Author's Note:

I would like to start off this chapter by saying that yes, Theo and Sebastian have matching Patronuses and yes, that does mean they are destined to be together and does essentially mean they are soulmates, but Harry and Ginny are soulmates too.

I have said this more than once throughout this story. They are connected on a level even deeper than Theo and Bas could ever hope to be. Harry and Ginny are the missing piece of each other's soul. They fit together in ways that they could never truly fit with another soul. They belong together and this has been tested time and time again. The amount of reviews and tumblr asks that I received telling me I've ruined this story by making Theobas soulmates and not Hinny was hurtful. I see these comments as people telling me that they haven't truly read this story at all because if they had, they would have seen how powerful Harry and Ginny are connected. Ginny and Harry's connection has been tested time and time again from Ginny being the only person to break Harry out of a Veela trance, to her being who he connected to despite being dosed with a love potion, to her needing to be by his side when he returned from the graveyard and him not wanting her to go despite having a girlfriend at the time. This connection was made stronger when they finally became a couple from Harry breaking through her barriers and the level of trust Ginny gave him after everything she's been through from the potion that made Ginny want to kill him and how it strengthened them even more. They are the other half of each other and I truly believe they share not only a soul but a heart. Remus and Tonks have the wolf mate connection which is powerful as well, but is different. Hinny are the main couple of this story and have been my plan from the very beginning. The fact that I write so many other couples as well doesn't deter from them and their story. This story is fully written and complete and has been for some time now. I don't write each chapter week by week and I think that after 346 chapters that those of you reading should know to trust me by now and how I plot and detail things out. I have plans and plots that aren't explained in one chapter. Please trust me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions and thoughts, but there is no need for animosity and disrespectful reviews or comments insulting or hurting other reviewers for loving other couples.

Fandom is meant to be enjoyed by all no matter who you love. I write this story in my own time for free, respect is the least you can offer me for sharing it with you.

Thank you.

As to GloriousSin who has been reviewing consistently the first 70ish chapters of ASC and listing off every single character they hate (including Remus, Sirius, and Harry) before leaving a giant note that Zee is a horrible human being and no one should read this story because it's a huge waste of their time — why did you read this story if you hate everyone it's written about? The fact that they think I'm only thirteen years old is a bit laughable and over twenty years too late lol. This story is a bit mature to have been written by someone so young. I have no words for that animosity and hate for fictional characters.

Completing this story has been heartbreaking and difficult to do. I didn't want it to end and lately I've been feeling very on the fence about writing the third part at all. But the extreme level of anger and hate I received after posting this one has really pushed me back and out of my writing mindset. I want to write it. I want to continue this tale and share it with those of you who are interested in reading it. I hope you will show me that's not a waste of my time to do so.

Thank you to everyone who has been reading.

Reviews and Comments: To Hellpony: Also an excellent song, thank you. To AQuickRead91: Thank you! To Allyriablack8: Sorry, not going to tell you who will die. Thank you! To SweetPhrogJezus: I'm sorry I made you cry when Remus and Tonks said goodbye to Teddy. Thank you! Thanks for the second review, but sorry, not telling on who will live and who will die. To Khanate: Thank you! I'm glad you're excited. To shuweet: I love that you were anxious! Yes, I loved having Theo and Sebastian have matching Patronuses. You think Bellarosa is going to turn on Rossi? Yes, the fireworks and defences are definitely from Fred and George. Thank you! To Masonjar191: Thanks for loving the song choice. Thank you! To Susanne_BK: Thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying The First Time Around just as much. I appreciate the kind words. To AmericanDesi: Thank you. Yes, this battle is different from canon. I hope there will be some surprises. To Hannah: Tonks is not going to leave her man behind. Thank you! To AnaGPotter: Thank you! To TatiRena: No promises on who will live and who will die. Thank you! To Mackie919: Thank you! I did have a nice Thanksgiving, thank you. To ResaThee: Ha, I love that you have no sense of self-preservation when it comes to reading. Thank you for reading and loving my story so much.

To ravenclaw_rockchick: Harry is organized and he knows to sort things like his will because of everything that Sirius has taught him. Thanks for loving my Wizard of Oz reference. That would be a great shirt! No, Theo and Bas don't know they have matching Patronuses. Theo has kept up with his sword training and he knows how to use it. McGonagall is accepting the compromise but she doesn't have to like it. I really wanted Harry to wear Sirius' jacket in this moment. It's an important moment. Sorcha, Colt, and Flo are watching Mina, Leo, Aydin, and now Teddy. Blaise needs to be cocky and self-assured, I think without it, he would be too afraid. Thanks for liking Astoria here. Yes, we will see some of Rolf's suitcase. Voldemort doesn't care that he has few secrets. He just wants Harry dead and to take over the castle. Thank you very much! To Preethi Rao: I love long reviews so thank you! I'm so happy to hear that this chapter soothes your "Harry Potter fan for life soul" lol. Yes, I wanted Harry to have warning prior to the attack and to be ready. No, that was the Wizard of Oz, not Narnia. Luna does have some responsibility in the battle and it made sense for her to be with the Thestrals in my mind. Having Ron and Hermione help McGongall protect the castle, I felt was very important not only for them as Head Boy and Girl, but because of who they are and McGonagall's trust in them. Thanks for liking the defences for the castle. Thanks for liking the details I've drawn forth from Fantastic Beasts. Yes, the fireworks flipping them off was definitely Fred and George lol. Thank you!

To Marigold177: That's a good meme lol. Thank you! To reginaphalange: I'm glad I'm keeping you on the hook lol. Yes, definitely a move from the twins. Thank you! To BadWolfKris: Thank you for saying it was an epic lead up. Well, I named the operation way back over two hundred chapters ago, it had to come into play again. Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thank you! To katelyn453: Thank you! To darkhk: No promises on who I will kill and who I will not. Thank you! To Guest: Thank you for saying it was the perfect way to start an epic battle. To Bhelliom: Yup, the honking is definitely the Canadian Cobra Chickens lol. Thank you! To riddermark: I'm sorry you're shaking in excitement, but what a great compliment! Thank you! To Zarathos Morgenstern: Yes, the honking is definitely the geese about to attack. Thank you! To Cassiopeia Anastasia Black: Thank you for saying it was a nice set up to the battle and for liking that Theo and Bas share a Patronus. Yes, Rolf has his grandfather's case. Thank you! To BrookGuitar: Those are interesting predictions on who will die. Thanks for liking the Hogwarts defences. Thank you! To scrappy8: Thank you! To Padfoot777: Thank you for being a fan since the beginning. Thank you for saying this story continually sucks you in re-read after re-read and still makes you laugh and cry every time. I'm honoured by that! Thank you! To Nightwing2013: I'm glad the title made you giggle. Yes, Fred saying "I"m destructible" could be either. Sirius' song idea makes total sense. Thank you! To Stilly24: Nope, Voldemort was not prepared for the twins lol. Thank you!

To skyboundforlife: I have never once said that Theo and Sebastian are the best couple. They are one of my favourites, yes, but Hinny is the best and by making them have matching Patronuses, they are meant to be together, but Hinny are soulmates as well. The fact that you are "sad and disappointed" shows me that you haven't really read this story and the soulmate connection that Harry and Ginny have. They are meant to be together in ways that other couples are not. I've said it time and time again. It was shown with their connection early on from Harry's reaction to the Veela, to the love potion, etc. From how Ginny reacted to the potion given to her, to how they calm and make each other feel better and safe — they are soulmates in a way that no other couple can ever compare too. I'm glad that you love ASC, but I don't think you understand it. I' m thankful you still loved the chapter despite focusing on a part that makes no sense to me. As to the character deaths, you will have to wait and see. Thank you. To the frozen flame: Thank you for saying the chapter was amazing and structured so well. Having Remus think about the battle was even a little bit for Peter made sense to me, it's for everyone he's lost and he considers Peter to be part of that loss. I love the predictions on who will live and who will die. All very interesting. Thank you for leaving a second review. I agree, all couples in this story are amazing and lovely. I'm glad you have your favourite couples and I'm glad people love certain couples over others, but your words really struck home with me. Thank you for saying "Ron takes care of Hermione when she needs it most, Harry and Ginny know each other better than they know themselves, Neville helped Hannah be more confident and get out of the toxic relationship with her mother, Fred and Fiadh make each other laugh whenever they both need it, Audrey helps Percy remember to have fun, Bill stuck by Fleur unconditionally regardless of what anyone else said, George and Angelina leaned on each other when he lost his leg and she lost one of the things which gave her the most joy, Tonks helped Remus be content with who he is, and Theo and Bas are so sweet and Bas was Theo's rock through the Macmillan parole situation. None of these things need to mean more or less than the others, same patronus or not. Bree, I absolutely adore what you've done with all of the couples in this wonderful story." Thank you so much for these words, they mean so much! Thank you! To LBricker88: Thank you for saying this story is truly amazing and for loving the choice of using the Twisted Sister song. Thank you! To GODMISHA: Ha, thanks for saying I made you pee yourself laughing. To StarryNights: Thank you for liking the war prep chapter. I'm glad Rossi's character is intriguing. Yes, Theo and Bas having the same Patronus is adorable, but they haven't spoken about how they feel yet (nor do they know they share a Patronus). Thank you!

To jlo: Thanks for thinking Theo and Sebastian having the same Patronus is cute, but it is not fucked up that Hinny is the main couple. Harry and Ginny are soulmates and I'm very hurt that people seem to think I messed everything up by showing another couple connected and in love. I never once said Theo and Sebastian were the most important couple. Thank you for still enjoying the chapter. To alix33: Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Yes, the castle's defenders have done a lot of planning and preparation. Thank you! To Sets: Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes. Thanks for liking the fireworks and the Twisted Sister song. You will have to wait and see who lives and dies. Thank you! To Slaidback: Thank you for saying this was epic. I'm glad you're enjoying it. To Nuno Neves: Thanks for loving the preparation of the battle. I loved showing where each of them were stationed to be throughout the battle. Yes, Rolf definitely made Hagrid's dreams come true. Thank you! To FlorenceGem: Everyone is prepared to fight. I think showing the trust everyone has in Harry, even over him having a dream, shows how important he is. Again, I did not reveal that Theo and Sebastian are perfect soulmates and Hinny are not. Harry and Ginny have proven time and time again that they are perfect soulmates in so many ways. If you can't see that, I'm sorry that you missed out on such a vital part of this story and how I showed how their connection is stronger than any other couple in a multitude of ways. As to Ron killing Nagini, it is his plan. Thanks for liking the Canadian geese addition as well as the dragons. Thank you.

To theobasdefender: There was no need for this angry review. To the Mandalorian terminator: Thank you for saying this chapter gave you goosebumps. Thanks for being excited. Thank you. To Palmtreat: Thank you for being excited! I love that you are set with chocolate, popcorn, and tissues! Thank you! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you for loving the taunting music and fireworks. It was fun. Thank you! To Read and Fly: Aw, I'm sorry you're crying already. As to what Lily told Harry, we will have to see. Thank you for saying my writing is fantastic! To harstonks: Thank you very much! To The Booknerds: Thank you! To ascfan: Aw, sorry to make you want to cry, wait and see. Thank you! To EnigmaticEmperor: Thank you for loving how everything has come together — I did try my best to bring it all together. Yes, Theo and Bas are in love and neither of them have told each other. That moment with McGonagall was too iconic not to bring into play. Yes, will see some of the animals in Rolf's case. Thanks for finding this chapter heartbreaking and exciting. I love writing sassy characters, especially Tonks. You're welcome for providing the character list. Thank you! To Undead Gothic Princess: Thanks for loving the start of the battle with the song choice. Thanks for enjoying how I portray Crouch's twisted and sadistic mind, it is fun. Thank you very much! To A Huge Fan: Thank you for loving my level of detail and thought. Theo does deserve love. Not having Ginny leave Harry's side was too important in my mind. They are so in love and so connected and attuned to each other, there is no where else she should be. Thank you! To The Geordie bookworm: Yes, it is the homestretch, I cannot believe it either! Thank you for saying I've developed the characters so well that you are traumatized thinking about who the casualties will be. Thank you!

To pix25: Thank you! To tim2604: Harry definitely looks like a hot badass dressed for war. I'm glad you think the Spook Squad looks intimidating. Everyone is ready. Thank you very much for loving the music. Thank you! To Bluerain22: It is ironic you returned to the story in time for the start of the battle, but thanks for catching up! Thank you! To ellyann13: Sebastian's Patronus has always been a macaroni penguin and he wasn't trying to hide it, he and Theo have just never seen each other's Patronuses before. The skrewts are there to cause mischief and damage. Thank you! To Gigi87: I did, thank you! I hope your Thanksgiving was lovely as well. You think Theo and Bas will admit they're in love like Ron and Hermione did in DH with a kiss in the middle of the battle? Interesting. Harry wearing part of Sirius' attire is so important, I think. McGonagall is very worried about the students, but she's very focused as well and understands that despite her misgivings, she can only prevent so much from happening. I agree, Maggie Smith is too old to be McGonagall but no one is more perfect for the role. You think Rolf will be love struck by Luna when he sees her riding a Thestral? You think Volk is going to turn? Interesting. I think Greg understands Astoria and he just wanted to show support. She's been such a big help to him and Pansy with Grayson that he wants to be supportive of her in turn. Yes, Fiadh is fighting in the battle — there's no changing her mind. You think Zee should kill Bellatrix instead of Molly? I'm glad the runes are driving you insane, I wanted to show that Voldemort wants to attempt to use them — we'll see how well he succeeds. The moment anyone tried to get past the doors of the castle, the music blasted out, the same song on repeat over and over. You think Belladonna is going to kill Rossi? Thank you! I hope you like where the story continues to go!

To Spike's Number One Pet: First of all, I love Spike. Second, thanks for catching up! Looks like you did so just in time! Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To Bellmel: It is a bit angsty, but Harry knows he has to be prepared for anything, even his death. Yes, the penguin is huge! I love Ron pointing it out just because he's usually so oblivious lol. Game of Thrones vibes? Thank you. It is a calm before the storm and I hope you like where this chapter takes us next. Thank you!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!


CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SEVEN:

The One Where This Is Our Life,

This Is Our Home

Seamus and Dean were standing guard over the North Tower.

They had eight archers with them, all third years, who were sending arrows down at the approaching army very successfully. Kellan Cork had arrived with another fae from the Royal Guard that they didn't know and the fae were working alongside of the students, their bows ready. Two magizoologists had appeared ten minutes earlier with a large trunk between them. Dean and Seamus hadn't had a chance to do more than nod in their direction as they gave orders to the archers and listened to Cork explain where they were going to fire the arrows in the first volley.

When the first few Death Eaters managed to make it pass the bridge, Seamus' eyes met Dean's.

Dean tapped his wand over the record player and the moment they attempted to reach the front doors, the charm on the music activated, blaring it out at them as the loud honking took over.

No!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!

"Now!" Seamus yelled.

Flaming arrows sailed down into the front courtyard as fireworks erupted overhead to the beat of the drums; the lights bright enough to blind someone.

Seamus' eyes widened in shock as fifty long necked birds sprung out of the trunk and dove down in front of the castle, honking obnoxiously. Their wings flapped loudly and Dean's mouth hung open in surprise as they dive bombed the Death Eaters and the army below.

"What the fuck are those things?" Dean demanded.

"Those would be geese," the woman said. "Canadian geese to be exact, but the locals like to call them Cobra Chickens."

The honking grew louder and someone screamed.

Dean looked down, angling his omnioculars in time to see two geese chasing a Death Eater down the bridge. Its long neck stretching in its attempt to beak the chased. The robed figure tripped and fell on the cobblestone, the birds pecking at his robes, tearing into his hair and into his robes with such ferocity, it surprised him.

"Fuck! Vicious little bastards, aren't they?" Seamus exclaimed.

"Yeah, no, for sure," the woman said. "I'm Reagan, by the way, and let me tell you, their bite is more like a pinch, but it'll draw blood well enough. Those suckers have wings that hit harder than a body check into the boards, bud. Trust me, it's more of a shock than anything, eh."

Dean snorted. "I'll say."

Seamus raised his arm as the Canadian geese flew off back towards the tower. "Fire!"

Another wave of flaming arrows landed below, leaving a fiery path preventing entrance into the castle.

Reagan whistled and the man on the tower across the way sent blue sparks into the air. Suddenly the geese were circling back and diving back down towards Voldemort's army.

Seamus shot a sheepish look over at Reagan. "You know, I thought Canadians were supposed to be nice."

"We are," Reagan said with a smile. "The rumour is that all of our animosity went into our geese."

The loud honking was followed by more screams as five geese took a troll down.

"Hey, St Louis!" Ouellette called out. "Let's send half towards the forest. There's another set of hosers coming in from the back. We can have them do it like the drills we practiced out on Boblo!"

"Yeah, no, for sure!" Reagan agreed.

"What's a Boblo?" Dean asked.

Reagan chuckled. "Abandoned Muggle amusement park on Bois Blanc Island. We trained the Cobra Chickens there. Didn't we, Raph?"

"Yeah, no, for sure," Ouellette exclaimed. "We sent pucks flying as bait. They hit those biscuits harder than a slap shot into the net and let me tell you, they were right pissed off when they found out we'd tricked them. Eh, Reagan?"

She laughed. "You don't want to mess with the Cobra Chickens."

"I thought they were called geese?" Seamus asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Sorry, it's a nickname we call them," Ouellette said. "And let me tell you, it suits those fuckers."

Dean looked over at Seamus, shaking his head in amusement. "Next wave, mate?"

Seamus nodded. "Next wave. Fire!"

More arrows rained down as fireworks cracked in the sky, blinding those below from seeing where the arrows were coming from and the music kept playing.

NO!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!

Then there was a load roar.

Dean's eyes widened in amazement as a huge dragon sailed down from the sky. A man with flaming red hair sat astride it; fire shooting from the large jaws of the dragon, and burning a path in the stone. Dragon fire burned so hot that it made a flaming wall, blocking off the entrance to the front of castle.

Seamus grinned. "Looks like the cobra chickens aren't the only weapon we've got. Reload, babe!"

Dean ordered his unit to turn towards the back of the castle to let the next volley of arrows loose and the castle shook from the roar of the dragon.

No, it looked like they had a few more tricks up their sleeves after all.

~ ASC ~

Harry heard the dragon roar as he caught a glimpse of geese attacking Death Eaters. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wasn't sure if he would have believed it.

Canadian geese with their long necks and wide wings were honking and chasing Death Eaters down in front of the castle. One of them was using their sharp beak to peck a troll repeatedly; the troll stupidly tried to swat it away, to no avail. Three of them had latched onto one man's cloak, stripping him of it as he tried to run away, pecking at his arms and legs as he attempted to shield himself. One werewolf struggled to take a bite out of one of the birds' necks and its wing clipped him across the head, startling him and toppling him over backwards. When he hit the ground, two more geese attacked him as he put his arms and legs up in an endeavour to defend himself.

The honking was obnoxiously loud and every time the birds flew up and away, they would fly into a v formation and then dive bomb back down.

Harry had to admit, it was one hell of a sight.

With the front doors of the castle down, the dragon fire and the line of fiery arrows blocking the entrance were the only things holding them out. Aurors and Order members stood guard in the Great Hall, waiting for the final breach.

"In the open, Potter," Moody said gruffly. "We'll have a better chance at surrounding him if we're out in the open."

"Down by the Black Lake," Atwell called out. "It's the best place. We can surround him from all sides."

Harry nodded. "I can do that."

The honking grew louder and suddenly the dragon fire erupted overhead.

"He's coming," Moody declared. "Go, Potter!"

Harry snuck one last look at them before he left, moving through the castle. He knew it wouldn't be long until Ginny found him again. She'd reluctantly left his side to check in with Luna, but the sight of Voldemort's army coming closer made him nervous.

What if she wasn't able to make it back?

No bad thoughts, Potter, he grumbled to himself. Ginny would be there, and even if she wasn't, he knew what he needed to do. In the meantime, he needed to get Voldemort into the open, away from the castle, and he needed to make sure that he had his own army surrounding him.

"You might be the Chosen One, Potter, but even a general has troops," Moody told him.

The assurance had made him feel slightly better about his plan.

The first wave of Voldemort's army came crashing through the front door and Harry jumped to avoid the troll that face planted inside. He ran through the corridor, heading towards the back entrance to the castle and when he burst out into the back courtyard, the sight before him made his eyes widen.

Giants and trolls had come through the Forbidden Forest. Trees were falling down as Death Eaters marched up the grounds towards the castle. More Canadian geese dive bombed towards them and when a dragon soared overhead, Harry ducked behind the wall to avoid the fire that came with it.

He was almost at Hagrid's hut when the troll's club hit him in the back. Harry rolled, wincing at the force of the hit. He leapt back to his feet, his wand out, as the troll starred at him, dimly. The troll's club rose in the air again but before he could swing it towards Harry, it floated out of his hand. Then as if in a dream, the troll looked up stupidly at the floating club before it came crashing down on his head with a heavy thwack!

The troll moved in a dizzy circle before crashing to the ground and Harry's face broke out into a grin when he saw Ron standing behind him, wand in his hand.

"What?" Ron said, his lips curving. "I can't mess with a classic."

Harry snorted. "No, you bloody-well can't."

Ron jumped over the troll's arm, the sword at his thigh. "Is he inside?"

"I think so," Harry said. "We want him out in the open so that he can be surrounded."

Ron scratched his long nose as two Canadian geese dived towards a giant, honking. "Bloody hell, those things are a fucking menace to society!"

"Glad they're on our side," Harry said.

Two masked figures appeared before them and both of their wands raised. Harry's back hit Ron's as he sent the first hex spiralling towards his opponent. The figure dodged and sent one back, but Harry's shield shot up so quickly that the reflection sent it flying back at him. It hit the masked figure straight on and he flew back, crashing into the ground, unmoving. Harry spun to help Ron, but one well-aimed hex from his friend had the Death Eater flipping backwards and hitting the tree.

"Let's stun them and get them tied up," Harry said.

They had just finished when two Aurors came out of the castle with Misha. Misha waved his wand and a golden cage sprung up around the two figures, shimmering in blue energy.

"And no one can break them out?" Ron asked.

Misha shook his head. "No. It's a spell designed by Aurors and full of… let's call it light magic, though that's not quite the vord. It vill become invisible and silent until ve call it forth again."

The cage with the two Death Eaters seemingly vanished into thin air at that moment. Misha took their wands and tossed them into a pouch he wore at his hip.

"Vhen the cage vanishes, it goes to the makeshift prison ve put together inside of the castle. Ve have Aurors guarding it."

Ron squeezed Harry's shoulder in assurance before he tore off towards the castle, wrestling with a vampire before jumping back to his feet and taking off. He was going for the snake and it made Harry uneasy to think about, but he knew that if anyone could do it, Ron could.

Harry ducked as the loud roar from a giant echoed around him. A dragon swooped towards the giant and the giant's fist sent the dragon spiralling. The sound that the dragon made as it crashed towards the ground was enough to make the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Harry jumped back up to his feet and into the fray of werewolves, fighting his way out in any way that he could.

He had to get to the Black Lake to make his stand and once he was there, he needed to get Voldemort to come to him.

He just needed to wait because he knew, Voldemort would come to him.

~ ASC ~

Ron ran back into the castle after leaving Harry outside. He'd left Hermione with the archers on the Astronomy Tower and now that he'd left Harry on the grounds, he knew that finding Nagini was the real priority. The fact that he was heading straight towards Voldemort only terrified him a whole lot.

He ran down the corridor towards the Great Hall just as something crashed through the wall. He flew backwards, wincing as he landed on some rocks in time to watch a giant smash through the wall of the castle. He barely climbed to his feet before someone grabbed him and he swung his fist out, clipping them in the side of the head.

The two of them hit the ground, hard. Ron grunted before he slammed himself over them, using his wand to send then flying backwards. He crawled out of the rubble and through the haze of debris, saw more figures coming through the hole. His wand was in his hand and when the first spell came barrelling towards him, he shot up his shield and fired back.

He had to find that bloody snake!

A dark haired wizard in Auror robes shot at the Death Eater on his right, dropping him to the ground. Ron flicked his wand to the left, knocking the other one back and ended up side by side with the Auror.

"Good aim," the man said.

"Thanks," Ron replied, brandishing his wand to push the rubble back when someone levitated it up and towards them.

They both ducked and rolled behind a broken wall as a giant tore past them, pulverizing rocks under his feet.

"You're Weasley, right?"

Ron nodded, his eyes on the giant as they hid and waited for him to go by. "Yeah, Ron Weasley."

"Eric Baxter," he said, jumping to his feet and sending a hex at the giant's foot. The giant roared and stumbled. He balanced for a half a second before Baxter hexed his other foot and he toppled over. Baxter cupped his hand around his mouth and hollered, "Timber!"

Ron snorted as the giant crashed to the ground, taking out part of a wall as he did. "Nice!"

Baxter grinned. "Got to get them at your level if you're going to have a chance. Nice wand work by the way. I look forward to seeing you at the Academy."

"We have to make it through this first," Ron told him.

"We will," Baxter said, climbing over the giant's leg. "One spell at a time!"

Ron felt assured by the wizard's confidence. "I can agree with that. So, Baxter, have you seen a great big dirty snake slithering around by chance?"

Baxter frowned. "No. How big exactly? I fucking hate snakes."

"Big," Ron said. "It's a python."

Baxter shuddered. "Nope and I hope as hell I don't because I might not be able to control the manly scream that escapes from my lips."

The giant grunted and Baxter winced.

"Come on, we better get a move on. This giant's not going to be unconscious for long."

Ron climbed over the giant, letting Baxter help him over the rubble. "Are we just going to leave him here?"

"For now," Baxter said. "Backup is coming, but I for one am not skilled enough to take out a giant on my own."

Ron ducked as a spell shot at them from the other side of the wall. "Me neither. I can handle a mountain troll though."

Baxter grinned. "I like you, Weasley. But no more time to chat, we've got company."

They rolled behind the wall and Baxter bit his lip.

"Left or right?"

Ron glanced over at the two figures and let out a slow breath. "Left."

On the count of three, they both jumped out to take one of the figures, knocking them both back. The two vampires snarled and Ron stabbed his wand into the vampire's neck hard enough to leave a mark.

"Don't even try to bite me, you tosser!"

The vampire bared his teeth.

Ron slashed his wand and the vampire collapsed to the ground, his arms and legs suddenly tied with long thick ropes, wrapping around his whole body like a mummy. He snarled at him.

"Stay down," Ron ordered.

Baxter snorted. "Yeah, I think I'm looking forward to seeing what you and Potter bring to the department."

The Auror's words made him feel rather emboldened as he left the vampire tied up on the ground and took off past the unconscious giant.

He needed to find that bloody snake.

~ ASC ~

Ginny couldn't stop her eyes from widening as she caught sight of Harry out on the grounds. He was fighting a vampire and a wolf, a wand in one hand and a knife in the other. He moved like lightning and she was in complete in awe of him.

Watching Harry take charge in Defence Club and watching him over the years stand up to dragons and creatures in the Black Lake, to Death Eaters at the Ministry, and facing Voldemort in Hogsmeade had all been very impressive. She'd always been in awe of the confidence that he exuded when she knew that he was only doing what he could to stay alive.

After leaving him to coordinate with Luna on the third floor, she tucked the shrunken Quaffle into her cloak and ran through the castle with her broomstick over her shoulder. When she spotted Colin and Edie snapping photos of the oncoming army, she shouted at them to get to safety. But Colin and Edie were refusing to flee and instead had decided that they needed someone to record the battle. Colin had his camera around his neck and his wand in one hand while Edie did the same. No amount of talking did anything to change their minds.

"Ginny, this is the biggest thing that the wizarding world has ever seen! It's history in the making," Colin insisted. "Any shots that we get will be amazing and so important for the future."

Edie nodded enthusiastically from next to him. "We'll stay out of the way and we have our wands."

Ginny was still very worried about them, but she knew that there was no talking them out of it. Colin was incredibly stubborn once he set his mind on something and after working at the Herald for two years with Edie, Ginny had learned that Edith Carlyle might be even more stubborn than Colin was. She told them to keep their heads down and before she'd hurried back outside to find Harry.

Her own wand was in her hand, the shrunken Quaffle in her pocket, and she knew that nothing was going to keep her from his side this time. She'd caught sight of Harry fighting up ahead near Hagrid's hut and started to make her way towards him. Hands grabbed her and she spun around, knocking the man back with her Bat Bogey Hex. He screamed as he collapsed to the ground and she took off towards Harry once more.

There was no way that she was going to let Harry go up against Tom alone.

~ ASC ~

Neville had the Basilisk fang in his pocket and his wand in his hand as he stood with Anthony Goldstein, Tracey Davis, Mandy Brocklehurst, Terry Boot, and Michael Corner in the front entrance way of the castle. Once the shield had come down and Voldemort's army had surged forward, giants had broken through part of the castle wall.

It was like all hell had broken loose.

Witches and wizards in robes, some masked and some not, were flinging spells and curses and hexes in every direction. One almost didn't know how to fight someone or who to fight, all Neville knew was that they didn't want them to get further into the castle than they already were.

He walked backwards, his wand dodging spell after spell, as he ducked and shifted to avoid being hit with whatever the man in front of him was shooting his way. It was only when a fiery arrow shot the man in the shoulder that he turned his head.

Seamus, Dean, and Hermione were standing at the top of the main staircase with their bows extended. Archers surrounded them from different angles and arrows were let loose as the music pumped around them.

No!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!

"Take that, you stupid motherfucker!" Seamus screamed over the music as another volley of arrows went down.

Neville rolled out of the way as a troll stormed forward, ignoring the arrows that peppered him and smashed his club into the railing of the staircase. Two archers fell off, one of them dangling by their hands. The troll roared as Dean reached down to pull the young boy up.

Then the sound of someone whistling made the troll turn around.

Tiernan and another fae that Neville didn't recognize both jumped at the same time, swords in their hands, and the troll crashed to the ground making everything rumble. But Neville didn't have time to look any closer as he found himself standing in front of a vampire with blood on his lips. He sent the vampire flying away from him and ran towards the doors.

He needed to find that bloody snake.

~ ASC ~

Rossi saw how the Black Lake seemed to rise up suddenly. The bridge leading to Hogwarts was no longer empty as the water surrounding it seemed to splash and rise like a sudden storm had gripped it. Kelpies and water horses roared into place as Merman and Mermaids branded spears atop their backs. A barrage of flaming arrows came flying from the castle and the music seemed to grow louder as more arrows rained down on them.

One of the giants roared as a spear hit him and more Merpeople rose up from the Black Lake armed with weapons. Rossi grabbed Bellarosa's arm and gestured to the edge of the bridge. Her eyes widened in surprise, but he was too fast for her and pulled her over the side.

They landed in the water hard enough to shock them. The loud splash was barely heard over the roar of the water horses and Merpeople. Rossi broke the surface, his hand still holding onto Bellarosa's. He tugged her up with him and his other hand reached out to accept the hand of Yeona Jin as she pulled him into the small boat hidden beneath the bridge. He pulled Bellarosa in with him, grabbing her wand.

"What are you doing?" she shrieked, trying to get her wet hair out of her face.

"He's saving your life," Jin exclaimed. "So if you want to see your son again, you'll shut up and do what we tell you."

Bellarosa stared between them, her eyes wide. "What… Emilio, what's going on?"

"We don't have time to explain right now," Rossi said. "But you have to trust me. Can you do that?"

Bellarosa bit her bottom lip. "The Dark Lord…"

"Is not going to win," Jin said. "R, the boat will bring you to the other side of the grounds. MacGregor wants you coordinating with Auror Z by the forest."

Then she transformed into a wren and flew off, leaving Rossi with his wife in the boat.

"R?" she said, her voice cold. "You're a spy?"

He took her hand in his. "I was meant to be, but how I was with you, Bellarosa, we both know that I wasn't acting. And we both know that your sister is a deranged psychopath who murdered all of your ex-husbands. You don't belong with them. Your son knows that and so do you. That's why you helped him escape. You are very good at making people believe what you want them to believe."

Bellarosa bit her bottom lip. Her makeup was smeared from the dip in the lake, black eye liner on her cheeks, and Rossi still thought that she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever laid eyes on.

"Who are you?" she whispered.

"Joseph Emilio Rossi, MIA. And you're going to do exactly what I say or you'll spend the rest of your life in the Azkaban Crypt with the rest of his followers who survive tonight."

Bellarosa grabbed his hand, her fingers entwining with his. "You would really send your wife to rot in the crypt? Have I meant nothing to you?" Her other hand slid over his thigh, higher and higher.

Rossi kept his eyes on hers. "Mi amour, your beauty is astounding. But you're a smart woman, much more intelligent than you like to let on, and I can promise you — just because your cunt tastes like ambrosia and you have a body that makes men throw gold at your feet, doesn't mean a bloody thing to me."

Her hand froze on his crotch, those dark eyes on his.

Rossi leaned in closer to her, his lips a breath away from hers. "Nagini listens to you. Lure her away from your Dark Lord and bring her to your son in the castle and I'll make sure that you stay out of the crypt."

She licked her lips. "And if I don't?"

Rossi's mouth pressed against hers for a long kiss and when he pulled away, her breath was heavy and her eyes glazed. "Don't fight for him, Bellarosa." He tapped his wand to the huge diamond on her finger. "Fight for your son. And if that's not enough motivation, this ring doesn't come off and if you try anything else, I'll know it."

Bellarosa looked down at the diamond in shock before those brown eyes met his again. She let him lead her to the shore without a word. He helped her from the boat, his eyes on the bridge as spells flashed overhead.

Bellarosa squeezed his hand. "Was it all just a con, Emilio?"

"No," he promised. "It wasn't."

Then he turned and headed towards the forest, leaving her standing on the shore. He really hoped that she did the right thing because he would hate to see her in the Azkaban Crypt, but he wouldn't hesitate to put her there.

Not even for a second.

~ ASC ~

Voldemort's snake-like nostrils were flaring in rage as he used his wand to knock people out of the way. Despite the giants having pushed their way into the castle, he still hadn't made it past the damn front door.

The Black Lake was swarming with Merpeople riding Kelpies and water horses. Spears were flying everywhere. He watched one impale Cassia Lestrange and her eyes widened in shock.

"My Lord!"

Voldemort didn't even stop.

His army was expendable.

If someone was stupid enough to get taken down by a creature that wasn't even worth his time, he had no sympathy for them. He needed to find his way to Potter. He caught sight of some fae taking down a troll and he merely flicked his wand to knock people out of his way.

He wasn't going to waste his time or his energy fighting for people he couldn't care less about.

He snapped his fingers and Nagini slithered after him, snapping at the heels of people who got in her way. A woman wearing the uniform of a Hit Witch hit one of his masked Death Eaters with a jinx that took him down and before she could turn, Nagini snapped, tearing out her neck in one quick strike. The woman wasn't even given a chance to scream.

"Leave her," Voldemort snapped.

Nagini gave him a look before she hissed that he'd promised her food.

"After," Voldemort exclaimed. "We need to find Potter first."

The music rumbled, the beat of the drums echoing like a heartbeat on the stone; his lip curled.

We've got the right to choose it!
There ain't no way WE'RE LOSING!
This is our life, this is our HOME!

The fact that they were taunting him made him even angrier. Who the hell did they think they were?

The loud honking from above had him looking up in time to see a large formation of Canadian geese diving down towards him again. He sent a spell in their direction that made them hit a wall, but instead of stopping them, they only changed direction and dived again. Nagini shot upwards, snapping the neck of two of them and swallowing one whole as one of the geese hit Voldemort in the face with its powerful wing. He swore and killed the bird in one strike as Nagini eagerly ate it. Then she slithered after Voldemort, hissing in annoyance.

Voldemort stormed through the castle, leaving the geese to attack his followers, and when he came face to face with Moody, he sneered. "Well, well, well, someone looks a little worse for wear, Mad-Eye. The last time I saw you, you had two eyes."

"Courtesy of one of your followers," Moody said.

Voldemort blocked the curse that was sent towards him. "Don't worry. I'd be happy to take the other one from you."

When his next spell was blocked, his lip curled and the sound of the loud music made his fingers clench into a fist.

We'll fight the powers that be just!
Don't pick our destiny 'cause!
You don't know us, you don't belong!

They were mocking him.

When he got done ripping Potter limb from limb, he was going to kill every single person who had dared to contribute to it.

No one mocked Lord Voldemort and lived to tell the tale.

No one.

~ ASC ~

Lavender wasn't entirely sure if she was strong enough in her defence training to be here fighting, but the thought of going below and waiting to see what happened left a sour taste in her mouth. She needed to be here. She needed to be here defending herself and defending her right to live.

She'd lost track of Parvati and Padma as she ducked behind some rubble to avoid a red spell that flew over her head. When her own hex connected with the chest of the one shooting spells at her, she wanted to give herself a little squeal of praise.

She stood up to keep moving and turned, slamming into the hard chest of the huge man standing before her. He had to be made of solid muscle and when her eyes met his dark ones, fear shot through her.

The man's hand reached out and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her up off of the ground. Lavender choked, dropping her wand in her attempt to remove his fingers from her neck, her legs kicking uselessly. He sneered, his tongue running over his lips.

"Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

Lavender tried to fight back harder and when he threw her back into the wall, her breath was knocked out of her. By the time she managed to catch her breath, he was in front of her again. His big, rough hands pushed her against the wall, pinning her by her breasts as he molded them under his fingers.

"I've always liked'em young and pretty like you and with such big titties… bonus."

Lavender's knee came up and slammed him in the groin. He shuddered and stumbled back. It was enough for her to grab her wand off of the floor and send him flying away from her, but when she turned, another man stood there, his lips dripping in blood.

Hands grabbed her from behind at the same time that the man in front sank his teeth into her neck and her screams were drowned out by the battle around her.

~ ASC ~

Fred knew that this was a battle he would never forget. Not only was it bigger and more intense than anything on the Giant's Causeway had been, but this had everyone fighting back without hesitation.

No one was willing to let Voldemort win and yet everyone knew that there was a chance he could.

Hogwarts was fighting back and the magical world was here to protect it.

Students used arrows from above and from within inside of the castle. He'd caught sight of Fiadh along with other fae using bows and arrows and swords to stave off giants and trolls. The sight of dragons flying overhead was a sight to behold. There were more people on brooms with Dungbombs in their hands, bombs made of Peruvian Darkness Powder, and bombs designed to detonate with a spell to knock people out, made an air battle that kept those below on their toes.

When a herd of Centaurs even came riding out of the Forbidden Forest, screaming a war cry, Fred knew that there was no one here who wasn't willing to risk it all to end Lord Voldemort.

He dove on his broom, dropping two Dungbombs down on a group of werewolves as they choked and gagged on the stench before he used his wand to take them out, watching them collapse to the ground. His wand stunned a vampire who was feeding on a student and when an army of Inferi began to emerge from the forest followed by the largest spiders he had ever seen, he swallowed.

It was going to be one hell of a battle.

~ ASC ~

Remus ducked to avoid the spell that was shot at his head. He had left Adrian and the rest of the wolves soon after arriving at the castle. Those who were natural born had transformed into wolves and were fighting the only way they knew how: As animals. The sound of growling and animal attacks echoed along with the sounds of spells that were being shot all around him, whizzing past him with a hum.

It was a war zone and there was nowhere safe to be.

Remus was working with Birmingham and Raffigan. Adrian, Maya, Echo, and Rune were with them and in their wolf forms. Remus had to admit, it was impressive to watch them attack in the form of the wolf; except for Maya, who despite Adrian's insistence that all werewolves could learn to transform at will, it wasn't a full moon and she was still very much in her witch form.

But she had her wand in her hand and she was still willing to fight anyway.

Remus had a feeling that she was hoping to see her father. It seemed that there were quite a few people looking to end the life of Fenrir Greyback tonight. If given the choice, he wasn't sure that he could stop himself from killing the man if they came face to face once more.

Remus knew that the majority of the students were now safely below in the Chamber of Secrets, but the ones who had refused to be ushered down, they were standing tall and fighting.

And fighting they were.

Remus had been in his share of battles. The First War had been nothing but close battles and missions. He'd spent a handful of years learning to fight, to duel, to survive. But this… never before had he seen a battle quite like this.

Giants had come in through the Forbidden Forest, clearing a path of trees like a tornado had zipped through it. Giants had come in through the front doors of the castle, taking out part of the wall. The stone warriors that had been in place to defend the castle were now crumpled around the entrance. Some of them had been turned to sand, others broken rock piles. Trolls had come in with the giants, dragging clubs, and breaking things in their sight. Vampires and werewolves were attacking those they saw. Remus had beheaded a female vampire who had been feeding on a fourth year.

Then there were the Death Eaters.

Voldemort's army was much larger than they had imagined. Wearing the masks meant that they couldn't tell who was who, but the sheer number of masked figures told Remus that he had done some recruiting in different countries and it made him wonder just how many of them were under an Imperius and how many of them were here willingly. It was going to be something the Aurors would have to figure out once the battle was done.

His wand slashed one way and the next as he fought against anyone who came into his path with a vengeance. This fight wasn't just for him and he wanted to prove to himself as much as to the friends whom he had lost over the years that this was a fight he was willing to win.

But it was the man with the scarred face who stopped in front of him that made him pause.

"Greyback," he said quietly.

Greyback licked his lips, his eyes dancing in excitement. "Lupin. My, how I've missed you. It seems our last encounter was rather rudely interrupted."

Remus flung him back with a wave of his wand, watching him fly back into the stone wall as he advanced on the wolf. "You were lucky the last time is more like it."

Greyback laughed as he climbed to his feet, his own wand in his hand. "Was I?"

Their spells met in midair and Greyback laughed again. Remus felt his own anger bubbling up inside of him. He knew that on some level, he needed to let that anger go. It had been thirty-three years since this monster had snuck into his bedroom and turned him into a werewolf. Remus didn't know any other life. He didn't know what it was like to not turn into a monster every full moon. But yet seeing him here before him, the scarred face, the crazy eyes… no, he was still very fucking angry.

"Everte Statum!"

Greyback flipped back, slamming backwards into the wall again, coughing over the dust from the stone that the pressure of the hit had caused.

"I hear you're a real father now," Greyback panted as he climbed to his feet again. "A little boy, wasn't it?" He licked his lips. "I can't wait to sink my teeth into his throat on the next moon. Have you ever watched a newborn baby go through the transformation? Their bodies are too frail to withstand it… it tears them apart. Literally."

Remus' eyes narrowed. "Crucio!"

Greyback screamed as the curse hit him. His body lifted upwards, up off of the ground as he twisted and shrieked. When Remus lifted the spell, Greyback laughed, panting.

"Oh, did I touch a nerve, Lupin? Do you want to bite your son yourself? Do you want to turn him like a real man?"

"Crucio!"

Greyback's scream was louder this time and Remus narrowed his eyes as he watched the man suffer under his wand.

"Remus!"

Greyback fell to the ground with a sickening crunch as Remus spun around to see Tonks running towards him.

"Nymphadora! What the hell are you doing here?" he demanded, his golden eyes shocked at the sight of her.

Tonks grabbed his hand, spinning him around to face Greyback who was attempting to climb to his feet. "You need me. Move another inch, arsehat, and I'll show you what an Auror can do."

Greyback sneered. "Ah, Lupin needs his bitch to fight his battles. I always knew he was weak."

Tonks twirled her wand and twine spun out from the end, wrapping itself around of Greyback tightly. "No, he doesn't need me to fight his battles, but he knows I want a piece of the arsehole who put sadness into my man's eyes."

He struggled in the twine before he used his teeth to tear himself free, growling at her. "Sending Bael after you was a mistake. I should have gone after you myself. I want to taste your blood, bitch."

Tonks sneered. "Bring it."

Greyback stepped out of the twine he'd broken and started to leap towards Tonks, but before she or Remus could do anything to stop him, a huge man came flying out of nowhere and tackled him to the ground. Remus grabbed his wife's arm as he recognized Volk and watched the man pin Greyback to the ground with full force as Greyback's eyes widened in shock.

When Volk pulled a knife from his hip and stabbed him in his armpit, Greyback screamed. Blood spurted out everywhere, spraying Volk's face and he grinned menacingly.

"I'm going to rip off every limb for vhat you did to my daughter, Fenrir."

Greyback attempted to fight him off to no avail as Volk reached down to undo the wolf's trousers, using his belt to tie off his arm before he exposed him to the world. Then Volk grabbed his knife again and stabbed him right through the groin. Greyback's screams echoed in the corridor and Remus turned his head away as Volk sliced and diced without mercy.

Tonks grabbed his hand and she tugged him away from the violent scene before them. Remus let her pull him through the closed door of a classroom and away from the fighting before he wrapped his arms around her.

"You shouldn't be here. Where's Teddy?"

"With Sorcha, Colt, and Flo," Tonks said, standing on her toes to kiss him. "And yes, I should. There's no way that I'm letting you get yourself killed."

"I wasn't planning on getting myself killed, Nymphadora."

She pressed her lips to his again, framing his face in her hands. "We both need to get home to our son and we both need to be here. For Harry and for ourselves."

Remus couldn't argue with that even if a huge ball of fear had lodged itself into his throat. They both needed to be there for Teddy, but with her being home, he'd known that no matter what might happen to him, she would be. This left Teddy's future more uncertain and he didn't agree with that.

Before he could try to argue his way out of it, the sound of an explosion outside had them both turning.

Tonks grabbed his hand. "Let's go."

And the two of them ran out into the battle, wands drawn.

~ ASC ~

Theo felt like he was fighting in a dream. He didn't really know what was happening, all he knew was that he was fighting opponents and doing his best to keep them out of the castle. He'd chosen to be near the back entrance by the castle and he'd seen more than he ever could have imagined.

Dragons flew overhead breathing fire down on the giants, burning trees.

Fae were in the air and on the ground, using swords and bows to fight giants and trolls, while others were shooting flaming arrows at the army of Inferi that had appeared from the forest.

Centaurs were working in tandem with magizoologists in an attempt to keep more creatures from emerging from the forest, namely the huge Acromantulas that made the tiny hairs on Theo's arms stand up.

Witches and wizards flew overhead on broomsticks, dropping strategically spelled bombs to knock people out, take them down, or incapacitate them.

Thunderbirds, hippogriffs, and Canadian geese were in the air. When the thunderbird caused a strike of lightning to light up the sky, he couldn't help but look up at the storm it brought with it.

He rolled towards the ground to avoid the purple spell that came at him and with the hilt of his sword, he bonked the wizard on the head. He watched him crumple to the ground before he let his eyes move over to the Black Lake where kelpies rose up from the water with Merpeople astride them, brandishing spears. His eyes widened at the sight of the Giant Squid grabbing people with his long tentacles and pulling them into the water or throwing them across the shore.

No, this was definitely unlike anything he'd ever seen before.

He turned to greet the wizard who came towards him, using his sword to block the spell as Voldemort's charismatic voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Potter, the longer you hide, the more of your castle I will take out. Come to me and I will harm no other."

Theo used his sword like a Beater's bat and sent the wizard flying just as the music rose up from the centre of the castle.

No!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!

No, they weren't going to take it.

Not his promises.

Not his threats.

Theo wasn't the only one who was tired of this war and it was going to end.

Tonight.

~ ASC ~

Harry heard Voldemort's words echo around the grounds. He slammed his wand into the earth, making the earth tremble and rise up, knocking out the four Death Eaters near him in one go.

He wasn't bloody hiding and he needed to get word to Voldemort that he was waiting for him. But he also needed to know what was happening with Nagini. He used fire to push the Inferi back from Ginny as she duelled a vampire nearby and when the cold hit him suddenly, he felt goosebumps on his skin.

Dementors.

Harry spun around, trying to see where they were coming from and the fog that was creeping over the Black Lake told him that there were hundreds of them. His insides felt hollow and cold.

"Harry!" Ginny called, her voice sounding far away.

No, Harry thought; he wasn't going to be taken down by Dementors of all things.

He brandished his wand rather violently, thoughts of Ginny's blazing eyes, the laughter of Mina and Leo, Teddy's sweet face, and the future he desperately hoped for, came into his mind.

He screamed, "Expecto Patronum!"

The stag erupted first.

A huge silver-blue stag, bigger than anything he'd ever produced before. It was twice as big and twice as high as a real stag, its huge antlers making it look over five metres tall. It pranced around him, fuelling his energy as the dog emerged next, just as big and just as solid. The wolf followed, the three of them running around him and giving him that feeling of happiness and of energy that he needed.

Harry started to send them towards the Dementors, when a fourth animal emerged from his wand. His eyes widened at the sight of the huge stallion with a long mane blowing in the wind. He blinked at it in surprise, but when the stallion bowed his head towards him, he only gestured towards the Dementors with his wand.

A small hand gripped his.

"Harry… was that… a horse?"

Harry brought her hand up to his and kissed her palm as he watched the large stallion gallop across the Black Lake to stand aside the three animals that symbolized his fathers. It was oddly fitting that along with his protectors, a stallion to represent the one who held and protected his heart, joined them. The four animals united in their shimmering splendour to protect, guide, and light the darkness. He kissed Ginny's palm again.

"I love you," he said, his wand in his hand. "Use your Patronus."

Ginny raised her wand to add hers to his and the sight of the silver mare emerging from her wand, made him smile in pride and in astonishment. He'd somehow acclimated another animal into his Patronus and it perfectly matched the one of the woman he loved.

He didn't know what that meant.

He didn't even know that it was possible.

He'd heard of a Patronus changing to meet that of one's soul mate or of someone they deeply loved, but he knew how rare it was for him to already have more than one animal. To add a fourth one to his arsenal, one that was strictly representative of his love for Ginny… it was mind-blowing and he had no idea what it meant.

But he sure as hell appreciated the extra boost.

As his Patronus dove towards the Dementors, running through them and helping stave off the darkness, other Patronuses began to join the fray as the Dementors were pushed back.

Ginny left his side to duel a Death Eater that aimed a spell at her and Harry turned at the explosion of silver and blue that lit up one side of the Black Lake. Harry didn't even blink as his dog Patronus destroyed three Dementors in one strike.

"Bloody hell!" Kingsley exclaimed from behind him, making him turn.

Harry spun around, his wand out to help, but he saw the Auror staring at where the Dementors were being decimated by his Patronus as Kingsley's lynx ran off to help push the Dementors back.

Kingsley's eyes met his. "It was you! Back when the Dementors were last at Hogwarts in '94. It was you who destroyed them. Not Black. How?"

Harry looked over at where Ginny had hopped onto her broom. "You have to something that makes you happy and hopeful."

Kingsley looked like he wanted to say more as fireworks went off high into the sky again; this time a giant zouwu that dove down and chased a group of vampires as music once again began to blare from every corner.

No!
We're not gonna take it!
Oh no, we ain't gonna take it!
We're not gonna take it, anymore!

Harry turned away from the Auror and he aimed his wand at one of the Death Eaters running towards him.

Hope and happiness and love.

He was starting to think that Dumbledore might have actually known what he was talking about after all.

~ ASC ~

Hermione had never imagined herself as the type of witch who would become skilled at archery, but she found that she liked the strength of the bow very much. She liked being able to watch out for others and to take aim at those who might be sneaking up on them, but when the battle reached the top of the stairs, she had no problem attaching the bow to the holder on her back and using her wand instead.

Seamus and Dean were nearby and she could hear them shouting spells amidst ordering the archers to keep shooting. She'd seen a few people fall and she didn't have the time to check and see if they were still breathing.

Not if she wanted to keep breathing herself.

Madame Pomfrey had prepared her own unit of Emergency Healers who were doing what they could to jump around the battle and to try to help anyone they could get to. Hermione recognized Ian Brown, but the others were only distinguishable by the gold caduceus that shimmered on the back of their robes.

Hermione sent a particularly nasty stinging hex towards the woman running towards her and when she heard the sound of Bellatrix's cackle, the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Her eyes danced over the battle below and when she spotted the woman fighting someone, she fought back the urge to vomit.

No. She wasn't going to let her fear overcome her.

Bellatrix was nowhere near her right now and that was a blessing.

She pulled her bow down again to shoot an arrow at two Death Eaters who were pinning a third year against the wall. When they collapsed, she ran forward to help the student.

No, she had other things to worry about.

Someone screamed and a loud hissing had her turning in time to see a huge python slither past her on the heels of the most terrifying man she'd ever laid eyes on. He was as pale as snow, blue and purple veins seeming to shimmer on his bald head and when he turned, she was greeted to a set of bright, gleaming red eyes that almost glowed. She swallowed as he stormed past her, ignoring the fighting around him.

Nagini hissed and nipped at people, but didn't attack.

Hermione carefully climbed to her feet.

The snake had to die.

~ ASC ~

Sebastian saw it happen out of the corner of his eye and he swore his heart stopped in his chest. Theo was on the opposite side of the room, but the way that the man was turned towards him, Sebastian knew who he was aiming at.

Without thinking, he spun around and booked it towards Theo. Theo turned to defend himself and Sebastian tackled him to the ground just as something hit him in the back.

It felt like white hot fire, but he bit his lip to stop himself from crying out, his hands cupping Theo's face.

"You okay?"

Theo's eyes softened. "Yeah. T-t-thanks."

Sebastian winked as he stood up. "Anytime."

Then his wand was out and he was duelling those around him with ease.

He hadn't realized that he had been consciously doing it, but he'd been drawn towards where Theo was fighting in the battle. He knew Jin was flying overhead in her wren form, coming down to help where needed. As for D, he was in the thick of things as usual and he'd seen him barrelling through Death Eaters inside of the castle before he'd made his way outside towards the back in search of Theo.

Watching his boyfriend fight confidently had been a bit of a turn on and he knew that Theo could take care of himself. He was confident with his sword, his motions powerful, and his spells well aimed. Yet part of him was still afraid to move too far away from him.

The thought of Theo being hit by any stray curse, especially the one that made his back currently burn, wasn't an option.

Sebastian continued to fight, using his strength as much as his wand, and creating cages to lock prisoners in left and right when possible, and taking out others when it wasn't. The sight of Lord Voldemort himself coming out of the castle followed by a huge snake had him pausing, but the wizard didn't even look over at where they were fighting; his eyes were down below by the Black Lake where Potter was battling Dementors.

Before Sebastian could make any plans, a spell whizzed past his ear close enough to make his ears ring. He turned and with one well-aimed kick, knocked the man back. His right side ached and he was pretty sure that he was bleeding, but now wasn't the time to check. He grabbed the man coming at him, locking him in a headlock and cutting off his air supply until he collapsed on the ground.

His wand moved like lightning, cursing and jinxing as needed. When something hit him, it knocked his balance hard enough that he felt dizzy. He reached back to steady himself and his hand came around covered in blood.

Okay, not the best sign, he thought.

He knocked out another man with a swift kick that made his side scream even more as his vision blurred and the next hit sent him to his knees. He saw Theo running towards him just as he tried to stand and failed. His second attempt had him falling on his face as his side screamed in agony. His vision blurred again as Theo fell in front of him, gripping his head.

"Bas! Bas!"

Sebastian looked into his beautiful brown eyes and thought it wasn't fair. He'd finally found him. He finally found the one person who just got him. The one person who he was desperately in love with and now…

He tasted blood in his mouth as he tried to speak.

"Theo…"

"Bas, look at me!" Theo exclaimed, his eyes panicked. "Stay with me!"

"Theo… Theo… I… I lo…" Blood rose in his throat and he spit it out, trying to get the words out. "Theo…"

He felt blood fill his mouth again and he coughed as Theo shook his head, tears in his eyes as he pulled him closer, cradling his head in his lap.

"Bas! Sebastian… please! No!"

Sebastian shook his head, his vision blurring even worse as black spots danced in front of his eyes. He attempted to get the words out to no avail and thought at least he was here, with the man he loved, his arms holding him close. Even if he couldn't get the words out, this was where he wanted to be.

Theo's panicked voice was the last thing he heard.

~ ASC ~

Neville was covered in blood and he wasn't entirely sure it was all his.

He'd surprised himself by tackling a vampire, but the vampire in question had been feeding on Lavender Brown and her screams had drawn him in to help. He'd pulled the vampire off her, but her bleeding neck sprayed him in the process. They'd manage to seal off the two puncture wounds, but the vampire had come at both of them with his eyes dark in rage.

To Neville's shock and surprise, his well aimed knock back jinx sent the vampire sailing back into the wall and onto a well-placed broken piece of wood. The sound of him being impaled on it had astounded him. He had no idea that something like that would make such a squelching noise.

Neville helped Lavender to her feet. "Are you all right?"

"I-I-I think so," she said, tears in her eyes. "You saved me, Neville! Thank you!"

He blushed as they looked around at where a few bodies littered the ground. Neville didn't know if they were dead or not, but he knew that he didn't have time to check who they were or if they were all right. They needed to keep moving if they wanted to survive.

"Come on. We need to find a giant snake."

Lavender paled. "I'd rather do literally anything else."

Neville shot a look at her over his shoulder. "Trust me, me too."

Then he tore off down the corridor, not waiting to see if Lavender was following him or not.

~ ASC ~

Voldemort was on a mission to find Potter. When news had reached his ears that he was near the Black Lake, he immediately began to move through the castle to reach him.

He left Crouch and Bellatrix fighting Aurors and a throng of students as he ordered Belladonna to come with him. He needed her to help him get Potter under his thrall.

Nagini slithered after him, hissing her distaste for not being able to nibble on those around her. Voldemort ignored her, too determined to make it down to the grounds.

The sight of the Dementors coming across the Black Lake pleased him. Their power was unlike anything he'd ever seen in a magical creature and he loved knowing that they could weaken everyone around them. It would make getting to Potter that much easier. He would be weak and he would be even easier to subdue.

He marched down the steps towards the Black Lake, his long robes touching the grass as he did and the sound of that obnoxious music (that was clearly playing on repeat) was once more blaring around him. The beat of the drums and the loud singing made his lips curl.

Oh, yes, Potter was definitely going to pay for taunting him.

We've got the right to choose it!
There ain't no way WE'RE LOSING!
This is our life, this is our HOME!

He was halfway towards Potter when he saw the explosion of silver and blue in the distance. His red eyes widened as the Dementors began to disintegrate before his very eyes. Four massive Patronuses, bigger than anything he'd ever seen before, were prancing through the Dementors, running at high speeds and barrelling into them with such force that it sounded like a house had fallen from the sky to crash into the earth.

The Dementors made an eerie scream that was somehow both silent and yet loud enough to make one's spine tingle as they exploded into dust. It was enough to make him pause in his march, his fingers curling tightly around his wand.

"Dementors can't be killed," Belladonna whispered from behind him. "It's impossible, my Lord!"

Voldemort's mouth thinned. "Start setting up the spell, Donna. I want you to be ready to cast it. I have every faith in you, Belladonna."

Then he turned back towards the Black Lake and continued to march towards Potter, more determined than ever to end him once and for all.

~ ASC ~

Ron was battling two Death Eaters and somehow had managed to incapacitate the werewolf that kept trying to take a bite out of him. The fact that the wolf was very much human didn't seem to deter him and Ron wondered what on earth could possess someone to want to bite into human flesh when it wasn't even a full moon.

It was highly disturbing in his mind.

Eric Baxter hadn't left his side since they'd teamed up and he liked working alongside of the Auror. It turned out they made a pretty good team.

Baxter took out the wolf that kept trying to gnaw at him, tossing him into some magical cage that appeared and than vanished as if it had never been there to begin with. Then he helped him take out the Death Eaters who were in his path.

When one unknown Death Eater stepped in front of him that, Ron saw the menacing look in the wizard's hooded eyes. A flash of purple caught his eye as a missed spell flew past him and hit the wall, making it melt into the ground. The man growled.

Ron sent a knock back jinx at the wizard to knock him off of his feet and then sent a hex spiralling towards him. Their spells connected mid fight and Ron dodged and ducked, sending spell after spell out of his wand in quick succession to try to take him down. Baxter hit him with with something from behind and the wizard went down hard.

"Nice!" Ron called out.

Baxter gestured towards the left. "I just caught sight of a great ugly snake going that way."

Ron drew the sword from his side. "Thanks."

"Hey, Weasley!" Baxter hollered. "Good luck!"

Ron felt rather assured by his words as he clutched the sword in his hand and barrelled down the corridor after Voldemort and that blasted snake.

He was going to need all of the luck that he could get.

~ ASC ~

The last thing that Bill expected to come blaring out of the castle was Muggle rock music and the fact that it was Twisted Sister somehow made it funnier in his opinion. No, they weren't going to take any more of this bullshit and it seemed like everyone had finally spoken.

It was time for this war to end.

And they were not going to take it anymore.

The thing was, if Voldemort somehow managed to escape today, Bill didn't know how much longer this war could drag on. But he knew that between all of the groups and between Harry's plan to face him, it would be tough for him to get out of here alive.

Fleur was by his side as they made their way down the bridge towards the castle as part of the Terra Troops unit. The unit had come in after Voldemort had broken down the shield to surround them and lock them into place so that they couldn't escape. As Bill found himself battling witches and wizards around him, it seemed like a world he'd never before imagined.

A wizard fell dead to the ground and he didn't even stop to see if he was all right, he just kept going.

No, war was definitely a very different thing.

It was why when they finally reached the doors of the castle, the noise and smell of broken stone, dust, and something that smelt suspiciously like copper, was almost overwhelming.

Bill fought his way through the bodies, helping to subdue those they could and taking out those they couldn't, by any means necessary. People were being stunned and captured, but some were killed, whether by accident or not.

He knew that Fleur was behind him and they fought back to back and side by side as they ushered students to safety and teamed up with who was needed. He caught sight of his parents ahead, duelling wildly, and he caught sight of more than one Weasley cousin, brandishing a wand nearby. They made it into the courtyard at the back of the castle just in time to see a wizard drop a familiar bottle on the ground. Bill grabbed Fleur and dragged her out just as the explosion went off.

Purple fire rained through the courtyard, shooting up into the sky and hitting a dragon that flew overhead. The dragon roared, flames spurting from its mouth as it spiralled down towards the ground, crashing somewhere nearby with a loud bang. The purple fire melted the stone pillars of the courtyard and people screamed. Bill pressed himself closer to his wife, the heat of the flames felt even from the distance.

"Bill?"

"It's the same shit they used at the Ministry," he whispered near her ear. "We have to find a way to contain it or it will spread."

He pulled Fleur away from the flames, their wands out as he saw Percy come down the staircase. His cheek was bleeding and the bottom of his shirt was bloody, but he looked relatively unharmed.

"Perce, it's the same fire from the Ministry explosion."

Percy paled, his glasses crooked on his face as he looked out into the courtyard.

The two of them raised their wands in tandem as they attempted to spray water on the purple flames. Fleur rushed over to help those she could find, getting them away from the flames. Bill let his eyes roam over the bodies and he knew that many of them weren't going to make it. Amethyst Inferno was the most deadly magical fire ever created and very few people had ever survived direct contact with it.

More people showed up to help bank the flames and when the Emergency Healers jumped in to help the people injured, Bill met his brother's gaze.

They were needed elsewhere.

~ ASC ~

Rolf had known that bringing his grandfather's suitcase to the battle was going to be a good decision. But bringing Hagrid down into the magical menagerie inside of his case had been even more entertaining than he had expected.

Hagrid was completely gone for the magical creatures that he stored down there.

His grandfather had a family of Bowtruckles who had lived with him for most of his life and Rolf had adopted them. Pickett had never left Newt's pocket and Rolf was pleased to have gained his own little Bowtruckle, whom he'd been carrying around since he'd been twelve. His friend was called Ash and he was Pickett's nephew.

The mooncalves were too delicate and innocent to bring out into the battle, but Rolf had rescued an erumpent in Russia (Norma) and he thought that she might like being let out to wreak some havoc on the surface. Not to mention the Chimaera he'd named Dottie, Rose, and Blanche (after his grandmother's favourite girls) and the Occamy he called Miranda. Sophia was the zouwu he'd found in Wales and hoped to return to Tibet. Plus there was Bob, the Wampus cat he'd found in the Appalachian mountains and rescued.

No, he definitely had some magical creatures who would be willing to help.

Rolf made his way into the erumpent's home in the plains and whistled. Norma lifted her large head, the golden glow under her skin seeming to shimmer in the light.

"Hi, girl. Listen, we have some trouble upstairs. Are you feeling up to going for a run and teaching some lessons to some tossers?"

Norma made a sound of agreement and preened against his side.

Rolf stroked her long horned nose, his eyes twinkling. "You have to be safe up there. I don't want you getting hurt, okay?"

Norma rubbed her big head against his shoulder and he knew that she understood him.

"This is Hagrid, Norma. He's a good bloke. Say hi."

Norma eyed Hagrid suspiciously as he beamed at her, tears in his eyes.

"She's beautiful!" Hagrid exclaimed.

Rolf smiled as he watched Hagrid pet Norma and he made his way over to see the Chimaera. He held his hands up as he approached the cave where she slept.

"Dottie, darling, want to go for a run?"

The lion's head swung into view, her big mane flowing in auburn locks around her face as she slowly stepped out of the cave, growling. The second head (Rose) met his eyes, this one a goat, before the third one, the red scaled dragon (whom he called Blanche) met his gaze. Rolf took in the huge body, built like a bull with the red and gold feathered wings as big as a hippogriff. The long spiked snake tail slithered after it.

"I know I promised to bring you home to Greece," Rolf said. "And we will, very soon, but right now, we have a bit of a situation going on. Rose, Blanche, will you two help out as well?"

Rose bahhhed at him as Blanche snorted sparks from her nose.

"Good answer," Rolf said. "And after you'll let me take you back down here to your cave and bring you home to Greece."

Hagrid was staring up at the Chimaera with tears glistening in his eyes. By the time Rolf took Miranda out of the small nest she liked to stay in and let Bob and Sophia loose, he felt like he had a good team to back him up.

Ash poked his head out of his pocket and Rolf smiled. "Stay below, Ash. If I need you, I'll holler." Then he turned to Hagrid. "Hagrid, lead them towards the gate at the back, it will open into a door leading out of the case when you touch your wand to the pillars. I'm going to grab the nifflers."

Hagrid's eyes were as wide as a child's in a candy story as he nodded and trudged over to the gate in excitement.

Rolf hurried over to the niffler encampment and looked inside. Ethan, Derek, and Auggie were all wrapped around gold chains in contentment. He smiled.

"Want to go treasure hunting, boys?"

They squeaked in excitement and jumped up onto his shoulders. Rolf carried them out towards the gate as Hagrid let the creatures loose. Rolf ordered Hagrid to go out first. When he stepped out of the case, he grabbed it, locking it into place so that nothing else could escape.

If Newt Scamander had taught him anything, it was to let the animals choose when they wanted to be helpful. He knew them and he knew that they would want to help today. If they hadn't, he would have left them down below. No, he was going to let them cause chaos and then he would do as he promised and bring them home to where they belonged. He held onto his secret weapon, the tiny ball containing the Swooping Evil that his grandfather swore by.

Yeah, being a magizoologist was definitely pretty awesome.

He tucked Ash back into his pocket as he held his wand out, turning to see where he could be of the most help. His eyes fell on the familiar witch with the long dirty blonde hair as she flew over him riding a Thestral.

Seriously, who was that witch, he wondered.

But before he could ponder it any longer, he ducked to avoid the spell that came towards him and found himself tossed into the fray.

~ ASC ~

The sight of a fourth animal erupting from Harry's wand during his Patronus Charm had been enough to shock her, but the fact that it matched her own Patronus made it seem that much more incredible. Harry had produced a stallion to her mare.

Ginny watched as the Dementors were taken out and when a spell whizzed past her head, she spun around to fight the Death Eater who had aimed it at her.

The witch was short and when her robe fell back, the ugly toad-like face made her pause.

"Umbridge?" Ginny gasped in astonishment.

Dolores Umbridge was the last person that Ginny had been prepared to run into in the battle against Voldemort.

Umbridge's falsely sweet smile made her shudder. "I've been hoping to run into you again, dear. You caused me quite a lot of pain and discomfort with your little teacup stunt."

Ginny's lips curved. "You mean when I switched the tea cups and used your own weapon against you? Frankly, it seemed like you deserved it."

"I had everything!" she shouted. "I was a respected member of the Ministry and you ruined everything with your stupid little stunt!"

"Did I? Seems to me that you ruined your own life by being a bigot, Umbitch."

Umbridge's eyes narrowed. "Crucio!"

Ginny barely managed to dodge the spell, but she hopped onto her broom and flew around the witch.

"Get down here!" Umbridge screeched. "Don't run from me, you little coward!"

"Mucus proelium!" Ginny cried out.

Umbridge screamed when the curse hit her and huge bogeys erupted from her nose the size of bats. They flapped around her, attacking her as she fell to the ground, howling. Ginny took the opportunity to enlarge the bat bogeys and triple them as they attacked her like a starving flock.

"Ginny!" Harry called out a second before something hit her from behind.

She stumbled, falling off of her broom and landing on her ankle with a sickening crack. She winced, turning in time to see a tall robed figure head towards her with his wand pointed.

Ginny rolled and grabbed her broom, hopping back on, and sending a hex barrelling towards the man before she took off towards the skies. She looped around another hex as an explosion shook the castle and purple fire erupted by the back courtyard so bright and so blinding that she couldn't look at it. She could hear people screaming and her stomach dropped in horror.

Her eyes moved towards Harry and she saw him look towards the castle, his eyes wide but when he started to run towards the castle, she screamed his name and pointed.

Harry's eyes narrowed as he saw Tom marching down the grass, the snake slithering behind him. His long black robes billowing behind him in the wind as purple fire raged behind him. Ginny watched Harry's fingers clench around his wand and despite the fear running through her, she knew that he was as ready as he ever would be. When she caught sight of her brother's red hair coming out of the castle after the snake, she knew that it was almost time.

Yeah, there was no way that she was leaving her man alone.


End Author's Notes:

Everte Statum = backwards throwing jinx

Mucus proelium = curse of the bogeys (incantation by me)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the lyrics to Twisted Sister and I tweaked the lyrics just a little.

Thanks for reading and please review!