons."

Seamus snickered. "He's got a point…"

Neville then asked, "Alright then, what was the form of my Patronus?"

Harry thought about it a minute. "I… don't think you ever achieved a corporeal Patronus." Not waiting to see if that was the correct response, he added, "Padma, we went to the Divination club with Lavender and Parvati. They spent most of the evening reading through a magazine on fashion with my familiar."

Padma lowered her wand and smiled. "Only Harry would know that." The others followed her lead.

Draco mumbled, "Boil cure, Longbottom. That was your first potion accident."

Harry gaped at Draco. "How on earth can you remember that?"

Draco shrugged and with a smirk, proclaimed, "I threw snake fangs into it."

"Oi!" Seamus grimaced angrily. "That was my cauldron you melted." Padma and Ernie chuckled, and Neville just shook his head. The tension dropped with the familiarity of the 'good old days'. Harry had almost forgotten what a GIT Draco could be.

Harry judged Neville to be in charge and addressed him. "Neville, we need to retrieve something critical in this room. Can you relax control and let me take over?" There just wasn't time to waste on 'chit-chat'.

Neville seemed to weight the request, "Can you tell me what you're looking for?"

"It's something You-Know-Who hid at Hogwarts. With it, we can defeat him permanently. I'm certain it's hidden here, but I have to open up the room a bit."

Neville gave a short nod and slowly released control. Harry couldn't help but note how much more self-assured Neville seemed. Adversity brought out his best traits.

Harry closed his eyes and focused on a room of 'Lost Things'. Very quickly, the room began to shift and change. The other occupants were looking uneasily around at the changing scene. When Harry finished, the Room was huge and filled to the ceiling with all manner of objects. In many ways, it resembled a junk yard.

Harry called out, "Neville, Padma, Ernie… What we're looking for is extremely dangerous. Please, stay where you are and don't touch anything." Turning, he expanded his senses and began looking about, mentally searching for the feel of corruption he knew so well. Then he felt it… It seemed to be trying to compress in itself… hiding…

Harry caught Draco and Bill's attention. "Guys… I think… this way." It only took him a few minutes to isolate it and follow the trail. Within ten minutes, he was looking at a tiara of some sort. A quick scan showed it was cursed and shouldn't be placed on the head… but it could probably be handled safely. Not willing to take a chance, Harry levitated it into a conjured bag.

Bill looked strangely at it. "Is that what I think it is?"

Harry nodded, "Horcrux. I think we just found it…"

Bill did a double take. "I was going to say Rowena Ravenclaw's lost Diadem… But, yeah, a Horcrux fits."

Harry stood and reflected on the last decade… How much he had gone through. The three of them stood silently looking at each other. The hunt was over… Now they just needed to draw him out and kill the snake. Without tipping him off.

Then kill him.

Draco asked, "Why not just destroy it?"

Harry shook his head. "He might sense it. Then he'll hide the snake so well we'll never find it. And if we kill the snake, he'll go in hiding… We need this to be bait. He'll never abandon his last Horcrux." After a moment of thought, he added, "Let's get the… tiara… out of here. We can debate what to do with it later."

Harry approached Neville and the other three students as Bill and Draco went to the doorway. Neville slowly reasserted control of the room and shifted it back to a smaller 'safe' room.

"Hey guys… Listen, we're coming back very soon. Please make sure you're ready… Either to fight or to leave." Harry noted the determination on the faces in front of him.

Neville grinned, "About time, Harry. We'll be ready…" Then he looked apprehensive. "You should know, Ron's still upset. He won't attack you or anything, but don't expect a warm welcome."

Harry rolled his eyes and asked, "What the hell is he mad about now?"

Neville exchanged a shocked look with Seamus, "Ginny…"

Harry chuckled a moment, "Ahhhh. Right. That was staged. Ginny's fine. Tell Ron… well, just make sure he knows it was his parent's idea not to tell him. I don't need any more of his drama."

Seeing the stunned looks on the faces of his old classmates, Harry just tapped his wands together, making them spark a bit. Ginny being alive would be a shock to a lot of people.

"We're in the home stretch now… It'll all be over soon." To get his point across, he added, "I'm gonna kill the bastard once and for all."

—DoD—

Hogwarts

Room of Requirement

May 3, 1998 Early Evening

The room of requirement had been converted into an open space. Harry and Bill arrived earlier and got the rundown of how things had been at the school. To say Harry was shocked would be an understatement. The worst part was the use of the Cruciatus on students… Only Bill's calming hand kept Harry from charging out and ending the Carrows. The adult Carrow twins were apparently just as psychotic as their nieces… they would be made to pay for their crimes soon enough. As would Snape.

There were over a hundred people in the room with more trickling in. Hermione was going nuts with all the confusion and began trying to organising the arrivals… to the best of her ability. Fleur, Narcissa and a few others were soon helping her. The Weasley twins looked like they were helping, but Harry suspected they were somehow making things worse.

The movement of people had been coordinated carefully over the course of about three hours. Eventually, all the Muggleborn and Dissident fighters were present and eager. This was it and they all knew it.

Harry was in a corner room with a small group of 'leaders'. Kingsley, Bill, Draco, Remus, Cedric, and Neville found (formed) a side room and they sat to discuss the plan of attack and defence. Harry wanted Hermione there with him, but she was needed with the organisation efforts. He'd fill her in later. He set his familiar down in the corner where she coiled up and rested. Dobby had fed her very well that day.

Kingsley cleared his throat and said, "Once Snape knows we're here, we'll have to move fast. I recommend not waiting. Let's clear the castle and set up fortifications."

Remus shook his head, "We can't just start a battle with students present… We need a better way."

Bill agreed. "We need to do this with subtlety. Get the teachers together in one place and remove the opposing elements. Neville, any ideas?"

Neville pondered for a minute. "We have regular assemblies… Whenever there's word of something going on… If Snape thought Harry was in Hogsmeade, I'm certain he'd call an assembly. One hundred percent. Then, everyone here who looks young enough to pass for a student can sneak into the Great Hall…"

Harry interrupted, "Where I'll kill Snape and the Carrows! Then we can send the students away and prepare for battle." He knew his eagerness was getting the better of him, but this had been a long-time brewing.

Remus winced and asked, "Harry, let's only kill If it's absolutely necessary… especially in front of children." He ended his statement with a kindly smile…

Harry gave a short nod. His Occlumency engaged… He wasn't planning on holding anything back, but there was no sense in having an argument now.

Kingsley nodded, then added, "It's a good strategy, Mr. Longbottom. We have at least fifty here young enough to pass as a student if they're not examined closely."

Harry offered, "I have an illusion for that. It takes concentration, but it's basically a 'notice me not' charm that can be used to stay unrecognised… anonymous. People see what they expect to see. I use it on myself all the time and unless I do something to call attention to myself or someone intentionally looks… they'll just see… a bunch of kids. We just have to balance them out and make sure no one calls attention to themselves."

Draco asked, "Do you think the faculty will stand with us?"

Kingsley smiled and nodded. "Absolutely. Except Snape and the Carrows, none of the faculty supports the new regime. Now, how do we get the word out? Mr. Malfoy, do you have any contacts in Slytherin?" If Kingsley saw Draco flinch at the mention of Snape, he didn't react to it. Harry had forgotten how close Draco once was to the Potions professor.

Draco visibly recoiled from the idea. "None I'd trust or risk… Can't we just use that wireless broadcast? Potterwatch?"

Bill grinned, "That should work. They can report that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade… Today was a Hogwarts weekend…"

Cedric asked, "Aren't you afraid Death Eaters will come to investigate?"

Neville shook his head. "Never happened before. A few months ago, we had a similar rumour. Even if they do, it'll only be a few. We'll outnumber them twenty to one in the Great Hall alone."

Kingsley nodded. "Gentlemen, I believe we have a plan. Once we've tipped our hat, students are to be sent away immediately. We can transform this room into a secure medical facility… The school infirmary won't be big enough if we have a full-scale battle. House elves can be used to bring in the wounded… Bill, can you have the twins send word to Potterwatch?"

Plans were made and the gravity of what was going to happen settled in. This was it.

—DoD—

Three small figures were huddled in an out of the way corner in the Room of Requirement. They were carefully watching others while trying not to be noticed. It wasn't easy to be ignored while staying vigilant, but they were somehow managing.

Ginny looked over at the other two and whispered, "Hoods up and heads down. No one will notice. If my mum sees us, we'll all be back at Grimmauld place inside of two minutes." Both Colin and Luna gave her a small smile and followed her lead. They had no intention of sitting this one out.

—DoD—

Harry approached Draco after the meeting. "Are you alright?"

Draco looked conflicted. "I still have friends in Slytherin house Harry. I can tell you for a fact, not all of them would go along with the brutality we're hearing about… Oh, they'd play along, but…"

Harry put his hand on Draco's shoulder. "No students will be attacked. I'll get the word out… But Snape brought this on himself." Seeing Draco look down, he added, "Did you know he sold my parents out to You-Know-Who? He's the one who sent that mad man after them. Pettigrew was only the second one to betray my folks."

Draco hadn't changed his expression. He still looked pained.

"What do you want me to say, Draco? You know he won't surrender, and you know where his loyalties lie." Changing tactics, Harry added, "Look, come to the Great Hall and help that girl you like. I swear to you, I won't let any other students attack your friends when it all goes down."

Draco seemed relieved, bat asked, "And after? Assuming we win this battle?"

Harry shrugged, "I'll let the courts decide. But I'll ask for lenience if… as long as they didn't do anything over the top."

Draco seemed to relax a bit. Before Harry could say more, He heard his named called.

"Harry!"

Harry shifted as Ronald Weasley came bounding toward him. He looked like he'd had it as bad as Neville. He seemed a bit more confident… certainly more sombre.

"Harry, I wanted to apologise to you… for the wedding. Neville told me about Ginny." To his credit, Ron seemed sincere. "Is she here?"

"Ron… No need to apologise. Your… theatrics actually made it more believable." Harry noted Ron's relief. Did the boy think he'd curse him? "Ginny is negotiating with your parents. Well, one of them. Honestly, I doubt they'll let her come. Your mum can be…"

Ron laughed a bit, "Don't I know it. I wouldn't want to be in the middle of that argument. My poor dad."

The Weasley twins crashed their discussion.

"Well, well, well… look who's… come to visit… Say little brother… do you happen to have any… Grey Poupon?"

Ron looked between them. He hated twin speak as much as Harry and he obviously had no idea what Grey Poupon was. It was a pretty lame joke. Harry's Runespoor tended to talk all at the same time, the Weasley twins just finished each other's sentences. It was a toss-up as to which was more annoying.

Harry interrupted the family reunion. "Hate to run, but I need to find my familiar. She tends to get… well, she doesn't do well with crowds." He knew she was in the side room the Room of Requirement had formed, but he had to get out of this busy room… before he started cursing people. Some days he missed being covered in thorns.

—DoD—

Harry sat quietly in the side room and cast a mild notice me not charm. It was good to have a little peace and quiet. The next twenty-four hours promised to be anything but peaceful. He pulled his journal out from his pack and considered what to write. This was a matter of trust… Did he trust his contact or not? He'd never been steered wrong before.

Resolving himself, Harry put his pen to the journal and began to write.

Dear Friend,

I can't say too much but stay away from Hogwarts.

It may not be safe.

Sincerely,

HJP

There. Brief and to the point. Maybe it was too brief, but he just couldn't say more without giving too much away. If Harry was right, this was the final battle… It would decide the future of Magical Britain. One way or another.

To Harry's surprise, he got a response.

Dear Mr. Potter,

I've taken great risk in aiding you and now I must ask for a favour in return.

I would ask that you protect my family from whatever you have planned.

Daphne and Astoria Greengrass are seventh- and fifth-year students and a part of Slytherin house.

Please take whatever steps are needed to guarantee their safety.

Sincerely,

Your Friend

Harry had to stop himself from giving a nasty reply. Why on earth would he stick his neck out for two Slytherins. The older sister had been one of Umbridge's Inquisitors! Of course, the younger sister was Draco's girl, so he sort of had to look after her… not that he had a clue what she looked like.

Fine. It's not like he was planning to go after them or anything. Why did it have to be one of Pansy's group of Bitch-Witches? Harry shook his head… He'd get Draco to ensure they were safe. They could leave with all the other underage students. Problem eliminated.

Dear Friend,

I'll have them removed from the castle before anything major happens.

HJP

Harry remembered meeting the older brother a couple of years ago. He was friends with the Selwyn heir. Michael… Michael Greengrass. Well, one mystery solved. Now for more important matters.

Harry reached down and stroked his familiar's long back. She was coiled up and resting quietly. Resting, but not asleep. Harry knew how vicious Artemis could be when woken up. She was too heavy to just pick up on a whim…

§"Hey girls, we need to talk." § He continued stroking her back. I He knew they weren't, but it seemed like the polite thing to say.

Selene rose up first, followed by Hecate and Artemis. They seemed tired and less engaging. That was good… Harry really didn't want to argue with them.

Selene gently asked, § "What's on your mind, Harry?" § The other sisters were quiet but seemed to await his answer.

§ "I want to talk about the coming battle." § Harry then prepared himself and said, § "I'd like you three to remain here where it's safe." §

Artemis hissed, § "Absolutely not! We watch your back!" §

Selene added, § "We want to see you fight, Harry!" §

The conversation devolved into all three heads spitting and hissing out reasons why they needed to be there with Harry during the battle. Hecate discussed the reinforced backpack, Artemis pointed out ways the three of them could protect him, and Selene came up with a dozen reasons why it just wasn't fair… Harry simply listened as their voices scrambled together and became white noise… When the sisters seemed to run out of objects, Harry shared his reason.

§ "You guys know I'll have to be in a lot of different areas, right. That means I'll be shifting in and out of my owl form. I can't do that if I'm wearing our backpack. Then there's the other snake, Nagini. We have to kill that snake and I don't want any of my friends getting confused and attacking you three." §

§ "Harry, are your friends really that stupid?... We don't look anything like Nagini… We have three heads… She's a mono snake… I almost feel sorry for her… She's also gigantic… Unattractive, to be honest…" §

Harry knew he should have focused on the owl form, § "Right… right… but in all the mayhem of the battle, some people might get… confused…" §

§ "How could anyone be that stupid… Harry, we really need to talk about your friends… They don't seem very smart…Are they blind? ... Hermione's smart… Is that why you didn't let anyone else move in…. Colin and Luna moved in… They seem OK… Colin is scared of us, but Luna isn't… Hermione is smart, as is Padma… good fighters… Ron's disgusting… He chews up his food with an open mouth! … I think he does it on purpose… It makes me want to vomit… I'm glad he didn't move in with us…" §

Harry changed tactics, § "Do you guys remember Snape?" §

Selene hissed viciously, § "The one who tried to kill us in the egg!" § In her anger, she actually spit a bit of venom.

Hecate added, § "We remember the greasy man… oh, yes." § Her response was filled with malice. Artemis simply bared her fangs.

Snape was an extremely sensitive topic since the girls found out how Harry had saved them from becoming potions ingredients. When they found out about Franklin, they had become even more enraged.

§ "So, I'll make a deal with you girls… I plan to fight Snape first. You can ride on my back and watch… but after that, I plan to shift into an owl and roam around looking for combat. I need you to stay inside the castle and protect the infirmary." §

The girls looked at each other then turned back to Harry. Hecate spoke up for the trio. § "We can agree to that, but the Snape fight had better be worth it." §

—DoD—

May 3

Evening

About 11PM –

Less than five minutes ago, Lee Jordan had announced on Potterwatch that Harry had been sighted in Hogwarts. That had been over an hour ago and there had been a sudden influx of defenders from Hogsmeade and other locations across Great Britain. After a year of oppressive rule, people were showing up to fight. For some, life had gotten so low they were ready to make a stand.

Harry couldn't help but feel somewhat bitter that it had taken them this long. Life was acceptable for far too many when it was someone else disappearing in the night. When only the Muggle Born were suffering. But when it was relatives, neighbours, and possibly even a loved one… They finally realised there was no infant to bail them out this time.

Harry knew he was going down a dark path and got off it. He needed allies and these were the people who came to fight and risk their lives for his cause. It was at that point he saw Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. This was what he needed to put things in perspective. A family that was 'all in' when it came to resisting Voldemort. Before he could approach, Snape's Voice reverberated throughout the school.

"There will be an assembly in the Great Hall. The heads of House will assemble the prefects and escort all students post-haste. You have fifteen minutes."

Apparently, the Potterwatch message had reached him.

Fifteen minutes was not much time… Cedric and Hermione had already moved and assembled the younger fighters. They had also assisted any who needed aid in transfiguring their robes to look like school robes. Those assembled were strategically placed in empty classrooms near the route their houses would take when marching toward the Great Hall from their common rooms.

Harry grabbed his backpack containing his familiar and his invisibility cloak. He'd have to hurry to cover the different groups with his Anonymous charm before the march to the assembly. His girls stayed low in the bag, just peeking out. He could sense their excitement. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw first, then Hufflepuff. Draco was the only young Slytherin… he'd just have to stay with the 'puffs.

—DoD—

In less than ten minutes, the students were all moving toward the great hall. Harry was having to concentrate intently to keep the 'Anonymous' charm over so many people. Fortunately, they were all fairly close by. Harry had removed his cloak and sandwiched himself in between Ron and Neville. His Familiar was deep in his backpack now. Did anyone else have a backpack? Probably not at this hour. Hopefully, no one would notice the backpack…

Ron and Neville were both tall, so Harry was fairly well covered. Seamus was about this own height… He was right in front of him, and Hermione was right behind him. So far so good. Head down… Hopefully the other groups had been able to insert themselves into the students they were dressed like. He noted the watchful eyes of the Carrow twins at one point as they walked… Harry prepared his wands in case either he or anyone else were noticed as party crashers.

One foot in front of the other… concentrate on maintaining the charm… almost there…

—DoD—

Hogwarts

The Great Hall

May 3, 1998

~11:15 PM

Harry took in the scene and assessed the threats. The heads of house directly in front of their students with the rest of the faculty assembled against the walls. None seemed thrilled to be here. Headmaster Snape stood between the Carrows and a pair of Aurors. The Aurors to the right, the Carrows to the left. Harry noted one Auror looked alert and menacing. The other he recognised as John Dawlish. He stood completely still. He looked somewhat… unfocused. With a cold chill, Harry realised he'd been Imperiused. Now the game just got more complicated. Could he really take down an Imperiused attacker?

He didn't have time to ponder as Snape began speaking to the assembled students.

XXXXXXX

Direct Quote from Snape in the Second Deathly Hallows Movie:

"Many of you are surely wondering why I have summoned you at this hour. It's come to my attention that earlier this evening Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade. Now… should anyone, student, or staff, attempt to aid Mr. Potter, they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression. Furthermore, any person found to have knowledge of these events, who fails to come forward, will be found equally guilty.

After a brief pause, Snape sneered and said, "No one?" He then continued, "If anyone in here has any knowledge of Mr. Potter's movements this evening I invite them to step forward. Now."

End Quote

XXXXXXX

It was at that moment, Severus looked critically at the students assembled… Harry saw a flicker of surprise. He had no doubt realised there were far more students there than there should be. Harry stepped out between the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs and walked forward. His familiar rose up out of the backpack and over his head and shoulders.

There was an audible gasp in the Great Hall, everyone seemed to stop and stare. Suddenly, Harry dropped to one knee, whipped his wands across his body in a fanning motion. This sent a brutal ribbon cutting curse at Snape and the Carrows. In a flash, The Carrows were cut in half.

Snape barely got his shield up, only to watch it shatter. It saved him, but he was now on the defensive as Harry began his barrage. The Aurors quickly joined in, but Harry took both of them down with a slightly held back lightning ribbon curse. Hopefully, Dawlish survived… He didn't have time to consider as Snape began firing curses at him as fast as he could cast.

Severus Snape was a gifted Wizard, but against Harry, he didn't stand a chance. He might be brilliant, but he spent his leisure time over a cauldron while Harry practiced and trained. In a flaming explosion and a flash of crimson, Snape's wand arm was destroyed by a well-placed Confringo blasting curse. Half of his body was badly burned, and he was hurdled sideways to land roughly on the ground. Looking up, Snape paled and tried to scamper away as Harry approached him.

"Snape… Do you remember what I told you in my fourth year when you killed Franklin, my pet snake? I said I would make you into potions ingredients. I always try to keep my promises." Harry's 'girls' were raised over his head and hissing with their fangs bared. He knew how menacing they could be.

In a flash, Snape grasped his belt with he left hand and was gone. Harry looked at where the man had fallen in disbelief… then realised he'd activated a Portkey.

"No! How could he…" Harry realised Snape was the headmaster, so… he could make portkeys that worked on the Hogwarts grounds. Why hadn't he remembered that?

He looked over at the two Aurors. Both were clearly unconscious. He hoped Dawlish would survive. Harry looked back at the student body and saw plenty of wands out… There were over a dozen people covering his back. He then noted Filius and McGonagall approaching him. Hopefully, things wouldn't get ugly.

McGonagall halted from the look on his face, Filius held up his hands and approached.

The diminutive professor said, "Harry? You need to calm down…" Harry realised he was too deep in 'Battle mode'. Too much adrenaline… Of course, they weren't going to attack him.

Harry almost laughed but realised how that would look. "Professors. It's time to end this once and for all. Can you regain control of the wards? Now that Snape's gone?"

McGonagall gave a terse nod. "I hope you know what you're doing, Mr. Potter." She seemed unfocused for a moment, the said, "It's done. Snape apparently relinquished control as he departed."

Filius shrugged, "I can't say I'll miss the man."

Minerva huffed and said, "Good riddance. I've raised the wards to their highest levels. However, it will need reinforcement. Wards over such a large area can only accomplish so much."

Harry sensed them and could feel their power even as spread thin as they were. It really was impressive. "Good. Now we need…"

He was cut off by a cold and malevolent message from Voldemort himself.

XXXXXXX

Direct Quote from Voldemort in the Deathly Hollows:

"I know you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave this school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you shall be rewarded."

"You have until midnight."

End Quote

XXXXXXX

Everyone was quietly standing there, listening. Then Pansy Parkinson stepped forward. "He's right there! Look! Someone grab him before he gets away!" Her voice was quivering in fear.

After enduring that bitch for so many years, Harry had taken all he was willing to take from her. He stepped forward and noted a sudden flash of fear in her eyes. Good. If she wanted to act like a Death Eater, he'd treat her like one.

Draco stepped between them. "No, Harry." He then whispered, "Remember your promise."

Harry took a half step back and realised he almost made a huge mistake. He would have struck her down without mercy… He needed allies and killing a student… Even Filius wouldn't have stood beside him after that... Midnight. They had about thirty minutes. Just enough to evacuate the students and prepare their defence. Voldemort needed the time as well to prepare the assault. Likely he needed closer to an hour, but who's counting.

Kingsley stepped in front of the assembly and began coordinating the fortification of the school. Remus and the faculty began coordinating the evacuation. Harry noted a number of students wanted to stay and fight, but McGonagall was sending all underage Wizards and Witches away.

Draco was talking to a slightly younger witch and a few other Slytherins. Among them were Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson. Good. Draco would get them out of here… Harry watched as his friends began mixing with the student body… Hermione, the Weasleys, and Neville with the Gryffindors, Cedric with the Hufflepuffs, Padma with the Ravenclaws… Draco with the few Slytherins that would talk to him. Others were mixing as well... Cho, Angelina, Katie… They were all here to fight beside him.

Harry wanted to say something heroic but couldn't think of anything. An elderly lady he'd met before slowly approached him.

"Madam McKinnon, should you be here?" He asked. She looked so frail. Harry didn't want anything to happen to the dear old lady.

She chuckled and said, "Where else would I be? I think you'll find quite a few residents from Hogsmeade have decided to join you… Aberforth has been reaching out." She took his arm and stood beside him… slightly stooped, but able.

"We believe in you, Harry Potter!"

Harry looked down at the dear woman. "Thank you…"

She patted his hand. "This Voldemort character… He's just one more upstart Wizard with delusions of grandeur. Do you know how many upstarts I've seen? They all suffer the same fate. Tonight, your nemesis will fall to your wands. Of that, I am certain."

Harry gave her a nod. "You are… I'm so glad you're here." He marvelled that she was willing to say Voldemort's name. Given what's about to happen, it kind of makes sense to drop the 'you-know-who' garbage.

Penelope McKinnon leaned on his arm. "As I said, Harry, there's no place I'd rather be." She gazed into his eyes briefly and added, "You are so much like your mother… I think I would have ended that nasty girl." Her eyes briefly flashed toward Parkinson.

Harry laughed and gave the elderly woman a gentle hug. She surprised him by returning it firmly and patting him on the back.

As he pulled away, she very intensely said, "You go out there and win, Harry Potter. Nobody likes a martyr!"

—DoD—

Lee Jordan had made another announcement on Potterwatch, stating that Hogwarts was the scene of the final battle. Something about good and evil and it being time to fight. Harry was beginning to understand why Slytherins so frequently got annoyed with Gryffindors. Aberforth had let a few interested parties through the tunnel, but soon ended up sealing it and sending people away… Still, they had picked up about fifty more fighters. They'd need everyone they could get.

Harry stood in front of the school with a number of students, friends, and faculty. Draco and Hermione were with him. As were Hagrid and his half-brother Grawp. It felt weird to have a giant on their side, hopefully he wouldn't step on anyone. Draco had seen to his girl… and the few friends he still had in Slytherin. The tension in the air was palpable. Any minute now the attack would commence. Hopefully his familiar would keep her heads down and in the Room of Requirement.

Other groups of defenders had been posted around at different points of entry, but he'd chosen this one. This was the one most likely to be assaulted by the giants. Something he had prepared for. The attack would come from all sides, but this would be the worst. The deadliest by far.

The wards were holding, but it was only a matter of time. Soon they would fall and all the training he'd had since he could walk, and talk would be called forth. Once the collapsed, it was game time. Show time… No, you can't say that really. Harry knew it would be a brutal fight, he intended to make those who attacked feel it as much as the defenders. More. He intended to win.

Their numbers had swelled to almost three hundred with the dissidents, the Muggle Born, the seventh-year students… and all the arrivals from Hogsmeade. They had a chance… a good one.

—DoD—

Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley stood together preparing for the coming attack. Arthur had checked on his sons and he wanted to be in a position where he could get to any of them if needed. Kingsley tried to imagine how hard it must be to have so many of your loved ones making a stand like this. Even Percy had joined them.

"Are you alright, Arthur?"

"I am… as good as can be expected." After a moment, Arthur continued, "One never wishes to live in times like these. Molly is in the infirmary, praying."

"You have a very brave family, Arthur. It is a testament to you as their father."

Arthur smiled and gave Kingsley a sad smile. "Thank you." He looked up at the dome formed by the wards. Flashes appeared all over the sky where the defences were being pressed. "How much longer do you think the wards will hold?"

Kingsley shook his head. "I'm surprised they've lasted this long. It won't be long now… Best prepare yourself my friend."

—DoD—

Ginny was leading Luna about the Room of Requirement, quietly listening to see which group would back up Harry. That was where they wanted to be. They had been told to stay at Grimmauld place, but they were not planning to sit this out. They had simply taken the Knight Bus to Hogsmeade and blended in with the Muggle Born quietly filing into the Hogs Head Inn.

Once mixed in with over a hundred others, they only had to keep their heads down and wait. Colin was less choosy and had successfully inserted himself into a group and had just left the Room of Requirement. Now it was their turn… But who would be backing Harry up?

Ginny suddenly felt a hand on each of her shoulder. She and Luna were forcefully spun around to face a furious Molly Weasley. The gig was up…

-DoD-

Remus stood in position, awaiting the inevitable attack. He was disappointed Harry had been so aggressive in the Great Hall, but he couldn't deny that the show of force was impressive. He had forgotten just how powerful Harry was. Five wizards in as many seconds… It had been good for morale… But all those skills came at the expense of his childhood. A terrible sacrifice.

The wards above Hogwarts were flaring and massive explosions were visible as powerful curses impacted the 'Dome' over the school. Remus knew he was ready. The group of resistant fighters he had trained over the past year were ready. They would all be hard pressed, but this was what they had trained for. Kingsley had a position nearby and Filius had another strategic defensive point. They were stretched, but it was a serviceable defence.

A familiar voice called out his name. "Remus?" It was his wife.

Remus struggled to find the words he needed. "Darling… what are you doing here?" He wanted nothing more than to see her safe and away from all this. She wasn't yet fully recovered from her pregnancy, but he knew she was still a match for him. A clumsy witch and a born fighter.

Tonks gave him a mischievous smile. "As if I could be parted from you." She then added, "Mums helping in the infirmary and Dad's here too – with Kingsley's team."

Remus gazed quietly into her eyes. Her took her into his arms and held her tightly. The wards were flaring like fireworks… It would be romantic if it weren't so deadly. It wouldn't be long now before the fighting started. He was glad she was here, but terrified as well.

He whispered, "Teddy?"

"Teddy is safe with Pipsey." She gave him a squeeze and rested her head on his shoulder. "We'll see this through together!"

Remus had tears in his eyes. "Always." They then prepared themselves as the wards began to fail.

—DoD—

Hogwarts

May 4, 1998

Just after the wards fell.

Harry stood on the Hogwarts side of the bridge connecting Hogwarts to the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He was flanked by dozens of huge, animated suits of armour. He felt a little like Gandalf the Grey telling the Durin's Bane that it would not pass… But the approaching enemies weren't Balrogs, thank goodness. They were still dangerous… He could feel the slight tremors, even from a great distance, as the giants charged forward. Harry pulled a small box from his pocket and 'unshrunk' it. The box was two feet by two feet and a foot tall. On the side of the package read: 'Surrey Hardware". With a wave of his wand, Harry opened the box and levitated two dozen ten inch 'combo' circular sawblades.

These were recommended by the clerk when Harry wasn't sure what he was cutting and whether or not he would be cutting with or against the grain. How do you tell a hardware clerk you need a saw blade that can cut giant flesh and bone? This was a modified spell based on an ancient one from the Alaric Grimoire. It collected shards and shrapnel on a battlefield and condensed them into spinning 'razor-orbs' that were designed to cut through armoured assailants. It was supposed to be quite effective at piercing magic resistant armour as the magic merely animated non-magical material. Harry and his mother's incarnation had managed to modify it to work on saw blades in hopes they would be more effective against Giants, Dragons, or whatever else came his way.

The Giants were almost on the other side of the long bridge and Harry waited until they were halfway across. He focused his thorn wand on the first circular saw and started it to spinning. He wove multiple threads of magic to the saw blade until it spun with a life of its own. He saw the lead giant about a third of the way across the massive bridge and, with a flick of his wrist, the circular saw blade shot out like a demented Frisbee. It impacted the giant in his gut, but the giant merely flinched and continued forward, ignoring the still spinning disk embedded in the folds of his belly.

Harry repeated the process with the next circular saw blade. It took a bit of a banked shot but impacted the second giant. The first giant had stopped and was now clutching his middle, where the saw blade continued spinning. The Giant fell to his knees in horror as the blade slowly and completely disappeared within his bulk, leaving a gaping wound. Blood and tissue were beginning to splay out of the growing wound. Harry was now preparing to launch the third circular saw blade. The second giant was mirroring the actions of the first. His bellows sounding both surprised and terrified.

Within three minutes, there were eight giants thrashing about on the ground trying desperately to dig the spinning blades out of their bodies. The first few had already succumbed to their injuries, the rest would either perish or be too injured to fight. One had gotten close enough to splatter Harry with his blood but collapsed before he could get within arm's reach.

A small group of giants had fled the battle upon seeing their brother's fall. As of now, there was a wall of magic resistant giant bodies blocking the crimson-soaked bridge. The advancing Death Eaters would get by, but it would slow them down and force them to reconsider. Then they'd have to contend with enchanted suits of Armor, Grawp, and the Wizards and Witches defending the school.

Turning, Harry saw his classmates and friends looking at him in shock and awe. Grawp, Hagrid's 'brother', seemed quite concerned. Apparently, no one thought the giants would fall so quickly. That was when someone shouted, "Spiders!"

—DoD—

Harry needed a better view of the grounds, so he transformed into his Sooty Owl form and flew to the top of the Astronomy tower. Once there, he disillusioned himself and took in the sights. A number of attackers were on brooms, some already on the grounds, others preparing to assault. But Harry's biggest concern was the Acromantula that were swarming forward and would begin scampering into Hogwarts in a few minutes, Enemies were everywhere… How did Voldemort get so many followers?

There were hundreds of Wizards and Witches… easily triple or quadruple the number of defenders. Harry figured half were either foreign mercenaries or… Imperiused fighters. Bitterly, he remembered Albus describing decisions like this over and over… Death Eaters wore black, so maybe he'd reserve his lethal attacks for them. Unless they were smart enough to wear something other than black… and put their victims in Black… Grimly he noted the Acromantula were attacking Voldemort's forces as well as the school's defenders.

Enough!

Harry reached out his perception and felt the weather patterns… This was a brutal elemental battle curse he learned from the Alaric Grimoire and it needed his full concentration. It would be perfect for dealing with the bulk of the Acromantula and any airborne attackers. Being at Hogwarts made ritual casting easier, but not effortless. One thread… Two threads… Three and four…. Harry began diligently weaving together the threads until a minute and a half later, he had nine threads woven into the curse. It was called 'Poison Rain' and it was an ancient curse designed to wipe out armies.

"Venenum Pluviam!"

The rain started to come down, gaining force by the second. Harry kept it from raining on Hogwarts grounds through sheer force of will and focused the downpour on the outlying area. He shaped and affixed the ring of poisonous precipitation to be just outside of Hogwarts and extended out from the castle approximately one to two hundred yards in every direction. The Death Eaters waiting on the Fringe wouldn't know it was poisonous until they charged through the deadly downpour.

Acromantula breathe through air sacs covering their bodies. Additionally, they were unable to blink or close their eyes. That made them utterly defenceless and completely unable to resist the poison. Any broom fliers that came through would at best become violently ill and forced to land. Those would be the lucky ones. Casting protections or counter curses while on a broom would be near impossible… It would feel like flying through something that fell midway between mustard gas and tear gas. Unless the attackers had a bubble head charm and thick clothing over their bodies, they were in trouble.

Harry watched as the Acromantula caught in the downpour frantically began skittering about, screeching and screaming at painful decibel levels. Very quickly, the bulk of the attacking spiders ended up on their backs with their legs curled in. The first wave made it through and were fighting the suits of armour McGonagall had animated. Wizards and Witches were defending aggressively. Draco and Hermione were actually working together… Grawp was crushing spiders by the dozen.

It was at that point the rain began to end. Harry felt the attackers working in tandem to dispel the rain, but the damage was done. With grim satisfaction, he saw broom riders falling off their brooms or crashing to the earth… The call to dispel the rain had come too late. But not all had be caught in the trap. A large number of Death Eaters also made it through and there were noises of battle everywhere. And more were on their way.

Time to get back into action.

Harry transformed back into an owl and took off, flying high overhead. He listened for the sounds of security breaches, searching for areas where he would have the biggest impact. Now that the wards had fallen, there was no doubt Death Eaters and Snatchers would be on the grounds. He watched in the distance as the wooden bridge Neville had 'booby-trapped' began exploding.

Then he heard a blood curdling scream.

—DoD—

Colin Creevey was fighting as hard as he could. He wasn't supposed to be here, but he wanted to fight and avenge his family. A number of Snatchers had managed to advance on the school, and he was part of the team holding off the west side of the castle. The wooden bridge a few hundred yards to his right had exploded taking many of them with it, but nowhere near all.

Colin dodged left, then right as he fired off 'stunners' repeatedly. "Stupefy!"… "Stupefy!" … "Stupefy!" Two Snatchers dropped as his stunners struck them. The third went wild and only served to draw attention to himself. "Stupefy!"… "Stupefy!"… "Stupefy!" Each red bold was either deflected or dodged by the advancing group. He was beginning to feel the fatigue of continuous casting and began to slow down as he dodged a curse that singed him as it passed by. "Stupefy!" …"Stoo….." "…pify…" "Stupefy!"

Colin saw his comrades were beginning to fall as lethal curses came their way, but he refused to retreat. He was then sent flying through the air as the ground beneath his feet exploded. He landed with a terrible flash of pain and heard a crunching sound… When he gathered his senses, a man in a black robe was standing over him. He was older and scowling. He hadn't shaved in at least a week and his teeth were vile.

The man pointed his wand at Colin. "Avada…" Then, with a thunderous explosion, the man was hurtled through the air and landed in a boneless heap some twenty feet away. Looking up, Colin saw Cedric Diggory firing blasting curses at the suddenly panicked attackers. The defenders were rallying.

Cho Chang leaned over him. "Colin, can you hear me? Don't get up… your leg is broken… Stay down…" Then she ducked beneath a curse and began firing her own counter attacks. Looking around him, he saw the fallen bodies of his friends and comrades… Cedric and Cho were leading the reinforcements and rallying the remainder of the defenders… How many others in his original group had survived? Colin closed his eyes for a moment… And everything slowly faded to black.

—DoD—

Harry relied on his enhanced hearing then picked up the sounds of a woman screaming in horrible pain… as if someone were being tortured. He veered around the castle to direct himself toward the source. He gave the great cry of the Sooty owl and converted to human before bursting through a window.

…Four threats…two hostages…

Landing in a roll, he came up firing a massive fan of lightning at the Death Eaters, 'Fulgar Uitta!' He could only target two Death Eaters to avoid the restrained woman being tortured. The two were taken completely by surprise and fell to the attack.

…Two threats…two hostages…

The other two Death Eaters began firing curses, but Harry had no problem sending most of the curses back at the originators. Harry was initially planning to let the attackers wear themselves out… Then he saw the tortured woman was still screaming and twisting… He needed to help her. He began closing the distance between them… Ideally, one of their own curses would end them.

The larger man sent a killing curse his way, forcing Harry to pivot. As he pivoted, he fired a 'Confringo' Blasting curse at the second Death Eater. It easily punched through the hastily raised shield and the Death Eater exploded in a cloud of gore.

…One threat…two hostages…

The larger Death Eater seemed to panic and began firing curses at a blistering pace. Half were so poorly aimed, Harry ignored them. The other half, he parried back at the man. The force behind them was rapidly decreasing. As Harry grew closer, he saw the fear on the other man's face. Both of them knew the fight was as good as over.

Harry knew the last-ditch effort was coming even before he heard the man shout, "Avada Kedavra!" A rapid sidestep cleared the way as the flash of green flew by. As close as he was, it was a near miss. But it was a miss. The man then transfigured himself into that smoke form Death Eaters use to fly. He was making a break for it. Harry aimed his Holly wand at the Wizard just as he began to launch himself through the air.

He silently cast the untransfiguration spell, 'Reparifarge!' Hoping that would do the trick. His mother's incarnation had hypothesized the smoke form was actually a type of partial transfiguration. As luck would have it, he was correct. The Death Eater fell to the ground in human form, only to be met with one of the worst curses in the Black Library. He began screaming in agony, matching the sounds of his earlier victim.

Harry shot a silent 'Reducto!' at the Death Eaters wand, reducing it to splinters. That was followed by a quick silencing charm at the vile man. He needed to focus on helping the Death Eater's victim. Gathering his power, he performed a quick scan and noted a magical parasite of some sort was eating her out from inside her face… It was a dark curse, but Harry knew curses. This one was new to him, but he knew what to do.

First, he isolated the parasite from the flesh it was devouring… It was now in her sinuses… burrowing… Then, he condensed it and slowly extracted it from her eye socket. The girl passed out as soon as the 'thing' was removed. Levitating the foul 'thing' up in the air, he got a good look at it. It was about the size of a large caterpillar…. But it had barbed legs and a vicious maw… With his thorn wand, Harry quickly incinerated it.

Before Harry could examine the girl closer, he was distracted by the Death Eater, thrashing about… much of the man's skin had been peeled off. With a snap of his thorn wand, he sent a piercing curse through the Death Eater's head, killing him instantly. He needed to focus.

…No threats… one patient…one immobilized girl…

He turned back to the girl and elevated her face. The curse had done massive damage but hadn't reached the brain or the other eye thank goodness. With his Holly wand, he repaired what he could… Hopefully Andromeda could help the poor girl. Upon close inspection, he realised who she was.

Tracey Davis. The friend of Daphne Greengrass, the Ice Queen of Slytherin. One of Pansy's bitches… He turned to the second girl already knowing who she was. Why hadn't they just left with the other snakes? He locked eyes with her and realised she was incapacitated but appeared to be unharmed. Daphne Greengrass, his contact's sister. He had promised Michael Greengrass he would look after her. At least she was fighting for the correct side.

Looking around, it had been a rough battle and the other defenders… some of whom Harry recognised as Dissidents he'd trained… were all dead. He gently removed the bindings from Davis and lowered her to the floor. He couldn't feel anything but sympathy for the poor girl after what she had gone through. She was stable.

He then walked over and released Daphne Greengrass from her bindings. "Your friend is injured. Are you able to walk?" Greengrass nodded, then walked tentatively to her friend. Harry silently summoned any stray wands. "Are any of these yours?" Harry held out seven wands. Five had obviously belonged to the dead surrounding them. He wanted to ask her why she hadn't evacuated… But she was in no state of mind to talk.

Greengrass looked to be going into shock. "Alright, I'll send them with you… I have to get back to the battle. Dobby!" When the excitable elf appeared, Harry said, "Can you take these two to the infirmary?"

Dobby nodded his head eagerly while Harry pressed the wands he had summoned into Daphne's hands. "Stay in the infirmary… Stay with your friend. You've done your part today." It had to be hard to be one of the few Slytherin students defending the castle. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for Greengrass… despite her being a royal pain in the ass to him for so many years. Why hadn't she just left?

Dobby took the two Witches hands, and they were gone with a 'pop'. Harry shifted back into his owl form and launched himself out of the window. There was a massive amount of noise in the main courtyard, so he headed that way.

—DoD—

Harry in owl form flew toward the largest courtyard where two dozen defenders he'd been stationed with were attempting to repel three times as many invaders. Hermione and Draco were doing well, but this was a pitched battle, and the numbers were heavily against them. Harry transformed in the air and used the air gliding discipline he'd learned years ago to control his descent. Using both wands, he struck down well over a dozen attackers from above before they were even aware he was there.

Landing, he continued to use his battle magic to good effect, quickly evening the numbers. Harry was deadly in a duel, but in battle, he was a killing machine. At the rate he was cutting down the attackers, the tide would turn quickly. There were a few Death Eaters, but these attackers were mainly cannon fodder… Snatchers and Death Eater wannabees. Grawp had been restrained by animated ropes but was breaking free and would add some much-needed power to the defence.

That was when he felt an unnatural chill in the air. Biting cold with a deep sense of oppression. 'No, not Harry…"Dementors! Harry hurdled a fireball into a group of attackers to buy time. The explosion thinned the numbers of attackers… then he saw the swarm approaching. There was one lone Patronus attempting to hold them all off, but there were well over a hundred Dementors… More than he had seen in his third year. The caster was none other than Aberforth Dumbledore, directing what appeared to be a silver glowing goat.

Draco yelled, "Go, Harry! We've got this!" Harry noted that Draco is more than holding his own… Hermione was fighting beside him. The training they had received at Grimmauld place was evident.

Harry hurdled a set of thorn spears at a group of Death Eaters… Hopefully they would get tangled in the vines… He then sprinted to join Aberforth.

—DoD—

Remus was hard pressed to defend himself against Antonin Dolohov. The pair seemed closely matched, but the occasional unforgivable curse frequently left Remus backpedalling. There were explosions all around them and his ears were ringing. He knew his wife needed him against Bellatrix, but he had to get past Dolohov first.

Remus changed tactics from duelling strategies to battle magic, hoping it would give him the edge. He silently cast a blasting curse at Dolohov's feet, only to have it deflected with a shield charm. The curse ricochet back and over his left shoulder, striking the ceiling and raining down rubble.

The two combatants paused a moment and stared at each other. Both were near exhausted and breathing hard, but neither were willing to concede. Both appeared to be using the brief lapse to recover their stamina.

Dolohov sneered at Remus saying, "Not bad, wolf. But I've seen better." He then gave a half grin before twisting his wand and shouting "Organum Desolati!"

Purple fire shot out at Remus, only to be blocked by a hastily raised shield charm. The spell was powerful, and Remus was pushed three steps backward from the force of the curse.

"Same old tricks Dolohov, you'll have to do better than that." He sent another blasting curse at his opponent, but this one was directed to the ceiling, causing Dolohov to dive sideways.

Remus knew he should follow up with a chain of curses, but he couldn't resist the need to see his wife… Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her backing away from a cackling Bellatrix. He had to help her! But before he could finish the thought, a severing curse came his way. He saw it coming in tome to avoid most of it, but it sliced across his left shoulder, leaving a gaping wound. He countered with a piercing curse of his own.

Both Remus and Dolohov had recovered enough during their verbal exchange and were now launching curses at each other with no respite or banter. This was an endurance match. The first to miss a curse would fall. Both were skilled, but only one was distracted. Remus knew he had to end this quickly and get to his wife…

Remus blocked another attack of purple flames, but it drove him backward. As he was forced to recover his footing, he tripped over something and stumbled to the ground. He quickly rolled away from a severing curse and onto one knee. Reflexively, he hastily raised a shield charm only to see a flash of green.

Remus Lupin's final thoughts were of his wife and child.

—DoD—

Harry sent his Patronus ahead to give Aberforth breathing room. It impacted on a Dementor and the foul creature seemed to explode. Just like third year… The older wizard released his Patronus and seemed to stagger. Aberforth had held his own long enough to buy everyone time. He looked exhausted, but fairly good for a man who had to have been over a hundred. Harry held the Dementors off while Aberforth caught his breath. Had the Dementors flooded the castle, the battle may have been decided in minutes.

He turned to Harry. "Looking pretty sharp there, Potter." He managed a weak chuckle. "I guess my brother did alright by you."

Harry gave a terse nod. Holding a Patronus and directing it about to keep the Dementors at bay required a great deal of focus. Kingsley soon appeared at their side and cast a Patronus of his own. Harry immediately recognised it as the Lynx Patronus that alerted the attendees at Bill's wedding that the ministry had fallen. Once Aberforth recovered, he added his own Patronus.

Harry let his fade away. "See if you guys can force them to a central point…" He was eager to try using Nethermancy on these creatures.

Once they did so, Harry focused on his wand and extended it backward. "Hastam Æstræ!" A glowing Astral Spear formed, and Harry launched it toward the mass of Dementors. It connected with one and the creature keened in agony before collapsing into dust and bone. Soon enough Harry began throwing spear after spear…

Filius and Hermione joined them and began assisting in rounding the Dementors up for the slaughter. The monsters were moving as fast as they could but were constantly herded and grouped for the kill. When they were too far away, Harry began using Astral Darts "Sægittæ!" The darts were not as powerful as the spears, but they had more than double to range and, based on the sounds the creatures made, they caused the Dementors tremendous pain. He observed that when well placed, or when multiple darts were used, they could kill a Dementor as effectively as the Astral Spear.

The courtyard battle seemed to have ended, Grawp was just standing there, watching the Dementors with great trepidation. A few others were as well. No Death Eaters or Snatchers in sight, they had either been defeated or routed. The battle was in full force in other parts of the castle, but Harry couldn't afford to relent on picking off the Dementors. They were the biggest threat. He still wanted to send aid… "Kingsley, Filius… I think we've got it here." An explosion in the distance gave weight to his next statement. "You should probably help the others."

—DoD—

Nymphadora Lupin squared off against her Aunt. Bellatrix was a horrific as Harry had said. Hair all twisted and matted… stained and obviously tattered robes… How could this be the same woman that had once believed herself pureblood royalty? She looked more like a ghoul than a human.

"Heeeeheeeehhheee! Does ickle Nymie want to play wiff Bella?"

Tonks never had a chance to reply as she was suddenly under a barrage of curses. How could anyone move so fast? Tonks found herself completely on the defensive side of the duel. She was a particularly good fighter, but she'd also recently given birth. A cutting curse clipped her shoulder, leaving a trail of blood. For a moment, she thought she had been lucky it had only been her shoulder, not her neck. Then she realised the truth. Bellatrix was playing with her.

Bella cackled insanely, "Heeeeheeeeheee… First blood goes to meeeeeeee!" She then began dancing and humming some inane tune.

Tonks sent three curses while Bella was dancing, but the crazy witch simply moved out of the way. She moved like some kind of clockwork horror… jagged and almost faster than the eye could track… short bursts. How had Harry beaten her before? Transfiguration and endurance… Illusions as well… Tonks was no transfiguration master, and her illusions were nowhere near as good as Harry's… She's either have to wait for support or get a lucky break.

Bellatrix then began sending more curses her way… None of which were intended to kill, just harm. Tonks briefly saw Remus holding his own against Dolohov… hopefully he could assist her soon. Dodge, Block, Block, Arrrrgggg! A piercing curse grazed her thigh…

"Wheeeeeeeeee! Second blood goes to meeeeee! Don't make this too easy Nymieeee!"

Change of tactics… "So, what do you think of little Harry, Bella? Pretty cute, isn't he?" Tonks followed her taunt with a wink.

Bella stopped cackling and became enraged. "DON'T YOU SAY HIS NAME YOU FILTHY HALF-BLOOD! HE'S NO….ARRRRGGG!" Tonks managed to land a bone breaker on her aunt. It mangled her left leg… leaving her thigh bone sticking out of her skin…

Tonks moved in for the kill, only to be knocked backward by a near miss from a blasting curse Bella sent her way. Landing roughly, she dropped her wand somewhere… Looking up, she expected to see a curse come her way, instead she saw Bell somehow forcing her thigh bone into her leg and sealing the wound. That was fine, she knew the crazy witches' weakness now. With a thought, she transformed into Harry and looked about for her wand…

As she reached for her wand, a flash of movement drew her attention just in time to see a giant snake striking at her. The fangs were like white flashes… This was it… There was a sudden flash of green, and the snake collapsed mid-strike. It's momentum driving it just past her. A blackened mist seemed to form over the snake and dissipate.

The snake was dead and the Horcrux was destroyed…

Tonks looked up at Bella in shock. Bella was alternately staring at her and at the snake. She seemed confused. Like she wasn't sure if she had made the right choice. At least she wasn't singing and cackling anymore… The confusion wouldn't last…

Tonks waved her wand and sent a Powerful banishing curse at Bellatrix, sending her through the air and crashing into a wall. Bellatrix struck the wall with enough force to leave a bloody imprint and dropped to the floor like a rag doll. A normal person would be dead…

"Time to end this… permanently!" Tonks reverted to her natural form and rose up… before she went to murder her aunt, she glanced over at Remus. She had to know he was safe. Perhaps she'd help him, then deal with Bella… When she finally spotted him, she watched in horror as he tripped over debris from a ceiling collapse while duelling Dolohov.

She raised her wand and shouted "Expulso!" Her curse truck Dolohov in the back just as a flash of Green leapt from his wand to Remus. The flash of green… she was too late. Numbly, she realized Dolohov had been blasted into pieces, but that didn't matter now. She staggered as quickly as she could to her husband.

"Nonononono… Please… Don't leave me Remus… Please don't leave me…" She was barely aware of the sounds of battles raging around her as she knelt by the side of the man she loved so dearly. His eyes were staring unfocused at the ceiling above… Devoid of all life.

—DoD—

Harry assessed his position. Three quarters of the Dementors had now been destroyed, the remaining ones were the fastest and the wariest. Aberforth and Hermione did a good job of 'herding' them but picking them off was getting to be more of a challenge. Worse yet, the battle still raged elsewhere. Many of the defenders of the courtyard refused to leave as they wanted to keep Harry, Hermione, and Aberforth safe.

Harry addressed his comrades. "Bring one closer, ignore the rest…" Seeing Hermione's apprehension, he added "Trust me." Nethermancers could occasionally command beings such as these when they were in a position of power. If killing over a hundred of them didn't give him such a position, he didn't know what would.

Once one of the Dementors was singled out, the others seemed to back far away… watching. Harry approached the Dementor, holding an Astral Spear in front of him. The foul creature had nowhere to go as it started screeching and squirming. Harry stared into its face.

"Dementor, leave this place now and await my orders. If you attack anyone without my permission… I will hunt you all down and end your foul existence." The Dementor ceased struggling. It seemed to understand what was happening. "Go! Tell the others! You put your fear in the wrong wizard…"

As Hermione and Aberforth had their Patronuses move away, the Dementor slowly drifted up into the air until it met with its brethren. With deliberate movement, they all turned toward Harry and nodded. They then left the battlefield.

—DoD—

Silent and unseen, a sinister presence stalked the seventh floor of Hogwarts. The Dark Lord formerly known as Tom Riddle was standing in front of a tapestry depicting a wizard trying to teach trolls ballet. He was certain of the location, but did not recall the tapestry… It would be an impossible thing for anyone to forget. Of course, Armando Dippet wouldn't have wanted such nonsense in his school. In his time as Headmaster, Hogwarts was far more sombre than today. Albus Dumbledore must have hung the atrocious drivel.

Try as he might, he couldn't get the hidden room to open up. He knew that force was no solution, he would only find empty space or solid stone… He had to want it bad enough… a room of lost things. Nothing was happening. He'd checked every wall on the floor and nothing was happening. He knew the other Horcruxes had been destroyed and retrieving the diadem was no longer optional. The diadem and Nagini were his last means of immortality.

He stared and pondered… What has happened? Has the room somehow been sealed? Had the access been tied to the wards? Wards he had overpowered? If that was the case, his diadem was safe. For now. But in reflection, that didn't seem to be likely. No, the room must be serving as some sort of refugee location. To get in, he'd have to know what the current residents had brought forth.

Impossible! How could he know…

With a start, he suddenly cried out and fell to one knee.

In horror, Voldemort croaked out, "Nagini!" His familiar and Horcrux had been destroyed! But how? The blood shield he placed on her could only be breached by Fiendfyre, Basilisk Venom, or an unforgivable curse. Specifically, the Killing Curse. Could the defenders of the castle have fallen so low as to use the killing curse? Of course! These weren't Dumbledore's minions; they were Potter's followers. The boy had been somehow murdering pureblood citizens and supporters quietly in their homes for months. He had discredited Potter by calling him a Dark Prince, who would have thought he would become a rising Dark Lord.

Refocusing, Voldemort regained his footing and restored his disillusionment. He desperately needed to get inside the Room of Hidden things. He needed the Diadem now more than ever! But the way was blocked and his Nagini was dead. He needed to think… to regroup.

What he needed was a plan to separate Potter from his followers and kill the boy! Then he could return victorious and collect his Diadem. Had the Diadem already been discovered, they would have destroyed it… He needed to re-think his plans. Perhaps they aren't sure where to look… Sooooon. Soon, he would kill Harry Potter and return. Or perhaps, he'd simply leave the Horcrux where it was. But he had to ensure it was safe…

Placing his wand to his throat, Voldemort sent his message to all within Hogwarts.

XXXXXXX

Quote Taken Directly from Book 7, the Deathly Hallows:

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."

"Yet you have sustained heavy losses, if you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste."

"Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately."

"You have one hour. Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

End Quote

XXXXXXX

Voldemort then stared at the wall and hissed, "I'll be back!" And he flew from the hallway and out of a window.

—DoD—

As the Dementors departed, Harry, Hermione, and Aberforth turned to assist the other defenders throughout the castle. Before any of them could take another step, they heard the sound of Voldemort's malicious voice.

The Dark Lord was sounding the retreat… One hour to bury their dead. Did he just claim to be merciful? What a load of garbage… No way would he just roll over and play dead. Voldemort had sounded the retreat for a reason… Someone must have gotten to the snake!

—DoD—

Tonks was still holding Remus, her arms wrapped around his lifeless body protectively. She pulled him into an embrace while sobbing hysterically. She mourned the loss of her husband and the life they had planned together. The two of them with Teddy… and Harry… and her parents…. All taken away in a split second, by Death Eaters.

In her grief, she barely heard Voldemort's message, but she heard enough to know it was a retreat signal… she didn't care. She's already lost too much to care…

She gently lowered Remus to the floor and closed his eyes. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips, then resolved herself to do what needed to be done. Still holding her husband's hand, she turned and saw her hated Aunt… body broken and twisted… but still managing to hold up a wand…

"Avada Kedavra!"

With a flash of green, Nymphadora Tonks fell beside her husband. His hand was still clenched in her own. Her last thoughts were of Teddy…

She was now with her husband.

Next chapter: 'The Final Battle' A.k.a. 'La Danse de la Mort'

AN

Organum Desolati – Dolohov's signature spell. It means 'Organ Melt' in Latin, and that's pretty much what it does.

Venenum Pluviam – Poison Rain. Pretty Self Explanatory. It is from the Earthdawn World Setting.

Razor Orb is a spell in the Earthdawn World Setting designed to get past Armour and inflict maximum damage.

Note that the assembly occurred in the movie, but not in the books. It was cleaner and worked better with the story, so I went with it. I did use a few direct quotes, but only because they were so good and hard to replicate in a decent manner.

Alright, I thought I would finish at Chapter 50, then that became chapter 51. Now I am looking at chapter 52, but I don't see myself missing that stopping point. My apologies again for adding yet another chapter – I hope the quality in this chapter was worth it. I just can't bring myself to rush these last two chapters.

The final chapter is another week or two away (Hopefully one week), but If any of you are looking for a good read in the meantime, check out 'A Simple Act of Vengeance' or the sequel, 'Wrath and Remorse'. Both are excellent fictions with very well written combat. I can honestly recommend anything written by 'Frickles' as his stories are all very well written. Even his non-combat stories are excellent. If you're looking for a story, give one a try.

Thanks