Warnings: M/m, time travel, Suicidal thoughts, PTSD, Voldemort/Harry, Dumbledore bashing.
...
Two figures rushed into the Entrance Hall with human like creatures right on their heels. The creatures were Nargaks. With long spindly arms and legs they looked like malformed humans. They chittered in a language that nothing in their world understood. They carried knives stolen from the bodies of those they killed. Nargaks were not smart creatures and without threats of the one who brought them into the world they wouldn't be able to stay in groups larger than 5. The four that had been chasing the two men had not obeyed their orders. It would be their downfall.
One figure, a tall man with short ebony hair and piercing green eyes that held flecks of his power. The man wore a green shirt, black pants, and a colorshifting cloak. He also wore dragonhide boots inside the boots were two goblin steel knives. At his hip was a long sword with a wooden hilt.
The second man was slightly shorter than the first but still tall by human standards. He too had black hair cut short and his eyes were a piercing blue that when angered flashed amber. His attire was exactly the same as the first though instead of a long sword he wore two falchions at his belt.
As the Nargaks flung themselves through the doors of the Hall two young men pushed the doors closed. The two men pulled their swords from their sheathes and engages the nargaks. Expertly they twisted around the attacks meant to cut through their clothes. Occasionally they blocked but more often than not the simply went around.
Avoiding being struck was key. Any wounds created by cuts or bites would almost certainly get infected. With the world in its current state infection would equal death.
The green haired man landed a powerful blow to the nargaks throat. His sword went in easily just below the chin. The blue eyed man had also killed his nargak. His falchion had cut it across the throat severing the jugular.
Black blood stained both of their blades and they had to cut cloth off their sleeves to clean it. Blood of the dark kind such as nargaks, not dark creatures which were born in the world created by the Blessed Mother Magic, would eat away at any metals.
The blue eyed man said, "There will be more of them Headmaster. We should portal the students out while we can."
The other gritted his teeth with anger both at their situation and himself. He was powerful but not even he could handle that many of the Dark Kind that were outside by himself. The wards on the grounds had failed and only the interior wards were holding. Barely. When the door was opened they would drop again. Even that wouldn't hold much longer.
He could feel the wavering of the magic on the otherside of where they stood. They had five minutes at best. How had it come to this?
That was a stupid question. He knew exactly how it had come to this. Mother Magic was weak and could no longer hold back the Dark Kind. She was weak because the balance had been broken. Voldemort had been their last chance at finding a balance.
Dumbledore had been lying to them for years. Dark, Light, and Neutral magics were all tequired to keep things in balance. The holidays and their respective rituals kept the wizards in tune with Mother Magic. Without that they grew weaker and weaker.
In ancient tomes that he found when he visited Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets told him the truth. Unlike what they thought for so long there was no such thing as squibs. Magic fell into two major categories. High Magic and Low Magic. What they had thought was simply magic that all wizards used was Higj Magic of the Spellcasting variety. There were many sub categories of High and Low Magic.
The biggest thing was that there were no squibs. What people saw as squibs were those who had no High Magic talent but did have a talent in Low Magic. It was not the same but it still made them magical.
Lies that ultimately doomed them. Within two years of Voldemort's defeat the muggles found them. During the war with the muggles a new Dark Lord appeared. Zane the newest Dark Lord was in fact a Conjurer. He had found others who were like him while the war with the muggles raged.
A year after he first appeared doing small raids that were inconsequential the first big raid happened. Their first interaction with a member of the Dark Kind. Over 700 people died that night. Wizards and muggles alike fell unable to fight against them. Bullets did nothing to the beasts unless it went through their brains. And that only worked on the nargaks. High Magic would work if it had enough power behind it but there too few left who had that kind of power. Low Magic would allow others to hide from them.
It took them another year to realize old weapons worked best. Swords, knives, bows etc. all worked well against the Dark Kind. As such wizards and muggles, those who were left had to work together. Otherwise they would all die. Even with their cooperation it wasn't enough. Their world was ravaged barely ten years after Voldemort's defeat.
The problem with sending the students away was that there was nowhere to send them. Every safe heaven that they knew of had been ravaged by Dark Kind. Even the goblins were gone brought down by an attack just two weeks prior. No this was their final stand.
The green eyed man turned on his heel and headed to where everyone would be gathered. The other three fell into their places behind him. As he neared the Great Hall doors they opened just enough to allow them through.
Dirty frightened faces of both young and old, wizard and muggle looked at him. There was hope in their eyes. A hope that he would not be able to fulfill. This would be their final stand.
He looked towards the students. A few of the braver ones were standing and adjusting their robes for better access to weapons. They were frightened but wanted to help. Bravery was good but this was beyond bravery. What were they to do?
Neville Longbottom entered the Hall from a side passage way. Seeing their looks he shook his head mournfully. That was it then. There was nowhere left to run. This was the final stand.
The green eyed man began barking orders, "On your feet. Those who can hold strong shields get in front of the young. Those with bows line up. If there is any Aires do not use your bows. Everyone else form up and prepare for our final stand."
Looks were exchanged but no one argued with his sharp orders. Those who specialized in bows trembled. They feared the fact that Aires could come.
Aires were wolf like Dark Kind though more than twice the size of the largest wolves. They had bright blue fur and dark eyes. Their fur could stop most projectiles including bullet unless it was point blank. Even swords and knives needed a razor like edge or it wouldn't do any damage. Their weakest points were just below the jaw in the softest part of neck and into the abdomen. The trouble was getting to those places without dying.
For his part the green eyed man adjusted his goblin steel focus on his right wrist. This was their final stand. If there was any time to use Ancient Dark Magic now was the time.
To the blue eyed he whispered, "Buy me time."
"You're going to use it now?"
"Do you have a better plan?"
His friend paled but shook his head. They both knew it was a last resort spell untested and for good reason. There was a strong chance of anything within 30 miles being destroyed beyond recognition. Every person their knew the risks of what he was about to do. If anyone wanted to leave he wouldn't stop them. There was no point. There was nowhere for anyone to go.
Many began prayers to Mother Magic or the Blessed Mother as they tended to call her. Silently he did the same. Pushing aside his regrets he began the activation sequences. Around him the castle shook with the force from the attacks outside. Spellfire could be heard just on the edge of one's hearing. Several possibilities with that. None of them were pleasant.
On the green eyed man's right hand was a set of grey and black stars. It was the mark of someone who had a strong talent in spacial magic. He had the strongest talent seen since the time of Merlin according to the records. Strong talent did not acquaint to skill however. It had taken him many years in order to have the amount of control over his magic that he had. For one wrong move could spell the destruction and death of thousands. Back when there were still that many to spare.
Above him black and gold magic swirled fighting against his control. Control was necessary to bring the magic into seven points. If the user's concentration faltered even for a moment it would kill and likely vaporize anything within miles. How many exactly was unknown.
Around the green eyed man the others shivered feeling the magic. No matter how many times it was felt at full strength no one got used to it. Raw magic that was meant to be anchored to another who was long dead. No one else had the strength to be an anchor.
Just as the wards failed and the doors were blown wide open by the blue furred Aires with Nargaks riding them, seven stars formed. Four black three gold. The air grew oppressive with the wizard's magic. It caused several several Aires to stop suddenly ans rear back. This threw the Nargaks from their backs. Those who chose to fight took their chances. Screams began almost immediately. As did the sounds of steel on stone.
The green eyed man ignored it all. Silently his lips were moving as he began the chant. If it failed there was no use in allowing Zane to know how to use it himself. The air became charged with magic as wizards entered with Zane hot on their heels.
Zane was a tall man nearly seven feet in height. He wore blood red robes and a grey wand was held in his fingertips. He didn't need the wand but it inspired fear. Dark eyes immediately found the one who had been a thorn for many years. Their final confrontation.
Black Magic began to form in front of the Dark Lord. Around them humans and Dark Kind fought desperately against each other. The blue eyed man kept the Dark Kind off of the Headmaster. Even as the walls that had protected them for so long were blown apart with magic. More wizards and Dark Kind entered. Soon they would be overrun.
The seven stars were shone as they were connected by golden magic. Across the Great Hall Zane too had finished preparation for his own spell.
The green eyed man snarled out as the air became full of static, "Spacial Array: Divine Judgment!"
A strange array of colors from the magic erupted. Just as Zane's silent spell erupted. The two clashed for a moment before it exploded.