Harry walked into the main courtyard to find it a hive of activity. Much like Ron had said, witches and wizards were running every which way yelling agitated reassurances and profanity at each other in equal measure. He saw the garishly dressed figure of Albus Dumbledore talking to one particularly excitable looking group and made his way over.
"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore greeted him when he got closer. "I was just telling these fine people that you and I do not expect them to lead the charge."
Seeing the awestruck looks with which the two wizards and one witch were looking at the Headmaster and himself, Harry realised that he probably didn't want them out in the thick of the fighting either. If they panic they'll just be underfoot. "Of course not, sir. I wouldn't ask that of anyone who felt any kind of hesitation. I'm sure there are ways to help from the safety of the castle."
"So there are," Dumbledore agreed, giving Harry a nod as he turned back to the others. "If you wouldn't mind, it would be a great help if you would make your way up to the battlements and simply throw such curses as you can at any threats that come too close."
"I- I don't know if I could kill someone, Professor Dumbledore," one of the wizards muttered, not quite meeting their eyes, "not even if they're a Death Eater."
"Then don't," Harry broke in, hoping his voice sounded calming. "If you can slow them down or stop them in some other way, that will already help us to not get overrun by sheer numbers."
That seemed to cheer all three of them up somewhat. "I think we could manage that, Mr. Potter, sir," the witch said, grabbing his hand and pumping it.
Harry endured having to shake all their hands and tried to give them some parting encouragement as they made their way to the stairs that led up to the battlements. When they were safely out of earshot he turned to his teacher and cocked an eyebrow.
"We did discuss the possibility that those sheltering here might not be willing or able to fight," Dumbledore said in answer to the unspoken question.
"Then what are they doing out here, sir?"
Dumbledore wagged a finger at him. "What did we agree that you would call me when we were alone? Comrades about to go into battle together should not be so formal."
"Fine. What are they doing out here, Albus?"
The Headmaster beamed at him. "They wish to help however they can. That might not be in the thick of the fight, but with your encouragement they may well help us incapacitate enough of the enemy to make our load lighter."
"Are there more like them?"
"Many."
Harry resisted the urge to groan. "We have a lot more of those conversations ahead of us, don't we?"
"Many," Dumbledore repeated with a chuckle. "Yet another burden of not being one of the ordinary masses, I'm afraid."
Harry nodded and scanned the courtyard, looking for the next group that looked like they were wavering. Before he could settle on any particular clump of people his eye was caught by an unwelcome sight: Hermione marching towards him with a determined cast to her face. "Uh-oh. There's one who's a little too eager," he muttered.
Dumbledore let out a suspicious cough, but didn't say anything.
"Harry! Are they here yet?" Hermione called as she came near them.
"No. What are you doing here?" Harry tried to keep his voice from snapping, but judging by the way Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, he hadn't succeeded entirely.
"I'm here to fight."
"No."
"What?" Hermione asked dangerously.
"No, you can't join the fight," Harry repeated, determined remain stern, even if she was his girlfriend.
"You presume to tell me-"
"Hermione, this isn't some kind of classroom exercise! You could die!" Harry interrupted her, his temper coming close to the surface.
Hermione's glare intensified. "I thought you were going to let me fight?"
"If you caught up to our year-mates. You haven't even taken your O.W.L.s yet," Harry ground out in frustration.
"Ms. Granger? Would you mind giving me a few moments to speak to Mr. Potter in private?" Dumbledore interrupted in a tone that made it sound like he was asking for a cup of sugar.
"Hmph. Fine by me," Hermione snapped, making it obvious that she was purposely not looking at her boyfriend.
"Very gracious of you," Dumbledore said with a smile, his hand gripping Harry's upper arm like a vice and exerting a pressure that made it clear they would be walking a few steps away from Hermione.
Harry gritted his teeth and ran through several occlumency exercises to try and order his thoughts as much as he could before whatever the Headmaster had planned threw them into a jumble.
"Harry, I believe that you find yourself in need of some advice before you continue your argument with Miss Granger and perhaps manage to speak words that you will regret."
"Are you telling me to let her join us?!" Harry snapped out, worry and frustration boiling over.
Dumbledore eyed him sternly over the top of those half-moon glasses. "Not at all. I would far prefer if Miss Granger would stay within the relative safety of the keep. I cannot advise you on how to convince her of that matter though. I believe you will recall that I have been singularly unsuccessful in conveying this very same point to you on every occasion it has come up. You have argued your case in the past as she is doing now: that you are affected and a part of this war already and that continuing to keep you out of it would limit your freedom and agency unacceptably."
"What?" Despite his best efforts to prepare for the unexpected, Harry still found himself blindsided.
"You believe that the matters are different?"
"Of course! I have that damn prophecy over my head."
"Leaving aside that you were making that argument before you ever knew of a prophecy, Fate has not made a single mention of when you might face Tom. Which rather means that, as an adult responsible for you, I ought to be stuffing you in the castle with the others to keep you safe for a while longer so that you may grow more and stand a better chance at winning the confrontation when it comes."
Harry bristled. "Not happening."
Dumbledore just cocked an amused eyebrow. "Yes, that reaction is precisely what I meant. Try to examine what you are feeling in this very moment and then realise that your thoughts, and more importantly your feelings, are currently mirrored by Miss Granger. For quite the same reasons I might add."
Harry took several deep breaths and managed to get his temper down to a smoulder. "Fine. What would you do?"
"Well, I have tried to delay and distract you from running headfirst at Tom. Knowing that these are temporary measures I have also tried to prepare you as best I can, weaken Tom as much as I can and point you at objectives that will at the very least hopefully keep you from wasting your life needlessly. I am painfully aware that I have done so with limited success, but I would ask you: do you think that you can keep Miss Granger away from the battle?"
"Maybe if I lock her in the dungeons?" Harry said unenthusiastically.
"Not a stratagem that would bode well for the future of your relationship with the young lady, I fear," Dumbledore said, a smile making his beard twitch. "Can you find something for her to do that will keep her occupied for the whole duration of the battle?"
Harry shook his head. "She's too efficient and I have no idea how long we'll be fighting."
"Meaning that Miss Granger might dive into the chaos at an inopportune moment or in a manner that not only endangers her, but our larger mission. Is she prepared enough to face what is coming?"
Harry tried to set aside his fear and look at this as if he were evaluating Hermione's skills in one of McGonagall's exams. "She can probably take out some of the newest Death Eaters. Maybe some of the less dangerous creatures," he admitted. "She's not going to last long if she runs into the likes of Lestrange, Malfoy or Greyback."
"I agree with that assessment," Dumbledore nodded. "If she were to join the battle, it would not be long until she ran into one of Tom's lieutenants. Is there an objective that she would let her nominally join the battle, but which presents minimal risk of injury or death?"
Harry's shoulders slumped. "I can't think of any."
"Hmm. Perhaps it is not so strange that you can't. Miss Granger is your first student and you have no experience to inform you of when and where she might stand on her own."
"Does that mean you have an idea?" Harry asked sourly.
"Perhaps," Dumbledore mused, studying Harry, still with that slightly amused air. "I would suggest that if you turn away from the minutiae of tactics and refocus yourself on our overall strategy, you will be able to conceive of a mission we may impart to Miss Granger that is relatively safe."
It didn't take Harry long. "You want her to hunt Nagini. How is that going to solve anything? She'll still be out on the battlefield. The moment she's spotted her life will be in danger, same as if she was fighting next to us."
"Indeed, it would be most perilous if Miss Granger were to be seen. With all your experiences in this castle, is there no spark of inspiration that informs you how we might avoid that condition being met?"
"A Disillusionment or my cloak isn't going to stop that army out there from landing on her like a ton of bricks the moment they see spells flying out from 'nowhere'," Harry snapped.
"I fear you may be correct," Dumbledore sighed while nodding sagely. "For this important plan to succeed, it would be imperative that Miss Granger refrain from engaging the enemy while she searches out a well-hidden objective."
Harry became aware that his jaw was swinging open and closed it deliberately. "You have a very nasty mind, Headmaster."
"I shall take that as a compliment," Dumbledore chuckled. "Do you believe you could convince Miss Granger to take this mission and keep safe? Or would you prefer if I presented this matter to her?"
"I- I hate to say it, but it might be better if you tell her. Hermione's expecting me to try something to keep her out of the battle. If you present her with a mission while I look angry and unwilling to let her take it, she might overlook the real reason we're doing this."
"Now who has a 'nasty mind'?" Dumbledore murmured.
"It's something I picked up from one of my teachers," Harry retorted. "We doing this?"
"Very well," Dumbledore agreed, inclining his head.
The two wizards walked back over to where Hermione was so carefully not looking at them that Harry knew all of her attention was on them. He shook that thought off and tried to look huffy and angry at the way this was turning out. It was distressingly easy.
"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said, drawing her gaze towards him, "I believe that while Harry may not have articulated the point as well as he would like, it would be unwise for you to jump into battle without a plan or reason."
He held up his hand to forestall an interruption; a gesture Hermione's sparking eyes suggested was barely effective. "What you need then, if I may, is just such a plan or reason; a mission, if you would prefer the more martial parlance."
Harry found himself the subject of a suspicious look from his girlfriend and did his best to look even huffier with the proceedings. I was right. She would have ignored this suggestion on principle if I gave it. Please let her listen to Dumbledore at least.
"What kind of mission?" she finally asked, suspicion as clear in her voice as it was on her face.
"One that would require a clear head and clear sight," Dumbledore said smoothly. "There is one enemy that it is vital we destroy before Harry faces Tom and his destiny."
"And you want me to destroy this enemy?" Hermione sounded taken aback and just a little unsure of herself.
"We will not require it of you if you are hesitant or believe that you will be unable to fulfil this mission," Dumbledore assured her.
Harry almost cursed out loud when he saw Hermione's face harden into a determined expression. "I can do it."
"Very well. If you are certain, then I will ask you to take responsibility for killing Tom's snake, Nagini."
"You want me to kill a snake?" Hermione repeated skeptically. It was clear that she thought she was being fobbed off.
"Miss Granger, while I will not share the precise reason with you, I should like you to understand that as long as that snake lives, Harry will not be able to end the threat Tom poses to all of us. Indeed, if that snake lives when Harry faces Tom during this battle, there is every chance that it will be Harry who dies. Please do not underestimate the importance of the task that has been dealt to you."
Harry could see Hermione wavering. "Are you sure?"
"Very sure, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said gravely. "As I told you earlier: we will not labour you with this task if you do not welcome it. If you choose to stay in the keep with the others, we will not blame you. It will fall to me to ensure that Harry enters the fray with the optimal chances of survival and I can promise you that I will do everything in my considerable power to ensure that Harry will have the chance to graduate from Hogwarts as thousands of witches and wizards have before him."
Hermione's eyes darted over to Harry before flicking back to her Headmaster. "No. No, I'll do it."
"Very well," Dumbledore agreed. "Since you have accepted this mission, there are certain points we should go over. First, it is imperative that no one stop you before you reach Nagini and strike. You must remain hidden until the opportune chance to strike presents itself."
"You mean stay out of the fight," Hermione realised flatly.
"If that is how you choose to see it," Dumbledore said lightly. "If it was a matter that could be solved from the thick of the fray, do you really think that we should need your help?"
Hermione remained silent, though her expression suggested that her thoughts were nowhere near as quiet.
"From what we have learned of Tom's nature, I suspect that he will be keeping this snake out of the worst of the fighting, not wanting her to be killed by accident. At the same time, he will not believe that Nagini will be safer anywhere than by his side so I still expect her to be present somewhere close by. Not to mention that she is a fearsome beast in her own right and may yet sway a duel in Tom's favour."
"Alright… what do you suggest I do then?"
Dumbledore took a moment before answering. "I think that our greatest chance of success lies in you hiding yourself among the trees at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. You shall have to remain alert and ensure that you are not discovered by certain denizens of that place that may wish to come out and help Tom; or at least profit from the bedlam he is about to cause. From your position you will then have to look for Tom. He will not be in the thick of the fight at the beginning, I think, preferring to wait for a chance to confront Harry alone or to aid in a larger assault on myself."
As Hermione nodded, seriously as she ever had during a classroom lecture, Harry felt a stab of annoyance at Dumbledore. Who's to say that they won't be coming at me in a large assault?!
As soon as he noticed the bristly thought, Harry forced it away. Rationally he knew that Dumbledore was a far more serious threat to the Death Eaters than Harry himself. It was only the prophecy that would cause Riddle to look for a one-on-one fight with him.
Across from him, Hermione was mulling things over. "Fine. I accept," she finally said.
"Thank you, Miss Granger. I do not doubt that your contributions to our struggle shall prove to be vital."
"You don't need to lay it on that thickly, sir," Hermione said before turning to Harry. "Do we have a problem?"
Harry let out a tense breath. "I'm not happy about this, but I realise that I can't stop you."
Hermione stepped forward and cupped his cheek. "I feel the same way about you going out there." Their foreheads met and they stood in silence for a while, just feeling each other's presence.
Harry tried to burn the feel of her skin and the scent of her closeness into his memory. He never wanted this moment to end, but knew that there was still one part of the plan he'd agreed on with the Headmaster that was missing. "Hermione, there's something I want you to do for me before the battle starts."
Hermione drew back and looked at him suspiciously. "Which is?"
"Go up to my dorm. In my trunk you'll find a cloak made of a silvery material. It's an invisibility cloak I inherited from my dad. I want you to take it. It's the most effective way to keep you hidden that I know of."
Surprise filled Hermione's face. "Harry, are you sure?"
"Very. If I can't keep you out of this fight then I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that you get out of it in one piece."
Hermione leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Thank you."
Harry gave her a rueful smile. "Don't thank me yet. Invisibility doesn't do any good if the enemy can find you another way." Seeing his girlfriend's confused look, Harry elabourated. "You have to be careful about when you fire off spells. Their trajectory could lead people right to you."
"So you're giving it to me to keep me from fighting?"
"Sort of. If the Death Eaters see you they'll land on you like a tonne of bricks. If they see empty air firing spells, they'll land on that like a tonne of bricks too. I know you had some trouble believing it, but killing that snake really is one of our top priorities in this fight. It absolutely needs to happen."
Hermione looked a little taken aback by the ferocity of Harry's final words and gave a slow, wide-eyed nod.
"Good. Stay safe out there and-…" Harry hesitated, feeling words he had never spoken aloud to anyone on his lips. "I love you."
"Oh Harry," Hermione gasped out pulling him back into a tight hug. "I love you, too." They shared another kiss, one filled with meaning by the imminent threat to their lives hanging over their heads. When they drew apart, they kept eye-contact until Hermione's foot caught on an uneven flagstone and her attention was consumed by not sprawling flat on the courtyard.
After that she gave him one last fleeting look with more emotions than he could easily read, before she turned around and ran into the keep, hopefully to find his cloak.
Behind him Harry heard a throat clearing.
"Coming," he said, casting one last look at where Hermione's figure was slipping between the great doors. At least I told her how I feel.
She said it too, a voice in the back of his mind whispered. With a smile Harry turned to face his Headmaster. "Let's continue."
Dumbledore inclined his head and led Harry over to another clump of Order members.
:-:-:-:-:
Hermione raced through the familiar corridors of Hogwarts, past unfamiliar faces. Everywhere she went, she saw families huddling together. All of them seemed to be hugging and having hushed conversations. At least I got that with Harry.
The thought of a certain mirror lying on her nightstand danced through her mind and Hermione wondered if she should call her parents. No, the battle is about to start. What would I do if I miss this and Harry can't end it all with that snake still around?
We'll get through this. I'll tell them I love them when this nightmare is over.
Her thoughts and feet carried Hermione up to Gryffindor tower and she burst into the sixth year boys dorm. Given the last time she had been in here, Hermione knew exactly which bed was Harry's and she flung open the trunk at its foot.
She only had to move the layer of school uniforms to find the silvery cloak that Harry had described. Still a little dubious about his claims she threw it over her head and walked over to the mirror hung just inside the bathroom.
Her body froze up when she saw her reflection, or rather the complete lack thereof. Moving a hand out from under the cloak didn't help much. I read about it in his journal, but…
Hermione spent a few minutes just convincing herself that the invisibility cloak's effects were real before she felt steady enough to head back out. Harry'd never let me hear the end of it if I walked out there shaken by something like this. Focus!
A few deep breaths later, Hermione made her way downstairs and out of the portrait hole. On the way outside she passed by Ron looking intently at a piece of parchment. That must be the Marauders' Map that Harry wrote about. It was somehow comforting and worrying at the same time that Harry was pulling out all the stops in his efforts to protect the castle.
She shook the confusing thought off and continued on to the courtyard where she had received her mission. Looking around she found Harry and the Headmaster standing atop the battlements, looking out over the fields in front of the wall.
Hermione considered climbing up the stairs, but wasn't sure that surprising someone standing on a high, narrow walkway by appearing out of nowhere was a good idea. She was about to remove the cloak when she heard Harry's voice drifting down to her.
"Looks like Riddle really found some help." He sounded tense. Of course he would. Who wouldn't feel tense before having to fight for their life?
Hermione wanted to get close enough to sneak a peek over the wall and confirm the actual situation. She was sure that a discussion between Harry and the Headmaster would downplay the enemies' strength somehow. On the other hand, showing up on the battlements was a sure way to get Harry to leave there, or at least send her back down, as he worried about her safety rather than his own.
Professor Dumbledore murmured something that Hermione couldn't hear, but she could certainly tell that whatever it was had surprised Harry.
"What do you mean by that? There's a lot of them, but we expected that. What changed that just upgraded this to a 'disaster'?"
The Headmaster's hands were clenched into fists, which was more of a reaction than Hermione could ever remember seeing from him. "That flag down there changed matters. There are not many witches or wizards that would still use a battle flag. That particular witch is well known and her flag perhaps even more so."
Harry peered over the wall. "At least we should be able to keep track of it and avoid that spot as much as possible. That's all we can do isn't it?"
"Ah. Well, we may also wish to-"
"Albus! Potter!"
Hermione wheeled around under the invisibility cloak and saw Professor McGonagall hurrying across the courtyard.
"Damn!" Professor Dumbledore cursed quietly and with feeling.
Hermione could only stand in shock for several seconds at hearing profanity from one of the last people she expected to use such language.
"Albus, what's wrong?" Professor McGonagall asked as she began to climb the stairs.
"Nothing, my dear. Under the circumstance of a looming battle all is as well as it might be," Professor Dumbledore said, hurriedly descended, conveniently blocking Professor McGonagall's path up.
Hermione could tell by the set of Professor McGonagall's shoulders that she didn't believe a word of it.
"Mr. Potter, what is he hiding from me?"
Harry looked between the two uncomfortably. "Nothing?"
"Mr. Potter, you will either tell me what I wish to know, or I will give you enough homework to make Miss Granger flounder."
"What?!"
"Now, Potter!"
"Minerva-" the Headmaster tried, only to find himself skewered by a glare.
"Shut it, Albus. Potter?"
"Fine. There's a flag out there that's apparently bad news."
"Flag?!" Professor McGonagall's voice sounded like she was forcing it out. "A green flag? With a golden manticore holding a sword?"
The surprise on Harry's face was answer enough.
"It's her!"
Hermione had never heard so much venom and hatred in her teacher's voice.
"Minerva, do not make a rash decision here, I implore you," Professor Dumbledore said, looking very worried.
"Albus!" There was an almost pleading note to Professor McGonagall's voice. "Do not ask me to stay. Not with Bathory out there."
Hermione noticed that Harry looked interested in what was going on here, but he remained quiet.
Headmaster Dumbledore looked a bit helpless for the first time since Hermione had known him. "Minerva, I-" He stopped and shook his head. "You are far past the time when you were my apprentice and I could stop you, but I fear this will cost you more than you know."
"I don't care what it costs me, Albus. That bitch will die."
The Headmaster let out a resigned sigh and drew his wand. "Expecto Patronum. Filius, I must ask that you take command of the castle's defences. Keep the students safe at all costs." With a flick of his wand, the magnificent silver phoenix he had summoned flew off towards the keep of Hogwarts Castle. "Minerva, activate Hogwarts' defences. After that, I will not attempt to stop you once you make your choice."
Professor McGonagall stood up straight and raised her wand. "Locomotor Piertotum. Accio."
From the façade of the castle, statues of knights leapt off their pedestals and marched out towards the walls of the castle, ready to man the walls. The great doors were flung wide open and more statues and suits of armour came marching out. In the middle of all the clanging, Hermione almost missed the small brown bag that flew into her teacher's hand.
Ignoring the magnificent sight around her, Hermione focused on Professor McGonagall's movements. With an imperious flick of her wand, the Transfiguration teacher had created five shallow furrows in the ground in front of her. Moving between them she dropped a small white object at every pace.
"Albus?" she heard Harry murmur next to her, causing her to almost jump out of her skin and the cloak. "What's going on here?" A quick look informed Hermione that both her boyfriend and Headmaster had come down to the courtyard and were watching Professor McGonagall's actions with worried intensity.
"I am afraid that Tom has woken a rage that he will regret with his choice of allies. Elizabeth Bathory was one of Gellert's most trusted lieutenants for years until her depravity became too much for even him to bear and he confined her to a distant outpost on the Brocken, a mountain where Gellert held gatherings from time to time, so that she would not interfere with his plans."
"Professor McGonagall's fought her before."
A look of pain crossed the Headmaster's face. "I am afraid that before her banishment, Elizabeth Bathory was the one who slew Minerva's husband and infant child."
Hermione tried to stifle a gasp as she realised why Professor McGonagall had looked the way she had.
"Right. That bitch is dead one way or the other," Harry growled out. "Got any idea what's being done here?"
"A dark ritual."
Hermione felt the shock of that lodge in her chest. Professor McGonagall wouldn't use dark magic!
"Elizabeth Bathory was the one who slew Minerva's husband and infant child."
Never mind. If someone had killed the man I loved and our child, I can't say I wouldn't do something just as drastic. Hermione tried not to linger on the way Harry's face drifted through her mind together with the words 'man I love'. You're about to go into battle, old girl. Focus.
Professor McGonagall had apparently finished planting and closed the earth with another flick of her wand before coming back to stand in front of it. Reaching up, she pulled something out of her hair that allowed it to spill down to her hips in a curtain of salt and pepper. Throwing her head back, Hogwarts' Deputy Headmistress let out an ululating cry.
Before the observers could recover, Professor McGonagall drew her wand sharply across her palm sending a splatter of blood onto the earth. Kneeling down, she pressed her bleeding hand into the ground and pointed her wand at it. The wand-tip was glowing a deep, blood-red.
"Arise, ye Father-Heroes! Arise from stone and maw! By blood and cry your lady calls you! The clans McGonagall and Fraiser march to war. Arise! Arise Fyrd of the Fallen and carry high your honour once more!"
The wind surged around them, causing Professor McGonagall's hair to snap like a whip and Hermione to cling tightly to the invisibility cloak lest it be torn from her shoulders. In front of the Deputy Headmistress the earth burst open and silvery vines twisted up until they unfolded into men wearing various kinds of armour and weapons. The one thing they all had in common was a necklace with a shining fang that rested on their chests.
Two of the ghostly apparitions stepped forward and each lifted a hand, bringing it to rest on one of Professor McGonagall's cheeks. Hermione thought she heard her teacher's voice quietly say "Robbie. Father."
A moment later, in a rustle of cloth, Professor McGonagall's robes changed into a kilt and sash that left one of the older woman's breasts exposed while blue patterns swirled over her cheeks. That didn't startle Hermione nearly as much as the massive claymore that had appeared strapped to her teacher's back.
The two figures in front of Professor McGonagall stepped back and pressed their knuckles to their foreheads. "Pen-Y-Cat," either they or the wind whispered, before stepping past the professor to take up position behind her.
One by one the ghostly figures came forward and knuckled their forehead while greeting Professor McGonagall. At each murmur, the marks on the professor's face flared a brighter blue. When the last man had joined the war-band behind her, Professor McGonagall turned to look up at Harry and the Headmaster. Her eyes were shining the same blue colour as her war paint. "The clans McGonagall and Fraiser will hew down the Knights of Walpurgis," she declared in an echoing voice before turning to march towards the outer gate, a battalion of ghosts following in her wake. They took up position just to the side of the gate and stood eerily still.
"Then I believe it is time for us to go out and meet the enemy, Harry. At the very least we should draw them close enough that the Order will be able to lay down effective suppressing fire."
Harry nodded in response and teacher and student marched towards the gate. A wave from Professor Dumbledore's wand raised the portcullis. The two wizards walked out, looking as calm as if they were simply heading off for a stroll along the banks of the Black Lake.
Once she couldn't see them anymore, Hermione crept across the courtyard towards the gates Harry and the Headmaster had just exited through. Her gaze drifted up to where the witches and wizards of the Order were manning the battlements. Their various stances betrayed a level of tension beyond even what Hermione was feeling. They didn't have Harry as a teacher she tried to remind herself.
When she got to the wall itself, Hermione hung back under the gate. Invisibility would do her no good if she was caught by a mass of spellfire and Harry had emphasized not rushing headlong into fights, even in his classes.
Looking out, the first thing she saw was Harry and the Headmaster standing there like they had stepped straight out of a storybook. Her mind recalled the time she had read the Lord of the Rings books, specifically the Return of the King. Towards the end of the book the Free Peoples of Middle Earth faced off against the armies of the Dark Lord in a desperate bid to buy some time for two hobbits to destroy the last thing keeping that Dark Lord tied to existence.
Hermione would not have been surprised to learn that this was what Tolkien had envisioned when he wrote of Gandalf and Aragorn facing off against forces of the East. Harry told me that if I see a snake, I have to kill it. Does that make me Frodo in this situation?
Hermione shook herself as she tried to refocus.
Beyond Harry and Professor Dumbledore, she could see rank upon rank of black-cloaked figures. There were a lot more of them than she had expected and Hermione found that she had some difficulty swallowing. For a long moment nothing happened then the black ranks parted and a figure whose pale white skin contrasted sharply with the black robe it was wearing came forward.
Hermione felt her insides freeze up as she was once again confronted by one of her worst nightmares in the flesh. She tried to breathe through it, but couldn't get her hands to stop trembling.
"Harry Potter! Headmaster Dumbledore! How kind of you to come out and greet me. Perhaps your kindness will extend to offer us all the hospitality of Hogwarts?" the monster's voice called out, carrying easily through the chilly air.
"You always were given to flights of fancy, Tom!" Professor Dumbledore called back.
"I still say that 'pretentious little git' is a better descriptor of him, sir!" Harry called just as loudly.
Hermione wondered if it was just her imagination or whether He Who Must Not Be Named had really just twitched in response to the insult.
"I see that you are having trouble teaching your students manners, Dumbledore. Allow me to assist."
"This from the guy that once set a basilisk on his fellow students?" Harry snarked.
Hermione loved him, she truly did, but she had no idea why he was actively provoking the most dangerous person around. She couldn't deny that it was effective as there was not a trace of a smile left on the Dark Lord's face.
"Interesting that you should mention that affair, Harry. Perhaps you would like a closer look at the creature that was convicted of terrorising the school back then?" Hermione watched as He Who Must Not Be Named raised his wand straight up in the air and it started to produce dark orange fumes and an odd chittering noise.
Harry and Dumbledore had drawn their own wands and taken up ready stances. It did not take long for the orange fog to begin swirling around them. Hermione strained her eyes as she tried to make out any effect that the smoke might be having on the two wizards. Her scrutiny was so intent that she let out a scream when a hairy behemoth with too many legs and eyes erupted from the fog and threw itself at Harry.
Her defence teacher flicked his wand and a white-coloured spell sent the monster crashing to the earth. Fire erupted in a ring around Harry and the Headmaster and there were loud, awful cries as it turned out that more of the creatures had approached under the cover provided by whatever spell the Dark Lord had cast.
Acromantula, Hermione's shocked mind supplied. Giant, man-eating spiders, native to Borneo. Colony in the Forbidden Forest according to Harry's journal. She gulped and tried to remind herself that Harry had experience with these beasts and had the Headmaster with him. Thinking of Harry shifted her focus from the acromantula to the two men fighting them.
From her position in the shadow of the portcullis, Hermione could see the way Harry and the Headmaster were working together. The Headmaster controlling a wall of fire around them while Harry's wand spat out curses that dropped the acromantula like flies.
A loud cry almost directly next to her caused Hermione to flinch away and crouch down. Looking around she felt her breath catch at the spectacle before her and her jaw dropped as she saw Professor McGonagall charging out the gate and across the field, her long hair streaming behind her like a banner, her claymore raised in a single hand. Behind her the ghostly warriors followed impossibly quickly, their own weapons raised to the sky along with the ghostly wail of a war cry that had drawn her attention in the first place.
Curses flew, but seemed not to have any effect and the force crashed into the group of wizards that had been identified as the Knights of Walpurgis, sending bodies scattering to the earth and swarming over them in a glowing tide, dragging the hated battleflag to the mud.
Everyone's got their hands full. Now or never, old girl. Hermione took one more deep breath and sprinted away from the gate, sticking to the wall as much as she could until she could duck across a relatively empty stretch of field and into the fringes of the Forbidden Forest.
Keeping an eye out for any creatures that might have ways of finding her despite her invisibility, Hermione began working her way around the battlefield under cover of the trees. With most of the combatants facing the castle, there were almost no curses flying towards the Forest which allowed her to make good time, flitting unseen from tree to tree.
By the time she had made it behind the Death Eater ranks, Hermione couldn't see a single acromantula that was still standing. Through gaps that were appearing the crowd in front of her she could see that a large group of witches and wizards were trying to encircle her boyfriend and Headmaster.
The two wizards were standing back-to-back, their wands moving faster than Hermione had ever seen before. I didn't realise Harry held back quite so much during our mock duels… It was a breath-taking display of magic. One that made blindingly clear what people meant when they said that Dumbledore was the most powerful wizard on earth and that they might well one day say the same of Harry.
After a minute, Hermione understood that a large part of the reason the two weren't being encircled completely was that there was a barrage of supporting fire that launched from the walls of Hogwarts whenever a black cloak got too close. Harry and Dumbledore had placed themselves far enough away from the castle that they could draw out enemies piecemeal, while still being able to receive support if they threatened to be overwhelmed.
For whatever reason, Voldemort had yet to commit all of his forces. She couldn't see the Dark Lord himself anywhere either. Just another reason to be careful, old girl. If there is one person you don't want to run into by accident it would be him.
What is he holding back for though?
A loud crash sounded from the area of the Forest where Hermione had initially entered. Her attention snapped towards the noise as her body dropped into a crouch and her wand came out. Seeing that the thin length of wood sticking out of thin air, Hermione jerked her hand back under the cloak and scanned the edge of the Forest.
In the distance she could some trees swaying as if a large mass were pushing past them. Hermione gasped as the disturbance revealed itself to be a trio of massive trolls lurching out of the Forbidden Forest. Her body trembled against the cloak she was wearing. How on earth are we going to deal with those?!
She ducked a little closer to the tree she was hiding behind and did her best not to draw attention from the giant hominids until she had a plan to defeat them.
As Hermione watched, one of the trolls swung its club wide at a nearby greenhouse, obliterating the roof. It let out a deep, slow "hurhurhur" and Hermione realised that it was laughing at the destruction it had caused. It bent over the wreckage it had caused to peer inside.
Without warning the troll toppled over like it had been yanked down. Hermione could see the way it was pushing against the ground, trying to get back to its feet. Vines snaked out from among the shards of the greenhouse and captured one of the troll's arms, lifting the appendage of the ground so that it became useless for exerting any kind of leverage. Hermione realised that she could recognise the plant in question from her reading. Devil's Snare. Likes cool, damp environments. I didn't realise it would be territorial… unless…
Knowing only one wizard who could control plants like that, Hermione turned her head to look for Harry. She caught a glimpse of him, hand outstretched towards the greenhouse, confirming her suspicion. She turned her attention back to the troll, hoping that Harry wasn't going to get too distracted from the more immediate threat of the witches and wizards around him.
The troll's two companions had wandered on ahead, but were turning around, as if they had just noticed that their friend was missing. One of them reached down into the greenhouse, only to jerk its hand back, pulling up the plant that was wrapped around its wrist. Hermione watched as the plant pulled itself forward like a rolling octopus, its vines snaring the troll's head and throat. The only troll that was still free gave a mighty roar and swung its club at the plant on its friend's head.
The blow tore apart the vines and also turned the second troll's head to mush. The troll that had swung its club stood blinking stupidly at its friend's headless corpse, which slowly collapsed to the earth. Hermione noticed that the first troll was now sagging limply against on top of the greenhouse's wall as the vines around it's body continuously writhed and tightened. That probably won't hold for long either. I wonder if it's already dead.
The one troll that was still upright let out another bellow and charged the greenhouse, it's club high over its head. It began smashing what was left of the structure repeatedly, finally causing the wall its companion was draped over to collapse. The wrapped up troll didn't so much as twitch, confirming to Hermione that it was likely already dead.
I should try to make sure those plants of Harry's can finish the job. She took careful aim, counting out the timing in her head. "Reducto."
The troll's club splintered overhead, raining a shower of splinters down on its head. The troll looked up at the sky and then down again, bringing the stump which had once been the club's handle up to it's face to inspect it. A moment later it howled in pain as the vines had picked up the surrounding splinters and stabbed them into its knees and ankles.
The troll dropped to the ground, still screaming and clutching at its legs. With its head so close to the earth and its hands otherwise occupied, the Devil's Snare was able to wrap itself around the beast's head and shoulders. One of the troll's hands came up and started tugging at the vines, only to be caught up in another layer of plant-growth and tied to the troll's head. Within a few minutes the troll's struggles had weakened significantly and Hermione was sure that she could leave the final elimination of this particular threat to the plants in the assaulted greenhouse.
She glanced back to where she had last seen Harry and the Headmaster fighting. The two of them were still upright, though the tide of figures in black cloaks had surged closer to them. Harry! She barely managed to keep from crying his name out loud.
Hermione's wand was already up and pointing at the Death Eaters trying to kill her boyfriend when she gritted her teeth and forced herself not to cast anything yet. The snake. I have to wait for the snake.
Unable to do anything, Hermione watched as Harry and Professor Dumbledore were pushed back step by step. She was surprised to see that the cover-fire from the castle didn't increase as the two wizards were pushed back in range. Are they tired already? How are Harry and the Headmaster supposed to hold out like this?
A loud cheer from the Death Eaters drew her attention back to the fight. At the front of the press surrounding her boyfriend, the pale form of the Dark Lord had appeared once more. Hermione's eyes found him just in time to be blinded by a massive spell-flash as the ground under her shook and rumbled. There were so many screams from the battlefield that Hermione was sure that whatever He Who Must Not Be Named had just done, he had manged to injure at least several of his own followers in the process.
Blinking the stars out of her eyes, Hermione saw that a yawning chasm had opened up in Hogwarts' lawn, separating Harry and Professor Dumbledore. With a loud cry every single Death Eater who could manage it charged at the Headmaster. The tide almost threatened to swallow him when, with a loud battle cry, Professor McGonagall and her ghostly army appeared at his side, charging into the witches and wizards around them and slaughtering dozens within seconds while the rest fell back to try attacking from a distance.
At the same time, Harry was doing his best to fend off a barrage of spells from the Dark Lord's wand. His movements were quick and fluid as water, but he was being steadily driven back. The Death Eaters on his side of the chasm were running away from their master's battle, heading towards where their fellows were doing their best to hold against Hogwarts' Headmaster and Deputy Headmistress, leaving Harry and He Must Not Be Named to fight a true duel.
Taking one last look at her embattled teachers, Hermione turned her focus entirely on the man she loved, fighting for his life, and began making her way over to the part of the Forest that Harry was being driven to.
AN:
I've heard it said that there is a curse in the armed forces that goes something along the lines of "may you have a dozen subordinates just like you". Harry is finding out why that is considered a curse. He's also running into a problem I often hear parents discussing: how do you know when a child (in that case) is ready to stand on their own two legs.
Elizabeth Bathory, Countess of Ecsed, is also known to history as the Blood Countess and the is the Guinness World Record Holder for Most Prolific Female Serial Murderer. Her kill count stands somewhere in the hundreds and she was known for mutilating her victims by, for example, chewing off their faces and other such happy pastimes. The coat of arms for Ecsed (now called Nagyecsed) is vert, lion rampant or, armed argent and langued gules, bearing a sword. (For people who don't speak blazon: a green background with a golden lion with silver/white claws and a red tongue, standing on its rear legs and holding a sword). I changed the device slightly to a manticore to be the sigil of the magical branch of that particular house. Extra tidbit: in blazon a golden griffin would be a griffin d'or. Also a griffin denotes "strength, military courage and leadership", "courage and boldness" and is "drawn to powerful, fierce monsters". Or (gold) represents "generosity, elevation of the mind and wealth". I mention this for no particular reason. Carry on.
The sowing of dragon teeth to grow warriors is found in two separate ancient Greek myths: the founding of Thebes and the quest for the Golden Fleece. In both cases those warriors were less cooperative than the ones here.
A 'fyrd' is an Anglo-Saxon levy. Basically all the men of a particular shire being called up for war. Since we're calling up a bunch of dead ancestors to fight, I went with Fyrd of the Fallen.
The name 'Pen-Y-Cat' apparently means something like Battle Chief and was used in the Song of Albion trilogy to address Scatha, the legendary female warior who trained the likes of Cu Chulainn in Celtic mythology. Knuckling one's forehead as a salute comes from those same books and was only ever used in real life by British sailors around the time of the Napoleonic Wars as far as I can tell. However, I like the image and decided to include it here as a bit of an homage to one of my absolute favourite trilogies.