Disclaimer: I am not Timothy Zahn or J.K. Rowling.

Back in the heat of the Nimbus battle, Rogue Squadron and the Ford Anglia engage Ministry forces. Harry and Ron struggle to destroy the mole miners, to no avail.

Ron. Anything?

Harry. Doesn't look like it. There's just too much armor over the coolant-feeder lines.

Ron. This isn't getting us anywhere. There's got to be some way to take out a capital broomship.

Neville. That's what other capital broomships are for. But you're right. This isn't working.

Ron. [into the transmitter] Hedwig. You still on line back there?

Hedwig. [beeps and whistles]

Ron. Go through your schematics again. See if you can find us another weak point.

Hedwig. [beeps and whistles]

Harry. He's not going to find anything better, Ron. I don't think we've got any choice left. I'm going to have to go topside and use my lightwand on it.

Ron. That's mental, and you know it. Without a proper pressure suit, and with engine coolant spraying all over you if it works . . .

Neville. How about using one of the droids?

Harry. Neither of them can do it. Hedwig hasn't got the manipulative ability. And I wouldn't trust Percy with a weapon, especially not with all the high-acceleration maneuvers we're making.

Ron. What we need is a remote manipulator arm, something that Harry could use inside while . . . [into the transmitter] Dean. Dean! Get up here.

Harry. I've got him strapped in.

Ron. Well, go unstrap him and get him up here. Now.

Harry. Right.

Harry heads off to retrieve Dean.

Neville. What is it?

Ron. We were there on Cornwall when the Ministry stole these mole miners from Dean. We had to reroute our communications through some jamming.

Neville. Okay. So?

Ron. So why were they jamming us? To keep us from calling for help? From whom? They're not jamming us here, you notice.

Neville. [testy] I give up. Why?

Ron. Because they had to. Because . . .

Enter Dean.

Dean. Because most of the mole miners on Cornwall were running on radio remote.

Ron turns to face Dean.

Ron. You heard all that?

Dean sits beside Ron.

Dean. Every part that mattered. I could kick myself for not seeing it long ago.

Ron. Me, too. You remember any of the command codes?

Dean. Most of them. What do you need?

Ron. We don't have time for anything fancy. The mole miners are still attached to the brooms. Just start 'em all running.

Dean. [surprised] Start them running?

Ron. You got it. All of them are going to be near a bridge or control wing. If they can burn through enough equipment and wiring, it should knock out the whole lot of them.

Dean. You're the boss. I just hope you know what you're doing. Ready?

Ron. Do it.

Dean keys in the code. The mole miner cuts completely through the selkie cruiser, and it erupts in flame.

Dean. It's cut all the way through.

The Ministry brooms try to assist, but it is too late to prevent it from exploding.

Neville. It's working. Look. It's working.

All the selkie cruisers with mole miners attached to them explode, keeping them out of the hands of the Ministry. The Battle of Nimbus becomes a Council victory, but at a great cost.

As far off on Nurmengard Grindelwald and Ogden recognize their defeat, each take a moment before responding.

Grindelwald. [to Ogden] Have all the remaining Cloak Force brooms returned to our ships, Captain?

Ogden. Yes, sir.

Grindelwald. [nods] Then order the task force to begin its withdrawal.

Ogden. Withdrawal?

Grindelwald. [smiles] You were expecting, perhaps, that I'd order an all-out attack? That I would seek to cover our defeat in a frenzy of false and futile heroics?

Ogden. Of course not.

Grindelwald. We haven't been defeated, Captain, merely slowed down a bit. We have Horcrux, and we have the treasures of the Dark Lord's storehouse. Nimbus was to be merely a preliminary to the campaign, not the campaign itself. As long as we have the Horcrux Cave, our ultimate victory is still assured.

Grindelwald looks out the viewport.

We've lost this particular prize, Captain. But that's all we've lost. I will not waste brooms and men trying to change that which cannot be changed. There will be many more opportunities to obtain the brooms we need. Carry out your orders.

Ogden. Yes, Admiral.

Ogden sighs with relief, as he carries out Grindelwald's order.

[aside] So there will not be an explosion, after all. I should have known. Grindelwald is not merely a soldier, like so many others I've served with. He is, instead, a true warrior with his eye set on the final goal and not on his own personal glory. Once again, I wonder what the Battle of the Forbidden Forest might have been like had Grindelwald been in command, instead Snape and the Dark Lord.

Exit all.