In Times of Trouble
Chapter Nineteen
Snape's Gambit
Snape's Home
Amestris
Cissy and Severus had just finalized their plans when Dumbledore's message arrived. Severus sighed with a sad smile. "It's not too late to change your mind."
"I won't let you fall because of us Severus. You've too much to finish." She said with a hug. "Now, lets go before I lose my nerve."
Severus nods, before he picks up his wand, casting the final spell on his godson, putting him into a magically induced sleep then turning a teaspoon into a portkey. "Shall we go then?"
Hogwarts
Grounds surrounding Castle
Russell swore as he pulled the energy needed to create the wall of thorns around the property. This was bigger than he had attempted before, and quicker than he had planned. Truth told; he was concerned he would lose control of the power.
It started to pull away from him, when he felt the pressure ease, he glanced up long enough to see both Edward and Alphonse standing beside him, grabbing control of the array to finish the wall. "Thanks" he panted as they released the array.
"Just do me a favor and don't die." Ed replied. "I don't want to have to explain that to Fletcher."
Before Russell could think of a reply Edward had already slipped away to add his power to Armstrong's array. Al stayed another moment to pat the other boy on the shoulder. "He's really worried about everyone overdoing it. We were supposed to have more time."
"Well, whatever it was that Dumbledore did to piss him off in that meeting, it turned out to be a good thing, or else we wouldn't have had time to get ready." Russell said as he gulped some water quickly before moving on to his next project.
"We would have known anyway." Al said. "Oh, and Dumbledore is not an ally. We are currently engaging a common threat; however, he remains the bigger risk so mind what you say around here."
"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind." Russell replied. "Just like old times. Trust no one but your team."
"Pretty much." Al said before darting off to go help at the next location.
Outside the Gate
Dante was livid. How dare they mock her like this? Putting up some pitiful walls and bushes as if that would keep her at bay. Then Dumbledore had the nerve to hide behind these defenses instead coming out to fight her. She always knew he was a coward.
She used a simple spell to amplify her voice to attempt to demand his surrender, but knew it was pointless. He was too much of a coward to face her head on. He'd much rather hide behind others.
As she released the spell, she turned to the thirty men and women standing behind her. "Give him ten minutes, make that twenty, he is old after all, and there are a lot of stairs. When he doesn't arrive, kill them all."
"And if he arrives madame?" One of the men in the back questioned.
"Kill them all." Dante replied.
Everyone cheered and nodded in agreement. The earth shook as more objects formed and reformed. The wizards were adding their own aide to the defenses, calling forth additional shielding charms and vines to intertwine among his thorns. Russell was impressed with the work even as he moved toward the forest.
Malfoy Manor
Lucius jumped up in surprise as Narcissa appeared in front of him, Draco limp in her arms and Severus Snape by her side. All three looked to be in good health, though in need of a bath. Their clothing was filthy and torn. Narcissa and Severus both had bruises around their wrists that suggested shackles, and their faces were covered in dirt.
Narcissa stumbled forward, Lucius caught her and their son in his arms. "Lu. I'm home." She said weakly.
"Darling. However, did you escape?" he asked as he guided her to the sofa. She sank tiredly into the plush seat as Severus swayed slightly.
"It was Sev. He was thrown in with me nearly a week ago I think." She said. "That awful woman took my wand, snaped it right in front of me. Sev was smart though, she snapped his too, but his real wand was hidden in his pant leg."
"Why did she take you Severus?" Lucius asked.
"I had been looking for Narcissa and Draco since you wrote me about their disappearance a few months ago." Severus said. "I realized about a week ago who had them but had no idea where they were being kept. So, I hid my wand taped to my leg, and confronted her. It worked as I suspected, and she threw me into the same basement as they were being held. Draco, she's been drugging him. She claimed she had no patience for his crying. I doubt he'll remember any of it which is for the best."
"She left a couple of hours ago, taunting Severus before she did that, he wasn't going to have a job to return to because she was getting rid of everyone a Hogwarts." Narcissa said. "Once she was gone, we worked together to get to Severus' wand, and he managed to get us unshackled before turning a spoon from breakfast into a portkey."
"Who took you?" Lucius asked, livid that his family had suffered in this way.
"She called herself Dante." Narcissa said. "She said that we owed her because Takeshi didn't repay his debt to her."
"You said she was heading to attack Hogwarts?" Lucius asked.
"Yes." Narcissa said.
"I have to go!" Severus said as if the idea just occurred to him. "I have to ensure that woman doesn't hurt any of my students."
Lucius nodded in agreement. He understood that Severus was rather attached to his students, especially the Slytherins of course. If Dumbledore and his like had to be aided in the process, so be it. Severus disappeared quickly, reenchanting the spoon.
"Will you and Draco be alight here for an hour? Perhaps two? I hired additional security and I'll have the House elf draw you a bath." Lucius asked.
She nodded wordlessly, and he led them to their bedroom where she finally laid their son down on their bed. He kissed them both on the forehead, before he said "I know this will pain you after your recent experience, but I'm going to seal you into the suite until I return to ensure no one can get to you while I'm gone. I will make sure this woman can never come after you again."
"I trust you, my love." She said, and wanted to mean it, he searched her face and any reluctance he detected he put down to her recent kidnapping.
He disappeared leaving her alone, and she sank onto the bed. So much for the freedom she so craved. She only hoped this had been enough to make him truly value their son.
Hogwarts
Inside the Castle
Statues roamed the halls acting as sentries, everywhere there was to look was teaming with activity as witches and wizards rushed around casting additional protection spells as the children were lead down into the dungeons. The non-alchemists were in the kitchen, surrounded suddenly by an army of tiny misshapen people offering them every sort of food they could imagine.
Fuery hesitantly asked for a free table space to set up his maps. Quickly they bustled around before offering him a seat in the table that seemed to be identical to the one, he had been sitting at in the Great Hall. He spread out his maps, copied from the ones in the library, and Breda came over to offer his help.
On the Grounds
Hagrid had joined them as the alchemists finished reforming the grounds. Wizards and Witches had finally finished their own defenses. Now all that was to be done was wait and keep adding to the defenses as she and her army tried to tear them down.
Once the twenty minutes had passed, the invaders began attacking the defenses around the walls. Everyone watched at the enchantments held but weakened, and Russell was tempted to reinforce his thorns, but he was unsure if he had the energy for it.
Professor Sprout appeared beside him and without a word in his direction she cast several charms thickening the barbed thorns. She smiled at Russell even as she walked off quickly, in search of other areas in need of help.
On the Tower
Dumbledore, Snape, and Mustang watched as another enchantment buckled under the assault of the combined efforts of Dante's army. Mustang sighed heavily as he pulled on his gloves. "You wanted a display of my power Dumbledore, so you shall have it."
Before Dumbledore could respond Roy snaped his fingers and with a thin thread of fire a wall of flames suddenly appeared between the attackers and the walls surrounding the grounds. There were shouts of alarm from both sides of the wall, as people scrambled backward away from the heat. Mustang continued to concentrate to not allow the fire to spread any further.
Once everyone was further back, the spell casting began again, hindered by the flames that seemed not to respond to any of their spells. Once again Dante's voice could be heard through out the area as she sneered, "I see you cast your lot with these ones Mustang. I can't say that I'm surprised after all a Dog is always in search of a powerful master. Be mindful of Dumbledore though, who knows what kind of fleas he carries."
"Don't let her get to you. Let her inside your head and she will win." Mustang said and Snape nodded.
"Anytime now, this will be over." Snape replied.
Dumbledore just stared grimly down at the grounds. Perhaps if he turned himself over, she would leave the school in peace. He refused to suggest it aloud again however, he learned his lesson the first time and his ears were still ringing from the force of their shouts.
Magic filled the air as the battle raged, so thick they could almost taste it. Everywhere they looked, more shields were being cast even as the ones before were taken down. The battle seemed as though it was likely to continue long into the night.
Dumbledore wondered briefly if he should contact the Ministry to ask for help. However, even if they arrived on time, the results were going to be terrible. Dumbledore added his own spells to the fray below. Sending out shields around all of the teachers who were close to the fire.
Edward and Alphonse
They weaved their way into and out of the crowds fluidly, almost as if they were one person in two bodies. They reinforced and replaced the defenses even as they began to buckle. Adding their own touches along the way. Edward was careful to avoid using magic, as tempting as it was surrounded by it as he was.
Edward watched as the fire flared around them, narrowly missing a couple of the witches who screamed. "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing, just stay still!" Edward yelled as he and Alphonse froze in place until the flames settled into a solid wall in front of the gate. Luckily, the others had all listened to him, and frozen when he had ordered them.
"We should move further back, set up a second line of defense in case the gate falls." Alphonse suggested over the roar of spells and fire. Edward nodded. Before motioning to his team to pull back.
The wizards followed the alchemists further up the hill, before Edward and Alphonse stood slightly apart and Edward yelled "Everyone, behind me. We're putting up a new wall, then everyone's going to throw what they got at it."
The handful of teachers and alchemists moved without question as Edward and Alphonse clapped and slammed their hands down at the same time. Together they pulled a six-inch thick, ten-foot-tall wall around the castle. Leaving the grounds unprotected but the castle closed off from the invaders.
Wordlessly, the alchemists added thickness, barbs, and thorned vines to the wall, before the wizards added spells to help reinforce it. Once completed, they retreated to the castle itself, and rushed to the second floor before throwing open windows to have access to the grounds and watch the enemy's attack.
Outside the Gate
Dante growled in frustration. The wizards she had gathered were having very little luck in extinguishing the flames as Mustang continued to feed them. She suspected that now that they were in place, there was at least one witch or wizard also helping to control the blaze. Certainly, they were adding enchantments to the walls. She just wanted this to be done. It shouldn't be that difficult to break into a school.
Finally, they managed to breach the Gate, and poured onto the grounds, only to find that they had created a wall around the castle itself. Suddenly, spells began firing from the windows of the castle, and her wizards were casting spells in return. Chunks of the walls, glass from closed windows, and yells filled the air, even as the flames shifted, closing off their ability to retreat.
Dante cursed; this was not going according to plan. They should have taken the castle already; these people were just a bunch of schoolteachers! If only those nosey Amerstrians had left this alone. Clearly, she needed to work harder at keeping them distracted.
Suddenly, ten people in robes and masks arrived just outside the gate before marching onto the lawn. Death Eaters, she realized by their masks. She ignored then as they approached, and though it made her people nervous they ignored the new arrivals as well.
Inside the Castle
Everyone was scrambling, alarmed with the arrival of the Death Eaters. McGonagall, rushed to the Alchemists, in an attempt to order them down into the kitchens with their support staff, but was ignored in favor of continued efforts to enforce the main level windows and doors.
When she yelled that Death Easters were on the grounds, Edward rushed upstairs to look out of the windows instead of down to the dungeons as she intended. McGonagall followed him in frustration as she attempted to make him see reason.
Edward reached one of the windows in time to see the Death Eaters get in range of the inner wall. One of them stepped forward from the group and raised his wand as he demanded "Dante!"
She turned to glare at whoever dared interrupt her. Before she could say anything, she fell in a streak of green light as he yelled "Avada Kedavra".
Green streaks shot from the other masked men, taking Dante's team, as shocked silence fell on the castle. Wordlessly, the Death Eaters turned and walked back across the lawn, until they had reached the edge of the enchantments, and disappeared.